Fox heard them before she saw them. Well, not all of them.
She could hear Beast Boy, growling quietly as he leapt out of thin air.
She could hear Kid Flash and Artemis arguing about something, emerging out of nothing like Beast Boy.
Then came Nightwing. He was silent, calming leaping onto the rooftop. Batgirl and Robin were right beside him, landing just as gracefully.
Aqualad and Superboy emerged together, Superboy landing with a small crash, Aqualad using his water bearers to assist in a quieter landing.
No one spoke once they landed on the roof, all of them staring at the girl who was sitting on the opposite side of the building. Fox was practically falling off the building, sitting right at the edge of a long board stretched out over the road below. A dusty bag sat at the other end, weighing down the board, preventing her downfall.
On another building, the invisible ship landed, turning visible for a moment, revealing Miss Martian's bioship. Bumblebee, Zatanna and Miss Marian all exiting the ship, and went to join the rest of their members. For many minutes all were silent, the Young Justice team watching Fox's back.
Then Kid Flash spoke. "Um, is this some kind of 'who can keep quietest the longest' game or something?"
Beast Boy let out a snort, which provoked one from Bumblebee, which set off Kid, and then the three heroes were all laughing at nothing, their nervous energy turning the laughs rabid and awkward.
They fell silent once more, and Fox let out a large sigh. "I really wish the world had no need of us."
Everyone started at the sound of her voice, and Fox continued. "If the world had no need of us, then there wouldn't be bad people, there wouldn't be suffering, there wouldn't be unneeded deaths, and there wouldn't be people who revelled in pain given to others."
Nightwing took a few steps forward, until he was at the edge of the board. "But we are needed. We're needed to help people, to stop those who would hurt others. That's why we're here. To stop a man who is supplying poisons to villains."
"Oh, I know why we're here." Fox replied, standing up and turning around gracefully, "But I wish we weren't." Fox opened her arms and fell backwards.
"FOX!" Nightwing leapt forward, all of the other heroes mimicking his movement. The raven haired hero ran to the edge of the board, falling to his knees and looking down. There, to his surprise, was Fox, standing on her hands on a windowsill three floors down. She shifted her centre of gravity and straightened up on her feet.
Then she leaned over and waved into the window. "Hey Miss Clare!" The window opened, and an old lady emerged, standing on Fox's toes.
"Uh, Fox?" Nightwing asked. "What the hell is going on?"
"Oh, I'll explain later. This was meant to happen earlier, but Miss Clare is late today." Fox waved her hand, picking up the old lady, and climbing down a few floors. There, she opened another window and deposited the lady inside.
Fox stuck out her head and called, "Just sit down and wait. I'll be up in a minute, just let me tuck in Miss Clare."
Mystified, Nightwing stood back up, and walked over to his teammates, who had overheard the entire thing, and were standing there with their mouths open.
"Okay, she's defiantly crazy." Stated Batgirl and everyone just nodded.
A few minutes later, Fox came flying out of nowhere, landing with a bow on the buildings edge. "Hello there everyone. How are you all this fine night?"
Batgirl crossed her arms. "Okay, what the hell is going on!? Why did an old lady step out of her window?! And why did you move her downstairs!?"
Fox stood leaning on one leg, foot tapping, as Batgirl ranted. "Are you finished?"
The black and blue hero grabbed her bag and turned to the others. "I can answer all your questions and explain to you the plan and all that, but not up here. I will take you somewhere safe once you all answer one simple question."
Batgirl was about to protest, but Nightwing put up his hand. The other heroes stood back, silent spectators. "What's your question?"
"Do you trust me?" Fox asked quietly, and Nightwing's eyes widened.
Fox turned to Batgirl and the red head immediately said, "No."
Fox's reaction was hidden by her featureless mask, her body language not revealing a thing, and the girl turned to Nightwing, who slowly said, "Yes." This continued, until every hero said yes or no. Artemis, Zatanna, Superboy and Robin said no, whilst Aqualad, Beast Boy, Bumblebee, Miss Martian and Kid Flash said yes.
Fox scoffed. "Those of you who said yes are fools, and those who said no are idiots."
"What were we meant to say?!" Screeched Batgirl, and Fox gazed at her.
"Nothing." Fox strolled over to a hatch, and pulled it open. "Come with me, or be seen by whoever looks up at six am."
Silently, the team made their way down the ladder.
"Why are we fools or idiots?" Whispered Beast Boy to Kid Flash as they settled in an abandoned room, and Fox overheard.
"Saying yes is foolish, trusting somebody you don't know, or trying to deceive them, and saying yes is idiotic as you could alienate them or warn them of the fact that you think they are betrayers." The Fox was sitting on a dusty table in the corner, and the team settling themselves down on various perches, Beast Boy literally turning into a parakeet and sitting on an abandoned bird stand.
"Okay, we're here. So are you going to help us?" Nightwing asked from his chair.
Fox waved a hand. "Of course, and I've forgiven you for your distrust. My words were very barbed and not required for the situation."
"Oh." Blinked Nightwing.
Seeing his leader's bewilderment, Aqualad took a step forward. "Thank you for your forgiveness, Fox Tails, but we still would like to apologise."
Fox waved her hand once more. "Don't apologise. Seriously, don't." Aqualad bowed his head.
Sighing, Fox opened her bag. "Now that we have that out of the way, why don't we get down to business?"
"Wait a minute!" Batgirl called. "You still have to tell us what you were doing with that old lady!"
"Hey!" Fox said, indignant. "Miss Clare isn't old! She's only 33! She looks old, and acts old, but she isn't old! And I was just getting her back to her bed. She sleepwalks, and some nights, from around five in the morning, she walks to a different floor and tries to go out the window. She was a bit late today."
Batgirl bit off a reply. That couldn't be all there was to the story, but it wasn't the time nor place to pursue it.
"Now, if we could get started…" Fox coughed meaningly, and launched into her plan. "Okay, no one interrupt for a minute. All questions at the end." She paused, and looked around to make sure that everyone understood.
"Right. Well, not all of you are going to be going to the club. Too many of you would cause attention, and frankly, some of you don't have the experience or maturity to be in a nightclub like this. The people that will be coming will be: The three bats, Beast Boy, and Artemis. Aqualad, you're gonna be on external communications or something, Super Boy and Miss Martian could be back up or something, Bumblebee and Kid Flash, you guys just wouldn't know how to act in this kind of place, and your humour may cause trouble. Zatanna, I would bring you, but I can't take too many people, and Artemis would be easier to sneak in than you."
Fox looked around at the astounded and, in some cases, angry faces. "Okay, what do you think?"
Bumblebee and Kid Flash were the loudest protestors, yelling about how they can be mature and all that. "I'm older than Nightwing, I can be mature!"
Fox crossed her arms. "The fact that you're protesting with a flimsy excuse like that just cements my decision."
That shut him up; and Bumblebee too. Aqualad seemed fine with the idea, Superboy just stood there like a rock, and Zatanna seemed disappointed. "Are you sure that you can't sneak me in? Wouldn't my magic be useful?"
"It could be, but the others are more useful than you in this situation. Nightwing will be a good distraction with the ladies, and Robin has the mature yet youthful look that'll get all the girls flocking to him and buying him drinks. The girls and Nightwing would attract Jamie, and it wouldn't seem out of place to have Robin go up to him. Beast Boy could be used as the bug to get him, or as a lookout. I can also fix up the girls so that they look like twins. If there's anything that will pull Jamie out of that club, it'll be the prospect of having twins for the night. You, however, I can't hide your facial features well enough to make you unrecognisable and look like Artemis and Batgirl. I'm sorry. I'm no magic user, and I don't know if Jamie goes for triplets."
Zatanna nodded resignedly, and Fox clapped her hands. "Okay, here's the plan. Nightwing will go in with Robin, and 'sneak' him in. I'll give you a fake ID, but that won't get you through the bouncer on its own. You're gonna have to bargain with him. Offer him a couple of drinks and you should be fine, he's pretty forgetful, so if you give him one once you get in you'll be fine.
"Beast Boy will be with Robin, disguised as a bracelet or something, I haven't quite gotten to that yet. However he's disguised, he'll be with Robin. I'll sneak Batgirl and Artemis in through my door. That'll get you right out into the thick of it without needing an ID. Which reminds me, Nightwing, you're gonna need a fake ID unless you want everyone to know your secret identity.
"Once inside, everyone is going to have to socialise for a couple of hours. You'll be going in after Jamie, and once you're in, you don't want to go straight over there, otherwise you'll be noticed for sure. When I give the signal, Batgirl and Artemis will go flirt with Jamie, and Robin, you'll go up to him a little bit later, and act like an adoring fan. Copy his 'flirting' with other girls near him, make it noticeable. He's cocky and arrogant, somebody mimicking would be great for his ego.
"Nightwing will go up to him too, after Robin, and try and 'get' the girls. Act really jealous when they 'choose' him, and be really rude to him and stuff. Act like a jealous boyfriend. For this, Robin will be your little brother, and be jealous about him 'idolising' Jamie. This will be your reason for following Jamie back when he leaves with the girls. It can be your cover for when you go after him, being a jealous guy who wants to get even.
"Beast Boy, you're gonna be slipped into Jamie's pocket or something, or 'given' to him by Robin. You're gonna be our backup for tracking him if he gets away from the girls or Nightwing. Okay. What does everyone think?"
Nightwing and Robin turned the plan over in their mind, while Batgirl nodded in grudging respect. "I don't like what I'm gonna have to do, but the plan is sound."
Artemis, however, looked horrified. "I'm going to have to flirt with this guy!?"
Fox nodded, and sheepishly said, "Yeah, and he may get a little handsy. Act a bit shy and be all 'when we're alone' and stuff with him, that should keep you safe for a little."
The blonde wilted slightly be sighing. "Fine, but if he goes too far, I'm going to put so many arrows into him that he'll look like a porcupine."
"That's fine." Everyone could hear the smile in Fox's voice. "Now all that's left to do is decide where you guys are changing."
"We'll go back to the cave." Replied Nightwing and Fox shrugged.
"As long as we can get there, change, do makeup and other stuff, eat and get back here in 12 and a half hours, I don't care."
Soon, everyone was back up the hatch and inside the bioship. As soon as Fox touched the ship, she leapt as if somebody had electrocuted her. "She's alive!"
Miss Martian clapped her hands. "Yes she is! Not everyone notices that!"
Fox pulled off her mask and stuffed it into a pocket as she sat down. "Well, it can be pretty obvious if you look in the right way." The white haired girl was the epitome of calm until the straps came around her body. Then she stiffened and shook like nobody's business.
"What the heck is this get it off me now let me go now get off getoffgetoffgetoff!" She looked like she was about to scream when the straps moved away, and instantly she calmed.
"Are you okay?" Miss Martian asked. She was really worried about this girl. No one had ever had that kind of reaction to the bioship.
"I'll be fine. Just don't tie me up again, or I'll do a lot more than scream."
Aqualad talked over Kid Flash's questions. "It is fine, Fox Tails, but would you be okay with some kind of small restraint? We do not want you getting injured whilst inside the bioship."
Fox fixed him with a look, her eyes seeming to almost glow. "As I said, tie me up and I will do a lot more than just scream." With that she sat back in her chair and clenched the sides.
"What will you do?" Asked Superboy, somewhat curious. This girl, this mad, crazy, strange girl, was as tense as he'd ever seen her. And at the prospect of wearing a seatbelt.
Fox didn't turn around this time. She just looked straight ahead and said, "You do not want to know."
When the ship took off, Zatanna, who was sitting beside her, was the only one to notice how Fox's hands tightened on the seat.
"Ah, Fox, um, do you like flying?" She asked timidly, worried as to how the girl would respond. Fox's face had gone pale, and her bright blue eyes stood out.
"I don't like to not be in control of my movement through empty space. Other than that, I love flying!" Fox forced a laugh, and looked out the window.
"Hey, Fox! Tell us more about that lady you helped out. Why doesn't her family stop her from sleepwalking?" Called out Kid Flash, and Fox smiled a small, sad smile.
"Her family doesn't live there. They left her out on the streets after she started sleepwalking and making nuisance and stuff. She's mad."
"What? What do you mean by that?"
"She's mad. She talks to herself and to people who aren't there. She doesn't see the world like we do. Instead of seeing a window leading into empty space, she sees a door that leads to her lost family, or to an angel, or whatever she was dreaming about. Her family couldn't deal with that, so they sent her out, left her freezing in winter."
"So why's she in that building?" Miss Martian asked quietly. She couldn't see how people could do that to their own family.
"I found her." Fox's voice was as quiet and as cold as winter snow the same colour of her hair. "I found Miss Clare, and Crazy Joe, and Wilhelm, and all the other ones. I fixed up the apartment block that my mum had brought and gave them a home. I take care of the mad people, the mad people who aren't criminally insane. That's the problem with Arkham Asylum.
"It's to hold the criminally insane, but it can't do that, and crazy people who have healable mental problems can't get any free help. They have to pay, and quite often, their families don't want to pay, or the people themselves don't want to go to a criminal asylum. They weren't doing anything wrong; they just had something different in their heads. They weren't criminals, they just needed help. So I gave it to them. I've been trying to help them get back into their heads and reconciled with their families."
Silence followed her words.
"Why?" Batgirl asked quietly. She couldn't see how this scared, quiet girl was the same one who was bouncing with energy then burning with indignation earlier this morning.
"Because I can help them. And no one else will."
There you go, a nice long chapter for you. It is 2083 words long, so it should tide you over until i can get another chapter up. Are you liking the story so far? Oh, to clarify, Fox changed back into her costume while she was on the roof. Fox couldn't be seen meeting Young Justice, otherwise people might start to connect fox the dancer and Fox the hero. And i will explain how people haven't worked it out in later chapters.
See Ya
katatonic97
