Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I pretend to have any ownership of Young Justice or the DC Universe. This fanfic will parallel the show, with a few of my creative liberties, such as changing some ages: i.e. Robin is sixteen rather than thirteen like he is portrayed in the show.
I'm so glad that people seem to like the introductory chapter, but I would really appreciate some feedback before you favorite. I want to send out a huge thank-you to NinjaSheik and Bloody Midnight for reviewing.
Captivating Sympathy
Chapter One: Cat Got Your Memory?
Alarms sounded loud across the grounds accompanied by shill screams. A multitude of armed, masked men raided the classrooms of Gotham's only all girls academy. Doors were kicked in before several rounds of ammunition were emptied into the air for intimidation purposes.
Girls were snatched up, seemingly at random, and were taken away despite their protests. Teachers and administrators trying to intervene were gunned down without prejudice, leaving everyone else quaking against the furthest wall possible as the kidnappers made their escape.
One of the masked criminals found himself staring down a student in the middle of the hallway leading to the armored car they would use for their escape. He raised his gun in an attempt to scare the lone girl, but before he could pull the trigger, he found the gun wrenched from his grasp and entangled in the fall of a whip, now laying useless on the ground.
With a flick of her wrist, the whip sprang to life, dropping the gun and advancing towards her adversary.
A shout rang through the otherwise silent hallway before the cold barrel of a gun was pressed to the girls temple. The whip was confiscated and she too was collected and tossed headlong into the back of the armored car, filled to capacity with girls from several different schools. Her head collided with the steel wall of the inner cabin and searing pain followed her into unconsciousness.
When her eyes fluttered open several hours later, not only did she not recognize her surroundings, she couldn't remember how she got there or, more importantly, who she was.
The doors were ripped open and the last remnants of daylight flooded the previously darkened cabin. Girls whimpered and grasped onto one another as if doing so would prevent their abductors from continuing with their plan. It was, of course for naught as one by one, each girl was untangled from the various limbs of her fellow captives and pulled into a separate room where she was made to change into a short and generic, prison-esque dress. Following their change of attire, a short video, pleading with parents and guardians to send the ransom money was shot.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan for the kidnappers until the one girl who dared to fight back was pulled from the cargo hold.
"Make the call to mommy and daddy," one of the thugs instructed in a patronizing tone.
She wanted desperately to comply, but she didn't know who she was, let alone who to call for help in such a situation.
"What's wrong," another sneered as he grabbed what little of her dark black hair as he could from her pixie cut, "cat got your tongue?"
Her green eyes darted wildly around the room, coming to rest on a finely crafted whip attached to the belt of the one crook in the room that actually worried her. While the other two kidnappers exuded male bravado the third remained absolutely quite and surveyed the girls' every move with the eyes of a hawk. Knowing she had no other choice, she made a mad dash towards the man, narrowly avoiding his massive fist as her left hand expertly clasped around the whip's handle and pulled it free.
The sound of the whip cracking resonated within the small enclosure, sending the two chatty criminals scampering to the door. The quite one reached for the pistol in his holster only to find it missing. Even his hawk eyes hadn't been able to follow the girl's subtle movements. He surveyed the room and growled when he realized his gun had been snatched away by a little girl with a strip of leather.
"Gather every man we have and commence with the rest of the operation," he commanded in a gruff voice into a crackling wireless transmitter. "I'll take care of the snag here." With a frenzy of fists, the once more silent thug advanced toward the kink in his plan.
With a flick of her wrist, the whip ensnared one of the mans flailing limbs. While he lumbered on, she preformed a front hand spring and easily cleared him. Not expecting her to out maneuver him, he ran headlong into the wall, dazing him long enough for the girl to relieve him of his belt and tie both his wrists and ankles together. Once she had immobilized him, she secured her whip around her waist and stumbled out into the twilight, following a billowing cloud of black smoke and the distant sound of screams.
Upon reaching the source of the raging fire, she found that the girls' belongings had been piled on top of one another, drenched in lighter fluid, and set ablaze.
The sound of terrified squeals floated through the hallway in response to the nearly twenty masked, armed men which leered at the scantily clad teenagers.
Would she be able to take them all out at once? Realizing the chances were slim to none, she decided to test the limits of her stamina and skill by inconspicuously luring a couple thugs at a time from the seemingly growing group located outside the girls' holding cell.
A small pebble sized piece of rubble, more than likely from the deteriorating ceiling, made for the only distraction she would need if she played her cards right. Rather than flicking the chunk of rubble in a direction that would send her would be captors away from her, she tossed the distraction behind her. She listened to it clatter along the hallway and waited in the growing shadows to preserve her element of surprise.
"Whose there?" a crook demanded, accompanied by four others. Beams from flashlights shone in all directions, never locking on anything that looked out of the ordinary. They soon lost interest and reserved to return to the group, grumbling that they had lost valuable time with their captives. Unfortunately for them, they wouldn't make it back.
A shadow dropped from the rafters, landing a solid kick to the jaws of two thugs sending them sprawling to the concrete below. It was clear after their first impact on the waiting terrain that the would not be getting to their feet anytime soon. She back flipped over another who slipped into unconsciousness before she landed due to a pressure point above his collarbone being taken advantage of. The sound of three bodies crumpling to the floor and muffled moans of pain was enough to coerce the remaining two to turn and face their adversary. A low sweeping kick caused another to lose his balance. On his way down, he was incapacitated by a a knee colliding painfully with his temple.
Strong arms wrapped around the small girl, pinning her arms to her side.
"End of the line doll," the last crook sneered as his rancid breath assaulted her senses.
She had come too far to allow herself to be captured now. She raised her leg and kicked out to the side with as much strength as she could muster, shattering his kneecap. As he released her to clench his injury she rolled forward and out of his clutches. Grasping the whip, she ensnared his ankle and strung him up to the rafters. As she had previously, she relieved her foe of his belt, utilizing that to keep him secured upside down before retrieving the whip.
"If you talk, I'll drop you," the girl warned, loosening the belt for emphasis.
Now that her plan had been set in motion, all that was left to do was lay in wait for the remaining kidnappers to realize the first search party wasn't coming back.
"How do you get lost in a hallway?" a new voice asked, breaking the tense silence. Footsteps reverberated down the hallway, masking the true number of opponents she would have to face this round.
"Don't be stupid. It's a trap!" the hanging kidnapper shouted.
As promised, the belt keeping him from succumbing to gravity was removed, sending the chatty crook plummeting into his two comrades below. Bullets whizzed through the air, piercing through the falling kidnapper. Startled yelps and screams of pain were quieted soon enough as those waiting below were flattened. Without hesitation, the girl leaped down from her hiding spot in the rafters and tied each of her opponents hands behind them with what was quickly becoming her favorite accessory in these situations.
"What the hell is going on?" a gruff, frustrated voice called out. Of course by this time, the remainder of the criminals had realized that something was amiss. Another five of the dwindling captors stampeded down the hallway, giving no time for an inconspicuous escape back into the rafters.
Not only had she had lost the element of surprise, but she was now out numbered, fighting adversaries who were not tiring from continuous battle. She cracked her whip, backing into the wall to ensure she was safe from an attack from behind. Her whip lashed out, carving out a segment of skin from the kidnapper closest to her. On her next attempt to keep the crooks at bay, the fall hitch of the whip was ensnared within the fist of one of her adversaries. He tried to wrench the weapon from her grasp, but only succeeded in pulling the determined girl within striking range.
Leaving only inches before a collision, she executed a back hand spring, coming to land on her opponents shoulders. Within seconds, he thong of the whip was wrapped around his massive neck. She kept her seat while the man below her bumbled around before finally succumbing to the lack of oxygen.
The noise was deafening as barrels were emptied and bullets ricocheted off walls. The whip proved to be somewhat effective in deflecting the ammunition, but it was far from infallible and a round passed through her minimal defenses. It only skimmed the top layer of skin, but the combined speed and heat left an angry burn across her arm.
A mischievous laugh echoed around the hallway, making the task of discerning its origin practically impossible. Two objects whizzed through the air, embedding themselves into the lowest hanging rafter. A small explosion decimated the rest of the ceiling and created a hole in the roof.
To avoid being buried by the debris raining down, she dove into a forward roll, leaving all of the approaching captors who were inevitably swallowed up by the rubble.
A teenage boy around sixteen years old appeared balanced on a window sill when the dust had settled. "Oh, come on. I thought even scum was above ganging up on girls," he said before glancing at the pile of unconscious thugs from before his arrival and back to the girl curled up on the outskirts of the ceiling sediment. "Are you alright?"
A collective groan came from the pile beneath the fallen rubble.
"Wasn't talking to you," he said in an almost sing song voice. He smiled and hopped down from the ledge from which he was perched, making his way over to the girl, ridged with shock. A black gloved hand was presented to her, gently pulling her to her feet when she accepted it.
Without slipping her hand out from that of her rescuer's, she bent over and retrieved the whip from the rubble. A hand burst through the debris only to receive a sharp snap from the newly attained weapon before it was once again secured around the petite girl's waist.
Muffled shouts and the sound of fists landing blows drifted from the room containing the girls' holding cell. By the time both teens made their way out of the body laden hallway, the lock imprisoning the girls had been busted. The previously contained girls rushed out of the cell and into the warm Gotham night. The pile of smoldering remains of the girls' belongings were being picked through by a tall man in a form fitting black rubber suit and black hood. He quickly turned around in a combative stance when he heard the two teens arrive.
"How were you able to escape?" the large man asked, his voice deep and rough. His piercing eyes stared straight into her deep green, panic stricken orbs. "Answer me," he demanded.
She averted her eyes and took a shaky breath before looking back into the face of the man who had cleaned up the rest of her mess. "I didn't," she answered quietly. "They never got me in the cell. I ambushed them from the rafters."
"Impressive. I'm whelmed," the masked teenager chuckled.
"Robin," the large and slightly foreboding man reprimanded.
"Come on Batman," Robin urged. "She held her own, for a while at least."
Sirens cut through the air as police cars raced towards the location, presumably to collect the abducted girls.
"You're ride will be here soon," Batman said, turning to take his leave, his cape fluttering behind him. "Just tell them your name and they'll take you home."
"What, what if I can't remember my name?" she mumbled, both panicked and slightly embarrassed before poking around, trying to find something to jog her lost memories, or, better yet, some sort of identification for herself.
Batman paused and contemplated this new development. Could he, in all good conscience, leave a young girl with promising combative skills on the streets of Gotham to be corrupted?
Robin seemed to be thinking along the same lines and crouched down next to the pile of scorched possessions. He reached into the ashes along with her, feeling for something solid.
Several minutes passed in an uneasy silence, both teenagers rummaging around in the remnants of school uniforms and personal items while Batman stood quietly with his back against the door frame. He continued to ponder what he should do with her. Leaving her on the street now would more than likely just create another villain he and Robin would have to contend with later.
A triumphant smile spread across Robin's lips as he held up a piece of plastic, severely melted around the edges and charred black. He was able to clear enough soot off the photo on the ID to make a discernible match. "Catly? Catlyn? Catlyn! Does that sound familiar?" he asked.
"Maybe?" she offered, wishing she had something more definitive to answer him with.
"Robin, bring Catlyn," Batman commanded, leaving the enclosure and getting into the Batmobile.
"Where are we taking her?" Robin asked, his hand clasping around Catlyn's as he followed his mentor out into the night.
"Mount Justice," Batman answered simply, leaving Catlyn in her seemingly constant haze of confusion. She was only jolted from her musings when Robin came to a stop in front of a red racing motorcycle. Catlyn looked at Robin confused when he passed her his helmet.
"You'll need it more than I will," he answered simply.
She eyed the machine sheepishly before plopping the helmet on her head, swinging one leg over the rear seat and straddling the bike. She wondered if she had known this morning what an eventful day it would prove to be. Thinking about memories she knew lay beyond her reach sent her heart plummeting into her stomach.
After getting on the bike himself, Robin gave Catlyn a reassuring smile before offering a recommendation, "Hang on."
The motorcycle roared to life, kicking up gravel as Robin meandered the speeder to a paved road.
Catlyn let out a strangled noise of surprise prior to flinging her arms around Robin's waist for support and burying her face into his back. She felt his torso shake with laughter, swallowed up by the wind.
Within thirty minutes, the ride became almost relaxing, until Robin's speed became near breakneck and the winding path narrowed considerably. After a final skid, the motorcycle came to a stop at the mouth of what looked to be a cave in the side of a large mountain.
When it didn't appear that Catlyn was going to release her hold on him, Robin chuckled and patted her clasped hands, signalling that they had reached their destination and there would be no more spurts of speed. After being released, he dismounted the red speeder and helped her with the helmet before leading her inside.
Batman met them at the entrance and instructed Catlyn to sit in the living room. He made it quite clear that she was to remain quiet while she was the subject of discussion.
"She's suffering from amnesia alright," a green skinned, ginger teenager reported.
Catlyn pulled her knees up close to her chest and wracked her brain, desperate to remember something, anything before the time she woke up in the back of the armored car. What made the situation all the more terrifying for her was not knowing where this encounter was going to lead. She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the arrival of three additional teenagers and a large, red android.
Tired of sitting still and feeling helpless in such a situation, she got off the couch to stretch her legs and hopefully walk off some of her nerves. She made sure to keep her back to those discussing her fate as to avoid any possible accusations of eavesdropping.
"Then it is decided. She is to remain here and join the team on covert missions," a somewhat robotic voice said in conclusion to the topic at hand. "It might be beneficial to become acquainted with your new teammate."
Before allowing the curious teenagers to speak freely with the newly received member, Batman decided a little debriefing might be in order. "We believe her name is Catlyn. Don't make any sudden movements around her. She's skittish and we don't know how she's going to react."
Ignoring the sound advice from Batman, the boy with ginger hair disappeared, leaving only a streak of color in his wake. He reappeared behind Catlyn and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wel-"
His message was interrupted when two tiny hands grasped him firmly around his wrist and elbow. Using the height difference as leverage, Catlyn flipped the teenager over her shoulder. After landing flat on his back, both his wrists and ankles were bound together by a pliable but firm strand of leather.
"Catlyn!" a stern voice, although laced with mild amusement, reprimanded, accompanied by Robin's increasingly familiar laugh.
"Dude! Not funny," the boy ensnared in the whip called from his position on the floor.
Catlyn did not immediately react to her name. After a few seconds, she turned slowly and saw a mixture of expressions: Batman stood almost detached with his arms crossed, Robin was doubled over in mirth while his hands covered his mouth, and three unfamiliar faces ranged somewhere between the two extremes. With slumped shoulders and a bowed head, she made her way over to Batman, dragging the boy behind her. She then relinquished the handle of the whip to the adult's waiting hand. "Sorry," she apologized in a small voice but genuine tone as she disentangled the ginger before taking a seat back on the couch, bringing her legs up to her chest, and resting her forehead on her knees.
She felt the cushion she was sitting on compress further and turned to see a black teenager with short blonde hair looking at her with kind eyes.
"My name is Kaldur," he said, his voice very even and calming. "Welcome to the team. You've already met Robin," he gestured to Robin in the grouping that had migrated into the living room, "and you've encountered Kid Flash."
Once again ignoring the recommendation to make slow and deliberate movements around her, Kid Flash appeared in front of her, kneeling on the ground and took her hand in his. "You can call me Wally," he smiled and kissed her hand, having already put their previous encounter out of mind.
Robin chuckled. "Careful Wally, you remember what she did when you attacked her from behind."
"Dude!" Wally protested but backed away all the same.
"Hi there. I'm M'gann M'orzz, but you can call me Megan. That's my earth name," the green skinned teenager introduced herself with a kind smile. "That's Superboy," she said after a few moments of silence when it seemed that the muscular, brooding teenager wasn't going to take the initiative.
"It's time to go Robin," Batman instructed. "You'll be safe here Catlyn. Get some sleep."
She nodded before really comprehending that she would be staying here. She looked to Robin who smiled and bid her goodnight.
"It'll be fun. Just wait."
I know this was really long without too much action and not really any relation to the story line of the show, but that will change in the later chapters. Just so you know, this happened a few days before the episode "Welcome to Happy Harbor".
Please review and let me know what you think and any inconsistencies you may have noticed. I tried to keep everyone in character as much as I could but if I was way off base, please let me know so I can make better quality chapters. Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoyed it!
Update: I'm trying to get on track with the show's story line as quickly as I can, but I want to give y'all quality chapters so it might be a couple days between the updates. Thanks for bearing with me.