The next day, Sin, Teddy, and Travis swaggered into the nicer section of the jail, all three visibly intoxicated and belting out a nonsensical tune that none of them seemed to know the words to. Bara looked up from the stack of papers on his desk as they stumbled in, eyebrows raised.
"Well, looks like you three managed to bond," he remarked dryly, watching as they took their seats—Sin in the chair at the center, with Teddy and Travis on either side.
Travis, barely able to contain his laughter, draped an arm over Sin's shoulder. "Sin's car got trashed, he wiped out the entire second-generation Joker gang, and we even tracked down their supplier."
Sin cackled and tossed a couple of bags filled with drugs and cash onto Bara's desk, grinning wildly as the loot spilled across the papers.
"Hm, impressive," Bara muttered, snapping his fingers. The commander stepped forward, gathering up the loot and disappearing down the hallway. Bara leaned back, crossing his legs as he gave the three a scrutinizing look.
"Underage drinking? You three have any idea what'll happen if the Joker gang tracks you down after that stunt?"
Teddy burst out laughing, barely able to contain himself. "Oh, we're ready for it! That's why we set up a whole network last night—pulled in random gangs and got them to keep us out of the way." He doubled over, the laughter contagious as all three howled, nearly collapsing to the floor.
Bara's eyes narrowed. With another snap of his fingers, the commander returned, administering an injection that instantly cleared their heads. The three shook off the effects, adjusting in their seats as they awkwardly cleared their throats.
"Got to hand it to you—you're the smartest and strongest recruits we've had in years. It's time you meet the others." Bara stood, watching as Sin's reverse-colored eyes (black irises, white pupils) fixed on him.
"The others? You mean the next-gen villains?" Sin asked, rising from his seat.
Bara nodded, leading the way. "Gotham is crawling with villains and heroes. And then there are the successors—the ones like Travis, who's stepping up as Bane's protégé. But not everyone in this new generation has someone to follow. Some want to be villains, others...let's call them anti-heroes. We're not the worst; we just can't stand the even worse people doing whatever they please. That's the point of this prison. To give our kind a place, a purpose."
They stepped into the training chamber, the doors sliding open to reveal a sprawling room filled with people in a variety of costumes, some working out while others mingled in small groups. Sin's eyes widened as he took it all in, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Casey and Bloodshot would've loved this place," he murmured, striding further inside and noting the curious glances directed his way.
Just as Sin took in the lively scene, a girl with Poison Ivy's striking features strode over to him. She was dressed in dark, edgy attire, chains hanging from her pants, and streaks of red through her jet-black hair. She leaned in close, her voice dripping with mischief. "Hey, big boy. Name's Ink." Her fingers curled around his hand, pulling it to her waist. "I heard you took down Lazlo Valentin. He was a nightmare in my neighborhood growing up. I've been looking for a way to show my… sincere gratitude." She chuckled, clearly entertained by the wordplay on his name.
Sin kept his other hand casually in his pocket, his gaze steady and unreadable. Ink's expression soured as she clenched her teeth, frustration flashing in her eyes. Without warning, she swung at him, her fist slick with a black, viscous ooze. "Ignoring me, huh?!" she yelled, throwing a barrage of punches laced with dark poison. Sin simply sidestepped, backing up with each attack. "I've got powers just like Ivy's. Show some respect!" With a flick of her wrist, she crafted a bat from toxic sludge, swinging it wildly. Sin dodged effortlessly, flipping into the air, only to be intercepted by another teen—a boy in a blue suit with drones circling him.
"I'm Volt. Riddler's my idol, and it's absurd Bara picked you as leader!" Volt's drones swarmed Sin, firing shots with precise timing.
Sin maintained an uninterested expression, moving with uncanny speed. In a blur, he unleashed invisible kicks that shattered the drones mid-air and, with the same motion, sent Ink sprawling to the ground. Just as he landed, a towering, muscular boy charged forward. "I'm Beast, Killer Croc's son. I heard you beat him once. Doesn't look like you're all that." But as he swung, Sin deflected his punch with ease, twisting with a powerful kick that sent Beast crashing through several walls.
Sin wiped his fist on his shirt, glancing around the room with a calm, taunting look. "Who's next?"
"Hm, seems Sin's settling into his role as the second-generation leader," Bara observed with a smirk, watching the fight unfold with evident satisfaction.
Travis, bristling with envy, muttered, "Funny how quick you were to hand my spot to him."
Without even glancing at Travis, Bara replied, "Then prove you deserve it. Step in and take him down—if you remember what happened last time." Travis clenched his jaw, but a sigh of resignation escaped him, his challenge fading.
Within minutes, Sin had taken down nearly everyone in the room, barely breaking a sweat as they finally dropped to their knees, pledging their loyalty. Calmly, he surveyed the defeated group and said, "Tell me who you are and what you bring to the table." He settled onto Beast's back, looking completely unfazed.
As Sin settled, unfazed, on Beast's hulking frame, the remaining teens exchanged uneasy glances before stepping forward one by one to introduce themselves.
Ink sneered, brushing a strand of red-streaked hair from her face. "Name's Ink, and yeah, I'm the closest you'll get to Poison Ivy's legacy—but I don't do flowers and sunshine." She raised a hand, and black sludge began dripping from her fingertips. "I control pollution. Toxic waste, oil, all that garbage humans dump into the earth—I can turn it against them. Why clean up the world when I can make it show humanity just how dirty they really are?" She shot him a smirk. "You might say I'm here to weaponize their own mess."
Next, Volt stepped up, adjusting the cuffs on his blue suit with a smirk. "I'm Volt. Technology's my playground. Riddler might be my mentor, but I'm a bit more… hands-on." He tapped a device on his wrist, summoning a series of drones that hovered in sync around him. "I specialize in hacking and sabotage. I set traps, jam signals, overload systems. Cities run on power grids they barely understand, and I love showing people how fragile that makes them."
A soft, eerie laugh followed as Vapor drifted forward. Her eyes were calm, almost vacant. "I'm Vapor. Scarecrow's prodigy, you could say. I don't just scare people—I unravel them. Fear is freeing." She extended her hand, and a thin, misty gas leaked from her skin, forming a haze around her. "My gas goes beyond fear. I can bring confusion, paranoia, strip away the mask of society and let people face their true selves…whether they're ready or not."
Echo stepped up with a scowl, crossing her arms. "Echo's the name. I don't know who my mother was—apparently a hero—but I'm not that." She clenched her fists, letting out a low, vibrating hum that shook the room. "I can scream loud enough to break bone, or mute sound to make my moves silent. Grew up in foster care, learned to fight on my own terms. I don't need anybody's pity or advice. Just respect."
A figure with icy blue gloves, Glitch, nodded curtly. "I'm Glitch. Mister Freeze didn't raise me, but I learned a few things from his work. I can freeze tech, drain power, disrupt circuits." She held up a hand, chilling the air until a layer of frost formed on a nearby console. "People rely on technology to stay comfortable. I want to see what they're made of without it."
Next came Warp, shifting her features as she walked, her face morphing from one expression to another. "Warp's my name. Clayface isn't my dad, but he taught me enough. My transformations aren't perfect," she shrugged as her features flickered, rough around the edges, "but they get the job done. I can trick people, mess with their minds. I like to keep things interesting, if you know what I mean."
A boy with a mischievous grin and soot-covered hands cracked his knuckles. "Fuse here. Firefly took me under his wing." He flicked a spark between his fingers, creating a small flame. "I'm not just a firebug—I engineer the explosions. I rig pyrotechnics, create charges. Nothing's more thrilling than bringing down buildings. Gotham's a playground, and I'm just lighting up the dark corners."
Finally, Beast, now standing up, wiped the blood from his lip, looking Sin dead in the eye. "Beast. Croc's legacy, but better." He cracked his knuckles, baring sharp teeth. "I don't just hit hard. I can sense people's moves, track their scent, hunt them like prey. I'm gonna be the strongest in Gotham. But it looks like you got me this time." He grinned, shaking off the defeat with a hint of respect.
Bara watched from the corner, an amused glint in his eye. "Looks like you've made quite an impression, Sin. Now the question is, can you keep it?"