The SECRET Training: Young Justice Season 1

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: So here's the good news- AU Season 1 is coming to an end. I will be rewriting Episode 26: Auld Acquaintance to fit in Shadowcat. That will take some time. So I am leaving you with this episode and hope you like it very much. Now I've had mostly Red Arrow teaming up with Stephanie. This time, Robin and Red Arrow are gone. That just leaves Wally…with Stephanie? This can't really end well, can it?

Episode 24-Performance

As Wally swallowed his bologna sandwich, his phone vibrated in his jeans pocket. The ringtone for "Daylight" blared to life as it sung out.

Wally fumbled with his phone in a desperate bid to answer it. He managed but the chorus was now stuck in his head. "Steph!" he hissed, realizing that it was his little "sister".

"Did you program Maroon 5 into my phone?!"

A giggle. "Maybe?" she answered. "Dick helped."

"Okay sis. FYI? I hate Maroon 5!"

"Wally, is everything alright?" Kaldur'ahm stood in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, a worried look on his face.

"Yeah. Fine. Uh, I just need to take this call." Wally hurriedly walked past him.

"I heard Maroon 5 from your phone. Are you a fan?"

Wally groaned as Stephanie laughed her head off. "Robin programmed them into my phone. Gotta go, Kaldur!" The speedster took off.

Running into his room, he heard Stephanie's laughter die down. "You are in so much trouble!"

"I need help tonight. I can't reach Dick or Roy."

"They got a mission overseas. But I'm available."

"Okay. There's a shipment of Cobra Venom leaving Saint Paul from a rival company, sub-owned by LexCorp. Thought maybe the "Brotherhood" would like some ammo on Luthor," she explained.

"Sweet! I'll head right over!" Grinning like a fool, Wally got his gear and zipped for the Zeta Tubes.

SAINT PAUL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT…

Two figures landed lightly on the rooftop of Santa Lo-Technologies. The security at this place was typical but for the Fastest Boy Alive and a Master Thief's Daughter, it was easy to get in.

Stephanie picked the rooftop's locked door and once that door was opened, her and Wally were inside. Wally took point, and hanging out with Robin so much, he picked up a few things. Like how to sneak around. He took the flights of stairs with ease, Stephanie right behind him. "Which floor?" he whispered.

"20th. Right here." Shadowcat kneeled down and broke the lock on the door as if it was mere paper.

Kid Flash pulled down his goggles, and set it for heat signatures. "Seven on the floor."

"Weapons?" she asked him quietly.

"Can't tell," Wally answered her.

Shadowcat opened the door slightly and poked her head through with care. Her eyes were now a cat's and she scanned the floor. "Seven of them. Lab's on the other side. We should go after the four coming in our direction," she whispered to him.

He had to strain to hear her soft voice but he nodded. Wally followed Stephanie as she silently walked onto the floor. His little sister made her way down the middle hallway, crouched low, ready to move at a moment's notice. He walked casually behind her, seeing that her training had kicked in. She moved quickly, and for a moment, he thought he was with Dick.

Stephanie stopped at the "T" in the hallway. She inched her head out to check the clearness of the area. She then rushed forward, made short work of the lock and both darted inside before the next sweep started.

Wally and Stephanie crawled over to the farthest computer terminal and Shadowcat pulled out a jump drive and plugged it in. Then she tapped her gauntlet and pulled out a cord to plug it in as well. "Just need a minute," she told him.

"No way Rob taught you how to hack!" Wally hissed.

"NO! But he programmed his hacking software into my gauntlet so I can hack too." She smiled as the terminal's files started to download.

"So…anything?" he asked after a few seconds.

"Nope." She watched the info come up as it was downloading.

"Um…anything?" he asked again less than a minute later.

"No…" she gave an aggravated sigh. Wally was starting to annoy her.

A minute passed. "So…?" he asked again.

"Peir 9. Tonight at 2 am. In…Cleveland?!" Stephanie checked the info again to be sure. "We need to leave fast if we want to get to that shipment." Shadowcat waited until all of the files were downloaded before disconnecting everything. "Let's go."

Wally and Stephanie slowly went to the door and the pre-teen pressed her ear onto the door to listen. She didn't hear anything so she slowly opened the door.

No one was out there at the moment.

The two left the lab the same way they got in.


"Check out the plane!" Wally exclaimed as he darted inside the private jet. He smelled the roast beef with mashed potatoes, corn and pecan pie as he mouth watered for a taste. "So, is it safe to-"

"Sure." Stephanie knocked on the pilot's door. "We're ready, Peter," she said through the door.

"He's flying us!?" Kid Flash cried.

The pilot's door opened.

Peter Jenkins looked like a real pilot in his uniform and hat. "Master Wally, Miss Stephanie. The fridge is stocked and we'll be in Cleveland in an hour." He closed the door behind him.

"SWEET!" Wally ran over to the small fridge and he opened the door. He started to pull out all the food.

Stephanie giggled as she sat down. She curled up in the plush chair and drifted off to sleep…


Cleveland, OH

Burke Lakefront Docks

11:51pm

Kid Flash and Shadowcat hid behind some cargo crates as several ski-masked thugs moved smaller crates onto a truck. Wally used his goggles to check out the contents of the crates. "Yup! Cobra Venom in every single crate. What's the plan?"

"I'll distract them," she whispered. Stephanie took off.

"Wai-! Arg! She's worse than Rob!"

Stephanie's eyes changed over as she perched on a very large crate above the thugs. She wore her mother's black Kelvar-threaded bodysuit and a gray utility belt that both Robin and Peter designed for her. She pulled out her mother's mask and smiled at it before placing it over her head and face.

Catwoman has returned.

"Hurry up! The truck leaves in five!" said the thugs' leader. The common thugs started to move faster.

"Awww…And I thought I could have some fun tonight."

The thugs dropped their cargo and pulled out their guns. They all fired on her.

Shadocat leaped off her perch and got to work. Moving so fluidly between thugs, Stephanie sent various kicks and punches at them, all the while, dodging the hail of bullets coming her way. She was nervous as some of those said bullets came close to hitting her but they didn't.

Kid Flash was rooted to his spot. He couldn't believe that Stephanie sounded so much like her mother. She was playing her mother so well. He had seen Catwoman once or twice with Flash when they would need to be in Gotham and they would run into the Dark Knight and her. Seeing how the older Catwoman moved and seeing how his 'sister' was moving now, it was similar.

Stephanie was enjoying herself, she took out everyone but one.

That thug, the one with the skull cap, brown turtleneck and black jeans, raised his gun at Shadowcat, who was openly stalking the scared man. "I ain't getting punked by you, Catwoman! Time to die!" He pulled the trigger-

Stephanie stood up and smiled at him.

-And the gun was clicking. No bullets left.

Stephanie raised her hand and her claws came out. She struck hard and slashed the thug in the chest. He went down.

"So…the great Catwoman has graced me with her presence."

Kid Flash's blood ran cold.

The immortal stepped from the inside of the truck, and landed on the pier. "I didn't think you were after chemicals. They aren't trinkets, you know."

"Well, I like to stick my claws into all sorts of things." Shadowcat stood there, hands on the hips, acting just like her mother.

Wally wanted to help. He dealt with Vandel Savage before but he didn't have the time to beat him-he was delivering a heart at the time. He stayed hidden, just in case she needed the backup.

"You've always given in to your inner cat. A woman like you could appreciate the offer being extended to you." His smile was genuine-well, as genuine as a genius immortal's go.

"I'm listening," Stephanie said to him in her mother's voice.

"I am willing to look past your previous transgressions-both yourself and your past Catwomen- against me personally, if you are willing to join me and my compatriots in a movement to rule this world."

Wally couldn't hide his shock. Catwoman screwed Vandel Savage? And not just Stephanie's mom-every Catwoman before her? Oh, this was a dangerous game they were playing!

"And your oh-so-secret Cobra Venom?' Stephanie asked.

"Would you like to go toe-to-toe with the League?" Vandel was ready for Catwoman. He knew she liked to toy with all men and he was no exception. He planned to play with her as well.

"Just one of them." A smile. Stephanie's heart was pounding though. Pretending to be her mother was way harder than she thought. But she was fooling this guy. So she could do this-fool every bad guy on the planet. Maybe.

"So…" Vandel Savage pulled out his knife and used it as a toothpick. "What do you say?"

"I say, you're busted!" Kid Flash rushed right at Savage, knocking him off his feet. The immortal landed hard on the pier.

The stocked crates closest to Shadowcat started to topple and the girl leaped gracefully away as they came crashing down.

Savage got to his feet, anger in his eyes. "You will rue the day…"

As Wally ran at him, Vandel threw his knife, which missed as Kid Flash rammed him again. However, he was caught in a headlock and Savage locked it in.

Shadowcat sprung into action.

She leveled a kick at Savage's arm, freeing Kid flash. As Savage turned, she leaped up for a jump kick, nailing him in the face. He got thrown back into some other crates.

Stephanie kneeled next to Kid Flash. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"You've sealed your fate, Catwoman!" Savage was on his feet and charging at them.

The split-second decision was made. Stephanie left Kid Flash's side and met Vandel Savage head-on.

Or so the villain thought.

Shadowcat vaulted over him and ran inside the warehouse. She heard him give chase. The pre-teen girl leaped for a steel i-beam and she swung around, catching him in the chest. Landing on her feet, she used the martial art skills she learned to keep Savage off-balanced until Wally got himself together.

Vandel blocked every kick and punch Catwoman threw at him. There were moves that she performed that he knew no previous reincarnation of Catwoman pulled off offensive moves like these. A snap kick to a shoulder sent him into some more crates. He was getting tired of landing on those wooden boxes.

Then it dawned on him. A knowing smile came to his face. He traced the claw-like scars on his face. "You sided with the angels, Catwoman? You alerted the League? I would have never pegged you a snitch."

"I am my own person, Savage," Stephanie said in her mother's voice.

"Or have you sided with Batman?" he asked her.

Stephanie was stumped. How would her mother have answered that?

"I am aware of your infatuation with the Dark Knight," he continued. "I know he told you to leave Gotham to avoid Joker's latest psychotic break."

"The clown and I have no business together!" She threw another punch at the immortal.

Vandel Savage grinned as he caught the punch. "You're not Catwoman." Then he proceeded to beat her up. Punches staggered her back. A rainbow kick (and how did he managed that!?) sent her into the metal support beam

Her back flared in pain as she bounced off the beam, and into a kick that snapped two ribs upon impact. Stephanie gasped and fell to her hands and knees.

Savage picked her up by the back of her neck. He lifted her off the ground "You're Catwoman's protégé. The rumors were true after all." He pulled her against him, placing her in a headlock like he did Kid Flash, his mouth close to her ear. "Your mentor is dead. You've taken her place. I must give you credit. You fooled me." He began to close off her air. "But now you die."

Stephanie saw spots in her vision as she struggled to get free.

Kid Flash kicked at Vandel Savage in the shoulder, freeing Shadowcat. As he fell, Wally used his super speed to punch the villain in rapid succession. "You-leave-her-alone!" he yelled.

Savage threw his arms up to protect himself. He completely forgot about Kid Flash. That was something that was easily fixed. He caught a fast-moving punch and crushed Wally's hand.

Kid Flash screamed.


Meanwhile back at the Cave…

"Recognize: Robin: B-0-2. Superboy: B-0-4. Miss Martian. B-0-5. Artemis: B-0-6. Red Arrow: B-0-7."

The five members of Young Justice returned from their overseas mission. The five of them were greeted by Aqualad. "How was the mission?"

"Great!" M'gann exclaimed. She and Conner walked away, holding hands.

"It was good. Why?" Roy asked.

"Wally left some time ago and has not returned. I assumed he was with you," Kaldur explained.

Dick and Roy shared a look. "Do you remember anything before he left?" Dick asked.

"Maroon 5 was playing on his phone."

Roy held his breath.

"Is there something I should know?" he asked them two of them.

Dick's mouth was grim. He feared that Stephanie called for them and Wally was the only one there. Something must've happened for Wally to take off. Respecting that only the three of them knowing about her, he assumed he didn't tell Kaldur for that reason alone, even though his sister was driving him nuts about meeting Kaldur. They didn't have a choice. There was a chance that Wally and Stephanie were in trouble and he needed Kaldur's help. "Yeah," he finally answered. "We'll explain on the way." He, Roy and Kaldur headed for the Zeta Tubes. The Boy Wonder pulled out his phone and speed dialed someone.

"Yhello?"

"Peter, it's me. Where did Wally go?"

"He and Miss Stephanie are in Cleveland, OH, at Burke Lakefront Docks. Um, Pier 9.I am still waiting for them to return."

"We'll look for them, Peter." Dick hung up and went to the control panel for the Zeta Tubes.

"Who is Peter?" the team leader asked.

"A friend," Roy answered. "I promise, we'll explain."

The Zeta Tube powered up.


Shadowcat tried to take out Vandel Savage's knee but he stepped out of the way, throwing Kid Flash at her. She caught her "brother" and both fell against the ground.

"Did you children think you could beat me?" Savage asked them.

Moaning, Wally rolled off of Stephanie as the younger heroine crawled her way to her knees. Both of them were grabbed by their heads and forced to their feet.

"You two thought you could stop my operations here? Both of you are poor copies of your mentors." He began squeezing their heads.

Both weakly struggled in his grasp.

Wally knew he had to do something fast. Stephanie's "nail-claws" were out and she was trying to nail Savage with them. But the immortal's grip was strong and crushing. A sudden idea came to him.

He kicked up.

Vandel Savage dropped them, howling as he clutched himself in agony.

"RUN!" cried Kid Flash.

Shadowcat didn't waste any time. She ran passed Savage and the teen speedster was right behind her.

Even though he was suffering, Savage reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He flipped the switch on it.

Beep, beep, beep…b-b-b-b-beep!

The wooden crates outside the warehouse that contained the Cobra Venom exploded one after the other. Shrapnel and glass flew everywhere.

Shadowcat saw it before Kid Flash. Tapping into her inner cheetah, Stephanie ran up to the speedster, who had gotten ahead of her and pushed him aside just as the wooden stake-shaped shrapnel pierced her side just where Wally had been 2 seconds sooner. She bit her lip to prevent a cry from coming out.

Wally rolled a little too close to a burning crate before he stopped. His ears were ringing, he had minor cuts from flying debris. He picked himself up. The pier was on fire-and so was the truck!

The truck!

He saw Stephanie lying by the vehicle. So he raced over to her and saw a decent chunk of wood in her side and she was bleeding. Wally picked her up carefully and ran away from the truck. It exploded seconds later.

Kid Flash, now running on fumes, cleared the blast radius.

But Savage would not be denied.

He threw his knife.

Wally got hit from behind in the shoulder. The force of it knocked him down, Stephanie falling away from him.

Vandel Savage stalked Wally, forgetting about the Catwoman imposter. He planned to end this game with the children.

An arrow sailed through the air and nailed Savage, foam exploding for the hit to immobilize the immortal.

Red Arrow leaped from the warehouse roof, Robin following him.

From the water rose Aqualad, who was using his water bearers to put out the flames.

As Vandel Savage struggled to get free, the three teen heroes ran over to the downed teens. "Kid Flash?" Aqualad asked as he took a knee. His free hand was on the handle of the knife.

"M'fine,"came the exhausted voice of Kid Flash.

Kaldur pulled the knife free and tossed it away.

Robin shoved a protein bar into his best friend's hand as Red Arrow came over to the group with a semi-conscious Shadowcat in his arms. "Aqualad, we need to go."

"Then we will." Of course, Kaldur had questions. The girl in Roy's arms looked far younger but he had to get the team to safety. He pulled Wally into his arms and the tree teens took off.

Vandel Savage waited until the teen heroes were gone before he broke free. Wearing a knowing, calculating smiled, he retrieved his knife. He was careful not to allow a single drop of Kid Flash's blood to fall free from the weapon. "That was easier than I thought."


Stephanie slowly opened her eyes. She felt pretty warm, and lying on something soft. She turned her head slowly. Her side hurt but it was manageable. Her eyes widened in shock.

Aqualad was here.

"A-Aqualad?!" she whispered, sitting up slowly.

Everyone turned to see her. Wally rushed over first and hugged her. "Stephy!"

"So you're Shadowcat," Kaldur said to her. As soon as Wally let go, he took the pre-teen's hand.

"And you're Aqualad. I'm so glad I'm finally meeting you," she told him. She saw the look he was giving her. "So…you know everything?" she asked.

"I do. I am disappointed that I had not met you sooner." His eyes held hers intently. "You would have had 4 brothers looking after you instead of 3."

Stephanie broke eye contact. She reached up to her eye mask and pulled it off, showing him her blue eyes. "I know you have questions."

"You do realize that Roy, Wally and Robin have told me everything. Even Batman is aware of you. I do not understand why you did not join this team in the beginning. Was your fear of Batman knowing who you were the only reason you did not join us?"

Stephanie nodded, afraid that her voice will crack if she talked right then and there.

"I want to know WHAT THE HELL you were thinking!?" Roy shouted. "You and Wally could've died!"

"Dude, you are so not talking to us like that!" Wally cried. "You and Rob went on a secret mission, leaving me behind! Steph needed us and I was the only one there! So don't tell at us!"

"Secret mission? I thought the mission was sanctioned by Batman." Aqualad stared at Robin in disbelief.

"Kaldur…it was a mission. A personal one. Sorry for lying to you. And Wally…things could have gone really bad tonight. You and Shadowcat were lucky," Robin said to them.

"I want to know why Vandel Savage would blow up his own shipment of Cobra Venom," Stephanie mused out loud.

"There is a strong possibility that he may strike again," Kaldur told the gathered group.

"We'll have to stay whelmed and wait for him to make the next move." Robin was messing with his computer gauntlet.

"Aqualad…"

The Atlantean hero stared at the young girl before him.

"My name is Stephanie. Sorry we kept me a secret for so long."

Kaldur chuckled. "It is alright. I am Kaldur. So…what now?"

"Peter will take us back to my house. I'm sure Wally's starving-"

"HEY!" cried Wally.

"-So he can make us something. You can come and join us…Kaldur."

"I accept your offer…Stephanie." Kaldur smiled at her.

"So…when can I meet the rest of the team?" she asked her other "brothers".

Roy groaned. "Not this again!"


The next morning…

"Recognize: Aqualad B-0-1; Robin B-0-2; Kid Flash B-0-3, Red Arrow B-0-7."

The first protégés exited the Zeta Tubes refreshed and read to take on the day. Kaldur seemed the happiest. And he couldn't help the smile he wore. He had a sister. A baby sister. He and Roy were 17 but she was only 12 years old. She was parentless and it saddened him that he never got to meet the late Catwoman. But if Stephanie grew up to use her skills for good, then she would break the cycle that plagued the Catwomen before her.

And as part of the "Brotherhood", he vowed to see it happen.

"Where have you four been?!" cried Black Canary as she stood at the doorway, arms folded and looking very pissed off.

"We…had a few free hours to hang out. So we did," Robin explained with a smile on his face.

"Well, since you 4 have so much free time, I want to see you all in the training room in 15 minutes." She then walked away to get ready.

"Aw man!" cried Wally as he sped off to get ready. Thank goodness that he healed fast.

As Aqualad head for the training room, his thoughts went back to Stephanie. He planned to talk to Batman about her.

It was time for Shadowcat to be on the team.

***Here it is everyone! Now the season finale of the AU Season 1 will take some time as I have to rewrite 'Auld Acquaintance' to fit Stephanie in. Then I have to start the 5 year gap. So I will break up this fic- Episode 26 will end this one and watch for the next story arc of this story! It will be called The SECRET Training: AU Season: 5 Year Gap! ***