Chapter Text

STAR CITY
July 4, 09:01 PDT

“Nightingale, redirect to help Green Arrow and Speedy on the bridge! Icicle Jr’s back,” Black Canary’s order came over the comms as you were finishing your morning patrol rounds.

“On it, Canary,” you assured your mentor before checking the streets and making a U-turn with your bike. Revving the engine you sped towards the bridge, using the coordinates Canary has sent.

By the time you got there, the fight was already in motion. Speedy and Green Arrow were shooting off arrows from their vantage point but Icicle Jr had his own version of long-distance weaponry.

“Looks like you boys started without me,” you mused through the comms, sending a quick look, up to the boys on the top of the bridge.

“Finally, I was wondering what a guy had to do to get a little attention over here!” the ice villain heaved, throwing ice shards up towards your arrow slinging friends.

“Junior’s doing this for attention?” Speedy scoffed.

“Birdy, a little cover please,” GA requested as the two as they jumped down to run along the metal framing.

“You got it, GA,” you smirked.

“I’m telling you now, this little distraction better not interfere,” Speedy’s nagging continued.

“Yo, popsicle!” you shouted, forcing Icicle Jr. to look at you, as you skid the bike to a stop, and got off. “Hiya,” you winked before clicking the button on your choker and screaming. The vocal amplifier helping you mimic your mentor’s scream, and giving the boys a chance to move without being pummeled with sharp ice.

You stopped with Icicle’s hands went up to his ears, and the shard behind him shattered. As you took a deep breath Junior managed to hit you, the sharp edge of the ice barely cut your arm since he was still disoriented, but the wide edge hit you in the chest, knocking you down and shattering over you, chilling you to the bone, literally. Speedy jumped to action, flipping off the framing and shooting in mid-air. The blunt-ended arrow hit Junior square in the jaw and the villain went down.

You jogged up to where GA was crouching over him, “Kid, had a glass jaw,” he chuckled and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“Hilarious,” Speedy stated flatly. “Can we go?” he pressed.

GA’s eyes flicked to you for a second and you shrugged, “today’s the day,” you remind him.

“Alright, then, let’s go,” he huffed.

“Canary and I’ll meet you two there,” you promised with a smile before getting on your bike and driving back to HQ, shivering.

WASHINGTON D.C.
July 4, 14:00 EDT

“D, are you sure that I have to go?” you asked once more to your mentor, a.k.a. the Black Canary, as you stepped through the Zeta, joining her in your nation’s capital. It’s not that you didn’t want to go, but after that hit from Icicle Jr., all you wanted was to sit in front of Ollie’s fireplace with a book and some hot cocoa.

“(y/n) Roxo, I’ve told you before. It’s not up for discussion, you can complain all you’d like, but it won’t change my mind. Besides, I thought you liked these boys,” she said, and you rolled your eyes at the smile on her face.

“Of course I do, they’re fun, and they get what it’s like juggling being a teenager and a vigilante, but it doesn’t mean I want to deal with them all the time,” you defend, but a small smile flickers to your lips at the thought of hanging out with the boys who never failed to make you laugh.

She raises her eyebrows at you questioningly, and you groan, “Wallace West is a flirt, and sometimes he just doesn’t take things seriously. Roy barely has it in him to work with Ollie and me; teamwork isn’t exactly his strong suit. And Kaldur, bless his Atlantian soul, while he is older than us, I’m the only one he treats like a little kid, and it’s not fair,“ you tell her.

“What about Robin?” she asks.

“What about him?” you counter with nonchalance.

“What’s your problem with him?” she trailed with a knowing smirk.

“Robin is a showoff. He’s always trying to one-up everyone. Maybe it’s because he wants to live up to the Bat title, or something else, but it’s a little annoying,” you spit, it’s not entirely a lie, but at the same time, it’s an excuse and an obvious one at that. Dinah bursts into a small fit of laughter at your words. She’s known about your crush on the Dark Knight’s apprentice since the very beginning.

“Shut up,” you mutter, cheeks flushing red, she only laughs harder.

When the two of you arrive at the Hall of Justice, you notice Batman, Green Arrow, and Aquaman already standing there, their sidekicks standing proudly beside them. You quickly check to make sure your gloves are tightened, the rings underneath, offering a hidden sense of comfort.

“Hey, boys!” you greet with a smile plastered on your lips.

“Nightingale, it is good to see you again, my friend,” Kaldur greeted with a small wink.

“You too, Aqualad,” you nod, hugging the older boy.

You had just pulled away when a woosh and two more people appeared, both being speedsters, “Oh, man! I knew we’d be the last ones here!” Kid Flash sighed.

A small laugh split your lips as you finished greeting everyone else.

“I’m glad we’re all here,“ Kaldur says as we walk towards the Hall, you were doing your best to ignore the reporters and photographers who were asking questions and taking pictures while you all walked.

“Have all five sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?” KF asked out loud to nobody in particular.

“Don’t call us sidekicks, not after today,” Roy bit, a little harshly, and you gave your friend a careful look.

“Sorry,“ KF apologized, “first time at the hall. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

“You’re overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn’t anyone ever just whelmed?” Robin asks

“I feel like I’m generally a pretty whelmed person,” you mused with a wink at the Boy Wonder as you entered the hall. “Or not….,“ you trail, breath hitching at the sight of it all.

The door had opened with a hushed hiss to reveal Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado waiting for us.

“Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Nightingale, welcome,” the Martian greets. “You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked galley, and of course, our library…” you couldn’t fight the small smile of pride that spreads across your face as your tour begins. This was it; the next chapter on a journey that would one day lead to becoming fully-fledged members of the Justice League.

As the tour concluded, we ended on the Main Hall’s inside, windows along the walls, where tourists could approach and peek inside.

“Make yourselves at home,“ Flash instructed.

Robin wasted little time flopping himself backward and onto a seat, huffing and sighing in an over-dramatic manner. It managed to pull a soft giggle from you as you rolled your eyes sarcastically at his antics. Aqualad took a seat in another chair, and KF slid into the last one. You turned to Roy, but he was silently glaring at the Leaguers. With a soft sigh, you shook your head and sat down on the ground between KF and Robin’s chairs.

“Do you want my seat?” Kaldur offered, and you smiled kindly to the Atlantean.

“I’m perfectly fine where I am, Aqualad,” you promise, he nodded, before relaxing into his seat.

“Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of 4 ice villains Attacking on the same day. We shouldn’t be too long,” Batman informed us all, turning to the computer counsel.

“Recognized: Batman, 0-2; Aquaman, 0-6; Flash, 0-4; Green Arrow, 0-8; Martian Manhunter, 0-7; Red Tornado, 1-6,“ A female computerized voice rings out.

“That’s it? You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass,” Roy shouts suddenly, drawing everybody’s attention.

“It’s the first step. You’ve been granted access few others get,“ Aquaman told him sagely.

“Oh, really? Who cares which side of the glass we’re on?” Roy seethed, and your eyes blew wide. Sure, Roy had never been patient about training, not even at the very start from what you’d heard, but this was different. He had seemed more aggressive in the past few weeks, as the planned Hall of Justice day approached. He seemed more prone to argue with Ollie, and it was getting on GA’s nerves.

“Roy, you just need to be patient,” you say, trying to calm him before things get out of hand.

“What I need Birdy, is respect,“ He says, eyeing the leaguers and then to you, you were taken aback. Roy was a bit of a hothead, he always had been, but he usually listened to you. Dinah and Ollie liked to say that we were balancing acts, which is why we worked well in the field together.

“They’re treating us like kids. Worse! Like sidekicks! We deserve better than this,” Roy exclaims, turning his attention back to you, Aqualad, KF, and Robin.

The four of you shared a few glances before looking back to Roy, with skeptical eyes. “You’re kidding, right? You’re playing their game? Why? Because you think they play fair? Today was supposed to be the day! Step one in becoming full-fledged members of The League,“ he continues.

“Well, sure, but I thought step one was a tour of the HQ,” KF says softly.

“Except the hall isn’t the League’s real HQ,“ Roy interjects, and your lips purse, you had known that, but Ollie had explicitly told you not to say anything since technically you weren’t supposed to know that.

Shocked expressions crossed the faces of the three boys beside you as well as the leaguers’, clearly they hadn’t been expecting to be called out.

“I bet they never told you it’s just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporter tubes to the real thing, an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower,” Roy explains.

Batman turned to Ollie, and you noticed the way his glare seemed to harden on the Bow toating hero. “I know, I know, but I thought maybe we could make an exception,“ Ollie tries to defend, but Batman’s glare hardens. “Or not,” Oliver frowned, backtracking.

“You’re not helping your cause here, son. Stand down or-” Aquaman attempted to intervene.

“Or what? You’ll send me to my room? And I’m not your son! I’m not even his,“ Roy interjected, pointing to Ollie. “I thought I was his partner, but not anymore,” Roy threw his hat to the ground. Roy turned back to the four of us, “Guess they’re right about you three,“ he seethes at the boys before walking past, “You’re not ready,”

“Speedy-” you try to once more to get through to your oldest friend, but he’s quick to cut you off.

“You too, Birdy. You’re not ready either,“ he continues to storm out of the room. But unlike the others, when he told you, he sounded disappointed instead of angry. You could only frown; you didn’t understand what had gotten into him today. This outburst seemed forced, desperate, and unlike his usual attitude.

The computer beeped, and an alarm started to go off, but your eyes were still trained on the door. You were barely listening as the leaguers talked with Superman and Zataram turning instead to pick up Speedy’s Hat.

The yellow cap with a red feather had become his trademark around Star City, and he had thrown it to the ground so quickly in his rage today. You thought of all the times you’d trained together, fought together, and all the times he’d been the brother you never realized you needed. He was one of your closest friends and had helped you through a dark time, you thought you knew him, but you couldn’t come up with an explanation for what had just happened.

“-But for now, stay put,” Canary’s voice caught your attention, pulling you back into the real world.

“Are you ok?” Robin whispers as KF and Aqualad say something to each other.

“Huh?” you ask incoherently, brows furrowing as you turned to him.

Robin squinted at you through his domino mask, “You’ve been frowning at that hat since he walked out,” Robin tells you.

“I‘m fine,” you decide, sniffing and straightening your posture.

Robin’s expression told you that he didn’t believe you.

“What else aren’t they telling us?” Aqualad asked, the disappointment evident as you tried to focus back on the conversation, piecing together what they were discussing.

“I have a better question,“ Robin decides. “Why didn’t we leave with Speedy?”

A moment of silence passed between you all before Aqualad pipes up, “What is Project Cadmus?”

“I don’t know, but we can find out,” you offer, walking towards the computer. You tried your passcode and then Roy’s, but neither worked.

“Access denied,“ the female computerized voice informs you.

“Heh. Want to bet?” Robin smirked, taking over for you. You watched as his fingers glided across the keys, taking note of precisely what he was doing.

“Whoa! How are you doing that?” KF asked aloud as many of the red lights begin to turn green.

“It’s the same system as the Batcave,” Robin shares, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Of course, it was.

“Access granted,“ says the computer.

“All right, Project Cadmus,” Robin read, opening the file.

“It’s a genetics lab here in D.C.,“ you continue, looking over Robin’s shoulder. “That’s all there is,” you add with a frown.

“But if Batman’s suspicious, maybe we should investigate,“ Robin adds, looking at you before looking towards Aqualad and KF.

“Solve their case before they do,” Aqualad reiterates.

“It would be poetic justice,“ you smile, a mischievous twinkle in your eyes as you push your thoughts of Roy back for the moment being.

“Hey, they’re all about justice,” Robin smiles at you, supporting your point.

“But they said stay put,“ Aqualad sighs, reminding us.

“For the blotting out the sun mission,” Robin argued.

“Not this,” you compliment.

“Wait!” Kid Flash interrupted. “Are you two going to Cadmus? Because if you’re going, I’m going,“ KF decided, a giddy tone underlying in his answer.

“Just like that, we’re a team on a mission?” Aqualad questions critically.

You stare at the cap once more, and nod your head, “We didn’t come for a play date."

CADMUS LABS, WASHINGTON D.C.
July 4, 16:47 EDT

It didn’t take you long to exit the Hall, not with all your mentors out busy. There was no one to stop you.

Wally sped ahead as the rest of you took off. Cadmus Labs was relatively close, and you could see the smoke rising before you spotted the building itself. By the time you made it over, Firemen were out front, and Wally was dangling over the edge of a building.

“So smooth,” Robin mused as you spot the yellow-and-red dressed speedster, hanging half out the window.

“Does he always have to run ahead?” you asked rhetorically, before running and climbing up onto the fire truck. Robin was right behind you, and as you ran out of the truck to run on, he used his grappling hook and placed his arm around your waist before swinging us both up into the building. As soon as you landed, you turned around and offered your hand to your struggling friend dressed in yellow, pulling him up.

“Thanks, beautiful, could’ve fallen,” KF winked at you.

“Don’t tempt me to push you,” you wink back mockingly, causing Robin to chuckle as he connects to the mainframe.

Aqualad joins the three of you a moment later, eyes laced with slight annoyance, “Appreciate the help,” he huffed.

“You handled it,“ you smile with an innocent shrug.

“Besides, we’re here to investigate,” Robin adds as he continues to hack into the building’s system.

“Poetic justice, remember?” you reminded him while looking over Rob’s shoulder.

Aqualad’s distracted mumbles pulled your attention away from what Robin was doing, “There was something in the-”

You moved towards the hall with Wally and Kaldur, and your brow furrowed, something felt weird.

“Elevators should be locked down,“ KF states, and you realize he’s right, during a fire like this, they should not be operational.

“Something’s wrong,” you add, eyes dancing around, searching for something, anything.

“Thought so,” Robin muttered. “This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn’t belong in a two-story building,“ he explains, looking at something on his wrist computer.

“Neither does what I saw,” Aqualad adds before pushing the elevator doors open.

“And that’s why they need an express elevator,“ you decide, poking your head through and looking down the shaft that seems to go much lower than two stories.

Robin comes up behind you and grabs your waist once more before shooting another grappling hook.

“Woah!” you let out a short shriek of surprise as you were pulled along, down the shaft.

“Scared?” Robin questions, and though you were looking at him, you could hear the smirk.

Your cheeks, which were already slightly pink from the arm looped around your waist, turned a shade darker, “Shut up,” you mumbled. “I was just caught off guard.”

You both slid until the rope ended. Looking around, you noticed you had reached SL 26; Sub Level 26.

“I’m at the end of my rope,” Robin mused before the two of you start to swing yourselves back and forth, gaining enough momentum so you could jump. When you did, You landed against the wall and grabbed onto the pipe, Robin landed against you, and you all kept your backs against the wall. Robin had just opened his wrist computer when Aqualad and KF stopped beside us.

“Bypassing security,” he told us, and after a second, he dropped his hand with a nod. “There! Go!” Robin exclaims, allowing Aqualad to push the new set of elevator doors open.

“Welcome to Project Cadmus,“ you mutter quietly as you observe everything around you.

“Kid, wait!” Aqualad whisper-yelled as KF suddenly raced past you.

You all were to quick to run after KF, and when you found him, he was on the ground, wide-eyed, as these monster-like things passed us.

“No, Nothing odd going on here,” Kaldur noted sarcastically as we all froze, gazes focused on the being before us.

“Okay. I’m officially whelmed,“ Robin decides as you cautiously enter a new room. This one had dozens of glass containers, and the room was covered in blue light.

“This is how they hid this massive underground facility from the world. The real Cadmus isn’t on the grid,” KF describes looking around and then back to you. You stepped forward, staring into the container.

“It generates its own power with… these things,“ you say, catching on to KF’s theory as one of your hands comes to rest on one of the containers. Squinting, you could see the creatures inside were the ones creating the blue light. They were producing electricity, and you could feel it buzzing beneath your gloved hand.

“Must be what they’re bred for,” KF continues, and you nod, gaze focused on the creature inside.

“Of course! Even the name is a clue, the Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragon’s teeth into the earth,“ Aqualad explains.

“And this Cadmus creates new life, too. Let’s find out why,” Rob plugs his wrist computer into one of the computer panels and starts looking through the data. “They call them genomorphs,” he notes, “Whoa! Look at the stats on these things!” he continued, and you lean over his shoulder to look at the screen.

“Super strength, telepathy, razor claws,“ you read off, “these things are living weapons!”

“They’re engineering an army,” KF realized, “but for who?”

“Wait, there’s something else,” you notice the file as Robin was skimming through the data. This one had special encryption, “Project Kr,” you note, brow furrowing at the name as Robin tried to hack into it.

Robin let out a groan when the screen flashed red, “Ugh! The file’s triple-encrypted. I can’t-”

“Don’t move!” A voice booms from behind us, interrupting the conversation. “Wait. Robin, Aqualad, nightingale, Kid Flash?” the booming voice belonged to a man with a yellow helmet. He seemed to recognize you all when you turned towards him.

“At least he got your name right,” you mutter to KF, thinking about all the reporters from outside the hall earlier, but all you gain is a minor glare from the speedster.

“I know you. Guardian, a hero,“ Aqualad states, and your eyebrows raise.

“I do my best,” Guardian nodded, and your fingers twitched at your side.

“Then what are you doing here?” Kid Flash argued.

“I think that’s my question, guys. I’m chief of security. You’re trespassing, but we can call the Justice League, figure this out,” Guardian offers, causing you to frown.

“You think the League’s gonna approve of you breeding weapons?” you interjected with a scoff, the attitude in your voice clear.

“Weapons? What are you-? what have I-? Ugh,“ the thing on his shoulder had horns, and they lit up like red lights the moment Guardian seemed to think about what you had said.

Your brows furrowed in response to the red horns, your mind fizzing with thoughts. You had seen this before, you were sure of it, but where?

Your focus had shifted from the real world, and it was only when you were being pulled through the air that you came back. Robin had grappled you both away as the room filled with a bit of smoke.

“What’s going on with you?” Rob asks as the two of you land in a secured location.

“Those things, the genomorphs, I’ve seen them before, but I don’t know where,” you admit, frown still on your lips as you wracked your brain for the answer.

He grabs your arm, causing you to look back to him, “For now, focus on the mission, try to block everything else out. We can figure it out later,” he advises, you give him a nod in affirmation.

Robin started to hack the elevator, and KF eventually showed up behind us, “Way to be team players, guys,” he sasses with a pointed look as Robin gets the elevator to open.

“Weren’t you right behind us?” Robin covers making brief eye contact with you, before you all quickly file into the elevator.

When you felt the elevator dip, your eyes snapped to the digital display above the doors, watching as the numbers on the elevator’s inner display got larger the lower we went. It took a second and another look at Robin before you understood why.

“We’re headed down?” Aqualad was the next to notice as the elevator continued to drop.

“Dude, out is up,“ KF interjects.

“Excuse me?” Robin bites, clearly taking offense to Kid Flash’s tone.

“Project Kr, it’s down. On sub-level 52,” you point out, letting the rest understand.

“This is out of control. Perhaps–perhaps we should contact the League,“ Aqualad suggested, uncertainty laced in his words.

With a ding, the elevator doors open slowly, and all four of you tensed, doing your best to prepare for whatever is on Sub Level 52. When you notice the coast is clear, Robin immediately runs off.

“We are already here…” KF decides, running after your friend.

“Hmm,” Aqualad sighs defeatedly, and your gaze shifts to the eldest of you all.

“Don’t give up on me now, Kaldur’ahm,” you say gently, hand squeezing his shoulder.

Kaldur went quiet for a moment, before his eyes focused on you, “On you?” he repeats softly, “never,” he promised.

You offer him a small smile, and he nods his head. While Kid Flash and Robin were tight-knit, you had Kaldur. Kaldur had helped you learn how to move forward, and he had supported you through an especially rough time. You would be eternally grateful.

“This is our chance to prove we can be more than sidekicks,” you remind him before stepping out of the elevator and chasing after the other two boys.

You ran for a while, sticking to the walls as best you could. Eventually, you approached a crossroads, and the group of you ducked behind some crates.

“Which way?” Aqualad asked, voice low.

“Yeah,” Robin scoffed, “bizarre-looking hallway, one or bizarre-looking hallway two?”

Before you could make a decision, “Halt!” A voice boomed.

Barrels came hurtling at you immediately after, the four of you scattered, do your best to dodge them. You managed to follow after KF and down an empty hallway.

“Hurry!” KF yells to you as he pried the door at the end of the hallway open temporarily with a metal container.

Robin jumps then Aqualad; you managed to slip in, right before the genomorphs round the corner. Aqualad quickly kicked the container out of the way allowing the door to close fully, separating us from the genomorphs

“I disabled the door. We’re safe,” Robin states, and you walk over to where Kid Flash was standing, taking a few deep breaths.

“We’re trapped,” Aqualad argues, and that’s when you and wally notice something a little freaky.

“Uh, guys,” you call, getting the arguing pair’s attention.

“You’ll want to see this,“ Wally says, clicking a button on the counsel in the middle of the room. The containment unit across from the counsel lit up, revealing a person inside.

“Whoa!” you hear one of the boys mutter.

“Big ‘K,’ little ‘r,’” KF points out, and his eyes dart to you as you step closer to the container.

“The atomic symbol for Krypton,” you note, turning to look at Wally with wide eyes.

“Clone?” you asked in unison, heads whipping back to look at Kaldur and Rob for answers.

“Robin, hack,” Aqualad instructs.

“Oh. Right, right,“ Rob says, typing at his wrist computer. “Weapon designation “Superboy” a clone force-grown in….16 weeks?! From DNA acquired from Superman,” he read in astonishment, and your lips parted in surprise.

“Stolen from Superman,“ you correct, eyes returning to the clone.

“No way the big guy knows about this,” KF points out.

“Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation 24/7,“ Robin continues.

“And these creatures?” Aqualad points.

“Genomorph gnomes; telepathic, force-feeding him an education,” Robin answered.

“And we can guess what else,“ KF states. “They’re making a slave out of, well, Superman’s son,” he decides.

“Now we contact the League,“ you declared, looking back at each of the boys. You reach for the communicator, a small bird emblem, on your belt, but the connection doesn’t go through.

“No signal,” Robin observed.

“We’re in too deep, literally,“ KF reported with a pun.

“This is wrong,” I choked, biting down on your lip as your gaze stayed on the boy in the tube, clone or no clone, he was a person, or at least, he was now.

“We can’t leave him like this,“ Robin agreed.

“Set him free. Do it,” Aqualad affirms with a nod.

Before you or Robin have a chance to do anything, the tube opens with a hiss, and some white gas flows out. Suddenly the clone is zooming at you all. The clone zeroed in on the closest target, which, in this case, happened to be you. However, Aqualad managed to push you aside in time, taking the brunt of the attack himself.

“Whoa! Hang on, Supey,“ KF attempted to reason as you all tried to pull the clone off of Aqualad.

“We’re on your side!” Rob yells as Superboy continued to punch Kaldur.

You squared your shoulders before running at the clone, you were hoping to have enough momentum to knock him off of Kaldur, but the Superboy had prepared for that. Leaving Kaldur for a moment, his hands came out before you could realize what he was doing, he had pushed you back, forcefully. You collided with some glass containers against the wall, and the glass shattered, scratching at your suit, jacket, and bits of skin. Your body was beginning to ache as you tried to stand up.

But before you could muster the strength, the room went black. The last thing you heard, a shout from Kaldur, “We are trying to help you!”

Chapter Text

CADMUS LABS, WASHINGTON D.C.
July 4, 00:01 EDT

“Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken now!” you heard a voice in your head, and suddenly your eyes snapped open.

“What? What do you want? Quit staring!” KF wailed. “You’re creeping me out,” he groaned as you blinked a couple of times, trying to shake off the sleepy feeling.

“Uh, KF, how about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?” you offer, your voice raspy, due to the pain and remaining grogginess.

“We only sought to help you,” Aqualad told the clone, sagely.

“Yeah! We free you, and you turn on us. How’s that for great-” KF continued.

“Kid, please, be quiet now,” Aqualad objected. “I do not believe our new friend is in full control of his actions.”

“What…what if I… What if I wasn’t?” the clone asked, and your gaze softened.

“He can talk!” KF exclaimed, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“Yes! He can!” Superboy shot back, fists clenching.

As Aqualad and KF talk to the super clone, you try to access your lock pick. You let out another quiet groan when you realize you couldn’t, due to the position of your arms. Looking over to Robin, you notice he seems to be having more luck, as he slowly worked the lock pick on his cuffs. He raises his eyebrow at you questioningly, but you shook your head discreetly.

“Not like I said 'it',” Wally muttered, catching the small glares we sent him.

“The Genomorphs, they taught you?” Aqualad asked.

“They taught me much,” he admitted. “I can read, write, and I know the names of things,” Superboy’s words were encouraging, but his tone held an air of desperation to it.

“But have you seen them?” you interrupted, pulling the clone’s eyes to you. “Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?” you shifted slightly in your restraints, wincing as you took in the state of your body. There were little cuts scattered all over the glass, and you could feel where bruises would be forming over the next few days.

“Images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them,“ Superboy admits.

“Do you know what you are? Who you are?” Kaldur questions.

“I am the Superboy, a genomorph, a clone made from DNA of the Superman. Created to replace him should he perish, or to destroy him should he turn from the light,” Superboy explains.

“To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration, but like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond Cadmus,“ Aqualad tries to reason.

“I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!” Superboy yells angrily.

“Your home is a test tube,” Robin explains.

“We can show you the sun,“ you add, doing your best to keep your voice as gentle as possible.

“Uh, pretty sure it’s after midnight, NG, but we can show you the moon,” Wally chimed.

“We can show you, introduce you, to Superman,“ Aqualad coaxed, and for a moment, it looked like it was working.

“No, they can’t. They’ll be otherwise occupied. Activate the cloning process,” a man in a lab coat and glasses ordered while walking into the room.

“Pass. I’m one of a kind, I’d like to remain that way,“ you mused with faux humor, and the best smile you could manage, it was the same one you wore at all the fancy events Oliver forced you to attend.

“Same, Batcave is crowded enough,” Robin agreed, matching your tone.

“And get the weapon back in its pod!” the man shouted, clearly frustrated while referring to the Superboy, rudely.

“Hey! How come he gets to call Supey an ‘it’?” Wally mocked, and your eyes widened when Guardian walked up to Superboy, pulling him towards the exit.

“Help us,“ you pleaded, and his blue eyes stayed on yours.

Superboy pushed Guardian’s hand off of him, standing firm.

“Don’t start thinking now,” Lab Coat sneered, and the genomorph on his shoulder jumped to Superboy’s, its horns glowing red. “See, you’re not a real boy. You’re a weapon, and you belong to me! Well, to Cadmus. Same thing. Now get back to your pod!” the scientist commands, and Superboy, who now seemed to be in a trance.

The man hit a button, and suddenly sets of needles appeared in front of you all. Your eyes were wide as you shook your head, you could deal with any ice freak in the world, but as Dinah could attest, you were not a fan of needles.

“I hate needles,” the comment was through gritted teeth as the needles were plunged into you. They started crackling with electricity, grunts of pain could be heard along with your scream as they drained some of your blood. Your arm jerked roughly against the cuffs, and the small cut on your arm that had scabbed over earlier split open once more.

“Superboy, you live,“ you gasped, hoping that he could hear you between your screams. “That gives you the right to follow your path. A weapon or a person, the choice is yours, but ask yourself, what would Superman do?"

Suddenly the door was ripped off its hinges, and the needles stopped.

“Are you here to help us or fry us?” KF questioned as the boy of steel walked up to the redhead’s pod.

Superboy stopped for a second, squinting at KF, “Huh. I don’t seem to have heat vision, so I suppose helping is my only option."

You couldn’t help but let out a small but pained laugh, but that quickly turned into another painful groan.

“Ahh,” Robin exclaimed as he finally was able to pick his lock. “Finally! Lucky Batman isn’t here. He’d have my head for taking so long,“ you raised your eyebrow at him tiredly, and he shrugged.

“Seriously, that’s what you’re worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight,” KF responded.

“Free Nightingale and Aqualad. I’ll get kid mouth,“ Robin instructs.

“Don’t you give me orders either,” Superboy grumbled before leaping up to break the door to the pod, letting Aqualad free. Once Aqualad was down, Superboy came to your pod, breaking your shackles and catching you. He let you down carefully before helping you stand, as strong as he was, his handling had become gentle. “Thank you,“ you whispered in appreciation meeting his eyes, he gave you a small nod as he helped you stabilize. Your body felt like it was still buzzing from the electric shock and plunging of needles.

“You….you’ll never get out of here! I’ll have you back in pods before morning,” the man in the lab coat shrieked.

“That guy is not whelmed,” you note, now standing on your own, though the pain had yet to subside.

“Not whelmed at all,” Robin affirmed before throwing an exploding Batarang at the four containers with your blood.

“What is it with you two and this whelmed thing?” KF asked rhetorically as you all ran out; all you could offer your speedster friend was a shrug of your shoulders.

“We are still 42 levels below ground,” Aqualad stated, leading you all forwards, “but if we can make the elevator…“

The loud growl that cut him off was enough to keep your heart pounding, “or not,” you add, as you spotted the genomorphs that were appearing in front of you.

Turning back, you noticed that the same large genomorphs were now blockading your path. The five of you skidded to a stop as more and more genomorphs began to appear.

The minute one went to attack, you all took evasive maneuvers, well, almost all. Superboy decided to attack them instead. He began wrestling with the genomorphs that were three times your size as the rest of you stood back. While he seemed to be making an impact, he was beginning to bring the house down with him, literally.

“Superboy, the goal is to escape, not to bury ourselves here!” Aqualad shouted.

“You want to escape? Aah!” the super clone let out a yell, clearing a path through his rage.

Using the given space, you all make a break for the elevators. Aqualad pried them open before letting us all through. Wally jumps to the side and uses his super-speed to quickly jump from floor to floor, using the metal ledges like stairs. Robin grabbed you by the waist once more before using his grappling gun to pull us up. Looking up, you noticed Superboy and Kaldur. The clone had jumped, probably intending to fly, but you saw as their faces faltered.

“I- I’m falling,” Superboy’s voice came as a distracted mutter, but you wasted no time.

Grabbing one of Robin’s batarangs, you threw it upwards, creating a handhold for Aqualad to hold onto. The Atlantian had a sturdy grip, catching onto the handhold and keeping both of them from falling back down.

“Superman can fly. Why can’t I fly?” Superboy questioned as they found their footing on the metal ledges.

“Don’t know, but it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool,“ KF points out, helping them.

“Thank you,” you heard the clone mutter to Aqualad, who then sent you an appreciative look; you nodded, black lips in a thin line.

“Guys, this will have to be our exit,“ Robin shouts, pulling everyone’s attention to the elevator that was beginning to approach us.

Together Superboy and Aqualad kicked the elevator doors open, and you broke into a sprint. As you run, the aftershocks of the electric pulses start to wear you down while the short burst of adrenaline fades. You become painstakingly aware of the pulling in your ankle. Taking a glance as you turn left (per Superboys request), you notice the swelling. You also see that you’re lagging behind the boys now too. You take a right and come face to face with a wall.

“Great direction, Supey! You trying to get us re-podded?” KF shot off, turning to the clone.

“No, I- I don’t understand,” Superboy backtracked.

The first thing you noticed was the vent. Nudging the Boy Wonder beside you, you weakly nod to it. Allowing your stiff neck to add to the parts of your body currently in pain.

“Don’t apologize. This is perfect!” Rob exclaims. “Birdy, you first,” he says, nudging you forward.

The boys hoist you up, allowing you to pull the vent cover off. You have to use one of your ring daggers to pry it off the wall, and once you do, you let it fall to the floor, before pulling yourself entirely through the vent. As you begin to crawl, Kaldur comes up behind you, then Wally, Superboy, and finally, Robin brings up the rear.

“At this rate, we’ll never get out,” KF groans.

“Anyone ever tell you, you’re a pessimistic person, KF?” you shoot back with an eye roll.

“Shh. Listen,“ Superboy shushed.

You could vaguely hear a crackling sound, and when a shriek followed, your eyes blew wide. You all sped to the next exit. Once out, Robin started to do something on his wrist computer.

“I hacked the motion sensors,” he bragged.

“Sweet,” Wally cheered as you took a moment to inspect your ankle further.

“Still plenty of them between us and out,“ you mumbled, attempting to roll your ankle in a circle, checking its mobility. You had to stop the action when you winced from the sharp pain it was causing.

“But I’ve finally got room to move,” KF smirked, pulling his goggles over his eyes and zooming off through the stairwell.

You started following him as he knocked all the genomorphs in his way down.

“More behind us,“ Robin alerts us.

Looking back, you nodded, “I got this,” you assure the rest.

You turned around full and hit the button on your choker. You took in a deep breath before screaming, “AHHH!”

It was your canary cry. The force of the sonic waves pushed the genomorphs back allowing Superboy to kick the staircase down. The power behind his kick was enough to create a giant gap between you and them. You click the button on your choker once more, turning off the sonic device before spinning around and continuing up the stairs.

Dinah had given you the choker the day she finally let you patrol on your own. It was also the day you got my codename, Nightingale or NG for short. Before people used to call you Birdy, some still do.

When you stop at the top of the stairs, you find one last set of heavy doors, “We’re cut off from the street,” Superboy digresses as he and Aqualad move to pry the doors open with little luck.

“Thanks. My head hadn’t noticed,“ Wally stated sarcastically from the ground; he had fallen when he slammed into the door, not expecting it to stay shut.

“Can’t hack this fast enough,” Robin muttered, typing at his wrist computer. He looked up for a second, searching for another option. “This way!” he decided, grabbing your arm and pulling you through a side door, only to lead you into a circle of genomorphs and Guardian. Everything quickly became black as you collapsed to the ground.

When you woke up once more, your vision cleared, and you saw Robin offering you his hand to pull you up. You noticed Superboy facing one of the Genormorphs, “I choose freedom,” he decided, and the genomorph nodded.

Guardian let out a groan, rubbing his head, as you roll your shoulders, scanning the room the best you could, “Feels like a fog lifting,” he admitted.

“Guardian?” you called to the hero, gently.

“Go. I’ll deal with Desmond,” Guardian nodded.

“I think not!” Dr. Desmond interrupted. “Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus!“ he uncapped a test tube and began chugging a neon blue liquid.

Your eyes darted around trying to find a way out, suddenly, he was transforming into something else, and it was a bit frightening. You took a step back in a mix of surprise and horror.

“Everyone back!” Guardian yelled out, charging the beast, only to be knocked aside.

Next was Superboy; the two of them went at it, before going through the ceiling.

“Ok. That’s one way to bust through the ceiling,” Robin commentated, grabbing your waist and his grappling gun.

“Do you think Lab Coat planned that?” Wally asked, and Robin aimed the gun.

“I doubt he is planning anything anymore,” Kaldur countered, and Robin shot the hook, grappling you both up.

You all seemed to shift into fight mode, charging the thing. KF tripped it; Rob threw some bombs at it; you screamed, pushing it to turn toward Superboy, who once again began to fight it. Aqualad attempted to intervene but was pulled to the ground. When KF tried to help, he got pushed into the wall instead. Wincing, you began looking around frantically, trying to find a solution.

You watched as the structure began to shake when the blockbuster monster threw Kaldur into the pillars, and you had an epiphany. “Rob! The pillars,” you shouted over the commotion.

Robin’s eyes spotted the same thing you had before a look of surprise took his features, “Of course! KF, get over here!” he yelled, catching your drift.

Robin pulled up a schematic on his hologlove and showed it to both you and the speedster, “Got it?” he asked.

“Got it,“ KF and you affirm simultaneously.

“Go!” Rob commences.

KF went to distract the creature as the rest of you began to bring down the building’s support pillars. You ran into the middle of the room and marked a large ‘X’ on the ground as everything else fell into place. More of the pillars were brought down, and water was sprayed over the X. Wally led blockbuster to the water allowing Aqualad to electrocute the beast. With blockbuster distracted, Robin hit a button on his glove before meeting your gaze.

“Move!” he yelled as his exploding batarangs began to go off, causing the building to collapse. The building was crashing down on all of you, but Superboy was able to move some debris away as everything settled.

“We did it,” Aqualad panted.

“Was there… ever any doubt?” you smiled weekly from the ground.

Robin and Wally high-fived as you attempted to get up, tried, being the keyword. You would’ve fallen back down if the two boys hadn’t caught and stabilized you. Looking down, you knew it was a mix of your ankle and the exhaustion.

“See?” you swallowed, despite the pain. “The moon,“ you mused. By now, KF and Robin were supporting your weight. You had an arm around each of their necks while your bad foot stayed off the ground.

“Oh, and Superman. Do we keep our promises or what?” Wally jokes as the big man himself landed in front of us, other League members trailing behind him. Including all of your mentors.

Superboy was the first to step forward, showing off the symbol on his suit, startling not only Superman but the rest of the League as well.

“Oh, boy,” you muttered under your breath.

“Is that what I think it is?” Batman inquired, staring at Superboy.

“He doesn’t like being called it,” Wally hints.

“I’m Superman’s clone,“ Superboy admits, and the shock is evident on all the leaguer’s faces.

“Start talking,” Batman glowered.

As we retell our adventure of the day, many of the Leaguers stay and listen. And when we concluded, most left, allowing the core members to remain. The ‘adults’ talked leaving us in a small circle of our own.

When Superman walks over, all of you are paying the red cape your full attention.

“We’ll figure something out for you,” he sighed, staring at your new friend. “The league will, I mean. For now, I better make sure they get that blockbuster creature squared away.”

Superman seemed nervous and detached, and when he flew off again, you quirked a brow, “man of steel or man of ice,” you whispered to Wally, who shared a look with you.

Before he could respond, Batman approached you once more, “Cadmus will be investigated, all 52 levels,” he assures you, “but let’s make one thing clear-”

“You should have called,“ Flash complained, interrupting the Dark Knight.

“End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again,” Batman continued, and your eye twitched.

“I am sorry, but we will,“ you spoke up, struggling as you let go of Wally and Robin and painfully stepped forward, in front of the four boys.

“Nightingale, stand down,” Canary warned.

“I’m sorry, Canary, but no,“ you negate. “We did good work here tonight, the work you all trained us to do,” you remind her, eyes darting from one League member to the next.

“Together on our own, we forged something powerful, important,“ Kaldur added stepping up to stand in line beside you.

“If this is about your treatment at the hall, the four of you-” Flash tried to intervene, but he got cut off.

“The five of us, and it’s not,” KF interjected, moving to your left, supporting some of your weight.

“Batman, we’re ready to use what you taught us, or…why teach us at all?” Robin continues stepping to your right and helping you stand once more.

“Why let them tell us what to do?” Superboy scoffed. “It’s simple. Get on board or get out of the way,“ he concluded, stepping forward and joining you.

Together the five of you made the team, and nobody, not even the league, would change that.

MOUNT JUSTICE
July 8, 08:04 EDT

A few days passed before you saw each other again. You had been put on crutches for a few weeks so that your ankle would heal quickly. It had been sprained, badly, on your expedition into Cadmus. Three days later, you all met at Mount Justice, dressed in your civilian attire around eight am.

“This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We’re calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you’ll do it on League terms. Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary’s in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions,” Batman explained; you were standing with the boys, leaning against your crutches.

“Real missions?” Robin questioned.

“Yes, but convert,“ the Bat affirmed.

“The League will still handle the obvious stuff. There’s a reason we have these big targets on our chests,” The Flash points out to us.

“But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter. Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly,“ Aquaman adds.

“The six of you will be that team,” Batman continues.

“Cool! Wait, six?” Robin asked. Suddenly Martian Manhunter appears through the Zeta, he types something in and a girl appears behind him, only she’s green too.

“This is the Martian Manhunter’s niece, Miss Martian,“ The bat completes.

“Hi,” The girl says shyly.

“Liking this gig more every minute,“ Wally smirked, you rolled your eyes and elbowed him in the stomach, “umph,” he groaned, shooting you a look as he turned toward Miss Martian.

“Welcome aboard,” he greeted, with a flirty smile. “I’m Kid Flash, that’s Nightingale, Robin, Aqualad. It’s cool if you forget their names,“ Wally explains, pointing to us respectively, smirk still on his lips.

“I’m honored to be included,” Miss Martian says politely.

“I like her,” you decide, as you all step forward to talk to the Martian girl. Turning back, you notice that one of the boys hadn’t moved. “Hey, Superboy. Come meet Miss M,“ you smile at the clone, as he walks over to us.

“I like your t-shirt,” she compliments shyly, changing her shirt to look like Superboy’s, and you smirk knowingly. Looking around at the people surrounding you, you realize that this is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

“Today is the day,“ Kaldur decides, and you can’t help but agree.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE
July 17, 23:16 PDT

You were at the cave on comms with the boys as they raced through Star City. Today was the last day that you would be stuck on crutches, and none of the boys were willing to let you go with them. They had decided that it was better not to risk it under the pretense that you could possibly injure yourself further, even though you could’ve done cartwheels around them, then and there.

“The cave is perfect. It has everything the team will need,“ you heard Aqualad explain to Roy, they had tagged along. “For covert missions, you know, spy stuff,” Robin continued.

“And wait till you see Superboy and Miss Martian,” Wally cheered, before sobering for a moment, “But I saw her first.”

You were watching through a live feed that Robin was sending. With your fingers tapping against your thigh, you monitored the four boys as they took down the deal. 

“High-density polyurethane foam. Nice,“ Wally compliments, as Roy takes our the last guy with one of his special arrows. 

“So, Speedy, you in?” you held your breath, as Robin asked him.

“Pass,” his voice was monotone, as he responded nearly immediately. “I’m done letting Arrow and the League tell me what to do,” he huffed.

“Robin put me through,” you requested through the comms.

“I don’t need a babysitter or a clubhouse to hang out with the other kids,” Roy continued as your face appeared on Robin’s wrist computer, sunglasses and all. “Your Junior Justice League is a joke. Something to keep you busy and in your place,“  he lamented now looking directly at you.

“Don’t be like that Speedy, please. Just give it a try, come home,” you pleaded. 

Roy Harper knew everything about you, he trained right beside you, and he was your brother in every sense of the word. You had lost your family when you were younger but you got lucky when Dinah took you in. Eventually, you met Ollie and Roy through her and Roy became your brother, he was the person you were closest to growing up, you weren’t ready to lose him.

His glare hardened as he looked at you, all aspects of his boyish charm seemed to disapparate, and he shook his head, “I don’t want any part of it.”

MOUNT JUSTICE
July 18, 11:16 EDT

The next day you arrived at the cave with Robin and Wally, “Recognized: Robin, b-0-1; Kid Flash, b-0-3; Nightingale b-1-4," the female computerized voice announced as you materialized through the Zeta Beams

“Did you ask him?” Wally asked right off the bat, looking straight at Aqualad.

“What did he say?” you subsequently pressed, together the two of you sounded like kids in a candy store.

“He’s arriving now,” Aqualad informed you.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Wally asked before running out to the foot entrance of the cave. 

“Red Tornado!” Wally called out, as the rest of you moved to catch up.

“Greetings, is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?” the machine man questioned, and your eyes twinkled, he may not be human, but you had a feeling he understood human nature more than he let on.

“We hoped you had a mission for us,“ Aqualad admits calmy. 

“Mission assignments are the Batman’s responsibility,” Red Tornado reminded you.

“But it’s been over a week, and nothing-” Robin complained, though he was cut off.

“You’ll be tested soon enough. For the time being, simply enjoy each other’s company,“ Red theorized and you frowned.

“This team is not a social club,” you huffed, crossing your arms.

“No, but I am told social interaction is an important team-building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave,“ Tornado suggests before walking away.

"Keep busy,” Wally mocks.

“Does he think we’re falling for this?” Robin asked to no one in particular.

“Oh, I’ll find out,” M’gann offered before focusing on Red. 

“Recognized: Red Tornado, 1-6,“ the female computerized voice went off, as Red entered the cave formally.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, “I forgot he’s a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind.”

“Nice try, though. So, uh, you know what I’m thinkin’ right now?” Wally flirted, causing you to roll your eyes.

“We all know what you’re thinkin’ now,” you scoffed, elbowing him in the stomach.

“Ow,“ he grunted, hand, moving to where you had hit him.

“Now what?” you asked.

“And now we tour the clubhouse,” Aqualad decided.

“Well, Superboy and I live here. We can play tour guides,“ M’gann offered, with an optimistic smile.

“Don’t look at me,” Superboy grumbled, and you couldn’t help the small smile of amusement that quirked to your lips.

“We won’t. A private tour sounds much more fun,“ Wally flirted.

“Sh-she never said private,” Robin argues, which sent a small pang of jealousy through your body. 

“Team building. We’ll all go,“ Aqualad suggests, and relief flooded back through you, as you shook your head.

When the redheaded speedster turned back toward the cave, you quirked your lips. Running up behind Wally you launched yourself onto his back.

“Unh!” he grunted, hands immediately locking around your legs to make sure you don’t fall. “How bout a little warning next time, Birdy,” he smirked, adjusting you a bit so he can easily piggyback you around.

“Where’s the fun in that?” you mused innocently as you all walked back into the cave. 

“Now this is a familiar sight,” Aquald smiled, as he looked at you and Wally. 

“See?” you tapped Wally’s chest, his head turning a bit to see you, “I’m the only girl you need,” you grinned at Wally who simply shook his head with a snort as you all followed after M’gann.

“So this would be our front door…” M’gann spoke up, as you re-entered the cave.

 Throughout the tour of the cave, M’gann continued to point out things she had learned. “And this would be the back,” she concluded as near the end. “The cave is actually the entire mountain,“ she informed us.

“It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League,” you add still on Wally’s back, your head now leaning on his shoulder.

“Then why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?” Superboy questioned.

“The cave’s secret location was compromised,“ Aqualad explained.

“So they traded it in for a tourist trap?” Superboy scoffed, pulling a snort from you in amusement, if he only knew. “Yeah, that makes sense." 

“If villains know of the cave, we must be on constant alert,” M’gann worries, brows pinching.

“The bad guys know we know they know about the place,” Robin informed her.

“So they’d never think to look here,“ you add on.

Wally turned to you once more with a slightly amused expression before turning back to M’gann, “Uh, they mean we’re hiding in plain sight,” he simplified.

“Ah, that’s much clearer,“ M’gann scratched her head, with a shy smile.

“I smell smoke,” Superboy interrupted, and M’gann’s eyes blew wide.

“My cookies!” she gasped before flying toward the kitchen. 

Everybody followed after her, when we entered we could see the burnt cookies on the sheet and the frown on her face, “I was trying out grammy Jones recipe from episode 17 of- Heh. Never mind,“ M’gann muttered, before cutting herself off.

M’gann continued to frown at the cookies, and you offer her a kind smile, “I bet they’d have tasted great,” you tell her, patting Wally’s chest. He crouched down a bit, allowing your feet to meet the ground once more. As you adjust your clothes, Wally turned back to the cookies.  

“He doesn’t seem to mind,“ Robin points at the speedster, who had begun to eat the overcooked cookies.

“I have a serious metabolism,” Wally crunches out, burnt cookies in his mouth, your face scrunched in response.

“I’ll make more?” she offered, her voice still very soft.

“It was sweet of you to make any,“ Kaldur assured her.

“Thanks, Aqualad,” M’gann hums, but it’s clear that her cookie mishap was still bugging her.

“We’re off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm,” he assured her and you snorted. The Atlantian gave you an amused look before conceding, “Actually, my friends call me Kaldur,” he added a pointed look in your direction. 

“I’m Wally,” the redhead was still munching on the burnt cookies as he introduced himself. “See? I already trust you with my secret I.D., Unlike Mr. Dark Glasses and Miss Shades over here. Batman’s forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name. Canary did the same with her,” he shrugged. 

You rolled your eyes behind your sunglasses before addressing Miss M, “My codename is Nightingale, like the songbird, but most people call me Birdy or NG for short,“ you explain, doing your best to make the martian girl more comfortable.

“Mine’s no secret,” she beamed. “It’s M'gann M'orzz. But, you can call me Megan. It’s an Earth name, and I’m on Earth now,” she babbled, and your smile widened a bit, she seemed sweet.

“Get out of my head!” Superboy’s shout was sudden and pulled everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong? I don’t understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically,“ M’gann’s voice rang suddenly in your head. 

Your hands came up to pull, lightly, at your hair as your eyes scrunched up. Your knees even buckled slightly from the intrusion. 

“M'gann, stop!” Kaldur ordered. “Things are different on Earth. Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy,” he explained explains. 

“Hey, c’mon, I got you,“ Robin whispered, grabbing your arm and placing a hand on your back, pulling you back to your feet. “You good?” he asked, voice still low.

“Yeah, just wasn’t expecting her to be in my head like that,” you muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

“Besides, Cadmus’ creepy little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain,“ Wally joked insensitively. You sent the speedster a dirty look and threw one of the burnt cookies at his head. 

“I–I didn’t mean to-” M’gann stuttered, and Superboy’s glare hardened. 

“Just stay out!” Superboy grunts before walking into the next room. 

“It’s okay, M’gann. Next time, just a warning, like Kaldur said, things are different here,” you tried to placate politely.

She nodded at your words and after a beat, she gasped, “Hello, Megan! I know what we can do,“ she hit the side of her head in conjunction with her epiphany.

She flew off down the corridor, and while the boys followed after her you paused, looking over to where Superboy was sitting on a sofa.

“She didn’t mean to,” you tell him, voice soft. “And Wally’s just unable to read the room,” you add. 

His back is to you, but you know he heard you, after a second he turned a bit, and you could see his side profile. M’gann appeared beside you a moment later. 

“Superboy, please,” she asked him softly. 

“Don’t talk to me,” he huffed, and you frowned when M’gann’s gaze dropped to the ground. 

Your eyes met his blue ones with a questioning stare, he sighed before standing up. M’gann’s face lit up in seconds, she took the lead once more and led us all down to the hanger. 

When the elevator doors opened, we could see this red pod thing.

“It’s my martian bioship,” she declares, and you quirk a brow.

“Cute. Not aerodynamic, but cute,“ Wally compliments, as you all walked closer. 

“It’s at rest, silly. I’ll wake it,” M’gann raises one of her hands and the pod instantly transforms into a ship. The ship turns around, and a ramp to enter appears. “Well, are you coming?” she inquired while walking in. 

You share a look with the boys before running after her.

“Strap in for launch,“ she ordered, as the seats appeared. 

You and Robin ran for the seats on the left, while Wally darted off to the right. Robin took the one on the left corner, and you took the one right beside it. Aqualad and Conner took the seats at the front, and Wally had grabbed the one on the right corner. M’gann settled herself at the helm, everything she needed materializing the same way her clothes seemed to. 

As you sat down seat belts of an organic material instantly moves across your body, effectively strapping you in. “Cool,” you giggled, looking back at Robin who seemed just as intrigued as you.

“Red Tornado, please open the bay doors,“ M’gann asked politely through her comms system, a second later the doors are opening and we are flying out.

“Incredible,” Robin praised.

“She sure is. I- I mean the ship. Which, like all ships, is a she,“ Wally stutters before trying to recover, you snort at his lovesick expression.

“Fast with his feet, not so much with his mouth,” Robin revealed, kicking your feet with a smirk.

“Dude!” Wally frets, shooting both you and Robin a dirty look. 

As you fly you can’t help but notice the look M’gann continues to give Superboy, “He’ll come around,“ I smile, voice low.

“He doesn’t seem to like me much,” she theorized softly, and you frowned.

“You guys remember he has super hearing, right?” Wally finally decided to remind us, your eyes turn to superboy, once again you can only see a side profile, but you’re sure that his lips were quirked at the end.

“Hey, how ‘bout showing us a little martian shape-shifting?” Robin offers, eager to switch topics.

M’gann stands up and transforms into a girl version of Rob, it’s close but not exact. Still cool, then she does a little twirl and becomes Kid Flash, she does a little pose at the end.

“Is it wrong that I think I’m hot?” Wally rhetorically mutters, once again causing you to roll your eyes.

“Impressive, But you know you’re not exactly gonna fool anyone with those,“ Robin claps.

“Mimicking boys is a lot harder,” she admits.

“Do me,” you say before thinking, and she gives you an appreciative look. 

M’gann offers a shy nod and another twirl, this time she comes about looking like a mission-ready you, standing up, the seatbelt recedes and you approach M’gann. Her skin tone now matched yours, her hair in the same dutch braids you usually wear. Her suit was a perfect mirror image. All your tools and toys were strapped on, and her face, despite the domino mask seemed pretty spot on, even you were having a hard time finding any flaws. 

“It’s like a mirror,” you state in awe. When M’gann transformed back you both sat back down.

“And your clothes?” Aqualad inquired and your seatbelt reappears.

“They’re organic, like the ship. They respond to my mental commands,“ she explained.

“As long as they’re the only ones,” Superboy grumbled, and you bite your tongue, not wanting to worsen his mood.

“Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?” Wally asked eagerly, which thankfully shifted the conversation.

“Density shifting? No. I-it’s a very advanced technique,“ she admits looking down.

You and Robing shared a mischievous look, smirking as he turns back to the group, “Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall,” he told everybody, and you noticed the way Wally’s attention whipped over to you both. 

“When he tries it, bloody nose,“ you giggled motioning to Wally.

“Birdy!” Wally chides, causing your smile to grow.

“Here’s something I can do,” M’gann smiled. “Camouflage mode,” she divulges, as the bioship turns invisible from the outside.

“Red Tornado to Miss Martian. An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate covertly. I’m sending coordinates,“ Red Tornado’s robotic voice interrupts you over the comms.

“Received. Adjusting course,” M’gann acknowledged.

“Tornado’s keeping us busy again,“ Robin scoffed.

“Well, a simple fire led you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert,” M’gann decided carefully as you arrived.

“I think I know the cause,“ you say slowly, looking out the window.

You spot the building with smoke rising relatively easily, before biting down on your lip. Being in civvies wasn't ideal, but there was no time to go back and change.

M’gann lands the bioship and almost immediately you and Robin share a look. The moment you’re off the bioship he goes one way and you go the other. You run straight into the building from opposite sides, Robin heads for the guy causing the trouble straight on, while you decide to take a more discreet route. Climbing up into the rafters.

You watch as Robin charges the guy and also how quickly he gets stopped.

“Unh!” Robin groans as he was knocked into a wall. 

You take the opportunity to jump down from your place up top and land directly on the guy’s back. You try some of the moves Canary’s taught you, aiming for pressure points, but nothing happened, instead he flung you off and you landed on your back right next to Robin with a painful groan of your own.

“Who’s your new friend?” Superboy grunts as the rest of the team ran in.

“Didn’t catch his name,” you state sarcastically leaning up on your elbows.

“but he plays kinda rough,” Robin adds before Superboy charges the dude.

“My apologies. You may address me as Mr. Twister,“ He says, using his ability to blow Superboy into a wall behind us.

Rob and you got back up on your feet, he was clutching his side and you had a hand on your back. Wally pulled his goggles on and took off towards Mr. Twister, all of us in tow. Twister knocked Wally out of the building and then pushed both Aqualad and M’gann back, leaving Robin and yourself. Robin was standing right in front of you as Twister once again focuses on the two of you. 

“I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero. I was not, however, expecting children,” Mr. Twister sneered, your eyes narrowed as your hands crept up under Robin’s jacket grabbing two exploding batarangs from the utility belt you knew he was hiding. Subconsciously it registered in your brain how Robin slightly stiffened at your touch but your mind was more so focused on the bad guy before you. 

“We’re not children!” you objected, launching one of the exploding batarangs as a diversion and then the other, which landed squarely in his chest.

“Objectively, you are,“ he states, flicking the bomb from his chest causing you to gape. “Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite disturbing.”

“Well, we hate to see you disturbed,“ you shout back, not ready to give in yet.

“Let’s see if you’re more turbed once we kick your can!” Robin vowed.

M’gann brought some debris down on top of Mr. Twister and then charged at him; Superboy attacked from the top and you moved to attack from the bottom. Superboy got knocked away first and you followed soon after, this time landing awkwardly on your side, causing the pain to spread. 

“Indeed. That was quite turbing. Thank you,“ you heard Mr. Twister muse before exiting the building.

You know Wally charged after him next but you let out a pitiful groan as you rolled onto your stomach, pausing to take a breath before pushing yourself back onto your feet. You looked up in time to see Wally in the air. 

“I got you, Wally,” M’gann promised once she had telekinetically caught him with her powers.

“Thanks,“ he nods as you all regrouped, outside.

“I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now,” Mr. Twister taunted, and you rolled your shoulders back, a pop resounding from around your collarbone.

“What do you want?” Aqualad shouted.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m waiting for a real hero,“ The villain stated, floating up into the air.

“Read his mind. Find a weakness,” Aqualad commanded of M’gann.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to do that,“ she stuttered.

“It’s okay with the bad guys,” you clarify as she begins to concentrate.

“Nothing! I’m getting nothing!“ she frowns, opening her eyes. “Hello, Megan!” She facepalms. “Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He’s inorganic and an android. And how many androids do you know that can generate tornados?” She deduced, and as wild as it seemed, it also made sense.

“Red Tornado sent us here,“ Aqualad chimed.

“After saying we’d be tested soon enough,” you added.

“This is his test, something to keep us busy,“ Robin snarled.

“Speedy called it. We’re a joke. This game, so over,” Wally decided.

“We know who you are and what you want,“ Robin shouted out to Red. 

“So let’s end this,” you attempted.

“Consider it ended,“ Tornado continues, suddenly the air around him is shooting out causing the skies to darken.

“An impressive show, but we will not indulge you. We will not engage,” Kaldur yells as the first crack of thunder rolls. You visibly jumped back, heart beating wildly, as you settled yourself safely between Wally and Robin. Both boys send you curious looks as you grip onto their arms.

“Uhm, c-can Red Tornado do that?” you question as the thunder gets louder and your inner fear multiplies, your grip on their biceps increasing as you flinched.

“You think I’m Tornado? Ironic,“ Mr. Twister dictates and creates an explosion that knocks us all back and onto our backs, thunder still in the distance. 

Your hands clenched into fists, with nothing but air to stop them. Your knuckles turned while you scrambled back to your feet, just as Mr. Twister drew closer. You stayed silent as M’gann used her camouflaging abilities to hide you from his view.

“Fine, then. I won’t deny you children have power, but playing hide-and-seek with you would not help me achieve my objectives. So stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy,” Twister threatens.

Even when you hear the shouts of the boys as they angrily lash out at M’gann you remain in your hiding spot. Back pressed against a rock, as you fearfully keep your gaze on the dark clouds in the sky. You become vaguely aware when somebody crouches next to you, but when they put a hand on your shoulder you can’t help but flinch. You feel small; small and trapped just like you were all those years ago.

“Hey, hey. C’mon stand up,“ Robin says gently, pulling you up, and unclenching your hands, his thumbs gliding across the little crescent-shaped indents you had left on your palm. “Take a deep breath,” he advises, and you force yourself to do so, finally looking at him. “Better?” he asked after a moment of letting you breathe.

“Better,” you nod with a pathetic half-smile, your muscles relaxing slightly and your heart rate evening out a bit.

“Stay out of our way!” Superboy’s outraged shout brings you both back to the scene. 

As the boy of steel runs off, Wally follows after him, your eyes drift to the Martian girl. Taking in her expression, you swallow and steel your own emotions. With a look, you tell the two remaining boys to go. 

Aqualad nods and chases after the other two. Robin, however, looks skeptical about leaving you alone.

“I got this,“ you tell him before he too cautiously joins the rest of the boys in chasing after Mr. Twister.

“I was just trying to be part of the team,” M’gann admits quietly as you sit down next to her. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure we really have a team,“ you admit to her. 

Together, the two of you slowly get back onto the bioship before contacting Red Tornado at HQ.

“The team really needs your help,” M’gann attempted, as we addressed our “den mother” over the video uplink.

“If I intervened, it would not be to help. Still, it is an odd coincidence that this Twister shares my elemental abilities and my immunity to telepathy,“ Tornado shares, laying out the clues for us.

“Hello, Megan,” she uses the phrase once more, and you figure it must be her thing, as she turns the ship around.

“Rule #1, never give up,“ you smile at her as you race back towards the boys. Reaching into your pockets you pull out a small canister. You press the button in the middle and it breaks in two. Then with outstretched arms, you press another button and they extend into escrima sticks.

“Whoah,” M’gann muttered as she steered the ship.

“Yeah,” you nodded. 

“You brought them with you?” she inquired.

“Rule #2 newbie, always be prepared,“ you smirk.

“I have a plan, but I’m gonna need to tell the boys,” she says nervously.

“Do what you have to, they’ll understand. Even if not immediately,“ you assure her soothingly.

“Listen to me, all of you,” M’gann begins and your hand comes up to hold your head. 

“What did we tell you?” Superboy’s voice rings out.

“I know, and I know I messed up, But now I’m very clear on what we need to do. Please trust me,“ M’gann begs. 

Once she received confirmation she launched into retelling her plan, and it seemed like a pretty damn good one to you. 

As you got closer to Twister’s location, M’gann had let you drop down early, so as not to alert Mr. Twister of anything. She dropped you about a block away from the action, and you ran to where everything was going down. Settling behind some debris you awaited your signal. 

“Hit the showers, boys,” Red Tornado decided, as he landed between the boys and Mr. Twister. “I was hoping you could handle this yourself, but clearly you cannot.”

“But we have a plan now,” Robin objected. 

“The subject is not up for debate,” Red negated, and begrudgingly the boys stalked off. 

Soon enough they joined you, backs pressed to the debris, before breaking off to their spots for the plan. 

“I was beginning to think you’d never show up!” Twister nagged.

“I’m here now!” Tornado offered and both androids sent a twister at one another.

When the swirls subsided, neither of the androids seemed affected.

“We are evenly matched, Twister!” Tornado shouted. 

“No, Tornado. We are not!” Twister negated and suddenly he was shooting straight electricity. 

When Twister hit Red, the android went down.

“Remain still, android,” Twister commanded as he summoned some wires and staled closer to the down Tornado. “The reprogramming won’t take long,” he drawled and your eyes met Robin’s.

“Reprogramming?” you whispered and he shrugged.

“Longer than you might think,” M’gann says, transforming out of Red Tornado’s body to her own which was the cue you had all been waiting for. The plan was good, allowing Twister to think he got what he came for, allowed us to slide in when he wasn’t expecting it.  

“No,“ Twister mutters as Wally launches Twister towards you with his speed-twister, that he had been using to help M’gann with her charade.

Once Twister was in range, you let out a scream. The sonic amplifier doing it’s job which let you push Mr. Twister towards Superboy. Superboy took the chance to pummel Twister towards the water. Twister went under and moments later Aqualad hurls him back up. Miss M lifted Twister’s body into the air using a telechentic attack to pull at his gear, and allowing Robin an opening to launch a bunch of exploding batarangs. When Twister fell back to the ground the chest area opened and a man in a green jumpsuit fell out.

“Foul. I-I call foul,” he groaned.

M’gann raised her arm and in a second a rock came down smashing the man. 

Kaldur had tried to stop her, “M'gann, no!” but he was too late. On instinct, you turned your head away. You were fighters, without a doubt, but you were not killers.

For a moment it’s eerily silent until Robin gets fired up, “Don’t know how things are done on Mars, but on Earth, we don’t execute our captives!”

“You said you trust me,“ M’gann replied simply. Lifting the rock, only to reveal that the man in green was not a man at all, but instead another android. “That’s why I couldn’t read his mind." 

Crouching down you grabbed the robotic green eyeball that was by your foot, with a small smile you tossed it over to Wally. 

“Cool,” he says catching it with one hand. “Souvenir,“ he smirked.

“We should have had more faith in you,” Aqualad admits.

“Yeah! You rocked this mission. Get it? Rocked,“ Wally’s pun made you cringe, “heh.”

“Ignore him,“ Robin begged.

“God, please,” you preached in agreement.

“We’re all just turbed you’re on the team,” Robin decided.

“Extremely turbed,” you agree. 

“Heh. Thanks. Me, too,“ M’gann smiles sheepishly. 

All content with small smiles on our faces we loaded back onto M’gann’s bioship and went back to the mountain, the android pieces in tow. 

“It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you,” Aqualad decided as we looked at the robot’s remains, we had laid them out in the main training area at HQ.

“Agreed,“ Red Tornado concurs.

“Is that why you wouldn’t help us?” M’gann asked.

“No. This was your battle. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine for me,” Tornado explains.

“But if you’re in danger-” M’gann begins

“Consider this matter closed,“ Tornado interrupts, before walking away. 

“Batman, Aquaman, Canary, or Flash, they’d have jumped right in to fix things,” Wally muttered.

“Guess if we’re gonna have a babysitter; a heartless machine is exactly what we need,“ Robin comments.

“Dude! Harsh,” Wally scolds.

“Not cool,“ you agree, shaking your head. 

“And inaccurate. I have a heart; carbon-steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing,” Red Tornado spoke up as he walked.

“Heh. Right. Sorry. I’ll strive to be more accurate,“ Robin decided.

“And more respectful,” Aqualad adds before Red walked away. 

You smiled looking back to the boys, “You know,” you called, grabbing their attention. 

“Speedy was wrong,” Wally offered, and you nodded at him. 

“This team thing,” Robin added. 

“Might just work out,“ Kaldur concluded.

Wally and Aqualad lead you toward the kitchen and living room as you walked beside Robin. Robin grabbed your arm, stopping you for a moment, waiting for Wally to be out of earshot.

“What happened out there? As soon as Twister made the skies go dark you totally froze. You’re not scared of the dark are you?” The boy Wonder interrogated.

“No,” you managed to crack a small smile, “I’m not scared of the dark." 

“But you’re scared of something,” he pressed.

“Everybody is scared of something,” you mused.

“No, seriously. What happened? What are you so scared of?” he asked.

“Robin, please just drop it,” you shot back.

“No!” Robin argued and you sighed.

“Thunder,” you finally said. “I’m afraid of thunder. Always have been, ever since I was a little kid. My parents were the only ones who ever made it better for me, but they’re gone. And when they died my fears got worse. Do you know how similar thunder and a gunshot sound? It’s enough to give you nightmares. For life,“ you explain, looking everywhere but at Robin, as you rushed out your answer.

“NG, I- I didn’t know-” he tried to apologize, backtracking nearly immediately. 

“And there was a reason for that,” you cut him off, there was a new edge to your voice. 

When he stepped back in surprise you whirled around, heading for the Zeta Tubes, no longer in the mood to socialize. As you typed in the coordinates for Star City, your eyes burned, the memories of the night you became an orphan stuck in your mind.

Chapter Text

CARIBBEAN SEA 
July 22, 20:08 ECT

“We’re approaching Santa Prisca,“ M’gann states. As we near the mission’s island destination. “Drop zone A in 30,” After the announcement, Aqualad stands up, the seat melting back into the bioship.

“Ready,“ he affirmed.

“You sure you don’t need a hand?” you ask him carefully.

“I’m sure you’re needed elsewhere, my friend,” he advised sagely.

“Putting the bioship in camouflage mode,” M’gann nodded, and a hole opened. 

M’gann kept the Bioship hovering over drop zone A so that Aqualad could jump through, straight into the ocean below. You stayed where you were, about two miles offshore until you got a sign from Kaldur that it was clear to move forward.

“Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move-in,“ Aqualad’s voice rang from the comms, as M’gann moved us forward.

“Drop zone B,” the Martian announced, dropping lines for those of us who can’t fly to attach onto.

“How cool is this?” Wally asked, turning to M’gann while showing off his newly upgraded suit. He pressed the emblem on his chest, and the familiar yellow and red turned dark into stealth camouflage.

“Very impressive,” M’gann smiled before changing her uniform to black and red using her mental abilities. 

“Uh, that works, too,“ Wally stuttered. You nudged him to refocus, and he turned away. “Hey, Supey, not too late to put on the new stealth tech,” he adds, looking over to the boy of steel. “You too, Birdy, we could hook you up with a new costume,” Wally smirked.

“That’s sweet, Wally, but I’ll take my leather jacket and combat boots any day,” you winked, blowing a fake air kiss with your black-clad lips. 

“No capes, no tights, no offense,“ Superboy crossed his arms as the attention shifted to him.

“It totally works for you in that you can totally do good work in those clothes,” M’gann stuttered, and you couldn’t fight the small smile that came to your lips. 

As you came upon drop site B, the holes in the bottom of the bioship appeared once more, and the lines followed. Hooking yourself to the dropline, you sent one look to everyone before sliding down. The rest followed after you, except for Superboy, he chose to jump instead. 

“Knew I didn’t need a line,” Superboy smirked after the dirt cleared from his impact with the ground. 

“And yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert,“ Robin stressed, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. 

You were still upset with Robin for pushing you as hard as he had after the whole Mr. Twister thing went down. There were some things about yourself that you would have preferred not to share, but Robin didn’t know where to stop, and that royally pissed you off. 

“Aqualad, drop B is a go,” M’gann informs over comms.

“Head for the factory. I’ll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP,” was his reply. 

“Roger that,“ Rob replies as he pulled something up using n his wrist computer and hologlove. You all scan the screen before heading off. You walked through the jungle for a while, quiet and alert. Robin was leading and so keeping your distance, you stayed beside Wally. 

“Did you hear that?” Superboy asks abruptly

“Uh, no,” Wally replied with attitude and pinched brows.

“Wait. Is this a super hearing thing?” you question. 

“You do have great ears,“ M’gann comments dreamily, a small smirk started pulling at your lips. The girl had it bad.

“Ok, Rob, now what?” KF asks, and you all turn to where the Boy Wonder had been mere moments ago. “Man, I hate it when he does that!”

“Don’t we all,” you agreed bitterly.

“Superboy, Nightingale, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you’re being tracked,“ Aqualad suggests from over the comms. You hit the small panel beside the comm button on your wrist band before glancing around the infrared filter now enacted through your domino mask.

“Got a squad of armed bozos incoming,” KF notes.

“Two squads,“ Superboy corrected.

“But they’ll meet each other before they find us,” you determine.

Suddenly the two groups begin to shoot at each other, the sound of the bullets being fired loud and clear.

“No super hearing required now,” KF joked.

“Swing wide, steer clear,“ Aqualad ordered.

“Yeah, as soon as I find Rob,” Wally decided before speeding off, giving no room for interjections.

You chased after the speedster to find the predicament he’d found himself in. Stepping in, you work to take down anyone in your way. 

“What is wrong with you, guys? Remember covert? Why didn’t you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?!” Robin shouted, trying to reprimand us, while he stepped into the fight as well.

“Oh! That’s what you were doing? Way to fill us in,“ you seethed, sparing him a look before continuing with your fight, pulling out your escrima sticks to help in taking some of these guys down. 

“We’re not mind readers, you know!” KF adds M’gann comes up behind him, telekinetically taking a guy down. “Er, I’m not anyway.“

“You told me I could only read the bad guys’ minds,” She reminded us.

As soon as all the shooters were taken down, you tied them up with the trees. You were rolling your escrima sticks anxiously in your hands. 

“I recognize those uniforms. They belong to the cult of the Kobra,“ Robin informed you all.

“I am certain Batman would have mentioned it If he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca’s Venom operation,” Aqualad noted.

“Agreed. And since there’s clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I’m betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That’s why normal supply lines have been cut off,“ Robin continues.

“We get it. Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we’ll be home in time-” you began, still annoyed with the boy beside you.

“These cultists aren’t on Venom! Kobra’s hoarding the stuff! We don’t leave. Not until I know why,” he interrupted you.

“Until you know why?” you question, eyes narrowing at the boy wonder with a glare.

“This team needs a leader,“ he decides.

“And it’s you?” you scoff.

“Dude, you’re a 13-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word,” Wally adds, supporting you.

“Haha! And you’re a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got,“ Robin argues. 

You rolled your eyes as you let out another scoff, saddling up to where Superboy and Miss M were, thoroughly tired of Robin and his controlling needs.

“Don’t you want to lead?” M’gann questioned the two of you.

“Pfft. No way, I don’t need anybody else scrutinizing my every move,” you inform her. 

Superboy shook his head along with you, “You?”

“After the “Mr. Twister” fiasco?” M’gann inquired.

“You did all right,” he smiled, and so do you, at least you did until the boys bickering invades your senses once more.

“Yeah? You don’t even have superpowers!” Wally shouted.

“Neither does Batman!” Robin defended.

“Duh, you’re not Batman,“ Wally pointed out.

“Duh, closest thing we’ve got,” Robin shoots back. 

“Such clever niños. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. I can get you into the factory via my secret entrance,“ Bane perked up, laughing. 

You send M’gann a nod, and she crouched down in front of the villain in question, focusing her abilities on him. “There is a secret entrance, but he’s also hiding something,” she states, and her eyes go green as she focuses more of her energy into rooting through his mind. 

“Ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy,“ he informed us with a smirk, and your eyes narrow on the painted-faced man.

“Ohh. He’s mentally reciting fútbol scores en Espanol. This could take a while,” She sighs.

“It’s not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend,“ Bane smirks up at you, his Mexican accent thick.

After a few moments in debate, you decide to let Bane go (which you wholeheartedly disagreed with), and he began to lead you up a cliff, to a spot where you could see over the entire factory.

“Look at all that product,” you muttered, noticing the shipping containers and product on the ground.

“A buy is going down. But if Kobra’s not selling to the usual suspects, then-” Rob thinks aloud.

“We need to identify that buyer,” Aqualad concludes.

“Just what I was thinking,“ Wally agrees.

“Yeah, you’re the thinker,” Rob states, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Sarcasm? Dude,“ Wally notes, unimpressed.

“A real leader would focus on getting answers,” you chime, your eyes following the man with the painted face, as he moved toward some rocks.

“Answers are this way,“ he tells you, moving a boulder to the side and showing us what looked to be an old mining tunnel.

“So, now el luchador is our leader,” Wally comments as you follow after Bane, and you couldn’t help but slap the back of his head for his stupidity and pettiness.

You walked a bit further until Bane comes to a stop, he hits a button, and a light goes green. A hidden door appeared and slowly, it opens it. You took a peek inside before turning back to the group.

“All clear,“ Robin says, sneaking off before we could stop him, disappearing once more. 

“Has that little fool already been caught?” Bane inquired.

“No, he just does that,” Aqualad informs the much larger man.

“Stay put. I’ll get our intel and be back before the boy wonder,“ Wally rushes off pettily.

“Wait, Kid!” Aqualad calls after him, but to no avail.

Kaldur offers you a pitiful look, and you roll your eyes, “I got them, and I’ll make sure they don’t kill each other,” you nod, receiving an appreciative smile from Aqualad. 

You step out, slipping into the shadows and following the path the two boys before you took. You’re virtually silent on your feet as you make it into the control room up top. As you enter, you spot the two boys crowded around a computer, and stealthily you join them.

“-I’m guessing it involves Venom, but-” Robin was talking as a new graphic appeared on the screen, a chemical breakdown of some sorts. 

“This one’s Venom, and that one’s-Whoa!” KF exclaims at the new development.

“The blockbuster formula from Cadmus,” you add, alerting the pair to your presence, causing Wally to jump. “Mixed correctly, Kobra’s new juice is three times stronger than Venom… and permanent,“

“But how did Kobra get access to Project Blockbuster?” KF questions. 

“Our mystery buyer must also be Kobra’s supplier! Using the cult to create a Blockbuster Venom Super Formula,” Robin pieced together. “Robin to Aqualad, we got…” he begins but pauses,  “static,” he said turning his attention back to you and Wally. 

You bite your lip for a second, with furrowed brows, “Keep looking,” you decide. 

You, Wally, and Robin continue to scour for any information you could find up until you hear gunfire and the subsequent sounds of fighting. The minute you heard the first gunshot, you were rushing out of the room. You arrived around the same time, KF realized what was happening, and together you take down a few Kobra agents before you hear her.

M’gann’s voice echoed in your head as she set up the link, “Everyone online?”

“Yeah,” Superboy huffed.

“You know it, beautiful,” Wally flirted, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. 

“Where else would we be?” you asked sarcastically, as you bring your elbow back to hit a Kobra agent, and then flip him over. 

“Good,” Aqualad confirms, “we need to regroup,” he adds and your eyes scan the warehouse for members of your team. 

“Busy now,” Robin shot back, and your eyes narrowed on him, he was squaring off with King Kobra’s new toy. 

Your vision snapped back to where you were as bad guys were starting coming at you from almost all directions. You could feel them closing in and decide to give them something to whine about. You grabbed a few marble bombs from your utility belt and threw them out around you, and then, you pressed on your choker. You let out a scream as you turn in a circle, pushing them all to the ground. Pressing your sonic amplifier once more, you jump over them and rush to help Aqualad, the boom of the bombs sounding off behind you as you ran. 

“Robin, now!” Aqualad pressed. “Strategic retreat! Kid, clear a path!”

KF rushes by, making a path for you to retreat into the mining tunnels from before. You stayed back, doing your best to cover the rest as they file in, leaving you and Superboy and the end. 

“Superboy, Nightingale, the support beams!” Aqualad shouted back as you all ran. 

With a nod, Superboy takes the one on the left, and you the one on the right. He punched down his pillar, and you let out a short, concentrated scream to rupture the wood. The ceiling, which was made of large rocks and boulders, came crashing down behind you seconds later.

Now caved in, and in the dark, you cracked a few glow sticks, which bathed the space in red light.

“How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?” Robin asked, groaning to no one in particular.

“You do have the most experience. Perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan,” Aqualad reasons.

“Oh, so I’m supposed to hold everyone’s hands!“ Robin lashed out and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes and scoff, gaining Robin’s attention for a second. He sighed, “Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You’re the only one who can." 

“Please! I can run circles-” Wally began, but you promptly shut him down.

“Wally, come on. You know he’s the one. We all do,” you shout over him, your voice lowering as he shuts up.

“Hello, M'gann! It’s so obvious,“ M’gann agreed.

“Could have told you,” Superboys stated simply, shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay,“ Wally gives in.

“Then I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team, maybe not now, but soon,” Aqualad decides, walking to be in front of Robin, who gives a small nod. “All right. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island,“

“Funny. I had the same thought,” Robin smirked. “Sportsmaster is the supplier/buyer,“ Robin says as you ran, his eyes switching between the ground in front of him and the pop-up holo screen of his wrist computer. 

“But it still doesn’t track. He doesn’t have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster Formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work,” you remind him. You were running beside Robin, despite the emotional hurricane he created for you over the last few weeks.

“And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerd-age,“ Wally added.

“I believe the expression is ‘tip of the iceberg',” Aqualad pitched as you slowed to a stop, spotting the hulking figure ahead of you.

Standing in front of you was Bane, and in his hand, a trigger. “Halt, niños. I’m feeling explosive,” he challenged.

“You betrayed us. Why?” Kaldur questioned, and your eyes started darting around, analyzing the area.

“I want my factory back,“ Bane began.

“Kid, you’ll need a running start,” Aquald decided, as you all glared at the man with the painted face. 

“So I forced you into a situation Where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect,” as he finished his overdone bad guy monologue, he opened his hand to press the button, but it wasn’t there.

“With what? This trigger thingy?” Wally joked leaning against a tree behind him. 

Bane charged at KF but was stopped and lifted into the air, “Finally. Drop him,“ Superboy smiles as Miss Martian releases him.

With Bane down, you all make your way to where the helicopter was still grounded and devised a plan. KF rushed out and distracted most of the men. Superboy went next, landing in front of King Kobra and his new monster. Aqualad came out 3rd, water bearers ready, Superboy having served as a distraction. M’gann camouflaged and went in as backup. You’re next to drop down from the roof, onto one of Kobra’s men. Your legs lock around his head and fling your body weight back, causing him to fly over your body. He lands unconscious, and you stand back up on your feet, swiping the mask from his face, before tossing it to Wally.

“Souvenir,” he smiled, catching the mask.

“I know you hate getting your hands dirty,“ Rob teases from his spot across from Kobra. You stood a few yards back, eyes watching the situation unfold.

“True. But sometimes, even a god must stoop to conquer,” Robin squares off as King Kobra taunted him. “What’s wrong, boy? You look disconcerted,“ you move to jump in but are signaled to wait as Robin begins his attack. 

You hear the explosion go off as the helicopter begins to crash into the factory, A parachute jumped out, and Sportsmaster got away, but that was a fight for later. We all regrouped behind Robin.

“I am plagued by mosquitoes,” King Kobra sneered as he continued to dodge and deflect Robin’s advances.

“Good, ‘cause this mosquito’s mighty concerted over your pain,“ Robin bites, stepping into line with you. 

“Another time, then,” Kobra decided, eyes darting to the team as we stood united before him, before falling into with the shadows.

“We picked the right guy to lead,“ you decided, smiling at Kaldur, who gave you a nod in reply.

“Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman,” Robin gestured to the flaming and broken mess all around you, before cracking up in laughter. Most of you couldn’t help but join in. The simplicity of the mess you created and the apparent fallout there would be once you returned to the mountain. 

Mount Justice
August 4, 01:06 EDT

“A simple recon mission, observe and report. You’ll each receive a written evaluation Detailing your many mistakes,“ Batman had been lecturing you all since you landed 45 minuted ago, “Until then, good job,” he concluded. 

You look up in surprise at his words, eyes darting to Robin and KF before settling back. 

“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character,” he explained before walking away. 

Small looks of relief and glee spread on your faces as you all relaxed. You let out a breath as you walked to the locker room, opening yours you started doing an inventory. The rest of the team spread out and slowly they trickled out to do whatever they needed to. 

You took your ring daggers out first, detaching the harness from both your thighs. You took a second to examine the blades. You hear a creak and the blade in your hand goes flying back toward the wall. 

Your ring dagger had embedded itself in the wall beside Robin’s head. Robin stared at it with wide eyes for a second before turning to you. 

“Sorry,” you mutter offhandedly, turning back to the rest of your gear. 

You unclip your utility belt, placing it in the duffle you’d be taking back to Dinah’s. You heard the knife being pulled from the rock as you pulled a rag from the locker and wiped down your escrima sticks. 

“These things are wicked sharp,” you heard him mumble, and you collapsed the sticks back into a canister, throwing that in your duffle too. 

“NG, can I talk to you?” Robin asked. 

You don’t respond as you try to take your choker off, fingers fumbling with the clasp on the back of your neck. You heard him sigh before you felt his gloved fingers replace your own. Gently he unclasped the choker for you. He handed it to you with the ring dagger grasping your arm before you could move away. 

“Please,” he pleaded.

You stared down at the hand wrapped around your arm before you looked back up to him, your eyes narrowing slightly behind your mask. He released his grip at once and mumbled something that sounded like sorry. You studied him for a moment; the way he was fidgeting told you he was nervous, which was a rare occurrence. Dropping the choker in your duffle and placing the last dagger on the harness, you took a glance at your watch before making a decision.

“You have five minutes,“ you tell him flatly, and his head turns back to you.

“Right,” a small smile erupts on his face, “I owe you an apology.”

You couldn’t help the scoff that slips out in response to his statement. 

“No, I’m serious. I pushed you, and while that’s expected, I went further as to put you in the position of fear, real fear,“ your stiff look softens as his words reach you. “You were right, we all have something that we truly fear, and no one should have to have that reminded to them. Doing what I did contradicts that,” his smile etches into something else, into guilt. “I’m sorry I put you through that, and I’m positive it’s been on your mind since, but it doesn’t have to be. You didn’t want to tell someone, but now I know. And I’m here if you allow me to be, if you ever need someone to help you, to protect you. Because I will always be there,“ He finishes his voice slowly getting softer and softer. 

You couldn’t help it, nor could you hold out any longer. Tears started rolling down your cheeks, and Robin tried to back up, thinking he had done something wrong. You corrected him, launching yourself into his chest for a hug, and he did. Hesitantly Robin’s arms circled your waist as he held you in the now empty room, letting you cry. He allowed you to breakdown for the first time since he had ever met you, and he was there, doing exactly what he promised. Robin whispered sweet things in your ear while tightening his grip around you, helping you to calm down. And when you did, you felt better. You felt lighter in a way, knowing you no longer had to keep everything bottled up inside.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 3rd, 13:06 EDT

“Recognized. Superboy, b-04,” the female computerized voice rang out through the cave as Superboy returned. 

You had just won an air hockey game against Aqualad, with M’gann, Wally, and Robin as your witnesses.

“Hi, Superboy. How was Metropolis?” M’gann asked politely, and you smirked, knowing that her heart must’ve been racing.

He didn’t offer a real response, and you shot Kaldur a funny look, dropping the air hockey paddle and turning back toward Superboy. You had opened your mouth to call out to him, but before you could try and talk to the super clone, you were interrupted. 

Canary and Martian Manhunter had entered the cave, “Ready for training, everyone?” your mentor asked, waltzing up directly to you.

“Always,” you assured your mentor but cast Superboy one more look of concern. 

“Uncle J'onn!” M’gann cheered, running up to her uncle, hugging him.

“M'gann, I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d see how you were adjusting,“ J’onn told her.

“A few bumps, but I’m learning,” She said honestly. 

“That’s all I can ask,“ the older martian nodded.

You couldn’t help but notice when Superboy began to walk away; apparently, you weren’t the only one. “Stick around. Class is in session,” Dinah called out, effectively stopping him. “I consider it an honor to be your teacher,“ she continued as she set the training board up. “I’ll throw a lot at you. Everything I’ve learned from my own mentors- uh! -And my own bruises,” she paused for a moment, pulling off her jacket and wincing as it tugged on the most recent of her injuries. 

“What happened?” M’gann asked, genuinely concerned. 

You stared at the bandages. You hadn’t been allowed to help on that mission; ‘Official League Business’ was how she and Ollie tried to explain it.

“The job,“ you state, earning a small smile from your mentor while you refocused.

“Now, combat is about controlling conflict, putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, never reacting,” she explained. “I’ll need a sparring partner,” before you could raise your hand, Wally had already stepped up, eating the last of his banana. You couldn’t help but smirk, knowing full well that he would lose within the next 30 or so seconds. 

“Right here! Yeah! After this-” he threw his banana peel in the trash, “Swish! I’ll show you my moves,“ he flirted while stepping into the training ring.

Black Canary lunged at him in seconds, effectively knocking him over, by first throwing a punch, which he blocked, but then by swiping his feet out from under him.

“Aah! Uh! Ohh. Hurts so good,” As KF lay on the ground, a sign popped up beside him on the training board, ‘Kid Flash Status: Fail’ in big letters is what it read as.

“Good block. But did anyone see what he did wrong?” Canary questioned

“Ooh, ooh. He hit on teacher and got served?” Robin smirked.

“Dude!” Wally exasperated

“He allowed me to dictate the terms of-” Canary was cut off.

“Oh, please. With my powers, the battle’s always on my terms. I’m a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time,“ Superboy states conceitedly.

“Prove it,” Canary challenged, and your brows pinched. 

Superboy walked onto the training board, and Wally stepped back. The two stepped into a fighting stance, and Superboy threw the first punch, which Canary easily redirected, using its momentum to flip him over.

The words ‘Superboy Status: Fail’ appeared next to his downed form.

“Hahaha! Hahaha,“ Rob couldn’t help the laughs that spilled out, despite the elbowing directed at him from both you and Aqualad.

“You’re angry. Good, but don’t react. Channel that anger into-” Canary began, trying to teach, but was cut off when he charged once more. This time she dodged a full-body attack and landed swiftly behind him, kicking his feet out from under him, sending him to the floor once more. 

The words ‘Superboy Status: Fail’ appeared again.

“That’s it. I’m done,” Superboy huffed, slapping away Canary’s outstretched hand.

“Training is mandatory,“ you bit down on your lip as you watched as Dinah’s eyes narrowed. 

It was a dangerous look, one that usually resulted in a lecture or a grounding, or both. 

Somehow, Superboy was saved by a new interruption, “Batman to the Cave,” the Dark Knight’s face appeared on a holo-screen, pulling everyone’s attention. “Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous As our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant.”

Your eyes darted to Canary while watching the footage; she had to be in pain.
“Whoa! One guy with the powers of the entire League?” Wally asked, shocked.

“In the end, it took eight leaguers to dismantle the android,” Batman explained.

“An android? Who made it, T.O. Morrow?” you asked, a small scoff slipping past to punctuate your question.

“Good guess, Nightingale, but Red Tornado doesn’t think so,“ Batman corrected.

“The technology bears the signature of professor Ivo,” Martian Manhunter reveals.

“Ivo? But Ivo’s dead,“ Aqualad interrupted.

“So we all thought or hoped,” Canary grit, and you shot her a worried glance.

“To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized, We’re sending two trucks carrying the android’s parts to two separate S.T.A.R. lab facilities in Boston And New York for immediate evaluation. Every precaution is being taken. We’ll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks,“ the Bat continues.

“Yes! Road trip,” Wally jumps, clearly pumped.

“So now we take out your trash,“ Superboy lamented rudely, and your eyes bulged in surprise.

“You had something better to do?” Batman challenged through narrowed eyes, and you had to admit with his face blown up so large on the hollo screen, the glare seemed even more intimidating.

“Coordinates received. On our way,” Aqualad nods as everyone heads to the locker room and then to the hanger.

As you all begin to run out, Canary calls after you, “Keep an eye on him,“ and you understand she’s referring to the boy of steel.

You give her a nod before running to grab the rest of your gear. 

LITCHFIELD COUNTY

August 3rd, 20:08 EDT

“Why don’t you have to wear one of these?” Wally asked, gesturing to the ridiculous suits that he and the rest of the team were wearing.

“Cause I didn’t want to,” you smirked, looking down at your white muscle tank, leather jacket, combat boots, and jeans. 

“I don’t either!” He whined like a child, and you heard the trucks’ engines rev to life.

“Maybe. But you’re not the one who’s been riding bikes like these your entire life,” you winked at the red-headed speedster before pulling your helmet on.

“S.T.A.R. Boston is a go.“
“S.T.A.R. Manhattan is a go." 

With those words, you begin to trail after the trucks. You, Superboy, and Robin were trailing one, while Kaldur, M’gann, and Wally followed after the other. 

“If dislike is the opposite of like, is disaster the opposite of aster?” Robin asks aloud, attempting to make small talk while you drove.

“So, instead of things going wrong, they go right?” you inquired, turning your head for a second to look at him.

Robin doesn’t answer, and you notice why; Superboy’s anger seems to be radiating off him. 

“Uh, clearly, you’re not feeling the aster,” Robin concludes after a glance at our clone friend.

“What’s wrong?” you prod.

“Canary. What business does she have teaching combat skills To a guy with super strength?” Superboy spits, clearly upset with your mentor. 

“Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig,“ Robin attempted to explain.

“Canary learned that the hard way. Same with Batman, Robin, and me,” you continue, slightly off-put by his sudden flash of hatred.

You rode in silence after that, and you probably would’ve kept the tense silence until the drop-off point if not for the robots.

“Robin, Nightingale, Superboy, our truck is being attacked,“ Kaldur’s voice came over the comms, and you frowned.

“kind of figured,” Robin added while studying the robots. 

“Are they monkeys?” you asked suddenly, registering what the robot’s resembled.

“I hate monkeys,“ Superboy grumbled from beside you.

“Robot monkeys! Haha! Totally Ivo’s tweaked style,” Robin laughed, switching his bike to battle mode, and you quickly do the same.

“Hey, hey. Switch your ride to battle mode,“ Robin shouted out to Superboy.

“No point,” the clone decided, jumping off the bike and directly onto the truck. 

You managed to swerve to avoid his motorcycle, but Robin couldn’t. He ditches the bike, also jumping onto the truck before the two bikes collided. 

“Or not,“ you muttered, watching as your two teammates took on the robots on the Semi.

The boys begin to fight the robotic monkeys, and you tried to look for an opening but decided you couldn’t use your cry because that would hurt Robin and Superboy as well. Turning your bike to auto, you get close and make the jump onto the truck. Climbing to the top, you enter a fighting stance and pull out your escrima sticks. You twist the escrima sticks in your hands once before connecting them into a bo-staff. You twirl it once in front of you before using it to battle the monkeys, knocking them down and hacking them to pieces. 

At one point, you hear Superboy cry out and risk a glance towards him. He’s being carried up in the air by a bunch of monkeys, but when you look back to your fight, you react too late. One of the monkeys took the distraction to shoot at you. The laser skins your shoulder knocks you off balance, forcing you off the truck and down into the fields next to the road. 

You fell and landed with a thud, the momentum keeping your rolling for a few yards. When you finally stop, you let out a painful groan before standing back up and call your bike to your current location. You backtrack a few yards until you find your bo-staff, breaking it back down and reattaching the two escrima sticks to your utility belt.

“Aqualad to Robin. We’ve lost our cargo. Did you-” you heard Kaldur’s voice crackle over the comms line as you mounted your bike.

“It’s gone,” Robin sighed. “And so are my partners.”

“Aqualad to Nightingale. What’s your ETA?” this time, the crackle is directed at you.

“A few minutes to Robin,“ you estimate.

“Good. Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position. We’ll help you,” Kaldur pleads.
“I don’t need help- don’t want any!” superboy yelled ragefully, and then it’s suddenly quiet. 

“Superboy?” Aqualad tries again, but there was no response.

“I think he ditched his comm,“ Robin deduced right as you arrived in front of him. 

“Super! Now we can’t even track him,” Wally complained, though his sarcastic tone was not helpful.

“He’s out of my telepathic range. This professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us. M-maybe w-we should contact Red Tornado?” M’gann suggests.

“Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves. And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they’re re-assembled,“ Kaldur decided. 

“Well, that’s a great plan, except for the part about us not knowing where to look!” Wally shot back.

“Maybe we do,” you decide, jumping off your bike to examine one of the trashed monkeys. “We’d have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked. So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?” you asked, shooting Robin a glance through your sunglasses. 

He wasted little time plugging his wrist computer into the monkey and scanning, “Ha! The parts have GPS. The monkeys can track the signal. Which means we can track them with the one we captured!“ He exclaims after a few seconds.

“It looks both sets of parts are converging on-” you pause as you spot the name of the location.

“Gotham City,“ Robin’s surprise rings out as clear as your own.

“That far south?” Aqualad sighs. “M'gann, and I won’t get there anytime soon. I’m sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out,” he decides as you pick up the monkey.

“Definitely a disaster,” Robin decided as he got on your bike.

“Heavy on the dis," you add as you slip on behind him.

The two of you drove for a while before making a pit stop to change out of your civvies and into your suits. As you finished, Robin got back on the bike, and you paused with a frown. 

“Why do you get to drive?” you asked suddenly.

“What?” he turned to you, caught off guard by the random question.

“Well, it’s my bike, but you’re driving. How is that fair?” you continue, eyes narrowing behind your mask.

“It’s not?” his answer sounds more like a question than a statement.

“Exactly,” you nod, with a playful smile, “so, I should drive,“ you concluded.

“Birdy, we don’t have time for this. Just get on so we can go,” his words cause you to scowl, but you relent anyways.

“We have time for your dis and asters but not enough to decide who’s driving?” you muttered bitterly as he starts the bike once again.

“Sorry?” once again, it sounds like a question.

“Whatever,” you sigh, and he pulls back out onto the main road.

When you begin to see the signs that state you’re nearing Gotham, you begin to realize you don’t have a plan. Your arms were wrapped around Robin’s waist as he drove, and your cheeks had lost the slight tint to them that had first flushed your face when you settled into the drive. You seemed to find yourself in close quarters with the Boy Wonder more often lately, and Canary’s teases from the day you became a team seemed to echo in your head. 

You had just entered Gotham’s city limits when you heard a familiar whooshing sound, looking over, and you saw Wally in his suit.

“So, you changed, too?” Robin asked; you could almost hear the smirk.

“You kidding? Ugh. I feel naked in civvies,“ KF shuddered.

“We all feel naked in civvies,” you mused, as KF sent you a playful wink.

“How’s your arm?” he asked, noting the bandage covering the hit from the laser.

You had done a quick wrap while Robin changed, and your jacket was currently tied around your waist, exposing my bare arms. 

“Fine,” you assure him, despite the subtle ache that settled over the limb.
“You still tracking the parts?” Kid asked, turning to Robin.

“They were heading through Gotham, but they veered,” you tell him.
“Wait,“ Rob says, inspecting something. “Dude, they’re at m-” he cut himself off for a second. “They’re at Gotham City Academy!” 

You caught the way Robin tensed at his slip-up, but you decided this was not the time to question him on it. You stopped just outside the academy, leaving the bike before sneaking in. Robin took the lead while you and Wally followed him to the gym. You heard a crash from inside, and you sent a nod to KF. Wally sped around to the opposite side, and the three of you entered at the same time. You immediately headed for a higher vantage point while Robin stuck to the shadows. 

You saw the wind up as the android had Superboy in his grasp, but Wally proved himself again to be the most dramatic person you know, “Yoink!” he shouted, grabbing Superboy from what seemed to be his possible doom.

“Yoink?” you question as Robin threw some batarangs, and you threw a few marble bombs.

“Martian Manhunter,” the android voice, and the bombs passed through him. He had tapped J'onn’s density shifting abilities. “Access Red Tornado,“ it speaks again, throwing the boys who were on the ground in different directions with a small tornado.

“Really? You’re going to judge me now?” Wally asks, standing back up, only to come face to face with the android.

“Access Captain Atom,” The Amazo bot shoots a radiation beam at Wally.

Luckily the redheaded speedster slipped away in time; he stopped right below the rafter you were perched on. 

“Access Black Canary,“ it spoke, and your eyes widened. You dropped down in front of Wally protectively.

You tapped the choker as you turned your head to the android, “AHHHHHH!”

You had let out a sonic scream at the same time the bot had. Your throat is burning as you try to maintain the cry as long as the robot was. You protected Wally, but the sonic waves had met in the middle, causing a massive concussive blast spanning vertically in the space between. 

Your mistake, however, was thinking you could outlast a machine that doesn’t need to breathe. As you ran out of oxygen, the blast knocked you back. Wally managed to catch you in the air and place you down, but physically you were already feeling drained. 

Superboy came at him next, attacking from the side, but Amazo didn’t need extra time to recover; he just went right into it. 

“Superman,” Amazo said and threw Superboy into the bleachers.
“Martian Manhunter,“ Amazo called, avoiding Robin’s next attack.
“Superman.”
“Martian Manhunter,“ Amazo decided, avoiding an arrow shot by somebody up in the rafters, but at the time, you tried not to overthink it.

“Access Black Canary.”
“Superman.“

You had all tried different attacks, but none worked. Instead, you all ended up in various states of distress across the gym floor.

“Oh, yawn. Normally, Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what’s the point? You’re all such poor copies of the originals,” Ivo stated from his seat in the bleachers. You shot the psycho a dirty look as you pushed yourself to your feet once more, a hand gripped around your bandage. 

“So everyone keeps saying. It makes me angry!” Superboy shouted out. “Want to see me channel that anger?” Superboy challenged, leaping at Ivo, and an idea began to click.

“Great. He’s gone ballistic again,“ Wally groaned.

“Maybe not,” you negate, becoming aware of how your voice sounded strained and hoarse.

“Amazo, protect your master. Priority alpha,“ Ivo decides, changing the main priority. 

“There it is,” you smirked, looking back at Wally and Robin, who seemed to arrive at the same conclusion. 

“Captain Atom,” its robotic voice announces as it sets its aim on Superboy.

“Anyone want to play keep-away?” Robin asks, kicking Ivo off the bleachers and onto the court. 

“Me, me!” Wally asks, drawing the android’s attention. 

“Access Superman,“ it said before changing once more. “Martian Manhunter-" 

That was its mistake. Superboy jumped before the android could register and thrust his fist into the robot’s density shifting head, right as Amazo tried to changed abilities. “Superman,” it said, and for a second, there were sparks of electricity before the head imploded.

“Help me disassemble him now!” Rob commanded, rushing the android as Superboy recovered from the blast.

You jumped to his side, knowing this was a necessary precaution.

“Dude, the guy has no head,“ Wally groaned.

“Don’t take any chances,” Aqualad argued, running in.

“Great timing, K,” you smirk, slumping to the floor with a pitiful groan.

“You had it handled, my friend,” he mused, and you rolled your eyes. 

“Superboy, are you alright?” M’gann’s asked, her voice laced with concern.

“I’m fine,“ he grunted, then he took a breath, “feeling the aster,” he added. 

Both you and Robin looked up at him and smiled at the inside joke you had shared earlier before turning to each other.

“Hey,“ Wally called, interrupting the moment and grabbing everybody’s attention. “Where’s Ivo?” your eyes began to scan the gym, but you were too late. 

Ivo was gone.

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 4th, 1:06 EDT

“The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analyzed at the two separate S.T.A.R. labs, but Ivo escaped, and since he originated the tech, he’s arguably more dangerous than the android,” Kaldur briefed as you all stood back in the cave, beat up but together.

“Capturing the Professor will be a League priority,“ Canary assures you.

“But we understand your mission encountered other… complications,” J’onn noted suspiciously, and for a second, all your gazes shifted towards Superboy.

“Complications come with the job. Your ability to handle them has impressed the League,“ Batman intervenes.

“The whole League?” Superboy interrupted, eyebrows raised.

“Given time, yes. Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads,” Batman teased, and you couldn’t help but smile in amusement. “Of course, there’s no shame in asking for help. That’s why the League exists; because there are some problems even, we can’t handle individually,” Batman explains with what looked like a small smile.

You nodded and took a moment to reflect on your injuries. Your head had a dull ache from being thrown around by Amazo and knocked off a moving Semi. Your arm still ached and was in desperate need of a new bandage, and lastly, your voice was still gravelly and hoarse. You had been warned when Dinah gave you the choker, the sonic device was an amplifier, but screaming too long could cause some damage to the vocal cords.

“Please, if we needed help, we’d never get the chance to ask!” Robin scoffed, pulling your attention back to the conversation. “Look familiar?” he hissed,  holding up the arrow from yesterday. “You were following us! Babysitting! You still don’t trust us!”

You frowned as you stared at the arrow, you knew Oliver’s arrows, and that wasn’t one. Your hunch proved to be right when Batman responded. 

“We didn’t follow you,“ Batman stated plainly, and Ollie held out one of his arrows, displaying that the two did not match.

“And that’s not your arrow, but that means-” Robin begins.

“Speedy!” Wally interjected excitedly.

“He has our backs,” Kaldur smiled.

“Souvenir!” Wally shouted as he speed-snatches it away from Ollie’s hand. The team crowded around him, inspecting the arrow with smiles. 

You bit your lip in thought as you looked at it, and then at Ollie, he seemed to understand; it didn’t look like Roy’s arrow. 

After a bit, the leaguers go their ways, Kaldur and M’gann retire to their rooms in the cave to catch up on some rest, Superboy had wandered off to talk with Canary, and Wally was probably in the kitchen eating anything he could find. You had moved to the locker room once again. You peeled your jacket off and hung it on your locker’s door before grabbing a first aid kit. You sat down on the bench kit open in front of you and a leg on either side before pulling at the temporary wrap you had done. 

You let out a groan as you lift your arm. 

“Need some help?” Robin’s voice echoed off the tiled room, and you nodded. 

“Yes, please,” you affirm. 

The Boy Wonder offered you a smile before walking to your side. You moved the kit into your lap and slung your legs onto the same side. Robin sat down beside you, on the same side as your injured arm, and slowly, he unraveled the wrap. 

You hissed as he got to the end, pulling at the wrap that had stuck to your bloodied skin. 

“Sorry,” he muttered. 

“It’s fine,” you breathed. 

“Looks like it needs a few stitches,” he tells you. 

“Great,” you muttered. 

“I can do it now if you’d like. Batman made sure I knew how in case something happens while in the field,” he admits.

“Funny, Canary did the same with me,” you muse.

It’s mostly quiet while he works on your arm. His hands are gentle while he cleans the wound and steady as he threads the hooked needle. 

“Last chance to back out,” he joked. 

You looked at him, and yet even though domino masks blocked both your eyes, you could see the faintest signs of pink on his cheeks. You couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread through you at the sight. 

“Do it,“ you affirm, and he nods.

You wince when the needle pierces the tenderized skin, but you make it through. When you finish, he packs up the kit and puts it away. 

“I’d give you a lollipop, but I’m fresh out,” he mused. 

“Thanks, Doc,” you joke with him. 

“Anytime,” he assures you, and even though you had been laughing, you knew he meant it.

Robin waited for you in the common room as you washed up. When you dropped onto the green couch, he smiled at you.

“Do you want to watch the Blades game?” he asked, referring to the Gotham Blades Hockey game currently on the TV. 

“Sure,” you nodded, and that’s where the two of you stayed for hours until Canary had finished with Superboy, and it was time to go home.

There was a wisp of an idea of what it would be like to be a normal girl with a normal crush on a guy who seemed sweet, how foreign it seemed.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 8th, 09:58 EDT

You smiled softly, head tilted up to the sky as the sun beamed back down on you. 

“Hello, Megan! We should hit the beach every day,“ M’gann decided as you stood on the shore of a private Happy Harbor beach behind the Mountain. M’gann was wearing a yellow bikini, and you were dressed in a red one, currently covered by your halter top and jean shorts. Your surfboard was resting under your right arm, and a pair of sunglasses covered your eyes.

“First, a moment of silence for our absent comrade,” Robin decided, and all of your heads dropped in despair.

“Poor Wally,“ M’gann frowned, and you nodded in agreement.

You set yourselves up before everybody ran into the water. Shaking your head, you shed your extra layers and laid down on your stomach on top of your towel. You were reading a book, trying to tan when you were suddenly picked up. The book fell from your grasp and back down onto your towel. After your initial shock, you were able to spot that Kaldur had picked you up and was carrying you toward the water. 

“Kaldur!” you protested from over his shoulder.

“Birdy!” Robin mocked from somewhere nearby, causing you to roll your eyes. 

“Kaldur, put me down!” you commanded, lightly slapping his back.

“Down?” he asks.

“Yes! Please!” you beg.

“Alright,” he agreed, and you knew he was wearing a smirk because a second later, he had dropped you into the water. 

Sputtering as you came up, you looked him in the eye; your sunglasses had just slightly slid due to the water. It was enough to flash your (e/c) eyes at him, a mischievous and murderous glance in them. 

“This. Means. War,“ you immediately begin your attack by splashing at the older boy. It takes only a moment before all five of you are in the midst of a water war. (kaldur had an unfair advantage)

You all stayed in the water for a while, before getting out to eat lunch on the beach. You had barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers. You played sand volleyball, and you and Kaldur even tried to teach everyone else how to surf. Robin was the only one who got it. You had intended to stay out all day if you could, and you would’ve until you were called in. 

It was almost comical as you all began rushing about within the cave. You showered and suited up. If any of your mentors were to walk through the locker room, they would see towels, civilian clothes, and swimsuits were thrown about. By the time you fell in line for the briefing, you were still content with how the majority of your day had gone; you were also sporting a fresh tan.

“Recognized; Kid Flash, b-03,” The computer’s feminine mechanical voice announced, just as Batman was about to begin the briefing. Your eyes, however, stayed upon the girl in green who was standing beside Ollie. Oliver Queen was usually a straightforward man. However, now he seemed to be avoiding your eyes.

“The Wall-man is here! Now let’s get this party star- Unh! -ted,“ when you heard Wally fall, that’s when you turned your gaze away from the girl. 

You saw as the multicolored beach ball bounced away and had to bite back the laugh at the sight of your friend splayed out on the ground. With a short glance around, you noticed that you were not the only one.

“Wall-man, huh? I love the uniform,” the blonde new girl smirks. “What exactly are your powers?”

“Uh, who’s this?” Wally asks, gesturing to her and then looking directly at you and Robin, and your fingers began to fidget with one of your ring daggers nervously.

“Artemis, your new teammate,” she introduces herself.

“Kid Flash. Never heard of you,“ Wally’s eyes narrow.

“Um, she’s my new protégé,” Ollie stepped in, and your eyes narrowed on the beach ball as it began bouncing close to you, ring dagger swinging in your hand and stabbing at the beach ball when it was in reach.

“What happened to your old one?” you pressed, your voice sounding a bit harsher than expected, and the dagger still gripped in your hands as the now punctured beach ball deflated and fell to the floor.

“NG…” Robin called your name softly as you glared at Oliver. Your stare was icy, even with the domino mask.

“Recognized; Speedy, b-06,“ The computer interrupted, and Roy emerged from the Zeta tubes.

“Well, for starters, he doesn’t go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow.” 

“Roy,” your entire body and face relaxed at the sight of him. “We need to talk,” you swallowed, twirling the ring dagger in your hand. 

“You look-” Ollie begins.

“Replaceable,“ Roy spits, and your eyes narrow once again, in pure distaste of the word.

“Roy,” you repeated his name but got no response.

“It’s not like that. You told me you were going solo,” Ollie justified.

“So why waste time finding a sub? Can she even use that bow?” Roy bites harshly, and in that moment, you realized Artemis wasn’t at fault here. 

Roy left; he told you he’d never join. You knew Ollie liked having a partner, so he found someone with the same goals as the rest of you, someone who wants to make a difference. You shouldn’t penalize her for that. 

“Roy,” you say his name a third time, but again are ignored, you anxiously twirl the dagger once again.

“Yes, she can,“ Artemis shot back, stepping up.

“Who are you?” Wally asks again.

“I’m his niece,” & “She’s my niece,“ Came from both Artemis and Ollie simultaneously, and your eyebrows furrowed. Ollie didn’t have a niece.

“Another niece?” Robin asks but gains no reply.

“But she is not your replacement. We have always wanted you on the team, And we have no quota on archers,” Kaldur says wisely.

“And if we did, you know who we’d pick,“ Wally tells Roy, and you can’t help but resent that statement for how unfair it seemed to be.

“Whatever, Baywatch. I’m here to stay,” Artemis defended herself, and you respect her for it.

“You came to us for a reason,” Kaldur tries in an attempt to defuse the bomb of a situation arising by turning to face Roy.

“Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette,“ Roy begins.

“Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City,” you say in awe. You’d read Dr. Roquette’s work with Felicity Smoak, one of Ollie’s friends. It was one of your favorite moments while adjusting to the superhero life growing up. It also served as a big enough distraction to hear what Roy wanted to say before you tried to pull him aside again.

“Vanished two weeks ago,” Robin continues pulling photos and information up on the screen.

“Thought you might be intrigued, Birdy,” Roy shoots you a look that’s almost a smile before it returns to a scowl. “Abducted two weeks ago by the league of shadows,” he corrected.

“Whoa. You want us to rescue her from the shadows?” Robin asked. 

“Hard-core,“ Wally smiled.

“I already rescued her. Only, one problem. The shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it the fog, composed of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path– concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But its true purpose isn’t mere destruction. It’s theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science, and tech,” Roy explains.

“Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking. Yeah, sounds like the shadows,“ Artemis pitches, ultimately agreeing with Roy, and your lips pursed.

“Like you know anything about the shadows,” Wally smirked until he saw the ‘try me’ look on Artemis’ face. “Who are you?!” He explodes.

“Roquette’s working on a virus to render the fog inert,” Roy continues.

“But if the shadows know she can do that,“ Robin pieces. 

“They’ll target her,” you finish the thought, making eye contact with Robin.

“Roy I need to talk to you,” you repeated once more.

“Right now, she’s off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school’s computer lab,” Roy completes, glancing at you for a second.

“You left her alone?” Ollie pressed.

“Roy,” you repeat his name, you were twirling the blade in circles around your fingers. 

“She’s safe enough for now,“ Roy promised.

“Then let’s, you and I, keep her that way,” Ollie attempts.

“You and I? Don’t you wanna take your new protégé?” Roy lashed out, and Ollie visibly deflated.

“You brought this to the team. It’s their mission, which means it’s hers now, too,” Ollie says after being stopped by Batman.

“Then my job’s done,“ Roy scoffs before turning to walk away.

The blade in your hand lands with deadly accuracy by Roy’s foot, effectively stopping him as you stepped in front of him. “You and me, Thursday, no masks, no adults, our favorite place for breakfast, at 7,” you decided, addressing him quietly, tired of trying to get him to respond to you.

“No,” he says, trying to push past you, but you stand your ground.

“I wasn’t asking,” you tell him, finally stepping aside, allowing him to walk by. “You better show, Red Arrow, don’t forget!” you bend down to grab your knife.

“Recognized; Speedy-” The computer begins.

“That’s Red Arrow, b-06. Update,“ Roy says, correcting the Zeta’s as he beams out.

HAPPY HARBOR

August 8th, 21:59 EDT

“Everyone online?” M’gann’s voice rang out over the psychic link.

“Ohh,” Artemis muttered, “this is weird.”

“And distracting!” Roquette interrupted. “Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer With less ram than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?”

“Someone’s a complainer,” you muttered at Roquette, though thankfully, she couldn’t hear you.

“Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?” KF shot back.

“Pot, kettle. Have you met?” Artemis hinted, and your eyes darted between them.

“Hey! Hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the team,” KF argued, and you bit your lip.

“That is so not on me!” Artemis negated.

Roquette let out a sigh, “Fate of the world at stake.”

Wally was quick to defend himself, “She started it.”

“Brat,” you murmur silently, rolling your eyes at Wally.

“How ‘bout I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?” Artemis offered, moving from her spot in the room.

“Good idea,” Aqualad agreed, finally stepping in.

Robin smirked at you before sending something to the link. “You might cut her some slack,” he teased, and you knew exactly where he was headed.

You smirked back before adding on, “It was her arrow saved your ass against Amazo.”

“What? No, that was Speedy’s - I mean Red Arrow’s arrow, right?” KF stuttered.

Rob and I make eye contact before we both respond, “Not so much.”

“Humph. Well, still not giving her the satisfaction,” KF decided, and you rolled your eyes.

“You know I can still hear you,” Artemis reminded him, and a smile split your lips.

“Ahh!” KF let out a groan, and you and Robin guffawed slightly under your breath.

Roquette let out another sigh, “I couldn’t get the Justice League.”

You sobered for a second, looking back to Kaldur and then the Doctor, “The virus won’t be of much use if we cannot find the weapon,” he shared. 

“Can you track it?” you asked her, tagging onto what he had said.

Roquette turned to you with narrowed eyes, “My utility fog is not a weapon,” she argued. “It’s science, brilliant science. And of course I can track it, but I’d have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and "assassinate me” written in neon.”

You and Aqualad stepped forward, and gently you placed a hand on her shoulder, “We will protect you,” you assured her, and Kaldur gave the nod in affirmation.

Her attention shifted from the computer screen to you and Kaldur before she gave a little nod of agreement, “Tracking the fog now,” she relented.

As Artemis arrived outside with M’gann and Superboy, you moved back toward Robin, who was sitting on one of the desks. You sat down beside him and placed your hands beside his so that they were just barely touching. You had found yourself closer to Robin since the Amazo mission, both physically and emotionally. The small crush that had been there before seemed viable, and while facing the Shadows barely shook you, the idea of pursuing a relationship seemed unattainable. So, for now, you’d stick to just barely touching hands, and sharing the understanding looks that passed between you both.

It had been relatively quiet for a while up until Artemis spoke up, “Mhm, that boy.” Your face pinched in reaction, knowing that she had to be thinking of Superboy.

“He can hear you. We can all hear you!” M’gann challenged, defensively.

“Oh, I know,” you could hear the smirk in Artemis’s tone.

You faked a gag to Robin, who smiled and looked down, trying to stifle his laughter, though you stopped promptly when Roquette turned back to you. A blinking dot on her screen, she had found the fog.

Your gaze shifted to Kaldur, waiting for his next decision. “Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the fog. Reconfigure the Bioship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue,” he ordered. 

Your lips pursed as you glanced at Robin before looking back to Kaldur, “What about-”

“No,” he cut you off. “We need you here. Join Artemis and Miss Martian outside,” he instructed, and you bit your lip before nodding passively.

You decided arguing with Kaldur now may not be the smartest thing you could do, so instead, you and Robin got up and walked out. 

“Hey, don’t die on me, okay?” you joked, but there was something a bit deeper underneath.

“What? And leave you here to deal with all of Wally’s bullshit alone? That’s a fate worse than death, and I’m not that cruel,“ Rob mused, and you briefly wondered if his eyes would’ve twinkled as he said it. 

While excellent for identity concealment, Domino Masks made it challenging to gather the full range of expressions on a person’s face. 

M’gann’s voice cut through the new silence, “Ready,” she announced, and your eyes darted from his face, back to the ground.

You offered a quirked smile as you arrived outside. With a slight nod and a brush of your hands, he’s running to meet Superboy, and you’re off to join the other girls on perimeter control. The two boys run onto the Bioship, and it disappears from view, leaving the rest of you to return to your posts. 

M’gann didn’t miss a beat before turning to Artemis, “You embarrassed Superboy.”

“Didn’t hear him say that,” Artemis challenged, and you observed her tensed body language.

“Must you challenge everyone?” the Martian shot back.

Artemis’s eyes narrowed as she began to walk away, “Where I come from, that’s how you survive.”

“That sounds exhausting,” you decide, meeting Artemis’ eyes, but she doesn’t respond.

The three of you decided it might be beneficial to split up while taking another lap of the perimeter. You rejoined the other two by the front entrance to the high school. 

It was silent until Aqualad’s hurried voice broke through, “Nightingale, M'gann, Kid, Artemis; we are under attack in the computer lab!” he shouted.

Your eyes widened and you spun on your foot before running in, “On our way.”

As the three of you took the halls, you realized that someone was missing, and you slowed to a stop in the middle of the hall. 

“Kid Flash,” you heard M’gann mutter. 

“I got him. You go!” you decide, turning around and heading to the last place M’gann ‘felt’ Wally.

You burst through the doors and onto the pool deck, braids whipping against your back as you look for your friend. When you spotted him in the water, floating face down, you dove into the pool without hesitation. You swim as fast as you could toward him. When you reached Wally, you turned him over, so his face was out of the water before pulling him to the pool deck. One arm on the concrete and the other around Wally, you pull him out of the water. You climbed out as soon as he was secure, before throwing yourself on top of Wally to check for a pulse. All that succeeded in doing was making you more panicked when you couldn’t find it.

Immediately you began to perform CPR, stopping to give him mouth to mouth when needed. After an eternity of a minute, Wally started coughing and spluttering water. 

“Oh my God!” you breathed, collapsing back on your hands as Wally slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position.

Your chest heaved as you tried to get your emotions in check and avoid having a panic attack. A few deep breaths later, you stood up on shaky knees and pulled him up along with. 

Then, you began whacking his arm. “Don’t. You. Ever. Ever. Do. Anything. Like. That. Ever. Again!” each word was punctuated with a hit.

“Okay, okay, I won’t drown,” he surrendered, a playful smirk splayed on his lips, but you could see the way his chest was still shuttering with deep breaths.

“Drowning?” you repeat, staring at him. “I mean, dying! I cannot do that again, Wally!” you shout. He stares at you with wide eyes for a second and you launch your body at him, pulling him into the tightest hug you could manage. “Please,” you begged, your voice sounding weaker than before. 

“I’m alive, and that’s because of you,” he reminds you, hugging you back. “Plus you can’t get rid of me that easily,” he mused, and you smack the back of his head in response.

“Okay! God! let’s go!” Wally huffed, picking you up bridal style and running you back to the computer lab.

You had arrived in time to see an assassin in green with a mask, she took a look at you and Wally before stepping back. “-Maybe a little too interesting,“ she decided, dropping a smoke bomb. 

Wally lunged forward only to grab Artemis through the smoke instead. “Gone,” he grunted.

“She’s getting away! You’re letting her get away!” Roquette shouted.

Wally reared toward the new archer, “This is all your fault! You were on the perimeter! How’d that Shadow get in?” he was raging at Artemis, and your brows pinched.

“That’s not really fair. I was outside, too,“ M’gann reminds him.

“So was I,” you add, facing the red-headed speedster whose eyes softened considerably as he stared at your disapproving expression.

“Outside being distracted by her!“ he was grasping at straws as a fair amount of his rage seemed to melt away. “Besides, I can’t be mad at you,” he added, turning his attention back to you.

“You gave me mouth-to-mouth,” he said telepathically, and you rolled your eyes despite the blush that appeared at the same time.

“We heard that!” everyone else shouted.

“Dang it!” Wally exclaims, walking away from you all. 

Though you don’t let it go that easily. You push him until he’s in the hall, closing the door behind you, separating you both from the rest of the team temporarily. 

“What the hell is your issue with her?” you whisper yelled. Wally West might be one of your closest friends but you couldn’t figure out what was going on with him. 

“What do you mean, ‘what’s my issue?’ it’s the same issue we all have!” He shot back.

“Is it?” you challenged. “Because you’re the only one treating her like she doesn’t deserve to be here!” you added, voice rising slightly. 

You receive an eye-roll in response. 

“Do not roll your eyes at me. I would give my life to save you, Rob, Kaldur, or Roy. And I love Roy, but you can’t do this to her, because she, Wallace, no matter what you think, she belongs here and deserves to be here. On this team, with all of us. Ollie chose her after Roy told him he was done. You cannot blame her for something she can’t control. Because guess what, West? She doesn’t control Roy. Roy controls Roy, and you better understand that you’re mad at him, not the new girl who is risking her life to help us,“ you argue. “She deserves your respect,” you finish and notice the look on Wally’s face.

You can see he’s trying to soak up what you just said, but at the moment you couldn’t bring yourself to feel bad about what you had said. Wally’s been a jerk to Artemis the entire time she’s been here, and that was not okay.

Your saving grace came as Robin’s voice crackled over the comms. “Robin to Aqualad. We’re over Philadelphia. We’ve located the shadows’ next target, Star Labs.” There’s a moment of silence before you hear Robin let out a low gasp, “We’re too late. It’s destroyed, totally destroyed. The fog decimated it. This is bad. Star Labs is cutting-edge science, And now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy.”

You swallowed, eyes on Wally as you spoke into the comm, “What’s our next move?” you ask.

“Rescan for that fog. Find it. We’re moving the Doctor,” Aqualad decides.

You turn to Wally once more, “you need to get it together,” you sigh, opening the door and walking back toward the rest of the team. 

While you and Aqualad went out on a perimeter patrol, M’gann, Wally, and Artemis put the plan in motion. Together, the two of you walked for a while in silence until Aqualad spoke up.

“I seemed to have noticed something our other friends have missed,“ he smirked.

“Really? What’s that?” you asked, turning away from your surroundings to look at him.

“You seem to be more prone to contact with a certain Boy Wonder than you have been in the past,” he notes and your cheeks redden immediately.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you can’t hide the smile that comes along with the shameless lie though. 

“You forget, old friend, we met each other many years ago, in my home. I take pride in the fact that I still know you quite well,“ he smiles, and you look away, a small pout on your lips.

“Whatever,” you mumbled, gaining a soft chuckle.

When he calms a bit you give him a knowing look, “you know they’re probably glaring at each other.”

“Yes, I would think so,” he agreed, and you shook your head. 

“Stop it, both of you,” you order, through the psychic link while sharing a smirk with Kaldur. 

Both Artemis and KF respond immediately, “What?!”

“We can hear you glaring,” Aqualad tells them and you crack a smile.

After a bit, you notice some movement on the horizon, and Kaldur picked up on it too. It was time to put the plan in motion. 

“Miss Martian, stay in camouflage mode and make a wide perimeter sweep,” Aqualad ordered aloud, although you both knew it was a lie, Miss M was still with Dr. Roquette. 

Kaldur gave you a nod and moved toward the right while you went to the left. Within seconds, someone came up behind you and conked you on the head. Everything went blurry, and while it was disorienting, it wasn’t enough to knock you out. You do however, make sure to fake collapse anyways.

You stay down with closed eyes and you listen to the Assassins move.  

“The martian could return any second, and I’m not keen on evening their odds. We end Roquette now,“ a woman said, and you recognized her voice as the same assassin from before. 

You follow the plan, waiting a few moments before slowly getting back up. You stay low in the tall grass to avoid being spotted before quietly racing back to the new location where you had stashed Roquette. When you arrived she was typing away. 

“I’ve almost got it,” she informs you. 

When her computer beeps you look over her shoulder and your eyes widen, “The next target’s a Wayne Tech facility,“ you mutter, suddenly very aware of how close to home this hits.

“We have company,” Aqualad warns just as a smoke bomb explodes in front of you.

“Uploading now. And by the way, you said you’d protect me,“ Roquette sassed.

Both you and Aqualad turn around and see the attacker coming out of the vents. You pull out your escrima sticks as she shoots a bunch of darts at Aqualad. 

“Let’s test the limit of your jellyfish immunity, shall we?” the assassin drawled, and when Kaldur staggered back, she stalked further. “There. Limit tested,” you could almost hear the smirk as Aqualad fell. “Now, Doctor, time for my appointment,“ 

“Sorry, but there’s a bit of a wait,” you interrupt, eyes narrowing behind your mask as she lunges. 

You use the escrima sticks proficiently against her, but it’s clear the shadows have trained her very well. After a few minutes, she manages to disarm you. She kicks you back and walks toward Dr. Roquette. You grab a ring dagger and throw it at her, the sharp blade attaches her to another table, slicing through part of her green robe. 

She turns her head back to you, as you struggle back to your feet, “Impressive aim,” she notes, pulling the blade out, “but you’ll find mine to be better,” she chucked your knife back at you. 

Your body reacted on its own, turning as the blade sped toward your face. The edge managed a cut to your cheek, before it embedded itself in the wall behind you. 

You squared off with the assassin, grabbing more blades from their harnesses, though a sudden ding drew her attention away from you.

“So you finished the virus, eliminating the reason for your elimination, though not the entertainment value,“ she realized, slowly backing toward the door. “Lucky for you, my orders are clear. You live to program another day. After all, Doctor, the shadows may find another use for you,” then she disappeared into the shadows.

You shoved the blades back into their harness and rushed to Kaldur first, “Aqualad?” your arms wrapped around him for stability. 

“I will be okay,” he assures you. “What of Roquette?” he grunted. 

“She’s fine,” you promise as you help him out the door. 

Roquette crouched down and picked up your escrima sticks, handing them gently back to you. You smiled at her as you slid them into the harness on your back. 

When you exit the building you spot Artemis, but no one else. 

“Artemis, where’s the assassin?” you asked, still supporting part of Kaldur’s weight as you stop before her.

A pained expression crossed her features, “She, uh… she got away,“ Artemis admitted depressedly.

Before you could tell her it was okay, Wally had interrupted. 

“Oh, from you? Oh, big surprise. Notice we got ours,” Wally brags, gesturing to the incapacitated people behind him. 

“KF,” your tone has a warning edge, and the speedster rolled his eyes. Though they got caught on something down on the floor. 

“Cool. Souvenir!“ Wally rushed over and swiped it up off the ground. 

While he was occupied you turned back to Kaldur, “This is going to hurt,” you mutter to the older boy as you wrap your hand around one of the darts. 

“Do it,” he assures you, and you offer a small smile and you begin to pull the darts out of his skin. 

“Alright,” you nodded, as you got the last one. 

Slowly he straightened up before turning toward Artemis, “Her mask? Did you see her… her face?” Aqualad questions weekly from beside me.

“It was dark,” Artemis stuttered.

“It is fine. Robin and Superboy neutralized the fog, And Dr. Roquette is safe, thanks in no small part to you. Welcome to the team,“ he was quick to reassure her before shaking her hand.

“I’ve always wanted a sister. Here on Earth, I mean. I have twelve back on Mars but trust me, it’s not the same,” M’gann smiled giddily.

“I wouldn’t know. But thanks,“ Artemis nodded shyly.

“Anytime,” you cut in, before elbowing Wally in the stomach.

“Ow. Yeah. Welcome,” Wally mumbled, sending you a subtle glare.

Slowly the team loaded back onto the Bioship once Superboy and Robin had returned. As you walked you stayed toward the back, stopping Artemis before the two of you could enter. 

“Hey, Artemis,” you call her name gently, and she stops, turning to face you. “I know you’re not GA’s niece,” you tell her and her eyes widen and stature stiffens, “and I’m sure that League knows what they’re doing. But when you feel ready, I’d like to get to know who you really are. If you’re anything like the girl I met today, I gotta admit she seems pretty cool,“ you give her another soft smile before boarding the ship.

She waited a moment before following in after you. She shot you a small grateful look as she sat down in her seat. Smiling you sat down in yours, next to Robin. Your body slouched as the seat melded into you. 

“You good?” Robin asked, voice low, as M’gann took the helm.

“Just tired,” you hum, thinking back to the morning you had spent at the beach as you pull your gloves off.

“You got cut?” he asked, and your fingers moved to your cheek. They make contact and you wince. Pulling them back you see a little bit of blood.

“It’ll be fine,” you shrug. 

Robin sends you one more look before nodding.

STAR CITY

August 11th, 07:23 EDT

The rest of the week seemed to fly by and you found yourself sitting in an old diner in Star City, knee bouncing as you fiddled with your jacket zipper. You’d been sitting there for nearly half an hour and were beginning to lose hope when you heard the bell ding. Looking over a smile pulled your lip out from between your teeth.

The eighteen-year-old boy with the red hair walked over and slouched into the booth across from you, but before he could say anything, the owner walked up to the two of you.

“Roy, (Y/n), it’s been too long since I’ve seen your lovely faces in my diner,” Miss Lenetii smiled, and a warm feeling spread in your chest.

“Sorry Miss L, we’ve been busy,” Roy spoke with a small smile aimed at the older woman, and it was the first one you’d seen on his face in months.

“Well, I’m glad you’re back, I’ll send you usuals in,” she smiled, grabbing the untouched menus from the table and walking off.

You waited till she was out of earshot before you turned back to face him, “You came!” you cheered kicking his foot, gaining a roll of his eyes.

“I didn’t have a choice,” he argued with a pointed look. “You’ve gotten really good with those daggers,” he noted and you laughed. 

“You think?” you smirked. 

“I remember when you couldn’t even twirl them without one going flying at our heads,” he joked. 

“Oh god, don’t remind me,” you shook your head, looking down at your orange juice.

“Ollie forced you to learn how to shoot after that,” he reminded you. 

“Yeah, he did. To help build arm and hand strength as well as aim,” you quoted. 

“It worked, you were a quick study,” he nodded. 

“Bow and arrows aren’t really my thing,” you shrugged. 

“And yet you’re a better shot than me,” he deadpanned. 

“Debatable,” you shrug. 

“Good job with the mission, by the way,” he added. 

“Thanks,” you smiled softly at him. 

“Alrighty we’ve got an egg over easy on hash browns with bacon and hot sauce for Miss (Y/L/N), and a meat lovers omelet with toast for Mr. Harper,” Miss Lenetii smiled placing down your food. She also placed down a cup of coffee for Roy and a fresh glass of orange juice for you. 

“Thank you, Miss L, it looks awesome, as always,” you smiled up at the older woman. 

“Enjoy sweethearts, this one’s on the house,” she winked before walking away, leaving no room for argument. 

“She’s too nice to us,” Roy notes. 

“Always has been,” you nod. Biting your lip, you look up from your food and to the boy across you, “Roy you should come back to the team,” you say softly. 

His shoulders sagged a little bit, “(Y/n) if that’s the only reason I’m here then I’m going to take my order to go,” he sighed.

“No, just hear me out,” you pleaded. 

He didn’t say anything, but Roy turned his eyes back to you. 

“I love you, and you know that. I know you are a super capable person, but being on your own is not your safest bet, okay? The way the League treats us, it’s different Roy. We’re our own team and with our own goals. It may not be as big as the League but it’s an improvement to just doing patrols,” you explain. 

“I’m not interested, Birdy,” he repeats. 

“The boys want you there,” you press.

“I don’t want to be there, (Y/n). I want to be recognized as what I am, someone who’s grown up. I’m not a little kid anymore, and I definitely am not Ollie’s sidekick. I won’t go back as long as we’re still viewed as sidekicks,” he told you seriously, and then it went quiet. The two of you ate in silence, watching each other and the people who seemed to file in and out. 

When the time came you knew you had to leave in order to be on time for morning training with Robin and Aqualad. 

Heaving a sigh you looked Roy in the eyes. “We never viewed each other as sidekicks, Roy. We viewed each other as friends, as family. That was the important part. But if you think growing up is more important, I think you made the right choice,” you decided, standing up and placing a twenty next to your plate before grabbing your bag. He didn’t say anything as he looked at you with pinched brows. Nodding you leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek before walking out. 

Maybe Roy really had made the choice best for him…

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 19th, 19:39 EDT

“Kaldur’s, uh, nice, don’t you think? Handsome; commanding. You should totally ask him out,“ Artemis attempted, pushing M’gann and all three of your eyes shifted to the Atlantean. 

“He’s like a big brother to me. But MJ’s a sister and she should totally go on a date with Robin, I mean the two of you are perfect for each other!” M’gann retaliates, making you their new victim and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

The three of you were standing off to the side of the training mat where Kaldur and Superboy were going at it. You were all dressed in civvies. Your leather jacket was off on the side table while you stood before the girls in your sunglasses, white muscle tank, and ripped denim shorts. Your gear was in the locker room but you had your choker around your neck.

“I think you’re onto something here M’gann. I can see it now, the only time the Boy Wonder is allowed to show emotion is with his songbird,“ Artemis adds on, both girls were wearing teasing smiles as they looked at you. 

You rolled your eyes once more while faint pink traced your cheeks. “Now as fun as that idea may be,” you stated sarcastically, changing the focus from yourself. “You know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally,” you smirk, bringing your attention back to the blond.

“You’re so full of passion, and he’s so full of, uh-” M’gann paused trying to think of the right adjective. 

“It?” Artemis offers, causing the three of you to burst into a fit of giggles. “At least I’m not the one who kissed him!” she shot back.

A scoff slipped past your lips, “Mouth to mouth and kissing are two different things,” you deadpan, but you’re both sharing playful expressions.

“Fail; Aqualad,“ The female computerized voice rings, signaling the end of their match.

Red Tornado came down from his hideout above the cave a few minutes later and Wally wasted no time, rushing to him. “Do you have a mission for us?” he asked. 

“Mission assignments are the Batman’s responsibility,” Red Tornado reminded him.

“Yeah. Well, the Batman’s, with the Robin doing the dynamic duo thing in Gotham,” you share with Tornado, a small frown on your lips. 

“But you’re headed somewhere, right? Hot date or a… a misión?” Wally’s eyebrows wiggled, as he asked, adding emphasis to the word mission. 

“If we can be of help,“ Kaldur tagged on politely.

RT looked at us once more before summoning a briefing screen, displaying an elderly man. “This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old and he has been missing for 23 days. Kent was a charter member of the justice society, the precursor to your mentors’ Justice League,” Red Tornado began his debrief. When the screen changed, showing us what Nelson looked like in his JSA days it all began to click into place.

“Of course! Nelson was earth’s sorcerer supreme,“ Kaldur exclaimed, recognizing the costumed man on the holoscreen.

“He was Doctor Fate,” you clarify.

“Kent may simply be on one of his walkabouts, but he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate; the source of the doctor’s mystic might. And it is unwise to leave such power unguarded,“ RT explained. 

“He’s like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him,” M’gann shared with a gentle tone.

“Me, too! So honored I can barely stand it. Magic rocks,“ Wally jumped immediately after, and your eyebrows furrowed- Wally was a science all the way kind of guy.

“Take this,” Tornado states, handing you a golden key. “It is the key to the tower of fate.”

Your fingers curled around it as Wally spoke up once more, “What are the chances we both so admire the mystic arts?” 

You couldn’t help but scoff at him as everybody headed toward the bioship. You did, however, take a moment to grab some of your gear from the locker room. You placed the key in one of the special lined pockets of your jacket, Using individual harnesses you hid a few ring daggers under your civvies, and slipped your collapsed escrima sticks and some marble bombs into other pockets of the Jacket. When you boarded the Bioship, M’gann was at the helm, you decided to sit directly in front of her today, seeing as your normal seat partner wasn’t here. Wally was to your right, and Artemis was right behind him. On your left was Kaldur, with Superboy behind him. 

“So, Wally, when did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?” Artemis asked some time into our flight and you smirked. 

She must’ve figured out exactly what you knew; Wally was lying to impress M’gann. 

“Well, I… I don’t like to brag, but, uh, before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself,” Wally fibbed causing you to scoof. Artemis shared a look with you before shaking her head and facing forward once more. 

“We’ve reached Tornado’s coordinates, but-” M’gann informed and everybody leered out the window. 

“Nothing’s there,“ Superboy noted. 

“Take us down,” Kaldur decided, and the concept of magic in a faraway place reminded you of when you and Kaldur became close. 

“This reminds me of when Aquaman brought me down,” you whisper to Kaldur as the bioship lands. 

“I remember the day well,” he nodded with a smile. 

“Atlantis was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen,” you let out a light sigh as you think back to the beauty of the underwater world that you were so lucky to experience. 

“I am glad you enjoyed our time together,” Kaldur agreed, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

“I’m glad I had you as my tour guide,” you muse, and Kaldur gave your shoulder a light squeeze, just as M’gann landed the bioship. 

SALEM

August 19th, 20:22 EDT

Once you had landed, the group of you split up, trying to find some sort of clue to where Nelson Kent could be.

“Nothing. This isn’t simple camouflage,“ Wally decides after his third lap around the area.

“So what do you think? Adaptive micro-optoelectronics combined with phase shifting?” Artemis asked as you joined the pair.

“Absolutely… Not!” Wally covered as M’gann joined you with Superboy and Kaldur. “Clearly mystic powers are at work here,“ he continued and you could see him struggling with his charade.

As Artemis glared at Wally, who was too busy swooning over M’gann to notice, you took the key from your pocket and studied it. Atlantis ran on magic just as much as it did on science, and if Artemis was wrong, then maybe the power of Doctor Fate was more magical than you first believed. Your fingers ran gently over the metal and that’s when you saw it. Written along the side the key reads “insert”.

A small smile of amusement split your lips as you realized what the key was for, “A test of faith,” you decide, looking to your friends. “Stand behind me,” you tell them. 

With a deep breath, you take the key by the handle and stick it out directly in front of you. You bite your lip as you twist the key, and there’s a resounding click as the tower appeared to you all. Sticking your arm out you push the door open, you’re the first one to walk forward and everyone follows after you. Your eyes are constantly darting around as you enter, noticing every little thing you could. The tower seemed so much larger on the inside. 

“Rob’s gonna be mad he missed this,” you chuckled softly under your breath. 

“Uh, where’d the door go?” Superboy asked, and your head whipped back to where you had entered from moments ago, only to see a solid wall.

“Greetings! You have entered with a key, But the tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent,“ a holographic Nelson Kent appeared before you, stopping the lot of you in place.

Before anybody had a chance to answer, Wally stepped up, “We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate,” the redhead lied, and the hologram disappeared.

The ground beneath you fell out from under your feet almost instantly and then you were falling. Your breath hitched in surprise as you looked around for something, anything. Everyone was screaming but you reacted quickly, reaching around your back and grabbing a ring dagger from its harness attached to your sports bra and another from your boot. You angle your body toward the wall of the cavern and jam both blades into the wall. You were still falling but less, as the points dragged through the wall, you eventually slowed to a stop, a few feet above Superboy, and the lava pit below you all.

“Aah! Those were my favorite boots,” Superboy groaned, pulling his feet out of the lava. “This Nelson guy better be worth it,“ he grunted, pulling himself up a bit further. 

“You good, Supes?” you asked, looking down at him. He glared at you in response, “Okay, then,” you noted.

“Having… trouble… maintaining… altitude. I’m so hot,” M’gann staggered in the air, dropping a few feet with every passing second. 

You watched nervously as she continued to drop with Wally in her arms, “You certainly are,” he flirted. 

“You’ve got to be joking,” you grunt, pulling one blade from the rock and lodging it a few inches higher, attempting to get further from the lava.

“Wally!” Artemis shouted and you shook your head, the heat was beginning to get to you as you skin beaded with sweat.

“Hey! Inches above sizzling death, I’m entitled to speak my mind,“ Wally defended.

“My physiology and M'gann’s are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out quickly,” Aqualad offered, though he sounded tired. 

You almost laughed at the idea as you tried to climb a bit further, the process would take too long. M’gann and Kaldur needed to get out, now.

“Hello, M'gann! We never truly answered the question. Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the helmet were safe!” she sounded so tired but it worked, M’gann was only a few feet above the lava pit when she finished, and immediately a tiled floor appeared and covered the pit. Your teammates all dropped down and you let out a puff of air before pulling your body up with the daggers, feet planting parallelly on the cavern wall. 

“Nightingale?” you heard Aqualad. 

“Just a minute,” you groan, switching your grip on the daggers. You forced your body out, pulling the daggers from the wall as you pushed off it and flipped to the ground. You landed on your feet, though slightly wobbly, before letting out another puff of air.

Superboy gave you an amused smirk as you wiped your daggers on your shorts, removing dust and dirt. You shrugged at him, slipping the blades back in their harnesses.

“This platform, it should be red-hot, but it is cool to the touch,“ Aqualad noted as he rose back to his feet. 

“Don’t worry, Meg-a-licious. I got you,” Wally continued as though he hadn’t nearly cost you your lives and your eye twitched. You were sick of it.

“Enough!” you yell, standing up straight once more. “Your little impress Megan at all costs game nearly got us all barbecued!” you shouted, getting in his face.

“When did this become my fault?” Wally argued eyes narrowing on you and stepping back.

“When you lied to that whatever it was and called yourself a true believer!“ Artemis stepped in, supporting you.

“Wally, you don’t believe?” M’gann’s voice was soft, a drastic change to how you had just been speaking, but also it held an air of vulnerability.

“Fine! Fine! I lied about believing in magic,” He finally admits. “But magic is the real lie, a major load.“

You couldn’t help but scoff, he still didn’t believe, even after all this, he didn’t believe.

“Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers,” Aqualad attempted to reason.

“Dude, you ever hear of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magical, too. Today it’s all just a bunch of tricks,“ Wally explained, hiding behind his science.

“You’re pretty close-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers,” Artemis reminded him.

“That’s science! I recreated Flash’s laboratory experiment, and here I am. Everything can be explained by science,“ Wally defended.

“I’ve been to Atlantis, Wally. Magic is the only way to explain a lot of the things that happen down there. They created a totem that let me breathe underwater, without a rebreather or a suit,” you tell him, and he just scoffs. “Look, as someone who loves science, I’m telling you there are things that can’t be explained,” you continue your voice a bit softer than before. 

“Let us test that theory,” Kaldur decided, walking to the trap door in the tile platform you were on.

“Wait! The back-draft from the lava will roast us alive!” Wally shouted, but he was too late, Kaldur had opened it, and a flurry of white exploded out.

“It’s snow!” you giggled, as a few flakes landed on your head and outstretched palm.

“Do you ever get tired of being wrong?” Artemis asked Wally as everyone jumped down through the trapdoor. You were the last one to go through, and as you did, the door disappeared in a flash of yellow light right after.

“Well?” Artemis pushes.

“Ever hear of string theory? We’re in a pocket dimension,“ Wally shot back, once again relying on his science.

“Ahh!” Artemis groaned, turning to you with wide, desperate eyes.

You had opened your mouth to respond, but M’gann spoke up first.

“What’s that?” she asked, gesturing to the floating cane a few yards ahead of you.

“Ooh!” Wally rolled his eyes, “Maybe it’s Nelson’s magic wand,” Wally mused sarcastically, walking toward it.

“I got it,“ Wally and Artemis decide, simultaneously grabbing the cane.

The cane lit up in yellow light and suddenly the two bickering teens were stuck to it. Seconds later the cane zips up into the air, and the rest of you watch as both Wally and Artemis disappear in a flash of yellow.

You glare at where they had been, “Idiots,” you muttered under your breath and rubbing your arms and pulling your jacket closer to your body. 

Superboy sends you a look that tells you he heard you, and a small grunt of agreement can be heard.

You managed to trek a bit further before M’gann spoke up, “I don’t understand Wally. It’s almost like He needs to believe the impossible can’t happen,” she sighed. 

Your eyes were darting around searching for another way out of the tundra-like environment, as you listened to what she said.

“Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control,“ Kaldur explained.

“Wally’s always been a little different,” you off cautiously, “he doesn’t see the world the way the rest of us do.” 

“How do you mean?” Superboy asked. 

“Most of us chose this, to do what we do. But Wally, Wally sort of… fell into it, I guess” you admit, thinking back of how he came to be Kid Flash.

Everyone goes silent at the revelation, and together you continue through the snow. Your lips were starting to turn blue by the time you heard the creaking.

The noise had drawn everyone’s attention and as you looked up a door had appeared at the peak of one of the mountains. You took a moment to look at Kaldur before you all raced towards it. Kaldur and M’gann rush in first, and then Superboy and you follow. As soon as you stepped through you were falling. All of you fell down toward the ground, landing together. Your landing was cushioned by Superboy’s back.

“Unh!” He groaned at the impact of your body on his.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, rolling off of him. Your face scrunched up in pain as Artemis appeared over you, offering you her hand. 

Once you were on your feet you took in your surroundings, you noticed both Artemis and Wally had reappeared with the objective of the mission, Kent Nelson. Your eyes then drift to two others, Abra Cadabra and Klarion the Witch Kid, with his dumb cat, and your brows furrow at their aggressive stances. 

“Friends of yours?” Mr. Nelson asked us as Abra shot a blast of energy at you all. 

The team scrambled to avoid getting hit. You pulled out your ring daggers as you looked around, both Mr. Nelson and Wally had disappeared once again. 

You rolled your eyes from behind your sunglasses and shook it off before beginning to fight and dodge Abra’s attacks. You twirled the chinese ring dagger before chucking it at Abra, it cut against his shirt but he managed to dodge it before he sent an electric trap at you. You were not as successful and crumpled to the ground in pain as the electricity shocked you. You’re not sure how long you were down but the pain was beginning to overwhelm you as you watched with a clenched jaw as your teammates all were taken down in a similar fashion. 

Your vision was beginning to darken when the golden holographic symbol of doctor fate appeared above you. Abra’s clothes disappeared in a moment and so did the traps. You heaved once as you staggered to your feet and stumbled forward, you would’ve fallen once more but Artemis caught you. You looked up in time to see Superboy punch Abra in the face.

By the time Wally reappeared, it was clear something had happened. He was gripping onto the golden helmet of Doctor Fate with sullen eyes. When he approached, he immediately reached out to you, arm around your waist, and supported your weight, allowing Artemis to check on the others. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking you over.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” you muttered, as he helped you stand, ignoring his question.

“I shouldn’t have lied,” he shrugged.

“You’re still one of my best friends, even if you’re iffy on magic,” you decide, leaning a bit against him, with a playful smile.

“Always,” he nodded before helping you onto the bioship. “But you’re okay?” he asked again.

Your body ached as he gently helped you to your seat, and you let out a pitiful groan as you settled and Wally’s lips quirked, “a little sore,” you mumble.

“Too bad I can’t bibbidi-bobbidi-boo you better,” he joked. 

A laugh slipped past your lips as they curled into a smile. You gave him a thankful glance, Wally could always make you laugh, even when you didn’t think you could.

You placed the call to the League informing them of Kent Nelson’s passing as you as everyone else took their seats. When the call ended everyone seemed somber. Your gaze shifted back over to Wally and you noticed how the gold helmet was still in his hands and you frowned. 

“Souvenir?” you asked, referring to Dr. Fate’s helmet.

“Yeah,” Wally nodded, his voice slow and low.

You decided to let him be after that, he looked like he was in pain and ready to drop. As the bioship took off you couldn’t help but observe him, he seemed to be deep in thought but everything about him seemed to have matured in the last few hours. You bit down on your lip to keep from intruding on the silence that he so desperately seemed to be clinging onto.

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 20th, 03:23 EDT

As soon as you returned to the mountain, you had to debrief both Red Tornado and then Batman over a video call. Robin was standing behind him, lips pulled in a pout as you all shared what had happened today. At the very end, everyone was dismissed but Robin called your name. 

“NG!” you looked back to the screen as the team drifted away. Batman looked at you and then at Robin before disappearing off-screen. 

“Hey,” you greeted softly. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, still frowning. 

“I’ll be fine,” you wave off. “It was just a little electricity,” you muse. 

“Right,” he smirked. “But you’d tell me if you weren’t, right?” he pressed. 

You sobered for a moment, and smiled with a small nod, “I will,” you promised. 

He stared at you for a minute before Batman called for him. No words were exchanged but you nodded your head once more and he smiled before clicking the feed shut. You made your way to the locker room and pulled out a hoodie. You stuffed your leather jacket and tattered top in your duffle, along with all your gear before pulling your hoodie on and walking out to the Zeta controls. You sent a text to Ollie asking for a driver to pick you up a block away from the Zeta point.

“Heading home?” Kaldur asked as he spotted you. 

“To Ollie’s actually, it’s closer,” you shrug. 

“Get some rest, my friend, today was… long,” he encouraged. 

You smiled at Kaldur before you stepped through the Zeta. As you appeared back in Star City you got a text from Oliver saying the driver was there. You walked to the car and as soon as you slipped in the exhaustion started rolling through you. By the time you made it to Oliver’s you flopped onto one of the sofa’s and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

August 27th, 07:58 EDT

Training simulations had always been tough, especially when Batman was the one calibrating them, but something was off. The team was moving sloppily, none of us seemed to be on the same page. The Clayface simulation had made its way through everyone, knocking each of us down. In the end, Aqualad had been the last one standing but it wasn’t enough. Batman had to intervene, when the simulation ended you were left standing, a bit beaten, with the rest of your team. 

You let out a frustrated groan as you pushed yourself back to your feet. Simulation or not, getting knocked back always hurt. The team sort of staggered together as we all looked at Batman. He sort of glared at us before focusing on Aqualad.

“I need to talk to Aqualad, the rest of you hit the showers and head home,” he ordered.

“Head home? I am home.” Superboy sassed as he walked away.

You shared a look with Robin as everyone else left, and instantly the two of you flank Kaldur. Kaldur might be the leader, but you were never going to leave him on his own, even when dealing with Batman.

“Just Aqualad,” Batman pressed, as his eyes narrowed on Robin and you, though neither of you budged.

Kaldur turned to look at you before offering a small nod, then he turned to Robin and they shared a look. Robin meets your gaze seconds later and that’s all you needed. Together the two of you stepped back and walked away. 

“When was the last time, we had actual free time?” you asked Robin as you walked through the cave.

“What even is free time?” Robin shot back.

You were laughing as the two of you entered the locker room. You opened yours and grabbed your duffle before slipping into one of the lockable stalls to change. When you stepped out you noticed robin sitting on the bench still in his suit but he was checking his utility belt. 

“What are you going to do?” you asked, sitting down beside him. 

“I don’t know, I’ll probably just head home,” he shrugged and you nodded. “What about you?”

“There’s someone I’ve been meaning to visit,” you tell him, but your voice sounded distant, Robin seemed to pick up on it because his hand came to your shoulder and offered a reassuring squeeze before he grabbed his gear and walked to the changing room.

“Till next time Birdy,” he saluted with two fingers playfully as he closed the door. 

You smiled before grabbing your duffle and walking out. As you moved toward the Zeta you realized how long it’s been since you started the team, almost three months. It’s been three months since you’ve had free time, meaning it’s been almost three months since you went to visit them. Three months was a long time, and today there was no excuse. You pick up the pace, saying your goodbyes to everyone. As you arrive at the Zeta Control you spot Artemis, also in her civvies, typing on the screen.

“Hey,” you smile.

“Oh hey, you girl of secrets,” she jokes, eyes darting to your sunglasses.

“What’s life without a little mystery,” you muse.

“It’s cool,” She smiles back understandingly.

“Artemis b-0-7,” The computer recognizes, and right before the Zeta beams remove her from your vision she offers a wink. As the light dissipates you punch in the coordinates for Star City and allow yourself to be zeta’d there. 

STAR CITY

August 27th, 09:27 EDT

As soon as you exited the Zeta you started walking toward Ollie’s. You knew both Oliver and Dinah were out. So using your keys you unlocked the door and head in. You beeline for the guest room that you basically had claimed as your own. You make quick work of grabbing a change of clothes and heading into a bathroom. You took a quick shower before heading out once again. 

As you descend the staircase you make a pitstop in the kitchen, you grabbed one of Oliver’s fancy pressed juices from his fridge before walking down to the Garage. You sipped on it as you scanned over the many vehicles before you. Unfortunately, when you weren’t wearing a domino mask you couldn’t exactly be seen driving a motorcycle as a 14-year-old. You purse your lips and grab a very normal bike. 

You drop the drink in the little basket before wheeling the bike out of the garage. You took off down the hill back toward the city. You smile as the sun peeks out at you as you navigate through the city. You turned down a particularly sunny street gliding past people on the sidewalk, you smiled as you spotting the Sherwood Florists shop in the middle. The building was a Florist’s dream, cobblestone walls and vines stood out against the busy cityscape, and the smell of flowers wafting through the streets. You parked your bike outside and walked in, the bell chimed and a blond turned toward you. 

“(Y/n)?” Dinah seemed surprised to see you.

“Hey, D,” you smiled walking over to her counter and lifting yourself up to sit on it. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be training?” she asked, a perfectly manicured eyebrow raising in question.

“Nope got dismissed early,” you shrugged, picking up a violet from the basket beside the counter.

“You wanna hang out here?” she asked, and you smiled to yourself. 

“Maybe later, I was actually planning to go see my parents,” you tell her. 

Dinah’s face softens immediately, she had always been supportive of staying close to your heritage because she knew it was something your parents took pride in. 

“Take some flowers from me, alright?” she smiled. 

“Sure thing, Dinah,” you nod getting up.

You grab a second violet from the basket and bushel of baby’s breath. You split the baby’s breath in half and pair one violet with each before tying a ribbon around them, giving you two simple bouquets. Holding the two you walk up to Dinah and place a kiss on her cheek before heading out.

“Thanks, D. You’re the best,” you smile at her, receiving a very sweet smile in return.

You bike your way to the cemetery right outside of town and you make your way through the quiet place with a heavy heart.

You stop before a brilliant Red Oak. You always thought it was fitting that your parents were laid to rest under such a beautiful tree, it’s vibrant red leaves a permanent marker of the vibrant people it covers. You crouched down, sitting on your knees in between the two headstones. Your eyes catch on your last name as it stares back at you Roxo, and the violets in your hand seem heavier. 

You were a kindergartner when you asked what your last name meant. Your father had put you in his lap and explained that Roxo came from your Brazillian heritage, and in English it meant violet. The Violet became one of your favorite flowers after that.

You smiled at the memory setting a bouquet down beside each headstone. You dusted the dry leaves away and took a deep breath. The wind seemed to react as it blew a gentle breeze that rattled the branches of the giant Red Oak above you and you smiled. 

“Hey Mom, hi Dad,” you breathed out and the sun seemed to shine just a bit brighter. 

FLASHBACK

STAR CITY

December 6th, 2004 - 21:03 EDT

You were eight the night it happened. You had been at home coloring in the book your mother had gotten you, your dad sat across from you watching the football game, and your mother beside him, watching eyes on you. 

The knock on the door had been loud and ill-timed, everything had been so calm, so peaceful, and then everything had changed. The knocking continued and soon it became banging, which then turned into yelling. 

“Open the damn door, Roxo!” A man bellowed from the other side. 

The crayons had dropped from your hand and your parents were now standing, the football game was long forgotten. Suddenly your mother came and grabbed you by the arm, she tugged you into the closet, and hugged you. She hugged you tighter than she had ever done in the past. When she pulled away her eyes were wet. 

“I love you, (y/n). I will always love you, don’t you ever forget that. Okay, sweetheart? Always. Now stay here and don’t move. I love you so much and I know you’ll do such great things in life,” her voice was cracking but at that moment you couldn’t comprehend why she was saying what she was. 

Your dad rushed over next, he placed a kiss on your forehead before hugging you tightly too. “You’re strong, you’ll get past this, and I’ll be proud. I’ll always be proud of you. I am proud of you. I love you, my violet,” he said and for the first time in your life you saw him cry, his voice had wavered and there were tears in his eyes but they weren’t the happy kind. He pushed you down so you were sitting and placed one last kiss on your head. “You stay here, and do not move, okay, (Y/n)?”

“Dad-” your voice had cracked, how couldn’t it, everyone was crying and the storm outside was only getting louder. 

“The police are on their way!” your mother shouted.

“Don’t move (y/n), and don’t speak. We love you so much!” Your dad said once again, this time closing the closet door. 

A moment later the front door opened with a bang. You could hear heavy footsteps on the ground but you remained silent, and you remained still. You heard your parents beg. You heard your mom cry out and you could hear the rainstorm outside still thundering on. That’s when you heard the first one, it was similar to thunder but much louder, screams followed it and you peeked your eyes through the small slits in the door. Your father lay on the ground, eyes open and looking up, but he wasn’t moving. There was a small hole in his forehead, and you had wanted to scream, you wanted to crawl out of the closet and poke him. You wanted your dad to get up and come rushing to you, to protect you, just like he had always done before, but he didn’t move, he didn’t make a sound and neither did you. 

The man who had been yelling from the other side of the door spoke, “You want it through the heart or like your man here, straight through that beautiful brain of yours?” He asks, the voice was gravelly and it sounded as though the man was enjoying the situation. 

“We saved lives, and that’s all we ever wanted to do, since we were kids, dying for that cause is the best reason to go. So do your worst, you coward, I saved lives, my husband saved lives. We made the right choice,” my mother spoke, but in a tone you had never heard before, her words were laced with venom and instead of shaking from the tears, it was cold and steady. “And there is nothing your bosses can do that would ever change our minds,” then there was another crack of thunder outside, and what preceded it was a gunshot, the second one of the evening. The second gunshot which killed your mother, her body fell, slumping from the kneeling position down to the ground beside your father’s. 

“Let’s go, cops’ll be here soon,” a different man said, the same heavy footsteps receded, and then you were left alone. 

There were three bodies in my home but you were alone, tears streaming down your face, but you didn’t move, and you didn’t make a sound. You remained as you were until a police detective found you. He looked at you with pity but your eyes were glued to the bodies before you, no more pieces of wood separating you from them, just the eerie silence and displacement of being alone and death. 

The detective pulled you away and soon was sitting in the shotgun seat of a squad car, the windows were cracked and you could hear some chatter but your mind couldn’t comprehend what was being said. The officer returned, pity still laced in his eyes.

“I’m going to take you to the precinct,” he said slowly. “My name is Detective Lance, can you tell me yours?” he asked. 

You opened your mouth to respond but no sound came out, no sound, that was what your father had said and no sound is what your brain displayed. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he smiled sadly at you before starting the car. He drove from your house to the precinct. You spent the night there and fell asleep in Detective Lance’s chair. The next day the shock had partially worn off but the reality had settled. You didn’t make a sound but occasionally tears would fall. 

Detective Lance tried to talk to you again, but the silence was the only thing left for you, “You know, I think I have someone you might like, I’ll be back in a few,” he decides, pulling out his phone. 

About 15 minutes later a lady with blonde hair approached you, “Hi sweetie, my name is Dinah Laurel Lance,” at her last name you looked up, and then your eyes drifted to the detective who was standing a few feet behind her. “Yeah, he’s my dad,” she smiles softly crouching down beside you. 

You offer her a slight nod…dad….you missed your dad….

“I want to help you, but to do so I need to know your name, can you tell me your name? Please?” she attempts. Her voice is light and soft, but she brought back up, she places a glass of water and a sandwich in front of you. “You don’t need to answer now, but eat, you need to eat,” she offers you another soft smile before standing back up and squeezing your shoulder. 

She was about to turn around when the words left your lips, “(y/n),” your voice was squeaky like one of a mouse but it was also quiet, so quiet that if she hadn’t been listening she would’ve never heard it.

“One more time, a bit louder please,” she asks turning back to you, her voice still sweet and not at all commanding. 

“(y/n),” you repeat a bit louder. 

STAR CITY

August 27th, 13:03 EDT

You sit there between the two gravestones, hands clasped in your lap as you think back to everything that’s happened since that day. One thought rings louder than the rest is Dinah. Dinah has done so much for you, she wasn’t just your mentor, she was your family. Without her, you’d probably still be with Welfare, and your parents’ killers would’ve gone free. Dinah had helped her father find the men who killed your parents, if not for her no one would’ve ever learned that their murders were planned in retaliation for a secret they had uncovered. Things had moved so fast after that, but you made it through with Dinah’s support. She helped you through testifying against those men, she held your hand when they were convicted, and welcomed you into her home once the case was concluded. She did even more, though, she introduced you to Ollie, to Roy, and to Nightingale. You never would’ve become this best version of you if she hadn’t seen it first. 

When Dinah adopted you she made it clear, she never wanted to replace your parents, and so though you were never her daughter, technically, she has never been anything short of an incredible guardian. Dinah trained you the way she had been trained. She taught you everything she could and allowed others to aid in ways she couldn’t. When you became Nightingale it felt like everything finally made sense again. For the first time after the death of your parents.

Your thoughts cleared as a butterfly landed on your mother’s grave, you smiled at it. Butterflies were like an omen of transformation, they went through stages and were so unbelievably delicate in such an abrasive world, but they survived. You stared at the butterfly as it perched on your mother’s grave for a few seconds longer before watching it take off once more. You looked at the sky and nodded, “I understand,” you whispered, standing back up.  

Things will always change and the world will always be abrasive, but a person can survive if they’re willing to transform too. If they’re willing to put in the work and thrive. 

You dusted off your jeans and looked at the two stones, side by side, and sniffed a little, “I love you guys, always,” you say gently, tapping the top of the gravestones one last time before turning and walking back to your bike.

By the time you made it back to Sherwood Florist, it was late in the afternoon. You walked in and sat back on the countertop, as you waited for Dinah to finish with a customer. She smiled and waved at them as they left before coming over to you. 

“How was it?” she asked, her tone was so gentle, and you found it funny that she could rupture eardrums if she wanted to. 

“It was really nice, I felt bad since I hadn’t been to see them in a while,” you admit, head tilting down.

“Anytime you want to go see them, you just have to ask,” she reminds you, tilting your head back up and you nod. She smiles at you, tucking some hair behind your ear.

“I know, D,” you assure her, and your eyes dance around the shop. “How’s it been today?” you asked. 

“Well it’s nothing like being in a band,” she mused causing you to snort, “but we had a nice rush, and that couple that just left wants to hire us to do the arrangements for their wedding,” she smiled. 

You shook your head, you know that Dinah had a lot of fun when she used to rock out on stage. You’d even seen some footage of the famed Dinah Drake and her band, the Black Canary. You’d even dressed up in her old gear one year around Halloween, Oliver thought it was hilarious, and you swear you’d never seen Dinah turn so red. 

“Wedding arrangements are fun,” you smile looking around the shop.

“You say that for every party arrangement,” she chuckles.

“Hey, celebrations are fun,” you shoot back and she shakes her head. 

“Remind me of that when we’re de-thorning the roses,” she snorted. 

“I hate that part,” you grumble, earning a laugh from your mentor. 

When the clock hit five you were ready for the evening rush. Husbands buying flowers for their wives, couples headed out to dinner parties, and other such events. You helped Dinah by manning the register, and occasionally running to the greenhouse in the back to restock the buckets on display. As that rush slowed you helped with the clean up. Brooms and wipes to clean up as much as possible. At 7:50 Oliver strolled in and leaned against the counter. 

“Hey, kid,” he smiled at you. 

“Hi, Ollie,” you smiled back, emptying the dustpan. 

“Did she keep you busy today?” he asked, eyes darting to Dinah, who was doing some inventory updates. 

“Always,” you muse and he smirks. 

You noticed the look in his eyes as he watched Dinah, and you could only smile. You’d watched these two pine for years before they finally got together. Oliver was never as happy as he was when he was with Dinah, and it made your heart soar. To know that after everything, these two still had each other. Dinah wasn’t your mom, and she had made it clear that she never wanted to replace your mom, but she was your guardian and the more you thought about it Oliver had earned that title too. Oliver had helped you nearly as much as Dinah had, if not more. Ollie knew what it was like, and there were many nights that he spent with you on the couch watching movies because you were too afraid to go back to sleep and remember what had happened. 

“I heard that B cut training short today, any guesses?” he asked. 

“Kaldur’s going through something,” you tell him and he nods. 

“Have you been here since then?”

“I went to see my parents for a bit,” you admit. 

Oliver’s head tilts down and he offers up a sort of sad smile, it’s the same one he gets when he talks about his own parents, “how was it?”

“It was… nice. I sort of just, talked to them, you know? Like a little life update,” you tell him, as you move to lean against the counter beside him. 

“Yeah, (y/n), I think I do,” he nods in agreement and you clasp your hands together in your lap. 

“Do you... Does the tugging feeling ever go away?” you stutter. 

He turns back to you, same sad smile still on display, “No,” he tells you, an arm going around your shoulder, “but the pain gets better,” he tells you and you take a deep breath. “I promise,” he adds. 

“Thanks, Ollie,” you smile at him, and he offers you a real one in return, pulling you slightly closer to him. You sniffled a bit as you wiped your eyes, Ollie’s hand rubbed your back comfortingly. 

“Anytime, kiddo, anytime,” he assures you, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “C’mon let’s grab Dinah. I’m thinking Big Belly Burger for dinner tonight,” hums and you smile, falling in step with him. 

Chapter Text

BIALYA

September 4th, 00:16 EEST

Your hands were cradling your head as your eyes shot open. Rubbing your temples as you tried to concentrate, despite the constant throbbing, blinding sun, and the unyielding heat. You squinted as you turned around, taking in your surroundings, your lips parted in surprise, all you could see was sand. Your heart started to pound, every direction you turned, all there was, was desert. Your hands slid back over your hair, fingers tracing the outline of your braids as you let out a frustrated groan. 

Nothing was making sense. Why were you in the desert?  Your body froze as you realized how you were dressed, a black bodysuit and a leather jacket. You could see your ring daggers, marble bombs, and escrima sticks, but somehow you felt less safe than ever. You couldn’t remember anything, not how you got here, not even where here was. You took a deep breath and nodded to yourself. You were the Nightingale, a hero of Star City; you could do this. You pulled the jacket off your body and tied it around your waist. Your hair was pulled back by your braids, but the sweat trickled down your neck, and you felt how sticky the heat was making you. Another deep breath and you reached for your phone. It was supposed to be in a lined protective pocket, but there was nothing there. 

“Well, that’s just wonderful,” you mutter, hands moving to your hips as you squint out into the desert. 

You had just started climbing down the rock formation you had woken up on when you heard an explosion go off on your right. Turning, you notice the smoke that has begun to rise. 

“Oh shit,” you sigh; looking down, you gauge the height before shrugging and flipping off the rock. You land in a summersault before standing up and jogging toward the explosion. 

You made it a few miles before you heard the fighter planes. You knew you stood out, a black spec on the plains, but before you could react, you spotted something shoot up from the ground. It was launched up to the fighters, causing them to crash into each other about a mile and a half up. You broke into a sprint, trying to catch up to whoever was up there. You spotted a few people as you got closer, and once you were about 40 yards away, you were able to make the one in the middle out. 

Your body seemed to relax a little as you identified the boy, “KF!” you shouted his name, and the redhead turned back to you. 

He seemed taken aback at first, but as he looked at you, a small smile came to his face as he sped towards you. “NG!” he shouted, and his arms wrapped around you a second later.

“What’s going on, Wally?” you asked, returning his hug and spotting the two other females who were still standing where he had been just a few minutes ago.

“I wish I knew,” he sighed, taking a step back.

“She’s green, like..” you trial focusing on the redheaded girl with green skin who was now smiling directly at you. 

“Yeah, apparently she’s J’ohn’s niece, and we’re all teammates,” he says, looking back at the girl.

“Teammates?” you repeat incredulously. 

“Yeah, us four, Rob, and Superboy,” Wally says with quotation marks surrounding the last name. 

“What the hell is a Superboy?” you ask, your eyes narrowing from behind your mask.

A few minutes later, you and Wally rejoined the other two girls, and the martian, M’gann, took the lead. She was bubbly and continued to babble on about the so-called ‘team’ as you all followed after her. The other girl, Artemis, stayed mostly silent as she trudged a bit behind the rest of you. You made eye contact with Wally; this was crazy. You noticed the way Wally’s brow was furrowed and how his eyes kept darting around. Wally West was a jokester without a doubt, but he was also one of your closest friends, and clearly, this was eating at his nerves. How could it not? You stared at Wally a moment longer remembering your first time meeting the other sidekicks. Robin, Wally, and Kaldur. Robin had been silent on Batman’s side but Wally had taken the opportunity to introduce himself. Red hair and a personality that was just as vibrant. Yes, you had Roy, but Wally was the one to show you that these people, these other sidekicks, could be more than peers and colleagues, they could be friends. 

“You know the truly crazy things always happen when you’re around,” you muse, turning to him, and he scoffs but smiles and your smile back. 

“You always know exactly what to say, Birdy,” he chuckles, shaking his head. Maybe he saw through your off-hand comment, but he seemed to appreciate it nonetheless.

“It’s a gift,” you smirk, turning your attention from the redhead and back to the desert.

You walked for a few hours the sun had just set when you heard it, gunshots. Your eyes widened as you turned back to Wally. He seemed to understand because he began nodding his head at you and pulling his goggles down over his eyes. 

“On it,” he assured you, before taking off. 

You took off at your top speed right behind him. When you caught up, you arrived at the scene of a fight and spotted another of your friends, Robin. Both he and Wally were fighting some men in tactical gear, no doubt the ones who were firing their weapons earlier. You noted the markings on the gear and realized they looked an awful lot like Biyalian rebels but couldn’t be sure. Without another thought, you jumped into the fight. You pulled the metal cylinders attached to your utility belt and pulled the pin on each one, allowing them to extend into your escrima sticks. A playful smile donned your lips as you swing them in your hands a few times before rushing a few of the rebels. Methodical swipes, bashes, and kicks were all it took to knock them unconscious. And as soon as M’gann and Artemis had caught up, the archer took out the last one. You gave her an appreciative nod before twirling the escrima sticks once more. 

“KF! Man, it’s good to see a familiar face,” Robin says as the two of them do the ‘bro shake.’

“Hey, Rob,” Wally smiles. “Memory loss?”

“Six months,” Robin clarifies, and your small smile leaves your lips as they part in surprise, six months? A lot could’ve happened in six months. 

“Alright, boys, let’s hogtie these creeps and compare notes,” you decide, drawing Robin’s attention. 

Rob offered you a sad but hopeful smile as he spotted you, “Hey NG,” his voice was a bit softer than it had been before.

“What’s happening, Boy Wonder?” you joke, placing the escrima sticks on your back harness. 

“Six months’ worth of blank space, you know the usual,” he smirks. 

You scoff and shake your head as he tosses you some rope, and you work together to tie the Bialyan rebels up. You all walk another half-mile before pausing to discuss. M’gann starts up immediately while you and Wally take turns sharing looks with Robin.

“So we’re a team?” Robin asks in wonder.

“The five of us, and Superboy,” M’gann clarifies. 

“Then this must be his,” Rob states, pulling a piece of fabric from his belt. 

“Yes! Did you see him?” M’gann asks worriedly. 

“I think we did,” Artemis realized. 

“Feral boy? Some teammate,” Wally scoffed. “He attacked us.”

“He didn’t know who we are,” Artemis defended, “I don’t know who we are.”

“I remember Batman ordering radio silence. Our team must work for him!” Robin says, and you pull your bottom lip between your teeth as you try to make sense of it all.

“How do you know we don’t work for my mentor?” KF interject, pointing to the symbol on his chest. When he touched it, his suit reverted from his black stealth suit to its original yellow & red color scheme. Your eyebrow quirks at that in surprise, “Whoa! This is so cool!”

“That’s high-level stealth tech,” you mutter, eyes meeting Robin’s, and he seems to understand; six months wasn’t just a lot of time to be missing; it was too much. Something had obviously happened. 

Wally missed your comment as he continued to play with the new found feature of his suit. The color schemes switched rapidly from yellow & red to black & grey.

“You look ridiculous! Quit touching yourself!” Artemis exasperates, obviously frustrated, slapping Wally’s hand while glaring at him.

“We need our memories back,” you finally say, voice loud enough to talk over the rest, though it held an eerie sort of calm to it. 

Suddenly there’s a flash of light, and you’re standing in some sort of room. The four others were still with you, but your surroundings were purple with floating fragments of memories, moving pictures floating around you. Another bright light appeared, and out of it came M’gann. 

“I brought you into my mind to share what I’ve remembered so far. But I need your help. Together, our broken memories can form a whole; if you open your minds to mine,” she shares, and you can’t help but mimic her uneasy expression. 

You pause; your thoughts were just that, your own. You didn’t need someone rifling through them, normal therapy was already intrusive enough, but as you look around at the small fragments, you knew that allowing M’gann might be the only way to piece it all together.

“You want to paw through our private thoughts?” Artemis accuses, stepping back from the martian. 

M’gann was quick to correct Artemis, “I have no wish to intrude, but-”

“You need to hack our minds to know what happened to us. Got it. Go,” Robin interrupts with a knowing smile. 

“My brain’s all yours. Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you,” Kf says with a smirk. 

“Or underwhelm you,” you snort, causing him to send you a look, but you were slightly distracted. Why was it so easy for them to agree?

“Hey, why isn’t anyone ever just whelmed?” Robin asked suddenly.

Wally walks closer to Artemis and grabs her hand, giving her a small nod, and you can’t help but smile. They seemed like such a good fit. “Past six months only, and only what you need,” Artemis begrudgingly agrees, and everyone’s attention shifted to you. 

“I, um,” you stuttered and paused. You know that the right choice would be to say yes, but what if something personal happened? You’ve already been through so much, and so many people still give you pity looks when they hear about your parents. That’s why you wear your mask because you don’t want to deal with those looks anymore. 

“I won’t go anywhere that seems unnecessary, simply memories of our team and how we work together,” M’gann assured you. 

You bite down on your lip again before you feel a hand touch your back. When you look over, you see Rob, his hand moved up to your shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. You nod and take a deep breath. 

“Okay, go for it,” you exhale.

Blue tentacle-like things sprout from M’gann’s hand and connect to each of your heads. Pictures begin to piece together and flow around you, memories of the past six months coming together like a movie before you…

Memories of Batman’s mission brief come together first.

“The watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site, what landed there. Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee and not a member of the League’s U.N. Charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times. You’ll land in Qurac on Bialya’s border, two clicks from the hot site.”

Next, you’re in the desert. You can see yourselves setting up some tech, and then you see as everyone takes their positions for recon. As everything starts to come together, you get this nagging feeling that something seems wrong. Voices began to echo as the flashes switched quicker through the recon. 

“All, clear,” Robin confirmed. 

Artemis’s voice came next, “the Bialyans control the site.”

“Set up here,” your voice rang out. 

 Your brows furrowed. Something was still wrong.

“We’ll be up and running in no time,” Wally’s voice accompanied a vision of a screen. “Jackpot! The site’s lousy with zeta beam radiation.”

“Detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent,” Robin alerted the team; everyone was standing nearby.

The vision showed M’gann as she stepped forward, “I’ll check it out in camouflage mode.”

“Good idea. Go,” someone affirmed.

You finally realized why something seemed wrong. Someone was still missing. 

“Careful,” Superboy pressed. 

“And maintain telepathic contact,” the missing person came to view, and your heart started to race. 

“I will, Aqualad.”

Your eyes flutter open with a gasp as the missing person becomes clear, Kaldur. 

“Aqualad!” the five of you seemed to shout his name in unison as you all come back to reality. 

“Where is he?” you asked calmly, but no response came. “What happened next?” you pushed, your voice now had an edge as you stepped towards M’gann. 

“I don’t know! That’s the last thing I-we remember,” M’gann says, her tone devastated as she stared at you with wide eyes.  

“What do you mean that’s the last thing?” your eyes narrowed on her while your tone became aggressive. “That can’t be it!” you shouted but were cut off when a hand grabbed your shoulder. 

“NG! Calm down, we’ll find him,” Robin tried to soothe, but you scoffed, shrugging his hand off your shoulder and walking further away. You paused close enough to hear their conversation but kept your back to them as you tried to level your breathing.

“We landed 24 hours ago. If Kaldur’s been wandering the desert that long, well, that’s not good for a guy with gills,” Wally trailed, his voice full of uncertainty. 

You let out a low groan and could feel how they were all staring at you. 

You took another deep breath before turning back to them, “we have to find him,” you tell them seriously. 

None of them could understand. How could they? You’d never told them why you were so close, but Kaldur was arguably the person you were closest to on the team. He had done so much for you at a time where you desperately needed the support. You had to find him.

“Now that I know to look for him…” Robin spoke up, causing you to turn to him as he started typing at his holo-computer. “He’s close!” Robin shouted, “but he’s not moving,” he added, and your heart stuttered. 

Immediately you set off in Kaldur’s direction, allowing Robin to guide you. When you find him, he’s lying on the ground muttering incoherent words. Rushing toward your fallen friend, you drop to your knees. You’re gentle as you lift his head into your lap. Leaning down you hear him mumbling, trying to make sense of his words. He’s speaking in Atlantean, his native tongue, but you could only understand bits and pieces.

M’gann dropped down beside you, “I can’t restore his memories in this condition,” she admits gently, and your eyes drop down to your delirious friend. 

“He needs immediate rehydration,” Rob decides. 

Your hands gently wipe at his forehead, “Call the bioship,” your voice cracked a bit as you made the request.

“It’s out of range,” she apologized but turned to Wally, “but you can get him there fast.”

“He’s too heavy, and I’m too low on fuel,” Wally admitted, and you wince you could hear the exhaustion in his voice as he spoke. “Right now, I couldn’t even carry her.”

Artemis scoffs and hits Wally’s shoulder before looking to M’gann, “Why not just levitate him back?”

“I can’t,” she argues, and you send her a hard look. She seems taken aback by it before stuttering out an explanation, “I have to find Superboy. Six months ago, he didn’t exist. He has no memories. Just animal impulse. I’m the only one who can help him.” 

You drop her gaze once more and have an internal debate with yourself, Superboy is just as much a part of the team as Kaldur is, but at the same time, you feel the need to prioritize your Atlantean friend, which wasn’t fair. You knew that.

“Superboy’s indestructible. Just ask those tanks. It’s Aqualad who needs your help. Like, now,” Wally urges. 

“No, she’s right,” you croak, and you can feel them all staring at you once more. “Superboy needs her,” you mutter, hands cradling Kaldur’s face.

Your eyes stay on Kaldur, intent on avoiding everybody’s gaze. Suddenly M’gann doubled over, gripping her head as her face contorted in pain. “No! Superboy’s in pain!” she shouted, taking off not even a second later. 

“M’gann! Wait!” Artemis shouted after her. 

“We still don’t know what erased our memories! It could happen again!” Robin calls out, but it’s of no use; she’s already long gone. 

It’s silent for a moment before you look up, and the other three all had dumbfounded looks on their faces, “Robin,” you call his name flatly, and he turns back to you within seconds. “Do you have the coordinates of the bioship?” you ask. 

“Yeah,” he affirms, pulling up a map for you to see. 

“Good, we gotta get Aqualad there, with or without M’gann,” you tell them. “C’mon, help me make something a gurney or something to carry him,” your voice is leveled as you focus your nerves and anxiety into caring for Kaldur. 

The three all nod at you before you start pulling pieces together. It took a few minutes, but you had a semi-stable gurney. Gently you all work together to lift Kaldur onto the gurney. You picked up one side, and Artemis grabbed the other. Robin took the lead, and Wally was watching our backs as we walked. 

You had made it about a mile when you heard the revving of an engine. 

“Quick, over there,” Robin pointed, checking his map as the car got close. You all ducked behind some rocks. 

Kaldur began murmuring things again; you tried your best to piece it together, but whatever he was saying didn’t seem to make sense. 

“Shh. Kaldur'ahm, quiet now,” you pleaded with the softest voice you could manage, placing your hand to his forehead, and your eyebrows were crinkled from worry. 

“We can’t risk a firefight with Aqualad KO’d like this,” Robin said as you spotted rebels pouring out of the cars. 

“It’s not just him. I’m way out of juice,” Wally added, and you could hear how out of breath he was. 

“And I’m almost out of arrows,” Artemis added, and you looked away from your unconscious friend to turn to Robin. 

However, you all seemed to notice at the same time that Robin had disappeared.

“Ugh. I forgot how much I hate it when he does the ninja thing,” Wally groaned. 

“Damn it,” you muttered, chewing on your bottom lip. It wasn’t a good idea for anyone to be on their own, not right now. “Artemis, keep an eye on Aqualad,” you decided, pulling out your escrima sticks and handing them to her.

“Woah, woah, woah, where do you think you’re going?” Wally stopped you. 

“And why are you giving me these?” Artemis gaped at you. 

“You said it yourself, Wally, you running on empty, Artemis is out of arrows, he and I are the only ones trained formally in hand to hand,” you remind them. “Trust me when I say that I don’t need the sticks to do damage, but you can use them if you need to, okay?” you assure them. 

“This is a horrible idea,” Wally countered. 

“Maybe,” you shrug, “but someone’s gotta keep an eye on the Boy Idiot,” you muse before running off. 

You may not have been dressed especially stealthy for the desert, but now that it was dark, the black in your costume melded with the shadows, offering you perfect stealth. You spotted Robin with relative ease; then again, that’s only because you knew precisely where he would hide. You slowly crept up to Robin, crouching down beside him, so you had a better view. 

“What’s the plan?” you ask softly. 

“Thought you would’ve stayed with Kaldur,” he said, eyeing you through his mask. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you turn, narrowing your eyes on him.

“Nothing, let’s just drop these closer to them,” he stated, moving over the topic and handing you a few of his birdarangs. 

He ran off in one direction, and you did the same in the other. You dropped the birdarangs in two groups to lure the Bialyan rebels further away before circling back to Wally and Artemis. 

“Oh, like you’re the goddess of congeniality,” you heard Wally state sarcastically, and your eyebrow rose as you made eye contact with Robin. 

“Yeesh. Get a room,” Robin mused. 

“Dude, where were you?” Wally reared. 

“Breaking radio silence,” Robin smirked as his stupid laugh started echoing from the birdarangs; a boom quickly followed. 

“That’s our cue, move!” you tell them, picking up one end of the gurney as Artemis grabbed the other side, and you took off once again. 

It was silent as you walked. Eventually, your arm started to hurt, and as you were switching it to the other, Wally came up to you.

“I got it, take a break,” he told you, grabbing the gurney from your hand.  

“Thanks, Wall,” you smile, moving your hand to his shoulder and squeezing it.

“No problem, but uh, talk to Robin. He’s been in a bit of a mood since your freak out about Kaldur,” he nudged. 

You simply nodded before falling in step with the Boy Wonder, who had been leading the way. 

“What did you mean?” you asked suddenly, your voice just a little louder than a whisper as you stared at him.

“What?” he asked, looking at you for a moment before turning his gaze back to the map and then the horizon. 

“When you mentioned Kaldur, you seemed….bitter?” you offered, unsure if any other descriptor would fit his tone. 

“It’s nothing, just didn’t realize the two of you were so close,” he muttered. 

“Well, yeah. He’s supported me through a lot. He was also one of the biggest advocates I had when Dinah sent me to Atlantis,” you admit thoughtfully. 

“You spent time in Atlantis?” he asked, pausing suddenly. 

You nodded and smiled, “I thought you knew, being a detective with access to my file,” you joked. 

“I never read your file,” he admitted, which honestly shocked you. 

“A few years after Dinah adopted me, the, uh, thugs who killed my parents broke out of prison during a riot. I went to this dark place inside my head. My actions were dangerous and could’ve cost me or somebody else their lives. Dinah decided to get me as far away as she could manage. So she asked Aquaman if I could spend some time in Atlantis until they caught the thugs again,” you explained briefly. 

He didn’t say anything, but he nodded, waiting for you to continue as you made a turn around a rock formation. 

“I was in Atlantis for about a year. Kaldur played a big part in helping me settle. He also protected me from a lot of hate that Atlanteans threw my way. I was an outsider, after all. He became my big brother, kind of like Roy,” you smile softly at the thought.

Robin opened his mouth, but his computer beeped, and you looked up. You could see the bioship as it deactivated from camouflage mode. 

“C’mon, let’s get him in there,” you decide, clearing your throat, as the four of you sprint the rest of the way, carrying Kaldur in.

As soon as you entered the Bioship, Robin and KF set Kaldur on a medical bed that materialized for them, and you quickly got the necessary supplies to help him. You had connected him to an IV that would help him rehydrate before conjuring a chair to sit beside him. 

Artemis had just set up the second saline bag when you all heard M’gann’s voice. 

“I’ve got Superboy. He’s back to normal, and we’re on our way,” you let out a sigh of relief as you heard her.

Kaldur, on the other hand, shot up. He had absorbed a fair amount of nutrients, and his vitals seemed a lot better, “who are you, and how did you get inside your head?” he shouted. 

“Hello, M’gann! Aqualad’s memories! I knew I forgot something,” she chirped, and you couldn’t help but snort as you watched Kaldur’s fingers come up to rub his temples, the panic in his eyes replaced with familiarity and slight discomfort. 

“Just relax, K, we got you,” you promised, pushing him back to lie down, his eyes locked with mine before he did as requested.  

“Al kalistosei, e dinha fela,” he muttered, and that you did understand. 

You smiled as he shut his eyes once more. ‘Thank you, dearest friend,’ was the English translation. You squeezed his hand in response. 

“Anytime, Kaldur’ahm,” you assure him before moving back toward your seat.

“Aw, man. I didn’t get a souvenir from the mission,”  Wally complained telepathically, and you couldn’t help but snort in response. 

“Don’t worry. Got the souvenir thing covered,”  M’gann promised in what sounded like amusement, though it was a bit cryptic. 

MOUNT JUSTICE

September 5th, 03:22 EST

Aqualad was deemed okay by all scans, which was reassuring. Everyone spread out to shower and clean up, after doing your best to get rid of all the sand that had snuck into your clothes you were ready to head home. Your head still ached and you couldn’t wait to get some sleep. You were walking through the halls headed toward the zeta tubes when a hand grabbed hold of your arm and pulled you into an empty room.

You opened your mouth to complain but cut yourself off as you realized it was Robin, “Rob, I’m totally drained and really want to go home,” you said softly instead. 

“Yeah, you can. I just… I never read your file because anything I learn about you, I want it to be from you,” he said thoughtfully, and your cheeks twinged with a red color. The small smug smile on his lips told you that he noticed. 

“If you ever want to know something, Robin. All you have to do is ask,” you promise.

“I’m sorry I acted weird about Kaldur,” he continued. 

“It’s cool the way I was acting could be easily taken out of context, especially if you don’t know the history behind it,” you shrug, and he smiles. 

It’s silent for a moment while you stare at each other through your sunglasses. “I’ll walk you out,” he decides, leading you back to the door. 

Robin stayed beside you as he escorted you to the zeta tubes. His hand was barely touching yours as you walked, and there was a soft smile stuck on your lips as you punched in the coordinates. 

“I’ll see you soon, Rob,” you offer him one last smile before walking into the zeta tube.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

September 7th, 19:20 NST

“You’ve got Nightingale,” you answered when the direct line to the Cave rang, Canary and GA were at a League meeting, and you had decided to log some extra hours at the computer running comms. 

“It’s Red Arrow; I need access to the Justice League’s database and the exact height of the League of Shadow’s assassin known as Cheshire.”

You immediately started searching for the profile but couldn’t help but roll your eyes, “Hey Birdy, how are you? I’m great, thanks for asking Red Arrow. How are you?” you shoot back at him, sarcasm dripping from every word. Though he says nothing, so you continue, “I’m brooding and a little lonely but too proud to admit-” he cuts you off before you can go any further with your horrible Roy impression. You had squinted your eyes and tried to talk in a deeper voice, it’s not exactly stunning work, but at least it got a reaction from him. 

“Just the height, please,” he huffed.

“Checking,” you sigh with a frown, “1.67 meters,” you recite once your file on Cheshire loaded. 

“Uhmm…” Roy trailed, clearly unfamiliar with the metric system; this was America after all.

“She’s 5’6,” you reiterate flatly.  

“And exceptionally dangerous,” a new voice added from over my shoulder. 

“Hey, Aqualad….” you trail with a nervous smile, spinning to look at your friend.

“Do you require backup?” Kaldur continued talking to Roy while offering you a look that screamed authority, causing your shoulders to drop.

“Please, the last thing I need is the junior Justice League,” Roy snapped. 

“Just our computer,” you muttered bitterly. 

“Good luck, my friend. Aqualad and Nightingale out,” Aqualad concluded before hanging up. Then he turned to you, “you should’ve called me.”

“It was a very abrupt call,” you deflect, shaking your head before standing up. “Plus, I thought he might just wanna talk.”

“He is going to require assistance,” Kaldur called after you as you had begun to walk away for a break.

“He scoffed when you offered Kaldur, I don’t think he wants it,” you remind him. 

“Sometimes what we want is not what we need,” Kaldur countered before allowing you to walk off. 

Hours had passed before you got another call, “Umph. It’s me, I may possibly be in over my head,” it was Roy and he sounded like he was in a lot of pain. 

“On my way,” you assured him before hanging up. 

You started gearing up, making sure your utility belt was stocked, before switching your mask for your sunglasses. You were wearing your suit sans leather jacket, with a big sweatshirt that made it look like you were simply wearing a pair of black pants, and elevated combat boots. Your utility belt was strapped diagonally across your body, under the sweatshirt. Marble bombs, ring daggers, and your escrima sticks in their condensed form weighed against your chest, and yet it never felt heavy. They never did, these weapons were your safety net, if anything you’d feel almost naked without them. Your choker was around your neck, and you tied your hair back, ready to go. You were punching in coordinates for the Taipei Zeta point when Kaldur cleared his throat. 

“Hey, Kaldur’ahm,” your tone was a bit too high as you stared back at him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, though you had a distinct feeling he already knew. 

“Taipei?” you shrugged nonchalantly, “I hear it’s beautiful this time of year.”

“Did he finally call?” Kaldur pushed past your facade. 

Your playful expression dropped, “Five minutes ago,” you relent. 

“Then we will go together, my friend,” he told you, “there is no need for solo missions, not anymore,” and you dropped his gaze with a pang of guilt. 

TAIPEI

September 7th, 21:00 NST

As soon as you reached Taipei you met with Roy, he offered you a full recap on what had happened. His tip on an assassination plot, chasing Cheshire, even what happened at the jail. 

“Sounds like someone likes you,” you snort after hearing that she kissed him. 

“You’re hilarious,” Roy glared at you, while his tone remained flat. 

“I know, thank you for noticing,” you smirk playfully, flipping your hair for effect. 

You couldn’t see it but you were sure he was rolling his eyes at you underneath his mask, “They’re not going to give up,” Aqualad interrupted. 

You nodded, gaze drifting to the building, “He’s right, we need to let the coordinators know, that way they can increase security, or-”

“I’m going to talk to Luthor again,” Roy decided instead. 

Your eyes narrow on the boy in red “Or we could try to talk to that conniving piece of-”

“Nightingale,” Aqualad’s tone carries a warning, forcing you to take a deep breath. 

“Luthor’s a total tool, okay? He probably doesn’t care if the Rhelasia’s mend relations, he gets good publicity, new connections, and more money, all the while seeming like the good guy,” you huff. 

“You’re not wrong, old friend, however, there is little we can do to change the selection. We can, however, ensure the safety of the two Rhelasia leaders,” Kaldur decided, sagely.

“What do we do then?” you press.

“Red Arrow should meet with Luthor once more, at the least, we can say we covered our bases, then we go in. We know Cheshire will try her hand again. Now that her stealthy approach has been compromised we should expect a much broader attack. The three of us will take positions within the crowd inside, when we see her, we will first neutralize the threat, and then engage. Remember, securing the room is the first step,” Kaldur decides, and you meet Roy’s gaze, your plan was set. 

Kaldur went to take a position first, while you walked with Roy to the elevators, “You think Luthor will help?” you asked cautiously. 

“No,” he admitted, “Though, I doubt that’s what you actually want to ask about?”

“You’ve been pretty radio silent since breakfast at Lenetti’s,” you say cautiously. 

“Oh,” is all Roy offers. 

“I get that you’re trying to do things on your own, I can even respect that, I guess I just thought you’d still be reachable,” you admit. 

“I-uh,” he paused as he turned to you. Both of you standing outside the elevators. “I thought I needed the distance to grow,” he tells you. 

“Grow?” you repeat.

“Into something more than a sidekick,” he continues

“Did you?” you press. 

“I think so, I hope so,” he admits softly. 

You bite down on your cheek, fighting the urge to tell him he could’ve achieved that growth with the team, with you. “And you’re happy?” you say instead.

“Since when was being happy a part of the job requirements?” he shoots back. 

You duck your head, avoiding his gaze. Even wearing his mask and your sunglasses, you could feel the intensity coming from his blue eyes now. “It won’t always be like this,” your voice sounds meek, even to yourself as you speak the words.

“You either haven’t been paying attention Birdy, or you’re still too young to understand,” Roy decides. 

He sniffs once and you turn back to look at him, he stares at you for a second, hand coming to your shoulder. He doesn’t say anything, but he does offer a small squeeze before he lets go of you and enters the elevator. 

You frown as you make your way back into the ballroom hosting the unification treaty meeting. The Rhelasia leaders’ chairs were empty, and so was Lex Luthor’s, all three enjoying the short break allotted to them. Scanning the room you manage to spot Aqualad. He’s leaning against a pillar, his own eyes scanning the environment, when he makes eye contact with you he offers a little nod and you give him a terse smile in return before moving through the crowd and taking your position. The Rhelasia Leaders return a few minutes later, and Lex Luthor follows as well. You manage to glimpse Roy as he entered the ballroom too, but based on his expression you can only assume the conversation with Lex went as well as you expected it to. 

You had taken to fiddling with two unarmed marble bombs in your palm with one hand, and tracing the ring of one of your ring daggers underneath your sweater with the other while your eyes danced around the room nervously. As soon as the talks resumed, so did the arguing. Your nerves were only getting worse as time passed, what if Cheshire had given up?

“The unification is unthinkable!” one of the leaders shouted. 

“Our peoples no longer have anything in common,” the other argued. 

“For people claiming to be so different, they seem to agree on the fact they aren’t the same,” you note lowly into your comms, though you garner no response. 

“Gentlemen, this is mere rhetoric. Despite your differences, you still share an appreciation for many things, such as the exquisite art of the Rhelasian tea ceremony,” Luthor stated calmly, your eyes narrowed on him for a second. You may not be the big blue boy scout’s biggest fan, but you definitely agreed with him when it came to Lex Luthor. He was, in your opinion, one of the most dangerous current criminals. Suave, rich, and smart, making it that much more difficult to prove. 

It’s the creak of the wheel that pulls you from your thoughts and makes you turn. The minute you spot her your gaze slides over to Aqualad. 

“That is far enough Cheshire,” Kaldur says calmly, holding out one of his water bearers, as he stepped between her and her targets. 

The disguised Cheshire scowls at him before pressing a button and pushing her cart forward. You step back while the plan is put into motion. Kaldur summons a wall of water to protect the civilians and the Rhelasian Leaders. Right before the barrier shuts, Roy manages to shoot an arrow that connects with the cart, leading to an early detonation of Cheshire’s bomb. The barrier does it’s job, protecting everyone inside from the blast, your villain of the day, however, gets pushed back. 

When the water and smoke clear you step forward, in the chaos you managed to slip your mask on. “It’s over Cheshire,” you state, removing your sweater and bearing your uniform to the world. Your belt is still strapped diagonally as you pull the escrima sticks from their slots and open them. Pointing one at your enemy.

“You would think so,” she smirked and then the helicopter appeared. 

Coming through the new hole in the wall, ninja thugs as well as Sportsmaster himself, drop-in across from you. Your eyes narrow as you stare at them all, today was turning out to be much more interesting than you had planned. 

“Take Sportsmaster. Cheshire’s mine,” Roy shouts, as bodies begin to clash.

“So territorial, and only our third date,” Cheshire flirts, and even in your own fight you manage a gag.

“You know, I think she really does have a thing for you,” you groan while taking down some goons. 

You were focused on the ninjas while Kaldur dealt with Sportsmaster and Roy fought Cheshire. You used all your training as they kept coming round, escrima sticks, marble bombs, and ring daggers, switched easily in your hands as you moved. You were seated on a ninja’s shoulders, legs locked around his neck when you noticed Kaldur go down and quickly grabbed a ring dagger. You didn’t even take a chance to overthink it before throwing the dagger. You watched as it flew through the air and made contact with the metal in Sportsmaster’s hand causing him to drop the ball and chain, before turning toward you. You pulled the ninja to the ground, effectively knocking him unconscious as you rolled off his body and into a standing position.

“If you wanted my attention, girly, all you had to do was ask,” he drawled and you scowled, this guy was starting to annoy you.

“Bring it on, old man,” you shoot back and he let out a growl before charging at you. 

The minute he reached for you, you slipped around him and used your size to your advantage to out manuver him. When he tried to grab at your back, you threw your elbow back at his face and swept his legs out from beneath him. As he went down he grabbed at your ankle, bringing you down too. Luckily, you still had Kaldur. 

Kaldur was at your side in a second, pulling you back up while facing Sportsmater. Together you both advanced on the masked villain. 

“Not bad, Lad. Better than your team did at Santa Prisca - and Bialya,” Sportsmaster teased as you came up behind him.

“How did you-” you frowned as your arms slipped around his neck, putting him into a chokehold. 

“Let’s just say I have an inside source. Very inside,” he taunted before elbowing you in the gut, pulling you over his shoulder, and tossing you down. You groaned at the impact but you pushed yourself back up with narrowed eyes you did not like what he was insinuating.

Before you could ask another question, Roy’s voice echoed out over the sounds of the fight, “Aqualad, let’s end this,” he shouted before shooting the sprinkler system. 

In a torrent of water, Aqualad managed to knock most of the thugs out. You grabbed a ring dagger and threw it at Cheshire but she threw a smoke bomb and by the time you could see, both she and Sportsmaster were gone. There was only one remaining Shadow’s ninja and he was running straight at the two Rhelasia leaders. Before any of you could react, Lex Luthor’s personal assistant raised an arm. You watched as it turned into a weapon. Apparently, she was more than just human. 

“We owe you our lives, sir,” one of the leaders spoke as they crowded Lex once more. 

“They owe him their lives?” you deadpanned, a scowl on your face as you glance back at your friends. 

Both boys offer you a look of mutual annoyance before moving to talk to the arriving authorities. 

“Yes, quite a coup for Lex Luthor. Under his leadership, North and South Rhelasia are signing a treaty, which could eventually lead to reunification,” Reporter Kat Grant stated into her camera and you let out a groan while pulling on your sweater from before.

The three of you were standing outside the building now, close together as you watched the rest of this mess unfold from the sidelines.

“I can’t believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor,” Roy shook his head and your body offered an involuntary shudder of disgust.

“Not for Luthor, for peace. Beyond that, if Ra’s and the League of Shadows wanted to sabotage the summit, the signing of the treaty renders their contract moot. It is over,” Kaldur concluded. 

“Is it? I heard what Sportsmaster said,” Roy pointed out and your hands clenched into a fist. 

“Do you really think there’s a mole on our team feeding him intel?” you asked incredulously. 

“I cannot rule out the possibility,” Kaldur decided and you gave him a shocked look as your lips parted. “I will investigate quietly,” he nodded. 

“You’re going to believe someone like Sportsmaster and you’re not going to tell the team?” you pressed, your disagreement evident.

“I do not want the unit unraveling over baseless suspicions,” Kaldur said wisely. “And if there is a mole, I have no wish to tip him or her off.”
“Good luck with that,” Roy saluted and you couldn’t help but glower at your old patrol partner, completely unamused.

“One moment, my friend. Tonight you could have called Green Arrow for help, or the Justice League. Instead, your first instinct was to call the cave,” Kaldur pointed out. 

“To call me,” you correct with a cocky smirk as you stare at the redhead.

Roy pauses and looks from you to Kaldur and then back to you, “You’re right. The team deserves… has my respect. I’m still getting used to this solo act stuff, but if you need me, I’ll be there,” Roy decided before shaking hands with Kaldur. 

He turned to you and cautiously outstretched his hand, your eyebrow quirked at it before facing him, “What kind of bullshit is that?” you sassed seriously. 

Roy cracked a smile and you jumped into him. His arms wrapped around you as he gave you a solid hug for the first time in months. You could feel it, the tight squeeze that told you maybe he needed the hug just as much as you did. For a second it felt like nothing had changed, that it was you two on patrol, there was no team, no mole, no division, just you and Roy against whatever Star City had to throw at you. He gave you one more squeeze that brought you back to reality before he let go. He met your gaze, and even though the whiteouts in both your masks hid your eyes, you could imagine the look he offered you, one that belonged to a big brother. He squeezed your shoulder, nodded, and Kaldur once more and walked off. 

“You think he meant it, that he’d be there if we need him?” you asked, eyes trained on Roy as he melded back into the crowd. 

“I do. I know his departure bothered you much more than you initially let on,” Kaldur notes.

“He’s my brother K, has been since Dinah took me in. And I’m just supposed to accept that he doesn’t need us, that he doesn’t need me, anymore?” you huff. 

“He said the team has his respect, but he was staring at you. If you need him, I’m positive that he’ll be there, no matter the consequence,” Kaldur promised you. 

There was a piece of you that thought Kaldur could be wrong, that Roy had moved on for good, but the way he had talked to you earlier and the strength in the hug he had just offered you, squashed the voice quickly. “Yeah,” you nodded, a small smile quirking your lips.

“What about the other revelation, do you believe there is a mole?” he asked cautiously.

“I hope not,” you sighed. “These people aren’t just our team, they’re our friends, but if there really is a mole, we’re going to figure it out, together. You might be the leader, but you’re not alone here, Kaldur’ahm” you remind him and he nods. 

“No, I suppose I am not,” he agrees. 

You offer him a small smile before looping your arm with his. Together you walk back towards the Zeta tube location before heading home.

Chapter Text

Mount Justice

September 14th, 16:53 CDT

When you zeta-ed in this morning, the last thing you were expecting was to be splashed with a bucket of goo. Wiping the goo from your sunglasses, you can see Wally laughing his ass off. You froze for a second, staring at him as your fists clenched tight. You took in a deep breath before making a decision. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed your little prank,” you said, offering a terse but wide smile while you pulled your jacket off. Carefully you used the inside to remove some of the goo from your body. 

“Why are you smiling at me so pretty?” Wally paused his own laughter to ask, gaze now focused on you, and you noticed the way his shoulders tensed a bit.

“Because,” you huff, the smile still plastered on your face, “I want,” you pause, dropping the goo soaked jacket to the cave’s floor, “the last thing you ever see, to be pretty,” you lunge for Wally as soon as the words left your lips. 

Apparently, the boy forgot he had superspeed because he only successfully got away from you by tripping back and falling on his ass. “ROB!” Wally shouted as you lunged again. 

“Computer, activate Power Dampeners. Canary override: 7893,” you decided.

“DUDE, SHE’S GOING TO KILL ME!” he shouted out once more. 

“ Power Dampeners activated, ” the Computer stated, and Wally’s eyes widened. 

“You’re so dead,” you huff, lunging once more. You would’ve gotten him this time, too, if two arms hadn’t grabbed you and pulled you back. 

“NG, calm down,” Robin pleaded, his grip tightening around your waist as you tried to break free. “Why is she slippery?” Robin asked, now directing the conversation to Wally, who was wide eyes and glued to the floor. 

“Because he threw a bucket of goo at me,” you hissed, trying to use the slippery coating on your body to break free, but Robin’s arms were much stronger and much larger than they appeared. “Oh, you’re so dead, Wally!” you shout once more. 

There was a flash that went off, and when we looked up, we saw Artemis looking at us all, her phone in hand, laughing her ass off. You took the moment of distraction to break away from Robin’s grip and lunge at Wally. Finally, you succeeded in grabbing Wally. He tried to fight back, but he wasn’t used to close combat like this; he relied too heavily on his powers. Being stuck without them made him a soft target. You managed to pin him in seconds. Wally was on his stomach, and you were sitting on his back. You were holding one of his legs and one of his arms, keeping him pinned. 

“Why’d you pause?” Wally asked nervously, turning his head slightly. 

“I’m trying to decide which way of killing you would suit me best; stabbing you would be more enjoyable to me, but I don’t care for the mess, snapping your neck is too easy, screaming would be excessive, you see my dilemma,” your tone was light, and there was still a faint smile on your face. 

“She’s not serious, is she?” Artemis asked. 

“NG,” Robin’s tone was a warning, and you risked glancing up at him. The goop and the gravity caused your glasses to slide, and for the first time, Robin got a glimpse of your real eyes. 

You released Wally instantly, rolling to your side as a hand came up to push your glasses back into place. Jumping to your feet, you went back to your jacket and picked it, and your bag, up.

“I’m going to shower,” you decided, turning away from them. “Computer, deactivate dampeners; Canary override 0562.”

“ Power dampeners deactivated, ” the system announced as you entered the locker room.

You took your time in the hot shower, letting the water wash away the goo. The next step was to scrub all the remnants off, which you did vigorously. When you stepped back into the main sitting room, you found the three from before seated on the green sofa, focused on the television.

“Where’s Kaldur?” you asked, leaning against the wall. 

Wally flinched at the sound of your voice, and you couldn’t help but smirk, “Relax, Wall-Man, I’ve cooled off, though you can expect my revenge to have a bit of dramatic flair to it,” you inform him, and he tensed slightly. 

“Kaldur’s on a mission with Miss M and Superboy,” Robin told me as you moved closer. 

“Belle Reve,” Artemis added. 

“Sounds like a party,” you muse sarcastically.

Robin let out a snort, and you focused your attention on him. 

“Can I talk to you?” you asked, your voice much softer now as you motioned with your head to the hallway behind you. 

He turned to you, and he knew, you know he knew. He had to. 

“Yeah,” he nodded, tossing the remote to Wally. 

The two of you walked a few corridors down and sat down, leaning against the wall. It was quiet for a moment as you tried to come up with a way to say what you wanted to say. 

“They’re (e/c),” he noted, and you sighed. 

“Canary doesn’t make me keep it a secret, but you knew that didn’t you?” you ask. 

“I figured, I mean, she doesn’t even wear a mask when she goes out,” he nodded. “I’m sure you have your reasons.”

“When my parents died, my face was in every newspaper in the nation. They were scientists, big names. They had done incredible work, and so when they died, people talked about it,” you sighed, “and now you’ve seen it.”

“I mean, it’s a nice one,” he tried to placate, and you smirked. 

“Did you just say I have a nice face?” you pressed. 

“Well-I...Uh, what I mean is that you’re very... You are...” He had turned from skilled stealth to a blubbering mess. 

“Take a breath,” you advised. 

“You’re really pretty,” he rushed out, and you blushed. Your gaze cast down at that, “you’re beautiful, Birdy,” he amended, standing back up and pulling you with him.

“(y/n),” you whispered as he turned back towards the hall.

“What?” He stops walking and whipped back to you. 

“My name is (Y/n) Roxo,” you admit. “And you are one of three former sidekicks who know.”

“Kaldur and Roy,” Robin realizes. 

“Welcome to the club,” you smile with a small pathetic laugh. 

“It’s great to meet you, (y/n). I think you’re beautiful,” he grabbed your hand as he leaned back against the wall. 

It’s quiet for a few minutes as you stand beside each other.

“Can I ask you a question?” Robin spoke up, pulling your attention back from the specks in the stone to him. 

“Yeah, of course,” you smiled softly as he stared right into your eyes. 

“Where does Roxo come from?” 

“Brazil,” you answer, and a slight pang runs through your heart. Your father used to love talking about his Brazillian heritage, about your Brazillian heritage. 

“What’s it mean?” he followed. 

“Violet.”

“Like the flower?”

“Exactly,” you nod. 

Robin offered you another smile before you both started walking back. You slid your sunglasses back on as you walked. As you entered the entertainment room, you gave Robin one last small smile as you both moved toward the green sofa.

You flop down on the couch and turn to the TV, “What’re we watching?”

“Celebrity Hockey,” Artemis answered. “Wally’s getting the popcorn,” she adds, and you nod. 

Robin took a seat beside you, and you smiled at him, your sunglasses were back on, and he was still wearing his, but now he knew.

 The four of you did nothing that day, if you’re honest. You sat on that green couch, watching celebrity hockey and other mindless TV, clearing out the pantry and the fridge. And by the time you crashed, you were on Robin’s shoulder, and he was also out. 

“Should we wake them?” Wally asked. 

“Absolutely not! Wally, if you touch them, I swear to god I will shoot you with my arrows,” Artemis argued. 

“Woah, aggressive much?”

“You threw a bucket of goo at her this morning. Do you really want to wake her up?” 

Wally froze and rubbed the back of his neck, “it was just a prank,” he argued. 

“Yeah, but no one likes getting gooed,” she reminded him. “Plus, they look cute,” she smiled. 

She took out her phone and snapped another picture of the two, “Maybe one day they’ll be able to sit that close while conscious,” Wally snickered. 

Artemis elbowed him, “It’s sweet. They’re both young and perfect for each other.”

“You think?” Wally asked.

“You don’t?” Artemis shot back. She looked at the photo on her phone, “how many people have you seen Robin get that close to and not incapacitate?”

“That’s…. A fair point,” wally conceded. “I still wanna wake them up,” he shrugged. 

“You’re impossible,” she sighed. 

When you woke up, you were gently being shaken. You blinked and spotted the expanse of red hair, and he was picking you up.

Your lips pursed as you tried to whisper his name, but you paused. Even tired, you could see that this redhead had green eyes instead of blue. This was Wally, not Roy. 

“I’m mad at you,” you mutter, turning further into him as he scooped you into his arms. 

“I know,” he nodded as he started moving through the cave. 

“Where’re you going?” you yawned. 

“Oliver called Artemis when it got late. He’s waiting at the Star City Zeta. I’m just taking you there,” he promised. 

“What about Rob?” you murmur. 

“Artemis is waking him up. That way, the Bat won’t ground him,” he told you, gently hoisting you a little higher in his arms. 

You quieted once more, thoughts starting to grow still as you leaned against Wally. 

You were in a state of half-consciousness as he reached the Zeta. 

“Computer, program Star City into the Zeta, please,” he voiced. 

“ Programing ,” she answered. 

You mumbled something into his chest, and he turned down to look at you, “What?” he asked. 

“You ruined my jacket,” you mutter once more, eyes still closed. 

The zeta opened, and Wally moved forward once more. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. 

“No, you’re not,” you offered him a lazy smile, and you felt him laugh. 

“Well, look at that,” a new voice chimed; this one was a little deeper and had a chime of amusement within it. 

“Ollie,” you murmured the name as Wally passed you into another’s grip. 

Wally wasn’t weak, but Oliver was older and stronger. Your fingers curled into the fabric of Oliver’s dress shirt. 

“Thanks, Wally,” you heard him tell your friend. 

“Yeah, well, I owed it to her,” Wally admitted. 

“Let’s get you home. Sleep well, sweet girl,” Oliver whispered lowly to you. 

As you fell deeper asleep, you had a dream, a memory. 

FLASHBACK → 

STAR CITY

May 8th, 2005 - 01:32 EST

You were young; Dinah had only taken you in a few months ago. Your nightmares were keeping you up that night, and so you wandered out of your room and into the main living space of Dinah’s place. You were surprised to see Oliver sitting there watching mindless TV. You’d started to warm up to Oliver, though you paused the moment he spotted you. 

“(Y/n)?” he called out to you, his blue eyes narrowing on you as he ran a hand through his blond hair. “What are you doing up?”

“Sometimes… sometimes I have a hard time sleeping,” you whisper to him. 

His eyes soften for a moment, and a look of understanding seems to pass over his face, “Come sit with me,” he beckoned you closer, and you followed, sitting down beside him. 

Oliver sat with you while the TV played, waiting until you fell asleep, though it didn’t come fast. 

“I’m afraid to sleep,” you tell him quietly. 

“Dinah mentioned you’d been having a little trouble with it lately. She thinks it’s because the trial date is coming up,” he admits to you. 

“What if they don’t… what if they get to go free?” you ask him while tears well in your eyes. 

“Oh, you sweet girl,” he sighed, and gently one arm wrapped around you, pulling you closer to him. “You know, my parents were killed when I was young,” he told you, and the tears began to slide down your cheeks. “I saw it happen too.”

“How do you sleep?”

“There are nights where I don’t,” he sighed. 

You sniffed as you looked at him, “like tonight?” 

“Yeah, like tonight,” he admitted. 

“Could I… could I sit with you?” you asked tersely. 

“For as long as you need, (y/n),” he assured you. 

You managed a small smile with a sniff, “Thanks, Ollie,” you nod, turning into his side. 

Oliver let you lay your head on his lap, and as you turned, you missed the way his lips parted when you called him Ollie. It had been months since Dinah started watching you, months since you’d met him, but you’d never called him Ollie. 

It took a few hours before you finally fell asleep once more. Something about you seemed soothing, even to an adult-like him, someone who had seen things, done things. He waited until he was sure you were deep asleep before picking you up. He turned the television off, scooping your eight-year-old body into his arms. Your head lolled to his chest, tiny fist clenching in the material of his t-shirt. For a second, he stood still, watching as your face relaxed as you held tightly to him. He carried you back into your room, gently pulling your hand from his chest before tucking you in. 

“Sleep well, sweet girl,” he bid one last time, kissing your forehead.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE (& STAR CITY)

September 22nd, 13:21 EDT

“I still think this is ridiculous,” you sigh into the screen.

You were currently at school, Star City Academy, but Kaldur had decided to tell Red Tornado what we had learned in Taipei with Roy.

“So you have told no one else of this mole?” he asked.

“We cannot be sure if one exists. And if it does, if the team is being betrayed from within, I must investigate without… tipping my hand. But perhaps I should tell Batman?”

“Generally, the Batman expects the team to handle its own problems, but the decision is yours,” Red Tornado reminded us, and you let out a sigh.

You were hiding out inside a broom closet and knew you only had a couple of minutes until the next bell.

“I will return after monitor duty on the Watchtower,” Red added, and you frowned.

“I thought you were exempt from monitor duty since becoming our… den mother,” Kaldur reminded him, clearly confused.

“Recognize: Red Tornado; 1-6.” the computer spoke up, and you glanced out the small window in the door as some students walked by.

Red Tornado turns back to Aqualad and the screen with your face, “I agreed to cover for Green Arrow. He has an interpersonal event with Black Canary,” he explained, and you rolled your eyes.

“Of course he does,” you groan.

“A hot date,” Red tornado finishes, and you can just imagine Ollie buttering Red tornado up with those words asking him to cover his shift.

Once Red went through the Zeta, you took a breath, “I’m so not even going home today,” you mutter, and your Atlantean friend offered a light chuckle.

“I will see you then, my friend,” he tells you, and the line goes dead.

“I hope you don’t deep think this too bad without me, Kaldur’ahm,” you mutter, stepping out of the broom closet and rejoining the masses of students.

MOUNT JUSTICE

September 22nd, 18:43 EDT

When you got to the cave, the last thing you were expecting was to fight. You were suited up, thankfully, but your hair was down, and your school bag was hanging from your shoulder. There are fires and smoke everywhere, and you couldn’t even see who you were fighting.

“What the hell?” you muttered, and when a bright orange ball of fire started heading the way, you dropped down and rolled out of the way.

You tighten the straps of your bag and pull out your escrima sticks, “Who’s there?” you shouted but gained no response. “Show yourself!” you demanded.

Another flame ball came your way as the zeta tube lit up, “Recognized: Robin b-01.”

Your eyes went wide when you saw Robin step out. You threw yourself at him, pushing him to the floor as the flame passed you both.

“What the hell?” Robin asked, looking at you; in normal circumstances, you would have blushed. You were hovering over him, legs straddling his abdomen and hands braced on the floor on either side of his head. Your faces were close, and yet the only thing you could think about was what fresh hell today seemed to have brought.

“Right?” you stated desperately. “I came out of the zeta tube, and someone’s trying to flambee me!” your tone is a bit desperate.

“The Zeta!” Robin shouts suddenly.

“What about it? We can’t just leave the cave, not without looking if anyone else is here!” you argue.

“No! Artemis was right behind me! She’s going to zeta in any-”

“Recognized: Artemis b-0-7.”

You were up again in seconds, just as another shot was fired, you were moving, “Artemis! Get down!” you shout and catch as her eyes widen in surprise.

She dodges just in time, and you and Robin run up to her. Rob grabbed some of his birdarangs and shot them out into the smoke. Artemis jumps back as she fires an arrow, already pulling another from her quiver by the time she lands. You switch out your escrima sticks for a couple of marble bombs, and Robin stands beside you armed with more birdarangs. You all fire into the smokescreen, but you freeze when you hear something make contact. They clinked against something, but another fireball is launched towards you all before you can figure out what. As all three of you dive away to dodge, it hits the wall between the two Zeta Tubes and bursts out. As you get up, you can barely make out two figures through the smoke.

“Who are we fighting?” Artemis shouts, still firing arrows as we keep throwing things into the unknown.

“Don’t know,” the Boy Wonder admits as he comes to her side, “but we’re sitting ducks by the tubes. Head for the exit!”

Together the three of you take off towards the hallway on your right, barely dodging a massive stream of fire. Before we can get too far, water starts flooding in rapidly.

“Or not,” you decide, turning around to run.

Even though we tried, there was no way that we could’ve outrun the massive wave. It pulled you all under and, with a strong current, slammed us into the wall. When the water level receded, we got up coughing and started running. You were trying to think up a mental map of the cave as the other two followed behind me.

“Robin to Team,” he was trying his communicator. “Come in,” he called again, but it was apparent, he was getting nothing. “Aqualad!” he shouted.

You were trying to plan a way out but weren’t sure what to do; your hair was whipping against your back, the loose wet strands a slapping reminder that this was happening, and something was attacking you. A fire blast knocked the three of you down, but then you spotted the showers. The three of you took off, and once again, they followed you. Once inside, you started turning taps.

“Robin to BatCave. Override R-G-4.” Robin snaps into the comm. “Cave calling Justice League: H-O-J-slash-Watchtower; B-0-1. Priority: Ray.” he kept trying and trying, but you were sure he was just getting static.

“Rob, the comms bust be down, locked,” you tell him seriously, and the water comes down around you.

“At least the water’s helping,” he sighs in relief as they both join you in the center of the room, that when you hear it, an eerie creaking and groaning noise.

You couldn’t help but let out a groan as handles start popping off the walls, tiles and the showerheads followed.

Then the room was flooding, and you sent Robin a murderous glare. “Or not,” he mumbles just before the water sweeps us up.

Your lungs are already burning as you all duck underwater. You hold your breath looking for an exit, any exit, but your options weren’t great, and so when Robin holds up an exploding birdarang, you pointed at the wall. Robin grits his teeth as he places the device on the wall, then setting it to detonate. The wall blows out into another hallway inside the Mountain, and we’re coughing as we struggle to our feet, trying to get air back in their lungs. The second we’re capable, we start running down the hall to the kitchen/living room area.

“You just had to jinx us,” you heaved as we came into the kitchen.

“We need to get lost,” Robin decides, ignoring you.

You desperately look around, searching for a way out.

“The air vent!” Artemis called, and your heads snapped to the stove and the low vent.

“Perfect,” you affirm.

“Good. Go!” Robin commands, you and Artemis run straight towards it while he turns to a control panel.

Artemis jumps the island in the kitchen, condensing her bow and then attaching it to her belt before climbing on top of the stove to pull the vent cover off.

“Rob, what are you-?” you start as he pulls up his holo computer.

“Downloading Cave blueprints,” he tells you, as Artemis starts climbing up, “could come in…” he trails, and you could hear the metallic footsteps coming your way; your expression dropped as you meet his gaze. “Go! Go!” he whispers as he heads towards you and the vent. You jump up after Artemis, and Robin followed a second later.

Robin starts directing you guys as soon as you make it through the vertical ascent. “Go left,” he urges, and a second after he made the turn himself, a blast of fire shoots behind us. “Uh. Too close,” he mutters, meeting your worried eyes before you both continue after Artemis.

“Take the first right,” he says, pulling up the blueprints again. “There should be a vent cover right in front of you.”

You all slide down the vertical tube and land in what seems to be a control room. Robin leads you from here on, and right as you make a turn, the pipe you had just came out explodes with fire. From the explosion, the blaze falls to the catwalk. The scariest part of it all was that there was a shadowy figure within the flames. They look around, raising their arms, and the fire follows the command, blooming out.

“Yeah, because that’s not thoroughly terrifying,” you mutter.

Robin and Artemis don’t respond. The former simply grabs your hand and starts pulling you with him. You all duck down behind some machinery.

“I should’ve just taken my chances at Dinah’s. I mean, she’d probably go back to GA’s anyways,” you mutter.

“What?” Artemis asked, turning toward you with wide eyes momentarily.

Before you could delve in any further, the machinery starts beeping until a screen cracks.

“That’s not good,” Robin laments, and you all take off in a pathway down the middle of the room.

Pipes start bursting overhead, and gas starts to hiss out the ominous figure is now wholly concealed, and the fire begins attacking you again. You take temporary refuge behind another piece of machinery, and Robin starts rechecking the map, “I know that another access tunnel is here somewhere,” he mumbled.

“You mean this one?” Artemis asks, and you all whip toward her.

“Go,” he pushes you, and she drops into it. You follow but risk a glance back. Robin grabs another birdarang, arming it and mounting it to the machine beside him before heading towards you. You jump forward once he’s behind you and crawl forward as you slid your way down the vertical descent.

“Hold on,” Robin calls out as he lands behind you.

Robin nods towards the control panel on the wall beside you, and you nod, grabbing one of your ring daggers you pry the panel open. You put the dagger down and hold onto the panel, tugging it off. As you placed it on the ground beside you, Robin hooked his holo computer into the open wiring.

“What are you up to?” you ask, dusting your hands off and grabbing your dagger.

“Locking out Cave’s motion and heat sensors to prevent the enemy from tracking us,” Robin explained as he starts hacking. You nod in agreement and twirl the dagger once in your hands.

“And I ask again, who is the enemy?” Artemis questions; you can hear her annoyance.

“Let’s find out,” Robin says with a smirk pressing a couple more buttons. “Downloading Cave security footage….. There,” he announces as four frames show up; he zooms in on the first one, which shows Wally, Conner, Artemis, and Kaldur working on Conner’s bike.

“Torque Wrench,” Wally calls out. M’gann uses her telekinesis to float it over to him. “Thank you, Green Cheeks.”

Superboy stands with his hands on his hips as Kaldur finally joins the group. “I have been meaning to ask, any problem juggling schoolwork with your responsibilities here?” he asks curiously.

“No.” Conner is quick to reply.

“Juggling is just one of my many talents,” Wally says pridefully with a slight chuckle. “Socket Wrench.”

M’gann gives it to Wally with her telekinesis as she talks to Kaldur, “Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge,” she admits, but is quick to turn towards Kaldur once Wally has the wrench. “Oh, but my first loyalty is always to the Team. This Team, not the Bumblebees.”

“Artemis starts school today. Do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?” Kaldur asks.

You know exactly what he’s doing, but you bite your tongue. If Kaldur was trying to suss someone out discreetly, he needs some help.

Surprisingly enough, Wally’s the one to speak up, “Nah, she’ll manage alright.” Wally says as he stands up. “I mean, how much more hostile and annoying can she-” the camera and sound cut out.

“What happened?” Artemis asks worriedly.

“Explosion took out the camera. I’ll find another angle.” Robin informs, with a slight edge in his voice.

This new angle shows the Cave’s water forming into three large streams before crashing into the dryland and taking out that camera. The next shows the four others getting to their feet and charging, only to be overtaken by the water as the camera cuts out. The fourth shows Kaldur and M’gann heading up the staircase, the water was thrashing wildly behind them as the fire takes out the camera in front of them.

“That’s it. All four are dead.” Robin mumbles.

You immediately hit him, and Artemis looks at him, appalled.

“The cameras, I-I meant the cameras!” he assures, though his voice shakes and you stare at him. “I’m sure the others are okay.” he’s quickly back to his usual confidence, but you had already heard it, the break, the quake, the uneasiness. “Just give me a sec to find the fastest route to the hangar.”

Artemis falls against the wall of the tunnel, “Yeah, they’re fine,” she mumbles. “They’ve all got superpowers. They can handle anything,” you know she’s trying to reassure herself, but it doesn’t help any of your nerves.

“Alright, let’s go,” Robin announced as he found a route.

Robin took the lead, and Artemis followed right after him. It took a few minutes, but soon enough, he stopped. Together with Artemis, Robin pulled open a panel above the Cave’s library. The two drop-down, and you land right after. Together you all head down the stairs towards the first floor.

Robin leads you to a specific section and turns back to you and Artemis, “There’s a secret passage behind one of these bookcases.” Robin tells you, and you level him with a look as all three of you begin pulling at books.

“Seriously? Cliché much?” you ask with a slight flair of a mocking tone.

“You should see the Batcave,” Robin says with a sarcastic chuckle.

“Is that an invitation?” you shot back, and he offers you a smirk.

“Seriously, you’re flirting, now?” Artemis calls, and your cheeks turn pink as you refocus on the books.

When the door to the library opens, the three of you are quick to arm yourselves, birdarangs, arrows, and escrima sticks at the ready. You turn cautiously and start to move slowly until you’re able to hide behind a row of books.

Metal clangs through the room, and you start searching for a secondary route out.

“Artemis, Nightingale, Robin,” a robotic voice sounds, and your brow furrows because it sounds just like…

“It’s Red Tornado,” Artemis lights up, but before you can warn her because you know for a fact it can’t be Red Tornado, she’s already out in the open. As the robot reaches out for her, you dive and pull her out of the way. Pulling the two of you under a table, rolling before you both prop back up.

“Yes on the Red. No on the Tornado.” Robin all-but shouts as the Not-Red-Tornado robot destroys the table. Robin managed a solid kick at the robot, not that it did much.

The three of you move quickly towards an exit, but another Red Robot, feminine in design, cuts off your escape. She creates fire from her hands and aims it at the three of you. Robin jumps up on the bookcase to get out of the way, Artemis and you follow quickly behind him.

“Who- What are they?” she questions, and while you wished to know as well, something told you, asking them wouldn’t get you the answer you want.

The fire sets off the sprinklers in this room; using the distraction, Robin drops down once more, and you follow. The both of you are pulling at books as Artemis takes up a defensive position perched from the bookcase. You can hear as bookcases start to fall, like a set of dominos just as you pull on The Mysteries of El Dorado. Artemis is beside you, and the three of you run into the now open secret passage.

You’re booking it down the hall, Robin beside you, running side by side as Artemis trailed only a few paces behind you.

“Did you know Tornado had… siblings?!” she demands.

You and Rob shared a look of mutual concern, “No,” you both admit lowly.

You pause for a second when you come to T in the path. Robin looks both ways before moving to go left. He gets stopped when Artemis grabs onto his arm.

“So now what?” she questions. “Red Tornado is one of the powerhouses of the League. How are we supposed to take down two of him?”

“They do seem pretty user-unfriendly,” Robin comments, you know he’s trying to stop Artemis from panicking more than she already was, but you weren’t sure his humor was helping this time.

“Don’t joke. They-” she snaps, but before she can go on, a voice comes over the cave’s speaker system.

“Attention, Robin. Attention, Artemis. Attention Nightingale,” it was one of the androids. “You have exactly 10 minutes to surrender, or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished.”

“Oh, cause that’s awesome,” you mutter, raising a hand to your head. They had them. Those red tin cans have all your friends, suddenly staying whelmed seemed so much more complex. You quickly tied your hair back with the band around your wrist in a low, messy, and tangled-up bun.

“Robin,” you called his name seriously, and he paused to look at you, “none of this is very whelming,” you state.

Artemis sent you a look of pure confusion, but he seemed to understand. It was like all of a sudden, he could see everything about your stance that was false. With the fake confidence and plain look., he could see just how scared you were, and he nodded.

“No, it’s not,” he agreed before grabbing your hand, and the three of you took off once more.

The robot continues to provide nerve-wracking time updates as you all run down the hallway.

“Eight minutes.”

“We can access the hangar from here,” Robin tells us, but as we turn towards the exit, we hear the sound of rushing water. “Or not,” he repeated.

Artemis’s voice cracks as we all start running again. “Will you please stop saying that?”

Once again, the water surges, and we all get swept off our feet by force. You’re tumbling in the water until Robin grabs you. He shares his rebreather with you, and you notice his cape’s gone. You nod at him when you’re good, and he swims to Artemis, helping her find her orientation before giving her the rebreather. Robin looks back at you, but your eyes go wide when you notice the Evil Red grab Artemis by the ankle. She gasps, losing the rebreather, as he tries to drag her away from Robin. You both move quickly; Robin moves to Artemis and one of her stray arrows while you pull out a couple more of your marble bombs. Robin manages to hit the android in the eye with the arrow. He then grabs onto Artemis as he fires his grapple to the far wall. He grabs you as he passes by, and you leave a line of bombs behind.

You break to the surface gasping for air, and you barely have a chance to get your bearings before you hear Wally’s voice.

”Look out!” he shouted, and all three of you up spotted the she-bot and her flames. Taking a deep breath, you dive under once more to dodge the fireball. You surface, only to have to dive under again to avoid her second shot.

When you come up the third time, it’s beside where Conner and Wally were stuck.

“You guys okay?” you ask in a low voice, swimming in front of them to take in their faces.

“Forget us,” Conner snaps. “Help M’gann,” he urges, bringing your attention to the fire cage on the outlook.

“No,” you whisper as you spot Aquald holding M’gann’s body.

“Aqualad is she-” Artemis shouts, unable to bring herself to finish the question.

“She is unconscious., Kaldur shouts back. “I fear she… we cannot survive much longer,” his voice breaking shows just how much trouble he is in as well.

You turn to Robin, and he seems to understand; how could he not. You and Kaldur were close, closer than arguably anyone else on the team, the fear in your eyes had shifted. It was no longer about you getting hurt; it was about him getting killed.

You don’t get a chance to talk about it before you’re forced to duck below the surface again. You make a break for it while under the water, resurfacing by the stairs. You’re near where Sphere had been launched into a wall. Reds One and Two take up spaces on either side of the stairs, blocking both of your ways out. Artemis is quick to pull an arrow from her quiver but turns to both of you.

“I’m almost out of arrows.” her voice slightly unsteady, and you quickly start looking around.

You get an idea, though not ideal. “Distract them, now,” you snap.

Artemis fires her arrow at the she-bot, and Robin heads down the stairs, throwing Birdarangs at the he-bot; neither do much damage.

When both bots raise their arms to the fire, you reach yours out and grab Robin and Artemis. You wait until the last second before pulling them with you off the side of the staircase and into the water. You release them in the air, and all three of you dive down. The two follow you as you swim to the vent at the bottom of the hanger, the pressure pressing against your heads. You pull out a dagger and prop the duct open. You urge Robin and Artemis through first, and then the three of you make quick work of swimming upwards. You’re the last to break through at the top, and Robin is quick to pull you into the dry vent so you can breathe. You’re leaning against him as you heave and cough up some water.

“Six minutes,” the android’s voice comes back, and you close your eyes for a second.

“What do we do now?” Artemis’s voice has this edge to it, and you realize with closed eyes that it’s panic.

“We save them,” Robin’s voice doesn’t have his normal lilt to it. In fact, you’d argue you’d never heard him sound more like Batman in your life. When you opened your eyes, you caught the way he was staring at you as he helped you sit back up. “That’s how it works,” he reminds us.

“Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to work, but those robots already took out our four super-powered friends,” Artemis snapped, and you began to recognize the symptoms. She was going to have a panic attack, and soon.

“You seem distraught,” the Boy Wonder commented, and you groaned softly as you turned to face them both.

“Distraught?!” Artemis screeched. “M'gann is dying. We have no powers, and I’m down to my last arrow. Of course, I’m distraught!” she yells at him.

“Well, get traught or get dead!” you snap, and Robin’s head whipped to you in surprise. You weren’t one to typically lose your cool.

“NG,” he called your name softly, and you heaved another breath. You refused. You absolutely refused to lose anyone today. You meet Robin’s gaze and exhale. He nods and starts leading you through the vents once more.

“How can you be so calm?” Artemis asks, following the two of you.

“Practice,” Robin manages a light smile, even if it is just for a moment, “I’ve been doing this since I was nine. Birdy’s been doing it just as long,” Robin admits, and the girl in green gives you a wide-eyed look.

“What good is that now?” she asks. “What chance do we have against an unrelenting machine?”

“Oh, duh!” he pauses suddenly. “They’re machines and one electromagnetic pulse…” Robin begins, and you can feel a bubble of hope form.

“Will shut down any machine within range!” you say excitedly.

Artemis gives a bright smile and a very sarcastic “Great!” before her face shows how annoyed she still is. “Except you better have an EMP emitter in your utility belts because I know I don’t have one in my quiver.”

“I’m fresh out,” Robin smiles despite his words. “But I’m betting we can make one.” he brings a hand to his ear. “Whaddya say, KF, doable?”

“Totally doable,” Wally’s voice cracked over the comms, and you remember the stray birdarang that bounced off the android. You snorted. Robin always had a plan.

“You sneaky-” your eyes had narrowed on the Boy Wonder when you got another alert.

“Five minutes.”

KF spoke up again, “Ya know, if you had more time,” not exactly a vote of confidence, but you could do this.

“What do we need?” you press.

“Med Lab, X-ray machine.” Kid instructs, and the three of you drop out of the vent in the med lab. You all stay low as you start moving the x-ray machine. “You’ll find a small vacuum tube called a vircator that converts high-energy pulses.” You open a panel on the X-ray machine and find what Wally’s talking about. You bite down on your lip as you listen carefully to his instructions.

“Reprogram the unit’s microwave conversion from X-rays to EMPs with a cascading energy vector directed outward.”

Robin does this using his wrist’s holo computer. When he’s done, he nods at you, and you reach to remove the tube. You turn it slowly before it pops out.

“A ripple effect,” Robin realizes, suddenly “like dropping a stone in a pond,” he opens his holo screen up again.

“A stone with 10 to the twelfth power wattage,” Kid Flash muses, “Yeah.”

“So we’ll need to hook it up to the Cave’s main generator,” you sigh.

Artemis arches an eyebrow as Robin shuts his computer down, “which is where?” you can hear it in her voice; something told you she had a hunch.

When Robin didn’t respond, she turned to you. Another sigh slipped past your lips, “where do you think?”

She gives you an exasperated look as you all climb back into the vents. You’re just coming out of the vents again when you get your newest update.

“Four minutes.”

You guys are elevated and can see everything below you, including the rising water level sneaking up on Wally and Conner and the intense flames that have trapped M’gann and Kaldur.

“We need to hurry,” you note, scanning the scene with concerned eyes.

“Okay. Make with the distraction,” he tells KF through the comm.

“Hey, Red Tomato! Who’s your girlfriend, Red Onion?” KF yells, and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

“Yeah, and by the way, worst death trap ever,” Conner shouts.

Their distraction seems to work as it gains the red-bots’ attention. “We can escape any time we want,” Conner adds as Robin hooks up his repelling device. “I can vibrate my molecules out of here before your binary brains can count to two!” KF taunts

Just as he’s about to go down, you grab him and look at him seriously, “if you die, Rob, I swear I will bring you back just to kill you myself,” you warn him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he smirked, and you pull him into a hug. When he pulls back, his face turns serious. He looks over to Artemis, “Cover me,” he states, and she nods.

He grapples down and swings over to the generator. Artemis notches her last arrow as the boys down below keep up their ruse.

“And you can’t drown a Kryptonian, dumb bots. We don’t breathe air,” Conner bluffs. KF laughs obnoxiously as Robin disconnects his cable. “And Ms. Martian?” KF continues as Robin pulls open the panel and sets the tech inside. “I can’t believe you’re buying her act.” Robin connects his computer.

“Rerouting power now,” he tells us through the comms.

“Yeah,” Conner is quick to pick up. “You know how hot it gets in the caves of Mars?”

Robin looks over his shoulder before glaring at the screen. Even before he says it, you can tell, “It’s not working.”

“That cage is just making her homesick,” Conner gripes.

“Oh, god,” you mutter.

“Duh!” KF laughs again.

“The circuit’s incomplete. I need something conductible,” he tells us, but in his haste, he stopped paying attention. “A piece of metal or-

“Robin, look out!” you scream, just before a massive wave washes over him. You’re so focused on trying to spot Robin again that when the fireball comes towards you, it’s only thanks to Artemis that you’re not a piece of burnt toast. The two of you are quick to duck away. Realizing that you have nothing to use at this distance, you move back to the vent, just narrowly avoiding another wave of fire. You creep through the vent until you reach a gap where you can see.

Looking through the broken vent, you watch as the he-bot brings Robin to the outlook, still suspended in water, “Robin,” you swallow back a scream and a cry as you look at him. Suspended in the water, he’s not fighting, and he seems like he’s not breathing. You close your eyes and focus, you know him better than that, and you know that he can’t be dead, not yet and not like this. You’re pulled out of your thoughts when you hear Artemis’ cries.

She’s curled into a ball, holding herself, mumbling, “No. No, no, no.”

“Snap out of it, Artemis,” you urge the older girl, and she looks at you with watery eyes. “They’re not dead yet,” you remind her, but her expression is broken, and you can see the lack of hope she seems to have.

“We can save them, alright? We can, because we have to,” you push. The water drops Robin onto the ground beside Kalur and M’gann’s cage, but he doesn’t seem to move.

“NG, we’re running out of time and options! If we surrender,” Artemis murmurs, “we die with the others.”

You shake your head and start moving. Without Robin and his schematics, you were moving blindly.

“But if we find a way out, out of the Cave, out of the mountain… we can get help. Call in the League,” she offers.

You look back to tell her there’s no way and no time, and in doing so you missed the drop before you, and suddenly you are sliding down the vent. Artemis following right after you.

When you land, you’re in front of Wally’s souvenir display. Since he didn’t live at the cave, he didn’t have a room until you and Robin had found this one tucked away. It was open to any team member, but Wally was usually the one who updated it.

You get another update as you stand back up and stare at the items before you, “Three minutes.”

Artemis sighs as she sits back up. “Oh, who am I kidding? Best we can do is hide,” she rubs her arm hopelessly. “Hope the League finds us before the Reds.”

Her depressive thoughts are overpowering as you both look at the items before you. You tune out as you stare at these tokens. Not trophies, sure you’d won and gotten out alive after these missions, but they can’t be trophies. They need to be reminders, proof that you can and have succeeded, proof that the people currently trapped have gone above and beyond to work with each other and protect each other. Your fists clenched as you looked at these momentoes. You were not giving up if that meant you were on your own against the reds from this point on. Then Artemis could stay behind and hide. You weren’t giving up. Ever.

It’s the newest update that shakes you from your thoughts, “One minute.”

You catch Artemis’s eye as she sets the Cheshire mask pack on its display. And then both of your eyes land on the arrow, a regular arrow, the one she had used to save your lives against Amazo.

“Didn’t Robin say he needed something metal,” she notes, and you look at her.

“I have a plan, it’s insane, but it would work so much better with you,” you decide, looking at her and holding out your arm.

She grips it tight and nods.

You take a deep breath as the elevator doors open, it was a crazy plan, and if anything went wrong, you’d both probably die. Artemis had her bow in her hand and the arrow in her quiver; you’re both wearing defeated looks. The Reds turn to you instantly as you arrive on the platform before them.

“We surrender, stop the clock,” she tells them, her voice still broken, and she meets your eyes before you asses your friends before you.

Kaldur seems to stir from unconsciousness beside M’gann. Your fists clench as you spot Robin on the ground, and then Wally and Conner, both of whom take deep breaths as the water begins to cover them.

You take a deep breath yourself, and Artemis sends you the faintest nod of her head. She holds her hands up as if to offer her bow, and the water Red holds out a hand for her to give it to him. In an instant, she adjusts her hold on it, and your hand flies to your throat. You scream, the sonic waves pushing the reds back before they can adapt, and Artemis whirls around. She takes her shot, and you can do nothing but watch as it soars through the air. It sails across the cave and lands on its target, and it finished the circuit of the EMP emitter. Immediately electricity starts to crackle as the vircator begins to glow bright blue. Sound warps as a wave shoot out from the device. Everything starts shutting down, including the widget on your throat, and when it goes out, you can only watch with relief as the Reds crackle with energy before falling to the ground. As soon as their eyes go dark, the fire dissipates, and the water level drops. The boys below gasp for air, and you run to Robin.

“Kaldur, how’s M’gann?” Conner shouts worriedly.

He groans as he pushes himself up, “She breathes. I believe she will recover,” he looks over her head. “What of Robin?”

You drop to your knees beside him, and you know Artemis falls behind you. Cautiously you reach forward, a hand going to his neck to search for a pulse while the other rests on his chest. You press lightly against his chest, and he starts to cough.

“He-he’s breathing too,” you say, and you can feel the tears looming in your eyes. You help Robin sit as he continues to cough until his breathing regulates.

He looks over at Artemis as one of your hands moves to his back, “Way to get taught,” he muses with a smile.

Relief sinks in, and Artemis collapses backward, you can’t help the relieved laugh you let out, and she joins you. For a moment, you indulge yourself and lean forwards against Robin. Your arms go around him as your forehead connects with his shoulder. One of his hands finds yours, and soon they’re gripping each other tightly.

Eventually, you make your way down to where Conner and Wally are, M’gann is leaning heavily on Kaldur, and you’ve still got an arm around Rob.

“How’d you hold your breath that long underwater?” Kaldur asked as Artemis began fidgeting with some sort of device.

“Figured my only shot was to surrender, pretend to drown before I actually did,” Robin says confidently. “Blacked out though,” he admits, and you shake your head.

“Will you quit playing with that thing and cut us free already?” Wally demands of Artemis, “or better yet, NG, how about a scream?”

You stare at Wally with squinted eyes, “Sure, Wally let me break your eardrums for you,” you state flatly.

Artemis gives him a deadpanned look. “It’s not working genius, neither will her scream. EMP shuts down all machines, remember?”

“All machines present at the time,” Red Tornado’s voice grabs our attention, and we immediately are looking at him as he lands beside Conner and Wally. “What has occurred?”

“Had a little visit from your family,” Robin looks at the powered down Reds, the disdain evident in his voice.

“Your extremely nasty family,” Artemis is quick to add on.

“I was not aware I had relations,” Tornado informs you.

“Where have you been?” Conner demands suddenly.

“Monitor duty on the Watch Tower,” Tornado remarks, making his way over to the other robots. “When it became clear that Cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate, but your Zeta Tubes were also nonfunctional,” he kneels beside the two, “I transported to Providence and proceeded here.”

Suddenly Sphere starts to whir, catching all of your attention, before it manages to free itself. Your brow furrowed as Connor greeted it, “Hey boy.”

The machine in Artemis’s hand powered on, and your eyes went wide.

“The pulse has worn off!” KF and Robin say in unison, and you turn to Red Tornado.

“Tornado, don’t!” but you were too late. As Red Tornado reaches out to the she-bot, a zap connects their fingers as her eyes light back up. Red Tornado’s eyes glow in return. Before turning towards the Team and using a tornado to raise him, he then aimed two more at us.

He was sucking up the oxygen around you, and your hand raised to your neck. You couldn’t breathe. You dropped to your knees and watched as Kaldur, Robin, Conner, and Wally all pass out. You’re fighting the black, and you spot Artemis, a couple of feet away.

“Can’t… breathe.” she gasps before falling.

Your vision darkens as you turn back to Tornado, “please,” you gasp, and then everything is dark.

When you came to, Robin’s head was hovering over you, “take it easy, NG,” he said softly, helping you up.

“Oh, thank god you’re okay,” Canary was beside you in a second. Robin moved back to make space for your mentor as her inner mother hen began to show. She started looking you over for injuries, hesitant hands gliding around, making sure nothing hurt too bad.

“Where’s Artemis?” you asked dazedly, thinking of the girl you had seen shortly before you passed out.

“She’s alright,” Superman called as he helps her stand up.

“What happened here?” Superman demands, looking at your team.

“What happened?!” Artemis shoots back, and you waive Canary’s hands away. “The Reds happened. Tornado and his…” she stops trying to figure out a way to describe them when she realizes something’s missing. “Wait, where are they?”

“Gone,” Robin answeres, looking at you and then at her, “All three of them,” he is beating himself up over it, and honestly, so were you.

“Gone,” you mutter one last time, shaking your head. You had failed, failed to protect the cave, failed to protect your friends, and failed to get the bad guys.

“Sweetie,” Dinah called your attention softly, and you turned to her. “What-?” she was going to ask more, you were sure, but you cut her off. Your eyes were tightly shut, and your hand’s hand clenched as images of what had happened in the last few hours playing in your mind.

You kept your eyes on the ground as you pieced it all together. Your team could’ve died today, your friends. Even worse, you could’ve been one of the only survivors. Thinking of their near-deaths hurt you, you could imagine how weak Kaldur and M’gann were, how helpless Conner and Wally were, and how dead Robin had looked in that suspended beam of water. So much had happened tonight, so much had gone wrong, it was almost a miracle that you were all still here. Lifting your head, you made eye contact with Robin and then with Kaldur. Nothing about what happened today could be easily dismissed.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE
September 23rd, 06:34 EDT

After the events of the previous night, you had yet been allowed to go home. Each team member held multiple debriefs with different members of the League as they tried to piece together what happened. Your head was aching through the entire process. By the time they decided to give you a short break, the only thing you wanted was a shower. 

You managed to clean up quickly, and Canary force-fed you some food before allowing you to join the rest of your team. Kaldur had flagged you over nearly immediately. The look on his face was grim. You knew exactly what he was thinking about. The two Reds had managed to sneak into the mountain without setting off any alarms, and they knew how to disable everything to ensure we couldn’t tell anyone about what was happening either. Sportsmaster words from Taipei had already been bouncing around your heads the last few weeks, but now? Now it was much more prominent. Which is why he redirected your gaze to Batman you knew it was time to share the information.

“It may be time to share what we know,” Kaldur told you.

“We still don’t know if it’s true,” you remind him.

“After the events of last night, I’m hard-pressed to believe that,” he admits to you.

“Don’t you hate it, though? The idea that we have to trust in what Sportsmaster said?” you groan, but he turns and starts moving toward Batman. 

“We have to consider the fact it may have been Red Tornado,” he reminds you. 

“Yeah, I get that, but I still feel like we should address the whole team, not just…” you bring your two pointer fingers up to the top of your head, mimicking the Batman’s cowl, “you know?”

Kaldur offered you a flat look, “While your everyday antics usually amuse me, old friend, I will not be dissuaded,” he says seriously. 

“Fine, whatever,” you huff, following him up to the Dark Knight.

“Batman, if we could have a word,” Kaldur asked softly.

The rest of your team was sitting around the situation table with Green Arrow and Black Canary. Other members of the JL were helping with fixing up the cave after last night’s fiasco.

Batman narrowed his eyes at us, and I spoke first, “About two weeks ago, Kaldur and I got some information that we now believe might be of importance to bring to you,” you admit, you tried to meet Batman’s gaze, but under the weight of what you were about to share, you seemed incapable.

“What?” he pressed. 

“It was during the Taipei mission with Red Arrow, Sportsmaster revealed the possibility of a mole within the team,” Kaldur shared, and you could detect a slight change in the Dark Knight’s features. His weight shifted as he stood taller, looming over you, gaze entirely focused on what the two of you were now sharing. 

“In light of last night’s attack, Red Tornado would appear to be the traitor,” you tell him, but you pause as the words leave a horrible taste in your mouth. “But whether he betrayed us willingly or was pre-programmed is still-” you tried to continue but got cut off.

“YOU KNEW?” Conner shouted. 

In a second, Conner charged at you both, pushing you aside while grabbing on to Kaldur. You fall and land on your back, head colliding with the ground. You let out a painful breath before pushing yourself up with a slight groan. 

You were quick to try and pull Conner off of Kaldur, “Conner, let him go!” you pressed, tugging on his arm while squeezing yourself between the two of them.

“That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!” Conner reminded you, and your eye twitched. Kaldur had almost died, too- in fact, your entire team nearly did.

“Conner, what are you doing?” M’gann asked as everyone began crowding around you. 

“Kaldur and Nightingale knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!” the Kryptonian teen snarled, and suddenly everyone’s attention was on the three of you.

“Conner, let him go,” you repeat, voice terse.

“You knew?” Robin asked, though his eyes narrowed on you, not Kaldur. This was a different look; anger and betrayal were evident in his tone and expression.

“And didn’t tell us?” KF’s question followed right after.

A pit formed in your stomach, and your headache seemed to come back with full force while everyone glared hard at you and Kaldur.

“I sought to protect the Team from-” Kaldur was maintaining his calm persona as he tried to explain his choice.

“Sought to protect us from what?” Artemis interrupts; her anger is also evident. “Knowledge that might’ve saved our lives?” her gaze shifted to you. The look in her eyes was ferocious, and you understood what she was thinking; with everything the two of you had been through over the last 24 hours, how could you have not told her?

“From this!” you shout, drawing the attention back to you. “Do you see how we’re imploding on each other? We wanted to be sure that this was more than a mind game before we said anything! And look at how you’re reacting!”

Conner turned to M’gann, the only one who had yet to weigh in, “You almost died.” 

Your lips flattened, eyes darting to Kaldur and then Robin, before turning back to Conner “she’s not the only one,” you growl, giving his chest another push, and Conner’s glare at you hardened.

When she didn’t respond, Batman intervened, “Enough.” Conner let go of Kaldur as we all faced him, “With Red Tornado… missing… The Team will now be overseen by rotation supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift.”

Captain Marvel stepped forward, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. This was nothing more than a distraction for the moment being. “I’m really looking forward to hanging with you guys,” he says simply, a small smile coming over his features despite the tense atmosphere.

Conner turned back to you and Kaldur, “After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna-”

“Back off,” you interrupt him, stepping in front of Kaldur once more. Conner’s blue eyes focused on your, lips pulled tight as he stared at you. He couldn’t see your eyes, but he had to know that you were glaring just as hard at him.

Batman wasted little time intervening, “Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. That makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us,” his tone leaves little space to discuss. “I have another assignment for this team.”

Begrudgingly both you and Conner redirected your gaze to the holo-screens that Batman pulled up. He showed us a couple of newspaper articles, all about recent Gorilla attacks. 

“Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerilla Gorilla?” Wally reads; the annoyance is evident in his voice.

“Batman, please!” Robin begs. “Tell me you’re not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase.”

“I never joke about the mission,” Batman’s tone is cold, and you bite your tongue for the moment being. “I’ve checked the sources,” he continues, “I’ve studied the patterns. Mayor Hills’ encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out.”

Aqualad gives a nod of agreement, and everyone moves to grab their gear. Wally stops before Kaldur and scoffs, “your team,” he shakes his head, and you snap. You were getting sick of everyone’s attitude. 

“You got something to say, Wally?” you shout back, and the redhead rears on you. 

“Actually, yeah, I’m getting kind of tired of the fact that you always side with Kaldur. This is a team,” he argues. 

“Really? That’s the best bullshit you could come up with? That I always side with Kaldur? Do you seriously think I would do anything to jeopardize this team?” you argue, and he takes a step closer—his height forcing you to turn your head up to meet his gaze. You noticed when his fists clenched and how his chest puffed as he started to square up against you.

“Kid,” Kaldur’s voice has a warning edge in it, but you shake your head. 

“No, let him,” you negate. “Wally, do you really want to know who wins in this fight? You might have your speed, but I promise you, I will always be the last one standing, always. So go ahead, take your best shot,” you press. Your voice was low, and Wally seems to be the only one who could hear you; all he does in response is scoff, shake his head, and walk away. 

“Nightingale, you should go and prepare for the mission,” Kaldur’s hand lands on your shoulder, and you glare at the retreating figures of your so-called “team.” 

You take a deep breath and nod, moving away from the JL mentors who had watched your fiasco with Wally. As you’re grabbing your bags, the malice builds. How could they not understand? You get it; they’re hurt because they felt like Kaldur, and you didn’t trust them, but they should be smart enough to see that it was Sportsmaster that you didn’t trust. Why would you risk hurting the team, and causing a blowout, if there was no honest base for it? 

That’s when you made your decision. They were being ridiculous, and if they couldn’t recognize the choice made here, then too bad because Kaldur was right. He has never, ever, done anything to jeopardize the team, and they needed to remember that instead of complaining.

You make it to the bioship at the same time Captain Marvel walks in, and you catch part of Robin and KF’s conversation, “-translation: he blames us for Red Fiasco,” Robin mutters, turning to Wally and then to you and Kaldur, “he doesn’t trust us.” Robin’s tone was pressing on an entirely different argument. 

When Wally turned and saw you and Aqualad, and he added, “It’s a big club.” 

You move to step forward, but Kaldur grabs your arm again, allowing Wally and Robin to walk on the bioship giving you and Kaldur space, “you need to take a breath, do not fan the flame,” he warned, and you turned to your old friend. 

“So, what? We’re going to let them treat us like trash? You made a grown-up decision, Kaldur, and they should respect that. We all chose you to lead, and they should remember that,” you argue. 

“I have faith that in time, they will realize. But for now, we will not antagonize or give in. Do you understand me, old friend?” Kaldur’s voice was level, and you take a deep breath before offering a nod of acceptance. He turns and walks onto the bioship. You take another breath and follow after him. 

NORTHERN INDIA
September 23rd, 21:36 IST

When you arrive close to the predetermined drop spot, you, Robin, and Artemis drop down to do a quick scan of the immediate area. You regroup minutes later with the rest of the team. 

“All clear,” Robin informs the rest. 

“Switch to stealth,” Aqualad orders and those that need to do so, “and we’ll review mission parameters.”

“Parameters?” KF asks with a scoff. “We don’t need no stinkin’ parameters.”

Robin is quick to agree with the hotheaded redhead, “It’s recon. We know what to do.” 

They don’t even leave space to discuss, and Robin levels you with another look, which you turn away from before the two make a move to run off. “Kid, Robin,” Kaldur tries, and Robin snapped. 

“The four of us started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us,” Robin reminded us; there was a harshness in his tone that you had never heard from him before.

“Or did you forget that like you forgot to tell us about the mole?” KF added, though his question was rhetorical, you know it was, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t have anything to say. 

Conner grabbed onto M’gann’s arm, “Come on. I’ll keep you safe,” he decided, but she shrugged him off, and his facial expression changed. “I just… wanna protect you,” Conner tries to explain. 

“Like Aqualad and Nightingale protected us?” Artemis steps in. “I’m not sure if your protection or patronizing is good for our health,” accenting her point by poking him in the chest with her bow. Both girls glance at you briefly before stalking off into the woods. 

“Why didn’t you stop them? You’re supposed to be in charge,” Conner shouts angrily, and you made a move to speak before Kaldur rests his hand on your shoulder and addresses Conner. 

“I am…” Kaldur began, but Conner held up a hand and ran off. 

Trying, you think. That was what Kaldur was going to say, not that anyone else on the team could realize.

“Um, did I miss the part where you actually said what the plan was?” Captain Marvel interrupts suddenly.

You turn to look at the Atlantean, who only sighs before turning towards the jungle. When he starts walking, you stare at Captain Marvel for a second, “no, no, you didn’t,” you state, and your tone is flat. Silently the two of you follow after Kaldur. 

Finally, Kaldur shows how much the situation weighs on him, and his lack of a response other than a small sigh is the only one the Justice League hero needs. However, the hero doesn’t say anything more as you both follow after Kaldur.

You start tracking, and soon enough, the three of you find a multitude of footprints and bullet casings, “Guess this is where Mayor Hills’. monkey business went down,” Captain Marvel notes as he takes a look at the tracks. 

When Aqualad didn’t respond, he stood up and turned to face our Atlantean leader, “So at least we’ve confirmed his story, right?” still no response. “Aqualad?” he questions curiously.

You reach out and touch Kaldur’s arm, and he seems to stir from his staring off in the distance, “My apologies, Captain. I am… plagued by doubts,” Kaldur admits, and your eyes narrow. “Perhaps I was wrong to withhold.”

You’re ready to argue when something rustling in the trees grabs your attention. You pull your escrima sticks out and grip them tightly in your hands, trying to focus on what’s out there. The three of you slowly creep around the small clearing you were in, taking in the sounds and trying to find where it’s originating from. Though before you can, a massive mammoth breaks through the trees, and your heart stutters. 

“A mammoth?!” you call, looking over to Kaldur, whose eyes blow wide. 

Captain Marvel races forward to fight the wooly mammoth or elephant. You and Kaldur manage to snap from your stupor and into battle modes. But really, it’s primarily defensive moves, trying to make sure you don’t get smushed while also trying not to hurt the creature. Captain Marvel flies up and hits the brown mammoth, managing to take it down. But the grey one came up behind him and swatted him out of the air. You paused for a second and shouted to Kaldur.

“Something’s not right! These animals are agitated, but from what?” you shouted out to your friend, ducking out of the way when the grey one’s trunk came towards you. 

Your words seemed to help because Kaldur had a revelation. You watch as he charges and then goes for something you hadn’t seen, a collar. It looked like the inhibitor collars used at Belle Reve. Kaldur used his water bearers to pull and shatter the collar. There’s an immediate response, the giant animal instantly calms down, its eyes soften, and then it simply turns and walks off. It walks right past you and doesn’t even care as it continues as if nothing had happened. 

You let out a deep breath as Kaldur shouts out, “Remove the collar!” he shouts to your chaperone.

“On it,” Captain Marvel is quick to follow instructions, and soon enough, the collar is broken, and the second mammoth wandered off. You stand and watch as they walk away.

The Captain lands beside Kaldur, “Pretty sweet the way you figured out the problem was the collars.”

Kaldur’s brow simply furrowed, “But the collars indicate intelligence behind this attack.” 

The more you thought about it, the more you realized something problematic, “The rest of the Team may also be at risk,” you point out.

“Team, report status,” Aqualad called out, but there was only feedback. 

The both of you winced at the high-pitched whine. 

“Well, comms are jammed,” you note sarcastically.

“And Miss Martian failed to establish a telepathic link before we split up,” Kaldur sighed.

“Actually, you let everyone split up before communications were set,” Captain Marvel points out, and you gape at the man.

For the first time today, you see  Kaldur give an honest to god reaction, “They would not listen!” Kaldur argued.

“I guess,” Cap admits, putting his hands on his hips, but then he smirked, “but back at the cave, Batman stopped everyone from fighting with just one word.”

You scoffed at that, “that’s because Batman is…” there is only one way to describe the man, as redundant as it may be, “Batman.”

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me,” Cap concurred. “When I first joined the League, all he did was boss me around. And it’s hard not to take it personally. But…” he smiles, “I never disobeyed an order, and that’s probably what kept me alive.”

You sighed in understanding and turned to Kaldur, “Batman takes command. He has to… for the good of the League.”

Kaldur nodded in understanding before turning back to Captain Marvel, “Thank you for helping me understand.”

“Hey, Wisdom of Solomon,” the hero mused.

“Aqualad, NG, can you hear me?” M’gann called using the link, and you focused on her voice. 

“Yes, Miss Martian. Report,” Aqualad responded.

“Artemis and I were attacked by animals wearing Inhibitor Collars like those used on convicts at Belle Reve Prison,” she shared, and you shared a look with your friend.

“So were we,” you affirmed.

Your focus was pulled away from Miss M when Captain Marvel spoke up once more, “Cool, a tiger! I’ll be right back!” he called out before flying off.

“Captain, wait!” Kaldur shouted, but he’s already gone. 

“Hey. Speed of Mercury,” you joke, “but we should probably link with everyone.”

“They will not listen to me,” Kaldur sighed. 

You placed your hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at you, “then make them listen. They chose you, Aqualad. We all did, because you are older and wiser, and you have never led us wrong. So make them listen to you,” you remind him. “Just like Batman would.”

“Miss Martian, I need a telepathic link up with the entire team, now,” there’s a different tone to his voice and, since she did as asked, you assumed that it was clear she heard it too. 

“Link established,” she assured.

“Should he really still be giving us orders, and should you really be following them?” Artemis asks M’gann, acting like Kaldur wasn’t on the call. 

“Listen, please…” Kaldur tried to intercede but got cut off once more. 

“Oh good, Aqualad’s voice in my head,” KF’s sarcastic tone made you roll your eyes. “I’ve so missed that.”

Robin continued the charade, “Hey, Kaldur! KF and I were attacked by giant vultures. ‘Course, since we’re moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves.” There’s a distinct edge to his voice.  

“If he did, he wouldn’t tell you,” Artemis quips back just as fast. 

“Would you all please grow up!” you argue, and Kaldur just shoots you a look. 

“Oh! Miss Secret Keeper is here too!” KF snarked. “Are you just going to second everything Kaldur says, or do you have your own opinions?”

“You really wanna hear my opinions, Wallace?” you shoot back; the way you said his name screamed malice.

“Yeah, because this is what we need, more arguing. There’s a reason we all split up,” Robin points out. 

“Yeah, and what a great idea that was. I really love almost dying two nights in a row,” you scoff.

Miss Martian is the one to interrupt this time, “Superboy, are you online or just pouting?” 

Conner barely wastes a second with you all, “Busy. Call back later,” he grunted and went silent once more. 

Kaldur starts moving forward, and although you’re focused on the current conversation, you follow after him, “what?” you ask vocally, deciding to keep the rest and their opinions out. 

Kaldur led you through some shrubbery, and you spotted metal posts, some kind of trap, “I think we lost out chaperone,” he notes with wary eyes. 

“What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us, NG too, like they don’t trust us!” KF griped, and you were once again paying attention to the conversation. 

“He should be chalant. Way chalant! Extremely chalant!” Robin agrees quickly, and you feel a little pang. The wordplay was usually something the two of you did. It kind of felt weird that he was using it against you here– not weird, it hurt. And it hurt a lot more than you thought it would.

Kaldur is barely listening to them as he sees two tracks in the ground from the trap. You crouch down to inspect them with a wary look. 

“How are we supposed to be a team if he doesn’t trust us with his secrets?” Artemis shoots.

“Or if Conner doesn’t expect us to take care of ourselves?” M’gann pushes.

You follow the tracks, and that’s when you see a five-fingered print larger than your hand. You meet Kaldur’s eyes, and all the anger, all the annoyance seems to wash away as fear replaces it. 

“Did he really think you or I could’ve been the mole?” KF asks. 

“Right? We’ve known each other for years! And I bet he didn’t even think about it being NG for a second,” Robin agrees.

“Trust is a two-way street!” Artemis pipes up, defending herself against the old friend’s argument. 

“And you’d know they’d hate it if we kept secrets from them!” M’gann snaps.

You see the look on Kaldur’s face. His, albeit extremely high, tolerance and patience were starting to wear thin.

“Not that we’d ever do that. Never,” Artemis back peddles.

Finally, Kaldur’s restraint snaps, “Enough!” your eyes went wide at the authority that was in the word, and you had to take a step back when he ripped the trap’s pylon from the ground, shielding your eyes from the crackling electricity. “Captain Marvel has been captured. And we must act as a team to save him!”

“Heh. Under your leadership?” KF continued, and you could see the hardened look in Aqualad’s features. “I don’t think s-”

“This is not up for debate!” Kaldur snaps, cutting him off. “You all chose me to lead. When this mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down.”

“What?” your voice cracked as you asked him, but he ignored it. 

“But until that time, I am in command here,” Kaldur threw down the pylon with a grunt. 

He gave you a serious look before heading off in the direction the trail leads. Silently you follow behind him. 

“Were you serious?” you asked as you followed him through the jungle. 

“It will do the team no good to have a leader that no one listens to,” he says sagely. 

“Kaldur, no one can lead this team the way you can,” you argue. 

“You could,” he says suddenly. “Kid’s intention was to hurt you, but he is right. There is little that I have done without your help, support, or advice. You’d make an excellent leader.”

You scoffed at that, “I don’t want to. I never have, not when everyone was arguing on Santa Prisca and not now.”

“Maybe not, but we don’t always get to choose. One day, I think you’ll make an excellent leader,” he admits, and the two of you fall into silence as you continue. 

You were extremely quiet as you crept through the jungle. You kneeled in the foliage to peer out at the recently discovered building. When Wally and Robin joined you, you rolled your eyes. They settled next to you, and your shoulders unintentionally tense. Robin seemed to notice, of course, he did, stupid batman training.

“Miss M, sit-rep?” you ask through the link, ignoring his look.

“I’ll fly over,” she offers. 

“Negatory,” Kid says sharply before M’gann could get too close, “the shield extends like a dome over the whole compound.”

“Pylons are insulated,” Robin remarks while looking at his holoscreen, and you turn to look over at the schematics as well.  

“But one good shock could cause a momentary gap,” you note. You look up and find Robin staring at you, and you immediately look away, trying to refocus on the building.

“I see a target,” Artemis chimed, and you were sure that she had her eyes set on the large red button on the outside wall.

“Then be ready to hit it,” Kaldur decided, and you noticed him as he surged forward through the brush. “Be ready, all of you.” 

“What?” you pressed and popped up a little further. 

Robin grabbed your shoulder and pulled you back down. You watch with careful eyes as Aqualad approaches the perimeter. His water bearer marks light up as he channels the shield’s electricity. You take a sharp inhale as arcs of blue electricity travel over his body. There was no way he could’ve been sure that it wouldn’t hurt.

“Now!” Aqualad ordered.

Artemis wasted no time taking her shot. Her arrow flies through the gap and hits her target straight on. As soon as the arrow was clear, Kaldur pulled back, and the entire shield went down. KF raced forwards, and when you popped up, Robin followed. 

“NG-” he called to you softly while everyone else raced forward. He had waited until no one else was around. 

“Focus on the mission, Robin,” you say seriously before taking off towards the rest of the team. 

By the time Robin followed you out of the brush, you were staring with wide eyes at a howler monkey sitting on the roof. The inhibitor collar was clear enough to see despite the distance with its red lights blinking at you. Before you had a chance to alert the rest of the team, it let out a disturbing howl.

Everyone jolted in surprise, and then there was a blaring alarm. The monkeys were quick to target us, and we were quick to defend. When Kaldur threw one of the monkeys off of himself, you took your chance. You grabbed your escrima sticks and whirled them once in your hands. After your run-in with Ivo’s robot monkeys, you worked with Ollie and his money to spice up your toys. They now had an electric feature, as well as a magnetic one. When the monkey got close enough, you pressed the button on the side and the tips crackled with electricity. You smirked as you brought them down directly on the inhibitor collar. It shorted and then released around the monkey’s neck, setting the animal free. 

Kaldur nodded at you before addressing the team, “Remove their collars!”

You turned to take on the next one when you spotted Robin. He was struggling with two that were nearly the same size as him, “Sounds easy when he says it,” he grumbled, and you turned the electricity off before tossing the escrima sticks at each monkey. You hit each one square on the forehead.

It was enough of a distraction that they turned to you, which gave Artemis an opening to shoot the collars off. You tap your wrists together, and the escrima sticks come flying back towards you. Robin’s eyes widened in surprise. A second later, he throws two bomb disks at the two monkeys that had been creeping up on you. 

“Get your paws off her, you darn dirty ape,” KF’s voice forced you to look over towards the building. You saw M’gann on the ground, and as a black and red blur got pushed back. You winced sympathetically as Wally landed; even if you were mad, you didn’t want to see any of your teammates get hurt.

M’gann is quick to get back to her feet, and she sends the ape back through the wall. You quickly converge on Miss M, and as the dust settles, you finally come face to face (sort of) to the being in charge. 

“It’s the Brain!” KF shouts.

“Uh,” Artemis scoffed, “I can see it’s a brain.”

“And it’s disgusting,” you add.

Kid grit his teeth as he glared over his shoulder, “Not a brain, The Brain.”

“In the flesh, so to speak,” the Brain confirms with his seemingly french accent, then turns to the ape, “Mallah.”

The gorilla grabs something, and he presses a button. Pylons rise from the floor all around you; you groaned as the force field knocks you all down, “well, this is a disaster,” you groaned out loud.

“Miss Martian, Superboy, now!” Kaldur commanded. 

M’gann’s eyes began to glow as she telekinetically took the remote from Mallah, the gorilla. She used her abilities to press the button that disabled the pylons and set us free. At the same time, Superboy broke through the other wall, a large white wolf beside him. In a second and a flash of white, the wolf has launched itself at Mallah, and the rest of us are on our feet. As Mallah gets back to his feet, KF kicks him back, then dodges the gunfire as Robin swings high. Finally, M’gann drops in and lifts the gorilla into the ceiling, then lets him fall. You come up with my escrima sticks and electrocute him, not enough to cause permanent damage but enough to act as a taser. Though it doesn’t do anything to knock him out, in the end, all we succeeded in doing was make him angry.

He turns his attention to you now, and you carefully take a step back. You watch with wide eyes as his body tensed, a signal he was ready to pounce at you, and then suddenly Superboy leaps toward you. Mallah moved fast for a gorilla, and he jumped out of the way. Superboy lands right in front of you, and Mallah takes his gun and starts shooting at you both. He grabs onto you, protecting you from the bullets. 

“Oh god,” you mutter, as you keep entirely still. Usually, you didn’t have to deal with guns, not really when your main bad guys were superpowered crazies, but the sound of guns firing was something that always managed to shake you. 

Artemis and Robin came in next. You were still tense and hiding in front of superboy as the archer shot at the pack on Mallah’s back. Your hands had fisted in Superboy’s t-shirt, and though he had been angry earlier in the day, now he seemed mildly concerned. Smoke engulfed the gorilla, and then Robin launched detonating birdarangs at Mallah, forcing the gorilla to let go of the gun. Superboy gently pulled your hands away, your grip adjusted back to your escrima sticks, with white knuckles. Robin came up to you, and you continued to stare at the gun that was now on the ground, he grabbed your arm, and your eyes whipped to him. You could see the concern in his features. You swallow and turn back to Mallah, who was now beside The Brain. The two of them are now surrounded by the team. 

Kaldur quickly snaps the collar off of Captain Marvel, “Thanks.” 

Captain Marvel makes quick work of removing the other restraints, and then he turns to the tiger breaking its collar, “Now, one good turn deserves another,” he promises, and the tiger rises in front of him. 

Mallah turns around a couple of times, attempting to find a weak spot. He stops in front of Conner. And lets out an angry roar. 

“Try it. I hate monkeys,” Conner growled; the wolf stood firm beside him as he cracked his knuckles.

“No, Mallah, this will not be our Waterloo,” the Brain decides, and suddenly multiple compartments begin to open around his body. 

“Oh my god,” you mutter, taking a step back at the sight of the machine. 

“Au revoir, mes amis,” the brain drawled, his french accent thick, and the machinery started to hum.

“Get down!” KF yells as the humming hits a new pitch, loud enough almost to drown out his warning.

You tensed, and you looked directly at Robin with wide eyes. He was staring at you too. He took a step closer to you and grabbed your hand; suddenly, everything went black, and you squeezed your eyes shut. A second passed, and you peaked your eyes open, another second, and the lights came back on, but Mallah and The Brain were gone.

“Wait, that big weapon thing was… a light switch?” Kid asks, confused as he straightens up.

You take a shaky breath and release Robin’s hand quickly, “Lightswitch, no. A trick, yeah,” you sniff and turn to walk away. 

The sky was turning pink as you all made it back to the bioship. You took a seat on the ground, and the white wolf that helped Conner came up to you cautiously. It sniffed at you before setting its head in your lap. You chuckled softly and started scratching his ears. It acted a lot like a big dog, and as it settled, you couldn’t help but smile. 

“What are you grinning about?” Artemis asked, and your gaze shifted to KF.

KF holds up Mallah’s red beret in his hands, “One word: souvenir,” then he put it on, and you made a face.

“Two words: gorilla lice,” Artemis shot back.

KF’s face morphed, “Huh?” it was like a big bucket of realization dropped on him as he let out a groan, “Oh, man!” He quickly takes it off and holds it at a distance.

Slowly but surely, all the collars are eventually removed, “That’s the last of the collars?” Captain Marvel asks, looking at the tiger.

Conner came up to you at that moment and looked down at the wolf, “The rest of the pack is gone,” he notes, crouching down to its level, “What are you still doing here?”

“I think he wants to stay with you,” M’gann tells him, and you smile, standing up and slipping away. 

“Can I keep him?” Conner asks her, sounding like an excited child, and the wolf stares at you with its big eyes. 

Wally lets out a laugh, “First the sphere, now this beast. Dude, you sure make a habit of collecting strays.”

“Maybe because he’s such a stray himself,” M’gann says quickly with a smile.

You’re quick to pick up how they were staring at each other and realized they were probably having a private conversation. 

“Well, he’s gonna need a name,” Wally interrupted, pulling them out of their conversation. “Uh, how’s about Krypto?”

The wolf growls, “Pass,” Conner says instantly.

“Besides, isn’t that taken?” M’gann inquires. 

You step away, and Robin corners you instantly. Your shoulders sag, and he frowns at the noticeable deflation in your attitude. 

“I-uh,” he paused. 

“I don’t want to argue with you anymore. I’m really tired of that and of being accused of not trusting you, even though you know that I have trusted you with literally everything. Either way, it’s been a long day, and I’m not sure if you remember this, but I have this thing about guns, and well…” you sighed.

“I know,” he nodded, interrupting you. “I remember,” he promised. 

He stood there staring at you for a second and for the first time, you felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Maybe it was because you didn’t know where either of you stood right now, or perhaps it’s because you were still too wired from the day to truly relax. Either way, you weren’t sure how much longer you could handle him just staring at you like this. 

“If you want to ask about the mole, you should ask Kaldur, okay?” you press. 

He swallowed and opened his mouth as if to argue about why he was staring at you like that. But he closed his mouth, took a breath, and instead, he said, “Right, I’ll do that.”

He took a step back cautiously before turning to Kaldur and pausing on the bioship’s boarding ramp. 

Robin stands on the ramp, up to the BioShip, clearly waiting for Kaldur.

“Look, I need to know, why did you keep the mole intel secret?” Robin asked just as Kaldur went to pass him on his way up.

Kaldur stops, and everyone else slowly moves towards the BioShip for the conversation. He doesn’t turn away from any of them as they all wait for his answer. He meets your eyes and asks a silent question. 

You nod your head; it was time to tell them everything. 

“The source of the tip was Sportsmaster,” he says simply.

“What?! You can’t trust him!” Artemis snapped immediately, turning from Kaldur to you and then back to Kaldur.

“We do not,” Kaldur affirmed, gesturing to you and himself, “It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the team with false information,” Kaldur informs them.

“And given how the mission went, he almost succeeded,” Robin realizes, and he meets your gaze once more, but this time it’s full of guilt, and you pick up on the way his body slouches just the slightest bit in defeat. “But you had to consider it might be true. You both did.”

“Yes, as a leader, I did. In which case, I did not wish to alert the traitor,” he looks directly at Robin as he speaks.

“I hate to say it, but it makes sense. Even more, sense why you didn’t say anything,” Robin says with a one-sided smile, before turning the attention to you. 

“I’ve seen first hand what betrayal looks like. When Kaldur decided to look into the claim quietly, I supported him. I’m sorry if you were all hurt by it,” you admit to them, thinking about the people that had flitted in and out of your life while working with Ollie and Dinah. 

“I am still prepared to step down,” Kaldur spoke up.

Wally raises his hand, drawing all out attention, “All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?” 

M’gann, Conner, and Artemis all raise their hands instantly. As Kaldur turns to Robin, his hand is raised too, and he shows a few of his teeth with his smile. The Atlantean nods silently, facing you with a soft smile. You raise yours as well. 

“I told you, K. I’ve got your back,” you promised.

“Guess it’s unanimous,” Captain Marvel says gleefully as he places a hand on Kaldur’s shoulder, then removes it and offers a handshake. “See you tomorrow,” he winked and walked off the ship.

“You’re not coming back with us?” you asked, staring at the JL member with confusion.

“Nah, gotta fly,” he smiled before taking off.

The wolf comes back up to you all and drops his giant head into Conner’s hands for a moment.

“So, what are you gonna call him?” M’gann asks as you all head up the ramp.

“What’s wrong with Wolf?” Conner asks with a smirk.

“Generic, but acceptable,” Wally says as we all take our seats.

You settle back comfortably against the chair, and for the first time in nearly two days, you relax. You manage to doze off sometime during the flight, and Robin is the one who woke you up as Miss M set the bioship down in the hanger of the cave. 

After you showered and changed into some civvies, you were heading towards the zeta tubes, and Robin grabs your hand, pulling you into an abandoned hall, “Hey,” he greets awkwardly.

“Hi,” you shoot back, and a hand comes up under your sunglasses to rub at your eyes. 

“I’m sorry!” he shouted, and you jerked back in surprise. “Sorry, sorry, I just I’m not good at admitting when I was wrong, and I’m also not good at apologizing, but I owe it to you,” he backpedaled. 

Your heart clenched a little because it was so clear that he was out of his element here, but he was trying, and that was kind of sweet. “Robin, you don’t owe me anything,” you shake your head. 

“No, I know that I owe it to you, (y/n),” he said your name softly, and you almost cried and that. 

You pull your sunglasses off and look up at him. He smiles at you, and you bite your lip as a question comes to mind. 

“What?” he asked, picking up on it. 

“What color are your eyes?” you asked softly. “You don’t have to answ-”

“Blue,” he says without an ounce of hesitation, and you smiled softly. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. 

“I know, it’s okay,” you promised. You pushed yourself up on your toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Goodnight, Robin,” you whispered before stepping back, sliding your sunglasses back on, and walking away. 

The next day when you came into the cave, Robin handed you a single flower. A violet, and you smiled at it with a blush on your cheeks. 

“Oooh, what’s going on here?” Artemis smirked, looking at us and then the rest of the team.

“An apology,” Robin admitted, a smirk on his face.

Your smile grew a little, “Apology accepted,” you assured, and he smiled back at you. 

Kaldur came up to you as you were slipping the violet into an old glass soda bottle with water, “interesting choice of flower, wouldn’t you agree, old friend?” he mused. 

You looked at him with a playful smile, “They’re a personal favorite of mine.”

“I am happy for you, both of you,” he nodded, his voice dropping a bit to speak quietly. 

You duck your gaze down, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you fib, meeting his gaze head-on. 

Kaldur chuckles a bit, but he beams at you, and you can’t help but beam right back, a light coat of pink on your cheeks.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE
October 1st, 18:13 EDT

You were stretching out in the cave while Kaldur and Robin were doing some hand-to-hand training on the deck. You were all dressed in civvies, and you had to fight the laugh at Kaldur’s sandals when you first arrived. Zatara and Captain Marvel were observing from off to the side. The boys had been going for a solid half hour now, and they only slowed when you all spotted M’gann, Conner, and Wolf approach. You moved to stand beside the boys as you looked at the two aliens. 

“You know they’re a couple, right?” you asked quietly. 

Kaldur smiled and nodded, “I believe I knew before they did.”

Two more sets of footsteps approached from the opposite direction, and the three of you turn and spot Wally and Artemis. You couldn’t help but sigh.

“Do we tell them?” Robin asked, probably trying to look out for his closest friend.

“It’s not our place,” Kaldur states and offers us both a warning glance.

You all drop the topic when Wally steps closer, “So if Zatara is our babysitter of the week, why’s he still here?” Wally’s annoyance was directed at Captain Marvel, and understandably so. Sometimes that man was like an unruly child. “And why’s he eating my snacks?”

You snorted at the whine in Wally’s voice, and he turned to you with a deadpan, He looked like he was about to say something else, but the zeta cut him off. 

“Recognize: Batman; 0-2,” the computer calls out.

Batman surges forward, “Computer, national news.” 

He doesn’t stop until he’s reached the holoscreens his more abrupt than normal attitude effectively caught out attention. Your brow furrows as you shared a look of confusion with Robin. He pulls up the footage of a plant creature in Metropolis, and you adjust your sunglasses in surprise.

“The initial attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve,” the TV shows the massive plant standing upright and attacking while the reporter says her bit. “And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight,” the camera follows League members and show’s their attempts at fighting the super-plant.

“Should we get out there?” Robin’s the first to ask the question. 

“No. The League will soon have the situation under control,” Batman informs, leaving no room to argue. “That’s not why I’m here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus’ Blockbuster formula to Kobra.”

“Who combined it with Bane’s Venom to create Kobra-Venom,” Wally riffs.

“Which the Brain used to create his animal army,” Robin added.

“And upgrade Wolf,” Conner jumped in.

“The Brain also used inhibitor collars like the ones at Belle Reve Penitentiary,” M’gann remembers.

Your eyebrows knitted in thought as something occurred to you, “Batman, is it possible that plant thing’s on Kobra-Venom, too?”

Batman turned to you with a grimmer than usual expression, “I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis,” the Dark Knight says as he pulls up a holographic keyboard. “Divine cellulose does contain trace amounts of a Kobra-Venom variant.”

 “These cannot be coincidences,” Kaldur says, “unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide.”

You nudge Robin’s side discreetly and he nods at you before pulling up another keyboard. He usues the holopad to start typing, you siscreetly watch over his shoulder as he summons a few more holoscreens. 

“Exactly. It’s now clear our enemies have formed some kind of secret society of supervillains. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning,” Batman says.

“You got that right,” Robin agreed and pulled up more screens for us to see. “Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Taipei-”

Suddenly all the screens cut to static, cutting off the Boy Wonder and causing Batman to turn around and look at them.

“Dude,” Wally called, and you frowned looking at the suddenly unresponsive screen.

“It’s not me,” Robin defends, typing just as quickly as he’s speaking. “Someone’s cutting in the satellite signal. All satellite signals.”

The image suddenly cuts back in to reveal the Joker. He taps on the camera lens, as if to get everyone’s attention, “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement…” the Joker opens a switchblade in one hand then uses the other to turn the camera left. “From the Injustice League,” The Joker laughs off-camera.

“Well that’s original,” you mutter softly, catching Wally’s eye for a second.

“We are responsible for the attacks on your cities,” Count Vertigo starts as the camera zooms in. “If you wish to save them, a ransom of 10 billion American Dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But the longer your governments wait….”

The Joker’s gloved hand turns the camera away from the other six, “The more we get to have our… jollies.” he laughs maniacally until it cuts back to static.

“Roger that, Aquaman,” Batman says rather suddenly into his comms. “The UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won’t come to that.”

The keyboard beeps rapidly as Robin continues to type away. The video rewinds, and you step forward, analyzing the footage, “Count Vertigo, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Atom, Wotan. Seven heavy hitters. Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we’ve faced.”

“There’s your secret society,” Wally murmurs.

“Not so secret anymore,” Artemis muttered.

“Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer,” Kaldur offers.

“Yeah! That was their mistake,” Wally says brightly as he clenched his fist. “Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt.”

“The Justice League will handle the plants,” Batman denies almost instantly. “I have a different job for this team.”

“Oh, man,” Wally whines but grunts as Artemis hits him in the arm.

“With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central

control system. Your mission is to destroy it,” Batman orders

“You realize what you’re really asking them to do?” Zatara says as he walks up to Batman, the worry is evident in his voice. 

“They’re ready,” Batman assures, and you take a deep breath in realization.

“Ready? Ready for what?” Wally asks, only to be hit in the arm again by Artemis. “Ow! Will you cut that-”

“Hello, Wally,” Artemis purposefully mimics M’gann’s phrase but with more attitude.

You turn to your speedster friend, “If the big guns are fighting plants, who do you think we’ll be fighting?” 

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll…” he gasps as Artemis’s arm jabs in front of his face. “Ohhh,” he mumbles.

“Well, Batman, I trust you’re correct,” Zatara turns back to Batman, and your heart starts to race a bit faster in anxiety. 

“I trust you can locate the enemy,” Batman bites, with narrowed eyes on the sorcerer.

“Indeed. Wotan’s involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled,” Zatara turns to the Team rather suddenly. “Robin, if you will provide a holo-map, I’ll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity.”

A holographic globe appears in the center of the training room in seconds, and Zatara steps up and raises his hands towards the globe, “Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros.” (locate epicenter of sorcery)

A small red dot appears in the southern part of the US, “There. That is where you will find the Injustice League’s central control system.”

Robin looks at the readout in front of him, “Coordinates locked in. The Louisiana Bayou.”

“We are on our way,” Kaldur promises, and then we all take off to gear up. 

You didn’t waste time gearing up. Your suit was on, and you were making sure you had all your toys too. The marble bombs, escrima sticks, the metallic bracelets you could use to call them back to you, your ring daggers, etc. Honestly, it was kind of surprising how much gear you could hide when fully tact-ed up like this. Your eyes landed on Robin’s as he met your gaze from the other side of the armory. You smiled softly before realizing that you need a backup plan. 

“I’ll meet you guys on the ship. I need to grab one more thing,” you decide, grabbing a duffle bag. 

You don’t wait for their responses before you walk out. Carefully you sneak through the hall and into the souvenir room. You stare at the golden helmet with a conflicted mind before grabbing it. Should you all fail, Doctor Fate would not. This was your plan B, even if it was a horrible idea. You made sure no one was watching as you slipped it into the duffle bag and slung the bag over your shoulders. 

BAYOU BARTHOLOMEW
October 1st, 18:52 CDT

No one said anything about it during the first part of the flight, probably assuming it was just some extra gear. But as we got closer to the Bayou, Wally seemed to notice it, laying by your feet. 

“Hey Birdy, what’s in the duffel?” he asked after swallowing a bite of his banana.

“Plan B” is all you choose to say about it, your tone is flat, and you catch the look Robin sends you. 

Before anyone can press the matter further, M’gann groaned out, “Ugh.” 

We all turn to see her, hand up, gripping her head. 

“You all right?” Superboy asked instantly.

“Dizzy,” she offers, confused by her feelings.

“Martians get airsick?” Robin wonders aloud, meeting your concerned gaze.

“She does look a bit greener than usual,” KF mused.

“Not me, her,” Miss M corrects, and your gaze turns to Artemis. 

“I feel fine,” you and Artemis answered at the same time.

M’gann groans again, “Not them, the bioship. She’s trying to shield us, but-”

Outside, the air crackles with power, and suddenly the BioShip loses the camouflage. Looking out, you manage to spot Count Vertigo and Black Atom standing at a cliff.  Black Atom takes off, he moves fast, too fast, and lands a punch on the underside of the BioShip, knocking us off course. Screams and shouts can be heard as we lose altitude and crash into the bayou below. It stills for a second, and then vines, just like the ones attacking major cities all over the globe, come up and wrap around the bioship, trying to pull us under the swamp. Black Atom lands on the roof and rips a hole in the top of the BioShip, and Miss Martian clutches her head once more. 

“He’s hurting her!” she groans. 

Superboy stands up and punches Black Atom off the ship, and while that’s a relief, the vines continue to drag us under, water begins to flood the ship, Robin sends you a look before grabbing his rebreather. 

“No. No way I’m nearly drowning three missions in a row,” Artemis gripes, and Robin ducked under the water.

You turn to her with a half-smirk, “don’t tell me you didn’t bring a rebreather,” you muse, pulling your glove off while grabbing a ring that was hidden in your utility belt. Sliding the black water pearl ring onto your finger and whispering, “Anapnéo.”

The atlantean metal that encased the pearl lit up the same way Kaldur’s waterbearers do, at the atlantean comand to breath. Your ring was a gift from Aquaman and it allowed you to breath and live in Atlantis. After the last few nights and the times you nearly drowned, you thought it pertinent to start carrying the ring with you again. 

You wink at Artemis and she rolls her eyes before holding her’s up to you and putting it in her mouth. You smirk and then your eyes dart to Wally. She rolls her eyes again and shoves one in KF’s face. You smirk again, grabbing the duffle bag and placing it in a secure spot of the ship.

“Wow. Uh, thanks,” Wally takes it from her with a small smile, and it’s your turn to roll your eyes before you duck under the water too, idiots.

“M'gann, we need to get out. Open a hatch!” Conner shouts.

“Hello, M'gann. Of course,” she says, hitting herself lightly on the head before growing gills on her neck.

“Out. Everyone out,” Aqualad commands.

We all manage to swim through the gap and to the far shore without being spotted. As you step out onto the bank, you tucked the rebreather back into one of the utility compartments of your suit.

“She’s in shock. She’ll need time to recover,” Miss Martian informs, referring to the bioship.

“Why are ships always a she?” you asked, but no one got a chance to respond.

There’s a sudden and intrusive pain in your head, and the entire team seems to feel it as you all fall to the ground, clutching and cradling your heads. 

KF’s the first to push himself up and look at the source, “Vertigo,” Wally’s voice is strained.

“Count Vertigo to you, peasant,” the pale man growled.

Superboy stands to go and attack, only to be knocked back and punched in the face by Black Atom. Unconscious. Aqualad makes it to his feet and pulls out his WaterBearers to pull water from the swamp and throw it at Vertigo. It continues to hop almost like a jumping fountain while pushing Vertigo further away. 

 “Robin, Miss Martian, disappear. We will keep them busy. You two fulfill the mission objective.” Aqualad commands.

“What about NG? She’s as sneaky as I am,” Robin argued, meeting your eyes. 

“No, her abilities are needed here, now go!” he orders, and the two break off. 

 “I hope you have a plan, Aqualad,” you shout. 

“Did you not prepare a back-up?” he reminds you.

“It’s not exactly my greatest idea,” you admit. 

“Then, for now, we fight,” Aqualad decides, and you nod. 

You hit the button on your choker and scream at Black Atom. You’re so focused on pushing the titan back that you entirely miss Count Vertigo’s psionic attack from behind. It cripples you back to your knees, and you can’t move. You crumble to the ground, unconscious.

When you start to regain consciousness, you groan, Aqualad sits beside you, and you realize you’re all trapped in a golden-orange magic cage. Courtesy of Wotan. 

“They awaken. You’re certain this will hold them?” Count Vertigo asks, from where he’s standing on top of the cage. 

“The cage is impenetrable. Even the Superboy has no chance of escaping,”  Wotan says with confidence, and you roll your eyes trying to analyze a weakness. 

“You are not the only one trained in the mystic arts, Wotan,” Kaldur snaps, his tattoos glowing as he pulls on the bars, but as he does so, the energy of the cage transfers to him smothering Kaldur and draining his powers.

Wotan chuckles, “Please, Atlantean, do not pretend you’re in my league.” 

When Kaldur slumped back, he shook his head at you in failure. As bad as plan B is, it’s starting to look like the option at hand. 

You were staring straight ahead, trying to find a solution, when the BioShip came up behind Wotan and knocked him out of the air. He fell straight into the bayou. With the connection broken, the cage disappeared, the group of us shouting as we descended. 

Black Atom swoops around to grab Count Vertigo while the rest of us land knee-high in muddy swamp water with grunts.

Superboy looks up as Wolf starts growling, finding the source to be Ultra-Humanite. “I hate monkeys,” he reminds us before charging at the albino gorilla with a scream.

The rest of us are quick to jump into action, charging at different villains as we go. You and Wally turn to face Count Vertigo. Wally kicks it into high gear and takes off towards Vertigo, only for the pulsating waves to hit him. You watch as vertigo’s attack forces KF to slow down, you barely have time to react as Wally comes to a near stop mere feet in front of the two. Black Atom back-fists him in the head, knocking him completely clear of the ground and feet away. And once again, you scream. You strike the two over before rushing to Wally. 

“Where are Robin and the Martian?” Vertigo demands as he gets back up.

By the time you’re back on your feet with Wally, you can see it, tons of blinking red dots dance on the main plant. You smirk when Ivy sees it too. 

“My baby,” she cries, and in a second, the red dots explode. 

The plant screeches as it catches fire turns brown and falls back atop the glass atrium, dead. Amidst the downfall, you can see Miss M and Robin; he smirks, looking at the plant-based villain, “Timber,” he muses. 

The zinger didn’t settle well with Ivy as she pulls dozens of vines from the ground and shoots them towards the two with a scream. You don’t watch much longer because you and Wally jump when you see a streak of black lightning head your way. 

“Children? Children foiled our plan?” Joker questions, his voice gone hoarse with the smoke as he steps out from the rubble. “Inconceivable. Unacceptable. Retributionable!” he raises his hand and lowers his voice. “That last one might not be a word. So sue me.”

You can’t help but shutter, the Joker may not be your big bad, but he still creeped you out more than any of the others. More than that, the psycho honestly scared you. 

“Kill them,” Vertigo snarls, regrouping with the rest of his team. “Kill them all!”

 You’re all on your feet, now. Your focus is on not getting hit by a laser; well it’s on not getting hit, period. Somehow while fighting Atomic Skull, Wotan, and Count Vertigo, you land beside Miss M and Aqualad. When lighting strikes at the three of you, Kaldur is on his feet trying to block it. You turn frantically, analyzing everything, and you finally conclude that you are out of options. 

“I think it’s time for plan B,” you whisper to Miss M in a hushed voice, and she understands. 

She stays silent, and her eyes glow green. Within a second, the bioship is overhead, and a hole opens, dropping the duffle into your hands. 

You stare at it dauntingly, remembering exactly how shaken Wally was when he took the helmet off, but you were out of choices. Quickly you unzip it and hold the golden helmet above your head. 

Wotan’s attack stops his attack immediately, stunned and staring at you, “The Helmet of Fate.” 

Wally turns to you, and you notice the look on his face, “NG, don’t!” he shouts, but Black Atom punches him with so much force he goes flying, and you steal your nerves, pulling the helmet down over your head. 

When you open your eyes, you’re in a dark room, with a spotlight and an older gentleman,Kent Nelson. 

“Mr. Nelson?” you call to the man. 

He looks at you with surprise and also with something else, sadness. “You shouldn’t have put the helmet on,” he tells you, and you swallow. 

“Wally warned me too, but I’m afraid we were out of options,” you tell the man, and you notice for the first time that you’re not in your suit anymore. You were in ordinary civilian clothes, black jeans, and a tank top. 

“I told Wally, Doctor Fate will be unlikely to release another host,” he warns you, and you nod. 

“I did it to save my friends, and I would do it again,” you inform the man, and he offers you a sad smile. 

“Come, sit with me, let us see what Doctor Fate sees,” he told you, and a chair appeared beside him. 

Sitting down, it was almost like a movie, suddenly you could see all the things happening outside of your body. You watch with an anxious heart as Doctor Fate flies up to come face to face with Wotan. His cape was flowing behind him, and his hands moving from his sides to a fighter’s position, clenched in fists. “Wotan, you are mine,” Fate nearly growls.

The voice sounds so foreign, overlayed with magic, but you can hear yourself in there, and that just makes it even stranger. Wotan brings his hands together to shoot an orange beam at Dr. Fate. Fate’s golden ray comes from your chest, and where the two should meet, Fate’s burns straight through, hitting Wotan in the chest—pushing the dark sorcerer back until he is pinned against the greenhouse dome. When Fate’s beam stops, it begins to wrap around Wotan and form chains that bind his hands to his sides.

You can just barely make out the rest of your friends in their fights, Robin’s against the Joker, and your knee starts to bounce. Kent notices but remains silent.

“Solvo quod reverto!” Wotan chants, causing the chains to shatter away from him, and then he guides them back towards Fate.

Fate waits a moment before raising your right hand out, just before the chains hit, and the symbol of Doctor Fate appears like a giant golden shield, destroying the chains on contact.

“Wotan has prepared for your return, Doctor,” the evil sorcerer says as he floats back up to Fate’s height. “Fulmina venite!” he chants as his hands glow orange and the beam strikes the shield.

Fate’s shield holds out for a few moments, but it shatters, and Fate is knocked back as electricity crackles over your body before finding your balance and charges back to face the sorcerer.

You turn to Kent with a wince, a dull ache forming on your body from where Fate had been hit, “Isn’t Doctor Fate supposed to be the sorcerer supreme?” you ask him. 

Kent cracks a smile, “You’re much more patient than the last one, but Fate is out of practice, and while he’s been collecting dust, evil beings like Wotan have only been getting stronger.”

Wotan and Fate continue to fight, and your body now has uncomfortable aches and sore spots all over, which is beyond strange. 

“Surrender, sorcerer!” Fate commands, once again with your altered voice. “You cannot hope to defeat our Lord of Order.” 

Fate strikes out with a beam shaped like his symbol strikes Wotan in the chest, and the sorcerer glows gold before disappearing. He reappears behind Fate with his hands already glowing and takes a shot that hits Fate in the side and knocks your embodied body down about 15 feet. 

“I can defeat you, and I will,” Wotan screamed.

“Ekirts natoW nwod!” (strike Wotan down!) a new voice calls out, causing Wotan to look up to the source before he is hit by a beam of yellow light that takes him down.

Breaking through the clouds and armed with his wand is Zatara, “Not tonight, Wotan.”

Following behind the sorcerer are Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, Hawkwoman, and Captain Atom.

Wotan hits the ground hard in front of the greenhouse with a resounding thud. With the League’s help, all the villains are trapped. 

“It’s over,” is all Batman orders. 

Vertigo exchanges a small look at Ivy before raising his hands in surrender, the other villains following suit, “There will be another day,” he states with his thick accent, and you scoff. 

“Another day?” Joker asks, surprising even his teammates by his lack of surrender and his question. “Another day! There won’t be another day! Not for any of us!” he laughs as he raises his still gloved hands and uses his fingers to control the vines to rise around the swamp.

“He’s terrifying,” you mutter and Kent nods in agreement. 

“All the magic I’ve experienced, and somethings like true insanity, are still the most terrifying out there,” he says wisely. 

You turn your attention back to what’s happening. The vines rise to the surface, small redbuds bloom in quick succession and with a pop as they fill the area with green gas.

“Joker venom spores. Don’t breathe,” Batman commands, and you find yourself holding your breath as well, even if it didn’t make a difference here in your subconscious. You watched with wide eyes as Batman instantly turned to the still laughing Joker and nailed him in his psychotic face.

Despite the clown being knocked out, the gas still grows. “We have to do something!” you shout. 

You’re not sure if that was a motivator or if Fate planned to intervene anyway but suddenly, your body was rising above the cloud. 

Fear not,” you/Doctor Fate ordered, rising over the close oud, creating another one of the magic symbols. When this one glowed, it sucked up the gas, “fate has intervened.”

The second everything quieted down, you watched as Wally reared on the entire team. 

“What were you thinking?!” Wally’s voice was dangerous; in a way, you had never heard it before. You could feel the anger coming through in droves. “How could you let her put on the Helmet? Nabu will never release her now.” His anger dies out by the end of his realization, and you sniffed a bit, coming to terms with the realization yourself. “NG will be trapped inside Dr. Fate forever. Our best friend, gone,” the end comes out as a broken whisper and tears pool behind your eyes.

“Let her go, Nabu,” Kent says suddenly, and you turn to the old man with wide eyes. 

“No, you forced me to let go of the boy last time, and before that, you did nothing. You kept me on a shelf. No more, I will be free to save the earth,” Nabu argued. 

“Not with her, you won’t,” Kent argued. 

“Why not? She willingly accepted her fate, did she not?” the voice boomed.

“She did it to save her friends, not to save the world,” Kent argued, and you watched him yell into the black abyss. 

“Your costume is a symbol of a warrior, no?” Nabu asked, and suddenly, you were back in your suit, mud stains on your boots and legs, just like it was right before you had put on the helmet. 

“It is,” you affirm; a heavy fear already settled deep within you. 

“And you put the helmet on, yourself, did you not?” Nabu pressed. 

“I did,” you nod dejectedly. 

“Then it is settled,” Nabu finishes. “She shall be my new host.”

“No!” Kent shouted, and you once again turned to the old man. “Tell Nabu why you put it on, what you thought of as you did,” he urges you. 

“I put it on to save them. There was no way we could survive the attacks without help. I brought the helmet as plan B. And I put it on knowing that you may not let me go, but I did it because they would’ve died, all of them, if I hadn’t,” you state. 

“Let her go, Nabu. The girl has people who love her. She has a life right there, look at her. At how young she is. You cannot claim her as your new host. It isn’t right!” Kent argued. 

“This is true. She is young, her body tires quickly. But I am in need of a host, Kent, I will not be doomed to be alone on a shelf for another 50 years,” Nabu boomed. 

“Then I will stay,” Kent looked at a pocket watch with the picture of a beautiful woman. “I will wait with you, Nabu, old friend until a new host becomes available to you. One ready for the title of Doctor Fate, but let the girl be free,” he pleads. 

“Mr. Nelson, no!” you shake your head. 

“So it is done!” Nabu shouted. 

“You tell Wally, hello, for me, won’t you, sweetheart?” he asks, and you nod, and suddenly you are consumed by yellow light. When the light dies away, you’re standing in the swamp. The League is around you, and Wally’s standing in front of you, his arm in a sling. 

The speedster’s wrapping one arm around you a second later, arm tight against your waist as he hugged you. One of your hands is gripping onto the helmet, but the other went around his neck. For a moment the world froze, you were here. Nabu had let you go, and yo.u had to admit that the bayou never looked so good in your opinion

You let out a deep breath, and Wally’s face contorts in shock as he steps back, “Nabu let you go?” he asks with a smile.

“He almost didn’t, but your friend Mr. Nelson was most persuasive. He says hello,” you admit, and there’s a heavy tone to your voice. Suddenly that version of Wally after he wore the helmet made sense; it changes you. 

“We’re done here,” Batman says, drawing the Team’s attention to him in an instant. “The Super-Villain Secret Society has been neutralized. As for your performance…” you all wait as he pauses, “it was satisfactory.”

You swear there was a faint trace of a smile on his lips as the Team shared exciting looks. 

When you get back to the cave, you gently pull the helmet from your duffle once more. You walk to the souvenir room and pause. You raise the helmet in front of you and lean your forehead against the plate of the helmet. 

“Thank you,” you whisper softly before setting it back on its pedestal on the shelf.

When you walked out, you saw Kaldur, Wally, and Robin waiting for you. 

“Hey, guys,” you greet tiredly. 

The four of you looked horrible, covered in mud, stinking like a swamp, and beat up from the mission. 

“Oh, no. Don’t hey, guys, us! What if Nabu hadn’t let you go! You’d be trapped as Doctor Fate forever! What then?” Wally explodes. 

“Then I guess I beat all of you into the Justice League,” you shrug. 

“This is no time for jokes,” Kaldur states. 

“Look, I made a choice,” you tell them seriously. “I get it, you don’t condone that choice, but I did to save your lives, and I would do it again, and again, and again. If it comes down to it, I will always save you, stupid idiots, first,” you huff. 

“That is what concerns me,” Kaldur argues. “You are quick to save us, but who will save you?”

“I guess we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it,” you huff, holding your ground. 

“Now is so not the time to play tough,” Wally argues. 

“I’m not playing, Wally. I will always put you guys first. It’s part of who I am. That’s not going to change. It’s why I wear the suit, to save the good guys, that includes other capes as well as innocent people. My choice to use the helmet supports that. I will not apologize, and I will not make any promises because impulsive solutions are kind of my thing,” you argue. 

“Just be careful,” Robin finally speaks. 

You turn to him, and you can see the gears turning, “I can try,” you relent. 

“That’s enough for now. I’m sure her mentor will have some choice words herself. Many of the League probably do. You should clean up before facing them, old friend,” Kaldur decides. 

You let out a groan at the thought of having to deal with the League and get another lecture but you nod. Kaldur begins to lead the two boys away but Wally hesitates a second before pulling you into another hug, “Aw, Wallace, did you miss me,” you muse, wrapping your arms around him too. 

“You couldn’t have known that Nabu would let you go,” he mutters into your shoulder. 

“I heard what you said, about being your best friend,” you admit, meeting his gaze. 

“You are, for all of us. Kaldur for sure, probably Roy too, and honestly who knows with Rob. When I put on the helmet it was because I was going to die. When you put it on it was because you thought we were,” Wally explained. 

“I already told you, Wally, I’d do anything to save you guys,” you remind him gently.

“You scared me, kid,” he nods at you. 

“Who are you calling a kid? You’re like two years older than me,” you scoff, pushing him as he slung his arm around you and led you back down the hall. 

Spotting Wally’s smile you nodded to yourself in reassurance. You made the right choice, the only choice. And yeah, if you had to, you would do it again. You’d do it however often necessary to save them, your team, your friends. You would always save them, no matter the cost.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE
October 10th, 16:58 EDT

It’s been a little over a week since the Injustice League and the Bayou. Wally’s arm was in a cast, and you were different. The team could see it; a part of you had just mellowed out. They gave you space, remembering that Wally had been the same after wearing the helmet of Fate himself. But you could tell some people were on edge, Kaldur, and Robin specifically. They seemed to be the only ones who found your new quietness alarming. 

The team was training, well, not the whole team. Wally was sitting off to the side as you fought in pairs. Canary was observing. She had made the groups, deeming it essential to face off against different people. Artemis and Robin were going at it, Kaldur and M’gann, which left you with Superboy. When Canary first made the groups, you stared at her blankly. How were you supposed to balance his fight? 

“Think of how we fight when we go up against people like Merlyn, or Ace, or Adjudicator,” she winked as everyone took their place. 

You took her words in; they were all pretty powerful enemies. Adjudicator was almost like Wonder Woman in strength, and that was the key. You smirked in realization; sometimes, it wasn’t about being stronger or faster. It was about being smart enough to use their speed and their strength against them. 

You nod at Conner, and he smiles before charging. You wait for him to get close enough before you make your move. You take the arms that reached out for you and push them off course, allowing you to slip behind him and kick him down. Conner was up in an instant, and then the two of you were trading hits. You knew he was pulling back in strength, making his hits almost normal, and you were grateful because you’re sure that the left hook he landed on your cheek could’ve shattered your jaw with his actual strength. 

Eventually, the training session comes to an end, and Canary steps forward, “Good work, everyone,” she calls, and slowly the three pairs slow to a stop. “In fact, it’s been a very productive week.”

“Yeah, for everyone except Kid Malingerer,” Artemis taunts, looking over to where Wally was lounging.

Wally finishes his drink of juice, glaring at the blonde, “Hey, arm broken in combat against the Injustice League here.” 

He waves off the cast to prove his point.

Black Canary chuckles at their antics before addressing us all once more, “I’ve really enjoyed being your, uh,” she tries to find the word to describe it and then looking to you with a smile, “den mother this week.”

You laugh, and she slings an arm around your shoulders, “C’mon kid, cut me some slack,” she whispers. 

Before anyone else can say something, the computer spoke, “Recognize: Zatara, 1-1.”

Everyone in the room turns to the man in the suit and top hat as he enters through the Zeta Tube. He doesn’t say anything at first; instead, he goes straight to the Zeta holo screen and types something. 

“Access Granted. Zatanna Zatara, A-0-3. Authorization: Zatara, 1-1,” the computer speaks once more, and your brow furrows. 

The Zeta Tube lights up again, and a girl appears, “Zatanna, this is the Team. Team, my daughter, Zatanna,” he introduces, and you can see the familial resemblance. She’s dressed in what looks like a school uniform, and she seems a bit shy. 

M’gann flies over to the nervous girl, landing quickly, “Hi, I’m-”

“Robin!” the Boy Wonder cuts her off with a bout of vibrancy and a wave, then clears his throat as he steps up, “I mean, I’m Robin. Ah, she’s M’gann, uh, and that’s Wally, Artemis, NG, Kaldur, and Conner.”

Your eyes narrow on Robin in an instant, an uncomfortable feeling bubbles in your chest and gut, and you cross your arms uneasily. Artemis and Kaldur watched you with an amused look as you scanned Zatanna, head to toe. 

“Welcome to the Cave,” Kaldur offers.

“Uh, thanks,” Zatanna says quietly, looking over at her dad.

“So, uh, you- you are you joining the Team?” Robin stutters.

Your face pinched at that, and a low hum escaped you, “hmm,” Artemis turned to you with a raised eyebrow, and you purposefully looked away. 

“Eh, now let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Zatara steps in. “This is strictly a visit,” he turns to Canary, “though I am sorry we missed the training. It’s something from which Zatanna could benefit.”

M’gann looks curiously at the Team before setting up a link.

“Do the rest of you guys get the impression we’re still on probation with Zatara?” she asks telepathically.

“Not just Zatara. I mean, why is Marvel still hangin’ round?” Conner asked, his annoyance coming through in waves.

Wally pipes up in the Captain’s defense, “Because we like having him around.”

Artemis turns on the ginger. “You like having him around ‘cause he waits on you hand and foot.”

“And your point is?” Wally drags.

“Last week, you couldn’t wait to get rid of the guy,” you scoff, rolling your eyes as you look at Wally in disbelief.

“It almost makes one nostalgic for Red Tornado’s tenure as our supervisor,” Kaldur says.

Robin lets a sarcastic half chuckle through the link, “Yeah, at least he trusted us.”

“If you ignore the fact, we shouldn’t have trusted him,” Conner snarls. “He was a traitor. That machine nearly got M- all of us killed!”

“Are you guys having a psychic conversation?” Zatanna asks, catching the entire room’s attention. “'Cause I can’t decide if that’s cool or, uh, really rude.”

You all exchange looks, and you groan internally; of course, she had to be observant too, it’s not enough for her to be pretty. You shake your head at that; it wasn’t fair. And you had no right, Robin was free to crush on whoever he wants, and that was the facts.

Canary raises an eyebrow at Zatanna’s statement and turns to face you all, so does Zatara, “Alright, fine. We were talking about Tornado. It’s been weeks since his attack, and the League hasn’t told us anything.”

“The League is searching for Tornado as well as the other Androids that invaded the Cave and their creator, T.O. Morrow,” Canary answers, but her tone is leveled. “Batman’s made tracking them down our highest priority.”

“But you’ve found none of the above,” Robin objects.

“Not yet, but Tornado is Justice League. The Team is not to pursue this,” she ordered and was facing you directly now. Her tone was dangerous, it reminded you of when you first started patrolling with her, it was the if you screw up, you’re going home, tone.

“Why don’t you all take Zatanna on a, uh…” he trails off for a second, “a… tour… of the Cave?”

You all turn and spot Zatanna from where she was sitting, petting Wolf, who stands when Captain Marvel finally returns. A plate of nachos in his hand. 

“Huh, you’re giving a tour? Cool!”  he cheers, and you share a look with Conner.

Conner steps up to the hero, who is petting a staring Wolf, “Actually, I was hoping you’d take Wolf outside. He needs the exercise. Uh, we’ll join you in a few.”

“Sure, sure. I- I can do that. Come on, Wolf,” Marvel says brightly, taking off towards the back door of the Cave.

“Wh-wha-what? My nachos?” Wally whined, but Conner grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged the speedster along.

You stay by Artemis for the most part while low-key glaring at the back of Robin’s head. When he falls in step with you, you choose to walk faster and find yourself between Conner and Aqualad. 

“Hey,” you greet flatly. 

“Is this because of Z-” Conner was about to ask, and you elbowed him. 

“No,” is all you say. 

“Got it,” he smirked.

When Zatanna comes back up to the rest of you, now dressed in a purple tank top and white jeans, you roll your eyes at how Robin gapes at her. 

“When did you… How did you..?” Robin tries, but Zatanna speaks up before he can form a complete sentence.

“We’re not really taking a tour, are we?” she asked. 

The Team stops, and Conner turns towards her, “No. We’re hunting down that robot.”

“Yes, we are,” Kaldur agrees.

“Oo, wow. Out loud and everything,” Zatanna muses, and you roll your eyes.

“What about New Girl?” Artemis asked, eyeing Zatanna for a second.

“I’m sure she won’t tell,” Robin defends quickly, and you roll your eyes again.

Zatanna turns to Robin, coy, “I can’t tell. Not if you kidnap me.”

Artemis smirks appreciatively, “Oh, she’s going to fit in great.”

“Of course she will,” you mutter darkly under your breath. This time Conner is the one who catches it, and he quirks his brow at you. 

“It’s nothing,” you tell him. 

You all make it onto the bioship without being spotted. When you walk in you, spot Zatanna in your seat and Robin just talking with her. M’gann shoots you a wary look, and you take a deep breath, ignoring the look and walking to where Wally was in the back, and in a second, M'gann conjured up another seat for you. Wally gives you a careful look before looking back to Robin and Zatanna and then back to you. He doesn’t say anything, and you’re grateful for it because you really don’t want to talk about it. The bioship takes off, and soon enough, you’ve left the mountain. You’re over the harbor when Dinah’s voice floods over the comm set. 

“M’gann, the BioShip wasn’t authorized for departure,” she reminds you all.

“We’re kidnapping Zatanna!” M’gann says brightly. “To, uh, show her Happy Harbor. Be back soon!” she covers, and you shake your head. 

“Uh, Roger that. Have fun,” Canary says, and you can hear the hint of skepticism in her voice. 

You get bored and undo the plaited braid in your hair during the flight, redoing it as two dutch braids. 

“Where are we going?” Robin demands. “Batman is the world’s greatest detective. He’s searched for Tornado and Morrow in every logical place,” he reminds us. 

“If we’re gonna do better, we need an illogical solution,” you state flatly and then turn to Wally with a smirk. “A truly dumb idea.” 

At this point, everyone was staring at Wally. He pouts for a second before sighing, “As a matter of fact…” he says with a confident tone.

“Enlighten us, oh quick one,” you muse for him. 

He smirks at you, “Belle Reve,” he states simply, and your expression morphs. 

“That actually might work,” you agree. 

“I don’t get it. What’s Belle Reve prison got to do with finding Red Tornado?” Zatanna speaks up. 

“It’s not about the prison,” you explain, “it’s about who’s stuck in that prison.”

“Professor Ivo!” Robin shouts, meeting your gaze, which you are quick to turn away from. 

“Exactly,” Wally speaks up, saving you from the awkward exchange. “If anyone knows where Morrow is, Ivo will.”

“Belle Reve it is,” Artemis agreed. “But how are we going to get in to see Ivo?”

“Oh, I’ve got that handled,” Miss M smiled.

BELLE REVE
October 10th, 18:35 CDT

You were in Ivo’s cell quicker than expected, “Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping last month’s prison break,” Miss M informs the evil scientist as we all stand around this interrogation room with him, “he’s given us five minutes with you.”

“Spill Ivo,” Superboy snarls. “How do we find T. O. Morrow and his Reds?”

“Now, why in the world would I know how to find Morrow?” Ivo questions lazily as he leans back in his chair.

“Because, and here’s a truly dumb idea,” KF speaks up, “you’re Morrow’s biggest competitor in the evil android game. Who better to keep track of what he’s up to and where?” Kid offers.

“That actually made sense,” you whisper to Artemis, and she smirks. 

Ivo doesn’t turn down the idea, “Ah. I see your point. So let me rephrase,” he leans forward and looks Miss M in the eyes. “Why in the world would I tell you how to find Morrow?”

“He knows,” you state, after analyzing the scientist.

Aqualad nods, then turns to Miss M, “Do what you must,” he green lights. 

Miss M’s eyes snap open, glowing as she squares up with Morrow. 

“Oh, please. As if I’ve never faced a telepath before,” he chuckles.

Before any of you can react further, Zatanna is suddenly at his side chanting, “Trulb tuo S’worrom eurt noitacol!” (blurt out Morrow’s true location)

“Morrow’s in a secret underground base beneath Yellowstone National Park, 100 meters South of Old Faithful,” Ivo admits rapidly.

Your eyebrow raises because, okay, that’s pretty cool. The entire Team is completely stunned, looking at Ivo. 

“Wait. What-what just happened?” Ivo stutters in surprise. 

With the information, you’re all quickly back on the bioship, heading towards Yellowstone. 

“Block out all external communications,” Kaldur commands.  “Soon, Canary and Zatara, Batman too, I imagine will know of our… visit with Professor Ivo. We haven’t much time.”

“Look,” Robin chuckles, trying to lighten the conversation a little, turning to Zatanna, “I’m trying to be nonchalant here.”

“Why?” Zatanna asks. “Be as chalant as you like.”

Your eyes twitch as you feel some eyes dart to you and their conversation. Your eyes narrow so harshly on the black-haired magician as you cross your arms over yourself and recline in the seat. You take another deep breath and focus on the floor. Out of your peripherals, you can see Wally staring at you, so softly you whisper a warning. 

“Stop staring at me like that, Wally,” you warn. 

“It’s just that she said cha-” he starts, and you can hear his nervous tone, but thankfully he’s keeping his volume down. 

“I know what she said,” you cut him off with a glare, and he swallows. 

“Okay, are you okay?” he tries again. 

“I’m fine,” you brush. 

“Clearly,” he laments. And your head snaps to him in a warning. “I totally missed the part where you guys became this close, and that’s on me, but like, it’s okay, if you’re not okay, right now, I mean?” he offers, but his voice goes up a bit at the end. 

“It’s whatever Wally,” you huff. 

“It’s not whatever,” he pushes. 

“She’s cool, you know, and pretty, and of course, he would like her. So whatever,” you hiss. 

“You’re jealous,” he smirks. 

“This is ridiculous,” you argued. 

“I get that, but maybe you should talk to him-” Wally starts and you straighten as you stare at him. 

“Not an option, KF,” you grit, your volume had gone up and drew the attention of everyone on the ship. 

You purse your lips, glare at the speedster, and slouch back into the seat, ignoring everyone else. 

“I think we’re all just trying to get a handle on your powers,” Artemis asks, calling the attention back to Zatanna. “Could you teleport us to Tornado or Morrow to a cell or force his bots to surrender?”

“Or create peace on Earth for all time?” Zatanna returns sarcastically; she had been staring at you for a while before finally looking back to Artemis. “Zatara couldn’t even do all that, and I’m nowhere near on my dad’s level,” she states seriously as she looks directly at Artemis. “I need to know a spell cold or else have time to prep it. Plus, all magic requires energy which usually has to come from within. I can’t just make the impossible happen at will.”

“What’s our ETA to Yellowstone?” Conner demands angrily, interrupting the conversation. “I’m way past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor.”

“Are you so certain he betrayed us?” Kaldur asks calmly.

“Aren’t you?!” Conner argues.

“I am not convinced,” Kaldur admits. “And even so, that makes him but a victim of his creator’s programming. Certainly, he deserves the chance to prove he’s more than the weapon others designed him to be,” his words are sage, and for many of you on board, you understood the double meaning. 

It seems to be enough because Conner closes his eyes as he turns back towards the front of the BioShip. When he opens his eyes, the rage is gone.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
October 10th, 20:22 MDT

You’re passing Old Faithful as it creates a geyser. The camouflaged Bioship flies past it and lands in the trees.

Aqualad is already standing when it touches down, “Stealth Mode,” he orders, hitting his belt buckle—forcing his suit to go stealth. 

KF, Artemis, and M'gann do as Kaldur told them, and you start checking your gear.

Zatanna opens the door, and Aqualad approaches her, “I recommend you stay behind.”

“Is that an order?” Zatanna asks quickly.

“No,” Kaldur assures her. “You must do as you see fit.”

“Good,” the girl begins her chant and guides the bright blue magic smoke up her body. “Emit ot yrt eht wen kool!” (time to try the new look). Her clothes transform into a suit that almost looks like her father’s but with a unique, young, and feminine spin. 

You follow after Robin as he takes the lead, keeping pace with Aqualad for the moment being, as you analyze your surroundings until you all pause by a clearing. 

Robin pulls up his HoloGlove, looking over the map, “Ivo’s right. Something’s down there.”

Aqualad leads the charge, the rest of the Team following him, only to be stopped by harsh blowing winds that knock everyone off their feet. Squinting through the kicked-up dust, your eyes widen upon seeing Red Tornado above you all. Tornado uncrosses his arms, creating a powerful red twister, a second follows after it, and soon enough, you all are surrounded by several gigantic tornadoes.

“Why, Tornado?” Miss M shouts over the wind. “Why are you doing this?”

His arms are once again crossed over his chest as more tornadoes crop up between him and the Team. You squint at them and spot the hidden message. P L A Y   D E A D was written as individual letters from each tornado. 

“Message received?” Miss Martian links the Team.

Superboy nods before turning back to Tornado, “Who cares why? Nail him!” and he charges forward, and suddenly, the team is moving with an attack. 

You stand on guard, and Superboy and Aqualad attack first, “Superboy, Maneuver 7!” Aqualad shouted. 

Superboy is quick to comply. His boots drag as he spins into a quick stop, his fingers threading together, landing in a solid horse stance and waiting until the Atlantean’s barefoot lands in his hands before he shoots him high to the air with a battle cry from both of them. Tornado looks like he’s not going to move as Aqualad pulls back his fist, and then suddenly, he moves just enough for Aqualad’s eyes to go wide before he is hit in the face by Tornado’s punch. You wince because a direct face hit always hurts, acting or not. You wince again as Superboy gets taken out as the two of them crash together. Artemis steps up with her bow in hand, grabbing two arrows that she shoots at Tornado. Robin came to her side to back her up if needed. The arrows nearly make it to Tornado before he stops them dead, then pulls them into the tornado keeping him in the air. With no warning, they’re shot back at Robin and Artemis.

“Look out!” Robin tries to warn, but neither can get out of the way before they explode upon contact with the Earth.

“That does it, Red,” KF stands up from his crouched position. “You’re not the only spin doctor around here,” he spins and creates his own twister due to the speed of his whirling. You squint at Wally, unsure if the cast is throwing him off balance, but spot Miss M coming up behind Tornado. Sadly, it appears Tornado senses her too. Just as she goes to throw a punch at Tornado, he turns over his shoulder, avoiding her hit, grabbing her wrist, and throwing her into Wally, which led both of them to hit the ground hard.

You make a move, but Zatanna is closer. She holds up her hands and tries. You can see it. How badly she wants to succeed, “Etaerc a… a… dleihs dnuora ym-” (create a….a…shield around my-)  her stuttered spell is cut off by Tornado’s hand around her neck. He once again says nothing before dropping her to the ground. You move forward and tap the emblem on your neck before screaming at Red. The sonic waves are enough to push him back due to its abruptness, but soon Red is turning and spinning the air around you, leaving you gasping instead of screaming as you collapse in fake unconsciousness. 

Only then do all the other tornadoes disappear while he remains high off the ground above them. Another bot comes up behind him, “Quite a performance, brother,” it calls, “but we both know that’s all it was. I have all your memories, Tornado, plus a next-gen processor. I know your next move before you do.”

Realizing that your ploy would not work, you slowly sit back up as the bot continues, “Blowing a message into the sand?” the message is in the air now, and he throws it at us. It shatters and falls towards each of us as we scatter.

You scream at the rock, breaking the giant boulder into a small flurry of pebbles that drop in front of you.

Looking around, Zatanna is the only one you can’t see, and a slight pang of guilt shoots through you.

“Zatanna?” Robin asks into the link, hope in his voice. 

“I’m good,” she assures, “but Red Tornado’s getting away.”

“Is he abandoning us?!” Artemis asks incredulously as she knocks another arrow.

“I don’t believe that,” Miss Martian defends.

KF runs up Red Volcano’s pillar, “You stand no chance against me, humans!” Volcano snarls as he hits KF in the side with a vicious punch.

“We’re not human!” Superboy and Miss M shout, M’gann using her power to keep Superboy in the air as she flies towards the villain.

“Apologies, I suppose the properly inclusive term is-” two huge hands of Earth, rise and clap together over the Alien members of the Team, “meat-bags.”

He swipes his right hand down, and the Earth shatters. Dropping Aqualad and Artemis into a hole, they both scream as they fall. Luckily Artemis is quick to use an arrow with a line to catch herself, swing over, and catch Kaldur before getting them out of the rift before it would’ve crushed them.

You nod to Robin, and he nods back. The two of you use the newly formed ridge, running side by side and jumping off at the point before throwing your weapons. Robin launched a birdarang, and you followed with three marble bombs.

Volcano expected it, though, catching the attacks, they exploded in his hand. Yet, as the smoke clears, he is unharmed.

 “Tornado’s memory files and my superior processing speed allow me to anticipate your every move,” he taunts. 

“Ekoms emoceb a dlofdnilb!” (smoke become a blindfold)  Zatanna enchants, and the deep black smoke around Volcano covers his eyes.

You and Robin land and run towards Zatanna. 

“Tornado never knew my moves,” she says proudly, and you nod in agreement. 

“And I bet you’ve got some good ones,” Robin flirts, and your body tenses as you turn to look at him. Robin’s eyes go wide as he realizes what he said, then looks to the slightly annoyed Zatanna, “Whoa. Sorry, that may have come off a little too, Wally.”

“A little?” you grit.

She chuckles, “I don’t mind,” she flirted back, and you nearly snapped. 

“Can we focus on the unbeatable android, please,” you shout, gaining both of their attention. Your eye twitched again as you looked at Robin who’s eyes widened in response before turning back to Volcano. 

Volcano’s eyes glow even brighter as the machinery inside him whirs into a new gear. He shoots laser-like beams into the sky, and the SuperVolcano behind him erupts. The lava flows down the mountain, creeping on you all as you continue to try and fight Red Volcano. He launches two small, partially molten rocks at Kid Flash, who uses one of Volcano’s old spires to jump out of the way and flip to the level below before skidding to a stop. 

“He’s activating a Stage Two Eruption. It gets to Stage Three, kiss the hemisphere goodbye,” Wally explained. 

“We need a plan,” you stress as the lava gets closer. 

Kaldur charges at Volcano with two swords, “Hit him from all sides.”

Volcano takes out Aqualad with a simple wave of his right hand, and Superboy jumps towards Volcano from the front. His fist connects, and the pressure wave shows the force behind it, but Volcano blocks it. He grabs Superboy’s wrist and throws him closer to the lava. Camouflaged M’gann lands and pulls at Volcano’s back. He merely glances over his shoulder to cause a vent to burst with air, debris, and lava. She screams as her camo falls.

“M’gann!” Superboy leaps to get to her, and you follow after him but can’t get close enough to create a scream that won’t hurt M’gann. 

Red Volcano lands in the mere feet between the two teens, startling them. He turns to Superboy, knocking him away. He reaches out and grabs Miss M by the hood as she coughs as grunts.

“Ekoms dna srorrim. Etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!” (Smoke and mirrors. Create Kid Flash illusions!) Zatanna chants, one hand on the crouching Kid’s shoulder. The smoke from the lava turns into copies of KF; all of them take off within moments.

“I-I use a scaled-down version when I want to sneak out of the house,” she says brightly.

Red Volcano raises a hand, and a rock flies to take out some of the KFs. While his back is turned, the real KF comes at Volcano from behind, focusing on M’gann. He snags her away from him and comes to a stop beside the rest of you.

Suddenly water bursts up on Aqualad’s right, morphing in a stream that hits Red Volcano in the chest and knocks him into the lava behind him.

“Nice hit!” Robin cheers at Aqualad, but he isn’t looking at the youngest, and neither are you. 

“The hit was not mine. Look!” Aqualad calls, and you see Red Torpedo. 

He stands resolute, rising on another pillar of water, sending two smaller streams at a still partially submerged Red Volcano. Covering the area in steam, from it rises a stone pillar, Volcano lying on top. Red Tornado flies in and takes out the pillar, dropping Red Volcano back into the magma. 

You’re all watching in surprise now, and when Fireballs start to rain down on Red Volcano, you let out a breath, “It’s the Reds,” you call. The rest of the team can only watch in stunned silence.

Red Inferno doesn’t hesitate to get into the waist-high magma, Red Volcano has a crushing grip on her hands, yet she pushes against him.

“Sister, brother, stop!” Red Volcano shouts.

Like a rocket, Red Torpedo hits Red Volcano in the chest, taking all three of them into the magma fully. The two lighter Reds hold him down by the neck and the left arm despite how they’re already melting. Red Tornado flies over the lava, using his tornado as a buffer before he stands on Red Volcano’s chest. By now, all of them are melting away with the heat.

“Father would be so disappointed.” Red Volcano says before his eyes glow brightly one more time and the machinery within him whirs low.

“Tornado’s not gonna make it,” you shout in realization. 

Superboy reacts quickly, jumping over and grabbing Red Tornado by the cape, pulling him from the lava. It’s a startling realization that the volcano has yet to slow. 

“Tornado, listen, we’re on the verge of a Stage Three SuperVolcano Eruption. There’s no turning back from that. We need to vent pressure, fast,” KF informs us rapidly. “But the ash cloud will bring on a worldwide Nuclear Winter unless you divert it.” 

Red Tornado nods, in affirmation, “Triangulate around the pressure locus,” KF tells Robin.

“Right,” Robin types on his HoloGlove. “There, there, and there,” he says as he finds the three spots.

Without a word and barely a glance between them, Artemis shoots her arrow to the Volcano, it breaks into three, and they explode on contact at the directed points. Red Tornado’s legs spark a little before he gets his signature tornado under him, and he flies off past the ash cloud. His eyes glow red as he snaps his arms out, creating a gigantic tornado that pulls the ash cloud up and through the outer atmosphere. 

You all watch as the lava cools. “Yes!” Though the sound of whirring grabs your attention instantly.

Red Tornado doesn’t land well, and you instantly rush over to him, moving quickly to get Red to the lab. 

You, Robin, and Wally work together to put Red’s voice modulator back in. 

“There,” you mutter as you move the last piece. 

Robin sighs in relief, “That should do it.”

“Yes. I can speak again,” Tornado confirms, his faceplate coming back down.

“You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet,” Kaldur says, stepping up.

“The planet would have survived. It was Humanity that was saved,” Tornado states logically. “Though not by me. My sister and brother were the true heroes this day.”

“My point is this… you were never the mole, never a traitor,” Kaldur says, a hand on Tornado’s shoulder.

“No, I left to protect you from further attack and to find my creator, Morrow,” Tornado reveals.

KF, who had been rifling around, lets out a shout, “Cool!” he holds up a large red hand. “Souvenir.”

Robin is looking through another container, finding a leg that he shows to KF, grinning. “Reddy, we can rebuild you better than you were before,” Robin offers. 

“I do not believe I should be repaired,” the android admits, and a heavy silence settles over you.

Conner glances over his shoulder, finally facing Tornado, “Why did you volunteer to become our Den Mother in the first place?” it’s one thing that doesn’t make sense.

“I was the pragmatic choice,” Tornado says bluntly. “I do not require sleep. I have no secret identity or a second life to live.”

KF gets it first, and you share a look with him, “But you do have advanced AI Programming,” the speedster reminds us. 

“Designed to learn, adapt, evolve,” you realize, turning back to Tornado. 

M’gann knocks herself in the head, “Hello, Megan! You wanted to become more human.”

“And you couldn’t do that with the League,” Artemis realizes. “They’re stiffs,” she states flatly, and you snort.

“You’re sure not going to learn emotion from Batman. Trust me,” Robin chuckles.

“Then the cave was not a proving ground only for us… but for you as well,” Kaldur turns back to Tornado.

“I do not know if those statements are accurate,” Tornado admits, “but perhaps they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I believe I have come to… care about you all.”

“See? Practically a meat-bag already,” Conner says slowly.

“Which reminds me,” Tornado realizes, though he leaves it at that. 

Soon enough, the camouflaged BioShip takes off into the night sky, heading back to Mount Justice. 

Some time into the flight, Robin leans forward, touching Zatanna’s shoulder. “So, good kidnapping?” he asks.

“Actually, yeah,” she smiles as she turns back towards him. “Best ever.”

Robin chuckles, “First of many, I hope.”

Zatanna turns back to the front, worried, “If my dad doesn’t ground me for life.”

You bite your lip and turn away, Wally opens his mouth, but you give him a pained look. His gaze softens as he holds his cast out to you with a sharpie. “Go crazy,” he shrugs, and a small smile quirks to your lips. 

“Why?” you ask, taking the sharpie and setting his arm in your lap. 

“You’re strong, NG. No matter what happens or who, just remember that, okay? And Rob, I love the guy, really, but you’re way out of his league,” Wally winks, and you shake your head. 

“I mean the cast,” you deadpan, and he smirks. 

“You’re good at art, and people at school keep complaining that it’s blank,” he shrugs, and you smile, uncapping the sharpie. 

You’re focused on drawing differing things on the cast and listening to Wally as he tells you a joke that you miss the way Robin turns to you. A slight pout on his lips from the fact that you were sitting so far away and that you weren’t paying attention to anyone but Wally. 

MOUNT JUSTICE
October 11th, 1:12 EDT

By the time you get back to Mount Justice, Wally’s cast has spaceships, planets, and plants all over. 

“You drew flowers on my cast,” he groans, looking at it and then back to you.

“Wally, I’m helping you,” you roll your eyes as you walk off the bioship. 

“How?” he presses.

“When someone asks about it, you can say you let your younger cousin draw on your cast because she really wanted to. That’ll get you some serious sweetheart credit because now you’re such a sweet guy,” you muse. 

He stares at you for a second before spinning you around with his good arm, forcing a giggle out of you. 

“You’re a genius,” he breaths, kissing your temple before racing off. 

You shake your head, and suddenly Zatanna is beside you. 

“Hi,” she greets nervously. 

“Hey, Zatanna,” you smile back softly. 

“I wanted to talk to you about the um, mission,” she began. 

“You did good. Hopefully, your dad will let you join the team,” you say honestly. It stung a bit, but even if you were jealous, it didn’t matter. Zatanna was good out in the field, and she was pretty cool. She had every right to be a part of this team if that was what she wanted. 

“Thanks!” she smiled brightly, with a hint of surprise, “but I meant about Robin, specifically.”

“What about him?” you try your best to be nonchalant; you really do. 

“I know you like him,” she admits, and you freeze. She stops in front of you and stares at you carefully, “it’s how you look at him, and how you guys were in the field. You really know each other, you guys can operate without saying anything and compliment the other so well,” she notes, and you fidget uncomfortably under her gaze. 

“Look, Zatanna, if you like him, you should go for it. I’m sure he likes you, too,” you manage to get out. 

“I was going to say the same thing. He may have been talking with me today, but he was looking at you a lot. You should talk to him,” she presses, and you let out a low chuckle. 

“You’re the second person to tell me that today,” you admit. 

“So why don’t you do it?”

“I can’t,” you tell her. 

“Why not?” she’s persistent; you’d give her that. 

“Because today was a reminder of how easy it is to lose somebody. You know, I’ve lost a lot of people, Z, but the thing that I learned was that you can only lose them once you let them in. Robin’s been at the cusp of that doorway for a while, and I guess that’s where he’s going to stay, for now at least,” you explain to her, and she frowns. 

“That sounds lonely,” she argued, and you chuckle sadly.

“I guess so,” you shrug with a hollow smile before walking away. “I’ll see you around, Zatanna!”

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE
October 16th, 16:01 ETD

“Do you think Artemis would get mad if I ate her yogurt?” Wally asked offhandedly while gazing into the fridge.

“Yes, Wallace, I do,” you snort, shaking your head. You were sitting on the kitchen island with a bowl of blueberries and a book, your suit was

“Hmmm, I think I’m gonna chance it,” he decided, pulling one of Artemis’s yogurt cups from the shelf.

“You know, you both might like each other more if you weren’t constantly doing things that annoy the other,” you tell him.

“Sure, but where’s the fun in that?” he shoots back with a lazy smirk.

Before you had a chance to respond red lights started flashing, and both your eyes blew wide.

“Code Red?” you whisper.

“No way,” Wally argued.

“Report to the bullpen, there is a code red situation at hand,” Red Tornado’s voice echoed over the PA system and your lips parted in surprise.

“No way, huh?” you scoff, placing your book down.

“Whatever,” Wally huffed, swinging you into his arms.

“Wally!” he barely smirks at you before taking off, you barely had enough time to grab your belt, jacket, and gloves before he started running.

The redhead zipped you both to the bullpen and when you stopped moving you both froze watching the screen. For a second you don’t move as you watch Hal Jordan and John Stewert approach the alien ship. Wally slowly put you back on your feet as everyone else started to appear. Your team fell in line as your eyes remained glued to the screen, even Red Tornado hadn’t turned back to acknowledge you yet. Your movements felt sluggish as you clipped your belt back around your waist and tucked your gloves into a jacket pocket. You barely glanced at your jacket as you dropped it on a chair before returning your full focus to the screens in front of you. As you observe the Green Lanterns approach the alien ship you subconsciously start twisting the rings on your fingers. There are three of them now, your father’s family ring, your charmed atlantean one, and a ring from dinah- a canary diamond. You generally never took them off, and now you found yourself fidgeting with them as an uneasy feeling settled over you.

As soon as the light flashes your heart stutters, “Oh my god,” you whisper realizing that the two Green Lanterns were suddenly gone.

Tears welled in your eyes and your heart dropped when the rest of the League’s attack force vanished with that same beam of light. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, three of the league’s original members were gone. Your gaze shifts to Robin who’s focused on the screen, his eyes are set in a hard glare. You open your mouth to say something, anything, but the silence in the cave is deafening, and you can’t find it in you to speak.

Zatara appears on another holoscreen a moment later, “Tornado, did you-?” he cuts himself off, unable to get himself to say exactly what we had just witnessed, the pain is evident on the sorcerer’s features as well.

“Yes, Zatara. We saw,” Tornado speaks breaking the silence. “Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures,” Tornado orders and you pale realizing exactly who was going to be sent out next.

Zatara gave a weak look and a nod, “Affirmative. See you in the field,” he signs off and Tornado turned back to the rest of us.

“I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you,” he reminds us and you take a deep, shuddering breath.

Kaldur makes eye contact with the team before turning to Tornado with a resolute look, “We stand ready.”

You stared at your friend with wide eyes, do we?  You couldn’t help but wonder, eyes trailing back to the now empty screen which once held the faces of many of the same Leaguers that inspired you to do what you do.

You don’t move. You sit vigil with the rest of the team, watching the League. Your eyes are specifically glued to the Taipei feed. The canary diamond on your right hand felt especially heavy as you kept your eyes locked on your mentors. Watching as Dinah and Ollie work together to defend the earth the same way they had for years. For a second you have this flicker of hope it’s going to be okay, but it’s squashed away. You can’t even place where it’s coming from, the sudden sureness that this wasn’t going to end well. So when Oliver and Dinah disappear you can’t breathe. This was your worst nightmare coming to life in front of your eyes. You had already been given a second chance at a family with Dinah, you severely doubted that there would be a third, but more than that, you didn’t want another. She was all you had, they both were, and suddenly they were gone. It was all too much, you staggered back, and the team turned to you with wide eyes as you kept stepping backward, away from the rest, chest heaving.

“NG?” Wally’s the first one to call to you, and you can see how his eyes were blown wide at the loss of his own mentor, but nothing seemed real, none of it made sense.

“I can’t,” you gasped as your back hit the wall and you fell to your knees. Shutting your eyes, you tried to calm yourself, to regain control of breathing but something was off, like you couldn’t recenter. None of it was right, how could everyone else seem so okay? Why was this happening? You had so many questions, so many emotions, but no answers or solutions. You probably would’ve hyperventilated if Tornado hadn’t called the cave.

“Red Tornado to Cave. I fear I am all that remains of the League,” he informed, and your eyes open to the screen with the android, the anticipation effectively distracting you.

You see the alien ship in the background and Robin calls out, “RT,” but a second later Tornado gets hit in the back by the yellow-orange beam, and you have to bite back a sob.

“They’re all gone,” you say, your voice is rough and barely over a whisper but in the silence of the cave it echoes.

You had to pull it together, if your team could stand strong, then you could too. You would, you had to, for your team, for Oliver, for Dinah.

Steeling yourself the team turns to you as you push yourself to stand up, and Kaldur puts a hand carefully on your shoulder. The weight was comforting and helpful in tethering yourself here with them. You try to focus on his hand as you center yourself. You can feel the calluses along his palms from years of training with his waterbearers, as well as the subtle tickle and prick of magic and electricity that seemed to be constantly flowing through the atlantean.

“We are Earth’s heroes now,” he states, addressing the team and you shake your head, it just didn’t sound right, how could this be true? How could you be all that was left?

“So, what are we waiting for? A theme song?” Superboy demands.

“A strategy,” Kaldur counters. “Earth’s weapons are ineffective and it has been made tragically clear.”

You drop your gaze to the emblem on your belt buckle, and diamond on your finger and frown, “a direct attack will not succeed,” your voice is thick as you swallow back the tears. “As has been made so devastatingly clear to us.”

Robin nods and quickly pulls up a globe using his holo-glove, “Checking satellite imagery. Here’s where the aliens are now.”

“This one get lost?” Conner asks, gesturing to one lone ship that was showing a reading near the North Pole.

“That’s unusually far north, there’s no way it’s a city,” you note, keeping a hand pressed to the Canary symbol on your belt.

“It’s Superman’s Fortress of Solitude,” Robin realizes and your lips part in surprise.

Conner looks both affronted and confused at the same time at the revelation, “Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?”

“Its power source must have attracted the aliens’ attention, at least enough to send a scout ship to investigate,” Robin deduced.

“Must be some fortress,” Conner sniped as he turned away.

M’gann was quick to try and comfort him, “Conner.”

“No, it’s okay,” he shrugged her off. “I guess there’s a lot about Superman I’ll never know,” he stops and stutters over that for a moment. “Uh, you know, now.”

“So, what do we do?” you asked, refocusing the conversation.

“We will target this lone ship,” Kaldur decides.

“Yeah. Break it down. Build more. Hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo!” KF says strongly, punching his fist into his open hand to prove his point, but Artemis elbows him in the side. “Ow!”

“Martian and Kryptonian in the house,” she reminds him and his eyes widen.

The two aliens look at Wally in expectation, “Uh,” he half laughs, “not that all aliens are automatically ugly.”

There’s the faintest quirk to your lips at Wally’s attempt of assuasion, but as quick as it appeared it fell, and the pit in your stomach seemed to grow.

“Change into your polar stealth gear and meet on the bioship,” Kaldur decides, and everyone offers a tense nod before breaking off.

You grab your gear, white and pale blue, it’s different from your normal black for sure, but it would keep you warm. It’s insulated for better protection and even comes with a parka and hood. You took a second to analyze your gear; your boots were designed to travel on ice and snow as well as to keep you warm. The suit looked just like your normal bodysuit except this one was pale blue with white designs and more insulated for cold weather. You transferred your gear from one belt to the other and took stock of what you had; ring daggers, marble bombs, escrima sticks, and your choker. You gear up quickly and do your best to slip away. Dressed in polar stealth you carry your parka in hand as you head for the souvenir room, with a very clear intention of procuring Plan B. However, you don’t get a chance because Robin, Wally, and Kaldur are already there with their arms crossed.

“Hey guys,” you drawl, pursing your lips.

“Don’t even think about it,” Wally said straight away.

“It’s plan B!” you argue.

“Like it was in the Bayou?” Kaldur asked.

“Exactly like that,” you huff.

“Does that include the part where Nabu almost didn’t let you go?” Robin pushed.

“If it has to,” you shoot back. The boys are glaring at your answer. “Doesn’t it feel… wrong?” you ask. “Something’s not right, okay? And if they’re all gone, then we need it. I’m at a loss you guys, Dinah and Ollie were all I had, I- I wouldn’t be the Nightingale if not for them, and if they’re gone we need all the help we can get. Doctor Fate has more strength than us, he will succeed where we fail,” you were trying to make them understand why it was so important to take the helmet, why you were so desperate to, but the looks on their faces told you, they were not feeling the same.

“It’s not happening,” Wally decided, his voice was so serious, it made your shoulders drop. Wally took a firm grip of you, grabbing you by the shoulders and pushing you out of the room.

You huffed in defeat before begrudgingly walking to the bioship. The ride was silent, way too silent as you all focused on what laid ahead. You had taken to sharpening your blades, needing something to do with your hands.  You’d make occasional eye contact with Kaldur, or Wally, or Rob, but no one said anything. You’re not sure anything they said would’ve helped anyways, so you sat there, silently trying to prepare yourself.

FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ARCTIC
October 17th, 12:34 GMT+1

The moment you touched down you all lept into action. You shared another silent and hesitant look with Robin before you led Artemis out. The wind howled in your ears as you ran, and the ice crunched under the weight of your boots. You took up a surveillance spot while Artemis readied her bow and arrow. When ready, she offered you a nod in affirmation.

“We’re in position,” you inform the team.

Peaking your head out you spot Miss Martian before she camouflages herself. You can only assume as she flies up to the ship. There’s a moment of stillness before the wings of the ship are torn clean off.

“Communications disabled,” M’gann affirmed before it fell to the icy ground. “Propulsion disabled.”

Both you and Artemis spring out from behind the rocks, and she fires her arrow at the center of the ship’s front. When the arrowhead makes contact with the paneling of the ship it immediately expands in a foam which expands like foam over the expanse of the ship, and then immediately hardens into a concrete-like material.

“Nice shot,” you mutter to the blond, but before she could respond the alien ship starts firing around near, trying to hit the two of you. You both duck back down and hold your breaths. Two shots miss you, but on the third, they get the area right, and the shot lands rather uncomfortably close.

“You good?” you whisper shout to her.

“Fine, you?” she shoots back.

“Ready to get this over with,” you assure her, and she nods.

“And ETs are sealed inside,” Artemis affirms as you both begin to move back toward the ships.

Aqualad had been holding his vantage point under the ice, as soon as he got Artemis’ message he jumps through with his water-bearers at the ready. Causing the ship to sink and settle a bit more against the ice and water. However, before he can reach the alien ship, the laser turns to Aqualad, you can see as it heats up. You can’t do much but watch as Kaldur resigns himself to what is coming.

“Kaldur move!” you shout at him telepathically, eyes bulging as you begin racing toward him.

Artemis tries to grab at you, to stop you but you shake her off and keep running. You begin to realize you won’t make it in time, and that you might lose Kaldur too, but at the last second Wolf jumps in and knocks the shot off course. He continues to hold onto it until Superboy is bracing it from on top of the ship, also doing his best to keep it from moving. Wolf growls as he lands on the ice in front of the ship, and you run up next to Wolf.

You drop down next to the animal, and run your hand over his ears in praise, “thank you,” you whisper to the white-furred animal.

Kid Flash is a barely noticeable blur, apart from his ginger locks, as he and Robin come to a stop beside you. Robin jumps off his shoulders to land on the ship, tapping away on his HoloGlove, as he initiates the next part of the plan.

“Identifying the weapon’s structural stress points and links to the ship,” he stands from his crouch and points them out along the connection route. “Here, here and here.”

Miss Martian delivers three quick telekinetic blasts right where he was pointing. Once cleared Superboy yanks at the laser, you’re focus has pooled on the super clone, and the mission at hand, so you miss when Wolf suddenly perks up. You only turn back when you hear him growl, but Wolf acts quickly, jumping up and pushing Conner out of the way. He rolls back on the ice, but as soon as he lands, he and everyone else whip their heads to where Wolf had been, but all that’s left is an empty space. You gape, knowing the animal had been beside you just seconds ago.

“Wolf…” Miss M’s voice is soft as she also stares blankly.

Robin is tapping away on his Hologlove, no doubt checking every wavelength he can think of, “There was no indication of feedback.” Slowly he turns his head over his shoulder to Superboy. “I’m sorry.”

Superboy looks down for a moment, before speaking up, “Can’t do anything for him now,” he determines and quickly goes back up top of the ship finally succeeding in pulling the laser off. “Let’s go,” he grounds out as it comes loose.

Miss M and Conner get to work on connecting the laser to the bioship as she summons it forward.

“Rerouting systems to integrate the weapon into the ship’s bio-matrix. We’ll need to de-camouflage for a few minutes,”  she informs us.

“We may not have a few minutes,” Robin says and you all watch two more ships fly over before looping back.

“Miss Martian, open fire,” Aqualad commands, sparing a quick look over his shoulder.

“Can’t. Weapon systems are off-line to incorporate the new cannon. And that’s not fully integrated yet either,” she tells us but she’s also looking with wide eyes at the incoming ships.

“Gotcha covered. Get inside! I’m almost there,” Artemis calls out, as she runs forward, she had been the furthest away. The only one not on the bioship.

You watched as Artemis notched two arrows while running towards you. She pauses for a second and sends them flying. Both her arrows hit, one ship explodes in the air while the other crashes into the snow and she continues to run. Your eyes widened in fear as you noticed that the ship that crashed was turning the laser towards her.

Miss M turns away from the now integrated canon in time to see what’s happening as well, “Artemis. Behind you!”

Artemis turns, another arrow already notched. She was pulling back on the drawstring when the laser hit. She didn’t even have a chance to release. For a moment all sounds seem to fade as the air is forced out of your lungs.

Your knees buckle from where you were standing beside the bioship, “Artemis!” you scream.

There was no sonic device but somehow the screech you let out had to be the most wretched sound that you had ever made. You tasted the bile that was rising down your throat as you stared at the spot your friend had disappeared from.  

KF turns to you first and then to where the archer had been and he too lets out a pained shout, “Artemis!”

Kaldur pulls his water bearers out and his look has hardened, “Get inside, all of you. Kid grab her,” he commands before running forward.

“Oh my god,” you whisper and Wally snaps into action, he pulls you up placing one of your arms around his shoulders, and one of his arms goes to your waist as Kaldur charges forward.

The Atlantean stops next to where Artemis was last and uses his magic to create a torrent of water that rips apart the ice. He brings the ship up nearly thirty feet into the air, the ship tries to take a shot but it’s ineffective at that height, in one swift move Kaldur brings the water bearers down before him and the water holding up the ship turns into ice, the sharp points go straight through the ship, causing it to explode.

“She’s gone,” you whispered, looking at Wally, tears were forming behind your mask, if you thought things felt wrong before, now it all seemed to be shattering apart.

“They’re dead. Every single alien. If it’s the last thing I do,” Wally growled and you took a deep breath, this was real. This was happening, and she was gone.

The bioship had never been so uncomfortable. M’gann was trying to fight her tears as she piloted, Wally was exploding with anger, hitting the control panel before him and you could only stare at the empty seat where the blond had once sat.

When Kaldur stood up you realized you were also crying, “There will be time to mourn later,” he begins, and he stares at you for a second, as you wipe your cheeks. “Now we have a job to do. Defend the Earth and ensure Artemis’ sacrifice was not in vain.”

M’gann has dried her tears. “Back to the Cave?” she asks.

“No,” you interrupt, sniffling. You meet Kaldur’s eyes and he understands, you know he does, “The Hall of Justice,” you tell the rest.

“The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope,” Kaldur explains, but you don’t feel any hope. How could you? Your family was gone, for the second time in your life, and now, so was one of your closest friends.

HALL OF JUSTICE
October 17th, 16:01 ETD

By the time you make it to the Hall of Justice at Capitol Hill, you can see army tanks, and military men and women below, you can also see the three ships attacking them.

“What’s the plan?” M’gann asked and you pulled up a screen for everyone to see.

“If Superboy can take out the first ship it’ll provide a big enough space for us to take out the other two,” you deduce, watching how the three alien ships followed a preset formation.

“Done,” Superboy agreed..

“Do it,” Kaldur affirms and Miss M opens a drop point.

Superboy sends you a look, and you give him a strong nod in response. He looks over to Miss M one last time before jumping out. You watch carefully, monitoring the situation from the bioships windshield, as well as the display tracking Conner. Robin preps the weapon systems, as Superboy beats down the first ships. The second it goes down, Robin opens fires on the other two. As soon as those two go down, Miss M lands the bioship. You had all changed from your polar stealth gear during the flight, and you adjusted your belt as you stepped out, coming face to face with what seemed to be the last line of defense.

The soldiers were cheering as you all stood before them. “See? It is Superman. I told you he wouldn’t leave us out here alone,” one of the soldiers says as he elbows his buddy, a small smirk works its way to your lips at that in amusement as your gaze flickers over to Conner.

“I don’t know. He looks kind of young,” the other remarks. “Where’s the cape?”

Conner turns to them quickly, “I’m not Superman,” he says strongly, attempting to shut down their conversation.

“I don’t know who you are, son,” a deep gravelly voice steps up, “and right now, I don’t care. You wear the S, and you got the job done.”

Conner looked down, “I’m not Superman,” he repeats, though his tone is much softer.

“Tell that to the enemy,” the man remarks before turning to Aqualad and saluting, “General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force.”

“Aqualad, Justice League. We’ll help you salvage as many of the aliens’ cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours,” Kaldur shared and you swallowed, eyes casting a wary glance toward the Hall.

You were the first to break off, wandering closer and closer until you were standing in the hall. The statues of the heroes were crumbled and cracked and when you saw the one for Dinah you dropped to your knees again. She was all that you had left. You had lost your family once before, and she promised you she wouldn’t leave but where was she now? You were alone, an orphan, all over again.

“They’re really gone,” Robin mumbles, his voice just barely louder than a whisper as the other members of your team trickled in.

Faintly you hear M’gann start to sob, and you could feel your own body shaking, the tears streaking past your mask and down your cheeks. You didn’t know what to do. What could you do that the entire Justice League couldn’t?

It was a giant crash that pulled your attention away, M’gann had thrown her uncle’s statue, and there, beneath the rubble was the Martian Manhunter.

You were stunned watching as M’gann cheered, “Uncle J'onn!”

You weren’t sure what to do. Were you supposed to be happy? Was it wrong to be mad? All you wanted was your family, Dinah and Ollie, but they weren’t coming back, they couldn’t.

M’gann moved toward J’onn but Kaldur stopped her, “M'gann, check his mind. Make sure he is who he appears to be.”

“It’s him. He’s real. And he’s alive,” M’gann assured us after a second.

“But we saw you get disintegrated,” you spoke up, standing from where you had been on your knees before Dinah’s statue. Your voice was pained and rough as you addressed Martian Manhunter.

Conner nods, “You, and Superman, and everyone!”

M’gann moves to help her uncle to his feet, his hand goes to his head as he looks to us, “Yes, I remember. But… I cannot remember how I survived… or how I arrived here.”

“Maybe you were density-shifting and the beam passed right through you,” M’gann offered.

“Scrambling your brains along the way,” Robin supported but you and Conner shared an uneasy look in response.

“My mind is clouded. I feel certain I had something important to tell you,” Manhunter admits gazing at his niece.

Your eyes dart over to Robin and then to Wally, the tear tracks were clear on your face, though your domino mask protected your red eyes from being seen. Wally stares at you and then darts over to Martian Manhunter, you watch as his eyes widen and his lips turn upward for a split second.

“Hello, Wally,”  he shouts M’ganns phrase through the link, going so far as to hit his head as well. He stares at us for a second with a smile, “come on!”

Wally raced over and grabbed you by the arm, nodding at Robin to follow as well. He took both of you outside and had Robin perform an analysis on the alien’s laser beam that you had connected to the bioship in the Arctic. The three of you climbed up a Humvee while Rob pulled up his computer and began the analysis. While Robin was typing Wally passed you his goggles and you finally noticed what he was after.

“I knew it! Look,” he cheers, as Robin’s results come in. He points to one specific reading on the holo-glove, “it’s giving off Zanopenes. The same stuff that powers our Zeta-Tubes!” Wally’s smiling brighter than he had all day but this pit was forming in your stomach. “This thing doesn’t disintegrate, it-it teleports. Artemis is alive!”

You glance at the screen and then at Robin before turning back to Wally, “Maybe, but-” you try to warn but Wally interrupts.

“No maybes. They’re all alive,” he argues and you can’t make yourself meet his eyes.

“That must have been what you wanted to tell us,” M’gann says brightly, though she and the rest of the team are still with J’onn in the Hall.

When the Martian Manhunter doesn’t respond, you shake your head and scoff as you jump off the humvee, but Wally appears beside you in a second.

“Can’t help but notice you don’t seem excited, NG,” he notes and when your eyes dart over to Rob you find him focused on you as well.

You sigh as you realize there was no way out of this conversation, “Yeah, KF. I’m not. Because we have absolutely zero evidence to back up your theory,” you relent.

“I just told you it’s giving off Zanopenes!” he shot back with furrowed eyebrows.

“It’s just not enough, Wally,” you shrug.

“No? Come on then, tell us your theory?” he pushed.

“KF,” you warn but he doesn’t pay it any attention.

“Come on NG!” he shouts, egging you on.

“They’re dead!” you shout back and you can feel everyone’s surprise as they listen to your argument. “That’s my theory. They’re dead, and they’re not coming back.”

“How can you say that?” Wally argues.

“How can I not?” you shoot back. “My whole life has taught me one very important lesson, and that is you only get hurt when you hope. I’m done letting myself get hurt because I hope I put my trust in the right people, and there no way I am going to hope that Canary and GA are still alive just to find out they’re not, I can’t do that,” you admit with a humorless laugh. “Sorry,” you shrug.

Wally’s eyes harden as they stare at you, settling into a deep glare, “We’re talking about the fate of humanity, not your personal life,” he seethes, and the dig cuts deeper than you felt comfortable admitting.

You take a step back and stare at him with an emotionless expression, “They don’t seem so different right now.”

You catch the look Robin’s giving you as if he held the answer to changing your mind. If he did, you didn’t get the chance to find out, more ships broke through the horizon and started firing at the three of you outside.

“We’re on our way,”  Aqualad says

“Negative. We can’t win this,” you argue. “Miss Martian, camo the Bio Ship and-”

Your warning came too late and the alien ship hits the Bioship with a laser, causing it to disappear.

“That didn’t feel like-” she starts to speak and you can hear the pain in her voice.

“We’re falling back,” Robin calls out as the three of us, plus what’s left of General Eiling’s forces run back into the Hall.

Eiling leads the way through the Hall but stops short before the Hall’s interior door, “We’re trapped!” he shouts.

Aqualad looks to you before forcefully opening the doors, “Maybe not.”

Carefully you all creep forward into the inner sanctum of the Hall of Justice. You got an eerie feeling as you walked through, the last time you were all here was the day you found Superboy.

“We can all Zeta to the Cave. If you can grant us computer clearance to access the Tubes,” Aqualad decides, turning to Martian Manhunter.

“I can only authorize one at a time,” Manhunter explains.

“Send the soldiers first,” Aqualad decides.

“Belay that,” Eiling negates, “you six are assets we cannot afford to lose.”

You turned your sonic device on and took up a defensive position beside the rest of the soldiers.

“Override: Martian Manhunter, 0-7,” he tells the computer.

“Recognized: Access granted..” the computer begins and the Zeta tube comes to life. One by one the team begins to go through, “Miss Martian, B-0-5. Robin, B-0-1. Kid Flash, B-0-3…”

Right before Wally walked through the zeta, the main blast door exploded, showering us in debris. You manage to scream and break most of the bigger pieces up while Conner helps the soldiers out of the way. You spotted Aqualad as he pushed Wally through the beam and knew that he’d be asking you to go soon as well.

Deciding you needed to make the most out of the situation you resort to pulling Ollie’s spare bow and quiver from one of the secret compartments in the Hall. Your weaponry was much more suited for upslose contact. You stare at the green bow and for a moment your mind fades to Artemis before another explosion shakes you out of it. Conner shoots you a questioning look when you start notching arrows but all the training you endured with Oliver served you well. You start shooting at the ships overhead, offering a bit of support to the soldiers who were begining to run out of ammunition. You started off by using the trick arrows, ones that exploded, shot acid, interrupted electrical currents, or expanded into ta quickly congealing foam. You take a moment to wipe some of the grime from you face, and when you glance back, you notice as Conner helps a limping soldier toward the Zeta Tubes.

“He goes next,” Superboy growls, holding up the wounded soldier. You look back to make eye contact with Aqualad, and nod in affirmation.

“Fine. Then you,” Aqualad complies, looking back to Conner.

“Private Jason Bard, U.S.M.C. A-0-4,” the computer continues. “Superboy, B-0-4.”

Conner gave you and Kaldur one last look before jumping through. The shots keep coming and taking out more soldiers but there’s only so much you can do. You were firing arrow after arrow, and after so long without using a bow, your arms were starting to ache. You hadn’t looked back to see if Kaldur had stared helping soldiers through or not, and you hadn’t planned on it until an arm wrapped around your waist and started hauling you toward the Zeta. Whipping your head back you came face to face with Kaldur.

“They need you,” he huffs.

“Kaldur, no!” you argue, trying to squirm out of his grip. “Kaldur put me down!” you shout but he doesn’t.

“Nightingale, b-14,” the computer read your designation, and Kaldur finally put you down.

“Trust in yourself, and they will trust in you. You are in charge now,” Kaldur says simply before pushing you through.

“No!” you shout as the Zeta’s light blinds you, and suddenly you were in the cave falling through the Zeta and landing on yoru back.

Conner was the closest to you and he whipped to where you had come out of the Zeta as you groaned pushing yourself back up.

“I have to go back,” you say immediately, reaching for the controls.

“What? Why?” Robin asked, meeting your frantic gaze.

“Kaldur, he’s… he’s not-” you huffed out and the computer cut you off.

“Martian Manhunter, 0-7,” and suddenly the leaguer is there, but your friend is not.

“No,” you breathed out falling to your knees once more.

“He sends his apologies,” Martian Manhunter states, addressing you. “He believes the team needs you to lead them,” he voices and everyone turns to you.

“I never asked to lead,” you argue.

“Maybe not, but he believed you would be the best solution at this time,” J’onn explained and you take a deep breath before standing up once more, though your legs shook a bit as you did. You adjusted the strap of the quiver, and flicked the bow out, allowing it to condense before you clipped it to your belt. Your hands were shaking a bit, but you were grateful for the momentary distraction.

The team was staring at you, all of them, and you knew they were waiting for what to do next. Finally when you were sure you could face them, you turned to Wally licking your lips, “You really think that they’ve all been zeta’d somewhere else?” you ask him.

“I do,” he answers.

You nod, “Then our mission is clear. If we believe the aliens have been teleporting victims-”

KF cuts you off, “We do.”

You give him the side-eye before continuing, “Then the only reasonable detention facility is here,” you motion to the image that you had pulled up using the holo screens in the cave, “their mothership. Atop what used to be Smallville.” The team assess the mountain in the image and you turn to Manhunter, “Does any of this ring any bells?” you ask.

Manhunter stands and shakes his head, “No. I’m sorry.”

You sniff and nod in understanding before turning back to the Team, “Superboy, you’ll create a distraction…” you don’t get to delve further into your plan because Miss M interrupts you.

“No!” she screamed, turning to Superboy, “she’s offering you as a sacrifice. Aqualad would never do that!’

“You’re right,” your voice is level as you look the martian in her face. “Aqualad would sacrifice himself, a mistake that just cost us our leader and our friend. Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy, and allowing the rest of us to slip in undetected,” you explain.

“Worst case, he’s teleported inside, and we set him free along with Artemis,” KF states and then hastily adds, “and, uh, Aqualad and everyone.”

The team turned back to you, “Now what?” Wally asked.

“Now we tell a lie,” you admit.

“What do you mean?” Wally pressed.

“We’re going to give a message on hope,” you shake your head.

The team starts grabbing their gear and sending out messages to anybody left that could help as you draft up the general idea. You make a pit stop in the armory, grabbing more marble bombs, but also a fresh set of arrows. They’re here for Artemis, and that fact wasn’t lost on you as you secured the arrows on your back.

When you came back Wally was setting up the camera, while everyone else was preparing themselves, “Are you okay?” Robin asked softly while everyone else was preoccupied.

“Not even a little bit,” you admit, turning to look at him.

“Birdy,” he calls you softly and you want nothing more than to stay in this moment but you can’t.

“We’re ready,” Wally announced and you nodded, stepping away from Robin.

Wally adjusts the screen so you can see yourself as Robin hooks it up to the satellite system, they both nod and you stare into the camera.

“My name is Nightingale and whether you recognize me or not, doesn’t matter. The Justice League has fallen and those of us who remain will continue their fight. I understand how bleak it looks, I do, but I’ve recently been reminded that our greatest strength has never been in a Kryptonian or an Amazon, it’s been in hope,” you speak clearly, before allowing M’gann to step in.

“And though we know all seems lost, the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope,” she says and you step away to gear up.

Conner speaks up next, “Hope survives because the battle is not over. Not as long as even one of us is willing to fight.”

“It doesn’t matter how many fall for new heroes will always rise to carry on bringing all their resources, their skills, their talents to bear, to defeat the enemy,” Wally adds.

Robin gives you one last look before stepping into the camera frame as well, “The people of Earth will survive this. We will rebuild, and we will thrive. Never doubt and never forget. The Earth will never surrender!”

With your now restocked gear you took to checking the inventory on explosives. Your marble bombs were powerful, but if your hunch was correct, then you needed something that would truly implement some damage. Robin walked back up to you while you strapped the extra belt of explosives around your waist as well. You glanced at him for a second before moving on to sharpen your ring daggers. He stood there for a few minutes, waiting, in silence, before heaving a sigh.

“(y/n) talk to me,” he begged, voice low, as he reached out to stop your movements.

“Do you have a crush on Zatanna?” you ask suddenly and he releases your hands.

His eyes widen in surprise as you turn to him, “are you serious?” he asks and you put the blades back in their harnesses.

“Well I asked, didn’t I?” you press, finally tilting your head up to stare at him.

“Well, umm,” he stuttered and you nodded because despite his lack of words, you got your answer.

“Forget it, it’s dumb, just make sure you’re ready to go soon,” you decide, blowing off your own question, and handing him one of the extra straps of explosives.

“I don’t,” he says suddenly, hands tentatively taking the explosives. “I mean like, she’s cool and I think she’d be good for the team,” he explains.

“That’s all?” you follow up, once again staring at him.

“Is there supposed to be more?” he shoots back, with a slight quirk to his lip.

“No, I guess not,” you shake your head, looking back to your gear.

“(Y/n),” he calls you by name once more and you stare at him hard for a second before making your decision.

“I like you,” you blurt to him, thankful that the two of you were far enough away from the rest of the team.

“What?” he stutters.

“Like more than a friend. I have for a while, but I haven’t said anything because what I said to Wally is true. You only get hurt when you let people in, so I’ve been trying not to let you in because I don’t want to get hurt. But Kaldur gave everything he had so we could do this, whatever this mission is, and well, if I’m going to die today, I’m not going out with any reservations,” you state.

Robin just stares at you in a mix of surprise and shock, and you nod, “Right,” you whisper and turn back to everyone. “Bioship in five, then we move out!” you shouted, grabbing your gear and moving towards the hanger, leaving Robin staring at you.

Neither of you say anything about your sudden admission as everyone piles into the bioship, instead you review the plan one more time, while M’gann pilots the ship to Smallville. “Any questions?” you asked as you closed in on Metropolis.

“Is there a backup plan?” Conner asked.

“There is always a plan B,” you promise, dryly.

“It’s not Nabu, right?” Wally pressed, green eyes focusing on you.

“No, the Helmet of Fate is still in the souvenir room at the Cave,” you assure him.

“So what’s plan B?” Robin asked.

“Plan B is need to know, and none of you need to know, at least, not right now. So focus up, the drop site in incoming,” you redirect.

You touched down a bit away from the mothership to do some scouting. You take up a position on a cliff that put you at eye level with the ship, both you and Robin were trading off on the binoculars and holo-computer, searching for anything that tells you where your friends could possibly be, or where the weak points for a better entry could be.

M’gann approaches the two of you and Robin speaks up, “Stay close to J'onn. He’s still…” Robin trailed softly and you pulled the binoculars away to stare at your friends.

“Hinky?” you offered and they both stared at you, M’gann nods in understanding, her face grave. “Okay. First team, deploy,” you command speaking up for J’onn to hear as well.

Both M’gann and J’onn take off instantly, she pulls up her hood and as her uncle flies in front of her, takes his hand. The two camouflage as they approach the ship, then stop just shy of the hull, before J’onn passes through and pulls M’gann after him. Leaving you all to wait silently for the green light.

“Ready and in position,” M’gann shares once she touches down inside the ship.

Conner turns to you and Robin and you nod at him, placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, “good luck, Conner,” you tell him softly, he offers a small smile before jumping into action. Conner leaps from your spot and lands on the ship, crashing into the walls. He goes for the first gun he can and yanks at it.

“Careful! Don’t disconnect the power source,” Robin reminds him as you observe from the ground.

Conner sticks his hand in and finds the trigger, “All right, you glorified trespassers! You wanna see how a real alien fights?” he shouts before he starts shooting at the other guns near him. The doors below him open and the smaller ships start to fly out in droves.

“Now or never,” Conner tells you, and you sigh.

“Okay last chance to back out Wally,” you sigh, turning to him.

“Are you not confident in your plan?” he smirks at you as the three of you that remain to take up positions beside the cliff.

You look at both boys and then at the Mothership, “Not even a little bit,” you admit.

“We got this,” he assures you.

“It’s a lot of weight, Wally,” you remind him.

“I got this,” he sighs, scooping you into his arms, bridal style, and you took a tight grip on your quiver.

“Are you sure?” you press once more, brows pinching as you stared at Wally.

“For the love of God, let’s do this,” he huffs and Robin hops on his back.

Wally’s face morphs in an instant as his gaze narrows on the ramp which would be our landing position. Wally takes off and a second later he’s throwing you, allowing you to roll safely out of the way as he and Robin land beside you on the ship.

Quickly you all run into the hanger and off the ramp, ducking behind a pillar, both boys slide in next to you.

“Feeling more confident?” Wally asked in a hushed whisper.

“Nope,” you mutter, shaking your head as two ships fly past, and you quickly swing the quiver back around your body.

You peek out and do a quick scan, “Way is clear, go!” you order.

Robin and Wally fall in line behind you as you run further into the ship, ducking behind another pillar as a patrol robot passes by. You’re so focused on the first bot that you completely missed the one that snuck up behind you. You stare at it with wide eyes, and you feel Robin’s fingers brush yours, he gives you a squeeze as you stare at the robot for a moment. Before either of you three could react, or the bot for that matter, a camouflaged Miss M and Martian Manhunter land, and take out the robot.

Now regrouped with the two Martians you all take off once more. An explosion forces you all to pause, and you don’t need telepathic powers to know that Conner wasn’t there anymore. M’gann lost her balance, de-camouflaging and falling against the wall. Wally rushes right up to her but you pause, and you hold Robin back for a moment too. Asking him with your eyes if he had any news.

“No. He’s gone,” her voice cracks and you bang your fist against the wall in anger, turning to face it while trying to keep from looking at what remained of your team. You didn’t want to see the heartbreak you knew was looming behind you.

“It’s all right. We’ll find him with Artemis. I know it,” he assures her and you turn back to Robin, he shakes his head and a pang rushes through you. This was why you didn’t want to believe Wally, because in the end all there is, is pain.

“No,” Manhunter interjects, “my mind is clearer now. The disintegration beam is exactly that. There is no detention facility, no prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose.”

Wally moves in an instant, leaving M’gann to grab Manhunter by the front of his cape, “No! You’re wrong. The Zeta Radiation proves she’s alive. She’s-!”

There is so much pain in his voice and you hit the wall again, harder, this time it causes Wally to pause and look at you. Robin moves swiftly to grab him by the shoulder, turning the ginger to face him, holding him still with his hands on both his shoulders.

“Stop it, KF. I’ve been scanning for League and Team signals since we got inside. They’re not here. Artemis is gone.” Wally opens his mouth to try and say something, anything, in response to what Robin was telling him, but he grits his teeth and looks away.

You take a deep breath before turning back to your team, “But our mission still holds purpose. We’re going to destroy this mothership,” you tell them, face set in hard glare, before turning from the group and walking forward.

Using the schematics on Robin’s holo-glove you manage to make it to Plan B. You don’t stop until you’re outside a door that eventually opens to a room stained with red light, the source being a gigantic metallic orange sphere in the center. You spot two drones on either side of the sphere doing a sweep. Turning to Robin he makes a brief signal and you nod in affirmation.

“This is the power core. If we blow this and the whole mothership blows,” you explain, as you creep forward with Rob.

He stares at you with wide eyes for a moment as things click into place. The extra belt of explosives that you gave him before you left, and the ones you had strapped across your body, he finally understood. Plan B was your plan all along.

You lead what remains of your attack team across one of the platforms. Jumping down, you land closest to the edge, and your eyes go wide as the gravity in the room suddenly shifts, Robin and Wally are beside you and suddenly the three of you were falling. You grab a grapple arrow and shoot it to a platform before grabbing Wally’s arm while Robin used his grapple gun. You watch with bated breath as a drone approaches where both you and Robin had tethered to the platform, luckily M’gann destroys the bot before helping you and Robin down to the center sphere with her powers.

As soon as you touch down, you pull off the extra explosives from your body and Robin does the same. You make the mistake of looking up at Wally and you see the realization cross his face. You quickly turn back to the explosives and calibrate them all.

“You knew,” he says lowly. “You knew from the beginning why we were really here.”

“Do you really want to discuss this now?” you hiss at him.

“What about your plan?” Wally argued.

You sigh and look at him, straight in the eye, “this was always the plan,” you admit and his mouth opens in shock.

Robin types away on his holo-glove before looking down at the charges, they start to blink and he nods at you, “Four minutes. Let’s go.”

Wally takes off first in hopes of keeping the hangar doors open, but by the time you catch up you realize he had been too late.

“Perfect,” he gripes, but when you all hear a clicking sound you turn around. “Huh?”

There are five or six drones approaching, one fires a laser before the rest join in and the five of you scatter. Miss M and J’onn going one way while you, Robin, and Wally went the other.

The three of you duck behind a pillar and Robin shows you the countdown clock.

1 minute.

“Thank you,” you whisper to the boys. It’s the first time they’d actually heard your voice in a while, it was rough, and cracked between the words.

“What?” Robin turns to you.

“You guys have had my back since we started as sidekicks, you’ve been my friends through the worst of times. Thank you,” you explain.

“You are so not saying goodbye right now,” Wally argues with you and you can’t help but smile. “Not before I get to apologize for being a jerk,” he huffed.

30 seconds.

You grab their hands, lacing your fingers with theirs, asking permission for the only decision you had left. They both give you a squeeze with sad eyes and you nod, with a heartbroken smile.

“16 seconds and counting. Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go,” you order, and Robin squeezes your hand just a bit tighter as a tear slips down your cheek.

“No. We won’t leave you,” M’gann objected nearly immediately and a soft sob escaped your lips, though only Wally and Robin could hear it.

“That’s an order. We’ll follow as soon as we blow those doors,” you lie to her, and you know that Manhunter phases them out of the hangar.

10 seconds.

“I like you too,” Robin says suddenly, grabbing your attention.

“Took you long enough,” Wally groans, gazing at the two of you.

7 seconds.

“Together?” you ask the boys in a small voice.

“Always, beautiful,” Wally smirked, winking at you, but you could see the tears in his eyes too.

“Forever,” Robin promises.

5 seconds.

You take a deep breath and notch another arrow.

4 seconds.

Wally pulls down his goggles.

3 seconds.

Robin pulls out several birdarangs.

2 seconds.

the three of you share one last look.

1 second.

You all leave the cover and charge towards the robots.

Boom.

MOUNT JUSTICE
October 16th, 16:15 EDT

You wake up with a start. Your body surges forward and you start to heave, unable to catch your breath as you take in your sudden and startling surroundings. You were back in the cave, you were wearing civvies, but most of all, you were alive.

You stumble off the table you had been laying on and spot Dinah rushing toward you, but you shake your head and put a hand up in warning as you fall backward, stumbling until you were seated on the ground, hyperventilating.

You knew what was happening, a panic attack, it had been a while since you’d actually had a full-blown one like this. You could feel your heart hammering in your chest as you chased the air that was moving too quickly through your lungs. Your knees were digging into the hard concrete, and you pressed your palms down as you tried and failed to focus your breathing. Robin’s the one to approach, falling to his knees beside you.

You look at him and all the color drains from your face, what was happening? You had died, he had been there beside you. You could still feel how hot the blast had been as you stood beside Robin and Wally on that mothership.

“NG, you need to calm down,” he says urgently.

“Can’t…….” you huff looking at him. “…Dead…..we….oh my god….” you continued, muttering incoherently between heaving breaths.

“You’re okay,” he promises, and confusion covers your face, you’re still hyperventilating but he seems to have captured your attention.

“I felt…” you trailed, staring at him.

“I know, but we’re fine, Birdy. C’mon take a breath,” he says softly, grabbing one of your hands and holding it to his chest so you could feel the steady beat of his heart.

It takes another minute but you manage to finally calm down and he carefully pulls you back to a standing position, the rest of the team is watching you with wide eyes and Dinah runs straight to you.

“Oh, honey,” she says softly wrapping you in a hug and you close your eyes, breathing her in. She smelt like the cinnamon candle you had gotten her for her birthday this past April. “You’re okay,” she promised and you hugged her back, arms looping around her. You had been so sure you’d never get this again, this love and comfort.

“You’re alive, you’re all alive!” M’gann shouts suddenly and your gaze turns to her as Dinah helps both you and back to the table you had previously been on, allowing you to slouch against it.

You finally notice how rough Robin lookes as he pulls himself up onto your table, sitting next to you. He didn’t look good at all, there was sweat beading down his face as he struggled to take in air himself, you moved your hand to let your fingers touch because here he was, still alive and so were you. Everything had felt so real, that being back in the cave felt like the biggest trick of all.

“What happened in there?” Batman asked, as the rest of the team struggled to sit up.

“The exercise, it all went wrong,” Manhunter says.

“Exercise?” Robin’s voice cracks as he heaves in a breath.

“Try to remember,” Batman insists. “What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you within an artificial reality. You all knew this going in. What you didn’t know was that it was a train-for-failure exercise. No matter what the Team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still, you were aware nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League.”

“That is why you hardly grieved,” Manhunter picks up, “even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. But all that changed when Artemis died.” he explained and you wrapped your arms around yourself, that wasn’t true, at least not for you, from the very beginning everything was real, it was so real, the pain you felt, the heartbreak you endured, even now you were struggling to sort through all those emotions. “Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise. And her subconscious took control, making all of you forget too,” he finished explaining and you all turned to a now very distraught M’gann.

“Uh, I'm… I’m so sorry,” she stuttered out an apology, not knowing who to look to and you took in a deep breath in at the revelation.

“This isn’t her fault! Why didn’t you stop the exercise?” Conner demands.

“We tried,” Manhunter says strongly. “But M'gann had a death grip on the scenario. “I realized I would have to wrestle control from Miss Martian’s subconscious from within,” Manhunter continued. “But upon entering the reality I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much noise to think clearly to remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad and Superboy helped. But only when the mothership exploded, and Robin, Kid Flash, and Nightingale, especially, were silenced did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose. To shock M'gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent.”

“What do you mean, Nightingale, especially?” Wally asks, brows pinching as he looked at you before turning back to J’onn.

The Martian Manhunter turned to him and then to you, staring straight at you, and despite the sunglasses that covered your irises you felt like he was staring straight into your soul, “You show a deeper connection to the mind than that of a normal human. Your empathic abilities were extreme, which is why even from the beginning you felt the deaths. All of them. I believe there may be more to your capabilities than you realize.”

“Like what? Are you saying she has powers?” Robin asked defensively.

“I do not know, but her connection to the human mind, to emotions, is too strong, to be normal, it was her mind that was the loudest, her emotions and connections to everything happening were too much for even me to process through,” Manhunter continued and your face went flat, as you tried to make sense of what he was saying. “My apologies. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous… so damaging. And to you especially Nightingale, you I feel, suffered through this the worst,” he finishes and Robin and Wally both turn to you.

“NG?” Wally calls your eyes snap to his, wide, and you look towards the zeta tube and then to Canary.

“I need to go home,” you say finally, doing your best to keep your voice in check.

“Birdy,” Robin says softly, you can tell he’s trying to get a read on you, but even you weren’t sure where you head was at, all you knew is that your eyes were watering, and you felt heartbroken, even after seeing them all okay. The simulation had been too much, too overwhelming, and you needed time to process, on your own.

“I need… I need to go home…” you decide with a curt nod and you force yourself to stand up once more, taking a second to stabilize yourself before walking to Dinah.

Your mentor caught you in her arms, and sent a look to Oliver who was holding tight to Artemis. With one of her arms wrapped around you, she turned to Batman, and when he gave a nod of his head she led you to the Zeta. You forced yourself to not look back, and once the tears started falling, Dinah simply held you tighter.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE
October 23,  17:21 EDT

You weren’t sure that the green sofa in Canary’s therapy room had ever felt so uncomfortable. You’d spent the last five minutes fidgeting and trying to become comfortable. Your final position wasn’t even on the sofa. You were seated on the ground leaning against the green monstrosity behind you.

“Are you sure that’s where you want to sit?” she asked you curiously.

“C’mon Dinah, you should know by now, I’m not exactly normal,” you muse, fingers playing with the zipper of your leather jacket.

“Have you been feeling different lately?” she asks without missing a beat.

“If you’re referring to the part where J’onn said I’m not a normal human being, then I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you shoot, refusing to meet her eyes.

“You know you’re deflecting, right?” she pressed, lips pressed in a thin line.

“How could I forget? You’ve been saying the same thing all week,” you huff.

“Does it bother you that I’m the one conducting this session?” she asks, and for the first time since you walked in, your eyes snapped to her.

“Dinah, you are the only person in the world who I’d even sit still for. Trust me, no one stands a better chance at being my shrink than you,” you admit to her.

“That may be, but it’s clear you’re uncomfortable. Talk to me, (y/n),” she begs, and you nod.

“I’ve been having this reoccurring dream,” you finally say. “I must be six or so because I’m running around my parent’s lab,” you begin, and Dinah’s brow pinched. “I’m running and touching things that I’m not supposed to touch, and in the middle of the lab is this big glass chamber, and inside there’s a red horn, I don’t know. But it’s glowing, and I’m six years old. The glass door is open, and I don’t think it through. I just run in and grab the red horn. The door closes behind me, an alarm starts ringing, and the glass chamber fills with gas,” you sigh.

“Then what?” Dinah pressed.

“That’s it,” you sniff, looking into her eyes, “I wake up right after that.”

“It’s the same thing every time?” she presses, and you nod.

She gives you a careful look before pulling a file from her bag beside her couch.

“What’s that?” your eyes narrow on the manila folder.

“Do you remember what company your parents used to work for?” she asked.

“Wayne Enterprises,” you say without missing a beat. “How could I forget? Bruce Wayne sends me a card and a check on their death anniversary and my birthday every year,” you mutter.

“Yes, well, Batman has some connections to the company, and he managed to pull this file. After the failed training exercise, we reran your bloodwork and body scans, you’re human honey, 100%, and then we thought maybe you’re like Wally, your powers showed up after something triggered them,” she was laying it all out for you and you nodded along. “J’onn suggested your abilities might be different and that we should look for something that could’ve affected you when you were younger, seeing as this had to take place before I trained you. In the files, you were six at the time.”

Your eyes widen, “It’s not a dream, is it?” you realize.

“No, honey, it’s real. My thoughts are that you were traumatized by what happened, and two months later, your parents were killed. I think your mind subconsciously buried it so that you could make sense of what was happening around you,” she explained.

“So what am I?” you push.

“Right now, we’re labeling you as an empath. From what J’onn could understand of your mind, you have the ability to read and convey another’s emotions with a simple look. You feel pain and loss of loved ones a lot harder than most, and well, he thinks that you have the potential to read thoughts and communicate telepathically.”

You finally stand up from the floor and sit on the sofa so you could stare at your mentor better, “how?”

“Again, this is mostly guesswork, but J’onn thinks that once you’ve mastered your abilities, you have the potential to sync your brain waves with another person’s, allowing you to hear their thoughts and them to hear yours,” she tells you, and you nod.

“But there’s no proof, right? That anything happened to me? I could just be sensitive,” you offer.

Dinah frowns, and you suddenly realize maybe there was proof, “Batman thought the same at first, so we took a look at your brainwaves during the exercise. Now all of you had brain scans while we were monitoring you, and yes, they were a bit different than normal considering what was happening. But your’s showed specific spikes and regressions in emotional strife from the start. None of your teammates showed anything like that until Artemis was killed in the simulation. And well, there’s also more to the report,” she sighs, handing you the file. “When we re-ran your bloodwork, we didn’t notice anything, but when we learned about the file and the incident, Batman decided to run it against your bloodwork from before. Your genetic make-up has changed drastically. The roots are there, but there’s more, we never noticed because we’ve never seen different bloodwork from you.”

It’s quiet as you read. The only sound you can hear is that of the small water fountain thing she had in here, “Wait a second, I’ve seen these statistics before,” you mutter, gazing at the analysis of the red horn object that you had recalled. “At CADMUS,” you realize, turning back to Dinah.

“We always knew that the people who hired the thugs that killed your parents were hired on someone’s grudge. I now believe it might have been CADMUS. That horn had the same readings as those genomorphs that educated Superboy and persuaded Guardian into thinking he was doing the right thing. We think someone in your parent’s lab was also working with CADMUS and was trying to develop those sciences in the WE lab. After your incident, your parents became aware and filed an official report that was given directly to CEO Bruce Wayne,” she explains.

“That’s why he sends the cards, he knew,” your brow furrowed in realization as you stare at Dinah. “Dinah this, this could be everything,” you tell her, standing up once more and opening the folder on the coffee table, displaying the pictures and notes. “This explains the dream and the empath powers that J’onn picked up on. This is why my parents died, Dinah. They died because they figured it out, and CADMUS killed them!” you were pacing in her office now, and she was staring at you with a worried look.

“Sweetheart, I need you to promise you won’t do anything brash, okay?” she begged.

“Dinah, this answers every question about why my parents died,” you repeat to her.

“I know, but I need you to promise to leave CADMUS alone, for now,” she told you.

“You can’t be serious,” you scoffed.

“Batman is doing a deep dive into them. We don’t want to trigger any alarms, so we need to stay separate from it. The League didn’t want me to come to you with this. They all thought you’d be better off never knowing. Tell me they were wrong and that I was right to tell you this,” she pressed.

You nodded as you slumped back into your seat and pushed your hair back, “Yeah, Dinah, I promise. Just, please tell me what’s happening, please,” you begged.

“As soon as I know something,” she promised. “Now, is there anything else that happened that you want to talk about?”

“Where do I even start, D?” you asked, with a sigh. “So much happened, and yet nothing actually did, right?”

“Honey, it may have been a simulation but you were living through it. According to J’onn and your scans, everything you experienced during the simulation felt 100% authentic. While your friends were protected going in, you weren’t. It was real to you, so you have to treat like an actual event. That’s the only way to full process it,” she explained and you frowned, bitting down on your lip as you considered where to begin.

“The second the alarms started going off, I knew it was wrong, something just didn’t feel right, D. And then when you and Ollie-” your voice cracked as you looked at her. Your sunglasses were sitting on the table, so you really were staring straight into her eyes, but all she offered you was a sad smile and time to get through it. “I don’t know, Dinah. It just all felt so hopeless, I know that was the point now, but there was this pit in my stomach that makes me wonder why was my first reaction to give up hope. You know everyone was so sure it’d work up until the end. But I knew it was all wrong!”

Dinah sighed and stared at you intently, “Look, Oliver and I are fine, your team is fine-”

“No, D, they’re not! I led them to their deaths!” you argue. “Kaldur put me in charge, and I failed. I failed all of them, more than that I let Kaldur down, Dinah. When you sent me to Atlantis I was at my lowest, but Kaldur was there. Aquaman assigned him to me but he became my friend, he trusted me!”

“Sweetheart, that simulation was designed to fail, okay? Batman told you that,” Dinah reminded you.

“I was leading them, Dinah. It doesn’t matter if it was designed to fail. Failing doesn’t have to include dying, does it?” you ask her, tears welling in your eyes.

“You’re right, it doesn’t. So what do you want to do?” she asked, straightening in her seat.

“I want Ollie to take me through how to shoot again,” you tell her seriously, and her eyes widen.

“You hated learning how to use a bow,” she reminds you.

“In the simulation, I had to. Escrima sticks were pretty lousy for fighting alien ships,” you frown.

“Okay, we can make that work. We can even send you on a few patrols with Artemis and Ollie; make sure you’re still in fit form, yeah?” she offers.

“Yeah, okay,” you nod. The both of you are quiet for a little, as Dinah gives you a little more space to think. “There is something else,” you realize.

“What is it?”

You stared at her for a second, “I told Robin I liked him,” you admit, and she stares at you with wide eyes.

“You told him?”

“Well, I did think I was going to die, and I kinda wanted to do it on my terms, so I told him,” you explain.

“What did he say?” she shot back, a smile taking over her lips.

“He said he likes me too,” you smiled softly.

“You don’t seem excited,” she notes.

“We haven’t spoken since we woke up, it’s awkward and silent, and I don’t know what’s happening,” you admit.

“My suggestion for that is easy, honey, talk to him. It seems like it worked out okay the first time,” she mused, and you nodded.

“Yeah,” you sighed.

There was a knock at the door that called your attention away from your Mentor, “Come in,” she called.

“I am sorry to interrupt, but I think I might have a way for you to focus your abilities,” J’onn had appeared and was now staring at you.

“The abilities I didn’t even know were real until an hour ago?” you frown at the martian.

“Yes, well, I have been pondering on this all week,” he informs you, and you turn to Dinah.

“Go, we can talk more later,” she promised, and you nodded, grabbing your sunglasses before following J’onn out.

You passed the living areas where the rest of the team was. Robin met your eyes from the couch he was seated on, and he stared at you until the wall interrupted both of your gazes. J’onn led you into the training room.

“Tell me, when are you most connected to a person, just in what you can remember,” he asks.

“I guess, it’s when I’m in contact with them. I just have a better read when I can see their body language or look into their eyes,” you answer honestly.

“That makes sense, an empath usually connects with another through human contact, but a strong enough ability paired with skill may allow you to make that connection with nothing more than a look of the eyes,” he affirms. “It is my belief that at this stage of development and awareness in your abilities, you can channel another person’s thoughts, memories, and emotions through a strong emotional and physical connection,” he tells you.

“What does that mean?” you press.

“I have arranged for a test,” he answeres vaguely, and Kaldur walks over to you. “I am correct in the knowledge that the two of you are close?” he asks.

“Yes?” you answer with a furrowed brow.

“Excellent. Take his hands in yours, interlace your fingers and stare into his eyes. I want you to search for the emotion and memories that he connects to you, Nightingale,” Manhunter orders.

Kaldur smiles encourgingly at you, and you offer a small nod. You slide your sunglasses up and give a tight smile to J’onn before turning back to Kaldur. He stands opposite of you, and you interlace your fingers with his before staring straight into his eyes.

“Trust in our history, old friend. Tha se ypostiríxo,” (I will support you) his words offer an aire of comfort and you can feel the subtle pricks of magic and electricity as he gave your hands a squeeze.

You do as requested. You try to focus on Kaldur, on your history together, and then on his emotions. Your eyes scrunch closed in focus, and when they open, and all you see is blue.

You see yourself before Kaldur, the two of you are underwater. You’re in Atlantis and working on his Magic Conservatory homework, well he is, you watch yourself roll on his bed and complain about his need to study.

“You’ve been studying for hours, Kaldur’ahm,” you groaned. “It’s not good for you, man. You should take a break. You’ll absorb the information better when you’re willing to.”

Kaldur turned his gaze to you, noticing as you messed with your new ring, it allowed you to breathe here as if you were an Atlantean yourself. You were a few years younger than him, but there was something about your general auras that matched. You hadn’t left his side since your mentor left you down here.

“And how can you tell if I am unwilling, poulí?” the atlantean term for bird has become one of his prerferd methods of addressing you.

You smirk at the older boy, “Learning to read people was one of the first things Canary taught me, Kaldur’ahm. And I know that you can’t focus on your work because you’re focused on something else,” you taunt.

“Oh? What do you propose I am focused on?” he sat up a bit, smiling a bit..

“Tula,” you say her name in a sing-songy voice, smiling when Kaldur’s eyes narrowed.

“When did you figure it out?”

“It’s the way you look at her,” you shrug. “Don’t worry, though, your secret is safe with me,” you muse.

“You are much more perceptive than you are given credit for, (y/n),” he chuckles.

“So how about that break?” you smile, moving forward.

“Very well, my friend, we may take a break. Might I suggest a snack?” Kaldur chuckled, and you watched as  a younger you snapped to his side.

“I like the way you think, K,” you smirked.

Just as quickly as the memory had appeared, it dissolved, leaving the color blue in your mind and an old sense of friendship, trust, and loyalty in your mind before you were back in the training room with Kaldur standing before you.

You gasp and pull away, but Kaldur simply offers you a concerned look, “What did you see?” Manhunter pressed.

“I- I saw a memory,” you admit, and Manhunter nods. “It was from my time in Atlantis. Kaldur was going to take me to get a snack, we talked about… one of his friends,” your brow furrows as you stare at your friend and then to the green alien.

“And an emotion?” Manhunter pressed.

“Trust, loyalty, and friendship,” you explain, and Kaldur watches you with surprise. “I don’t understand,” you add after.

“That memory was the day I realized how true a friend I had acquired,” Kaldur speaks up. “It wasn’t anything radical, it wasn’t a mission, it was the simplicity of a true friend that you provided that day and that I have held onto,” he admits, and you gape at him.

“You see, your abilities are far stronger than you think. You simply need to learn how to channel them,” Manhunter tells you.

STAR CITY
October 23, 22:12 EDT

J’onn let you go after that. You left the cave without a word to anybody, needing time and space to process. That’s how you found yourself on a random rooftop in Star City. The city lights twinkled below you, and your legs dangled from the ledge you were seated on. You were taking deep breaths of the air around you, your fingers fidgeting with one of your escrima sticks, and your jacket was off and sitting safely on the roof beside the ledge you were currently perched on.

“Come here often?” a voice interrupted, and you whirled towards him, escrima stick crackling with electricity. “Woah, it’s just me,” his hands were up in surrender as you took in the costume. Robin.

“I think you got the wrong city. This one’s just a bit brighter than Gotham,” you muse as you relaxed and sat back down in your original position.

“Not if I’m looking for one of Star City’s saviors,” he shoots back, taking a seat beside you.

“I’m not sure where Oliver is,” you shrug while telling him.

“I meant you,” Robin answers in a second.

“Oh,” is all you can manage.

“You know my heart to heart with Canary, was….” he trailed.

“Intense?” you snort.

“Informative,” he decides, and you look to him.

“How so?”

“I don’t want to be Batman,” he says, and you turn to him with cautious eyes, “I don’t think I could handle being him, and I don’t think I could’ve handled being in charge after Kaldur-” he cut himself off, and you nodded. “But you took that on, and you were strong and smart about it, but the thing that got to me was what you had told Wally,” Robin clarifies, and suddenly you have an idea where this was headed. “About hope?” You dropped his gaze, “I’m in this, (y/n),” he said thoughtfully. “I’m not Batman, and I never want to be. If I learned anything out of last week’s catastrophe, it’s that I want more out of my life than a mission,” he admits honestly. And you turn to him warily, “I’m not going to leave,” he adds and you let out a staggered breath.

“J’onn was right,” you say softly. If he was going to bare his soul like that to you, the least you could be is honest.

“What?”

“I’m an empath, Dinah went through records, I discovered a memory that I had repressed, and J’onn had me test my abilities with Kaldur, he was right, I’m an empath, and I finally know why my parents died,” you admit.

You meet his eyes, and suddenly you’re explaining it all, everything you had discovered with Dinah during your session and then the experiment with Kaldur. You told him everything, and when you were done, he was staring at you with big eyes through his mask.

“Are you okay?” he askes, and you start to laugh, but it’s sad and hollow.

“No,” you admit, and he gives you a heartwrenching look. “God, Robin, I marched us all to our deaths, all of us. I sacrificed Superboy without a second thought. Who does that?” you started to sob as you recalled the choices you had made once more.

His hand grabs you; the glove rests against your bare arm. And then suddenly he’s pulling you closer to him. He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t have to. He holds you next to him as you cry about what had happened, about that trauma, because he knew there was no way for you to move forward without addressing this first.

You weren’t trying to listen to his thoughts. You sware, but being this close to him and with how high both of your emotions were running, it was inevitable, especially now that you were aware of your ability.

I’ve got you

You heard it like a whisper in your ear, but that wasn’t what had happened. You’re not sure if he meant for you to listen to it or not, but you did, and you gripped onto him a bit tighter as you finally calmed down.

“My biggest fear is falling,” he speaks up after a while, and you turn to him. “It’s ridiculous because I’m not afraid of heights, but I’m afraid to fall,” he tells you.

“How do you deal with it?” you ask, thinking about all the times the two of you had nearly fallen to your deaths.

“Let me show you,” he decides, standing up and pulling you with him. He grabs your jacket, and you slide it on.

“What are you talking about?” you inquire as he steps closer to you.

“Something my mom told me when I was little, you’ll never know if you can fly unless you take the risk of falling,” he says, and you squint at him as tugs you close, an arm now wrapped around your waist.

“Do you trust me?” he asks, and you realize precisely how loaded that question is as you stare into his eyes, which were only inches away.

You take a deep breath and offer a tiny nod, “Completly,” you assure him in a whisper, and that was the truth.

“Hold tight,” he smiles at you and pulls out his grappling hook before pulling you with him off the ledge.

You didn’t scream, and you’re pretty sure your heart rate stayed normal as you fell from the tallest building in Star City because his eyes were locked with yours. As soon as you saw another roof, one of Robin’s arms shot out and launched his grappling hook. It attached to the building, and it felt like you were flying.  As you swung from the sky using the grappling hook, you understood what he meant. This was a ledge, and if you jump, you risk everything, but if he catches you, just like he promised, then the two of you would soar through the air.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

October 31, 19:34 EDT

“Aou-aou- Aowooo!” Wally let out a howl, and you snorted at his antics. “Really? You’re not gonna join in at all?” the speedster had turned to Wolf, who was lounging on the ground, his head in your lap as you pet his fur. When Wolf doesn’t react, Wally’s eyes narrow, “What kind of wolf are you?”

“Wally, stop torturing him,” Conner spoke up, and your gaze shifted, and you snorted once more as M’gann attempted to wrap mummy bandages around him.

Your eyes moved from your friends back to Wolf as you focused on the animal. After realizing your powers, you found yourself testing its limits, as well as your own. You were petting the white fur as you stared at the animal, and you felt at peace. Something told you Wolf was very comfortable with his current surroundings, but you could feel the peace thrumming through.

“Hold still, please,” she asked sweetly as she continued her work.

You and Wally shared a look before he deadpanned at them, “M’gann, stop torturing him,” he teased, and you did laugh. Wolf perked up and looked at you with a tilted head. “Awkward for him anyway, being the third wheel on our date,” Wally continued, and you rolled your eyes.

“Wally, I invited the entire team to the dance,” she reminded him.

“Zatanna, too,” you add, standing up and brushing out your outfit.

You were proud of your costume this year. You had on a green silk tank top and wore a gentle-looking skirt made with green, purple, and pink tulle. You had ballet flats on your feet and a flower crown in your hair, which was loose, and there was glitter pretty much everywhere. You were sure it’d be a hassle to deal with tomorrow, but for the moment, you didn’t mind; tonight, you were a Pixie.

“Good. Keeps us on the down-low,” Wally continued, and you shook your head. You wondered how long it’d be until he finally realized the same truth that you, Aqualad, and Robin had known for weeks. “So you going as my favorite Martian?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” M’gann smirked, stepping back. In a second, she had transformed into a zombie bride. Because of her powers, it looked very authentic.

“Whoa,” Wally noted, “Babe, eat my brains anytime.”

“Great minds think alike!” a new voice boomed, turning you spotted Captain Marvel with his face painted like a zombie. You smiled at him in response.

“Captain, you look terrific,” M’gann cheered. “Are you going to a Halloween celebration, too?”

“Well, sure,” he nodded, “I’m going with…” he trailed for a second as his face scrunched. “I mean, you did invite the whole team, right?”

“Yeah, we’ll all be at the dance. So don’t worry about us,” M’gann smiled, and your lips quirked in understanding. “Go. Have a good time at your party!” she smiled, but you could feel it; Captain Marvel was disappointed.

Honestly, since becoming aware of your powers you’d taken great care in utilizing them, so far it was mostly emotions, or feelings, the easiest people to read were the ones you knew. The better you knew them the easier it was to sync up with them as proven by Kaldur and Robin last week. But now you were getting such an overwhelming feeling of disappointment and sadness from the Captain.

“Recognized: Artemis, B-07. Zatanna Zatara, A-03,” the computer announced and you smiled as the two girls appeared, you walked away from Captain Marvel and M’gann, choosing to greet the newest arrivals.

“Oh, hey, Zatanna. You look great!” Artemis complimented as you stalked closer to the two who had paused beside the Zeta Tubes.

“Oh, thanks. You too, and NG, I am loving this pixie look,” she gushed as you stopped before the two.

“Why thank you, Canary had a bit of a fit when she spotted the amount of body glitter that I purchased,” you mused.

“That makes sense,” Artemis laughed as you three migrated back over to the others.

“Oh, look. Zombie Captain Marvel. That’s hilarious,” Zatanna noted, and you bite your lip to keep from laughing at her tone. “Is the Justice League having a party? Cause my dad didn’t mention it,” she continued.

“No, no, no, no. See, I-” Captain Marvel once again cut himself off before taking a deep breath. “Fine. I’m going trick-or-treating,” he huffed, flying over to the Zeta Tubes.

“Recognized: Captain Marvel. 1-5.”

“And I’m not sharing my candy,” he adds right before he disappears through the Zeta.

Your attention shifts back to the girls, “So how long have Connor and Megan been a couple?” Zatanna asks, and your eyes go wide as you stare at Artemis.

“Ha! Couple?” Artemis laughed, but upon seeing your look and then the way the two were interacting, she instantly sobered up, “No. They’re not a…” she trailed, and you turned your attention back to M’gann and Conner, who were laughing and whispering with one another.

Artemis doesn’t say anything else. Her eyes narrow into a glare before she turns around and stalks back to the Zeta Tubes.

“Uh, I… I’m sorry. It just seemed so obvious,” Zatanna called after her as you both followed on the blond’s heels. “I-I-I didn’t realize…wait, the dance!” she tried to stop Artemis, but the archer didn’t stop until she was standing in front of the Zeta Computer.

“Not in the mood,” Artemis shot back lowly. “Of course, sitting at home with my mom doesn’t sound any more appealing.”

“Well, there is another option,” you remind the girls, both of who stare at you. “Girls’ night out,” you smirk.

Zatanna smiles at that and says a quick incantation, “Egnahc sehtolc otni ruo smrofinu!” (change clothes into our uniforms!) suddenly, you were wearing your bodysuit, leather jacket, and utility belt instead of the pixie outfit.

“Can you still see the glitter?” you ask as you inspect yourself.

“Yeah, it’s in your hair and on your cheeks,” Zatanna nods apprehensively. “I could probably get it off if you’d like,” she offers.

“Nah, it’s Halloween. I think a little glitter is acceptable,” you muse and Artemis looks between the two of you for a second and then her own uniform before smiling.

The three of you walked to the garage, but before you could grab a bike, your comm went off.

“Nightingale the Batman wishes to speak with us, now,” Kaldur’s voice crackled, and you let out a deep sigh.

“What’s the matter?” Zatanna frowned as she saw you move away from the bike.

“I’ve been summoned by the Bat,” you frown.

“Maybe you can join us after? We’ll keep a line open so you can find us,” the sorceress in training offered.

You smiled at her, “Thank you, and if I can I will, sorry to bail, I know I suggested this.”

“It’s okay, you deal with whatever they need,” Artemis smiled back.

You watched as the two rode their bikes through the Garage Zeta before turning and jogging through the cave. The moment you enter the room you’re surprised to see Roy, but all he offers is a nod in recognition.

“Your face is shiny,” Robin notes as you join them all.

“It’s called body glitter,” you snort, frowning at Roy.

“Why?” Robin follows, squinting at the sparkles on your face.

“I was a pixie,” you shrug as if that was the answer to everything.

“Computer, secure the room,” Batman orders as we all settle in.

There’s a hiss as the room began soundproofing itself, “Secured.”

“I’ll cut to it. Do we believe there’s a mole within the team?” Batman asks and your face falls in the realization of what this meeting is about. You resign yourself to the fact that you probably will be unable to regroup with Zatanna and Artemis as you sit down on the arm of the green couch that Robin was seated in.

“I am convinced there is none. When Sportsmaster claimed he had an inside source, he was merely sowing dissent,” Kaldur defends.

“His intel could easily have come by comparing notes with the other villains working for the “Injustice League”,” you support.

Robin nudged your leg before speaking up, “And think about it. If anyone on the team was working with those creepoids…”

You nod in understanding before completing his train of thought, “He or she would have betrayed us during our fight against them.”

“I’m not convinced,” Roy argues and your brows furrow. “Sure, you three and Kid Flash are above suspicion, but I know Artemis isn’t shooting straight. For starters, she’s not Green Arrow’s niece,” he states and you gape at him, sure you knew that, but it wasn’t your place to share and it wasn’t Roy’s either.

“What?” Kaldur’s eyes bulge, eyes whipping between you and Roy.

“Well, yeah. In fact, she’s related to-” Robin had begun and you kicked his side.

“It’s not our place,” you cut him off turning to glare at Roy, “GA gave her the gig, Roy. If you can’t find it in you to trust her, trust him.”

Roy’s eyes narrowed on you, he seemed ready to argue, but before he could, Batman stepped forward.

“Enough,” he intervened, calling all of your attention, “Artemis’s relations may indeed make her suspect, but she’s still entitled to a secret identity. I’m more concerned about Superboy. We still know very little about what Cadmus programmed into their weapon. Connor could be the mole and not know it,” you twitched a bit under Batman’s eyes. He made sure to look at you as he said Cadmus and you knew why. No one else on the team had a connection to the evil science labs that dated back almost a decade, nope, only you. Your eyes darted over to Robin, the two of you had briefly begun discussing theories in your free time.

“And what about Miss Martian? She is Manhunter’s niece. But he told Black Canary he has a few hundred nieces and nephews. And the first time he met M'gann was five months ago, when she stowed away on his last trip from Mars to Earth,” Roy’s tone was heating up but there was something about this conversation that just didn’t sit well with you. How could this be happening? These people were your friends, your teammates, and after everything you’ve already been through, you’d take a bullet for any of them.

“Okay, stop,” you speak up, causing all the eyes to go to you. You stand up from the sofa to look directly at Roy and Batman. “These people are our friends, our teammates. They have put in the same amount of effort, blood, sweat, and tears that three of us have. They deserve better than to have us whispering about them behind their backs. We have all given sacrifices to save each other, so I’m sorry but I absolutely refuse to believe that any one of them would willingly be a mole for Sportsmaster.”

“She is right, this changes nothing. I have fought side by side with these people. None are traitors,” Kaldur supports you, and you stare daringly at Roy and Batman.

“You need to think logically, Birdy, not with your heart,” Roy shot back and you scoffed.

“Screw that, it’s because I trust my heart that I know I’m right,” you shoot back.

“You have no evidence,” Batman defends and you turn to the cowl-wearing hero.

“No evidence?” you scoff and the Bat glares, but you don’t feel afraid. “I’ve got evidence. You’re wearing it. Right there, on your chest,” you tell him poking your finger at the outline of a bat and his glare hardens.

“NG,” you hear Robin calling your name warningly, but you shake your head dismissively, there was no way you were backing down now.

“Why do you patrol the streets of Gotham? What makes you put on your cowl every single night willing to risk everything for complete strangers?” he doesn’t answer you but you don’t stop. “I’ll tell you what it is, it’s the same reason I put on my suit, why Canary does, why GA does, why we all do. It’s because we know the dangers, but we do it to help others. That’s what makes a hero not powers, not skills, not high tech gadgets, no,” you shake your head as you glare at the Bat. “It’s courage, bravery, and a wanting to help, good old fashion goodwill. And real heroes are the ones driven by that. My team does not have a mole, I know because they lay their hearts on the line with ever mission. I know because I trust my heart and if I’ve learned anything in the last month, it’s that my heart is the reason I put this suit on, it’s the reason I fight hard, and it’s the reason I’m still alive. This team has done nothing but work to earn your respect and your trust,” you finish.

You’re subconsciously aware of the fact that you have to stare up at Batman, and the fact that you are a thirteen-year-old girl and Batman is a fully grown man, but the toxicity of the room, the way they were talking about your friends, it just made you so angry.

“This is what you two believe as well?” Batman asks, his glare not leaving your own.

“She’s right, Batman. We made this team to use the abilities and skills we were taught so we could save people, everyone on the team has earned their place,” Robin affirms.

Batman’s eyes narrow on you, but you refuse to be the one to look away. The longer you stare at him the more reassured you feel. There was something that had shifted in the way he was staring at you. His eyes were whited out by his cowl, but you could feel it. He was analyzing you, waiting for you to give in, but you weren’t going to.

“Fine, but you should still keep your ears and eyes open,” he decides after a couple of minutes, straightening up and finally looking away from you.

After another beat, he turns and walks out with Red Tornado, Roy stared at you for a second pausing until the Bat was out of the room.

“You better hope you know what you’re doing, Birdy,” he scoffed lightly, eyes looked over to Robin and Aqualad. “I hope you all do,” he adds before walking away.

As soon as the door shut behind him you let out a heavy sigh, your heart thumping against your chest.

“You just had a staring contest with Batman, and I think you won,” Robin notes, eyes blown wide.

“That was the most exhausting thing I’ve ever had to do,” you huff, slumping onto the sofa, and dropping your head into your hands, fingers rubbing at your temples.

“You did the team proud, old friend,” Kaldur nodded at you, placing a hand on your shoulder for comfort, and forcing to look back up at him.

“They deserve it,” you assure him. He smiles once more before walking out, leaving you and Robin in the room.

“You stood up to Batman,” he breaths, staring at you in wonder.

“What was I supposed to do? And it’s not a big deal, Rob,” you scoff.

“(Y/n), you poked him in the chest, and held your argument. This man is twice your age, and makes some of the worst villains on the planet want their mommies,” Robin deadpans and you laugh. “I’m serious,” he notes.

You stare at him for a moment as your heart rate finally returns to normal, shaking your head you glance at the clock on the wall. It’s been a few hours since your meeting started. Artemis and Zatanna were probably finishing up their rounds. You’ll have to message them to catch up later, instead you move your attention back to Robin.

“Whatever, c’mon Boy Wonder, let’s go trick or treating,” you smirk.

“You can’t be serious,” he argues, following as you stand up.

“Why not? It’s Halloween and I already had to blow off girls’ night,” you muse moving out of the room and towards the Zeta Tubes.

“Girls’ Night?” Robin questions.

“Not the point,I’m going trick or treating in Star City, you are welcome to join me or you can stay here with your brooding mentor,” you lament as you type in the Star City designation.

“It’s like you have a death wish,” he groans.

You simply shrug as the computer calls your name, “Recognized: Nightingale, b-14.”

STAR CITY

October 31st, 21:03 EST

It’s safe to assume that the 13-year-old Boy Wonder followed you through the Zeta.

“So what are we going to do for costumes?” he asked as you started through the alley.

“Considering Z magicked mine away earlier, I’m thinking we go as we are,” you shrug, looking down at your suit.

“In these?” he repeated, eyes wide.

“Why not?” you ask, turning around to face him while you walked backwards. “They’re costumes, aren’t they?”

“Well-uh…” he cut himself off, pausing to look down at the red, yellow, and green that made his suit.

Your lips curl up into a mischievous and playful smile while you watch him grapple for an answer. “Well what?”

Robin chuckles a little as he stares at you, “ Lead the way,” he relents.

Your smile grows larger as you grab Robin’s hand and pull him along with you. Soon enough the two of you are racing through the streets of Star City, you managed to find bags at a mom and pop corner store before taking off. You’re laughing as you both race eachother down another street.

By the time the clocktower is striking 11 you both are up on another rooftop, digging through your candy.

“Kit-Kat or Crunch?” he asks holding up your next two victims.

Your lips purse as you stare at the two brightly colored candies, “hmm… Kit-Kat,” you decide, and he smiles handing it over.

“So does this much candy go against, Batman’s strict diet plan?” you ask him, peeling back the plastic wrapping.

“Diet plan?” he shoots back, biting into the bar.

“Yeah, I just figured that with how strict he is in training, there was a food plan you suffer through at home,” you explain, breaking the kit-kat.

“Healthy meals, sure, but no strict diet plan…. Why? Does Canary have you on one? Because I’m pretty sure you and Wally would be breaking that every time you raid the fridge,” he teases.

You scoff at that, before turning back to your Kit-Kat bar.

“You know Conneticut’s air pollution levels are just as bad as Jersey’s but I feel like you can see more stars here,” he adds, looking up at the sky.

“Star City magic,” you muse, placing the trash in a plastic bag beside you. Before leaning back, and laying down on the roof.

“Would you ever leave?” he asks, mimicking your actions.

“One day, maybe for school,” you offer. “How about you? Would you leave Gotham?”

“I-” he pauses, turning to the sky. “I don’t think I could,” he tells you honestly. “I know I don’t want to be Batman, but i think Gotham will always need the Bat, and I think that the Batman will always need a Robin,” he explains.

“So you’re going to wear red forever?” you tease.

“Aren’t you?” he asks, looking at the delicate red that’s distinctly highlighted on your suit.

You smile softly, “nightingales have red plumage, on their tails. My original suit was just like canary’s down to the yellow designs, when I became Nightingale we redid the suit. Roy actually came up with it, he used to say that as long as we were both wearing red we’d be partners,” your smile turns a little sad as you turn back to Rob. “Not all promises keep,” you mutter sourly after.

“Then let’s make a new one. You and me,” Robin offers, pulling your attention back to him.

“What about?”

“From now on, we spend every halloween together,” he decides, offering you a shy smile. “We can go trick or treating, or we can watch horror movies and eat jumbo sized bags of candy, or we can sit right here, on this rooftop.”

“Every Halloween?” you repeat.

“Forever,” he affirms, offering you his pinky.

You look at Robin for a moment, but he doesn’t waver, “deal,” you decide, linking your pinky with his.

Chapter Text

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 5, 19:47 EDT

You were in your civvies with the rest of the team as the bioship landed back at the cave. You and Robin had been sharing looks and soft smiles all day, and then there was the Bat. You weren’t sure what it was, but he was treating you differently. After what happened on Halloween he had been treating you differently, almost like he wasn’t sure what to do with you just yet, you weren’t sure. Technically you were still on probation, but nothing else had come from that so far.

“Did you get everything?” Batman asked as Superboy and Miss M came off the bioship, unloading their haul.

“Everything on your list, Batman,” she promised and Conner put down a rather large box. “Plus groceries,” She smiled, placing her own boxes down as well.

“Cookie fixins?” Wally asked eagerly, approaching the large cardboard box.

“Snickerdoodles!” M’gann affirmed with a smirk.

“Babe. You rock my world,” Wally said honestly to her and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, looks like he’d be the last one to figure out about M’gann and Conner after all.

“Hey,” Robin had come up next to you while Batman was double-checking everything.

“Hi,” you smiled at him, adjusting your sunglasses.

“I just wanted to tell you that you look really pretty,” he said slowly.

Your heart started beating faster at the compliment, “Oh, thanks,” your smile turns shy as you drop his gaze for a moment.

“Anytime,” he promised and your eyes made their way back to his sunglasses.

You had opened your mouth to say something else but your eyes picked up on what had happened behind Robin. In a flash of light, the League members had disappeared. The boxes they had been moving fell to the ground with a crash.

“Dad!” Zatanna yelled out, and by the time you met Robin’s eyes again, the giggles of teenage emotion were gone, something was wrong.

The team made quick work of getting out there. You, Robin, and Zatanna stayed behind to work the computers while the rest went out into Happy Harbor and neighboring cities to see what’s happening. So far the status was that adults everywhere were suddenly MIA.

You were trying to find a line, a connection, anything that could get you answers to where the adults were. Meanwhile, Robin was trying to contact individual league members, and Zatanna was scrolling through media platforms. You even had a separate screen trying to contact Roy. He was an adult, technically, but he wasn’t actually that much older than the rest of you. Despite your recent disagreements, the last thing you wanted was to lose another person you loved. Deep down you had the realization that you could recover from losing Dinah and Oliver, it’d kill a part of you, but you could recover, but only if you still had Roy. He was your brother, and after spending the last few months seeing him sporadically, you knew you still needed him in your life. You had to bring them all back.

“KF to Cave,” a comms line opened and you brought it up for the rest to hear.

“You’ve got the Cave, Kid Flash,” you assured him.

“We’ve set up a refugee center at the high school gym,” he tells you and you sigh.

“That’s… good,” you affirm, unsure what else to say about the situation.

“Any luck with-” you knew what he was going to ask, but Robin answered before he could even finish.

“No!” he interrupted, his frustration clear. “Can’t reach the Batcave, the Hall of Justice or the Watch-” Robin stopped himself, eyes darting over to Zatanna. “…or any adult hero,” he concluded.

“Not even Red Arrow,” you add, frowning at the still unanswered distress call you had sent.

“Guess we’re on our own,” KF sighed. “Kid Flash, out.”

“Traditional media is offline,” Zatanna spoke up and you turned towards her allowing the computer to run your newest search algorithm. “But kids worldwide are all posting the same thing. Every adult, 18 or older, has disappeared,” she swiped through multiple screens showing us her research. “The sorcery necessary to pull this off, scary big,” she admitted.

“We need to find the source,” you voiced, turning to Robin to see if he understood.

Robin nodded at you, before turning to Z, “Actually we need you to find its source,” he told her.

“How am I-” she scoffed.

“I pulled this footage. It’s your dad, helping us locate Wotan and the Injustice League, last month,” Robin explained and both Zatanna and you walked closer to watch his screen.

“Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros,” (locate epicenter of sorcery) the recording of Zatara commanded, and a second later a red dot had appeared on the map. “There,” he affirmed and the recording stopped.

“But the words… I mean, it’s only part of it,” Zatanna tries to explain. “And the rest takes training and… NG, Robin, I’m just not on Zatara’s level.”

“I know it’s hard,” you tell her, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at you, “But try to stay whelmed,” you urge.

“We’ll find your dad, Batman, all of them. That’s what we do,” Robin supported.

Zatanna nodded and asked for some time to study the video on her own.

While she was doing that you went to the kitchen and made a cup of tea.

“What’s up with you, you’ve been on edge all night, and I mean more than the normal hero bit,” Robin asked as he snuck up behind you.

“I’m fine,” you wave your hand dismissively while the other one uses a spoon to stir some honey into your tea.

“(Y/n),” he whispers standing right behind you.

“I know what it’s like to lose your parents,” you whisper back. “That’s why Kaldur let me stay here in the Cave. You didn’t need me, but I couldn’t be out there, not yet. I just get so sad, Rob. Sometimes I’ll see something that reminds me of my life before they were killed, and it devastates me because I will never have that again. I have lived about half my life without my parents, and now with the empath stuff and finally learning the truth about their deaths, I just wish I could see them, and talk to them,” you admit to him. “And… I don’t want everyone else to go through that,” you sighed, one of your fingers traced the rim of your mug, as you kept your eyes on your tea.

He grabs your hand from where he was behind you, and you turn towards him. Your head drops to his shoulder and his arms wrap around you.

“I understand,” he speaks up after a minute of silence.

“Robin-” you were going to argue but he cut you off before you could.

“No, I mean I actually do understand,” he tells you, and you squint at him.

He sighs before interlacing your fingers with his and pressing his forehead to yours. Your mind lights up in a second. It feels like every nerve is on fire as your brain syncs with his. J’onn had shown you it was possible, but this was a lot easier to channel than it had been before.

You were at the circus, there was a little boy with dark hair and blue eyes wearing matching outfits with his parents who stood beside him. The mother was beautiful, her face had the softest and sweetest features, and his father was big, strong, but the slight crow’s feet by his eyes gave away the fact that he smiled more than anything. The scene changed and you watched the family of three as they swung and flew together in a trapeze act.

“Come one, come all, come see the Flying Graysons! An act so beautiful, so elegant, so death-defying that they don’t perform with a net! Watch as they soar through the sky! Only at Hailey’s Circus!” you could hear the cheer of the ringmaster over the laughs, smiles, gasps, and chuckles of the crowd. The scene before you was so vivid you could smell the stale popcorn, and cotton candy in the air. You could feel the volume of the crowd in your chest.

And then the scene changed once more. The boy was standing at the ledge of the trapeze ladder, tears streaming from blue eyes as he looked down. You were overwhelmed by his horror, heartbreak, grief, and a near debilitating sense of sadness. You turned, searching for his parents, but were ill-prepared for how you found them. Two bodies laid n the ground unmoving, blood everywhere, and a broken trapeze gripped in their hands.

“Oh god,” you whispered as you released Robin’s hands to come back to the real world.

For a moment everything was hazed, and bathed in grief as you tried to catch your breath. When you had let go of Robin’s hands you had turned away from him and shut your eyes in an attempt to recenter. When his hand gently brushed against your arm you whirled back to him.

“(Y/n)…” he called your name so softly, and you could hear the break in his voice, and it all made sense.

Cautiously you walked closer with tears now rimming your eyes, “You told me once, that your eyes were blue,” you whispered, your own voice cracking.

Your hands delicately reached towards his glasses, and when he didn’t move and slowly you pulled them off. Staring at you was the boy on the platform, years older, but the same heartbreak was still in his eyes. The longer you stared at him the more your eyes welled. And when you watched as a tear slid down his cheek, one fell from your eyes as well.

“Those were your memories,” you whisper, wiping his tear away, thumb gently caressing his cheek.

“Wally’s the only other person who knows,” he adds, and your frown grows.

“Robin-” you start.

“Dick,” he interrupts. “My name’s Richard Grayson, everyone calls me Dick,” he explains and you take a deep breath.

He was trusting you, with a lot. You had kept your identity a secret because you wanted to, but Robin’s identity was protected by years of training and the Batman himself.

“Dick,” you begin, offering up a small and sad smile while your thumb passed over his cheek once more. “I’m so sorry,” you whisper, hands moving to hold onto his once more. “We’ll get Batman back,” you promise because you were wrong before. He did understand, he understood exactly how you were feeling because he had gone through the exact same thing.

“I know,” he nodded, and then you were hugging once more, each of you with a tight grip on the other.

A beep interrupted the two of you, pulling back you opened the com-link line, with a sniff.

“You got Nightingale,” you answer softly, wiping tears away.

“Are you okay?” it was Wally, you smile softly at his question.

“I’m okay,” you promise, and you met Robin’s eyes, you were going to be just fine. “What’s up?”

“We’re on our way back, any updates?”

“No word from any adults, but Zatanna’s studying the footage of Zatara’s locator spell, hopefully, she’ll be able to pull it off,” you tell them.

“Alright, I’ll tell Aqualad,” he affirms.

“Hey Wally,” you call before he hangs up.

“Yeah what’s up?” he asked.

“Did you check in at home?” you asked softly.

“No. Kid Flash out,” he hung up and you sighed, you understood that. No one wants to see an empty house.

“C’mon, we should gear up,” Dick sniffed, offering you his hand.

“Dick, this mission,” you muttered, “I-” you cut yourself off.

“We’re in this together, (Y/n),” he promised and you nodded, grabbing his hand.

“We’ll get through it, together,” you affirm.

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 5, 20:49 EST

You were checking through your utility belt as the rest of the team arrived, your leather jacket was sitting on the side as you sharpened your ring daggers in the silence, eyes narrowed on the blade.

The team went through but Aqualad paused beside you, “My friend, you are uncharacteristically focused,” he notes.

“These daggers aren’t worth much if they’re not sharp,” you tell him.

“You are deflecting,” he points out.

“We cannot fail, Kaldur’ahm,” you sigh quietly.

You meet his eyes and a wave of awareness crosses over his features.

“You seem rattled,” he squints.

“I am,” you admit, and his hand grips yours, stopping your actions of sharpening the blades.

“I need to know you will be able to stay on mission,” he said seriously.

“As opposed to what, exactly?” you gape at him, pulling your hands away.

The room got quiet as they stared at you, “I mean no disrespect, my friend,” Kaldur backtracked, but his eyes were narrowed.

“I know exactly what those kids are going through, and I know that you know that, Kaldur,” you shot back, and the cave went quiet. “No one deserves it, and it’ll be a cold day in hell when I leave those kids to suffer that. And you’re concerned I’m not focused?” you heave.

“Sometimes there are harsh truths we must face, most are not so glad to have his thrust upon them,” Kaldur explained, and you frowned, did he really think you were going to fall apart?

“Harsh truths?” you scoffed.

“Birdy!” Wally’s voice cut through the tension, and you took a deep breath.

You sniffed and turned to the redhead, taking in his shocked expression, before nodding. “I’m going to get some air,” you decide and drop your daggers back on the table beside your jacket before stalking off.

The next person to come up to you was not exactly the one you were expecting. You were in the training room, bare knuckles bruising against the sandbag, as you tried to work out your frustration.
“I thought you wanted air?” Conner asked, and your eyes flickered to him before you punched the bag again.

“I’m breathing aren’t I?” you huff.

“Beating the hell out of the bag sure seems to be working,” he snips and you huff once more.

This time, however, he comes up and holds the bag for you, blue eyes meeting yours.

“What do you want, Conner?” you sniff, punching the bag again.

“They’re worried about you,” he tells you. “You know I learned more about you in that blowout than I have since you guys rescued me from Cadmus,” he admits.

“That was unintentional,” you pause to brush back the flyaway hairs on your head and you can already feel the dull ache in your knuckles, which is what you deserve since you didn’t bother to tape them first.

“Then do something intentionally,” he shoots and your hands drop as you stare at him. “You said you know what they’re going through, use that.”

You smirk at the super clone, “You know Conner, I think dating M’gann has softened you up.”

He cracks a smile, “That obvious, huh?”

“Not to Wally,” you remind him and he nods. You grab the small sweat towel by the bench and stare at your friend, “I’ve got an idea.”

Conner followed you back to the main training section of the cave where the rest of the team was, “We need to tap every satellite,” you tell the team.

“You have a plan?” Robin asks.

You smile softly at him, “partially,” you tell him.

“What have you got?” Kaldur asks, nodding his head softly.

“We can say something, remind them that they’re not alone and that someone out there, is trying to help, that we are trying to help,” you explain.

Kaldur nods, before throwing you your jacket, “Do it.”

In no time you’re setting up the camera and for a brief second your fingers falter as you get a flashback to  what happened in the mind mission/exercise debacle.

“It’ll be better this time,” Robin spoke up, his voice quiet.

“What?”

“You were thinking of the failed martian brain exercise, we made a video there too. This will be better,” he promised.

“I hope so,” you nod, and place your daggers back in their places, before moving to stand before the camera.

“Ready when you are, Kaldur,” Wally affirmed as he left the computer to join us. Kaldur gave a nod, and M’gann pressed a button.

“Attention, children, and teenagers of Earth. I am Aqualad. These are my friends, Nightingale, Robin, and Kid Flash,” Aqualad began, the four of you wearing serious faces as you stared into the camera.

Robin spoke next, “We are using Justice League tech to cast and stream to every TV, radio, computer, and smartphone on the planet.”

“We know you must be scared and angry. We know with your parents missing, there’s a temptation to run wild. But please stay calm,” Wally urged.

“We will find a way to bring the adults back. But for now, the oldest among you must step up,” you tell them.

“Take care of your younger siblings. Take care of kids who have no one,” Robin continues.

You step forward and take a breath, “Protect them. It is up to you. Please, help in any way you can.”

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 5, 23:02 EST

Eventually, you found yourself in the souvenir room. Wally was with you as you both stared at the golden helmet on the shelf.

“I finally got through to Atlantis,” Kaldur called as he walked in, joining the two of you. “No adult there, either.”

“So…just how desperate are we?” Wally asked. “I mean, this thing could definitely come in handy.”

“Yes. But we know anyone who dons the helmet and allows Nabu to possess them may never be released from being Doctor Fate,” Kaldur counters.

“So, not that desperate?” Wally revised.

“Not yet,” you correct, turning to the boys. “Looks like it’s plan B,” you tell them and they both narrow their eyes, “again.”

“Not you, not again,” Kaldur stresses.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” you shrug.

“This is not a discussion,” Kaldur pressed.

“You’re right, it’s not,” you nod.

Before you could discuss it further, Zatanna interrupted, “Guys, I’m ready to try my father’s locator spell,” she admitted.

You offered her a soft smile, “Let’s get the team,” you nod, moving towards her.

You walked with Zatanna, with  Kaldur and Wally right behind you, back into the main hub of the cave. When Robin spotted Zatanna he had pulled up a holo map. She paused staring at it and then you, you nodded at her with a smile and she cautiously stepped towards it. Zatanna took a deep breath and raised her hands up, wand pointing at the hologram globe.

“Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!” (locate epicenter of sorcery) she spoke calmly and a bit slower than her father had, but it worked.

A red dot formed on the map, “Coordinates locked. Roanoke Island!” Robin announced. “You did it!” he cheered.

You had all started to put together a plan when a kid appeared in the cave with a crack of thunder. You all turned to him with wide eyes, you hands grabbed at your escrima sticks.

“It works!” he shouted, pumping his fist.

You shared a concerned look with Kaldur before stepping closer to the kid, “Where did you come from?” you asked, escrima stick in hand.

“Who are you?” Kaldur ordered.

“Quick! Read my mind!” the kid shouted.

“He’s Captain Marvel!” M’gann gasped.

“Yeah, and I’m Speedy Gonzales,” Wally scoffed. “Look, just because he believes he’s Cap-”

“Gee, Wally, do I really have to bring you nachos and pineapples juice to get on your good side?” the kid smirks, and your eyes blow wide.

“Oh my god! A seven-year-old beat us to the league,” you huff breaking the silence.

“Actually I’m 10,” he shot back.

“Yeah, because that’s better,” you nod sarcastically, “Roy’s gonna be so pissed,” you add under your breath, and Wally sends you an amused look.

“Look, there are two worlds,” the kid interrupted and you tensed.

“What?” Wally followed.

“There are two worlds, adults in one and kids in the other,” he shared.

“And you can travel between the two!” Robin realized.

“We can make a plan, a coordinated attack with the League,” Artemis agreed.

ROANOKE ISLAND, NC

November 6, 00:14 EST

You were able to formulate a plan using Captain Marvel and his alter ego, 10-year-old Billy Batson, to communicate with the other Leaguers. Once ready you loaded into the bioship and took off, your fingers fidgeted with one of your daggers, for most of the flight, as you tried to center yourself.

Kaldur approached you as soon as the ship landed, “My friend,” his tone was cautious.

“I know you meant well, Kaldur. But I will do what I have to, to merge the worlds back again,” you admit.

“That is what worries me,” he says, placing his hand on your shoulder.

“If you’re asking about the helmet, I didn’t bring it,” you tell him.

“We can do this without the helmet,” he promises.

“I hope so,” you nod, stepping away, and making your way off the ship.

You split into groups for the initial attack. In the first group were Robin, Artemis, and you. Together the three of you crept forward before using your long-distance weapons. Rob threw his birdarangs, Artemis shot three arrows and you threw marble bombs, all of which were unsuccessful. They bounced off of Kalrion’s forcefield.

The next attack came from Kaldur, KF, and Superboy. They were using brute force, but all attacks were pushed back.

“That’s the best you can do?” Kalrion teased, and as Zatanna stepped up, you made eye contact with M’gann.

“Etativel mih ffo eht margatnep!” (levitate him off the pentagram!) she shouted, but the spell was also blocked.

“It’s but baby magic,” he sighed before using his own sorcery to send Zatanna flying back.

M’gann moved next to throw rocks at the force field and you took a position to scream at it, hoping that enough power could cause tension or a break in the shield, but Klarion knew. He unhinged his jaw and shot a red beam at M’gann who managed to fly out of the way before he then turned to you. KF managed to snatch you out of the way, just in time to avoid being hit.

He put you down beside Artemis and the three of you hid behind the plants, “Listen when Nabu possessed my body, he defeated Klarion by attacking the cat!” he shared.

“Can’t hurt?” you shrug, turning to Artemis.

“Good. Not a big cat fan, anyway!” she smirked, notching her arrow, aiming, and letting it fly.

It got about three feet away from that orange tabby before it turned into a ball of green yarn in a poof of smoke.

“That’s..just…wonderful,” you mutter, dejectedly.

“Show ‘em what a familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekl,” Klarion drawled and his cat turned into this huge saber-toothed monster.

“Is it weird that i’m not surprised?” you asked the two who were still crouched beside you.

“Not really,” KF affirme, and you frowned.

After a second of staring at the beast, you charged. You along with Kaldur, Superboy, and Wally were trying hard to take it down. You threw bombs, whacked at it with your escrima sticks, screamed at it, you even managed to get a solid stab with your ring daggers but t didn’t do much. When you had managed to stab the creature, it roared and threw you to the ground beside Robin and Artemis, both of whom were barely still conscious.

You were fighting with your own consciousness as Zatanna hoovered over you.

“NG?” her voice sounded faded in your ears, as you tried to focus on her.

“Don’t shout, Billy,” M’gann’s voice flooded into your heads you tried to turn over onto your stomach. “I’ve linked you telepathically to the others.”

“Temleh fo Etaf, laever flesruoy!” (Helmet of Fate, reveal yourself) Zatanna’s spell called your attention away from the fight, and that’s when you saw it.

“No,” you groaned, pushing yourself up a little with one arm.

“That is so cool!” a new voice cheered, Billy Batson, aka Captain Marvel as he entered the mind link. “I mean… it’s the gem! At the center of the pentagram!” he explained. “Destroy it and we win!” he explained.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Zatanna decided as she picked it up.

“Z, NO!” you groaned louder, arm giving out under you as you tried to reach toward her.

You weren’t strong enough to reach her, but apparently your shout was loud enough because Aqualad and Wally both looked over too.

“Zatanna!” Kaldur shouted as he pushed against Kalrion’s powers.

“Stop!” KF ordered before he got knocked back once more.

Though it didn’t make a difference because she pulled the helmet over her face and within seconds you were face to face with Doctor Fate.

“No,” you muttered.

“So we meet again, (y/n),” Nabu’s voice is soft, but layered with Zatanna’s.

“Tell me you’ll let her go,” you beg.

“You know it is unlikely, child, now you may rest, Doctor Fate is here to intervene,” he says, regarding you with one last look, before rising up.

“Z,” you murmur her name as you try to push your body up once again.

“Klarion! This ends now!” Zatanna’s body glowed with golden light as her beam met Klarion’s red blasts.

“Billy, tell Zatara!” you ordered, as you finally managed to stand back up, wobbling slightly on your weak legs.

“Right, yeah,” he affirmed and you saw the lightning strike that followed.

You took another moment to breath deep, and steel yourself before rejoining the fight beside Kaldur. Though you couldn’t help but observe Fate’s movement analyzing everything the sorcerer supreme did.

“Fate’s trying to overload the shield,” you realize, as you turn to your leader.

Kaldur gives you a nod of acknowledgement before turning to KF, “Go, Kid!” he ordered.

Kaldur pulled out his water bearers and charged right after him. You were quick to follow as well, screaming at the shield. Soon you were all attacking the shield, but Klarion’s focus was mostly on Doctor Fate.

There was a moment when Dcotor Fate seemed to phase out of reality, and Klarion’s lips curled into a devilish smile.

“Ha! There, see? When the world’s divided, the helmet split too,” Klarion cheered. “You’re not all here, Nabu! And you are losing in whole, and that poor, soon-to-be-dead girl, she gave herself for nothing!”

Your breath hitched for a second as your scream stopped. Fate would keep her alive, you had to believe that, despite your feelings he wanted her alive just as much as you did.

“No, Witch Boy! Her degree of sacrifice will not be in vain!” Fate boomed and all the attacks increased.

“No No, no, no, no, no!” Klarion was chanting, and suddenly the force field was down, “No!”

“Now, Kid!” Kaldur ordered, and KF sped over, snatching the crystal from the pentagram.

“Doc! Catch!” KF shouted, before tossing the stone up.

The moment Fate had the crystal in hand, he began to chant, “Yam eht owt emoceb eno ecno erom!” (may the two become one once more!)

Within seconds and a flash of light, Shazam, Zatara, Batman, and other evil sorcerers were standing right beside you all.

“They sure don’t make evil immortal sorcerers like they used to. Oh, well! Fun as it lasted. Teekl! See you later, armadillos! Unless I see you first!” Klarion drawled as he disappeared through a portal.

“Aren’t you gonna stop him?” KF shouted to Doctor Fate.

“To what end? Klarion is Chaos personified. He cannot be contained,” Fate shared dismissively.

Robin staggered beside you, and you reached out to help him, “Did we win?” he asked.

“At a cost,” Kaldur huffed and your eyes narrowed.

You left Robin with Wally before storming up to Fate. Nabu was still in the air but that didn’t stop you.

“Fate!” you shouted, calling the sorcerer’s attention. “Let her go!”

Doctor Fate regarded you with the same dismissive behavior as before, but Kaldur had grabbed your arm, trying to pull you back.

“Nightingale, this is not the way,” he warned.

“Not the way? Kaldur, that’s Zatanna! And no offense but that helmet is a cold place to be, and you have never been there. If you think I’m going to let that bubbly girl fade away trapped inside her own body, you’ve lost your mind,” you argued, pulling yourself free.

“Great Nabu, release my daughter,” Zatara requested.

“No,” Nabu said simply and you took a staggering breath. “Witnesses have been these last past hours… The world needs Doctor Fate. And the girl’s natural affinities for the mystic arts make her the perfect candidate.”

“You can’t do that!” Artemis cried.

“She has her own life to live!” Robin argued.

Wally stepped up next to you, before turning to Fate, “Kent would never allow you!”

“Kent Nelson did object, strenuously, so I released his spirit to the afterlife,” Nabu admitted and you took a step back.

“You what?” you asked, with wide eyes.

“He is gone,” Fate repeated and you turned to Wally.

“Oh my god,” you whispered, and Wally understood. The only reason Fate had let the both of you go free was because Kent was there to keep him company, but if Nabu let go of Kent’s spirit then there’s no way he’d release his new host.

A moment of silence passed before Zatara stepped forwards once more, “Take me, instead,” he offered. “My skills are already at their peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strength of your power.”

“All true. But if I remove the helmet, what guarantee have I that you will don it?” Fate inquired and the rest of you were watching with bated breath.

“My word,” Zatara vowed.

Fate came down and the helmet was removed, Zatanna was standing before us once more, “Dad!” She called as she fell into him.

“Zatanna! Remember I love you,” Zatara told her and for a second you saw your own father, and you were being put in a closet all over again. “Take care of my girl,” Zatara called once more, this time looking at Batman.

“You have my word,” the dark knight assured.

“No, please! This was my fault!” Zatanna shouted and both you and Robin moved to her, trying to grab her. “Dad, don’t! Dad!” She cried once more but it was too late, the helmet was on, and Zatara was gone.

As Doctor Fate stood before us once more, he stared at me for a moment, before addressing everyone, “Leave these to Fate,” he boomed, and then he along with today’s villains were gone in a flash of golden light.

As you stared at where they had disappeared from you couldn’t help but wonder if this was any different than a shot to the head. You knew Zatara was still in there, but you were sure that Fate would never release him, not until the very end of his life.

Zatanna dropped to the ground and you came up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, willing yourself to stay composed.

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 6, 19:23 EST

After the debrief and a few rest hours you returned to the cave to see Zatanna. You helped her, the other girls, and Robin bring in her boxes so she could set up her room. It was silent, and tense, and you completely understood why. After the events of last night, Batman sent everyone home, no debrief, no lessons. He just told us to go home and rest.

“And my room is right next door,” M’gann said suddenly, as we set the last of the boxes down, “If you need anything.”

“Thanks,” Zatanna’s voice was hollow. “I… I could use a little alone time. Okay?” she asked.

“Of course,” Artemis promised.

She and M’gann left quietly but Robin stayed rooted beside you. He gave you a look and you nodded at the door. When he left, he closed the door and you sat down on Zatanna’s bed.

“I just want to be alone,” Zatanna argued, looking at you.

“No, you don’t,” you sighed.

“NG, I’m not in the mood for games, okay? I just-” she was getting riled and so you stopped her quickly.

“Zatanna I watched both my parents get shot when I was seven,” you told her and her mouth froze.

“What?” she whispered.

“I keep my identity a secret because people would recognize me. But you need to know that you are not alone, Z,” you explain and she sits down beside you.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, and tentatively she took your outstretched hand.

“I’m sorry too, Z. Because losing your parents, no matter how it’s done, you lose a little piece of your heart at the same time,” you share.

“It’s my fault, you know? I wished for him to give me space, I put on the helmet, and now he’s gone. He gave up everything, so that I could grow up, and now all I want is for him to be here, with me,” her shoulders began to shake, and she began to sob.

You wrap an arm around her, “It sucks, and it’s going to suck for a very long time, but Zatanna, he gave himself for you because he’s your dad, and I’m sure he’d do it again because he will always be your dad,” you remind her.

She latches onto you and you hold her tight while she sobs. You don’t leave her room for hours, not until she’s cried herself to sleep. As gently as you can you tuck her in before slipping out. You make a mental note to check in with her tomorrow. You begin walking to the Zeta tubes, but you stop just short of the controls when you see him sitting on the floor, leaning against the panel.

“What are you still doing here?” you ask, your voice is soft as you slide down to sit beside him.

“Past few days were pretty whelming, I figured we should talk,” he shrugged.

“Yeah,” you muttered in agreement.

“How’s Zatanna?”

“Devastated,” you admit. “But she’s strong, and she has us, she’ll be okay. It’s just gonna take time.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “She’s lucky to have you,” he compliments gently.

“She’s lucky to have all of us,” you correct.

The two of you go silent as you stare at each other. After a few minutes, you look around before sliding your sunglasses up into your hair. He smiles and you reach for his. He lets you move them, and suddenly you’re staring at him, face to face with nothing blocking the way.

“It’s really nice to finally meet you, Dick,” you smile back.

“It’s my genuine pleasure, (y/n),” he shoots back.

“You’re really trusting me with this?” you ask him.

“It’s a little too late to back track,” he shrugs, the corners of his lips quirking.

“Batman’s not going to be happy,” you muse.

“No, he is not. But he doesn’t need to know that you know, at least, not right now,” Dick smirked.

“No, he doesn’t,” you shake your head. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Canary snuck me a power bar during the debrief, but I’m pretty sure that’s the last time I ate,” you smile, standing up.

“I could eat,” he nods, getting up as well.

“Let me show you the best dinner in Star City. You can be Dick Grayson, and I can be (Y/n) Roxo,” you offer.

“Lead the way,” he smiles once more.

STAR CITY

November 6, 20:22 EST

You type in the coordinates and the two of you spend a few late hours in Lenetii’s Dinner. You guys snagged a booth, you joked and told stories. Ms. L brought your food, and teased the both of you a bit too.

“You know, sugar,” she said to Dick as we were getting ready to leave, “this young lady has never brought an outsider into my dinner before. Ever. You must be pretty special,” she hints. The feeling of embarrassment floods through you as you move to intervene, but before you could Dick kicked your foot.

“Yeah, well, she’s the one that’s special. Thank you for the food Ms. Lenetii, it really was amazing,” he smiled at her and your heart was thudding in your chest.

“Hmm,” the older woman hummed before turning to you. “I like this one,” she winked at you.

“Thank’s Ms. L,” you smiled gently to the older woman.

“Have a nice night, kids,” she smiled back before walking off.

Dick insisted on walking you back to Dinah’s, and so you moved with your arm looped with his. As you walked you took turns sharing stories, and facts about yourselves. You really like hearing about Hailey’s Circus, the way Dick’s eyes seemed to light up as he spoke about his Flying Grayson days made you smile. You’d known Robin since you were 10, but you’d never met Dick until tonight, and in all honesty you liked Dick Grayson a lot.

You paused outside the apartment building and the two of you stood opposite each other.

“I had a really nice time,” he told you.

“I did too,” you smiled.

It’s quiet for a moment as you smile at each other, you could hear the clocktower chiming in the distance, before Dick cleared his throat, “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah,” you nodded, stepping forwards until the two of you were hugging, “good night, Dick.”

“Good night, (y/n),” he murmured softly, before stepping back.

You waited in the door way, watching as Dick walked back toward the Zeta point. You turned inside once he was out of sight. Dinah was sitting on the sofa, phone to her ear, sporting a teasing smirk as you spotted her. But even that couldn’t shake the smile on your lips. You stared at her for a second and your smile grew, she smiled back and you turned and walked to your room. The smile didn’t fade as you got ready for bed that night, nor did it when you finally laid down to sleep.

Chapter Text

CENTRAL CITY

November 11th, 07:15 CST

“I can’t believe I got sucked into doing this,” you mutter into your phone as you stare at the very normal looking house before you.

“C’mon (y/n), we talked about this, you’re the only one who can,” Dick pressed.

“You totally could’ve, he’s your best friend,” you argued.

“Yes, he’s my best friend and he could see through me. I’m pretty sure he’s still slightly afraid of you which makes you so much more difficult to read. He needs to be surprised,” Dick argued.

“You’re so lucky that I happen to love Wally West, otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing this,” you sigh, walking up the steps.

“You’re the best, and I gotta go, we need to finish picking up the stuff for tonight,” he tells you.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later,” you promise before hanging up.

You tuck your phone back into your pocket before knocking on the door. A woman with red hair like Wally’s answered the door and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi Mrs. West, you can call me Birdy, I’m a friend of Wally’s,” you greet.

“Oh, yes, we’ve heard an awful lot about you. Wally told us that the Team might send someone to keep him busy,” she chuckled while ushering you into her home.

Mrs. West took your coat from you as Wally rounded the corner, “You already know?” you gape at your friend.

“I didn’t know they were gonna send you, but I did know that they’re throwing a party for me,” he shrugs.

“Will you just pretend, please, we all put a lot of work in,” you begged.

Wally smirked at you and you rolled your eyes.

“Well, honey, you just missed breakfast, but I can cook something up for you if you’d like,” Mrs. West offered.

“Oh there’s no need for that, Mrs. West, really, I’m alright,” you smiled at her.

“Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind,” she smiles back before walking off.

Wally led you to his room, he flopped on his bed and you settled into his desk chair.

“Happy 16th Birthday Wally,” you smile at your friend and he smiles back.

“Thanks but where’s my gift?” he teased.

You snorted before pulling your sunglasses off, and meeting the speedster’s eyes, “Nice to meet you, Wallace, I’m (Y/n),” you smirk, noticing the way he seemed to freeze up at your actions. “This is your gift,” you muse.

“You know I’ve known you since you were like eight and this is the first time I’ve seen your face,” he shook his head.

“Yes, we’ve had a wonderful six years of friendship, Wallace,” you smirk.

“Why now?”

“It’s your birthday, and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but I’ve become more… trusting… lately,” you note and Wally just shakes his head and laughs once more.

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 11th, 16:05 EST

The two of you spend the rest of the day joking around, eating, and even ended up having a snowball fight (which you totally won, despite Wally’s claims) before you took him to the cave.

“Just remember, fake surprise alright,” you beg him once more.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it Birdy,” he promised and you stepped through the Zeta Tube.

“Recognized: Nightingale B-1-4

Recognized: Kid Flash B-0-3

Zeta Tube Network now offline, due to extreme atmospheric conditions,” the computer’s automated voice rang out as you stepped out with Wally right behind you.

“Wow, we just made it,” Wally sighed, “It’d be a tragedy if I miss my own-”

You elbowed him to keep him from finishing his sentence as you walked towards the kitchen. Not even a second later everyone popped up.

“Surprise!”

“What?” Wally screamed in mock surprise, “Oh, you guys, you shouldn’t have,” he said, and you rolled your eyes.

“Right, not like you’ve been hinting for days or anything,” Robin smirked, before meeting your gaze with an amused smile.

While Wally got settled with a birthday hat beside M’gann you walked over to Robin, “hey,” you smiled, bumping his shoulder gently.

“Hey,” he smiled back. “Did you tell him?”

“Yeah,” you nodded.

“How’d he take it?” Dick smirked, nudging your side, head jutting over to your speedster of a best friend.

“Wide eyes, and an open mouth,” you muse, watching as Wally enjoyed being fawned over by M’gann.

“Figures,” Dick smirked. “How do you feel?”

“Lighter,” you nod. “You, Kaldur, Roy, and Wally, you’ve been my best friends for years. The only people who have ever understood what it’s like. Having you all know, it makes me feel lighter. I know you’ll always have my back, and I’ll always have yours. This is…. This is just the proof in the pudding,” you muse, lips curling upwards.

The two of you had spent the last week in almost constant contact, especially after your sort of first date at the diner. It was his idea to share your identity with Wally. The longer you thought about it, the more you thought he was right. Wally was the last one of you original sidekicks. Wally, who’d always had your back. It wasn’t a difficult choice to make.

“Good,” Dick smiled, and you smiled back, before shuffling forward with everyone else.

“I made two cakes,” M’gann told Wally as we all gathered around the table and sofas.

“Awesome!” wally cheered. “What will you, guys, eat?” he mused.

“We’ll split the cupcakes,” M’gann jokes. “Make a wish!”

“Way ahead of you,” he smirked before blowing out the candles.

You helped pass out the cake to everyone, making sure to take a slightly larger piece to Barry Allen, who had joined the rest of the team, donned in his suit.

“Hey Flash,” you smiled passing him the plate.

“Nightingale! Thank you,” he smiled, taking a bite. “Ollie mentioned you upgraded the escrima sticks,” he begins and you nod.

“Yeah, we added a shock feature and a very powerful remotely activatable magnet so I can call them back to me,” you told him.

“Right, two wristbands?” he followed.

“Mhm, each one corresponds with an escrima stick,” you nod.

“Alright, the last question, I heard you can make a bo-staff, how’d you manage that?”

“It took a bit longer to figure out how to ensure they stay locked together but the magnets helped a lot, and so did some of Ollie’s scientist friends. I was able to pick their brains to see if they could help me out,” you admit.

“How’d you explain what it was for?” he asked, an amused smile splayed on his lips.

“Science fair project,” you shrug, pulling a chuckle from the hero.

“You know me, Kid, I love all the science tech stuff. Thanks for indulging,” he smiled and you nodded before catching Dick’s gaze.

“My genuine pleasure, Flash,” you smile at the man, before excusing yourself and walking over to him and Zatanna.

“Someday you’ll get used to watching Wally eat,” Dick mused and you snorted.

“We can’t guarantee when that’ll be though,” you add, slinging an arm around Zatanna’s shoulders, managing to pull a smile from the girl.

“Look at that, she does smile,” Robin teased.

“And it’s such a pretty smile too,” you cooed, forcing Zatanna to smile a bit bigger, and her cheeks to flush.

“I know I haven’t been great company, lately,” she sighs, eyes darting to where majority of the party was going on.

“Says who?” you tease, and she smiles softly once more. “It gets better Z, trust in that. We know it will, and we’ll be here for when it does,” you promise her.

“Thanks,” she tells you, leaning into your arms a bit more.

Artemis came up a second later, joining us as we watched Wally interact with Miss M.

“Think we should tell him?” she asked.

“He is the only one who doesn’t know!” Robin nodded.

“Yeah, but it’s his birthday,” you remind them, turning to your friends with wide eyes.

“It is, but he’s coming off real strong to M’gann and I’ve got a feeling Conner won’t be able to put up with it for much longer,” Artemis argued.

You looked back to wally before nodding, “you’re right,” you sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat.

“Then, please, allow me,” Artemis smiled before walking forward.

She sat down on the sofa behind Wally and put a hand on his shoulder before whispering something in his ear, you watched as his eyes went wide before training on Conner and M’gann. You catch the look of defeat that crosses his features the longer he stares at the couple.

“Oh, man!” he called and you winced, looking to Dick.

You were about to say something but Batman’s voice echoed through the Cave’s speaker system.

“Attention, Team! Suit up. Polar stealth. Mission briefing in five,” he ordered briefly and you huffed.

Robin directed you away from the festivities and you both went to the locker rooms to suit up. The Polar Stealth Suits were not your favorite, especially after the Martian Brain Exercise gone wrong, but here you were in the white and blue version of your normal black. When you made it to the screen, you fell in line with everyone else, hand fiddling with the zipper of your polar coat.

“Where’s Flash?” Wally asked.

“Flash and Red Tornado already have their assignments,” Batman dismissed quickly before beginning his briefing. “A massive ice storm has paralyzed North America from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying Ice Fortresses, source unknown, which seem to be responsible and must be stopped,” Batman explained.

“Well, can’t the Watchtower blow them out of the sky, or something?” Wally asked with a furrowed brow and you made eye contact with Robin who was on your right.

“What’s a ‘Watchtower’?” Zatanna asked from your left and you could feel the heat in Batman’s glare.

“The League’s orbiting Headquarters is not weaponized. And with both Green Lanterns off-world, I need all hands on deck,” Batman continues, and your eyebrow quirks.

“Does that mean what I think it means?” you ask.

“The League and the Team, fighting side by side?” Robin follows looking at you and then to Batman.

“Wow, really?!?” Wally asks, clearly excited.

“Superboy, use the Super-Cycle to rendezvous with the Batplane at Ice Fortress 1. You’ll drop off Robin, and Aqualad, then continue on with Wolf to meet up with Black Canary and Red Tornado at Ice Fortress 2. Miss Martian, Artemis, and Zatanna take the Bio-Ship and rendezvous with Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter at Ice Fortress 3. Other Leaguers will deal with Fortresses 4 and 5. Sending all coordinates now,” Batman organizes and your brows furrowed in confusion as he didn’t assign you.

Before you could speak up, Wally was already stepping forward, “Uh, Batman? I think you skipped-” everyone’s gaze shifted to him.

“Kid Flash, a young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you’ll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston and run the 3,000 miles across the country,” Batman ordered and you shared a look with Robin.

“Who is this girl?!” Wally exploded and your eyes went wide.

“Does it matter?” Batman challenged and you saw Wally’s shoulders sag.

“No of course not. But can’t we zeta-” Wally tried.

“Zeta-Tubes are offline,” Robin interjected. “Sorry…”

“Right. Then how could I say no?” Wally nodded, and you could feel the wave of sadness and disappointment roll off of him. “Guess I won’t be needing stealth. Speedy delivery boy at your service,” he sighed.

“As for you Nightingale, you will be monitoring everything from the Cave, you have the most logged experience with the computer systems and will be available to help in strategizing new methods. You will need to follow the live feed from each fortress as well as monitor the updates on Kid Flash’s location and time,” Batman orders and you suck in a deep breath.

“Yes, Sir,” you nod and once again look at Robin.

While everyone broke up into their groups you grabbed Robin by the arm and began pulling him over to Wally, “He put me on computer duty,” you groaned softly to Dick. “And what? Wally’s a delivery kid?”

“Definitely unexpected,” he frowned.

“He’s not gonna be happy,” you add, as the both of you get closer to Wally.

“Do what you can,” Rob shrugged and you glared at him as you finally stopped before the redhead.

“Wally,” you call his name softly and his green eyes shift to you with disappointment echoing through them.

“It’s fine, NG, nothing to say,” he huffs before walking away and this time your shoulders sag.

“What now?” you ask, frown evident as you stare after Wally.

“C’mon,” Robin pulls you to the super-cycle. “He’ll be okay, he just needs to mope for a minute,” he assured you.

“He’s not the only one,” you sigh, watching your friends head over to their assignments. “Stay safe, Rob,” you whisper to him.

“Yeah, but you’ve got my back, right?” he smirks, settling into the front lookout seat while Aqualad and Wolf sit with Superboy who was at the wheel.

“Always,” you nod, as discreetly as you both could manage, your fingers intertwined and you both gave a tight squeeze before you stepped back.

He gives you one last smile and you shoot one to him, moving to the side, watching as the bioship takes off, and then the super-cycle and then Wally.

“Alright KF, Law enforcement across the country has been alerted to your mission and are clearing your route,” you inform him as you open your command center.

You ditch your coat as you set your screens up Fortress 1, 2, and 3 on the left, Wally’s tracker data, and clock in the middle, and Fortresses 4 and 5 on the right.

“Lucky stiffs!” Wally grunts and you roll your eyes.

“At least you’re not stuck on monitor duty,” you remind him, though he doesn’t say anything.

BOSTON

November 11th, 16:26 EST

Wally was the first to make it to his destination, “Someone ordered a pizza?” he joked and you rolled your eyes, pulling up the security footage outside the Boston hospital to see.

“What you’re delivering is considerably more precious to a girl whose life depends on it,” the doctor chastised.

“Duh! I meant if anyone ordered a pizza for me! A guy burns a lot of calories running a few mph higher than the speed of sound,” Wally mused.

“C’mon KF focus up,” you tell him through the comms.

“Sorry, no,” the doctor dismissed, “Now listen: This pack is heavily insulated for shock absorption. But that doesn’t mean the organ within needs any extraneous jostling,” She warns.

“So no krumping,” Wally smirked, “Got it.”

The doctor seemed unamused, “Your PDA…?” she asked and Wally lifted his arm, “You have four hours to deliver the heart before it’s no longer viable,” she told him and you set your timer in sync with his. “Is that clear?”

“As crystal, babe,” Wally flirted, causing you to roll your eyes.

“Then, go,” she ordered.

TIMER: 4:00:00

You cut your feed from the hospital when Wally took off again, you knew there was no point in trying to keep him on screen due to his speed, but you got your updates on him, through his PDA which was constantly updating his location. You switched over after a bit to check on the fortresses, each group had a direct comms line to you should they need any help, but they seemed okay for now.

“Hey, NG” Robin called out between pants.

“What’s up, Rob?” you asked, pulling his screen to the front.

“How’s Wally?” he asked, ducking back to avoid getting shot at.

“Well he’s not the one getting shot at, and he’s not the one stuck uselessly at the moment, so, I think he’s okay,” you muse.

“You’re not useless, Batman wouldn’t have asked you to stay if he didn’t think it’s important, and this is nothing. I’m not even whelmed yet,” Robin jokes.

“For some reason, I don’t believe you,” you chuckle, gazing at the screen.

“Keep the faith NG, I gotta go, I’ll call back in a bit,” Robin informs you before hanging up on you.

CHICAGO

November 11th, 16:49 CST

(TIMER: 2:38:46)

About an hour and a half had passed on Wally’s timer when he started speaking again.

“Making decent time, at least. I’m at max speed now, but if I push it, maybe I can dump this load, save the girl and still join the real action!” Wally decides.

“Sounds like a plan KF, you want me to map it out for you,” you smirk.

“I forgot we have an open line,” he huffed.

“Yup! How do you plan to get in the air though, because I’m pretty sure you can’t fly,” you remind him.

“I’ll figure it out,” he argues. “Can you send me the feed from Fortress 1,” he asks.

“Yeah, I’ll feed it to your PDA,” you tell him before sending it through.

Wally goes silent for a moment as he watches.

“Aw, come on! Robin and Aqualad, with Batman, Aquaman, and Flash? Who’s missing from this picture?” Wally groaned.

“You and me, bubs,” you remind him.

“Damn, NG I’ve got a pile-up of some sort, gotta find me a little detour,” he tells you as his focus returns to the road.

Your fingers fly across the holoscreen as you find an alternate route for the speedster. “A new path should be uploading now,” you tell him.

“Aw, man!” he shouted.

“What? Are you okay?” you called out to Wally.

“I’d give an arm for a double chili cheeseburger, or a Tacostada, or a Chicken Whizee!” Wally whined.

“Are you kidding me?” you sighed.

“Hey, I’m hungry,” Wally argued, and you rolled your eyes once more.

- - - - - -

“Nightingale!” Zatanna’s voice rang over the comms as you switched to the Fortress III feed.

“What’s up Z?” you ask, watching as she, M’gann, and Artemis launched attacks at Icicle Jr.

“Umm… how’s my dad?” she stuttered.

You let out a little sigh at her question, before pulling the feed for Fortress IV up as well, “He’s looking strong Z. He’s got Captain Marvel and Superman to back him as well. Try not to worry,” you tell her.

“I know, and I know Nabu will protect him, I.. I just…” she trailed at the end, struggling to relay what was probably flying through her head.

“He’s okay, Zatanna,” you reassure her.

“Thanks, NG, really,” she sighed.

“Anytime, Z,” you promise, cutting the line.

SOUTH DAKOTA

November 11th, 16:13 MST

(TIMER: 2:14:11)

You had gone back to monitoring the fortress fights when you got an alert from Wally’s PDA, he had turned around.

“Wallace West what do you think you’re doing?” you asked him.

“It’s him!” Wally shouted.

“Him, who?” you pressed.

“Go! Get outta here! I’ll handle Vandal,” Wally shouted and your eyes went wide.

You instantly started searching for footage and were able to find one that showed you what was happening. And sure enough there he was, Vandal Savage.

“You’ll “handle” me? Little hero, do you really think you have what it takes to survive Vandal Savage?” Savage asked him and your heart began to race.

“Wally you need to get out of there, and you need to keep going. Do not engage!” you shout, though it’s clear that Wally’s not listening anymore.

“This guy is so going down,” Wally scoffed, getting up from where Vandal had pushed him to.

“When I heard authorities were cordoning off this highway for a speedster, I assumed I’d be confronting Flash himself. He and I are due for a reckoning. But I suppose I must settle for making him miserable by killing his brat sidekick, instead,” Vandal drawled.

“KF this is a waste of time,” you pleaded again, watching the screen. “The troopers are safely out of range, you can go!” you tell him but all that seems to do is encourage him to fight.

Wally’s method was to run straight into Savage, but with the way the immortal was built, he wasn’t accomplishing anything.

“Dammit KF, if you’re going to waste time fighting him, be efficient. Running into him is not working,” you sighed.

KF gave a little nod before going wide to run in circles instead.

“Well, you’re truly running circles around me. How will I cope?” Savage mused.

Before you could say anything else a new comms line opened, “Nightingale, update on Kid Flash’s location,” Batman ordered and you froze up.

What were you supposed to say? There’s no way you wanted to throw KF under the bus, but he needed to get a move on, and on the other hand Vandal Savage seemed like an important detail to mention to Batman.

A few seconds passed and your timer beeped marking 2 hours down and 2 hours left, your lips parted as you stared at Wally’s screen.

“Nightingale, report!” Batman ordered once more.

With the alert on his PDA, Wally seems to realize he’s wasting time and he takes off once again, leaving Vandal in the snow and heading towards Seattle.

“He’s exiting South Dakota now, Batman. He’s estimated to make it just in time,” you tell him, breathing out a sigh of relief.

“Good,” though the leaguer’s tone seems skeptical, “Batman out,” he cuts his comms and you sink into the chair watching Wally carefully.

MONTANA

November 11th, 17:09 MST

(TIMER: 1:18:35)

“You wasted about 15 minutes on Savage, but you can still reach Seattle on time,” you told him as he continued forward.

“Great, out of snacks,” Wally huffed. ”Dude, I’m so running on fumes right now!” he groaned.

“But that wouldn’t help the girl either,” you remind him.

“You’re right, forget the hunger, forget the freezing temp, forget the windchill…” he trailed.

“Just go!” you interrupted.

“Go!” he repeats, and you track him exiting Montanna.

- - - - - -

“Rob?” after the tracker signaled that Wally had left Montana you muted your comms with him, and re-opened your line with Robin.

“What’s up Birdy?” he asked, and you watched as he was ducked behind a pillar.

“I’m worried about KF,” you tell him.

“You want to talk about that now?” he shot back.

“He’s making reckless decisions, Robin. He needs support,” you frowned.

“He has it, NG. He has you,” Robin reminded you.

“What if I’m not enough,” you argue.

“You are more than, and all KF needs is a nudge to remind him that he has you,” the boy wonder promised. “NG I have to go, Batman’s signaling for me, I think he’s figured out how to take the fortress down,” he tells you.

“Yeah, thanks, Rob. Good luck!” you nod, before the line went dead once more.

SEATTLE

November 11th, 17:08 PST

(TIMER: 19:18)

“Kid Flash!” a shout came over the line and you pulled the security footage for the hospital. There was a large man in scrubs standing over KF.

“I made it! I’m here!” KF shouted as he slid to a stop out front.

A smile spread to your lips as KF held the bag out in front of him, “You did it,” you breathed, your voice extremely soft.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” the nurse said, and your breath hitched. “You’re too late.”

“No…” you whispered.

“No! No, look, I’ve got almost twenty minutes to spare!” Wally argued but you couldn’t move, too shocked to even comprehend.

“I know, but she passed away 12 minutes ago,” the nurse continued.

“Oh god,” you muttered.

“Twelve?” KF asked, hollowly.

You understood exactly why. Wally spent 15 minutes fighting Vandal Savage and he was 12 minutes too late.

“Please, don’t blame yourself,” the nurse was trying to placate Wally but you knew nothing would help. “I’m sure you got here as fast as you could.”

You winced, at his words, “KF…” you said his name so gently but he made no move to respond.

“Maybe another recipient can be found,” the nurse said finally, taking the heart and walking away.

“Wally…” you began again.

“What, NG? Are you going to tell me it’s not my fault, that I shouldn’t feel guilty? Because it is my fault. You told me not to engage and I ignored you, and now a little girl is dead. She’s dead because I messed up the one job that was given to me,” his voice had started rough and harsh but by the end, it was cracking.

You weren’t sure what to say, and before you were able to process any more, a news alert interrupted your train of thought.

“Superman, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Fate have brought down the fourth Ice Fortress,” the newscaster said and you took a second to glance at all the other screens, the fight didn’t seem so exciting now.

“Kid Flash! We’ve been waiting for you!” a new and heavily accented voice cut through the solemn silence and as you pulled the security feed for the hospital lobby you spotted three doctors running toward Wally. “Where is the Queen’s heart?”

“Queen?” you questioned.

“Wait, the girl’s dead, so now the heart’s going to a Queen?” Wally asked with a furrowed brow.

“The girl is the Queen!” the doctor corrected, “Queen Perdita of Vlatava, age ten. And she’s not dead, but she is running out of time.”

You were sure KF was thinking it, this was a con. The “nurse” outside had to have been a fake. “NG I need eyes, now,” KF ordered.

You scanned the security feeds until you saw what you wanted to, the man from before, “Elevator,” you told him and he immediately rushed towards the elevators, the door shut before KF could get to them and so he took the stairs down to the parking garage.

You switched feeds and spotted a blur that swiped the heart back from the fake nurse. Almost immediately guns started going off.

“KF-” you called out but he cut you off.

“I’d love to take these creeps out, but can’t put the heart at risk. Again,” he assured you.

“They’re blocking the stairs,” you told him.

“So, we’ll take the high road!” KF made a turn to head up to the next level of the parking structure, he got halfway up the ramp when he let out a grunt.

Your eyes immediately landed on the white-haired man standing a few yards away from KF and everything clicked into place. “Of course, it’s Count Vertigo. It all makes sense. Queen Perdita stands between her uncle Vertigo and the Vlatavan Crown!” you exclaim but the only response you gain is another grunt from Wally. “You have to keep going, Wally!”

“Crawling away… Is the young hero reduced to that?” Vertigo taunted.

“Hey, I’m not proud,” KF shot back.

“You need an out, now,” you warned, eyes shifting to the slowly dwindling timer for the heart.

“Apparently,” Vertigo mused.

“Get him to talk, Wally, I have a plan,” you decide, as you pull up the necessary screens.

“I don’t get it, Vertigo! You were defeated, with the rest of the Injustice League. How come you’re not in Belle Reve prison, with your putrid pals?” KF asked between gritted teeth, from the footage you could see how he was using his body to shield the heart.

“As a member of the Vlatavan Royal Family, I have immunité diplomatique. As long as no crimes against Vlatava can be proven against me,” Vertigo bragged.

“But when the Queen needed a heart, Count Heartless heard opportunity knock! The Ice Fortresses were all part of the plan to nix your niece! And Savage, he intentionally stalled me, as a favor to you!” KF pieced together.

“It is nice to have friends,” Vertigo chimed.

“In low places, maybe,” you huffed.

“Now, shall we see if I can kill two hearts with one blow?” Vertigo mused.

“Take your best shot,” Wally taunted before sliding the bag with the heart under a car.

“Enough!” Vertigo shouted.

Wally was running again, and suddenly he got stuck in Vertigo’s mind waves. He was about to crumple again, and there was nothing you could do. Then Robin’s words echoed in your head, you couldn’t be there for him physically, but you could support him, you could remind him, that he was stronger than all of this.

“Alright, Wallace, today did not go the way we wanted. But you are Kid Flash, you are a hero. You are one of my best friends, and I trust you with my life. This horrible man will not get the best of you, okay? You’re going to fight it, and all you have to do is break that stupid green crown on his head, okay?” you pleaded. You were out of your chair now, watching everything unfold. You watched as Wally pushed himself up, fighting against Vertigo’s psychic attack, inching closer to the villain.

“I‘d love to continue this love fest, Count,” Wally groaned as he finally got close enough to knock Vertigo over and break his weaponized crown. “But you’re not my priority.”

“Run, Wally, run,” you urge and the redhead takes off immediately, he grabbed the heart and rushed out and around the parking garage before coming back through the front of the hospital. The still opened feed of the entryway

“Take it! Go!” Wally shouted.

“Wally?” you called his name carefully.

When you got no response, you spotted why. He had collapsed in the lobby of the hospital

“Nightingale to Batman,” you started the comms line with a new sense of urgency.

“What is it?” his gruff voice rang through.

“Do you think the Zeta Tubes will work after a reboot?” you asked.

“The fifth fortress is still in the air, Nightingale,” Batman reminded you.

“I understand that, Sir. But Kid Flash is down, he got the heart there, but Count Vertigo engaged, and that was after the Vandal Savage fiasco-” your voice was cracking as you were explaining.

“Vandal Savage fiasco?” Batman inquired and you bit your lip.

“Queen Perdita got her heart, Fortresses one through four are down, and if you’re telling me that the snowfall hasn’t lessened up enough for the Zeta’s to work, then I’m sorry sir but who designed those tubes?” you were getting fired up now.

“Is that all?” he pressed.

“You know what? It’s not, you should’ve told us that the heart was for Queen Perdita, we would’ve been better prepared,” you argued.

“That was need-to-know information,” Batman challenged.

“Well, we needed to know! Because that was Wally’s life that you were playing with, he could have died. And right now he’s in that hospital in Seattle, on his 16th birthday, getting treated for wounds from a battle that he had to fight on his own because you withheld information that this team needed to know!” you were shouting now, and you knew that was a risky move, but you had been cooped up for the last four hours watching almost everyone you care about rush into danger.

“You need to manually reboot the Zeta Tubes from the Zeta control center. And we will be having a discussion on the appropriate way to talk to a supervisor later,” he spoke swiftly before cutting the comms.

You ran to the Zeta’s and immediately went to work on rebooting the system. The second the computerized voice confirmed that the tubes were back up you grabbed your gear and programmed the coordinates for the Seattle Zeta point into the garage Zeta tunnel.

Running into the garage you got on a motorcycle and drove straight into the Zeta Tunnel. The tube spits you out in some back road in Seattle and soon enough you were speeding through the streets. By the time you got into the hospital, KF had already been moved to another room.

“Is he okay?” you asked as you stopped right outside the room.

The doctor peered into KF’s room and then looked over to you once more, “he took quite the beating, definitely needs some time to heal. But we stitched him up, and according to a colleague of mine from Central City, Speedsters tend to heal much faster anyways.”

You let out a breath as you looked away from the doctor, “so, he’s gonna be okay?”

“He’ll be back to running faster than the speed of sound in no time,” the doctor promised, his hand patted your shoulder and you smiled, offering the doc a nod before entering Wally’s room. You took a seat in one of the chairs and pulled out your phone.

“What the-” a groan came from the bed and your head whipped over to Wally.

His name was on the tip of your tongue but you remembered where you were, “KF?”

“Birdy? What happened?”

“You were pretty beat up after your fight with Vertigo,” you told him, walking closer and sitting by his feet on the hospital bed.

“How’d you even get here?” he groaned. “Man, did I miss all the fortress fights,” he pouted.

“Fifth one is still in the air, and I… uh… persuaded Batman to let me Zeta in,” you fib.

“Persuaded?” Wally asked.

“Forcefully,” you amended.

Wally started to laugh but it quickly turned into a painful groan as one of his arms moved to hug his abdomen, “You argued with him, didn’t you?”

“No comment,” you stated flatly, but you couldn’t help but crack a smile at your friend.

Wally’s smile faded in a moment, “Perdita?”

“Still in surgery,” you told him, “but we’ll be the first to know,” you assure him.

“No, we need to protect her, and we need to get Count Dead Inside, dead to rights,” Wally urged.

“Alright, leave it to me,” you nod, a plan formulating.

“What are you going to do? Vertigo has immunity,” he asked.

“Save the girl,” you wink standing up and walking into the hall. You figured the easiest way to ensure Perdita’s safety is to make Vertigo think that she died and that he’s in the clear, to lure him into a false sense of security and victory.

“Hey, Doc!” you shouted to grab the Doctor’s attention, “I need a favor.”

SEATTLE

November 12th, 06:39 PST

Within the next few hours, a few well-trusted calls were made and you were watching the news with Wally on your phone, “Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Captain Atom, and Wonder Woman have defeated a fifth flying Ice Fortress. But this just in. Despite the best efforts of Kid Flash and the team of transplant surgeons, young Queen Perdita of Vlatava died on the operating table, at Seattle Medical Center,” Iris West-Allen’s voice rang out through the speakers, and you shared a look with Wally before turning it off.

Seconds passed before the curtain to Wally’s hospital area was pulled open, as stealthily as you could you clicked on the hidden recorder, starting its reel.

“Count Vertigo,” KF spit his name out and you glared at the man.

“That’s “King Vertigo” to you, peasants,” the white-haired man drawled.

“King?” you challenged.

“Perdita is dead. And the beauty of it is I never laid a hand on her,” he smiled.

“And now no one can lay a hand on you,” KF completed, and while you knew the truth the entire thing was leaving a very sour taste in your mouth.

Vertigo smirked at us, “As King of Vlatava, I’m untouchable.”

“Let’s test that theory!” Wally shouted, sitting up.

The groan he let out was pitiful and your hands went to help stabilize his body.

“Now, now, little hero, you’ll pull your stitches,” Vertigo taunted. “Besides, who exactly are you mad at? She died on the table. All that planning, all that effort. Neither of us needed to be bothered.”

“Right. And now, it must kill you to know that you owe favors to Vandal Savage and, I’m guessing, five ice villains, for nothing!” you spit out.

“Not at all! They played their roles in my attempt to rid Vlatava of Perdita. We couldn’t know it was unnecessary,” Vertigo shrugged.

“So you all still deserve credit for attempted murder!” Wally shouted.

“It’s called, regicide,” Vertigo corrected and you smirked.

“It’s called, you’re busted, jerkface!” Wally argued as you pulled back the curtain, revealing the young girl.

“I believe you know Queen Perdita,” you smile.

“No!” Vertigo shouted eyes widening as he stared at the young girl.

You pulled up the recorder, and played back the last part for him to hear, “It’s called Regicide,” the recording looped and the Count’s face darkened.

“Count Werner Vertigo, as Queen of Vlatava, I hereby accuse you of high treason against the Crown. And revoke your diplomatic immunity,” the Queen announced.

Vertigo drew his sword and charged at Perdita, “No!”

You reacted immediately, pulling your escrima sticks out to knock the sword from his hands. The Queen’s security detail charged Vertigo, after that you came to stand before him.

“Send this clown to Belle Reve,” you noted, before turning around and picking up the sword.

“Well-played, children. Admittedly, well-played. This round goes to you. And, please, by all means, allow the victory to go to your heads!” Vertigo’s ramblings got quieter as he was removed from the room.

“Thank you. Your plan worked perfectly,” the Queen thanked you as Wally stood up and the both of you came to stand before her.

“Well, when I woke up and found out you were in recovery, I knew Vertigo would make another attempt on your life,” Wally explained.

“Unless, A, he thought you were dead, and, B, he lost that darned immunity and was sent away for good,” you finish, and hold the now sheathed sword up to Perdita in offering.

“That sword belongs to my country, not to the Count. I would be pleased for both of you to have it. As a reward? Or as a souvenir?” she offered to the both of you and you gave the young girl a smile before handing the sword to Wally.

“That’s all you buddy,” you muse.

Wally smiled but his eyes caught on something different.

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 13th, 12:03 EST

“You’re really going with the bag?” you asked Wally.

The two of you were in the souvenir room. You were leaning against the wall, while he placed the shock absorption bag he had used to carry the heart on the shelves.

“The sword was cool, but this just seemed like the right souvenir for the right mission,” Wally shrugged.

“Not complaining, cuz I got the sword,” you smirked.

“I’m almost scared to ask what you plan to do with it,” Wally chuckled, shaking his head and you simply winked at him.

“Dude, I just heard!” Dick interrupted as he entered the room. He was also dressed in civvies like the two of you now were, “You saved an entire country! Major kudos!” he cheered.

“What can I say? I’m the man,” Wally smirked.

You shook your head as you stepped closer. You put one hand on Wally’s shoulder while the other moved your sunglasses up into your hair, so you could truly meet his green eyes. “You know what Wally? You are the man,” with that you pull his shoulders so his head is lower. Then you grab his head and place a sweet kiss on his forehead.

“What was that for?” he asks softly when you pull back you meet his eyes.

You smile at him, “You want to be a hero Wally? Well, you are. Your brain saved the day, you saved the day,” you tell him softly, still holding his head.

“Thanks, (y/n),” he whispered.

“And one other thing, Wally. Maybe the M’gann of it all didn’t work out, but as a very bright redhead once told me that when we have the strength to move forward, we’ll be okay. And you Wallace West are strong,” you remind him, and there’s a twinkle of recognition in his eyes like he remembered the conversation he had with you when you were hung up on Zatanna and Robin’s flirting.

Wally smiled at you once more and he pressed a kiss to your cheek before stepping back, “go, get out of here,” he sniffed looking at you, and you nodded.

Dick grabbed your hand and led you towards the door, you squeezed it, a silent plea for him to stop. “Happy birthday, Wally,” you said softly.

Wally’s eyes landed on you, and he offered a small smile and a nod before Dick pulled you from the room completely.

Chapter Text

STAR CITY

November 22, 09:35 EST

You were not expecting to be called to the cave hours early with Dinah and Ollie. In fact, your mentor had been tight-lipped about it all since she pulled you from your room.

“What did you do?” Ollie hissed as you three walked through the streets of Star City.

“Nothing, I did nothing!” you argued, looking at the blond man with wide eyes.

“So when we walk in, this is not going to be a talk about you and Robin?” Dinah countered as you all rounded a corner.

“Robin?” Ollie squinted at you, and you purposefully moved your gaze to your winter boots.

“What-uh?” you stuttered. “What would there be to talk about?” You asked meekly.

“Oh god, if I have to sit through a birds and bees talk with Br-Batman, you’re grounded forever,” Ollie decided.

You purse your lips. After how Dick had reacted to Batman’s disappearance when the world was split, it didn’t take too long to piece together Batman’s secret ID. That being said, the only person, other than you and Dick, who knew that you knew that the Big Bad Bat was actually Billionaire Bruce Wayne was Wally. When you finally put it together, you found yourself looking at the cards he had sent you over the years. Your birthday and the anniversary of your parent’s death. It was confusing, to say the least, to know that this man had actually been watching you grow much closer than you could’ve ever imagined. Of course, Dinah and Oliver had no clue that you knew who Batman truly was, so when Ollie almost slipped, it took everything you had not to slip either.

“Oliver!” Dinah interrupted, as you all stopped in the alley beside the run-down-looking telephone booth, “she’s fourteen!”

“Fourteen and grounded for the rest of her life!” Oliver shot back.

“Dinah!” you called out to your guardian, and she just pursed her lips at you.

“Just Zeta in, honey, okay? We’ll be right behind you,” she promised, and you nodded.

“This isn’t happening,” you muttered as you pushed the door open and typed the Zeta coordinates in as well.

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 22, 09:42 EST

“Nightingale b-1-4,” the computer announced, however seeing Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, and Batman did little to calm your nerves.

“This is so not happening,” you repeated quietly to yourself.

“Green Arrow 0-8

Black Canary 1-3,” the computer announced a second later, and Dinah and Ollie came through.

“We came as soon as we got your message,” Dinah told them.

“What’s the problem?” Ollie followed, and your eyes darted between the adults in the room.

Batman’s eyes landed on you first, “We need to talk,” and you heard Ollie sigh.

“Can I ask about what?” you asked softly.

“The acceptable tone to have with a superior,” he reminded you, and you nearly laughed in relief.

“Right, because I shouted at you,” you remember, and turn to Ollie and Dinah, who both look like they might pass out.

“Wait,” Oliver interrupted, turning to you, “you shouted at Batman? When did that happen?”

Batman’s glare hardened, and you had to bite back a smile, “Ice Fortress Mission,” you answered shortly.

“Take a seat,” Batman orders.

You offer a slight nod before sitting down in the chair that had been set out for you. It placed you in the middle of the room, where everyone could see you.

Batman started very strong; you’ll give him that. He recounted the Fortress mission and listed other examples of instances where your actions were deemed questionable by members of the League. Red Tornado, Martian Manhunter, Oliver, and Dinah all stood to the side. The look on Dinah’s face told you she was ready to intervene, but you shot her a discreet shake of your head.

“-it is not your place to argue with your superiors or to leave your post, especially in the middle of a mission. Your job was to watch everyone’s back. That was your only job. You left your post for an individual-”

“All due respect, sir,” you interrupt, and Ollie’s eyes nearly buggered out of his head from shock. “I left my post to ensure the well-being of my teammate. But also to ensure the succession of the secondary objective,” your tone was challenging as you crossed your arms.

“This is the second time-” he began again.

“Yeah, it is. And that should tell you something,” you stood up this time to emphasize your point.

“Sit down,” he narrowed his eyes on you.

“No,” you shrugged, glaring right back at the Bat.

“Honey,” Dinah interrupted.

“I will not apologize or back down. I made the right call. I take care of my team because they are my family. And if you believe that because you are my superior, I will simply follow your every whim, you forget the very basis of who we are and what we do,” you snap. “And to that extent, you were the one who chose to keep the objective of Kid Flash’s mission from us. We could’ve been better prepared, and then maybe, I wouldn’t have had to go. You chose not to tell us, and in response, decisions were made to ensure the Queen’s safety after we found the truth.”

“Hey!” Dinah shouted, “Watch your tone,” she reminded you, and you took a deep breath and then sat back down.

“I respect you, Batman, I do. I respect the entire League because you do what we want to do one day, save people, and assure them that they can rely on us. But I will never leave my team in the cold. I’m not blaming you, but you said it. I was watching everyone’s back. I saw all the pieces, Fortresses one through four were down, and so was Wally,” you paused and took another deep breath before continuing, “I asked for your permission to abandon my post, but I would’ve gone even if you had said no. I will always go where they need me, and I will do what it takes to protect them and the mission.”

“She is bold,” Manhunter interrupted, and your gaze shifted to the Martian.

“She’s emotional, which makes her a risk to her team,” Batman negated, and the reality of the situation finally settled. This wasn’t just a reprimand; it was a review of your abilities and status on the team.

“That is where we disagree, Batman,” Manhunter argued. “Her empath abilities allow her to connect to her team uniquely. She can monitor them, their emotions, and welfare with a simple touch. She may be their greatest asset.”

The room fell silent as Martian Manhunter’s words settled over all of you, and slowly everyone turned back to you. “I-um, I don’t have that much control yet,” you conceded.

“But you are already improving. Your connection to your teammates has only grown stronger since your initial realization as an empath. Your ability to connect to others has been proven in many missions. And the trust that your teammates now have in you is incredibly well-founded,” Red Tornado added.

“That’s enough,” Batman sighed, and you turned your attention back to him. “Nightingale, you can go, for now. There will be more to come on your disregard of the chain of command and streak of brash decisions. You are, however, under probation until further notice. There is more for me to discuss with your mentors, but I expect you back with the rest of the team.”

“Yes, Sir,” you nod at him and turn to Dinah. “I’ll be in the training room if you need me,” you sniffed, standing up and quickly walking away.

You made quick work of changing out of your civvies and into your suit. Your leather jacket was hanging off to the side beside a bottle of water as you put the gym set-up to work. You spent the next few hours using the punching bag, high beams, ropes, and pretty much anything else you saw. The only break you took was to review the mission packet Dinah had dropped off to you before leaving the Cave.

“Hey honey,” her voice was soft in contrast to the thoughts rushing through your brain.

“Hey, D,” you huffed, finishing your set with the ropes, before walking over to where she had sat down beside your water.

“Ollie and I are about to leave, but uh, Batman told us that you’re gonna get called in soon,” she explained.

“So I do get to go on missions?” you scoffed.

“Sweetheart,” she cooed. “Trust the process, okay? Batman had a good point-”

“You’re siding with him!”

“I’m not taking sides,” she shot back, voice level. “But when you put on the helmet in the Bayou, I went back through some of your mission reports. You take risks that aren’t always guaranteed to work out for you honey, you make brash decisions.”

“I make the necessary choices to protect my team,” you argue.

Dinah let out a sigh as her eyes softened a bit, “I know you would do anything to protect them, and I know that’s why you went after Wally. I will never tell you not to follow your heart, and you know that. But being on probation means you just need to take another second or two to really think things through before you do anything. You’re not getting benched, but you are being watched. So be careful, and read the briefing before Batman calls you back to the bullpen.”

You took a deep breath, finally accepting the tablet from Dinah. “Okay,” you nod.

“Okay?” she repeats.

“I’ll do it, even if it’s just to satisfy the League,” you tell her.

“Good,” a new voice chimed; turning to the entrance, you spot Oliver as he walked toward you both. “I know you don’t like this, but I’m glad you’re taking it seriously (Y/n),” he sighed. “And for the record, I think Bats is crazy for putting you on probation.”

“Thanks, Ollie,” you smile softly as the blond man winks at you.

“You know I got your back, sweet girl,” he reminds you.

“I know,” you nod.

“Alright, we’re going to head out. Let us know if you need anything. I love you, honey,” Dinah added, standing up and pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Love you too, D,” you murmur softly back.

Your mentors offered you one more look before walking to the door, “Hey, kiddo, work with your bow!” Oliver shouted as they walked out.

You scoffed, turning back to the gym, but paused, staring at all the equipment. You let out a little sigh as you walked to one of the lockers and typed in your passcode. The locker popped open, and inside, you saw a lot of your training gear, backup stuff, and of course, both of your bows.

After the Martian brain exercise, you had started using them again. Ollie had you doing a lot of practice with the basics just to make sure you still knew how to use them. You grab both of them and a quiver of regular arrows before heading to an empty table. You lay them both out and stare at them. One is a recurve, the other a compound; both are matte black with some red accenting in the crevices.

The bows are made of a unique carbon fiber composite that Queen Industries developed. The compound bow is a lot of fun when you use trick arrows since it really does provide some extra support with modern advancements. Meanwhile, the recurve is well suited for any needs. You choose the recurve and swing your quiver on. You move to the practice board. There are plenty of blaster marks, dings, and scratches from all the weapons testing it’s endured. Summoning a holoscreen, you pull up the tennis ball activity.

Simple in theory, it’s one of the best ways to work on patience and aim with the bow. The system shoots tennis balls out, and your goal is to pierce each one to the board with an arrow. You notch your first arrow as the screen activates the program. You pull on all the tips Oliver and Roy taught you. Deep breaths, a clear head, and a level heart rate. The deeper your breaths, the steadier your hands and the calmer your heart. Your eyes trace over the bouncing neon balls before focusing on one. Your movements are swift and stable as you aim, take a breath and release the arrow. You don’t wait to see if it hit as you continue, eyes jumping from ball to ball until there are no more bouncing. You scan over each tennis ball, and a proud smile quirks to your lips when you spot them all nailed to the wall. An empowering feeling of pride hits you as you notice the one that had managed to pierce two at the same time.

You had just finished pulling the arrows and checking the tips when Batman’s voice came over the PA system. “Robin, Kid Flash, Nightingale, Superboy, Miss Martian; report for mission briefing.”

You walked into the briefing room, sweat towel around your neck, pulling at the tape on your hands as you fell in line with four of your teammates.

“How long have you been here?” Robin asked while Batman opened a couple of screens.

“Few hours,” you noted, keeping your eyes on Batman and the screen.

Out of your peripherals, you noticed the way Robin was staring at you, but you didn’t move your gaze from the screens, and your hands continued to pull at the tape and wraps.

He turned his gaze to his mentor when the Knight began to talk, “Rumaan Harjavti is the democratically elected President of Qurac. Harjavti has been praised as a fair, wise leader. A humanitarian.”

“Sure, any friend of Bruce Wayne’s,” Wally chuckled quietly, directing it to you and Robin.

“Focus up, Wally,” you warned the speedster, without so much as a look.

That being said, you caught the way Wally turned to you with a frown and then looked past you at Robin, who was probably frowning as well. “But five days ago, Harjavti allied himself with the dictator of the neighboring nation of Bialya. Queen Bee,” Batman continued.

“Not a fan,” Conner huffed, and you glared at the picture of the woman.

“Few are,” Batman supplied. “But Harjavti suddenly backs Queen Bee’s baseless claim that Qurac and Bialya were one nation in ancient times. And has announced the countries will reunify in two days at a ceremony in Qurac.”

Batman pressed play on a clip, and President Harjavati began to speak, “After the ceremony, I will step down as President so that our rightful monarch, Queen Bee, may rule.”

Another clip began to play right after. “I laud president Harjavti for unifying our peoples, and I will gladly come to Qurac to be crowned sole leader of our nation,” Queen Bee announced.

You scoffed while staring at the screen.

“And the Quracies are okay with this?” KF interrupted.

“Hardly. They’re well aware of the brutality of Queen Bee’s regime, but Harjavti has censored the press, silenced all legitimate protesting, and invited the Bialyan military into his country to enforce Martial Law,” you told him.

“Queen Bee has to be controlling Harjavti. Doesn’t she have the power to enthrall most men?” Robin supplied.

“And some women,” Batman added. “But not long distanced. And we have confirmation she hasn’t left Bialya. Something else is at work here. Find out what,” he ordered. “Robin, you’re team leader.”

Batman’s gaze shifted to you, and you pursed your lips but remained quiet.

“Promotion! Sweet!” KF cheered, holding a hand up to Rob for a high five, but all Robin did was step forward.

“Me? What about Aqualad?” Robin countered.

“Busy helping Aquaman. You’re the next logical choice,” Batman reiterated, and you crossed your arms.

“Great,” Robin sighed.

“Dude! You totally left me hanging!” KF shouted, and Robin turned to look at you for a second before looking to his mentor.

“What about NG?” Robin was grasping at straws, and everyone’s attention shifted to you.

Batman’s eyes narrowed as he regarded his apprentice and then looked over to you. You forced your face to stay neutral as Batman looked at you. “Nightingale is currently not a viable option,” Batman decided.

“Hmm,” you gave a twisted smile before nodding your head. “I’m going to grab my gear. I’ll see you all at Bioship,” you decided before stepping back and walking away.

No one said anything for the first half of the flight, but eventually, Conner turned in his seat to look at both you and Robin.

“So we’re not going to discuss the briefing?” he asked as casually as he could manage.

“Your nonchalance needs work,” you smile fakely.

“C'mon NG, the Bat singled you out, said you’re "not a viable option” what does that even mean?“ KF shot off.

"It means in the eyes of the Bat, and by extension the League, I am on probation,” you explained, keeping your eyes focused on the sky before you.

“Over what?” Wally pushed, and you sighed.

You turned to look at your team, or at least the present members, then they landed on Wally. You sighed, “for raising my voice at a superior, abandoning my post during a mission, and a continuous streak of brash decisions, including ignoring the chain of command,” you admit.

“When did you do any of that?” M'gann asked, and your eyes flickered to her and then back to Wally.

“Queen Perdita,” Wally mutters the name, and you nod. “That’s ridiculous you came to Seattle to help protect the Queen and take Vertigo down.”

“No,” you sigh. “I went to Seattle to ensure the health and safety of one of my best friends, that’s you. And I only got there after arguing with Batman and raising my voice. Which, as he reminded me, is the second time I’ve done that.”

“And the brash decisions? You’re always so collected,” M'gann argued.

“Allow me to remind you of the Helmet of Fate, Cadmus, the Reds, and pretty much every mission where I make a choice at the moment,” you state flatly.

“So this is serious?” Conner concludes.

“Seems like it,” you nod.

“Great,” Robin nodded sarcastically, and it was the first time he had spoken up since Conner started this particular conversation.

QUARAC

November 22, 23:56 UTC+2

“We’re right above the Quraci-Bialyan border,” Robin announced sometime later, and you slid your jacket on.

“A border the Bialyans are in the process of ignoring,” Wally noted as you all looked at the tanks storming across the border.

“No opposition,” Conner notes. “I guess Harjavti really is in bed with Bialya.”

“I hate the desert,” you say suddenly.

Robin stares at you for a second as you shake your head, gaze focused outside, before he turns back to Conner, “I wouldn’t expect opposition here. It’s an animal sanctuary.”

“The Logan Animal Sanctuary?” M'gann asks in an urgent tone, and it’s enough to get you to turn around because how did a girl from Mars know about one specific animal sanctuary in the middle of the desert.

“You’ve heard of it?” Robin asks, picking up on the same thing you did.

“Guys,” Wally interrupted. “Tanks have caused a stampede. There are civilians in herd’s way!” he informs you, and you make eye contact with Robin.

Even if you were dealing with other things, the two of you seemed to be on the same page; civilians shouldn’t be caught in the crossfire, ever.

“I see them. A woman and a small boy,” Conner continued, and Robin sighed.

“We have to help them!” M'gann urged, and Dick kicked your foot.

You knew exactly what he wanted. He was waiting for your opinion, but you only shook your head at him, “it’s your call, mission leader,” you reminded him.

“We’re way off mission here!” Robin huffed, and after a second, “Deploy. But stealth mode! If the Bialyans know we’ve hit them, this becomes an international incident.”

You nod your head and stand up, preparing for what was to come.

“M'gann lay down cover fire. KF, you and I are gonna get the soldiers. Conner, you redirect the stampede, and NG, you protect the civilians,” Robin ordered, and you all prepared. You grabbed a repelling line and hooked yourself up to it. The minute M'gann got clear enough to open a drop point, you stepped through and went down. The second you touched the ground, you disconnected and came to a defensive position around the mother and son. Everything went to plan, and you did little but stand and watch with your bow at the ready with a tranq arrow, should you need it.

When the stampede cleared, Robin appeared beside you, and KF skidded to a stop on your other side.

“Are you both alright?” you asked them.

“Mom,” the kid called with a broad smile, “Mom! Mom!” he repeated till her gaze left us and went back to her son. “We were just saved by Nightingale!” he shouted, staring at you with wide eyes, and then his gaze shifted to the two boys beside you, “And Robin, and Kid Flash!” he added.

Wally smirked as Conner and M'gann joined us, “Course, Superboy, and Miss Martian helped too!”

M'gann lowered the boy’s Oryx back to the ground, and he immediately left his mother’s grasp and ran to hug the animal, “Oryx!”

“We diverted the Bialyans around the sanctuary. You should be safe now,” Robin explained to the mother.

“Uh, yeah! Coast has cleared, Miss M! You can de-camo now,” KF reminded her.

Your brow furrowed as you watched how the usually bubbly Martian hesitantly removed her hood and de-camouflaged, “H-hi!”

“You may have made things worse,” the mother deadpanned, and you found her tone aggressive. “Bialyan border-crossings are a way of life here. Usually, they wreck a few fences and move on. Engaging them might have made us a target,” she explained.

“She’s not wrong,” you note quietly to your teammates.

“Mom! Uncool!” The boy noted.

“I’m sorry. I should thank you,” she sighed, “This is my son, Garfield. I’m-”

“Marie Logan!” Miss M interrupted, and you and Robin looked at her with questioning glances. “I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you in person! I've… I’ve admired your stands on animal rights for years,” M'gann continued.

“You’ve only been on Earth for six months!” Conner reminds us, using the psychic link.

“The oryx is sick,” Marie continued, “And I think you injured this wildebeest.”

Conner gave you all a skeptical look before turning back to the woman, “Uh, sorry?” he offered.

Marie simply sighed, “I suppose it was unavoidable. But both need to go to our clinic.”

“The boys can do that! You and I can… fix your fences!” M'gann offered, and you crossed your arms.

“That’s not exactly our-” Robin was going to say mission, you knew he was, but both M'gann and Garfield interrupted.

“Robin,” M'gann was pleading, hands clasped together, with puppy dog eyes on full display.

The funny part was that little Garfield seemed to be doing the same as he addressed his own mother, “Please, Mom!”

It took two seconds for both Marie and Robin to cave, “Fine.”

M'gann and Garfield both were quick to cheer, “Yes!”

You decided you were better off with the boys, especially since M'gann seemed to be having a major fangirl moment. You all arrived at the clinic house around daybreak, you passed under a large tree, and in a second, something came down, landing on Conner.

It quickly jumped to Wally and snaked around his torso, “Hey, get it off!” he shouted. Within seconds the small animal stole his protein bar and jumped off towards you.

Hesitantly the animal stepped forward, and the strangest thing happened. You couldn’t understand the animal, but you could connect to it. You could feel the way it seemed to be, laughing at Conner and Wally. The monkey crept along your arms and gave you one last look before jumping to Garfield’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. Meet Monkey!” Garfield introduced, and you smirked, sending a look to Conner because you knew exactly where this was about to go.

“He’s adorable,” you note, turning to Conner, who was glaring at you.

“Good name! But I hate monkeys,” he huffed.

The monkey responded by throwing the protein bar he had stolen.

“Looks like Monkey hates Superboys,” Robin mused.

“Dude, be glad he only threw a protein bar,” Wally chuckled, and you rolled your eyes.

You were chuckling as you entered the house, Robin plopped down on one of the armchairs, and you sat down on the arm, right beside him.

“So, pretty weird about Miss Martian and my mom, huh?” Garfield noted, and your brows pinched.

“What do you mean?” Conner asked, crossing his arms.

“I mean, she looks exactly like Marie,” the kid continued. “You know, except greener.”

“She does?” Wally asked.

“Well, duh! Especially back when Mom was a TV star on Hello, Megan!” you’d figure based on his tone, the kid was sharing something undeniable.

“Wait, "Hello, Megan” is a TV show?“ you interrupt.

"I just thought it was something she says all the time,” Robin added, turning his head towards you.

“Yeah, on the TV show!” Garfield explained. “Way before we were born. Only one season! You can’t even find it online. I know Mom has a tape somewhere…” he trailed, turning back to a collection of tapes below the TV.

“Hey, what’s going on with the League?” Robin asked quietly, facing you.

“Nothing, just leave it,” you brush off.

Before he could continue, Garfield let out a cheer, “Hello, Megan! The pilot episode!”

Turning your head you spotted, the kid putting the tape in.

“Wow! You still have VHS! Where’s your 8-track?” Wally noted sarcastically, and you rolled your eyes.

“Wait!” Conner tensed as he turned his head towards the door.

“What?” you asked, standing up slowly.

Conner turned directly to you before his expression darkened, “Aircraft!” he warned. When Connor ran out the door, you followed close on his heels, “Headed this way!” he added as you both burst outside.

Seconds passed before it was loud enough for you to hear as well. Your head turned to Robin, who had followed you as well, “the kid!” you remind him.

“Gar! Stay put!” Robin shouted.

Your eyes were trained on the planes, and it was not a pleasant sight.

M'gann and Marie were approaching around the time we ran out, “What is it?” M'gann asked nervously.

We didn’t have to answer because a second later, the planes swooped down and opened fire. You lunged for Marie, pulling her behind you and low to the ground. Conner came up to stand between you and the bullets as protection. His gaze hardened as he stared down at you. The second the plane passed, Marie was on her feet and grabbing you by the shoulders.

“Where is my son?” she demanded.

“I ordered him to stay inside,” Robin assured her, but Marie didn’t seem very pleased.

“He’s eight!” she countered, “He doesn’t do orders!”

The barn door slid open, and sure enough, there was Garfield, most definitely not “staying put.”

“Mom! It’s okay! I got the animals out!” he shouted, and you heard the planes coming around again. This time you knew exactly where they were headed.

You broke away from Marie’s grasp and took off toward the barn.

“NG!” Robin shouted after you, but you poured everything you had into getting there.

When the shots came down, a gas tank exploded, and the barn started coming down, “oh god,” you muttered.

“Garfield!” Marie shouted.

“M'gann, I need a sweep, right now,” you shout back to her, and the martian takes flight.

She manages to find Garfield while in the air, through the smoke. The minute she touched down, Marie was there. She took hold of her son with a pained expression, and you rushed towards them. You spotted the planes getting ready to make another pass.

“I want those planes down, now,” you state coldly, looking at Conner and then M'gann.

Conner gave you a nod before taking off with M'gann next to him, leaving Robin with you.

Marie glared at the both of you, “I told you there’d be consequences!”

“Always,” Robin nodded dejectedly.

You gave Robin a look before you sighed, “Let’s get him inside.”

You rushed the kid into his room where you helped Marie set up an IV when Robin came in, “how’s he doing?”

“He’s in shock,” she explained, and Wally appeared in the doorway. “He needs a blood transfusion, now. Is any of you O negative?”

“No, I’m sorry,” Robin shook his head.

“Neither am I,” Wally added.

“No, sorry,” you apologized.

“It’s the hardest to match,” Marie sighed, “I’ve kept a supply in the clinic…” she trailed, but you understood, that went up in the explosion.

“I can run into the nearest hospital?” Wally offered, and you turned to him and Robin.

“The nearest hospital with this type of blood supply, half an hour away, at your top speed. Longer, by Bio-Ship,” Robin informed us, and you shook your head.

“He doesn’t have that much time,” you told them, eyes drifting back to the kid on the bed.

“What’s Superboy’s blood type?” Marie asked desperately.

“He’s Kryptonian,” Robin negated. “And Miss Martian-”

“Might be able to help,” you interrupted and looked at the Martian girl who had just entered the room. “Her shape-shifting occurs at the cellular level,” you continue, turning to face the girl.

M'gann nodded, understanding exactly what you meant, “I think I can modify my blood to match his,” she affirmed.

“Please, try!” Marie was begging, and it struck you how strong this woman must be to be holding it together as well as she was.

“I’ll need to concentrate. No distractions,” M'gann decided.

“Out!” Marie shouted as she reared on the rest of us. “All of you, out!” she continued before pushing us all from the room, closing it behind us.

You all walked back to the sitting room, and you immediately collapsed on the sofa and dropped your head into your hands before rubbing your face.

“And on top of all this, Harjavti steps down tomorrow. Subjecting all of Qurac to this danger,” Robin groaned.

“KF, can you find a news station?” you ask, sniffing and looking back up to the rest of the room.

“Sure,” he nodded, “Which remote is it?” he muttered before deciding on one.

The black screen came to life, and suddenly your eyes were narrowing on the screen as a theme song began to play, “Hello, Megan! School and boys and parents too, A whole lot to juggle from Miss You-Know-Who! Hello, Megan!”

You stood up to come closer; Conner, Rob, and KF had the same idea as you all crowded the screen. You definitely did not miss what Garfield had been saying. Miss M looks just like Marie did. What’s more, Conner looked a lot like the male lead.

“Hello, Megan! This cheerleader knows the score, center of attention, and so much more. Hello, Megan! Hello, Megan! A little bit distractible, but never too attractable! She’s really quite attractable; okay, a lot distractible. Eventually, she’ll get a clue. Hello, Megan! The girl for me, The girl for you! Hello, Megan, Hello, Megan! The girl for me, The girl for you,” the theme song continued to play, and your eye twitched.

“Maybe it’s a coincidence,” Conner offered, and you purse your lips.

“Hello, Megan! Hello, Megan!” The theme song finished, and the episode began, and despite everything that was going on, you couldn’t move your gaze away.

The scene was set in a household. A mother was cleaning when Marie’s character came rushing down the stairs, “Mom, I’m going to the library to study!”

The mother stopped her dusting to look at her daughter, “But didn’t you invite a certain someone to study here?”

Marie slapped her head the exact same way M'gann does, “Hello, Megan!”

Someone knocked on their door, and Marie answered it, throwing her arms around the dark-haired boy at the door, “Conner! I thought you’d never get here!”

“You have got to be kidding me,” you muttered.

“Oh, yeah, pure coincidence,” Wally mused.

You were all staring at the screen, so you missed when M'gann came out of the room, “It’s done,” she told us softly. Her gaze was downcast, and your eyes blew wide when you saw her and then looked back to the TV. you started hitting Wally’s side repetitively until he began fumbling with the remote. “All we can do now is wait,” she told us, and finally, Wally succeeded in changing the feed.

“My fellow Quracians,” the TV news was loud, and it pulled everyone’s attention.

“Is that Harjavti?” M'gann asked, finally looking up from the floor.

“Queen Bee’s rule is a gift to Qurac,” Harjavti announced, and you rolled your eyes.

“Hey, that guy in the back!” Conner interrupted, “I know him!”

Robin used his holo-glove to blow up a picture of the guy in the back, “It’s Psimon! The psychic we fought last time we were in Bialya!” M'gann noted.

“He was working for Queen Bee then. He must be controlling Harjavti for her now!” you add.

“I still remember the headache from when he brain-blasted us,” Wally subconsciously rubbed his head.

“We have to get Harjavti away from him,” You decided.

We didn’t get further in planning because Marie walked back out to us, “I think it worked. Garfield is stable.”

“Good. Because we have our mission,” you tell her.

Marie gave you all a little space as you settled in her living room.

“If we’re going to incapacitate Psimon, we’re going to need to sneak into the palace,” Wally reminded us.

“Alright, what’s the plan?” Conner asked, and you became acutely aware of how everyone was staring at you.

“What?” you asked them.

“You gonna share your grand idea,” KF shot back.

“Doesn’t matter what I think,” you remind them, “I’m not the mission leader.”

“You are now,” Robin added, and you turned to him with wide eyes. “You let me lead earlier, look how that turned out. It’s your turn.”

“I don’t think you understand. I’m on probation. If you do this, you all will be on notice with the League,” you inform them.

“We need a leader who knows what to do,” Robin admitted, and your lips parted.

“And you think I do?” you argued.

“When the planes came, you didn’t even hesitate, Birdy. You were reacting before I even comprehended what was happening. Aqualad’s not here, which makes you the best choice, and we all know it,” he shot back, and you met your teammate’s faces, all of whom seemed supportive.

“Why are you doing this?” you asked him.

“Because I want us to succeed. If I stop to double-check everything with you like I have been all day, then I’m not leading,” Rob explained, and you took a deep breath.

“You know the Bat is going to give us all a lecture, right?” you asked your friends.

They responded with a few small smiles, “what’s new?” Wally mused.

You smile softly at them and nod your head, “Alright, here’s the plan….”

DHABAR

November 23, 22:11 UTC+2

You were crouched in the vents with Robin.

“It’s gonna work out, (y/n),” he whispered softly.

“What?” you shot back, your eyes stayed on the thermal readings from Harjavti’s office.

“This probation thing, Batman’s done it to me before, it’ll be fine,” he assured you.

“I don’t know, Dick. This whole empath and Cadmus things were already throwing me through loops. Now, with the probation, and my apparent issues with authority, I’m nervous that when they finally crunch the numbers, I’m going to be stuck in the red,” you admit.

“We won’t let them,” he argues. “I won’t.”

His tone was so severe that your eyes finally met his, it was difficult since you both were wearing domino masks, but you could see the sentiment.

“Look, I want to talk about this, you and me, preferably no masks, but the guards are on the move,” you swallow while looking between him and your map.

“Yeah, after the mission,” he affirms.

“Harjavti is alone,” Robin informed the rest of the team psychically, and you all entered quietly.

You approached the desk carefully and reached out to touch the President’s shoulder softly. “President Harjavti, we’re here to help,” you say gently.

“Where’s my daughter?” he asked; his voice was strained as he rubbed his head. Your brows furrowed; something was wrong. “Where is Psimon?” he followed up.

“Forget him!” Robin interrupted. “Let’s get you out of here!”

Before you all could move, the doors to the office swung open, and a dozen operatives flooded inside the room. All of them decked out in high tech.

“Well, well, American heroes. Here to assassinate the President,” a Biyalian general drawled, and you glared at him. “Such a shame we arrived too late to stop them,” he hinted, and you understood the veiled threat.

“Those are Apokoliptian weapons!” Conner told us, and your eyes widened. How did Psimon get access to Darksied weaponry?

“Which they’ll use to kill Harjavti, we get blamed, and Queen Bee gets to rule Qurac!” Robin groaned, and you started sweeping the room, looking for an exit.

“Full roundup around the President!” you order the rest of the team.

The only one not to follow the order was M'gann, “I found Psimon!” she called out.

“Wait!” you order, but you know she’s not listening.

Conner whipped his attention to the door, “I’ll get her!”

“No!” you shout through the link. “The mission is Harjavti. Then we help M'gann.”

“What’s the play, NG? ” Wally asked, eyes darting around the room.

“Plug your ears,” you say, formulating a new plan.

“I hate this idea,” Conner added, sending you an unamused look.

“On three…si. One.. two…” and on the count of three, you moved with agility and speed.

In a second, the boys dropped to the ground, hands over their ears while you tapped your choker and let out a scream. You knocked down the soldiers in a second and managed to incapacitate the few who were closest. The boys jumped up a second later, and together, you made quick work of taking down the soldiers.

You had knocked the Biyalian General to the floor with a punch to the face and swipe at his feet. Pulling out an escrima stick, you let it buzz with electricity, hovering over his face, and you gave him your full attention.

“Where is President Harjavti’s daughter?” you ask.

At first, he said nothing, and so you lowered the escrima stick, moving it closer to his face., the blue light was reflecting off his eyes as they widened.

“I would answer her question if I were you,” Robin shrugged.

The general remained silent once more, and suddenly the escrima stick was hovering above his left eye. You noticed as the tips of his eyebrows singed a bit, “Answer the question,” you press once more.

“Another room,” he muttered darkly, and you turned to Robin.

“Scan the building, find her,” you instruct, and Robin pulls up the scan from before. You turn the electricity off and punch the general once more, using just enough force to knock him out before you tie him up with the rest.

With a location confirmed, Wally took off, returning shortly with the President’s daughter.

“Thank you for saving my father,” she sighed, hugging him close. “We will take care of him now.”

“Then that’s our cue,” you nod at the two before turning to Conner with a nod.

Immediately he takes off; you, KF, and Rob follow right after him.

“M'gann, we’re coming!”  Conner shouted into the mind link, but none of you were prepared for the repercussions.

A powerful brain blast hit all of you, and you all collapsed on the ground; everything went black a second later.

You’re not sure how long you were out, but when you finally came to, you could hear your teammate’s groaning. Slowly you pushed yourself up on your elbows and looked around. All three boys were still on the ground. Rolling over with a groan, you crawled towards Robin and KF, who had been right behind you when you all fell.

You reach out to Robin first, “Robin,” you call his name softly.

“NG!” M'gann exclaimed, clearly surprised that you had woken up already.

“Check on Superboy,” you groaned, pulling your body forward.

You return your focus to Robin. Your fingers dig into his arm tightly as you shake him. You groan a little more, head pounding, as you scoot yourself closer to the two boys. Your other hand grabs on to Wally, and you tap his chest.

“KF,” you huff.

You keep up the tapping and the gripping until both boys begin to stir, “Hey,” you greet them grimly.

“And there’s the headache,” Wally let out a pitiful moan as he sat up.

Robin followed suit, and both boys helped you move to sit as well, “Psimon?” he asked, and you dropped your head to his shoulder, closing your eyes in hopes of mitigating the headache.

“He brain-blasted you,” M'gann informed us, “I stopped him.”

“Wonderful,” you moaned before slowly moving to stand up. The rest of the team followed suit, and you stretched out a bit, trying to relieve some of the tension in your joints. “Hey Miss M, I know you kinda had a tough fight, but you think you can muster up enough energy for one last performance?” you asked, staring at Psimon.

“Whatever you need,” she affirmed.

“How’s your Queen B impression?” you smirked, and her eyes went wide.

DHABAR

November 24, 9:00 UTC+2

By the time the sun was in the sky, your new plan had been set into motion. Miss M was to approach the palace as Queen B; the goal was to get a rise out of Harjavti so the people could see. You watched from a room inside the President’s home as multiple news stations covered the incident.

“What do you mean, the President won’t see me? He invited me!” she shrieked.

“Not of my free will!” Harjavti shouted, and the camera panned to where he was leaning against a pillar outside his office with his daughter by his side. “No! But now that I am free of your minion’s thrall. The Quraci people will never suffer your tyrannical rule!” he shouted, and cheers could be heard from behind the cameras.

“Mark me, Harjavti! You will suffer for this! Qurac will be mine!” she screamed, pointing up at the elected President before storming away.

You all waited for M'gann to return. And when she was safely within the room, she transformed back into her usual green self.

“Sorry you had to lie to everyone like that,” you apologized. “But I couldn’t think of any other way to convince the public Queen Bee was behind this,” you sighed while looking at her before turning back to the screens.

“Dude, saving a country. Pretty big way for your first turn as "leader,” even if you were on probation,“ Wally cheered, bumping your shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks,” you smiled half-heartedly while making eye contact with Rob.

Maybe he could read it on your expression, but the minute you got back to the Cave, you weren’t sure what you’d be facing. Before your exfil back to Happy Harbor, you all stopped back at the Logan Animal Sanctuary. There was a kid who had been on your mind the entire time. It was reassuring to see Gar on his feet, and while you settled in the living room, you finally let your shoulders relax.

Robin was seated on an armchair, and you were sitting on that chair’s arm, with Wally standing behind you. Conner was on the other sofa, and M'gann took a seat in the armchair across the room. The TV was on the news channel once more as you watched Gotham’s favorite billionaire address the President.

“And, I assure you, The Wayne Foundation is here to do whatever it can to help you and your people rebuild Qurac,” Bruce Wayne promised, shaking the President’s hands while flashes and cheers went off.

“Gee, Bruce Wayne sure got here fast,” Wally noted, and you couldn’t help but snort in subtle amusement. “Almost like he knew-” he was cut off when Robin stretched out behind you to elbow the redhead in the gut.

“Don’t you have a souvenir to collect or something?” Robin hinted, and a smile took your features.

“Hello, Megan!” Wally shouted, hitting his head. He sped over to the TV and grabbed the VHS tape from earlier before speeding to stand in front of M'gann. “Something you’d like to tell us?” Wally hinted, and your eyes landed on the green girl.

“Growing up on Mars was not a happy time for me. But I started watching the broadcast my uncle sent from Earth to teach us about our sister planet. When I saw "Hello, Megan!” Something just clicked. Maybe it was the similarities in our names. Maybe it was the way all Megan’s problems could be solved in 22 minutes. All I know for sure is that Megan helped me smile through a lonely childhood,“ she admitted, and your fingers fidgeted in your lap. "So, when I came to Earth and had to adopt a human form, I chose you,” her gaze flickered to Marie for a moment. “Well, Megan.”

“Which begs the question,” Robin spoke up, and you pulled your gaze away to stare at the boy beside you, “what do you really look like?”

The martian was silent as she stood up. Her gaze was downcast as you watched her hair recede and disappear. You then noticed other subtle differences in her features, as they became less like Marie’s. There was definitely a tiny resemblance, but you could understand why M'gann had adopted Marie’s face.

“Bald M'gann,” Wally noted. “Still hot!” he whispered, and you rolled your eyes.

Conner stood up and approached her carefully. He took her hand in his and pulled her attention back to him, “You know, you don’t have to put on a mask for me,” he told her sweetly, and you smiled at the loving interaction.

M'gann let go of his hands quickly and stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself as her hair returned and her features softened. “I do it for me,” she argues gently. “This is who I am. Inside,” she defends. “Please, don’t be mad,” she asked gently, turning to Marie.

“Mad?” Marie asked, her voice also soft. All the harsh edges seemed to have disappeared since we had last seen her. “I’m honored. M'gann, you saved my son. He says he’s your blood-brother now. And I agree. You’re family!” Marie tells her, and M'gann runs to her.

The two embrace in a hug, and your gaze drops back to your hands. The three rings underneath your gloves seem to weigh a little more than usual.

“Thank you!” M'gann whispers. “You can’t know what that means to me.”

You all head out to the BioShip a bit later, allowing M'gann a moment with Marie and Garfield alone before you head out. The minute you sit in your seat, you pull the gloves off and look at the rings on your hands. One was made of an Atlantien metal; the centerpiece was a gorgeous black saltwater pearl. The second was gold with an embedded dark amethyst. The final had a gold setting, and a small Canary diamond, at the center. Your gaze is focused on the amethyst one. There were delicate designs imprinted in the gold, and another was carved into the amethyst. Your father’s family crest ring. You placed your thumb over the lion design and closed your eyes, and for a second, you could imagine it was still on his hand, and you were in his lap while your tiny fingers traced over it.

“Hey,” Dick’s voice drags you back to reality.

“Hi,” you smile at him, a soft one as he slips into his seat beside you.

“Cool ring,” he notes, looking at the object you were fidgeting with.

“Buy me a milkshake, and I’ll tell you all about it,” you muse.

“Bat-Burger or Lenetti’s?” he nudges.

“Do you even have to ask?” you muse.

“Lenetti’s it is,” he laughs, and you nod with a soft smile.

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 24 6:00 EST

Standing in the Cave, your eyes blinked slowly, you’d managed to get some sleep on the flight back, but the drowsiness was still present. You were standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the team. Batman was a face on a screen. You had no doubt that was because a certain Billionaire Gothamite was currently in Dhubar with President Harjavti.

“Despite the distractions and civilian endangerment, you accomplished your objective with minimal exposure. Well done. However, there is something we must discuss,” his eyes narrowed after the brief congratulations. Robin and Wally both sent you side glances. “Robin was the appointed team leader, and while you choosing to alter that decision to succeed is commendable, the League has questions.”

“You mean about why we chose NG?” Wally scoffed, and your eyes blew wide as you elbowed him, trying to get him to shut up.

“We chose her, because NG was the best choice,” M'gann supplied.

“You sidelined her for being a leader, all the choices she made, they were choices that a leader would and should make,” Conner added, and your heart started pounding.

These people, your teammates, your friends, they were talking back to Batman for you. You didn’t know what to say.

“And what do you think, Robin?” The other three fell silent as everyone turned toward Dick.

“I think that Nightingale should have been your first choice after Kaldur and that she wasn’t because of her current probationary status. In the end, that didn’t matter to us because when it came down to the mission, to lives being on the line, her instincts kick in faster than the rest of ours,” he admitted, and your lips parted as you gaped at him.

The Batman’s eyes narrowed even further, and your breath hitched. “Your notes will be taken under consideration,” was all he said in response, “You’re all dismissed. I expect your mission reports within the week.”

The screen went dark as you turned to your teammates, “I-” you wanted to say something, but you honestly didn’t know where to start. “Thank you,” you decide.

“For what? Telling him the truth?” Wally mused, tilting his head as he threw an arm around your shoulders.

“You deserve it,” M'gann stated, “we couldn’t have done what we had to without you. We wouldn’t have been able to save Harjavti or Garfield if you weren’t leading.”

“No, you saved Garfield, M'gann, don’t forget that,” you negate.

She offered you a smile, and Conner gave you a playful smile and wink before following after her.

“See, probation, smomation,” Wally jeered, giving you a little squeeze.

“How eloquently put, Wallace,” you snort.

“Seriously, (Y/n), we couldn’t do this without you,” Wally reiterates. “If the League doesn’t realize this by now, then they’re the idiots.”

“Wally, you can’t stay stuff like that,” you argue.

“You’ve had my back since day one,” Wally reminded you, “and I will always be on your side,” he promised.

“Thanks, Wally,” you smile softly, tippy-toeing to press a kiss to his cheek.

“I got you, kid,” he added, kissing the top of your head before leaving you with Robin.

“And thank you,” you say, staring at Dick. “For what you said.”

“Everything I said was true,” he shrugged.

“Still, it meant a lot.”

“C'mon, I think I owe you a milkshake, and you owe me a story,” he smiled.

“Let me shower, and I’ll meet you by the Zeta,” you smiled back.

STAR CITY

November 24 08:33 EST

By the time you get to Lenetti’s, it’s starting to get bright out, and you’re kind of exhausted. But Dick holds the door open as you walk in. Ms. L spots you both with a big smile on her lips and points to your booth.

“Go ahead, sweethearts!” she shouts, and you nod.

You lean over the hostess podium to grab two menus before you both move to the booths. You both collapse on opposite sides, and you practically melt into the linoleum seats.

“I never want to go to Quarac ever again,” you decide, and Dick snorts.

“Not a big fan of the desert, huh?”

“It’s hot, dry, and no good thing ever happens when we’re there.”

“Fair enough,” he laughs. “What are you gonna get?”

“She’s gonna get a house burger, medium, with all the fixings and a shake,” Ms. Lenetti’s voice cut through as she approached the table, forcing a smile to your face.

“you know me too well, Ms. L,” you smile tiredly at the woman.

“Oh, darling, you look tired,” she frowned, finally looking you over.

“It’s been a long few days,” you shrug.

“Well, you take care of yourself, sweetheart,” she ordered.

“I’ll do my very best, Ma'am,” you nod.

“Alright, what about you, Mr. Grayson? What will you have tonight?” Ms. L gave you one last look before turning to Dick.

“The same,” he decided with a smile.

“Good choice,” she smiled at him before grabbing his menu and walking away.

“I think I’m going to sleep for a week after this,” Dick admitted.

“Sounds like a good plan,” you note, shutting your eyes for a minute.

It’s silent for a moment, but then you feel Dick’s hands against your rings. You peek one eye open and spot him analyzing the amethyst ring.

“It was my dad’s,” you tell him, and he freezes, looking up to you, but you close your eyes once more. “It’s a family heirloom. He got it from his dad, who got it from his dad, and so on. Our last name is engraved on the inside, and the lion is part of our family crest. I thought it was gone when I got put into the system during the trial, but Dinah got it for me. Well, her dad did. He was the officer who responded to the 911 call my parents made that night. He found me, and honestly, I probably wouldn’t be here without him, and I definitely wouldn’t have the ring,” you admit.

“I always wondered how you ended up with Dinah,” he shared.

“Chance, mostly,” you hum, finally opening your eyes. “But I will always be grateful,” you add.

“I get that. If Bruce hadn’t been at the Circus that night, who knows where I’d be,” Dick nods.

Before you could say anything else, Ms. L came back with your milkshakes and burgers, “here you go, sweethearts.”

“Thank you, Ms. L,” you smiled.

“Yeah, it looks great!” Dick cheered.

“Enjoy, you too!” she smiled, tucking the tray under her arm before walking off.

You stare at the ring for another moment before Dick grabs his milkshake glass, tilting it toward you, “here’s to chance,” he offers.

You smile, “no,” you shake your head, grabbing your glass, “to found families.”

Chapter Text

3rd Person POV

WATCHTOWER

November 25, 06:54 EST

“Times like these, one feels the very weight of the world upon us,” Wonder Woman noted, staring out at the earth as the tower orbited around it. 

Aqualad approached, “Everyone is here.”

Together with the original three, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, they re-entered the meeting room where the rest of the League was. 

“Our agenda is clear,” Aqualad began. “What's at stake should not be underestimated.”

“The decisions we make today will reverberate for years to come,” Superman continued.

“And influence whether or not the world continues to put their trust in the Justice League,” Wonder Woman reminded them.

“Please take your seats,” Batman instructed. “We have work to do.”

As everyone settled around the U-shaped table, the leaguers took their places, the screen before them coming alive. “Another expansion of the league could generate hostilities from our enemies,” Martian Manhunter announced. “No one needs or wants another Injustice League.”

“Point taken,” Superman conceded, “But the option remains to vote no on all candidates,” he reminds the current League members, gaining nods from some around the table. “So I nominate Icon for league membership,” the man of steel decided, pulling a picture of Icon to the holoscreen for everyone to see.

“Why? Because you suspect Icon might be Kryptonian like you did with Captain Marvel?” Green Arrow asked, casting an unamused look toward Superman.

“You thought I was Kryptonian?” Captain Marvel perked. “Cool.”

“Icon interests me also,” Wonder Woman supplied. “As does his protege, Rocket,” she adds, pulling up her photo on the screens. “Athena knows the league could use more female members.”

“Agreed,” Black Canary smiled. 

“Hear, hear,” Hawkwoman concurred. 

3rd Person POV

MOUNT JUSTICE

November 25, 10:25 EST 

“Gobble, gobble!” Wally cheered, eating the cranberries set out on the table. “Mm. Mm. Oh, I love Thanksgiving!”

Using her telekinesis M’gann swatted Wally’s hand away with a wooden spoon “Hey, those are for dinner, Wally,” she chastised.

“ Yelsrap egas yramesor dna emyht! ” ( Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme ) Zatanna chanted. “There. Seasoned to perfection and ready for the oven.”

After M’gann levitated the turkey into the oven, she faced the resident speedster. “Wally, I thought you were eating with your family.”

“Oh, yeah!” Wally frowned, standing straight.

“Hey, do you know if NG or Robin will be stopping by tonight?” Zatanna asked as she began picking things up to put away.

Wally shook his head, “Nah, they went out-”

“On a date!?!” Zatanna asked, whipping her attention back to Wally.

“Oh, I wasn't supposed to share that..” Wally trailed, a frown taking over his face.

“Good for them!” M’gann cheered. 

“Yeah… look if they ask, I said nothing…” he covered.

Zatanna smiled, “Your secret is safe with us.”

Wally looked between the girls before nodding, “Good, well, I gotta go. Dad will kill me if I'm late,” he said, grabbing another handful of cranberries and speeding out, ignoring the chastising shout of M’gann after him.

“Wally!”

With the speedster gone, the soft sobs of the sorceress in training became apparent. M’gann turned to Zatanna, but she tried to wipe her tears away, “It's nothing. It's the onions.”

“These are all the things I used to cook for…” she cut herself off. “It's my first Thanksgiving without my dad,” she admitted, allowing M’gann to wrap her in a hug. 

“Least she had a dad,” Connor grumbled, looking over to Wolf. 

His flat expression changed to a wince when a high-pitched tone pierced his ears. 

“With Superman off-world, only one thing alive with less than four legs can hear this frequency, Superboy, and that's you,” the charismatic tone of Lex Luthor rang through Connor’s ears. “Meet me in Washington, D.C. East Potomac Park. Come alone. I promise it'll be worth the trip.”

Conner contemplated for a moment before standing up, nodding Wolf along with him.

M’gann saw as he got up, and, releasing Zatanna, she called out to him, “Conner?”

Conner paused for a second, “Figure you don't want my help in the kitchen. Remember the last time?” he fibbed. 

“Uh, yeah,” she stuttered, casting him a skeptical look. “But…”

Conner huffed, “I'm just walking, Wolf. No big,” he shrugged, exiting the cave.

GOTHAM MUSEUM OF ART, UNIVERSITY DISTRICT, GOTHAM CITY

November 25, 10:30 EST

You spotted him on the steps before you even crossed the street to the Museum. He is sitting there in his favorite green hoodie and staring at his phone. It was strange to see him in the light of day with no sunglasses on. Smiling, you sent him a text, and a second later, he’s raising his head, blue eyes meeting yours with a glint.

You wait for the cross sign, and soon enough, you’re walking with the masses. Dick meets you on the curb, and your smile grows even bigger, “Hey there, boy wonder,” you greet softly. 

“Not today,” he corrects. “Today we’re Dick and (Y/n), not “the boy wonder” and not “the sonic sidekick” just Dick, and (Y/n),” he decides. 

“Dick and (Y/n), I think we can manage that,” you agree. 

Dick offers another smile, and you can’t help but appreciate how blue his eyes genuinely seem. “Well, (Y/n) I happen to have two tickets to the Gotham Museum of Art where they are showcasing a new exhibit on the fabled Court of Owls,” he explained, showing off the two tickets as he pulled them from his pocket. 

“Court of Owls, huh? Sounds ominous,” you tease, looping your arm with his as you walk up the steps to the Museum entrance. 

“Very, it’s this old story used to keep kids in line. Bruce said his dad used to tell it to him when he was younger,” Dick explained while handing the tickets to the guy at the front. 

“Bruce Wayne liked bedtime stories. Who knew?” you mused.

Dick smirked, “Well, it’s a poem, actually.”

“Tell it to me,” you ask while the two of you head down the tiled pathway and to the Court of Owls exhibition. 

Dick led you to the middle of the room, letting you look around and take in all the art. The paintings were dark, but they held an air of regency, power, and mystery. It seemed like something out of a novel with their painted masks and elaborate gowns. 

“Beware The Court of Owls, that watches all the time,” he began, and your eyes focused on the first painting, rows of people standing with white masks and rich clothes. “Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime,” he continued, focusing on you as you spin around, absorbing his words and the paintings on the wall. “They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them,” you freeze as you stare at what’s probably the most frightening of them all, a zombie-like individual, clad with swords and an even stranger mask, “or they'll send the Talon for your head.”

“Hmm, the Talon,” you hum, “seems like someone who might want to work with Sportsmaster and Cheshire.”

Dick snorts at your musing, stepping up next to you while your eyes traced over the painting of the Talon, “Well, he’s got the mask for it,” he adds.

You smiled at Dick, and you continued around the room. Stopping every so often to analyze a new work of art or go off on some half-related tangent. You spent hours in the Museum, looking at the Court of Owls exhibit and more. Eventually, you made your way to the garden outside. 

“You know, during the day, it doesn't seem that bad during the day,” you tell him, squinting up at the sun. 

“I know, when the sun's out, it makes you wonder why we need Batman,” Dick admits, as the two of you sit down on a bench in a gazebo. 

You think of Batman for a moment. His cape swept around him, hearing the news stories on the TV before your parents passed away. “We both know better, though,” you remind him as you linger on the thought of your parents.

Dick lets out a small sigh but nods, “Yeah, we do. I wanted to talk to you about that, actually,” he admits. 

“What about?” you ask, turning your full attention to him.

“Now that you know who Bruce is, does it change things?”

Your brows furrowed as you again missed the meaning of the question, “How do you mean “change” things?”

“I mean, you said your parents used to work for Wayne Enterprises. They worked for Bruce,” Dick shrugged, and you slightly shrug.

“It’s strange,” you admit. “Did you know he sends me cards on my birthday and the day they died? He’s done it every year since that night.”

A clear look of surprise crosses Dick’s face at your admission, “He does?”

“It was weird when I realized that he’s not some faraway CEO that I've never really met and is instead someone who’s seen me grow from much closer than any of us could have expected. And it sometimes makes me question Dinah and Ollie because they know. You know?” you pause, sitting straighter in your seat; it felt surprisingly good to be able to talk to someone about this. “I mean, Ollie and Bruce are friends, and they know. But it's not something that ever gets brought up at home.”

“So… strange?” Dick offers.

You snort a little at the simplification but nod, “Exactly. It’s an eccentric move on his part, though,” you add. 

Dick smirks at you and, without missing a beat, shoots back with, “Would it have been more centric for him to tell you that he’s Bruce Wayne, billionaire philanthropist, and ex-boss of your now-dead parents randomly one day at the Mountain?” he asks. 

Your lips curl into a smile as well as you stare at Dick, “No, I suppose that would've been equally strange and eccentric.”

3rd Person POV

WATCHTOWER

November 25, 11:23 EST

As the League stared at an image of The Atom, Captain Marvel squinted before addressing the other members, “Seriously? The Atom? Well, how useful could he be at that size?”

“It's the size that makes him useful,” Batman argued. 

“Absolutely!” Flash agreed. “Still, we could always use more raw power. And Earth has a third Green Lantern, Guy Gardner-“

Both current Green Lantern members, John Stewert and Hal Jordan, were quick to negate this argument, “No.”

Barry looked at the image of Guy Gardner and then to Hal, “But we could really-“

“No,” the Lanterns repeated. 

BAT BURGER, UNIVERSITY DISTRICT, GOTHAM CITY

November 25, 12:07 EST

It’s lunchtime when you decide that you’ve seen enough of the museum. 

“Are you hungry?” Dick asks as the two of you exit the building.

“Starving,” you smile at him.

“C’mon, there’s a Bat Burger a block over, then I want to show you one more thing,” he decides.

“Lead the way,” you nod, and he smiles back as the two of you take down a street heading south.

The second you walk in, you can’t help but snort when you get a solid look at the college student working the register. He was wearing a pretty pathetic version of Batman’s suit. The best part was the girl at the register next to him. She was dressed as Robin; neither seemed excited to be here.

“The costumes?” he asked quietly, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t bite away the smile.

“They’re awful,” you giggle softly under your breath.

“Bruce refuses to come in most of the time,” Dick smirked.

Shaking your head, you laugh silently before managing out, “What should I get?”

“Batburger with Jokerized fries, make it a Bat-Mite Meal for a toy,” he laughed.

“A toy?” you repeat, amusement clear in your eyes.

“They’re collectibles,” Dick shrugged.

“I’ll remember that,” you snort.

You both ordered a Bat-Mite Meal, which the bat-dressed cashier glared at you for,  but he ultimately relented. You were about to sit down at a booth opened up, but Dick grabbed your hand. 

“We’re gonna eat somewhere else,” he stated vaguely.

“Where?” you press.

“Trust me,” he smirked.

You stared at Dick for a moment and took a deep breath. You did trust him, your eyes dipped to your hands, and you nodded, “Lead the way.

THE CLOCKTOWER, OLD GOTHAM, GOTHAM CITY

November 25, 12:33

“Dick, where are we?” you asked, staring up at the clocktower that stood tall before you.

“C’mon!” he simply ignores your question and tugs you over to the building. 

Dick pauses for a second next to the doors, looking around to make sure there aren’t people paying attention, and then he is pulling you around the side of the building into an alleyway. Pulling out his phone, he tapped a few things, and then the wall shifted. You’d seen similar tech with Oliver’s bunkers as the brick moved and revealed an elevator. You sent Dick another cautious look, but he simply nodded toward the elevator. You stepped in, and he followed, the brick closing almost immediately.

The elevator moved faster than you were anticipating as it shot upwards. There were no numbers in the elevator, but the small screen panel flashed “CT” when it dinged as it stopped.

“CT?” you asked.

“Welcome to the Clock Tower,” Dick introduced as the elevator doors opened and revealed a pretty high-tech space with a view of most of Old Gotham.

Your eyes widened a bit as you looked out the window. You could see the bordering districts; to the north was the Diamond District, to the east was City Hall, and to the west was Chinatown. Your childhood home had been along the Diamond District and Old Gotham borders. From your place in the Clocktower, it seemed so far away. You heard Dick type something, and then with a hiss, a panel moved, revealing some stairs, up to the clock’s mechanics.

Turning back to Dick, you quirked your brow, but he smiled and started ascending the stairs. You gave the skyline one more look before following after him. He led you up and out of the clock’s framework. Soon you found yourself sitting on the edge, facing south with the large clock face just a few feet behind you. Your legs were dangling off the edge, and though a normal person would be terrified, you knew that even if you fell, Dick would catch you.

The two of you pulled out your food, it was a little colder than when you got it, but the view made up for it. You could see Gotham Harbor and the ferry that led to Blüdhaven, Blackgate Penitentiary, and Tricorner. 

“One day, I think I might move to Blüdhaven,” Dick said suddenly, and your eyes focused on him, and then on the ferry, leaving the port in Tricorner.

“Why Blüdhaven?” you ask, taking a bite out of your burger.

“It’s not too far from Gotham if Bruce needs backup, but….”

“It’s not Gotham?” you offer as hen trails off.

“Yeah, I love being Robin, and Gotham is my home, but sometimes I think about life outside of Gotham,” he shrugs. 

You smile softly, turning back to study Dick for a moment, “Yeah, I get that,” you nod, and he turns away from the ferry to look at you. “I love Dinah and Ollie, and sometimes I think it was sheer luck that I ended up with them. Star City’s great, but I’m not sure if it’s where I want to stay,” you shrug.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Gotham, for a bit anyway,” you admit.

“Really?” Dick’s eyes widened a bit.

“My parents were Gotham U alumni, I’m not sure yet, but I think it’s where I want to go for college,” you explain.

“Gotham U is a good school. At least, that’s what Bruce keeps telling me,” Dick huffed. 

“He probably doesn’t want you to go too far.”

“So that I can keep being his sidekick?” Dick scoffed.

“Because he’d miss you, Dick. I think it’d be a difficult day for him when you move out because for all his stoicism, I think deep down, he’s a family person, and you’re his kid,” you reason. 

Dick goes silent as he considers what you said, the two of you turning back out to the skyline in silence.

3rd Person POV

WATCHTOWER

November 25, 13:45 EST

Green Arrow stared at the current picture before hitting a button on his controller. “If we're considering Blue Devil, then I nominate Red Arrow,” he announced. “Roy has more experience, and he's no kid anymore. He's 18, a legal adult. He's ready.”

Aquaman was quick to interject, “Is he?” he asked. “Red Arrow has been uncooperative and disrespectful. “If we reward that behavior, what message does that send to the rest of the team?”

The league fell into silence. Batman studied Green Arrow, his eyes darting around the table, analyzing everyone’s reactions before landing on Black Canary. The woman in question met his stare with a curious expression. However, her unspoken inquiry was answered seconds later when the picture changed. 

Suddenly the image was no longer of Red Arrow but instead of her protege, Nightingale. Canary’s lips parted in surprise while Batman stood.

“If we are discussing former sidekicks, then I think we should consider Nightingale,” Batman announced, effectively shocking the League. They all stared up at the rotating image of Canary’s former sidekick.

“No. Red Arrow may be 18, but the rest of the team is too young,” Superman argued. “We're not inducting children into the league.”

A light hum echoed from the Sorcerer with the gold helmet, “That seems myopic,” he intervenes. “I have been one with Kid Flash and Nightingale. Both are ready. I’d argue that Nightingale has a unique capability. Her inner strength and honest desire to do good fuel her and, by extension, her teammates. It makes her much stronger than any of us have yet to see or actively comprehend,” he advised.

“And what of Zatanna?” Wonder Woman baited.

“Absolutely not!” Doctor Fate’s sudden disagreement brought an amused smile to the Themiscyrian’s lips.

“That sounded almost protective, Doctor,” she hinted. “At least we know Zatara is still in that helmet somewhere.”

“Why is Dr. Fate a member?” Captain Marvel inquired, standing up. “You coerced Zatara into giving up his life to you, or else, lose his daughter instead,” he reminded everyone. “Not cool.”

Red Tornado turned at this, “Should such behavior be condoned?” he asked, addressing the League.

Dr. Fate spoke up immediately, “Zatara desires Dr. Fate to remain with the league.

Oliver scoffed in response, “Oh, please.”

“It is true. Zatara's trust in Nabu is measured. He desires the league to maintain a close watch upon us. Though he also voices concern regarding admitting any children into the League, he admits that Nightingale has surpassed even his expectations,” the sorcerer explained. 

“She’s 14!” Oliver argued, glaring at the sorcerer.

“But she has shown an incredible ability to get the job done, any job. No matter the odds. Doctor Fate is right, she is strong, but more than that, she’s smart enough to hold her own against any caliber of criminal she encounters,” Batman advised.

“She’s on probation!” Oliver countered, turning to the Gotham hero. “You,” he emphasized, “put her on probation.”

“And all that’s done is prove the potential she possesses, even at 14. And while on probation, she managed to salvage a mission her team would have otherwise failed. More than that, she brought them to success. Even on probation, they trusted her to lead them. Is that not the level of trust and skilled ability that we want the League to emulate?”

As the League fell quiet, absorbing what Batman had said, Wonder Woman was the only one to turn, “Is your own protege not the same age?” she asked.

“Robin is still learning. Nightingale’s knowledge and ability should be seriously considered regardless of her age,” he argued. “She has been doing this beside Canary and Green Arrow for many years now. It’d be a mistake for us not to take that into account.”

“She is still developing,” Martian Manhunter intervened. “Her recent realization of her abilities is just that, recent. She is still learning her limits, and her powers still require honing,” he reasons.

“You admitted during her hearing, J’onn. Her rate of improvement has been a steep curve. She has already begun to demonstrate the benefits of her powers and how it relates to her team,” Batman countered.

“She is your protege, Canary. What do you think?” Superman interrupted, redirecting the attention to the powered heroine.

Dinah hesitated for a moment, meeting Oliver’s eyes before addressing the League, “I do not doubt that she could do this, that she could be a League Member and perform in her position capably. She would do it to the best of her ability, which we shouldn’t underestimate. But Green Arrow’s right; she’s a kid. More than that, she’s my kid. I’m not sure if that makes me biased, especially since I brought her into this world of heroes and villains, but all I know is that she has proven to me a hundred times over that she can and will adapt, no matter what. And that she will always do what’s best.”

“I agree,” the thick timbre of Arthur Curry drew the attention of everyone around the table. “I spent a year with the youngling. During that time, I not only had the opportunity to observe but to participate and contribute to her training. I learned much from her mannerisms at that time. Many of my people were hostile when she came to Atlantis, but she won them over. All of them. She took the time to learn our customs, people, and language. She made friends, and at the same time, she balanced her obligations in a way that I would never have expected from someone so young,” he shared. “Red Arrow may be older, but I believe that Nightingale is better suited to what the League demands of an individual. Moreover, she will hold herself accountable to it all,” as Aquaman finished his explanation, the League fell into another silence. Everyone’s eyes focused on the holographic image of Nightingale displayed before them.

CENTRAL CITY

November 25, 14:00 EST

“I think this is your worst idea yet,” you snort as you and Dick exit the zeta.

“You suggested it!” he shot back with a smile. 

He wasn’t wrong, though you had meant it facetiously. When you and Dick left the Clocktower, you made a joke about raiding the West family kitchen for a pre-dinner snack, but Dick took it seriously. This allowed him to show you that there were Zeta points hidden all over Gotham, including one very close to the Clocktower. Before you knew it, you were in Central City, making your way to Wally’s house. 

“Dick, we can’t just invade on their Thanksgiving,” you argue.

“We’re not invading,” Dick argued.

“How are we not invading?” you scoffed.

“Because he asked first,” a new voice answered as a gust of wind hit you.

Your eyes leveled on Wally and then darted to Dick, “not cool.”

“It’s cute that you were worried,” Wally smirked.

“I’m sorry for not wanting to bug you on a family holiday,” you lament sarcastically.

“You’re not invading, and you’re not bugging. Barry’s still at the League meeting, meaning so is Bruce, Oliver, and Dinah, effectively meaning that the both of you are on your own until they get out,” Wally reasoned. “My parents are all for you guys coming over for a bit to kill time. There’s no way Mom would let you guys go back to empty homes.”

“Our homes aren’t empty,” you challenged defiantly.

“Really?” Wally questions, crossing his arms smugly as he looks at you.

“Yeah, I have Rosa, and Dick has Alfred,” you argue.

“Right,” Wally rolls his eyes, “both of whom are probably busy in the kitchen.”

Your lips flatten you realize you have no comeback.

“Exactly, now, you’re already in Central City, so why don’t we head back to my house, and you can hang out for a few hours before heading home,” Wally reasoned, the smug look still intact.

“I-“ you didn’t get a chance to argue because, in the next second, Wally had his hands on his shoulders pushing you forward, sending Dick a subtle wink as his hands kept a firm grip.

You made it to the West household in a pretty reasonable fashion, and the second you walked in, you were bombarded with a hug from Mrs. West. 

“Oh! (Y/n) it’s so good to see you again, dear. I’m so glad Wally convinced you to come by for a bit,” she gushed, taking your coat and hanging it on the hook.

“Thanks, Mrs. West, it’s kind of you to let us stay for a bit,” you smiled back.

“Anytime, dear,” she promised before turning to Dick. “Richard! How wonderful!”

Dick was squished in a hug a second later, while Wally sent you both looks of pure amusement. 

“Alright, Mom, we’ll be in my room if you need us!” Wally cheered, steering us away once more.

“Okay, have fun, kids! Let me know if you get hungry!” she called after the three of you.

“Your mom’s always so sweet, Wally,” you stated as you walked into his room. 

“Yeah…” Dick trailed a playful smirk on his lips, “what happened to you?” he shot.

You couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out as you sat down on the end of Wally’s bed. 

“Ha, ha, funny guy, you’re hanging around, Birdy,” Wally scoffed, falling back beside you.

“He’s alright,” you muse, as Dick sat down at Wally's desk.

“Humor is a good quality to have, Wallace,” Dick shot back. 

“If you say so, Richard,” he snarked.

“I think using your government names is very mature,” you snort, sarcasm dripping with every word.

Both boys rolled their eyes at you, but that didn’t wipe the smirk from your face, “somehow, she always ends up on top, huh?” Dick notes.

“Yeah, I get the feeling that’ll never change,” Wally scoffs as both boys stare at you. You smile wide in response and wink at them teasingly.

“Not my fault you guys can’t keep up,” you tease. 

“You’re a menace to society,” Wally decides. 

Your smile curls into a smirk as you look your redheaded best friend in the eyes, “thank you.”

3rd Person POV

WATCHTOWER

November 25, 15:02 EST

The screen now displayed an image of “Plastic Man,” as announced by Batman.

Captain Marvel let out a slight snicker while Flash took control of the conversation, “I don't know. The guy's got a pretty substantial criminal record.”

However, Captain Marvel could not keep control, and his laughter spilled out, interrupting the rest of the conversation. 

“Sorry. Sorry. The guy just cracks me up,” he apologized while trying to collect himself, though he was met with abundant unamused expressions.

Flash let out a sigh, “Maybe it's time we all talked about the elephant in the room. Should Captain Marvel stay a member now that we know he's really only ten years old?

“He does possess an adult body and the wisdom of Solomon,” Red Tornado offered in defense.

“Wisdom does not equal maturity,” Aquaman negated.

Captain Marvel frowned, “Hey, I'm sitting right here!”

“Then, Billy, maybe you should leave until we've hashed this out,” Canary offered.

“No. Captain Marvel is a member and is entitled to participate until or unless he's voted out,” Batman reminded the league.

“It's not just his age. It's the fact that he lied about it,” Wonder Woman countered.

“I didn't lie, exactly. I just left out the part about being a kid,” Captain Marvel reasoned.

Wonder Woman’s frown deepened, “A lie of omission is still a lie. You kept an important secret from us. No one in the league knew the truth.”

“I did,” Batman spoke up, surprising the League, Billy Batson included.

Wonder Woman turned her frown on Batman, “I shouldn't be surprised since you indoctrinated Robin into crime-fighting at the ripe old age of 9.”

With her focus on the Bat, Wonder Woman did not notice as Black Canary let her gaze dip for a moment, accepting that she too had done the same with her ward. 

Batman noticed but moved on regardless, “Robin needed to help bring the men who murdered his family to justice.”

“So he could turn out like you?” Wonder Woman challenged.

“So that he wouldn't,” Batman explained, turning his attention back to Dinah, and the two shared a look of understanding. 

“It’s more than that,” she adds, and eyes shift to the sonic screamer. “The team is composed of kids who went through tragedies, but our goals have been to help them do better, better than the things that happened to them, and ultimately be better than us.”

“Are you referring to your ward?” Wonder Woman inquired, and once again, the image shifted back to Nightingale.

“Nightingale’s been through many traumas, but all it’s done is make her stronger,” Oliver supported.

“Are you advocating for Canary’s apprentice? Does she not hold a special place to you as well?” Wonder Woman pressed. 

Oliver faltered for a second, “Well-”

“I will,” Aquaman interrupted, and wide eyes turned toward him. “Roy might be an unideal choice in my eyes, but Nightingale is different, as I’ve already stated.”

“Her ability and skill aside, her age remains. She is 14 years old. Are we truly willing to tell the world that this child is a member of the League? And is she equipped to deal with the corresponding level of threat she would then live in?” Hawkwoman inquired. 

J’onn switched the image to show Miss Martian, “You seem to have reached a consensus that 18 years is a suitable minimum age for joining the League, yet what of Miss Martian?” he asked. “Though she is a biological adolescent by Martian standards, she was born 48 Earth years ago.”

“So, what is the deciding factor, chronology or biology?” Red Tornado pondered. “Take Superboy,” he offered, pulling another image up.

“Exactly. He's less than a year old. Does he have to wait for 17 more to stand beside us?” Canary pressed. “Is it the fact you truly believe that those younger than us cannot uphold their titles, or is it because we as a society, and we with our complexes as heroes believe that they can’t match up since to us they’re children? We’ve already heard your beliefs on my protege. Would you argue that she has yet to prove herself? And ask yourselves if she were 18 right now, would you be more willing to indoctrinate her? Any of them?” Canary’s question hung in the air while Leaguers considered the proper weight of her words, casting glances at each other.

CENTRAL CITY

November 25, 17:35 EST

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay any later? It’s no bother,” Mrs. West asked as you and Dick pulled on your coats. 

“Thanks, Mrs. West, but we’re good. I gotta get back to Gotham, or Alfred’ll have my head,” Dick declined.

“Yeah, I still have to make a call before everyone gets home,” you tag on.

“A call?” Wally challenges. 

“I spent the day with you and Dick. Someone who normally spends the day with me is on his own,” you shrug. 

“Roy,” Dick realizes. 

“Yeah… I don’t think Ollie called him, but it’s not Thanksgiving if Roy’s not there for dinner,” you tell them. 

“So you’re going to hunt him down? I can help if you want?” Dick offered. 

“Thanks, but I know exactly where he is. I have for months,” you admit. 

“You do?” Wally presses. 

“Just because he decided the team wasn’t for him doesn’t mean I dropped the matter,” you remind them.

Both boys send you pointed looks, and you can’t help but smile, “I might’ve tailed him back to his apartment after we had lunch one day,” you shrug. 

“Menace to society,” Wally repeated with a laugh. 

“Shut up, Wally,” you scoff.

“No,” he shoots back, sticking his tongue out. You don’t hesitate to do the same.

“Very mature, you two,” Dick laughs before the two boys do a bro hug.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Wally,” you cut in, hugging the speedster tight.

“Happy Thanksgiving, (Y/n),” he smiles, dropping a kiss on your head. 

You waved at Wally's parents once more before you and Dick walked out. You stepped onto the concrete, and Dick took up beside you. You looked at him with a smile. It had been a perfect day. 

“Thanks for today,” you say softly as you both begin walking back towards the zeta.

“It was a joint effort,” he argues.

“Joint effort, I like that,” you admit, bumping his hand with yours. 

Dick gives you a comforting smile, “You and me, we’re a team,” he tells you.

“A team,” you repeat, and when you bump his hand again, Dick surprises you by lacing your fingers together.

“Is... Is this okay?” he asks, and you swear you could see the nerves on his face.

“More than,” you tell him, slightly squeezing his hand.

Dick offers you a small, shy smile, and you reciprocate, hands clasped tightly together. You walk mostly in silence as the two of you navigate back toward the Zeta point. 

“Today was… asterous,” you note with a smile. 

“Really?” he asks, eyes wide. 

“Yeah, I mean, how do you feel about it?”

Dick smiles to himself, “I’m feeling whelmed,” he concedes. 

You couldn’t help but snort in amusement at his comeback. 

“Maybe we could have another asterous day that leaves us feeling whelmed?” he asks, hands swinging between you both.

“I’d like that. Maybe next time we can even aim for feeling turbed,” you mock, pulling a playful smile from Dick.

“I could get turbed,” he agrees before his phone beeps, and you wait as he checks it. “Alfred’s checking in,” he tells you, and you nod, heart-clenching a little. 

Today had been great, the museum, the clock tower, even Wally, but now that it was ending, part of you wished it wasn’t. “You should probably get going then,” you say, focused on your hands as they stay entwined.

“Yeah, and you have an ex-partner to retrieve,” he adds jokingly. 

“I do,” you affirm. You smile softly at Dick. Leaning close, you kiss his cheek, “It was a perfect day, Dick. Thank you, and I’ll see you soon,” you add, letting go of his hand. 

Dick catches your hand and pulls you into a hug. You let out a small breath as you melt a little against him. “Sooner than you think,” he promises, and you smile. “Bye (y/n),” he bids as you let go. 

“Bye, Dick,” you say softly before stepping into the Zeta booth.

STAR CITY

November 25, 18:08 EST

As soon as you cleared the Zeta, you made your way to the bunker, grabbed a bag, threw some of your typical patrol toys into a backpack, and then left. You made your way to the subway and took the green line from downtown Star City into Elgin.
Cautiously you made your way around until you spotted the building. The Pizza shop on the bottom had become a frequent favorite of yours, but your eyes focused on the window about five stories up. Your lip quirked at the challenge before moving out of the main walkway and into the alleyway. It was now a bit dark out, which gave you the necessary cover to put your plan into action. 

You pulled out your collapsed bow, allowing it to spring into full shape. Locking the mechanisms in place, you pulled a grappling arrow out from the bag and then slung the bag back on. Taking a deep breath, you notched the arrow tilting up and aiming for the billboard on the roof of the building. A second passed when you let go as the arrow flew, landed, and locked in place, and then the reel started pulling you up. You let it pull you up to Roy’s window, the lights are off, but if your general idea of his schedule is right, he should be getting home in the next hour. 

You pull a set of lock picks out and start working on the window. You pause before opening it, though, spotting the precautions Roy set. Your smirk grew as you realized how much more difficult this would be. 

“You never make it easy for me,” you murmur, grabbing more gear from the bag. “Not that I’d want you to, though. This is way more fun.”

It took you a solid 45 minutes to disable the booby traps that Roy had set, and you almost got sprayed with nanite trackers in the process, but at the end, you took a deep breath and smiled to yourself. You dropped your bag down and moved to the kitchen, pulling out a water bottle. 

When you hear a key in the door about 15 minutes later, you smile, and when Roy walks in, he froze the second he saw you sitting on his sofa, watching TV. 

“About time,” you sighed, “I thought you’d be back sooner,” you muse, turning the TV off and standing up. 

“WHAT?” he asked, looking at you and eyes darting around his apartment. 

“Yeah, and we need to discuss your security, Roy. It needs a bit of an upgrade,” you teased, which wasn’t true. His security was really well done. You just knew him and were able to predict most of his moves. 

“I-” he sighed and heavy sigh. “What?” he repeated.

“It’s Thanksgiving,” you say simply. 

“I know,” he nods, blue eyes wide as he stares at you. 

“Okay, great, so let’s go,” you tell him, picking up your bag. 

“Go?”

“Yeah, to Ollie’s?” you remind him. 

“No.”
“Oh… I wasn’t asking,” you press challenging. 

“(Y/n) I- no.”

“Roy, I literally just broke into your apartment to get you because you have been ignoring my calls and texts. What makes you think that anything you say right now will change my mind,” you challenge. 

“I-” he stuttered once more.

“You… are going to grab your pj’s the ones Dinah got you, and a night over bag, then we’re going to Ollie’s for dinner. They should be getting home in the next few hours,” you tell him.

“What if I don’t want to,” he shoots back.

“Bullshit,” you negate.

Roy glares hard for a minute, and you simply shrug at him. He lets out a groan before moving to his room. You smile proudly as he moves to pack his bag and begin replacing all of his traps.

He stares at you with mad blue eyes when he comes out, but you smile and tell him, “I reactivated your traps,” you tell him, moving toward the door. 

“How many did you set?” you ask as he grabs his keys. 

“23,” he huffed.

“23?” you ask with a furrowed brow, turning back, eyes darting all around the room.

“Yeah, how many did you deactivate?” he asked, pausing. 

“20,” you frown.

“Meaning I won,” Roy smirked.

“No, I still got in, untouched,” you argue. 

“How’d you get in?”

“No, I’m not saying.”
“(Y/n),” Roy let out a heavy sigh. 

“No,” you huff. “If I tell you I won’t be able to get in next time,” you argue. 

Roy stares at you hard for a second, and when you were younger, you’d cave. He’d learn that look from Dinah. But not this time. You stared back at him, refusing to back down. 

After a few minutes of staring in silence, Roy sighed, and you smirked. He shot you one last glare before walking to a cabinet in his kitchen, and you can hear as he moves stuff around before coming back over. Roy tossed something your way. When you caught it, you realized it was a key. 

“Now you have a key. You can come in through the door. How’d you get in?” he pressed. 

You froze. You couldn’t help it, Roy had been avoiding you and the team, but now he was giving you a key to his apartment. His behavior made less and less sense to you, but as you stood in front of him, you could imagine how it used to be, the two of you versus Ollie and Dinah. He used to be your partner.

“The window,” you croaked, “I came in through the window,” you tell him.

“I’m on the 5th floor.”

“I didn’t say it was easy,” you shrug, eyes focused on the key. 

“Two of the ones you didn’t touch were hooked up to the front door if someone tried to come in without a key. The third was on the roof,” he tells you, grabbing his stuff and an extra helmet. 

Tossing the helmet to you, he offers you his first smile of the night, a real genuine one. “C’mon, let’s go, Birdy.”

3rd Person POV

WATCHTOWER

November 25, 18:08 EST

As the conversations lulled, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stood up to address the league. 

“No other ideas?” the Man of Steel inquired. “Then here are our candidates for new or continued membership,” he announced as holograms of each and every debated individual became visible around the table. 

“We've debated origin, gender, size, experience, age, temperament, and background,” he explained. “But what is the fundamental criterion for membership?”

“When all is said and done, the question must be: Whom do we trust?” Wonder Woman asked. “Trust to fight beside us. Trust to have our backs. Trust to uphold the high standards and ideals of the Justice League.”

Batman waited until the holoscreen with the voting page became available to each member, then nodded his head, “Time to vote.”

Minutes ticked by as each member took their time, reviewed their notes, and made decisions. Votes were cast, and eventually, everyone had finished. Batman stood from his seat once more, summoning the results for everyone to see. Some results tracked, others were surprising, and after a few moments, for everyone to review, he spoke up. 

“All those in favor of ratifying the results?”

The entire league raised their hands, “Aye.”

He nodded, “All opposed?”

When no one responded, he cast one last look at the screen, “Then we are adjourned.”

STAR CITY

November 25, 19:43 EST

You’re kicking Roy from the other side of the sofa when the door opens, Criminal Minds playing on the TV. The two of you were deep in an argument over who the killer was. Boots against the floor catch your attention, so you stretch out. Leaning over the arm of the sofa, you spot Oliver and Dinah as they walk in. They both freeze as they take in your upside-down state, and then the redhead is seated across from you.

Roy had shut up when he saw them walk in. Your eyes dart from Dinah and Ollie over to Roy before looking back at your mentors, “Hey guys,” you smile softly. “I invited Roy over for dinner. I hope you don’t mind,” you state, eyes twinkling as you make eye contact with Dinah. 

A soft smile graced her lips as she took in the two of you. You’re both wearing the matching long PJ pants she had gotten you last Christmas. Roy’s in some faded band tee, and you look like you're drowning a bit in one of Ollie’s old college hoodies. 

“Of course, we don’t mind,” Oliver finally says, a happy look in his eyes. “Roy’s always welcome here,” he adds with a pointed look at his former protege. 

“Great!” you cheer with a broad smile and a slight kick to Roy’s side. “Do you guys want to shower and clean up before dinner? Rosa left everything in the oven, so it’ll be warm when we take it out,” you tell them. 

“Yeah, that sounds perfect,” Dinah affirms with a nod but pauses to make eye contact with Oliver. 

“But uh, before we go, we need to talk to you about something,” Ollie adds, looking at you. 

“Both of you, actually,” Dinah jumped back in, gaze flicking over to Roy.

You and Roy share a confused expression before turning back to your mentors, “What’s up?” he asked. 

“We had a League meeting today,” she began, “and something… came up…”

Your frown deepened, “Is this about my probation?” you pressed. 

Roy sighed, standing and grabbing his phone, “if this has to do with the team, you don’t need me for this conversation.”

“Sort of… but Roy, sweetheart, you’re going to want to stay and listen, Dinah tells him.

“What does that mean?” he huffed, staring at you and then turning back to Ollie and Dinah.

“We.. we had our annual vote today,” Oliver said, and your brows furrowed. 

“Vote,” you repeated.

“On League status, whether to continue membership, and if we want to invite new people into the League,” Dinah explained, and your eyes darted back over to Roy. 

This time he met your gaze with the same level of curiosity, “Okay…” he trailed, intense stare moving to Dinah as he crossed his arms.

Your mentor’s face seems to age in front of you in a way you’d never seen before. Her gaze shifts to Oliver, and you watch as they have a silent conversation. The longer they stare at each other, the more pained Dinah seems to get. 

“Honestly, you can’t just say we need to talk and then not talk,” Roy interrupts them, forcing them to look back.

“Just spit it out!” you add on, and their gaze shifts onto you.

“They want you to join the League,” Oliver states, staring straight at you, and the room goes silent.

Oliver and Dinah are watching you nervously, and Roy seems to be glaring at the wall past your head, but he doesn’t say a word.

A scoff sputters past your lips, “wHaT???” you screech. 

Dinah and Ollie wince at your high pitch, but before they can say anything, you continue, “You’re joking, right? Why the fuck would they want me??”

Dinah seems to kick into gear, “language!” she chastises. 

“Seriously?!?” you argue. 

She sighs, “I know this is surprising, Honey, but trust us. We weren’t expecting this either-”

You don’t wait for her to finish placating you, “what about everyone else?”

They go silent once more, and you let out an obnoxiously loud groan, “Well, the League voted yes, with a few caveats, on Roy….” Ollie admitted, and you whipped back to stare and Roy, who was now staring with wide blue eyes at Oliver. 

“They’re letting Mr. Sourpuss in too? They want us both? What kind of bribe did you make them, Ollie?” you incredulously shot back.

The snark seems to snap Roy out of his frozen stupor, “hey!” he objects.

“What?” you challenge. “This is crazy! I haven’t had my first kiss, and they want me to join the Justice League!” you remind them. “And you! You’ve been mean about it, and somehow I doubt they fell to teenage intimidation!”

“We know this is a lot, but we want you to think this through before you decide,” Dinah tells you, taking a deep breath. 

You pause, replaying her words in your mind, “decide?” you repeat, eyes finding hers. “I can say no?”

This time Dinah and Ollie freeze “(Y/n); you can’t be serious,” Roy hissed. 

Your turn back to Roy, “I want to know,” you challenge, “can I say no?”

Oliver looks a little queasy as he answers, “technically, that is your right. You could reject their invitation.”

You stop for a minute now and take a deep breath. This was everything you wanted, and you knew that. You knew you wanted to be a part of the Justice League, you always had, but that didn’t mean you wanted it right this second. The team was still going to be here. All you’d be doing was leaving them behind, which didn’t seem right. None of this seemed real. The longer everything rolled around in your head, the less you wanted to accept. The League was restrictive in a way that wouldn’t let you grow. The team was designed to help you grow and be better, and you weren’t done. As you took deep breaths and met Dinah’s eyes, you knew she didn’t want you to say yes. 

Dinah had never stopped you from doing anything. She always had your back and supported your decisions, but here and now, you could see how desperately she wanted you to say no. She would never say that to you unless you asked her directly for her opinion, but you knew.

“Can I ask them to revisit me next year?” you offer, your voice suddenly quiet compared to the nonsensical shouting you’d been doing minutes prior. 

“(Y/n) this is the Justice League,” Roy reminded you. 

“I know that, Roy. I also know that nearly every member of the Justice League is twice my age. I know that they’ve cemented themselves in their roles and identities. I haven’t. At least I don’t feel I have, not yet,” you snap. You stop yourself and take another deep breath, “It’s empowering to think that the Justice League thinks I’m capable enough to be a member now, but I don’t think I’m ready for that. I like being on the Team, you know? With other people my age, who get what it’s like to find our footing on our own.”

Oliver started laughing, the sound jarring compared to the tense heavy silence that’s been lapping at you all since Oliver and Dinah walked back in. “Seriously, you’re saying no?”

His question came between laughs, and it didn’t seem like he was capable of stopping. The longer you stared at him, the more your lips curled until a giggle slipped past. “I mean, yeah… but like, politely,” you offer, through your laughs. 

“Do you know what it takes to get an invitation?” Ollie’s still laughing as he’s talking to you. “We,” he wheezed a bit, “we have to agree unanimously. Meaning every leaguer agreed on inviting you in, and you want to say no,” he dissolved at the end, leaning against the wall bracing himself as he laughed even harder.

Both Dinah and Roy are staring at the two of you now, but you can’t help but laugh harder at how absolutely insane this was. You’re still technically suspended for issues with authority, and now they wanted to put you on the Justice League?

Dinah’s the next to crack as she stares at you suddenly, light laughs are coming from her, and Roy hangs his head, mumbling something under his breath as Dinah comes back up to you, her hands grab your head, and she places a big kiss to your forehead, before wrapping her arms around you and squeezing you tight. 

“Sorry,” you murmured to her, laughs sobering a bit.

She doesn’t say anything, but there’s a quick flash of light behind your eyes as she squeezes you again, and for a second, you see yourself with Dinah, telling her how you had ripped your suit in the last battle with Cupid. 

“You have nothing to apologize for,” her voice echoed in your head, and you felt your body relax. 

You pulled on everything you had in you to express how grateful you were for Dinah and all her support. How she always seemed to know how you were doing. You tried to put that gratefulness into a wave you sent her way. 

You heard her take a shuddering breath before she pulled back a little to look into your eyes, and she smiled softly, “you surprise me every day, you know that?” she asks softly.

“The team will freak when they hear you said no,” Roy scoffed, and as your gaze switched over to him, you caught the quirk on his lips. 

“I... I don’t want to tell them,” you offer cautiously. 

“You don’t?” Ollie pressed. 

“No, I mean, would they know if I don’t tell them?” you ask.

“Well, no, I suppose they wouldn’t,” he confirms. 

“Good, then no one will know,” you decided. You stand up fully and look at the three, “So… can we eat now? Because I’m starving, I had to break into Roy’s apartment to get him, and that was a workout all on its own,” you huff.

“Yeah, let’s eat,” Olliver nodded, moving forward, before stopping suddenly. “Wait, you broke into his apartment?” he asked, turning back to look at you.

“Yeah, I thought you said you didn’t know where Roy lived?” Dinah pressed. 

“Is that what I said?” you asked nonchalantly, moving toward the kitchen. 

“How did you find me?” Roy asked, jumping in, and you looked at all of them before turning to the oven. 

“The food looks delicious!” you add, ignoring them. 

“(Y/n)!” Roy argued. 

“Hmm? Oh! Hey, can you grab the plates, please? I told Rosa we could set the table on our own,” you ask him, and he stares at you, blue eyes narrowed in a glare. 

He keeps his glare for a solid minute with you staring blankly at him before he caves, letting the matter go for the moment being, and moving to grab the plates, “someday, that won’t work anymore,” he huffs.

“Until that day then,” you shrug. 

Ollie chuckles, patting Roy’s shoulders, “Good luck, chum, those eyes have been working since she was a sweet little girl. Dinah’s the only one who’s ever been resistant.”

“That’s because Dinah’s a shrink, she has to see through the bullshit,” Roy shoots back. 

“Language, please,” Dinah sighs, as she helps you grab the food and bring it to the table.

“C’mon, kids, let’s eat,” Ollie chuckles as you all sit back down. 

For a second, the world fades away, and it’s just the four of you. There is no league, there is no team. No superheroes or villains, it’s just you and them. The food is great, the conversation flows so easily, in a way that you can’t remember since before the team, before Roy left. There’s an energy in the room, comforting, and as your hand grazes, Roy’s when he passes the green beans, and then Ollie’s when you hand them off, there’s a thrum of comfort, of safety, of home . 

Chapter Text

STAR CITY

December 4th, 12:35 EST

“I can’t believe you actually told them no,” Roy huffed, opening the door to Lenetti’s for you. 

“Roy,” you said his name with a long-suffering sigh. He’d been haggling this point hard since Thanksgiving. 

“The Justice League wants to indoctrinate you, making you the youngest member ever, and you said no,” he practically hissed as you skipped past the front and beelined for your usual booth.

“I’m not the youngest; Billy’s in the League,” you shoot back. It was true; Shazam was actually Billy Batson, a 10-year-old kid.

“He doesn’t count. He turns into an adult,” Roy dismisses.

“Seems like a grey area,” you hum as you wave at Mrs. Lenetti, who had smiled as she spotted you and Roy settle in. 

“You’re an idiot,” Roy decides as he slumps in his booth. 

“Roy Harper, you know better than to call her names. How many times has this sweet girl pulled your ass outta trouble?” Mrs. Lenitti scolds as she approaches, having caught his last statement. 

Roy scowls a bit, and you can’t hide the prideful smirk on your lips.

“It’s okay, Mrs. L. Roy just doesn’t understand a decision I made recently,” you cover as Roy rolls his eyes. 

“Well, if it’s something she’s serious about, honey, maybe it’s worth it to trust her gut. I don’t believe it’s led either of you wrong yet,” Mrs. L says sagely, gaining a softened look from Roy. “I’ll send your lunch orders in, same as usual?”

“Yes, please,” you smile brightly, and Mrs. L pats your cheek gently as she nods in affirmation. 

“I’ll have the new girl bring you some water,” she adds from over her shoulder as she walks back toward the kitchen. 

Your eyes catch on a blonde girl who must be in high school, watching as she nervously read the number on the ticket and then counted the tables under her breath. 

“I can’t do it,” you finally say, voice low and soft, and it seems to snap Roy out of his brooding.

“What?”

“I can’t be 14-year-old (Y/n) Roxo and be a part of the league. When I’m older, obviously I want to do it, but I don’t think I’m ready for it just yet,” you explain.

“But it’s the League,” Roy’s voice had dropped to a softer tone as well. You could see him mulling over your words as he thought them through. 

“The League wants the Sonic Sidekick, not soon to be a freshman in high school (Y/n),” you lament. 

“I can’t believe you’re about to start high school,” Roy huffed. 

“Makes a lot of sense when you look at it that way, doesn’t it?” you tease.

“Maybe,” he scoffs, dropping your gaze to fiddle with his napkin.

“Okay, Mr. High School Graduate,” you shoot back, and Roy offers a playful smirk. 

“High percentile, too,” he winked. 

“And yet you broke all our hearts when you decided college wasn’t for you,” you snort. 

“According to Dinah and Ollie, I’m taking a gap year,” he shot back with a warning glare.

“Which is bullshit,” you scoffed out, knowing that Roy had no intention of actually going to college at the end of his gap year, despite how he sold the point to Dinah and Oliver.

“Language,” Roy teases, with a very Dinah-esque tone, as the new girl brings your drinks to the table. Once she walked away, he sobered up a little, and you knew what topic was coming before he opened his mouth. “The 6th is a few days away,” he says cautiously. 

“Yeah, it is,” you nod, finding your glass of water way more interesting. 

“Birdy,” Roy’s voice is gentle as he broaches the topic. 

Your lips curl into a very flat frown, “It’s been eight years… what do you want me to say?” you huff. 

“Dinah planning to distract you all day again?” he asks, and based on his tone, you know he’s trying to make it more light-hearted. 

“I hope not. It worked well the first few years, but there’s only so much you can do to distract from the day a girl watched her parents get killed in front of her,” you lament, your tone flat. 

“She means well,” Roy argues, showing a rare level of fierce protection for your shared pseudo-mom.

“I know,” you huff. “Look, I’ll probably stop by the cemetery and talk to them for a bit, but I don’t have a lot of plans. I’m stopping by the cave tomorrow, but Red, D, and Bats know unless the world is ending, I won’t be around on the 6th. I might go to Gotham for a bit, I dunno….”

“I know I’m not always the most reachable, but for the 6th, anything you need, I’ll get it for you, I promise,” Roy said seriously. 

“Alright, that’s enough emoting. Let’s move on,” you scoff. 

“Says the empath,” Roy smirks. 

“I mean this with the most disrespect, fuck off,” you huff flipping him off.

“Oh! Party fowl, Dinah would not approve,” Roy tutted. 

You rolled your eyes, but a small smile slipped through, and soon enough, the conversation was moving away from darker themes.

GOTHAM CITY

December 5th, 16:30 EST

“You know coming to Gotham at night is not exactly what I had in plan,” you drawl as you join Artemis on a fire escape a block away from the Zeta Point. 

“Thanks for coming,” she said softly, and you frowned at the obviously downtrodden tone in her voice. 

“What’s wrong?” you ask, sitting down next to her and letting your legs hang. 

You watch her wrestle with whatever she wants to say for a minute. You can feel the conflicted feelings rolling off her, and with the limited space and how your legs are touching, you’re getting clear markers for anger, humiliation, frustration, and pride. So you wait. You give her time to think it through and phrase what she wants to say. Instead, you let your eyes wander on the horizon of Gotham, tracing over buildings and city lights that seem to shine through the smog.

“That first mission we all went on, you told me you knew I wasn’t GA’s niece, but you said you’d be here as a teammate, a friend, whenever I needed,” she began.

“I did, I am,” you assure her.

“Did GA tell you when he took me on?” she asked, voice cracking slightly.

Your lips tighten, “No,” you say the word slowly. 

“He tell you anything after?” she followed. 

You look down at the alleyway below you, “he did not.”

Artemis’ lips pull into a frown, “I was a pity case,” she frowns. 

“What are you talking about?” eyebrows pulling down as you turn to her.

“My mom begged GA and Bats to take me on, to keep me in check. They showed up after I saved you guys against Amazo,” she explains, and for the first time since you met her, you’re finally learning the truth. 

“That might be on me,” you smirk. “Rob, and KF, they got excited, thought Speedy was watching out for us, but I’ve spent half my life training with Speedy. I know what his arrows look like. I mentioned it to Ollie later that night because they sure as hell weren’t his arrows either.”

“They only took me in because my mom begged, NG, she begged,” Artemis scoffed. 

“Maybe, but that’s not why they brought you to the mountain,” you say. “GA’s got a bit of a bleeding heart, no doubt, but Batman? He brought you to the team, he gave you a chance to be one of us, and you are, by the way. Begging or not, they brought you to the mountain because they saw something in you that means you’re like us. The boys and I started this team because we wanted to prove that we could do more than be sidekicks. Maybe your mom begged, but you’re on the team because GA and Batman think you can be more than a sidekick, that you can be every bit the hero you aspire to be.”

Artemis goes quiet as she takes in what you’ve said, and after a few minutes, you decide to change the topic, “how was patrol last night?” you ask. 

Her face lights up in a second, “GA got knocked down! Black Spider was trying to get to this dad, and we swooped in! But Ollie got knocked down, flat on his ass. He tried to play it off, even let me take the lead, but you know him,” she smiled. 

“I do,” you smiled back. “Ha! I can’t believe he got knocked on his ass. He’s never gonna live it down,” you cackle. “I wonder if we can find any security footage?” you ask with a mischievous smirk.

“None that he’d let us keep,” she laughs, shaking her head.

“You’re probably right,” you muse, turning to lean against the rail and face the blond. “We should probably get going. We’re supposed to be at the mountain at 5,” you hum softly after some silence. 

“Yeah,” she nods, sniffing and standing up. 

You follow, and then you both are repelling back to the ground. You walk to the zeta point but stop and grab Artemis by the arm before you walk in. “Maybe you weren’t brought in because you impressed them. But you just spent the last four months doing nothing but,” you tell her seriously, and she stares at you with wide eyes. “You’ve got nothing to prove. You’re one of a kind,” you reassure her. 

She offers a hesitant nod and tries to move back to the Zeta point, but you keep your grip, “What?”

“Say it, Artemis,” you tell her. You catch as she rolls her eyes, but you know she needs it right now. You know she needs to say it just as much as she needs to hear it. “I’m serious. Say it.”

She heaves a heavy sigh but nods, “I've got nothing to prove. I'm one of a kind,” she says flatly. 

“Say it with meaning,” you press, a smirk quirking at the ends of your lips. 

“I’ve got nothing to prove,” she says thoughtfully. “I’m one of a kind,” she finished with a nod, and you can see how the words resonated with her. You can feel it cement a bit, reassuring her nerves from the grip you still had on her arm. 

Satisfied, you let her go, “Good, let’s go. We’re already late,” you nod before disappearing through the Zeta.

MOUNT JUSTICE

December 5th, 17:04 EST

“ Recognized; Nightingale b-14 ,” the computer announced as you stepped through the Zeta. 

You freeze in place as you take in the group before you—the team, minus Robin, but also Red Tornado, Green Arrow, and most surprisingly, Roy.

“Roy?” your lips purse as you walk up to him. 

“Hey, Birdy,” he greets, coming up to you for a hug. 

“What are you doing here?” you whisper while he’s hugging you.

“Ollie’s idea,” Roy scoffs as he pulls back. 

“What idea?” you ask as the zeta powers up again behind you. 

“ Recognized; Artemis b-07 ,” the computer announces.

“Artemis! Just in time, look who’s agreed to join the Team!” Ollie announced, and you felt the fracture in Artemis's armor, even without touching her.

“Finally!” Wally cheered. 

You frowned a bit at Roy and then at Ollie. You hadn’t realized this was one of the League's caveats on Roy’s admittance. 

“Sure, Team’s needed a real archer,” Artemis scoffs a bit under her breath, but you heard it. Your frown deepened a bit as you stared at the girl in green. You see Wally’s confused expression as he stares after her too. 

“Okay, people, listen up! Dynamic Duo’s on a case in Gotham, but Batman gave me a heads up. Sportsmaster was spotted coming through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport,” Ollie explained, pulling up details on the holo-screen.

“In full costume?” Zatanna asked, “Nervy!”

Her quip teased a playful smile as you took in Ollie’s exasperated expression. “In street clothes,” he corrects. “Facial recognition software picked up the ID. Find out what he's up to.”

“All of us?” Conner asks, gesturing to the ever-growing group that was your team. “Seems like overkill for a shadow job.”

He’s not wrong ; you think to yourself as you look around.

“Perhaps a small squad?” Tornado offers. “Miss Martian's camouflage abilities seem ideal.”

“Thought the sidekicks- Sorry, ex-sidekicks could suit up on this,” Ollie offers instead. “Nightingale, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Red Arrow.”

“Good,” Conner huffs, “stakeouts make me crazy.”

M’gann nods in concession, “We could use the night off.”

“I want in,” Artemis’ voice cuts in, and GA seems shocked, though you can’t place why. On the other hand, you had a pretty good idea of why she’s volunteering. “With M'gann and Robin out, no one's logged more hours piloting the bioship,” she tags on.

GA seems to hesitate, “Artemis, are you sure?”

You watch as she squares her shoulders, “Absolutely.”

You all broke away shortly after that to get ready. Before making your way to the landing, you did a quick inventory check. You watched Artemis as you went; she checked her quiver and bow. You catch on how Wally also seems to be tracking all of her moves. When he notices you watching him, a light blush coats his cheeks, and you can’t help but raise a brow. That is definitely a thread you’ll be pulling on later. He ducks his attention away, and you turn back to your gear, surprised to see Roy headed your way. 

“Red Arrow,” you tease. 

“Are you sure you want to go?” he asks, and your hands freeze.

“I’m sorry, what?” you ask, lips pulling down.

“I know you said you would take it easy today and then be off tomorrow. If you don’t want to go, we can come up with an excuse,” he offers. 

You frown at him, “I’m fine, Roy.”

“(Y/n)...” his voice drops low as he says your name.

“This’ll be good, alright?” you tell him. “It’s a chance to focus on something else, anything else… I want to go.”

“Okay,” he nods. 

You offer him a small smile, “okay.”

“Now, uh, would you tell Ollie please because he looks like he’s going to climb the walls,” he adds cautiously.

You scoff but pat Roy’s shoulder as you walk past him and over to where Ollie’s leaning against the wall, watching as everyone gears up. You lean against the wall beside him, close enough for your shoulders to touch. You feel him take a breath and release it, and the tension seems to relax as he feels you next to him.

“I know I singled you out for this, but sweet girl, you don’t have to go. Not with tomorrow being what it is,” he sighs.

You take a deep breath and lean a little more into Ollie, “I want to go. I need the distraction,” you admit.

“I worry about you, kiddo, you know that,” he sighs.

“I know, I appreciate it, I really do, but I want to do this, plus someone’s gotta make sure both Roy and Artemis come back without killing each other,” you muse.

“Yeah, not the biggest fans of each other, are they?” Oliver heaved.

“No, they are not, but I like her. She’s tough, but I can feel it; she’s got a good heart. Plus, she called me earlier, you know? Told me all about patrol last night,” you tease.

“And here I was hoping you’d never hear about it,” Ollie chuckled. 

“It’s okay to admit you’re getting a bit older, Ollie,” you laugh. “Your balance just isn’t what it used to be,” you tease.

“I’m not above telling Dinah your age shaming me,” he argues, and you offer him a genuine smile.

“I love you, Ollie, you know that, right?” you ask. Oliver finally tears his gaze from the rest of them to focus on you. The whites of his domino block his eyes, but you can feel the surprise sizzling through him. “I really hope you’re surprised because I actually said it and not because of what I said,” you add as you feel the emotion wash through.

“This empath thing is going to take some getting used to,” he huffs, nudging you a bit. “And it’s the first one. I know you do, sweet girl. I always have,” he promises. 

“I’ll be okay. I’ll have the boys. Kaldur and Roy know what tomorrow is,” you tell him. Looking over, you notice that the rest of your squad is lining up at the bioship, “it’s time,” you mutter. 

You bump shoulders with Ollie one more time before shoving off the wall, “Sweet girl,” he calls, stopping you for a moment. “You have my whole heart, Dinah’s too. We’re here for you, anything you need,” he promises.

He shocks you then, placing a kiss on your forehead, not the action itself, he’s done it more and more the closer you became, but the time and place were jarring.

“I know,” you nod one last time. 

Ollie offers you a nervous smile, and you leave him to grab your gear and march onto the Bioship. 

“Is something going on?” the rushed whisper surprises you as you turn to Wally with wide eyes. 

“What?”

“GA, and you, it’s just you’re normally not like that in the cave. Is something going on?” he asks, brow furrowed. 

You fight to keep your expression flat. Wally was way more observant than he’s given credit for, “Don’t worry about it, Wally,” you try to shrug off, though you see his unconvinced look. “Seriously, I’m okay,” you pair with a soft smile.

You can tell he doesn’t entirely believe you, but he does drop the topic long enough for you to load up and leave the Mountain. Soon enough, you’re all in the air, and Kaldur makes his way over. “I have a feeling that your tete-a-tete with Green Arrow has to do with the significance of tomorrow’s anniversary,” he says carefully. 

You heave a heavy sigh, “So everyone is making the rounds today, huh?” you huff. 

“Shut up, we care. Get over it,” Roy cuts in, and you can’t help but frown.

“I’d appreciate it greatly if we just not talk about it. I’ve already poured my heart out with Ollie and Roy; we talked a few days ago. So, until the clock strikes 12, I am going to act as if tomorrow isn’t the anniversary of the worst day of my life, and I’d appreciate it if you would do the same,” you decide sternly.

Both the older boys share a look and then turn back to you, “fine,” Roy concedes, walking back to his seat. 

“His tact has always been less than desirable,” Kaldur decides. “I was supposed to speak with you quietly on my own first,” he huffs, sending a weak glare toward the back of Roy’s head.

“K…” you sigh. 

“ Palió fílo den eísai mónos. Tha eímai edó se períptosi pou to chreiasteíte, allá den tha piéso poté. To xéreis aftó ,” the Atlantean language rolls off his tongue smoothly, and it takes you a second to realize that your heart seems to have stopped beating for a second as you take in the meaning, “ old friend, you are not alone. I will be here in case you need it, but I will never push. You know this.”

You take another breath, this time much calmer, “ Den se axízo… ” you murmur. “ I do not deserve you ,” you had told him, and he offered a sad smile. 

“You deserve it all,” he promises with a gentle pat on your hand before moving back to his seat, though you can see the look in his eyes as he glances back at you one last time.

You take a deep breath and roll your shoulders. In the process, you make eye contact with Wally, and you can’t help but freeze at how intensely he’s staring at you with his green eyes. A piece of you actually stutters because you know him, how big his heart is, and he wants to be here for you but can’t because you won’t talk to him. Your friendship with Wally and Dick had always been different from the borderline mother-henning you received from Kaldur, and there’s a piece of you that still thinks it’s because they didn’t know what he did.

ORLEANS PARISH

December 5th, 21:27 CST

You were crouched with Roy in the trees observing Sportsmaster. You watched as he loaded a small speedboat, fingers fiddling with one of your ring daggers. You had traded your regular leather jacket (stashed safely on the bioship) for a plain-looking zip-up covering your utility belt, leaving you in a somewhat civilian-looking state. Your mask was in a pocket on your belt, and you had shades on as you both watched your target jump into the boat. 

“Target's heading north,” you say softly into your comms as you follow Roy down the hill and into the shrubs covering your jetski. 

You perched behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist as you tracked Sportsmaster. “Pursue, but maintain a discreet distance. And that goes double for you, Artemis. Sportsmaster's proven adept at spotting Martian camouflage when in motion,” Roy adds, as the two of you followed at a distance.

“Was that necessary?” you ask in a hushed whisper, muting your comm. 

“It is if she’s the mole,” he shot back. 

“I thought we dropped this particular argument,” you hiss. 

“You did, I didn’t,” Roy shot back.

You wanted to continue the argument, but up ahead, you noticed as Sportsmaster began to slow down, “He's stopped,” you mutter back into the comms, switching your mic live once more.

“Hold your positions,” Roy tags on, looking back to make eye contact with you. 

He’s posing a silent question, one you can recognize after years of work together, and despite the sour taste in your mouth from your previous question, you nod your head in assent to what he’s asking. 

“We’re moving in for a closer look,” he tells the team, and together, you dismount the jetski to creep through the parish as silently as possible. 

It’s quiet as Roy focuses on Sportsmaster through his binoculars and as you observe the surrounding area, but when you hear a distant clinging sound, you grip Roy’s shoulder and frown. His lips pull down as you let go and start moving away from him and into the parish. You creep forward, pulling out two daggers as you follow the noise. 

You manage to get close enough to spot the source of the commotion and have to stifle a groan at the sight of Cheshire. Quietly you plant your legs and wind both arms back, daggers in both. Right before you’re about to swing, whipping the blades toward the assassin, two hands grab your wrists gently. Peering back with a tightened grip on your weapons, you spot Roy, who silently shakes his head and releases your wrists. He pulls out his bow and grabs one of his trick arrows. He gestures for you to go wide towards Artemis as he pulls back. 

You watch as the arrow soars, expanding into a net trap that manages to tie Cheshire to a tree. You both run after it, stopping beside Artemis. A quick visual assessment tells you she’s uninjured, though your attention is snagged away by the trapped assassin. 

“Why, Arrow. If you wanted another date, you only had to ask…” she drawls, and your jaw drops. 

“You two are dating?” Artemis shouts, whipping to stare at Roy, while you’re left in a mixed state of disgust and amusement, recalling the Taipei mission.

“Wh-what?” Roy stutters, “No!”

Cheshire offers a small scoff, “Why deny the attraction? After all, Arrow, you're here.” She paused for a second, switching her grip and using her katana to cut through the netting. “Really, I'm so fond of you, both. I couldn't bear to hurt you… much!” she grunts, brandishing her blade.

You twirl your ring daggers as you step forward, “and what am I? Chopped liver?”

“Of course not, little bird,” she argues, dropping into a stance, “but you’re about to be,” she hints before charging.

Your blades come up quick, and you use them to redirect hers. And when she draws back, you move forward to lunge at her, “your humor remains unmatched,” you snark as your blades make contact again.

“Hmm, it’s one of my best qualities,” she hums as the two of you continue to fight. “Your technique is improving, pretty bird. It’s impressive, but not enough,” she notes as she causes you to drop a blade and manages a superficial slice through your zip up at your arm and then again at your cheek before kicking you back.

As you stumble down, Artemis and Roy move forward, intent on getting to Cheshire. However, you lose sight of each other when the assassin sets off smoke bombs. 

You push yourself up and rip off the zip-up, looking around for any clearing in the smoke or hint at your bearings. 

You hear a shout from your left, “Sportsmaster!” It’s Roy’s voice but quickly followed with a grunt. 

You start moving toward it, and manage to break through the smoke in time to see Cheshire on top of Roy, sai against his cheek as she kissed him. 

“Oh, too bad, lover boy… but at least, a kiss is still a kiss…” she drawled, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, but before you could get any closer, Cheshire was knocked back.

“And a sai is just a sai,” Wally muses, “And quite the souvenir, by the way,” Wally adds on, noting the weapon now in his hand. 

“Artemis, tracer arrow on Sportsmaster, now!” Roy shouts as he pushes himself up.

Wally spots you next. A frown overtakes his face as he takes in your new injuries, but your attention breaks when you hear Artemis utter an upset huff, “He's out of range!”

“Move!” Roy demands, shoving a bit as he launches his arrow, just in time to land a tracker on the boat, before taking off to the jet ski. 

“You're abandoning?” Artemis scoffed as he ran.

“I'm prioritizing!” he shot back. 

“Arrow!” you shout after him, but he doesn’t respond, simply taking off after Sportsmaster. 

“Oh, that's gotta sting….” Cheshire drawls, reappearing behind Wally. “He makes the shot you're afraid to even try!” 

Artemis grunts before starting to shoot at Cheshire, and you dive for your daggers still on the ground. Scooping them up, you begin volleying your attack at the trained shadow. With Artemis and Wally, you switch between weaponry and tactics to attack the assassin. When Kaldur comms in with a new plan, you make eye contact with your three teammates before doing what you can to follow through.

You watch Cheshire send Artemis flying back, and when you try to turn to her, one of her shurikens flies dangerously close to your face. When you look back, she’s gone, and your eyes land on Wally helping Artemis back up. 

“Hey, did you-” before you can finish your question, Artemis is nodding. 

“Tracer’s on her sword,” she affirms. 

“Brilliant! I knew you could-” Wally’s statement is borderline flirtatious, but when you hear the jet ski getting closer, he cuts himself off. Instead, his eyes narrow once more on the cut on your face. 

“Oh, hey, there's the guys! Birdy, let me see your face,” Wally decides, grabbing at your wrist as you move to catch up to where Roy and Kaldur were.

You try to glance back at Artemis, but Wally keeps a firm grip as he tugs you along, “I’d much rather talk about whatever that was,” you tease but are met with a leveled glare. “You’re usually a lot more fun,” you pout at him. 

“Birdy..” there’s a heavy sigh to his tone, “I know you’re not telling me something, and that’s… whatever, but let me see the cut. And whenever you’re ready to talk about, whatever it is you’re deflecting from, I’ll be here,” he frowns. 

“Fine,” you huff, turning to face him, pushing your sunglasses up, so he has an unobstructed view. Wally’s eyes widen slightly in surprise, and you roll your eyes at him. “Just ‘cause I’m not telling you something doesn’t mean I don’t still trust you,” you snip, but your words are honest. There were very few people in your life that you trusted as much as you trusted Wally.

A small smile quirks Wally’s lips as he checks on the cut, “how many times a day do you roll your eyes at me?”

His question comes out so genuine, but the words force you to choke down the laugh that threatens to burst through, “too many times to count,” you relent, a smile curling at your lips.

“Figures,” he chuckles, pushing your sunglasses back down. “Surface cut, probably won’t even scar,” he tells you. 

“Could’ve told you that myself, but thanks, doc,” you tease, pushing Wally over to where Kaldur and Roy had just stopped, and Artemis joined you a few minutes later. 

“So, we threw the fight, as ordered. After Artemis planted the tracer,” Wally confirmed.

“Cheshire's heading North,” Artemis shares, holding up her tracker’s data pad.

“Sportsmaster was headed South,” Roy shoots back. “Kinda like this mission,” he adds with a harsh bite, causing you to quirk a brow at his tone.

“Maybe he'll double back,” you offer, voice level as you keep your gaze focused on Roy, “maybe she will.”

“Either way, they'll rendezvous, and we'll find them!” Wally completes.

“We had better,” Kaldur warns. “Sportsmaster acquired an attaché case. We need to learn what it contained,” he paused for a second, hesitating almost, and your lips turned down as he turned to Artemis. “If you had stayed aboard the Bio-Ship….”

“I saw Cheshire sneaking up on them!” Artemis defended.

“Then you radio a warning,” Roy argues.

“And if she found you by hacking our frequency?” she shot back.

“That’s true,” you note, pulling a lip between your teeth. It was a tough argument. You understand the importance of holding your position during a mission, you know how bad things could go, and the current situation wasn’t ideal. However, you know better than the rest that Artemis needs this right now, needs to feel useful, needs to prove herself. And right now, you don’t think she’d listen if you told her any differently.

“We have come to rely on M'gann's telepathy over our radios,” Kaldur supported.

Wally huffed, interjecting, “So let's stop looking to place blame and start looking for Cheshire.”

Artemis tossed the data pad at Roy, “Here. Since, clearly, I can't be trusted; you track her.”

“Artemis-” you try to cut in, brow furrowing deeper as you turned back to her, as Wally snatched the pad back and tried to give it back to the blonde.

“It’s fine. I'll follow in the Bioship,” she decided, waving you both off before moving back to the Bioship.

“Go, Kid. Arrow, NG, and I will return to the river. And we will all follow, as originally planned,” Kaldur decides. 

“Actually, Wally, I’ll meet you by your bike,” you bite out, gaining a few looks, but you don’t elaborate.

You wait a second, allowing KF to take off and for Kaldur to walk out of earshot, gripping Roy’s arm tightly. “I know you’re mole hunting. I know you don’t like how GA brought her to the team. But let me be clear, she has earned her space on this team, and every time you undermine or belittle her, all you do is drive a wedge between her and this team. Jeopardizing how we all work together,” you say levelly, staring out into the parish but keeping your grip tight. 

Roy attempts to shrug you off, but you simply tighten your grip a little more, “Birdy,” he huffs. 

“No. Since day one, you’ve treated her like shit. I’m sick of it, Roy. You need to grow up. I’m here doing my best to keep my personal shit out of the mission, and if I can do that today of all days, then so can you. This mission just got extended, and I’ll be lucky to make it back before tomorrow, so pull it together because I won’t be able to for much longer,” you huff, letting go of his arm and turning to glare at him before stalking off towards Wally.

“Not that you’re not my best girl, and you know I’d follow you blindly, but any chance you want to elaborate on what’s going on?” he asks, mustering up all the nonchalance he had.

You stop for a second and take a deep breath, “we need to focus on Sportsmaster and Cheshire-”

“(Y/n)-”

“No! Wally, please… I will tell you, but not until the mission is done. I swear I will tell you, but only once we’re done, I can’t-” you cut yourself off to take a deep breath, “I can’t deal with it until we’re done because if I go into it now, it won’t stop,” your tone is borderline begging as you struggle to get a grasp on your emotions. 

Wally’s eyes blew wide as he pulled his helmet off, dropping it to the floor to grab your arms, “Hey, hey, hey, okay. It’s okay, I know I’m pushing, but you don’t have to tell me,” he reminds you. 

You take another deep breath and nod at him, his grip grounding you, your hand wrapping around his arms as you calm down, “I will tell you,” you repeat, though much calmer. “I will, just once we’re done,” you say softly. 

“Okay,” he nods. 

“We should go,” you swallow, straightening and stuffing all thoughts unrelated to the mission into a box, closing the lid, and shoving it aside until you are ready to address it properly.

Wally gives you another careful look before picking up his helmet and walking back to the bike, “You wanna drive?”

Your eyes snap to him, lips quirking up a little, “fuck yes,” you huff, and he smiles at you, gesturing for you to hope on first.

NEW ORLEANS

December 5th, 22:18 CST

“Aqualad to Kid and NG,” Aqualad’s voice crackled over the comms about fifteen minutes after the two of you had hit the road. 

“What’s up, Aqualad,” KF answered from his spot seated behind you.

“Arrow’s located Cheshire and Sportsmaster, sending updated coordinates now. Kid, you should go ahead,” he instructs. 

There’s a ping on the bike’s display, and you start to break immediately, “He’s right, KF. We’ve been going the wrong way. You’re faster than the bike,” you note as the two of you slow to a stop. 

“Are you sure?” he asks, hopping off.

“I’ll be right behind you,” you reassure him. 

Wally nods once before turning and taking off. You’re quick to do the same, pulling a u-turn before revving the bike up to its max speeds. You’d switched the sunglasses for your mask right before you took off from the parish and had since ditched the zip-up. Instead, Wally’s racing jacket was slung over your bare arms since he’d been wearing his suit underneath. 

By the time you regrouped with Aqualad, you could see the slight annoyance on his face, “what is it?” you asked as he slid onto the bike behind you, and you took off once more, heading for the rendezvous point Roy had sent. 

“I found our tracker,” he said shortly. 

“Okay?”

“It was on a train car. There was no evidence of Cheshire or Sportsmaster,” he explains a bit more.

Your heart thudded; with all of Roy’s accusations, it’s hard to keep from jumping to the worst, “maybe Cheshire ditched her tracker? She’s highly skilled and could’ve spotted it right after Artemis planted it. Plus, there were tracks near the parish. She could’ve meant to send us on a meaningless chase,” you attempt to reason. 

“Someone most definitely did, although I am unsure as to whom,” he advised, voice leveled. 

“I really hate this day,” you decide suddenly. 

“On that, we agree,” he affirms before you both elapse into silence. 

The two of you were too late to join the party, unfortunately. By the time you got there, Sportsmaster and Cheshire were gone- with no means of tracking them. And according to Artemis, a chance at Klarion, The Brain, Gorilla Mallah, and Professor Ivo had also been missed. None of you were happy as you piled onto the Bioship. Kaldur helped you load the bike as Artemis slipped back into the pilot’s seat.

MOUNT JUSTICE

December 6th, 03:21 EST

The flight back to the Mountain was in silence, and every minute that ticked by put you further on edge. You summoned a clock to appear in front of you. Even from your spot away from everyone, you could feel their emotions bubbling; Roy’s tension, distrust, and anger; Kaldur’s quiet yet tense contemplation; Wally’s nervous energy was vibrating off the ship's walls; a gut-wrenching mix of unclear emotions from Artemis. You did your best to tune it out and instead watched the minutes tick by, willing your brain to stop. 

The second the clock struck twelve, and the date changed to the 6th, you had to fight the swell of emotions; to bite back the scream that echoed in your throat and push down the tears welling in your eyes. The mission was almost done, you were almost home, and then you could fall apart. You had to make it home, away from everyone else and their overwhelming emotions that threatened your own mental stability. 

By the time you touched down, you were barely holding it together. Lips welded shut, and fists clenched tightly. The rest of the team met you in the main training space of the Mountain, and you let Kaldur take the lead.

“Let me be clear, we failed. Though the Injustice League is in custody, their allies still scheme. And we have learned nothing of their plans,” he said flatly, after a short recap of the mission gone wrong.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Roy lamented, taking a dig at Artemis and crossing his arms. 

“Hey! Who found out Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion, and Ivo?” she snapped, surging forward. 

“Yeah, great intel! Except Ivo has been in Belle Reve the whole time!” Roy shot back. “And the guards just checked. It's the real Ivo, not a robot!”

“You know, I'm getting pretty tired of you dumping on her,” Wally stepped up, sliding himself between Artemis and Roy, the emotions in the room were rising, and your hand began to shake in spillover.

Roy simply held up a tracer, “Her tracer, so?” Wally asked. “Cheshire ditched it.”

“No,” Roy corrected. “Artemis ditched that to send us on a wild-goose chase,” he huffed before holding up an identical tracer. “She put this one on Cheshire.”

Your eyes snapped to the girl in green whose energy suddenly flattened as if the heat behind her argument had been extinguished. 

“Artemis?” Wally’s voice was soft as he turned to her. He paused for a second, but when she said nothing, Wally’s emotions shifted, and his face hardened, “Are you that freaked out about Arrow joining the Team? You had to prove yourself by bringing down the bad guys solo?” he asked, hints of anger laced into his words. “Please, tell me I'm wrong!”

Artemis looked at him, and all you could feel from her was sadness and guilt as she opened her mouth to say something but then shut it, dropping his gaze. 

“Well, nice going. What you proved is that you're insecure and selfish,” he frowned, voice lower than you could ever remember hearing it, but behind his words were the echo of hurt. “Keep the sai,” he decides, letting the weapon clatter to the floor. “This is the right souvenir for the mission,” he says, snatching the tracer from Roy’s grip and stomping off to the locker rooms. 

“So, how will you betray us next time?” Roy asked, heat in every word as he readdressed Artemis, and you snapped. 

“Enough!” you shouted, and everyone froze, looking at you with wide eyes, and for a second, even Roy lost his arrogance. “Stop it, all of you need to stop it,” you huff, taking in a shaking breath. “If making a mistake was a betrayal, we would all be traitors,” you say seriously, locking gaze with Roy, then Artemis, and finally Kaldur, when he laid a hand gently on your shoulder.

“I must report to Batman. The rest of you, get some sleep,” he decides, and everyone dispersed, casting you another weary look. 

The only ones remaining were Roy, Artemis, and you. 

“You're not who you say you are. This isn't over. Not by a long shot,” Roy warns before heading to the locker rooms himself. 

She stands in front of you, clearly guilty and upset, and finally, you can breathe because now it’s only the two of you, and it’s easier to manage the emotions bubbling out without so much outside interference. 

“You made a bad call, but I stand by what I’ve said. It was a mistake on your part, a miscalculation in how much you could trust us. But trust is a two-way street, Artemis. Most of us have known each other for too long to second guess. I grew up with Roy, and spent a year as Kaldur’s study buddy and neighbor. I trained and met with Rob and KF almost the entire time I was a sidekick. We rescued Superboy from Cadmus. He chose us and fought for us. M’gann is still learning, but she’s made choices, trusted us with her life several times, and given us access to her mind. We extend what we can to you, but you barely give us anything in return,” your voice is low as you attempt an explanation.

You watch as her shoulders sag, as she bites her lip to keep from saying something, and so you continue, “I’m not asking for your secret ID. That’s yours to protect, to give. And I’m sorry if this sounds harsh. I’ve got my shit going on too. I’m telling you because I’ve been telling you that I believe in you. I said it before we even got the mission yesterday. I told you, you’ve earned your spot. I told you that you’d proven your worth and skill. You chose to disregard that statement, to put no faith into what I shared, and instead, we lost our target, learned nothing about his visit to Louisiana, and failed the mission. I suggest you reconsider how you want our team dynamics to be going further. M’gann and I are different from the rest. We feel things more intensely, we have a better understanding, and even though I’m hurt that you didn’t trust me the way I’ve been trusting you, I know why you did it. I disagree, but I get it. Not everyone will be so quick to see that,” you further, pausing again. 

This time you move a bit closer, patting her shoulder, you want to say more, but you can’t. At this point, you need to scream or cry, or both. You need to let out your emotions because staying in control is too hard and too much. It’s just too much for today, for right now. So you pat her shoulder and walk toward the locker rooms. 

You slump onto the bench and close your eyes, trying to breathe. The sounds of incoming steps interrupt you. Opening your eyes, you’re ready to shout at anyone dumb enough to try to talk to you right now, but the words die as Wally crouches down in front of you. He is sitting on the floor and looking up at you with hurt in his green eyes and concern simmering just below. 

“Today’s the 6th,” you mutter, pulling the specialized alcohol wipes from your utility belt to help remove the adhesive of your mask. He doesn’t say anything, eyes tracing how your hands were shaking so much that you couldn't tear the packet open even with the fingerless gloves on your hand. Instead, his hands reach out and pull it for you, but his lips stay shut. “December 6th,” you swallow as you start tracing over your mask, using the wipe against the adhesive.

“Eight years ago, today, I watched as my parents were shot and killed in front of me,” you force your voice to stay level as you finally pull the mask off, bearing the rawest part of you to Wally. “That’s why everyone was so concerned about me yesterday, why Ollie and I were the way we were. Why Kaldur and Roy kept trying to check in on me or tell me I didn’t have to go on the mission because today is the anniversary of the worst day of my life,” you hiccup slightly as all the tears you’ve been pushing down for hours, breakthrough. “Which is why I couldn’t talk about it earlier, because that means facing it, and I didn’t want to. Because eight years means I’ve spent more time without my parents than I have with them, and it hurts. It hurts in a way that I hope you never know, Wally,” you manage to spit out before the first sob wracks through you.

You keel over, hiding your face in your arms, and you feel Wally’s hands on your knees, thumbs rubbing circles as he silently does his best to support you. For once, he doesn’t joke or prod. He stays silent as he lets you cry and does his best to support you. Slowly he helps in soft, gentle movements. He unclips your utility belt, then the harnesses for the ring daggers. Unclasps your choker and helps unravel your braids. Unties and unzips your boots. He lets you cry through the process, finally releasing the tidal wave of emotion you’ve been holding back and bottling.

When you calm down enough, he hands you a towel and a change of clothes from your duffle, directing you to the shower stalls. He waits outside for you to pass him your suit, and while you’re showering, if he hears you heave a few more sobs, he never says a word. 

He has you sit back on the bench when you reemerge, showered, clean, but with puffy red eyes. You’re dressed in sweats and an oversized hoodie that most likely belonged to Roy or Ollie. He grabs the hairbrush from your locker and brushes your hair back before braiding your hair in a simple single, loose braid that just barely manages to keep your hair out of your face. He forces you to drink water while he braids, and even in this in-between state, you could hear the few swears Wally drops under his breath as he wrestles with your hair. Though, overall you found the action sweet and quite soothing. 

When he’s done, he comes back around and crouches in front of you again, hands on your knees, “are you hungry?” he asks gently. 

It’s not the question you were anticipating, but you look at him with big, sad, teary eyes and shake your head, no. Not totally a lie because, frankly, you didn’t have an appetite. 

“Am I taking you to Dinah or Ollie? Or do you want to go home with me? We have a guest room,” he asks the questions softly and waits patiently for you to answer.

“Ollie’s,” you manage to croak after the silence has stretched for a few minutes, allowing you to summon the strength. 

“Okay, I’m going to call GA, so he can come to get you, and take you home,” Wally decides, standing up. 

Your arms latch quickly onto his, stopping him from moving, “Please don’t leave me alone,” you beg as new tears slip down your cheeks.

Green eyes wide with concern, he shakes his head, “I won’t,” he promises, sitting back down. He pulls out his phone and taps something, “Computer, please contact Green Arrow immediately and tell him to come to the locker room ASAP. Don’t stop calling until he answers,” Wally calls out.

“ Contacting Green Arrow now, ” the voice confirms, and Wally returns to rubbing small circles on your knees. 

You’re not outrightly sobbing anymore, and tears that slip past are primarily silent and slow, so he cautiously tests the water, “this why you were so quiet on the flight back?” 

You offer a slight nod in confirmation. 

“Okay, and uh, this have anything to do with what you talked to Roy about in the Parish?”