Hi! So, here's where everything's about to kick off. Kaldur's about to get brain blasted and Jenna...well, you'll see her reaction later.
And this is another Sam-centered chapter. Has anyone been enjoying his character? I haven't heard any feedback about him lol. I think there's going to be one or two more focused on him before the end of the fic! Which, by the way, we're halfway there! I keep forgetting how short season 2 is until I started writing the chapters for it omg.
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Star City
March 30, 21:57 PDT
In the week after Mount Justice was destroyed and his teammates went missing, Sam didn't know how things could even get worse. He was scared to even think about the potential scenarios in fear of them becoming reality.
Sam had caught glimpses of what it was like for his mentor, even moreso after she first broke the news to him. He could tell that she was always trying to alleviate his worries, but sometimes she forgot to hide her own.
It made him want to help, but what was a guy supposed to do when he'd only been part of the game for nine months?
Well, if this plan goes off without a hitch, maybe we'll have the missing team members back. And maybe that'll ease some of Jen's stress.
Sam glanced over at Barbara when she gave the signal, following suit with Tim to drop down between some storage crates. Bumblebee was close behind, hovering over Sam's shoulder before she dropped down onto it as he knelt by the ledge.
As expected—by what intel Nightwing had received—out by the docks was a cage full of abducted humans. And even more expected, Manta troopers were keeping watch.
Sam watched with a frown as Kaldur's new right-hand…woman ordered some of the troopers to bring out pods. He shuddered slightly, recalling the last time he and Barbara got trapped in those things. Time to do it again.
"Alright, get those pods open. We're on a schedule," the woman in orange ordered. "And Kaldur'ahm does not tolerate delay."
Sam scowled, quickly following his teammates back into the shadows before they could be spotted.
It was well past time to figure out what exactly was being done to the kidnapped teens. And with four of their own on the list, the urgency to get answers had significantly increased.
Alpha Squad's mission was to get inside those pods and be sent off to wherever the abductees were being transported to. And the rest of the team would be trailing behind them to, in turn, liberate whomever they could. Hopefully, that would include their teammates.
Sam rappelled to a platform high above the caged teens, glancing between his three squad mates as they joined him on the ledge. Now or never.
Barbara was the first to drop down, followed by Tim, then Sam. While their sudden appearance went undetected by the troopers, the other abductees were startled to see them.
"Hey-"
"What are you-"
Barbara quickly shushed the group, not wanting their presence to be made known. "We're here to help."
One girl, in particular, was apprehensive. "Why should we trust-"
The sudden appearance of Bumblebee forced the girl to fall silent as the very obvious superhero flew down to join her squad, slipping into a pocket inside Tim's jacket.
"Okay, never mind," the girl muttered.
Besides, who in their right mind would just drop down into a cage to be kidnapped? Sam remained silent though, only giving the girl a judgmental raised brow.
"One per pod, move!"
Sam's fists tightened to try and stave off his nerves as the gate opened to let the hostages out. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but his heart still broke when he saw the fear and anxiety on the civilians' faces. He wished there was a way to rescue them then and there, but it was too risky.
"Keep moving," a Manta trooper barked as he grabbed Sam's shoulder, shoving him around to the pod next to Tim's.
Sam scowled at the trooper, jerking his body away so that the bad guy couldn't continue to touch him. "I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, stepping inside the pod. Thank god I'm not claustrophobic.
The pod sealed shut, leaving very little room to move around. It jerked as the whole row of pods were wheeled toward a ship that emerged out of the water.
Sam let out a small breath, barely audible. "Let's do this."
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The wait was long, consisting entirely of standing in an enclosed space with no knowledge of where they were even going. It would have been maddening if Sam didn't know that they were being trailed by their teammates on the Bioship.
He almost felt like dozing off while waiting, but before he had the chance to, the pod jolted as it began to move again. Finally.
The base they were being moved into was…weird. And so were some of the not-so-human beings that were inside. It all only raised more questions inside Sam's mind. Who were they?What did they want with the abductees? Where were Sam and his squad even at?
"Alpha Squad, I'm heading into the alien ship. Are you aboard?"
"It's so good to hear your voice, M'gann," Sam said with relief. "Yes, we are."
"We're in some kind of docking bay," Barbara added. "We have a visual on the new aliens aka the Krolotean's competitor, aka the Light's Partner."
Sam nearly let out a gasp as his eyes landed on a familiar face. He quickly leaned back, hoping that the three of them wouldn't be spotted. He might have been overlooked by being the new guy, but his squadmates sure wouldn't. "Guys? We might have a bit of trouble," he warned.
"We've got other company," Barbara agreed. "It's Aqualad."
Sam glared at the Atlantean. If only he could get out of the pod and face him head-on. He destroyed the Cave, took their teammates, and nearly killed the ones he didn't take. He has some nerve…
"If he makes us, we're over," Barbara grumbled.
"Stay whelmed," Nightwing, who was aboard the Bioship, assured. "He won't be looking for you. Just don't attract attention."
The pods began to move again, some alien soldiers guiding it down a hallway per the orders of one of their leaders. Sam leaned his head against the back of his pod, rolling his eyes. "No problem, but I'm getting kind of restless in here."
"Take it easy, Sam. We're trying to handle this as smoothly as possible."
Sam's eyes cast down at the sound of his mentor. Even through the mental link, her voice was tight. He wasn't going to take her clipped tone to heart, knowing that she had a lot of stress on her shoulders.
The pods were rolled through a corridor and into a new room. A laboratory of some sort. Each captive was lined up against the wall—lowered into the waiting pod bases—to join some abductees that were already there, all of which were unconscious. Sam recognized one to be Shimmer but didn't pay any mind to her as he noticed Lagoon Boy next to her.
"I found Gar and Bart. They're unconscious but alive."
Sam's shoulders sagged in relief.
But Miss Martian's next words quickly squashed that relief. "No sign of Jaime or La'gann."
Sam was worried for his friend. Everyone was accounted for except Blue. What were they doing to him?
"We've got eyes on Lagoon Boy," Barbara reported, making Sam realize he was so concerned for Blue that he forgot to speak up to quell Miss M's own worries. "And…Shimmer? Uh, plus four civilians and all the teens we came with."
As the last pod was settled, the aliens left, finally leaving the squad alone. Sam let out a long breath. "We're in the clear. For now."
"But Blue's still unaccounted for," Barbara reminded. "And an escape could trigger a response. Do we wait?"
"No," Siren said quickly. "The longer you wait in there, the higher the risk of you getting captured as well becomes. Alpha, move out."
"You too, Miss M," Nightwing told her. "Get our boys."
Sam reached into his jacket, pulling out his mask that sat waiting. Quickly slipping it on and hitting the switch that would power it on, he let out a long screech directly into the glass window of the pod.
Okay, that's loud! Still, he powered through, and it only took a couple of seconds before it shattered and set off a loud alarm in the room. He immediately stepped out of the pod, turning to the two pods that were beside his own to free his teammates.
"Hurry!" Barbara called out as the three of them plus Bumblebee, who had left Tim's pocket, freed all of the abductees.
Sam hit the button to Lagoon Boy's pod, catching the guy as he slumped forward. "Dude, wake up!" he cried out, smacking the Atlantean across the face.
Lagoon Boy jolted awake, looking around with wide eyes. "What-"
"No time to explain!" Sam said as he released his teammate once he could stand again. "We're busting you guys out and we don't have much time!"
"Uh, right, right."
With the team members working together, all hostages were free.
"Everyone, follow us and we'll get you out of here and back home!" Tim told the civilians as Lagoon Boy rushed toward the door.
He quickly expanded, growing to his full size so he could bust down the door. And it seemed that when he did, the door knocked down some of their captors as they had attempted to find the cause of the alarm.
"Move!" Sam ordered, watching as the hostages filed out of the room.
Bumblebee led the group down the corridor, firing at any aliens that attempted to prevent their escape. Sam was hot on her heels, so to speak, as he knocked any others back with his scream.
"Go, we'll take care of the rest!" Barbara called out to them as she and Tim kept fighting against their previous captors.
"Fine, but hurry!" Sam said, quickening his pace.
They were quickly approaching the docking bay entrance as Superboy spoke through the link, "Docking bay's secured."
"Nice timing, handsome," Bumblebee teased as the group raced into the bay.
Sam slowed down when he spotted both Superboy and Siren dressed in Manta trooper armor. The two of them had slipped into the squad at Star City, having knocked out a couple of unsuspecting troopers to take their place unnoticed. And Sam couldn't help but grin at Siren's disgruntled expression.
"Nice outfit," he said with a short laugh.
Siren sent him a light glare. "Don't."
"Docking now," Nightwing spoke up.
Soon enough, one of the doors slid open, revealing Wonder Girl waiting in the tunnel. "Alright, people, let's move!"
The hostages began hurrying forward, more than happy to follow orders so they could get out. Sam moved to the entrance before stepping off to the side to watch everyone file in.
"Once the abductees are in, we need to get the hell out of here. No wasting time,"Siren explained.
"No complaints from me,"Sam muttered, glancing back to see Tim and Barbara run in. There's the rest of my squad. Now, where's-
"The link is down," Superboy called out, hurrying out of the docking bay. "I'm going in."
But someone else had other plans as he was thrown right back to where the rest of the team and hostages were.
Siren ran forward, dropping to her knees to check on Superboy as Sam trailed his eyes up to the corridor. A dark, looming figure stepped into the light with an evil grin.
Sam gaped up at the…Black…Beetle. "Apologies, meat," Superboy's attacker said. "But no one goes anywhere."
He lifted his arm, touching the wall of the ship. His fingers glowed brightly, the light running from his fingertips into the wall of the docking bay. Panels sliding shut made Sam whirl around and run toward the closing door, but it sealed up tight as he pounded his fists against the cold metal. Dammit!
He quickly glanced around, immediately noting that it was the same case for every single door. They were trapped. And the big guy looked positively gleeful.
"Listen, uh, Black Beetle! You're totally outnumbered!" Wonder Girl threatened. "Open those doors now and we'll go easy on you."
"You will go easy on me?" Black Beetle began to let out a wicked laugh, the sound bouncing around the room and driving deep into Sam's bones.
"Oh that is not a good sign," Bumblebee said.
"No. It's not," Siren sighed, rising to her feet with Superboy joining her. "The remaining abductees' safety is our top priority, got it?"
"Got it." Multiple voices overlapped Sam's.
"After I'm done, you'll be more concerned about your own safety," Black Beetle answered with a smirk.
Superboy leaped into the air, shooting up toward the ceiling before he came down on the Beetle. He got a couple of punches in before it was retaliated and he was punched into the ground.
"Banshee!" Siren alerted him as she ran forward, letting out a scream aimed at Black Beetle's face.
Getting the gist of what she wanted to do, Sam sprinted behind their enemy, letting out a screech of his own. Both cries struck the Beetle in the head from in front and from behind. Sam had almost thought it was working.
Until Black Beetle began to laugh again. "Adorable," he said.
Neither hero had a chance to move away before he formed two cannons that Sam easily recognized from the ones his friend used. Oh no.
The sonic waves slammed into both Sam and Siren, sending them flying away to either side of the docking bay. Sam's head struck the wall, making him crumple.
He wasn't sure just how long he was out until he felt his body start moving against his will. He let out a groan as he slowly started regaining full consciousness.
"It's alright, kiddo, I've got you."
Sam could barely open his eyes without his head spinning so he didn't struggle against the pair of arms lifting him into a bridal carry. He was jostled slightly as the owner lightly grunted under his weight before he could feel the shift of them moving on their feet.
The person carrying Sam suddenly let out a curse as he could hear a splash and the pace of his carrier quickened.
"We're taking on water," the voice said loudly. "Who do we have left to get on board?"
"Just Robin," another voice answered.
There was a grunt, almost sounding like it belonged to an animal before heavy footsteps faded away.
"Sam? Can you hear me?" the voice of his rescuer asked.
Sam's eyes remained screwed shut, but he tried to sit up. Even the hand pressed against his back wasn't much help as he winced, grabbing his head in pain.
Slowly, he began to open his eyes as best he could. The first thing he could clearly see was the blonde hair belonging to the person kneeling in front of him. His blurry vision made it hard to see details, but he knew either way that it was his mentor.
"Talk to me, Sam," Siren pressed.
"I'm- I'm okay. I think this is what Impulse means when he says he's feeling the mode," Sam said with a groan.
He glanced around to see that exact hero nearby, along with the rest of the team. It would have all seemed okay if they weren't all sitting in ankle-deep water.
Beast Boy, morphed into a gorilla, suddenly dropped in beside Siren and Sam, carrying a once-again-conscious Tim. It seemed that that was nearly everyone, team members and hostages alike. Everyone except…
"Everyone's aboard except Blue," Barbara called out over the sound of rushing water.
"Going back in for him!" Impulse said, rushing forward.
Sam would have wanted to do likewise, but perhaps it was a good thing he could barely move his head, much less stand, as a large wave surged into the Bioship, knocking Impulse back into him and Siren. His mentor released her grip on him momentarily to grab Impulse and check on him.
"Nightwing, we're going to be neck-deep any minute. Seal the hatch." Siren ordered.
"Acknowledged."
"But Blue!" Beast Boy protested.
"Siren's right," Barbara said. "We can't help him if we drown or are crushed by the pressure at this depth."
Sam slumped over, exhaustion settling in as he watched the hatch close. Siren handed Impulse over to Beast Boy, focusing on her protégé instead. She maneuvered his head to rest on her shoulder in her kneeling position.
"Let's go get you somewhere to sit. I have a feeling we'll need to check you for a concussion when we get back," she told him, sliding an arm under his knees to lift him again.
Things kind of faded out again until he felt his body be settled against something solid and something else crossing in front of his chest like a seatbelt.
"Everyone, hold on tight." Nightwing's voice was more recognizable, but still being slightly muffled like everything else had been.
Sam could feel the shift of the Bioship as it accelerated. He winced as something bright flashed just outside the windows. I don't want to know…
"I see him!"
There was minimal chatter, but Sam couldn't figure out who was talking nor who they were referring to.
"Lagoon Boy, are you well enough to go retrieve him?"
Good, we rescued La'gaan… Sam felt himself begin to doze off before a firm hand rested on his shoulder. He pried his eyes open to squint at Siren.
"I'm okay," he assured. "I'm just tired."
Siren's brow furrowed. "I saw you hit your head. You nearly scared me to death," she said with a light chuckle.
Sam gave a small smile. "It's not the first time and it definitely won't be the last."
Siren scanned his face. "You seem pretty alert. I'd say that if you really feel like you have to go to sleep, it'll be alright." She rubbed her thumb across his shoulder, still examining him as she stood back up from her crouched position.
"M'kay." Sam's eyes seemed to close on their own.
He could feel her presence nearby as he continued to doze, not quite falling asleep entirely. He didn't even hear Lagoon Boy return with who turned out to be Blue Beetle until he could hear his friend's outburst nearby.
"It's me! It's me!"
Sam raised his head, turning to look at Jaime. From where he sat, he could also see Beast Boy, Impulse, and Lagoon Boy. Relief washed over him even in his sluggish state. We saved them all.
"'Course it is," Impulse said with a smile.
Jaime still seemed shaken, but Sam didn't really know why. Nor did he really feel like dwelling on it. They'd all been through a lot lately.
"Welcome back, Blue," Sam spoke up, lightly grinning as his eyes slid shut again.
"Mission accomplished, everyone. Well done," Nightwing finally said with a sigh. "Care to take the controls, Miss M?"
The silence stretched out before Beast Boy stammered. "I think she's still basking in the glow of victory. She totally nailed Aqualad. You should have seen it!"
Sam was barely paying attention to what was being said. He wouldn't have even processed any of it if Siren's hand hadn't tightened on his shoulder. Hm. Good for her. I wouldn't have minded punching him myself.
"Well, actually, it didn't look like much," Beast Boy corrected himself. "But I'm sure it was very cool inside their heads!"
Siren's grip tightened even further before she quickly dropped her hand from Sam's shoulder entirely. He was too tired to look back at her so he just nodded off to sleep. Yeah…good for her…
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Hall of Justice
March 31, 06:40 EDT
"Siren? …Siren. Jenna!"
Siren jolted out of her troubled thoughts, tiredly looking back at the League's leader who was conversing with her and Nightwing over a video call. "Sorry, uh, what's going to happen with the abductees?" she wondered.
"Black Canary's going to be speaking with all of the abductees, members of your team included, to get an idea of what happened while they were all on that ship," Captain Atom explained. "Hopefully it'll give us more intel on these aliens."
"Well, by now they'll have moved their ship," Nightwing pointed out. "Plus, there's still the Beetle connection to figure out. But you can tell the world they're here. Their secret invasion is no secret anymore."
"That would be an understatement."
Siren noticed Aquaman enter from the side, pressing a key on a hologram keyboard. A new screen opened up on both sides of the video call, allowing everyone to see.
It was the GBS news channel. "Repeating today's top story: A small group of extraterrestrials, the Reach, have arrived at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. For more on this, we go live to GBS' own G. Gordon Godfrey at the U.N."
Siren's nose wrinkled at the sight of the news reporter. That man got under her skin more than anyone ever had.
"Thanks, Cat. And yes, folks, it seems Earth's finally met some aliens who know how to get it right."
Behind G. Gordon was the real Secretary-General Tseng on stage with a stranger. "The Reach comes to your world as friends," the stranger said. "We come with open arms, extending our hands…our reach, if you will, to help." He then shook hands with the Secretary-General.
"Well, thumbs up to the Reach," G. Gordon said snarkily. "Oh, I know what you're thinking-" Why are you so annoying? "-ol' G. Gordon's gone soft on the spacemen. But don't you see? This is exactlyhow aliens should come to Earth. Knocking on our front door, not sneaking in the back. Like some Leaguers we know."
Aquaman paused the feed before it could go any further, which Siren was beyond grateful for. "That was great timing," she snapped.
"So before we warn the public, they go public," Nightwing grumbled.
"It could be worse," Aquaman pointed out. Do tell. "At least, we know exactly where they are."
"That's right. We know what we're up against."
Siren's fists tightened. "Damn straight. We'll be ready for whatever they throw at us."
Her eyes narrowed. They won't get a chance to make things worse than they already are. Kaldur did enough of that.
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Oh, Siren. If only you knew lol. Soon ;)
Again, we're halfway through the fic! There are just some episodes in season 2 that wouldn't provide enough content to write a full chapter, so there'll only be about 16 total. I'm even kind of hitting a writer's block as I'm trying to finish the War episode because what happens in that episode and the following ones makes it a bit hard to write from Jenna's POV.
I'm trying though! I might combine two of the episodes because they're both important to the story, but just not long enough to have a full chapter unless I can come up with significant filler scenes. We'll see!
See you next week! Cornered was a fun one to write :)
