A/N: We don't own anything except our OC's. But I hope you guys like this chapter, it was my favorite so far to write.
Nat's POV
MOUNT JUSTICE
FEBRUARY 28TH 08:30 EST
I was woken up to someone bouncing on my bed. Opening my eyes slowly I saw Gar, in monkey form, hopping from one side of my bed to the other. "Ugh, Gar." I pulled the covers over my head, trying to block it out. I still wasn't used to late night patrol, and three in a row really took a toll on me. Then, the bed weighed down on the left side.
"Nat, get up."
I just moaned - my way of saying shut up I'm sleeping. Turning on my side, I came face-to-face with a small green kitten. "You know I don't like cats." He morphed into a Labrador Retriever puppy. "Aw." I poked his nose and knew I couldn't win. Sitting up I watched as he turned back into himself, giving me a hug.
"C'mon, M'gann's making breakfast for everybody." Oh I forgot, every Sunday Miss M did the classic homemade breakfast for the Team members that actually lived in the Cave.
"Fine, give me five minutes." I stood up and watched Gar run out of the room. He was like a little brother sometimes… Anyway, I put on my uniform, but changed the pants to shorts, took off the gloves and arm pieces, and kept my goggles at my side. I pulled on my Converse, threw a hoodie on, and quickly braided my hair before opening the door.
Gar smiled. "Four minutes, thirty seconds. Congratulations."
I scrunched up my nose - Rachel told me I did it when I was too lazy to be sarcastic. He didn't seem to notice however, because he just changed into the monkey again and landed on my shoulder. I walked down to the kitchen to see M'gann hard at work. Gar morphed next to me as I waved.
"Hey M'gann."
She smiled. "Well it's nice to see someone up. Would you mind helping?"
"She'd love to." Rachel appeared behind me, her one arm resting on Jaime's shoulder. I smirked, just friends huh? "Nat always helped her mom with cooking. Oh my God, remember her cookies? They are the best things ever. And Nat…"
I held my hand up. "Ok, I think they get it, Rach." I turned back to M'gann. "I'd love to help."
"Great, how are you at making pancakes?"
"Awesome."
Rachel, Jaime, Gar, and I sat on the couches in the living room, eating our breakfasts. We invited Robin, but he just followed after Nightwing. I just had toast and bacon on my plate. Why not more? Well, I hate pancakes - I'm sorry ok, that's just the way it is - there weren't any waffles in the freezer, and eggs weird me out. That one is a really long story.
"So Nat." I looked at Rachel, who was pointing at me with a strip of bacon. "Aren't you excited for today?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Why? It isn't a holiday, it's not Thursday, and it sure isn't the thirteenth."
Gar was confused. "Why the thirteenth?"
Rachel passed it off. "Her favorite number. But it's just that it's the twenty-eighth…"
I cut her off before she could say anything. "And that means it's not the end of February 'cause it's a leap year." I got up and threw my uneaten food away. "Well, I have Geometry homework that won't do itself." With that I ran out of the room.
"Hey, Nat." Rachel grabbed my shoulder.
"What's up?" I kept walking, but she followed.
"Are you okay?"
"Peachy." I tugged at the sleeves of my hoodie, trying to pull them down farther. I didn't want to talk, especially about what she wanted to.
Rachel's POV
"Nat." She looked frailer than usual, younger. I wanted to think it was just because she didn't have her bangs in her face like usual, but this was different. She'd been acting jittery for the past few days, and I knew why. Whether or not she did was another story. I forged on.
"Ok, so you want to use one word sentences, that's cool. But I need to know what's up."
She laughed, and I knew it was forced. I taught her how to fake laugh. "Nothin' is wrong, Patey. I'm just tired."
Strike two, she called me Patey. She hadn't done that since she was ten.
"Uh huh, sure Red Rose." She blushed furiously. She hated her middle name, much less any nickname based off of it. "I just think you've been different."
Silence, and she was out. When she didn't talk, she was messed up. Before I could get her to, she darted off, hands in her pockets.
I sighed, but felt a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?" I turned to see Jaime.
I shook my head. "Nat, she's the baby sister I've wanted, but she's just…" Shaking my head again, I looked at him. Over these few weeks, we hung out a lot. He blamed his little sister, Milagro, for wanting me to come over.
"Don't worry, she'll be ok. She's a tough kid."
I rolled my eyes. "I… I guess you're right. So what're you doin' later?"
"My mom's making me take Milagro to her friend's birthday, but I'm sure she'd be fine if you came along. And, you know…"
"Your sister will love it." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. I linked my arm with his. "Well come on, I'm sure your sister would like it if I hung out a little before."
"Exactly." We walked to the Zeta-Tubes, me punching in the correct destination.
"Recognized; Blue Beetle B22, Phoenix B24." We stepped out into El Paso. It was at least in the low seventies, meanwhile Happy Harbor was lucky to have been in the fifties. How Nat could walk around in shorts was beyond me. Then I had an idea. I jumped onto Jaime's back, which was my way of saying I wanted a ride. He was shocked at first, but he got adjusted.
"Any reason you want me to carry you?"
I smiled. "Because I'm the Flame Princess and you are my hero in blue." He laughed with me and I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Well c'mon, we don't have all day."
"Of course your Highness." He suddenly let go of me and I shrieked in that one second of falling before he caught me again. "Oh, did I do that?"
I frowned. "That was not funny."
"Sure it was, you just didn't get the humor." I noticed he wasn't talking to the Scarab whenever we hung out. It either wasn't speaking - which I highly doubt - or Jaime was ignoring it.
"Whatever." I flicked the zipper of his hoodie. "Geez, you walk slow."
"Well if I wasn't carrying a girl who's goal seems to be… Hey we're here." I leapt down, then made him face me before we went in.
"What were you gonna say?"
"Nothing."
"Blue…"
"RACHEL!" Milagro ran out of the house, cutting off our conversation. She darted straight to me, clutching my leg. I knew I would have to save the conversation for later, and believe me, I was planning on it.
Nat's POV
MOUNT JUSTICE
FEBRUARY 28TH 10:07 EST
I had changed into my usual uniform as I walked with Robin and Beast Boy. I was tapping my nails on my leg, and I noticed just how long they were getting, but were still painted a perfect gold. It may not have matched my outfit, but it was still pretty. I don't know why I was nervous - in fact, I had been nervous all week. Rachel noticed and I had I feeling so did a lot of people. They just wouldn't say anything.
We walked down the halls to find Nightwing looking at the files, decryption and translation completed apparently, and I checked the time. Damnit, there just wasn't… my thoughts were cut off my Robin's voice. "Is that the Kroloteans intell?"
Gar cocked his head. "What Krolotean intell?"
I answered before Nightwing could. "Data files M'gann and J'onn got from Malina Island before it was destroyed."
He held his index finger up. "Eh, noted."
Nightwing stared at the screen. "Apparently the Kroloteans were snatching humans to use… as guinea pigs. They were hoping to find something. Something inside us."
Robin was intrigued. "What?"
"There's no English word for it. The nearest translation is… Meta-gene."
I raised an eyebrow, trying to look confused. "And a Meta-gene is, what?"
I glanced over to see Beast Boy elbow Rob. "Never meta-gena I didn't like."
Before anyone could react, the computer called out. "Warning: Unknown energy impulse detected." Thunder cracked from outside, and a bright circle of lightning and energy was beginning to appear in the room. Nightwing held out his arm to keep us back as a machine appeared where the sphere had been and dropped to the ground. The time machine, damnit.
Nightwing got out his sticky-thingies. "Stand ready." Robin pulled out his bo staff, BB crouched, ready to morph, and my hands glowed green, ready to hurl anything. Not that I would be able hit him. The door of the machine opened and out came him. He stood and held out his arms.
"Tada!"
We were all speechless. There he was, the little shit, smiling as the computer alerted them about an intruder. Gee, thanks for the intell.
Nightwing spoke. "Computer, lockdown Cave."
Beast Boy turned to us. "Well, I think we found our unknown energy impulse."
"Impulse, that's so crash!" We all looked back at him as he began to speak very fast. "Catchy, dramatic, one word like Nightwing," He sped over to each in turn, "And Robin, and Kinetica, and Beast Boy. Except that's two words, Blue Beetle's two words. Hey, is he here too?" He zoomed to the edge of the hallway. "Nevermind, Impulse, can find that out for himself. Haha!" Then he was gone.
Nightwing glared. "You three, take him down now!" We ran, separating. I mentally looked at my map of the Cave, and based off of the episode I made a sharp right. I thought of the scene in my head, by now Beast Boy crashed. Then a few seconds into the kitchen, five for Robin, the down the hallway and…
I heard him laugh, "Ha, can't catch me that…" I ran into the room, jutting out my leg to throw him off balance and making him fall. I just kept skidding until Nightwing caught my arm before handcuffing Impulse's wrists and ankles.
I looked at Nightwing. "I think that was pretty crash."
Impulse shifted so he could see us. "For you maybe, me.." He eyed me. "I'm totally feeling the mode."
I could feel his green eyes on me as I glanced at Nightwing. "I'll find Rob and Beast Boy."
"Call Phoenix too."
Rachel's POV
MOUNT JUSTICE
FEBRUARY 28TH 10:30 EST
The five of us stood over Impulse, who was smiling. Nat called me to explain, and I immediately came. Now, he told us he was a tourist, I was skeptical. But as I looked at Nat, she refused to make eye contact with the young speedster. I had only seen her like this when her then crush was trying to flirt with her other friend.
Robin peered at Impulse. "So you're a tourist, from the future?"
Impulse just smiled and made the expressions Nat fangirled over the first time she saw them. "Why so surprised? Half the meat at Comic-Con are from my era." We glanced at each other, unconvinced so he continued. "Look, look, look guys we should all be friends. I'm really one a you, part of the heroic legacy, right? My name is Bart Allen. You know, grandson of Barry Allen, the Flash?"
Beast Boy crossed his arms. "Noted. Not believed, but noted."
"What's not to believe? I clearly have Flash's speed, his amazing good looks," I thought I saw his eyes shift to Nat for a second, "frankly I can't wait to meet him. Uh, you know, back when he was in his prime."
I saw Nat huff. Why was she suddenly so negative about this? Impulse was her favorite character in season 2. Hell, she was furious when they changed Bart to Wally for season 1. Why wasn't she excited, or showing at least some fangirling notions? Before I could question it Nightwing walked in with a glass of water.
"Well, Bart, coming all the way from the future you must've worked up quite a thirst."
"Thanks." He took a sip, then had a revelation. "Ah, you're trying to get a DNA sample, you need my spit." He then spat into the cup. "That's such a Dick Grayson thing to do."
Robin was shocked. "How did…"
Impulse regarded all of us. "See I know stuff only a future boy would know. Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Garfield Logan, Rachel Pate, and Kenny Hartly."
Beast Boy pointed to each of them. "Your name's Tim, and your's is Dick? And Kenny?"
Nat scoffed, but Impulse spoke before she could correct him. "Oops, spoilers. This secret identity thing is so retro, I mean you can call me Impulse or Bart or Bart Allen or Bart Impulse Allen it's all crash."
Robin looked to Nightwing. "Is it possible he could be telling the truth? That he might actually be from the future?"
Beast Boy strode forward. "Tell us something we don't know, yet. When do I become leader of the Team? When do I join the Justice League? When do I get my own reality series?"
He answered honestly. "Sorry BB, never was the best history student. Besides, can't risk altering the time stream. We do that we're all feeling the mode."
"And the mode… would be bad?"
Nat said, very quietly, "Doesn't get worse. Always better to crash the mode." She was annoyed by the Kenny thing, but I thought it was adorable.
Then the computer spoke up, "Recognized: Malcolm Duncan A10."
Impulse piped up. "Ooh, sounds like a door opening somewhere. And that's my que." He vibrated out of his cuffs and waved. "Bye bye." And he was gone.
Beast Boy nodded at us. "Don't worry, the Peregrine Falcon is the world's fastest bird, he won't get away."
Nat spoke, louder this time. "Nightwing, call up Wally and Barry. Speed Racer's headin' to Central City and you might want them to be prepared for what's comin'." She walked out and I followed, utterly shocked by her abruptness.
"Hey." She didn't answer. "Aww, c'mon Kenny." She whirled around, glaring at me.
"Don't call me that, okay?"
"Well, why weren't you fangirling over Bart? That's what I was expecting."
She just shook her head, and clicked a button on her arm piece. She nodded. "I don't exactly gotta choice do I?... That's what I thought. Yeah, I'll change and head off when we're in the clear…. Yeah, Kinetica out."
"Well?"
"Nightwing's sendin' me to figure it out. You're welcome to come…"
"Oh no, girl. This is all you. Enjoy."
Nat's POV
CENTRAL CITY
FEBRUARY 28TH 13:05 EST
Stupid Kenny, I mean, what kind of name is that? I changed into my civvies, but I wasn't happy with this situation. Hell, I didn't like the situation I was in most days, but… Rachel always pestered me about my fangirling over Impulse, but I just always thought of… It wasn't healthy. There. I popped a piece of gum in my mouth - a sign that I was seriously stressed out.
My job was to talk Impulse into joining the Team and proving his story. Except that the story we had to prove wasn't exactly true. I sighed and walked to the Zeta-Tubes. The mess with Neutron was over, so Wally was supposed to meet me at the Central City transporter.
"Recognized: Kinetica B23." I stepped out to see KF in civvies just like I was.
"Hey, you must be Kinetica."
I shrugged. "Be awkward if I wasn't."
He began talking about what had happened, but I didn't really listen. I knew what occurred, and I really didn't want to hear about it right now. We made our way to the Garrick's and I took a breath before I followed him inside. They everyone was. Barry, Iris, Joan, Jay, Wally. And Impulse was nowhere to be seen.
Barry spoke first. "Well, Nat, what does the Team want?"
"Two things really. A, we need to see whether or not Speed Racer is who he say he is. And I think you guys will want to know that too. B, Nightwing needs to know whether or not he will be joining the Team, and if he will be living at the Cave." They nodded, so I continued. "That means we need DNA of Iris and you, Barry."
Iris was confused. "What about him?"
I knew who she was talking about. "Taken care of. We can do two things. Get it over with tonight or sleep on it, since we all know this's been crazy."
Jay spoke for the first time. "I think it would be best if we got this all over with."
I nodded, but just before I was going to make my exit, Barry ruined it. "It'd also be best if you took Bart to the Cave now, then we'll follow."
I coughed. "Great, where is he?" In a mircosecond Impulse was in front of me, smiling goofily. I took a step back. "That answers my question."
"Hey Kenny."
I glared. "It's Nat."
He just smiled wider and I rolled my eyes. Wally glanced at the two of us. "Do you need help getting back?"
"No, I know the way." I instantly regretted my words. "I'll let you guys, say… whatever." Quickly I walked out of the house, waiting at the end of the street. In a minute or so Impulse ran out, still smiling.
I glared. "Quit it."
"What?"
"Ugh, just c'mon Speed Racer." I tried to take a step a forward, but he stopped me.
"What's Speed Racer?"
I didn't answer. I vaguely heard him talking away, but I couldn't make out most of it. "Kenny are you listening? Cause if you aren't I don't know whe…"
"Stop!" I sat down on the sidewalk, breathing deeply. "Don't call me Kenny, it… just don't."
"Hey, Nat's crash too." He sat next to me. He lifted my arm up, feeling the black stitching along my cuff. "Did you do this? It's totally crash. What does it say?"
"Um, thanks? And we should be gettin' to the Cave." I stood and began jogging to the transporter. I couldn't tell him what it said but I sighed as I looked at it. Evil Niaga Ynnad. A wish I have been making for too long, a spell that will never work.
A/N: Ok this little question is about what you're going to see later on (note we are going to do a sequel that will be a season 3). _ is the supervillain name based on the state of motion in matter and is a clone created by Professor Zoom. Who is he?