How's it going y'all?! Had a bit of writer's block when writing this chapter so personally, I'm not so sure about it. Read, review, all that good stuff.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything created by DC.
I woke up strapped very tight to a wooden chair. Immediately, my heart started beating faster. How did I get here? What's happening? I say through the mind-link. Then, I look around myself and see the rest of the Team, all bound and gagged like me to chairs, wearing inhibitor collars. I felt one around my neck too. Even Robin and Night Wing had collars on. I was the only one awake. I didn't remember anything: how I got here, how I got captured, I didn't even know where I was. I looked to my left and realized that the Team weren't the only ones bound and gagged. There was Amanda Star sitting in one of the wooden chairs. She looks older and more beautiful in person. Maybe the picture Batman showed us is dated. Suddenly, a door in the far corner of the room that I hadn't noticed, opened. A Chinese man walked through the door. He was older, but his eyes were cruel and sharp. "Ah, one of them is awake," he says with a heavy accent. "Let us wake the others." A woman follows him into the room. Wait, is that…. BLACK CANARY? Since when is she working for Black Manta? She opens her mouth and screams. Screams so loud, my ears bleed. Screams so loud, everyone else wakes up. The man made a motion with his hand and silences her. "My ears…" gasps Wondergirl. "Oh dearie," he says, "this is just the beginning." He brings out several large needles. "Acupuncture. Sometimes, it heals. But in bodies full of power, it creates great pain." He gingerly picks up one of the needles and shoves it into Night Wing's neck. "Night Wing!" I almost cry out, but I'm too scared to talk. Too scared to breathe. I expect him to cry out but he doesn't. Instead, a he breathes a sigh of relief. "So, some of you do not have powers," says the man. "Very well. Let us continue." I feel terrified. If it feels that good on someone without powers, it must feel horrible on someone with them. The man picks up another needle and moves on to the next person in line. Robin. Good, because Tim doesn't have any powers. I won't have to watch him suffer. The man sticks the needle into his chest. Robin gasps, and starts screaming. "Tim?" asks Night Wing, drowsy from the acupuncture. "You have powers?" "Remember… Remember when we fought Joker at the power plant?" Robin chokes out between screams. "I accidentally spilled some of the chemical on my hands when you and Batman weren't watching. I can… deflect bullets. That's my power." Robin resumes screaming. The next person in line is me. I brace myself for the worst pain imaginable, and it delivers. It knocks the breath out of me, and spots dance before my eyes. I struggle to stay conscious, but I wish I hadn't. I watch as he slowly sticks needles into everyone on this mission. Wondergirl, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, Aqualad and Wally. Artemis is the only other one not in pain. "Alright, let us begin round two," the man says. "What?!" gasps Beast Boy, "There's more?" "Well yes. The Chinese believe that there are 370 acupunctural points in the body. I think it's closer to 400." "That would kill us!" wheezes Kid Flash. "Well, no pain, no gain," says the man with a sly grin. "What do you want from us?" pants Blue Beetle. "The names and identities of all the people in the Justice League." "What? We could never commit such a sin!" says Aqualad. "Well then, round two it is," the man says, polishing one of the needles. "Wait, no, don't do this to them," says Artemis, struggling to stay awake. "Oh look, Artemis here is having the time of her life while she watches her friends suffer," says the man. "Who are you?" cries Night Wing. "How do you know who we are?" The man stays silent, holding the needle threateningly in his palm. Artemis looks at Night Wing, a look that says we have to do something. So there plan launches into action. When the man isn't looking, he slowly lifts his hand to his neck and pulls out the needle. Artemis does the same. Slowly but surely, he reaches into his back pocket and grabs a birdirang and cuts his bonds. Hearing this, the man finally turns around to see Artemis and Night Wing without needles and without bonds.
