Hey yo! A guest review on the last chapter informed me that CADMUS doesn't kidnap people, they make new life and experiment on that new life. I want to let y'all know that I know this. CADMUS didn't order the kidnapping but one of the employees did it of their own accord, a vendetta against the main character. He merely contained the main character, until now.
Guest (previously mentioned): I hope that works for you. And I can't promise anything!
Breakline
July 4th
I hear the door opening, 'is he back?' I think to myself, 'what does he want now?' I have no perception of time, but I know that this man has had me here for a few months. I hear footsteps, four sets of them, one light, two heavy and one fast, in fact, I can hear the fast set faintly, then, they grow louder until they seem to be right next to my door in a matter of seconds. I hear nothing but footsteps until they are almost right outside my door and then one of them speaks.
"Another clone?" He asks, and a gruff and unsure voice answers.
"I thought I was the only one."
"Dude, clone or not, lets see what they look like." A third voice says and the light around my pod turns on, my eyes are still glued shut, yet the light makes imprints in my eyelids.
"C-Carmina?" A familiar voice says, shocked and surprised and light, familiar footsteps sound, moving away. He must be stumbling backwards.
"Dude, you know this chic?" The third voice asks the fourth.
"Yeah, I met her about a year ago and then she disappeared. We need to set her free, KF" the fourth voice responds shakily.
"Um, I'm no hacker, that's your job!" The third voice, KF, exclaims in a 'duh' voice.
"Right, right" the fourth voice responds and only the sound of typing is heard until I can feel my hands, I wiggle my fingers and soon, the paralysis wears off and I tilt my head up and I can see my saviors. Kid Flash, Aqualad, someone who looks like Superman and... Robin. I shakily climb out of the pod and he's there, supporting me as I lean to the ground.
"Robin" I breathe, my voice hoarse, the only noise I've made in months is a scream.
"Carmina, we need to get out of here, I don't know how far we can go before we have conflict, can you stand?" He asks me as the five of us walk out of the room. I nod and we separate.
"Can you still use your powers or did they take it away?" He asks me, oblivious, - no, he's Robin, he's not oblivious to anything in his immediate area - ignoring the questioning looks his comrades are sending him.
"Yeah, I think so, could you back up a bit, it may not be as controlled as it was the last time we met." I say, and he backs away.
"So there's a chance you can ice, or burn, this entire floor?" He asks, I nod and his allies shoot each other looks of fear, I ignore them and focus on my hands, sure enough, flames dance across my fingertips, then they engulf my hands, and before they reach my wrists, I summon ice. Now, beads of ice are trailing from one index finger to the other, and I clench my fists.
"Wow, better than the last time" Robin says as we enter the elevator shaft. "Think you can do this?" He asks, referring to a conversation we had soon after the leaves started falling in September.
"I hope so," I respond and then the five if us launch into the shaft, Robin carrying KF, Super Jr. carrying Aqualad and then I go, shakily using the air flow to levitate myself. Things go smoothly until Super Jr. and Aqualad start falling.
"Carmina!" Robin shouts.
"I can't catch them, I'm barely supporting myself!" I shout back, so he throws a birdarang into the wall and Aqualad catches it as they pass. We soon exit the elevator shaft and, after two close calls involving air vents, motion sensors and staircases, we find ourselves surrounded by odd-looking creatures. I feel something come over me and I black out, when I come to, a hero named Guardian is holding his head.
"Feels like... Fog, lifting. Go, I'll handle Desmond." I recoil slightly at the name maniacal man. Then, I hear his voice.
"I think not, project: Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to CADMUS." I really recoil at the sight and sound of Desmond, right into Super Jr.'s chest. Desmond sends me a taunting smirk as he drowns the liquid and transforms into a beast, his old skin ripping off to show new skin underneath. He charges at me, but Super Jr. pushed me aside and met Desmond head on, crashing through the ceiling.
"Well, that's one way to bust through the ceiling" Robin mutters as he shoots his grappling gun through the hole above him and enters the room above him.
"You think Lab coat was planning that?" Kid Flash asks Aqualad.
"I doubt he is planning anything anymore" Aqualad comments as he grabs Kid Flash from under the arms and jumps through the gap Robin just went through. I'm last to enter the floor above us, using the wind to give me a boost. I arrive just in time to see Aqualad, Super Jr. and Kid Flash get thrown into a wall, becoming a jumble of limbs, I help them get untangled and the five of us turn to face Desmond.
While the other three attack Desmond I turn to Robin,
"Well, what's the plan?" I ask him, and I take in his smile, the tilt of his head and the way I can practically see a mischievous glint in the whites of his mask. He really wants to blow this place up.
"Just like that warehouse on the waterfront October?" He asks me, and I give him a lopsided grin,
"That one time you ran into me while you were patrolling alone and we stopped some drug dealers?" I clarify, knowing I'm right.
"Let's bring it down," he smirks, pulling up the blueprints of the room. "KF, over here," he calls, he shows the both of us pressure points in the structure. We both go to take then down while Robin, Superboy, as the others are now calling him and Aqualad take 'Blockbuster' down. The bombs in the walls tick off and explode. The ceiling comes down on us, Superboy shielding Robin and I while Aqualad shields Kid Flash.
We emerge from the rubble and the boys acknowledge the fact that we are all alive, me, I'm just staring at the moon, remembering the two, or was it three months I felt as if I really had someone who cared about me. I actually had a friend, even if he always was hiding behind a mask, he didn't judge me on what happened. I felt relaxed around him and now, I guess I still do, nearly six months later, nothing has changed about how I feel around him.
"See, look, the moon," Kid Flash says, snapping me out of my reverie, then, we all see a spot on the surface, growing larger. "Oh, and Superman, do we keep our promises or what?" KF continues, pointing to the one speck that grows into Superman and the entire Justice League. I smile slightly when I see Batman, the whites of his cowl widen slightly and then close, but barely, they look soft, not narrowed in a glare.
"Explain, now" he says, taking his eyes off of me and focusing on the rest if the group.
And so they do, and, while they're doing that, I found my duffle bag that Robin gave me the night I was kidnapped, he must have grabbed it on the way out, or maybe I did. Nearly half an hour later, Superman comes over to talk to Superboy.
"We'll figure something out for you, the league will, I mean, for now, I um, better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." Yeah, Superman isn't going to win any 'father of the year' awards. I tune back in to hear Batman saying:
"End results aside, we are not happy, you hacked Justice League systems and endangered countless lives. You will not be doing this again."
"I'm sorry, but we will" Aqualad steps forward.
"Aqualad, stand down" Aquaman orders.
"Apologies my king, but no" Aqualad puts his fist to his chest.
"If this is about your treatment at the hall the four of you-" the Flash says.
"The five of us, and it's not" Kid Flash cuts his mentor off.
"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all." Robin says, I mutter that line with him, he's used it so many times. Huh, I guess I really have almost no memory except from the times before I was taken, well that and the pain and Desmond.
"Together, on our own we forged something powerful, important" Aqualad says firmly.
"Why let them tell us what to do, it's simple, get on board or get out or of the way." Superboy says, stepping forward and crossing his arms defiantly. Batman nods at this and turns to his fellow mentors, and after quietly conversing, the Dark Knight looks at us again.
"Superboy, Kid Flash and the Flash will house you until we all meet again."
"Who will take the girl?" The Flash questions, looking at me.
"I have a name, Scarlet Speedster," I announce, wincing at the pain in my ribs as I glare at the Flash.
"The girl should go with her family, Flash" Aquaman states and I back away, knowing how they'll react to me, because I know that the league will take me to them if no one protests.
"No," both Batman and Robin say at the same time, Robin angrily and well, Batman is Batman, but he was angry about it and the other could tell.
"Why not?" The Flash asks me rather than Batman.
"You just took away a relative who had me imprisoned within CADMUS since November and I'd rather not go back to my father." I say, his name bitter I my mouth.
"Again I ask, why not?" The Flash says, doing his best to glare at me, and failing.
"Keep your nose in your own business!" I exclaim, I don't have to tell him why, he doesn't need to know.
"The decision is final, Flash, now, you Kid Flash and Superboy need to leave, as well as you and Aqualad, Aquaman. And with that, they all dispersed as we head to a phone booth. Robin sees my confusion and explains,
"It's a Zeta Tube teleporter, it will take us to Gotham."
Once in Gotham, we got into the batmobile, honestly, not my first time, but that is a story for another day. I wasn't paying attention to the scenery and I was surprised when we stopped, or rather where we stopped. I get out and take a big look around.
"Wow" I breathe,"are we really-?" I ask, no words needed.
"Yep, home sweet Batcave" Robin says, smirking, then, I hear a voice from above us call out.
"I see we have another guest, sir, shall I prepare a room?" The shadowed man asks in a British accent.
"Yes, Alfred, Carmina will be staying with us for awhile" I look and see the origin of this familiar yet new voice. I turn and see Bruce Wayne, and I make my mouth fall open, feigning suprize. I turn to look at Robin, now unmasked and I punch him in the arm.
"Ow! Carmina, what was that for?" He asks me, rubbing his arm.
"You little troll! In October, when we played that guessing game on the rooftop and I asked you if you were Dick Grayson and you said no each time!" I accuse, glaring at him, though I imagine it was ruined by the grin on my face.
"Heh, sorry about that, no more secrets, promise?" He both promises and asks me.
"No more from you, I'm not ready yet," I admit, turning away from him.
"That's okay, Car, just no more lies" he says, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"No more lies" I agree and we make our way upstairs out of the Cave. Dick and I watch a movie and we fall asleep like that, me curled up like a cat and him splayed all over the couch.
Breakline
July 8th
All of us, except Aqualad and Superboy are in our civvies, Robin and I in jeans, sweatshirts, sunglasses and leather jackets. Apparently, I was found in CADMUS with a mask over my eyes, who knows why, I never even noticed. I was also able to grab the bag of clothes I had been kidnapped with, so I have some clothes too.
"Since you five are determined to keep this up and fight the good fight, you'll do it on league terms. Red Tornado will be your den mother, Black Canary is in charge of training and I will deploy you on missions." Batman says.
"Real missions?" Robin asks suspiciously.
"Yes, but covert" Batman answers.
"There's a reason why we have these big targets on our chests" the Flash says, pointing to his own chest.
"But CADMUS proves that the bad guys are getting smarter, Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly" Aquaman throws on his two cents.
"The six of you will be that team." Batman finishes. 'Yes!' I think 'please let it be a girl'.
"Cool, wait, six?" Robin asks, confused, I whack him upside the head.
"Yes, Boy Wonder, can ya count?" I ask jokingly.
"Meet Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian" Batman says as the five of us turn to the Zeta Tubes.
"Hi," she says shyly.
"Liking this gig more every minute" Kid Flash whispers to Robin and I, and he zooms up to her.
"I'm Kid Flash, that's Robin, Aqualad, it's cool if you forget their names." He says as Robin, Aqualad and I walk over.
"Calm down, Kid Idiot," I say, whacking him upside the head.
"Ow," he complains
"Deal with it, KF" I tell him. "I'm glad I'm not the only girl on the team, I'm gonna need some help keeping these screw-ups in line." I comment to Miss Martian and I chuckle as I get 'hurt' looks from Robin and KF. But Robin quickly turns around and calls,
"Hey, Superboy, come meet Miss M." To, well, Superboy and the clone joins the group.
"I like your T-shirt" Miss M. says, morphing her white and red shirt to black and red, the same color as his, a light blush on her face.
"Today is the day," Aqualad says proudly.
Breakline
Me: So, how'd I do for recalling the entire episode from memory on a camping trip with no internet?
Carmina: And for keeping my past a secret from the characters and from you all?
Robin: Firecracker will be following the YJ TV show for this series, plus a few extra scenes/chapters.
Me: What do y'all think of these possible superhero names for Carmina?
Hawk
Eagle
Gaea [1] (Guy-ah)
Gaea [2] (Gee-ah)
Serene
Whisp
Carmina: We are also open to suggestion, but only in between today and next weekend! *leaves*
Me: There is a reason behind her hiding her identity from the team and the League, so I gave her a mask and sunglasses, like Robin. They only know the name she told Robin, because the only people who ever knew her real name are all dead.
Robin: That's depressing, at least people know my real name. No one knows hers... Yet.
Me: You're determined to find out, aren't you?
Robin: Yup!
Me: *rolls eyes* Take it away!
Robin: Stay Whelmed, get Traught,
Wally: Feel the Aster and Crash the Mode!
Me: Firecracker OUT!