Judgment of the Endless (MarvelxDC)

Verity, full of energy and determination, marched across the training field with an oversized whistle dangling from her neck.

Her tiny form strutted with confidence, a mirror image of Darius' commanding presence, except in a much more playful and mischievous way.

Behind her, a group of young X-Men trailed along, looking both confused and amused.

She had begged her father to let her train her own group, and after much insistence and pleading, Darius had finally agreed, although he did so with a knowing smile.

Her "students" included some of the younger X-Men: Bobby Drake (Iceman), Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Jubilee, and a few others who had eagerly volunteered, thinking this might be a nice break from their usual training with the older heroes.

But as they followed Verity, it quickly became clear that this was no ordinary session.

Verity, ever curious and playful, had designed a training regimen that was as unpredictable as she was.

"Alright! Everyone line up!" Verity called, blowing her whistle with a squeaky tweet. She placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest like she was ready to give the world's most important speech.

The young X-Men exchanged glances, some stifling laughs at how serious she looked.

"I am your Commander! You will listen to me, no exceptions!" she declared, giving a stern look that was somehow adorable coming from her. Whimsy, the ever-curious and mischievous Cheshire cat, floated lazily nearby, watching the proceedings with a wide grin plastered on his face.

"So, what are we doing today, boss?" Bobby Drake asked with a cheeky grin, clearly humoring her. He turned his hands to ice for a moment, showing off his abilities.

Verity squinted at him, blowing her whistle again. "No powers, mister! This is serious business. Today, we're going to learn how to..." She paused dramatically, thinking for a moment. "…find the biggest secret!"

Kitty raised an eyebrow, stepping forward. "The biggest secret? Like what?"

Verity grinned widely, her eyes twinkling with mischievous energy. "It's a secret. So you have to *find* it!"

Jubilee, who had been lazily popping her gum, leaned over to Bobby and whispered, "I think we're playing a game of hide-and-seek."

Verity overheard and blew her whistle again. "*Not* just hide-and-seek! This is the 'Find the Hidden Treasure of the Universe' mission!"

The group chuckled, though they were all curious where this was going.

"First mission!" Verity began, jumping onto a small crate to make herself taller. "You all have to sneak around and find the thing I hid. But here's the catch—you can't let me or Whimsy catch you. If we do, you're out, and you'll have to do…"

She paused for effect, thinking of the most fearsome punishment she could come up with, "... ten spins while standing on one leg!"

Bobby laughed, his icy powers fading. "Alright, alright. Sounds like fun."

Verity's training, if it could even be called that, was a mix of childish games and actual problem-solving challenges, all with her own twist.

Her curious and mischievous nature meant that the entire "training" session was less about physical endurance or combat techniques and more about outsmarting her, finding clues, and navigating a maze of obstacles she had hastily created with pillows, chairs, and random items she found around the Agency.

"Start!" Verity blew the whistle loudly, signaling the beginning of her little game.

The young X-Men scattered, laughing as they darted around trying to avoid her watchful eyes. Whimsy floated above them, his tail twitching as he effortlessly weaved through the air, helping Verity keep watch on her "trainees."

Kitty phased through walls to try and cheat, but Verity was quick to spot her. "No phasing, Kitty! I saw you!"

Jubilee, meanwhile, tried to distract Verity with a small fireworks display from her hands, but Verity wasn't falling for it. "No flashy powers either! You have to think!" Verity giggled, clearly enjoying being in charge.

The "secret" treasure they were supposed to find turned out to be a random shiny rock that Verity had picked up earlier. But what really made the training fun was Verity's enthusiasm.

She treated every step of the game as though it were a crucial part of a massive universal quest, giving the young heroes ridiculous instructions like crawling under tables, pretending to be secret agents, and dodging imaginary lasers.

At one point, Bobby was forced to tiptoe across the room with exaggerated caution because Verity insisted that the floor was lava. Kitty had to solve a "puzzle" that involved rearranging cushions to unlock the next clue.

It was absolute chaos, but the young X-Men found themselves surprisingly engaged, swept up in Verity's infectious excitement.

At one point, Jubilee was caught sneaking around a corner, and Verity marched over, blowing her whistle. "Caught! Now you have to spin! Ten times on one leg!" she giggled.

Jubilee, laughing, reluctantly spun around as instructed, looking dizzy by the end of it.

As the game continued, Verity kept a close eye on them, her bright eyes full of glee as she ran around, playing the role of the mischievous commander. She would occasionally throw in little challenges, like making them find a way to solve a "riddle" or escape an "enemy base" made up of couch cushions.

Eventually, Bobby stumbled upon the shiny rock—Verity's grand "treasure."

"I found it!" he shouted triumphantly, holding it up.

Verity gasped in exaggerated shock, running over. "No way! You did it!" She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Congratulations! You passed the secret training!"

The young X-Men laughed, gathering around. The game had been a mix of silliness and brainpower, but they all admitted that Verity had a unique way of keeping things fun and unpredictable. 

"So, what now, boss?" Kitty asked, wiping sweat from her brow, still grinning.

Verity blew the whistle one last time. "Now... we get ice cream!" She declared as if it were the final, ultimate reward.

The group cheered, and Verity led the way, already plotting her next "mission" for her young recruits. As they headed toward the kitchen, she turned to Whimsy, who was still floating nearby with his signature grin.

"Good work, Whimsy! They didn't stand a chance!"

Whimsy purred, his mischievous eyes glinting. "I believe they will learn much under your tutelage, Commander Verity."

And with that, the young X-Men learned an important lesson that day—sometimes, being a hero was about more than just powers and strength.

It was also about outsmarting your enemies, having fun along the way, and, most importantly, finding the best ice cream after a long day's "training."

As the older heroes watched the young X-Men march off toward the kitchen, grinning and laughing from Verity's playful training, they couldn't help but feel a bit disgruntled.

Many of them had just finished Darius' grueling, no-holds-barred, power-cancelling, soul-draining training session that left even the toughest of them gasping for breath.

The stark contrast between their experience and the carefree, fun atmosphere Verity had created rubbed some of them the wrong way.

"Seriously?" Diana muttered, wiping sweat from her brow. "They get ice cream after that? We get... more laps?"

Clark nodded, stretching his arms, clearly still winded from Darius' brutal drills. "It's like boot camp over here. Verity's turning her training into a game."

Steve Rogers was doing his best to maintain composure, but even the stalwart Captain America couldn't help but crack a wry smile at the situation.

"I have to admit, seeing the kids getting off easy like that does make you wonder…"

Bruce Wayne, leaning against the wall, let out a low grunt. "Unfair treatment, to say the least."

Clint Barton, always the one to voice his opinion, crossed his arms and shook his head, still catching his breath. "Oh, come on. We're practically dying here, and they're off playing treasure hunt? Not to mention ice cream! Where's our reward?"

A few others murmured in agreement, quietly venting their frustrations. Little did they know that Darius, standing not too far away, had heard every word.

He turned his gaze toward the group, his normally playful and laid-back expression hardening into something far more menacing.

Darius cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention. The room went silent.

"Oh? So you think it's unfair?" he said, his voice low but carrying a dangerous edge.

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[Made an auxiliary chapter, go check it out]