(POV GENERAL)
As both archer and shapeshifter walked the calm streets of Gotham Josh felt the warmth over his head mentally startled wondering if what he did was Right, Wrong, Or somewhere in between. In hopes to not suffer from sweaty paws Josh looked around taking in Gotham's Gothic exterior taking in each buildings architecture as Artemis snuck few glances at him until they reached the edge of the street.
"Where we going?" Was her plea as Josh kept each date location to himself until asked but this time Josh turned to her gazing into her eyes and spoke softly with a smirk over his lips "It's a surprise."
—
Several miles away within Star City a man wearing dusty scrubs as an excuse for clothes walked through the city where unlike Gotham Star City was brighter and fonder as the sunlight bounced and pranced off the buildings and its people causing the curious man to look down as his scruff of a beard as his ginger hair beamed from the suns flow.
Emil walked as he felt grime covered body sweat and reek as he began to stumble from no food and toss with every step nearing his fall to the ground. Yet that only came to fruition once the bride was met. Lock-ton Bride known to hide away the crime underbelly of Star City. As similar to Gotham had its own fair share of problems.
The darkness the bridge provided seemed comforting to the point Emil's near loss of copiousness if not for his glowing chest pocket. The glow a familiar green to a serum he had developed for his bosses at Lex Corp labeled TITANO a serum used to enhance the uses strength similar to venom but with control and no possibility of backlash however due to an experiment that went wrong in its production Emil was let go.
Drowned in depression to provide what little food he could for himself he tried raising money the way he knew by researching medicines for unwelcome sorts this piled onto things until he himself had owed favors and debt to several someones. And they weren't the most pleasant of them either. Soon enough these 'Favors' developed into something less than legal in terms of authority though Emil couldn't disagree as his body would be collateral.
Leading this once studious scientist now homeless bum to the forest city bridge under which was a familiar woman of prime physique Lady Shiva who stood still waiting with a predatory like gaze. "It's time dear doctor." Hearing the tigress put Emil couldn't help but flinch as he stared at his TITANO serum in his pocket trying to form what little courage remained into a query.
"And?….My Daughter?" Shiva hearing the plea knew little of his deal with the Brain, but knew how to get men in this state to do what she desired "Yes she will be well taken care of." With a soft tremble in her voice this vicious cat sounded remotely pleasant borderline tempting to those who couldn't know her truth. Emil desperate gulped a patch of dry saliva down his throat and took a breath as his hand retrieved the serum from his pocket.
Trying to give himself courage Emil took a breath and removed the TITANO serums cap revealing its administration needle thin yet thick enough to transfer its tonic. With another breath he stabbed his opposite shoulder and sent the untested serum into his body feeling its entrance as the green liquid left the syringe soon the full volume was administered into his body yet nothing happened.
Feeling relived Emil was about to mention about his daughter again as now he felt he could do anything if he could survive the serum. But life played a simple joke with Emil as the punchline instead of voicing concern instead he screamed in pain. Going limp falling to the trough as his body began to mold, break down, and reshape itself ripping the rags off his face.
Knowing this would happen Lady Shiva saw the serum begin to work its magic and with that Shiva walked to the downed Emil who still cried in pain as his body continued to morph and enlarge as his body hair began to increase in volume. With a steady hand Shiva retrieved the Vial of the TITANO serum and then began to walk away. "Wa-AGRHH!" Was Emil's plea hoping shed help but what met his cry was a sadistic smile as she revealed something that shocked Emil "Don't worry I'll let Brain know you miss his new toy."
Shiva didn't know if what her words carried truth or not but that mattered little as her goal wasn't just to release a monster but to anger it. Which worked causing Emil to scream in a painful rage as his eyes pupils and ire's changed to pure green with a simple red dot signifying an eye. Emil's eyes weren't the only change his fists became larger bigger than most peoples torso's but his growing didn't stop far from it as too his own torso and other body parts grew in tandem with the rest of him till his own head morphed into more ape than man hitting his head against the bridge.
Yet he still didn't stop slowly cracking and then breaking the bridge scaring cars and civilians on top of him earning fear from the growing monster until Emil the once glamorous scientist became more beast than man growing now to the size of a small building breaking anything and one in his way.
—
Across the world hidden from sight hidden within a white room the Brain and his most valued specimens and assistant Mouser Mallah added him as they were transferring dan into a cylindrical tube where a red haired girl was passed out with a gas mask over mouth providing a combination of air, anesthetic, and other various chemicals used to make sure the Brain's subjects survived the transference. And with but a simple guess Shiva was right over the tube laid the girls name in large white numbers under a designation of subject thirteen Sara Dorian.
Similar to Sara there were others of different sizes, races, and other intrigues all equal to the Brain as he attempted to accomplish the lights and his own goals through the hero known as Shift by using his vary DNA to create their own monster. The Brain after making sure everything was secure spoke in a resided fashion awaiting the results of his experiment.
"Mouser Mallah release DNA sample five through seven." Hearing the order Mallah gave a gruff grunt and pressed several buttons from the main control computer located away from the thirteen pods and watched as the intricate tubes locked into place as smaller pipes and wires latched themselves onto not just Sara's tube but all other twelve subjects.
If no one saw the commands placed into the computer they'd think the pipes had minds of their own as once they were sucseffuly plugged in began to release the stolen and then copied alien DNA into the subjects causing painful screams even with the anesthesia and other pain killers that were given as the subjects bodies began to transform twisting themselves like clay to The Brain's messed up image.
Yet the spectacle couldn't be witnessed entirely as Mallah gave a Grunt of attention earning his creators creation. "Yes Mossier Mallah?" Turning by his wheels the Brain was met by a screen showing live footage of a growing ape that began destroying Star city. And if Brain had a body you could see the evil scientist smile at the further chances of DNA collection by not just from Shift but from any other of the super powered heroes that filled the Justice League's ranks.
——
Back within Gotham both Josh and Artemis were in an axe throwing store where each round costed five dollars and the competition. That was free which both boy and girl enjoyed forming small time bets that began to evolve and with the victor Glorias bragging rights. Josh on his final axe took a deep breath calming his nerves and brought his hands back and as soon as he did he threw it with almost calculated precision only for his math to fail him as the axe bounced off the wooden target hitting the ground.
"Pfff!" Behind him Artemis who was in the lead by five was quietly laughing not due to Josh's throw but what followed afterward. Josh as he released his axe tripped over a lace connected to his shoes anklet and tripped falling back onto his buttocks. "Come on." Was all Josh could summarize as he stood up wiping himself off and then opened his wallet giving Artemis the promised money. Yet the emerald archers protege kindly refused and said "No thanks I want a different form of payment."
Josh confused stood still only for Artemis to pull him close into a mangled kiss earning him a shocked expression which then turned to a loving one as he freely embraced her and hoping this event would last forever a buzzing sound took their attention away. Causing the fast moment to disappear as soon as it appeared. The identification on their phones was Batman. With a simple message of "Return to base."