Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! (if you're reading it on February 14th, 2016). Anyway, I wanted to upload 2 chapters today as a gift, but my schedule didn't give me the time to do that. I wanted to write a Valentine's Day special story which, in my mind, is really funny and perhaps a little bit OOC because it's meant to be funny. However, I'm still thankful to all of you for being so supportive and understanding! (I would appreciate more reviews though :x). My list of thanking people today is much shorter, so here goes!
Special thanks to: Pandora Merga Black and aireagle92!
And a huge, big thanks to... *drum rolls please!* :
Down2earth360: Wow, and you never cease to make me enthusiastic about writing with all of your sweet words! Thank you so much and I'll keep trying to write as well as I could :) have a great day!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OC, Victoria Adams and her family.
Now, on to the story!
Chapter 4: Boy Wonder, Speedster... or El Luchador?
Null frowns, wondering how on earth did they get themselves in such a mess. She has to put up with a lovesick Martian, an oblivious Kryptonian, an exasperated Atlantean, a hothead speedster, and a stubborn Boy Wonder. She rubs her temple while swinging a kick to her left, hitting a bad guy square in the gut. Superboy handles the biggest villain there, while everyone else picks up the pace. She recognizes Robin's silhouette as he drop-kicks two enemies.
"What is wrong with you guys? Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?" Robin asks. Null clenches her fist and punches another guy square in the jaw. Robin has been acting like an idiot the whole night, and she knows why. The Boy Wonder wants to be the team leader but she doesn't think the role is for him—not with the way he's been acting throughout the mission.
"That's what you were doing? Way to fill us in. We're not mind readers, you know," Kid Flash says, before seeing Miss Martian behind him, "er, I'm not anyway."
"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds," Miss Martian complains.
Aqualad appears and takes out the last villain and everyone proceed to tie the enemy up. As they stand together staring down at the enemy, Robin comments, "I recognize those uniforms. They belong to the cult of the Kobra."
"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Aqualad says.
"Agreed. And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off," Robin explains.
"We get it. Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we'll be home in time for-" Kid Flash tries to say.
"These cultists aren't on Venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave, not until I know why," Robin interrupts.
"Until you know why?" Kid Flash sounds annoyed now. Null places her hand on Kid Flash's shoulder to stop calm him down. She shakes her head when the speedster turns to look at her. Kid Flash's eyes are narrowed, but noticing the tired expression that Null has, he sighs.
"This team needs a leader," Robin declares. Null slaps her forehead with her hand at this, knowing that Robin is just causing trouble within the group. Why, oh why did Batman send them on a mission when there's clearly no stability in the team right now?
"And it's you? Dude, you're a 13-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word," Kid Flash argues.
"Haha! And you're a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got."
Null heaves a sigh and joins Superboy and Miss Martian standing by the sidelines. She catches their conversation without wanting to interrupt them. Null wants to push the two of them together if she gets the chance, or maybe lock them in a room together. She knows that Miss Martian has a huge crush on the Kryptonian. Unlike Robin and Kid Flash, basically everyone isn't interested in leading the team. Null turns her attention to Aqualad. She has known Aqualad for four years now and the usually-stoic, strong Atlantean seems like he would make a great leader for the team. They need someone to reel them in when they get too rowdy.
"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!"
"Neither does Batman!"
"Duh, you're not Batman."
"Closest thing we've got."
Null is about to walk up to the two boys and pull their ears when one of the bad guys interrupts them. "Such clever ninos. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. Get you into the factory via my secret entrance."
"There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something," Miss Martian reads his mind. The muscular guy definitely does not look trustworthy with the black and white face paint he has going for himself.
"Ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy."
"He's mentally reciting football scores en espanol. This could take a while."
"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Everyone exchange glances, before deciding to let the prisoner lead the way to the secret entrance. On the way, they stand by a cliff and manages to see the operation going on down below. There's a large amount of boxes transporting, and if the team can guess right, the venom formula for Kobra.
"Look at all that product. A bug is going down. But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then," Robin informs the group.
"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad continues.
"Just what I was thinking," Kid Flash agrees. Null nods her head, realizing that a fight might be on the way. She doesn't know how much help she would provide in this fight seeing as though it's not exactly up against people with superpowers. Glancing at Miss Martian, she wishes she could have telekinesis or a power that's more active. Heck, she'll even settle for Miss Martian's camouflage mode. Shaking her head, she focuses on the conversation happening around her.
"Yeah, you're the thinker."
"Sarcasm? Dude," Kid Flash frowns.
"A real leader would focus on getting answers," Robin counters Kid Flash.
Null smacks both of them on the back of their heads. They turn to her in rapid speed, clutching the back of their heads. Glaring at them, with her hands on her hips, "look, the both of you are going to stop this right now. Or, no cookies for a week, do you hear me?"
"But, Null-"
"You can't do that!"
The two protests in unison, but Null just continues glaring at them. Her head is starting to hurt from all of their bickering and it doesn't help that she already has way too much to worry about: like not being as good of a fighter as Miss Martian. She glances at Miss Martian again, wanting to know if maybe the team just needed one female on the team. She shakes her head, knowing that she respects and cares for Miss Martian. Envy should not have room in her heart. At least, she smiles, the boys are not bickering for a few minutes.
"Answers are this way," Bane interrupts, looking amused with the arguing going on. He moves a stone out of the way and opens the secret entrance. The rest of the team follows behind Bane.
"So, now el luchador is our leader," Kid Flash remarks, earning him a punch on the arm from Robin and a glare from Null.
"All clear," Robin announces before disappearing on his own again.
"Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane asks, sounding exasperated.
"No, he just does that," Null says, frowning.
"Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder." Kid Flash runs off.
"Wait, Kid!" Aqualad shouts.
"Great chain of command," Bane comments. Null turns her glare to him, daring him to say anything else. She's starting to dislike el luchador.
"It's a massive shipment," Aqualad says as Miss Martian, Aqualad, Superboy, and Null watches from behind a box.
"Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this Venom?" Superboy says, staring at the shipment.
"Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian asks, making Null giggle. Yup, Null thinks to herself, she's definitely losing it on this mission.
"Helicopters coming," Superboy informs them. Aqualad asks Miss Martian to go to the rendezvous point in camouflage mode to get a glimpse of the buyer. Null waits behind with Aqualad and Superboy.
"Aqualad, sending you a telepathic image of the buyer now," Miss Martian says.
"Sportmaster. He is the buyer? Aqualad to Red Tornado. Do you read? Can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid. Com's jammed. We need a plan," Aqualad says.
"No, I have a suggestion," Bane smirks as he jumps down and attacks the Kobra's henchmen. The bridge collapses, sending Aqualad, Superboy, and Null onto ground level.
"Get them!" Kobra yells the command. Null notices that Bane is gone, leaving them to face the enemy by themselves. She starts taking on some of the red-hooded blind followers of Kobra, but she has to run to take cover as guns are fired at them. Superboy is handling the bulky creature who must have taken the Blockbuster + Venom formula. She sees Kid Flash showing up to help Aqualad.
"Miss Martian, radio is jammed! Link us up!" Aqualad shouts, hoping it'll reach Miss Martian. Null tries to shut down her own nullifying abilities, hoping that she knows what she's doing. She focuses on absorbing the energy instead of releasing the energy. She closes her eyes, knowing that it's a gamble to do that in the middle of a fight, and tries to imagine this light clearing from her mind.
"Everyone online?" Miss Martian asks, telepathically. Null grins at hearing the voice in her head. The boys might hate having people hearing their thoughts, but Null doesn't mind. At least she won't be clueless in this fight.
"Yeah," Superboy replies reluctantly.
"You know it, beautiful," Kid Flash replies.
"Good, we need to regroup," Aqualad orders.
"Busy now!" Robin says.
"Robin, now!" Null yells in her mind.
"Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path," Aqualad commands. Everyone runs to the door with Superboy right behind them. Mammoth, the guy who is deformed by being injected with the blockbuster and venom formula, is chasing them. Null looks behind her, wondering if she should try using her power on Mammoth. She focuses on her energy and tries to aim it at the villain when Aqualad yells, "Superboy, the support beams!"
Null forgets her plan and continues running as fast as she can as rocks tumble down. The rocks successfully block them from Mammoth and the other Kobra cultists. She pants as the team all halt to a stop. She closes her eyes, trying to feel the energy within her again. Okay, she feels this warmth forming in her gut. It's an odd combination between the headache she feels and this feeling of exhilaration from the warmth in her gut.
Robin's looking away from the rest of the team. Null purses her lips and sighs, realizing that Robin really wants to be the team leader. She understands that it's really important for him, but she doesn't agree with the way he's been trying to lead them.
"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin asks.
"You do have the most experience. Perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan," Aqualad says.
"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands!" Robin yells, turning around. "Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can."
"Please! I can run circles-"
"Wally, come on. You know he's the one, we all do."
"Hello, Megan! It's so obvious."
"Could have told you," Superboy smirks.
"Finally!" Null exclaims, throwing her hands in the air.
"Okay," Kid Flash agrees.
Aqualad walks over to Robin and places his hand on the younger teen's shoulder, "then I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon," both Aqualad and Robin share a quick smile, "all right. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."
"Funny. I had the same thought."
"Sportsmaster's the supplier slash buyer… But it still doesn't tract. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work," Robin says, as the team runs through the tunnel.
"And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerdage," Kid Flash agrees.
"I believe the expression is tip of the iceberg," Aqualad comments.
"Halt, ninos. I'm feeling explosive," Bane states as he appears at the exit of the tunnel with a smirk on his face.
"Kid, you'll need a running start," Aqualad tells Kid Flash telepathically, before pretending that he's surprised. "You betrayed us. Why?"
"I want my factory back. So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect," Bane explains in the standard villain-tells-all-his-plans-before-executing-said-plans. Bane clicks on the trigger, only to realize that he's clicking on air.
"With what? This trigger thingy?" Kid Flash asks, holding the trigger with his hand.
Miss Martian levitates Bane up in the air before he can punch Kid Flash. Superboy smirks, "finally. Drop him." Miss Martian releases Bane and Superboy punches Bane out.
Kid Flash rushes in to punch a couple of guys as Superboy lands in the middle and taunts Mammoth. Aqualad pushes Mammoth out with water. Robin is tackling Shimmer as Null turns her attention to helping Aqualad. She focuses her energy and tries to see if she can nullify the effects of the formula. Superboy and Miss Martian set Sportsmaster's helicopter to explode. Null notices that Mammoth's body seems to be returning to before-formula shape as Aqualad sends shocks to the villain. Aqualad and Null nod at each other before turning their attention to Robin's fight with Kobra. Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Superboy, Null, and Aqualad take on a fighting stance as Robin jumps backwards to join the team.
"Another time then," Kobra says, disappearing. Robin runs ahead to check the tree that Kobra disappeared into, but the villain is gone. Robin makes his way back to the team as all of them are smiling at the successful outcome. Null thinks to herself that being in a team is definitely more fun than being in a partnership with Black Canary. Then again, she is only saying that because her headache is finally gone.
"We picked the right guy to lead," Robin says with a smile, "automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman."
Null smacks Robin in his shoulder, "Robin! I'm still not making any cookies for you or Kid Flash."
"Oh man, why me too?" Kid Flash asks as the others laugh at Null glaring at both Robin and Kid Flash. The youngest female is busy going on a rant about the headache she had from them bickering the entire mission.
Then, Null smiles, "but I am glad that everyone's alright. Even if Batman doesn't think so, how bout we call this a successful mission?"
All of them look at each other with a grin, except Aqualad who has a small smile and Superboy who is smirking. "Agreed," Aqualad confirms.
"A simple recon mission, observe and report," Batman begins, pacing the room in front of them, "you'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes. Until then, good job. No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character."
Null grins at the sight of Aqualad and Robin smiling at each other. The team are going to spend their time together at the Cave before heading home. As Null is walking towards the living room, Batman places his hand on Null's shoulder to stop her. Null looks at him, barely noticing Batman giving Robin a stern look to go on ahead. Robin gives one last glance at his mentor and his close friend, before following Kid Flash to the kitchen to get something to eat.
Null starts fiddling with her jacket, a feeling of fear in her heart. What if Batman tells her that she's not fit to be on this team? She knows she has a long way to go, but there's no way she'll want to leave the team. She won't leave, not until she proves herself to be better than how she is doing now.
"Stop worrying, Null," Batman begins, hiding his amusement at the young girl's nervousness. "I have some questions about your nullifying capabilities on the venom and blockbuster formula."
"Oh," Null says, "my power worked on it, but only for a few seconds as Aqualad sends shock waves to the mons- I mean, brute."
Batman nods his head, and lets the young teen go to the living room as he starts to think about what he should do now. If Sportsmaster is involved, the League of Assassins will be involved, and, as Batman looks at the team, he knows that things will be harder from here on out. All Batman can do now is to call Black Canary. It's time for the team to receive some professional training.
"All I recovered is a single ampule of Kobra Venom," Sportsmaster reports in a room with various screens showing members of the Light.
"Peut-etre the drug can be reverse engineered. Mais, what of our young heroes? First, Cadmus, then Mr. Twister. Now Santa Prisca," a heavily accented voice says.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. But 3 times is enemy action, and enemies of the Light must not stand," another deeper voice takes over.
"I'm more curious, Sportsmaster," another voice interrupts, "what of that girl, Null? Does she have the ability to reverse the drug's effects?"
Sportsmaster nods his head, "if given more time and training, she might be able to in the future."
"Then, we must get rid of her," the second voice commands.
Hope everyone is having a great day so far! I'll be back with Null and hopefully, with my new story soon! New story should be posted either today or tomorrow, depending on how long it takes me to study for my first exam in a class. See y'all soon!