Don't You Have Enough Edgy Kids, Bruce?

Girlbossing your way into leading the JLA

Annabeth Chase and Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano walk into the main meeting room of the Justice League Watchtower like they own it, without pausing for a second. Nico knows firsthand how weird it all is - how weird they must be feeling right now - but neither of them is showing any of it.

They aren't even stopping their conversation as they walk in through the doors, Wonder Woman in tow.

"But you're still overlooking the strategic value", Reyna says. "Even putting aside the morally questionable surveillance you could have from here, the location gives you advantages that just aren't there otherwise."

"Of course, I'm not ignoring all of that! I can see as well as you the plans of attack you could make when you have space satellite headquarters. I'm just saying, it's possible to incorporate all of that and at the same time, have the place be way less ugly, architecture-wise. Percy would agree with me."

"Annabeth, Percy would agree with you if you said taking another trip to Tartarus sounds like a fun future honeymoon. He'd agree with anything you said."

"That may be, but I don't think that necessarily invalidates- Nico!"

and that's when they see him, just as it's registering for him that they're here, they're actually here, holy shit, and he's getting up, the steaming mug of tea Superman insisted on making him quickly forgotten on the table.

He rushes at them, and Reyna catches him in her strong arms in a crushing hug that would probably break a lesser demigod. When she lets him go, Annabeth ruffles his hair, and he's so glad to have them that he isn't even pretending to mind the physical affection.

"I guess they really do know each other", the guy in full green spandex says (his name's Green Lantern, apparently, though it seems that by 'lantern' he means his ring. Go figure.)

"Uh, yeah", Nico says. "These are-"

But Reyna steps forward, her hands clasped behind her back, game-face on, and starts talking. Her voice, her eyes, even her posture, are so commanding that every person in the room sits a little straighter.

"I am Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, daughter of Belona, Praetor of the twelfth legion of Rome."

She takes a moment to survey them before continuing.

"It is my understanding that this group's purpose is to protect the citizens of this world, and that you have many resources, technological, magical, or otherwise at your disposal in order to fulfill said purpose. Is that correct?"

They nod, a little dazed.

"I believe you have been informed of our theory, that more demigods will pop up in your world. We'll require access to said resources of yours, starting with an organized list of you, your fields of expertise, and your main powers and skillsets. Allow me to be perfectly clear; we may be new in this world but we will handle the situation, no matter what it takes. Is that agreeable?"

Flash recovers first from the dazed state they're all in, understandably, from seeing this strange teen walk in and take control so easily.

"Uhh, I think Batman has a list of us and our powers and all that stuff", Flash says, scratching his head. "Right?"

"I do", Batman says. "I'll pull whatever information you require."

"You're not trusting us with full access to your database?", Annabeth observes.

"Annabeth Chase, by the way. Daughter of Athena."

"No, I'm not", Batman confirms. "Is that a problem?"

"Hardly", she says in an amused manner. "I'd much rather have a smart person on my team than an overly trusting one."

While Reyna was talking, Nico noticed Annabeth taking in their surroundings. She scanned the whole room, the leaguers, the security cameras, the whiteboard, even the coffeemaker in the corner, and he could practically see the gears turning in her head.

Now, she was walking toward the whiteboard with a determined look in her grey eyes.

"This wasn't anything important, right?", she calls while erasing the board's previous contents. The short list from before hadn't been close to dealt with - it had taken a long time to explain to everyone that yes, climate change is a serious problem, but no, just because someone has a freeze gun doesn't make them an expert on the subject - but nobody seems to mind.

"Whatever you write gets downloaded automatically", Batman explains. "People get upset if their doodles get deleted forever."

"Oh, that's cool", she replies while writing. "I might try to imitate that back home. Alright!"

She claps and steps back, revealing the whiteboard. On it are the words "Why I'm Probably Right" in her neat handwriting, big enough that everyone can see.

"This is my current theory. So, our question is: why are three people who have been through enough to earn - and been guaranteed by the gods - a happy, peaceful ending, being sent to a new world all of a sudden with no warning?"

Flash raises his hand.

"You in the red - name and ability?"

"Oh, uh, I'm the Flash, fastest man alive. Superspeed."

"Well, Flash, it was a rhetorical question, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. From now on, though, if there are any questions, please save them to the end.

So what I believe to be the answer is that our gods from back home have interfered with the locations to which we were sent, but that the person actively bringing us to this world was someone else, from here. I'll now present the basis for this theory."

She writes as she speaks, while Reyna who has supposedly heard all of this before busies herself making coffee. Nico stands next to her, taking in the presence of his friend rather than fully listening to Annabeth's explanation. He doesn't need to hear proof of her theory. He just assumes she's right by now. The strategy's never let him down before.

"First of all", Annabeth says, "Is the involvement of both magic and technology in our arrival, as told to Nico over there by reliable sources. If I'm right, then this was technology that our mystery villain used and godly magic that interfered in it. That would explain the seemingly conflicting information we have.."

"you want coffee?", Reyna asks him quietly. He shakes his head.

"...Then there's the fact that it is so like the gods to instead of preventing us from being cross-universe kidnapped, alter the conditions of it to more favorable ones, such as the locations being local hero domains. And probably see it as doing us a favor to boot.

Why were Reyna and I sent to a women-only warrior island, while Nico was sent to a broody area supposedly filled to the brim with black-haired traumatized children? Someone must have manipulated the locations in our favor, while not making the full effort of preventing the whole thing. That whole thing stinks of Godly 'intervention' or whatever."

She writes her points down rapidly, but before she can open her mouth and get the next salty point across, she's interrupted by Green Arrow.

"Listen, okay, we get it. Someone here is doing the whole mad scientist schtick and someone over there is doing the crazy magic one. That's nothing new. Handling a bunch of wild youths isn't that new to a few of us either."

Nico is pretty sure he hears someone muttering "yeah, you handled your wild youth great, Ollie", but he isn't sure. Arrow might hear it too because he purses his lips and gets to the point.

"Just tell us who to punch, yeah?"

Annabeth sighs. "If we knew who to punch we already would've punched them, duh. And we definitely will, but for now, a priority is locating anyone else who might show up. Basically, what I was leading up to is this."

She leans forward and puts her hands on the table. She looks at them - each and every one of the superheroes in front of her. Reyna and Nico are still watching from the sidelines, Reyna sipping her coffee and Nico just being glad he's not the one on the end of that intense stare. Flash is shaking rather than vibrating now.

"Give me the information about what your gimmicks are and where you come from, then get ready to receive some more 'youths' in your areas. This might be bigger than another mad scientist/crazy magic thing, and I will not allow my friends to get hurt.

Let's get to work."

Nico turns to Reyna. "Actually, I'm gonna take that coffee."

She smiles.