Releasing a sigh as the tentative looks from the group of teens that always look away when I turn to look at them…except for Connor who is glowering in my direction.
His red flannel shirt shredded his blue jeans ripped up and his timberland land colored boots missing.
"How would y'all feel about a shopping trip?" I ask as I look down at my own clothes just as worse for wear as Connor's own clothes.
Only M'Gann lets out an enthused sound, "EEE, Shopping that's an earth tradition from Hello Mega-" M'Gann's enthusiastic voice tapers off and I find myself spinning around to face her, a soft smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"We could call it a team training exercise…" I add on making Kaldur look at me with a look of consideration on his face while Robin snorts, and Kid Flash looks at M'gann, "I'd love to take you shopping babe." He says while eyeing M'Gann like she's a piece of meat and not a person, luckily Robin smacks him on the back of his head.
'M'Gann, I'm not sure if the connection is still active…but you should tell Kid Flash you're not interested in him if you're not…also Connor is only a couple days old…so please don't try influencing him or projecting things onto him that he's not ready for…also if you ever want to talk about what you went through on Mars being A'ashenn…also if you wanted to we could travel to Mars and bring your little brother here…sure there's still prejudice and racism but…no caste system.' M'Gann looks at me with a deer in headlights expression on her face.
'How?' M'Gann's voice sounds so fragile in my voice I stand up and cautiously approach her.
"Let's just say…the circumstances that led me to obtaining my powers also allowed me to see a possible timeline…and get to know all of you…while that version of all of you from that timeline, well sorta…anyways just think about what I said and if you don't feel comfortable around me just say so and I'll keep my distance…except for you Mustard and Ketchup…you can keep your opinion to yourself."
'I-I feel comfortable around you…but could you not tel-'
'I'd never tell your secrets unless your life depended on them…and even then I'd only share what I deemed necessary to rescue you…with that said…you should share your truths M'Gann…we're an assorted bunch as it is, Demigod, half alien, alien, meta, Atlantian, and human…we are your team now, you're family…I'm not say you have to rush it but I'm sure if you put your faith in us you won't regret it…also it might stop Wally from hitting on you.' I tease at the end, and an unbidden thought of me and M'Gann kissing in her true form, and try to lock down my mind before it could drift to more risque thoughts.
"I do believe a team building excursion could be helpful for fostering a stronger relationship amongst us." Kaldur finally says and there are two groans, while M'Gann cheers happily and squeals, "shopping trip."
"Group up, Wally, Kaldur, Connor, and Birdboy you guys go together and help Connor get some new clothes, we'll meet in the food court at five." I instruct the barely listening teens, as M'Gann shyly grabs my arm, as we exit the stealthed Bioship, which is currently shaped like a motorhome, our front of the local mall.
"Wanna go to the more girl orientated stores?" I ask M'Gann, who had come clean about her color, after we returned to The Cave and got cleaned up.
'She really seems a lot more happier now that she shared her true skin color and true form with the team and they all seem very accepting of her.'
"Ye-yes!" M'Gann says to me, eyes big, bright and happy, a light dusting of pink in her cheeks.
"Why does he get to go with M'Gann?!" Wally shouts his dislike and the guys drag him away, I hear Dick say, "Because other than Kal he's the least likely to creep on her in the women's changing room!"
"You look good as a Caucasian M'gann.." I say playfully and the girl blushes even brighter as we walk inside of the biggest mall we could find in..Happy Harbor.
"Megan Morse, that's my civilian name." M'Gann murmurs to me.
"I know, I just don't like playing pretend." I murmur and M'Gann looks to me with a complicated expression which manages to look adorable on her.
'There are Sooo many people.' M'gann says in my head and unintentionally shares her sense of wonder with me.
'Yes, there are…do you want to get anything?' I send a random assortment of store names into M'Gann's mind, for an informed decision…granted most of those stores cater to a more mature woman's tastes being they are stores Harley told me about.
'You know if we go to Tech Emporium…we might be able to find a copy of 'Hello, Megan'.' I tease M'Gann with an image of a younger M'gann watching the show on Mars…and a younger me sitting on the floor watching her watching Hello Megan, with a plate of food in front of me and a coffee table as my dinner table.
"Oh." M'Gann murmurs and she blushes in embarrassment at my memory.
'It's such a relief…thank you…can I call you by your old name?' M'Gann asks me cautiously.
'Angel, Shane…as long as you don't call me late for dinner.' I reply to her teasingly.
"This is not a drill." A voice comes on over the mall's intercom. "Condiment King has invaded the mall, and the Terror Twins are robbing S-Jewelers!"
'Ah shit!' I curse in my mind and M'Gann giggles, I know her amusement is at my exasperation filled sigh and not people being endangered but still it's bad timing.
""Please evacuate the mall, in an orderly fashion."
"Great…this is gonna turn into a frenzy!" I grumble and can feel M'Gann's concern for everyone here, through the still active mental link.
'M'Gann, tell the guys to deal with the Terror Twins, you and I will take on Condiment King, I know I'm not as good a combatant as the guys but what I lack in martial prowess, I make up for in vindictiveness and unkillability.' and with those words all hell broke loose the second floor above M'Gann and I started to tremble, and people started stampeding out of the food court some on fire, others with thick mustard looking substance on them that is eating through their clothes and flesh.
As M'gann and I dodge the stampeders i spot a column whose base is melted by yellow mustard acid and begin to fall which wouldn't be a big deal if people hadn't taken cover behind it.
Charging forward using all of my strength and willpower I catch said pillar just in time to prevent paste ala'huuman.
"M'gann, I need your help!" I call out through gritted teeth as I strain against the weight of a collapsing support pillar that has mostly fallen already, pinning a middle aged Hispanic man and his children to the ground, who had previously taken cover behind the piece of support structure.
I'm putting in my best effort which is barely offsetting the massive piece of steel reinforced concrete from completely smushing the family of three into paste.
"Miss Martian, hurry!" I call out to m'gann both mentally and aloud soon the bleached bone white skinned Martian girls with long wavy flowing red hair and intensely colored eyes flies over to me and lift the column up easily with the power of her mind, just as the column was about to slip off of my fingers.
I send my feelings of gratitude and relief to M'gann through the link while dropping to my knees, "I got ya." I say to the little girl as I take her hands and pull her towards me and I wince as she whimpers in pain she's wracked with chemical burns across her body, so I move quickly to heal her with one hand while reaching out and grabbing her brother and father's outstretched hands pulling them to safety while M'Gann lowers the pillar to the ground.
After doing my best to heal the three member family from their exposure to the caustic substance, while my hands, knees and legs from the damage the caustic substance tries to inflict on me.
"This way sir." M'gann says and levitates the three with telekinesis and escorts them from the building.
'Isn't Condiment King, a trash tier villain? Are all trash tier villains capable of this kinda damage?' I wonder as M'gann flies back to me.
"Condiment King is at The 'Must Buy' exit, near the food court!" M'gann says to me both aloud and through the mental link.
"Thanks, how are the guys doing against The Terror Twins?" I yell as M'gann flies just behind me, as I run for the named store.
'There fight has taken them outside of the mall and a couple blocks away, Robin says that they're both as strong as Superman and just as invulnerable too.' M'gann says in my head and I send her the approximation of a mental nod.
"I see, we should make sure everyone that was on the second floor got out before moving to engage the Condiment Bozo." I say my voice coming out commanding and M'gann and I move together like a well oiled machine her flying, As I rocket up a half melted escalator, jump over another pool of mustard, run around the second floor vaulting over obstructions while I search for any more survivors on this side of the second floor and M'gann does the same on the other.
'I don't sense or see anyone else on the second floor.' M'gann's voice sounds in my head and makes me slide to a stop I scan the wreckage of the second floor, and release a breath of relief at seeing nearly everyone has been evacuated.
Meeting back up with M'gann we begin heading for the food court.
'I wish I had a gun right about now.' I internally groan as M'gann and I round the final corner to the food court, 'Use caution M'gann you don't heal like me.' I say to her and receive a mental nod back as I go ahead of her slowly entering the trashed atrium/hub of the mall.
A red liquid...that I'm almost certain is ketchup, burns like napalm all across the food court, several piles of the acidic mustard, garnish the battlefield with yellow... coating mostly skeletons with small pathces of red melted waxy skin, I feel bile rise in my throat at the sight along with rage especially since The Condiment King is standing In the centre of the food court, celebrating his victory.
Spotting a cop encased in a tall pile of solidified relish, gun on the ground in front of him, luckily not near a puddle of mustard, a crying child still held hostage by the self proclaimed king, I sneak forward the trash tier foe lost in his own gloating, I grab the police issue side arm, take in a deep breath, as I take aim holding my breath becoming hyper focused.
I slolwy squeeze the trigger, and pray...the bullet sails through the air leaving a comical vapor trail in it's wake, but it flies true and strikes the mustard tank on the villain's back.
'Maybe I should have just gone for a killshot...' I say in my mind as the yellow fluid sprays out making, his majesty the King shriek in panic, as he flails he sends the fluid everywhere...even hitting the little girl who screams out in pain making my stomach twist with guilt.
I charge forwards as the Condiment King tears his rig from his back, the canisters begins to shake. He flings it into the air, and throws himself underneath a table.
Just as the backpack, explodes in the air. A shower of red, yellow, and green covers me I shield the little girl with my body.
M'gann lets out a horrified shriek while calling out to me, but I can't answer her the combination of fluids burn into and through my back I can feel the mixture of fire and acid eating/burning through my organs, bringing intense agony...agony so intense it causes me to lose consciousness.