Chapter III - The students

Mout Justice

The cave hadn't been this crowded in… well ever! Tim literally couldn't recall this many people occupying the space at once. Looking to the side at his brothers he spoke to the oldest. "You have any idea what's going on Nightwing?"

An irritated huff left the first Robins's lips."All I know is it has something to do with the monsters the League has been dealing with." Rubbing at his shoulder, Dick winced at the tenderness of a large bruise. One of the monsters had lifted him, then threw him to the ground as if he weighed nothing.

"It is, apparently a specialist is coming to educate us on how to defeat these things." The three older bat boys eyed their most stoic brother skeptically.

"How do you even know that?" Red Robin raged.

"How does he know anything?" Jason interrupted, "He eavesdrops… Like all the time." You could practically hear the smirk in Red Hood's voice as he leaned against the wall, completely relaxed compared to everyone else in the room.

Almost every hero associated with the Justice League was present. The Titans, most of the League's core members, their covert junior team the Young Justice and the Outsiders. Most of the heroes were speaking quietly with each other, the tension was so thick it was almost suffocating. The white glow of zeta tube activation drew everyone's attention as Batman stepped through… with an unknown woman.

Analyzing the woman Tim automatically a mental list, a side effect of his years training with the Bat, noting even the smallest details that might be of use later. "That must be the specialist."

Scoffing Robin rolled his eyes. "With those deductive skills, it's no wonder father fought so hard to keep you around. Oh, that's right! He didn't." Although lacking his usual antagonistic tone Damian watched as Drake clench his fists. Normally he greatly enjoyed riling the older boy up, he just made it so easy, but something was bothering him about the woman. His scowl was more prominent than usual as he ran through recent memories, trying to place where he recognized her from.

"Quiet." The silence was instantaneous. Automatically the heroes gathered closer forming a half-circle around the monitors Batman placed himself in front of. "I know all of you are aware of the new adversaries the League has come in contact with, some of you have even fought them. However, not one of us has been able to defeat them." He paused to survey the room as he let the knowledge sink in, that not even one league member has come up against these things and won. "For those of you who haven't come in contact with them pay attention."

Across the screen, several tabs popped up, each with a video of a different creature. Quiet gasps and exclamations of surprise were heard throughout the room as they watched each of the monsters easily defeating accomplished heroes, none of whom were pushovers.

At the end of the videos, Batman beckoned the woman forward. With golden blond hair pulled back into a high ponytail she was dressed comfortably, in lite jeans, sensible dark brown ankle boots, a blue-green button-up shirt, and a leather jacket to match the boots. "This is Kami Albarn, she will be explaining what we're up against."

Realization struck at the sound of her name as the smallest gasp of surprise left Damian's lips. The other bat kids turned at the sound, he shook his head, silently telling them to leave it alone.

Kami held out her hand for the remote Batman was holding. "Ok, before we begin I would like to ask you to please keep an open mind. Much of what I'm about to show you will seem outlandish even fabricated… I assure you, it's not. That being said, please hold all questions until after I've finished."

Using the same presentation she had used with the League the previous day, Kami moved quickly through the explanation of Kishin eggs, Meisters, and Weapons. When this group showed the same amount of skepticism at the idea of the 'soul' she performed the same demonstration as the previous day, only this time with Miss Martian as the telepath and Aqualad as the guinea pig. At the end, she clarified any confusion. "Tomorrow at 2 pm the team my boss has sent to assist the League will arrive and perform a demonstration so you can witness exactly what they'll be doing while they're here. Any more questions you have will be answered then."

Conversation erupted throughout the room as Kami walked over to Batman and the League's other core members. "Have you worked out where the team will be staying while they're here?"

"They'll be staying here with our covert team of heroes. Having them stay elsewhere will cause issues with not having a zeta tube available for transport." Subtly analyzing her the Bat couldn't help but notice there wasn't much difference between the Kami he was growing increasingly attached to and the Kami that was before him now. The only difference was that this Kami was far less relaxed and more professional.

"I would like to request a room here myself as well. There isn't a point in liaising if I'm not in the same area… and I haven't seen my daughter in over a year. I'll be nice spending time with her again, even if it is under not so pleasant circumstances."

She's so honest. While Bruce was pretty much ready to let Kami in on the secret, the Bat still had reservations… but she was slowly wearing him down. "We'll set one up for you as well."

"Thank you, I'll be heading out to pack some things. How will I get back?"

"Canary will be escorting you to the Hall of Justice, when you're ready to return use this," the bat handed her a small tracking device, "the button at the center will activate the device and someone will pick you up."

"Thanks, I'll see you all later." Turning to leave she hesitated for a moment before turning back. "Also, try to make it to the demonstration tomorrow. Maka and Soul do it for all the new students at the DWMA and she's excellent at explaining soul compatibility and resonance." With a small smile, she walked toward the zeta tube as Black Canary activated it and they both walked through.

The Bat Cave

"Ok little D, time to spill. What happened during the meeting that surprised you?" The three oldest bat kids had been shocked at Damian's emotional display, he was usually even more controlled than the Bat, except when it came to anger but the kid had a lot to be angry about. Then again, they all did.

"The woman, Kami Albarn…"

"Yeah, what about her?" Tim glanced at the other two, had they noticed anything strange about her? But they looked just as confused as Tim did.

"Father is dating her."

"…"

"WHAT?!" The exclamation of shock came from all three.

"I didn't realize it was her at first, I only caught a glimpse of her photo when they first met and father was looking her up, but I heard her name when they were talking one night. That's why I didn't recognize her face right away."

"Holy shit!" The vulgar statement came from Jason, "Bat's got a new girl… did anyone else notice how hot she is?!"

"Ugh…"

"Really?"

"Could you not."

"She is smokin'," the brothers froze, "you should see her when she's relaxed, she's even more beautiful." Bruce removed his cowl as he took the last few steps into the cave. "Although I wasn't aware of her profession when we started dating, that seems to be the only downside to the relationship."

"The only downside?" Dick couldn't contain his shock, his former mentor had never been so open about a relationship before. Echoing Jason's sentiments, "Holy shit… you're going to tell her!"

"Yes, I am."

With his four boys gaping at him he took the seat before his computer and began to work. Each of them could tell the conversation was now closed.

One hour till meeting the league

Maka took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head working some of the stiffness that had settled in her muscles.

Her team along with Professors Stein and Mari had been traveling for 3 hours by van and it had NOT been a picnic! Between diffusing arguments between BlackStar and pretty much every other member of their group (excluding Tsubaki), and the cramping from the 4-hour plane ride before the nine of them had to pile into a vehicle only meant to seat seven, she was on her last nerve.

They were all tired and bordering on murderous… probably not the best frame of mind considering who they were here to assist. She was debating tying BlackStar to the grill of the van, like she had been threatening to do if he didn't finally shut his mouth, or begging Stein to sew it shut permanently. Something she was pretty sure he would have no problem doing considering the amount of force he was using to turn the screw in his head.

They had less than an hour left until they reached their destination, mentally she patted herself on the back for deciding to give everyone a little space before meeting the heroes they would be working with indefinitely. She really didn't want to make the kind of impression that would embarrass Lord Death, after all, they were representing the entirety of the DWMA. Turning around she nearly face palmed… too late… her team was a disaster!

Patty was standing on top of the luggage sitting on the roof of the van, boisterously greeting every passerby that dared look at the loon swinging her arms through the air and laughing maniacally. Liz leaned against the van just under her sister with a compact mirror held close to her face, completely out of view of Kid so he wouldn't see her tweezing her own eyebrows and take over. Kid was, of course, obsessing over the lack of symmetry. Mari and Stein had gone to find bathrooms and snacks for the rest of the trip, everyone knew it was an excuse to recover some sanity and patients for the home stretch. Soul had taken up residence on a bench, lying down with an arm covering his eyes, likely fighting off a BlackStar induced migraine. The trouble maker himself… currently at the top of the tallest tree he could find, yelling while Tsubaki tried desperately, to coax him down. Honestly, she was tempted to get everyone else in the van and leave him there… but there is no telling the damage he would be able to achieve if they left him behind. Sighing she took a swig from her water bottle and sat on the bench at Soul's feet.

"How much longer till we get there?" One eye was peaking out to look at her while Soul kept the other one covered and closed.

"We have about 40 minutes left till we get to Happy Harbor. Then we have to find the…" she took a folded paper out of her jacket pocket. "… the Hall of Justice?" We're supposed to be meeting a hero there, the Black Canary." Hearing a bellow from the trees everyone in the group looked up.

"Are you sure we can't just leave him here?" Although Liz simply looked bored you could hear the annoyance in her voice. Slipping the compact into her back pocket and the tweezers into her little toiletries pouch she turned to Maka, crossing her arms under her chest, "I mean we're gonna have to deal with this for like, the entire trip!"

"You know we can't leave him here." Dropping a bag with a variety of snacks on the ground next to the bench Stein slipped his right hand back into his pocket while his left hand continued to twist the screw in his head.

Mari stepped into view beside him smiling gently at the tired, frustrated, and moody teenagers before her. "I know he's getting on everyone's nerves a little now but BlackStar is as much a part of this team as the rest of you. Now come on and get back in, we're almost there!" She slid into the front passengers' seat just as Stein started the engine. "Maka, could you get BlackStar down please?" Liz dragged Patty off the roof of the van and grabbed the back of Kid's shirt before jumping in the very back. Tsubaki would be squeezing in next to them, seated behind BlackStar so she could slap a hand over his mouth if she needed to.

Digging into the bag she kept at her feet she grabbed the largest book she had brought to read on the plane. Moving to the front of the van she took aim and let the book fly. A few moments later BlackStar slammed into the ground at the base of the tree for Tsubaki to collect. Moving back to the door she got in and sat in the chair directly behind Stein. Soul would be stuck on the floor between the two middle seats, it wasn't the most comfortable but he had the most space. A few moments later and Tsubaki handed her the book back before tossing BlackStar in his chair and strapping him in. She and Soul shared a grin as they got back on the road, enjoying the few moments of quiet while BlackStar was knocked unconscious.

The van wove through traffic pulling into the first spot Stein could find close to the Hall of Justice. The second the van was parked the sliding door was flung open.

"Finally!" BlackStar was forced out first with a boot to the face as Liz clawed her way to freedom. "I swear when I find who was in charge of renting that I'm gonna tie them down and pluck all their eyebrow hairs out!" Hair and clothing rumpled from the final stretch and from Kid holding her down so she didn't choke BlackStar till his face was as blue as his hair. Hands on her knees she drew in deep breaths, turning she saw the rest of her friends were stretching and giving themselves some much-needed personal space.

Maka took in their surroundings as her team reoriented themselves. Directly in front of them was a pool with… what looked like a golden sculpture, made entirely of spikes, sitting on a concrete star in the middle. The Hall of Justice itself wasn't all that impressive, at least compared to the DWMA. A large half dome, with two pillars framing each side and two pillars framing the entrance at the center, appeared welcoming. Glass made up the entire front wall allowing curious visitors a sneak peek into the lives of the heroes sworn to protect them.

Maka was impressed by the Leagues' forethought into the public psyche. By allowing citizens a glimpse into the League's headquarters, they were controlling the narrative. People wouldn't be interested in the inner workings of the League because they thought they already knew. An intricate and ingenious illusion!

Truthfully, it didn't matter what she thought about how the League did their business. They were here to do a job, not to compare headquarters, and her team was the best! They might be overdramatic, violent, and completely unreliable outside of a fight but when it really came down to it, she wouldn't want anyone else watching her back. Turning she walked back to the van.

"Ok guys get your stuff together." Slinging one bag over her shoulder she stepped on the floor of the van to reach the roof as Soul handed her bag down. "Thanks Soul."

"It's no problem for a cool guy like me." Smirking at Maka showing his razor-sharp teeth He continued handing everyone else their luggage. "By the way, what does the lady picking us up even look like?"

"Oh! Oh!" Patty jumped spinning in the air. "She's probably a giant canary but she's black instead of yellow! Don't you think sis?"

"I don't know Patty, don't you think we would have seen her on TV if a giant black bird was flying around?" Pausing mid-jump Patty's eyes got wide.

"That's a really good point sis! You're so smart."

"She's the blond one with the leotard, fishnets, jean jacket, and combat boots." Black Star spoke with his back to the rest of the team, not noticing the shock on their faces. It was strange hearing him speak about the hero in such a way when he had never shown interest in the opposite sex before.

"Um… Black Star… you know Black Canary is a woman right?" Soul asked. Granted Black Star is a ninja, noticing details kind of came with the job description, but he normally paid attention to things like stance, what weapons a person had, and fighting sty-… Ah!, "You want to fight her." As realization dawned on the others they began to chuckle. Of course, that was why he knew who she was, he didn't care about her appearance, he wanted to be able to identify her so he could challenge her.

Excitement glimmered in Black Star's eyes as he turned, "Yah I want to fight her, and that other guy… black bat or whatever."

"His name is Bat Man," each of the students spun in surprise not having noticed the woman, who looked exactly as Black Star described, approach. "You're the team sent from the DWMA I presume?"

Holding out his hand as he stepped forward, Stein analyzed the woman before him. Her posture and mannerisms suggested years of training and conditioning. Having studied videos of the League and after researching their known abilities, he knew about her cry. What he didn't know was how her mutation affected her physiology, and he was dying to know the answer to that question. "Professor Stein. You're—"

"BLACK CANARY!" Charging up to Black Canary Black Star knocked Stein's hand aside as a vein swelled on Stein's forehead; his irritation with the blue-haired barbarian began to rise.

Bright-eyed and facing the heroine Black Star thrust his hand out, pointing in her direction, and declared at the top of his lungs, "I THE MIGHTY BLACK STA—(THUNK!)…" Abruptly, he was cut off. A massive tome, about the size of two textbooks, was planted cleanly at the center of his head knocking him unconscious.

"… My apologies for the Neanderthal, when he meets someone he thinks will be a challenge to fight he can't help but to confront them immediately. As I was saying before, it's good to meet you." He held his hand out once again as Tsubaki lifted Black Star in a fireman's hold.

Eyes on the blue-haired teen she shook Stein's hand. "You as well, is he going to be ok?" She noticed not one of the others in their group seemed worried about their friend.

"He's completely fine. He'll be awake in a few minutes, I would suggest we move this somewhere more private before that happens." Sunlight reflected off his glasses hiding his expression as he twisted the screw in his head. "As you have probably noticed he's not the most subtle of us and tends to draw unwanted attention to himself if not properly distracted."

Understanding the underlying meaning she ushered the group forward. "We can talk more inside."

Tsubaki, stuck with transporting Black Star, had to ask Soul, Kid, and Patty for help carrying three of their four bags.

Surveying the group as she lead them through the corridors of the Hall of Justice, Canary was impressed with their discipline. Not one of them complained and they showed no strain from the weight or awkwardness of carting bulky luggage, even when three of them were forced to carry extra.

Mount Justice

The cave was packed with even more people than the day before. Heroes who attended the first meeting wanted to see the demonstration Kami had promised. Several minutes ago the tracker Batman had given Kami activated; Dick volunteered to go pick her up, no doubt being curious about his adopted fathers' new love interest.

Talk quieted as the white glow of the zeta tube activating drew everyone's attention. Black Canary stepped through followed by 9 others dragging a mountain of luggage with them.

The one with the round glasses appeared to be in charge, as he casually walked up to the icons who started the league while his piercing golden eyes analyzed the room and the people in it. Stopping a couple of feet away from Batman and superman he turned his attention to them.

"Quite the gathering you have going on; it's good to see that the entirety of the League is taking this seriously." His words were friendly but his facial expression was borderline creepy. "Stein, wonderful to meet you." An almost disturbing smile stretched across his face as he assessed each of the heroes in front of him then held out his hand.

Some heroes stiffened at the intensity of his gaze and insinuation that any hero would dismiss this… no matter how farfetched it sounded.

"Batman." Calmly grasping his hand he didn't let the scientists' demeanor affect him. "The liaison who will be working as the go-between is on the way." Observing the others behind Stein he allowed his gaze to analyze Maka for a moment longer than the others.

"Good, while we're waiting how about we get some introductions out of the way. Team…" stepping aside Stein allowed Maka to step forward.

Right away Batman noticed a significant difference from the photo they were sent. Instead of the high ponytail she'd sported her hair was loose falling to just below her shoulders… the area that wasn't shaved anyway. From the side part, most of her hair and her bangs were pushed to the left side of her head; from the part down was shaved into six evenly spaced rows, running the side of her skull. Looking closely he could see that some of her exposed scalp was scar tissue.

"Maka Albarn two-star scythe Meister and team leader," She was focused and completely calm introducing herself to a room full of strangers, "I look forward to working with you." At her last statement, a small smile pulled at her lips as she stepped back.

Soul stepped up next looking bored and every thought that the leaguers had of his hair being dyed and having colored contacts in his eyes evaporated. "Names Soul JUST Soul, Death Scythe, and before you ask, yes my hair, eyes, and teeth are real and natural." Without another word, he turned to stand with Maka.

The blue-haired one leaped forward as Soul retreated, his bold personality dominating the room as he bellowed, "The names Black Star and I'm—" his Weapon partner grabbed the dangling pieces of his turtleneck and yanked him back just as the zeta tube activated again.

Kami stepped through looking just as polished and professional as the previous meetings with slightly different attire. Instead of the business casual style she seemed to appreciate, she was dressed for comfort in black durable and flexible pants, a loose green tank, rubber-soled knee-high combat boots with steel toes, and a black leather jacket. "Looks like it's gotten exciting already, and Maka hasn't even started the demonstration yet!" Maka, Soul, and Kid's eyes widened as they spun toward the tube.

"Huh…?" Black Star, now able to breathe again, looked at Kami then Maka then back to Kami in confusion. "How do you know Maka… and why does she look like you?"

"Kami Albarn," Kid walked over, "it's good to see you again." Kid said as he reached out to shake her hand.

Placing her hand in his Kami jerked him forward, "I've known you practically since the day you were born brat, don't think for one second you getting away without giving me a hug!" Wrapping her arms around him she placed a kiss on his head as red dusted his cheeks. "It's good to see you to Kid."

"Wait… you're Maka's MOM!" The twins circled her, taking in her appearance, stunned. "Wow, Maka's told us so much about you, you're kind of a legend. It's no wonder Kid had a cru—"

Kid's whole body was fire engine red and radiating heat as he slapped his hands over their mouths and dragged them backward.

"Hahaha! Maka's told me a lot about all of you as well." She said walking toward her daughter. "It's nice to meet her friends, Liz, Patty, Tsubaki. She's told me quite a lot about you too Black Star." She smiled knowingly, her eyebrow raised, as she studied the friend her daughter dubbed 'the loud-mouthed barbarian' in her letters.

"Bet she told you what a HUGE STAR I am huh." He declared with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out, even as his friends rolled their eyes or facepalmed.

Kami laughed, "Something along those lines, hello Maka." Shaking off her stupor Maka threw herself into her mothers' arms with a huge smile.

"Hi mom."

Chatter began to rise amongst the heroes as they turned to give their guests some semblance of privacy. All of them understood the tole, being in a position like theirs, could take on a family.

"Didn't you tell her I was going to be here?" Taking in her daughters' appearance Kami turned Maka's head to the side.

"We thought it would be a nice surprise. You're enjoying it aren't you little angel?" The other professor to come with the team smiled gently as she watched Maka bury herself further in her mothers' arms. It had been over a year since they had seen each other.

"I'm liking the new loo—," cutting herself off abruptly Kami turned Maka's head to her left, "Maka…" League members instantly noticed the change in Kami's tone. "What happened to your hair?"

"Parting gift from the Kishin." She spoke with a complete understanding of the situation. She had fought a monster, he had hurt her, she won and was stronger for it. "He ripped a few chunks of hair out when he was dragging me, it grows weird now so I started shaving it and the twins had the idea to do the rows to make it look even."

Kami's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scars. "I don't like how you got them but they suit you." Taking a deep breath she released her daughter. "How have you been Soul?"

"I'm good." Short and concise, but his expression was anything but disrespectful as he viewed his partners' mother with respect. His hands left his pockets as she approached him and pulled him into a hug as well.

As she pulled away Kami analyzed his face for any hint of deception. She was one of the few people, aside from Maka, who knew who his family was, his family's history and didn't judge him for it.

Reverting to business mode she turned to face the League again. "Now, I believe you were introducing yourselves." Silence defended once again at her commanding tone. "Who's next?"

The girl who seemed to have the most calming presence stepped forward. "Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Dark-arm Weapon," she bowed at the waist showing her Japanese heritage, "I hope we can all work well together." Her gentle smile and wide brown eyes made her appear innocent, even naive, but she moved with assurance and grace that suggested years of training; not to mention, she subdued her partner with minimal effort. She stepped back, moving to stand next to Black Star, as the last of the students stepped forward.

Kid was the shortest of the three with Patty next, being only a few inches taller, then Liz almost a full head taller than the boy. His golden eyes were focused and intense but he didn't have the same vibe as his golden-eyed professor.

"Death the Kid, but Please just call me Kid. One star Meister, I look forward to working with you." His expressions remained neutral and he spoke with casual politeness that revealed none of his true personality. The twins stepped past him.

Disinterest poured off the taller sister as the other oozed boundless excitement.

"Liz Thompson, Weapon." Her eyes lazily drifted over the sea of heroes as she shifted her feet waiting for her sister.

"Patty Thompson, Weapon. Do you have a zoo here or an aquarium… OH! What about a theme park?!" Several sounds of surprise floated around the room. Many people had trouble following Patty's train of thought when first meeting her. The Justice League was no different. Glancing at each other, they tried to gauge whether she was being serious or not as she bounced excitedly from one foot to the other. The other teacher, Mari Mjolnir, spoke before they had to guess.

"Were most likely not going to have time for any sightseeing Patty, we'll work it in before we leave if we can ok?"

"Ok!" With that, she spun going to stand with her other friends.

Finally, the other teacher stepped up. "Hello, I'm Mari Mjolnir, Death Weapon. It's a pleasure to meet all of you!" Though her doe-like brown eyes practically screamed innocence, there was a strength to her that could only come from years of experience… or war. "So before Maka starts the demonstration do you have any questions?" Mari peered through the crowd looking for hands.

"I do if you don't mind." The question came from Mari's right. Wonder Woman stepped away from the others. She spoke in Tsubaki's direction, "You said you a Dark-arm Weapon, how does that differ from a… regular Weapon or a Death Weapon?" Respectfully curious, the Amazonian princess focused on the student even as her question was directed to the teacher.

"I'm different from other Weapons in several ways." Tsubaki didn't hesitate to answer smiling politely. "First, another name for a Dark-arm weapon is 'Demon Weapon'. It's said that Demon Weapons were the original tools in the fight against the Kishin. My clan is thought to be direct descendants of an original Demon Weapon, we're one of the few clans left that retain the abilities of Demon Weapons and it's typically inherited by the firstborn of each generation. Second, most Weapons only have two or three forms: human, Weapon, and some like Soul can blend the two forms." She looked back at her friend expectantly.

Rolling his eyes Soul huffed as he walked up next to her and transformed, only his arm, into the blade of a scythe. Quiet inhales and slightly widened eyes were the only indications of surprise. Though the blade was deadly sharp that wasn't the interesting part. White and black irregular, rectangular shapes stretched across the entire blade.

Stepping a few feet closer Wonder Woman stared at the blade before looking at Soul. "Are those …May I?"

"Whatever." Still bored he held still as he allowed her to tentatively run her fingers across the shapes she had identified as piano keys, and tore her hand away in shock as soft notes filtered out into the room.

"That's incredible… thank you." The corner of his lip pulled up in a slight smirk as his arm shifted back and he retreated to his spot next to Maka. "So you have more than three forms."

"I have seven including this one." Tsubaki gestured to herself as a human. "I won't be demonstrating those today but I'm sure you'll see them eventually as we work together." Turning she returned to her place next to Black Star.

"Any other questions you have can wait until after Maka's presentation." Leaving no room for argument Stein gestured for Maka and Soul to step up.

AN: Please message me if there is anything you think I might have forgotten and I will include it in the next chapter when Kami meets the Young Justice team.