R&R


Young Justice:

The Nile Chronicles


Chapter 10

"You want us to find out where the kids are being taken."

"Correct," Batman didn't even glance in Robin's direction as his gaze quickly swept across each of our faces in order to command our attention.

"The best way to find their headquarters, and what their plans are, is with at least one of you making your way in directly. All of you fit the profile, but not all of you will be candidates. You will be split into three groups, and each group will head to a different destination where a tournament is being held. You will each be given a tracking device; an ingestible capsule that you are to take when you arrive at the tournament site that will aid in tracking your location in the case you will be successful. It has a life of fifteen days, so make this mission a quick one."

The picture of Marcio Fabri was enlarged on the screen behind him.

"Marcio has been spotted on our very own soil in El Diablo, California. Robin and Miss Martian will be in charge of this tournament. Robin is an expert martial artist already; he should have no trouble winning the title. Miss Martian, you will pose as his mother, and monitor the tournament as well as do all you can to ensure Robin is the victor, even if you must do some foul play."

I glanced at Robin, and found him frowning. I wondered if he liked the idea of cheating to win a tournament. If I knew him as much as I thought I did, he would not.

The picture of the man that sent chills down my spine with just a look at his eyes took the place of Marcio. The man with the fiery red hair.

"Leo Vagner will be in Tristo, France where one of Europe's largest tournaments will be taking place. The team that will be sent to this location consists of Nile, Kaldur, and Conner. Both Nile and Superboy will enter the tournament, Nile is skilled in fighting while Superboy's strength will compensate for his average skill. Kaldur's Atlantean identity cannot be discovered, as his gills give him away, so he will pose as Nile's brother and report any complication."

It appeared luck was not on my side if I was to be possibly kidnapped by the man with the red hair and crazy eyes. I glanced in the direction of Conner and Kaldur, and I knew I would be in good company.

The picture of the last male then took the screen.

"Nikolav Murilo will be in Altego, Phillipines. Artemis and Wally will be the final team. Artemis is the most qualified to enter the tournament, so Wally will be there for backup if needed. Wally, you will also pose as her brother."

"Isn't that a little redundant, this sibling thing?" Wally commented.

Batman seemed to regard him for a second before looking away.

"Fine. You can be her boyfriend."

"Wait, what!" Wally seemed to choke up while I fought to snicker as I watched Artemis' aghast face.

"All preparations have been made, rather than taking the bioship you will each take a flight to your destination. Save those kids."

I nodded, feeling a surge of pride and determination fill me. This is what I was meant to do.


This mission would not be an easy one, I could feel it already. And it was this foreboding feeling that also made me feel guilty for being somewhat... excited.

I couldn't help myself at the thought of once more traveling somewhere I had never been before and learning more about the world.

But there were risks, and being successful with this mission would mean going in blindly to await our fate, not to mention the possibility that one of us could end up alone if everything didn't go according to plan.

Yet the worry was at the back of my mind, and that in itself worried me. I should be more concerned about the success of the mission than the experience of a new place. Yet excitement still bubbled in the pit of my stomach as hard as I tried to suppress it.

I sighed and looked down at my lap, not wanting to enjoy the sight of clouds any longer.

"Is something the matter Nile? You have been sighing a lot during the plane ride," I turned my head to look at Kaldur next to me. This was my first time on a plane, and perhaps that was one of the reasons this trip was so exciting. I had only traveled by ship before and while both the bioship and the ship the Green Lantern had used were much more advanced, it was still a very different experience to be traveling in an airplane like "normal" people.

"If you are worried you will not be successful in the championship, you have no reason to be. You are a very competent fighter and I have no doubt you will win against the competitors that are there," he grabbed my forearm and gave me a reassuring squeeze. I tried to smile at him but even I knew it must look forced.

"I am not worried. I know that even if I am not successful I should at least be able to ensure that Conner will be."

Kaldur and I were posing as brother and sister for this mission. To keep up appearances and not create suspicion when we arrived, Conner was taking a different plane to our destination. The others were heading elsewhere and I wondered how long it would take for them to get there, and I wondered if they would succeed. I had no doubt in their abilities, but one could never be sure what could go wrong.

"Then what is troubling you Nile?"

It was easy now, talking to my teammates about things that troubled me; especially when it came to Kaldur.

"I feel guilty for being excited to see a new place when this trip might be very dangerous for any one of us."

It was truly a blessing to feel so close to the people who were constantly in your life. I had been lucky to always find a home among people I felt comfortable and happy with, and I hoped it would always be that way.

Kaldur chuckled.

"You are silly Nile," the warm expression on his face confused me, and I was at a loss for words, and a little more than embarrassed.

"It is true that what we do is a responsibility and burden alike, but it does not mean it should keep you from enjoying life. You should take any chance at happiness that life offers you, even during a mission. With all that we risk for others, I'd like to think we deserve it," he smiled at me and suddenly I felt as silly as he had called me.

"When you put it that way… I must truly sound silly…"

He chuckled once more and looked away, but I still heard what he said next.

"I think it is… cute."

I could feel my already warm face flare at his words, and looked away, suddenly unsure of what to say. Should I thank him? Say I too find him… cute? There mere thought made my tongue feel like lead and I knew the time to say anything had passed.

Yet a part of me already regretted not saying those words.

I turned to look at him, and saw that his head was tilted back against the seat and his eyes were closed, his face relaxed as I assumed he was drifting off to sleep if he hadn't already. I felt myself smile as I watched him.

I found it hard to tear my eyes away, warmth built within my stomach and looking away suddenly felt like an impossible feat. My heart raced, and my hand itched as the sudden urge to touch his face overcame me. I had to stop myself when I realized I almost did, and held the treacherous hand against my chest.

These feelings…. They were stronger than I had initially thought.

What was it about Kaldur'ahm that gave rise to these unexpected feelings? What set him apart from all the other members of our group?

Was it his looks? I had already deduced that he was handsome. The number of males I had seen would be considered few, but there was no denying his good looks. But all the males in the team could be considered good looking. Was it because he had been there to reassure me time and time again? But again, every male and member of the team had been there for me at some point in my time with them.

Could it be that it was because Robin was too young, and Wally and Conner were both spoken for by Artemis and M'gann respectively?

But I hated to think that my feelings for Aqualad were a result of convenience. He meant much more to me than that. He and I were alike in so many ways. We came from a different society, a society away from the rest of the world, we were able to connect in a way that I could not with the rest of the team. He understood concepts from my culture without me having to explain them, and he had a way of always making me realize something about myself I had never considered before.

Yes, that was why my feelings for him had grown to such large proportions. It was why every time I looked at him sent warmth running through my body, why just one glance at him would make my heart skip a beat.

He was special, and I could not let this fact go unknown to him. Not when the life of a hero was a dangerous one, not when so many risks were involved, and not when every day could be our last one.

So with a determination even I was not expecting, I shook him awake. His eyes opened abruptly, and I felt him tense under my touch. I could almost see through his eyes the way he seemed to analyze the situation and relax once he saw nothing amiss. He eyes looked questioningly at me.

"Wha—" I placed my finger against his lips, effectively shushing what he was about to ask.

I stared into his confused and captivating eyes as he stared back at me. My heart pounded against my chest as I realized the full extent of what I was about to do. But I couldn't turn back now. I would regret it more than anything. And if I had learned anything from multiple past experiences, it's that I was the kind of person to trust my gut.

And my gut was telling me to do this…

"I just wanted to say, that I think you are more than cute…"

His eyebrows rose slightly, but I'm sure even he wasn't prepared for what I did next. I took my finger away from his mouth, leaned in, and touched my lips to his.

I expect a spark from my first kiss.

But what I felt was a feeling of complete utter peace as heat spread to the rest of my body from where are lips touched, so leisurely that it made time feel as if it had slowed. The warmth that spread slowly intensified, and I pulled away before it became overwhelming.

Kaldur's eyes had closed, and they opened slowly to look at me.

I gave him a small smile before sitting back down on my seat, turned my head to the side, and closed my eyes. I would take this opportunity to rest, and I would let Kaldur have time to reflect on my actions and what he wishes to do as a result.

Fear suddenly gripped my heart. What if I had been too bold, acted too sudden? What if he didn't return my feelings, and I had forever made things awkward with us? Could I recover from rejection by the first boy I had ever had such strong feelings for? How would I get through this mission?

But all my fears disappeared when I felt fingers intertwine with mine. My breath hitched, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized whose hand now held mine.

I smiled, but refused to open my eyes and break the spell. Words would not do justice here.

So I gave his hand a squeeze, to show him I had gotten his message.

This was worth every risk that would follow.

TBC


I suck.

Fluff to hold you over while I work the kinks of the mission and stuff.

R&R if you still love Nile :)