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: Stealthy Mentalist! Finally, but how will it affect the team?
Chapter 21 – Willow West
"Are you serious?" I asked the speedster. "You, and Kyle? It finally worked out, because for a moment, I genuinely thought you were going to choose Ace."
Lola hugged her knees to her chest. "I know. It's crazy. What about you? Still not sure of my theory about you and Aqualad?"
I pulled a face at her playfully. "Me and Finn are always going to be friends first and foremost. I feel like we can tell each other anything, but with everything going on between me and my mum, there's no way I can think about dragging someone else into this mess."
Another voice, a fellow super, called out to us, "Lola, Willow!" Kyle waved coolly, stepping up onto the railing by the steps and sliding down it towards us. "I got tickets to the rink-ice." He holds out some rectangles of card depicting the re-opening of the ice rink.
Lola and I giggle, before correcting him to pronounce it as ice rink, although he insists that it is a rink of ice, therefore a rink-ice. I check my watch, noting I'm late for class and have to cut across the basketball courts outside. Meaning I'll have to try and evade detection, especially if Finn is on the courts with his friends.
Gathering up my bag and books, I sprint up the steps and around the side of the building. The courts are busy, with the basketball team deep in training drills. Finn had been allowed to assist with practice, but hadn't made the team.
A shout catches my attention and I look just in time to see a ball hurtling through the air towards me. Reflexes take control, Diana's game, and I catch the ball, tossing it away up in the air. The crowd whoops as it threads its way through the hoop, heading towards me, apart from Finn who holds back.
So much for staying off the radar.
Before anyone can seriously congratulate me and try to make me join the girl's team, I scoot and make it all the way to the English classroom. The lesson is benign and boring, even better when the homework is simply to read an extra chapter of the book we're reading. The only problem is being accosted by the girl I can only label as the mean girl of the year. 'Plastics' equivalent.
Nina Newman. Platinum blonde hair, curled and styled to within an inch of its life. A new boyfriend every week. Blue eyes like the sea. Everyone wants to know her, everyone wants to be like her.
"You're the one who shot that hoop earlier. I saw it out the window. Pretty neat. You and me, we should go out some time. I'd love to give you a makeover if you'd let me."
Astounded, I uttered 'sure' and before I knew it, she was linked arms with myself and dragging me to her convertible car, curtesy of Daddy's money. Her little minions open the door for us and I feel everyone watching, which makes me withdraw into the seat. As the car leaves the lot, I can see Finn, Lola and Kyle all staring at me in the window, on what seems to be the wrong side of the glass. Nina drives recklessly towards the shopping mall, regaling me with stories about the latest boyfriend, although she starts to question me about Kyle, knowing we're friends.
"I'm afraid he has eyes for someone else, Nina. No chance of anything happening there, I'm afraid." I wring my hands nervously, uncertain about this newfound scenario I'm in. "But I'm pretty sure there are a ton of guys who want to date you, so it's only a matter of time before someone you likes makes themselves known."
"That Finley Brooks though, he's another one of your friends. I've seen you two hanging around, looking cosy. What's all that about?"
I falter. "It's not like that. Me and Finn are just really good friends and well- family issues means we share a house, share meals together and even work related tasks."
"Work related tasks? Sounds ominous, but a conversation for a later date." She swings into the car park roughly abandoning her car in the middle of two spaces. "Come on, there's somewhere we can go and get you done over. How do you feel about going blonde?"
"I suppose," I murmured quietly, following her quickly. "Oh, gosh..." I whisper when I notice a poster asking for information about some masked vigilantes. "Be careful next time."
"About what?" Nina asked, peering around at the poster. "I've heard about them. They were the ones who foiled that weirdo mastermind, Double M? There was this blog post online that wrote an article about a masked gladiator archer who was spotted in the city. Would be cool to know who it was..."
Knowing that the masked archer was myself, I was dying to move on. I wasn't about to admit it, least of all to Nina who couldn't keep a secret safe. So I remained silent and suggested we continue on our way.
"Oh my god! Look how gorgeous that hair colour is! It would look so good on you. We could get like, a temporary hair dye in case you changed your mind. Come on, let's do it!"
By the end of the day, Nina had bought me a small collection of makeup and taken me to her house where she insisted on helping me with the temporary dye. She squealed in delight when she saw me with blonde hair. The ginger was gone, and I was a little bit pleased to be rid of it. I didn't really like the fiery hair tone. When I complained about the thickness, Nina rushed to get her straighteners.
"There!" Nina grinned, clipping a pin into place to give me a dramatic, swept fringe. "So, I was thinking that tomorrow, I could give you and the girls a mini makeup masterclass? You have such a pretty face that it would be a great shame for you to not put it to good use!"
Knowing the status she held in the school, I felt cornered and unable to say no. So I said yes. I don't think I quite understood why she was choosing me, but the attention of someone wanting to be my friend was great. It was someone outside of the Justice Squad too.
-o-
I strolled back into the base with my bag of makeup and straightened blonde hair swishing from side to side. As I rounded the corner towards the rooms inside, I bumped into Stealth, Mentalist and Aqualad. All of whom stared wide-eyed at me holding my hand up to the keypad by my room.
"Willow?" Stealth asked, lifting up her new goggles. "What happened do you? You look like the pretty pink unicorn factory exploded onto you?"
I shook my head. "I just fancied a change. Nina likes it and she's being really nice to me." The keypad beeped and the door slid open.
Aqualad and Stealth exchanged a look. He shook his head quietly, but she wasn't having any of it.
"You missed training today." The speedster folded her arms. "We had to cover for you, thinking you were just running late. Obviously not." She urges Mentalist to follow. "Get your skates on Mentalist. Time to hit the ice."
Mentalist tilts his head, inspecting me closely. "I do not like this hair. It is not yours." He pointed over at Aqualad who was starting to walk away. "He feels the same."
"Mentalist!" Stealth snapped loudly.
Hating the judgement for embracing a change, I shut the door aggressively. They had no right to force their opinions of dislike onto me. There wasn't enough time in the day to list off all the things I had to say about each one of them – all their silly mistakes and stupid choices. That night, I lay in bed reading my English book, ready for tomorrow's lesson. I felt incredibly tense and like an argument was brewing in the base amongst the team, which was bizarre because I always thought the first time this would happen, it would be because of Lola and Kyle rather than me.
Instead of focusing on it too much, I went straight to bed, dozing in and out of consciousness.
-o-
Grabbing an updated outfit, I paired a cream coloured knitted jumper with a pastel checkered skirt. Two garments that had been sitting in my wardrobe, having been bought months ago without a chance to wear them. Now seemed as good a time as any, especially when it went with my new hair. However, my friends were nowhere to be seen, so I assumed they had gone ahead of me.
They had done. It was obvious when the first time I saw them was at the end of the day when I was being taken to my makeup masterclass with Nina. Lola, Kyle and Finn were stood by the stairs. Only, they didn't really say anything to me. The three of them glanced my way, along with everyone else who didn't seem to recognise me. Nina gleefully linked arms with me, smiling at our fellow students.
"Everyone loves your hair, right girls?" Nina asked her two minions who echoed a joyous response. "Perfect, now come along. There's lots to learn on how to really enhance your facial features."
On the drive to the Newman house, I was forced to decline a call from Finn, and then Lola. I was making new friends and had to broaden my horizons outside of the Justice Squad.
Being able to bond with other girls besides Mari and Lola was interesting and a little bit fun once I let me guard down a little. Until an emergency signal came through from the base's mainframe, forcing me to cut the makeup session short.
"What's going on?" I sighed loudly, hopping on the bus towards base.
Firewing's voice was shaky, explaining that the team had to go on a mission to stop a robbery, but had been captured. You were supposed to be there. Aqualad and Stealth tried to get ahold of you, but you rejected the calls. The squad needs you on duty now. Mentalist and you are the backup team. It's up to you to-"
"But Firewing, I'm in the middle of something."
"Willow, we need you..."
Firewing was keen to get my help. He anxiously waited my decision.
I gave in, just as I got off the bus at the nearest stop to the base and ran around to the entrance. Straight in the direction of my room where my Diana suit and collapsible bow would be waiting for me.
"Firewing, ready for duty." My eyes widen when I meet Nightwing standing behind Firewing. "Nightwing?"
He doesn't say anything at first, trying to intimidate me in his silence. "You were supposed to be on duty. And what happened to your hair?"
Mentalist comes up behind me. "She has changed it, like Nina Newman told her she should if you wanted to be popular." He shakes his cape slightly. "Then she learnt the makeup today."
I winced. "It's not important. I'm ready for duty now. Can we focus on the mission? Firewing said it was a robbery gone wrong. The team has been captured, where are we going?"
"Can we tell her about the real plan now, Nightwing?" Mentalist asked, looking over at the leader. "How this is all a joke?"
"A joke!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean?"
Nightwing clapped a hand to his face. "Mentalist has gotten his wires crossed Diana. Get to the garage. Green Canary will drop you off at the location. Unless you want to fly with Mentalist."
"I prefer the car."
I do prefer the car, but not Green Canary's road rage, especially when her ability comes into play. The location she leaves me and Mentalist is the bank. Not just any bank. The Gotham City Bank.
"They're down in the safes. It's up to you guys to get in and get them out." Green Canary smirked slightly. "I'll be here if you need me."
I led the way for me and Mentalist down to the safes by going down an emergency exit staircase. It's quiet inside and the police haven't quite arrived yet, so we still have a small window of time to get in and get out. By the time we reach the safes, I have a strange feeling that this is all a trap.
"Diana!" Another voice sounds out from the next room. "Salvation has been waiting for you to arrive and save your friends."
Mentalist raised his eyebrows at me, before camouflaging himself to take control of the situation. He vanishes into the air before I got the chance to stop him.
"Stop!" I shouted loudly, gripping my collapsed bow and emerging from around the corner. "No..."
Assassin, the member of Salvation who had tried to employ me as a new member. They stand there, wearing a padded suit of dark green and orange armour with a mask covering their entire face. On the floor beside them, Zachara, Stealth and Aqualad are unconscious.
"Diana, what a pleasant surprise. I was beginning to wonder when you would show up to save your friends. Little Aqualad, Magic Man and a new Kid Flash- that must hurt knowing Daddy-O is being replaced."
"Stop it. Stop it, stop it. Stop!" I screamed loudly, covering my ears pathetically with my hands. "How do you know about my family?"
"Well, we are family."
"You're lying..."
"I wish I was." Assassin releases a throwing star at the wall, embedding it into the metal. "Camouflage won't protect you here, Psychic Boy."
Mentalist unveils himself, only an inch away from the throwing star. He looked our way, wide amber eyes locked onto us.
"This is too much. All we need now is for little purple StarGirl to appear and I'll have the whole set."
"You can't do this!" I shouted loudly. "You don't want to steal anything, so just release my friends."
"Friends?" Assassin cackled loudly. "These guys don't care about you. They knew you wouldn't show up. Said you've changed. And I don't think they're just talking about covering up the West family hair."
Tears started to build up on my eyes. "Please." I released the catch on my bow, lining up two arrows to fire quickly. "Be quiet!"
The arrows catch the material, pinning Assassin into the wall. They wriggled uselessly, locked into place. I pointed at Aqualad and Stealth, telling Mentalist to get them onto the roof for an emergency evacuation. Deep down, I wanted to keep Assassin one more warning. They're stuck there waiting for me to talk to them.
"Okay Assassin. I don't know what's going on here, but we are not family and we never will be. Stop thinking that you can get into my head, because you can't."
"I already am. You already want to know how we're related." Assassin stopped talking when sirens could be heard. "Better made your escape now. Supers don't have the same rap they used to, ever since the Parasite subdued the Justice league. Nightwing's team could never live up to their expectations and neither can you."
Not wanting to hear anymore, I ran. I sped out the safe, climbing the stairs as fast as I could, feeling the panels of my skirt battering my legs with every step. My mind raced with thoughts about Assassin and their true identity. How were we related? Were we even related?
The door onto the roof flies open as I stagger out. Mentalist lifts the unconscious trio's bodies into the bioship before waiting for me. "I will not say anything about what they said."
"Mentalist, I don't want you to keep secrets. This is something I have to discuss with Nightwing."
"Why do you cover up your hair with yellow?"
"For a change. I don't really like its colour."
Mentalist shakes his head slowly. "The colour. It has changed your personality. Nina should not have a say in what you do with your appearance. Stealth said you lose beauty when you behave like Nina." He backed away, towards the bioship. "The priorities need sorting."
-o-
He was right. I washed my hair fifty times whilst Green Canary debriefed the team so that I could at least get some of my old colour back. With the flame red coming through at the roots and mid-lengths, I felt like I was washing away the mean girls attitude I was at risk of adopting.
Before the others could leave, I ran through the base in the hopes of catching them. They were in the break room, quietly discussing something with Zac, who looked my way as soon as I walked in.
"Oh come on!" he exclaimed. "I didn't even get to see the blonde bombshell, I got to transfer schools now."
Lola swiftly punched him in the arm. "Shut up." Her blue eyes glossed over my face, followed by a bright smile, brighter than the sun. "You washed it out. And you let the freckles through." She bounded over to me, hugging me tightly. "Never change, Wills."
I nodded, squeezing the bubbly beauty. "You got it."
"Come on guys, let's go for ice cream or something!" Lola beamed at us. "I'll race you there."
Before she could speed away, Zac and Kyle used their abilities to shut the door and make Lola freeze up, unable to use her speed.
Kyle playfully kisses her cheek. "Racing against you would be unfair, do you not think?"
We all laughed before slowly filing out the room.
Finn caught my arm with his. "Promise me you won't pull at stunt like that again, okay? You are just fine as you are. This is the Willow we all know and love." He stopped, seemingly mid-sentence before striding away.
Leaving me red faced.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Now this might feel like a bit of a sloppy chapter, but I'm just getting back into my writing so much and got carried away exploring Willow's arc
