Lash's POV
I pulled on my hair, stressed, over paperwork the Council gave Warren and I to fill out.
Speaking of Warren, he looked about ready to set the half-inch stack of papers on fire.
After another fifteen agonizingly long minutes, Val slid into the chair next to me, holding a bottle of some pop she likes.
Cracking the cap off the bottle, she took a drink from it before snatching Warren's forms. He growled and went to take them back, but she whipped them away, skimming the form's questions.
"You're applying for a freaking over-seas-internship? Where the-" She looked back down at the pages, flipped through and continued her sentence. "Switzerland. Of all places, Switzerland."
"We'd be staying at the Battle's place. Apparently, it's pretty big." Warren replied to his sister.
"'We?' I'm not applying for this."
"Both Warren and I are applying for it." I answered quickly. "We'd be gone from like, just after we graduate to sometime before Christmas." I paused. "You should come with us for the summer."
Val fell quiet and took a sip from the opaque bottle. After swallowing the dark liquid, she responded.
"Sure, why not? Besides, I accepted a Council position. I'm not going to really start until I graduate, but I said I'd pop in occasionally during my final year."
"What job did you accept, Valerie?"
"You accepted the Black Sheep position? Good job sis!"
Both Warren and I spoke at the same time, except he held a hand up for a high-five.
She punched his hand instead.
"They offered you Black Sheep?" I was surprised and yet not, at the same time. After all, she is indestructible, which, from what I hear, is rather essential to surviving the job post.
"Yeah. Apparently, Baron was offered it but didn't accept." She spat out her biological father's name as if it was something disgusting.
To her, both him and her biological mother's names were disgusting.
I don't blame her.
I hugged her close and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Well, I hope you like the job. But does it mean you're leaving New League?"
We've all shifted pretty easily into calling ourselves, as a whole, New League.
Well, except Zach. After we sent the name in for approval, he wanted us to send another message and change to "Young Justice".
Needless to say, none of us would go for that. He still pouts over it. Oh well. Zach will be Zach.
She shook her head. "Nah, I just have to go in when there's something to be tested, or a particularly rowdy villain needs to be taken out. Also, get this; executions. But apparently it's really rare."
"I would hope so." I nuzzled her neck. For that, she swatted my head, making Warren snigger.
End of the school year
Valerie's POV
Proms suck. But what the hell, I'll go. Something interesting might happen. Who knows, maybe we'll get a repeat of homecoming.
Okay, on second thought, maybe it would be better if that didn't happen.
Warren's already left to go and get his date for the night, whoever that is. I'm currently being fussed over by Layla who's trying to get me to wear more colorful makeup.
"No, Layla. I'm sticking with simple black. Do you see any color on this dress?"
"You would look better with some color, Valerie! Try some red." The hippie held out some red eye shadow. I picked up the black.
"No."
"Please?" She begged.
"No."
This went on for a couple minutes, before she placed the red down and took the black, brushing it on for me.
"You're so stubborn. You're the same as Will when it comes to asking for directions."
I sniggered. We tried going on a road trip for March break, but that died the first day when Will was trying to give Lash directions and failing.
Miserably.
He couldn't even navigate us out of the city.
Layla put her makeup away, all natural ingredients, and waited with me for Lash to show up. The rest of the group was currently placing bets on a tag fame between Maj and Iggy, who was trying to catch our shifter friend.
Ten minutes later, he rang the doorbell, a corsage white roses in hand.
After Lilith took photos, we hightailed it to the prom, Blitzkrieg grumbling about being left behind.
After catching the bus to the school and almost falling asleep on the way there, Lash and I made our way to the gym to find Warren.
Sure enough, we found him with his Prom date.
"Hey, bro!" I called, waving him over. "Mind introducing me to your friend?"
Warren walked over, politely taking her arm. Somewhat tall, dark brown hair and violet eye-color, wearing a dress that complemented her eyes.
"Sis, Rubber Band, this is Anastasia Romanov, the Russian transfer."
"привет" She waved at us, greeting in her native tongue.
"Russian, so she's a Dragon shifter then?" I asked.
Anastasia nodded.
"That's cool. There's not that many over here."
A discussion on Dragon shifters soon evolved into one on many different power types, then other various subjects, as the night went on.
Two days later
I finished zipping my suitcase up, dragging the large hard-sided bag up the stairs, the wheels thumping against them.
After placing the bag in the back of the van belonging to the Council, I climbed in the back with Warren and Lash, Blitzkrieg flopping over everyone and smacking an unhappy Warren in the face with his tail.
The streets were almost entirely devoid of other vehicles, due to the fact the Council is a jerk and they seem to like scheduling flights for three is the damn morning.
Once at the airport, they didn't bother parking. The driver just drove right to a private hanger, pulling up next to a side door. He parked there and unlocked the door, allowing us four to climb out. We dragged our luggage out and handed off to some Council transporters, then trudged over to enter the hanger, where a one of the Council's private jets sat waiting.
Many Council members, from Maxville and other branches, where flying over to the main European branch, located in the Netherlands. Once on board, we realised that his was a custom interior, allowing each person a wack-ton of space. There were chairs set up in set of two, four or six, each with a table in the middle. We took a four-chair area, Lash and I on one side, Warren and Blitzy on the other.
Once everyone was settled, the jet taxied out of the hanger onto the runway, then began gaining speed rapidly for a successful takeoff.
After the pilots decided they had successfully reached altitude, a couple of stewards came around to take breakfast orders from everyone.
"Do you have pancakes?"
The steward blinked, clearly expecting some other food.
"Yes... But they're not always made."
"Do you have Canadian maple syrup?"
"I can check..."
The steward left after taking the other orders from Warren and Lash, and after almost having his pen eaten by Blitzkrieg.
He came back almost half an hour later, with Warren's order of eggs, bacon and coffee, Lash's meal, which consisted of eggs, sausages, toast and orange juice. Blitzkrieg got some scrap metal I was carrying, and the Steward placed a plate with a stack of pancakes that had been drowned in maple syrup.
I dug in gratefully, as did my brother and boyfriend.
Blitzkrieg had already finished and was currently trying to take Warren's fork, which was was trying to eat with. Greedy little shit.
After breakfast, I fell asleep pretty quickly, tired from being woken up so early.
Once I woke up, we had landed in Amsterdam.
