AN: Thanks to everyone who followed favorited, viewed and reviewed! As special thanks, I've decided to update earlier than I intended. Also, just to clarify, when I said I was going to show a more perky side to Raven, I meant more along the lines of the Raven we saw in the Episode 'Spellbound', specifically the end, in which Raven is laughing and playing Stankball. I do NOT intend to make her OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own YJ or Raven. If I did, Season 2 of YJ would be VERY different, and Raven would have ACTUALLY MADE AN APPEARANCE IN YJ.
Previously:
Finally, she turned to the Team "So, how did I do?"
Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was surrounded by the Team, M'gann and Zatanna were hugging her; Wally, Robin, and Kaldur were praising her; Raquel and Conner were standing next to her with impressed looks on their faces; and Artemis was smiling at her with a look of pride in her eyes.
"You were incredible, Raven." Artemis said with a smile on her face.
Chapter 3: Raven's first mission and a new enemy
The Team were still surrounding Raven, congratulating her and chattering excitedly about her powers when an announcement from Batman rang out through the training room.
"Team, report to the mission computer for your new assignment. Batman out."
"Looks like you're going to get a chance to put those powers in action!" Robin exclaimed with a grin on his face.
"My first mission" Raven mumbled softly to herself.
"Raven, don't be nervous. You've been practicing lately. I know you won't lose control." Artemis 'said' reassuringly through their mental link.
"Thanks Artemis. Do you think we should have told the Team about our link?"
"We will Raven, but in due time."
The Team walked to the mission computer, curios as to what the mission might hold, and found Red Tornado already there, awaiting their arrival.
"Team, Batman apologizes, but he has business to attend in Gotham and therefore cannot give you your mission in person." He informed them in his robotic voice. "He has, however, taken the liberty of sending the details of the mission to me." No one questioned how Batman's voice had rung out on the PA system, since Batman was the stealthiest person they knew.
"A very expensive and important set of robotic armor has been in its construction phase at Star Labs' headquarters for the last 2 years. It had just finished its construction last week, when a perimeter breach was set off and all armed personnel were called to greet the attacker with loaded weapons. When the guards arrived, however, there was no one there. Upon returning to their posts, the guards in charge of protecting the armor realized it was gone. The armor's construction had been ordered by the US military, and the armor itself was built out of titanium and had several weapons built in including guns, missiles, and a nuclear self-destruct in case it was captured by the enemy. It was being powered by Xenothium. Your mission is to investigate the disappearance of the armor and, if possible, apprehend the thief"
The Team stayed silent, mulling over the details before discussing them via M'gann's linking their minds.
"What do you think, Raven?" M'gann asked, eager to involve her teammate in the discussion.
"Well, the perimeter breach was obviously a decoy to distract the guards so that the thief could steal the armor."
"Who would steal it, though?" Wally (now in his Kid Flash costume) thought.
"Earth to Kid idiot, that armor is a really high-tech weapon designed for military purposes! Any villain we know could have taken it." Artemis pointed out.
"We might be able to find some clues, but we need to go to the crime scene" Robin said through the link, the detective gears in his brain already turning as he mentally went through a list of possible culprits, none of them seeming likely.
"M'gann, please prepare the bioship for departure" Aqualad instructed aloud.
After a 2 hour flight in the bioship, the Team reached Star City, and flew down to the Star Labs headquarters, where the head scientist of Star Labs was already waiting for them.
"Ah, you're here. I admit, I was expecting the Justice League, but I'm sure you can help us." The head scientist, Roberto Ariatez, said in a Spanish accent. Considering his faith in the Team (something others they helped on missions sometimes lacked) the Team liked him already.
"I trust no one has entered the crime scene since the robbery?" Kaldur asked.
"I have had that entire wing of the lab closed until you arrived to search for evidence. I did not call the police so as not to contaminate the crime scene." responded.
"Thank you, it is much appreciated and will help us to ensure the thief is caught."
As the Team arrived at the crime scene, they examined every surface for any obvious clues such as hair or fingerprints. After 15 minutes, of searching, Raquel noticed something in her sector of the wing (they had decided to divide the wing of the lab in which the armor was being held into different sectors and each search for clues in one. Raquel had chosen the outer chamber of the room in which the armor was being stored).
"I've found a clue!" She cried out excitedly through the link. "There's grease on the security keypad in the outer chamber. It doesn't look like cooking grease though, more like it came from a vehicle."
"Good work Raquel! I'm on my way to your sector now." Robin replied.
Just as Raquel was about to respond, Robin ran in to examine the strange grease, taking a sample on a slide and putting the slide in a special compartment in his glove, analyzing the results displayed on the hologram just above said glove.
"Motorcycle oil, came from a red motorcycle, ID no. 11689, I'm looking through a buyer's list now."
"And to think, we might not have even caught the criminal if they'd been environmental and taken the bus." Wally joked.
"I got it! The dude who bought that motorcycle was a guy named Fredrick Samuels, lives in Missouri."
"What's his criminal record?" Artemis asked, wondering how a seemingly ordinary teenager had pulled this robbery off.
"Suspected gang member, but they don't have any evidence. He's definitely our guy."
"Looks like we're going to Missouri" Zatanna remarked.
"Bioship is already prepared for flight" M'gann informed them.
The Team hastily departed for Missouri, determined to catch their criminal before he had time to relocate, or worse, use the armor to cause massive amounts of damage. They let know they had found the criminal, but instructed him not to inform the police so the thief would assume he was nowhere close to being caught. The Team knew Frederick would use the armor if he saw them coming, and were going to attempt to use stealth to apprehend him. They were, however, fully prepared to fight if the need arose.
"We're here" M'gann announced.
The Team dropped in silently, surrounding the house in which Frederick lived with his usually drunk mother who was, according to Robin's sensors, currently out of the house (Raven remarked that she was probably at the nearby pub). However, they couldn't detect Frederick either, even with Wally's heat vision goggles and Conner's powers. That left them all wondering the same thing: Where was their culprit?
After 10 minutes of waiting and scanning with no sign of the teenage Samuels, Kaldur sent out an order via their psychic link.
"Robin, Artemis, I want the two of you to go inside the house and look for him. The key to succeeding in this mission is stealth, so be as silent as possible."
"Understood Kaldur" Robin and Artemis replied in unison, slowly inching closer to the Samuels' house. Robin dropped in through an open window on the second floor, and Artemis slid down through the house's chimney, both careful not to make a sound and alert Frederick of their presence. Robin crept silently through the dimly lit hallway on the trash-covered second floor, keeping his ears open for the sound of movement. Suddenly, he heard the very faint creak of a floorboard, and whipped out a birdarang, doing a somersault in midair and darting towards the noise, but finding no one. He was about to tell the Team there was no one in sight, until he heard a loud CRASH downstairs. Running to the ground floor and doing a double flip halfway down the stairs to save time, he sprinted into the living room to see chimney soot covered Artemis fighting hand-to-hand with an armored-clad Frederick Samuels!
"Give up Frederick! You can't win!" he yelled.
"My name's not Frederick any more, ya hear?! It's Adonis! The gang is gonna pay for kicking me out once they see how powerful I am now!" Suddenly, he grabbed hold of Artemis's wrist and flung her across the room, causing her to collide with a wall.
"Artemis! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, now look out!"
Robin turned to see Frederick (or Adonis) charging towards him at full speed. Flipping out of the way, he placed a detonator on the armor-clad teen's back.
"Team, we've found Frederick, and he's wearing the armor, we're in the living room, get here quick! Also, he's calling himself Adonis now…"
"On our way now." Zatanna responded.
"You can't keep dodging forever, kid!" Adonis taunted.
"I don't have to." Robin said, activating the detonator. The sound of Robin's cackle filled the room, accompanied by a beeping, before it exploded, knocking 'Adonis' onto his stomach, but not damaging the armor. In an attempt to prevent Adonis getting back up, Artemis fired a trick arrow, successfully hitting Adonis in the back and sending an electric current through his armor. It was at that moment in which the rest of the Team arrived to aid them in the fight. Adonis cried out in pain, the electric current not being strong enough to kill him, but enough to give him a nasty electric shock. Upon seeing the Team arrive, however, he ignored the pain and gave them a cocky smirk.
"Well, well, well, looks like we've got some more mini heroes. You guys really think you can beat me?"
"We don't think, we know." Artemis stated, firing a new arrow, this one filled green goo that enveloped Adonis's armor, forcing his robotic arms to be pinned at his sides. Adonis just laughed and stretched his robotic limbs, tearing the goo. He then fired roughly 30 missiles at the Team.
"Ekam eht selissim tih sinodA!" Zatanna yelled (Make the missiles hit Adonis!) causing the missiles to suddenly change direction and come straight back at him. Unfortunately, the armor didn't even receive a scratch.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried, surrounding the armor in a black aura and causing it to begin to tear itself off of Adonis. Adonis chortled and used one of the armor's built in guns to shoot at her before the armor could be fully removed. Raven put up a shield of energy to protect herself, but lost her concentration on the armor, causing the removal to be halted. Adonis pounced on her, holding her against the wall as she struggled to break free.
"I like the feisty ones." He taunted with a smirk, causing her to shoot him with dark energy (which proved to be ineffective). As she struggled,Superboy came up from behind and dragged him off, using his enhanced strength to deliver a swift punch to Adonis's robot chest (only giving the armor a dent).
"Conner, get clear!" Rocket yelled via telepathic link, causing Superboy to leap out of the way. Rocket then used her powers to create a purple bubble around Adonis, effectively trapping him.
"How long can you hold that armor?" Kaldur asked her.
"Kinetic energy makes it stronger, so if he tries to punch it, pretty long. If he shoots a missile, we have a problem."
"Kaldur, can your water bearers can short out his armor?" Wally asked.
"I don't think they will KF. I just pulled up the armor's schematics to look for weak points. It's waterproof. No potential weak points either." Robin replied.
"Has anyone seen Artemis?" M'gann remarked, curious and slightly worried.
"I'm sure she's fine M'gann. Back to the matter at hand, magic doesn't work too well with technology, and I used A LOT of energy the last time I tried to tear apart his armor. I think if Zatanna and I try at the same time, we might be able to get that armor off. What do you think, Zatanna?" Raven brainstormed; extremely annoyed with the amount of time this battle was taking.
"It's a longshot, but it just might work."
"What are you two waiting for, then? DO IT!" Kid Flash yelled, eager to get the battle over with.
Both Raven and Zatanna closed their eyes, chanting and summoning all the power they could. Raven was repeatedly chanting her three word mantra, while Zatanna was hastily reciting 'Evomer eht romra!' (Remove the armor!) until the armor had finally come off. They had won.
As the police dragged the now scrawny teenager (Kid Flash made sure to mock his physique) away, he declared revenge on the Team as well as stating 'You better sleep with one eye open, feisty!' exquisitely to Raven, Artemis appeared from the surrounding trees, secretly sporting a black eye under her mask, as well as several visible shallow cuts and bruises. She also had a deep, bleeding gash on her left shoulder that looked like a stab wound and a small stream of blood trickling down the back of her neck. As well as looking in pain, she looked exhausted.
"Where were you?" Kid Flash questioned, more than a little annoyed at her sudden disappearance (he had yet to forget the stunt she pulled in the New Orleans).
"It's not important, can we go home now?"
Before Kid Flash could respond M'gann cut in "Are you alright? There's a hospital about 20 minutes from here if you need medical attention." She said, her eyes filled with concern.
"No I'm fine." Artemis replied, waving her hand dismissively at her friends' concerned looks. "It's just a few cuts and bruises, but I'm more than ready to leave."
Unwilling to further question their teammate or her wounds the Team headed towards the bioship. Raven psychically asked her if she needed to be healed, and what she'd been doing during the fight (Artemis told her after she blocked her signal from M'gann) but otherwise she was left alone, something she'd been grateful for.
They would be better off not knowing what was going on anyways.
