"Okay, let's try again," Tim instructed you fir the tenth time.
With a heavy and irritable sigh, you do it, despite knowing full well the outcome yet he insisted on running these tests again just to make sure and he had his readings. Standing in the bat cave with attachments and wires hocked to you hold your hands straight out; aiming at the target hung on the wall of the bat cave.
Tim stood adjacent behind you by the bat computer. Simultaneously monitoring you and data. Without looking he signaled you with a thumbs up to go and like before you produced nothing. Not even a spark. Or a glow. There was tingling from your fingers, nerved you rip off the wires having enough and throw to the ground.
"I need air!" You huff, storming over to the stairs just as Alfred came down with a tray of snacks.
He quickly moves to the side for you.
"May, wait! There's one more test I want to—" Tim tried calling after you but you didn't stop.
Alfred came over and sat the tray down.
"It seems the young miss is still quite nettled. One can only imagine her tempest of feelings."
Tim knew what he meant and he understood. Ever since the discovery you've become peevish. Annoyed by the smallest thing and easily sunken by...well everything. Switching between hot and cold and pouring; Tim was careful around you but needed to understand why this happened. All these tests were for a reason and the last few times you snapped and threw a few things. Breaking some of the equipment, he barely managed to calm you down. Luckily Alfred came and soothed the tempest.
Anguish was the only thing he could see in your eyes. It was thick as a London fog, dark and dull. The spark you had no longer there; the blood samples, he had left, couldn't find anything really wrong. He ran it countless times; though dividing himself between you and league business made it difficult. He had to keep your presence quiet, especially from Aqualad and definitely from April. Who for some reason, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, was behaving rather... Gemini. One moment she was aloof and rigid, cold when it came to finding you. She held no airs of sisterly affection. It switched on occasion, mostly around Kalder, who determined to find you. He and April were barely seen apart.
So Tim had to be careful. He feared what would happen should they find out your presence was here. Finishing up putting the equipment away, the results would finish later he went to join you.
He found you in the same spot, as usual, alone outside sitting on the edge of the pool with your feet in. Head down, shoulders ridged. Lips pinched, gloweringly staring at the surface as if heat vision would come out. But nothing came, no matter how longing you wanted it to. He took a seat next to you. Your hands clamped the edge, trying to break it only for your knuckles to turn white. They trembled.
Tim sat next to you not uttering a single word. None would work. He knew that. No sympathetic gesture either. His presence was all he could give.
Over in El Paso dusk was settling itself in, along the streets, Roy aka Arsenal walked casually through. Dressed like a normal civilian or person his age(chronically). A dark hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes. No one paid him any mind, which was good on his part. He didn't have any interest in any of them, he was in the mood for something organic.
Open Meadows, the smoothie shop just a few blocks up the head. His target. Once he arrived ordered the Blissful Berries, medium, and left a tip. He didn't leave, taking a seat outside in the back patio; a couple was there in the far right he sat three tables away. Checking his watch, fifteen minutes passed, they should be here soon. Taking a drink of his smoothie, nearly halfway done, realized he should have purchased that carrot cake cookie.
Leaning back reminded himself to get after this.
"You're late." He said without looking up at the figure walking over.
"Does even matter?" Tye grunts, taking the seat across. Asami sat next to him.
Roy arched a brow," Where's bug boy?"
"He'll be here. So, what did you find?"
Digging into the pocket of his hoodie, Roy pulled out and laid on the table a blue vinyl folder. He opened it revealing copies of pictures and some other data. Tye looks them over with Asami, who sipped on her smoothie. Filing through every bit of information, from charts to test scores to physical status. There wasn't much Tye saw that raised an alarm. He doubled checked again making sure he didn't miss anything.
"There's nothing," he huffed tossing the papers down.
Arsenal gathered them together, "Yeah. That's what I thought at first too. But, there is something that I did notice." Taking out two math papers laid before the two, files with equations far beyond their knowledge. "These equations right here."
Tye rose a brow, "Yeah? What about them?"
"Do you know what any of these equations mean?"
The two shrugged, "Dude, no."
"Exactly."
Tye and Asami weren't following. Roy leaned back a bit in his chair. "I didn't understand them either. There's no math I could find that similar. This sort of equation or equations isn't in any subject of math or science. I tried cross-referencing them from several universities and professions in said fields. Einstein. Hawkins. Newton. None of their work matched. This is something entirely different."
Something changed suddenly, Tye's eyes narrow understanding. Looking again, slowly, he tried to match any part of the equation from his own educational knowledge. None fit. Arsenal was right. He set them to side and looked through the others, Asami looked at the equations, it was greek to her too. Jaime arrived and quickly asset the gravity of the situation. Quickly taking his seat next to Roy grabbed the papers closest to him.
He the history class.
Roy sat back and finished up his drink, subtly taking a look around, the couple left already. It was just them, the sun finally set and the patio lights came on. He took the last slip and the others finished.
"This wasn't worth seven-sixty-five," he complained tossing the empty drink over his shoulder into the nearby trashcan. "So, by the looks on your faces, you just as shocked and puzzled as I was."
Jaime goes through it again, brows knotted together, "…This…none of this really is anything we've gone over. Is it even in the school curriculum?"
"Nope. Checked that too. Your school is the simple A-G requirements. Unless you know, honor roll or AP courses. But nothing like this."
There was still the program you were apart of, separate from school but still integrated into the school curriculum, or so it was supposed to be.
Roy continued, "As for that little program she's apart of, did some digging into that too."
Jaime, Tye, and Asami tense up. "…And?" Jaime swallowed.
Roy takes another survey around, making sure no one was listening that shouldn't be. He even eyed the "hidden" cameras, though they were for business security he didn't take any chances. Leaning in, the others do the same.
"It's connected to something called Omega Corps. This company is little, not much is known about it, but it does have ties to some others."
"Like who?" Tye asked, keeping his voice low despite the rising anger. Asami set a hand on his wrist, calming him.
Roy said nothing and moved his eyes to each of them. He did it twice when it clicked. Their eyes widen.
"Are you serious?" Jaime nearly shot up from his seat, Roy snatched him back down. "Sorry. T-That's impossible. How could that even be…I mean…no…we got rid of them!"
"It could just be a cover." Roy presumed, "Like you said it doesn't make sense. But it sort of has the same MO. Instead of drinks using test scores. Essays. The language is different, just like the recipe for the sports drink."
Tye, did his best to keep his flaring emotions from coming out, "What do they even want with her? Is that why she did what she did? On the news! You know the attacks!"
Roy glanced at the papers, "It could be. Something in those equations might be or could be some sort of code; she said it herself to me. She isn't really human, everything about her is programmed, so these equations could be a form of resetting codes or something. And her mind, being a computer it would seem, deciphered it as such. Flipping a switch in her. Giving someone else control over her actions. That is," he emphasized, "a possibility."
"That's ridiculous!" Tye smacked his hand on the table, shaking it a bit. Pointed a finger at the redhead."There's no way…that…that happened."
Asami tried to calm him down, Roy remained unfazed.
"Is it?" Jaime questioned, they look at him. "We don't understand any of these equations. Or what the topics she had to write about and the other subjects. All her blackouts. Sudden mood changes. I mean…It's starting to make some sense."
"Dude." Tye scowled.
Jaime met his friend's glowering eyes, "Look, I know it doesn't sound good. But, at least we have something to go off. We just might know what's going on with May. Which is a good thing. While everyone else is tying her up with unjustified labels. We can at least get the truth."
"So, you want to bring this to the others then?" Roy asked.
Jaime thought it about for a moment, "No. I don't think that would be a good idea. Who knows what could happen. We keep this among ourselves. Dig further. I can get the Scrab to look at these equations and maybe break them. It's the best idea for now."
Tye sat back and threw up his arms, "And then what? We still have one more problem. A big one. Where May is exactly. We have no clue on that. She disappeared," he did air quotes, "suddenly. Do you think it's possible they might have taken her?"
Jaime felt something drop in him, Roy leaned back putting a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I highly doubt so," he affirmed with a smirk.
"What makes you think that?" Jaime looks at him.
"I just have a hunch. That's all."
The others look at each other, not following. "So, you know who might have her?" Jaime looked at him.
"Possibly. Whoever took her, they did it is the same one who found her. Following clues, others might have missed. Never leaving a stone unturned. They have her and keeping her reclusive. One might just call it solitude."
Tye huffed, having enough, "Enough with the riddles. We get it. If you know who it is, tell us."
Roy stood up and begin walking off. "Not yet. I'll look into it. See ya." He threw up a good-bye hand and went on his way.
