A Missing Link
Kaldur'ahm, better known by his alias Aqualad, loved his team. He loved their resident speedster, Kryptonian clone, sunny-side Martian, and quippy archer. They were his family; brothers and sisters.
On some days, however, he felt as though something were missing. As if there should be a sixth member to their group of five.
It was this odd sensation that filled him as he watched Kid Flash hork down an entire buffet of food, barely swallowing as it disappeared into his mouth.
Conner was on the couch, the familiar buzz of static filling the room, and M'gann was somewhere off with Artemis, probably training.
Lately, the Martian had been dead set on gaining more hand-to-hand combat skills, insistent she wouldn't drag them down.
Her and Superboy were still a steady thing, their relationship having its many, many ups and downs but ultimately pulling through in the end.
Wally and Artemis were a different story. They had never acknowledged their feelings for each other, yet were both so obviously in love with each other. It was like they needed someone to point it out to them.
Which was unfortunate, as Aqualad refused to play matchmaker and Conner and M'gann were so wrapped up in each other they weren't even aware of their teammates' mutual pining.
It was like the Atlantean had thought; they were missing something. Had been for a while now.
He was about to put a stop to Wally's gluttony when the cave's intercom suddenly pinged,
"Young Justice to the briefing room, Young Justice to the briefing room." Red Tornados stiff voice sounded over the system, sounding like a plane's PA. He'd been working on 'becoming human' off and on since the whole run in with his family, but it was still a work in progress.
A slow, painful, work in progress.
Either way, Aqualad found his clinical tone to be rather soothing in times like this. The mechanical precision wasting no time on idyllic human mannerisms.
"Awethome," There was a loud gulp, like too much food being pushed down too little throat. "We haven't had a mission in so long."
A canary suited man fell into step beside him, his frame much more filled out then it had been in their teenage years.
Their costumes hadn't changed, nor had their mission statement. They were still a young group of heroes—though now in their early twenties—who carried out low profile operations separately from the Justice League.
Maybe now they were a little more experienced, a little more sure of themselves, a little more stealthy; but not much else had evolved.
He liked it that way, preferred the tight knit trust they'd developed. They were thinking of expanding their group someday soon, adding on a few more young members to keep the torch burning and all that.
For now, they were content.
Artemis and M'gann were already in the briefing room when the three men arrived, Wally still chattering amicably about their recent lack of missions.
The ginger fell silent when he came in sight of Artemis, lowering his goggles back over his eyes with a snap.
Aqualad sighed at the sudden tension, turning towards the android with a raised hand, "Greetings, Red Tornado. What mission do you have for us today?"
The overhead screen turned on, revealing a stagnant satellite image of an overcast city. "I am sure you are familiar with the Batman?"
All the young heroes nodded, their faces twisting into frowns.
Batman was a bit of a sore spot for the Justice League and all involved, his consistent pursuit of vigilantism an arrogant affront in their eyes.
When the League had first formed, uniting heroes of all races, creeds, and species, under sanctioned law, the offer had been extended to the mystery of Gotham. The bat, however, had completely ignored them.
Now he was technically a fugitive of sorts, a shoot and ask questions later kind of deal. However, no one in his city wanted to shoot him, or take him off the streets. Crime was at an all time low thanks to his lawless efforts.
Thus, he continued his ungoverned work to keep the bloody streets safe.
"And I assume you are also aware of his fellow lawbreaker, operating under the alias 'Robin'?" A blurry picture of a short, lean figure dressed in clashing hues and making a peace sign, his face shrouded in shadow, flashed across the screen.
The picture was quite old, having taken the media by storm when it first surfaced eleven years ago.
The Batman had to have lost his mind, is what some people said. Taking on a child to help him fight crime? The boy would end up hurt, or worse, dead.
Robin had persisted however, growing under his mentor's shadow as he remained out of the spotlight. Pictures of the two together or apart would surface every now and then.
People began to adjust, some even growing fond of the Boy Wonder.
But then, several years later, the dark knight had taken in other child, raising up another Robin. It was almost as if the man was collecting them.
Then the news release that the second Robin, the younger of the two, had died began to spread. Things hit the fan; the Justice League was even more insistent on putting an end to the Bat's illegal actions. The Batman remained untouchable.
"What about them?" Kid Flash asked inquisitively, eyes narrowing behind his cowl. Though the ginger was practically chaos personified, he also believed in things having an order. Being outside the law, free from responsibility, messed up that order he had.
Aqualad smothered his smile, slipping his stony visage back in place, "I, too, must ask where you are going with this."
"The municipality of Bludhaven, New Jersey, saw the rise of a new vigilante two nights ago. Though unfamiliar, we suspect he has something to do with the original Robin's two-year absence from Gotham. Though whether the two are one in the same, or this one simply a copycat, is unclear at his time."
Now that the Atlantean thought about it, he couldn't recall the last time he'd seen the eldest Boy Wonder and Batman together.
Interrupting his thoughts, Red Tornado carried on with his explanation, "It was rumored that the first Robin had quit, left his mask behind." An online article reading 'Mysterious new hero in Jersey: hope for Bludhaven?' was displayed on screen, the follow-up picture being a blurry black silhouette.
Artemis stepped closer, her grip on her bow tightening, "Is he another vigilante?"
"Yes, the League has received no contact with him, and the Hero Initiative has no knowledge of his purpose or intent. At first, we were going to leave this to local authorities, but a recent mass murder has snared our interest."
He switched the image, showing a dimly lit warehouse with eight bodies sprawled on the floor.
M'gann gasped, anger pooling beneath the short fringe of her red hair, "That's horrible."
"Yes," Red Tornado's voice was low, verging on soft. "It is."
"And your guessing this new guy did it?" Conner's deep timbre had them all turning towards him. "What? I'm right, aren't I?"
"Quite right," The android answered. "He makes his debut, and two days later there's a mass murder of low-tier drug runners. It does seem the logical conclusion."
The raven haired gave them all a glare that clearly read, 'see? I'm not crazy'.
"Alright," Aqualad turned back to their old den mother. "Then what is the purpose of our mission?"
"As of now, to convince this new vigilante to join the Justice League, or at least operate under some form of law."
"Good," Wally muttered under his breath. "I'm on board."
"But, if they should resist, you are to bring them in. We cannot have another Batman situation on our hands."
"Where will our base of operations be? The Cave?" M'gann sounded almost hopeful, like the idea of staying at her home held great appeal.
"Negative," Red Tornado held out two sets of keys. "We have acquired temporary residence for you within the city. Flying back and forth would be cumbersome as we have yet to set up a zeta-beam in Bludhaven. You will not be under stealth obligations when in costume, this mission does not require secrecy of any kind. We have already informed local authorities to your arrival. However, you may be called in intermediately for other missions. Understood?"
"What about school?" Artemis and Wally protested at the same time, shooting each other twin frowns when their voices overlapped.
Both of them were attending the same college, seeming simultaneously overjoyed and deeply annoyed by their proximity.
Like he'd said, the two were confusing.
"You have both been sponsored for a month-long out of town internship by the benevolent Oliver Queen. Do thank him, when you have the time." Red Tornado powered down the monitor, his empty sockets seeming to fix on each of them in turn. "Do you accept the mission parameters?"
Aqualad didn't even have to glance at his teammates to know they were with him, their unanimous understanding clear. Stepping forward, he raised his head, "We do."
If the Atlantean didn't have a buzzcut, he was fairly certain he would be tearing his hair out right now. According to M'gann's ETA, they were a few minutes out from their landing zone, and the time couldn't pass any slower.
"I'm just raising the possibility that the new guy could be a woman," Artemis reiterated, crossing her arms over her bare navel with a frown. "Don't be so sexist."
"You just said 'guy'! You literally just said it!" Wally swiveled in his seat, piercing their team leader with his green gaze. "You heard her say it, right?"
Aqualad quickly centered himself, breathing in deeply through his nose and out again. "I have nothing to say on the matter. Though Artemis' argument is most compelling."
"Traitor."
"'Guy' is a gender-neutral term in this day and age," The green archer continued. "I figured you, of all people, would be up to date on today's slang."
"The person in the picture was most definitely a man." Wally returned stubbornly, tit-for-tat. "You'll see."
"I'm not saying he's one or the other, just that he could be a woman! You shouldn't just assume—"
"You just said he! Twice!"
Groaning, Aqaulad turned away from them in his seat and rested his head in his hands, silently wishing he could just copy Conner.
The Kryptonian was laid back. Eyes closed and noise cancelling headphones over his heightened ears. It looked extremely ideal from the frazzled leader's point of view.
"Man!"
"Woman!"
"Man!"
"Woman!"
Ma—"
"We're here," M'gann's voice cut the pair's argument off, Aqualad sighing in relief.
They touched down on the ground, the bioship's landing smooth as ever. The lower hatch popped open and the heroes stepped out, M'gann putting into stealth mode as soon as they exited.
Glancing around carefully, the Atlantean guessed they were in some kind of lot, large storage units spaced out around them.
"The people are two buildings over," The Martian said sheepishly. "I didn't want to scare them."
"You did well, M'gann," Aqualad reassured her with a soft smile. "Ready, team?"
"Born ready," Kid Flash flashed brilliant white teeth at him.
"Born ready'," Artemis sneered, mocking his tone. "Can't believe I have such an idiot for a teammate."
"Hey," The ginger turned, winking at her through his tinted lenses. "I might be dumb, but at least I'm beautiful."
"Ohmygod, She groaned, arrows rattling in their quiver. Aqualad wasn't facing the archer, but he knew she'd just rolled her eyes.
Centering himself for what felt like the millionth time that day, the Atlantean gestured for them to move out.
It was time to face the future, no matter what'd bring.
Moving forward, M'gann led them two buildings over.
He was just beginning to wonder how'd they know which one it was—as all these buildings looked the exact same to him—when six police cars and an ambulance came into view, blue and red lights flashing.
It looked like they'd just finished loading someone inside the emergency vehicle, two paramedics slamming the double doors shut before knocking on the back.
"I thought Red Tornado said the murders had already happened?" Artemis glanced around carefully, as if expecting someone to pop out of the shadows and drive a knife through her gut. "Why would they need an ambulance?"
Aqualad spotted a tall, African American woman standing off to the side, another officer next to her. She cut an imposing figure, muscled legs and arms swelling against her professional uniform.
Dark eyes zeroed in on his brightly dressed companions, her flats clicking as she began to power walk towards them.
"Welcome, I assume you're the team from the Justice League?" Her voice was commanding, authoritative. The militaristic Atlantean's back automatically straightened as he answered,
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Aqualad, team leader. This is Artemis, Kid Flash, Superboy, and Miss Martian." He pointed to each of his teammates in turn, begging them with his eyes not to do anything stupid.
They were usually pretty good, but after hearing Artemis' and Wally's argument on the ship…he had to make sure.
"Commissioner Sheila Griffins, and this is deputy McKibben," She gestured to a rugged brunet, the officer who'd been standing beside her earlier, who gave a half-hearted wave.
"Thank you," Aqualad watched behind the commissioner as the ambulance sped away, sirens droning loudly. "Would you care to explain the situation to us?"
"If I might be so bold," The man, McKibben, fixed them each with an appraising stare. Evidently, he didn't like what he saw. "You all seem a might young to be playing at heroes."
Behind him, he could feel his teammates bristle. He had to act quickly before one of them snapped. "Your concerns are valid, but I assure you we are perfectly capable of handling things."
The officer opened his mouth again, but Commissioner Griffin silenced him with a single look, turning back to them with an unspoken apology in her eyes, "I trust you to do as you see fit. I've seen heroes in action before and am honoured to have so many praise-worthy ones in my city."
"Thank you," He said again, half-smiling now.
"Now, McKibben will take you to our remaining witness." Her eyes narrowed and Aqualad, though he didn't have much experience reading faces, could see genuine concern in hers. "Though a little…difficult, at times, he's the best detective in the precinct"
"A 'little'," McKibben muttered under his breath. "The man's the most annoy—"
"Officer, that is quite enough." The commissioner's voice was final, her tone cold enough to replenish the icecaps.
"Yes, ma'am," He nodded his head reluctantly, motioning for them to fall in line behind him. "One of our patrol officers checked out some gunfire in the area early this morning, found the bodies of eight minors, all with previous narcotic charges."
"That's terrible," M'gann remarked, eyes wide.
The officer looked pleasantly surprised by her sentiment, "Yes, I think so too." He cleared his throat, "We asked our 'finest detective' and his brand-new partner to check it out, see what they could surmise. He can tell you the rest."
Aqualad followed the man's finger to a single squad car, the closest one to the taped off warehouse. It didn't look like there was anyone there.
The Atlantean shook the man's outstretched hand, "Thank you again."
"Just try not to kill him," The man sighed heavily. "Or do. I really could care less." Then he huffed and walked away, looking like a petulant toddler.
Kid Flash whispered something unsavory under his breath, causing Artemis to snort.
"He was…unpleasant," Superboy commented bluntly. His blue eyes studying the squad car critically.
Nodding his assent, Aqualad walked towards the vehicle, stopping short in surprise when he came around to the back of it.
There were two men; a young, dark haired one sitting on the pavement; and another with scruffy features and sparse grey hair.
The older was more filled out, a bit paunchy in the middle, and was swabbing at the bloody arm of the other with surprising gentleness. "You have to stop gettin' shot. Yer'll put me in an early grave, lad."
Assuming this elderly man to be the infamous detective, he cleared his throat and offered his hand out, "Are you the witness we're supposed to speak to?"
The younger man's head snapped upwards with disconcerting speed, taking in the motley of heroes before him with a swift eye.
Aqualad could've sworn he saw suspicion in those blue depths before it vanished, quickly replaced by a mirthless smile.
Maybe he'd simply been imagining things. He wasn't the best at reading faces, after all.
"Eh?" The older man he'd addressed bumbled around, revealing sun-tanned skin and caterpillar brows, "Who 'er you?"
"Aqualad," He offered his hand out, dropping it back to his side when he saw the other man ogling his dark tattoos. "This is my team," He quickly introduced them again, frowning when the man couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Wally's vibrant costume.
"Are ye heroes, mates?" The man's eyes were still comically large, the gauze he'd been holding dropping to the rough ground. "Like 'em big timin' ones I see on the telly?"
"Yes," Kid Flash stepped forward, giving him a tiny bow. "Now, if you don't mind, are you the detective?"
"Me? Detective?" He looked at the sky, as if maybe the answer was written up there before turning back to them. "What makes ye say that?"
"Well, aren't you?" Aqualad felt like he was speaking in riddles.
"No?"
"Really?" Artemis asked, stepping forward with a hostile glare. "Are you sure?"
"Can we please stop with the questions?" Superboy muttered darkly, not loud enough for the older man to hear.
The younger, still on the ground, started laughing, the sound sending chills up and down the Atlantean's back. It wasn't so much a laugh as it was a deep cackle, eerily grating on his ears.
"Stop teasing them, Frank. Isn't it time you retire?" His voice was surprisingly light, offsetting his previously dark countenance. Then he looked at Aqualad again and the glare was back, his tone flat. "How can I help you?"
Wait, this guy…was the precinct's best detective? The Atlantean was all for not holding someone's age against them, but he looked young. Too young.
Unless all the detectives in the precinct were horrible, which, given the city's crime rate, was a distinct possibility. Maybe this man was just the best by default.
"So, you're the detective?" Kid Flash asked, his skeptical tone reflecting Kaldur's thoughts exactly.
The man they'd mistaken for the detective sat up, his large belly wobbling under his uniform. "I'll go grab the tapes, lad. See what they show us."
The dark-haired man waved as the elder walked away, ambling towards the warehouse.
As soon as he was out of sight, the recently revealed detective's smile slipped completely off his face as he scrutinized each of them in turn, the brightest blue eyes Aqualad had ever seen prying into his very soul.
Once he was done, the whole ordeal lasting no more than a second, he picked the gauze up and began to wrap it around his arm with casual expertise.
Clearing his throat, Aqualad crouched so that he was at eye level with the man, "Commissioner Griffin said you could fill us in on what happened here?"
Finishing with his makeshift bandage, the man ripped it off with his teeth and tossed the gauze back to the ground. "I'll give you the grand tour." He rose to his feet, revealing himself to be much shorter than he'd looked sitting down.
Now that he was up, Aqualad could see the tired tautness to his form, the packed bags under his eyes, all of it making him look older than he likely was. Even the way he carried himself slightly bent, as if the whole world were resting on those shoulders, betrayed a wariness that didn't match his youthful face.
The Atlantean was carefully looking the other up and down, wondering how this unintimidating, small statured man had become Bludhaven's best detective, when he heard Artemis gasp.
The rest of the team and the detective turned toward her.
"What?" Wally asked, his tone tinged with mild panic. "What's wrong?"
"That's Richard Wayne!" Her eyes were blown wide beneath the mask as if she couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Who's that?" Conner asked flatly, staring at the small man with a frown. "A famous person?"
The name struck a familiar chord in the back of Aqualad's mind, but he couldn't place from where he recognized it.
"Richard Grayson, actually." He sounded like random people shouted his name out all the time, as if this was a perfectly average day-in-the-life situation. "But I prefer Dick."
"Dude," Wally, ever the mature one, snorted out a laugh. "Are you sure you want us calling you that?"
"I can't believe you don't recognize him," Artemis was still speaking. "He's basically the prince of Gotham."
Ah, that was where Aqualad had heard the name before; the adopted son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises. An avid supporter of the Justice League, one who actively smeared the name of Batman through the mud.
"You're talking to a Martian, Atlantean, and Kryptonian clone." Kid Flash shook his head at the green archer, "They literally have no idea who he is."
Aqualad was tempted to argue, but decided that their conversation had been de-railed enough. "Would you mind explaining the situation to us? I apologize for the mix-up earlier."
"Not at all," He waved a hand absently at them with his good arm, narrowed eyes betraying the casual civility. "If you'll follow me, I'll give you guys the grand tour."
Without waiting, he started off towards the nearest warehouse. The team quickly went after, heavy boots padding against the concrete.
While they were walking, he overheard Artemis talking to Wally, her voice not nearly as quiet as she thought it was, "That's probably why he's their best detective, you know?"
"No," Kid Flash answered, not even bothering to keep his voice down. "I don't."
There was a certain distain in the archer's voice when she spoke again, like she had a vendetta against the man they'd all just met. "I mean, his names probably carried him to the top. Old money, and all that."
Aqualad didn't bother listening to Wally's answer, instead glancing at the man leading them to see if he'd heard. If Detective Grayson's clenched jaw was anything to go by, he had.
"Here we are, watch your step." His voice was a low monotone when he finally stopped in front of them, holding no audible ill will. Just dry exhaustion.
The team leader followed him in through the door, wincing at the putrid stink that assaulted his nose. He recognized it as the smell of blood, rot, and death. Not a pleasant combination.
Nine body bags were lined up against a far wall, immediately drawing a frown onto Aqualad's face. This was his least favourite part of their job; having to see the people they'd failed to save.
There was dried blood spots on the floor, randomly dotting the pale concrete. A group of five officers were conferring in the corner, white plastic gloves adorning their hands.
They all but ignored their fellow detective, who lead the heroes towards a staircase and began to ascend. "Frank will grab the tapes so you can watch them back at the station, but they're probably pretty gristly. Just so you're warned."
"We appreciate the forewarning." Kaldur answered stiffly, knowing his team would be able to handle it. "Would you mind giving us a quick run down before we see them?"
"Of course." The man showed them a dropped gun, casings littering the floor around it. "A low league villain, really just a hired mercenary, took out eight of the Gang earlier this morning. Gunshots were heard around eleven by one of our patrol officers; he was the one who found the bodies.
"Another detective and I arrived on the scene twenty minutes ago, but the killer was still here," He dragged in a heavy sigh, blinking slowly at the gun in front of them. "He eliminated officer Bollocks and ran. I pursued and apprehended him. After our altercation, the villain required medical attention."
That explained the ambulance, though Aqualad couldn't quite imagine this short, billionaire's son pursuing anything, let along a dangerous killer. He decided to keep that to himself, however.
"I am sorry for your loss, sir," M'gann's voice was soft, her head inclined slightly at the detective. "That must've been quite hard."
"Hazards of the job." The man remarked slowly, tearing his gaze away from the killer's weapon. "Do you need a ride back to the station?" The look in his eyes implied he wanted to do no such thing, but common courtesy was driving him forward.
Taking the hint, Aqualad shook his head, "No, that won't be necessary. We have our own mode of transportation."
The detective gave them a half-hearted salute, "I'll be on my way then. I assume you know where you're going?"
"Google Maps," Wally quipped from the behind the team leader. "Is a wonderful resource."
Grayson cracked an unreadable smile and turned to leave, waving at them over his shoulder as he made his way to the first floor.
"Well he seems…" M'gann trailed off, scratching at her short red hair.
Conner, ever the tactless of the pair, grunted. "He doesn't like us."
"That would be the money talking," Artemis' tone held that same quiet dislike. "All the people from Gotham with old money backing them are like that."
After their first altercation with the Light, when they'd truly become a team for the first time, Artemis had shared her backstory.
How her mother had struggled after being released from prison; how she'd been unable to provide for her daughter and send her to school.
Though Aqualad didn't agree with her hate, he did understand where she was coming from.
"All I ask is that you keep an open mind, Artemis. I know you are smart enough to make educated decisions."
The archer nodded, though her lips were still turned down into a disdainful grimace.
"He didn't seem so bad," Wally murmured, either ignoring or not seeing the glare the blonde shot him. "Though I agree with Conner; he definitely didn't like us."
The Atlantean nodded briefly, watching as the black-haired man slipped into the abandoned squad car.
They knew when they weren't appreciated; and this detective most definitely wanted nothing to do with them.
Thank you so much for reading! Hopefully I didn't butcher Kaldur's character too bad e_e
Have a great week!
~ASL