Title: The Changeling
Rating: T
Words: 2,000
Characters: Garfield Logan, Tim Drake, Cassie Sandsmark
Summary: "changeling" - the child of mythical creature that is left in the place of a human child who had been stolen away
A/N: Someone on tumblr posted this post last night about how hardcore of an assassin Gar would be if he wasn't so compassionate and my brain moved on from there
-o-
He used to think that the term "Changeling" just defined someone who could change their form. However, she later told him that in European folklore, a changeling referred to the child of mythical creature - a faerie, a demon, a monster - that was left in the place of a human child who had been stolen away.
He supposes it's still relevant.
He runs his tongue over a pointed tooth, frowning as he waits for the other end of the comm line to pick up. She always tells him that fiddling like this is inappropriate. Says that it "interferes with his resolve", and will get in the way of him completing his assignments.
Changeling disagrees. If anything, it calms him down; gives him a firm surface to gain his footing and grip on the reality of what he has to do. If anything, it strengthens his resolve.
"Drake to Changeling."
Finally. He stands up from his previously crouched position and straightens his back, pressing firmly up against the wall. "Is it done?"
"Entire security system is under my control. Cameras are programmed to loop as soon as you get close. The target is on the fourth floor. Room 413."
"Took your time, Drake." An ever so slight, mocking smile twitches at the edge of Changeling's lips as he hears their hacker make an indignant noise.
"Would you like to try breaking through this many firewalls without attracting the attention of hotel security, orthe League? Look Gar, you've got eight minutes and thirty-six seconds to get in there and get this done - and that's only if I can avoid the Oracle pinning down on my signature - so move it."
"Man, you need to loosen your headphones, Drake." Fourth floor. 413. Eight minutes. Changeling signs the details off and calculates his way into the room. "Alright. I'm ditching the comm. You know the drill if the League or Team show up."
"Disappear. Yeah, I know. Shouldn't have too much trouble though. Savage and Klarion are entertaining the League with their fun in Philadelphia. If the Team turns up, Olympia will provide a distraction for the time needed. Drake out."
Changeling pulls the comm away from his ear and crushes it into multiple pieces. Upon throwing the remains in different directions, he turns his head up to look at the wall that towers above him.
A bird to get to the floor. A termite to slip into the window. A dragonfly to get the to room quickly. A beetle to infiltrate the room and get to the target.
A black mamba to finish the job. Then, disappear.
He shifts into the form of a sparrow, stretching out his new wings before he takes off. Normally he'd prefer the form of a much larger bird - it's his little secret, his forbidden confession, that he loves the feeling of flight; the sensation of cold air filtering through feathers, wind currents holding him aloft.
But an eagle in the centre of Dubai offers far too much chance of exposing their mission, and the Light - and he, Drake and Olympia - have far too much riding on the success of this mission.
He makes his way to room 413 with ease, noting each of the camera flicking as Drake's magic on them does it's work. While certainly, a green dragonfly would be barely noticeable - let alone a curiosity - to security folk, their enemies know just what to look for, and know far too much about the Light's green, shapeshifting assassin.
Changeling slips underneath the door with an estimate of five minutes left on his clock, and immediately starts scanning the room for the target. It's not hard to find, as the woman is seated in front of the television, eyes trained on the morning news that is currently reporting the League's occupied nature in America.
There's probably some cruel irony that ambitious reporter, Sarah Maxwell, is currently watching the League's distraction from her assassination, but Changeling doesn't take a moment to appreciate it, slipping right behind her and shifting into the final form he needs for the job.
He used to wonder whether anyone else, any other assassin, felt their minds changing into the malevolent, twisted and horrible creatures that his would whenever he made a kill. The first kill he had made, that sensation of that demon growing inside him had scared him so much that he was terrified to ever do it again.
But of course, that was stupid. Other assassins probably never had that problem. It probably wasn't even because of the kills. It just had to be a side effect of his powers. He just gained a little more of the beast every time he would shift to kill.
He'll never ever say out loud how how the sensation will sometimes scare him so much that he wants to pull away and run to the League and beg them to fix what the Light won't.
He'll never, ever, say that out loud.
The black mamba raises itself behind the woman, her attention transfixed on what's happening on the TV screen. His reptilian senses can feel the blood pumping through the artery in her neck. His mouth opens, fangs extend…
"Mummy!" On instinct, Changeling darts back behind the couch and slips into an ant form. Loud, stumbling legs rush over to to the target, and from the sounds and shifting of movement on the couch, he guesses the target has leant over to hug the intruder.
He crawls over the top of the couch to take in the adjusted scene. The target is hugging a young girl who look remarkably similar to her, and expression of unmistakeable love gracing her face. The girl she is hugging looks about six. Or seven.
She's probably eight.
If his body wasn't already encased in an exoskeleton, he would stiffen.
His time would be almost up by now. He needs to get this job done.
Sarah Maxwell pulls herself out from her daughter's arms and leans back, and Changeling instantly shifts back into the snake and strikes. He empties his venom glands into the woman's bloodstream, before finally detaching and sliding down off the couch. The woman slackens, and her daughter, upon seeing the snake, screams.
He curses in his head. They weren't told that the target was going to have her daughter with her. They were assured that the woman would be alone. Simple and easy to dispose of.
They weren't prepared for this complication.
At a loss as to what to do, Changeling shifts into his human form and grabs the girl. "Shut up!" He hisses, managing to stop her screaming, and dragging her into the hotel room's bathroom.
The girl is stiff and silent as he opens one of the cupboard doors in the bathroom and empties it. He shoves the mini shampoo bottles and soaps into the toilet, and directs the girl inside the cupboard.
"Mummy…" the girl whimpers as she curls up into the enclosed space, and Changeling tries to ignore the twinge in his stomach. "Your mum's gonna be fine," he growls, "but only if you stay here and be quiet. Understand?"
He darts his eyes over to the woman, twitching and gasping on the couch, trying to reach out to her daughter. He approximates that she has about twenty minutes to live, five minutes until any chance of getting an antivemon to save her disappears.
Though he doubts any doctor is going to be able to distinguish the snake that bit her from the description of "green". She's done for.
He turns back to the girl. "You're going to stay here and be quiet now," he hisses, "or…" He quickly shifts into a wolf and bares sharp canine teeth to her. The girl nods, silent and paralyzed, and he shuts the doors; first to the cupboard, then to the bathroom.
Sarah Maxwell is wheezing on the couch, twisting and convulsing as she tries to get oxygen into failing lungs. Changeling ignores her and moves towards the window, pushing it open and shifting back into a sparrow.
He can hear the sounds of a struggle coming from the other side of the building, and Olympia's strong battle cries echoing clearly towards him. Changeling suppresses the urge to sigh. Of course. Just another complication.
He flaps over to the battle, seeing Olympia holding her own against three members of the League's secret team - three of them he knows. Superboy is the one who's pushing the main fighting force onto Olympia, but she's quicker, and dodges most of his and Miss Martian's attacks. Nightwing is also down there, set apart from the fighting, looking down at the holograph shining out from his glove.
Whatever he's trying to pull, Changeling should put a stop to.
Changeling darts down, shifting as he does, into a rhinoceros that tremors the ground as he lands. He charges straight for a brittle-looking tree that's close by to the former Boy Wonder, and pushes it down with a huge force. Nightwing manages to dodge his way out just in time, but that's all Changeling needs. He shifts back into his human form to face Olympia. "Time to go!" He yells towards her. "Make sure Drake's got the order." He sees her small nod and follows her in flying away from the Justice League's little soldiers.
As they're flying away, he feels cold, hard fingers of thought begin to prod at his mind. 'Wait! Please!'
He growls and tries to force the intrusion out of his mind, but still, he shift back into his human form to land on the roof of a building, and his head turns towards the source.
She's right behind him, looking at him with his mother's face and a broken expression. 'Please…Garfield…'
He growls and pushes with all his mental force to get her consciousness out of his. "Get out! Get out of my head!" He can see Olympia lingering by, waiting for him, but he gestures for her leave. "If you have something to say to me, you can say it to my face, and not through my head!"
He is briefly reminded of a moment five years ago, when he darted around her calling her his sister, but he pushes the memory out of his head before it can linger. Miss Martian stares at him steadily, silently pleading to him.
"Gar…please let us help you. Please just come with us and let us help you."
Changeling snorts. "Right. Because you guys really know how to help people." Miss Martian flinches, and he glowers towards her.
"You really want to help? Stay the hell away from me." He shifts into a falcon and lifts up from the roof, flying away from her.
Olympia has clearly blabbed to Drake about his encounter with Miss Martian on the roof, because they both shoot similar looks of concern over to him once he steps into their base. He waves them both off, saying it was "just another dumb 'heroic' threat" towards them, and slips into the back room where he knows she's waiting.
It's dark inside, and he feels her before he sees her as long, cold fingers brush against the back of his neck. There's a seductive quality to her touch, and sometimes, he wonders whether she realizes that her powers stopped working on him a long time ago.
"Miss Sarah Maxwell died on route to a hospital a little over an hour ago," she murmurs in his ear. "So I assume that there were no complications."
"You never mentioned that her daughter was going to be with her," Changeling spits, sending a measured look towards her. "So that led to a minor complication."
Queen Bee tilts her head, so he can see the small smirk resting on her lips. "Did you kill the girl?"
"No. It wasn't in my orders to."
"And did she see you at all?"
Changeling freezes, remembering the terrified look on the girls face as she saw him. "Yes. She did." He mutters. "But I don't think anyone's really going to believe a story about a green monster attacking her mum."
"Good…" She crouches down to meet his eyes, searching for any change in them. He wills them to stay as cold and angry as always. After an age of silence, she blinks, straightening back up, and planting a kiss on his forehead.
"You've done well, Garfield. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you…mother."