The first tendrils of dawn slithered through the cracks in the blinds, casting a feeble glow over the untidy hotel room. The air had the scent of sex and the lingering aroma of a forgotten fast-food feast from the night before. Akitsu Fenton, or Aki, as she was affectionately called by her husband, lay on the disheveled bed, her naked form a stark contrast against the rumpled sheets. The soft murmur of the city outside did little to disturb her peaceful slumber.
Danny, however, was not as fortunate. His eyes snapped open as the shrill ring of his work phone sliced through the quiet. He groaned, his hand groping for the source of the disturbance. His eyes landed on the devices with the unmistakable bat symbol on the screen. Batman was calling. A rare, early morning job offer from the caped crusader could only mean one thing, it was going to be a big one. Why was a member of the Justice League calling a glorified mercenary like him, simple really despite seemingly having unlimited finances and technology they were lacking the one resource that all law enforcement agencies were lacking, the one resource that truly mattered: manpower.
This has caused the Justice League to reach out to trustworthy freelancers like him, or as they were starting to be known to the public: heroes for hire.
Glancing up at the time and sighing an annoyance Danny pushed his finger to the screen fully intending to silence the call and call Batman back laterâŚ. but Batman was a recurring customer, more importantly, a well paying reoccurring customer.
Inhaling he accepted the call
"This better be good," he mumbled into the phone, his voice gruff with sleep.
Batman's crisp, digitally altered voice responded, "Fenton, we have a situation in Gotham. A new player has entered the game, and their methods are⌠unorthodox. The Justice League requires your expertise."
Danny sat up with a jolt, his hand automatically reaching for his gun. "Gotham, huh?" He looked over at Aki, her face serene even in sleep, the light playing across the curves of her breasts. "Can't say I'm surprised. That city is more curses than most old cities combined do, What's the play?"
Batman's voice remained unruffled, detailing the situation. A series of freeze-related crimes had been plaguing the city, each more brazen than the last. It was clear that they were dealing with someone who had no qualms about leaving a trail of ice sculptures that used to be people. "The Joker's involved, but he's not the one doing the freezing," Batman added, his tone darkening. "It wasn't Victor Fries, he was accounted for at Wayne's R&D, We believe it's an unknown meta with ice manipulation powers. It's too⌠precise for his usual chaos."
"It's not a War bride," Danny states already known where he was going. "Mine was the prototype for the ice using caster types, and you know how that turned out they can't risk it, there are literally no other ice using ones."
Batman's voice remained calm. "We're aware of that, Fenton. But your experience with Akitsu might provide some insight we're missing."
Danny rubbed his eyes and nodded, even though the Dark Knight couldn't see him. "I'll get Aki up. We're on our way." He hung up the phone, his mind racing. Aki was indeed one of the first of her kind, a powerful ice user, and if someone had managed to create another⌠things were about to get complicated. He leaned over, gently kissing her forehead.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, the sheets sliding off her body. "What is it, Danny?" she asked, her voice a whispery purr.
"Gotham," he said, tossing the covers aside and standing up. "We've got a job. Someone's playing with ice, and it's not your usual clown."
Aki's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Joker. She had crossed paths with the madman before, and the memory sent a chill down her spine, colder than the ice she could manipulate. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, picking her G-string off the floor as she stood. The synthskin dress she had worn the night before had been carelessly tossed aside in the throes of passion. She slipped it back on, feeling the cool embrace of the material against her skin as it clung to her curves.
Danny quickly gathered their things, tossing weapons and their clothes into their duffle bags`. Despite the urgency, "Let's see if we can track down Taki," Danny muttered slipping on his sweatshirt "we might need her help."
Aki nodded, her mind already racing with the possibilities. The Joker was unpredictable, but a new ice user was an unknown variable. She felt a twinge of excitement mingle with the cold dread in her stomach. Taki, War bride number 59, her ability to manipulate mist and fog while cooling down and providing extra humidity for her to pull from was a good compliment for her own ice abilities, along with providing excellent concealment and together they could form a formidable team.
They quickly got dressed, Danny in his usual attire of combat boots, cargo pants, and a loose t-shirt that did little to hide the bulk of his muscles, while Aki slipped into a fresh synthskin dress in a sleek black that was as much a part of her identity as the ice that danced in her veins. She fastened her underbust corset and attached her weapon harness with the ease of long practice. Her pistol and knife felt comforting against her.
As they descended to the lobby, the receptionist from the night before looked up from her desk with a scandalized gasp. Her eyes bulged at the sight of the weapons and Aki's revealing dress, and she opened her mouth to unleash a lecture on decency. However, before she could utter a syllable, Danny raised a hand and conjured a small ectoball between his fingers. It hovered there, crackling with spectral energy, an unspoken threat that sent a chill down the woman's spine. She visibly swallowed her words, her eyes widening in horror as she took in the unmistakable stench of ozone that accompanied the spell.
Akitsu offered the receptionist a small smile, her eyes glinting with mischief. "I'm actually more covered up than Power Girl, you know." The woman's face turned a shade of purple that would put a plum to shame, and she sputtered before turning away, muttering to herself about the state of the world today.
The sudden silence was pierced by the sound of footsteps from the back room. The manager, a dapper older gentleman with a meticulously trimmed mustache, emerged with an exasperated sigh. He took in the scene, his gaze lingering on the floating ectoball before settling on the two of them. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," he said, his tone a mix of resignation and amusement. "It seems you've had quite the⌠energetic night."
"Sebastian." Danny greeted, his hand closing around the ectoball and extinguishing it, his honest greeting tinged with annoyance. "I apologize for threatening your employee but we have a job to get to and no time for a lecture right now."
The manager, Sebastian, chuckled and gently pushed the receptionist, who was still frozen in shock that the fact they're upstanding manager would know the names of these⌠Delinquents, and her rolling chair out of the way taking over her job and starting the checkout process. "It's quite alright, Mr. Fenton. I've learned to expect the⌠unorthodox from you and your lovely wife." He nodded at Aki, who returned his gesture with a cool nod.
"Besides," he continued, sliding the check-out paperwork across the counter, "the Justice League has a standing tab here. Your usual room service and⌠other expenses⌠have been taken care of." He winked at them knowingly, " may I inquire where your job is taking you this time? That is as long as it's not confidential?" Sebastian questioned waiting for Danny to sign and hand back the papers.
"Gotham," Danny stated bluntly as he finished signing the papers and handing them back "can't go into details."
"My condolences." Sebastian stated, he been to the absolute shithole of the city once to visit his cousin, Alfred pennyworth, and vowing never to return, even for family.
"We'll manage," Danny replied with a smirk, after handing back the paperwork he had started pulling various weapons out of the duffel bag and tucking them into they're respected holster or sheath, tucking a gun into the back of his pants. "We've faced worse."
Aki nodded solemnly, her mind racing through the various combat scenarios that might await them in Gotham. She knew that the Joker was involved, which meant chaos and unpredictability. The thought of facing a new enemy with ice powers, however, had her feeling a mix of curiosity and trepidation. Was it possible that there was another like her out there? Someone who had also been created for war and discarded?
As they stepped out into the early morning air, the chilly breeze caressed Aki's bare skin, making her shiver slightly. Danny noticed and chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Cold, Aki?"
she only smiled at him, they both knew that the cold never bothered her, side effect of her abilities. And Danny himself only wore his sweatshirt and jacket for the extra pocket they offer.
The journey to find Taki was a swift one. Danny's contacts in the supernatural underworld had informed him of her last known location, a dive bar on the outskirts of the city that catered to those with less than legal powers. As they approached the dimly lit building, the sound of raucous laughter and the smell of cheap whiskey wafted through the air. The neon sign flickered, casting an eerie glow over the alleyway that was littered with the detritus of a thousand forgotten battles.
Aki felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect of seeing herâŚsister? Cousin? Extended family again. They had shared many battles and and parties in the past. Taki's misty abilities had always been a perfect counterpart to her own icy powers. Together, they could create an impenetrable fog that could both conceal their movements and amplify the chilling effects of Aki's attacks. Danny pushed open the heavy door to the bar, and the sound of a jukebox playing a bluesy tune filled their ears.
Inside, the bar was dimly lit with a thick layer of smoke hanging in the air, making it difficult to see past the first few tables. The patrons were a motley crew of metahumans and magical beings, all casting wary glances in their direction. The air was thick with the scent of various magics and the faint metallic tang of fear. The bartender, a burly troll of a man, looked them up and down but said nothing.
Walking up to the bar Danny placed a $50.00 bill down on it in front of the bartender "looking for a girl called Taki, long brown hair and Gray eyes, dressed like her," his head jerking to Akitsu "minus is the tattoo."
The bartender took the bill without looking up and slid them two shots of whiskey "she's in the back, last booth on the left."
Downing their shots they approached the booth, Aki's heart racing with anticipation. As they rounded the corner, Taki looked up from her drink, her gray eyes lighting up with recognition. "Danny! Aki!" She threw her arms around them both, her embrace warm and genuine. She was dressed almost identically to Aki, her synthskin dress a shade of gray that matched her eyes, just lessâŚproportional in certain areas and her weapon harness adorned with a dagger.
Danny slid into the booth, pulling Aki down beside him. "Taki, we've got a situation in Gotham," he began, his voice serious. "Someone's playing with ice, and it's not the Joker. We need you."
Taki's expression grew contemplative as she took a sip of her drink, her eyes flicking between Danny and Aki. "What's the pay?" she asked, her voice a soft purr that seemed to coil around the words like the mist she could summon.
Instead of answering Danny grabbed a pen out of one of his pockets and a nearby napkin and jolting a number down on it, before folding it over and sliding it over to docking, Taki picked it up and made the mistake of sipping her drink while looking at the number, her surprise caused her to inhale some of her drink as she started coughing.
"Standard freelance rules apply, that'll be your cut," Danny said to after a few seconds "now you in or out?'
"Who the FUCK is paying you? Bruce Wayne?" Taki hissed quietly like an angry cat, giving an appreciative nod to Akitsu who had gotten up to pat her on the back.
Danny chuckled, "Let's just say it's someone who's got deep pockets and really doesn't like seeing his city turned into a giant ice rink."
Taki wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes gleaming with greed. "You had me at 'Gotham'," She stood up, the slit in her dress revealing the curve of her toned thigh" let's roll."
