Justice League: The Next Generation

Chapter 4: Recruitment Part 1

With myself and my intentions known to the general public, It was time for me to begin searching for new recruits. Now with most of the league gone, some members of the former Teen Titans and Young Justice were still about, however all had retired a while ago. I knew that it wasn't going to be easy and so I ditched the idea of recruiting former members and began looking for newer metahumans.

My search for metahumans was going nowhere. Two weeks I had searched and two weeks, nobody was found. It was the weekend of the second week, that I got an unexpected visit. I was in the library when Felix came in and I looked up.

"Yes Felix?" I asked a bit stressed.

"Pardon me sir, but Mistress Jane has come to see you" He responded kindly. I looked up at him quickly with a curious look on my face.

"Alright send her in" I said as I looked back at what I was reading. I could hear her come in and she stood there. I looked up and got up.

"Jane?" I said to her.

"Hunter? It's been a while" She replied.

"6 Years to be accurate Jane." I said to her as she stood there. "Please sit down, make yourself at home".

She sat down on the leather chair and I sat behind my desk and looked at her. She had grown into a very beautiful woman, physically fit, had the same jet black hair and sapphire eyes like me and of course we both had the same powers. While I became an inventor, she had spent the last 6 years working as an archaeologist.

"So how've you been?" She asked me. "I saw you on TV".

"How'd you know it was me? It could've been somebody else" I asked her.

"Well I know my brother's powers anywhere and just because you made minor alterations to your face with your shapeshifting powers, still doesn't mean you're not noticable to the most observant of souls." She replied to me.

"Alright you got me, but I meant what I said about recruitment. Is that what you came to do?" I asked with curiousity.

"Well to be honest yes. Somehow I knew you would need another metahuman to start and therefore I would be that other metahuman. She replied.

"Well what about your job?" I asked her once more with curiosity.

"Don't worry I'm working still, I'll be working at my job and saving people at the same time." She replied with assurance.

"Well you're welcome to join the new league." I replied. With my final word, she smiled and nodded her head once. Alright so it wasn't necessarily the start I was looking for, but it got the ball rolling. So after that I continued looking for other metahumans for the next couple of weeks. It was then that I struck pay dirt in Gotham City. A metahuman by the name of Michael Byrd, A.K.A Catboy, professional criminal and geneticist. He escaped from Blackgate about several months ago and has been on the run since.

I knew where he was and what he was going to do, but it wasn't to commit another crime. I headed for Gotham City in order to beat him to where he was going to be, the Gotham City Museum. That night, I waited until Byrd came into the frame and was about to swipe a diamond guarded by a pretty advanced security system, before being stopped by Batman. This Batman wasn't Bruce Wayne, but his son Damian who took up the mantle after his father disappeared.

"Well, well, Catboy, looks like several months on the run hasn't changed your motives" Batman said as he stood there. "Not exactly Batman, I'm here for another reason" Catboy replied as his claws protruded from his finger tips.

"What reason might that be?" Batman asked, prepping a batarang with the hand closer to his utility belt. "The reason is because he was looking for me, Batman" I said hiding up in the rafters. This alerted both of them as soon as they heard my voice.

"Who's there?" Batman demanded as he continued prepping a batarang for me. "No need to pull out your toys Caped Crusader, I'm coming down" I replied as I descended down from the rafters so I was visible to both combatants.

"Hybrid. What are you doing here?" Batman asked with some curiousity. "I'm here because Catboy here is not looking to commit a crime. He's looking to join the new league I'm building. He only did this as a means of getting my attention and he succeeded. I knew when he was going to come here tonight, however, I also suspected you'd be hot on his trail as well." I replied. Batman turns from me and looks at Catboy in order to see if he was lying.

"It's the truth Batman. All this time, I've been doing things to benefit myself more than others. I'm tired of it and when I heard Hybrid was building a new league, I realized it was my chance to do the right thing and join up." Catboy replied as he went from a defensive stance into his casual stance.

Batman turned his head back to me. "So are you allowing him to join, even knowing that he's a wanted man?" Batman asked me as I hovered in place. "Batman, nobody is beyond redemption, no matter how many crimes they commit. So yes I will allow him to join, however I will not just trust him, as I said before, trust is earned, not given away." I replied to him with a serious, but gentle tone. "I am even willing to extend to you an invitation to join the new league Batman, that is if you want to join. If not, the offer is always on the table".

"I'll have to think about it Hybrid." Batman replied as he places the batarang he was going to throw back into his utility belt. I turned to Catboy and approached him. "Are you prepared to put aside your needs and defend the peoples of this galaxy?" I asked him as I landed in front of him.

"My life has been nothing more than one of crime and greed. I've had to spend a lot of time behind bars because of my crimes, but it was in these last several months, after watching you that I realized I could be doing more than just committing crime after crime. So yes, I am prepared to put aside my needs and serve the needs of the people, no matter how out of this world they are. I understand that you do not trust me, but I will work harder than ever to earn it and work harder still to maintain that trust" He replied with a very sincere and serious tone in his voice.

I nodded at his acceptance, extending my hand and he shook it after retracting his claws. "Welcome to the league Catboy." I said as our handshake stopped. We turned to Batman who looked at both of us.

"Though he sounds like his intentions are noble, I still don't trust him, but even he admits that nobody should trust him until he proves himself. So I guess I am willing to keep an eye on him while he tries to prove himself" Batman said, which brought a crack of a smile to my face and Catboy's. "Well then, welcome aboard to you both" I replied. After this, we all left the museum.