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. The majority of the Team's children
A/N: Hadn't updated this bit in a while, but do you like wonder what Lola's going to do? I'm indecisive and would love your opinions so don't forget to review
Chapter 17 – Mari Grayson
I sat at the iron cast chair in the garden with my eyes closed, feeling the wind blowing through my thick and tangled dark hair. Everything had happened so quickly that I hadn't had time to think it all over.
From Ryan disappearing multiple times, Finn being assigned as the new Aqualad and Kyle being thrown into another dimension.
So much was going on that I hadn't had time to even worry about Max.
"Ow!" I squealed when I felt a heat under my elbow. "Max! I thought we agreed no powers at home. Or at least, Dad wanted you to never use your fire. That it's supposed to be a secret."
Max slumped down in the chair opposite me. "Well yes, but you seemed distracted."
"I was just worrying about Kyle."
A snort escaped his mouth. "Why? Is he your boyfriend? Do you fancy him or something?"
Before I could respond, Max cackled loudly. It was a rather obnoxious habit he had developed, partially picked up from Ryan.
"It's not like that- besides, I'm pretty sure that Lola has a thing for him anyway." I sighed, looking down the garden and admiring the vast expanse. "What do you think is going on between Dad and Zatanna?"
"I don't know... but what about Mum?"
"Well, it's been years now- who knows whether she's even alive Max. Maybe Dad would be happier if he moved on."
"Stop it!" Max screeched. "Dad wouldn't move on to someone. He loves Mum!" He bolted up from his chair and sprinted out the room.
I bundled my hands in my face. "Relax... it's fine. He's just sensitive about Mum." I walked to the edge of the patio and vaulted up onto the wall, holding a perfect handstand with the assistance of my flight.
"You know it doesn't count if you use your abilities."
When I opened my eyes, I was startled to find Dad sat down watching me. I hadn't even heard him come near.
"Dad!" I exclaimed, awkwardly lowering myself to the ground.
"Should I ask why Max has just torn past me in tears?"
I pursued my lips. "It was about you, and Mum. I asked him what he thought about you and Zatanna spending so much time together..."
Dad stood up and joined me by the wall. "There's more time it than just that. Zatanna has been processing some stuff with her family. I understand exactly what she is going through. Her and I were great friends." His words were tentative.
"Well, I like her." I hugged Dad briefly before sauntering inside. "I'll talk to Max and apologise."
"That's my girl."
"Have the Justice Hall received any word from Ryan?"
Dad shook his head, his eyes unable to hide the hurt. "No. Lola's account was the last know sighting of him. His grandparents are recovering from severe burns... Go inside, I won't be long." Dad pulled out his phone and I knew it would be important.
I took position hiding by an open upstairs window on the first floor so I could listen in. It sounded like he was talking to an old friend- most likely a fellow super. But the intonation and speech patterns of Dad's voice made me think it was someone older and respected by him. I thought it might have been Bruce Wayne, which was confirmed moments later.
"Bruce - I don't know what's gotten into him. Honestly. He has been fine for the last five years... God I used to let him babysit Rosemary and Max, and he turns out to be some kind of maniacal sadist? That's not the kid I trained."
The silence that followed made me hold my breath.
"But our parentage doesn't define us Bruce- Artemis proved that." Dad paused, beginning to pace about. "Well she did all those years ago... There's something else you should know. We lost Project GMK... originally we thought Konstantin... Zatanna might know who-" His head snapped around and in a split second, I hit the floor out of sight.
"I have to go Bruce. Grayson Manor security has been tripped."
That meant someone else was in the perimeter of the house. An intruder. Little did they know they were in a house of supers. I just needed to get Max to pull up the booby traps around the house. Then send an alert to the Justice Hall.
The lights went out in a flicker, plunging the whole house into darkness. Only for me, that was a disadvantage. My Tamaranean eyes were never quick to acclimatise to the darkness. I always required more time to focus. Flickering lights were my absolute fear. They really messed with my vision. Especially laboratory style lights.
Frozen to the spot, I listened hard for moment and embodied the Grayson family training. My parents would jokingly blindfold me and Max to see who could navigate the house the quickest from top to bottom. Now, I just had to play the game in reverse for a moment.
Up the stairs, counting each step slowly and moving to the sides at the necessary creaking steps. It was second nature. I could hear movement behind me and I was almost seeing clearly. A low, deep murmur alerted me of someone else's presence and I whipped around, firing my violet coloured starbolts at them. There were two figures dressed all in black, with balaclavas over their faces. The leapt aside as the floor they were once stood on was singed, scorched by the heat.
I staggered up the stairs, hiding around the corner and listening, unable to steady my breathing. "It's okay… It's going to be okay. Dad will take care of them. He will protect you."
"Mari…" I heard a soft voice whisper from a familiar voice.
"Ryan?" I whispered, noticing the attic door was open – had he been hiding in our house the entire time. Knowing that the other two men could find me imminently, I flew up the ladder and pulled the hatch up behind me. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here." His voice was right there in my left ear. "Or maybe I'm over here." Then it was over my right shoulder.
"Ryan, stop playing games- I don't want to hurt you."
"You should have thought, you all should have thought about what I would do after you threw me out of the squad."
I shook my head, trying to find where Ryan was in the room. At the far end, there was a large circular window that let a tiny bit of moonlight into the room. It was enough to speed up my vision focusing. There were boxes of Grayson family mementos and old furniture that has seen been updated in the house. Dad insisted that we hang onto old furniture for either those in need, or when I eventually moved out.
A shadow darted around the round, and I gasped, turning quickly to try and catch a glimpse of them. Nothing. It was quicker. He was quicker.
"Ryan, what's going on?"
"I need you to understand."
"Understand what?" I stammered. "You can come back home, to the Squad. It's not the same without you, but you don't need to do this."
"I do… I really do." He jumped down behind me and I could feel him breathing down my neck. "You see, your precious dad made sure that- along with the assistance of the Justice Hall, I was to be kept in the dark about my own parentage. But it all makes so much sense now. Why I am what I am and why I am the way that I am. It's in my DNA."
I shivered, unable to bring myself to turn around. "But we're friends. You used to look after me and Max when we were kids, playing heroes and villains in this house."
"Friends? You think we were friends? I was your father's project. Before their precious GMK, there was me." Ryan yanked on my arm, dragging me towards the window. His face illuminated in the moonlight. It was pale, gaunt and he looked incredibly tired. "You thought we were friends? Oh- man!"
I flinched, backing away from him as he turned his gaze to the outside.
"So we're taking over Grayson Manor. As collateral."
"But why?" I asked calmly, stopping when I backed into a wardrobe covered in a sheet. "Keep away, if you come near me, I'll use my starbolts..."
Before Ryan could move, I heard Max scream from downstairs. My protective instinct kicked in and I bundled myself through the attic hatch, calling out to Max. At the end of the corridor, I could see the two men dragging Max away.
"Leave him alone!" I screeched, flying through the air with a closed fist.
The fist connected with one guy's jaw, making a satisfying cracking sound. But the other guy was ready and kicked me hard.
"Stay back, or the kid gets it."
I looked up to see him holding a blade to Max's throat. "Max, it's going to be fine, just don't panic... okay? Listen to me. Everything is going to be okay."
His eyes flitted about the room in panic, wondering how I was going to save him. "I can't hold it back," Max whimpered. "I can't control it."
Oh god- the threat was causing Max to fire up, literally.
"Hold it in Max, this is our home..."
There was a dull clapping that signalled Ryan was close behind. A hand plastered itself to the back of my head, hoisting me up by my hair.
"Ryan, let me go!" In a panic, I sent beams of starbolts around the corridor, hoping to catch Ryan. "Let us go, please!" I snapped, trying to reach around as he pulled me down the stairs.
Ryan pulled me into the living room where Dad was beaten and bloodied, dropping limp in a chair. "Like father, like daughter- always putting up a fight." Ryan pushed me into the ground, my chin smacking into the polished wood. "Look at you now, 'Nightwing' and see what you've created. You failed. You created a monster- well, I was always going to be a monster thanks to ma and pa... wasn't I?" Ryan punched Dad hard. "Because you hid that from me. You knew who my parents were and you lied to me."
"Don't hit my dad!" roared Max, his eyes now emanating a white glow. He hung his head down, trying to hide it and control the fire.
"Or what Maxy, you going to make me regret it? Because I'm bigger and stronger than you- I'll have you floored in seconds." Ryan's taunting was going to be exactly the thing to send Max over the edge. "You're a pitiful excuse for a super, Max- stick to your computers and tech support."
I watched closely as Max's body began to shake. Overcome with the energy and power coursing through him. "Max- control it!" I squealed helplessly. "You can do it- you've done it before!"
Ryan pushed me into the floor with a foot pinned to my back. "What's wrong, Mari? What's wrong with baby brother?"
"Only that he's a grenade with the pin pulled right now," I muttered, twisting my head to look at Max be released.
"Run Mari!" Dad shouted, standing up and kicking Ryan in the side, unbalancing his protégé.
"But Max?"
"Go!" Dad shouted as Ryan tackled him to the floor.
Max screamed in an ear piercingly high pitch. "I said no!"
Dad screamed for me to run again and I burst out through a window, smashing it in the process as I flew through the air.
I landed clumsily onto the grass and spun around to see a flaming tornado rip through the house. A scream tore out of my mouth. I went to run back into the house, but someone grabbed me from behind.
"Superboy- let me go! Dad and Max are still in there!" I screeched, feeling the tears streaming down my face as my family home was engulfed in a blazing inferno.
Aqualad and Aquaman ran past us on either side, conjuring their hard water conducts in the form of an octopus and a turtle.
Aqualad glanced over his shoulder. "We'll put the fire out Mari, don't worry!" He grunted as he moved the turtle onto the building, smothering the flames. "Extraction team- ready?"
Diana, Stealth and Zatanna were there too, about to enter the building.
"I need to help too!" I snapped angrily, pulling hard against Superboy's grip.
Superboy looked as though he was just holding a toddler still, his feet rooted to the same spot. They didn't move as I leaned my whole weight away from him.
I dropped to my knees with sobs breaking through my lips. Just when I was about to run against Superboy, I heard Dad's voice.
"We're okay, Mari..."
Everyone turned to see Dad weakly holding Max's limp body in his arms. He dropped unsteadily to his knees.
"Dad!" I rushed to his side. "How did you get out of there?"
Dad's eyes darted to Zatanna. "Looks like we need to come clean, Zatanna. It's as you suspected."
Stealth darted away, shouting at something, before dragging back a boy who looked about my age. He was wearing what looked like a suit without the tie and a few buttons undone. Around his waist, was a red cummerbund. Concealing his eyes, was a thick mask like made him look like a teenage Zorro.
Zatanna grabbed the boy's shoulder. "Thank you Stealth," she mumbled. "Zachary- what are you playing at? You could have been caught!"
Zachary tolled his eyes, pulling aggressively from her hold. "But I'm fine, Mum. No one saw me either time."
"What do you mean either time?" Zatanna questioned with a stern expression slapped on her face.
I stood up quickly, clapping my hands. "Let's save the lecture for another time and get my dad and brother to a hospital- now!"
Aquaman pressed a finger to his ear. "Miss Martian, we need a bioship extraction. Nightwing and Max requesting urgent medical attention." He turned back to extinguishing the last section of flames.
-o-
The bioship took the Grayson family along with Zatanna and Zachary to the apartment that Beast Boy and Stem Cell were living. I stroked Max's dark hair as he lay on the sofa. Carrie stood behind me, squeezing my shoulder.
"It's time for me to do my thing. Step away, Mari." Her voice was stern yet calm. "There now, Max is going to be absolutely fine, it'll only take a second."
I stood up slowly, looking around the room. Up on the wall was a large map of the country, with pins sticking out at various locations with polaroid photos of Beast Boy, Stem Cell and a teen or child. In black marker pen, each third person's name printed at the bottom of the photo.
Garfield must have noticed me looking. "That's all the kids Stemmy and I helped protect. Operation -."
I turned my head to see Garfield pressing a damp cloth to Dad's face. "Is he okay, Garfield?" I asked, watching my dad grimace and squirm slightly.
Garfield smiled weakly at me. "This guy – man, the beatings I've seen him take. This is nothing." He wrung out the damp cloth into the metal sink. "How you hanging in there, Carrie?" he asked, concerned for his partner's wellbeing.
Carrie nodded dismissively. "Nearly there, he'll be right as rain when he wakes up…" She picked up a blanket that was hanging over the back of the sofa and placed it gently over Max. Her fingers stroked his cheek, watching the colour flood back to his cheeks. Carrie walked towards Dad with her hands out. "Don't tell me you're going to be some tough guy claiming he doesn't need my help…"
Dad shook his head. "You've done enough for me Carrie, and like you said- there's someone else who needs your strength more than I do. I'll be fine, trust me."
I watched Carrie slowly wrapped her arms around Dad. He was gentle and squeezed her tightly. It was strange to think that they have known each other for just under a decade. I had always admired the bonds that form between the supers. Something that I aspired to have myself.
"What happens now?" I asked, trying to hold back the lump in my throat. "We don't have a home."
Dad struggled over to me and I could see the bruises on his face. He pulled me in to a tight embrace. "We have each other, and that is what matters. With my Nightstar and FIrewing here, that's all I need."
Zachary decided to pipe up. "Yeah. You Graysons were lucky that I was around…"
I whipped around and glowered at Zachary. "What would you know?!" I said spitefully.
"Well, perhaps I can show you." Zachary held up his hand, but Zatanna was quicker.
"Pots taht won," she ordered, freezing up Zachary's hand. "No more, Zachary. I mean it. You're in enough trouble when we get home. And no buts."
I walked towards Zachary. "If your mum won't let you show me what you can do, why don't you tell me?" I frowned deeply, watching his ice blue eyes flicker between the people in the room. "You're not scared, are you?"
"Not at all."
I turned away in frustration and squealed when I saw him pop up from behind the island in the kitchen. "What the- how did you do that?"
"Magic…" Zachary replied in an overly cocky tone. "I have the ability to perform basic spells and open portals between spaces."
I gasped loudly. "Then you were the one who saved Kyle!" I grabbed his shirt, pulling him towards me over the counter top. "Where is he?"
Garfield prised one of my hands of Zachary. "Hey now, Mari. Now is not the time to start interrogating him. If the kid does know something about Kyle's location, the truth will come out. In time."
"Garfield's right, Mari." Carrie stood on my other side. "For now, you Graysons can stay here as long as you need to." She smiled at us all, pulling her cardigan tighter around her.
-o-
We didn't end up staying at the Logan-Boxham residence. Instead, Dad took us to Wayne Manor. Grayson Manor's bigger brother by far. It had been strange staying in one of the many illustrious rooms of Wayne Manor.
As for the Justice Squad, Zatanna made sure that Zachary came clean about Kyle's location. The thing was, Zachary was capable of opening portals, but it had its limitations. When he was opening portals nearby, it was easy to successfully move to the second point – like in the apartment. However, when he was unsure of a location or was working with longer distances, there was a slight tendency for the portals second point to be miles and miles off course. This was something that Zachary was trying to hone in on, but it meant that Kyle was still out there somewhere. It had been Zachary who opened the other portal that sucked up Kyle before the dark dimension did.
Max withdrew almost completely. From training, to mission tech support and even his generic school and home life. I knew it was because he blamed himself for nearly burning down the family home. I tried to console him and tell him it was an accident and we know he didn't mean it, but he was incredibly dismissive of it. Most times, it ended in him screaming at me to go away and me running in fear of a fire tornado.
The Justice Squad reconvened one night at Diana and Aqualad's request. We were dispersed around the break room, divulging plans for how we were going to get Kyle back.
I looked around when the conversation died down. "I know he'll hate me for saying, but we need Firewing. He'd find Kyle in a heartbeat with some kind of facial recognition software. The only problem is that he's not going to help us."
Aqualad agreed. "It's true, Nightstar, but the problem is Firewing blames himself for not being able to control the fire."
A yellow blue shot around the room once. "I didn't even know the kid had it in him to produce fire like that. Sure, it's in the name, but I thought that was because of your parents." Stealth continued to explain what she meant, trailing off when she realised we weren't listening.
I had an idea. "Aqualad, we're going to video message Firewing. He's not going to be able to say no. Stealth, find Angel and send him to Wayne Manor- tell him to wait outside for Firewing." I led the way to the main control room and connected my phone to the computer. "Aqualad, connect a video feed to Firewing."
Me, Diana and Aqualad huddled around the system, waiting for the connection to be established. Stealth bumped into me when she returned.
"Plan executed, Angel is on his way." Stealth smiled charmingly, tossing her long born ponytail behind her shoulder.
We connected to the computer feed beside Firewing who was sat on the bed in his room at Wayne Manor. I ushered the others away, so that I could spend an emotional sister brother moment.
"Firewing, this is Nightstar- come in." I watched him bolt over to the computer, about to slam the laptop shut. "No! Firewing- Max, please! This has to stop. I know you blame yourself, but I know what you're going through."
"You don't know anything!" Max cried out.
"I do because I hurt you as a child..." I couldn't believe the words were leaving my mouth. Mum swore me never to say t truth. "When you were two years old, we were playing... nothing harmful- at least that was never my intention. But..." I squealed, covering my mouth with one hand. "I hit you with my starbolts. The power was weak and- god, Max, you were in the hospital nearly a week. The thing is, it wasn't my fault and it's not yours either."
My brother fell silent as I broke down, continually apologising.
Aqualad and Diana wrapped their arms around me in a tight embrace. It was Stealth who took up the mantle to encourage Firewing to come help.
"Look Firewing, you are a super and there isn't anything you can do to change the past, but we have all experienced what you are going through. Now, you are more than just a ball of fire, you're our computer whizz kid and right now, we need our very own computer whizz kid to help find Mentalist. It was thanks to you that we discovered he's still alive so... this is your mission to direct." Stealth leant forwards. "There is a team of supers waiting for a lead on this. Angel is outside with a car waiting to bring you here. I've told Angel to wait a few minutes before leaving. We hope that we'll see you soon. Over and out from the Justice Squad." She hugged me. "That can't have been easy, but I'm sure it's gotten through to him. It has to."
Diana picked up her collapsed bow, clipping it to the hook on her belt. "Come on Aqualad, let's go wait for Firewing in the garage."
Leaving Stealth and me in the control room, I began to register her nervousness.
"You're worried about Mentalist, aren't you?"
She shook her head before nodding. "That boy- there's something about him that I can't put my finger on. I don't know if it's this guardian protector-ship he has for me, but I feel something in my body when I'm around him."
"What about Ryan?" I asked tentatively.
"Well whilst he's hiding in the shadows, there isn't much I can do." Stealth slumped into the neighbouring chair to me and spun around quickly. "We've not officially broken up either..."
"Do you still have feelings for him?"
"Of course- I've been with Ryan for oh god, over a year now. But he's not that person I fell for." Stealth lifted her goggles up, wiping a lone tear. "And I'll never forgive myself for not seeing him change sooner..."
"Oh Stealth, I didn't mean to make you cry." I was immediately flustered. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she gasped, standing up quickly. "I need to go - I have to think about things."
I stopped myself saying anything, knowing Stealth was already gone. It was nice to hear her open up, but I had a feeling that she wasn't used to doing that unless it was with Ryan or her parents.
"What are we waiting for?"
"Firewing!" I exclaimed cheerfully, beaming at my brother sitting down beside me.
"Thank you, Nightstar. For opening up to me. It meant a lot to me. To know I'm not alone. Now let's set up facial recognition for Mentalist- along with a DNA graph to pinpoint places where the mesh of his DNA is."
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = I tell you something, I love writing this story and I hope you have been enjoying reading it :D
