Mission Report 8.3.20:08
Target: Amazo
Background Info: Created by Professor Ivo, can access the powers of beings it sees.
Mission Objective: Guard disassembled parts of superpowered robot Amazo on their way to disposal.
Objective was achieved, despite the hindrance of the MONQUI (Mobile Optimal Neural Quotient Infiltrators) attack. No sign of other villains being involved.
Ivo made Amazo's priority to protect him and therefore failed when Amazo had to defend him. Amazo was disassembled and delivered to the correct location for disposal.
Damages: Gotham Academy's lockers, gym, and science labs.
Justification: You sent teens to deal with a superpowered robot. What were you expecting, Bats?
Comments: Standard report, except for the Justifications. Team's damages will be dealt with regardless, but know that I expect full report by tomorrow.
Barbara smirked at her mentor's comment, but didn't deign to reply. She'd get an earful on patrol tonight, but whatever. Closing the holographic window, she looked down from her perch, catching up on the conversation she'd missed.
"Typical. First day of college, and what do you do with your weekend, Roy? 'Ya get your butt kicked by an android."
"Shut up, Wally," Roy grumbled, icing his bruised jaw, before gingerly probing it.
"For an android, he certainly packs a punch," groaned Zee, hand on her ribs, which had been fractured during the fight. Wally patted her arm sympathetically.
Barb just laughed at them from the rafters, nursing a measly split lip.
...
Mission Report 8.8.21:53
Mission Objective: Protect Dr. Serling Roquette from the League of Shadows while she counteracts The Fog.
Background info: Previously rescued from captivity by the League of Shadows by Speedy, Dr. Roquette created the fog, a swarm of microscopic robots that can go through any material, collecting data.
Opposition encountered: Cheshire, Hook, Spider, Professor Ojo
Results: objective achieved. Cheshire was distracted by Speedy while Hook and Fang were dealt with separately and imprisoned. Cheshire escaped. The doctor was guarded-
Zatanna paused for a moment as she typed up the mission report. Successful? She felt like she could probably use that word to describe their mission. Oh, there had been that one close call near the end, though... Well, she thought, the doctor was still alive.
successfully, she typed, and saved the file. She glanced up to hear the end of Barbara's tale.
"I can't believe I had to give you mouth-to-mouth. I'll be using breath mints for the rest of my life!" Barbara fanned herself, exaggerating her story at Wally's expense.
Roy snorted. "You got that right."
"Hey, at least I didn't get my butt kicked by a pretty assassin who totally has the hots for me," Wally sassed from the couch. Zatanna whacked him playfully, wrinkling her nose at his stuck out tongue.
"Oh, leave him alone," she sighed.
"Yeah. Shut up, Wally," Roy growled, rubbing his lips as his cheeks began to take on a pinkish tinge.
"Besides, it worked."
"Only because she was too distracted by your..."
"Manly physique," Zatanna cut in, stopping Wally from continuing down what was surely a dank, disturbing road that reeked of meme or innuendo.
"Ooo, Zee! Does Wally have some competition?" Barbara whistled.
"What? I- No! We're not even-Besides, you were the one to give him mouth to mouth!"
Roy tried to stifle his laughter, but had to duck anyway to avoid the pillow thrown from the couch by an affronted Batgirl.
...
~Dichotomy- a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different: a rigid dichotomy between science and mysticism~
"I'm telling you, magic is not real."
"Then, Wally, would you care to explain this?"
The speedster looked around at the snowy terrain, shivering slightly in the cold. He paused for a moment, processing the landscape as he formulated a response.
"Obviously we're in a pocket dimension. Haven't you ever heard of string theory?"
"Mmhm. You keep telling yourself that, Walls," the ebony told him, stomping away.
"Zee!" The redhead chased her frantically.
Barb sighed.
"Those two are hopeless. Honestly and truly hopeless."
Roy nodded in agreement as they disappeared suddenly into thin air.
"What just-?"
Zatanna's touch weighed heavily on his slumping shoulders.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, sadness seeping through her quiet words. She didn't know what to say, what to do.
The speedster swallowed his grief, clutching the locket tightly. After the first few moments of blindness he'd suffered through after removing the Helmet of Fate, he decided just closing his eyes would be easier anyway. He didn't want to see the outcome of that fateful battle.
"Zee... His locket."
"Where?"
He held it out, not sure where she was, but knowing she would take it.
"Can you...?"
"I've got it, Walls," a gruff voice to his left assured him. Roy's hand fell heavy on Wally's shoulder. Roy had been in the gig longer, knew what it was like when this kind of thing happened.
"Is that...?" Barbara's voice leaked curiosity.
"Yeah," he confirmed, hugging the Helmet to himself. He could feel the absurdly warm metal pressing against his chest. Arms encircled him, and he could feel the dripping of his eyes. Normally he'd be mortified. He must look so weak now... Wally tried for humor.
"Well, now that my date with Fate is over, I guess it's time to go back to the cave."
He could feel Zatanna's audible sigh. She held tighter, and he thought 'okay, what the heck' and started bawling. Wally buried his face in her shoulder, and Zee held tight because what could she do, what could she say? There are no words for something like this, nothing really encompasses the reverence, the grief, the uncertainty of the future.
A hero had fallen.
Kent Nelson had died.
...
"Team, report."
"We're here, Batman," announced Roy, in gear.
Wally slid to a halt next to Batgirl, cowl undone but otherwise dressed in costume. Meanwhile, Zatanna floated down from where she had been practicing her levitation spell. Batman stood, arms crossed and scowling next to an unusually stoic Martian Manhunter. Once each teen had taken a place in the circle, their brooding supervisor began.
"During The Team's mission in Santa Prisca, Zatanna was attacked by M'gann M'orrz. M'orrz is one of Martian Manhunter's nieces, and went missing from Mars six months ago. The Light calls her Mindwipe. After M'orrz's attack, Zatanna was overwhelmed and incapacitated," recounted Batman, motioning toward the magician.
Martian Manhunter spoke next, voice rolling low and concerned. "She implanted a coded message in your head, Zatanna. The message revealed that the secret villain society we have suspected for the recent attacks is The Light, and their team of young mercenaries have requested our help. According to M'orrz, they've been held against their will, and are coerced into working for The Light." Batman gave an almost inaudible sigh, at which Batgirl frowned. Her mentor was suspicious, probably, though the sigh was tinged with something closer to regret.
Martian Manhunter continued. "The message suggested some sort of mental interference was at play due to the... Static, you would call it. Her mind was unfamiliar, tainted by an outside force. The message itself was even more so."
"Are you kidding?" Roy exclaimed, incredulously, "Are you actually joking? There's no way this isn't a trap!"
Batman picked right back up. "The only specific pieces of information given were the coordinates of their ship. Aquaman scoped the location out already, and the intel was sound. We've assessed the risks and decided to send everyone in," Batman paused to Batglare Speedy into silence again, "We will extract them. If their story is true and they prove themselves, we'll work out a compromise for them. If not, they get arrested with the rest of their organization. Either way, we're sending you in to retrieve as much data as possible in the event that we are not successful in capturing the ship."
"Uh, not that I'm complaining or anything- honestly- but... Why so paranoid?" Wally ventured.
"There is evidence that a large force of villains are part of the Light. They may call backup, in which case you'll withdraw, and everyone will rendezvous at the surface. Unfortunately, we only have one try to do this. If it goes wrong and the other team are telling the truth, they won't ever have another chance after."
The Team shot looks around each other, each gauging the reactions of others. After some initial shock, doubt, and concern, they began to strategize and plan amongst themselves. With the weight of the other team's lives hanging in the balance, they couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
They got to work.
...
R&R! I'm trying to finish the whole story before I post chapters, but writing is hard.