I Walk through the barely lighted hall ways my heart wrenches as one of the guards bows when I turn to go into a room. He opens the door and I step in, when I'm in far enough he closes the door, looking around my eyes lock with the only friend I've been around for months,
"How did the mission go?" he asks, his deep voice echoing off the walls of the sub we call headquarters,
"It went well, I got what we need." I say putting a flashdrive on the table, he takes off his helmet and places it on the holder to his side then stands up and takes it. I take off my hood showing him my face, in the last five years I've changed, my once glowing blue eyes have changed consumed by the once sparks that change depending on my mood now the entire color does. My blonde hair has become darker almost brown and my skin has tanned because I've been in the sun so much.
"Black Manta will be pleased." Kaldur says, I make eye contact showing him the pain and sadness, "what is it?" he asks his eyes becoming soft and he puts a hand on my shoulder, I drop my head,
"Kaldur, Ranger escaped again today. What if, they want him to join the light?" I ask worried, he squeezes my shoulder a bit then drops his hand and sits back down,
"They won't, for three reasons. One Ranger would kill you as soon as he got the chance and they think that you are loyal; two the team will capture him before they even get the chance to ask him and three they have all of the people they need and do not want to risk making their light any bigger then it has to be, they do not want to share the power." he explains, I nod taking a deep breath, "however I will report your concern to my father." Kaldur states, I nod again staring at the floor, then hear something on his TV. Looking at it Kadur turns it up,
"See! See! The big alien pulls apart the fake Secretary Sang and pulls out the little alien." G. Gordon Godfrey says, I snort in disgust,
"So, what's going on now?" I ask sitting next to him, he sighs,
"We are going to help the Correlations escape earth, quietly." he states, I nod, "they have an island where they are going to start working on a ship to fly out, now that they do not have their zatea platforms." he adds, I hum leaning on my right arm, "we are going to be helping with security." he finishes rubbing his temples,
"Great." I state, "then what?" I ask, Kaldur shrugs,
"My father still keeps me out of the loop questioning my loyalty." he says sighing, a knock on the door brings us to attention, I put my hood up and stand against the wall looking as if I was just reporting in from my mission, Kaldur puts his helmet on and tells them to come in, Black Manta enters and I try not to gasp but I do lower my head and start to leave but he puts his hand up,
"What I have to say concerns you, Shadow." he says as the guards close the door, feeling my heart speed up I begin to take deep breaths. He reaches up and takes off his helmet then puts it on the table, Kaldur does the same and Black Manta looks at me glaring slightly. I reach up and take off my hood showing my face, he smiles, "I didn't think you would show me your face without an order." he admits, I smile,
"We are all allies here and if you feel comfortable enough to show me your face I have to show you mine." I reply, he smirks and nods then looks at Kaldur,
"We have many aliens trapped, here is the points at where they are, you need to pick them up and take them to the island." he order handing Kaldur a map, he then looks at me, "and Shadow, good work with the flash drive, you will go with Kaldur and help him." he orders, I bow slightly then he puts a hand on my shoulder, "Ranger broke out today." he states, my eyes widen pretending I didn't know and I drop my head, "don't worry, I consider you family with your, close, relationship with my son. We will not let him hurt you." he says squeezing my shoulder then he puts his helmet on and walks out, I let my breath out in relief then look at Kaldur,
"Close relationship?" I ask raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms, Kaldur looks awkwardly away from me,
"My father thinks that because I made you my right hand and keep you around so much that you and I. It's a good cover making your loyalty unquestioning." he says not finishing his first sentence, I sigh and sit down, "how did you do it? Leave Ranger, betray him to the league when he was like a father to you?" he asks rubbing his helmet,
"I used to tell myself it was because it would be too much work to take them down." I say scoffing and looking at the TV, "but really, I just, I never wanted to hurt anyone. And I knew that if the league was taken out many people would be. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that all of the horrible things that followed would be on my shoulders." I say then look at him, he sighs and nods,
"Yes, I just need to be reminded, my father, I wish to have his approval but we are fighting for different things." he says sitting down, "Is this what it felt like for you? When you used to come to the cave?" he asks, I smile and laugh,
"Not really, everyone knew I was a thief. So I didn't feel quite like I was betraying them." I say looking at him, he smiles,
"Yes, I remember when you stole Robins mask and came into the cave." he says, we both start laughing, "then you did the impression of him." he adds,
"That guy is not welmed, not welmed at all." I say doing Robin's or well now Nightwing's voice, Kaldur and I slow our laughing until it's quiet again,
"You miss him don't you?" he asks, I sigh, "When all of this is over what are you going to do?" he asks, I laugh,
"Nightwing and I haven't talked but before I came here, we were talking about, possibly, getting married." I say garing at the table, "I mean we have dated for five years through high school." I admit leaning on my arm,
"Is that what you want, to marry him?" he questions, I sigh sitting up, "you do not know?" he asks,
"Nightwing and I are so different now, I mean if you had asked me that about six months ago I would've said yes in a heartbeat, but he's so. Serious and mission minded now." I admit, "I mean if I get married I'd want to leave the hero business, at least me, I'd never ask him to but at least one of us has to know they'll be alive taking care of our actually lives." I say,
"But?" he asks, I smile,
"But it doesn't matter, we're here on a mission and when it's over I think more on this." I say then put my hood up, Kaldur stands up,
"I do not think that your problems lay in that you and Nightwing are too different, but too similar." he states looking at me, I scoff and go to the door. I open it then head to my room, it's simple with only a bed, nightstand with a picture of Kaldur and I and my small closet. There is no carpet or wallpaper it's just the same material as the ship, I lay down staring at the ceiling Kaldur's words spinning around in my head.
The next morning Kaldur and I get on our new ship to travel in while picking up stray Crolatains. I stay near him the entire time not speaking to anyone but him, the rest of the crew still think I'm unloyal but don't say a word. For two months we're traveling picking any strays and going to the island, it's impressive. The hideout is in a dormant volcano that we hollowed out the ship takes up a lot of the space while there are four other levels. The top two are only railings going up to the top of the ship, the main one is where ships come in and the lower level is where the aliens sleep.
I'm on patrol on the island tomorrow I turn nineteen, but not that it matters, hearing someone behind me I turn only to see a nightshade gun. I dodge the bullet and bring the person who tried to harm me out of the shadows, I gasp and drop them,
"Kaldur! they're h-" I'm cut off by a hit to the head, looking I see none other than Nightwing, my world goes black and I fall to the ground.