8 Meeting The Team

"Jacob Fletcher, right?" he asked before stepping closer and putting out his hand as I nodded, "Dick Grayson, nice to meet you," he said, a friendly smile on his face.

Which I found weird. Pretty accepting of an alien, isn't he?

"Likewise," I said as I stood up, my joints popping a little as I stretched out. Looking over to the group behind Dick, I raised an eyebrow back at him, "So, are these the guys Batman said I could train with?" I asked and some of them seemed to have heard me as they mildly offended by my remark and my unsure tone.

Smirking, Dick nodded before gesturing for me to follow him to the group, "Yeah; let me introduce you to them."

He said this and the two of us walked over to the group, he put a hand on my shoulder as he addressed the group, a natural charisma flowing from him as he spoke, "This is the guy we've gotta train with from now on. He should show us what the Viltrumites are capable of, so treat him well, alright?" he said with a smile and I was...surprised.

I thought that Batman was the exception. Not the rule. I thought more people would have a problem with my race. Especially the guy with the big red S printed on his shirt. Who I can safely assume to be Superboy.

I don't know why I'm not overjoyed at them not judging me based off of my race...but it just unsettles me. I don't really know why because they're being sincere. There's no sign of them lying on their faces. Nothing like that.

Guess what happened with Superman and Kara has rustled me a little more than I thought, huh? Figures.

"You okay?" the guy in front of me, Superboy, waved his hand in front of my face, his near emotionless face showing only the barest amount of worry as he looked at me. It was at that point that I felt a shiver go through me - he really looks a lot like Superman. Way too much.

"Sorry," I said, backing up a step on instinct, "You...you just look like him a little too much," I said, the guy across from me raising an eyebrow before they scrunched together when he realized who I was referring to. Hm. Must have his own beef with Superman. Guess not everything's so simple for the heroes of the world, huh?

"You fought him, right?" he suddenly asked and I was a bit taken aback, though I still nodded in the end, "How was it?" he asked as he saw me nod and I was, again, taken aback by his question.

Taking a deep breath before sighing, I shrugged before answering, "Hard. Fighting him was hard. Felt like I was trying to move a mountain with my bare-fists," I nervously chuckled only to see Superboy just nod in agreement before walking passed me and sitting down in what I'd guess was where the rest of them were going to sit.

Following him was a blonde girl, who had similar blue eyes to Kara, but she didn't look anything like Kara.

If Kara was the short, cute kind of beauty, then this girl was the tall, sexy kind of beauty. Both beautiful girls, no doubt, but different types of beauty. All very complex stuff and very relevant right now, good job, Jacob.

But the girl just gave me a sidelong glance before walking passed me and toward Superboy, and from the way she sat next to him, practically on his lap...it's safe to say that they're together. Or very, very close friends. Though I'm putting money on the former.

Looking back to Dick, confused, he just helplessly smiled before getting closer to me and whispering.

"She's friends with Kara...so she might be a bit off with you for a while," he apologetically said and I felt my heart lurch for a second before I forced a smile back and nodded that I understood.

The next person came bundling over like a barrel of joy and wrapped her arms around me, though struggling a little due to my body's natural width compared to her smaller body and limbs. It was a redhead who was about 5'1" and had healthy pink tone to her skin. I looked to Dick, visible confusion on my face and all he did was laugh, not helping clear it up one bit.

"My name's Megan Morse, it's so good to have another person like me in the team! Even if it's only for training!" she cheered, looking up at me with her adorable face. Her reddish-brown eyes glinted with excitement and her lightly freckled cheeks just added to her cuteness.

But all she got from me was confusion, "...What?" I asked her before looking to Dick who realized what I was asking and answered.

"She's a Martian. Miss Martian, to be exact. You've probably seen her on the news when we've been on it," he said before turning to the door as it flipped open for a second and then closed. I, on the other hand, saw the orange-haired guy running into the classroom, carrying another blonde girl - why are there so many blonde girls here?? There's one redhead but I've seen three blonde superwomen and none others--Concentrate, Jacob. There's not a reason for everything.

The ginger came to a stop and put down who I assumed to be his girlfriend before flashing over to me and looking at me with a hand on his chin, though his eyes went wide when he realized I had followed his movement the entire time.

"...They really weren't messing around when they told us you were fast as well as strong, huh?" he said, his tone devoid of energy for a few seconds before the blonde spoke up.

"They said he was strong," she smiled as she came over near me and leaned in a little, standing on her tiptoes and looking at my face, "But they never said he was gonna be this handsome," she laughed under her breath as she looked down and saw Megan still hugging me, "See, even Megan knows it when she sees it - I'm routing for ya~!" she did a mock cheer before the ginger sighed and dragged his hand across his face before pulling the blonde back a bit.

"Artemis..." he said with a reprimanding tone. Such a reprimanding tone in fact, that I guessed that this wasn't the first time she'd said something like this. He then stepped toward me and put out a hand, "Wally West. It's good to have someone who isn't so slow on the team now. Should make training more fun," he said with a laugh.

Though before I could take his hand, the blonde pushed him out the way and took my hand, "Artemis Crock, and trust me, the pleasures all mine," she was flirting but I could tell it was only to wind up the ginger guy, or Wally as he called himself, and make him annoyed/jealous.

What a tricky women. My heart goes out for ya, Wally.

"Jacob Fletcher - but I guess that you all already knew that," I chuckled before looking around at them. They had the same lectures as me. Thinking this, I turned my attention to Dick, "Weird how we all picked the same Major, huh?" I asked, knowing something was up.

"About that," Dick laughed a little awkwardly before deflating a little, "It was Batman's idea. Said we should help you out where you need it and taking the same Major would help with that."

"Probably helps with keeping an eye on me as well, huh?" I joked, though there was a seriousness to what I said. Because it really did line up pretty well.

Dick just raised his hands in mock-surrender, "Hey, you can't say it isn't a clever thing to do. There's another Metahuman in this class who we need to look out for as well, so don't think you're too special, alright?" he joked back and I couldn't help but smile.

At least this guy doesn't treat me like a child. That's good.

Just as he said this, the doors to the room opened and more people started coming in, so we went and sat down where we were supposed to. I had to removed Megan from me, who was much stronger than I would have pegged her to be. Much heavier as well. I was asked to sit next to them, mainly by Wally and Megan, but I declined it and sat a bit further up and to the back of the lecture hall.

What can I say, I like sitting at the back of class.

And within a few more minutes, the lecture hall was half full. I was messing about with my phone and listening to music, while occasionally responding to Megan waving at me - she really is a bundle of energy, huh - before going back to checking the news. What part of the news? The reports on what happened in Florida.

The beach had been...completely destroyed. Not just that, but some of the buildings and streets had suffered from mine and Superman's little fight. They explained it off as a freak Earthquake, which I had no doubt that the League put into action as a camouflage for what really happened.

Even then, loads of people we speaking about how they saw the Man of Steel himself flying away from the scene. Loads of theories were going about that he'd fell from the sky, or that he'd apprehended a villain on the beach.

Luckily it was later in the day and there weren't many people around otherwise I just know that my face would have been posted everywhere with the information that I was a villain.

That would've made life so fucking difficult. At least the League didn't throw me under the bus.

Just as I was thinking this, a girl with dark violet-highlighted black hair dropped her books as she was walking up the last step to get to the back of the lecture hall. Looking around I saw that there were literally no other people around so I got up and went to help her. When I squatted down and went to pick up the book nearest to me, the pale girl grabbed my arm and looked up at me with violet eyes*, "You don't need to help me," she practically spat at me and I narrowed my eyes a little.

(*A/N - I know that Raven doesn't have Violet eyes in canon but it kinda fits her, in my opinion.)

Once she let go of my hands, I still picked up the book before collecting a few of the other pages, some of them being drawings. But I kept to my own business and just picked up what was nearest to me before shuffling them into a neat pile and handing them back to her, "I don't need to help you. But I wanted to," I smiled at her and she narrowed her eyes a little at me, her brows scrunching a little, as if she was trying to see my intentions, before she took the books and pieces of paper before mumbling a thanks.

Seeing that she wasn't the social-type, I didn't bug her anymore and went back to my seat.

Though before long I noticed that she was standing right next to me. Turning to her I smiled before asking, "Yeah?" she shifted her weight a little before replying.

"Can...Can I borrow a pen, or a pencil, or anything to write with?" she seemed a little nervous as she spoke. Like she thought I'd despise her if she said even the slightest thing wrong. But that was her business and I wasn't her therapist.

"You forgot your pens on the first day?" I asked before shrugging, "Well, it happens," I said before reaching into my bag.

"Yeah, I, uh, just--Argh!" she seemed agitated by her lack of ability to speak and scratched aggressively at her hair, ruffling it up a little before going to turn away, "It-it doesn't matter. I'll just remember what's said and write it down later--!" just as she was about to speed walk back to her seat, at the end of the the row of seats I was sitting at, I called out and stopped her.

"Hey, it's fine, don't worry about it, alright?" I smiled as I slipped out of my seat and desk and walked over to her with a pencil in hand.

She stopped and turned around, taking the pencil. Her pale skin really allowed me to see the embarrassed blush on her face. Despite looking a little gloomy, she...was actually really beautiful. Weird thing to just notice, right? But there was something about her. Like a sort of curtain that made me want to not really notice her. It was...weird.

"T-thanks," she mumbled out before turning around but stopping as I called out to her again.

"If you don't have a pencil, I'd be willing to bet you don't have any highlighters or an eraser, right?" I asked, and she just stood still, not moving but she did turn around to me, a little bit of surprise in her eyes. Taking her silence as, well, not as a no and more as a maybe, I smiled before gesturing to the seat next to me, "Why don't you come sit next to me? You can use my stuff."

She struggled on what to say but in the end, she nodded before walking over to her seat and bringing her stuff over next to me.

Why did I offer to help her? Because why not? I'm not saying I'd help everyone I came across. But if I could help them, then why shouldn't I? Plus, I kinda wanna say a big 'fuck you' to whatever's trying to make me ignore the poor girl. It's like some kind of field around her - if I concentrate enough, I can see a light distortion around her. Like her very presence is rejected by the surroundings.

Honestly...she kinda reminds me of how I feel; Different.

And in my books, that's more than enough reason to help someone.