Disclaimer: We do not own YJ. Not that rich or creative. We do own the two NEW characters we're throwing in – Anna Winter/Castor and Maki O'neil/Phoenix. Enjoy~
Summary: A new villain emerges, forcing young Anna take up the role of Castor and face her inner demons. Maki O'neil is still coming to terms with her father's death. Their journey takes them to Gotham where their lives become entwined with the legendary Batman and the new team known as Young Justice.
Chapter One "Are they new?"
She perched at the edge of the ledge of the roof, peering down into the streets of Gotham below. Normally her business wouldn't have pulled her this far into the heart of Gotham. But she traveled with the wind. And the wind pointed to Gotham City. Wayne Corporation more like it. The person she was tracking was headed this way, probably hoping to lose her within the throbbing mess of crime Gotham was. She'd heard of the Batman and his little side-boy Robin. A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.
"My liege? You are…pleased?" a guttural voice hissed out from the surrounding darkness of the rooftop. Hidden within the shadows cast out by the full moon above, a single creature sought her attention. Ak'virta if she remembered correctly, which she rarely did. She resisted the urge to roll her amethyst eyes at him, the wind blowing strands of silver hair through her vision. It came with the change. Literally when Castor appeared, she was a pale skinned individual with amethyst eyes and long billowy silver hair. Her outfit was a transformation of whatever she'd been wearing, it took the same pattern as it normally did but with her new colors. Tight black pants, tucked into black boots to the knees with purple lace, a black corset with even more purple lace with a bit of purple fabric that trailed from her body to connect to the strange silver manacles around her wrists. her belt was silver as well.
Oh, she was Castor but she was what was called a vigilante. Her eyes were usually a fair shade of green and the hair at the current time was a dyed black with a dark purple streak in it. So where did silver come from? When she realized she could 'rev' up her energy levels and a slightly physical change took over. It was like something out of the comics. Personally, she found it creepy. She hadn't always been able to change completely, it took energy. Lots of energy, but it was the form that gave her the most and best control. Speaking of which, it kind of ran on a time limit. She felt a ripple through her body and bits of purple black hair were blown around her. She no longer felt the extreme confidence she did when she was a full-blown Castor.
"I'm not pleased…not really…and I'm NOT your liege," She reminded the creature. It crawled out of the dark shadows and up onto the ledge where she perched. It peered out into the city, eyes glowing an ominous shade of acidic green. He looked a bit like a lizard, long spindly black tail with spikes, he had claws and wings. A gargoyle maybe? Just with more color and personality.
"You are our queen…reborn," The creature told her and began once again to tell her the story of who she really was. She tuned him out. The first time she'd met these creatures her 'powers' had been going on a fritz. She'd actually met Zatara that way. Curiously enough he taught me a bit. So, one could say she'd been his apprentice at a time. Not anymore. She stood up, her black jeans brushing the tops of her black tennis-shoes. Her shoestrings were a dark purple. She had on a light black jacket with purple spider web design over it. Her shirt was a dark purple as well with the picture of a bat shape over it in silver. She still had her black eye mask on though. Not really so 'super-hero' here. She really needed some kind of superhero outfit other than what Castor came with. She couldn't BE her all the time. She had to be herself. A simple Castor instead. She zipped the thick jacket up, pulling the hood over her head and pulling her black scarf up and tugged on black gloves. She was solo on this one as well. Well, as solo as one can get with a legion of gargoyle creatures at one's command. Actually…they didn't really listen to her unless she was full-blown Castor. Sometimes they'd advise her, or just get her into trouble.
"Uh…I'm going in tonight alone," She told the little creature. It studied her for a few seconds before inclining its head.
"As you wish my liege," it replied before vanishing into a cloud of green vapors. She sighed, gazing out once more into the dark night.
"So, who are you suppose to be?" A cocky slightly high-pitched voice demanded. She nearly lost her balance in surprise, but caught herself. She whirled around on the newcomer.
"ARE YOU INSANE?" She snapped at him, before realizing who it was. Robin. Oh dear. If he was here then the Bat could be here. She scanned the area with a nervous eye. She did NOT need the Bats involved in this one. Not that he scared her. Kind of intimidated me. He had this HUGE reputation and what not.
"Well?" Robin demanded, not at all put off. He indicated her mask," Obviously you're trying to hide your identity…Well? Who are you suppose to be? I don't recall seeing you around…"
"Uh…" She said nervously, before flicking her fingers. The younger boy fell down unconscious. Yes. It is possible to manipulate the active energy of the brain in order to 'suggest' a more peaceful energy level…like that of sleep. It didn't always work though. She quickly leapt down to the fire escape, hurrying to get down to the ground below. She had business in Gotham. She raced across the streets, narrowly avoiding being hit by a car as she headed for her destination. Wayne Corp. Her primary target was none other than an individual who referred to himself as MindFreak…Or that was what he called himself. Her name just came with her past. She paused outside a door, wiggling her hands testing the air. It was tainted with the energy of MindFreak…and he knew she was there. A cold metallic hand clapped over her mouth, one arm around her waist as she was pulled backwards.
"Not a word from you Castor," someone hissed into her ear, sort of monotonous. She didn't say a word as she was dragged farther back into the alleyway. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the energy emitting from the man behind her. MindFreak, so alien yet familiar. She concentrated, dragging the dumpsters towards them-She slammed hard backwards into him and hit the ground just in time for him to be smashed between two dumpsters. She rolled and quickly leapt up onto her feet. He too stood up, seeming no worse for wear either. Parts of him were reddish orange machinery, the others were still human. His face was covered in a strange metal masked face. "Castor…I thought you were taught how to play nicely…" he inclined his head and she found herself flying backwards into Wayne Corp. The brick wall broke and she bounced, skidding across the floor. A few people screamed running for it. MindFreak headed towards her as she struggled to stand up. Something was fighting with her. The energy of her body…His metallic arm closed around her throat and hoisted her up into the air. "Now…This wouldn't have come to this if you'd only agreed with me-" Something dinged as it hit his armor. A bat-a-rang. A flashing bat-a-rang. She went flying again as another explosion ripped through the air. Well, not another, but it felt like it. "…Company I see…Another time than Castor…" MindFreak said giving her a two-finger salute. Her eyes went to the hole in the wall that her body had somehow produced. Batman. She ran like any other idiot does in a situation like that. Can't really blame her can you?
There were many ways that she could describe the boat ride from Japan to the United States. Long…dreary…quiet…every hour of the trip, the list grew. Now, settled in Gotham City, Maki O'Neil dropped her duffle bag onto the moldy carpet of the dilapidated hotel she was residing in. She sat down on the edge of the bed and nearly sunk completely into the mattress. She grunted and struggled to stand once again. Her eyes caught sight of herself in the cracked mirror across from the bed. She took a moment to study her appearance – long, braided black hair that was greasy due to several days without showering, soft hazel eyes that were upturned at the end…a tell-tale sign of her Asian heritage, and a body that was thin but toned to handle many types of physical activity. Her purple sleeveless turtleneck was dusty and her black and green plaid skirt was in desperate need for a wash. Low, black boots completed her haphazard look and Maki sighed.
"Watashi wa iyana kao…" She grumbled under her breath. She looked disgusting.
Shaking her head she moved to the bathroom and twisted the sink's cold water knob. She pulled her hair out of the braid and dipped her head under the faucet, letting the cool stream of water splash over her scalp. Groping to the left and gripping the shampoo bottle that her hand came in contact with, she continued to wash her hair. After the last of the soap suds drifted down the drain, she turned the knob to its 'off' position, and combed through the tangled wet locks. When Maki's hair was pulled up into a pony tail, she moved to change into her uniform.
She pulled the clothes from her duffle bag and stared at the last gift her father had left her. Takanari Okubo was one of the top kendo instructors in their region. People traveled from all parts of the country to study under him. His death had been…untimely…and it was up to Maki to continue the side project that he participated in…vigilante missions.
Speaking of…she tied the two sashes of her short kimono type outfit and slipped her weapons in place. She mentally counted the tools of her trade to make sure she was fully armed. Katana…sai…wrist knifes…shuriken…senbon needles… Yup. A typical night.
Movement in the ally caught her attention and she answered her cell phone before the first ring. "Hai, hai, Maki-desu."
"Mmm…And that's what happened," She told the phone. Her best and only friend Maki O'Neil was on the other end. She was lying on a bed, her hair still wet from her quick shower. She was dressed in black pajama shorts and a red tank top. She was at a rental apartment. Just long enough for her to finish things up in Gotham. Then onto moving again. She rolled over and paused as she realized the drapes were fluttering by the window. Hadn't she shut that and locked it?
"…oh what?" She asked, realizing Maki was trying to get her attention, her eyes narrowed, "Yeah…hang on…"
She set the phone down, getting up to go over to shut the window. She could see her still bruised back in the mirror, but that wasn't the only thing. Batman was in her room. She freaked and did one of the stupidest things in the world. She phased through the floor. Not only could that have killed her, but it gave her away. Luckily she landed in someone's bathtub below, full of hot water…but an old guy was in it. Enough said. She leapt out and went running. Most of her stuff was replaceable. She'd even set up small areas where she stashed a few things in case of emergencies like this one. Her stuff would self-destruct soon enough. She'd programmed it like that, being paranoid as hell.
Maki, anticipating Castor's reaction to seeing the Dark Knight in her room, darted out of her room via the window and jumped from the fire escape. Slick as a cat, she landed on the slightly damp concrete and her eyes scanned for an employee entrance. Spotting the rusted metal door behind the dumpster, the little ninja next glanced around for a sign of where Castor would have left a change of clothes. She smiled when she realized how well she had come to know her sometimes-partner. Grabbing the folded items, she opened the door and ran through the halls, eyes darting back and forth for a, most likely, naked Castor. Noticing movement in the corridor to her right, she stopped and held out the garments. "You do realize who it was that you ran from, neh?"
Anna flicked her wet bangs out of her eyes, and almost collided with her friend Maki. Of course. She should've realized by now that the girl would be here. She gratefully accepted the clothes, and changed quickly-from years of practice of doing this on the move like now. "Yeah yeah yeah...The Batman, bad enough I ran into him already once before...of COURSE he somehow tracked me," Anna snapped, pulling on a dark purple blouse over her wet red tank top, and slipping into some dark jeans. Yeah. Her shorts were wet, but it was better than nothing, as she phased out of the select pieces of clothing, balling up the two officially wet pieces of her pajamas. She hated wet clothing. She grabbed her boots and slid into them as well. "Okay...Thanks... Now we probably need to get moving before the Bat decides to drop in-" No sooner had she said that, Batman stepped around the corner. She grabbed her friends arm and darted out the employee entrance Maki had most likely entered from. "I swear~! You think busting a hole into a wall wouldn't get you into so much trouble..." She glanced at her friend with a slight smile. "Just like old times, eh?"
Maki began to smile and with her free hand pulled her mask up over her mouth and nose. Yes...it WAS just like old times. She remembered meeting her young partner for the first time in Germany; both chasing after the same thief...Anna tracking him down for the cat he stole and Maki chasing him for taking the cat's diamond encrusted collar. They met several times afterwards and eventually formed an unspoken bond. And MANY of their adventures ended up with them running from authorities as often as they helped them. Then again...the damage caused during their escapades often exceeded the damage the villain had inflicted upon whatever city they were in at the time.
"Okay. So, what brings ya to this wonderful city?" Anna inquired as they ran. She didn't bother slipping on her mask, merely wanting to avoid the Bat. She'd tried so hard to avoid him. It just hadn't worked out like she'd planned. When did anything go according to plan? The thirteen year old, fiddled with a random ring on one of her fingers, trying not to trip as she ran. She looked about fifteen though, so most people never questioned her age. It was her maturity levels showing, as her foster-mom had always told her. Well, her latest foster-mother anyway. She hadn't seen the woman in a few years. No telling if she was still alive even. She definitely wasn't in Gotham City at the time. "Stitch-in-side." She suddenly gasped out as pain laced through her ribs. She blamed her rough night already. She just wasn't prepared for all of this. She slowed down, holding onto one side of her chest with a hand, attempting to relieve the slight build up.
"Do you need me to carry you?" Maki inquired, glancing behind and above them. The Bat could be anywhere. "Or would you rather he caught us?" She disregarded Anna's question to her, content to know that she'd confide in her later. After all...there was a man in Gotham who had answers about her father's death. A dark shadow covered them as the largely muscled man descended from the top of a red brick building.
"Too late," the younger girl muttered as Batman dropped down in front of them. He was intimidating, and Anna found herself stepping closer to Maki. As if the older girl could hold her own against the Bat. "What-it's a-free world." Anna snapped, giving Batman the 'I am so not scared of you' look through her hair that had fallen into her face. She refused to show fear to this guy who was chasing her. She dug in her pocket, remembering she had sunglasses, suddenly. Dark purple, wrapped rim ones too. She fiddled with them, but didn't put them on.
"...," The batman was quiet for a few seconds, seeming to study them. "You're in Gotham...That's my turf..."
Turf? Seriously?" Anna whispered to Maki, ignoring the older man and crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted her other clothes now. She was missing her jacket.
"...Come with me. You two shouldn't be wandering around unattended. I propose that you leave Gotham immediately," Batman told them in his low gravelly voice.
"Not a chance," Anna muttered under her breath.
"Then you'll come with me...I've got a team you two are going to become a part of," Batman informed them. Anna's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I'm not really a 'team' player-," she started to say.
"That wasn't a suggestion," Batman replied, cutting her off. She felt cold now. She really wanted to go find her normal clothes, and make herself more comfortable. At least pick up her jacket somewhere. It was kind of cold, considering she was still wet...and she had an annoying stitch in her side that hurt.
"Excuse me...," Maki stepped in front of Anna to face the Dark Knight. "But what makes you think that we will cooperate with your team. We may be spies for all you know."
She narrowed her eyes. Anna had given her every reason to trust her over the past few years. But a small amount of other people earned that privilege. She measured the situation. It did not look good...and ultimatums were ugly things. What would Oto-san do? She thought grimly.
"If you refuse to come with me...I will have to force you out of Gotham...The situation would become quite ugly," Batman told them. Anna bit her thumbnail worriedly. She couldn't leave Gotham. Not now. She'd only just arrived. She tapped her friend's shoulder.
"Maki-chan," she murmured, in a whisper," Perhaps we should go with him...It might give us more insight..." She spoke louder," I'll have to get some new clothes first...You kind of caught me at a bad time...I...er..." She suddenly turned red, but the Bat gave no sign of noticing. "Ri-i-i-ight...Okay...I've got some stuff not too far from here actually...you're welcome to uh...follow...I promise we won't run..." Yet. "Ri-i-i-ight...okay... Um... Maki?" She questioned, and indicated the direction she needed to go. Really, she just needed to pick up her black jacket that zipped up in the front. Everything else was fine. She had her sunglasses that would hide her eyes anyways. That way no one would know who she was. Hopefully.
Maki stared at him for a few seconds then turned her head to glance at Anna from over her left shoulder. "You go get your jacket. I shall stay here until you return so that he does not suspect that we are...running off."
She moved her head back to the famous Batman and held his gaze. Holding her head high she told herself, I am like stone. I shall not yield...I shall not show weakness. "Please, tell me more about this team?"
The shorter and younger girl bobbed her head up and down in a jerky quick motion. She was shy around new people, not liking to really express herself. One or two people were fine; the thought of meeting a whole bunch of people had her crying on the inside and wishing for some of Castor's confidence. She bite her bottom lip nervously before hurrying away to go find her second stash of clothing. She doubted the Dark Knight would let her wonder off, but was relieved when he didn't appear to go after her. He hadn't asked for his partner either, so he must've found the younger boy and woke him up...younger boy...She briefly thought it possible that they were the same age actually. He seemed mature...but still young in a way. Like her. She hurried and dug through her spare backpack, finding her thick black jacket with the white fur trim around it. When she'd decided to be a platinum blonde, she'd worn this and gotten her energy levels to keep her eyes a steely blue color. That's the good thing about energy-life was never boring with it. She slipped into the jacket, zipping it up and taking comfort in it. She had on the dark purple wrapped around rim glasses that prevented anyone from seeing her real eye color. Green. Born naturally green, but that never stayed one shade of green. She could live with the dark purple blouse and the dark jeans. The black boots were fine also. She was happy so far; she shoved her hands into her pockets and began to wander back.
-back to the Bat talking to Maki-
"...It is a group known as 'Young Justice'," Batman informed her, not seeming to have any real emotion over these facts that he was stating for her. He took a few minutes before he continued onwards - seeming to contemplate what was worth telling her and what wasn't. "...A small sub-group to the Justice League...You will meet the members yourself and discover them for yourselves..." He added in that fact as Anna wandered over to them again, seeming as spaced out as a hippie on 'shrooms. One could tell by the relaxed way her shoulders were lolled and she was twirling a strand of hair around one of her fingers. She stopped beside Maki, and seemed to realize that the Batman was watching her. Her shoulders instantly became tense, and she dropped her hand to her side while her head dipped forward slightly. Even without being able to see her eyes, one would guess she was staring at the ground again. She was intimidated by the Batman, yes.
The Japanese teen reached out and took the younger girl's hand. "We can run our own missions as long as we supply aid to your team for various missions...Am I correct?"
This might just work out after all...if they were allowed freedom in return for back up every once in a while...perhaps their time in Gotham would not be in vain. She slightly tightened her grip on Anna's hand. "I will need to retrieve my things from my hotel room, you understand. Anna as well...though she is well prepared for...emergency situations, we will need certain supplies that we brought with us. If it doesn't interfere with your scouting tonight, you can accompany us."
"...you are correct," he told her with a slight incline of his head. "I, however, have far more pressing matters to attend to..." His gaze seemed to drift from Maki to Anna," Such as a new face in Gotham City." He was referring to MindFreak. Anna's hand tightened reflexively around Mika's hand, painfully tight. She only relaxed when the Bat seemed to leave. Wait-
"How does he expect us to get there?" Anna murmured, letting go of Maki's hand to brush at her hair. She didn't remove the sunglasses though.
"Oh. He expects me to take you," a familiar male voice called out from the shadows. Anna was immediately behind Maki, using her more like a shield before peering out into the dark around them. Robin stepped out into the light, hands up in a slightly 'defenseless' gesture of peace towards them. "You can call me Robin. I'm a member of Young Justice...which you've been cordially invited to join." He was smiling, er smirking, at them though.
"Invited my butt," Anna muttered darkly," More like threatened to join or get kicked out of Gotham..." She gently touched a finger to Maki's arm. "Come on...Let's go get your stuff okay..." She was regretting her hasty departure of her old apartment now. She didn't have a backup mask. Her flimsy black one was gone with her other stuff. Paranoia. What can you say? She studied the newcomer, Robin-or Boywonder as he was referred to-from behind her tinted shades. He was pretty shapely, in a scrawny kind of way. He looked like he was very intelligent too, with a good sense of humor. However, she didn't really know him.
~ An hour later ~
Duffel bag over one shoulder and Anna's hand in her own, Maki and her team mate followed after the young boy. Maki studied him the entire time...he couldn't be much older or younger than Anna. Which would put him at twelve or thirteen...Ahead the boy was rattling on and on.
"So you two are new in town. Don't worry - Bats does the Jedi mind thing all the time...you get used to it. He probably knew you were in town from the moment you walked across the city limit!" He chuckled to himself, "You're right to be cautious though. You've probably been playing super hero yourself for a few years now, big sis!"
Maki blinked. Jedi mind tricks? The boy seemed to have them himself. "You have worked with Batman for a long time...I have heard many stories of you two."
The boy acted as if he hadn't heard her and led them into an ally way. "Alright...before we go in, introduce yourselves!"
"Excuse me?" Maki tilted her head to the side. Which name, exactly, did he want to know?
"You know - what's your super hero name?" He wiggled his fingers with a grin at the girls.
"I am Phoenix. This is Castor."
The boy pressed a button on his glove, grin still on his face. When a holographic screen appeared, he began typing furiously on it with his right hand. Finally, he spoke. "Computer update - Castor – B-13."
He nodded at the phone booth and waited. Knowing how shy she was, Mika turned to Anna and whispered. "Go inside...I'll be right after you."
Watching her partner reluctantly let go of her hand and step inside the old, broken phone booth, Mika had to close her eyes tightly when a flash of light erupted from within the rectangular box. She opened her eyes to find Anna gone.
"Your turn!" Robin laughed, "Computer update - Phoenix – B-14."
Recognizing it as her turn to enter the phone booth, she took a deep breath, steeled her mind, and stepped inside to meet the bright light.
Anna hadn't been listening to the boy talk as Maki had gathered their things. Now she focused on where they were. A...telephone booth? What the hell? She bit her bottom lip nervously, not wanting to let go of Maki's hand. Superhero name? She was glad she had Maki to speak for her, and trembling with nerves-released the other one's hands. Step through? Right behind you? Why did that not reassure her at all? She took a deep breath and stepped through, to a whole new world.
"Recognized. Castor. B-13," a mechanical female voice seemed to say. Anna was glad for her shades - they stopped the harsh light from blinding her completely. She froze though, after stepping through at the scene before her. It felt like one of those moments...when everyone's talking, but suddenly stops at your arrival. She swallowed nervously, and bit her bottom lip.
"Welcome," a perky female voice said and she turned to find herself very close to a green and red-headed...female.
"Wah~!" Anna cried out, quickly stepping away, hands up in a 'Don't hurt me' position. The red-headed girl titled her head slightly in some confusion, but smiled none-the-less.
"I'm M'gann. You must be new," the green-one said, offering a hand to her to shake, "Conner! Come say hi!" She called out to someone else. Anna couldn't stop from trembling slightly. The girl was green...very very very green. Where was Maki when she needed her most? Another boy approached them. Tall, muscular, dark haired...looked like a small version of superman in a way. Might be the emblem on his chest with Superman's logo. The boy didn't say anything, just studied her darkly with arms crossed over his chest. Yeah. Intimidating.
"Hello beautiful~," another voice called out and something zipped through the air quickly. Suddenly an arm was draped across her shoulder and she found herself staring at a red-headed boy with freckles. Total stranger, touching her in such a friendly way.
A hand griped the red headed boy's wrist and twisted. He pulled away with a slightly shocked "OW!"
Maki stood in front of him and Anna, eyes glaring at him over the top of her mask. "It is rude to be so overly familiar with someone you have not even met. Much less a young girl who is obviously shocked and not wanting of your advances."
"Um...sorry?" Wally's face hosted a confused expression and he looked back and forth between the girls. "So, ah...who are you? Two. Who are you two?"
A third bright flash illuminated the cave and dimmed. Recognized. B-01. Robin. "Batman added them to the team. They're gonna help out on some of the really big missions."
Maki hooked the edge of her mask with her fingers and lowered it to hang around her neck. The mask was very comfortable and she always had to pause during the moment that the first touch of cool air kissed her lips after she had been wearing the opaque material for a while. "Hai...my name is Maki O'neil...and my companion is very shy. She will introduce herself when she is ready."
The ginger kid seemed to shake off his initial shock and moved forward to Maki with a grin. "Hi, yourself, gorgeous!"
"Don't you ever stop?" A very angry blonde had appeared by his side to punch him hard on the shoulder. The boy turned to glare at her while rubbing his arm.
"DUDE! What's your problem? Any more of those and I'll bruise!"
"Oh you poor, delicate baby," She replied sarcastically, crossing her arms. "Stop acting like an idiot and I wouldn't have to keep reminding you that you're an idiot."
The girls stared at the scene before them. These were their new team mates...
"You get used to it!" Robin laughed and walked past them, further into the cave.
Anna bit her bottom lip nervously. All of these kids were definitely older than she was-most around Maki's age, but she'd been immediately assimilated into the grouping of older teen. Like always. She was glad to have Maki beside her though, as her support. She knew she was shy, and didn't like how everyone was looking at her expectantly for a name. So she was startled when another voice spoke up beside her.
"You may call me Kaldur," an almost african-american boy said, except he had webbed toes and feet and gills. So...was he technically American. He offered a hand slowly. His mannerisms were very slow and polite and proper. LIKE MAKI. Anna accepted his hand quickly, showing more emotion towards him then the others.
"You can call me A-aaaah," she said, frowning and freezing with a tense look on her face as if she'd done something wrong. Kaldur smiled gently.
"It is fine if you do not wish to disclose your true identity," Kaldur told her and released her hand.
"Yeeeeeaaaaah, we'll just call you Cas for short. You know, Castor...Cas?" the red-headed said with a grin, he hooked a thumb to his chest. "I'm Wally...you can call me the Wall-ster." He winked at her and Anna felt a little bit disgruntled. The blonde smacked him in the back of the head. "Oooow~! Hey..." He grumbled rubbing his head," Yeah. My lovely companion here...who likes to pretend I'm her punching bag, is Artemis..." He rubbed his head, grimacing.
"...," Conner sniffed the air, before looking around. "Something's on fire..."
"OH NO!" M'gann gasped, before flying off, "MY COOKIES!"
"...uh-oh...I'd better go...uh...see if she needs help," Wally said with a wink at Maki," I'm sure Kaldur-being the leader and all-can show you around." He gave them a two-finger salute.
"...It would be my pleasure to show you around...if you would like that," Kaldur offered them. Anna shrank slightly back on Maki, not sure what to do now. The Bat hadn't really said anything to them. The girl called Artemis gave them a distrusting look.
"How'd you two get here anyways?" she all but growled out, she had a low voice and seemed un-interested with the answer.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Kaldur-san," Maki bowed slightly. He was very proper...a good trait to find in someone. "A tour would be most appreciated. As to how we got here..."
She cut her eyes to the blonde. The girl, Artemis, was acting nonchalant...as if she didn't care about the new comer's arrivals at all and was just asking out of courtesy. But there was a dark seed of distrust in her eyes. Maki decided on a vague answer, "We arrived through a phone booth."
"Please, follow me. The rooms are this way - you can find a place to put down your things." The dark skinned Atlantean bent down and picked up Maki's duffel bag; she had dropped it in a rush to deflect Wally's attentions away from Anna. She let a genuine smile loose at the boy's generosity.
Anna's eyes flicked from Maki to Kaldur from under her shades-Wait. Sunglasses. DUH~! As long as she kept a relaxed stance, no one would guess what she was really feeling. She felt like slapping her forehead with her hand but refrained. Then she glanced at Artemis who seemed irritated by life in general. What was her problem? Did she just not like the idea of more team members? That was fine by Anna. She didn't want any team members, except for Maki. She was only here because she needed to get stuff done in Gotham...though...being here might help her out with some other things. She felt a corner of her mouth twitch at Maki's humorous response. At least it was funny to here. The...What was Kaldur? Kaldur looked like he was faintly amused but knew better than to show it. He seemed like he was trying to appear calm and stoic. Good qualities for a supposed 'Leader'. She wondered what made him the leader and not everyone else. Well, Artemis didn't seem like a real team-player if her first impression was to go by. Anna supposed she wouldn't trust newcomers either. She didn't trust any of them here, except for Maki, and even then she was keeping secrets from her. Secrets about MindFreak. She realized she'd stopped paying attention and the other two had walked off, leaving her with Artemis. She quickly hurried after the two.
"This is where we train...with Black Canary," Kaldur indicated the round looking area in the certain," It is also where we get Mission assignments from Batman. He is in charge of that...Our...'den-mother' is Red Tornado..." He indicated a person who seemed to be working on a glowing screen-that wasn't connected to anything. A projection. Now THAT Anna found cool. Her fingers twitched slightly, as she wanted to go play with it. She loved tinkering with things and finding out how they worked. Her problem didn't arise from taking the objects apart...It was putting them together that got her into trouble. The red-figure turned at the sound of his name, approaching them.
"Kaldur," he said in way of greeting with a very robotic sounding voice. Warm though. Metallic. This guy looked like a robot and Anna felt dread creeping into her stomach. Wait, hadn't she heard of him before. Red Tornado...Nope. Couldn't place him. He seemed to examine the other two. "Batman will be here soon...to deal with you two." Anna wasn't quite sure she liked the sound of that. "Until then, please enjoy the facility. I am sure the others will make you feel right at home." He turned back around and went back to whatever he'd been up to. Anna was put on edge by this guy, and she blamed MindFreak for it. The reddish metal. Yeah.
"If you'll follow me," Kaldur indicated, leading them through to some more room areas. "These are the rooms. The only ones who really live here are M'gann and Conner." He indicated the doors that led to each of their rooms. "Will you two be staying here?" Anna could make out the faint smell of burnt cookies and arguing from what had to be a kitchen area. At Anna's questioning tilt of her head, Kaldur commented," That is the kitchen. I believe most of the team is there." Wally poked his head out.
"Hey ladies~! Anyone want some sugar? Wally-style," He said, with a grin that said he thought he was all that and more.
Maki gave him a wry expression," No thank you."
The boy seemed friendly...but a little too friendly. Maki and Anna would have to teach him otherwise. It was never good to be too open with someone you don't yet know. She took in his 'love-me' emerald green eyes and wide grin. He would most certainly become a heart breaker in the future...perhaps she could tutor him in the ways of how not to offend women. Turning her back to the speedster, she smiled warmly at Kaldur. "Yes, we will be staying here. The Batman has offered us refuge here in exchange for our help on missions...I look forward to getting to know you."
She squeezed Anna's hand and leaned in to whisper. "I wish to get changed...come with me? We should discuss this new situation in private."
It wasn't that she didn't trust the team (though that was more or less true but she and Anna needed to lay ground rules for themselves. How far were they going to allow this to go? Would they see it fit to let themselves get personally close to this group?
Sugar? The boy wanted sugar? Anna suppressed a shudder. What was with older boys and hitting on her? Maki, she could understand. But not herself. She didn't know quite what to say to any of that, so she kept quiet. She jerked startled at Maki's sudden statement. Staying...here? No. No no no no no. She was joining the team, but she sure as hell wasn't living here. That was too personal. A reassuring squeeze of her hand and she gave her friend a hidden look behind her shades.
"WHOA~!" Wally suddenly exclaimed, spraying cookies over the back of them. He'd zipped around them for some reason and plunked his arms around their shoulders-apparently not having learned his earlier lesson. "Hang on!" He backed away from them, waving his hand in the air before him with the cookie. It looked singed and it smelt burnt. "Whoa whoa whoa! Hang on~!" Anna pulled her hand from Maki's and glared at the boy from behind her shades. Wally wiggled the cookie at her, then Maki. "Are you two...you know?" He shrugged helplessly and Anna felt her face heat up as blood rushed to it.
"N-no! Ew~!" Anna exclaimed, burying her face in her hands suddenly with a shudder. "That's beyond gross. Maki's my like...Older sister-it'd be incest a-a-and-"
"And it wasn't Wally's place to get involved anyways," a voice murmured into her ear. Robin. She jerked in surprise, whirling around to face him and he put his hands up in an 'easy-defenseless' stance. "Just saying. No need to get defensive. Wally needs to learn manners is all...You two go on...discuss what you want...But be quick...Batman's here, and he wants to talk to you two..." He'd changed into civilian clothes, but had dark-wrapped rimmed sunglasses on. Anna was suddenly aware of just how close in height they were and grabbed Maki's hand, waiting for the older one to lead her away so they could definitely discuss this.
Pulling her friend around the group and into a small tunnel, she looked Anna in the eyes...or at least she assumed that Anna was glaring at her. "I understand your hesitation. I do not trust these...children...either. With the exception of two of them...they seem to have never been faced with harsh reality...hai...they are crime fighters...but have had no personal horrors...they are still young. You are far more mature than that fire-headed boy." She took a breath, weighing her words. "We need a steady place to call home...for now. You know I will always be there to help you...however, I cannot stay in many more rundown buildings...and my monetary source is...scarce. This, for better or worse, is the best option for us right now."
Anna crossed her arms over her midriff, just beneath her chest despite her jacket hiding the curves. She turned her head away from her friend, resuming glaring at the wall as if it were to be faulted. "Home? ... There's a saying... Maki-chan... That home is where the heart is... Is this where your heart is going to reside?" She tugged her sunglasses down to look her friend in the eye squarely. Her green eyes burned brightly with inner rage. Anna had temper problems. That much could be agreed on. "I don't WANT to stay here... But..." She sighed as if resigned. "If we have to...then I will..." She closed her eyes tiredly and pinched the bridge of her nose, holding the sunglasses in one hand. She looked tired, extremely as if even coming up with a coherent thought. She sighed and shook her head.
"Hey, Batman's calling a meet-," Robin's voice cut in and trailed off. Anna kept her eyes shut and slipped her glasses back on again before giving the boy a pointed look beneath her shades.
"Coming...," She murmured, glancing back at Maki," I don't like it...but we might as well go along with it right? Can't be THAT much worse than what we've been through..." She kept her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if holding herself together by sheer will as she made her way forward without waiting on Maki to follow. Robin tilted his head slightly but seemed to dismiss any action.
"This way," He offered helpfully to Maki, indicating the direction," It's not good to keep Batman waiting... Maybe it's a mission...you two will probably be briefed on it...If he lets you go this time."
Maki – who's hand had been out to stop Anna – dropped her arm to her side with a defeated huff of breath. Her eyes held a tone of understanding, under layered with hurt. She nodded to her young guide, "Hai."
A/N
Anna: Please review!
Maki: It would be very helpful to us if you let us know what you think. *friendly smile* And I promise I will try to translate as much of my Japanese as I can.