This one is a little late so I apologize for that I've been busy and this chapter gave me some trouble in regards to what I wanted to happen. Anyway! Chapter 11 guys! I hope you like it! I know it's probably not as interesting as the others but I tried.
Also this one is dedicated to my good friend and follower of Smooth Criminal, Mary Ellen. She's been helping me talk this out so I can figure out what's going on and what I want to happen. Big thanks to Mary for letting me talk her ear off even though we both know we should have been working when we were talking. She shows up in a small cameo here.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Young Justice, The Justice League or Mary. The last one may be rectified when I develop the software for brainwashing. XD Just kidding Mary... just kidding. Maybe.
Star City Zoo
October 8 8:43 PDT
Tori stretched when she stepped off of the bus that had been parked in front of the Star City zoo gate and looked around herself. Today was supposed to be the first day that a watch would be put on her. It was for her own safety but that wasn't the only reason of course it was also for the safety of the Justice League. She did after all know the secret identities of two of the Leagues member along with one other hero. She was a liability that needed to be watched, because she had once had connections with the Shadows.
With a snort she rolled her eyes when she spotted a figure in the crowd that she recognized as Superboy, standing only meters away from her. Dinah had told her Miss Martian had been given the first shift keeping tabs on her, which meant that the Martian was probably camouflaged with the surroundings somewhere. She had absolutely no idea why Superboy was here though. Maybe he lived in the area and liked the zoo? That idea was quickly blown out of the water when he looked directly at her then scowled when he saw she was watching him. She just shrugged and smiled at him before she turned and walked into the zoo.
This was a place Tori frequented. She enjoyed watching the animal but today was more important than just leisure, she was planning on surprising one of the children from the center for her birthday. She was a red haired, freckled child named Mary who was possibly one of the most adorable children she had ever met. She would be turning nine today and her older brother was bringing her here so Tori could spend the day with her.
Of course she was a bit early so she began wandering the park until she found the picnic area where they were supposed to meet and she sat down on a bench to wait. They would show up eventually. Besides sitting in one place also made it easier for her tail to follow her.
From the corner of her eye she observed that Superboy was still within sight, trying to blend in with the crowd but failing epically. Nothing stood out more in some places than a teenage boy alone in the zoo scowling at everyone and everything. It was just plain out of place. Who scowled at a zoo anyway?
Tori gave a small sigh. Did this kid not know anything about espionage or at least how to move around without being noticed by everyone that passed him? Did he even know he stood out so much? Why couldn't he even hide in the bushes, at least then he might receive fewer strange looks from passersby.
"Tori!" A child's squeal interrupted Tori's observation of her stalker and turned so she could smile brightly at the wild tangle of red curls that had suddenly invaded her vision. "Tori what are you doing here."
"I came to wish you a happy birthday." She said with a laugh and glanced up to the young girl's older brother. "Thanks Nick, I'll drop her off at the center when we're done."
Nick also worked at the center so they'd made arrangements to take the child there after the day was done. Nick nodded, then with a wave and a short warning to his sister to behave, he had left.
"So Mary. What do you want to do first?" Tori asked the little red head who was practically bouncing on the spot with excitement.
"Tigers!" She said with a laugh.
"Tigers huh? Well let's see... Tigers are that way along with the lions and bears... oh my!" She laughed, cracking herself up. She really had to stop watching all those old movies.
As the day progressed Tori allowed Mary to drag her from one end of the park to the other. The zoo really was huge so by the time Tori managed to convince the child to sit down for lunch they hadn't even seen a quarter of the park.
They were sitting outside the lunch pavilion in the center of the park when she saw Superboy leaning against a fence nearby. He was looking directly at her, not even bothering to pretend otherwise when he noticed that she'd seen him. However he did scowl again. Tori rolled her eyes and turned back to Mary who wasn't in her seat.
Tori jumped up when she noticed the child was missing and looked around wildly. "Mary!" She called when she spotted the tiny head of curls standing directly in front of the boy who had been following them all day.
"Why have you been watching Tori?" She asked, startling the Superboy who hadn't even noticed her there. "Do you like her or something because she has a boy friend you know."
Tori nearly died laughing when she saw the look of shock on Superboy's face. It was very clear how uncomfortable he was with such a question. He probably heard her try to cover her laugh but her didn't even bother looking at her as his brain worked to try and figure out what to say to the nine year old who looked more adorable than intimidating with her hands on her hips and a glare on her face.
"No... I um..." He said scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"You've been following us all day!" Mary insisted trying to look even more menacing but it just didn't work.
"Um sorry is there a problem here?" A female security officer asked walking over having apparently heard some of the conversation. Tori figured that it was probably about time for her to step in and save Superboy from being kicked out of the park, or worse arrested for stalking.
"I'm sorry. There's not a problem. This is a guy I knew from school. He's kind of shy, I think he got a little lost in the park and when he saw me figured that if he followed me he'd find his way." She said as she walked over giving Superboy a friendly nod as if she'd known him for years, though she hadn't been to school in over a year.
The security officer looked between Tori who was acting calm and at ease and Superboy who was avoiding eye contact and glaring at his feet. The woman looked suspicious still but since they said there was nothing going she couldn't really do anything.
"Alright. If you say so." She said unsurely and went back to whatever it was she had been doing before she had come over.
"Uh... thanks?" Superboy said. Or more like growled.
"Not a problem." Tori shrugged "Hey Mary why don't you go play on the playground while I talk with my friend for a minute?" She said leaning down to the girl's level and pointing off to the playground nearby. Hesitantly, like she knew something wasn't quite right the child nodded and dashed off to go play.
"You know, if a kid can notice you following us there's likely a few people around the park who have as well. You could get in trouble if you're not careful." She said turning to Superboy when she had straightened up. He was scowling again.
"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here in the first place." He snapped and she calmly raised an eyebrow.
"That may be true but as I recall it was Miss Martian watching me today and not you. So why are you here?" She asked and was surprised to see him look away and scuff his foot on the ground as if he was ... embarrassed?
"Like I'd let her go off on her own when the Shadows could be lurking around." He grumbled under his breath and Tori was fairly certain she wasn't supposed to hear that. However she did and though it kind of irritated her she couldn't help but grin. So he and Miss Martian were a couple. That was so cute.
"Listen." She said sternly. "I can tell you like this about as much as I do. I'd really rather not have someone tailing me all day but you're drawing attention. Call Miss Martian from where ever she is. Have her pretend to be human. Have her meet us here in five minutes, we'll pretend like we were meeting here as friends. That way security won't try to get involved."
She knew it wasn't the best plan. But considering how strange it would look if he still tailed her after she had told security they were friends it was the only option she could think of. By the look on his face she could tell Superboy didn't like the idea either but he didn't say anything. Eventually though he did speak.
"She'll be here soon." He grumbled and Tori wondered how on earth he knew that of how a message had been transmitted without him using a cell phone or vocal means to do so. Then it clicked. Martians had telepathic abilities. Duh.
A few minutes later Tori was sitting back on a bench, watching Mary on the jungle gym when she saw another teenager approach. The girl probably could have passed for Mary's sister, with her red hair and freckles but Tori knew that this was Miss Martian she recognized her by her features except she didn't have green skin this time around.
"Hey Connor." She said to Superboy when she got level with them.
"Megan." He nodded his eyes moving to Tori suspiciously as if he expected her to jump up and announce that she knew the names of two more superheroes.
"You realise that just because I know your first names, doesn't mean that I know your identity right?" She asked with a small grin on her face. Connor looked surprised then scowled at her. She saw Megan turn to him and stare at him for a long moment. Tori got the distinct feeling that they were having a psychic conversation.
"Tori! Can we go see more animals now?" Mary ran over and Tori thanked whatever gods existed for having the child come over. She was starting to feel very awkward and antsy sitting here with two people who were suspicious and wary of her.
"Sure. My friends are going to come with us though okay? It'll be like a party."
"Okay. I'm Mary." The child seemed to have gotten over her earlier suspicion of Connor and stuck out her hand for them to shake.
"I'm Megan... this is Connor. It's nice to meet you Mary." Megan said with a warm smile on her face as she took the child's hand.
A few minutes later found the group walking along the path with Mary situated on Connor's shoulders after practically begging the boy for a piggyback ride. It had been very amusing for both Tori and Megan to see him try to be civil with the kid when it seemed as though his default expression was a scowl.
"I have to admit, that's pretty cute." Tori said as she walked behind the pair a ways with Megan by her side. "I wouldn't have guessed she'd take to him well after she talked to him."
"He's a nice guy once you get to know him." Megan replied with a small smile as she stared at his back.
"Not to pry or anything, you don't have to answer if you think you shouldn't but how long have you two been dating?" Tori asked after a moment. The deer in headlights look Megan gave her caused her to stifle a laugh by pretending to cough. "I take it no one was really supposed to know about that then."
"How did you know?" Megan asked her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"It's obvious. The way you look at each other. How he is obviously very uncomfortable having you here alone with me. Trust me I work with kids I notice these things." Tori said with a sideways grin. Megan seemed to relax a little bit.
"Not very long." She replied vaguely. "What about you and Red Arrow? I admit I was a bit surprised to find out that he was dating a villain... well ex-villain. He always seemed to be the type to be untrustworthy of those kind of people. He didn't even trust me when we first met. I don't think he even does now."
"He didn't know at first. And I didn't know he was Red Arrow. And he wasn't really happy when he found out who I was, we talked it out though." Tori said. She really didn't want to get into the gory details about her fight with Roy and how he still didn't really trust her.
"Talked?" Megan asked raising an eyebrow. And Tori laughed.
"Well not so much. Point is... it's more or less resolved for the moment. Hey Mary! Stop squirming you'll fall!" She called up to the child who had been trying to adjust her position on Connor's shoulders. The child turned her head to Tori and pouted.
"He said we're not going to see the monkeys!" She complained loudly. Tori could have sworn she heard something like 'I hate monkeys' come from Superboy and she cracked a smile.
"We can go see the monkeys Mary. Don't worry." She said and tried not to smirk when Superboy sent her a venomous look. "You don't have to come Connor, but Megan will have to because someone has to be watching me at all times."
He glared even harder at her and she heard Megan giggle beside her. Yeah he probably didn't like her playing that card since he wasn't going to leave Megan's side. He grumbled something under his breath that Tori knew probably wasn't very nice. They were halfway to the monkey exhibit when several security officers rushed by them shouting.
"Kids go the other way! Some of the Gorillas are loose!" One man stopped to warn them.
Tori was going to turn the other way, let security handle the problem when Mary, who had been holding onto her hand after getting off of Connor's shoulders dashed off after the men.
"Mary!" Tori shouted taking off after her. She could hear Megan and Connor close behind as she skidded around a corner where she nearly knocked into several security officers who tried to direct her back the way she came.
"No you don't understand. She just ran this way." She snapped at the officers who just weren't listening to her.
"I'm sorry ma'am but we can't let you past this point-" the loud roar of an animal cut him off and suddenly he was pushed out of the way by a gorilla twice the size of Tori and was knocked out when his head connected with the ground rather violently.
"This is why I hate monkeys." Superboy growled as he stepped forward. The animal roared at him and charged. Tori seriously though he was going to be trampled but was surprised when he managed to hold his ground when the beast impacted with him. His feet slid back a couple of inches but other than that he hardly moved.
"Connor be careful!" Megan called as she her eyes began to glow green. Tori didn't get to find out what the Martian was going to do because a moment later red curls ran in front of her and Tori was relieved to see Mary was in once piece.
"Stop it!" She yelled and Tori had the feeling she wasn't only talking to Megan or Superboy. "He's just scared stop it!"
Miraculously, the enormous gorilla that was about to give Superboy a wallop for the ages stepped back and grunted in what could have been frustration. He eyed Superboy with distaste that was shared on the boy's face before he turned toward the little girl.
"You've been bad!" The child announced to the creature who towered over her. "You shouldn't cause trouble, go back to the other gorillas!"
Tori gaped as the gorilla did as he was told and turned back to the gorilla compound where it seemed as if things had calmed down significantly. She wasn't the only one gaping though she was pretty sure Megan's face had a similar expression while Connor just eyed the girl critically.
"For the record." Mary said after a moment. "He doesn't like you much either." She told Connor who simply raised an eyebrow.
~O~
"So you can talk to animals." Tori clarified once all the hubbub had died down and the small group was settled around a table back at the dining pavilion. "And they listen?"
"Uh huh." Mary nodded smiling, her mouth covered in vanilla ice cream.
Tori sighed and ran a hand through her hair well this wasn't exactly what she had planned for the day. And she could have certainly done without the information that one of her kids from the center was a Meta. She was going to have a hard time convincing Nick about this one. Then again he might already know.
"Geez. Alright I better get you back to your brother." She said standing up from her seat. "Come on kid."
"Can Connor and Megan come too?" Mary asked hopping up and looking at the two teenager expectantly.
"Yeah sure." Tori said and motioned for the two to follow after her to the bus station. She sincerely hoped that not every day that she was being watched by the mini-justice league would be like this. She wasn't sure she could take so much excitement.
I feel like this chapter is a little dull... maybe that's just because for the past two weeks I've been fixated on the Avengers. DAMN YOU CLINT BARTON AND YOUR SEXY ASS! Ahem. Yeah I've seen that movie... three times already. I'm such a fangirl. As much as I would like to deny it I am. Stupid Avengers... they're too goddamn funny and awesome to resist. Don't worry though guys Smooth Criminal is still going. No worries.
The next few chapters are going to be how Tori handles having the individual members of the team watching her and how she tries to get them to trust her. because lets face it I know I wouldn't want a bunch of impulsive super-powered kids suspecting me of anything. That would just be bad. Besides Tori needs more friends. Megan seems to be sort of okay with her! Abut I'd love to hear your guy's idea for anything you would like to see happen. There is a bit I have planned out for the different characters but i could always use some suggestions.
And on a random note you guys know FullMetal Alchemist right? Know how Ed sleeps with his stomach exposed sometimes and everyone seems to think it's bad for him? I just noticed the other day that I do the exact same thing. Kind of made me giggle.
Anyway moving on. Thanks to MissAce98, IonaDel, chickenchick, nom-nom-ichigo, and Rae-kawaii for faving and or alerting Smooth Criminal! Love ya guys!
And to the Reviews!
Rae-Kawaii: Thanks!~
ImmatureChild: Artemis's reaction was a lot of fun to write and I'm was hoping people would like Tori's new identity. It took me forever to find a new name that I liked. Thanks for the review I'm happy you're happy!
RunningQueen: Reviewing late is cool. I can appreciate procrastination. I hope you like Tori as a hero... she's kinda gunna be useless for a bit though!
bRoKEnhEaRTscROsSovER: XD Man that must be hard. I'm so happy you like all of the chapters. As for termination Roy... they better not. He might look like a creep but I can't see them getting rid of him. At least I hope not!
liontaming: All the feels!
Chances vs Pills: Thanks for the well wishes and assuring me that I'm not a creeper. It made me really happy. And I'm so glad I was able to get Batman's no nonsense personality across I was afraid I'd screw it up or something. Thanks for the review as always.
Thanks so much for your support guys! It means so much and I really really hope to see everyone review this time. I love feedback it makes my world go round. Also I may have more... or less time to focus on Smooth Criminal fro the next few weeks. I may be starting a new job as a camp counselor so we'll see how it cuts into my writing time.
Lots of love and cookies!
~Peter