Chapter 16: Outfiltrated
I'm inside the Sandbar Internet Café, guarding Dr. Roquette with my staff ready in hand for battle, waiting for either Aqualad or Cheshire to get here. I certainly hope Aqualad makes it back before Cheshire finds us.
Cheshire. Why did it have to be the cat? Just be glad it's her instead of…
"Hey! Are you even listening?" Roquette yells to me, bringing me back to reality.
"Sorry, what is it?"
"I've almost got it."
"Good. The plan should be working, with the others holding off Cheshire and her fellow Shadows. I just wish Aqualad would get here soon."
"Just be sure you don't daydream again when the assassins you said you'd protect me from get here and kill me." That last bit irritated me just a bit.
"You know we're risking our lives to protect you from the Shadows. You could show a little appreciation towards us for putting our lives on the line for you. Because if the League ever did get their hands on you, they'd make you wish they would kill you."
"Oh really? And just what makes you so sure about that?"
"Believe me, I know."
Before either one of us can say anything else, we both hear a noise coming from above. "They're here." Then a smoke grenade rolls onto the floor, going off and filling that part of the room with smokescreen. It's not easy to see through, but I can tell no one is coming at us through the smoke. The Shadows aren't so obvious…
I suddenly turn around and twirl my staff in front of my center, deflecting shurikens flying my way. As soon as all the shurikens drop to the floor, I find myself facing against the feline femme fatale. "Cheshire!"
She looks at me for a moment, staring at my face as if she's trying to burn it in her brain. "Do I know you?" She doesn't recognize me?
"If you did, you probably would've been laying on the ground in defeat. And that's exactly what'll happen if you don't leave now."
"Sorry, not gonna happen. The Shadows don't leave their objectives to be until their eliminated."
"Then I guess I'm going to have to stick my staff somewhere you won't enjoy."
Cheshire laughs off my threat, seeing it as a joke. "How adorable. You think you stand a chance against me, a trained assassin. You're just a little girl trying to play with the big leagues with the grown-ups."
"I'm not a little girl! I am the White Canary, and so help me, I will not let you harm anyone tonight!" I say as I ready myself to face her.
"We'll see about that", she says as she does the same. And before I know it, we clash at one another.
I swing my staff at her, aiming for her head, but she blocks me with her sais she pulls from her back. We press our weapons against one another, and while doing so, Cheshire kicks me in the stomach, but I don't falter for a second. I force her arms and weapons downward and headbutt her, then kicking her back against the wall.
As Cheshire comes back towards me, I break my staff into two batons and they clash with her sais. Our weapons continue to deflect one another until one of her sais nicks me in the arm, and Cheshire follows up with her elbow connecting with my jaw, sending me up a few feet. She then kicks me and sends me to the other side of the room, placing my fist against the wall behind me.
When I look up to face my opponent, she's gone. And before I know it, I'm grabbed from behind, her restraining my hands and forcing me to drop my batons. She's got me.
"You were saying?", she says as she squeezes me tighter. "As much as I'd love to clip your wings Little Bird, I have a much more pressing matter to attend to."
Before she can finish me, I open my eyes to see Dr. Roquette, cowering over near her computer. Her computer.
"Afraid not", I make out while restrained. "Looks like the doctor finished her work just in time."
Cheshire, confused for a second, looks to Roquette and the computer she was working at. But what catches her eye most of all is what's on the computer screen: a completed upload of an algorithm virus sent to the Fog.
"DAMMIT!" She yells in anger, throwing me to the ground. "You were stalling for time, for the virus to reach the Fog. You were never trying to beat me!"
"I wasn't even trying." I can't see under her mask, but I can just tell she's furious. While Grumpy Cat is in her temper tantrum, I grab one of my batons near me and throw it at her face, knocking her off balance and her mask off for a moment. Under her mask, she looks the same as I remember. Asian-American, dark brown eyes to match her hair, which look as fierce as ever. I hope she doesn't know it's me under my mask.
In retaliation, she kicks in right in the gut and stomps on me as well, not letting the force of her foot go. "Next time I see you, I'll be certain to clip your wings and snuff out that pretty annoying mouth of yours. As for you", she says to Dr. Roquette, "it seems you live to program another day. After all, doctor, the Shadows may find another use for you."
And with that said, she takes her leave out of the café door. If I weren't reeling from the pain in my chest and arms, I'd probably go after her. But I think I'm just going to lay here, worn out, exhausted and weary from a night of battle. All in all, not a bad first mission really.
"Damn! I'm late", I say as I fly my way over to a Wayne Tech building that is currently being torn to pieces by the Fog. "Green Lantern to Robin."
"GL, good to hear from you. What happened?"
"Tale for another time. Please tell me you're working on our bug problem."
"Working on it."
"Well work faster because from what I'm seeing, this building will be rubble soon", I say as the Fog continues destroying the building.
"Virus download complete."
As soon as I hear Robin say those words, the next thing I'm seeing is the Fog's little bug machines being destroyed and red smoke appearing in their place.
"Yes! The infiltrators have been outfiltrated!" He did not just— Of course he did. He's Robin.
With the Fog dealt with, I suddenly remember we have another teammate out here. "Robin, where's— Nevermind", I stop myself from saying as I find Superboy on the ground. Opposite him is another Shadow, wearing a red and black robe, carrying a rectangular machine, and most obvious of all is the headgear he has, with what resembles a red singular eye in the middle. And tonight, the League of Shadows introduces Cyclops.
I float downward to get a closer look at what's about to happen. "Hey!", I yell to Superboy, who looks up to me. "You need a hand?"
"Nope", he answers. "I've got this." He's got this.
Superboy then starts walking towards the one-eyed Shadow, who, in retaliation, waves his hand over his machine and with that, a laser beam shoots out of his mechanical eye straight towards Superboy. He raises his arm in defense, blocking the blast and continues walking to the Shadow. After a few more steps, Superboy stands right in front of him and grabs his headgear with his free hand, which sends him back up against the van behind him and back to the ground, unconscious.
I touch down onto solid concrete next to Superboy. "You were right, you had that."
He looks my way, and nods to me with the smallest of smiles. He's getting better at being friendlier.
"Green Lantern to Robin. Superboy's just bagged us a Shadow. Contact the others while I fly over to them and see how they're doing."
"What about him?", Superboy asks referring to the cyclops.
"You and Robin hand him over to the authorities. They should be able to find a nice new jail home for him."
"Roger that, GL. Robin out."
"See you back home", I say to Superboy before I take off into the air again.
With Dr. Roquette helping me up and about, we walk outside the café and find Artemis, bow in hand, and alone. "Artemis, where's Cheshire?"
"She—she got away", she says with sadness in her voice.
And just as fast, Kid Flash comes zooming in along with Miss Martian, who's holding up Aqualad as well as levitating two more Shadows. "Oh, from you. Big surprise. Notice we got ours."
"Aqualad!", I say as Kid helps Kaldur on his feet. "What happened?"
"Is everyone okay?", a familiar voice asks from up above. Green Lantern floats down joining the rest of us. "Kaldur, what happened to you?"
"I was ambushed by another Shadow", he says while in pain still. "An archer", as he shows everyone the arrow he has in hand.
Before anyone can say anything, Lantern walks to Aqualad and takes the arrow, staring at it. "I know this guy! He tried to shoot me down earlier tonight. He called himself Merlyn." Merlyn? He was here too? Shadows from my past are coming to light…
Then I wain in pain for a moment, still reeling from my fight with Cheshire. Roquette is still holding me up, but Lantern walks over to me. "Hold still." He then engulfs me with his green light, traveling from the top of me to the bottom. The light stops for a moment, centered on my stomach. "Looks like you've got a bruise, on your abdomen maybe. Tornado will have a closer look at you back at base."
"Thanks, Kyle", I reply to him.
"Same goes for you, Kaldur", who grudgingly agrees as well. "What about the woman, the one with the cat mask?"
"Long gone. But I did get this", I say while standing up on my own and bringing out from my jacket Cheshire's mask. Everyone looks in amazement of this accomplishment, except for Artemis, who's face looks more worried than excited about this for some reason.
"Her mask? Did you see her, her face?", Aqualad asks me.
"Oh yeah. I saw her face well enough for Kyle to sketch it for us. Was she here when you got here, Artemis?"
"Hardly. She vanished into the forest before I could get a shot at her", she says with disappointment while looking at the harbor. Most likely in herself.
"It is fine", Aqualad says. "Robin and Superboy neutralized the Fog, and Dr. Roquette is safe, thanks in no small part to you." She then turns back around, less saddened now. "Welcome to the team."
Aqualad, Miss Martian, Kid, GL and I all walk over to Artemis, making her feel welcomed to our group. Aqualad and GL both shake her hand, not at the same time though.
"I've always wanted a sister", Miss M says. "Here on Earth, I mean. I have 12 back on Mars. Trust me, it's not the same."
"I wouldn't know. But thanks", she says back to her Martian sister.
"Well I guess that means you have two sisters then", I say to my 'sisters'.
"I guess so then", Artemis says, shaking my hand with a tight grip.
With only Wally being quiet, Miss M and I both elbow him in the chest to say or do something next. "Yeah, welcome." He then reluctantly shakes her hand. Hopefully they don't try to kill each other on the next mission.
"What about you?", Lantern asks next to me. "You still glad you joined our 'rag tag' team?"
"Are you kidding? I can't wait for what's next."
"Report."
"Masters, before Ojo's capture, he transmitted the S.T.A.R. Labs data you required, but the WayneTech intel still eludes us."
"Once again, the young heroes interfere, so it's fortunate we have an operative on the inside."
Author's Note: Hello fellow YJ fans! I know it's been, well forever, since I last updated the story. As sorry as I am for not doing this sooner, I won't make any excuses for it. Life happens to us all, and sometimes it gets in the way of some things. But just know that no matter what, I will and still am continuing this story. I can't promise when the next chapter will be, but hopefully it should be sooner than later. And you know the drill, message me, comment and review the story about anything good, bad, or ideas you guys might have. I'm open to all suggestions. Until then, keep waiting for Season 3!