The Flightless

Team Bonding

Rick slams the door shut behind him. My eyes immediately take to Doctor Fate, then Mr. Freeze.

I was right about him. Amanda did capture Fries that night when she swept through Gotham. She just chose to use Victor's gifts instead of locking him away in an asylum.

"Freeze," I whisper. "You're alive."

He's gotten a major upgrade. His cryogenic suit has been wildly updated. A glass dome rests over his shoulders, I assume to keep out any warmth. He's been given a massive array of weapons and florescent blue tubes. Mr. Freeze is now a villain to be reckoned with.

"Unfortunately," he says, holstering his freeze ray. "Welcome to hell. You thought Indian Hill was bad. Arkham Asylum is a daydream compared to this place."

Apparently, so. I glance around the room. Everyone looks exhausted or tortured, or some kind of sickly combination of the two. They gather around me like I'm fresh meat. Rick stands behind me.

"Alright, listen up. Give me your names and a brief summary of your abilities."

Deadshot fiddles with his mask from the top of a desk. "Why would we tell you that?"

I sigh through a clenched jaw. "So we can plan this mission accordingly. I have no plans to die today. I imagine none of you do, either."

That settles the rising tempers of my teammates. Most of them.

"What makes you think you're capable of leading us, huh? I had your position before Waller dragged you down here. What makes you better than me?"

"I, for one, have a proven history of leadership skills, medical skills, extensive knowledge of the law, some kind of moral compass, and I've quite literally returned from the dead. Not to mention, I have united the underworld for the first time in Gotham's history."

Lawton gets in my face. "Yeah, you're Queen until someone pays a little better. Loyalty is paper-deep."

I don't back down. "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? I know who you are. You're the bitch of the highest bidder. You kill to pay your rent. At least when I kill someone, I do it with a purpose."

His pistol rests against my chin. Chills spiral down my neck. "I swear to god, I'll kill you here and now!"

"Do it, Deadshot. You think death scares me?" I push my shirt to the side, revealing the scar from the shot that killed me. "I'm just begging to see the other side of mortality, again. It's going to take a lot more than your trivial guns to frighten me."

He shouts in my face. I don't flinch. Floyd stands down, shoving his gun in the holster.

"If we're done measuring dicks, I'd like to continue with our group bonding session. Names and powers, now."

Deadshot falls back into line.

A shy, blonde girl to my left begins. "My— my name is— my name is Wendy Jones, but everyone calls me Windfall."

My heart softens. She can't be over eighteen.

"And what sort of abilities do you have, Wendy?"

"I can— I can fly and control the wind with my hands."

That's useful, especially quite possibly putting out a giant fire monster. She can be our eyes and ears in the sky.

"Thank you, Windfall. Next?"

"Is that me?"

"Yes, King Shark," Rick confirms. "Speak up."

A huge, hulking figure steps forward. A dorsal fin sprouts from its back. Its face looks long and pointy, identical to an actual shark. Teeth protrude from his lower lip. I'm surprised to see the shark-like creature stand on two feet. I'm even more shocked when it speaks.