TAOS
JANUARY 6TH 2016 9:55 MST
Mariposa stood next to Nightwing in the STAR Labs of Taos, New Mexico; waiting patiently for the arrival of her best friend, Beat Boy, and M'gann from Rann. They were due to arrive any minute, and Mariposa's stomach was rolling with anticipation and excitement. It had only been a few days, but she had dearly missed Conner. It had been years since they had gone so long without at least contacting the other.
And she had missed Beast Boy as well, she supposed. The Cave was not the same without his excited scampering around, talking loudly and exploring every crevice of the Cave with the amusement of thirteen-year-old. It brought a sense of playfulness to the Cave that had been sorely lacking since Dick grew up and Wally had retired.
As for M'gann…. She was glad the young woman was able to return safely. Betty had her issues with M'gann, but she didn't wish pain on the Martian.
Mariposa rolled her shoulders and looked at her other companions. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern had accompanied Capitan Atom, the League Chairman, to greet Zeta Squad upon their arrival and brief them. Wonder Woman stood straight, watching the Zeta tube with unwavering attention, as if her stare could will them to return sooner. Green Lantern and Capitan Atom stood off to the side with Dr. Dorado, discussing in quiet, hushed tones something that Mariposa couldn't hear.
Mariposa turned to face Nightwing. As leader of the Team, Nightwing was expected to take the lead in the debrief as the one who gave the official order to go in the first place to Zeta squad. Nightwing had asked Mariposa along, saying he needed another set of ears for the Team in case he forgot or missed anything. Mariposa had agreed but was doubtful Nightwing would forget anything. Her friend was very diligent when it came to missions and briefings. This was his life, plain and simple, and he missed nothing. Made sure he left nothing undone, no stone unturned.
But Mariposa came anyway, if only to greet Conner when he returned.
"Sir?" Dr. Dorado said louder than he had been speaking, checking the computer screen. Capitan Atom perked up, and Mariposa leaned forward excitedly. "We've received the Rannian signal. They're arriving now."
Mariposa and the others turned to face the Zeta tube, which began to light up with it's bright, white flash, and Mariposa could make the reappearing forms of Zeta squad.
"Recognized: Adam Strange – A11. Recognized: Superboy – BO5. Recognized: Miss Martian – B07. Recognized: Beast Boy – B20."
Beast Boy wasted no time in jumping out of the Zeta tube, rushing toward Nightwing and Mariposa, waving some kind of sash in his hand.
"Nightwing, Mariposa, check out my super cool alien souvenir!"
Mariposa smiled at the young teen and uncrossed her arms, putting them on her hips as she watched with amusement as M'gann grabbed Beast Boy's tail to pull him back. M'gann gave him a stern, sisterly look that Betty might have given Jason once upon a time.
M'gann seemed to say something to Beast Boy telepathically as he nodded at M'gann and then stepped back, pulling his souvenir behind his back.
"Zeta Squad, report," Nigtwing ordered in lieu of a greeting.
"Our mission to neutralize the Krolotean Zeta platforms on Rann was a success," Miss Martian explained. Adam Strange stepped forward.
"I've brought back specs to create a Zeta-shield, to prevent anymore….unwanted visitors from beaming to Earth from off-world," Adam Strange said. Capitan Atom raised a brow.
"How will that affect our own Zeta capabilities?" Captain Atom asked. Adam Strange shook his head and pressed a button on the device in his hand, revealing a hologram of the Earth, a red circle around it and a small holographic Watchtower.
"It won't," Strange assured. "It will activate at an altitude above the Watchtower. League Zeta tubes should function normally."
Mariposa nodded and then turned her head towards where Conner and Beast Boy stood off to the side, watching closer to the Zeta tube. Beast Boy was watching with barely contained excitement, eyes alit with knowledge and mischief. Mariposa smiled widened as she watched the boy, as it was impossible to not be infected with the joy that Beast Boy brought to anything.
Her smile disappeared, however, when she saw the quietly simmering Superboy. His brows were furrowed in an aggravated 'v' shape, his lips in a thin frown. He stared at M'gann in annoyance and anger, and that told Mariposa something had happened on Rann that Superboy was not excited about. Mariposa met his eye and tilted her head to the side in curiosity and concern, an easy to read question on her face. What happened?
Superboy shook his head and turned away from Mariposa. Later.
Beast Boy, unable to contain himself any longer, rushed forward, taking his adopted sister's hand and pulling her forward toward the collected Leaguers, plus Nightwing and Mariposa.
"Tell them about Rimbor!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Tell them about the sixteen hours!"
This got the Leaguers attention, and Wonder Woman and Green Lantern shared deep, worried looks. The missing sixteen hours had haunted them for years, wondering what it was that Vandal Savage had made them do during that time they were under his control. Knowing Vandal Savage, it couldn't have been anything good, it was most likely destructive in nature.
M'gann sighed and raised a hand to her head.
"It might be easier to show you," she decided. Her eyes glowed green and suddenly Mariposa's surroundings were changed form the Taos lab into various still images of Kroloteans landing on Earth and a place that Mariposa assumed must have been Rann.
"I successfully interrogated a Krolotean general on Rann... who had paid off a member of the Rannian Science Command... to allow the Kroloteans to land a secret base in the Rannian jungle. Once there, the Kroloteans stole Zeta-Platform technology from Adam Strange's friend, Sardath. They landed another ship in New Orleans... and used the Zeta-Platforms to beam a few hundred Kroloteans to Earth. They built more platforms, brought in more Kroloteans... and began abducting and replacing humans."
M'gann dropped her mental link, and Mariposa was back once again in the STAR Labs in Taos. She blinked and retook in her surroundings, and confusion bubbled up from her chest. How was this linked to the missing sixteen hours?
"But why did they choose Earth?" Mariposa asked. Wonder Woman put her hands on her hips and stared at M'gann questioningly.
"And what does any of this have to do with the missing sixteen hours?" Wonder Woman questioned. M'gann's eyes turned green again, and suddenly all of them were on a different planet. A dark, scary planet with frozen faces of fear as they ran from six Leaguers that were under Savage's control, all of them using their powers and weapons to harm the people in front of them. Mariposa shivered at the look of impassiveness on Batman's face as he did so. It was chilling to see these people she had come to respect to hurt people.
"Well, as you know... five years ago, Vandal Savage placed the entire League under his leaguers: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern and Hawkwoman went missing for a full 16 hours. It turns out you were teleported to a planet called Rimbor where you spent 16 hours on a rampage attacking everyone and everything in sight and announcing in several alien languages that you were the Justice League from Earth and that the rest of the galaxy should beware."
The image dropped again, and Mariposa was back staring at M'gann, let go of the mental link connecting them all. Mariposa held in a breath, staring at the forms of Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, the latter of whom appeared devastated. Wonder Woman looked down and away from all of them, seemingly ashamed.
"That's why the Kroloteans came to Earth," M'gann continued. "The League itself brought the Earth to their attention."
"I….don't know what to say," Wonder Woman said after a pause. Green Lantern put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I have no memory of this."
"Don't blame yourself," Green Lantern insisted, eyes and voice hardening angrily. "Blame Savage and his Light."
Capitan Atom stepped closer to the pair of other Leaguers, and Mariposa crossed her arms.
"But John," Capitan Atom said, "how come you haven't heard about this intergalactic incident?"
"No clue." Green Lantern brought a hand to his chin quizzically, thinking it over. "But Rimbor isn't in my sector. I'll head to Oa immedailty, to consult with the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps." He motioned his head to Captain Atom. "But we'll get to the bottom of this, Cap. I promise."
Mariposa nodded in agreement, even though she knew no one was looking for her approval.
"Meanwhile," Capitan Atom interrupted, "we still have an invasion force to track down on Earth." He turned to Zeta squad, chin perking up approvingly and gave a tight-lipped ghost of a smile. "You did good work on Rann. Now we need you at the Hall of Justice." He squared in on Miss Martian and nodded to her. "Or at least, Miss Martian. There's a prisoner we'd like your help to interrogate."
Beast Boy yelped excitedly, freed from the mission briefing and rushed over to where Nightwing and Mariposa still stood. He held up his souvenir for them to see, and from what Mariposa could see it appeared to be some kind of sash of some kind. It was a dark brown, colored with reddish orange stripes, the back of the sash apparently torn down the middle, fabric jagged from where it had been cut in half.
"Check out my souvenir!" Beast Boy trilled. "M'gann got it for me!" Mariposa's smile flickered for a moment, and she cast a quick look at Superboy, who still had a stormy look about him. Miss Martian was talking with Capitan Atom about the prisoner, and Superboy still had his look trained on Miss Martian. Heat rushed to Mariposa's head as anger and annoyance flashed it's fiery flames down in her. Something had happened back on Rann, and Betty wasn't sure what it was.
It wasn't really her business she supposed, but if it caused Superboy to be still angry at her after leaving the planet it must have been bad. Most likely M'gann using her powers corruptly, or something of that sort.
"It's nice, Beast Boy," Nightwing said, voice even but a twinge of smile pulling at his face.
"Yeah, real nice," Mariposa said distractedly. She shook her head and smiled at them politely. "If you'll excuse me." She didn't wait for their answer, instead just walking over to Superboy. She could feel the stare of Nightwing on her back, one that vaguely felt like a concerned stare, but she ignored it on her way to Superboy.
Superboy turned his gaze away from M'gann to look at Mariposa, and his face finally softened when their eyes met. Mariposa smiled up at him and punched his shoulder good-naturedly.
"I see you managed to come back in one piece," Mariposa joked lightly. Superboy scoffed and put his hands on his hips.
"Well, you did basically order me to, so…." Superboy drawled, and then his gaze flickered back to M'gann. Mariposa's stomach dropped and that was all the confirmation she needed – M'gann had done something on Rann.
She leaned in closer to Superboy and whispered so the others couldn't hear.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" she murmured. Not turning away from M'gann, he shook his head and mumbled to her in turn.
"Not here."
He stepped away from Mariposa, an unspoken promise to talk about it later being said as he walked away. Mariposa watched as Superboy stepped in line next to M'gann and said something to Capitan Atom. Probably asking to accompany them to the Hall of Justice.
Mariposa shook her head and put her hands on her hips. She wasn't sure how much longer Superboy could keep from exploding over this with M'gann – a confrontation was coming between them, and Mariposa wasn't sure when that was going to be. She just hoped someone else – like La'gann – was not caught in the crossfire.
GOTHAM CITY
JANUARY 6TH 2016 16:47 EST
Conner watched as Betty danced around the kitchen, searching for a spoon to stir her cream into her coffee. Conner took a sip of his black coffee (what was the point of coffee if you're just going to dilute it with sugar?) and laughed under his breath at his friend.
"You wouldn't be having this problem if you just drank it straight, you know," Conner called out to her. Betty did not turn to look back at him, keeping her gaze in the utensil drawer as she pushed aside forks and knives to get out a spoon. With Betty and Melody always out and about as Mariposa and Waspia, it seemed sometimes household chores got abandoned, given the small stack of dishes in their sink. That didn't bother Conner, however. So, the two of them were a little messy, it was just how they were. It never got out of hand anyway.
"Only crazy people drink coffee black, my dear Conner," Betty insisted. Conner's chest warmed from the term of endearment. It was a soft warmth, one he had never felt before, at least not with Betty. He had felt it before with….
He shook his head. It was just the coffee, Conner told himself.
Betty smiled and brandished a spoon, pulling it from the bottom of the drawer and reaching to stir it in the cup in her other hand.
"And there we go," Betty said. "Finally, I can drink my coffee."
Conner rolled his eyes and took another sip of his own cup, and tried to ignore how the coffee's warmth was different than the warmth he felt before.
"Now," Betty sobered up, crossing her legs beneath the table. "You wanna talk about what happened on Rann?"
"Straight to the point, huh?"
Betty raised a brow and blew on her mug, steam still rising from the pale brown liquid.
"Gotta report to the Cave soon, Supe," Betty explained. She shook her head and dropped her cup onto the table, reaching out a hand to where his laid on the wooden surface. "We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to. I just – I just want to make sure you're okay."
Because Betty was nice like that. She cared deeply about those she loved, and Conner was blessed to call himself one of them. Betty wasn't a fair-weather friend, she stuck through them with thick and thin. Conner supposed he relied on Betty in some way like that, but not in an unhealthy way. He didn't think it was her job to be there solely for him, to pick him back up, but he knew he could count on her if he had to. That she had his back, through emotional and physical battles.
She had been there for him when he ended things with M'gann and had his six in too many battles to count. He had become so accustomed to the latter, that on Rann he had forgotten she wasn't there.
Conner sighed and twirled the black liquid in his cup.
"M'gann…. she used her powers, to completely decimate a Krolotean while getting information from them," Conner explained softly. Betty eye's widened before she blinked gently, squeezing the hand she still held comfortingly.
"Is that how she got that sash for Beast Boy?" Betty prodded. Conner nodded and then he threw his head back, looking up at the light fixture above them. It had a thin layer of dust on it, and Conner choose to focus on that rather than what they were talking about.
M'gann had great power, that was undeniable. But there was a responsibility that came with that. To know where the line was, how much was too far. To be better than the villains they faced, to be willing not to snoop to their level. And M'gann was unable to resist that temptation it seemed, using her powers without wont or worry for those she hurt. Not only had she completely ruined that Krolotean on Rann, but she had also done the same thing to the Krolotean prisoner on Earth in the Hall of Justice. In the span of twenty-four hours, she had destroyed two minds that could possibly never be recovered.
And it…it enraged him. Made him angry in a way he hadn't felt since he was first released from his pod. He had been mentally controlled, psychically brainwashed until he was finally able to break free with the help of Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash. What M'gann was doing was no better than that. He was acting no better than his past captors, than the people Lex Luthor employed to create and subjugate him.
"I just wish that she would see what she was doing was wrong," Conner admitted. He sighed and looked back at Betty, who was staring at him with soft and comforting expression. "She's acting no better than Psimon, or Luthor, or the rest of them. I thought maybe the break-up would shock her into seeing how far she had fallen, but it….it just emboldened her somehow. Like she no longer had to worry about my feelings or worries about what she was doing."
Betty gave him a gentle, soothing grin and rubbed her thumb along his knuckles.
"I know it's hard, Conner," Betty said. "I have no idea what it must feel like, to watch someone you love hurt people the way you were hurt." She was silent for a long moment, thinking over something. "Do you want to tell Nightwing or Batman? Or even Waspia – I'm sure they could help."
"No." Conner shut his eyes, unwanted and unshed tears collecting in his eyes of their own accord. "Wh-why didn't I matter enough to her? Why didn't my feelings matter enough to make her stop?"
Betty let go of his hand and he heard her chair screech across the wooden floor, as well as a shuffling of feet that came closer to him. Suddenly, he felt a soft, warm presence on his cheek. A hand, one that moved his head to the side. Conner opened his eyes to see Betty kneeled in front of him, a hand on his cheek as she stared up at him, an uplifting light in her dark brown eyes. A light that made him feel….safe. Cared for. Like he mattered to her.
"I can't pretend to know you feel," Betty whispered to him. "But know that your feelings do matter. That might not be enough to make M'gann stop what she's doing, but I'm here. I'm real. And I care how you feel. One day you'll get through to her, I know you will. M'gann will see what she's doing is wrong."
Conner had a hard time believing Betty was right. That M'gann would ever see the wrong in what she was doing, not without some consequence. But the way Betty said it, the soft lilt of her voice, the way she caressed his cheek almost made him believe it. Almost convinced him that M'gann would see the error of her ways. But only almost.
But there was a truth that rang true n her words. Conner knew that he would always have a friend in her. Someone that would care about him and what he had to say.
"Thank you, Betty." Conner leaned into her touch and did try his best to give her a weak smile, one to tell her that he would be okay. Betty returned his smile and soothed her thumb along his cheek bone.
"All of this will work out, I promise," Betty calmed him.
Conner looked into her eyes, and he realized with a start how close he was to her. They were mere inches a part, connected by her hand on his cheek. They had been close like this before, but…but this felt different. Something was different, deep inside of Conner. Something that made his stomach pop and fizzle at the thought of how close she was to him.
And Betty just kept on smiling at him, a comforting, soothing, kind smile that made Conner's stomach just fizzle even more.
Conner stared at her for a second more before he cleared his throat, and Betty seemed to realize how close they were too, as she blushed and took her hand back. Conner immedailty missed the feeling of her warm touch, and he tried his very best to ignore that feelings, to push it deep down inside. As a best friend did not wish to be held like that by a best friend.
She stood up and brushed off invisible dirt from her red skirt, and she turned away from him, back towards her side of the table.
"We better hurry, they'll wanna us back at the Cave for the briefing soon."
SOUTH PACFIC
JANUARY 6TH2016 20:20 HAST
Mariposa sat on the Bioship, one seat behind Waspia. The Batfamily plus Aquaman and Lagoon Boy were also aboard the ship, Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter having already infiltrated the base undercover as Kroloteans to be ready to make a quick exit by sneaking back on the Bioship and readying it for it's leave once the mission was over.
Mariposa cast a look at Nightwing and Batgirl, a shrill feeling of nostalgia and wonder in her chest. When she met the two in civilian forms a little over five years ago, she had not expected they would grow to be her allies in battle as well. Dick already had been as Robin, she just hadn't known it at the time, and she never would have guessed that Barbara would turn out to be Batgirl. Batgirl had only started up about two years ago, a few short months before Jason's untimely demise, and Mariposa looking back supposed it couldn't have been anybody else.
Mariposa snuck a glance over at Robin and a pang of hurt crushed her for a moment. It still felt….odd sometimes, to see someone else take on the mantle that Jason had worn and died wearing. Not that Tim Drake was lacking as a Robin, no, not at all. But apart of her wondered what could have been, if it was Jason sitting across from her on the Bioship and not Tim. How she ached for that to be true.
Mariposa was pulled out of her thoughts by Batman.
"Remember this is primarily a recon mission," Batman warned. "We want to discover all we can about the Krolotean's invasion strategy before we shut them down and deliver them to the Green Lantern Corps."
The League could shut them down alright, but only the Green Lantern's would be able to stop them from just trying again once they were booted off-world. Mariposa didn't understand all of what the Green Lanterns did, but she was grateful none the less and understood that the galaxy was a safer place because of them.
"Approaching drop-zone Beta," Nightwing informed. Mariposa heard movement from the back of the ship, and she was dimly aware that Aquaman and Lagoon Boy had left the ship for their appointed drop-zone.
Mariposa unbuckled her seatbelt and stood, readying for the next drop-zone, which would be where she and the others dropped off at.
"Drop-zone Gamma," Nightwing called, and Mariposa nodded. A hole on the floor appeared in front of her, and she was the first to drop to the sandy ground below. Batgirl and Robin were not too far behind her, and she could see the swish of Batman's cape alerting her to that Waspia and Batman were on their way. Nightwing would be the last out of the ship, making sure it was in a safe and secure location before he joined them.
Mariposa managed to avoid notice, landing quietly away from the guards at the door of the sandy beach. They appeared to be Black Manta's men, which told Mariposa that the Kroloteans were not alone in this fight. Given that Vandal Savage had been the one to alert the Kroloteans indirectly, it made sense he and his allies would be helping them now.
Mariposa did not bother standing from her crouch, swinging her leg out to swipe the guard's leg out from underneath him. The guard fell to the ground with a thud, which alerted the other guard's to her presence, but that didn't bother Mariposa too much as Batgirl and Robin managed to dispatch them with quick cuts to the back of their heads, which sent them flying to the ground.
Mariposa smiled and stood, pulling a stinger out of her utility belt. Though the matched less with her new butterfly motif, she had yet to let go of her stingers as her primary weapon. They were useful as mini EMP devices and also as tools to cut things, so with her they remained. Even if her lasso was now but a cherished memory of her Honeybee days.
She inserted the stinger on the control panel of the metal door in front of them while her teammates took out the rest of the guards. She heard a rustling behind her, and she turned to see Nightwing now next to her, having stowed away the ship. Nightwing punched a guard clean in the face, which knocked him out cold.
She smiled at him and whispered to the darkly clad hero. "Feeling the 'aster?"
A twinkle of a smile appeared on his lips. "You know it."
The stinger went off, shutting off the electrical current and opening the metal door. Mariposa grinned and took the metal stinger from the panel, shoving it into her utility belt to use as projectile just in case. She took one step forward, looking into the darkly lit hallway she was about to enter. She turned her head and looked at Nightwing, and he nodded his head at her.
Together.
She nodded back.
Together.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: " – 2 Timothy 3:16, KJV
Let me tell YOU, this was a doozy after Season 4, Episode 4 came out, which is why it's late. No spoilers, but if you know what I'm talking about…..you'll know this fic has become my lifeline now.
Also, next chapter might be a little late as it is officially research paper season, and as an English major I have at least three to get out before the beginning of December. I have also gotten some new inspiration for my Criminal Minds Spencer ReidxOC stuff, so I'm going to put some energy into that, which I've been neglecting. But I promise more chapters. Just not sure when.
Review Replies:
MsRosePetal: Conner thinks a lot about Betty, because he cares a lot about her. They're kind of like each other's favorite person right now, so they're going to be doing that. Conner relies on Betty because she's currently one of the few people who never let him down before, but it's not an unhealthy reliance, just kind of an assurance the other will be there when they need it. Thanks for leaving a review and have a blessed day!
Questions, comments, or concerns? Let me know! Have a blessed day!
-PrincessChess