A.N: Hi everyone! This is my first Fanfic, so review and help me grow! Please keep in mind that this is still in the works, so if you see character breaks or grammatical errors, please shout it out with that little blue button, m'kay?

Happy Reading!

Chapter One: The Cuckoo in the Nest

Batman.

The ominous legend that had saved me from the grungy streets of Gotham in my time of need wasn't very empathetic, so when I realized that he didn't have any Robin-esque roles to fill, I thought he would turn me in to a foster home or something of the like. To my surprise, he had brought me to Mt. Justice. (A.N: I'm still thinking of a reason for Batman's sudden kindness; review and help please?)

The entrance to the famous Mt. Justice was unobtrusive, just a small section of wall in a secluded alley that slid open to reveal a warped gateway. At a nod from Batman, I stepped into the blue light. A cold, tingling sensation washed over me, raising goose bumps on my arms.

"Recognized: Batman." a robotic voice droned from the end of the tunnel.

"Added Contact: Avia. Recognized"

Blinking away spots from the bright transport tunnel, I found myself in a large cavern, filled with chrome, computer monitors, and official-looking cables and wires. I saw Batman gliding into a conjoined room, and I scurried after him, afraid to be alone in this strange place, painfully aware of how loud my footsteps sounded in the silence.

As I was walking through the door, a burst of wind tossed my red hair askew, and out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a streak of orange, but I dismissed it as a draft. A snicker echoed through the room, setting my thoughts on drafts away. I hurried towards the door in fright.

A deep, grave voice that I recognized as Batman's was speaking from inside the room, and I winced as I heard my name mentioned. I stood halfway inside the room as I listened.

"The Justice League, under unique circumstances has decided to grant a so-called 'trial period' to a 'rescue' recruit. After a few weeks of being on your team, Black Canary, Red Tornado, and Aqualad will determine whether or not she will join permanently."

My heart skipped a beat. I was not informed of this; all Batman had said was that I would be found a suitable place to stay! Nothing about joining some junior Justice League! A girl's chipper voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Where is this recruit then?" she seemed to have no objection to my 'trial period'. A confused silence hung in the air for a few seconds as they undoubtedly searched for me, then a red and yellow figure streaked towards me.

"Found 'er!" said the boy that suddenly appeared in front of me. He grabbed my wrist unceremoniously, and dragged me into the room. It probably wasn't difficult for him, I thought ruefully. Not because he was particularly strong, I was just very light; I literally floated behind him. It was part of my ability.

My face lost all color when I was suddenly placed in front of a group of teenagers around my age, completely alone. The boy that rudely seized me had zipped back to his place among the group. I looked at Batman, expecting a save. He just stared back sternly. I guess I would have to introduce myself. Oh god.

"Hi..." I started weakly. A girl with auburn hair and a carefree smile waved cheerfully, while the tall boy by her side merely scowled.

Another girl, with a long blonde ponytail and piercing grey eyes, raised an eyebrow, silently urging me on. "My n-name is Avia," I smiled weakly, ashamed of my slight stutter. It always cropped up when I was nervous.

"And I'm KidFlash, but you can call me Wally." The boy that had brought me here smirked at me from beside the blonde. His eyes gleamed with mirth.

"My name is Artemis," said the blonde, punching the boy in the shoulder and smiled knowingly at me, as if saying: Sorry about that. Boys will be boys.

"I am Miss Martian, but my friends call me M'gann." the girl with the auburn hair and warm smile stepped up and put a hand on my shoulder. She was a few years older that me, and her voice reminded me of my older sister. "That's Superboy," she nodded at the sullen teen.

My eyes widened. Superboy? I didn't live in Metropolis, but last time I checked, there was only a Superman. The boy must have noticed my surprise, because he growled and turned to leave. "Connor!" M'gann exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, trotting after him. The girl named Artemis shook her head and came up to me. I gave her a grateful smile.

"We'll wait for the others for more introductions." she looked back to Batman, him having said nothing during the group exchange. "Is that all she needs to know?"

I looked at her franticly; I didn't know anything!

He nodded, and turned to leave, saying over his shoulder, " I have already informed Black Canary and Red Tornado about this. Make sure Aqualad is debriefed."

"Yessir." As Batman left via the transport tunnel, Artemis turned to the smirking boy introduced as KidFlash.

"Wally, where are Kaldur and Robin? It's not like them to miss a meeting."

He shrugged nonchalantly, running a hand through his red hair.

"Dunno babe, maybe they're training?"

Artemis's grey eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What did you call me?" she bristled. Wally smirked, and dashed out in a blur. I remember seeing him on the news. His superpower was speed. Apparently with his feet and his tongue. Artemis mumbled angrily under her breath, then turned to me with a scowl.

"Sorry about Wally. He's a real pain in the ass sometimes."

I laughed quietly, overcoming a bit of my shyness. "Did you say there were more people?" I asked, rather nervously. She grinned and flipped her hair, a habit I doubt she realized she had.

"Oh, yes," she walked me into a small common area; equipped with a couch, kitchen, and the biggest flat screen TV I had ever seen. The other teenagers were milling around there, chatting, but she steered me to a corridor and towards more doors. My head was spinning.

"Where are we going?" I asked, wondering why we didn't wait for the missing members to join us. Artemis opened a door and sauntered through. I followed her, albeit cautiously.

"We're finding those slackers ourselves," she explained as she navigated through a room full of computers. "First thing you learn here: if you want something done, you have to do it yourself." It seemed like a strange lesson to me, but it made sense when I thought about it. When I lived on the street, I had to fend for myself. That is, until Batman found me. And now I was here.

A loud sound jolted me out of my thoughts. I gasped at my surroundings; I was in a cavern-like room, with a holographic honeycomb floor that lit up with notifications and statistics for the people engaging in hand-to-hand combat on top of it.

"KALDUR! ROBIN!" Artemis yelled, almost too loudly. A slight dark-haired boy skidded to a halt when she screamed his name, and in turn was downed by his opponent's foot to his gut. A red 'X' blinked below him as a robotic voice informed his of his defeat. The boy mumbled angrily as his opponent helped him up.

"That was a dirty trick, Artemis!" he snapped as he approached us. I immediately shrank behind the slightly taller, smirking girl, and I vainly attempted to hide. The boy, who couldn't be more that thirteen, peered behind Artemis to look at me. Behind his black sunglasses, I could see an eyebrow quirked in a silent question. I blushed slightly, ashamed of my shyness, and how awkward it must be for a sixteen-year-old girl to be frightened of a little boy. The boy in question looked back at Artemis incredulously.

"Did we miss something?" asked the boy's sparring partner. I silently gawked. The teen was tall, much taller than Artemis, or I, and the stern look on his dark face rivaled that of Batman, but I suspected that he wasn't trying for it. He gave off the commanding air of a leader. In answer to his question, Artemis nodded an affirmative.

"Batman introduced our newest member," she patted my shoulder. "She's going to be given a trial period of a few weeks on our team. He hinted that you'll probably have a big part in the final decision on whether she stays or not." The tall boy nodded, and turned to me.

"I'm Avia," I said, surprising myself with my own outburst. The kid with sunglasses grinned with the same cockiness of KidFlash.

"Hi, it's Robin." he shook my hand. I cracked a small smile at that; it was so unexpected and formal.

"Kaldur." said the tall teen brusquely. I noticed strange tattoos on his arms, and scars on his neck. I wondered to myself what they meant. His blue eyes examined me equally intently. I blushed a bit at the attention.

As Artemis dragged us back to the commons area, I saw KidFlash flirting with M'gann. I stole a glance at Artemis to see her bristle as she noticed. "Why do you let him get away with that?" I asked softly. I assumed they were a couple; I don't quite know why, though. The blonde girl whipped around to face me.

"What?" she exclaimed. "I... Why should I care?" I lifted an eyebrow, confused at her sudden defensiveness.

"Aren't you two-?"

"No!" Artemis stalked to the couch and plopped down, turning her back to me. I watched, not quite understanding why Robin was snickering.

"Avia!" said a bubbly voice from behind me. I turned to see M'gann's smiling face. "I need to show you to your room!" she took me by the arm and steered me down a corridor. I had no choice but to follow; I had to admit that I was blown away by my whole predicament. It was hard for me to believe that it had been only yesterday when I was fighting to stay alive on the streets.

"And here's where you'll be staying," said M'gann cheerily, pointing to a door. I opened it, revealing the room. It was small by normal standards, but was much nicer than what I was used to. "I'll let you settle in.," said M'gann. "Come to the kitchen when you're ready."

I nodded my acknowledgment; I had never been a big talker, if it wasn't obvious. There hadn't been many words since I hit the streets.

I explored my new room curiously to distract myself. A single bed in gray bedclothes nestled in the corner, beside a small night table. I noticed unhappily that there were no windows. My claustrophobia didn't approve of secluded, windowless rooms, and I broke out in a sweat.

I hurried into the small bathroom and turned on the sink, splashing cold water on my face before I became ill. I looked into the mirror. The girl I saw there was a mess. She had long tangled red hair, large, scared green eyes, and curved, scratched lips. Her green blouse was tattered and dirty from months on the street. A few scrapes adorned her face, and a bruise circled her throat as a souvenir from one of the many scuffles from the street.

I sighed and turned away, unconsciously touching my back. I wanted to put the past behind me. I decided to go meet M'gann, since I didn't have anything to unpack. As I left, I took one more room that was to be mine for the next few weeks. I let out a sigh, and went to meet my new team.

A.N: Thank you for reading! We'll be going on our first mission next chapter, and maybe some Spitfire action? ;) Secrets will be revealed…

Please review so I know whether to continue or not!

Ruefully yours,

Inkling 3

Friends help you up when you fall. True friends laugh and trip you again.