A/N: Welcome back, True Believers. It's been a minute, cause this has been a loooong chapter. Over 17.000 words! But, we think it all paid off, because this sets up some pretty good stuff for the future! Also, I would like to point out how funny it is we started this version right after Outsiders started, and this chapter is premiering on the day it ends. Get whelmed, folks!
Carter Alenko and the Alenko family created by Ghost Fire 6, Nolan Stark and T'zari created by Batmarcus, and Francis Barton created by myself.
Editing/proofreading done by Ghost Fire 6 and Lord Zeppelin
August 26, Keystone City, 18:52 CDT
Aqualad grunted as a tendril of clay threw him against the wall, landing next to an unconscious Scarlet Spider and X-23. White Wolf backflipped off a catwalk and landed next to Trickshot, only for both of them to be blasted next to the others. Miss Martian, Kid Flash, and Robin were next, as a spinning green whirlwind slammed them into place beside their team. A shadow flew over them as Artemis was thrown to the ground, Superboy was punched backwards by a scaly green fist, and a mechanical tail sent flying Iron Knight, once again, at that wall. Aqualad looked up and was greeted with the sight of Clayface, Shocker, The Top, Vulture, Killer Croc, and the Scorpion. The latest group to call themselves the Sinister Six towered over the Team, preparing to deliver the finishing blow…
When something flew out of the shadows and attached itself to Vulture, shorting out his flight pack. Before the Top could react, a small black ball was thrown at him, exploding into a special kind of adhesive tape that turned him into a glorified mummy. A figure leapt out of the shadows and ran at Scorpion, narrowly avoiding his tail and fixing a bat shaped device to the criminal, freezing his suit. Shocker fired a blast at Batman, but it only hit the paralyzed Scorpion as Batman sidestepped the blast, rushing forward to deliver a strong right hook to the quilted criminal that knocked him out. Killer Croc let out a roar and charged the Dark Knight, but Batman leapt over him and slapped a small disc onto the back of Croc's neck. The mutated human roared in pain as the hypersonics incpacitated him, and with five down, Batman turned to Clayface, pulling out a high powered taser and firing it at the former actor, who roared as the electrical charge reduced him to a pile of clay.
With the Sinister Six inpacitated, Batman turned to the beaten team, looking particularly at Aqualad.
Mount Justice, 20:01 EDT
"I need to talk to Aqualad. Alone." The Dark Knight flatly stated, stressing the last word as he looked over the clay drenched Team. "The rest of you, hit the showers and head home," He ordered, earning a scoff from Superboy.
"Head home! I am home…" he muttered out.
"Good luck, buddy…" Trickshot said to Kaldur as they all headed into the cave, leaving the young Atlantean alone with the League co-chair.
"Batman, I am sorry you had to intervene. I know the team performed poorly, but-"
"The Team performed adequately. However, a Team is only as good as its leader." Batman stated, causing Kaldur to avert eye contact. "You're their leader, and your head wasn't in the game."
"No, you are-" The Atlantean started to protest, before he sighed. "You are… correct. Of late, I am not even convinced I belong on the surface world. For years, it was all I could think about. But now that I am here, I find myself yearning for Atlantis now more than ever."
"Atlantis, or someone you left behind?" Kaldur's eyes widened at the question, even though he knew he shouldn't be surprised. After all, this was the World's Greatest Detective he was talking to. "A word of advice: you can split your time between the land and the sea, but not your heart. Either you're here 100 percent, or you need to walk away. Make a decision, Kaldur, and make it soon. Before one of them pays the price." And with that, Batman walked away, leaving Kaldur to think on his words.
Laura
Rochester, New York, August 27, 12:38 EDT
"Recognize: X-23, B-11." The Zeta Tube computer announced, and Laura stepped out of the yellow light of the tube… only to almost trip over a rake. Once she recovered, the Cadmus escapee looked around the room she was in, quickly realizing it was some kind of tool shed. "Hey, Kid." A familiar gruff voice spoke up, and Laura looked to see Logan standing in the doorway.
"Hello, Logan. They couldn't find a better place to put the Zeta Tube?" Laura asked.
"By the time I joined the League, this was the only place they could fit it. Chuck didn't want any of the kids trying to mess around with it, so we settled on sticking it out in the old shed." Logan explained. "So, you ready?"
"More than ready."
"Then follow me." And Laura followed him out of the shed, her eyes taking a second to adjust to the bright sunny day after the darkness of the shed. When her eyes adjusted, she was greeted with the sight of a sprawling mansion, with a lawn full of children with all kinds of mutations enjoying the day. "Laura...welcome to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Hope you survive the experience." Logan stated, earning a raised eyebrow from Laura.
"What?"
"Eh, Chuck used to say it whenever we got a new member. Always wanted to say it myself." The Feral Leaguer explained, and gestured at the Institute below the hill they were on. "So? What do you think?"
"It's...different than I imagined. I expected it to be more...concealed, I think." That was a fair assessment, Laura thought. Although the world largely accepted aliens like Superman and Martian Manhunter, and metahumans, or altered humans, like Spider-Man and the Flash, there were still those who wished for the total extermination of mutants, humans who were born with uncanny and astonishing abilities that seemed to manifest at random.
"For a while, we tried keeping things on the down low, but when the X-Gene started manifesting in your generation, we decided we were done hiding. Figured we should open this place up as a safe haven for any and all mutants." Logan explained. "Come on, I'll show you around." Laura followed Logan down the hill, walking through the courtyard. Laura was looking around, almost overwhelmed with all the different sights and powers she saw on display, when Logan held his arm in front of her, stopping her just in time for an object to crash in front of them.
"Gah, dammit…" A voice muttered out, and the dust cleared for Laura to see a blonde boy a little older than her in athletic wear rising to his feet.
"Watch where yer goin, Guthrie. We ain't all invulnerable." Logan scolded, and the boy looked back at Logan with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Uh, sorry, Mister Logan. Ah was playin' flag football, an' I guess I went a little too fast." The boy apologized with a thick southern accent, and Logan sighed.
"Just watch where the ground is. Any more holes in the lawn, an' the Professor's gonna make you fix 'em yourself this time."
"Yessir. Sorry!" And with that, the boy's legs seemed to vanish as he shot upwards, and Logan rubbed the back of his head.
"Don't know what I gotta worry about more, supervillains or damn kids wrecking the place…" He muttered to himself.
"So the students here are just allowed to use their powers however they want?"
"Kinda. The Institute's a place where mutants can be free to be themselves and embrace their powers, but we like to encourage 'em to really understand and control what they do." Logan explained.
"What is it you do here?" Laura asked, and Logan couldn't help it as he chuckled.
"Believe it or not, I'm a professor here. I know, I know, I can't believe it either. Certainly didn't see myself takin' care of a buncha rugrats when Xavier knocked on my door." The Wolverine replied, leading her into the school itself. "Course, I never imagined myself on the Justice League either. Between here, the League, and the X-Men, I barely have five minutes to myself. Speaking of, how's the whole Team thing going?"
"It's going well, I think. We've had a few challenges, but nothing we haven't been able to overcome." She replied, he smirked.
"That's what I like to hear. When I heard you guys went toe to toe with the League of Shadows and won… well, I guess that's what it feels like to be proud." He boasted, earning a smile from her, before the smile fell.
"Actually, there is something I want to-"
"Ah, you must be Laura!" A male voice stated, Laura looked to see what could best be described as a humanoid blue cat wearing a sweater vest and glasses. "Logan said you might be visiting us soon. Hank McCoy, pleasure to meet you." Hank greeted, extending his paw like hand to Laura, who shook it. "Tell me, what do you think about our crazy attempt at a proper school?"
"Different than I was expecting. Though I… don't really have much experience to draw from." The statement of that grim fact momentarily caused a frown to appear on the blue mutant's face.
"Ah, yes. Stark informed me of what went on in that dreadful Cadmus place. I'm glad that they were able to get you out when they did."
"...right. Cadmus." From the grimace on his face, Laura could tell that Logan knew she was hiding something, but thankfully, he let it pass as Beast resumed speaking.
"So I take it you'll be joining us here?" Laura frowned at the question, and she was about to give her answer.
"Uh, Doctor McCoy?" A student spoke up, Hank turned to a boy with a lizard like appearance. "So we were doing flag football, and Sam kinda went too high too fast and-"
"And the new defense system thought he was a missile and caught him in a stasis field." Hank let out a sigh. "Stars and garters, it never ends… I don't mean to be rude, but-"
"Go get the kid down. I can handle this one," Logan assured as he gestured to Laura, Beast went off to go help the student.
"Is that how it always is around here?"
"Pretty much. If it ain't one thing, it's another," Wolverine said. "Come on, I wanna show you the Danger Room while you're here. Makes that Cave of yours look like a clubhouse," He beckoned Laura over to what looked like a grandfather clock, entering a series of numbers and causing the wall to slide open. She followed Logan to the elevator that was so white it was almost blinding, and the noise of the institute faded away as the door shut. "Finally, a moment of peace…" Logan sighed out, leaning against the wall. "This thing's slow as hell, so you might as well ask me what you wanted to talk about before furball showed up," He said, Laura frowned as she thought about it.
"On that mission you mentioned, the one with the League of Shadows. When we were guarding the doctor, we had to go on online, allowing the Shadows to track her. They put a bounty on her, and-"
"And a bunch of lowlifes took 'em up on it." Logan finished. "Who was it? The Marauders? Deathstroke? If it was Wade, I'm gonna offer my-"
"Who is Daken?" As soon as she said that name, the elevator turned dead silent, and Logan's face… it wasn't shock, or surprise. To Laura, it looked more like… regret.
"So, he's freelancing for the Shadows now, huh?" Logan asked…he sighed as she nodded. "Suppose it was only a matter of time before ya met him…"
"He was good, and from me, that's saying something," The younger mutant stated. "He had claws, like us, and he could heal like us. And…"
"And he hates me. Like nothin' you've ever seen," The old mutant finished, folding his arms. "You're a smart kid, so you probably figured it out, but… well, he's my son. Your brother, I guess." Laura's mouth ran dry as he confirmed her suspicions, but she pressed forward.
"Why does he hate you so much?"
"Because I'm the reason his life went to shit," He said. "A long time ago, I thought I could be normal. A wife, a kid, all that jazz. But… well, I've been alive a long time, made a lotta enemies. One of 'em found Daken's mother, killed her and carved him right outta her womb. Thought he was dead, too, but…" Logan took a deep breath. "But he wasn't. That kid went through a hell worse than any of us could imagine, all because I wasn't there. Didn't even know he was alive until about two years ago." Logan explained, letting out a sigh. "Been alive a long time, made a fair share of mistakes. I've hurt people, too many to count. But Daken… he's the one who hurts the most."
"But you aren't responsible for why he is who he is." Laura spoke up, causing Logan's brow to furrow in confusion.
"Ok, you're gonna have to elaborate here."
"He may have suffered because of his relation to you, but that was at the hands of others. Any choices he made are his and his alone." She explained, and Logan couldn't help but sigh.
"You're starting to sound like Chuck. Deep down, I know you're right, but I can't stop blaming myself," He stated, leaning against the elevator wall. "I guess that's why I took to ya so fast. When I saw you for the first time, back at Cadmus, I saw it as a second chance. An opportunity to… to help put something good in this world before…" Logan caught himself, something that didn't go unnoticed by Laura. "...I get TOO old. Can't be two hundred and fifty with nothing to show for it, right?" He said with a laugh, and Laura smiled.
"I promise, I'll try to live up to you." She responded, and he smiled back just as the elevator door opened. "Now, come on, I wanna show you the Danger Room. I think you'll really like it." He beckoned, and she stepped out of the elevator ahead of him. However, as he stepped off, he began to cough, something that alarmed Laura as Logan covered his mouth.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just...swallowed some spit down the wrong pipe." He said, and she seemed to accept that as she walked ahead. Logan frowned as he looked at his hand...and the small drops of blood on it. He wiped it on his pants and headed into the Danger Room, content to enjoy some time with his clo… with his daughter.
Carter
Queens, August 27, 18:52 EDT
Scarlet Spider backflipped over a swing of a knife and webbed the hand holding the weapon to the wall, before grabbing the head of the would be mugger and shoving it against the brick. Not hard enough to cause any lasting damage, but enough to knock the man out. His partner tried rushing Scarlet Spider from behind, only for webs from Spider-Man to web him up next to his partner. "Oh, New York muggers thinking that they can take us down with a knife, never change," Spider-Man joked, Scarlet Spider looked at the entrance to the alley.
"I think that couple already left."
"Not surprising. First, you almost get mugged, and then two weirdos in red spandex drop in." The veteran wallcrawler replied, pulling a pen and paper out of the belt he kept his web cartridges in. "Honestly, it's a wonder people still come here at all. Muggings, supervillain attacks, having to deal with the MTA…"
"Uh huh…" Carter responded, one of Peter's eyepieces narrowed as he raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm just gonna leave this note here, and we should probably get going. We don't wanna be late," The white-symboled spider noted, his protege just nodded.
"Sounds good," The teenager responded, leapt out of the alley, swinging off, with Peter right behind him.
"Hey, slow down!" Pete said over the commlinks in their masks and caught up with Carter, landing in front of his sidekick on a rooftop. "Easy, bud. Mind telling me what's got you so bummed?"
"I'm fine. Just ready to get home and eat," Carter protested, Peter just shook his head.
"Uh uh, I've done the 'Broody Teenager' schtick enough times to know when something's up. So come on, spill," Spider-Man ordered, and Carter sighed.
"Ok, so you know that girl in my math class that I was telling you about?" Carter asked, and Peter nodded.
"Yeah. Becky or Becca or something, right?"
"Rebecca, yeah. So me and her get to talking during lunch a few weeks ago, and we end up exchanging numbers." Carter explained, and Peter suddenly realized what had his protege so bummed out.
"And superhero life got in the way, didn't it?" The original wall crawler asked, and Carter nodded.
"Yep. Spent too much time with you and the Team, and I practically forgot about her," The young webslinger explained. "And, well, considering some of the very colorful language she used when I saw her at school the other day, I, uh...I don't think she's going to be the one."
"Hey man, I've been there. What you just said basically describes my relationship with Liz Allen in junior year. We get so preoccupied with punching idiots in costumes that we forget we have a life without a mask." Peter stated, putting a hand on the Team member's shoulder. "Look, part of what you're learning now is how to balance life both in and out of costume. And until you do...well, you may get cursed out a few more times."
"So how'd you do it? Figure it out, I mean." Carter asked, and Peter just laughed.
"Bud, I still haven't. Hell, I forgot my last anniversary with MJ because we were chasing Electro." He explained. "No one figures it out. Cap, Flash, Batman…none of those guys have figured it out. The only one who has is Red Tornado, and that's only because he's a literal robot."
"So… it's all just trial and error?"
"Pretty much. You just gotta trust that you won't mess it up."
"But how do I know I won't?"
"You won't. It's a leap of faith." Peter said, and Carter let out a chortle.
"You really like that phrase."
"Hey, it's solid advice." Spider-Man defended, before flipping his wrist to see the web shooter, a small holographic display appearing that showed the time. "And if we don't get a move on, it's gonna be another one fairly in the 'error' category." Carter just shook his head as the two swung off, heading off towards a home in the suburbs of Queens. "I stashed some of your clothes in there." Peter said as he pointed towards a window, causing his sidekick to raise an eyebrow.
"Have you been taking my clothes? Wait, are you why my clothes keep disappearing?"
"No, that's because you keep webbing them to the side of dumpsters for anyone to find. I told you, rooftop service entrances or fire escapes. No one ever checks those. The clothes there are from your sister." Spider-Man commented, opening the window for Carter to slide through.
Several minutes later, Carter emerged from the bedroom, wearing a nice-ish shirt and pants, almost running into an older woman with reddish-brown hair. "Oh! Sorry, May."
"Oh, you're fine, Carter." May Parker reassured. "I didn't even hear you come in. Is Peter here?"
"Yeah, he should be getting changed now." The young man replied, and she shook her head.
"Cutting it close as always...even now he can't be on time to save his life." May sighed out, as another bedroom door opened to allow Peter to step out.
"Hey, I have like...five minutes to spare. New record for me."
"And it only took you almost 15 years…" May muttered to herself, Peter rolling his eyes as Carter headed into the kitchen of the apartment, where a redheaded woman around Peter's age was getting something down from the cabinet.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" He called out, running over to here. "Here, let me get that for you, MJ." Carter said as he got the plates down, causing Mary Jane Parker to sigh, folding her arms above the not unnoticable bump in her stomach.
"Carter, I'm pregnant, not made of glass. I can get some plates down." She scolded, and he shrugged.
"Hey, better safe than sorry, right?" He defended, and MJ just sighed.
"Whatever, just set those there." She instructed, as there was a knock on the door.
"I got it!" Peter, fastening a tie as he backflipped over a couch, landing in front of the door with the proportional grace of a spider. "Alright, how do I look?"
"Hmmm, no suspicious bruises or black eyes, no weird cuts...you're good." MJ called out, and Peter shot her a wink before he turned to the door. He opened the door, and smiled as a dark haired woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Carter walked in. "Sarah! Come on in."
"Hey, Peter." Sarah Alenko, Carter's older sister, greeted as she stepped into the apartment. "Roland's parking the car, and then they'll be up."
"On it. So do we have a cover story, or are we just rolling with it?" Carter asked.
"If she asks, this is part of some mentorship program with Horizon." Sarah stated, and Carter raised an eyebrow.
"But…I'm not a big science guy."
"She doesn't know that. Just roll with it." His older sister instructed, and Carter threw up his hands.
"Alright, whatever you say." He yielded, and soon enough, Roland appeared at the door, accompanied by a Japanese-American woman in her early 30's.
"Hey, Roland. And you must be Captain Wantanabe!" Peter asked as he extended his hand, which the woman took.
"Please, call me Yuri when I'm not working."
"Peter Parker, pleasure to meet you. That's my wife MJ over there, and my aunt May getting the lasagna out." He greeted…Yuri's brow furrowed.
"Have...we met before? You seem awfully familiar…" The police captain asked, and Peter nervously laughed.
"Ah, I've just got one of those faces. I get confused for the guy from Seabiscuit all the time." Peter defended, and Carter rolled his eyes. As the head of the NYPD's Meta-Crime unit, Yuri often served as The Spiders' point of contact within the NYPD, while Roland would forward them more relatively pedestrian cases from the major crimes desk.
"Are you sure? Because you sound very familiar…"
"Oh, uh, I did do an ad on the radio for a little extra cash in college. You know how it is." Peter said, and Yuri narrowed her eyes.
"Uh huh…"
"So…" Sarah spoke up before Yuri could keep putting two and two together. "...like I was telling you in the car, Pete here's a scientist over at Horizon Labs, and he took Carter in through a mentorship program through the high school. The two met and just really hit it off."
"And Carter didn't ride with us because…?"
"Because...I had to help May get the groceries." Carter made up. "When Peter introduced me to his family, we just really hit it off, and I kinda just started hanging around them." He explained, and Yuri was about to ask another question…
"Food's ready!" May called out, and Roland let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I've been looking forward to this…" He said, and Carter let out a sigh of relief as they headed into the kitchen.
'Talk about a close one…'
Francis
Manhattan, August 27, 19:43 EDT
"I'm just saying, those movies are complete crap!" Clint Barton declared as he and Francis sat down at a table in a restaurant, his son sighing.
"Dad, it's a dumb Squadron Supreme movie. No one wants to see three hours of Nighthawk watching a building or Whizzer running around in a circle." Francis responded, getting a scoff from him.
"Hey, it might be boring, but it's the kind of thing that saves lives. A little recon on that Cadmus place could've saved you all a lot of trouble." Hawkeye stated, his son just sighed once again as he examined a menu. With no impending missions on either the League or the Team, the Bartons decided to have themselves a night out. Unfortunately, Bobbi had been called up at the last minute for some League emergency in Tokyo Bay, one that required her specific qualifications as a biologist, leaving the Barton men alone to have a guy's night. "So, what's going on with you? You've been spending so much time at your little clubhouse, it feels like we barely see you."
"Eh, same old same old. School's as boring as ever, and the Team's going good." Francis answered, shrugging. "It's been a little tricky working the Team around school, but I think I'm managing. Course, it helps having a friend who's a certified supergenius to help with math homework. We're doing important work with the Team, so I really want to devote it my all." Francis stated, going to take a sip of his water.
"Uh huh. So, you ask out J'onn's niece yet?"
"*PFFFFT*" Clint held up his menu to keep the water from sputtering all over him, as a coughing, blushing Francis went for a napkin. "What *cough* what are you talking about?"
"C'mon, I'm not as dumb as I look. I saw you two making googly eyes at each other when you met." Clint continued, and Francis looked away.
"We're uh...we're just friends."
"What is this, a crappy romcom?" The former SHIELD agent asked, setting down the menu. "Look, Francis, I'm not judging. M'gann seems like a sweet girl, and if you think I'm bothered that she's a Martian, I'm not. Hell, back before I met your mother, me and Black Widow almost-"
"...it's not that." The young archer spoke up. "It's just… I do like M'gann. Like, I really like her. And honestly, I think she might like me too. But I'm… scared to make the next move. I mean, what if I mess things up? What if it doesn't work out and it makes things awkward between us? I don't want that cloud hanging over us." Francis explained, and Clint sighed as he looked his son in the eye.
"So you like her?" Clint asked, and Francis sighed.
"Yeah, I do. Haven't… haven't really said it out loud before."
"Alright, so here's what you do. It's a risky strategy, but if you pull it off just right, I think it'll work." Francis's curiosity was piqued, and he leaned in close.
"What is it?"
"Are you sure you're ready?" Clint asked, and Francis nodded. "Alright, here it is: be yourself. Simple as that." The archer flatly stated, and Francis scoffed.
"Really? That's your big advice? Not 'make a big gesture' or something?" Francis asked, and Clint shook his head.
"In my experience, being true and honest about yourself is a thousand times more important than standing outside her window and blasting Peter Gabriel from a boombox."
"The Cave doesn't have-"
"Let me finish." The Justice Leaguer cut off. "It doesn't need to be some big, fancy, heartfelt confession. Next time it's just the two of you, just go up to M'gann, say 'I like you, you like me. Let's get together.'" He explained, and Francis just raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Just like that?"
"Just like that. It worked with your mother. Of course, there was a bit more violence and alcohol involved back in those days, but the gist of it was the same." Clint explained, and Francis took a deep breath, before he slowly nodded.
"Alright. I'll do it. As soon as I get the chance, I'm gonna ask her out." He stated, Clint smiled.
"That's my boy."
Jason
Wayne Manor, August 27 20:52 EDT
Jason dodged a swing from Taskmaster's sword, twirling his bo staff around to parry a slash before smashing the staff on the side of the villain's head, before narrowly ducking under a swing from Ravager and delivering a series of swift blows with the staff to Ravager's head, knocking him to the ground. He panted for a second, before he sighed. "End simulation." He ordered, and the two villains disappeared as the Wayne Manor training area's hard light projector shut off. As he reached for a water bottle, he felt a set of eyes on him, and turned to see Cass Cain perched on a bench. "How long have you been sitting there?" He asked, and Cass held up enough fingers to signal ten minutes. "Sheesh, stealthy as you are, we might as well put you on the Team…" Jason figured the day would eventually come when they would have to introduce Cass to the Team, but for now, Bruce and Alfred were still working with her to help get her comfortable around people.
"Fight… holograms?" She asked, and he nodded.
"Yeah. Figured it wouldn't hurt to let off a little steam." The Boy Wonder stated as he grabbed a towel. "Your English is getting better. Last week you called them 'fake men.'" He observed as he wiped the sweat off his brow, Cass smiling proudly.
"Alfred helped me. Some words still hard, though."
"Yeah, English is a bitch of a language." Jason remarked, as Cass leapt off the bench.
"Want to fight?" She asked, and he raised an eyebrow. "Help blow off steam?" The Boy Wonder frowned, about to realize what she was asking. Fighting was Cass's first language, a way for her to truly express herself and understand others.
"Alright, but be warned. Black Canary's been showing me a few new moves." He taunted.
In the Batcave underneath Wayne Manor, Batman was seated at the Batcomputer, chin on his hands as he watched Jason and Cass spar. He did a good job hiding it, especially around the members of the Team, but Jason had a lot of pent up aggression. It was part of the reason he liked training with the holograms: he could be as brutal as he wanted without killing anyone. Cass was similar, but with her, it was more a matter of practicing control.
"Your dinner, Master Bruce." Alfred offered as he set a plate of food in front of Bruce. "I reheated the salmon from the previous night. It felt a shame to let it go to waste."
"Hm? Thank you, Alfred." Bruce replied, the butler looked at the screen, realizing what was troubling his charge.
"Hm. It was easier with Master Dick, wasn't it? With him, the most we had to worry about was him sneaking Miss Gordon in through the East Wing…" Alfred reminisced, and the Dark Knight was silent. "Still, they are both making significant progress. Jason excels every test we give him, and I believe that, if her current rate of progress continues, she should be ready for the Team sooner rather than later." The butler continued, being met with continued silence. "You know, there's an old saying, one that originates from Jack Keourac's novel 'Big Sur': 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'"
"Hm." Bruce grunted out, as he continued to ponder.
Back in the training area, Jason grunted as he was thrown on his back, Cass leveling what had been his bo staff at his face. "Y'know, you and Laura would get along great…" He groaned out, when they heard Alfred clear his throat, turning to see him standing in the doorway.
"Master Bruce requires your presence in the library." The butler stated, and the two exchanged a glance. They followed Alfred to the library, where Jason was greeted with a familiar buttery scent as they saw Bruce sitting on the couch with a tub of popcorn.
"Uh… what's going on?"
"Strategy training. Watch this, and tell me what they're doing wrong or right." Bruce offered, and Jason couldn't help but smile as he saw that Bruce had loaded up Die Hard. Jason and Cass both sat on either side of Bruce, and Alfred couldn't help but smile at the sight. He remembered when everything had first started, when Bruce was so mindlessly devoted to his mission that he had cast aside anything not even remotely related to it. But then came Dick, and slowly but surely, what Alfred had once worried would be Bruce's tomb changed into something different. It became a place for new beginnings, for second chances… for a family to be crafted.
Wally
Central City, August 27, 20:05 CDT
At the home of Barry Allen, AKA The Sultan of Swoosh, The Scarlet Speedster, and best known as The Flash (Or at least the current one), he and the extended Flash Family were sitting at the dining room table finishing off a meal to celebrate Jay Garrick's, the first Flash, birthday.
After telling a riveting story about the time the three of them teamed up to take down The Rogues, Barry got up from the table, picking up everyone's finished plate and taking them to the kitchen to wash off in less than a couple seconds.
"Thanks, Uncle Barry," Wally said, finishing off his third plate of food before passing it off to Barry.
"You're a very lucky woman, Iris," Wally's mother said to the wife of the Speedster, "Our Wally isn't that fast, at least when it comes to doing dishes, that is."
"Mom!" Wally groaned.
"I know the feeling, dear. My Jay's barely any help in the kitchen anymore," Joan joked, getting a small rise out of the old JSA member. "I know, I know. You're retired and all that, and since it's your birthday, we won't argue, dear."
"See, you think the super speed makes doing chores easy, but it only looks that way." Jay said. "See, to you, we're all a blur, but for something like that, our brains still process it as if we're moving at normal speed. So what looks like half a second for you can be minutes for us." The first Flash explained, and turned to Kid Flash. "Isn't that right, Wally?" He asked, and Wally averted his eyes.
"Uh, yeah. Totally." The youngest replied rushly, Jay frowning at the younger speedster's odd manner. "I uh… I gotta use the bathroom. I'll be right back." Jay frowned as he watched the youngest Flash walk out of the room, an expression shared by his parents.
"Poor dear. He's been… different, the past few weeks," Mary stated.
"Something happened on one of those missions," Rudy West observed. "I can't get him to tell me any details about what goes on on those missions, but I can tell that whatever it was, it has him rattled. Barry says they've been doing fine, but…"
"I'll talk to him." Jay said as he rose from the table. "No offense to you two, but I've got an idea of what he's going through."
"Thank you, Jay."
Meanwhile, in the restroom, Wally was washing his hands, before he looked in the mirror and sighed. "C'mon, Wallman, get it together…" The redhead muttered, and walked out of the bathroom… only to run smack dab into Jay.
"Easy there, Kid. Not a whole lot of room to maneuver in these hallways," Jay joked, and Wally looked away.
"Bathroom's all yours. I promise I didn't mess it up too bad."
"That bathroom's not what I'm worried about," Jay explained. "I know I've hung on to my youthful good looks longer than most, but I have been around long enough to know when someone's avoiding me," Wally's eyes widened before he regained his composure.
"I uh… I dunno what you're talking about."
"C'mon, Wally. I noticed how you booked it at Kent's funeral, and the second I tried making conversation with you, you hightailed it to the bathroom," The Golden Age Flash pointed out, folding his arms. "Now, tell me what's bothering you." Wally was silent for a moment, before he sighed.
"It's just… I feel like Mr. Nelson's death was my fault, and that you blame me for it." Wally answered. "I mean, I was right there and I just… I did nothing. Cap gave us one job, and we couldn't even do that. I just… I know you probably blame me, and you have every right to-"
"Son, I'm going to stop you right there," Jay cut off. "I don't blame you for Kent's death anymore than I blame you for the sun rising or the wind blowing."
"But I was right there, and-"
"Wally, the thing you have to realize is… everything dies. It's just the way of the universe," The older man said. "It was just a matter of time. Even with all that magic jibber jabber that kept Kent from aging, he knew that his time was running out. I feel it too, every day I wake up. One day, God willing that you reach my age, you'll feel it too."
"That's… pretty heavy," Wally remarked, Jay smiled as he put a hand on Wally's shoulder.
"But you know what makes it easier? You. You and all the other young heroes I see popping up, carrying on the good fight. When I turn on the news and see you guys… well, it makes this old man feel a little better about the future." He said, and Wally smiled back.
"Well that… that honestly means a lot," He stated. "Thanks, Jay. I promise I won't let you guys down."
"I know you won't," Jay assured him, and started to lead Wally back to the kitchen. "Now, let me tell you about the time me and Ted Grant convinced Steve to go dancing, and somehow ended up neck deep in a Hydra sleeper cell…"
Artemis
Gotham City, August 27, 20:32 EDT
In an apartment located on the Northside, Artemis sat in her room, inspecting her arrows. Although she hadn't been Green Arrow's protege for long, he had been quick to impress upon her the importance of maintaining their arsenal of trick arrows, something that Francis agreed with when she brought it up with him. "Let's see, smoke arrow… flashbang arrow… boxing glove arrow? Dunno why he insists on that…" She muttered to herself, when there was a light knocking on her door. "It's open!" She called out, and the door opened to reveal a wheelchair-bound Vietnamese woman in her late-40's, an envelope in her hand.
"This came in the mail for you!" Paula Nyugen-Crock excitedly exclaimed, holding a letter out to the girl.
"And you opened it? You do know that opening other people's mail is a crime, right?" Artemis joked, taking the letter and reading it, her brow furrowing in confusion as she read the letter. "I've been awarded a full Wayne Foundation scholarship to Gotham Academy? But… I didn't even apply."
"Apparently it's a lottery! Once a year, they randomly select a handful of students above a certain Grade Point Average!" Paula explained.
"I mean, my grades aren't too shabby, but I didn't think they'd qualify me for anything like this…" Artemis stated, before she shrugged. "Not that it really matters, since I'm gonna have to pass." She crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash can. "Not really interested, since all my friends are at Gotham North. Besides, transferring schools right after the semester starts? I'd rather-"
"You can't be serious," Paula asked, cutting Artemis off. "Gotham Academy is a very prestigious school. The people who graduate from there go on to become college professors, politicians, lawyers-"
"Arms dealers with bird fetishes, psycho DA's that like to flip coins and blow up buildings…" The archer countered as she inspected an explosive arrow, only for her mother to snatch it out of her hand.
"You're going, or you give up your 'extracurriculars,'" She warned, only for Artemis to scoff as she got off the ground.
"C'mon, mom. You know better than to make threats you can't enforce."
"If you won't listen to me, then I'll call Green Arrow, or Batman, or Captain America, or whoever."
"Didn't need their permission when I started this, don't need it now," The Team Member countered, walking away. "Now, I gotta count-"
"Dammit, Artemis, this is a chance to better your life!" Paula shouted, slamming her hand on her wheelchair and startling Artemis. "A chance… a chance I never had. That none of us did." Artemis looked at her teary-eyed mother, then to the Alice in Wonderland poster on the other side of the bedroom, the one that sat above a bed that hadn't been used in years.
"... alright... I'll go. If it means that much to you, I'll give it a shot." Artemis yielded, kneeling down and squeezing her mother's hand.
Superboy and M'gann
Mount Justice, August 27
Superboy was in the lounge, sitting on the couch and watching… a blank screen, as M'gann stood in the corner. "Is… he well?" A voice asked, and M'gann turned to see T'zari standing behind her, dressed in a black longsleeve shirt and jeans.
"Oh, he's fine. He just… does that sometimes." The Martian explained, and the Wakandan Prince raised an eyebrow.
"If you insist…" He said.
"So, Kaldur's gone back to Atlantis, and Laura's gone over to Xavier's. Looks like it's just the three of us tonight." She observed, only for the newest member to frown.
"I am afraid it will just be the two of you tonight. There is some business in New York I must attend to." He said.
"Oh, ok. Have fun!" The Wakandan nodded in affirmation, before walking out of the room and towards the Zeta Tubes. As soon as he was gone, M'gann let out a sigh. In all honesty, she was slightly nervous about being left alone with Superboy. It wasn't that she disliked him or anything, but she was still worried that he harbored a grudge over her unwelcome intrusion into his head back in July. Still, she supposed that now was as good a time as any to try and patch things up with him.
"Do you… have anything in particular that you wanna watch?" She asked.
"No." Well, so much for that.
"Do you want to help me fix dinner?"
"No." M'gann couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. At this rate, she would have an easier time trying to make Wally and Artemis get along…
"Well, I'm going to get started. I'll let you know when it's ready." She stated, and went over to the kitchen. Superboy sighed, before he got off the couch and approached M'gann.
"What do you need?" He asked, and she smiled as she floated a cookbook over from the shelf.
"Let's see, I need eggs, sugar, flour…" She read off, using her telekinesis to open up the cabinets as she read off the ingredients. "We don't have this, but I can use this…" She muttered as she sent the ingredients towards Superboy, before she realized something. She spun around to see the surly clone just drenched head to toe in ingredients, and M'gann nervously frowned as he wiped some egg out of his eye. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! I just started reading the ingredients, and just started picking things up and-"
"It's no big deal." He said, but she still looked nervous. "Do you think I get mad over everything?"
"Well…"
"Alright, fair point." The Kryptonian yielded, letting out a sigh as he wiped some egg off of his face. "Look, I don't...I don't mean to get angry all the time. I just…" He frowned, letting out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head, struggling for the words. "I can't help it. Maybe it's because of that pod, maybe Cadmus didn't… cook me long enough. I dunno. But when things don't go the way I want them to, I just… lose it." He explained, as the Teen of Steel struggled to find the words. "It doesn't help whenever Superman brushes me off. I start feeling like I'm all alone, like none of you even understand me, and then I get even more angry, and then I start lashing out, and then… well, something Amazo happens."
"I get it." She said to his surprise. "I've mentioned it before, but I had a pretty big family on Mars by human standards. Seventeen brothers, twelve sisters." The martian explained, causing Superboy's eyes to widen.
"That's… a lot."
"Maybe by human standards, but that's actually considered pretty average on Mars." M'gann explained. "Anyway, even with all those siblings around me, I… never really fit in. I mean, I always felt like I was a part of the family, but at the same time it felt like no one really understood me." The Manhunter's niece explained. "But then my younger brother came along and understood me, and I didn't feel so alone anymore. So it sounds like what you need is someone who understands what it's like. Something I'm more than happy to help you with."" She finished, and he smiled.
"Thanks. I needed that."
T'Zari
New York City, 21:33 EDT
T'zari was lost in thought, hands tucked into his pockets as he walked through the park, watching the families in the park. Back home, the Wakandan prince couldn't walk two feet without people recognizing and swarming him, to say nothing of the Dora Milaje assigned to protect him and make sure that he was safe. But here...T'zari was just another teenager, out for a nice evening stroll.
But unlike the other teenagers, the newest member of the team had business to attend to, and he didn't have a lot of time to do it. He made his way through the park, looking for a certain location. T'zari soon arrived at a bridge overlooking the pond, and saw a young woman with light brown skin and dark hair overlooking the water. He smiled to himself, before walking over to her. "You're late." The girl said, her voice carrying an Eastern European accent, and he rolled his eyes as he leaned against the bridge next to her.
"You're just early."
"You know I have to be." The girl responded. "I think we have about ten, fifteen minutes before they figure out where I am. It's the best I could do on such short notice."
"I...apologize for that." T'zari apologized. "I just...I needed to talk to you, and when I found out you were in New York, I-"
"Apologize no further. I was planning on getting away anyhow." She reassured, lacing her fingers with his, causing the White Wolf to smile. "Now, what's gotten you so worked up?"
"I...made some friends recently."
"And one of them's a girl so you think you need my permission?" The girl joked, and T'zari laughed.
"They actually remind me of you." The Prince replied. "They look at me, and they do not see the crown, or the prince. They treat me as an equal, as someone who belongs with them, rather than someone greater than them. I have only been among them for a few weeks, and yet it feels like I have known them almost my entire life."
"They sound like good friends, but I'm guessing you didn't call me here just to discuss your new friends." She asked, and he frowned and sighed.
"I cannot tell you too much, but now I am...on a path. One...similar to my father's."
"...ah." It was like the mood died around them, as the girl frowned. "You're worried that we're running out of time, that we'll have to be forced to choose sides."
"I am." T'zari said, and his girlfriend squeezed his hand. "I just...I wanted to tell you that I will lo...I will always care for you, no matter what."
"And I care for you, my wolf." She said, and T'zari smiled, the two leaning in for a kiss. They couldn't share it for too long, though, before the girl's watch beeped. "Szar!" She cursed out as she looked at her watch. "They already found me. If they find you here-"
"They won't. Be safe, Victoria." By the time she looked up from her watch, T'zari was gone, and the girl couldn't help but smile.
"(There you are!)" A voice said in an Eastern European dialect, and she sighed as several men in suits flooded the bridge. "(When your father finds out about this-)"
"(It will be your head, will it not?)" Victoria asked, causing the lead man to fall silent. "(I simply wished to enjoy the park without you breathing down my neck. Is that so wrong that my father needs to find out?"
"(... come along. We must hurry if we wish to return home on schedule.)" The man said, and began to lead her to a car on the street. Victoria looked around almost wistfully, before getting in the back of the car. T'zari emerged from behind a tree, and he couldn't help but sigh as the car drove off, frowning as he saw the flag attached to the poles at the hood of the car: a black background with green eyes in the shape of a mask.
It wasn't fair to them. To be forced to choose between their families and their countries, and the love they shared. They hadn't chosen to lock eyes for a little too long at a Markovian gala, hadn't chosen to fall in love at first sight.
T'zari hadn't chosen to fall in love with Victoria Von Doom, but Bast knows he just couldn't help himself.
Nolan
Stark Manor, August 27
Nolan Stark was bored, which for him wasn't rare, by any stretch of the imagination. He had already graduated (he was way smarter than any of the teachers, and it had been child's play) and he spent his time fighting villains in an advanced armor, and went on secret covert missions with the rest of his superhero friends. Usually when he was bored it was because he had exhausted all options.
That was the case now. "Seriously, how do normal people deal with this!?" He muttered, frustrated as the comm in his ear crackled to life.
"You could try working on your armor some more. I think I might have found a way to make its repulsors even stronger," Guardian Angel's voice spoke up..
"Fun as that may be, I am not in the mood for a full armor disassemble," He sighed out, casting a glance to his safe. For a moment, he thought about opening it, and examining the contents he had taken on their last mission…
When his tablet beeped, and he looked over at it.
Trace Program Complete.
"Actually, I think I just found something really fun to do that I have been meaning to get to." He corrected, rushing over to and suiting up in his armor.
"Oh really? And what's that?" GA asked.
"I'm coming to meet you." He smirked just a bit as he heard her gasp.
"What...I... how did you even…" She stammered
"Slow running trace. It's in the background of the signal we've been using ever since the Amazo, getting your location bit by bit. Slow enough you wouldn't notice. Unlike my dad I can be patient." Nolan said heading to the Zeta Tube.
"But… I mean, what if I'm some kind of supervillain? Or I shut down your armor? Or… or I just don't want to meet you?" She asked her voice rushed and sounding concerned.
"In order, one: if you were a supervillain you would have given something away by now or made some move to attack me or pull information. You haven't. I've been checking every time, and you've been far too helpful. Two: you can't shut down my armor, at least not without way more time than you have. Three: if you really didn't want to meet me eventually, you'd have made it so this took me longer than it already has," Nolan answered, rattling off his list.
She didn't respond for a moment then, he heard a sigh, "Fine just try not to be too disappointed." She said as the results came up.
'Chicago huh? Can't say I was expecting that.' He thought as he entered the Zeta Tube.
He came out in an alleyway and had to blink rapidly as his helmet adjusted to the sudden influx of light. Stepping out he took off into the air following the trace to it's point of origin. He had been expecting a giant building, or perhaps a college or advanced lab.
What he found were neither of those things. Instead he came across a completely normal looking family home. Two stories with a small garage, well maintained lawn and paint.
"Huh." He said surprised as he set down and did a scan, his suits sensors detecting nothing out of the ordinary, the signal coming from one of the upper floors.
"Just an ordinary house…?" He muttered, walking up to the door. He knocked, keeping his guard up just in case, only to find an African-American woman with long black hair and Brown eyes staring at him in surprise.
For a second the armored teen and the woman just stared at each other then she shook her head, "What did she do now?" The woman asked, sounding if anything less surprised and more tired.
"Who do you mean? You aren't Guardian Angel?" He asked and she chuckled.
"No, sorry to say I don't think I am who you're looking for, but I can take you to her if you want?" She asked.
Nolan opened up his suit and stepped out more confused, "Sure, hold on a sec. Sentry Drone mode. Do laps around the premises come, if I call and radio the others if my vitals drop below any standard level." He said as his suit nodded, closed, and took off into the sky.
"You think we're going to attack you?" The woman asked.
"Eh, in my life people often do. Though you seem less surprised than most are, Miss-"
"Williams. Ronnie Williiams. And while you're the most interesting person to show up looking for my daughter, you're hardly the first. She's too smart for her own good, and gets into places she shouldn't," Ronnie said leading the way up the stairs.
She stopped in front of what was so far as he could tell, a normal looking door and gave three quick taps, "Rihanna, you have a guest, a cute boy even." She said in a taunting tone.
"Mom, I… wait. What!? Already, I thought it would take him a little longer, just uh… give me a moment!" A girls voice said and he could hear a few things being moved around.
He stood very confused for a moment and then, "Okay, he can come in now." She said, her tone nervous.
Ronnie smirked and stepped aside, gesturing to the door. Nolan swallowed the lump in his throat, and grabbed the doorknob. He took a deep breath, opened the door…
And was met with the sight of a bedroom. Nothing too out of the ordinary, at first glance. A bed, a few posters of Iron Man, Misters Terrific and Fantastic, Yellowjacket, The Atom, and various other super scientists. He spied a desk mounted PC, and momentarily noted just how advanced it was. Just from a glance, Nolan could tell that it was far more advanced than any computer he had seen before. Hell, it had more in common with the Hall of Justice's computer than anything that belonged in a house…
"Uh… hi." A female voice said, shaking the Stark out of his thoughts as he spun around. Hiding behind the door was an African American girl, about 16 years old, who looked very, very nervous. "So… you're here."
"That I am." Nolan said. "So, you're Guardian Angel?"
"Well, not the superhero name I would've picked for myself, but...yeah." The girl replied. "I'm… I'm Rhianna. Rhianna Williams."
"And I'm… I'm Nolan. But uh, you probably knew that." His heart was hammering in his ears, and he did his best to ignore it.
"So… any reason why you decided to track me down." Rhianna asked, and Nolan shrugged.
"Someone hacks into my armor-no small feat, mind you-and, instead of using it to, I dunno, sell the schematics or something, you help me. You guided us through Cadmus, helped me track the Amazo, and then helped us track down the Sinister Six yesterday. All that makes me a little curious about the kind of person who's able to do that."
"Well, it… really wasn't that hard." She started. "All I had to do was hack into the Stark Industries plant here, then from there I was able to find a backdoor to the database that your armors all use. Then all I had to do was isolate which one was yours, and then isolate the communicator frequency, and… well, you know the rest." The nervous girl explained.
"Why?"
"I told you, I want to help."
"Uh huh." Nolan responded, and gestured to the computer. "Did you use that to do it?"
"Yep. Built it myself."
"That's some serious hardware. I've only seen something like it in my dad's garage." The Iron Knight stated, examining it. "Just taking a look at it, I can see the same type of processors we use in our suits, LuthorTech, Kord, Stane… stuff that shouldn't be available to the public. Not easily, anyways."
"Who said it was easy? I had to communicate with more than a few people who really didn't want to talk or be found to get some of it."
"There are easier ways to help people. Hell, if that thing is an indication, you should've been capable of designing and building a suit like mine, instead of talking in my ear."
"It's not easier for me." Rhianna started, sitting on the bed. "I've always been smart. Like… too smart for my own good. I'm talking 'take apart the tv and put them back together' smart. Of course, I guess it evened out, since I've… never been good around people. Dealing with them, talking with them… I've never been able to deal with it. And then when..." She swallowed a lump forming in her throat, before taking a deep breath,
"When I watched my dad get shot in a driveby, I kinda… shut down. Developed agoraphobia and haven't left the house in three years. I couldn't even get myself to go to my mom and stepdad's wedding," The girl explained, and Nolan frowned.
"I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn't know. You sounded so…"
"Different?" She asked, and he nodded. "The internet's different. I don't actually have to talk to people or interact with them face to face. You can be who you want to be, even if you're not actually that person." Rhianna explained.
"So how do I factor into all of this?" The Team Member asked, and Rhianna gestured to a newspaper clipping on her wall.
"Take a look at that, tell me if it looks familiar." She said, and Nolan walked over to the clipping, seeing a picture of one of his old suits and reading the headline on it.
Boy Genius Bests Living Laser
"Huh. That's… the first time I took my armor out. Saw the Living Laser robbing a bank, decided to put a stop to it," He reminisced.
"You… inspired me, I guess. You didn't have to pilot the suit yourself. You could've just given it to your dad or… or someone else, but you didn't. You decided to risk your own life, and when they asked why, you said-"
"'If there's something worth doing, you'll do it yourself.'" Nolan finished for her. "That's something my dad used to say to me when I was little, and he first became Iron Man. It's why he did it himself, rather than just paying someone to put the armor on for him." He explained, and she nodded.
"It really got to me. I wanted to help, but I couldn't actually get out there myself. So, I decided to double down on computers, and I got good at it. Like, 'Homeland Security comes to my house' good." She explained. "So I started watching you, and the more I did, the more I wanted to do what you do and help people. But...but I couldn't even get myself to leave the house. Then it hit me: if I couldn't actually go out and be a superhero, I could be the guy in the chair."
"The what?" Nolan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You know, the guy in the chair. The guy who's always watching the hero from a satellite or something, who feeds you information and hacks into stuff if you need it." Rhianna explained.
"You know that's only a thing in the movies, right? We don't actually have someone doing that for us."
"You sure? Cause according to the dark net, there's someone named Oracle in Gotham who helps out Batman…"
"Huh, there very well could be. When it comes to Gotham, Batman only lets us know what he wants us to know. Though that would explain who taught Robin how to hack so quickly..." Nolan muttered, and Rhianna shrugged.
"Point is, I wanted to help, so I found a way." She said, and nervously swallowed. "So...is this the part where you arrest me or out me or something?"
"Why would I do that?" He asked, causing her to cock her head in curiosity.
"Because...I hacked into your systems using some less than legal technology and know about those secret missions you guys go on? W-which I swear I haven't told anyone about!" She said, and Nolan smiled.
"You've helped us out more than a few times. If it wasn't for you, we would've never got out of Cadmus, or found Superboy when he ran after Amazo…" Nolan stated. "As far as I can tell, you've done as much for the Team as anyone else."
"So...I guess you're going to at least tell them about me?" She asked, only for the red head to shake his head.
"No, I won't do that unless you tell me it's ok to." He explained.
"Ok, now I have questions. Why?" She asked, and Nolan sighed as he pulled up a chair.
"Ok, so the whole reason the Team was formed was to get a jump on the bad guys. Take them out before they get the jump on us. Thing is...they're getting smarter. I mean, Hydra-Venom, Amazo, the Fog...the others don't think like I do, but I can see that it's a clear series of escalations. And eventually, we're going to come up against something we can't just punch until it stops moving. Which...is why I took this." Nolan explained, clicking his watch and causing a hologram of a chemical composition to appear.
"This is called Extremis. It's a genetic reprogrammer that uses nanotech, originally intended to serve as a cure for cancer before being coopted to serve as a bootleg super soldier serum."
"I've read about this stuff. I thought the League confiscated it…" Rhianna commented.
"SHIELD did, but a few weeks ago, an arms dealer stole it and tried selling it. We stopped the sale, but I saw a vial laying out and...I just took it." He revealed. "I took it because, if things keep escalating like they are, we're eventually going to come up short."
"So you think you'll be fine by juicing yourself with a bootleg super solider serum?" Rhianna asked, and Nolan couldn't help himself as he smirked.
"Here's the thing: I'm not. One of the big selling points for this is that it can be reprogrammed to do anything you want it to. And I've examined the Extremis I took enough to learn that that's true." The Iron Knight explained, and Guardian Angel swallowed the lump in her throat as she leaned forward.
"What...what do you want it to do?"
"I want to use it to take my tech to the next level." Nolan answered. "My dad won't admit it, but I've seen his designs. I've done the math. Between him and me, we've taken the Iron Man as far as it can go. There's nothing, no advancement or upgrade, that we haven't already come up with."
"So you want to take it all in a different direction." Rhianna finished, and her eyes widened as she realized what he wanted. "Holy...you're talking about incorporating your biology with the Iron Man armor."
"Precisely." Nolan said. He held up his right hand. "Iron…" Then he held up his left. "...Man." And then he brought them together. "With the Extremis, I think I can bridge the gap between man and machine, give me an edge so that we can truly face what's coming and have a chance to survive." He finished, and Rhianna stood up, beginning to pace.
"What you're saying...it's never been done before. Biotech, true biotech, has never been pulled off before. Every attempt leads to some horror story or wacked out supervillain who tries to blow up the planet." She said.
"No one knows how to really do it. Stark, Pym, Holt, Kord, Richards...no one's come close to it…" The young genius said, biting her thumb as she thought. "But if you pull this off...you could fundamentally change technology as we understand it."
"We could change it." Nolan corrected as he stood up. "I can't do it by myself. As smart as I am, completely reprogramming the Extremis could take months or even years. Each nanite has to be individually reprogrammed with the same purpose, and I don't have that type of precision. But you broke through my encryption, then Cadmus's, then Ivo's, all from a bedroom in Chicago, with encryption so good it took me weeks to crack it. You're at least as smart as I am, that much is obvious."
"Why me? Why not your dad or any of the other super geniuses you know?" She asked.
"Because, as smart as they are, they're old. Set in their ways. Whether they admit it or not, they're only really capable of approaching things from old points of view. If I tell my dad I took this, he'd just take it back to SHIELD. Same with the others."
"And your friends?"
"Let's just keep it a surprise." Nolan said. "I can't do this on my own. What do you say? Ready to help me change the world?" He said, extending a hand towards her. She looked at it for a second...before she took it.
"I'm in." Rhianna said, as she shook his hand. Nolan smiled, and noticed that their hands were lingering just a hair too long, lightly blushing as he pulled it away.
"So...yeah. Welcome to Team Stark." He nervously joked.
"So I guess you're leaving now. Guess you've got...superhero stuff to do or whatever. Guess I'll...talk to you later." She said, and Nolan frowned as he thought for a moment.
True, he should probably be preparing for the next Team mission (no way Batman would let them have any more downtime after Kaldur got done sorting out…whatever it was that had been eating at him lately). His armor needed to be charged, the weapons needed to be restocked…but Rhianna clearly needed a friend. Someone to talk to and hang out with. He was the first person she wasn't related to that she'd spoken with in who knows how long, and Nolan didn't know when he'd get another chance.
"Actually, I think I'll hang out here. If that's alright with you." He suggested, and Rhianna nervously smiled.
"I…think I'd like that."
Kaldur
Poseidonis, August 27 13:00 UTC
"Recognize: Aqualad, B-05." The Zeta Tube announced as Kaldur manifested from the golden light. Going straight from the air of the Mount Justice Zeta Tube to the aquatic atmosphere of Atlantis was a bit of a shock, but the born Atlantean only needed a second.
"Greetings, Kaldur'ahm." A voice greeted in Atlantean, and Kaldur turned to see his greeter. Rather than Aquaman, as he had expected, Kaldur saw a man with short cropped dark hair wearing a high collared sleeveless tunic, with shell-like black armor on his shoulder and forearms.
"Prince Namor." Kaldur greeted, giving the oldest son of Queen Atlanna a traditional Atlantean salute. "I thought the King would be greeting me."
"He's with the Council, dealing with the things that I am not permitted to as Regent." As the first born son of Queen Atlanna and King Orvax, Namor had originally held the throne of Atlantis.
However, as Kaldur understood it, Namor's initial contact with the surface world had been… less than friendly, leading Aquaman to defeat his brother in ritual combat for the throne. Rather than kill his older brother, Arthur instead extended his hand in kindness, with Namor becoming Arthur's most trusted ally and ruling Atlantis as King Regent when Arthur was away with the Justice League.
"He instructed me to meet you here and bring you to him. Come, swim with me. Tell me of your adventures on the surface." Namor beckoned as the two began to swim through the underwater city.
"I am afraid there is not much to tell, my Prince," Kaldur responded. "As always, the surface world faces no shortage of threats, and as always, we do our best to safeguard it as best we can."
"Well, you'll find that things in Atlantis are much as they always were," Namor informed. "Attuma and his usurpers are still licking their wounds in our deepest cells, and there has been no sign of Ocean Master since you bested him well over a year ago."
"It was the King that bested him. I merely provided assistance," Aqualad said, and the Prince chuckled.
"You are as humble as Arthur said you were," The King Regent stated, as they approached the Congress of the Seven. They entered the building, where it appeared a meeting of the Atlantean council had just let out, as Aquaman exited a set of large, ornate doors.
"Ah, Kaldur! Welcome home!" The king of Atlantis greeted, giving a nod to Namor. "Thank you for greeting him."
"It is no worry, brother. Anything to get out of dealing with those pompous bureaucrats." Namor stated with a small smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Orm wishes to see me at the science center. Apparently they have found something most intriguing," He said, referring to Orm, the youngest of Atlanna's three sons.
"Of course. I will see you tonight," Aquaman bid farewell as Namor gave a nod before swimming away, leaving master and apprentice alone.
"My King. It is good to see you again."
"And you as well." Arthur stated. "I would love to stay and chat more, but I am afraid I have many kingly duties I must catch up on. I asked Namor to bring you here so as to invite you to an intimate dinner the queen and I are hosting tonight."
"I am honored, my King. Though… there is someone I had been hoping to see…" The younger man said, and the King just chuckled.
"You may invite a friend."
"Thank you," And with that, the two went their separate ways, Arthur going back into the chamber and Kaldur swimming out into Poseidonis.
Atlantis… how long had it been since he'd been back? It had only been six months since his last visit, yet it felt like it had been years since he'd swam over the bright lights of Poseidonis, navigated the crowded shops of the bazaar, listened to the song of the sirens? And the sea… while Kaldur would often go for a swim along the ocean that bordered Happy Harbor, the feel of the water was nothing compared to that of Atlantis.
Maybe it was the lack of any pollutants or fuel residue, the lack of ships in the water, the ocean depths… or maybe it was just the fact that this was his true home, but breathing in the sea water of Atlantis made him feel more content than he had in months.
His true home… was it really Atlantis he had missed, or someone he had left behind? Perhaps Batman had been more right than even he knew, something Kaldur was quickly realizing as he approached the Conservatory of Sorcery. He passed several students-some he recognized, such as the gifted mermaid Lori Lemaris, but there were others he didn't recognize, such as a boy from one of the more amphibious subspecies practicing manipulating a snake made of water.
"It truly has been a while…" Kaldur muttered to himself.
"Kaldur!" An excited voice explained, and the apprentice of Aquaman turned to see what appeared to be a boy with an octopus head swimming towards him.
"Toppo, is that you?" Kaldur asked, and the boy nodded.
"You know, I almost didn't expect to see you again, what with all the amazing adventures you're having on the surface!" Toppo said.
"It really isn't as exciting as you think…" Kaldur sheepishly said.
"Oh, I've gotta show you something. C'mon!" THe octoling beckoned, and Kaldur followed him over to what looked like a mural of Aquaman fighting Ocean Master, his mysterious enemy, and Attuma, a general of King Ovax who turned into a warlord when Aquaman ascended to the throne. "I've been working on this ever since you left. It's not quite finished yet, but it's almost there!" Toppo took a deep breath and recited a spell, and Aqualad watched as the mural came to life, telling the story of how he and Garth had saved Aquaman from the villains. That had been the day Kaldur's life had changed forever, as that convinced the king to extend an offer of apprenticeship to the two young sorcerers. Garth had declined in order to remain in Atlantis, but Kaldur had leapt at the opportunity, becoming Aqualad and joining his king on the surface.
It had been almost two years since then, but he could remember it like it was yesterday. Kaldur couldn't help but smile as he remembered the proudest moment of his life, so deep in thought he accidentally ignored Toppo.
"So uh, what do you think?" His friend asked, stirring Kaldur out of his thoughts.
"Hm? Oh, it is wonderful work, Toppo. You have truly improved since the last time I saw you." The dark skinned atlantean said, and Toppo almost seemed to blush.
"Well thanks, Kaldur. Though uh… do you mind if I put myself in? I know that I wasn't actually there, but it would really help impress a mate…"
"Hm? Oh yes, that is fine. Though I was wondering… do you know where I might find Tula?" Kaldur asked, cutting right to the heart of the matter.
"Oh she's up on the roof, with Garth."
Up on the roof of the conservatory, a fierce battle was taking place. A girl with short red hair formed a shield out of water just in time to block a blast from a boy with dark hair, before she retaliated with two blasts of her own. The boy avoided it, firing a small vortex at her which she easily avoided, and fired another blast, which the boy blocked.
"As always, your forms are both impeccable. However, your choice of spells continue to be predictable as ever," A voice stated, and Tula and Garth both looked to Queen Mera, who was observing them. "Combat magic is all about adaptation and unpredictability. If your opponent can predict your movements, you're as good as dead."
"Yes, my queen," Garth said, and Tula looked over to see a familiar figure swimming over to them.
"Kaldur!" She exclaimed, swimming over and wrapping him in a hug.
"Tula, Garth! It is good to see you!" Kaldur greeted, and turned to Mera. "Apologies, my Queen. I did not mean to interrupt."
"It is fine, Kaldur. I have another class to teach anyways. Why don't you three use the opportunity to catch up?" Mera beckoned, before swimming off and leaving the three friends alone.
"It is good to see you, Kaldur. Clearly, surface life agrees with you," Garth observed, clapping Kaldur on the shoulder.
"It has not been that long since I've been here. It's only been-"
"Six months," They both said at once, and Kaldur sighed.
"That long, huh?" He muttered, before he smiled. "Then I shall have to make up for lost time. Tula, the Royal Family has invited me to dinner tonight at the Royal Palace. Would you like to accompany me?" He noticed Tula and Garth exchange a glance, and quickly realized his mistake. "I am sorry, Garth. Were I able to invite you, I-"
"I made my choice long ago, just as you made yours," The purple eyed atlantean reassured, and Tula cleared her throat.
"I hate to cut this short, Kaldur, but Garth and I have another class we must attend."
"Of course. Will I see you tonight?" He asked, and she looked unsure for a moment.
"... I will," She said, and the two swam off, leaving Kaldur alone.
"Tula, you have to tell him…" Garth whispered once they were out of earshot, and Tula frowned.
"I know. I'm just… waiting for the right moment."
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Namor swam into a large building with a dome, swimming up to a scientist with long grey hair. "Ah, Prince Namor. I take it you're here to see the specimen?" Vulko asked, and the regent nodded.
"Yes. I am curious as to what has Orm so enamored."
"Well, it will be easier to show you," The scientist said, leading Namor into a large room. Sitting in the center of the chamber with the dome was a large piece of ice, with a large, star shaped object inside.
"Impressive, is it not?" A voice said to Namor's right, and the warrior turned to see a dark haired man in a red tunic approaching him. "We discovered this in the Arctic Sea last month, and brought it here." Prince Orm stated, and Namor simply folded his arms.
"While it's size is remarkable, I don't see what's so noteworthy about this. If I wanted to see a dead starfish, brother, I would have simply swam across the sea floor." Namor dryly stated, and Orm couldn't help but chuckle.
"You never could let me finish. Look at these readings," Orm held out a tablet to Namor, who simply sighed as he took it.
"Science has always been your domain, brother. I never could understand all this… nonsense…" Namor's brow furrowed as he examined the readout on the tablet, causing the youngest prince to chuckle.
"Even one so hard-headed as you should be able to understand what this says."
"It's… alive?" He asked, and his brother nodded.
"By our estimates, the echinoderm has been encased in ice for well over two millenia. Yet we can clearly pick up vitals from it. We can even pick up brain waves from it." The Prince explained, as Namor looked at the starfish.
"Just like the surface dwellers' Captain America. Frozen in ice, suspended yet alive…" He muttered in awe.
"We've made studying this our top priority. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the possibilities ever since I first saw it."
"We have security around the clock. No unauthorized personnel gets in or out." A soldier stated, and Namor nodded.
"Excellent. One less thing to worry about."
16:22 UTC, Royal Chambers
"…and then Diana takes the missile, slams it in front of MODOK, and goes 'I think you dropped this.'" Arthur said, getting laughs from the table. "I swear, I've never seen anyone turn that pale before."
"With every story you tell, I become more and more convinced that the surface world is simply an elaborate carnival," Namor said, and next to him, a young boy about 8 years old with tan skin looked at the king.
"Uncle Arthur, can I accompany you to the surface one day?" Orin, son of Namor, asked, and the blonde king smiled.
"One day, nephew. For now, I need you here to help your mother and uncle control your father." He joked, and a brown skinned woman smiled.
"Trust me, it's a full time job." Lorena, Namor's wife, said, and Namor chortled.
"Please, I am merely 'antsy' as the surface dwellers say. Relatively peaceful times such as these have never sat well with warriors such as I."
"You sound more and more like father every day." Orm joked. "Now, I for one am grateful for a bit of peace. The echinoderm we found…" As Orm began to ramble about his giant starfish, Kaldur leaned over to Tula.
"I am thinking about returning to the Conservatory." He whispered over to her, causing her eyes to widen.
"But, the surface world..."
"I… do not think it will work out." The leader whispered, and Mera frowned.
"Kaldur, you left your studies some time ago. You would not be in Tula's class, or Garth's, or even Toppo's." She reminded him, and the dark-skinned Atlantean frowned before smiling at Tula.
"Perhaps… I will require a tutor?" Rather than answer his question, Tula continued to eat, so that Kaldur would not notice how she refused to make eye contact.
Outside Poseidonis
A pair of Atlantean guards were swimming along the perimeter of the capital city, one of them letting out a yawn. "Ugh, I hate perimeter duty."
"Right? There's nothing out here. Not even a stray Trencher," The other guard replied, as he swam in front of his partner. "I say we go a little further up, then head over to the Siren's Abyss for some wine and women. What do you say?" He asked, only for his brow to furrow when he was met with silence. His partner always went for that…
The soldier turned around, and was greeted with the sight of his partner, blood darkening the water around a group of men in black armor. "In the name of King Arthur, lay down your arms and-hurk!" The man was cut short by a stabbing pain in his back, and the armored men turned to their leader. He wore black armor like them, but his helmet was manta shaped with two large, red eyes, a knife emerging from his wrists.
"That was careless, Alpha Squad. He could have alerted the others," Black Manta, scourge of Atlantis, scolded. "All squads, report in."
"Beta Squad in position."
"Gamma squad in position."
"Delta squad in position."
"Excellent. Begin preparations. Commence the operation on my signal."
The Royal Palace
Much merriment and good company was being had among the royal family, and Arthur tapped his glass with his fork. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make." The Aquaman said, and Mera stood up beside him.
"The Gods have smiled upon us. I am with child." Mera announced, and Tula broke into a smile.
"That is wonderful news!" She exclaimed, swimming over to wrap her teacher in a hug as Namor stood beside Arthur, clapping him on the shoulder.
"At last, an heir to the throne. If your child is half the person you are, then Atlantis's future is in good hands." The Regent said, and Kaldur sent a glance towards Orm. Perhaps it was just a trick of the water, perhaps it was just his imagination, but for a split second, Kaldur could've sworn that Orm's eyes were filled with pure, unyielding hatred.
But then it was gone, and Orm was all smiles as he approached the king. "Congratulations, brother. I know that, wherever she is, Mother is smiling upon us."
"Thank you, my brothers." Aquaman said, when the emblem on his belt beeped.
"Mockingbird to Aquaman. We've got an emergency here in Tokyo Bay, and we could really use your help." Mockingbird's voice said, and Arthur sighed.
"Time to return to the carnival…" He sighed out, and tapped his belt. "Understood. I'm on my way." When he cut off the communication, he gestured for Kaldur to follow him as they exited the dining hall.
"Congratulations, my King. This is truly a momentous occasion."
"Thank you, Kaldur." Arthur said, and he frowned. "Batman has informed me of your dilemma."
"...ah. I wondered when this would come up…"
"Trust me, Kaldur, I know from personal experience what it is like to live there and love here." He stated as they approached the Zeta Tube.
"How do you deal with it? How do you know where to go? What to choose?" Kaldur asked, as Aquaman entered his security codes.
"Even I do not know the answer to that."
"Recognize: Aquaman, 10." The computer announced as the Tube powered up, and Arthur approached the light.
"I trust you to make the right decision. We will talk more when I return." And with that, Aquaman vanished into the light, leaving Kaldur alone to think.
The right decision… as he swam back to the dining hall, Kaldur mulled over his mentor's words, until the next thing he knew, he was in front of Tula.
"Kaldur? Is something wrong?"
"Tula, may we talk in private?" She frowned at the question, but she nodded. Kaldur lead her through the palace and into the garden, into the open sea of the outside. "There is something I must-"
"There is something I must-" Tula said at the same time, and the two laughed. "Please, you first." The red haired atlantean beckoned, and Kaldur took a deep breath.
"I have made my decision." He said, taking her hand. "I wish to stay here. In Atlantis, with you. Because of you." For a second, his heart swelled. He had dreamed of this day for weeks, and here he was, pouring his heart out to Tula…
...only for her to pull away. "Kaldur, I…" She trailed off, swallowing a lump in her throat. "I wanted to tell you. To find some way to get you a message and let you know…"
"What is wrong? Are… are you sick? Dying?"
"No, nothing like that." The Atlantean responded. "Garth and I, we are...together."
"...oh." And just like that, Kaldur's heart plummeted. "How… how long?"
"Not long after your last visit." She answered, and Kaldur clenched his fist in frustration. Tula opened her mouth to try and comfort him…
Only for the sound of distant explosions to cut her off. The two watched in dismay as explosions tore through Poseidonis, destroying scores of buildings in the process.
As the explosions continued to destroy the city, Namor, trident in hand, and a contingent of soldiers swam out of the palace, the prince's jaw dropping in horror as he saw the carnage gripping the capital. "Neptune's Beard…" Namor gasped out, before he grit his teeth. "Who is responsible for this?! Tell me, so I may know whose head I must tear from their body?!"
"We…we don't know, your highness!" Commander Murk responded. "We're getting reports of explosions in sectors 1, 2, 3, 5…" Namor's eyes narrowed.
"Nothing from sector 4?"
"Negative. I'm unable to raise anyone in sector four."
"But that's where-" Before Namor could finish his thought, a soldier cried out in pain as she was hit by a laser blast, and Namor turned to see several soldiers in black clad armor surrounding them, weapons pointed at the Atlanteans.
"Target alpha in sight. Moving in n-" Before the lead soldier could finish, Namor's trident found a new home in his chest.
"Imperius Rex!" The prince bellowed out as he rushed forward to remove it as the rest of the soldiers opened fire. However, as formidable as the Atlanteans were, the Manta troopers had the advantage of position, making quick work of more than half the squad. Or they would have, had it not been for a large, glowing manta ray that appeared around them. As it blocked the laser blasts, Namor spun to see Mera in the doorway, glowing tattoos appearing around her body.
"Mera, what are you doing?! It is not safe out here for you!"
"I am Queen of Atlantis, Namor. Pregnant or not, I will not stand by while my people are under siege!" The Xebellian protested, and Namor couldn't help but smirk as he shook his head.
"I always knew I liked you." He said, and Mera prepared to launch an assault…
Only for whips of water to wrap around the ankles of two soldiers, swinging them around into several other troopers. They turned to see Aqualad and Tula swimming towards them, Tula's tattoos glowing as she formed a ball of blue energy in her hands. She launched it at the troopers, electrocuting them as Aqualad swung water hammers, dispatching a few more.
Tula lured some into chasing her, using her magic to collapse a stone archway onto them once they were in position, before firing blasts of water at the other troopers. Now that most of the fire was off of her, Mera was able to focus her magic on offense, sending the stingray forward to incapacitate several more soldiers while Namor used his trident to make short work of several more.
After Kaldur used a water whip to pull down a large rock that jutted from the ground, Tula created a vortex that sucked up the rubble, launching it at the soldiers.
"Tula!" A voice called out, and Tula looked to see Garth swimming towards them. She smiled at the sight of her lover...only to gasp as she saw a Manta soldier emerge from his hiding place, taking aim at the purple eyed atlantean's back.
"Garth, look out!" She barely managed to shove him to the side before the trooper fired, the blast hitting her square in the chest.
"Tula, no!" Kaldur cried out, but before he could have his revenge, Namor's trident pierced the trooper and nailed him to the pillar behind him. Once he was taken care of, Kaldur swam over to Garth, who was clutching Tula. "Is she-?"
"No, she is breathing. I...I do not believe her injuries are life threatening." Garth reassured, and for a moment, Kaldur saw nothing but love, anger, and fear as his friend looked at Tula's unconscious body.
"Pardon my insensitivity, but Tula is the least of our concerns." Namor said, gesturing to the trooper with the trident in his chest. "Those uniforms are worn by soldiers affiliated with Black Manta, are they not?"
"They are."
"I knew it. Only a coward such as him would do something like that." Namor spat, and Kaldur frowned.
"But attacking Poseidonis like this…he's never been this bold before."
"Agreed. He's here for something, and I believe I know what it is." Namor stated. "Explosions all across Poseidonis, save for sector four."
"Where the science center is? But what could Black Manta-" Kaldur stated, when it clicked in his head. "The echinoderm? But-"
"I do not care for the why, all I care about is that he is stopped." Namor stated as he removed his trident from the trooper. "Kaldur...Aqualad...I trust you are capable of this?"
"I am, Your Highness."
"Then get going." The Prince ordered.
"Namor, he cannot face Manta alone." Mera spoke up. "You must go with him and-"
"Our surface communications are down, meaning we are unable to reach Arthur. Our forces are being slaughtered by Manta. As Regent, it is my duty to marshal our forces and ensure your safety." Mera's eyes narrowed at this.
"I told you, I will not stand by and-"
"And I must protect Atlantis's future." Namor cut off.
"I do not need protecting, and sending Kaldur alone is suicide!"
"It is alright, my Queen." Kaldur spoke up. "I have faced Manta before."
"Not alone, you-"
"I'll go." Garth spoke up. "We do not have time to argue. The longer we do, the more time we give Black Manta." Garth's eyes were full of anger, something Kaldur felt all too well.
"Your place is with Tula." He hadn't meant it to sound so bitter, but that is how it came out. He didn't have time to dwell on it though. There was a job to be done.
The Science Center
Vulko was fighting alongside the guards of the science center, as they tried to repel the Manta troopers from the chamber holding the starfish. It all proved for naught when Black Manta himself entered the battle, firing red beams of energy from his helmet at the soldiers. Two screamed in pain as they were incinerated by the blasts, and Manta swam forward. He avoided the blasts from the Atlanteans, and when he was close enough, two swords emerged from his armor's forearms. He was like a whirling vortex of death, darkening the waters with each slash.
As he slashed the throat of the last one, he noticed that Vulko was gone. The coward must have snuck off when he began his assault, but Black Manta wasn't worried. "Science Center secured," The pirate said into his communicator.
"Understood. Moving Manta Flyer into position now." The voice in his ear said, and Manta watched as his craft took position directly above the dome. The bottom slid open and an apparatus emerged, and a laser beam began melting through the dome.
"Begin setup for extraction. As soon as the dome is melted, I want us gone with the package." Black Manta ordered, and turned to two soliders. "You two, search the perimeter. Make sure there are no intruders."
With a salute of confirmation, the two soldiers headed out.
Outside the Science Center, Aqualad swam up to a service entrance, entering an override code taught to him by Aquaman for occasions such as this. As the entrance slid open, the Team leader felt a presence approaching him from behind, and he placed a hand on his water bearer as he spun around to see Garth. "What are you doing here?!" He whispered.
"Prince Namor sent me," Garth stated matter of factly.
"Tula needs-"
"Tula is fine. I left her with Prince Orm in the Palace. There is nowhere safer for her right now." Garth responded, and Kaldur sighed.
"Very well then. Follow my lead," He instructed, and the two Atlanteans swam through the empty hall.
"What is our plan of attack?" Garth asked, only to be met with silence. "Kaldur?" The purple-eyed student whispered, and when he turned to Kaldur, he saw he was gone. "Where-"
"Freeze!" A voice called out, and Garth's blood ran cold as he was cornered by two Manta Troopers. "Looks like we found a stray. Wanna bring him to the boss?"
"Nah, I say we just pop him right here. Save us the trouble," The other trooper said, and they aimed their weapons at Garth…
Only for Aqualad to emerge from the shadows and kick one in the back, before he used a water mace to knock the other one out.
"Since when are you capable of that?" Garth asked, and Kaldur couldn't help it as he smirked.
"I have not been without studies of my own." He replied, before his face turned serious. "Now, I have an idea."
Black Manta watched as his troopers finished securing the remainder of the ropes and clips to the iceberg, and saw the two soldiers return from patrol and begin inspecting the ropes fastened to the ice. Not unusual in and of itself… had it not been for the unusual handles attached to his belt. "Impressive, is it not… Aqualad?" Both troopers immediately spun around and opened fire, only for Manta's laser blasts to destroy both weapons. The blast knocked them back, and
Aqualad pulled off his helmet and activated his water bearers just in time to block two blasts with water swords. Manta fired again, and Kaldur converted one of the swords into a whip just in time to grab a soldier and use him as a shield. "Such a waste. Do you truly have no ambition beyond serving that fool of a king?" Manta challenged, and Kaldur narrowed his eyes.
"If it is foolish to devote my life to others, then I would rather die a fool than live as a monster."
"Then I will kill you just like the others, starting with him!" Manta bellowed out, and fired a blast at Garth, who was still struggling with his helmet. Kaldur pulled him behind a pillar just before the blast destroyed the wall behind his friend, and shoved Garth against the pillar.
"Get your head in the game, Garth!" The Team Leader ordered, the irony of it not lost on him, and he resumed the battle, using his waterbearers against Manta's soldiers. Garth took a deep breath and began to focus, his eyes glowing blue as he held his hands together.
"I summon the power of the Tempest!" He chanted, and a blue ball of energy began to form in his hands. Garth emerged from behind the pillar and threw it at the invaders, the ball exploding into a vortex that began tearing through the chamber, sucking up any troopers that got in its way. Manta narrowed his eyes and saw that the dome was done melting, and he grabbed a trooper.
"Secure the package! I will deal with them," The villain growled out, and as the soldier went to secure the hook that descended from the Manta Flyer, Manta deployed his wrist blades and engaged Aqualad, their blades clashing as the Flyer began to lift up the frozen starfish. This did not go unnoticed by Kaldur, even as he dodged a slash from Manta.
"Garth, the cable!" He yelled out, and his old friend took the hint. He focused the power of the Tempest and launched it at the cable, destroying it and sending the ice crashing to the ground. Manta growled and kicked Aqualad away as he swam towards it, only for Kaldur's water whips to wrap around the super villain's body. He groaned in pain as Kaldur began channeling electricity, only to break free.
"If I can't have it, no one can!" Black Manta yelled out, and his shoulder mounted rocket launcher emerged. Kaldur was barely able to form a shield as the missile impacted the iceberg, the explosion rocking the entire science center. Kaldur grunted as he removed himself from the rubble and Garth lowered the shield of ice he had made, the smoke clearing in time for them to watch the Manta Flyer leave the city.
September 3, 21:08 UTC+2, Royal Palace
"Our city was attacked, and our forces were ravaged, but at the end of it all, Atlantis still stands." Aquaman said, looking over Namor, Kaldur, Orm, Tula, and Garth. "As king, I thank you for protecting our home. And as a man, I thank you for protecting what is most important to me." The King If the Seven Seas congratulates, placing his hands on Mera's stomach.
"Are there any leads on Black Manta?" Kaldur asked, and Namor shook his head.
"No. The trail runs cold about fifty miles east of Atlantis." He stated. "I am having my soldiers look into it, but at this point, I fear he is gone."
"But he will resurface. And when he does, I will be there." Aquaman grimly states, and Orm stepped forward.
"In the meantime, I think it's best you take this." The youngest prince said, holding a container containing a small piece of the starfish. "This is all that survived. Even blasted to smithereens like this, the organism is still alive on some level, and it's already regenerating. It requires further study, but with Atlantis in the state that it is in and the science center in ruins…"
"It will not be safe here," The King concluded, taking the container from Orm. "I will contact Stark, and we will make arrangements for it," He assured, and looked at Kaldur. "Have you… made your decision?"
"I have," Kaldur said, stepping forward. When asked later, the Atlantean would say that it was a tough decision. That he was torn between his longing for the life he had left behind, and the new life he was forging on the surface with his new friends. But honestly? After all that had transpired, it was no choice at all. "Call me Aqualad." Arthur smiled, and nodded before he swam off with Namor, Mera, and Orm. Kaldur began to approach the Zeta Tube, only for Tula and Garth to swim ahead of him.
"Kaldur, I… that is, we…" Tula started to apologize, but Kaldur put a hand on both their shoulders.
"If I was truly upset that you found happiness with each other, then I could not call myself your friend," He reassured, and Tula smiled. The three friends shared a hug, and Kaldur headed towards the Tube.
"Recognize: Aqualad, B-05." The computer announced, and as the tube powered up, Kaldur looked back at Garth.
"Have you ever wondered what it would have been like had I remained here, and you had become Aqualad?"
"Not for a moment," Garth said, and Kaldur chuckled.
"Neither have I."
The Team
Mount Justice, 15:08 EDT
Kaldur stepped through the Zeta Tube back into the famliar setting of the Cave, where he saw Captain America standing in front of the holoscreens in the briefing area. "Welcome back, Kaldur." Steve greeted, looking back at the leader. "Did you get yourself sorted?"
"I did, Captain." Kaldur reassured him, and noticed an image of what looked like the nation of Bialya. "Our next mission?"
"Yes, but it can wait until tonight." The Sentinel of Liberty responded. "The others just got here too. Apparently, Robin stumbled upon a collection of old Grey Ghost movies, and they're hosting some kind of 'movie day' in the media room."
"Thank you." Kaldur said, and turned to head deeper into the cave.
"And Kaldur?" The Atlantean turned back to the captain. "I know what it's like feeling like you don't belong. If you ever need to talk…"
"I appreciate the offer, sir, but I do not believe I need it anymore." Kaldur said, causing Steve to smile as he headed through the cave.
"...and I'm telling you, you don't need three bags of popcorn all to yourself!"
"Hey, I have a boosted metabolism! Even if I'm just sitting around, I burn through the calories like it's nothing!"
Kaldur couldn't help but smile as the sound of familiar bickering filled his ears, as he saw Wally defensively holding bags of popcorn to his chest while Artemis scowled at him.
"Wally, I believe Artemis has a point. Besides, even with your metabolism, that much butter and popcorn would surely wreak havoc on your stomach." T'zari spoke up, letting out a sigh. "Honestly, you Americans and your excess…"
"Then it's a good thing I bought two jumbo boxes. Figured that way we can let Wally gorge himself on popcorn until he explodes and still have enough for everyone." Francis commented, tossing Wally a box of popcorn, and Laura rolled her eyes from her spot leaning against the kitchen table, only for her to notice their leader entering the room.
"Kaldur!" She exclaimed, and the others all turned to their leader.
"Dude, welcome back!" Wally greeted. "So, how was Atlantis? Did you bring me a souvenir?" He asked.
"It seems to have slipped my mind. I shall have to remember for next time." Kaldur responded, and Jason and Carter looked up from behind the television.
"Oh, hey Kaldur!" Carter greeted. "Hey, you happen to know anything about hooking up old VHS players? Me and Jason are having a little trouble back here?"
"Hey, we're figuring it out. Now we just gotta plug this thing into here…" Jason responded, and Kaldur looked around, noticing someone missing.
"Where is Nolan?"
"Said he had something he had to do and he couldn't make it." Superboy responded from the couch, as the oven timer dinged. M'gann used her telekinesis to open the oven and float the cookie trays out, taking a good whiff of her creation.
"And that's his loss. I think I finally got the recipe down!" She exclaimed, and Wally zoomed over, taking a cookie off the tray.
"Ow ow ow hot hot hot!" He said as it bounced between his hands, and Artemis sighed.
"That's what happens when they come fresh out of the oven, dumbass…" The female archer scolded, as Francis walked over to M'gann.
"Well I for one think they look like your best ones yet." He complimented, earning a smile from her. "Do you uh, mind showing me how to cook these sometime?" The archer asked, and the Martian nervously swallowed.
"Uh, sure." She whispered back, as the TV began to display the Gray Ghost logo.
"Ah ha!" Jason declared, as he and Carter high fived. "Told you we didn't need Nolan."
"Alright folks, take your seats! The first official Team movie party is about to begin!" Carter declared, and they all began taking their seats. As they prepared the movies, Kaldur couldn't help but watch them, and he smiled to himself.
There was no doubt in his mind now. This...this was his place. This was where he belonged.
A/N: Some important breakthroughs and developments happening here, as we set the stage for storylines both familiar and new. See you next time, folks.
