Tempest: Chapter Fifty-Two: Reconstitution
Everything was kind of hazy when Amara opened her eyes. The ceiling and the walls were far too white. Amara almost groaned; she hated hospitals.
The pain meds were the things messing with her head the most, she knew, which she didn't mind all that much, because it wasn't as though she really needed to keep her mind clear for anything. She would've cared more if she had patrol, but she didn't.
Amara looked down to see a bandage wrapped tight around her abdomen. Her eyes drifted down to her feet and she gave an experimental wiggle, only breathing easier when they moved.
The last time she'd been in the hospital, she'd lost the use of her legs for eight months, so the fact that she could move her feet was a definite plus.
"Mm," she mumbled, her mouth numb, and the mass beside her that was Pamela slumped over the hospital bed, her red hair spilling out around her like a red stain, moved. "I think I got shot."
Pamela lifted her head, looking as exhausted as Iris had back then, so relieved to see her awake.
"Hey, baby," she said softly, pushing her hair out of her eyes before cupping her daughter's cheek. "How do you feel?"
Amara remembered the Joker's sickeningly wide smile, and his gun, aimed at Harley when she wasn't looking.
"Like I've been shot," Amara said blandly, scowling at the ceiling. "Joker get away?"
Pamela's lips smoothed into a line. "Unfortunately," she said grimly, sounding very much like she'd rather he was dead.
Amara would prefer that too, now that she thought about it.
"Where's Harley?" Amara murmured, blinking harshly a few times to force her attention to the present.
"She's, um—" Pamela glanced towards the door, "she's outside…she wasn't sure if you'd want to see her."
Annoyance flashed across Amara's face. "She's being stupid," Amara scoffed and Pamela smiled.
Amara was the one who had dove in front of Harley to take the bullet. It was a foolish move, but Amara had a thing about using her body as a shield.
"How bad is it?" Amara asked after a short moment.
Pamela leaned back in her uncomfortable chair and sighed. "You got lucky," she admitted grudgingly as she took her daughter's hand. "The doctors say you just managed to scrape by with no organs being punctured, but you did bruise your liver a bit."
"Great, can I leave now?" Amara asked in a single breath, making her mother tut in exasperation.
"I really don't like hospitals," she added and Pamela ran another hand through her hair.
"All right," she said, "I'll go and have words with your doctor…and I'll send Harley in to see you."
A moment later, Harley had stepped inside. She looked worse than Pamela with her hair yanked out of its signature pigtails and her mascara was smudged around her eyes.
"Your ex is a head case," Amara informed her, but Harley didn't smile. "Its fine, it's not the first time I've been shot."
"That's not really helping," Harley sighed, her fingers twisting a few red-tipped locks.
"I'm all right," Amara insisted as best she could with morphine still in her system. "I'll heal up in a day or so, trust me. It could've been worse, you know, like Merlyn shooting me off a building."
"You're way too chill about this," Harley decided, the corners of her lips twitching just slightly.
"It's the drugs," Amara responded with a sage nod that made Harley laugh.
Amara didn't remember much about when they got home. Pamela and Harley had set up pillows and blankets on the couch in the living room to form a makeshift bed because neither one liked the idea of Amara climbing up the ladder to her room (Amara had tried to point out floating up was a viable option, but neither were interested in hearing it), so Amara had maneuvered herself down with minimal wincing and promptly gone to sleep.
It was late into the afternoon when she awoke once more to the sight of Harley and Pamela slumbering on the part of the couch she wasn't occupying, and to the sound of her cell phone buzzing softly.
Amara rubbed her eyes and winced as the spot on her stomach where the stitches were located pulled a bit.
It was from Dick.
Got a lead on RT, could use some backup.
Red Tornado hadn't been heard from since the Reds had demolished the Cave and Amara still had nightmares of drowning because of those bastards.
You have backup, she replied. KF, AL, SB, MM, and A.
We could use SC, he sent back and Amara almost sighed. He was really forcing her into a corner wasn't he? Talk about a Dick move.
She bit her lip.
Try not to fly into any storms.
And then she pulled herself upright as quietly as she could manage.
Robin considered the reply with a bit of confusion.
Try not to fly into any storms? What did that even mean? Was she coming or was she just being cryptic?
All the members of the Team were strapped into their seats on the Bioship, having just left Belle Reve with new information and a new friend in tow.
Zatanna was Zatara's daughter and the very same that had convinced them to kidnap her on their expedition to Belle Reve. She had her father's skill in magic and that had led to them extracting the information concerning Red Tornado's location from Professor Ivo who was a longtime rival or Red Tornado's creator, T.O. Morrow.
She was also very cute and Robin couldn't quite seem to get his tongue to work properly around her.
But he didn't have time to think about that as Aqualad and Superboy argued about Red Tornado's innocence.
"I am not convinced," Aqualad responded to Superboy's heated question, "and, even so, that makes him but the victim of his creator's programming. Certainly he deserves a chance to prove he's more than the weapon others designed him to be."
That was a not so subtle hint towards Superboy made to be a weapon, but before Superboy could offer a reply, the whole ship shook around them.
"What was that?" Zatanna asked loudly.
"We're in the middle of a storm," Miss Martian said with a frown. "The Bioship's sensors are saying that it just appeared."
"Storms don't do that," Superboy pointed out only for all of them to jump violently at the sound of something connecting to the top of the Bioship as the wind picked up further and the lightning flashed around them.
"No way," Robin said, eyes wide behind his mask. "Miss M, can you open a hatch?"
Miss Martian looked flummoxed at the very idea, but then it dawned on her and she positively brightened, opening a hole above them to let a dark figure leap through.
Storm Chaser straightened up, the lightning fading from her eyes just in time for Superboy to grab her in a fierce hug.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Storm Chaser hissed and he quickly released her as she protected her abdomen with one hand. "Bullet wound over here."
"Bullet wound? What d'you mean bullet wound?" Robin stared at her blankly as Miss Martian darted forward to wrap her arms around Storm Chaser's shoulders, hovering in an effort not to bruise her.
"Amy! We missed you so much!"
Storm Chaser smiled. "I missed you guys too—"
"I thought you said you weren't coming back," Kid Flash said suddenly and her masked eyes flashed to his.
"I'm not," Storm Chaser said and her cousin deflated, "this is just a favor." She twisted to look towards Robin. "And I'd better be getting a bucketful of raspberries from you, little bird."
He grinned. "Is it too much to admit you missed this?"
"Currently? Yes," Storm Chaser said dryly. "I'd be in a better mood if I had my damn painkillers, but no, Mr. Peer Pressure badgers me into showing up—"
"I didn't badger you!" Robin complained.
"—gunshot wound in tow," Storm Chaser added in aggravation, "and when this is done, if I hear a word from you in seventy-two hours, little bird, I'm sneaking into your house and stringing you up in the dead of night."
Robin gaped at her and Artemis sniggered and Zatanna had to stifle her amusement with her hand.
"Who shot you?" Aqualad asked in concern as Artemis forced her into her own seat before Storm Chaser could make an argument against it.
"Joker," Storm Chaser said shortly, "he was aiming at his ex-girlfriend, so I took the shot instead."
Robin had heard that the Joker had shot a civilian in the street, but that they'd survived and the Joker had vanished before he could be brought to justice, and he'd never thought that it would actually be her, of all people.
"Of all the—!" Kid Flash fisted his hair and Robin couldn't help but think his best friend looked a bit manic. "Are you insane?"
"It's currently in debate," Storm Chaser said without even blinking, twisting her seat until she caught sight of the newcomer.
Long dark hair and bright blue eyes on a face that Storm Chaser didn't recognize; unfortunately, she was very cute.
"Oh," she said, sounding faintly stung, taking in the appearance of the stranger, "this must be my replacement."
Zatanna's eyes widened and she lifted her hands in an appeasing gesture. "No, I'm just tagging along for the ride," she said quickly, "I'm Zatanna—"
"Zatara's daughter?" Storm Chaser asked curiously and the girl nodded. "Your father gave me some earrings to conceal my hair color."
Zatanna considered Storm Chaser's hair. "Well, it is a bit obvious," she acquiesced and Storm Chaser's face split into a grin.
"I like you," Storm Chaser said, before glancing her up and down, "though being pretty certainly helps."
Zatanna turned bright pink and Robin aborted an elbow into his friend's side.
"So, Robin said something about Red Tornado?" Storm Chaser pressed and the next minute all of the members of the Team explained everything, their voices overlapping.
"Professor Ivo?" Storm Chaser asked in surprise, her eyes flashing to her cousin's. "Your idea?"
Kid Flash grinned widely.
Kid Flash was cleverer than people gave him credit and she couldn't imagine speaking with the rival to the one they were looking for as a 'truly dumb idea'.
"I think I'd better take to the skies, then," Storm Chaser added, pulling herself carefully into a standing position.
"What? Why? I can make you a seat!" Miss Martian said quickly, ready to form one but Storm Chaser held up a hand to stall her.
"No offense, but I still prefer clouds to the Bioship," Storm Chaser said, "more stability…and there's too many people in here anyways."
And with that said, she leapt out of the hole that had been made for her, shooting into the sky.
"I'd say the whole 'get Amy to come back to the Team' is going very well," Kid Flash decided.
Superboy snorted and Aqualad smiled while Robin threw a glare towards his friend.
Storm Chaser was trying her best to ignore the dull throbbing in her side, but it was hard work. Storm Chaser really wanted her pain meds, but they couldn't all get what they wanted.
She wasn't claustrophobic in any sense, but she'd gotten rather used to having her own space that being in the Bioship with so many people made her just a bit uncomfortable.
Maybe she should have just stayed home.
Storm Chaser released a soft sigh, rolling her shoulders as she hovered on her personal storm cloud, following the Bioship as it dipped down to land, the ramp melding out, dropping lightly onto the ground to see Aqualad descending with Zatanna.
"I recommend you stay behind," Aqualad was advising her.
Storm Chaser was impressed when Zatanna smirked, a spark present in her eyes.
"Is that an order?"
"No," Aqualad said simply, "you must do as you see fit."
Good," she grinned before bending down slightly, her concentration creating smoke that swirled around her encompassing her as she incanted: "Emit ot yrt tuo eht wen kool!"
And when the smoke cleared, Storm Chaser had to arch an eyebrow, because now Zatanna was wearing an outfit similar to the one her father was often seen in; a white dress shirt with a black blazer and a yellow vest.
"At least the replacement's got class," Storm Chaser mentioned and Zatanna glanced towards her sheepishly.
Then Storm Chaser waved her hands towards the ground as they piled out of the Bioship. "C'mon guys! I give it an hour or so before Mom and Harley realize I'm gone."
"You didn't tell them?" Artemis asked, just a bit struck.
"Because that would've gone over so well." Storm Chaser rolled her eyes before mimicking her own voice in a way that was much too high to be attributed to herself. "Hey, Mom, I know I just got shot, but Robin called and I'm going to go rejoin the Team for this super important mission that might rip open my stitches."
Robin sighed loudly and Kid Flash choked on his laughter.
"So, basically you're throwing me under the bus?" Robin asked dryly and Storm Chaser swerved to look at him, fluttering her eyes for good measure.
"Oh, babe, I'm throwing you under the damn train."
Artemis threw an arm over her friend's shoulder as her laughter belled out and Robin's expression soured. "God, we've missed you," she said and Storm Chaser grinned widely.
Their plan wasn't relatively well thought when the Team had run head long into Red Tornado, as stoic and mostly silent as he was known to be, but things took a surprising turn when the android drilled 'play dead' into the ground with several twisters.
Storm Chaser realized they might have a bit of a problem when another android appeared, red and built far sturdier with a glowing triangle-shaped emblem on his chest.
"Quite the performance, brother," the second android said in a far deeper metallic tone, "but we both know that's all it was. I have all your memories, Tornado, plus a next-gen processor. I know your next move before you do."
The earth cracked and the slab where the message was drilled was lifted into the air before broken into sizeable chunks, flinging towards them. Miss Martian and Superboy leapt up and Kid Flash sped out of the way, but the others had to dodge.
Zatanna yelped loudly as one came towards her, but Storm Chaser stepped squarely between her and the stone, extending her hands, channeling the air around it in order to catch it in thin air.
Zatanna? Robin called cautiously through the mental link from the side as Storm Chaser dropped the stone to the ground before sparing the magician a wink and shooting into the air on her own personal storm cloud.
I'm good, Zatanna informed him with a half smile, but Red Tornado's getting away.
Red Tornado had disappeared on his own twister, leaving them at the mercy of the unknown android.
Is he abandoning us? Artemis demanded as she fired off an arrow towards their new foe.
I don't believe that, Miss Martian denied, flying forward as the clouds above them darkened as Kid Flash raced up the pillar of stone that the android was resting upon, but it just threw him through the air.
"You stand no chance against me, humans," the android taunted.
"We're not human!" Superboy and Miss Martian snapped as they lurched forward, Superboy with a great leap and Miss Martian speeding through the air.
"Apologies," the android said shortly as two arms made entirely of earth rose up to clap together, knocking them to the ground with a sharp yell from both, "I suppose the properly inclusive term is meatbags."
Artemis was forced to use a grappler arrow to keep herself and Aqualad from being crushed by a rapidly compressing ravine, and Robin's flung batarangs had no effect on the android.
"Tornado's memory files and my superior processing speed allow me to anticipate your every move."
"Emoks emoceb a dlofdnilb!" Zatanna incanted, raising her hands to cause a blindfold to appear over the spaces where the androids eyes were carved.
"Tornado never knew my moves," Zatanna smirked.
"And I bet you've got some good ones," Robin said before realizing what he'd said. "Whoa, sorry, that may have come off a little too Wally."
"I don't mind." Zatanna's lips curled into a smirk.
Lightning flashed overhead before a bolt arched downwards to collide with the android, the power of the blast shocking him temporarily.
"Damn, Amy, what did you get up to in Russia?" Kid Flash muttered, but it was still picked up on the comms and high above them, Storm Chaser smirked until the android gave a roar, lasers shooting upwards from his eyes, forcing her to dodge and making something snap at her abdomen, but Storm Chaser didn't really have time to consider that as lava burst forth from the nearby dormant volcano.
"That's not good," Storm Chaser muttered as she descended quickly to land beside Aqualad, dodging a flaming rock aimed to her head, but the others were fairing just as well.
A splash of lava was sloshed towards Miss Martian, but Storm Chaser took a sharp inhalation, focusing the breath in her mouth before releasing a sharp gust of cold air that rapidly cooled the lava.
"Thanks," Miss Martian gasped and Storm Chaser nodded.
Manipulation of air in atmo-kinesis included its temperature. Storm Chaser had lost count of how many times she'd seen Katya breathe warm air over her hands, much warmer than breath was known to be.
But she'd never done cold air before; she was actually a little bit surprised that it had worked out as well as it had.
He's activating a stage two eruption! Kid Flash's startled voice echoed in her skull. If it gets to stage three, kiss the hemisphere good-bye.
He flipped to avoid some flaming stones as Aqualad whipped out his water-bearers.
Hit him from all sides, he order before rushing forward, with Superboy punching the android's head and Miss Martian tried to pull him back through telekinesis and while camouflaged , but the android caused a small eruption of heat nearest her and Miss Martian screamed.
"M'gann!" Superboy yelled as the android hoisted her up into the air.
Zatanna chanted another spell, pressing her hand against Kid Flash's back, creating copies of him out of smoke that distracted the android enough for in order for him to grab their teammate and skid across the ground to water a twister of water appear to knock the android back into the lava.
And the next thing any of them knew, the Reds –the two androids that had attacked them at the Cave what felt so long ago to Storm Chaser, and Red Tornado himself– had trapped the fourth android under the lava until three of the four had disintegrated and Red Tornado's legs from the metallic knee joint down were gone.
And then all that was left to do was vent the pressure in the air and divert the ash cloud threatening to bring on worldwide nuclear winter, and Tornado rose to that occasion with flying colors.
Storm Chaser breathed a sigh of relief.
Zatanna looked towards where Amara was slumbering in her seat on the Bioship with her suit half undone with the top bunched at her waist and her shirt pulled up to expose the bandage, or, specifically, the stitches under the bandage.
Wally was kneeling with a bit of worry as Dick probed at the stitches, his fingers coming back bloody.
"Is she all right?" Zatanna asked curiously, and she wasn't the only one that wanted to know.
"She just busted a few stitches," Dick said and Wally relaxed. "She'll be fine when we sew her up again."
"Does that happen a lot?"
Conner snorted. "With her? Yes."
"She's broken way too many stitches," Artemis agreed, and Amara was usually the one sewing herself up the second time, unless it was in a difficult to reach position. "And usually it's her fault."
Zatanna's brow furrowed in confusion.
"She doesn't wait for them to heal before she goes on patrol," Kaldur informed her, a fond note present in his voice.
They were interrupted by the sound of buzzing coming from Amara's pocket and Dick pulled out Amara's phone before staring at the name on of the caller ID.
Amara's contacts in her phone were a bit weird, she either had someone's full name or their nickname. Even Barry and Iris were listed under their names instead of 'Mom' or 'Dad' because Amara didn't like the idea of what would happen if someone found her phone and tried to use it for nefarious purposes.
No one said Amara wasn't paranoid.
Pamela Isley was spelled out and Dick swallowed thickly.
"Um, it looks like Poison Ivy's calling," he said, his words slightly faint, and Zatanna positively gaped.
"She's got Poison Ivy's phone number?" she asked aghast.
"Well, she's her daughter, so yeah," Wally said and Zatanna's eyes grew impossibly wide, before he reached over to pluck his cousin's phone from his best friend and putting it to his ear. "Miss Isley, hi."
Wally only called her Miss Isley, mostly because she still kind of terrified him, and it was better to be respectful than rude.
"Wally," Pamela's voice echoed in his ear, tightly restrained, "I was hoping to speak with my daughter."
"Um." Wally looked down at Amara's slumbering face. "She's kind of sleeping."
"Sleeping or unconscious?"
"A bit of both," Wally admitted after a moment. "She ripped some of her stitches today so we're going to sew her up before she goes home." His leg twitched at super-speed.
There was a loud sigh on the other end.
"Um, and please don't punish her too bad," he added, hoping he wasn't overstepping his boundaries, "she only came out because we asked…and she was really helpful."
"I'll decide if she is punished when you drop her off and tell me exactly what happened," Pamela replied with a hint of steel in her voice.
"Yes, ma'am," Wally squeaked and turned off the phone to find everyone staring at him.
"What?" he demanded defensively. "She's terrifying! Amy's mom is an eco-terrorist!"
"Was," Dick corrected, looking faintly amused. "She's pretty much out of the game from what I heard."
"We're back," M'gann sang suddenly as the Bioship docked inside the Cave. Red Tornado had shut himself down for the time being, until he was fully repaired.
"Great," Zatanna muttered, "now we get to find out how much trouble I'm in."
Wally undid Amara's seatbelt in over to carefully lift her up and into his arms, moving so as not to hit her injury. Her head lolled on his shoulder and breathed in and out evenly as he walked her down the ramp.
Dinah was waiting for them there with Zatara, both wearing disapproving expressions, but Dinah's morphed into startled surprise at the sight of her protégée slumbering in Wally's arms.
"Where did you find her?" she demanded, moving forward to approach him, inspecting Amara's face intently before her eyes trailed down to her abdomen. "What happened?"
"Robin called her," Wally jerked his head back towards where his best friend was standing. "Joker shot her and she kind of ripped up her stitches."
Dinah's teeth gritted briefly before she glanced back in the direction of monitor womb. "Get her to the med bay before your uncle shows up."
Wally's grip tightened on Amara's shoulder.
"You were supposed to meet him for patrol," Dinah said as an explanation, "he's going to show up sooner or later and somehow I doubt Amy's going to want him to see her."
Wally opened his mouth to say something, but then he heard the tell-tale: "Recognize: Flash –04."
And he took a word from Amara's usual vocabulary: "Fuck."
