HL: Chapter 35

As they showed at the Dodds Mansion in their Civvies, Power Girl and Jackie were rushed through a side entrance by Courtney, Wesley's Intern of Sorts. Honestly, Power Girl turning out to be the Superpowered ID of Karen Starr, CEO of Starrware Industries, and one of Jackie's business partners was something that was still a total Mindfuck for Jackie. He'd just figured that out when they'd met up to roll over here, and that she ain't mentioned it to him during the talk last night as some kinda test'd made Jackie pissed as all Hell. 'Course, he couldn't hold that shit against her too much. Jackie was pretty sure the test'd been necessary. She had a bigass company to protect and all that. Ain't no way a guy like Lex Luthor wouldn't come for Starrware Industries if he knew, after all.

Still, it'd left a bad taste in Jackie's Mouth the whole damn morning. Mind, Power Girl, or Karen, he guessed, kept apologizing. It was hard to be mad at a chick so cute when she was actually sorry for the shit she had to do. After the tenth time on the ride over to the Dodds Mansion, Jackie'd finally had enough and told her it was all right and he got it. She stopped apologizing after that. Jackie ain't no head-shrinker, but he was pretty decent at reading folks, and he got the feeling that Karen had some sorta insecurities deep down about some shit that she was still grappling with, despite the metric assload of confidence she projected for the world to see. Honestly, it made Jackie feel a bit bad about being angry with her for the ruse.

Anyway, Courtney was also in her Civvies, and when they showed up, she ushered Jackie and Karen through a side entrance and up a staircase hidden behind a bookshelf. The whole thing was one of those revolving bookshelf deals, like the kinda shit you'd see on an episode of Scooby Doo or some shit. Granted, Jackie was pretty sure that sorta thing hadn't been a cliche when the JSA'd built it into the Dodds Mansion. Regardless, the three of 'em were led through the bookcase down a spiral staircase and out onto a floor that looked like it was full of a buncha rooms that looked like they'd seen use back when Wesley'd been the Sandman. There was a Lab, a Gym, an Archive, and so on.

"I ain't never heard of this sorta shit when it comes to the JSA." Mused Jackie.

"That's because this isn't a JSA Area. Most of that's been turned into the Museum. No, this is Wesley's personal lair from back when he was actively the Sandman." Explained Courtney.

"It's interesting stuff. There are a lot of chemicals in that lab that make me think he was way ahead of his time." Mused Karen.

"You don't know the half of it. A bunch of the stuff Wesley made still hasn't been properly reproduced for the mass market." Grinned Courtney.

"Ain't no school like the Old School." Smirked Jackie.

"You really are a fan of the JSA, aren't you?" Questioned Karen.

"What's wrong with that?" Queried Courtney.

"Yeah. That gonna be a problem?" Asked Jackie.

"No, I just didn't think it would work out that way. From what our mutual friend in the Cape and Cowl told me, you didn't seem like the type." Karen pointed out.

"What? A guy can't have layers?" Questioned Jackie.

"Besides, there could be worse people to be a fan of." Nodded Courtney.

"I just thought. . ." Began Karen.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'm just razzin' you. Consider it payback for the shit you pulled on me earlier." Chuckled Jackie.

"She pulled something on you?" Queried Courtney.

"It ain't nothing. Don't worry 'bout it." Demurred Jackie.

"I should've figured it was gonna be something like that." Sighed Karen, rolling her eyes.

Regardless, Courtney led 'em both through the series of rooms and through another bookcase into some kinda study. In here, the white-haired, spectacled form of Wesley Dodds was seated behind a mahogany desk, hands folded in front of him, waiting. The place was full of mementos, knick-knacks, books, and one more thing that'd knocked Jackie's Socks off. In a glass case standing in the far corner of the study, the suit, trenchcoat, hat, gasmask, and wirepoon of the Sandman stood on display. This hadta be Wesley's personal study. There ain't no other explanation for all this shit. As Courtney brought them in, Wesley gestured to a couple of the leather chairs and couches.

"Take a seat." He intoned.

"Sure thing." Nodded Jackie.

"I'll stand." Huffed Karen.

Courtney didn't say anything, just moved to pop a squat on the divan, while Jackie grabbed a leather armchair that looked almost overstuffed with how much damn upholstery was on the thing. It was actually pretty fucking comfortable, if you asked him. Karen, though, just stood there, arms crossed over her chest. Idly, Jackie hadta admit Karen's chest was pretty fucking impressive, though he ain't about to tell her that to her face. He may be able to take a punch from someone of her level, but that don't mean he hasta tempt fate on that count, neither. Once everyone was seated or standing, Wesley began to speak again.

"I understand that you've come for help in taking down a major criminal organization in the City. I have some experience doing that myself. The Mist, back in the late thirties." Began Wesley.

"No offense, but the Mist was just a Chemist who could make some neat gimmicks. He didn't get actual powers until he started dealing with Starman out in Opal City. The Guys we're fighting have powers and can get more. I'm not sure it's the same thing." Frowned Karen.

"There are things that you can do that I will be able to teach you, which should be effective against any Criminal Organization. Detective Work, Tactics, Forensic Science, that sort of thing." Pointed out Wesley.

"He's gotta point, why not hear him out?" Questioned Jackie.

"Yeah. What could it hurt? You came to us, remember?" Queried Courtney.

"I guess." Shrugged Karen, finally taking a seat.

"Good. At the same time, two of my Old Friends have volunteered to help sharpen your fighting and magical capabilities. Doctor Fate and Wildcat." Announced Wesley.

"Doc Fate and I know each other already, but you got us Wildcat?" Asked Jackie.

"Like I said the first time we met, the JSA takes care of their own." Grinned Courtney.

"Wildcat, huh? Now we're talking. I've heard nothing but good things about that Guy's training." Remarked Karen.

"Be warned, this training will be intense, and there will be conditions set by each of your instructors. My own is that you allow Courtney to join your team." Cautioned Wesley.

"What? Really?" Questioned Courtney.

"Yes, you're ready for the field on a bigger stage than Blue Valley, but I'd feel much better about it if you had teammates to watch your back." Confirmed Wesley.

"What can she do?" Queried Karen.

"I'm a Hell of an acrobat and martial artist. Plus, I have the Cosmic Converter Belt." Informed Courtney.

"Which does what exactly?" Asked Karen.

"Allows her to lift up to ten tons, with similar increases in stamina, agility, reflexes, durability, and speed. It also lets her do shit like shoot energy blasts that fuck up electronics and knock regular folks out." Explained Jackie.

"You really are a fan of the JSA, huh?" Questioned Courtney.

"I thought I proved that already. Why do folks keep asking that?" Queried Jackie rhetorically.

"So, will you accept the conditions for my training?" Asked Wesley, cutting through the conversation.

"Yeah. Having the Second Star-Spangled Kid on the team is gonna be good luck. Plus, it sounds like she can pull her weight all right." Agreed Jackie.

"Fine. We need the help." Sighed Karen.

"Then we will begin by going over one of my own cases and seeing how you would have handled it as a counterfactual. It will let me judge how good you already are at detective work and tactics." Intoned Wesley.

And the training under the Sandman began in earnest with a shitload of these counterfactual case files. Jackie could see where the Old Man was coming from with these, but the sorta scenarios he was running 'em through put Jackie in mind of nothing quite so much as Steph and the Drake Kid's Nerd Shit. He hadta admit it was good practice learning to think like a detective, though. Honestly, between the time dilation Wards Jackie'd scribed on the training rooms with Wesley's OK, the Memory-Enhancer Pills Jackie kept popping, and so on, Jackie was pretty sure they'd clear the Sandman's Training in a couple weeks. He ain't wrong about that, neither.

After two weeks of counterfactuals, lectures on forensic procedures, and tactical exercises, Jackie'd picked up a lot of what he needed to know. With the training aids he'd carried over from his time training under his family, Jackie'd logged just over four-thousand-seven-hundred subjective hours of training. Karen'd had a lot less, though that'd been 'cause she'd refused to take the Memory-Enhancer Pills, 'cause she ain't into popping random pills like that, even if the pills were both safe and good for training. Still, she trained with the same time dilation wards Jackie did. Those wards were badass, one day outside was one week inside. Shit was killer.

While they were training, Jackie learned a couple things about both Karen and Courtney. For one thing, Courtney was his age, while Karen was in her late twenties. Jackie honestly hadn't been too sure about Karen's age, 'cause who knew how Kryptonians aged? Definitely not him, that's for damn sure. Meanwhile, Karen was confident, yeah, but he'd been on the money when it came to her insecurities. Karen had a couple issues that Jackie ain't had the time or ability to really figure out. He ain't no headshrinker, after all. However, she was a good person who tried not to let her issues fuck with the new team they were forming here. Meanwhile, Courtney's personality was cheerful and optimistic, but tended to see shit in shades of black and white, no gray to be found. She was loyal to her friends, but Jackie still ain't sure he should let her know about his past working for the Yakuza and Two-Face.

Ultimately, both his new teammates had personality shit they could stand to work on, but were both good people despite it all. Jackie ain't gonna kid himself about it, he was definitely the worst person on this team, but he had their backs and he knew both of them'd have his when it came down to it. He had a pretty good read on Courtney and Karen by now, after all. How could he not after spending all that time with both of 'em? So long as nothing broke, Jackie was confident this team'd get the job done when it came time to fight the Professor and his superpowered goons again.

At any rate, by the time the two weeks of outside time'd passed, Jackie felt he had a good grasp on the basics of forensic science and detective work, along with mastering tactics and strategy. That shit was gonna serve him well in the future. Of course, it was far from the only training he was gonna do. While Karen kept up her training under Wesley, Jackie and Courtney were headed out to Brooklyn, to Grant's Boxing Gym. While there, they were gonna train under Wildcat for hopefully more of the same. Then Doc Fate was supposed to be able to finish out Jackie's training in the Mystic Arts using time dilation that was so slow that he oughtta be able to figure it out in a single day outside the tower, though Jackie'd haveta head out to Salem, Massachusetts, to actually train there. For now, though, it was time to train under Wildcat a lot closer to home.

Karen would join them when she finished with Wesley. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. Jackie and Karen form a Team with Courtney Whitmore, as Black Tiger, Power Girl, and the Second Star-Spangled Kid. They're doing intensive training, helped along by the Yuen Training Methods that Jackie brought to the partnership with him. By the end of the month, the plan is to have done a shitload of subjective training under the three JSA Members just in time to run into the Professor's Organization during the big Magical Auction that is going on at the end of the month, which was alluded to previously.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the meeting with Wildcat and the Training under him, followed by Jackie's Training with Doctor Fate. Then we'll get an interlude showing what the Professor's Organization has been up to while Jackie, Karen, and Courtney were training. I'll also have a couple more images out before then as well.

Stay tuned. . .