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Chapter 14

"Your mission is simple," Batman was telling us. "Observe and report. This is recognizance only—you are not to engage in any combat whatsoever unless in dire circumstances. Is that clear?"

We all nodded.

"The Cult of the Kobra is planning a deal with the Italian Mafia," he explained, bringing up the stats on both groups. "They are meeting in New York City. You will receive the coordinates once you are on your way. The Cult is planning to trade the upgraded Venom, but it is unclear what it desires from the Italians. However, considering the respect it is showing by conferencing in Mafia territory, the trade-off is impressive. Again, recognizance only. It cannot be assured that League assistance will be possible, and it is too risky to allow you to fight the Cult and the Mafia without definite backup."

We nodded once more and made our way to the bioship. Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian were all somber, strange before most missions but not now, not when a rematch with the Cult was on their minds. What went down at Santa Prisca way back in June was something none of them had forgotten. The rest of us, affected by the mood, were quiet as well.

Ice finally spoke: "So, no fighting?"

"Nope," Kid said. "Observe and report only, just like Batman said."

"So we're basically spies?"

"Pretty much."

"Do we start all missions like we're heading to a funeral?"

"We've faced the Cult of the Kobra before," Megan explained softly.

"It didn't go well?"

"We were not feeling the aster." Robin moved in his seat so he was looking at Ice. "It was our first real mission as a team, and we lacked a clear leader."

"And more time was spent trying to prove superiority in leadership than focusing on the necessary actions," Aqualad continued.

Shrugging, Ice countered, "So just don't suck this time around."

"Brilliant advice," Kid muttered.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

"Okay, this is it," Robin said, pointing to a hotel. "Bring the ship down on the next rooftop over, Miss M."

As she did so, Rocket questioned, "So why exactly is an illegal exchange going down in what has to be a five-star hotel?"

"It's the Mafia," Zatanna stated simply. "It has major claims in all black market dealings—it can practically buy anything it wants."

"And it's the perfect cover," Kid mused. "Buy up the hotel, if only for the night, fill it up, and make the swap away from everyone before joining the party. Even if anyone had the balls to go after the Mafia, there are enough witnesses to claim that nothing happened."

Aqualad surveyed the site, deep in thought. "Such an arrangement has increased the difficulty of the mission. Kid Flash, please check how many floors are occupied."

Slipping on his infrared goggles, Kid revealed, "All of them. Top three floors are the least occupied, but it only gets more and more crowded as you descend."

"So the meeting is on one of the bottom floors," I deducted. "The question is, which one?"

"We could infiltrate," Ice suggested. "Someone dress up to the nines, stalk through the place till the Cult is found."

"Too risky," Robin objected. "The Mafia wouldn't be willing to trust just anyone; all these people inside are someone in the Family or close associates. Someone will be watching to make sure no uninvited guests get in."

"Then what do we do?" Zatanna asked. "Sneaking in would be almost impossible."

"But I believe it is our only option," Kaldur stated solemnly. "Still, I find much chance of mistakes if all of us enter."

Kid Flash nodded in agreement. "There's no way that would stay combat-free. Maybe Miss Martian can go invisible and Zatanna can use… you know—"

"Magic," she supplied smugly.

Rolling his eyes at the word, he continued, "To disguise herself. It's the best we can do."

Superboy crossed his arms over his chest. "Just the two of them to handle this? No way."

"They will not be the only ones involved," Kaldur assured him. "But they must be sent as a preliminary force. Once the targets are found, we enter through the least-occupied zones and prepare to act as backup." Turning to Miss Martian and Zatanna, he asked, "Are you comfortable with the plan?"

"Please." Zatanna smirked, something she must have gotten from Robin. "We can totally handle this."

"Very well. Kid Flash, which floor has the least number of people?"

"Top. The side farthest from us has practically no one. That's where you need to enter."

"Got it."

"Be careful," Kaldur instructed quietly. "The mind link, please."

Established. Everyone on line?

Holy crap!

Welcome to the mind link, Frost Bite.

I am here.

Ditto.

You have me.

Yup.

Here, girl.

Let's bust this operation.

As the two girls took off, Aqualad addressed the rest of us: Stay on constant alert; be prepared to intervene at any moment.

No one responded—no one needed to. We were tense, nervous, because anything could go wrong. There was a lot at stake this time around, a lot of people who gave no concern for life or death. All of us were completely focused—

Damn. That girl is sweet!

Cam!

He whipped his head toward me. Why were you listening to my thoughts?

Dude, it's a mind link, Kid pointed out. We hear everything you think. How did you think it worked?

I don't know, you only heard what I wanted you to hear?

No, we hear everything. So, um, what girl are you looking at, exactly?

WALLY!

It's pure curiosity, babe. I swear.

The one that's walking down the street from that night club.

Wow. She looks h…she looks like a hooker. She must have no self-respect whatsoever. And any girl who has to dress like that must be an awful, awful person.

How much of that do you really think I believe?

All of it?

Forget that girl, Rocket interrupted. Look at the ones standing outside the movie theater. There is no way those are real.

What can't be real? Miss Martian questioned.

Uh, nothing.

Who cares if they're real or not? I don't discriminate.

CAM!

I am a single seventeen-year-old guy. I can think whatever I want!

Not when we can hear you! Besides, none of the others guys ever think like this.

First, they're all dating one of you. Second, Kaldur too damn respectful to think like this, Connor probably doesn't even get what's going on, and Robin's thirteen. So that just leaves Wally, and even he has to be smart enough not to think this stuff when you're around.

Hey! Wally objected at the same time Robin went, Why is it that because I'm the youngest I can't do anything?

So you do think about other girls? Zatanna demanded.

No! I only think about you! Seeming to realize what he'd thought, he mumbled, Let's pretend this conversation never happened.

Agreed. Aqualad sounded exasperated and slightly horrified but also a little amused. Miss Martian, Zatanna, how are you faring?

Okay. First five floors have nothing but drunken guests speaking broken English, Zatanna reported.

Very well. Alert us as soon as—

He was cut off by screaming. Our attention to the streets, we saw men clad in black attacking people with bats and tire irons.

What the Hell? Ice seethed, hands gripping the top of the building in anger. Where did they come from?

No clue. Superboy cracked his knuckles. But I know what's going to happen to them.

Wait, Aqualad instructed. The mission cannot be jeopardized—

And those people can't be killed! Ice spat. We can't do nothing!

Very well. You and Superboy tend to the civilians.

I'll go down, too, I insisted, already establishing a zip line. My bow will be more useful in the open than in the confines of the hotel.

Go quickly, and return once all perpetrators have been apprehended.

We did as commanded, Ice following me on the zip line and Superboy jumping down. The Mafia lackeys, or whoever the heck they were, seemed to multiply. One was replaced by two, two replaced by three. None had descent fighting skills, but they had the weapons to take down anyone who got in their way.

"Who are these guys?" Ice demanded, knocking one out with an icicle to the head.

"Don't know, don't care," Superboy answered, throwing one into the ground.

"No! No! Please!"

One of the men raised his bat above a cowering woman. I notched an exploding arrow and let it fly. Letting the weapon drop, he hightailed it into an apartment building, seemingly under renovations. High on adrenaline, I pursued him.

The building, thank God, was empty save for me and the creep. Listening to his footsteps—why were they so fricking loud?—I raced up the stairs, flight after flight. He wouldn't get away.

The footsteps stopped. I was on his floor. Brandishing my weapon, I waited, taking cautious steps. Anxiety settled in my stomach as I tried to find him. How could he just disappear like that?

And then I heard it: a single squeak of the floorboard. Whirling around, I released the arrow, which in turn released a net. He went down with a single grunt.

"Not so tough, are you?" I taunted, admiring my work.

Suddenly, my confidence was transformed into fear as he just ripped though the net like it was paper. I struggled to reload, but he'd already launched himself onto me. My bow went skidding.

As he pinned me down, his knees pressing into my thighs, his hands bruising my arms, he raised his head to look at me. From underneath the black hood came a face from my nightmares.

"Hey there, pretty girl."

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You probably thought I didn't use cliffhangers, didn't you?