Disclaimer: I do not own the existing characters that we know and love of Young Justice, although I do take ownership over the new characters i.e. some of the teammates
A/N: Thank you for your reviews so far, but here's a little short chapter for you
Chapter 06
Carrie squirmed in the White and green superhero suit that Nightwing has fished out from the awaiting hero outfits that had been manufactured in the recent past for any new recruits.
"I would love to say it fits like a glove, but it doesn't!" she growled, fixing a metallic green mask over her eyes and flipping her hair to one side.
Miss Martian adjusted the mask slightly, trying to smile. "I know this probably isn't what you expected, but you need to look like one of us."
Carrie nodded slowly. "I've decided on a call sign..."
"Yeah?" Miss Martian lifted the young girl's chin up. "So whats it going to be?"
"Stem Cell- I want to use Metallica's name calling against him. Show him that I'm not afraid of him."
"Well if that's what you want. Welcome to the team, Stem Cell." Miss Martian smiled softly before uttering 'oh' when Carrie hugged her.
It felt nice to have a new hero on the team. Miss Martian and Nightwing were always on the lookout for future superheroes who might forge a team to take over from them. It made her think about the little supers that would one day, take up the gauntlet the same way the she had done so many years before.
There was a knock at the door, Aqualad pokes his head into the room. "Ah, I see we've chosen an outfit. It suits you, Carrie."
"It's Stem Cell," Carrie said with a soft smile on her face.
"Right - Okay Stem Cell. We're ready and waiting when you are."
"Are you sure that you guys want to put your lives on the line for me?"
Miss Martian places a hand on Carrie's shoulder. "You're one of us now, you're not getting away that easily. We've all agreed to help. For you, and for BB."
Carrie clenched her fists tightly, Metallica had played with her one too many times. Living in fear of being caught by him was beginning to grind her down and exhaust her all the more.
The plan was a simple one, relying on Carrie and Miss Martian predominantly. With the addition of Superboy, another super of whom Metallica had expressed a great interest in. When Carrie met Superboy in the hanger bay next to the bio ship, he just stared at her with his piercing blue eyes. Watching her incredibly closely - like a child trying to work out how a magician performed his magic trick. Not even Carrie's bubbly nature could help relax and lighten the tense mood.
"Okay Aqualad... Bioship dispatch imminent." Miss Martian pressed a series of buttons to start the ship's engines.
Carrie strapped herself in, her eyes flirting between Miss Martian and Superboy working in silence. Something felt off between the pair, but she chose to keep her mouth shut anyway. The more she thought about the situation unfolding, the more she blamed herself for putting everyone in this terrible situation.
"You can't do this," Carrie whimpered.
Superboy glanced over his shoulder at her, refusing to say a word.
Miss Martian took a defensive approach. "Stem Cell, it's non negotiable. Nightwing's orders. You can either help us, or we'll leave you strapped in here. Superboy and I can go it alone if need be."
Carrie waited for the ship to land, close to the docks where Metallica was hiding out. It had been thanks to a young super called Angel who was a tech whizz kid. Angel had analysed the video, playing with the brightness and contrast levels to show what was hidden in the darkness. All signs pointed to the docks.
The three supers snuck out the bioship and found an empty crate large enough for Superboy and Stem Cell to hide in whilst Miss Martian transformed her green complexion into that of someone who might work on the docks. And be one of Metallica's pawns.
Superboy lay flat in the box, with Stem Cell almost curled up at his feet. It was dark in the box apart from a tiny hole and crack that gave a little indication of where they were in the warehouse.
"Where are you going with that?"
Miss Martian turned around to see Metallica's henchman looming over her. "It's uh- Uppercut, right? The boss" right hand man? Mr Metallica wanted me to drop this special delivery off to him. An unexpected batch of chemical X..."
Uppercut has a gormless expression slapped across his face. "I didn't think Metallica wanted Chemical X anymore. He said he was taking his plan to the next level."
"Well orders are orders, right?" Miss Martian tried to push the box, but Uppercut slammed a fist down on the box, cracking it slightly by Superboy's head. "Careful there, this stuff's unstable!"
Stem Cell squinted to see Uppercut storming off, allowing Miss Martian to take the crate to Metallica. She tried to communicate with her, focusing on what she wanted to say out loud.
"I know we need to work out what Metallica's big plan is, Stem Cell." Miss Martian stopped wheeling the crate along when she saw the shutters that went towards the water were down.
The chain that would have lifted the shutter was snapped and hanging loosely which complicates matters further. She lifted the crate's lid and allowed Superboy to climb out and head over to the shutter. The metal of the shutter caved in under Superboy's grip before creaking as he lifted it up.
"Oh congratulations, my little Stem Cell!" Metallica boomed from the over side of the shutters. "What a fantastic array of heroes you have delivered straight to my doorstep, it's just a shame they won't be able to bear witness to my master plan..."
Miss Martian watched Stem Cell climb out of the crate and couldn't decide if they had been played and it was all an act. She could see the remorse on the younger girl's face, but there were so many opportunities where Stem Cell could have said something to them.
"Oh don't look so sad Miss Martian. It wasn't her fault really. I made her do it." Metallica clicked his fingers. "I trained her well, she was able to suppress thoughts that would have unearth my plan, thanks to a little metal transmitter I implanted into her neck.
Superboy and Miss Martian watched as Stem Cell was dragged out the crate and along the ground. Their jaws clenched in preparation for the fight, but Metallica was vigilant.
"I don't think so." Metallica manipulated the hanging metal chain and used it around Superboy. "You should know that I have the ability to manipulate metals... Stem Cell is mine and she's going to give me the rest of what I want."
A metal pole broke off the wall and locked itself tightly around Miss Martian's waist, pinning her arms to her side.
Metallica then turned to Stem Cell with his hand held out. "Hand it over."
"I promise you Metallica, I don't have it." She shrugged her shoulders. "I hid it some place safe."
"Lord above!" he screamed angrily. "You know what happens when you cross me!" Metallica's hand shot up and for a moment, nothing happened.
Superboy and Miss Martian struggled against the bent metal or chains, but they had been locked on tight.
"Please stop struggling, it's very distracting..."
Stem Cell clutched her neck and then screamed out in pain, dropping to the floor. "Stop! Make it stop!"
"What's that? You'll tell me where you hid it?" Metallica leant over her twisting body. "Because if that transmitter managed to sever the the arteries around your heart, well... healers can't heal broken hearts, can they now?"
"Please!" screeched Stem Cell, blood beginning to drip from her mouth. "Please!" Tears streamed off her face as she sobbed through the excruciating pain.
A sudden cat yowling startled Metallica, making him unprepared for a cat to pounce and attack him, clawing his face. He squeezed the cat around the nape and pulled it from his face.
The cat fidgeted until he slammed it down on the ground.
"Time's up Stem Cell. Either you tell me where you hid it, or I will crush her skull like a walnut!" Metallica's hair was beginning to look pretty frazzled. "Now!"
The mewling from the cat tore at Stem Cell's mind, giving her a short amount of time to heal the internal damage Metallica's transmitter had down.
"Okay," she panted, spitting a pool of blood on the floor. "Let her go- I'll tell you." Stem Cell collapsed into the ground, controlling her breathing as much as she could.
When Metallica releases the cat, it shifted into a young teenage girl whose face was now bloodied.
"I'm so sorry," Stem Cell whimpered before Metallica grabbed her by the arm and hauled her towards the boat hat was waiting to be disembarked. "Where? Where's Beast Boy?"
"You didn't honestly think that I would just hand him over, did you? Oh how sweet! Star crossed lovers."
"We are not!" Stem Cell growled, grunting with pain as the last of her internals were healed, but she could feel the transmitter now pressing into her rib cage in its new position. "He saved my life and has nothing to do with this so you should let him go. Your business is with me, not the Justice League!"
"Well you're a part of the Justic League now. I know where that superhero suit came from..."
Stem Cell froze, climbing onto the boat where she saw a cage at the back containing an unconscious green kangaroo. Her fingers grazed the metal wiring of the cage.
"Now call me sceptical but I don't think you're going to tell me where you hide the catalyst." Metallica walked back and forth along the back of the boat. "Uppercut! Will you hurry up?" His voice was more thunderous and echoed through the warehouse as he started up the boat that was floating at the end of it. "Uppercut!"
Instead of Uppercut appearing, he was thrown across the warehouse. Stem Cell saw Nightwing and Starfire burst into view and tear towards the boat.
Metallica tried to throw a metal bar at them, but they dodged it effortlessly. "Enough!" he shouted, thrusting the lever up and steering the boat away.
Nightwing was about to throw himself into the water when Starfire stopped him and pulled him away. Something was wrong. The plan was falling to pieces before their eyes.
"Oh this is too precious!" Metallica cackled.
Stem Cell threw her weight at him, knocking him down to the floor. They grappled weakly, but with limited metal objects in range, Metallica was close to useless.
"Boy wonder is going to sleep with the fishes if you don't let me go, Stem Cell."
When she looked to the right, she could see the cage hovering over the water, keeping up with the boat as it tore out of the docks.
"No!" Stem Cell lifter Metallica by his coat collar and slammed his head against the floor. "I'm not a scared little girl anymore!"
The cage dropped, plummeting into the ocean and as the boat was moving further and further away, there was no way Stem Cell could save him. Anger surged in her veins as she continued to pummel Metallica - only stopping when she heard a loud foghorn that caused her to grab the boat's wheel and steer them out of trouble.
Then the metal was moving in her again.
Dragging its way out of her body, cutting through her rib. Stem Cell collapsed on the floor, forcing the boat to turn and nearly sending Metallica over the edge. The internal bleeding and drowsiness was enough to make her black out cold.
-o-
When Stem Cell came to, she was lying beside a large metal canister where Metallica was busy fiddling with wires. Lying beside her in a bloody pool was Metallica's transmitter.
"Perfect, you're awake. Shall we begin?"
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Lots of awkward annoying moments, right? I hope you didn't mind a slightly shorter chapter, don't forget to review