Mount Justice
October 10, 16:58 EDT
"Pineapple juice!" Captain Marvel tells Wally, handing it to him. I don't even have time to scoff when Robin almost punches me. I flip back. Stupid brain, stop wandering off.
"Just what the doctor ordered." Wally says.
"How's the arm doing Wally?" Captain Marvel asks. Okay, so, here's the thing, I know Cap isn't an adult. Crazy, right? I hacked some Justice League software on my phone because, I was a little suspicious of him. I mean, he acts like he's some little kid trapped in adults body. So, once I got into the bat computer, it turns out, he is a kid! I am an amazing hacker. Yet I can't read a chapter in Harry Potter. I need to set my priorities.
"Nothing wrong nachos can't cure." Wally replies.
"Nachos? Oh, I'll go get you some!" Captain Marvel says before flying off. I send a kick to Robin's side, but he catches my foot and tries throwing me over his back. But I kick him with all force and he falls to the ground. Ha! I win again!
"Good work everyone, in fact it's been a very productive week." BC says.
"Yeah, for everyone except kid malingerer." Artemis says and I snort, but cough to try and play it off.
"Hey! Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League!" Wally says, waving his broken arm.
"Yeah, uh huh, go to your mom for sympathy, Wallman." Cisco replies and BC chuckles.
"I've really enjoyed being your, uh, den mother this week." BC says.
"Recognized, Zatara 1-1" We turn to see Zatara enter and he gets the holo keyboard and types in something.
"Access, granted, Zatanna Zatara A-0-3. Authorization, Zatara 1-1"
"Zatanna, this is the team. Team, my daughter Zatanna." Zatara introduces. A girl enters and got to admit, she's pretty. Shoulder length black hair, blue eyes. I look at Cisco, expecting him to be his usual flirty self. But for some reason, he's typing away at his phone. Is this really Cisco? I mean, he is a major flirt, as bad as Wally even. Which explains why they get along... Wait, she looks my age. Oh, my god, finally a girl I can get along with. And not Artemis and M'gann who both like Conner even though Meg's dating him already. I quickly walk up
"Hi! I'm Carolyn, call me Carrie, though. Not like the horror movie, by the way. That's Megan, Cisco, Wally, Robin, Kaldur, Artemis, and Conner." I hear a slight bark "Oh, and Wolf." I say.
"Welcome to the cave." Kaldur greets.
"Uh, thanks." She says.
"It's cool, no need to be shy. Are you joining the team?" I ask.
"L-Lets not get ahead of ourselves. This is strictly a visit" Boo... "Though I am sorry we missed the training. It's something from which Zatanna could benefit." Zatara says.
"Do the rest of you get the impression we're still on probation with Zatara?" M'gann asks.
"Not just Zatara, I mean, why is Marvel still hanging around?" Conner asks. Hey, whats wrong with Billy? He's a good kid. Adult. Kid in adult body. This is too complicated.
"Because we like having him around." Wally says.
"You like having him around because he waits on you, hand and foot." Artemis says.
"Your point is?" Wally asks.
"Her point is that you're lazy, dude." Cisco replies, looking up from his phone.
"I do get an off feeling. It's like they don't want to leave us even to take a nap. No joke, woke up and Cap was watching one day." I admit, hands on my hips.
"It almost makes on nostalgic for Red Tornado's tenors as our supervisor." Kaldur says.
"Yeah, at least he trusted us." Robin agrees.
"If you ignore the fact that we shouldn't have trusted him! He was a traitor!" I see Zatanna step forward. Crap, she knows about the telepathic conversation we're having "That machine nearly got M'g-All of us killed!" Conner shouts.
"Are you guys having a psychic conversation? Because I can't decide if that's cool, or really rude." Zatanna admits.
"Who's she?" Cisco asks.
"Oh my god, you're hopeless." I mutter, covering my eyes with one of my hands.
"Alright, fine. We were talking about Tornado. Its been weeks since his attack, and the league hasn't told us anything!" Conner says.
"The League is searching for Tornado. As well as the other androids that evaded the cave, and their creator, T.O. Morrow. Batman's made tracking them down our highest priority." BC says.
"But you've found none of the above." Robin points out.
"Not yet. But Tornado is Justice League, the team is not to pursue this." BC says. Oh, okay, so we're suppose to stay here and do what? Braid each others hair? Yeah, no, I don't sit around and fucking do nothing.
"Why don't you all take Zatanna on, a, uh, tour of the cave?" Zatara suggests. Hey, where is Zatanna? I turn and see her petting Wolf.
"You're giving a tour? Cool!" Cap shouts and Wolf runs over since he's holding a plate of nachos.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd take wolf outside. He needs the exercise, we'll join you in a few." Conner lies. Oh, lying! My favorite thing besides not telling the full truth!
"Sure, sure, I can do that! Come on, Wolf!" Cap calls and they run outside. I quickly grab Zatanna's hand and run up to the team.
"W-What, my nachos." Wally whines and Conner grabs him by the collar and drags him with us. We walk through Mount Justice when Zatanna walks up and I notice she's in different clothes
"When did you-Not gonna ask." I say.
"We're not really taking a tour, are we?" Zatanna asks, slightly whining.
"No, we're hunting down that robot." Conner says and Kaldur nods in approval.
"Yes, we are." He agrees.
"Oh, wow, out loud and everything." Zatanna compliments.
"What about new girl?" Artemis asks.
"She can keep a secret. Right? You won't tell?" I ask.
"I can't tell, not if you kidnap me." She replies, smirking.
"Yeah, she'll fit in great, we're keeping her." I say, draping my arm around her shoulder and she smiles.
We all sit in the bio ship when we get a call
"M'gann, the Bioship wasn't authorized for departure." BC says.
"We're kidnapping Zatanna!" Sounding too happy about that "To show her Happy Harbor. Be back soon!" M'gann adds.
"Roger that, uh, have fun." BC says.
"Where are we going?" Can it be Tokyo? Please say they're in Tokyo! "Batman is the world's greatest detective, and he searched for Tornado and Morrow in every logical location. If we're gonna do better, we need an illogical solution. A truly dumb idea." Robin says. We all turn and look at KF
"As a matter of fact..."
Belle Reve
October 10, 6:35 CDT
"Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping last month's prison break. He's given us five minutes with you." Miss M says. I yawn, this is boring. I hate interrogations. There's no action. I lean on the other table next to Zatanna since we weren't really interacting with the interrogation.
"Spill, Ivo! How do we find T.O. Morrow and his reds?" Conner asks.
"Now why in the world would I know how to find Morrow?" Ivo asks.
"Because, and here's a truly dumb idea, you're Morrow's biggest competitor in the evil Android game. Who better to keep track of what he's up to, and where?" KF asks.
"Ah, I see your point. So let me rephrase, why in the world would I tell you how to find Morrow?' Ivo asks. He's really pushing my buttons. I once faced him, it wasn't a pretty sight. For him.
"He knows. Do what you must." Aqualad tells Miss M.
"Oh, please, as if I've never faced a telepath before." Ivo says.
"That's it!" I grab Zatanna and bring her forward with me. Ivo looks scarred
"Y-You!" He shouts.
"Yeah, me." I slam my fist on the table and everyone jumps "Ivo, you know me. I know you. And we both know that when I want answers, I get them." I say, narrowing my eyes.
"I s-wear! I don't know!" He says. I narrow my eyes even more, if possible.
"It's so sad that I don't believe you." I purr in a sickly sweet voice and his eyes widen "Z, if you will." I ask. She leans on the table next to me
"Trulb tou S'worrom erut noitacol!" She shouts
"Morrow's in a underground base beneath Yellow Stone Park. 100 meters south of Old Faithful. Wait! What just happened?!" Ivo asks. I smirk
"You, my dear Ivo, just told the truth." I reply, hands on my hips. I look at Zatanna and hold my hand up "Nice job, Z." I compliment and she smiles and we high five. I look up at the camera, knowing Strange was watching. What no one knew about the warden, is that this guy is fascinated with finding Batman's secret ID, He's as insane as his prisoners. I smirk at the camera.
I lean back into the Bio ship chair, arms crossed, legs crossed on the dashboard, and eyes closed.
"Lock at all external communication." I open my eyes and look at Aqualad "Soon, Canary and Zatara, Batman too I imagine, will know of our "visit" with Professor Ivo. We haven't much time." Aqualad says. I take my legs off the dashboard and turn my seat to Zatanna
"Look, Z, I'm trying to be as nonchalant as possible-"
"Why? Be as chalant as you like." She says, smiling. I smile. Yup, she fits in perfect.
"I think we're all just trying to get a handle on your powers. Could you teleport us to Tornado or Morrow to a cell or force his bots to surrender?" Artemis asks.
"Or create peace on earth for all time? Zatara couldn't even do all that and I'm nowhere near on my dad's level. I need to know a spell cold, or else have time to prep it. Plus, all magic requires energy, which usually has to come from within. I just can't make the impossible happen at will." Zatanna admits.
"What's our ETA to Yellowstone?" I slightly jump at Superboy's raised voice "I'm way past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor." He growls.
"Are you so certain he betrayed us?" Aqualad asks.
"Aren't you?!" Superboy shouts.
"I am not convinced. And even so, that makes him but the victim of his creator's programming. Certainly he deserves a chance to prove he's more than the weapon other's designed him to be." Aqualad says. I hug my arms. I guess, I can just understand Tornado. Bred to be a weapon. Nothing more. Superboy understands too, I know he does. I was told that he's actually the clone of Superman, a weapon made by a place called Cadmus. Guess some of us were made to be weapons instead of real people.
Yellowstone National Park
October 10, 20:22 MDT
We land and I get up from the chair
"Stealth mode." Aqualad commands. I press the button and the green turns grey. "I recommend you stay behind." He tells Zatanna
"Is that an order?" She asks.
"No, you must do as you see fit." He assures.
"Good. Emit ot yrt tou wen kool!" She says and is in a new outfit, kind of like a girl version of Zatara's without the hat. We run out of the Bioship and we stop, Robin pulls up a holo map
"Ivo was right, something's down there." Robin says. I look around skeptically
"Hey, everything okay?" Zatanna whispers.
"I can't help but feel... like we're being watched." I admit. Her eyes slightly widen but we still follow Aqualad. We were blown back by a giant gust of wind and I crash onto someone. I don't look at the person and look up, seeing Tornado
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I mutter.
"JC, you're kind of sitting on my ribs." Robin admits. My eyes widen and I look at Robin, realizing he was the one I crashed on. I quickly climb off.
"Why Tornado?! Why are you doing this?!" Miss M asks. "Message received?" She asks. Yes, ma'am! In the sand, Tornado wrote Play dead. Which is exactly what we'll do.
"Who cares why? Nail him!" Superboy shouts.
"Superboy, maneuver 7!" Aqualad commands. Superboy holds his hands out and Aqualad jumps in them and to Tornado, to be punched down and crash into Superboy. Inferno erupts into green flames and flies up, trying to throw fire balls at Tornado but Tornado sends a wind to him and his fire goes out and he crashes into a tree. Think Carrie! Robin and Artemis run up, Artemis shooting arrows but Tornado throws them back.
"Look out!" Robin shouts and they jump away from the blast. Think, think!
"That's it red, you're not the only spin doctor around here." KF says and makes a twister. At the same time, Miss M tried to do a sneak attack on RT, but he takes her fist and throws her into KF's twister. I look at Z
"I scream, you cast spell?" I suggest.
"On it!" She assures. We run up
"Cover your ears, Z." I say, putting mine over my hands and letting out a sonic cry while she tries to do a spell. Suddenly, something grabs my throat and all oxygen is cut off. RT lifts us off the ground and I claw at his hand, my throat begging for air, when he throws us to the ground. I pretend to be dead, closing my eyes, staying perfectly still.
"Quiet a performance brother. But we both know that's all it was. I have all your memories tornado. Plus an X-gen processor. I know you're next move before you do." We all sit up. Might as well, we were busted. I see some, android. He looks like RT to be honest "Tsk, blowing a message into the sand?" The android throws the rocks with the sand on it at us and Aqualad uses his water bearers, Superboy punches them, Miss M throws them away with her telepathy, and Inferno throws fire. A rock almost hits me and Z and we jump out of the way
"JC?" Robin asks.
"Me and Z are good." I assure.
"But Red Tornado's getting away!" Zatanna says.
"Is he abandoning us?!" Artemis asks.
"I don't believe that!" Miss M replies.
"You stand no chance against me, humans." The other android says.
"We're not human!" Miss M and Superboy shout, jumping and flying up to him.
"Apologies. I suppose the properly inclusive word is, Meat bags." The android says before getting rock like hands and smashing Superboy and Miss M in them.
"This is insane!" I shout, when a rock comes straight for me and Z. "Run!" I shout, but before we do, green flames make the rock explode. I look up and see Inferno fly above
"Can you guys, uh, not die?" He suggests.
"We'll try out best." Zatanna replies, smiling. Inferno smirks before flying to the android. Not Zatanna too. First Babs, now her? My friends have got to stop getting crushes on that boy. Robin throws a bomb at the android but he crushes it
"Tornado's memory files and my superior allow me to anticipate your every move." The android says.
"Eoks emoceb a dlofdnilb!" Zatanna shouts and a fog blindfol wraps around his eyes
"And I bet you've got some good ones." Cisco says. Ew? "Whoa, sorry, that may have come off a little weird." Ya think?
"I don't mind." Zatanna assures sweetly. Laser beams shot out of the androids eyes and a volcano exploded behind him. A volcano?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
"He's acting a stage Two eruption. He gets to stage three? Kiss the hemisphere good bye." KF says.
"Hit him hard from all sides!" Aqualad commands. Superboy and Miss M go for an attack, but all this heat weakens Miss M
"This is insane! Z, anything you can do?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips and she smiles.
"I have an idea." She says a spell and more KF's appear "I use a scale down version when I want to sneak out of the house!" She admits. The KF's run to the android, being taken out but the real KF saves Miss M. Water comes and throws the android into the lava
"Nice hit!" Robin shouts.
"That hit... Was not mine. Look!" I see the one of the androids that tried to kill us before. Are you serious? What next? We have to fight off the Joker?! He throws water at the android we're fighting. Wait, is... He helping? The android rises again in molted lava but RT flies through it and the android falls in lava again. But it comes out. Again. Fire hits him and I see the other android from before.
"Sister! Brothers! Stop!" The android commands but they don't listen. They all drag him under the lava. RT goes and his lower half starts to melt when Inferno flies over and quickly gets him out. He lands, fire out, setting down RT. The volcano rises
"Tornado, listen! We're on the verge of a stage three super volcano eruption! There's no turning back from that!" KF says.
"We need a vent pressure, fast. But the ash cloud will bring on a world wide nuclear winter!" Inferno says.
"Unless you divert it! Triangulate a route of pressure locus." KF commands.
"Right! There, there, and there." Robin says.
"Arty!" Inferno commands.
"On it!" She replies, shooting an arrow that split into three explosives. When the volcano explodes, RT flies up and sucks the ash into a twister. Soon it's all gone.
"Yes!" KF and Inferno cheer and high five. A second after, RT fell to the ground.
"There. That should do it." Robin says, once they turned on RT's voice box. We all stand in Morrows lab with RT on a table
"Yes. I can speak again." RT says.
"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet." Aqualad points out.
"The planet would have survived. It was humanity that was saved. Though not me. My sister and brother were the true heroes this day." RT says.
"My point is this, you were never the mole, never a traitor." Aqualad says.
"No." RT confirms "I left you to prevent further attack and to find my creator, Morrow."
"Cool! Souvenirs!" KF cheers, holding up a robotic arm.
"Great! We can rebuild you! Better than before!" Robin says.
"I do not believe I should be repaired." RT says.
"Why did you volunteer to be our den mother in the first place?" Superboy asks.
"I was the pragmatic choice. I do not require sleep, I have no secret identity or second life to live." RT replies.
"But you do have advanced IA programming designed to learn, adapt, evolve!" KF says.
"Hello Megan! You wanted to become more human!" Miss M points out.
"And you couldn't do that with the league." I say.
"They're stiffs." Artemis adds.
"You had to be around people who feel. Who show these feelings. Who better than teenagers?" Inferno asks.
"You're sure not gonna learn emotion from Batman. Trust me." Robin says.
"Then the cave was not proving ground only for us, but for you as well." Aqualad says.
"I do not know if these statements are accurate. But, perhaps, they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I believe I have come to...care for you all." RT says.
"See? Practically a meat bag already." Superboy jokes.
"Which reminds me..." RT says.
"So," Inferno asks, leaning to Zatanna "Good kidnapping?"
"Actually, yeah. Best ever." She admits. I don't think anyone has ever said they've enjoyed getting kidnapped.
"First of many I hope." Inferno says.
"If my dad doesn't ground me for life." Zatanna says. I sit up straighter, face slightly pale
"JC?" Robin asks. I quickly pull out my phone, seeing thousands of messages from the girls, telling me that I missed my shift.
"Ugh... Z, I'll trade your dad for my coworkers anyday." I admit, dropping my head on the dashboard.