Ch19:infiltration
Just a quick reminder to the canon plot ...
Belle Reve Parish; September 16th; 21:55 CDT
Superboy pov
The plan wasn't easy.
We were infiltrating one of the most dangerous prisons on Earth with Miss Martian. She wasn't much older than me either, if you considered how long she'd been on this planet. But she seemed to fit in better.
she and I were disguised as the Terror Twins—Tommy and Tuppence. It wasn't hard to fall into the role; I knew how to play tough, how to act like I didn't care. It's how I felt most of the time anyway. The others thought I was fine with all this, but the truth was, every second we were here, I could feel my blood boiling. Anger at the situation, anger at Superman, anger at myself.
Belle Reve was a fortress, housing some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet. The collars around our necks kept us from using our powers, making us just like everyone else here. I couldn't help but wonder if Superman would have needed something like this. He's perfect, after all. No collar could hold him back. If he was here, this mission would've easy.
But he wasn't here. It was just me. And I wasn't him.
"Stick with me, cellmate. I'll show you the ropes," Junior said with an air of confidence.
I wasn't buying it. "Ah, who you kiddin'? You ain't been in Belle Reve befo'," I shot back, my accent slipping through. "Ya liable to get me hang' wit' dem ropes."
Junior stopped and turned to me, suddenly serious. "I may never have been incarcerated here, Tommy. But trust me, I know whereof I speak." He gestured toward a group of five at the corner of the bleachers—Blockbuster, Mammoth, Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, and Icicle Sr. "For starters, we pay homage to the top of the food chain. The big dog. The prison capo."
His gaze fixed on one of the ice villains. "My father."
I blinked, caught off guard. "That's your fa—" I began, but my shock made me stutter. "Tha— that's yer pa?"
Junior nodded, his tone bitter. "Yep. Icicle Sr. Reeks when your dad is the man, you know?"
I looked down, feeling a pang of empathy. "Believe me, I know."
Junior let out a long sigh, his frustration evident. "And your sister—man, she's—well, she's something else
The comment hit me harder than I expected. a strange anger bubbled up inside me. I didn't understand why Junior's words bothered me so much, but I could feel my fists clenching.
Why should it matter if Junior thought megan was attractive? It wasn't like I had any claim to her. But the thought of someone else commenting on her made my blood boil. I shook my head, trying to brush off the feeling. It was just a comment, right?
Before I could dwell on it further, a lanky brunet with a smirk approached the group of ice villains. "Hey, how many ice villains does it take to screw in a light bulb?" he asked with an annoying grin.
Mr. Freeze's gaze turned cold. "No one cares, Nigma."
Nigma stammered but quickly regained his composure. "I just thought if you're having a powwow, you might need my know-how
Brick and Mammoth moved menacingly toward Nigma, who quickly retreated. The tension in the air was palpable as Brick taunted him. "Get a load of Riddler, trying to run with the big boys. Riddle me this, doofus—who's the biggest joke in Belle Reve? And it ain't the Joker."
The villains laughed, and Junior's frustration was clear. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, giving me a strained smile before walking forward.
As Junior approached, the man with the laser eye—Ojo—suddenly lunged at him. I watched in horror as Ojo tackled Junior to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Hello, Junior. I warned you what would happen next time we crossed paths," Ojo said menacingly.
"Ojo, buddy, pal, mi amigo," Junior greeted with a forced cheerfulness, though his fear was evident. "Thought we were past this little feud."
Without thinking, I grabbed Ojo from behind and pulled him off Junior. "Ge' off ah him!" I roared, delivering a solid right hook to Ojo's helmet. The punch made Ojo stagger back, crashing into Brick's feet.
Brick's expression darkened. "Boy, that was not wise."
As I struggled against the lackeys holding me back, Ojo rubbed his jaw, looking ready to retaliate
leaving the tension to rise. Ojo's eyes widened as he looked at me. "Wait, I know him," he said, stunned.
I took the opportunity and grabbed Brick by the head, throwing him into Ojo. They collided with a heavy crash, hitting the ground with a grunt.
The fight was far from over. Brick's lackeys quickly restrained me again, and I fought against their grip, my frustration boiling over.
Icicle Sr.'s commanding voice cut through the chaos. "Enough," he said, his tone chilling. "Kid's got guts. The kind of guts a father wouldn't mind seeing in his own son."
Junior was thrown in front of Icicle Sr., stumbling but managing to stay upright. "Great to see you too, Dad," Junior said, his voice a mix of sarcasm and weariness.
Icicle Sr.'s gaze was icy as he looked around. "Get over here."
I tried to follow, but Brick blocked my way. "Not you, Terror. Just Junior."
"All right, Icicle. We're all here," Mr. Freeze said, his voice steady. "Now what?"
Icicle Sr. addressed the group with grim determination. "Now we put the final pieces in place to bust every single bastard out of Belle Reve."
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