Drop-Zone

Santa Prisca.

June 19th, 00:43 ECT.

~Narrator's POV~

An alarm sounded from a disclosed factory, inside the rainforest of Santa Prisca. Troops, dress in red and black, circled a small group of dark clothed mercenaries. Most of the men looked down, with their hands over their heads.

Except one, a tall, muscular man, wearing a black tank top, biker gloves, a brown belt with a large buckle, dark blue/brown combat pants, black boots, and a lucha libre mask of black and white, with a strange output at the back. I knew this Luchador anywhere...

"Our sublime master proclaims..." One of the troops explained, speaking in Spanish, "He will depart this facility... If... One of you can defeat his champion in single combat."

The Luchador walked forward, toward the walled arena, behind the troop.

"Just make it interesting..." The Luchador answered in Spanish.

He opened the gate and entered the arena. The troop smirked. The gate closed behind the man. He looked ahead and saw another gate open from across him. A younger, skinnier man walked into the arena. The man had spiky red hair, and sideburns, wearing a blue tank top, black pants and boots.

Behind the young man, on the other side of the gate, was a skinny woman, that shared the same resemblance of the man. The large Luchador heard something drop behind him. He looked and saw a large armband, equipped with vials of a red substance and a long, rubber tube.

He picked it up and looked at the troop, "You give me my greatest weapon? What's the catch?"

"No catch." The troop answered, as he explained, "Hardly would test his champion's prowess... If you were not at your best."

The Luchador equipped the weapon on to his arm, "You want my best?" He connected to tube to the output, at the back of his head. The red liquid flowed and entered the Luchador's systems, transforming him into a larger, more muscular man, "You got it!"

The woman injected a purple substance into the young man's upper arm. The effects were immediate, as the young man transformed into a large, dark green skinned, Genomorph-human hybrid. The young man recovered and charged at the Luchador. Giving the first hit, but the Luchador blocked and gave out a couple of punches. However, the punches were ineffective.

The young man grabbed the Luchador by the neck, and gave him a few punches, which threw him into a wall. The young man charged into the Luchador again, but in enhanced speed. The impact caused the pipes, attached to the wall, to explode with steam, covering the two fighters. The young man grabbed the Luchador's head and threw him out of the steam, finished him with a flying punch in the face, knocking him unconscious. The battle was over.

"Hail Kobra. Hail Kobra. Hail Kobra." The troop, then the entire cult started chanting in English. A tall, pale man stood over the arena. He was smirking, on his face and in his snake-like eyes.

Caribbean Sea.

July 22nd, 20:08 ECT.

~Arackniss' POV~

We were on our way to Santa Prisca, in Miss Martian's Bio-ship.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca." Miss Martian informed us, as we saw the island in the horizon.

*Flashback*

"Isla Santa Prisca." Batman started explaining our mission, "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid. A strength enhancing drug, sold on the streets, named Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in." Batman continued, as Wally was munching on a bag of potato chips.

I kept my eye on the screens, memorizing the map and the layout of the island.

"This is a covert, recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. This mission requires two drop-zones." Batman finished, as the screen showed us the location of the drop-zones, one close to the coastline, the other in the center of the rain forest.

"So, who's in charge?" Robin asked.

Batman and Red Tornado looked at Robin, then looked at each other.

"Work that out between you." Batman answered. Robin nodded and smiled.

*Flashback End*

I blinked back into reality. I noticed Robin smiling for some reason. Most probably at the memory.

"Drop Zone A in 30." Miss Martian told us, snapping Robin back to reality.

Aqualad stood up, as his chair melted back into the Bio-Ship. He pressed his belt buckle and his outfit turned grey and black, "Ready."

"Putting the Bio-ship into Camouflage Mode." Miss Martian informed, as the ship turned invisible.

She flew closer to the sea, as Aqualad dived into the water. I narrowed my eyes at the window, as we approached closer to Santa Prisca. The atmosphere of the island didn't feel right. Can it have something to do with my vision of Kobra and his cult?

After a few seconds of waiting, Aqualad's voice spoke, "Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data's now on a continuous loop. Move in."

The ship flew over a clearing of the rain forest.

"Drop Zone B." Miss Martian identified.

We all stood up, the chairs melting into the ship beneath us. Miss Martian raised her hand and the Bio-Ship formed two cable lines in front of Robin, Kid Flash and myself. The boys connected the cables to their belts. Kid Flash touched the lightning symbol, on his chest, turning his outfit black and grey.

"How cool is this?" Kid Flash asked to Miss Martian in a sing-song voice.

"Very impressive." Miss Martian answered with a smile.

She closed her eyes and morphed her uniform to look like a female version of Martian Manhunter's uniform. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"That works too." Kid Flash flirted, then he looked at Superboy, "Hey, Supey. Not too late to try on the new stealth tech."

"No capes. No tights. No offence." Superboy replied, folding his arms.

"It totally works for you." Miss Martian said, love-struck. Superboy looked at her. Miss Martian regained herself, "In that you can, totally, do good work in those clothes."

She gave Superboy a thumbs-up, but Superboy looked away. Miss Martian put her hood over her head, going into Camouflage Mode. I glanced at the Martian girl with a small smile, but shook it off. Miss Martian and I were the first to exit the Bio-Ship, and dropped down to Drop Zone B. Robin and Kid Flash quickly followed. I felt tense, then pushed Miss Martian forward. Robin and Kid Flash jumped aside, as Superboy dropped down, making a creator his size.

"Knew I didn't need a line." Superboy grinned.

"Show off." I smiled.

"And, yet, creating a seismic event might not have helped us much with the 'covert'." Robin answered, recovering from Superboy's drop.

"Aqualad, Drop B is go." Miss Martian told Aqualad, over radio.

"Head for the factory. I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP." Aqualad told us.

"Roger that." Robin replied, looking for a quiet way to the factory.

The rest of us followed Robin through the rain forest. The rain stopped, but the jungle was still absorbing water from everywhere else. We kept following Robin, through a waterfall and into a jungle. Eventually, Superboy and I suddenly stopped, hearing a couple of twigs snap a couple of miles away.

"Did you hear that?" Superboy asked.

Robin grabbed my hand and pulled me into the shadows of the trees.

"No." Kid Flash answered, then asked, "Wait, is this a super-hearing thing?"

"You do have great ears." Miss Martian noted, love-struck.

"Okay, Rob. Now what?" Kid Flash asked, before realizing that Robin and I were gone, "Man! I hate it when they do that!"

"Superboy. Kid. Switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked." Aqualad told Kid Flash and Superboy.

Kid Flash put on his goggles and put them on thermal mode. I narrowed my eyes, as I focused on the sounds of incoming footsteps. I quickly sensed the Luchador's aura coming from the right.

"Got a squad of armed bozos incoming." Kid Flash informed, as he, Miss Martian and Superboy hid behind a large log.

Superboy narrowed his eyes, activating his thermal vision, "Two squads. But, they'll meet each other, before they find us." Superboy included.

Suddenly, gunshots were heard. The two squads have met and were going into battle.

"No super-hearing required now." Kid Flash stated.

"Swing wide. Steer clear." Aqualad told Wally.

"Yeah, just as soon as I find Rob and Niss." Kid Flash answered, as he sped ahead.

"Kid!" I whispered/warned, until he lost his footing on the wet mud, and fell in between the squads. The squads stopped shooting, as he fell. He landed in front of the Luchador. I face-palmed my forehead.

"So much for the 'stealth-ing'." Kid Flash and I said in unison, without noticing.

The Luchador's group and the other squad aimed their weapons at Kid Flash and fired at him, as he tried his best to dodge. I hung behind him, grabbed his arm, and got him to the trees. Superboy charged toward the Luchador and tackled him.

The Luchador was able to counter and placed Superboy into a submission. However, Superboy grabbed his top and threw him into a tree. Kid Flash and I dodged the gunfire, in the trees, until Robin showed up and attacked the two goons shooting at us.

"What is wrong with you guys? Remember, covert? Why didn't you follow my lead; Vanish into the jungle?" Robin asked.

Kid Flash jumped down from a tree and took down an armed minion, "That's what you were doing?" He delivered the last blow, then glared at Robin, "Way to fill us in! We're not mind-readers, you know!" Miss Martian used her telekinesis to push two minions into a tree, behind Kid Flash, catching his attention, "Or, I'm not anyway."

"You told me I can only read the bad guy's minds." She reminded.

I folded my arms at Kid Flash. An armed man ran past Robin. Robin noticed and readied his bat-a-rang, but Aqualad beat him and shocked the man unconscious. A little later, we tied both of the squads around a group of trees and we were able to analyze the outfits of one of the squads.

"I recognize those uniforms. They belong to the Cult of the Kobra." Robin told us.

"I'm certain that Batman would've mentioned it, if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation." Aqualad suggested.

"Agreed. And, since there's clearly no love-loss between the cultists and those goons, I betting Kobra came in to toss them out." Robin figured, before concluding, "That's why normal supply lines have been cut-off."

"We get it. Kobra wanted super-cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we'll be home in time for-" "These cultists aren't on Venom!" I cut Kid Flash off.

"Arackniss is right. Kobra is hoarding this stuff. We don't leave." Robin told Kid Flash in my defense, until he added in guilt, "Not until I know why."

"Until you know why?" Kid Flash asked, putting emphasis on 'you'.

"This team needs a leader." Robin reminded.

"And it's you!? Dude, you're a 13 year old kid, who ducked out on us without a word!" Kid Flash argued.

Robin laughed, "And you're a mature 15?! You blew our cover first chance you got!"

Miss Martian looked at Superboy, "Don't you wanna lead?"

Superboy shook his head, "You?"

Miss Martian raised her hand 'no way', "After the 'Mister Twister' fiasco?"

"You did alright." Superboy smiled. M'gann smiled and blushed.

Aqualad looked at me, "Do you want to be the leader?"

I quickly shook my head and looked away. I may be the oldest member of the team, but I'm more of a follower than a leader. I hate being in the lead.

Aqualad looked confused, until I heard whispering in Spanish, "Look at them argue. Free yourself and take them while they're distracted!"

"Quiet!" The Luchador's voice whispered, then continued, "For the moment I'll play along. They'll give me what I want."

My heart burned, as I quietly growled and my fists tighten. Aqualad placed his hand over my shoulder. I looked at him. His calm eyes calmed me down.

"Yeah? Well, you don't have superpowers." Kid Flash shouted.

"Neither does Batman!" Robin pointed out.

"Tcha! You're not Batman!" Kid Flash pointed back.

"Tcha! Closest thing we've got!" Robin shot back.

The Luchador started laughing. I glared at him, "Something to say?"

"Such clever niños (children). But, you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. Get you into the factory, via my secret entrance." He offered.

Miss Martian went to his level, "There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something."

Her eyes glowed white, as the Luchador smirked, "Ah ah ah, Chica (Girl). Bane is not that easy."

Miss Martian sighed in frustration, "He's mentally reciting football scores in Español. This could take a while."

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." The Luchador, Bane, told us.

Robin looked at Aqualad. Aqualad nodded. Robin freed Bane and he lead us to a cliff, that gave us a full view of the factory. Kid and Robin walked to the edge, to get a better look. I narrowed my eyes and saw more cultists readying a large shipment of Venom.

Robin saw it too, with his binoculars, "Look at all that product. A buy is going down. But, if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-" Robin started, as Aqualad finished, "We need to identify that buyer."

"Just what I was thinking." Kid Flash stated, obviously lying through his teeth.

"Yeah. You're the thinker." I smirked in sarcasm.

Kid Flash looked at me, "Sarcasm? Dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers." He pointed out.

Bane moved a large rock aside, and revealed an abandoned mine tunnel, "Answers are this way." Bane lead us into the tunnel.

"Now, El Luchador is our leader?" Kid Flash asked, getting a light punch in the arm from Robin, as he entered the tunnel.

Bane lead us to a high-security door. He placed his thumb on the scanner and the red light flashed green. The door opened and we entered the back of the factory. Bane opened the next door, and Robin peeked to see if the coast was clear.

All of the auras were outside, "All clear."

Robin grabbed my hand and we ran deep into the factory. We made our way to the entrance of the computer room, Robin threw a bat-a-rang at a computer terminal. The bat-a-rang released a smoke-screen of knock-out gas at the cultist, knocking him out. As soon as the smoke cleared, Robin pushed the guy aside and began hacking into the computer terminal for the information we need about this scheme.

A few moments later of hacking, Kid Flash showed up, "Whatcha got?"

"Chemical formulas. I'm guessing it involves Venom, but..." Robin answered.

Kid flash pointed at the screen with a protein bar, "This one's Venom. And that one's... Whoa, the Blockbuster formula from Cadmus. Mixed correctly, Kobra's new juice is 3 times stronger than Venom... And permanent." Kid Flash observed, "But, how did Kobra get access to Project Blockbuster?"

"Our mystery buyer must, also, be Kobra's supplier! Using the Cult to create a Blockbuster-Venom super-formula!" Robin answered, as I narrowed my eyes at the data. Something else is pulling the strings here. But who?

Robin broke my train of thought, as he switched on his com-link, "Robin to Aqualad! We got..." His eyes widen, then narrowed, "Static."

"Kobra must have jammed the radio signals." I finally spoke up.

Robin downloaded the information of the formula, until we heard gunshots. We left the office and saw Aqualad, Miss Martian and Superboy fighting the large group of cultists and the monster from my dream, three days ago, Mammoth. I looked around and couldn't sense Bane in the factory. I gritted my teeth in anger. Robin looked ahead, and grabbed my hand. We sabotaged the helicopter, outside of the factory.

'Everyone online?' I heard Miss Martian's voice inside my head.

'Yeah.' Superboy answered.

'You know it, beautiful.' Kid Flash replied.

'Good. We need to re-group.' Aqualad thought.

'Busy now.' Robin and I answered in unison.

"Batman must be desperate, if he sends his whelp to task me." Kobra remarked, as we left the helicopter.

"What's wrong, Kob-y? You look disconcerted." Robin joked.

Kobra narrowed his eyes, "This is beneath me. Shimmer, take them."

The girl from my dream, Shimmer, dashed toward us. Robin and I were able to dodge her with ease.

'Robin. Arackniss. Now!' Kaldur told us in stern tone, as Robin looked slightly to his left, then narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

As Shimmer dashed at us again, I threw a smoke bomb to the ground. I grabbed Robin's hand and took us into the shadows.

'There are too many numbers. We need to retreat.' I told everyone that could hear me.

'Agreed. Kid, clear a path.' Kaldur replied, then told Kid Flash.

Robin nodded his head and we followed the others to the secret entrance. Superboy was right behind us. He slammed the door locked, but Mammoth was able to knock it down.

"Superboy, the support beams!" Aqualad told Superboy.

Superboy punched down a couple of support beams and a large portion of the mine collapsed. Once everything calmed down, Aqualad got out a glow-stick and activated it.

"How can my first mission, as leader, go so wrong?" Robin asked, disappointed in himself. I placed my hand over his shoulder in comfort.

"You do have the most experience. But, perhaps, that is exactly what has left you un-prepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are... defined. You two don't even need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear. Explicated. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan." Kaldur told him in a calm tone.

Robin turned in anger, "Oh. So, I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?!" Robin sighed and calmed himself down.

A thought came to me as I looked at the Atlantean teen, "You know what? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can."

"Please! I can run circles-" "Wally, come on. You know he's the one. We all do." I cut Wally off.

"Hello Megan. It's so obvious." M'gann said with a smile.

"Could've told ya." Superboy included. Robin smiled in agreement. We looked at Wally.

He finally shrugged his shoulders, giving up, and smiled, "Okay."

Kaldur smiled, and walked to Robin, "Then I except the burden. Until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders." Kaldur placed his hand on Robin's shoulder. "You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon." Kaldur finished. Robin nodded with a smile.

Kaldur removed his hand and looked at the others, "Alright. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

Robin folded his arms, "Funny. I had the same thought."

"Must have read my mind." I grinned as a joke.

Kaldur smiled, "Well done. Did you get any information, while you were there?" I nodded as Robin got the file out.

"Sportsmaster is the supplier-slash-buyer. But, it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula, or to get Kobra to do his dirty work." Robin informed, as we ran to the exit of the mine. My anger blazed as I sensed Bane's aura getting clear.

"And neither of them have the chomps to bond Blockbuster with Venom. That takes some major nerd-age." Kid Flash included.

"I believe the expression is-" "Tip of the iceberg." I finished Aqualad, as Bane appeared from the exit of the mine.

With his muscles bigger, an evil smile on his face, Venom ejectors around his feet and a detonator in his hand. I growled in anger as I balled my hands into fists.

"Halt, niños. I'm feeling... Explosive." Bane told us.

We looked up and saw half a dozen of explosives on the support above us. My anger burned in my heart.

"You betrayed us! Why?" Aqualad asked.

"I want my factory back." Bane answered.

'Kid, you'll need a running start.' Aqualad told Kid Flash. Kid Flash glanced at Kaldur, then backed up a little.

"So, I forced you into a situation, where you would take down my enemies, or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League will certainly come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke clear, Santa Prisca will mine once more. Blowing up the tunnel, with you inside, should have the same effect." Bane finished explaining, pressing the button on the detonator. But, he realized it was not in his hands.

"With what?" Kid Flash asked, leaning on a tree, behind Bane, holding the detonator, "This trigger thing-y?"

Bane throw a punch at Kid Flash, but Miss Martian caught him and levitated him over our heads.

"Finally." Superboy grinned as he prepared to attack, "Drop him."

Miss Martian did what she was asked. Bane fell toward Superboy, as Superboy punched him into the tree. Luckily Kid flash left the tree. Bane blacked out from the impact.

*A Little Later...*

We returned to the factory, starting our plan of attack. Sportsmaster was about to take his leave, until Kid Flash dashed by, knocking out some of the outer guards.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra told Sportsmaster. Sportsmaster dashed toward the helicopter. Superboy dropped by the helicopter and stared at Mammoth.

"Go again?" Superboy asked. Mammoth charged toward him, but a powerful current of water, created by Aqualad, pushed him away, "Sorry. Not the plan."

Sportsmaster fired his weapon at Superboy. Superboy took the hits and didn't fight back. The attacks had little effect on him. Miss Martian flew into the helicopter, and watched Superboy's fight. Sportsmaster must've known she was there, because he shot the ground, making her visible again, when she flew toward him. He grabbed her into a small headlock, and continued shooting at Superboy.

Kid Flash dashed into another guard, and grabbed his mask, "Souvenir." He dashed off again.

Robin threw bolas at Shimmer, which tangled her to collapse. "I know you hate getting your hands dirty." Robin teased Kobra.

"True." Kobra answered, as he removed his cloak. "But, sometimes, even a god must stoop to conquer."

Robin and I got into offensive stances. "I have to warn you. You have caught me on a bad night." I warned Kobra, as Robin and I charged toward him.

Robin give Kobra a flying knee, and I threw a punch to the stomach, but Kobra blocked both our attacks. Robin went for a leg-sweep, and I jumped for a round-house kick to the head. Kobra dodged both attacks again. Then we trade attacks, but Kobra caught Robin's leg and kicked him away a few feet. He stepped on my tail and threw me into Robin. Robin and I recovered and stared at Kobra.

"What's wrong, children? You look disconcerted." Kobra mocked.

I growled lowly in anger and dashed to attack Kobra again.

"Niss, don't!" Robin called, but my anger deafened my ears.

I threw everything I knew at him, but he blocked, dodged and threw back at me. My anger grew. Kobra charged at me and threw some kicks and punches of his own. I put my arms in front of myself, in an 'x' form. Psionic energy formed a shield in front of me and protected me from Kobra's attacks.

The helicopter was in flames and crashed into the factory, causing it to explode and burst into flames. I stared at the flames, as the energy faded away. Kobra took this opportunity of the distraction to kick me down and kept me down.

"I am plagued, by mosquitoes." Kobra growled, glaring at me.

"Good, cause this 'mosquito' is mighty concerted over your pain." I told him, before I kicked him off and returned to the Team.

"Another time then." Kobra said, as he entered the jungle. Robin followed, but lost him at the trees he walked past.

"We picked the right guy to lead." Robin smiled, until he walked to Kaldur and pointed at him, "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman." Robin laughed at the thought.

Kaldur looked a little bit unsure. I slightly smiled and placed my hand over his shoulder.

Mount Justice.

July 23rd, 10:01 EDT.

We returned to Mount Justice and Kaldur reported everything to Batman. Unfortunately, Batman didn't look very happy.

"A simple recon mission. Observe and report. You'll each receive a written evaluation, detailing your many mistakes. Until then..." Batman told everyone with a hard tone to his voice, until, "Good job." His voice was soft again. We all stared at him, shocked.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the un-foreseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads, determines character." Batman finished.

Kaldur smiled at Robin and I. And Robin grinned, pleased with his actions. I smiled back.

"You are dismissed." Batman told the team.

The team went their own ways. I turned to make my way to the showers, but I felt someone put their hand over my shoulder, causing me to stop in my tracks. I turned to find it was Batman.

"Is something wrong, Batman?" I asked, turning my full attention to the Dark Knight.

Batman narrowed his eyes slightly, "I know it was you, Arackniss."

I lowered my head and looked away from him, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you were involved with the Joker's infiltration of the Cave in 2006." He simplified.

I balled my hands into fists and bit my lip to stop myself from saying something stupid. I figured Batman would figure who Ace was, but I wasn't expecting this soon. I was hoping to leave my past, as Ace, behind me... But it keeps coming back to me... Haunting me... I want to just forget about it.

"How long have you known?" I asked in a whisper.

"Long enough." Batman answered. He put his hand under my chin and made me look at him dead in the eyes, "I also know that you chose to quit as soon as you realized what you signed up for. It's takes a lot of courage to leave the Joker's side, even from a child. But you cannot dwell on the past. It is not healthy, I know. You have to let it go... And soon, Arackniss."

I looked at Batman, as he removed his hand from my chin. I lowered my head slightly and turned to make my way to the showers.

Let go of my past? Easier said than done...