MOUNT JUSTICE
SEPTEMBER 23RD 2010 06:34 EST
Honeybee stood by the table the League had set up in the Cave, just a few feet away from Superboy. Members of the League were milling around the Cave, trying to get things back up and operational. The lights had only come back on a few minutes ago, and she knew some of the other Leaguers were attempting to reset the security protocols.
Green Arrow set down a bowl of pretzels in front of Kid Flash at the table. The other members of the Team were sat or standing around, waiting for instructions or anything that might give them a clue of what they were meant to be doing. Hopefully something to do with Red Tornado. Honeybee would be loathed to have gotten on Aunt Melody's bad side for some wild goose chase mission or something similar.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Kid Flash said, forgoing food for once. He put his head down into his folded arms and turned away from Green Arrow.
"What we want are answers," Robin said. "About Red Tornado and his siblings!"
"Yeah!" Kid Flash said.
Green Arrow did not respond verbally or physically, instead just reaching to take the bowl away from the table and turn away. Kid Flash reached out to take the bowl back, narrowing his eyes.
"Leave the bowl," Kid Flash said, beginning to nibble on the treats. Honeybee rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, but then fixed her gaze back on the Leaguers in front of them. Why wouldn't they tell us what was going on with Red Tornado? He had nearly killed them, Honeybee believed they at least deserved an update or something.
Superboy shifted beside her and looked to where Batman and Aqualad were mumbling quietly to each other. Then he shifted again, face pulled into a frown and his brow curved into an angry 'u'.
"You knew?!" Superboy yelled, and he jumped off to Aqualad, pinning him against the wall. "That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!"
Honeybee started in shock, mouth agape as she stared at the scene before her.
"Conner, what are you doing?" M'gann said, flying over to the two of them.
"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!" Conner said.
Honeybee shut her mouth and stared with wide eyes. Kaldur…. Kaldur had kept that a secret? It had nearly gotten them all killed! These kinds of secrets never bred anything but danger. Honeybee knew that, and she couldn't believe Kaldur of all people would keep this a secret. He was… he was so kind, so wise. Why would he –
"You knew?!" Honeybee said, stepping forward to Kaldur.
"And didn't tell us?" Kid Flash tacked on.
"I sought to protect the Team from –"
"From what?" Artemis demanded. "Information that might have saved our lives!"
Kaldur looked at them all hopelessly, before turning back to Superboy, who still held onto the straps of Kaldur's shirt.
"Enough," Batman said sternly. Batman looked at them all with his usual impassiveness. Superboy finally let go of Kaldur but did not stop glaring at him. "With Red Tornado now missing, the Team will be overseen by a rotating series of supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."
Captain Marvel, a tall, well-built man in a red uniform and white cape, stepped forward. He had a large smile and had an excitably about him that reminded Honeybee of a small puppy.
"I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys," Captain Marvel said.
Honeybee shared a skeptical look with the other members of the Team. Did they really need a babysitter? The last one nearly got them killed.
"After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna –" Conner said behind Honeybee, clearly talking to Aqualad.
"Red Tornado is a League responsibility," Batman said, cutting off Conner before he could finish. "That makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us." Batman stepped back, calling a newspaper article on the holocomputer. "I have another assignment for this team."
Into the nothingness was brought up a newspaper article. The main headline read about a Guerrilla Gorilla, and something about bananas and bullets. Honeybee squinted her eyes to make sure she was reading it right.
"Gotham Mayor Attacked by Guerrilla Gorilla?" Kid Flash asked, raising a skeptical brow.
"Was this really the best he could come up with to distract us?" Conner asked in the mind link.
"Batman, please!" Robin said, stepping up to his mentor. "Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase." Batman's eyes narrowed into a glare.
"I never joke about the mission," he said simply, an edge of tension wavering at the end of his voice. Robin looked down and away. "I've checked the sources. I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hills' attack is only one in a series of incidents." Batman set his sights on Aqualad. "Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and investigate."
Honeybee headed for the Bioship, not bothering with waiting for Aqualad's instructions. The rest of the Team went with her, except for Wally who stayed behind to whisper something to Aqualad before heading off with them.
Honeybee boarded first and silently, musing to herself. She'd been down this road before, and with more dire consequences. Batman withheld information that ended her mother's life. Honeybee supposed she really shouldn't have suspected any different would happen on a team run by him. It was a mistake to think otherwise. How could she have been so stupid? She should have called Robin crazy and walked away from the whole thing. Batman wanted everyone to keep their secrets close to the chest. And now Kaldur was doing the same thing.
Aqualad rode in the back of the ship the whole ride, the tension too thick and surreal to be sat through. Everyone was in various states of rage and confusion. M'gann was mostly shocked as she piloted them over the Atlantic Ocean, staring out with a frown. She opened her mouth to say something a couple of times, but she could find nothing to talk about to lighten the mood on the long flight to India.
Superboy was fuming in his seat, staring straight ahead with a furrowed brow and gritted teeth. Robin and Kid Flash sat together, every once in a while, sending cursed looks over their shoulder at Aqualad. Artemis was more subdued in her anger, but angry all the same as she clicked her fingers along the control board in front of her.
Honeybee kept her distance from the others, but felt a silent, selfish satisfaction. Finally, everyone knew how she felt to be lied to, and how deep the knife of deception really cut. Maybe this feeling made her a bad person. Maybe it didn't.
They finally arrived, and as they flew over the Indian jungle the tension did not break. A hole appeared in the floor above their drop zone and Honeybee, Robin, and Artemis were sent ahead through it to scout. Robin and Artemis landed and separated to the left and right, while Honeybee pulled out two stingers and ran backwards to make sure their flank was covered.
The Bioship landed once all three gave a nod of approval, and out walked the others down the catwalk. Aqualad was still at the back with Captain Marvel, who seemed to be the only one in a jovial mood, not understanding the tension.
"All clear," Robin said. Aqualad nodded and turned to the Team assembled in front of him.
"Switch to stealth," Aqualad instructed, tapping his suit to do so. M'gann followed suit, but Kid Flash declined to do as he was told. "We'll review mission parameters."
"Parameters?" Kid Flash scoffed. "We don't need no stinking parameters." He finally pressed the button to switch his bright yellow outfit to black.
"Yeah, it's recon," Robin said. "We know what to do."
The two turned on their heel and went to run into the jungle. Aqualad outreached a fruitless hand to stop them.
"Kid, Robin," he tried.
The two turned with a scowl.
"The three of us started this Team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us," Robin said scathingly, two birdarangs already pulled.
"Or did you forget that? Just like you forget the tell us about the mole?" Kid Flash said. He pulled down his googles, and the duo was off.
Superboy stepped forward and grabbed onto M'gann's arm, looking down at her protectively, a bit of that rage at Aqualad still present in his face.
"Come on. I'll keep you safe," Superboy said. M'gann tore out of his grasp and stared up at him, offended. She seemed to say something to him telepathically, because he kept speaking. "I'm just trying to protect you."
Honeybee narrowed her eyes. Did Superboy really think because she was taken down on the last mission that M'gann couldn't handle herself?
"Like Aqualad protected us?" Artemis demanded, stepping up to Superboy. She shoved the top of her bow into his chest, and Honeybee stepped up to the other side of M'gann. "I'm not sure your protection or your patronizing is good for our health!"
Artemis and Miss Martian walked off down another path in the jungle. Honeybee nodded and crossed her arms.
"Really Supe?" Honeybee said. Honeybee turned away before the boy could answer, following after her female teammates. She fell into step with them easily and they walked silently down to a riverbank, Miss Martian establishing a mindlink between the three of them.
"I can't believe Kaldur would hide this from us!" Artemis thought. She stepped over a log with a chiseled frown. "Knowing to be on the look-out could have saved us from nearly dying yesterday."
"I know he must have a good reason," Miss Martian jutted in, a bit more diplomatic. "But it still hurts. I just can't believe Conner would think I need his protection because of it!"
"I didn't expect much better on a Team run by Batman," Honeybee said. "He keeps secrets no matter what, even if people get hurt. Probably rubbed off on Kaldur."
Maybe it was an unfair comparison to make, but she didn't care.
"Men," Artemis said. "They think they know best, that others are too weak to survive without them."
The roots of a tree laced through the ground near the riverbank, and the trio carefully climbed over and through the roots. They kept their eyes peeled for any disturbances in the jungle, but so far, they had been unable to find anything. It seemed like a normal jungle with the quiet buzz of the insects and rustles of the wildlife in the distance.
Suddenly, from the water came a giant mouth of a monster-sized alligator at Miss Martian. Miss Martian caught the top part with her hands and kept the bottom of the jaw open with her foot. The alligator raced forward and M'gann let out a slight surprised sound as she was backed up, and Honeybee noticed a collar around the gator's throat.
Honeybee and Artemis shot a stinger and an arrow respectively, but Honeybee's attention was quickly diverted by a log Artemis stepped back onto coming to life. It was in fact an alligator, one that bit her quiver and pulled Artemis back into the water.
"Artemis!" Honeybee dived in after her to try and reach her, but the alligator began to do a barrel roll, spinning Artemis round and round in an attempt to subdue it's prey. Honeybee reached out for Artemis's forearm, stopping the alligator and pulling Artemis's quiver loose.
The gator, realizing what had happened, turned back towards them, but was stopped by Miss Martian jumping in the water. She grew two extra arms with her shape-shifting and telepathically sent out four spirals of water. This sent the alligator back with the force, and the water around them disappeared, leaving them in a circle of dry land.
Artemis coughed up water out of her lungs and shoved her wet ponytail over her shoulder.
"Nearly drowning two nights in a row is way less fun than it sounds," Artemis said. Miss Martian shrunk away her extra arms and raised a hand to her temple, expanding their telepathic link to Kaldur, who must have still been in range.
"Aqualad, can you hear me?" Miss Martian said.
"Yes, Miss Martian," Aqualad said. "Report."
"Artemis, Honeybee, and I were attacked by animals wearing inhibitor collars like those used at the convicts at Belle Reve prison," Miss Martian said. Artemis retrieved her quiver from where it sat at the edge of the dry land and began to drain the water out of it. Honeybee checked her utility belt and saw that it was still filled with her stingers and other materials.
"Miss Martian, I need a telepathic link up with the entire Team," Aqualad said, his tone more brisque. "Now."
Miss Martian shut her eye and brought her hand back to her head. "Link established."
"Should he really still be giving orders?" Artemis said.
"And should we still be following them?" Honeybee cut in.
"Listen, please!"
"Oh great! Aqualad's voice in my head!" Kid Flash said sarcastically. "I've so missed that!"
"Hey Kaldur!" Robin said. "Me and KF were attacked by giant vultures! Course, 'cuz you think we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves!"
"If he did, he wouldn't tell you!" Artemis added.
"Superboy, are you online? Or are you just pouting?" Miss Martian asked.
"Busy," came the quick reply. "Call back later!"
Honeybee leaned back against a tree, kicking her leg up against the tree trunk. Artemis crossed her arms and knocked another arrow just in case.
"What gets me is how non-chalant he is about not tell us!" Kid Flash said.
"He should be chalant!" Robin said. "Way chalant. Extremely chalant!"
"I've been down this road of a team leader not trusting people, and it ended badly," Honeybee said. "How are we supposed to be a team if Kaldur doesn't trust us with his secrets?"
"Or Conner doesn't expect us to be able to take care of yourselves?" Miss Martian tacked on.
"Did he really think you or I could have been the mole?" Kid Flash asked, clearly talking mostly to Robin.
"We've known each other for years!" Robin said.
"Trust is a two way-street!" Artemis said. Honeybee crossed her arms, griping tightly to her forearms.
"And you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them!" Miss Martian said.
"Not that we would. Never," Artemis said.
"ENOUGH!" Aqualad rips through their head. All their voices stun to silence, the argument stopping in it's tracks. "Captain Marvel has been captured, and we must act as a team to save him!"
"Under your leadership?" Kid Flash laughed. "I don't think s—"
"This is not up for debate," Aqualad seethed. "You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. But until that time, I am in command here!"
Honeybee leaned up from the tree, uncrossing her arms and sharing a look with her teammates. Honeybee admitted it would be nice to have a plan, even if it came from Aqualad. Honeybee was still nearly fuming, but Captain Marvel was captured so really, they had no choice.
It was do or die time.
Did you have to do this? I was thinking that you could be trusted
Did you have to ruin what was shiny? Now it's all rusted
Did you have to hit me, where I'm weak? Baby, I couldn't breathe
And rub it in so deep, salt in the wound like you're laughing right at me
NORTHERN INDIA
SEPTEMBER 23RD 22: 34 IST
Robin waited in the tall grass outside of the compound, Kid Flash at his right. From behind him, he knew that Miss Martian and the others were headed this way. He heard a rustling above him, which he assumed must have been Miss M. The structure where Captain Marvel was being held was large and seemed to have a circle of a dirt that suddenly popped up the tall grass, like a circle of warning that this was here.
Robin popped open his hologlove to scan the area for any kind of interference, while Kid Flash slipped on his infared goggles.
"I'll fly over," Miss Martian offered, noticing the large area of nothing.
"Negatory," Kid Flash said. "The shield expands like a dome over the whole compound."
"Pylons are insulated," Robin said, reading off of his holoscreen. "But one good shock could cause a momentary gap."
"I see a target," Artemis said. Robin wasn't sure where she was located in the field, but somewhere close by at least.
"Then be ready to hit it," Aqualad said. "Be ready, all of you."
Robin saw Aqualad run forward, taking out one of the pylons keeping up the invisible shield to keep them out with his magic. Kid Flash squinted beneath his googles.
"Now!"
Artemis let her arrow fly, and it hit a button just next to the main entrance. All of the pylons made a buzzing noise before shutting off completely. Robin smiled and stood, Kid Flash zipping to where Aqualad was. Miss Martian landed in front of him, while Robin, Honeybee, and Artemis began to walk towards them.
Honeybee falls in step next to him but stiffens, grabbing onto his elbow. Both looked up to see a howler monkey on the roof. Not just any howler monkey—a monster sized one with an inhibitor, one that had been watching them the whole time. Robin gulped. So not an asterous mission.
It let out a scream and set off the alarms. Kaldur started, turning on his waterbearer tattoos and Kid Flash taking a step back. An army of howler monkeys appeared and they ran off the top of the building, setting forth to attack the Team.
Robin jolted forward at the monkeys headed at him and Honeybee. Two of them came straight at him, and he flipped over them, dropping two birdarangs onto the ground. The went off, scaring them but otherwise leaving them untouched. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Honeybee throw out two stingers at the monkeys she was fighting.
Robin was not the strongest by far, so he knew his best strategy would be evasion. Stay out of reach long enough to tire the monkey out and then make a strike. Robin dodged back, avoiding a grasp of one of the monkeys by a slight dip of his head. He wasn't fast enough to avoid them getting his feet, and then he was on the ground, barely managing to fight off the monkeys.
"Robin!" Honeybee called out but was too busy fighting her own monkeys to help him.
"Remove their collars!" Aqualad called out, a collarless monkey running away from him.
"Sounds easy when he says it!" Robin grumbled. Artemis shot off an arrow that hit the collars the monkeys holding him down were wearing. They fell off with an electric buzz, and Robin stood, looking over at Artemis. Two monkeys jumped behind her, and Robin sent two birdarangs their way, which finally released the two from whatever the inhibitor collar was doing to them.
A giant gorilla with a gun appeared at the doorway, wearing a beret. Robin frowned as the gorilla reached behind him and pulled a camouflaged Miss Martian out from where she attempted to sneak around him. He threw Miss Martian to the ground and aimed his gun, but Kid Flash raced forward to try and save her.
"Stay away from her you darn, dirty ape!" Kid Flash said but was knocked back by a single hit from the gorilla. Miss Martian stood, frowning and angry, and levitated into the air. She outreached her hands and sent the gorilla flying back into the wall before she sailed through herself, a clear signal for the rest to follow.
In the room was The Brain, a robot with a human brain inserted on top instead of a central processer.
"It's The Brain!" Kid Flash said.
"I can see it's a brain!" Artemis said.
"Not a brain, The Brain!"
"In the flesh, so to speak," the Brain commented in a robotic French accent. The Brain turned to face the gorilla, who was getting back to its feet. Robin pulled out two birdagrangs and waited for the first strike. "Mallah."
The gorilla – Mallah – pulled out a control button, and out popped several pylons. It coated them with a light blue glow, one that rendered them unable to move. Robin fell to the ground between Kaldur and Honeybee, looking up at the sky viciously. This was just cheating.
"Miss Martian, Superboy. Now!" Aqualad commanded.
Miss Martian's eyes lit up, and then the control button was flying to her. It levitated just in front of her face and she telepathically flipped the switch, allowing all of them to move once again. Just as they were freed, the wall behind Mallah broke open, revealing through the dust a torn-shirted Superboy and a large white wolf.
The wolf ran forward, knocking down Mallah. He got up quickly, and Kid Flash raced forward and sent him a kick in the knew. Mallah fired off his gun a few times, but Robin was able to stop him for a moment by swinging by a grappling hook and kicking him in the face. Miss Martian landed in front of him and flipped him over, using her telekinesis.
Mallah snarled and stood up, focusing on firing on M'gann. Superboy ran at his back, raising his fist while Honeybee threw two stingers at the gorilla. The edges hit his knee, causing him to roar a little in pain, but he was still able to dodge Superboy's attack. He fired at Superboy, but they did not leave a mark, only pushing his fall closer to that of the wolf.
Finally, he runs out of arrows and Robin smirks. Artemis lets off an arrow that releases smoke at Mallah, and Robin and Honeybee send flying their weapons. Honeybee for once had pulled out a detonator version of her stingers hidden way back in her utility belt. This managed to get the machine gun off of him and on the ground.
Kaldur was mid-battle with The Brain, dodging attacks. Kaldur dodged out of the way and went to where Captain Marvel was strapped to a table, while Robin and the others surrounded the Brain and Mallah. Kaldur snapped the collar off of Captain Marvel, sending him up as he breaks off the restraints.
"Thanks!" Captain Marvel said brightly. He turned to the tiger next to the table and broke off their collar. "Now one good turn deserves another." Kaldur turns his waterbearers into a sword, while Superboy blocks the hole in the hole with wolf.
Mallah roared.
"Try it," Conner taunted. "I hate monkeys."
"No, Mallah," the Brain intoned. "This will not be our Waterloo." The Brain started shooting out all these compartments, of all of them sending into different directions. Robin flinched and cringed back.
"Get down!" Kid Flash yelled. There was a humming pitch that was overtaking the room, making it almost impossible to hear his best friend's warning. The lights went out in the room, and Robin tensed himself for an explosion.
But none came. The lights flipped back on, and where The Brain and Mallah once stood was now empty.
"Was….that big machine a light switch?" Kid Flash asked.
Did you think we'd be fine? Still got scars on my back from your knife
So don't think it's in the past, these kinda wounds they last and they last.
Now did you think it all through? All these things will catch up to you
And time can heal but this won't, so if you're coming my way, just don't
NORTHERN INDIA
SEPTEMBER 24TH 2010 06:12 IST
Robin waited on the ramp of the Bioship. He watched as the others milled around, getting their bearings ready for the departure back to the Cave. Conner and M'gann were talking next to the big wolf that had followed them, while Artemis and Kid Flash argued over something as always. Kaldur watched Captain Marvel as he discussed something with the tiger from earlier.
"One word: souvenir!" Kid Flash said. He held up a beret he managed to swipe from the Brain's abandoned hideout. He put it on his head with a proud smile.
"Two words: monkey lice," Artemis taunted. Kid Flash hesitated for a moment and then threw the hat on the ground, looking at it in disgust.
"Oh man!" he said.
Honeybee scoffed from where she stood at the end of the catwalk, her arms crossed, and her hair damp from sweat like his. Robin was still trying to figure out what Honeybee meant by a team leader keeping secrets and someone getting hurt before. She…. she couldn't possibly have meant Batman, could she? Was that Batman had revealed to her in that conversation he wasn't privy to her? Robin stared at her for a moment longer but then shook his head. She was obviously hurt by Aqualad, they all were, she was probably just upset and being hyperbolic.
Robin came back to reality when he saw Aqualad pass him.
"Look," Robin started, stopping the Atlantean boy. "I need to know. Why did you keep the mole intel a secret?"
Everyone else stopped what they were doing and looked up at Kaldur, who stared back at them. He finally nodded and began to speak.
"The source of the tip was Sportsmaster."
"What?" Artemis said. "You can't trust him!" Robin, if he didn't already know Sportsmaster was her father, would have thought maybe there was something suspicious about how quickly she said that.
"I know," Aqualad said. "It seemed possible, even likely, that he was trying to divide the Team with false information."
"And given how this mission went," Robin said regretfully, "he almost succeeded." Robin kicked himself internally. He should have known better than to let his emotions get the better of him. Batman would have scolded him to hell and back if he had been here. Probably still would once he got wind of how this mission went. "But you had to consider it might be true."
"Yes, as leader, I did," Aqualad said. "And if it was true, I did not wish to alert the traitor."
"I hate to say it," Robin said, "but it makes sense."
"I am still prepared to step down," Aqualad said. Robin smiled and looked out at the Team, all of whom seem assuaged from what Aqualad had said.
"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as our leader?" Robin said. Each member of the Team rose their hand immedailty, save Honeybee, who hesitated for only a moment. It seemed she still was a little hurt.
"Guess it's unanimous," Captain Marvel said. He offered a handshake to Kaldur. "See you tomorrow."
"Wait, you're not coming back with us?" Kid Flash asked.
"Nah, gotta fly!" Captain Marvel said, and then he was gone into the sunrise.
Honeybee hmphed and went up the ramp, passing Robin and following Aqualad. The others were discussing what to name the wolf, and Robin bit the inside of his lip before he followed after Honeybee.
"Hey, Bee, can we talk?" Robin asked. Honeybee turned in the entrance of the ship, surprised.
"Uh, sure," Honeybee said.
"I just, uh, wanted to see – if you're doing alright," Robin said. "You seemed really upset by all of this."
Honeybee stared at him in shock for a moment longer, but then she laughed darkly under her breath.
"Yeah, having a situation remind you of your mentor's death will do that to you," Honeybee said. "I'm not good with secrets that can hurt people."
Robin furrowed his brow. Secrets that can hurt people. What was she –
The night where Waspia died. The comns, Batman not using them because of fear of interference. They hadn't known about Ivy. Honeybee blamed Batman for it. It made sense. All those months of hatred and avoidance. Honeybee blamed Batman for her mom's death.
And the comns. Why hadn't he thought of it before? With all the chaos of the night, he had forgotten that one detail. He was supposed to be a world-class detective. How had he forgotten?
"Well, I, uh, um –"
"It's okay Robin," Honeybee said. "I'm fine."
And then she walked up the ramp.
Band-aids don't fix bullet holes
You say sorry just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts (ghosts)
Band-aids don't fix bullet holes (hey)
You say sorry just for show (hey)
If you live like that, you live with ghosts (hey)
Mhmmm
If you love like that blood runs cold
Chapter Bible Verse:
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salad, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man ." - Colossians 4:6
This chapter was a BEAST to write, as I struggled with Honeybee's emotions and how to present them. I loved this episode because it showed our protagonist being unreasonable and upset, which is just so rare in children's cartoons. And then...they talk about their feelings? Like? People are allowed to feel! It's great.
No review replies this chapter.
Questions, comments, or concerns, let me know! Have a blessed day!
-PrincessChess