To Natalie Jarrett: Wonder no longer, here is how I did it! And Venus's demon side will return in time :)
To Ayda: Thank you so much! That is so nice to hear/read. I'm so glad your enjoying it!
To JimmyHall24: Haha, in a good way I hope! Glad to hear it :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. Venus is mine :)
BIALYA
September 4, 09:38 EEST
When Venus woke up the morning after a long night of partying and drinking in Rome, she woke up not in the king-sized bed of her five-star hotel in which she'd fallen asleep, but instead on hot, powdery sand with the sun beating down on her face.
Raising a hand to block the sun the best she could, Venus sat up and leaned forwards. Her head was pounding terribly, which was odd. Her angel physiology was largely immune to hangovers, and she hadn't drunk that much.
"What is going on?" she muttered to herself. The demon stood up, squinting her eyes against the sun as she looked around. All she could see around her was sand, sand, and more sand. Judging by that, and the fact that the sun was high in a cloudless sky, Venus gathered that she was in a desert.
She had no idea which one – there were no deserts near Rome.
Sighing, Venus reached around, patting her pockets in search of her phone. As she did so, she froze, something occurring to her.
Venus looked down at her outfit in wonderous confusion – ripped black skinny jeans, combat boots, and a leather tank-top – definitely cute, but also definitely not what she'd been wearing the night before.
Venus distinctly remembered falling asleep without taking off her sexy-ass black ruched halter dress and red stiletto boots, and hoped that they weren't gone for good. She liked that outfit. Frowning again, Venus resumed her search.
She patted herself down, looking for anything of familiarity. She didn't have her phone or wallet on her person, but she did have two leather whip-hilts attached to her belt. When she picked one of them up, a buzz of power rang up her wrist, and she could immediately tell they were connected to her holy fire.
Venus brushed her hair over shoulders absent-mindedly. As she did so, her fingertips brushed against something in her ear.
The demon plucked the object out, staring at it in confusion. It was a tiny radio that appeared to be turned off. Venus frowned again, crushing it in her hand and scattering the smithereens among the sand. She reached into her pockets again, and her fingers closed around what she was looking for.
"Ah-ha!" Venus pulled out her pentacostal coin. She clutched it in her hand, considering her options.
She now had three options – one, assume her angel form and risk ascension and/or forced ascension by her grandfather; two, return to Hell briefly and figure out a strategy from there; and three, wander the desert as a human until she was rescued.
Venus considered for a moment longer, and then closed her fist tightly around the coin, focusing. Normally, the transportation only took seconds, but this time Venus found herself stuck, completely frozen in place.
She gasped, her fingers loosening around the coin. It fell from her fingers and into the sand and Venus swayed for a moment, slightly dizzy.
"What?" she muttered again, frowning in confusion. It didn't take her long to realize what was happening. Something was blocking her from leaving this place.
More specifically, someone was blocking her from leaving this place. And that could be one of two people: her father, or her grandfather.
Now, Venus had no idea why either of them would strand her in this desert with no way out, but they were the only two people who had the power to do so.
Well – that wasn't exactly true. Most of Venus's extended family had the power as well, but they didn't care as much, nor would they risk the wrath of offending her father by harming and/or inconveniencing her. Lucifer wasn't what you could call strict, but he was overprotective at times.
Venus considered the two possibilities. If her father had stranded her here, it was probably a punishment, or a lesson of some kind. If it was her grandfather, then it was probably a test - one that she would be determined to fail.
Venus probably tried a little too hard to displease Him.
The demon bent to pick up her pentacostal coin, slipping it back into her pocket with an annoyed sigh. Even if it was momentarily useless, she had no desire to leave it for anyone to find – not that it was likely in the middle of the desert, but still.
Turning around mindlessly, Venus set out in a random direction. It wasn't as though any direction was better than the other, nor was she in any danger.
Heh, she thought drily to herself as she set off, wandering aimlessly through the desert, likely at God's will. It's kinda like the Bible.
Hours later, Venus lost patience. She had been walking all day with no sign of any people, civilization, or even a clue as to where she was.
The only thing around her were sand dunes, and more sand dunes. As far as she knew, she could have been walking in circles. Everything looked exactly the same.
"Alright, enough is enough," Venus said with a long sigh. She had been wandering the desert for too long. It was time to suck up her pride and ask for help.
And since she had no way of reaching her father, she had to ask the other person who could have put her here.
Venus grimaced, getting down on her knees and folding her hands together underneath her chin. With Castiel, she could be as informal as she pleased – her elder cousin had been assigned the unfortunate duty of babysitting her, and had to respond.
With her grandfather, she had to be more respectful or otherwise He wouldn't listen. Venus began to pray.
"My Grandfather who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth and Hell as it is in Heaven. Give me this day my daily bread; and forgive me for my trespasses, as I forgive those who trespass against me. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from," Venus's voice faltered slightly, "My father, the evil one."
She sighed. "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen."
Venus felt the familiar rush of air, and when she opened her eyes the desert had vanished. She glanced down. She was in what she liked to call "God's Waiting Room." She hadn't fully ascended to Heaven, but she was above Earth and could observe the world below her.
She could see her corporeal form there, kneeling in the sand with her head bent in prayer. Venus had taken on her angelic form, her wings fluttering behind her. She was wearing a loose white-and-gold dress with a deep (but modest) V-neck and flowy sleeves, and her black-and-red choker had been replaced by a gold necklace set with a blue stone. Her hair was braided loosely down her back and held in place by a gold diadem – her Halo, the source of her angelic powers. She glanced down at herself.
"I look like a Halloween costume," she said, frowning at the glowing light opposite her. Of course, Grandfather hadn't "blessed" her with His actual presence.
Not that she was complaining - despite her arrogance she put on towards her grandfather, His power intimidated her. He could smite and destroy her and her father in a heartbeat.
"Anael," her grandfather's voice rolled over her, loud enough to make her ears ring uncomfortably. Most beings couldn't withstand the full exposure to God's presence, whether it be His voice or His appearance. Angels could, but since Venus wasn't used to being around it, it could be a little uncomfortable at first. "Why have you called?
"I need help," Venus admitted, glancing back down at the desert. "Why have You put me here? My father wouldn't." There was a deep chuckle.
"You are mistaken, Anael," He told her disparagingly. "As usual, you give your father too much credit." Venus's lip curled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" God chuckled.
"You have lost some memory," He told her. "But your father is very much the reason you are in this situation, Anael." Venus frowned, ignoring that piece of unsettling information to instead gripe at her grandfather.
"You are literally just saying 'Anael' to make a point," she complained. "No one needs to say a person's name that many times in a one-on-one conversation." God didn't respond, but the light flickered slightly, showing His irritation. Venus smiled. It was a small victory in this clearly lopsided power-balance, but she didn't care.
"I will not waste my time any longer with this meaningless conversation," He told Venus coldly. "I have no use for you." Venus scoffed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"That's a lie."
The air pressure and temperature in the room seemed to drop as God's irritation mounted. Venus's ears popped slightly, and she tilted up her chin defensively, standing her ground.
"Excuse me?"
"Please," Venus continued, her irritation bubbling over. "As if I don't know when someone, even You, is lying. But more importantly, I know You need me for something." The light glowed brighter, and the air seemed to leave the room – He was getting angry with Venus's insolence. Still, she plowed on.
"The name 'Anael' – it means 'grace of God,'" Venus continued. She glared at the light; her hands balled into fists of nervous rage. This question had burned at her mind since she had first heard her grandfather utter it.
"I've always wondered," she said. "My father's name, Samael, meant 'venom of God.' You needed an enemy." Venus's lip curled into a sneer. "After all, what is good without evil?"
The light flickered out again a few times – she was losing His attention. Venus raised her voice, as though that would help. "Why am I in Your grace?" she shouted. The light vanished, and Venus's stomach jolted with the sensation of falling as the ground disappeared beneath her.
She gasped, opening her eyes. She was kneeling on the sand once again. Venus stood up and looked around, turning her face up to the night sky. Her heart was racing with terror and anger.
"What do You need me for?" she screamed towards the heavens.
She was so distracted by her conversation with her grandfather that she failed to notice the four teenagers walking up behind her. As she yelled, they stopped short.
"Hey, you didn't tell us she was crazy," a voice behind Venus said.
The demon spun around. Two boys and two girls stood behind her. She appraised them quickly. Judging by their clothing, all four of them appeared to be associated with a member of the Justice League. She recognized Robin and the Flash Boy as public sidekicks, but the other two she didn't know. One of them was an archer, and the other had green skin.
"What are you wearing?" the green-skinned girl exclaimed in surprise, looking at Venus. The demon frowned, looking down at her clothes. To her great surprise, she was still wearing her angelic garb. She made a noise in the back of her throat.
"Good question," Venus said. She reached up, her fingers closing around her Halo. To her surprise, it was still there. She frowned. "He let me keep it," she muttered to herself, pulling it off in surprise.
As the Halo left her head, Venus's appearance returned to normal. Her wings disappeared, and her robes turned back into the skimpy black clothing she'd been wearing before.
"Woah," Flash Boy said with wide eyes. Venus glanced at him, shooting the redhead a coy smile even though she wasn't sure if he was reacting to her appearance or the sudden change in appearance.
"Who are you guys?" she asked, looking back at the other teenagers and crossing her arms. She tried to seem put together - the last thing she wanted was some sidekicks thinking that she needed rescuing.
"We're your teammates," the green-skinned girl exclaimed excitedly. Venus raised an incredulous eyebrow. Of all the answers she'd been prepared to hear, that had not been one of them. "No, really!" the girl continued. "I'm Miss Martian, this is Robin, Artemis and Kid Flash."
Oh, Kid Flash, not Flash Boy.
"Sorry," Venus said with a derisive shake of her head. "I think you've got the wrong demon. I'm not really a 'teammate' kind of person." She turned to leave, but Miss Martian called after her.
"No, you're, like, bonded to helping us until the New Year," she explained. Venus turned back slightly. Not that she liked the sound of that, it certainly made more sense and explained why she couldn't leave the desert. She needed to help them leave, she couldn't just abandon them.
"Why?"
"You tried to steal the Helmet of Fate," Miss Martian explained. "And then your father got mad at you and uh…" her voice trailed off slightly and she looked at the ground, toeing her foot through the sand. "Banished you?"
Venus went still.
"He banished me?" she repeated. Sudden anger and hurt coursed through her veins. She glared at the ground, clenching her Halo in her fist angrily. The divine metal it was made of was one of the few things her super-strength couldn't break, and somehow that made her angrier.
There was an uncomfortable silence as Venus fought back against her emotions, glaring at the ground. She took a few deep breaths an in attempt to control her anger, and then finally looked up.
"Fine," she said, her voice sharp and mean.
"Great!" Miss Martian said, her voice overly-cheery in an attempt to gloss over the awkward situation. She cleared her throat. "Um – we came to find you so we can get our memories back." Venus shrugged indifferently, still stiff with anger.
Miss Martian raised her hands to her temples, her eyes glowing white. The desert disappeared around the teenagers. Venus looked around. She, Artemis, and the two boys were standing in a cavern. Everything glowed faintly with purple light, and fractured images surrounded them.
Venus's eyes fell on a particular memory. She was covered in flour and milk, and she and Miss Martian were cooking. A boy with dark hair and blue eyes stood at the counter, watching them. Venus's chest tightened uncomfortably as the memory-version of her looked up, giving the boy a warm smile.
Please tell me I'm not catching feelings for some human.
"I've brought you into my mind to share what I've remembered so far," Miss Martian's voice spoke. She appeared from a pillar of glowing light; her hands clasped at her chest. "But I need your help. Together, our broken memories can form a whole, if you open your minds to mine." Artemis stiffened, taking a few steps back.
"You want to paw through our private thoughts?" she asked, affronted at the suggestion. Miss Martian's eyes went wide, and she held up her hands placatingly.
"I have no wish to intrude!" she exclaimed. "But –"
"You need to hack our minds to grok what happened to us," Robin finished. He put his hands on his hips, shrugging easily. "Got it. Go!" Venus shrugged, nodding her consent as well. She didn't particularly care what these mortals found out about her. She had nothing to hide.
"My mind's all yours," Kid Flash said arrogantly. "Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you." Venus rolled her eyes.
"Or underwhelm you," she muttered. Robin grinned, glancing at the demon.
"That's what I was going to say!" The boy paused, considering something. "Hey – why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?"
Despite herself, Venus cracked a tiny smile at this comment.
Artemis looked around; her expression guarded. Despite the others' permission, she seemed wary of something. Kid Flash noticed this. He walked over to her side, reaching down to lace his fingers through hers. Artemis started, glancing at Kid Flash in surprise. He gave her a reassuring smile, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.
The archer turned back to Miss Martian. "Last six months only," she said in a reluctant, warning tone. "And only what you need."
Miss Martian nodded reassuringly, her eyes glowing white again. She extended her hands, and four glowing arms reached out for each of the other teenagers. Venus closed her eyes as the glowing blue hand touched her head, and an odd tugging sensation filled her brain.
"The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert." Venus didn't recognize the voice, but as the accompanying image came into focus, her eyes fell on the famed Batman. The Dark Knight stood in front of the group of teenagers, his back facing a holographic map marking their destination. "Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened in that site, what landed there.
"Bialya is a rouge state ruled by Queen Bee," Batman continued, pressing a button on the remote to pull up an image of the monarch. The woman was beautiful, and she had a severe, domineering look to her. Honestly - she looked not unlike Venus herself. "It is not a member of the League's UN Charter. All communications are subject to interception – maintain radio silence at all times."
The image of Batman lecturing the Team vanished, but his voice continued as the memory shifted to a dark desert landscape. "You'll land in Qurac, on Bialya's border, two klicks from the hot zone."
The eyes that Venus was looking through shifted direction as the person glanced towards the large red and black ship beside them. The dark-haired boy Venus had seen in the memory of her cooking was walking down the gangplank, a large machine strapped to his back.
"All clear!" It was Kid Flash's voice speaking – his memory.
The image vanished and shifted again, this time to someone looking down at Artemis and Robin as the two humans peered over the ledge at a tent. "The Bialyans control the site," Artemis reported to the Team as she and Robin regrouped with the them.
"Set up here." It was an unfamiliar voice that spoke, but not the dark-haired boy – he was the one being spoken to. The dark-haired boy placed the machine down on the ground, pressing a button to activate it. Robin walked over to the machine, sitting down at it and began to type.
"We'll be up and running in no time," he announced confidently. Kid Flash leaned over his friend's shoulder, whistling as the results came up.
"Jackpot! This site's lousy with Zeta-Beam radiation." Robin looked up from the data his teammates. He'd found what they were looking for.
"I'm detecting non-terrestrial trace elements from the tent," he reported, referring to the tent he and Artemis had been scouting. Miss Martian stepped forward.
"I'll check it out in camouflage mode," she volunteered. The unfamiliar voice spoke again, still just out of frame from the memory.
"Good idea. Go."
The memory's point of view shifted to Miss Martian's. Venus and the others looked through her eyes as the memory played out. Venus glanced at Miss Martian, a small frown crossing her face.
"Be careful," she told the other girl. Venus frowned slightly. Was she…worried? Miss Martian nodded her head at the other girl's advice, scanning the rest of the group.
Her gaze fell on the boy who'd been speaking that none of them recognized. "Maintain telepathic contact," he warned the Martian girl. Miss Martian nodded again.
"I will, Aqualad."
Venus's eyes flew open at the same time as the others.
"Aqualad!" They exclaimed in one voice, finally remembering their Team's leader.
"Where is he?" Venus asked, looking around the desert. Her vision was better than a human's, and it was a clear night, but he was still nowhere to be seen. Though the desert was mostly flat, he could easily be behind one of the tall dunes that blocked Venus's sight.
"What happened next?" Robin asked urgently. Miss Martian shook her head. She seemed distressed.
"I don't know!" She exclaimed. "That's the last thing I – we – remember!" Venus frowned, her lips pursing. She glanced down at the Halo in her hand. The divine metal felt both hot and cold in her hand, as it was wont to do.
Now that she remembered the circumstances of her "becoming a hero," she was all the more confused. Why had her grandfather allowed her to keep her Halo?
There was no way it was a mistake. Surely, if it had been, He would have realized it by now and taken it away. Venus shook her head, attaching the Halo to her belt loop. The rest of her metal jewelry was silver, so it clashed in an annoying way, but Venus certainly didn't want to wear it and change back to her angelic form.
Out of the corner of her eye, Venus saw Kid Flash and Artemis pull away from one another. Kid Flash scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke.
"We landed twenty-four hours ago," he said, trying to cover up the awkward situation between him and Artemis. "If Kaldur's been wandering the desert for that long…well, that's not good for a guy with gills."
"Now that I know to look for him," Robin said, pulling up a map on his holographic glove computer. He typed in a command, and a red blip appeared on the screen. Robin's eyes widened. "He's close! But he's not moving. Follow me!"
Robin took off, his cape billowing out behind him as he ran. The rest of the Team followed the Boy Wonder through the sand dunes. As they approached Aqualad, they could hear him mumbling.
He was speaking a foreign language, one that Venus didn't recognize. She was guessing it was Atlantean, given that it Kaldur was, well, Atlantean, and that she knew most earthly languages.
"I can't restore his memories in this condition," Miss Martian said, kneeling next to him. She placed her hand on his forehead, her eyes narrowed in concern as she took in the state of their leader.
"He needs immediate rehydration!" Robin said, recognizing the symptoms that Aqualad was suffering immediately. "Call the BioShip!" Miss Martian looked up, her eyes wide with distress.
"It's out of range!" she said. She glanced at Kid Flash hopefully. "But you can get him there fast!" Kid Flash shook his head regretfully.
"He's too heavy," he explained with a sigh. "And I'm too low on fuel. Right now, I couldn't even carry her," he nodded at Artemis, who scoffed, elbowing him. She looked down at Aqualad, and then back at Miss Martian.
"Why not just levitate him back?" she asked the other girl. Miss Martian shook her head determinedly, putting Aqualad back down on the ground and standing up straight.
"I can't. I have to find Superboy." Venus raised an eyebrow, silently questioning Miss Martian's priorities. Sure, Superboy was hot, but Aqualad was dying. "Six months ago, he didn't exist!" Miss Martian continued. "He has no memories, just animal impulse. I'm the only one who can help him."
Venus frowned at that logic.
"True," she said, tilting her head to the side and examining Aqualad. "But you're also the only one that can help Aqualad."
"Right!" Kid Flash said in agreement, pointing at Venus. "And Superboy's indestructible – just ask those tanks! And Aqualad needs your help, like now."
Miss Martian didn't answer, her eyes narrowing stubbornly. Venus huffed out a sigh, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
"Listen, we get that you have a crush on him," Venus said, uncaring that she was coming off as rude. Miss Martian flinched, her eyes going wide, and Artemis frowned, crossing her arms over her chest in irritation. Venus didn't care. She was here to help the Team, and she knew who needed help right now – she wasn't afraid to be mean to get Miss Martian to see what was right. "Aqualad needs your help!"
"I don't –" Miss Martian began defensively, her cheeks turning pink. She stopped suddenly, clutching her head and crying out in pain as she doubled over. When she straightened up again, her eyes were full of horror. "No! Superboy's in pain!" Without any more explanation, she took off into the night sky, away from the Team.
"M'gann, wait!" Artemis shouted after the other girl. Robin cupped his hands around his mouth, yelling out after the Martian as well.
"We still don't know what erased our memories!" He called pointedly. "It could happen again!"
There was still no response, not even a glance back to acknowledge that she'd heard his concern. Miss Martian had abandoned them.
"Bloody fantastic," Venus said, kicking the sand and shaking her head in disgust. "Now what?" Kid Flash sighed, pulling his goggles down over his eyes.
"Back in a second," he said. He took off, kicking up a small cloud of sand and dust that floated around in the wake of his movement. He returned quickly, dropping an armful of junk on the sand. He seemed slightly breathless when he stopped, pausing to catch his breath before he spoke. "Rob, got anymore rope?"
As usual, the Boy Wonder was prepared. The teenagers lashed the junk Kid Flash had collected together with the twine until it formed a stretcher. Venus and Robin lined up on one side, and Artemis and Kid Flash on the other.
"One, two, three," Artemis counted off. "Lift!" Together, the four teens picked up Aqualad and lowered him onto the stretcher as gently as possible. Robin took out another piece of rope, securing Aqualad to the stretcher the best they could. It wasn't likely going to be a smooth ride, and they didn't want to risk him falling off.
Robin pulled up a map, this time typing in the location for the BioShip. He led the way, Artemis and Kid Flash holding onto the front handles of the stretcher and Venus holding onto the back.
As they walked, the sound of an engine rumbling off in the distance got their attention. There was a small caravan of Humvees heading their way. Robin pointed to a large sand dune a few yards away. "Quick, over there!"
The teenagers made a dash for cover, making it behind the sand dune just as the trucks rumbled by.
Aqualad chose that convenient moment to wake up. He began to mumble again in Atlantean, his voice rising and falling in the lilting tones of the language. Artemis placed her hand on Aqualad's shoulder, shushing him gently.
"Sh, Kaldur," she soothed the older boy. "Quiet now."
Robin peeked around the edge of the dune, taking note of the Bialyan soldiers. There were too many of them, and they were way too close for comfort. Robin glanced back at Aqualad, who was still unconscious, and then at the map in his hand. They were so close to the BioShip, but the chances of them making it there without getting seen were slim. Robin shook his head.
"We can't risk a fire-fight with Aqualad KO'd like this," he said, looking at his other teammates. Kid Flash sighed.
"It's not just him," the speedster replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked exhausted. "I'm way out of juice." Artemis nodded in agreement, tugging at her quiver pointedly to show that she was also running on empty.
"And I'm almost out of arrows!" Venus shrugged.
"I mean, I feel fine," she said, smirking slightly at the amused, if exasperated, looks the other gave her. Robin smirked.
"Come on," he muttered to her. Blinking in surprise, Venus followed Robin out from the cover of the dunes, leaving the other three behind. As she crept down the side of the sand, she heard Kid Flash muttering something behind her, but she paid it no mind.
Robin moved swiftly, bouncing back and forth between different hiding spots quickly as he headed down the slope. Venus was less subtle, but still managed to avoid being spotted as she reached the bottom with Robin.
He turned towards Venus and pressed a few charges into her hand, muttering instructions. Venus nodded, carrying out Robin's plan swiftly. As she placed the last few charges, one of the soldiers rounded the dune, catching sight of her.
He raised his gun, his eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, either to order her to do something or to call out a warning to his teammates. Before he could, Venus straightened up with a coy grin, lowering her eyelids alluringly.
The soldier's gun dipped down, and he stared at her in an adoring manner. Venus winked flirtatiously, putting a finger to her lips and narrowing her eyes at him. The soldier nodded slowly, and she wiggled her fingers in a wave good-bye, sauntering off to rejoin her teammates behind the sand dune.
Robin, who had already returned, had seen the whole thing. He was staring at her in abject surprise.
"How did you – " Robin began.
"It won't last long," Venus replied, dropping down next to them. It was true - once people were away from her, the affect she'd had on them quickly faded. After several minutes, they wouldn't remember why they'd been so allured. "Hurry!"
"Where were you two?" Kid Flash asked, as Robin activated the charges via his wrist computer. Robin glanced up at his friend with a smirk.
"Breaking radio silence," he responded, hitting the control button.
The air filled with the noise of loud static. Venus peered out to see the soldier she'd left standing there blink slowly as he came to. He snapped out of his fugue, taking notice of the explosives on the ground. He called out to his companions, and as they came rushing over, Robin's loud cackle filled the air.
There was a loud beep, and then an explosion.
"That's our cue. Move!" Robin whispered as the air filled with smoke and the sounds of people hacking and yelling.
The three teenagers made a dash for the BioShip, which was just a few hundred meters away. It was in camouflage mode, but when they arrived at the base of the ship, the ramp descended for them automatically. The BioShip sensed their presence and recognized them, allowing them to board easily.
After dragging Aqualad on board, Artemis and Robin got him hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. Robin squeezed the water pouch, making sure that it was running effectively.
Kid Flash grabbed an extra power bar and opened the wrapper, beginning to crunch loudly. Artemis squeezed Aqualad's shoulder and then went to the hold to get some more arrows, just in case.
After a few seconds of quiet observation, Venus walked over to the medicine cabinet and grabbed a compress. She wet it with cold water and then headed back over to Aqualad, pressing it against his forehead gently.
It appeared that her duty to take care off the Team went beyond on the field.
"Just call me Mama Demon," Venus muttered to herself with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. Robin overheard the girl and snickered. Venus groaned. "I'm gonna regret saying that, aren't I?"
"Most definitely," Robin agreed, shooting Venus a grin. The demon rolled her eyes again, a small smile on her face.
'Hey, everybody!' Miss Martian's voice rang through the mental link cheerfully, making Venus start slightly. 'I've got Superboy! He's back to normal and we're on our way.'
Aqualad gasped suddenly, the loud, unfamiliar voice inside his head bringing him back to consciousness. He looked around in surprise, knocking Venus's hands away as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings.
"Who are you?" he asked out loud, sounding panicked. "And how did you get inside my head?"
'Hello, Megan!' Miss Martian exclaimed as Robin and Kid Flash walked over to fill Aqualad in. Recognizing his friends, the Atlantean relaxed slightly, though he still looked confused. 'Aqualad's memories! I knew I forgot something!'
'Aw, man! Me too!' Kid Flash cried suddenly. Venus looked at him in confusion, and he explained, 'I didn't get a souvenir from the mission!'
'Don't worry!' Miss Martian replied cheerfully. 'We've got the souvenir thing covered.'
Venus glanced downwards, looking at the Halo at her hip. She huffed silently. Yeah. Me too.
A loud meow made Venus turn around, away from Aqualad.
"Grimalkin, what are you doing here?" Venus scolded, scooping up the cat. The kitten purred, nuzzling Venus's chin affectionately. "Good thing you stayed on the BioShip," Venus said. "You would have made a good meal for a predator."
The black cat meowed plaintively, flicking her tail to nudge the Halo that hung at Venus's hip. As usual, Grim seemed to sense Venus's distress. The kitten nudged Venus's palm with her wet nose and licked the demon's hand in a comforting manner. Venus sighed, scratching her cat behind the ears absent-mindedly.
"Grandfather has a plan for me, Grim," Venus told her cat quietly. She kept an eye on her teammates, wary of being overheard. Lucily, none of them seemed to be listening. "I just don't know what it is yet."
this is kinda a short chapter...i couldn't really figure out a way to make her fit with one of the team member's story, so i kinda gave her her own. next chapter will hopefully be longer.
i also just really wanted to give some insight into venus's dynamics with her family members and her past and stuff (more of which will come)
anyways. please please please leave a review and let me know what you think of this! i love any and all feedback, and it really makes me happy to see people's response to my work!
