20

The attack came in low, the chitinous limb trying to sweep me off my feet to set me up for a follow up attack. I managed to flip backwards and remain on my feet, my tail sweeping out behind me to help me maintain balance. My current form was lithe and flexible, somewhere between xenomorph and humanoid. It was the first time I was trying out that particular shape, but now seemed like as good a time as any to try, given the opponent skittering towards me.

Said opponent was currently a demented mix between a twelve legged spider and a crab, his various angular legs constantly in motion. He had a rounded main body with a pair of large compound eyes on the top and bottom. The spider-crab let out a strange sort of warble before he came at me again, several of his limbs stabbing at me in rapid succession. I tried to block and parry as best I could, but there were simply too many attacks to counter. My arms were swatted to the side before one of his larger limbs reeled back for a much heavier strike.

But then the spider-crab pulled back just before a long green arm shot between us. And by long, I mean about 15 feet. That distance away, M'gann was doing her best Dhalsim impression by lashing out with a series of arm-extending strikes. Our opponent tried to skitter away, but M'gann corralled him with whip like motions to keep his motion restricted. I waited for a few moments before I saw my opportunity, and as the spider-crab was forced back towards me I suddenly moved in and shifted.

As my limbs brushed his, the ridges that covered my body changed and contracted, forming into clamp like structures that captured most of the creature's legs. By the he realized it my opponent was completely ensnared by me, and could not even turn around to properly retaliate.

Unfortunately, my victory was short lived. A second later the surface of the spider-crab rippled and its limbs contorted and expanded. They grew so large and so fast that he burst out of my clamps (painfully, might I add), before several of the leg fused into one and shot towards me. The blow came in lightning fast, slipping past my guard and slamming me in the chest. I slid back across the floor from the impact, but I managed to keep my balance till I came to a stop. By the time I did though, my opponent had completed his transformation into a hulking ogre like monster half again my own height, with a maw of sharp teeth underneath a trio of eyes.

I ran back in and struck at his legs, but my attacks simply didn't have enough force behind them to move him. I managed to twist out of the way of a grab and slip between his legs, just barely getting out of the way of a follow up swing as he turned to face me.

Before he could chase after me though, M'gann came in from the side and physically checked him. And her attempt was far more successful than my own, as she was doing a surprisingly close impression of She-Hulk when she hit. She towered over myself and her musculature was far more developed than what you'd see on a normal human woman. She pulled back before settling into a boxing stance and firing off a series of jabs. The ogre took it in stride though, and managed to grab her arm before flipping her over.

I hesitated as I watched the two wrestle, considering my options. After a few moments I came to a decision and my body changed again, reabsorbing my tail and growing heavier. I wasn't trying to match their scale though, instead focusing on creating mechanical actuators in all of my joints to give them extreme articulation. My joints expanded and my body lengthened as a result, but after a few second every part of me was capable of free rotation.

I wait until M'gann was thrown clear before I dashed in myself. My opponent saw me coming and tried to grab me again, and this time I let him catch my arm. The limb bent and rotated in response, putting him off balance and allowing me to toss him to the ground. The ogre tried to get back up but I was already on top of him, contorting around so that his legs were completely immobilized and he could find no purchase to pry me off. M'gann assisted a moment later by coming in and pressing down on his upper body and arms.

We only had him pinned for a moment though before his form changed once again, his arms slipping out of M'gann's grasp as the joints started to bend at strange angles. His leg fused into a single serpentine tail which whipped around and swept me completely into the air, sending me flying. His head formed into a sleek, swept back helm which slammed into M'gann's legs, knocking her off balance and allowing him to slip away.

The naga slid across the floor with surprising speed, dashing out before coming back in at M'gann. The girl just barely managed to get her footing before our opponent wrapped around her in a snake-like bind. M'gann struggled for a moment, but even with her current frame she was unable to free herself from the grapple. A second later her form shrunk a little and the coils around her loosened as a result. The naga tried to shift around and tighten his grip, but before he could I saw several sets of hands grab the coils and force them apart. With a cry of effort, she heaved and tossed our opponent off of her. She once again took stance, only this time she did so with four sets of arms.

There was a pause as we all assessed each other. M'gann was closer to our opponent and in between me and him, but at my current angle I still had a decent shot if I wanted to take it. Not wanting to waste time, I yelled "M'gann, tether ball!" before my arm changed into a large grapple device. When I fired, it launched a heavy weight at the end of a nanite cable straight at the naga.

Our opponent saw this coming of course and dodged out of the way, but I had never actually intended to hit him. Instead, as the cable just barely missed M'gann, one of her arms lashed out and grabbed the line. As she swung the cable around I was lifted off my feet, curling into a ball just before I collided with a very surprised naga. The force of the blow knocked him down and sent me sailing into the air above him.

As I arced through the air, dozens of small grapple launchers formed on my body. As I reached the height of my jump they all fired as one, lines shooting at creature beneath me. The result was a massive web of nanite cables that captured and pinned the naga to the ground, its body too larger to slip through the gaps. In that instant I had the launchers pull me in, and I rocketed towards the ground with my first cocked back. As I got in range I punched-

And hit nothing as the creature went intangible at the last second, letting me hit the ground as it smoothly phased through my trap and floated several feet away. "That is enough." The monstrosity twisted and shrank down, and in a matter of moments the form of Martian Manhunter was standing in front of us. "You have both done well, and I am pleased at your use of teamwork."

M'gann and I followed suit and shifted back into our human forms as well, the holographic score board of the Mountain's fighting ring flashing beside us. I quickly glanced at Kori and Superboy (who had been watching on the sidelines) before looking back at my teacher. "Thanks. We had the idea for that maneuver a few minutes before we started." I said.

A small smile graced the Martian's lips. "I shall have to think twice before asking for another two-on-one practice." He said before looking at me more directly. "Jacob, I am impressed with your creativity, but you should take more care in guarding you limbs. If enemies learn of how your body works, you can be sure that exposed limbs will be targeted."

He then looked at his niece. "M'gann, you are being more conservative than you need to be when it comes to your forms. I know that Black Canary has been training the team in human martial arts, but you should not feel restricted to being humanoid. You can draw on nature, Terran or Martian, if you need inspiration."

M'gann shifted a little. "I know, it's just… difficult for me. And I'm not very interested in learning more than I already know."

I turned to say something to her, but I paused as I looked at the Martian girl. I hadn't noticed it until that moment, but that she hadn't actually reverted back to normal her human state. While she had removed her extra arms, she had only shrunk down to a little shorter than myself, and her physique was more, well, Amazonian than usual. Even more curious was that she looked a bit older as well, her features less girlish and more mature. It was… quite appealing, actually. Looks like Kori's had a bit of an influence on her, I thought before I said "Trying something new?"

She blinked in confusion before I gestured at her body. She looked down at herself before she let out an 'eep!' and shrunk into herself. Literally.

It was interesting observing the differences between Martian shapeshifting and my own. When M'gann changed form, it usually rippled upwards from her feet, completely changing that part of her before moving on. This was opposed to my own, which initially affected every part of me in a quick burst of change, but then slowed down as more and more layers of details were added in.

It only took a moment for M'gaan to return to her normal teenager self, and she laughed nervously. "I… guess I wasn't paying attention."

I hesitated a little before I continued. "So, why aren't you interested in shapeshifting?"

M'gann shrugged. "I've never been that good at it. I'm not deficient or anything, but compared to most other Martians I'm nothing special. However, Uncle J'onn says my mental abilities are very strong. So, since the team already has you for shapeshifting, and Kori and Superboy for frontline melee, I figured that I should focus on the abilities which no one else in the team had."

I nodded. "That makes sense. That said, I still think it's a good idea that you're training with me. In this line of work you never know when the frontline will suddenly decide that those in the back have been having it too easy and slide up right next to you."

M'gann giggled at that while Manhunter hummed. "An unusual euphemism, but I agree with the sentiment. The Martian military has adopted a holistic approach to personal combat for a reason. To be honest, if I had brought any to Earth, I would also consider schooling you in basic Martian weapon training."

His comment reminded me of a thought I had a few days ago, so I took the opportunity to ask "Manhunter, do Martians have power armor? Or something similar?"

J'onn hesitated for a moment before he replied "Technically speaking yes… though it is rarely used."

I arched an eyebrow. "Well now you have me interested."

"The most common form of armor used by the Martian military is fundamentally the same as our morphic garments, save that the composition is much denser and harder." He explained. "It is much slower and more difficult to shapeshift in, but it offers good protection and allows for mounting of additional weaponry."

"…and that's not power armor?"

"By human standards, no. The purpose of human power armor is to enhance the physical capabilities of the wearer. Most Martian armor, while malleable and manageable, is still a hindrance to us physically. Creating something that could enhance us physically is possible, but there are… consequences."

M'gann stepped up. "The more advanced Martian biotechnology becomes, the more intelligent it becomes. All of our ships are made sentient in part because we can't stop them from becoming sentient. Armor that is advanced enough to seamlessly shapeshift with us would in turn have to have some kind of mind of its own. And having it properly synchronize with its host would require their minds to merge."

J'onn gave her a look and she blushed a little. "I've been doing some studying into biomechanical engineering."

Her uncle made a small sound before looking back at me. "Such melding of the minds is permanent, and inexorably changes the personalities of those involved. As you might imagine, this is not popular, and these Gestalts are rare. That said, there have been instances where soldiers have made that choice." The man looked to the side. "They… are seen by the Martian populous as living weapons, as many have had that mentality in the past. Why do you ask?"

"Well, while I've only consumed one piece of Martian biotech, I've managed to replicate it almost perfectly. Better than any Terran biology in any case." A week or so ago I had gotten around to attempting to assimilate a dead pig to see what would happen, and the results were… underwhelming. I could try to physically mimic the creature's internal structures, but they didn't actually do anything, and I was pretty sure I knew why: my body didn't really do chemistry, especially liquid chemistry. A bit ironic considering I was biomechanical, but the 'bio' part of me was strange, and almost entirely restricted to the inside of my nanites. The nanites interacted with each other mostly with fields or mechanically. They could emulate chemical reactions to an extent, but they really didn't work well with Earth biochemistry.

Martian biotech on the other hand was a very different matter. Martians themselves were a pseudo-protean mass of complex silicates and carbonates, and their tech had a similar composition. For whatever reason, my body had a much easier time mimicking that. "I'm still looking for something to give me back my sense of touch and taste, among other things, and I figured if anything would have that it would be equipment Martians wear."

J'onn nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, our advance armor would likely give you what you're looking for, but given that it is both very rare and sentient, I would advise against it. I… am not aware of anything else that would help you, but I don't see why it could not be made if you merely want physical senses."

I perked up. "That would be fantastic. Do I need to hire a Martian bio-sculptor, or…?"

"I shall make inquires the next time I am in communication with Mars." He replied. "Though I should warn you that there may be complications. The Martian Government is very strict about keeping its isolationism and technology. I do not know how they will respond to the request for biotechnology, even if it comes from one of Earth's heroes."

I felt a little disappointed with that response, but I still said "Thank you." It may behoove me to learn how to fly that Psion ship I came here in…

Martian Manhunter nodded before he glanced at the floating holographic screen and noticed the time. "It seems that we have run out of time, I need to be on patrol shortly." He looked back at the two of us. "We will resume training in a few days."

"Of course, looking forward to it!" M'gann said, while I just gave him a nod of my own. J'onn then turned walked to the Zeta Tubes, disappearing in a flash of golden light a few seconds later.

M'gaan and I then walked back over to our spectators, but as we moved I noticed with some surprise that there was a third person I hadn't noticed: it was Artemis, wearing normal civilian clothes. More surprising than her having shown up without my noticing though, was that she wasn't wearing a mask. I thought she wanted to keep her identity a secret from us. It was almost strange to me how normal looking she was. I had gotten used to every person around me having exotic backgrounds, so I guess I just assumed… Well, I guess I was being foolish. Not every woman I meet had to be destined for conflict.

…Though now that I think about it, the number of warrior princesses I'm on a first name basis with has increased by 200% in the last month alone. "M'gann, you're not secretly a warrior princess are you?"

"…No?"

"Because you'd tell me, right? Like, if you were secretly the heir to a long lost lineage of Martian royalty, who was usurped centuries ago and went into hiding until the prophesied child was born, who would then led her oppressed people against the corrupt regime-"

"No!"

I arched an eyebrow at that, but before I could say anything we had already reached the others. "You both did really well!" Kori exclaimed. "You have shown a lot of improvement over the past few weeks. I am curious to see what kind of warriors you will become."

"I see M'gann becoming a Magical Girl." I said. "Not sure about myself, but it will probably involve a great deal pontificating and dramatic poses."

"Oh, like in the traditional Tamaranian hero epics." Kori said. I gave her a curious look, and she proceeded to lift off the ground and spin in the air. When she stopped one leg was placed in front of the other, her hips and head were cocked to the side, and she pointed down at me with one arm while the other framed her chest. "You may have thought me dead, tyrant, but in the end your defeat shall come from me! Alisand'r!"

My mouth opened and closed for a few seconds before I said "You're going to have to tell me about these epics at some point. And I'm going to have to show you a certain Bizarre Adventure…"

"…You guys are weird." Artemis said after a moment.

I chuckled and looked at the blond girl. "I have to admit, I'm a little surprised to see you here."

She arched an eyebrow at me. "Why? It's still the summer, and I didn't get a chance to check this place out. Besides, I thought you guys, you know, hang out here and stuff."

"Well, most of us live here, but yes." I said. "The other guys have their own schedules and show up whenever. I've been trying to arrange a more regular 'causal day', but we haven't quite made it work yet."

"But you can show up whenever you want!" M'gann insisted. "You can even stay over, we have plenty of space."

"Cool, haven't had a slumber party in…" She trailed off before she blinked. "Actually I've never had a slumber party. That's depressing. Anyway, never got a chance to look around, but this place has got have some fun stuff, right? "

"Certainly! There's a kitchen, game center, and a private beach." Kori said. "Although Jacob informed me after the last time that I should unclothe when I get to the beach, rather than in my room first."

"Why would that be an iss- wait." Artemis said with mild alarm before she glanced at the rest of us. "When she says 'unclothe'…?"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Err, Tamaranians are much more resilient to the elements than humans. As such clothing is slightly more optional for them… Which, in the course of living with her, she has shown us."

Superboy blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Laundry day."

"I-I knocked first and she said she was decent!" M'gann insisted.

For her part, the Tamranian just seemed amused. "I am still baffled by how you lot consider a little nudity to be taboo."

Wanting to move the topic back to something slightly less awkward, I looked at Artemis and asked "So, I haven't caught your name yet."

She looked at me like I was an idiot. "…Artemis."

I blinked. "Wait, your real name actually is Artemis? Like, you just took your first name as your superhero name?"

She reeled back from me, her eyes going wide. "W-Wait, what?! No no no, not my real name, of course not! Why would you assume that?!"

"But, you just said that it was Artemis-"

"I meant why would you assume that's my real name?!"

"I… you're not wearing a mask," I said, my confusion growing. "I assumed that meant you were letting the team know your real identity."

"Well, no. I mean, yeah, you know what I look like but you're not going to try to use that to find out who I am, right?"

I opened my mouth before I closed it again. Eventually I managed to say. "Huh. That… is an oddly specific amount of trust that you're putting in us."

She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I… nothing. It doesn't matter." I had briefly considered telling her about how the Mountain had cameras everywhere which were linked to a computer with excellent facial recognition software, but I decided against it. I didn't want to overly stress her at the moment. I should probably asked Batman if there is a way to blush out her face on the recordings.

When I came down to it, I didn't really care to try to find out who she really was. If she wanted to tell me she would tell me. Hell, I hadn't even bothered confirming who Robin was yet. I wasn't sure why he thought that a pair of sunglasses was enough to keep me from narrowing his identity down. I was still 95% sure that he was Dick Grayson, but I honestly didn't feel need to confirm that if he didn't want me to.

I sighed. "Alright, I guess it was a bit silly of me to seriously think you used your first name as your superhero name. I mean, no one's stupid enough to do that."

Artemis's eyes narrowed and I could see her jaw clench a little. "Yes. Very stupid. Of course." She said before she looked away and started muttering under her breath.

After a moment Superboy spoke up. "So, we doing something or what?"

I looked at him. "You got something in mind?"

He shrugged. "Not really, any time we've done something as a group I've just followed you guys' lead. I don't… really know what most normal people do for fun."

"Come on, you have to know of something. You were in Metropolis a week or two back, right? Did you find anything there you liked?"

A scowl suddenly formed on his face. "No." He said flatly.

My brow furrowed. That sounded like something had happened. But, before I could inquire further, Kori said "Well Jacob, how about you? What activities did you preform to create bonds with others before you came here?"

"Aside from life threatening combat? Typically getting intoxicated and doing something foolish together." I remarked. "My old standby used to be karaoke."

"Oh, I've been meaning to try that!" M'gann said excitedly. "Martians don't really sing, not vocally anyway, so I'd love to give it a shot together."

Kori mirrored the sentiment. "A marvelous idea! I haven't joined in a proper ballad in ages."

Superboy was much more reluctant though. "Singing? I don't like the sound of that."

"Well, we're supposed to be drunk and not care." I said. "But, unless Artemis is much older than she looks, none of us can or should consume alcohol. So, I'm not sure karaoke is the best thing here."

"Please, Jacob?" M'gann pleaded as she clasped her hands and leaned towards me.

"Look, I-" I started to say as I turned to face her, but I had a sudden flash of insight and covered my eyes with my hands. "Oh no."

"Jacob, what's wrong?" She asked.

"M'gann, are you giving me the sad puppy dog eyes?"

"No."

"I'm serious here. You know what I've said about you and that look."

"That it's an unfair use of my shapeshifting and natural adorableness to manipulate you to do things for me?"

"Yes that." I confirmed. "Hence the not looking."

"Jacob, I promise you I'm not giving you the sad puppy dog eyes."

"Alright… when I lower my hands, I'm expecting no sad puppy dog eyes."

I lowered my hands. She was giving me the sad puppy dog eyes.

"…I trusted you." I said bitterly.

----------------------​

"Alright, that should do it," I said with a sigh as I finished hooking up the common room TV to the Mountain's audio system. I walked in front of the large screen and pulled up karaoke program as everyone else settled onto the couch behind me. I volunteered to go first. It was technically my fault that we were doing this, so it was only right that I would be offering my dignity on the altar of sacrifice first.

I hummed as I cycled through the song list until I found the song I had spotted in the booklet. I had originally planned to do something by Queen (an old favorite and standby when it came to karaoke), but when I had spotted this particular number I knew that I had to do it at least once. I may not have been in front of a lounge, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

As the sound of the piano started to play, I took a breath. "Am I bluuuue?~"