"Nn!" Wally groaned as he came to, hand slapped over his mouth to muffle any noise he might make. His green gaze followed the hand up to the arm it belonged to, only to find M'gann staring determinedly up at the sky where the thinning cumulonimbus clouds seemed to shimmer in an odd way, like something was distorting them. "What happened?"

"I placed the Bioship between us" M'gann replied softly as she let go, happy that Mr Twister had left but still concerned about Rachel. Though part of her was afraid of the rage that pulsated from the young girl; it felt almost demonic. "Rachel went after Mr Twister"

"And that's s'posed to make it right?!" Conner spat as he punched himself free of the trench that clung to him and strode over to the martian who had yet to rise. "You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado!"

"She didn't do it on purpose!" Kaldur retorted as M'gann slumped down.

"It was a rookie mistake" Robin added, trying to ease the tension because it's not like he could hold back an irate kryptonian. "We shouldn't have listened"

"You are pretty inexperienced" Wally agreed sheepishly, shoulders up around his ears as he toed the ground, unable to look at her. Though it's not like they could call Conner a professional either, considering he was technically 4 months old.

"You said Rachel went after Twister?" Kaldur asked instead, not so subtly changing the subject.

"Yeah" M'gann nodded, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. "But she was different—can she shapeshift too?"

"…Different how?" Robin shared a concerned glance with Wally. Unlike the girls, speedster didn't have to be psychic to figure out something was wrong.

"Uh, her skin was red and she had a bird tail…" She murmured, trying to figure out what was making the young detective so pale. "She had four eyes instead of two, and she was so angry"

"Crap!" Robin hissed.

"Time to go! Hit the showers, we can take it from here" Wally agreed as he picked up on his friend's distress, yanking his goggles down before sweeping Robin off of his feet and racing off into the distance as he shot his dismissal of the martian over his shoulder.

"Stay out of our way!" Conner growled in agreement as he stormed passed, before leaping up into the air and bounded off after the fleeing pair. Whatever had the two so concerned about the young witch had pricked his intrigue, and he felt that if he repaid her kindness from his liberation, then they would be even.

"…I was…just trying…to be part of the Team" M'gann sniffled, unable to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Instead she bowed her head so that Kaldur couldn't see her cry.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure we have a team" Kaldur replied sheepishly before he followed after the others, content in the fact that M'gann would be safe with the Bioship.


18 July 2010
Happy Harbour Bay, Happy Harbour

Dusk had fallen by the time the remaining sidekicks convened on Happy Harbour's neighbouring bay. There they found a demonic Rachel giving just as much as she got. Forked tail fanned, they watched as it sliced through the airborne vehicle like it was made of butter, leaving the two halves to clatter to the ground on either side.

"Well" Wally blinked as he neared the harbour with Robin in his arms, "That's different. Did y'know she could do that? Is that where the 'Raven' thing comes in?"

"That's not Raven" Robin shook his head, eyes glued to the crimson figure dancing in the sky above them.

"Then who is it? 'Coz it's definitely not Rachel"

"Munin" Robin murmured, voice barely carrying over the breeze buffeting at them.

"Munin? The Norse raven?" Conner puzzled as he landed briefly besides the pair, "Like Odin's birds? Isn't there s'posed to be two of them?"

"Heh, figures Cadmus would teach you about stories like that" Robin chuffed.

"That still doesn't answer my question!" Wally reminded him, toes digging into the ground as he dodged wayward debris.

"She's a cambion" Robin nodded towards the young witch, "That's her demon half, Munin"

"Demon half? She's a hybrid?" Conner murmured, the 'Like me?' going unsaid.

"Yeah"

"Any advice?" Wally asked as he neared.

"Yeah, don't tick off the demon bird" Robin grinned.

"Do I wanna know?"

"Nope"

"I won't deny that you have power, but I tire of this game" Mr Twister hummed, batting away Munin's attacks with ease, before he commanded a series of twisters to swarm through the town beyond. "Certainly this will get the required attention"

"You got ours!" Wally decreed as he deposited Robin before charging at the android at full speed. This time, his attack connected. "Full and undivided!"

"Insufficient!" Mr Twister snarled, "You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!"

"RAAH!" Conner descended from the sky with a war cry, first raised and legs coiled. But the android slipped back just as the clone connected with the earth, creating a small crater as he landed.

Much like before, though they were each skilled in their own rights, the sidekicks moved out of sync with each other. Their attacks missed by inches whilst the android's connected every single time. Tossed about like marbles in a tin can, the boys could only grow frustrated with each passing moment as nothing they did seemed to work.

Hidden behind an upturned boat, where Munin sat perched on the bow humming to herself, Robin found himself making sure the younger hero was okay. The forked tail that lay down the back of the boat, was matted with blood (hers or someone else's he wasn't quite sure), her t-shirt just as splattered and torn like someone had taken a cheese grater to it. Aside from that however, he could see no external injuries apart from a few shallows scratches and bruises that peppered at her skin. Though Robin couldn't help but think she looked like a Christmas elf with that green t-shirt and her red skin.

"You brought your utility belt?" Wally leered, skidding to a stop next to him as Robin strapped the belt on. It's not like the speedster could talk, he'd brought his goggles.

"Never leave home without it!" Robin retorted, "First thing Batman taught me"

"Yeah, right after never go to the bathroom without it"

'Listen to me! All of you' M'gann's voice lanced through their heads, bringing about a headache (thankfully smaller than the first one).

"What did we tell you?!" Conner demanded.

'I know! And I know I messed up! But now I'm very clear on what we NEED to do. PLEASE trust me!'

'Crimson gems are falling down / Falling down, falling down / Crimson gems are falling down / My dear Lord…' Munin hummed to herself, not quite aware that everyone else could hear her.

'Is that…Raven?' M'gann sounded just as weirded out by it, as everyone else. Her own words echoing, what each was thinking.

'Sounds like LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN' Superboy noted the familiar tune from his lessons, though these lyrics were new.

"Is she…singing? Seriously?" Wally blinked dumbfoundedly, gaze drifting upwards to the crimson avian who sat watching the android whilst she licked her wounds. Only a twitch of her tail let her know that she had heard him.

"So…" Robin hummed, "That plan?"


"Hit the showers, kids" Red Tornado greeted as he ascended from the heavens. "I was hoping you could handle this. Clearly you cannot"

"But we've got a plan now!" Robin whined.

"The subject is not up for debate"

"I was beginning to believe you'd never show up" Mr Twister teased, face hidden behind his ratty scarf as the sidekicks dispersed. Though Munin stayed perched upon that upturned boat.

"I'm here, now" Red Tornado retorted as a tornado sprung into being at his call and surged forward to attack his opponent. The other android simply danced out of the way before using a second tornado to parry. "We are evenly matched, Twister"

"No, Tornado, we are not!" Mr Twister replied as he created a wall of wind to block the flying debris headed for him.

A bolt of lightning then surged forward from the storm-inclined android and danced along the ground, making Red Tornado shuffle out of the way. Slipping behind the boat Munin was perched on, sent the avian up into the air as the lightning did not slow. Instead it ignited the fuel tank of the boat, causing it to burst into flames and sent Red Tornado tumbling back to the floor. But the cambion wasn't worried, this was all part of the plan, afterall.

"Remain still, android" Mr Twister leered as he stood over the fallen Leaguer, cords dangling from his fingers as they leapt towards the fallen machine. "The reprogramming won't take long"

"Longer than you might think" Red Tornado grinned as he turned to look back up at Mr Twister, hand gripping tight to the cords as his head returned to that of the martian who had been impersonating him. Apparently, gender neutral beings were an easy go-between.

"No!" Mr Twister gasped in shock as he was telekinetically shoved backwards into the swirling vortex, courtesy of Wally. From there, he was slingshotted out into the fields where Conner stood waiting and proceeded to pummel the android. The kryptonian held no qualms about letting his frustrations out on the villain which had duped them.

A particularly irate-fuelled punch sent Mr Twister flying back towards the harbour, sparking like a firework as he unceremoniously plopped into the water and was greeted by Kaldur, who wielded a broken anchor like a club. When metal met metal, his tattoos illuminated and the very same lightning which had surged from the android's hands now encompassed him in their fury. The resulting explosion was more than enough to send him flying back onto land. Then it was Munin's turn. Her magic enveloped him in black and yanked him skywards, up to her level, before a great crackling sound was heard as she cracked it open like an egg. She took particular pleasure—vindictive pleasure—in that noise.

A couple of exploding batarangs to the back for good measure, and Mr Twister was no more. The same could not be said for his driver, however, who dropped those several feet to the ground and crawled along the ground like he was going a military obstacle course. With the android out of the way, everyone reconvened on the green and easily trotted over to where the unknown driver was trying to escape. When he was by the sight of six pairs of shoes, he stopped and begged for his life. "Foul! I—I call foul!" He cried, barely able to push himself up onto his elbows.

But M'gann was having none of that. Telekinetically lifting up a large boulder that lay off to the side, the martian girl brought over to her side with a gleam in her eye. Munin was more than happy to see what she was going to do with it, her demon side practically purring at the fear that glistened in the man's eyes. The boys, it seemed, did not agree. "M'GANN! NO!" Kaldur cried, but it was too late.

CRUNCH!

"Don't know how things are done on Mars" Robin snarled as he strode over to the smug martian. "But on Earth, we don't execute our captives!"

"You said you trusted me!" M'gann grinned smugly as if she knew something they didn't. Her expression didn't change as she lifted the boulder off of the driver, to reveal a mess of scrap metal and wires. An android inside an android. "That's why I couldn't read his mind!"

"Cool! Souvenir!" Wally grinned as he bent to pick up a sparking eyeball which had more or less survived the impact. "Hey, looks like you were right about the android thing, Rae"

"We should've had more faith in you" Kaldur apologised, placing a hand on M'gann's shoulder. She just smiled in response.

"Yeah! You rocked this mission! Get it? Rocked?" Joked Wally; the Dad joke making several of them groan or roll their eyes as if in physical pain.

"Ignore him" Said Robin, a little sheepish for blowing up in the martian's face. "We're all just turbed your on the Team"

"Heh, thanks" M'gann blushed, "Me too"

"And look who's finally awake!" Wally grinned as everyone's attention turned to the young witch, who now stood bare of the demonic appearance she had previously worn. Feathers sat littered about her feet, skin cleared back to ivory and the four glowing eyes had returned to their usual two now that she had calmed down. "Mornin' Rae! Something you'd like to tell us?"

"Um" Rachel swayed slightly as her exhaustion took its toll. Though that did not stop the sheepish expression which fell across her face as she rubbed her nape. "Oops?"


18 July 2010
Mount Justice, Happy Harbour

Later that night, once all pieces of the scrapped android had been collected and shipped back to the Cave, the Team found themselves scattered around a table which held the pieces currently being scanned by the Cave's computer. "It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you" Kaldur informed the scarlet android beside him.

"Agreed" Nodded Red Tornado.

"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" M'gann wondered.

"No. This was your battle, I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine, for me"

"But—but if you're in danger…?"

"Consider this matter closed" He dismissed before spinning on his heel and disappearing into the depths of the Cave.

"Batman, Aquaman and Flash" Wally hummed, "They'd have jumped right in to fix things"

"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need" Robin sighed from where he sat hunched over the parts.

"Dude! Harsh!"

"And inaccurate" Red Tornado interjected, making both boys wince as they were caught red-handed. "I have a heart: carbon steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing"

"Ah~ha, right" Robin chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'll strive to be…more accurate"

"And more respectful" Kaldur added, slinging an arm around the younger teen.

"Right"

"…Sorry" Conner muttered to the martian next to him. Rachel had to stifle the giggles that exploded to the surface at his constipated expression. M'gann simply smiled in kind, but it was still funny.

"Speedy was so wrong" Wally grinned as his gaze drifted across the members of the Team, watching each of them interact.

Huh? Speedy? What about him? Rachel perked up at the archer's name. The last time she had seen him was almost a week ago when he had thrown that huge tantrum and stormed off, declaring himself a solo act.

"This Team thing?" Robin continued.

"Might just work out" Kaldur agreed.