The next few days melted together as I went for training, came back to the Cave, had something to eat, watched some show on the TV box, and visied Xavier if I didn't have anything else to do.
We seemed to be growing closer every day, which I was glad for. I liked spending time with him, and he seemed to like hanging out with me.
Dr. Richards said I was getting stronger by the day, but I honestly didn't feel like it. I was eating more, sure, and my wings were growing, but I still felt pretty weak. Especially after my battle with Amazo.
The Hawk's training aslo progressed. I was still getting beat by Hawkwoman in combat practice, but I was getting better at hand-to-hand, and a few days ago she even let us soar with practice maces. I wanted a mace like theirs. I could also now keep myself in the air a lot longer, and had begun to do some basic aerial agility exercises.
One morning, about four or five days after the last mission the team went on, Megan gathered all of us for a day at the beach. I had never really been to the beach before, so I was excited to experience this. The Martian girl said I had to wear my red swimming suit, so I did. I thought about putting my necklace on, but decided against it as I wasn't sure how it would react to water.
"Hello, Megan! We should but the beach every day!" Megan ran out ahead of us, enjoying the warm, clear day.
"First, a moment of silence for our...absent comrade." Robin put his forehead in his palm.
"Poor Wally," Megan hung her head low.
"I wish he could've come with us," I said. I didn't know where he was at the time, but I bet it wasn't as fun as this.
I figured out that morning that my wings did not like getting wet.
I tired going into the ocean slowly, trying to follow everyone's lead of running into the waves, but once I got deep enough so that my wings were partially submerged, I learned that the cold water on my feathers did not feel very pleasant.
Soon, though, I got used to the feeling, as Superboy jumped high into the air and came down with a large splash, sending waves in every direction and soaking my wings.
I also learned there was such a game called "Chicken," as I got up onto Megan's shoulders, with Robin on Aqualad's and I tried to push him down into the water. I wasn't so bad at this game than air hockey, but Robin eventually pulled me down by grabbing my wing.
"Hey, that's not fair!" I called from the water, but I was smiling. I was having a great time.
We also ate lunch at the beach, something called a hot dog, but it was really a type of sausage. I guess "hot sausage" didn't really roll off the tongue as much as "hot dog" did.
I played another game called volleyball with Megan and me against Superboy and Robin, with Aqualad as referee. The goal was to try to hit the ball down on the other team's side, but you can't go outside the lines. We eventually won, and I jumped into the air, spinning with my wings as I had finally won a game. I was also learning a lot about the beach as well.
I was laying out on the sandy shore later, when I realized that Superboy was laying beside me, asleep. I took this opportunity to silently motion to the others, as we gathered buckets and handfuls of sand to cover him while he slept. We got it up to a small mountain before he woke up.
Needless to say, he wasn't very happy. He nearly covered me in sand when he figured out it was my idea. Thankfully, he dint really mean to hurt me and ended up laughing alongside us.
It was well into the afternoon when we decided to call it a day. I showered and washed the sand from my wings and body, and then I put on my red shirt and pants to dry my hair.
When it was almost dark, Batman called us into the main room. I switched into my hero outfit as I wondered what he could have in store for us today.
"Team, this is Artemis," he announced once we were all there except for Wally. "She's Green Arrow's protégé and is going to be joining this team."
He motioned towards a girl that looked a little bit older than me, with a green outfit and mask and long blonde hair. I smiled at her.
"Wait, I thought Speedy was Green Arrow's protégé?" I said, my mouth turning from a smile into a frown. I remembered Robin telling me about Speedy, but I still had yet to meet him.
"He was, until the day we found you and Superboy." Aqualad explained. "Speedy had wanted to be a part of the League, but when he was denied access, he went solo and refused to join this team."
I nodded, understanding. I then walked up to Artemis and introduced myself.
"Hi, I'm Hawkgirl." I said sort of awkwardly with a small smile as we all introduced ourselves to our new teammate. I had a feeling she was going to fit in nicely.
I heard the computer voice announce the arrival of Kid Flash, as theredhead in question came barreling into the main room with lots of beach supplies in his arms.
"The Wall-Man is here!" He exclaimed, running forwards. "Now let's get this party star-"
I winced as he tripped and fell flat in his stomach, causing everything in his arms to spread out away from Wally.
"Ugh, -ted?" He finished awkwardly, seeing all of us in our hero suits.
"Wall-Man, huh?" Artemis spoke up. "Oh, love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?" Okay, so maybe she won't get along with everyone, but...
"Uh, who is this?" Wally asked as he got back up, glaring at the blonde.
"Artemis. You're new teammate." She replied with a snarky edge.
"Kid Flash, never heard of you." Wally had the same edge to his voice. I could already feel the tension in the room growing.
"Uh, she's my new protégé." Green Arrow tried to quell the rising argument.
"What happened to your old one?" Wally asked. I thought he went solo?
Just then, the Zeta computer announced the name "Speedy" as we all turned to see what became of the hero.
"Well, for starters he doesn't go by "Speedy" anymore." A voice said. "Call me Red Arrow."
My eyes widened in surprise as I finally got to meet this...Red Arrow. He was a lot more...attractive than I thought he would be, with a red shirt that kind of looked like Aqualad's except that it looked better on the archer. I also noticed that he kept his eyes hidden by a mask that looked like Robin's, and he had a red bow strapped to his back. I liked his short red hair.
The room seemed to rise around ten degrees. I averted my eyes as he walked up to confront Green Arrow about something that I didn't catch.
"So why waste time finding a sub?" I liked the sound of his voice even when he was being accusational. "Can she even use that bow?"
"Yes, she can." Artemis spoke up, snapping me out of whatever trance I was in.
"Who are you?" Wally also helped me to snap out of it.
"I'm his niece." "She's my niece." Both Green Arrow and Artemis replied at the same time.
"Another niece?" Robin asked.
"But she is not your replacement." Aqualad stepped up to Red Arrow. "We have always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota on archers." He offered. Oh, please don't make him join the team. I was pretty sure I wouldn't even be able to function properly if he did.
"And even if we did, you know who we'd pick." Wally said. I choose Artemis, I thought as the girl in question confronted Wally again.
"Whatever, Baywatch. I'm here to stay." Thank you, I breathed a small sigh of relief. I found my eyes drifting back to Red Arrow, so I once again tried to look at anything in the room but him. It was difficult.
"You came to us for a reason," Aqualad said.
"Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette." Red Arrow replied, looking at Robin. Doctor who? Hehe...
"Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City!" The boy exclaimed as pictures appeared of the doctor in question.
"Vanished two weeks ago-"
"Abducted two weeks ago." Red Arrow corrected. "By the League of Shadows." Wait, so there's another League now?
"Whoa, you want us to rescue her from the Shadows?" Robin asked.
"I already rescued her." Whoa, Red Arrow can do that all by himself? So what does he need us for? "Leaves only one problem. The Shadows had already coerced her into building a weapon." He showed a picture of some canister, along with a bug-robot. Not even going to say it...
"Doc calls it the Fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nanotech infiltrators, capable of desintifrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone." As much as I wanted him to keep talking, these robots didn't sound all too friendly.
"But its true purpose inst mere destruction; it's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system," thank you for using da-ta, "and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows. Providing them weapons, defense, cutting edge science and tech..."
"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking...yeah, sounds like the Shadows." Artemis spoke. But how did...
"Like you know anything about the Shadows." Wally said before I could ask. Artemis just glared at him.
"Who are you?!" He shouted. I could tell he was getting frustrated with her.
"Roquette's working on a virus to render the Fog inert." Red Arrow resumed his briefing.
"But if the Shadows know she can do that..." Robin wondered.
"They'll target her. Right now she's off the grid. I've stashed her at the local high school's computer lab." Red Arrow brought up a picture of a school, but it looked different than Gotham Academy.
"You left her there alone?" Green Arrow asked.
"She's safe enough for now." Red Arrow objected. I didn't really think so, but wasn't about to open my mouth against his plan.
"Then let's you and I keep her that way," Green Arrow offered.
"'You and I'? Don't you want to take your new protégé?" Red Arrow asked. Green Arrow was about to reply, but Batman stopped him.
"You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's her's now too." Green Arrow finished.
Red Arrow started to leave. I was conflicted on whether or not I wanted him to. "Then my job's done." He retreated to the Zeta tubes. As the computer called out his old name, Speedy, he interjected. "That's 'Red Arrow,' B06 update." Wait, you can do that?
It was late by the time we got to the high school. I was stationed outside with Superboy and Miss Martian, while the rest of the team was inside the school protecting the doctor.
"Everyone online?" Miss Martian's voice was in my head again. At first I forgot she could do that, but relaxed once I remembered.
"Yep," I thought, popping the "p."
"Ugh, this is weird." Artemis thought.
"And distracting." I guessed it was Dr. Roquette's voice. "Coding a distributed algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough, now I have to hear teen think in my skull?!"
"Okay, you're going to have to slow it down with the big words because I only caught about a fourth of all that," I thought. It wasn't a lie. I heard her mentally groan in response.
"Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?" Kid Flash asked. Well, more like accused.
"Pot, kettle. Have you met?" Artemis shot back.
"What does any of this have to do with pots?" I asked, confused. "Wait, is this another metaphor-thing?"
"Just let them hash it out," Robin instructed. I did as told and stayed quiet.
"Hey, hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the team." Kid Flash was sounding frustrated again.
"That is so not on me." Artemis sounded even more frustrated.
I decided to stop focusing on the conversation and peered around the campus, looking for any trouble. I knelt down on a corner of the roof, letting the light breeze ruffle my feathers.
I saw Artemis exit the building and meet with Miss Martian down on the pavement. I decided to stay up on the rooftops for now, in case someone tried to sneak in up here.
"Vent, window, vent, window ugh, this job is so boring!" I thought as I paced around. Everything was dark, I could hardly see. "Why did you even put me up here?" I asked Aqualad specifically.
"We need surveillance from the air. Who better to patrol the rooftops?" He asked.
"Oh, I don't know, someone who can actually see in this darkness?!" I mentally shouted. My eyesight was great in the daytime, but at night I could hardly see two feet in front of my without a light source. And even then it depended on how bright the source was.
"Hawkgirl, sometimes I think you have two completely opposite personalities." Kid Flsh commented.
"And what's it to you if I did?" I asked, unknowingly proving his point. I crossed my arms even though no one was there to see me do it.
I heard a rustling in the bushes near Miss Martian and Artemis. Even though my eyesight was the worst, my hearing was now as sharp as ever. I jumped/flew over to above where they were standing to see if they had any sight of whatever made the nise.
Superboy apparently had the same idea, as he jumped over me and landed neatly on the pavement.
"Mmh, that boy," I jerked my head up as Artemis's voice rang in my head.
"He can hear you, you know. We can all hear you." Miss Martian said.
"Oh, I know," Artemis replied. I gritted my teeth. So now there's two people after my brother. Great.
"Hey, why don't you just go somewhere else, away from my brother?" I half-asked, half-demanded.
"Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the Fog. Reconfigure the Bio-Ship so that Robin and Superboy can pursue." Aqualad commanded.
"Hey, why can't I go?" I asked, standing up.
"You are needed here." He replied simply. I watched with envy as the two boys ran into the Bio-Ship, which then departed to who-knows-where.
Now, with Robin gone, I thought it only fair to help protect Dr. Roquette in the computer lab.
"Aqualad, I'm coming in there to help." I said as I dropped to the ground and ran inside. It was easy enough to find on the first floor, as I switched from waiting outside to waiting inside. At least now I could keep a closer eye on the doctor.
"You embarrassed Superboy," Miss Martian accused.
"Didn't hear him say that," Artemis responded.
"Must you challenge everyone?"
"Where I come from, that's how you survive." Her words felt oddly familiar for some reason.
"Artemis, where did you come from?" I asked.
"None of your business," she replied sharply. I decided to keep my mouth -well, thoughts- closed.
I heard footsteps outside. I went to see what it was to find Kid Flash running down the hallway.
"Kid, where are you going?" I asked, running along his path.
"I think there's someone-WOAH!" And then he was silent.
"Kid? Kid Flash? Wally!" I yelled mentally as I ran down the hall to see what happened.
"Aqualad, I think-ugh!" I was cut off from my message when something sharp hit my back. I immediately felt lightheaded, and I landed roughly on the ground. At least, I think it was the ground. The world seemed to spin, and then I saw nothing but black.
A/N: So I went ahead and decided to write out "Infiltrator." I thought that maybe instead of following the plot of "Denial" and "Downtime" I could go into a little more detail on Hawkgirl's own arc. So, be on the lookout for some dramatic reveals!
Ohoho, "Bereft" is going to be soo much fun for me. I got a special plan in store for that episode. *evil laugh*
As always, reviews, followers, and favorites are very much appreciated.