Chapter 34

A/N: hey guys! Welcome back for the next chapter of Half-Breed. Remember, I just own the story and OCs, nothing else is mine.

/comms/

"Bold is raptor"

Telepathy/Flashbacks

Mt. Justice, January 15, 15:28EDT

"…When your mission relies on subterfuge, resist the urge to go on the offensive. The last thing you want to risk is exposing yourself and the team, because a covert operation means keeping to the shadows. Concealing your identities, infiltrating your targets and that means advance research, study, and long hours on stakeout. And of course you must always remain alert…" Captain Atom trailed off as Conner yawned, his gaze falling on each teen. M'gann was daydreaming, Kaldur appeared to be dozing, Raquel had fallen asleep, Zatanna was doing little spells on her desk, Wallace was eating, Onyx and Robin were playing rock, paper, scissors, and Skylar was playing with her parrot while Artemis was doodling on the Pteranodon hybrid's wing-splint. "This is boring isn't it?"

"No Captain it's quite—"

"Yeah, it's boring," Conner interrupted.

"All right," he nodded, "Let's learn in the field then." everyone perked up in their seats as he pulled up a file, "This is a cold case, Vietnam era. Captain Nathaniel Adams, United States Air Force; convicted in 1968 or murdering Air Force General Clement Lemar. Adams died in prison, but I've received reliable intel that we was framed. Your assignment is to investigate. Prove Adams innocence or reconfirm his guilt and report back to me."

Conner raised a brow, "Really? You need superpowered operatives for this?"

The Silver hero shrugged crossing his arms, "Right then, I'll continue the lecture."

"NO!" the rest of the team screeched.

-.-

Washington D.C. 23:03EDT

"Entering Pentagon now," M'gann informed as she flew inside the building. Ducking into a bathroom, she decamouflaged and morphed into the form of an unassuming Pentagon officer. "Coast is clear."

Walking out of the bathroom, she strode down the hall towards a door. With a spot rap on the door, she stepped into an office, raising her arm into a salute. "General Eiling, Sir!"

"At ease Captain, sit," the general spoke. "Now, explain to me why the judge advocate general's office is reopening this case?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to do that sir," she answered taking a seat. "You were the judge at Adams' court martial. Which makes you a potential witness—"

"Witness?" he interrupted. "To what? The Adams case was open and shut."

"Why don't you just tell me what you remember general?" M'gann prodded glancing behind the General to the vent. Just through the grate, she could make out a small camera from where she sat. On the other side of the grate, Robin opened the feed, watching the interview.

"Fine. Captain Nate Adams was your classic malcontent. We were barely acquainted before the incident. In fact, I was better acquainted with his victim. Adams blamed Lemar for a Viet Cong ambush; as if any officer would intentionally get his own men killed. But Adams wouldn't listen to reason. He was caught in the act by an M.P. Sergant Polk, I think his name was. I was a colonel when I drew the case. I found Adams guilty and sentenced him to life in prison," the old general scoffed, "Turned out to be a short sentence. Adams took hos own life before a year was out…"

-.-

Las Vegas, 20:12PDT

"A Casino? Really?" Raquel grumbled as she and Zatanna followed behind Conner and Wally.

"This is where Captain Atom said to go," Zatanna shrugged as they walked inside. "Who is it we're looking for again?"

"Lieutenant Yarrow?" Conner called walking towards a Blackjack table.

"Guess we have our answer," Raquel muttered.

"No, the man grumbled swirling his drink. "Retired the uniform and the title. Now I'm just Mr. Yarrow. But you can call me Henry. Hit me." The dealer nodded, sliding a card over, Yarrow flipped in and cursed under his breath, "Twenty-two, bust."

"Sir, on one under twenty-one is allowed in the casino," the dealer spoke. "You are under twenty-one?"

"In weeks or months?" Conner quipped causing the others to snicker.

"Cute," the man snickered. "You must be the journalism students. C'mon, my luck's run out anyways. Let's find a place to talk."

The group walked over to a booth, sitting down as Wally ran off to get food. Coming back a few minutes later, they could see the redhead had a huge grin on his face. "Four-ninety-five all-you-can-eat buffet! My kind of town!"

"So," Raquel began, "you were Adams' defense counsel?"

"His friend too," Henry spoke. "We served together in 'Nam. The only survivors of Hill four-o-nine. Nate worked Air Force intelligence. He suspected a weapons smuggling ring and confided as much to General Lemar."

"So how does that lead to him being accused of murder?" Zatanna questioned.

"Lemar claimed to hear about the rumors too. He ordered Nate to take a squad to Hill Four-o-nine. It was an ambush," Henry continued looking down and fiddling with the ring on his finger, "Nate saved my life. The rest of Nate's men weren't so lucky. Afterwards, Nate became convinced that Lemar was part of the smuggling ring and sent us into the ambush. I tried to talk him out it…"

"Out of what?"

The former Lieutenant sighed, "Nate was insistent on confronting Lemar. But, he blacked out a moment later. Afterwards he'd claim to be drugged and I believed him, 'cuz there's no way the Nate Adams I knew would murder a man in cold blood. I took on Nate's defense, but the prosecutor, Lieutenant Kevin Blankly proved Nate's service knife was the murder weapon. And the medical examiner, Major Shirley Mason, testified there were no drugs in Nate's system. So, as a result, the judge found Nate guilty and sentenced him to life in prison," he slammed his fist on the table, making Wally and Zatanna jump, "and that's where Nate died! But, get this, that judge, Colonel Wade Eiling, he married Nate's widow and raised Nate's two kids as his own! Don't tell me that doesn't stink to high heaven?!"

-.-

Arlington, 23:57EDT

"Hey SB, what's the word?" Onyx greeted.

/So get this, turns out Adams' buddy believed he was drugged and framed to commit the murder/ Conner informed. /But here's the thing, the medical examiner said there were no drugs in his system/

"That's weird."

"Yeah," Robin agreed pulling up a map, "If Adams was framed, looks like the place to start would be the medical examiner Shirley Mason."

"Where can we find her?" Miss M asked.

Closing the map, the Boy Wonder ran forwards, causing his two teammates to chase after him over the rooftops. They came to a window and the Martian used her telekinesis to open it.

Almost immediately, Onyx began growling. He knew that scent, he knew it all too well. This place had the scent of death.

Forcing his way in first, the hybrid crawled over the couch, sniffing the air to follow the scent. It didn't take long for his gaze to land on the body just a few feet in front of him.

"What is it?" Robin asked climbing in before he spotted his teammate crouching by a body. "Oh…looks like the medical examiner needs a medical examiner," he hopped down, crouching beside the body, "she has something in her hand. I don't wanna disturb the crime scene, but we need to see what it is."

"Need to see—OMG!" M'gann gasped covering her mouth with her hands.

"M'gann, get whelmed," Onyx hissed. "Work now, panic after."

The redheaded girl nodded shakily raising her hand, "How's this?"

The body levitated off the floor, and the trio could see the picture frame held in her hands. "Perfect. Looks like this photo was taken in the sixties," he grumbled looking over the image, "this might be her, but the sixties were a while ago…"

"They don't have to be," M'gann piped up. She stood up, shifting her form into the image of the woman, "Here's the woman in the picture," she aged herself, "and here's the woman on the floor. They have the same musculo-skeletal structure. She's definitely the woman in the picture."

"Guess that answers that question," Onyx muttered.

Robin began typing on his glove-screen, "I'll run facial recognition software on the rest. It could take a while. But I should be able to generate a list of names to go with Mason's.

-.-

Honolulu, 19:06HST

"Thank you again for meeting with us," Kaldur said as he, Artemis, and Skylar (with a glamour charm) sat down across from a woman and a military officer.

"I'm only here for my sister Peggy's sake," the brother grumbled taking his seat. "Nate Adams is not a topic to ever choose to discuss."

"Randy!" Peggy hissed punching her brother's arm. "You're talking about our father!"

Rubbing his arm, Randy tossed a glare at his sister, "Wade Eiling is our father. He raised us. Adams gave up any parental rights the day he betrayed our country and murdered her superior officer!"

"Our mother never thought he was guilty! And I don't believe it either."

Randy rolled his eyes, "I love you sis, but your opinion doesn't count. Dad died in prison before you were born."

"Ha! You just called him dad!"

-.-

"Well that was useless," Skylar grumbled as they walked along the beach, the waves lapping at their feet.

"Yeah," Artemis agreed, "Randy was…intense, but at least he was realistic. Biology hardly guarantees parental skills or even basic honesty. Nathaniel Adams may be guilty as charged. Right Kaldur?" Getting no response, the two girls looked at their teammate. "Kaldur?"

"Apologies Artemis, Skylar. My thoughts were of Atlantis with my mother—Sha'lain'a—she's a native of the Atlantean city-state of Shayeris; my father, Calvin Durham, is a surface-worlder like you two. He was genetically altered by Black Manta to infiltrate Atlantis. He did, but his love for my mother caused him to switch sides."

"Your dad worked for Black Manta?!" Artemis exclaimed.

"Dude," Skylar said putting her hands on her hips, "your family's all assassins and I was a villain, people can change. So maybe we need to wait for all the facts before rushing to judgement

-.-

Annapolis, January 16 00:32EDT

"I know my grasp on Earth history is based largely on sitcoms, but why would a North Vietnamese General be in a 1968 photo with US personnel?" M'gann questioned as she, Onyx and Robin crouched behind some foliage observing a large house from below.

"Good question," Robin agreed pulling up his data, "This General Trang was the first person my facial recognition software IDed."

"But that doesn't explain why he's here, in the states with a mansion," Onyx pointed out.

"Yeah, that takes money and connections."

"Two things participating in an illegal smuggling ring could provide," Wally said as he, Conner, Rocket, and Zatanna joined them.

"So Adams was right!"

"Onyx, you seeing this?" Conner asked.

Tossing a quick glance to his teammate, Onyx switched to thermal following his gaze. "Shit!"

"What?"

"Trang's not alone in there," Superboy informed.

"Yeah," Onyx confirmed, "looks like a samurai. Rob wasn't Mason killed by a sword?"

"That's right, which means we probably just found the culprit."

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

"Let's get him!"

"No," Robin interrupted, "remember, this is a covert op. We need to keep to the shadows. We don't take the offensive. Like in Captain Atom's lecture."

"You were actually listening to that?" Rocket questioned. "Look, I think we have all the intel we need. Why don't we just grab this guy and interrogate him?"

"Because it's a covert op," Zatanna reminded. "Besides, we still don't know who's in charge or if Adams really was framed."

"I'll go check it out," Miss Martian volunteered. Pulling up her hood, she went into camouflage mode and flew up towards the mansion.

"I know why you're here," she heard as she approached the balcony door, "I still have my sources. I know about Mason, I know about your work. I am disappointed Rako. I have protected you since you were a child; have you no loyalty?"

"I do," a new, slightly gruff voice spoke, "just not to you." M'gann gasped as she saw the man raise his sword. Thrusting out her hand, she used her telekinesis to rip it from his grip as the samurai turned to face her. "A new security system General? Most impressive." He threw out an arm, slapping M'gann across the face and knocking her to the floor where her hood fell off, revealing her. "Too bad I'll have to dismantle it."

A/N: Hey y'all, still working on the story. If it wasn't obvious, this is from the Young Justice Comic series, which I also don't own. I figured it'd be fun to try adding these to the story as well (obviously out of order for the cannon times but whatever). Anyways, let me know what y'all think and I'll see y'all in the next chapter.