by Rypta Gud'n, Happy Noodle Boy, Kristogar Velo and Zod
Today:
Rhyme Guardian was in the MBL temporary headquarters gym working out. It was a few weeks after their battle with the Horsemen, and right before that had been the battle with the Arch-Moderator and the Injustice Board Gang, and everyone was finally beginning to recover.
Nightwatch was walking by the gym, and he came in to talk to Rhyme Guardian. "Hey, Rhymer, how're things?"
"Good. And you?"
"I'm fi--" Nightwatch stopped and pointed his finger behind him. "What the hell is that?!"
"What's what?" Rhyme Guardian stopped his crunches when he saw that Nightwatch was staring at his exposed back. "What? Oh, that... it's a big tattoo over the whole of my back, with the letters H-N-B."
Nightwatch said, "Yeah, well, I can see that, but... what the hell is it doing there?"
"I think it was my new body," said Rhyme Guardian, standing up. "Remember how I told you about when I returned from the rhyme force I swapped bodies with another Rhymer from a parallel timeline?"
"Yeah... and?"
Rhyme Guardian continued, "I'm starting to get some of my new body's memories. I tell you what, it's freaky having a new body, even if it is an exact duplicate. Anyway, I think H-N-B are the initials of this guy's name. I've been considering using it as a basis for a new code name. It would be appropriate."
"Really?" Nightwatch asked, surprised. "Are you gonna do it?"
Rhyme Guardian thought for a moment. "Yeah. I'm gonna do it."
The MBL leader marched through the halls to where most of the team were gathered in the conference room. "Team, I have something to tell you. I am no longer going to use the code name Rhyme Guardian, a name given to me by the press in the 1940s, a name from the Golden Age of heroes. Since the Golden Age was sixty years ago now, I've chosen a new moniker, one that doesn't sound so dated. From now on, I shall be known as... Hardy New-Born!"
There were snickers from the back of the room.
Beer-Drinking Lad tried to reason with his team leader. "Come on, Rhyme Guardian, you can't be serious! Hardy New-Born will make you sound more like a baby than a metahero!"
Disco Stave nudged the Lad. "Yeah, like Beer-Drinking Lad really strikes fear into criminals everywhere..."
Zed said, "Hey Disco, Lad, cut the guy some slack. There is nothing wrong with changing your name every now and again."
Disco Stave replied, "Says you, Mr. Lone Survivor."
"Shut up!" Zed shouted.
Hardy New-Born muttered to himself, "Well, Rhyme Guardian wasn't exactly the most serious name ever..."