What would happen if someone who Dick knew from his past joined the team? Is she a new friend, or someone who will betray the team's trus-
Wally: *reading chapter* Hey! I would never be that rude to a nice, sweet, pretty guest!
Me: *snatching back the chapter* Well, this is my story, and what I say goes.
Artemis: *reading over my shoulder* I'm totally oblivious!
Impulse: Oops, spoilers!
Me: *hiding story* All of you go away! I'm trying to be dramatic here! Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, I only own Veronica/Livewire. All rights and properties go to the rightful owners, yada yada yada. Enjoy!
"Batman, I'm still not sure," I said, standing outside the Zeta-Tube in the Batcave. The Dark Night just sighed.
"We've been over this. It's just a tour, you're not making the commitment to the team. But it's the best place Alfred and I have been able to find for you." He reached over and activated the tube, and stepped through, motioning me in as he disappeared. I took a deep breath and stepped into the light, feeling my atoms being transported.
"Recognized. Batman, zero-two. Recognized. Guest, A-one-four." I stepped out of the light on the other end, and walked out of the tube. Batman was standing and waiting for me at the end, with some other people. I was thankful for my mask and costume under their looks.
"Team, please meet your potential new teammate, an old friend of a relative of mine. She's just here for a visit today, but I trust you'll treat her like she was actually part of the team." Batman turned to me. "I'll be back in about five hours. You know how to contact me if something happens. And, please, don't destroy anything valuable." With that he turned and walked out, the Zeta-Tube announcing his exit. When I turned back to face the team, they were all smiling.
"Hi, I'm-" a green girl stepped forward, her hand outstretched.
"Miss Martian. And that's Robin, Artemis, Zatanna, Superboy, Imuplse, Nightwing, and Kid Flash. And you're Black Canary, and Green Arrow," I cut her off. The girl's hand had fallen as I had listed off the team, and was now back by her side. "Nice to officially meet you all." I stuck out my hand at her, and after a second she took it and shook it. Then the boys all crowded around me.
"Hey babe. It seems we're at a disadvantage. You know us, but we don't know you. But maybe we could change that," Kid Flash said, trying to strike a casual yet flirty pose. I just snorted.
"I'm not seeing the disadvantage here," I said, pushing past him.
"Buuuuuurn," I heard Nightwing whisper out of the side of his mouth. I walked up to Black Canary.
"It's an honor to meet you in person. You were my hero when I was a little girl," I said, a small smile flashing over my face.
"You still are a little girl," I heard from behind me.
"I don't remember asking your opinion, Lagoon Boy," I responded without turning around. There were some quick laugh-turned-coughs from the others, and all of a sudden an arm wrapped itself around my shoulder.
"I think you're gonna fit in great here," Artemis said, as Zatanna nodded from my other side. "Here, we'll give you the grand tour." They started to lead me out of the Mission Room, Miss Martian catching up with us.
"Wait. What's your name, first?" Green Arrow called after us. I paused and thought for a moment.
"Call me...Livewire," I said after a second. Nightwing gasped and I let a small smirk pass over my face. Then I flipped my braid over my shoulder and walked off, making sure to put a little bit more sway than usual in my hips. As soon as the door closed, the four of us started cracking up. "Did you see...his face?" I asked around my giggles. I did my version of KF's "rejected" face, which sent us into another round of laughter. Eventually we were able to stop laughing, and I got the grand tour. A hushed silence fell over us as they showed me the Grotto, and we found Aqualad standing in front of Aquagirl's holographic statue. The girls turned to leave, but I stepped up beside him, in front of her. "May you swim oceans eternally blue, and find the favor of Neptune himself," I said looking up at the hologram, reciting the words spoken for an Atlantian who had fallen in combat as a hero. Aqualad looked at me in surprise, and gave me a small smile. I put a hand on his shoulder for a second, then dropped it and turned, leading the girls out.
"What was that?" Artemis demanded once the door was shut and we were farther down the hall.
"What was what?" I asked, faking confusion.
"You know what she's talking about. What was with the flirting with Aqualad in front of the memorial of his dead crush?" Zatanna answered. I looked at them in surprise.
"I didn't know she was his crush, and I wasn't flirting. I was merely telling him that there are others who understand pain. The only thing worse than dealing with the death of a loved one is dealing with the death of a loved one alone." That seem an acceptable answer because we continued on the tour, ending in the kitchen, just in time to start getting lunch ready.
"Normally we do our own thing for food, but we have one of each meal together once a week," Zatanna explained. "Today we're doing lunch together, and we're having pizza." We made our pizzas instead of ordering, each of us making a different kind. I was put in charge of the "Impulse and KF Specials." They had every pizza topping ever avaliable, plus several that should be totally gross on a pizza; lunch meat, mashed potatoes, leftover Chinese takeout, and mac n' cheese were just a few things Zatanna and Miss Martian gave me to put on it. Once we had all the pizzas in the ovens, we sat down and started doing what all girls do when we have free time: talk. Which is how the guys found us half an hour later when they started wandering in for lunch.
"-Robin. Totally Robin," Zatanna was saying when Impulse and Kid Flash raced in.
"Are you kidding?" I asked, slamming my drink down on the counter and faking outrage. "You disgrace the Team, it's clearly Aqualad!" Kid Flash cleared his throat, getting our attention. We all turned to glare at him.
"Not to interrupt a cat-fight in the making, but are our pizzas almost ready?" he asked, holding up his hands to defend himself.
"I dunno, how long is left on the timer?" Artemis asked, sitting next to me on the bar stools at the counter.
"Another fifteen minutes for you two," Miss Martian responded from where she was leaning against the counter by the ovens.
"That is so mode," Impulse groaned and Artemis and I turned back around, to face Zatanna and Miss M again.
"Okay, my turn. Superboy or...Kid Flash?" Zatanna asked. We all looked over our shoulders at Wally, who was crashed upside down on the couch, his legs over the back and his head hanging down, facing the TV.
"Superboy," Artemis, Miss M, and I said at the same time.
"What'cha doin'?" Impulse asked, apearing on the stool on the other side of me from Artemis. I jumped slightly and growled in annoyance. I hate being startled.
"Boys," was all I responded, not turning to face him.
"That's what she said!" Kid Flash snickered from the couch. Miss M telepathicly rolled up a dish towel and snapped him with it, making him jump and yelp.
"It's a game, smartass," Artemis said, rolling her eyes. "Miss M and Zatanna give us two boys-"
"She said that too!" Kid Flash said, laughing harder. Miss M smacked him with the dish towel again.
"-And we have to decide who'd win in a fight. And then Livewire and I give them two boys-"
"You're making this too easy!" KF called, in danger of falling off the couch he was laughing so hard. Artemis ignored him and kept going.
"-And they have to decide who's cuter. But it usually turns into a 'cat-fight in the making' as he-" she jerked her thumb over her shoulder to the couch, where Wally was trying not to fall off "-called it. Turns out Livewire here knows the team pretty well." I blushed under my mask.
"I would get bored and hack your files on the Batcave's computer," I confessed. A silence fell over the kitchen.
"That is so crash!" Impulse said, breaking it. "You must be really good with computers!" I laughed and shook my head.
"No, but Batman is predictable when it comes to passwords." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Anyway! I think it's my turn. Okay, sooo...Nightwing or Richard Grayson?" I asked, internally snickering. Along with strengths, weaknesses, medical records, and stuff like that, everyone's files contained their civilian identities. Of course, I'd known about Nightwing for a while.
"Nightwing," Miss M said, after thinking it over.
"Nah. Dick Grayson. He's good-looking and he's a billionaire. And he has that whole 'tortured past' thing, too." Zatanna looked up to see us all staring at her. "What?" she asked defensively.
"Are you crazy? It's clearly Nightwing! He's a hero!" Artemis chimed in, taking Miss M's side.
"How do you know? Have you ever seen what's under that mask?" Zatanna asked. "I didn't think so," she said when neither of the other two answered. The other two just looked at her, but I started laughing so hard that I fell off my stool. "Are you okay?" she asked, peering down at me from over the counter. I just continued to laugh, my face getting redder and redder under my mask. That happened to be the moment Robin, Nightwing, Beast Boy, and Superboy walked in, followed by Black Canary and Green Arrow.
"...What's with her?" Beast Boy asked as they all stood looking down at me.
"I dunno. We were just playing Boys, and she started cracking up," Artemis said, propping her feet up on the stool I'd just fallen off of.
"What were the options?" Black Canary asked, knowing the game and having a good idea what was coming.
"Nightwing or Dick Grayson." Nightwing choked on the drink of water he'd just taken from the glasses Miss M had passed out, and Black Canary let out a soft chuckle.
"They...were...arguing!" I gasped from the floor. Black Canary couldn't help it, she started laughing too, so hard she had to lean on the counter or risk falling over. Nightwing was pounding himself on the chest, trying to recover from choking.
"What's so funny?" Lagoon Boy asked, coming in and kissing Miss M on the cheek. This, for some reason, just sent me into more laughter. I was finally able to settle down enough to stand up and help take pizzas out of the ovens, then was put on drinks duty, taking orders for Miss M. Impulse set the table and Kid Flash cooled the pizza to an edible temperature, and everyone else scattered to find everyone and tell them lunch was ready. Pretty soon only Nightwing and I were left in the kitchen. I finished putting drinks out and he finished carrying the pizzas to the table, and then we had nothing to do. I started wiping the counters down, and I heard him sit down on a stool.
"So," I said, moving over to wipe the counter across from him, so I was facing him, "That was some pretty impressive choking there." A faint pink tinged his cheekbones, and I smiled. "You do that often?"
"Semi-regularly, yeah. So, what made you think to come up with that pair?"
"Who, you and Dick? Eh, I was bored." I paused in my wiping and looked at him. He looked back, trying to figure me out.
"Yes, but why those two?" he asked. I grabbed the parmesan cheese and took it to the table, making sure to pass close behind Nightwing.
"Maybe because I wanted to see what impression the youngest Flying Grayson gave when no one knew who he was, compared to when everyone knew who he was," I whispered, bending down so my mouth was right behind his ear. Then I whirled away, setting the cheese shaker on the table just as the first people started coming back. Nightwing took his seat, at the opposite end of the table from me, with everyone else. And if anyone else noticed that he was rigid and barely spoke for the whole meal, they didn't say anything.
"So, how did it go?" Batman asked as I climbed into the passenger side of the Batmobile. I shrugged and nodded, knowing he'd understand what I was trying to say. "And Wally?" I chuckled.
"Never let me accuse you of over exaggerating ever again." I rolled my eyes as Batman sped off. "Why didn't we just use the Zeta-Tubes?" I asked as Batman drove down to the docks. He just drove off the end of a pier, switching the Batmobile to plane-mode or whatever it's called.
"You haven't gotten to see the Atlantic from above at night yet," he said, motioning to my window. I looked down, seeing the setting sun reflecting off the waves. After it set, the boats' lights reflected off the water, making it look like the starry night sky was trapped underwater. I just sat, soaking in the beauty of it all. We reached Gotham all too soon, and I then was climbing out, inside the Batcave. Alfred was standing there, a water bottle and towel for Bruce and a warm smile for me. Bruce said he'd never seen Alfred smile as much as when I was around.
"Welcome back Master Bruce, Lady Veronica," he said. He was most likely the only person in the world who could call me a lady and I didn't have the urge to punch in the face.
"Hello Alfred," I replied, smiling back. "Did any aliens try to invade in our absence?" Alfred smiled again.
"Indeed, Lady Veronica, but at the news that you were not here, they agreed to return another time." I laughed and followed Alfred to the stairs. Stepping out of the staircase and lowering the grandfather clock after myself, I took off my mask. "Did the suit work?" Alfred asked, motioning to my costume. He and I had spent almost two weeks designing and sewing it.
"It was perfect Alfred! You're a genius!" He just brushed the compliment off, but he couldn't stop a small smile. "But, if you don't mind, I'm going to go change." I took off up to the guest room I'd been living in, and shut and locked the door behind me. I stood in front of the full-length mirror and put my mask back on, looking myself up and down. The tight black bodysuit fit like a second skin and moved like the first, with no extra tightness, no matter how I twisted or turned. It only had the left sleeve, though, like my old costume. The right sleeve covered the top of my shoulder, but didn't even reach the curve where my shoulder turned into my arm. The high collar didn't restrict head movement or make breathing hard, and the fabric breathed enough that I didn't get hot just wearing it. Four-inch wide silver cuff bracelets went around each wrist. I had a fingerless black kid glove on my right hand, made of the same material as Batman's gloves. I didn't wear shoes though. Shoes had never appealed to me, and my feet were tough enough I didn't need them, so my leotard just ended at my ankles. A black domino mask finished the costume, covering from the top of my forehead to my cheekbones. Electric blue/green and bright pink lines zigzagged all over the costume, following all the seams and crisscrossing over my stomach and back, and twisting around my legs. To complete the outfit I had pulled my hair up into a high ponytail braid and applied some hot pink lipstick. With my pale skin, bright lipstick, and dark mask, I looked like I had when I was younger, on an opening night. Of course, I wasn't younger anymore, and it wasn't opening night. I quickly took off the costume and hung it on a hanger in a hidden compartment Alfred had showed me in the closet, took my hair down, and stepped into the shower. After I had dried off, I pulled on an oversized t-shirt, Batman logo print flannel pajama bottoms, and all my various bracelets. I brushed my hair out and walked out of my room, humming softly to myself. I loosely braided my long, straight hair over one shoulder as I walked down the stairs, headed for the kitchen. Alfred caught me in the hall, and pulled me into the closest room, which happened to be the library.
"Master Dick is back from his 'skiing trip'," he informed me, talking quickly and quietly. "Master Bruce has not yet seen fit to tell him who you are, or even that you are here. So you might wish to watch what you say around Master Dick."
"Wait, Dick doesn't know I'm here? Wow, Bats really has been busy. Alfred, would it be a bother to ask you to find Richard and inform him that I'm, at least for now, a resident of the mansion, and will be able to be found in the kitchen or my room?"
"Of course, Lady Veronica." With that, he turned and walked out, turning down the hall and continuing as if nothing had happened. I realized that Alfred had set something on the small end-table by the couch we had been standing next to, and I picked it up. I didn't bother looking at it until I had reached the kitchen, poured myself a glass of milk, and stolen a few cookies from the jar Alfred always kept well-stocked with his world-famous chocolate chip cookies. I sat down at the kitchen table, and flipped the thing over. It was a picture of a boy who couldn't have been older than seven, and a girl who looked a little younger than him. The boy had short black hair and was laughing; the girl had brown hair with natural red highlights, and was smiling, revealing a missing front tooth. In the background an elephant was getting a bath, and a group of girls who looked to be about nine were forming a human pyramid. I felt a jolt of surprise; that elephant was named Sammy, the girls were Gee-Gee, Dee-Dee, and Mimi, triplets. The boy, with his small head thrown back and hands on his stomach was Dick, and the girl, the little, plain looking, green eyed, freckle faced girl, was me. But this wasn't my picture. All of my pictures of the circus were in a scrapbook upstairs. That must mean that this picture was-
"Who are you and what do you have?" -Dick's. I looked up into the eyes of the sixteen-year-old young man. He had obviously just had a shower, his hair still looked damp, and he brushed it impatiently out of his eyes. "Hello?" he asked, getting impatient. I didn't say anything, just laid the picture down on the table and scooted it towards him. He looked at me, then looked down, then looked back at me. Then he seemed to do a double-take, looking closer at me and the picture. "Vee?" he asked, sinking into a chair. I nodded and pushed a cookie and the half-drunk glass of milk across the table to him. He picked up the cookie and took a bite, then took a drink of milk, seeming to be on autopilot.
"Are you okay?" I asked, leaning forward to try to see into his eyes. "Dick?" He didn't respond, but kept his bent, looking at the picture he still held in one hand. "Hello? Richard?" Finally, I resorted to my big guns to get his attention. "Picky Ricky?" His head snapped up, and he seemed to focus again.
"I'm sorry, but seeing you again, after what happened today, it's just..." he trailed off, looking at me.
"What happened today? You were on a plane all day, weren't you? On your way back from your skiing trip?" I decided not to tell him that I knew all about his 'skiing trip' until he decided to tell me who he was, so I had to play innocent and ignorant. He shook his head, trying to clear it.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, the skiing trip. Yeah, I was on a plane all day. If you don't mind, I'm going to go to bed. It was really nice to see you, and I'm assuming if you're here now you're spending the night. We can talk at breakfast tomorrow." He stood, pushing the half-eaten cookie and the rest of the glass of milk back at me and grabbing his picture. I smiled and stood.
"Night," I said, giving him a quick hug before he turned and left the kitchen. I sat back down. I had just met Nightwing for the second first time, not the adoptive son of the infamous playboy Bruce Wayne. I leaned forward like I had earlier to reach the glass and cookie, and felt the tips of my bangs brush the tops of my breasts, falling through the the big neck hole of the oversized t-shirt. I paused for a second and calculated the angle of Dick's head, and how he could move his eyes. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the cookie and glass, trying to suppress a giggle. Or, maybe, I had just met the adoptive son of an infamous playboy. Alfred came in as I sat back up and propped my feet up on the chair next to me.
"So I trust everything went well?" I smiled and took my feet off the chair, and sat the empty glass back on the table. I hadn't even realized I had finished the milk and cookie as I had sat there. Alfred sat down and sighed. I knew it was probably the first time he'd sat down all day, except for lunch.
"Yeah, I think it went okay. He recognized me, looked down my shirt, ate half my cookie, and went to bed." Alfred tried to cough to cover a chuckle, but failed. "Oh, go ahead and laugh. I know you want to." Alfred laughed at my word, a deep baritone laugh that sounded like it should be coming from someone three times his size, and I joined him. Bruce came in then, and looked shocked.
"Is Alfred...laughing?" he asked me. At the sound of him employer's voice, Alfred stopped laughing instantly and stood, pouring another glass of milk and taking another cookie from the jar. Bruce took the chair he had vacated, confusion all over his face. "I've never seen Alfred laugh before." I just smiled, and Alfred set the cookie and milk down in front of him. Bruce looked down, then back at Alfred. "Can I have two?" Alfred just smiled and shook his head.
"I don't know, can you?" he asked, turning to wipe down the already spotless counter.
"May I have two?" Bruce asked, stressing the 'may'.
"No. You don't need that much sugar before bed," the older man said, not turning around.
"Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssssse," Bruce begged, stretching the word into eight syllables and making the puppy-dog face at Alfred's back. Alfred finally gave in and got another cookie out and handed it to Bruce who did a five-second silent cheer. I couldn't help but laughing.
"You are a giant man-child, Bruce Wayne," I said, raising my eyebrows at him. "And what's this about going to bed? Aren't you patrolling tonight?" Bruce smirked.
"And leave you and Dick Grayson in the same building with only Alfred? He might be the best butler anyone could ever have, but still, Dick is, well, Dick. And Nightwing might be completely trustworthy, but Dick Grayson is the adoptive son of the biggest playboy in Gotham." I rolled my eyes.
"Admit it, you just want to see what happens tomorrow at breakfast." Bruce's eyes widened in mock-innocence and he held up his hands. "Oh, and I know you've been teaching him your habits with the ladies. He's already looked down my shirt." And with that I stood and walked out, back up to my room. I could hear Bruce's chuckles behind me, and what sounded suspiciously like an "'Atta boy." I walked into my room and turned off the light, using moonlight to walk over to the window and open it a crack. Then I walked over to the bed and crawled in, pulling the blankets up around me. The soothing sounds of traffic from the street wafted in with the cool breeze, helping soothe me to sleep. One last thought drifted across my conscience just before I fell asleep. I wonder what breakfast is going to be like tomorrow.
Hey guys! So, what did you think? I'm hoping you don't totally hate it. Please, review! Flames welcome! And I can't promise "new chapters every week!" but the more inspiration I have, the faster you get chapters, and the more reviews I have, the more inspiration I get! Oh, and I decided to do a quick age chart for the Team, as much for my sake as for yours. So, if you don't really care or don't wanna read it, just leave here. Bye! ...You're still here, aren't you? Wow, you guys are crazy. Okay, bye! ...SERIOUSLY, BYE!
Kid Flash/Wally West: 18 1/2
Superboy/Connor Kent: 18 1/2 (3 1/2)
Miss Martian/Megan: 18 (?)
Lagoon Boy/La'gaan: 18
Aqualad/Kaldur'ahm: 17 1/2
Artemis/Artemis Crock: 17
Zatanna: 16 1/2
Nightwing/Dick Grayson: 16 1/2
Livewire/Veronica: 16
Robin III/Tim Drake: 16
Beast Boy/Garfield Logan: 16
Impulse/Bart Allen: 14 1/2
So, extra extra bit at the end. I didn't set this after a specific episode, and I didn't try to follow the storyline too closely. Some major changes are: Aqualad didn't "betray" the team or "kill" Artemis. Artemis and Wally are not a couple. The only couple we have right now is Megan and La'gaan. This will change, yes. Though I did keep the bit where Megan and Connor went out, and they broke up. Same reasons. And, Bart's future is fixed, Mount Justice doesn't blow up, none of that grand stuff. If I remember anything else I did against the show, I'll make sure to tell you. Oh, and I know their ages are messed up, but I don't care. If you're that picky, go read another story. I think that's it! Love ya'll!
-IceQueen2196