Hey guys, here's the next chapter to the story. I would like to add that while I'm trying to get as much information and research done for the story, there are some answers I can only fill in with my imagination and input. Nevertheless, If you happen to have any information that you deem useful, please let me know. Also, a lot of the Thanagarians traits I am linking to birds since the two do have a lot in common. They actually have the ability to speak to birds.

Memories

Present

In any case, I don't own YJ, only my OC. Enjoy!

Six years ago

A small Thanigarian child sits by a window sill as she looks out into the new city her family has moved to. It's been two weeks since they were forced to leave their homeworld Thanigar and relocate to Earth. The reason behind their departure is lost to the girl, but one comment fails to leave her mind. MUTT. That's what some people called her when they believed her parents weren't paying attention. As time goes on, the small Thanigarian child comes to believe their departure was her fault.

"What's wrong with my little eyas?" Shayera asked, sitting next to her only daughter. "You seem sad."

"How can I not be, mama. We left our home and all of my friends!"

"I know, but we couldn't stay in Thanagar. I've told you this before."

"But you never explained to me why we couldn't stay? Or when we'll return? Why do we have to remain here of all places? Why Earth?! It's so weird here! They don't even believe beings other than themselves exist. We can't even show our wings when we're among them."

"Hush, my little eyas," Shayera cuts in as she holds her daughter close to her. "I know this is all very confusing, but I need you to be patient. I can't explain the whole story to you now, but I can give you some details if you want."

"...mama, is it my fault?"

"Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"...because I'm a mutt..."

"Oh, Alizeh, I told you not to pay attention to those people," the ex-Thanagarian soldier sighed. "They simply wished to hurt you with their words since they couldn't harm you physically."

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"... you are not full Thanigarian, yes, but that does not make you a mutt. It simply means you're different."

"Why? What makes me so different? What am I?"

"Someone very precious to me, and perhaps to another. Alizeh, I did something long ago... I suppose now is the best time to tell you the truth," Shayera whispered more to herself than her child. Holding her daughter close, she picks the girl up and carries Alizeh to her bed. They snuggle together in the bed as the mother steels herself, trying to find a way to tell the truth. "Alizeh, do you remember years ago when I told you Katar is not your true father?"

"Yes?"

"Well, some time ago, twelve years to be exact, Katar and I came to Earth as spies. Thanagar wanted us to gain the trust of the Humans so we could somehow use them against the Gordanians. During our stay, I grew to care about the humans, and I could no longer complete the mission. Katar wanted to continue the assignment, so we went our separate ways. During our time apart, I met a young man named John Stewart."

"Mama, is this John Stewart, my father?" The small child asked in disbelief. The older woman, however, merely brushed a stray hair from her daughter's face as she stared into Alizeh's emerald eyes.

"Yes, my little eyas, he is…. Your real name is Alizeh Stewart-Thal, and I love you more than life itself."

Present

"Should... wake... up?" a familiar childish voice asked in the distance but I couldn't quite catch everything he said. My mind is still a bit sluggish as I come to, and his voice sounds a bit muffled. Nevertheless, I do my best not to obtain suspicion as I slowly awaken from my unconscious state. My mother taught me long ago how to do this in the case of my capture, and from time to time it's come in handy.

"Is... claustrophobic?"

"No, she is not," another voice beside me said, a bit muffled but clearer than the other two. Regardless of that, I do recognize this voice due to its smooth nature. It has to be Aqualad! That's right; Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, and I are on a mission (not really) at Cadmus. Moving my hands and legs slowly to go unnoticed by those around me, I come to the realization that my limbs are cuffed to a wall behind me. At least I think I'm chained to a wall. I still haven't opened my eyes yet so I'm not too sure.

It seems as if the conversation around me begins to pick up so I listen to it a bit further. As far as I can tell, Superboy is the only one in the room with us. I quietly move my wrist around again to figure out if I can escape my imprisonment. Sadly, it seems as if that option is not available to me. However, I still feel my helmet on my face, meaning I can open my eyes without being caught. Similar to Robin, no one can see my eyes once my headgear is on. Opening my eyes, it becomes clear to me that escaping is definitely not an option. My mace is on the other side of the room, and I forgot to pack my knives earlier today with all of the excitement going on. Figuring the best thing to do is have faith in the power of persuasion, I listen to my boys as they speak to the clone. Nonetheless, in the middle of their negotiations with the clone, the lead scientist steps into the room, forcing the clone to leave. As the Doctor begins to inform us about our soon-to-be replacements, I try once again to wriggle free to no avail. With nothing else in mind, I finally make my presence known to the group to buy us some more time before our demise. Hopefully, this will give us a chance to escape.

"Yeah, how about we talk this out before you try to fry us?" I rasp out to the old man. The sound of my voice shocks me until I remember the clone choking me not too long ago. "The Justice League won't be happy to hear about this, trust me."

"How long have you been awake?" Kid questions as he interrupts my conversation with the scientist. I notice his eyes are wide with surprise to hear me speaking.

"A while now, but that's not the point! Hush!"

"You're right, Warhawk," The scientist cuts in with a smirk. "The point is we need to move along and remedy this mistake."

...Crap, it's too late...

Suddenly, two mechanical arms with four or so needles with vials attached to them sprang forward to pierce our flesh. I have no time to prepare myself as I feel jolts of electricity running through my system as the machine extracts our blood. I try with all my might to fight through it, but nothing seems to work. The only thing I can do is bite down and bear the pain since I refuse to allow this jerk the pleasure of hearing me scream. I try to focus on anything other than the pain. Another tactic my mother taught me long ago, in the case of torture scenarios, you need to find something to focus on other than the pain, so I try to listen to my surroundings instead. It's a bit difficult since I can hear my boys yelling in agony, but I push past their voices. In the distance, I hear murmurs which soon turn into the sound of metal breaking. Opening my eyes, I see Superboy breaking the door off its hinges, which in turn fries the circuits, ensuring the machine that is torturing us to power down. Superboy throws the gate to the side as the Scientist and his colleagues rush at him. The clone merely pushes them to the side as if they're bugs compared to him.

"Don't give me orders," he growls at them before approaching us. He halts a few feet away from us as if to examine us in our current state.

"You here to save us or fry us?" Kid Flash pipes up from his spot. The clone squints his eyes as if questioning himself on what to do before replying to the question.

"Huh, I don't seem to have heat vision, so I suppose helping is my only option."

"I hope that was your attempt at a joke," I comment as Robin jumps out from his cell. "Dude! Could you do that this whole time?"

"What? No! I was trying to unlock my restraints this entire time. Geez, I'm lucky Batman isn't here. He'd have my head for taking so long."

"Seriously, that's what you're worried about?" Kid Flash deadpans at the smaller boy as Robin pushes a few buttons to open the doors to our cells. "The whole League will have our heads after tonight."

"Don't remind me," I groan at the boy to my right. "In the meantime, would you two boys break the rest of us free, hm?"

"Sure," Robin said, patting Superboy on the arm. "You get those two while I get Kid Mouth."

"Don't you give me orders either," Superboy growls before walking up to Aqualad.

"No, get Warhawk first!"

"What?! No, he needs to free you first!"

"Does it matter?" KF yells at us as Robin frees him.

"Yes!" we scream back in unison. Superboy hesitates for a second before jumping onto my cell and breaking me free.

"Thanks," I gruffly say as I push past him and tear the cuffs of Aqualad. "Stop being such a gentleman."

"Sorry," he laughs before thanking Superboy.

"Come on; I want to get out of this death maze!"

Finally, free from our imprisonment, all of us begin to run to the exit. Aqualad and I quickly grab our weapons as the Doctor wakes up from his unconscious state, yelling at us at the top of his lungs, "You- you'll never get out of here! I'll have you back in pods before morning."

Ignoring him, we make our way through the opening in the wall. I hear explosions behind me, so I'm assuming Robin destroyed any traces of our DNA. As we continue running down the hallway, Aqualad begins to speak. "We are still 42 levels below ground, but if we can make it to the elevator-"

Our group stops moving as a group of G-trolls blocks our path to the exit. At the same, we notice the orbs attached to the walls glowing a bright red. Soon enough, Genome elves hatch from the spheres and encircle us. The G-trolls give us no time to collect ourselves as they begin their attack. We jump out of the way to avoid damage just as Superboy jumps in to attack the beast. The G-troll, however, has the upper hand as he smashes Superboy to the ground. The remaining members of our group use this opportunity to jump over the trolls. Realising Superboy has yet to catch up with us; our group turns back to look for the boy. Instead of running alongside us, he continues to fight the genomes. All the destruction he's causing is crumbling the support system around us. If Superboy doesn't stop now, the cave and probably more will fall on top of us.

"Superboy, the goal is to escape," Aqualad reminds the clone. "Not to bury ourselves here."

"You want to escape?" Superboy bellows at us. He grabs the unconscious G-troll from before and throws it at the rest of them.

"You know, he's hot but kind of crazy," I mutter as I fly to the elevator. As I reach the metal doors, I swing my mace at them, breaking it wide open. "Move it or lose it, fellas!"

"War, take them and go!"

Following Aqualad's orders, I grab the two youngest members in our group and fly up the metal shaft with them. I glance down to see if the other two made it or not. Right on cue, Aqualad and SB fly up halfway only to start falling. Panicking, I race towards them and grab Aqualad in between my legs as I lead them to the ledge.

"What the hell was that?" I asked them as all of the boys stepped onto the ledge. "Why did you start falling?"

"I d-don't know," he mutters, looking at the rest of our group. "Superman can fly. Why can't I fly?"

"Don't know, but it looks like you can leap over tall buildings with a single bound" Kid Flash replies with a thumbs up. "Still cool."

"We will worry about that later," Aqualad comments as he looks at me. "Can you fly us out of here?"

"Not an option," I respond, pointing to the elevator I can hear making its way to us. Looking around, I find the doors leading to our new exit. "Hold on!"

I smash my mace against it, creating a new opening. Without any warning, I begin to grab the boys two at a time and throw them through to the other side. Once they're through, I follow just as the elevator nearly clips my wings on its way down.

"Alright, let's move!" I yell as more genomes find us. KF and I take the lead as we run through the halls. Him by foot and me through the air. A minute into the chase, Superboy begins to yell directions at us. Having no other choice, we follow his orders until we reach a dead end.

"Great directions, Supey," Kid Flash says sarcastically. "Are you trying to get us repodded?"

"No, I-I don't understand," Superboy mumbles, a pathetic excuse to us.

"Don't apologize," Robin announces as he and Aqualad finally catch up to us. "This is perfect!"

"One, I don't recall SB saying I'm sorry," I point out to the boy wonder as I smack him upside his head. "Two, HOW IS THIS PERFECT?!"

"The vent, War. We'll sneak through the vents!"

"What? No! there is no way I'm going through those tiny vents!"

"I thought you said she isn't claustrophobic?" KF asked Aqualad.

"She isn't."

"I'm not! However, that vent is way too small! My wings can't get through there!"

"Then get rid of them!" yelled Robin. "It's either the vents or the pods! You choose! In the meantime, SB, give me a boost."

"Ugh," I groan to myself as Robin begins to unscrew the vent from its place. I move myself to face the wall as I place my hands on top of it. Slowly and extremely gingerly, I reabsorb my wings into my body. The sounds it makes as they enter my body is not pleasant, but the feeling is 10x worse. All Thanigarians can absorb their wings into their bodies, which is great whenever we have to go undercover on a foreign planet. Still, it's an uncomfortable process for all of us, which is why we hardly do it unless we have to. By the time my wings are gone, all of the boys are staring at me.

"You done?" Robin asked irritably from his place inside the vent. "We have to go!"

"Shut up!" I reply as I hop inside. "You try doing that crap. It hurts!"

Once all of us are in the vents, Robin begins to lead us to our next destination, when KF begins to speak. "How come Aqualad is behind Warhawk?"

"Because I will focus on the task ahead of us and not Warhawks posterior."

"Don't say it like that! It doesn't sound sexy that way… say booty at least."

"Can someone smack him for me?" I ask from my place behind Robin. I hear a smack followed by a yelp. "Thank you."

"Fine, whatever, but at this rate, we'll never make it out."

"Wait," Superboy calls out to the group. "Do you hear that?"

Concentrating on my surroundings, I hear the scraping of claws, and the thumping of legs hitting metal. "Yeah, I hear them too. We would have heard them earlier if motormouth over there kept quiet for once."

"HEY!"

"Quiet Kid," Aqualad commands as we continue down the metal maze. "How far are they?"

"They're halfway to us," I replied to him. "They'll have the upper hand in this close space, so we need to get out, Rob."

"One second... Here! War bust us out!"

Squeezing past the small boy, I kick the vent of its place as we hurry out. Quickly, Robin begins to hack the sensors to trick the genomes. They must be receiving information of our whereabouts through the sensors instead of their senses. Once Robin's done, he gives us the all-clear.

"Still plenty of them between us and out."

"Yeah," KF cuts in as he places his goggles over his eyes. "but War and I finally got room to move."

"Hell yeah, we do, baby boy!" I scream as I unleash my wings as I make my way to the emergency stairway. "OUT OF MY WAY!"

I kick the door down, hop onto the railing, and fly up to the top of the stairs. KF uses his superspeed to keep up with me. By the time we make it to the door, the alarms are blaring throughout the building. KF holds the door open for me as the two of us swing through. We're neck at neck when we see a giant steel door closing off the exit. Both of us are going too fast to stop in time, so I grab Kid Flash under his arms and swing my lower half to the door. This way, my legs cushion us as I jump back off and away from the doors.

"We are cut off from the street," Aqualad mentions to the group as the remaining part of our group catches up.

"Yeah, cause we haven't noticed," KF grumbles, but I smack him on top of his head to shut him up. "Ow!"

"Shut it, Kid! Rob, try to hack it as SB, Aqualad, and I, try to break it down."

"On it!"

For the next minute or so the three of us take turns trying to pry the door open to no avail. Not even Robin can hack it. At this rate, the genomes will catch up to us.

"It's useless! Not even the three of us combined can open this," I comment to the entire group. "The G-trolls will be here within minutes!"

"This way!" Robin yells as he kicks down a nearby door. The five of us run through to the adjoining hallway, only to meet another group of genomes led by Guardian. Realizing our only way out is to fight, the five of us ready ourselves to battle. However, before any of us take a single step forward, all of my boys fall to the ground.

"What the-? Boys? Get up!"

None of them respond to my commands. Looking at the enemy, I note the horns of the genomes are glowing red again. They must be using their psychic abilities to knock the boys unconscious, leaving me at a disadvantage since I can't fight all of the genomes and guard my boys at the same time. Guardian understands this and takes a step forward, but I flare my wings as I let out a war cry to keep him from us. Suddenly, Guardian stops moving and his eyes glaze over with a faraway look. At first, I was confused by the sudden behavior change until I noticed the lead Genome approaching us. I angle my mace at him, but Superboy stops me at the same time I nearly lunge at the creature.

"Stop, he's on our side."

"How do you know that? Is he speaking to you in your mind? Listen to me Superboy, he could be lying to you!"

"No, he's not. He's the one who led all of you to me."

"What?" I quietly mutter to myself as I analyze the two. I shake my head at the boy while recalling the events leading to this moment. However, the more I remember, the more I realize that Superboy might have a point.

"Superman to Justice League. There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

"Elevators should be locked down," Kid Flash remarked as Robin ran past us. We follow the younger hero to the elevator to find out what he can dig up.

"This is wrong," Robin states as he pulls up the schematics of the elevator. "Thought so. This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building."

"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad states, prying the doors open to reveal what's hiding on the other side.

"Halt!" a mysterious figure yells at us, throwing explosives in our direction. Having no other choice, the four of us run towards hallway number two. Just then, I hear the voice say in the distance that we're heading to Project Kr.

"He's the one who started the fire that led us to you..."

"Exactly, he's a friend."

Just then, the other three members of our group wake up as Guardian claims his head is clearing up. Together, now with the genomes on our side as unlikely allies, we look to Guardian in anticipation.

"Guardian?" Aqualad calls out to the man uncertainly beside me. The other man's face hardens as he looks back at us.

"Go, I'll deal with Desmond."

"I think not." Desmond growls from somewhere behind the group. The genomes part and Guardian stands in front of us as Dr. Desmond glares at us with a blue vial in hand. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus."

He drinks the liquid before anyone can stop him. Within seconds, he transforms into a hideous gray beast with blood-red eyes. To be fair, he resembles the genomes in the color scheme. However, that's where the resemblance ends as his grotesque features face us.

"Everyone back!" Guardian commands as he charges toward the beast. His efforts are in vain as the monster knocks him to the side with a mere flick of his wrist.

"So much for protecting us," I grumble as SB launches himself at Project Blockbuster. The two struggle for a moment before the beast knocks the two into the upper level of the facility.

"Okay," Robin mutters to us. "That's one way to bust through the ceiling."

"You think Lab Coat planned that?" Kid Flash inquiries as he clutches onto Robin's utility belt to zip line out to the next level with the younger boy.

"I doubt he is planning anything anymore," Aqualad darkly points out to me. Grabbing the Atlantean by the waist, I fly us through the hole in the ceiling and land beside the other two. Nevertheless, I must have terrible timing as Superboy knocks into Aqualad and I, sending us back a few feet. The three of us untangle ourselves from each other as our two youngest companions run to our side. Getting up, all five of us look at each other before lunging at the monster. As the boys start in the attack, I follow behind the two strongest boys in our group. Once Desmond is on the ground, I charge my mace, unleash the whip feature, and slam it onto his head. My hit distracts the creature long enough for Robin to throw a series of bombs at him, but Desmond swats them away before they go off. Seeing him distracted, I reattach my mace and swing it at his head, but he catches it and throws me on the ground. He's about to stomp on me when Superboy intervenes. By the time I get up, I see Desmond catching KF by the shin and tossing him at Aqualad. The Atlantean only has a moment to prepare himself as Project Blockbuster lunges at him. I fly forward, trying to save Aqualad, but the beast merely pushes the two of us back. We break through a pillar before another pillar stops us. As the mutant begins to punch us, I take most of the hits since I'm in front of Aqualad. Quickly, the older teen creates a water shield to protect us. It allows me the time I need to kick the monster away from us. SB then charges at him with a flurry of punches before being thrown to the side.

"War, I need some help distracting the thingy!" KF yells as he grabs the rest of Desmond's old skin off his new face.

"Coming," I rasp to the yellow speedster. Together the two of us play an intense game of tag with Desmond. Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice what the other three boys are doing as KF, and I distract Desmond. Once everything is ready, Kid slides through the water, spreading it around. I come in from behind and knock Desmond down as Aqualad electrocutes him.

"Move," Robin screams to us as the bombs on the remaining pillars go off.

We race forward, but it's clear to us we won't make it out, so I swoop down to cover both Robin and Kid Flash in my embrace. Aqualad and Superboy get on either side of me to shield me from the rocks. When the dust settles, Superboy breaks us free from the rubble. Looking all around us, it's clear that not only is the building destroyed, but it's probably past midnight. "Look at that... we're alive."

"We... actually... did it," Aqualad breathes out heavily beside me.

"Was there... any doubt," Robin calls out as he and KF high-five. Both wince at the force which makes me mentally facepalm at their collective stupidity.

"Watch it, morons. You two don't have super durability like some of us."

"Noted..."

I watch as Superboy pushes the rest of the rubble away from us, only to pause. Superboy gazes at the heavens above us, setting his sights on the moon for the first time in his life. Kid Flash walks up to him with a bright yet tired smile on his face, resting a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "See? The moon."

As we all take in the view, we see a figure approaching from the sky. Superman flies towards us and lands a few feet away from us. This, in turn, excites KF, who believes he's completing his promise to the clone, but I merely cringe at his words. What Kid Flash doesn't realize is the rest of the League not too far behind the man of steel. I gently nudge the boy on the shoulder to silence him as the rest of the League finally appears. I do my best not to face a single one of my parents as I sidestep closer to Aqualad. I feel my wings pressing closer to my body as their glares reach me.

As Batman steps forward with Flash not too far behind him, Superboy takes a step towards Superman. It's almost heartbreaking to watch the sweet smile on SB's face fade away at the glare Superman sends him. Not liking the situation since it hits a bit too close to home for me, I walk up right next to the boy and place a supporting hand on his shoulder.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman questions us, which makes my feathers ruffle in frustration.

"He's a person, not it," I add as I glare at the two men. "His name is Superboy-"

"I'm Superman's clone!" SB interrupts me to yell at our peers. As the adults around us look at each other in shock, Batman simply glares at our little group.

"Start talking."

It takes some time to explain everything to the League. All of us take turns describing what happened since we parted ways with them. Afterward, the League regroups to discuss in private what they should do next. Batman orders Both Green Lanterns, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, and Captain Atom to escort the Blockbuster monster to prison. Our tiny group remains together throughout this. I notice Superboy looking at Superman from his place beside me. I softly nudge the boy to gain his attention. "Staring won't help."

"He hasn't said one word to me."

"Well, it looks like he's about to," I comment, pointing to the man approaching us. "Go. Don't keep him waiting."

Superboy does as I told him and slowly advances towards Superman, meeting the man of steel halfway. Despite the Kryptonian being the one to start the discussion, he quickly leaves the boy without any hopes of continuing it in the future. Seeing this, the four of us come up to Superboy, who is still wearing a face of pure confusion.

"It's okay, Supey," I gently told him. "Give him time to adjust. He'll come around, eventually."

Before the clone can reply, our mentors call our attention to them. It's clear from where we're standing that the four of them are furious with us. Heck, I can hear the low clicks from my momma when we explained the Blockbuster situation to Batman.

"Cadmus will be investigated," Batman informs the five of us. "all 52 levels, but let's make one thing clear-"

"You should have called," Flash cuts in as he stares his nephew down.

"End results aside, we're not happy." the Dark Knight growls at us. "You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."

The five of us squirm under Batman's glare, and I feel shame falling on me. Being a Thanagarian and part bird means so much more than others realize. We live in a hierarchy, and to disobey that system is something that brings us discomfort. I didn't think of the consequences when Cadmus was first brought up, but now, I wish I had stayed home. I'm no coward, but rules are there for a reason. My kind lives and breathes by them, so how can I fight against it?-

"I'm sorry, but we will," Aqualad confidently states as he takes a step forward and effectively disrupting my train of thought. Hearing the normally obedient Atlantean stand up to one of the big three is enough to boost the majority of our ragtag team. Even I stare at him in wonder as he stands up to them.

"Aqualad, stand down," his King commanded. For a moment, I thought Aqualad would lose what little confidence he mustered up, but if anything, I can see a fire being lit within him.

"Apologies, my King, but no. We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together, on our own, we forged something powerful, important."

"You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into," Hawkwoman comments. "I understand you feel motivated by Speedy's little display of emotions and your small victory here, but you're in over your heads."

"Think again," I proclaim, surprising the entire group. To be honest, I surprised myself. I'm the same girl who turned my back to Speedy when he stood up to the League, but then again, this is different. So, instead of hiding to the side, I puff out my wings as I stand in between Aqualad and Superboy. "We understand our situation perfectly. We weren't moved by Speedy's defiance but our will to succeed. What you claim to be a minute victory, we see as a triumph. Together we were able to do more than others thought possible."

"If this is about your treatment at the Hall, the four of you-"

"The five of us," Kid Flash corrects his mentor. "And it's not."

Robin steps up next, perhaps the smallest voice in our group but with the most powerful point. "Batman, we're ready to do what you taught us, or why teach us at all?"

"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy questions as he stands tall beside me. "It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way."

The five of us remain still as we await their response. For a moment, I thought Batman would remain silent, but he finally opens his mouth to speak. "Three days. Give me three days to respond to your request."

None of us are expecting this, not even the other Leaguers. The five of us look to one another before agreeing to Batman's offer.

"Good, in the meantime, let's get the five of you checked on. I'm sure some of you may have injuries that require our attention."

"Not us," interjects Hawkwoman beside the Atlantean King. "I'll be taking Warhawk from here."

"Are you sure?" Flash asked my mentor. "Shouldn't-"

The glare from Hawkwoman is evident, even with her mask covering her eyes. Flash shuts up and holds his hands up in surrender. Every Leaguer knows that my mother has one of the worst tempers on the team. I one time heard GA claiming she was scarier than the big blue boy scout himself. My momma considers that one of her greatest achievements in her life.

"Can you fly, Warhawk?"

"Yes, my wings are fine."

"Then let's go," she grumbles before walking away from the group. My wings droop a bit as I follow my mentor, but before we get too far, I hear a commotion behind me and then a set of footsteps following mine. Turning around, I see Superboy following us.

"Something wrong, Supey?" I ask the boy, causing him to stop walking. It also doesn't escape my attention that my momma has come up right beside me, growling underneath her breath.

"Well,-"

"He needs to go with you!" KF yells at us. "You know because you're..."

"I'm what?"

KF starts wiggling his hands and pointing to the skies. Robin nods his head in agreement as if that alone should be enough. The rest of the men shake their heads, and Flash goes as far as to facepalm. I, on the other hand, don't know whether I should be upset at the duo, embarrassed I know them, or laugh at their stupidity.

"Not gonna lie, man. That's kind of racist."

"What? How?"

"Just because I'm an alien doesn't mean I know anything about Kryptonians."

"Well-"

"Enough! Warhawk, we're leaving," Hawkwoman commands, placing a stretched-out wing in between me and everyone else. "Batman, handle this."

With that, she roughly grabs my bicep and pulls me forward. Once enough space is between all of us, she lets go, stretches both wings, and takes off into the skies. I followed seconds later. I only hope by the time we get home, my mother has cooled down a bit.

When we finally arrive at our headquarters, my mother leads me through the tunnels to the basement of our house where she can patch me up. Thankfully, the Nth metal we surround ourselves with helps our healing process, so I should be okay within the next day or so. Still, my mom noticed how raspy my voice sounds and the handprint on my neck. My mom decides to check me for any other wounds. By the time she's finished, my step-father enters the basement with my dad right behind him. The two are silent for once, which is a miracle since they normally fight the second they lay eyes on each other. Well, whenever they're in civilian mode, that is.

"Now then," my dad begins as all three of them corner me. "We've heard the entire story, but I want to know why on God's green Earth you decided you could pull a stunt like this without our permission."

"Probably from Speedy," my mom brings up to the two men. "They claim it has nothing to do with him, but I beg to differ. You should have seen the way he tried to pull Alizeh with him as he stormed out of the Hall today."

"WHAT?!"

"I told you that boy was no good," Katar clicks his tongue, his wings puffing up in agitation. "She should have never been at the Hall today. Clearly, she wasn't ready."

"For once, we agree."

"Well, Batman said in three days from now he'll have a response to their request."

"What request?"

"When you and Katar left, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, and I spoke to the kids. They claim whether we like it or not, they'll continue with this team they've built."

"Like hell, they will!"

"Alizeh will not be a part of any team. What? We're going to reward rebellion now? This is insane, Shayera."

"Katar is right, Shayera. Clearly, none of them have matured to the point where they deserve a place in the League."

"I know, but I believe Batman will call for a meeting later today or perhaps tomorrow at the latest to talk about. We can discuss it further then. In the meantime, we should discuss her punishment."

Throughout their entire conversation, I never say a word. Ordinarily, I'd sit somewhere nearby, hearing my parents arguing about me. The three of them must really be angry at me to come together like this. Still, the best thing to do is stay quiet. I was raised like most Thanigarian children. To be soldiers who followed orders. When I came to Earth and met my dad (much to my parent's horror), things didn't change much. John was in the Marines, so he didn't see a problem with most of my upbringing. Throughout my life, it was noticeable to others that I stuck closely to my homeworld's custom. I follow the rules to a T. I have never gone against the laws my parents have laid down for me, but it changed today. Not because of a stupid boy, but an idea to become more than the label others have stuck on me.

"I get why you're all upset with me," I interject into their conversation. "But answer me one question before you decide anything. Has there ever been a time that you've gone against orders?"

All three of them remain quiet because they know that I knew the truth. Each of my parents have gone against their superiors at least one point in their lives. True, they trained me to be a soldier, but they also raised me to have a moral compass of my own. To be a hero.

"We left Thanagar because the two of you refused to hurt other civilizations for their gain. Then John went against the Guardians of the Universe to save a Star Sapphire because he believed there was some good in her. If you want to punish me for doing the same thing you would have done, then what exactly are you teaching me?"

For the first time in my life, I leave my parents speechless. Seeing this as the best opportunity to escape, I leave the basement and head to my bathroom. I immediately remove my uniform, undergarments, and helmet. Staring at myself in the mirror, I realize most of my shallower injuries are gone. That's good.

Feeling exhausted after today's event, I take a quick shower and head to bed. If I want to be ready for round two of arguments with my parents, then I better sleep while I have the chance.

As time went on, my parents never directly brought the subject up again. My phone and laptop were taken away, but nothing else. I was still allowed to go on patrol with the Hawks and attend the Stewart family cookout. They even left me alone at my grandma's as they went to the League meeting organized by Batman. Although I'm relieved that the screaming stopped, I still feel anxious. It's like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop whenever they're nearby. It doesn't help that my parents are quieter than usual. True, my step-father has always been on the reserved side, but my momma and dad aren't. My dad likes to joke around and hang out with me, and my momma usually takes time out of her schedule to speak to me one on one. Now? Pure silence.

Still, it's worth it since today is the day. Three days have passed since Batman swore to give us a response. My mom woke me up early in the morning and told me to wear a civilian outfit even though she's in her uniform. She also informed me how my dad is already waiting for us at our final destination.

I put on a dark yellow Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt and dark wash shorts that come up mid-thigh. Lastly, I put on my white Jordans and my helmet. It's against Thanigarian customs to allow anyone outside of our family to see our eyes unless we're undercover. Once I'm ready, I join my mom and step-father in the living room of our home.

"Are you ready?" Katar inquires. Nodding my head in response, the three of us head down to the basement.

Down there, we have a door that leads into a maze of tunnels. The basement itself is a training/infirmary area for us. Through the tunnels, we reach our genuine base of operations. It's a hollowed-out hill near the swamps of the Louisiana bayou. Due to its location, it allows us to pop up far enough from our home that no one would suspect us of being the Hawks.

We take to the air once we leave the secret opening in our hill. In no time, we reach the nearest zeta beam transporter. First, my mom steps inside the booth to set the coordinates for me, and then she allows me to enter.

Recognize Warhawk - B03

I feel the usual pull of the zeta beams before appearing in an unrecognizable location. I don't even realize my parents at my side a moment later as I take in the view. Before I can ask anything, I hear someone call my name.

"Warhawk," Aqualad calls to me, motioning me forward. I look to my mom for permission, and a subtle nudge of her wing is enough for me.

"Hey, guys," I call back to the group of boys, jogging to them. "Long time no see, huh."

"Right! Well, for the most part, since KF had SB with him the entire time."

"Aw, poor Supey."

"Truly a shame," Aqualad adds sadly. "I would not wish that on anyone."

"Same," the clone jokes along with us, making the poor speedster pout. All of us let out a chuckle until Batman pulls our attention to him.

"This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League," Batman explains to us as some of the Leaguers come closer to listen in on his speech. Others continue to work, and I notice my dad in the background helping Superman with some equipment. "We're calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms. Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary is in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."

"Real missions?" Robin inquires, and I can understand the doubt in his voice. It honestly sounds too good to be true.

"Yes, but covert."

Flash comes up beside us to add his two cents. "The League will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chest."

"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman continues as he and Hawkwoman walk up to the other side of the Dark Knight. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

"This team needs to handle the cases the League can't investigate," Hawkwoman acknowledges. "The Justice League has too many eyes on them. While we're busy out in the field distracting everyone, we need you to gather the information for us."

"The six of you will be that team," Batman assures us until we realize he mentioned six instead of five. As he motions us to turn around, he speaks again. "This is the Martian Manhunter's niece. Miss Martian."

Slowly, the Martian Manhunter appears from the shadows with a young girl beside him. Her uniform is similar to his, with her shirt being white and the blue skirt she has on. Overall, she resembles her uncle; however, her features are more human-like.

"Hi," she shyly waves to us. Before KF could speak and scare the girl away, I smack the speedster away.

"Finally, another female to the group," I cheer as I walk to the girl. I can hear the two present female Leaguers agreeing to my comment as I keep my attention on the girl. "I'm Warhawk; it's nice to meet you. That idiot over there is Kid Flash, and the dummy beside him is Robin. The responsible one is Aqualad, and Superboy is the last one on our team."

"I'm honored to be included," she replies quietly but the smile on her face continues to grow. "I'm sorry, it's just amazing that I finally get to meet a Thanagarian. Considering you're from the Polaris system, I never thought I would get to meet one of you. Plus, you're here, on Earth with me. I have a female friend on Earth!

Through her rambling, I notice her uncle's soft yet wry smile. Still, I understand her excitement since I was new to Earth not too long ago. I place a hand on her as I speak. "Then I'll do what I can to help you integrate into Earth's customs."

As the martian goes on to thank me, I look over my shoulders and wave to the rest of the group to come forward.

"Boys! Come meet Miss Martian!"

As the rest of the team nears us, Miss Martian changes her white shirt to black. Looking at Superboy, she shyly states, "I like your t-shirt."

Now with all of us together, in our secret base, I allow a wide smile to appear on my face. To think our hard work is finally paying off after all these years of fighting beside our mentors is incredible. When Aqualad proclaims how today is the day, I can't help but agree.

Alright, as a closing statement I want to let you guys know I will have filler chapters. Feel free to skip them if you want. However, the next chapter will not be a filler. If there is anything you want to see in the story, let me know. Also, please let me know how you feel about the story. Until next time!