Hey folks, for those interested in adopting my story ideas, here's some scenes from the first one.
Scenes from story idea #1
Scene 1-It all started with a phone Call...
July 24th-Hall of Justice-10:30am-Easter Time
It was a rather slow day at the Hall. Most of the Team was gathered in the lounge. It was nothing to write home about. Cream colored walls, light blue carpet, some furniture and a mini fridge. There was a microwave and coffee maker on the right-hand side of the room plus a vending machine. On left side of the lounge, Impulse, sat on the couch next to Superboy and Robin. Thus far neither of them found anything to watch on the 50-inch flat screen TV in front of them. Mal and Static were sitting across from each other playing checkers while Bumblebee sat in the middle and watched.
Rocket was sitting in a corner reading a book, titled Hidden Figures. The book was about a group of women who worked at N.A.S.A. that helped launch astronaut John Glenn into space. Batgirl was typing on her laptop checking the status of various villains, thus far there was very little activity. Artemis and Red Arrow were in the gym practicing self-defense. The two of them exchanged kicks, jumps and other moves but never hitting one another. After half an hour, the two stopped.
"Why'd you stop?" Artemis asked.
"You aren't giving up, are you?"
Red Arrow wiped some sweat off his forehead before he spoke.
"No, but I know boredom when I see it."
Artemis sighed.
"Was I being that obvious?"
She normally kept a straight face but not this time, considering Roy noticed she seemed to be just as bored as he was.
"Kind of…" Red Arrow replied.
"It's been pretty slow today, I thought we'd have something to do by now." Artemis admitted.
"So did I." said Red Arrow.
"Might as well see what the others are up to." Said Artemis before she started to leave the gym.
Red Arrow nodded in agreement and followed her to the lounge.
"Any calls?" Artemis asked as she entered the room.
"Nope, the league is off handling the usual natural disasters and such…no assignments for us…yet." Batgirl answered, looking away from her laptop.
The group groaned in frustration.
"I'd give five bucks just to have something to do right now!" Batgirl confessed.
Seconds later, an alarm went off followed by a computerized voice.
"Incoming call from Taos, New Mexico."
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around the big screen that was used for video calls.
Batgirl excepted the call and no sooner than she did Professor. Wilcox and Nathaniel popped up on screen.
"Hello," Wilcox greeted them.
"Professor Wilcox?" the team all said at the same time.
"Well, this is awkward…I was expecting Superman or Batman to answer." The surprised Scientist admitted looking away for a brief moment.
"They're both busy right now, is there something we can help you with?" Batgirl asked.
"Actually, yes… I was sent a project from Lexcorp a month ago, apparently the project was a study on a non-native species. Apparently, it didn't go as well as Lex Luthor hoped so…the subject was sent to STAR Labs." Wilcox explained.
Batgirl raised an eyebrow.
"Non-native species? What is it, some sort of exotic animal?" she asked.
Professor Wilcox shook his head.
"No, not at all…when she arrived here we…weren't exactly prepared for someone like her." he answered.
Batgirl and the rest of the Team looked at each other then back at the screen.
"O…k…so, why call us?" she continued.
"Well, she's not that much younger than some of your teammates and considering you have experience with other non-humans, I thought if anyone can help Sola…it'd be the Justice League." Wilcox explained.
Robin frowned.
"Her name is Sola? That's a different name." he said.
Nathaniel chuckled nervously.
"That's not the only thing different about her."
"What else should we know about Sola?" Batgirl asked.
"Uh…well…she's actually a…." Wilcox was cut off when the reception on the call briefly shorted out.
"Sorry, Professor…you dropped out for a second." Said Batgirl.
"Did you miss anything?" Wilcox asked.
"The part about Sola being different," Superboy answered.
"Oh, that…maybe it's better if I explain it to you in person." Wilcox offered.
"Uh…sure, that's fine." Said Batgirl.
"All right, see you soon." Professor Wilcox replied with a smile before hanging up.
"Wonder what Wilcox meant about Sola being different," said Static.
Batgirl shrugged her shoulders. Like Static and everyone else, she was curious as to why a failed project from Lexcorp was sent to STAR in Taos. If Sola was a non-native species and wasn't an animal, they could only conclude she had to be from somewhere else.
"Eh, it's probably nothing to worry about… besides, how different could she be?" said Bumblebee who was trying to look on the bright side.
Scene 2- Meeting Sola
Taos, NM-1:30pm-Mountain Time
Later that day, Static, Artemis, Bumblebee, Batgirl and Superboy ventured to Taos in New Mexico to speak with Wilcox and Nathaniel about Sola. After a short conversation, Wilcox led them to the room where Sola was being kept.
"I will warn you she can be a little…high strung." Said Wilcox.
"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle, Professor." Batgirl insisted.
"If you say so…" Wilcox replied, he gave Nathaniel a nod of approval to open the door.
"You can come out now,"
"Watch your backs," Nathaniel warned.
"Why? What's she gonna d…?" Batgirl was cut off when she felt something slap into her and found herself pinned to the wall.
The young heroine then noticed a pair of dark orange eyes staring back at her. The color of Sola's eyes reminded Batgirl of a gemstone called Spessartine Garnet which ranged from dark red to bright orange. It didn't take long for Batgirl and the others to recognize another one of Sola's features… her mint green skin. Batgirl tried to get Sola off of her but wasn't having much success. Sola growled, showing her razor sharp ivory colored teeth. It didn't take long for Nathaniel to step in.
"Sola, relax! She's a friend."
Sola stopped and stepped back. Batgirl was now able to get a better look at her. Sola appeared to be around the same height and had a slim body. It was also clear as day, she was a young adult, possibly early 20s…in human years. Her outfit was solid white like Nathaniel's with the STAR labs logo on the left side. Professor Wilcox got between the female Reach and young heroes. He and Nathaniel trying their best to keep the situation from going downhill.
"Sorry about that, Sola…hasn't had the best experience with humans. It took a week before she would even trust us." Wilcox explained.
Artemis blinked twice, she was just as shocked as the rest of her teammates.
"So…Sola's a…"
"Reach!" Bumblebee finished.
"Well…now we know why she's different." Said Superboy as he glanced at Sola.
"You know, I can hear you…just because I'm not a teenage sidekick doesn't mean my hearing doesn't work." Said a female voice.
Superboy's jaw dropped. Normally he didn't care for the sidekick comment but pushed that aside. Most Reach he crossed paths with only spoke their native language, save for the Ambassador and Scientist.
"You speak English?!" Superboy asked.
"Yes, it is my second language." Sola replied.
Although her accent sounded South African, Superboy and the rest of the group assumed it likely had to do with where she came from.
"Good to know…" said Superboy.
"Listen, Hero…I don't need your help…I can take care of myself just fine." Sola told him.
Superboy narrowed his eyes.
"Whatever,"
Judging by her comment, Sola was familiar with the Justice League and she seemed to have the same cold and aggressive temperament the Reach were known for.
"Sheesh, can't we try to get along?" Static asked, hoping things could be worked out between them.
"No!" Sola and Superboy answered at the same time.
"Sola, give them a chance…they can help you." Nathaniel told her.
Although Sola knew Nathaniel and Wilcox had good intentions and her best interest at heart, she still wasn't convinced the Justice League and their sidekicks would treat her the same way.
"How do you know? What if they send me back to Lexcorp? My clan probably gave up on looking for me weeks ago, there's no way I'll ever leave this planet." Said Sola.
Batgirl raised an eyebrow at this.
"Your clan?" she asked.
Sola sighed loudly and lowered her head.
"Yes, my kind live in groups but it's not just family, there's several non-relatives too." She explained.
"Like wolves?" Batgirl asked.
"Sort of…the Reach are more like ant colony than anything else." Sola answered.
"So…basically, you're stuck here." Artemis concluded.
Sola scoffed and folded her arms across her chest.
"I guess so."
It was obvious that she was getting annoyed by the questions. Sola already had trust issues when it came to people but having Batgirl and the others in the same room was too much.
"You can trust us…I promise you won't go back to Lexcorp. The Justice League will make sure of that." Said Batgirl.
Sola raised her left eyebrow and blinked as she thought about what Batgirl said.
"Look, it's obvious you've been through a lot…I know what Lex Luthor is like but Batgirl's right, we can help you. Trust me, they…" Superboy was cut off.
"Listen I appreciate your offer but…" Sola stopped short when Superboy approached her.
"Don't interrupt… Sola, I don't know who you are or where the Reach come from but what I do know is you're hurt, so you can come back with us or stay here…either way, we're here to help you out." Said Superboy.
Batgirl and Wilcox started to say something but didn't, both of them knew better than to get involved.
Sola stood there, completely stunned. It was clear as day Superboy was taller and stronger than she was which rather intimidating. She glanced at Wilcox, Batgirl and everyone else then made eye contact with Superboy.
"Ok," she replied with a sigh.
Superboy was taken aback by this.
"Really? You mean that?" he asked.
Sola nodded.
"Nobody's ever spoken to me like that before. That took a lot of nerve."
"Never had anyone say that about me before." Said Superboy who was surprised by the compliment.
"Probably because, you've never met someone like me before." Sola replied, half smiling.
"Better go grab your stuff," said Nathaniel, interrupting the two.
"Noted," Sola said to him before she walked out of the room.
Superboy frowned, a few minutes ago Sola was extremely temperamental and somewhat rude now she seemed to be warming up to him. What was that all about?
Artemis, Bumblebee and Static couldn't help but snicker.
"I think she likes you." said Artemis.
"Shut up," Superboy muttered.
Scene 3- Just be Honest!
Hall of Justice-4:30pm-Eastern Time
Nightwing sat in the lounge with the others, having returned from investigating the whereabouts of the Joker, he decided to check in on what his teammates were up to. Rocket and the rest of the team filled him in on what was going on.
"This test subject, Sola…did Wilcox say why she was different?" Nightwing asked.
"Uh, sort of…the call dropped out right when he was about to tell us." Mal answered.
Just then the door to the lounge opened.
"Guess we'll find out soon enough, Batgirl and the others are back." Said Nightwing.
He got up from his chair and walked over just as Batgirl, Artemis, Static and Bumblebee walked in.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"It was all right, Is Black Canary here?" Batgirl replied.
"In a few minutes, the League's running late." Said Nightwing.
"Rocket filled me in on the call from Professor Wilcox about Sola. What's she like?"
"She does have some trust issues but she's willing to let us help her out." Batgirl replied.
"That's good, uh…Mal said she was different…a non-native species." Nightwing continued.
"Yeah, she is…" said Batgirl.
Nightwing raised an eyebrow.
"What kind?"
Just then Superboy walked in followed by Sola.
"She's a Reach," he announced.
At that moment, Nightwing and the rest of the team stood there in shock except for Static, Batgirl, Artemis, Bumblebee and Superboy. He turned around when he heard a small thud of something hitting the floor.
"That was the sound of me fainting, by the way." Said Impulse.
Sometime later, Black Canary arrived back with the League.
They all sat around in the room where they normally met up to give out assignments and exchange information. The members there were Black Canary, Batman, Green Lanterns, Hal, John and Guy Gardner. Superman, Atom, Flash, Black Lightning, Red Tornado, Adam Strange and Green Arrow were also there.
Batgirl explained what happened when she and the others first met Sola and why Wilcox asked them to take her in.
"I don't know a Reach, staying here with us? How do we know we can trust her?" said Nightwing.
"Wilcox gave us a folder containing all the information Lexcorp had on Sola." Batgirl explained.
She placed a large vanilla folder on the table, Nightwing picked it up and looked at some of the documents before handing it to Batman.
"We'll look into it but first, I think we should find out just who Sola is." Said Batman.
"I agree," Black Canary added.
"But the Reach left weeks ago, how do we know Sola's telling the truth? What if this is a cover story and they plan to come back?" Flash asked.
"They won't, the Green Lanterns made it clear they can't even come within a hundred light years of Earth." Hal Jordon answered.
"And considering that her clan has likely called off the search for her…she has nowhere else to go." Black Canary pointed out.
"I'm willing to give Sola a chance, if Black Canary and everyone is." Nightwing admitted.
The other leaguers talked amongst each other for a moment then gave their answers. The only person who didn't seem to agree was Guy Gardner.
"I can't believe you're all ok with this," he confessed.
"Guy, come 'on she deserves a second chance." Said Adam.
"Once she's back on her feet, we'll figure out what to do next." Said John.
Guy stood up from his seat and sighed, he knew he couldn't win so he decided to just go along with everyone else's decision.
"If that's what you wanna do, fine I'll agree to it, but on one condition…"
A few minutes later, the leaguers came out to the main hallway, one by one.
Black Canary, Batman, Guy Gardner and John Stewart entered the lounge; followed by Nightwing and Batgirl.
Superboy and the others looked up.
"Well?" Artemis asked.
"She can stay." Black Canary announced.
Sola and the others smiled.
"But on one condition," Batman added.
"At the first sign of trouble, she'll be outta here on a one-way trip back to STAR labs." Guy Gardner finished as he pointed at Sola.
Sola, Superboy and the others stopped smiling at hearing this.
"Uh, Canary, Nightwing… don't we get a say in this?" Impulse asked, regarding himself and the rest of the team.
He tried to stay out of earshot range so that Sola wouldn't hear him.
Like Guy, Impulse didn't trust Sola and wasn't keen on the idea of her staying there.
"We all agreed that Sola stays here, it's going to take a while for her to trust us. She's been through a lot, the least you can do is try to be nice." Said Nightwing.
"Me? Be nice to a Reach?! Might as well throw me into the Tiger cage at the Central City Zoo!" Impulse exclaimed.
He walked off in a huff, leaving Nightwing and the others standing there.
"You can't blame him and Guy for not liking Sola, they've had bad experiences with the Reach." Black Canary pointed out.
"Yeah, I know…just hope this doesn't get ugly." Said Nightwing.
"Me too," Batgirl sighed.
For the next few minutes, Black Canary spoke with Nightwing and Batgirl about where exactly Sola would stay and helping her adjust to her new surroundings.
The rest of the team on the other hand, couldn't help but glance at the female Reach sitting on the far end of the lounge. Some of them whispered to each other and turned away whenever Sola looked in their direction.
Impulse walked past Sola still nervous.
"You can relax, I don't bite." She told him.
Impulse chuckled nervously.
"Yeah right."
Sola yawned loudly, mostly out of boredom as opposed to being tired.
Seeing her teeth sent a chill down Impulse's spine. He knew the Reach were mostly carnivores and to him, Sola was no different than being face to face with a predatory animal such as a bear or jaguar. The female Reach was just starting to relax when she spotted Black Canary and Batgirl approaching her.
"Ok, it's all been worked out, you'll be staying with the team at our place in Blüdhaven." Batgirl announced.
"Sola, I'd like to have a word with you." said Black Canary.
"What for?" Sola asked.
"Just want to get to know you better." Black Canary answered.
"Fair enough," Sola sighed and got up.
As she followed Black Canary outside, Sola glanced at the rest of the team and gave them a low warning growl. All of them, even Red Arrow froze, they took it as a hint not to try and eavesdrop.
Black Canary led Sola into another room, judging by the rows of bookshelves along with a table a few chairs, it seemed to be a library of sorts.
Sola and Canary sat across from each other, unbeknownst to the female Reach, there was a hidden camera on the shelf behind her, recording the conversation.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions…nothing personal but how exactly did you end up at Lexcorp?" Black Canary asked.
"I was captured, before that, I worked part time as a computer tech. Somehow I was tranquillized and when I came to, I was at Lexcorp." Sola explained.
"And then what?" Canary asked.
"The scientists there, mostly studied me and ran tests." Sola explained.
Black Canary raised an eyebrow.
"Tests? I take it you have abilities of some sort."
Sola nodded.
"I have super strength, sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell. Retractable claws on my feet, I can climb trees quite easily and have nocturnal vision." She explained.
"That's quite a list. If Lexcorp wanted to study you, then it sounds like you're unique." Said Canary.
Sola shook her head.
"No, not exactly, I'm no different than the rest of my kind."
"If that's the case, why did Lex Luthor have such an interest in you?" Black Canary asked.
"I think he wanted to find out more about what my species is like. He told me once the tests were done, I'd be free to go, I believed him but I don't think he was in a hurry to release me any time soon." Sola explained.
It was then that Black Canary noticed a scar on the right side of Sola's neck.
"Where'd you get that scar?" she asked.
"They put a shock collar on me…Luthor said if I ever tried to escape I'd be electrocuted. I made two attempts and…that's how I got the scar." Sola explained.
"That's awful…" was all Black Canary could say.
"They treated me like an animal, two weeks before I was sent to STAR Labs, my mate, Nuru managed to find me." Said Sola.
"You have a mate?" Black Canary asked.
"Yes, we've been together for about a year. Anyway…Nuru tried to get me out but before he could, Luthor's head of security Otis was making his rounds so he had to leave. Nuru promised me he'd be back but…I never saw him again." Sola explained.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes.
"You really miss him, huh?" said Canary.
"Y-yes, when Reach choose mates, we are together for life. Nuru and I were very close." Sola continued.
"Anyhow, Lex Luthor's attempt to study me didn't go as well as he hoped so he shipped me to STAR Labs. At first, I didn't trust Professor Wilcox or Nathaniel. Every time they came near me I would growl or try to escape."
"Batgirl told me that you bit Wilcox once." Said Black Canary.
Sola looked away, obvious embarrassed.
"I didn't mean to, I was trying to defend myself and I was angry that instead of being released, Luthor sent me to another lab."
"I see…so what happened?" Black Canary.
"After I bit Wilcox I thought he'd get rid of me, but instead he decided to work on getting me to trust humans. It worked, he and Nathaniel taught me not all humans were bad. Even told me about the Justice League and their sidekicks. He said if anyone could help me…it was you." said Sola.
"Well, I'm flattered that Wilcox has such confidence in us but this isn't going to be easy. Not everyone is convinced that helping you is a good idea." Black Canary pointed out.
"I understand…my kind isn't well liked anywhere. Other species can't stand us." Said Sola.
"Well, there's several reasons why. But you don't seem like the rest of the Reach." Black Canary concluded.
"I'm not, actually a lot of us aren't." Sola confessed.
Black Canary tilted her head slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"Despite what others have said, not all of the Reach are like what you've dealt with. My clan is quite the opposite. None of them like the way the Ambassador does things." Said Sola.
"Noted…" Black Canary replied.
"So, what now?" Sola asked.
"For the time being, just get settled in. I'll talk to Mal and Superboy about helping you with your super strength. No offense, but our insurance policy is through the roof." Black Canary answered.
Sola laughed.
"Yeah, I can see why."
Black Canary smiled, laughter was always good a sign, especially when it was genuine and not forced.
"I think you're going to like it here."
That night, Sola had settled in at the warehouse in Blüdhaven. She was sitting on the couch half asleep when Impulse walked by. She woke up and growled at him. Impulse bolted at the noise and tried to put some distance between Sola and himself. Artemis tried her hardest not to laugh as she watched the whole thing.
"Not a word," said Impulse and left.
"What was that all about?" Artemis asked as she walked over to the couch.
"I was feeling mischievous." Sola replied.
"Oh, you are gonna love it here." Said Artemis.
Even though it had only been a few hours, she was learning Sola was not only tough but had a playful side as well. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.
Later that night, the rest of the team was either asleep in their assigned places or went home. Bumblebee, Rocket, Nightwing, Red Arrow and Batgirl had gone back to their apartments. Impulse was back at the Garricks' house. Mal, Static and Superboy were both asleep in the warehouse. Robin was back at Wayne manor. Artemis had offered to let Sola spend the night at her place just until Canary figured out a more permanent living space. Although Artemis had already gone to bed half an hour ago, Sola was still awake. Despite the guestroom being completely dark, her night vison allowed her to see rather well. She thought about what happened earlier that day, along with her mate Nuru. Would she ever see him again? Despite being glad to be free from Lexcorp, Sola was still uneasy. One thought that crossed her mind was something she hadn't told anyone. She was three weeks pregnant! Sola knew sooner or later they would find out. Given that a Reach's pregnancy was only two months long, Sola didn't have a lot of time before she would give birth. She was also aware that by not telling anyone, Canary and the others would likely be upset with her. Then again, if maybe if she explained why, they'd go easy on her. Sola decided to sleep on it, that could way until tomorrow.
Scene 4- And then there were Three…
After staying with the Team for over a month, Sola was gradually adjusting. She learned to relax more. She had learned a few things about human technology and computers courtesy of Nightwing and Batgirl. Superboy and Mal had helped her with keeping her super strength under control to avoid accidentally breaking anything. It took a while but it was safe to say they were getting along. Well…almost everyone. Guy Gardner didn't trust Sola and Impulse was still afraid of her. Sola was now in the final weeks of her pregnancy. She slept for a good part of the day and her stomach was somewhat distended. When she had first met the Team, Sola was underweight due to the lack of care she had at Lexcorp. The possibly Sola was pregnant didn't cross anyone's minds at all as the cause of the weight she had gained.
Currently, Sola sat on the side lines watching Superboy and some of the team, playing basketball. They had set up a hoop in the back area of the warehouse which had been made into a makeshift outdoor space. Superboy's group which consisted of Nightwing, Robin and Static seemed to be at tie with Batgirl's team. They found out rather quickly that Rocket, Bumblebee and Artemis were good.
The game went on for a while until Bumblebee tossed the ball in.
"We won!" she shouted.
"No, you didn't!" said Mal.
"Mal, c'mon…that broke the tie and you know it." Bumblebee insisted.
"How 'bout a rematch?" Robin asked, chiming in.
Just then the group was alerted by the sound of thunder. They all looked up at the sky and saw several dark clouds rolling in.
"I think we'll have to take a rain check on this one, guys." Said Static.
Everyone agreed and went back inside. It wasn't long before it started raining. Black Canary and Atom had stopped by a short time later. They had come to check in on the team and had also brought a couple of pizzas. Thus far everything was going well until Artemis heard Sola yelp in pain. She went to the upper level of the warehouse and found Sola on the couch, her teeth tightly clenched and her left hand holding part of the right side of her ribcage. Artemis rushed back down stairs before Sola noticed her and went to where everyone else was gathered.
"Uh, guys…I think there's something wrong with Sola." She said.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and were now on high alert.
"What is it?" Black Canary asked.
"I don't know, but I think you should check on her." Artemis replied.
Black Canary nodded and stood up, Batgirl, Artemis, and Bumblebee followed with Atom not far behind. They went up the stairs and saw that Sola was still on the couch and obviously in a great deal of pain.
"Whoa, this doesn't look good." Said Atom.
Black Canary went up to Sola and examined her.
"It's not, her stomach's distended and she's panting heavily.
Just then, it dawned on Bumblebee that she had seen this before.
"Ya know what? Wendy Harris had a Collie that did the exact same thing…right before she had puppies."
At that moment, the room was silent. Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
"Wait, you gotta be kidding, there's no way that…" Artemis stopped short.
"I think it's safe to say Sola's pregnant, Artemis." Said Canary.
"But why didn't she tell us?" Batgirl wondered.
The young heroines and their mentors stopped short when Sola yelled as she felt another contraction.
"We'll find out later, right now she needs our help." Said Atom.
"So, here's what we'll need to do."
Atom and Black Canary gave Artemis, Batgirl and Bumblebee various instructions. One of them was moving Sola to room at the back of the warehouse as well as getting a few supplies including a first aid kit. The rest of the team wasn't quite sure what was going on until Black Canary informed them several minutes later. They sat there without saying a word until Atom stepped out of the room where Sola was.
"It won't be long now," he said.
"I called John, he gave me a crash course about the Reach, they have a few characteristics similar to mammals but are actually related to insects."
"O…k, so what now?" Bumblebee asked.
"I can't do this alone so I'll need some assistance, anyone want to volunteer?" Atom asked.
No sooner did he finish his sentence, the team was still quiet. They exchanged glances, most of which ranged from confused to nervous. Nobody said a word.
Bumblebee sighed, seeing how none of them seemed to be willing to help.
"Ok, I'll volunteer."
"I'm in too," said Black Canary.
"Good," Atom replied.
"What about us? What should we do?" Superboy asked.
"Just wait here," Atom answered.
They were all alerted by a scream coming from the back of the warehouse.
"Probably not a bad idea." Superboy admitted, despite being concerned, this was probably a situation best handled without him.
Atom, Black Canary and Bumblebee quickly left to see about Sola. The trio braced themselves before going in. Though they were superheroes and trained to handle various scenarios, none of them were really prepared for something like this. Atom and Canary snapped out their initial shock within a few seconds.
"Bumblebee, what are you waiting for? We need your help!" said Canary.
The young heroine didn't need to be told twice before she put some sanitizer on her hands and grabbed a towel.
Superboy looked out a nearby window as the rain fell and sighed.
"It's gonna be a long day."
Two hours went by and the rest of the team hadn't seen or heard from Atom, Canary and Bumblebee. Mal, Static, Robin and Batgirl sat on the floor in front of the coffee table playing scrabble. The game was rather slow and they seemed to be playing to help pass the time as opposed to for the fun of it. Impulse was reading a Spiderman comic book. It was one of several comics Wally had given him three months ago. He had read all the others and this was the last one. Rocket and Artemis played checkers, both of them had semi-bored expressions on their faces.
Nightwing and Superboy just paced around the room, occasionally looking towards the back of the warehouse. Red Arrow had left to assist Green Arrow, there had been reports of some strange figure wandering near the docks. The two went to investigate and find out who or what it was. Finally, Rocket broke the silence.
"If you guys keep walking like that you're gonna leave a hole in the floor."
At that moment, Nightwing and Superboy stopped.
"Sorry," they said at the same time.
"They've been in there for a couple hours now." said Artemis.
"Sure have," Mal agreed.
"Artemis, your sister has a kid…how long did that take?" Impulse asked.
"It depends, for Lian it was six hours…why do you ask? Didn't you watch the parenthood 101 video in health class?" Artemis replied.
"Uh…no, when it got to that part I told the teacher I was going to the restroom and hid the janitor's closet till it was over." Impulse confessed.
Everyone groaned at the reply. Was he serious?
Just then, they heard the door in the back open. Black Canary stepped out removing a pair of rubber gloves and tossing them in a nearby trash can. She walked over to the team, all of them stopped what they were doing, eager to hear what happened.
"Well?" Nightwing asked.
Canary smiled.
"Sola's all right, this was her first one but she and her son are fine."
Next thing Black Canary knew, she was bogged down with several questions such as "What's his name?" and "When can we see them?"
"One at a time," she said.
"First, his name is Tumaini."
Static frowned.
"What kind of name is that?" he asked.
"Sola told me. Translated in English, it means Hope."
"Oh…" was all Static could say.
"Second, Sola needs some rest so, Atom recommended you guys wait until tomorrow." Said Black Canary.
"Why?" Robin asked.
"Guys, give her a break…she just gave birth." Said Batgirl.
"Exactly, plus Atom wants to keep an eye on her and Tumaini." Black Canary added.
The guys all agreed with what Canary said.
Artemis, Batgirl and Rocket all groaned.
"Boys…"
"They'll never understand." Said Batgirl.
"She's got a point," Mal agreed.
No sooner did he finish his sentence, Atom and Bumblebee walked out of the room.
Bumblebee sat down on the couch before looking over at Mal.
"Mal," she started to say.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"If we get married and decide to have kids…drop a piano on me, ok?" Bumblebee answered.
Mal gave her a confused look, why she would say that was beyond him.
"Uh…sure thing." Was his reply.
"Was it that bad?" Rocket asked.
"You don't even wanna know." Bumblebee replied.
Artemis and the rest of the team shuttered. Thought of someone giving birth was something none of them hoped to see in person.
"Don't paint us a picture." She said.
Suddenly, the side entrance of the warehouse opened. Both Green and Arrow walked in dragging something with them. The two heroes were soaked from the downpour outside.
"What happened to you guys?" Batgirl asked, as she packed up the Scrabble game board.
"We caught the insect that was sneaking around the docks." Red Arrow answered.
"Insect?" Nightwing wondered.
"This guy," said Red Arrow as he pulled the figure forward, causing him to trip over himself.
"Get your paws off me, Meat bag!" he growled, his accent was like Sola's but his voice was deeper and masculine in tone.
Nightwing got up and approached the figure. He was shocked, seeing that it was another Reach! He wore a charcoal gray and white striped jacket, a shirt and pants that were a darker shade of gray and dark shoes.
The male Reach looked up at Nightwing as he got to his feet. He had light blue with a ring of copper brown around the pupils. A far cry from the Reach's common orange and yellow eye colors. His skin was also a light shade of sea foam green.
"Who are you?!" Nightwing asked.
"Like I'd tell you human meat bags anything." The Reach replied who was clearly irritated by the way he was being treated.
"Listen Pal, if you wanna make it outta here in one piece, talk!" said Green Arrow.
"Fine…my name is Nuru and I can assure you, I'm not looking to start anything." The Reach, Nuru explained.
"How come you want to know?"
Nightwing smiled at Nuru, he had an idea of what he was going to do.
"Because we have a friend who'll be very happy to see you."
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If anyone has any questions or would like to adopt this story, please let me know.
