May 13

I arrived on the Watchtower via zeta tube and noticed a couple members of the League and Nightwing discussing something with several photos of teenagers up to the screen.

"Are these the kids from the Reach mission?" I asked. They turned to look at me.

"Yes," Captain Atom replied, "These four are the ones that developed powers. We had them placed in Star Labs. To get their powers under control but they seemed to have escaped tonight."

I looked at him, "So you placed kids, who were originally runaways, who now have life altering effects from an alien kidnapping, into an environment where they are probably feeling contained, socially segregated, and like lab rats?" I asked, "And you are all completely baffled as to why they ran away…again?"

"We felt it was in their best interest," he responded offended by my observation.

"And did any of you think to ask how they felt about this? Being contain, hidden from the outside world, probably feeling they are freaks and they have no physical contact to their family or friends," I reasoned, "No offense, but are you really being this stupid?"

"Carter," Black Canary warned, "Mind your tone."

"Why because I am right? Am I right that none of you asked if they actually wanted to go to Star Labs?"

"Well we just figured they would like to be in control of their powers and use them," Captain Atom stated angrily.

"What if they don't want to use their powers? Their powers are connected to a traumatic event to go through at their age, they aren't heroes. Maybe they want to forget that their powers don't exist and get a sense of normalcy," I reasoned.

"And what if we did? Just ignored their powers until they hurt someone?" he reasoned.

"Teach them techniques to control them, when they are ready and actually want to," I argued, "They can't just bounce back from something that happened less than a month ago and not be angry or show signs of PTSD. You containing them in Star Labs and forcing them to use their powers after recently being science experiments is not what they need. You need to connect with them and actually think about what they want before you get them to do what you want. You want them to control the powers they didn't want, let them have some freedom. Because in case you didn't realize, their running away means they want it." I looked at the pictures of their faces and turned back to them, "Now, where were they last sighted?"

"Blue Beetle is tracking them down now," Nightwing said, "We have it handled."

I snorted, "Um, obviously you don't because then this whole thing wouldn't have occurred," I said sassily, "Now, I'm going to suit up and you're going to tell me their location so I can help."

I walked away towards the locker rooms before they said anything else. I got dressed in my costume and was happy to see that it was actually tight. Since Connor found out, he sort of moved in, and since then has, with the aid of Cassie, nagged me into eating regularly and even dropped me down to a regular glass of wine a day. I have gained the majority of my weight back, much to everyone's relief. I walked out and over to where they stood. "Star Labs security task force sighted them at a bus station," Nightwing stated, "They are headed their way now."

I rolled my eyes, "Completely the wrong way to go about this," I stressed, "Because men with guns is not going to convince them that Star Labs is their best option." I headed to the zeta tubes, "I'll keep in contact."

I zetaed to a city in New Mexico roughly thirty minutes away from Taos. With my way of transportation, I was there in ten, and I met up with Blue Beetle. We flew until we reached the location. And the sight we were met with was one for the books. A large energy being with no face and a teenager floating in the middle standing in a roofless bus station is something even I find is weird.

"Okay….not what I expected," Blue said making me smirk at his tone of astonishment. He flew down and spoke to the men who had their guns drawn at them. I rolled my eyes. "Okay, everyone, stay calm, the situation is under cont—"

I watched as the large energy beings hand slammed down on Blue, crushing him into the ground. I floated down and landed on the ground and approached the crater that had formed. "You okay, Blue?"

He stood up, "I'm bueno, Chicka."

"Good," I said, "because we got places to be and people to find." I ran over to the scientist. "Go back to Star Labs, we will handle this." We both flew away not giving him any time to argue. We found them fairly quickly, I mean how hard is it really to follow a florescent yellow outline of a male a couple hundred feet tall?

"Eh, it happened again," the teenager said, "I thought it was all a dream."

"No dream, trust me," Blue said. We landed on the ground and he put his hands up. "We aren't here to hurt you but you four need to get back to Star."

"Look I recognize you," another teenager said. An African American male named Virgil Hawkins from Dakota City that developed a power involving electricity. "Both of you, you are the good guys, two of the heroes that saved us all from the Reach."

"But, you guys just don't get it," the teen said with the power to make the giant energy man.

Blue looked at me. I gave him a nod and he looked back at this friend. "No, Tye, I really do."

"Jaime?" his friend asked in wide eyed disbelief.

"Yeah, it's me," Jaime answered.

"But how?" Tye asked curiously.

"It's a long story," Jaime moved to take his sweat shirt off to show them the bright blue scarab attached to his back. "But it was started with this scarab. It was created by the Reach to both give me powers and control me. So believe me, Ese, I get it."

I gave them a sad smile, "Actually we both do, my situation just didn't involve the Reach."

"Fine," Virgil said, "you are both one of us. Except you are flying around free as...beetles and you expect us to still be lab rats for Star."

"That's not why I am here, Virgil," I told him honestly. "I will get you more freedom there and you will no longer be their lab rats. I will make sure of it."

"Yeah, just so you can leave and they get right back to the normal routine," the third male responded sarcastically.

"No miento cuando prometo algo que mantenga esa promesa,(When I make a promise, I keep my promise)" I told him in Spanish, "Even if I have to knock some sense into your Papa, Eduardo." I smirked at his reaction. "But you need to go back there for you protection."

"No, you can't take us back there," Tye argued.

"You guys trust me, I don't want you to go there where they don't understand, but right now that is the best option for you," I reasoned.

"Yeah, what is the alternative? I let you run loose and the Reach snatches you up again?" Jaime said.

"No, we are headed to my parent's place so they can —" Virgil started.

"Get hurt or killed to protect you that's your plan?" Jaime blurted out. I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look of warning.

Asami, the Japanese girl who hasn't spoken until now, probably because she didn't understand it, spoke. She asked if we were going to help.

"Hai, we will help you," Jaime answered.

I approached her and spoke to her in Japanese. "I know it must be hard to be surrounded by people who do not understand you but I promise we will keep you safe." She smiled and nodded her head, flashing me a smile.

"Ugh, you both speak Japanese?" Tye asked.

"Yes, except Jamie gets to cheat. His scarab translates is for him, I actually learned it," I teased. I got serious, "But look we need to get you back to Star Labs, trust me if I could bring you anywhere else I would."

"Well," Jamie said causing us all to turn to him, "I may have an idea."