Chapter 4 - Drop-Zone

The bio-ship soared through the air as I sat at the front, thick straps secured over my black bodysuit and dark cape. At almost midnight, my body should have felt tired, yet I was wide awake from the adrenaline in my body.

"This will be a standard and covert recon mission. You will head to Santa Prisca and find out why they stopped shipping their drug, venom. You are to observe and report only."

Batman's debrief replayed in my mind and from the looks of the rest of the team, I could see each of them was replaying the words carefully. This was it, our first mission as a team. To say a heavy weight had been placed on our shoulders was an understatement.

I looked to the left and I met Kaldur's gaze. His new stealth suit made his eyes stand out even more than they usually do. I met his eyes, holding contact for several seconds before I turned away. Heat rushed to my cheeks even though the night air was rather cold.

"We're approaching the island," Megan announced to the group. As the straps disappeared off my body, I took up, looking at each member in their new black fitted suits.

"You ready?" Robin addressed his question at Kaldur, who replied with a nod.

"Alright, Aqualad. This is your stop." Megan opened a hole in the floor of the ship and Kaldur disappeared into the dark waters below.

We waited with baited breaths for the next several minutes as we hung over the island on the ship. Wally was showing off his new suit, trying to impress Megan but I knew she only had eyes for once enhanced super human. She wasn't the only one who couldn't stop thinking about one of their teammates. I fidgeted with the edge of my cloak.

"Ready?" Robin asked, giving me a curious stare.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I moved closer to him as he attached the cable to his belt. The holes opened up beneath us and I dropped down, free-falling for a brief second before I steadied myself and landed softly on the ground. My senses instantly connected with the terrain around me. The thick jungle did a great job at providing us with cover, yet with my senses, I knew we weren't alone within a hundred-yard radius.

"Aqualad's going to meet us at the factory," Megan said as she pulled her hood over her head.

"There are two squads ahead," I pointed through the thicket. "It looks like they will meet before they find us. Robin, can you–" He was gone.

"Where did he go?" Superboy growled. None of us had an answer.

Wally pulled down his night vision goggles. "Okay, I'm going to run ahead and see if I can find Robin."

"Kid Flash, wait!" I threw my hand out to stop him, but he was gone before I could touch him. "Great, another member of our team unaccounted for."

We heard a pause in the gunfire and I saw Megan roll her eyes. "Did Wally just engage the enemies?" She nodded.

I flew through the trees until I came to the opening where the Kobra agents were fighting Bane and his crew. Wally was weaving in and out of the gunfire, trying to stay clear of the bullets. Aqualad jumped down from the other side of the clearing, taking out several Kobra men with him. I focused my attention on Bane's men as Superboy took care of the large man. Within a matter of minutes, all the men were down, and we quickly tied up the survivors before they recovered.

"Can someone explain to me what just happened?" Robin pointed his finger at the group. "We were supposed to be a stealth team, observe and report only."

Wally matched his aggression as I looked between the two boys.

"We are, we just got caught at a bad time. Besides, who made you the leader?"

Robin scoffed and I exchanged a worried glance with Megan. "I have the most field experience, so clearly I should be the leader. Besides, what would you know about being a leader?"

I moved closed to Kaldur and muttered under my breath, "I feel like this is out of hand. Do you think we should do something?"

"You know," A new voice came from one of the spots where we tied up the prisoners. Bane regarded our group with cool interest. "If you want to get into the factory, you are gonna need someone on the inside, someone who knows the turf."

"You just want to be let out–" I walked over to him. The casual shrug of his shoulders did nothing to convince me that he could be trustworthy.

"Yes," he admitted, "but you kids are gonna need help to get into the factory. Kobra has the front entrance on lockdown and unless you want a full-frontal assault, I'm the only one who knows about the secret entrance."

Megan leaned down, just inches from his face. "He's telling the truth," she confirmed, "but, he's also hiding something."

"An enemy of my enemy is my friend." Bane's words hung in the air as we all exchanged glances.

"I guess we don't have a choice." Aqualad grabbed his sword and cut through the thick ropes binding the large man. Bane rose and stretched as we gave him a wide berth. My instincts told me this was going to be a trap. As my friends walked on ahead, I lingered in the back with a surpassing feeling of dread. Something definitely didn't feel right.

We waded through the thick jungle until we came to an old mine shaft. The damp air made my clothes cling to my body and my hair stuck to the back of my neck. What I would do for a long shower after this.

Bane hit a series of buttons in the rock wall and a metal door lifted, revealing a dimly lit entrance into the mine shaft.

Meeting Bane's gaze, I scoffed. "After you."

His smile was cruel. "You look familiar, princess. Do I know you from somewhere?"

I was too flustered to respond, but Superboy came to my rescue and shoved Bane in the direction of the mine shaft. "Start leading, Bane." I sent him a grateful look.

In a short time, we reached the factory. Bane was right, the secret path did lead right into the heart of the building. Our position from behind the shipment of venom vials revealed two guards. Before I could move, Kid Flash and Robin handled the situation and knocked them out.

"Look at this!" Megan had floated over to the large windowed that showed a view of the bay area and a large landing platform. The sound reached us first which was soon followed by the sight of a black helicopter landing on the platform. A group of robed Kobra members waited as the doors to the helicopter opened. A man stepped off with cropped blond hair and a mask covering his face.

"It's Sportsmaster," Kaldur revealed.

No, I thought as the blood drained from my face. I faced away from the window and grabbed at the buckle of my cloak, something I did when I was nervous or stressed. I couldn't let Sportsmaster see me. If word got back to my father, no, it couldn't happen. I shook my head, trying to reassure myself that everything was going to be okay.

"Essence," Superboy knelt beside me, his blue eyes showing concern. "Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, opening my mouth to respond when alarms blurred overhead. Several robed men rushed in and pointed guns at us.

"Fight now, talk later," I quickly muttered. I felt a course of adrenaline through my body as I flew into action. My fist connected with the face of the first Kobra agent I saw and the satisfying crunch brought him to the ground. The tug came to the pit of my stomach as I disrupted the floors of the factory, lifting a large boulder and tossing it over to where two men were fighting with Kid Flash.

"Essence!" The shout came from Kaldur behind me. Spinning around, I see a large creature similar to Desmond gripping Aqualad and Superboy in his fist before throwing them against some large pipes. The wind brushed against my cheek from the open window as I raced over to help out. I raised my hands out in front of me and thick jungle vines grew from the ground, wrapping around the monster's legs and then his torso. I closed my eyes as I struggled to maintain control of the situation. The monster roared and a ripping sound of the vines came from in front of me. My connection was lost as I opened my eyes in time to see the monster flying in my direction. The hit sent me flying to the other side of the large room as my back made contact with the concrete wall. With wide eyes, I fell to the floor as the breath was knocked out of me. My hair tangled over my face as I looked up to see my team losing ground and no sign of Bane anywhere.

"We need to leave!" Kaldur said from the entrance of the tunnel. "Miss Martian, I need you to link us telepathically."

She lightly nodded in response and I heard the familiar voice in my head. "Team, we need to get back to the entrance now!"

Clutching my ribs, I floated off the ground and over to Aqualad, my strength failing. Seeing my state, he grabbed me, cradling me in his arms as he motioned with his head towards the rest of the group. When we made it into the mine shaft, Superboy loudly smashed his fists into the side of the opening. As the support beams failed, the entrance of the factory collapsed, sealing up in and away from the Kobra men.

The dark walls cast eerie shadows from the torches that lined the path. I looked at the pile of rocks and rubble between us and the enemy and a heavy weight settled on the team.

"How did we go wrong?" Robin asked, throwing his hands up in frustration. Kaldur knelt down and gently placed me on the ground, his body leaning over mine in close proximity. "Amara, are you okay?"

I nodded, trying to sit up on my own. I winced as a felt pain sear through my ribcage but I tried to hide it.

"We need a plan," Megan announced.

"We need to decide a leader," Robin countered. "This mission was my chance to step forward, but I failed."

Kaldur brushed my hair behind my ear softly before standing up. "Robin, I do not think you lack the ability to lead, but your tactics are too advanced for this team. We are new and we need to have communication. When you were with Batman, you didn't need that communication. You knew what you needed to do and you did it. We still require more confirmation on our decisions."

Robin's shoulders dropped. "You're right. Aqualad, it's clear, you should lead this team."

The team went silent as everyone's eyes went around for confirmation. No one protested though Wally didn't look too thrilled.

"Then it's decided," Superboy announced.

Kaldur walked up to Robin, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I accept," he stressed the next part, "but I will take this position until you are ready to lead."

Robin's smile lightened the mood. "Alright, leader, what's our plan?"

Kaldur faced the group, crossing his arms over his chest. "We need to stop the new Kobra shipment from leaving the island."

"I was thinking the same thing," Robin laughed. "Good thing I hacked into Sportmaster's helicopter and grounded it. He's not going anywhere."

Wally cheered, "Serves him right."

"But," Aqualad countered, "We are going to have to go to him then. I am not sure Essence if alright to continue this mission."

"Wait," I protested, struggling to rise to my feet. Superboy was the closest and offered a hand to help me up. "I can still help. Even with my current situation, I am still able to use my powers and offer some assistance."

I met Kaldur's eyes and a silent conversation passed between us. I needed him to see that I was determined to help.

"Very well," he finally relented. "We better get moving."

Though my ribs still had a lot of pain, I was able to fly by myself and head down the tunnel with the others. I saw the dull light coming from the entrance of the cave that suggested it was dawn. The only issue was that standing in our path to escape was Bane.

"Well, it looks like you were able to escape."

I didn't like the sight of the small detonator in his hand.

Wally stepped forward angrily, "What are you doing, Bane?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "It's simple, I want my island back. I thought you would be able to take care of Kobra, but now I see that it will take the League's intervention to get them off the island. If you guys die, the league will have to investigate. They blame Kobra, Kobra leaves, and I get my island back. Simple solution."

"Kid Flash, now!" Aqualad ordered telepathically. Bane laughed maliciously as he pressed the trigger, only to stare in shock at his empty hand.

"Looking for this?" Wally said, casually leaning against the tree behind him while spinning the detonator in his hand.

The look on Bane's face was priceless and it was even better watching as Superboy lunged forward and knocked him clear out.

Megan used her telekinesis to tie Bane to a nearby tree.

"Alright, leader," I smile weakly at Kaldur, "what's our plan of attack?"

On the platform near the bay, Kobra stood next to Sportsmaster, surrounded by Kobra's men. The team circled the area stealthily, before Aqualad gave the signal and we attacked. Superboy and Miss Martian took on Sportsmaster, Kid Flash ran around the guards, immobilizing them, while Robin approached Kobra. I assisted from the air, launching rocks, and moving the terrain around to help as best I could. I watched as Aqualad successfully took out the monster from the factory. Sportsmaster dodged the attacks and spin kicked Superboy against some crates. While Megan rushed to check on him, Sportsmaster headed for his helicopter.

"Oh no, you don't," I muttered as I flew down, placing myself between him and the helicopter.

"You?" His voice showed his anger as his eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

Raising my hands, I lifted two large rocks that floated behind me. "I play for different sides now, Sportsmaster. Which means I no longer answer to you or my father."

His laugh was cruel. "Please, you can try, but you'll never escape your destiny. I'm sure your father still has a use for you yet, but I won't get in the way of his plans. Instead–"

With a quick flick of his wrist, he caught me off guard by launching a small device that stuck to my leg. Electricity shot through my body and I dropped the boulders, my body spasming as I fell to the ground.

I heard the footsteps of Sportsmaster next to me, and then heard the words, "Goodbye, Essence. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."

Groaning, I heard the churn of the helicopter blades behind me as Sportsmaster made his escape. The last thing I remembered was a loud explosion before I felt strong hands pick me up and hold me against a chest. The motion was warm and comforting, so I snuggled in closer to whoever was holding me before I lost consciousness.

"Amara? Can you hear me?" A voice whispered next to my ear.

"She should be waking any minute," a feminine voice came from farther away. "I can sense her brain activity picking up."

I clutched my head to try and stop the throbbing as I opened my eyes. Looking around, I quickly noted that I was on the bio-ship with the team gathered around me. Kaldur was closest and I looked down to see him holding my hand. Blushing instantly, I lean up and he released my hand.

"Hey guys," I grinned sheepishly, "how's everyone doing?"

Wally sped over to my other side, leaning down close to me. "You should have seen it, babe! You were great, going up against the Kobra agents and then Sportsmaster. I'm sorry he got the best on you, if he didn't surprise you, I'm sure you would have easily beat him."

I laughed weakly. "Some good I did, getting electrocuted and letting him get away."

Robin smiled, "Don't worry, Miss Martian over here took the explosives from Bane and transferred them to Sportsmaster's helicopter. He did get away, but not very far."

I looked up at Megan, who sat controlling the ship, and she gave me a wink.

"How are you feeling?" Superboy asked.

I laid back down on the makeshift bed Megan fashioned for me. "I could feel better. I think I cracked a rib at the factory, but otherwise, I'm doing fine."

Aqualad nodded to himself. "We can get you bandaged up when we get back to the cave."

"Ha!" Robin suddenly exclaimed, earning weird stares from everyone around him. He clapped Aqualad's back. "I just realized, it's up to the leader to debrief Batman on the mission. Good luck explaining this mess to him."

The group laughed and the mood lifted.

When we were back at the cave, I was helped off of the ship as we made our way into the heart of the cave where Batman and Red Tornado waited.

After we all sat down and waited for our report, Batman spoke, "You disobeyed orders, engaged the enemy, broke covert rules, and placed the lives of your teammates at risk. You each will be receiving written reports of the many, many mistakes that you made." We exchanged uneasy glances as he continued. "With that being said, good job."

My surprise was emanated by the rest of the team as we looked at him in disbelief.

"Being part of a team means adapting to new plans and choosing a leader," he explained. "While it was not the most successful mission, you still operated well as a team and were able to stay strong under pressure. Because of you, we were able to identify that Kobra is making a new weapon and distributing it. The league will look into the situation further."

Batman looked at each of us before stating that he was finished. As he made his way out of the cave, I was surprised to see Superboy approach me.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I nodded and followed him to a private room in the back of the cave. I sat down on the couch and looked up at him hesitantly.

"Is everything alright, Superboy?"

"I heard Sportsmaster at the platform," he admitted, searching my face for recognition. "I heard what he said about your father using you."

My shoulders dropped. "Superboy, I–" I struggled for words, "my father is…"

He held up a hand. Noting my confused reaction, he clarified, "I don't need to know the identity of your father. I know you were at Cadmus for a reason and I know you have some connection to whatever group made me, but all I am concerned about is if you are going to betray us and if Batman knows."

My eyes filled with a thin layer of tears that threatened to spill out. After a few seconds of silence, I spoke. "Batman knows. He's known from the beginning. I was serious when I said I wanted to protect the innocent and not be a pawn to Cadmus or anyone else. My loyalties lie with the team. You guys are the closest thing to family that I've ever had and I would never do anything to jeopardize that relationship. I–"

I was unable to form another sentence, but he sat down next to me and grabbed my hand. "Amara," his eyes met mine, "thank you for your honesty. I understand what it means to not want to be a pawn for Cadmus. They created me, but they don't control me. I believe you, and I'm on your side."

I leaned in to hug him. "Thank you, Superboy. I'm really glad I get to be on the team with you."

He smiled and rose to leave. I waited a few more seconds, letting the events of the long day sink in. Feeling the pain in my ribs once again, I rose to go get them wrapped. Exiting the room, I bumped into Megan, who was floating suspiciously close to the door.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "I'm sorry, I was just.." She trailed off.

"Were you trying to talk to me?" I asked, my head tilting to the side.

"Well…" She rubbed her elbow in discomfort. I was getting signs of hurt and unease and I was truly worried about what she was thinking. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Are you and Superboy a thing?"

Her question was so out of the blue that for a moment, I was completely stunned. "Megan?" I uttered. "What?"

She turned her head away. "I know it's a stupid question, but I need to know. I think of you as a sister already and if you and Superboy are a thing, then I don't want to interfere with anything going on."

At that moment, all I wanted to do was hug her. Her body froze as I wrapped my arms around her, must to the protest of my painful ribs.

"Now I'm confused," she admitted.

"I would never start something with Superboy," I clarified, looking her into the eye, "especially when it is you that he wants."

It was her turn to be surprised. "Me? But I thought–"

"Superboy and I are just friends. In fact, I see him more as a brother than anything. He and I both came from Cadmus so he's been helping me deal with some emotions but that's the only thing going on, I swear!"

Her face broke out in a giant smile and she tackled me in another hug. "Oh, thank you, Amara! This is great news, I had no idea."

"Pain," I muttered and I winced. She released me instantly. "Painful, ow. Aren't you suppose to read minds? Can't you just look in mine to see if I liked Superboy or not?"

She looked offended. "I promised I wouldn't do that without anyone's permission on the team. Everyone got made at my last time so I promised myself I wouldn't invade other's privacy."

I laughed. "Well, thank you. I respect that." Leaning close, I whispered, "Since we are on the topic of crushes, I'll admit to you and you only, I do have a crush on a team member."

She scrunched her nose, "Please don't say Wally."

I hit her on the arm, "No, please. It's Kaldur."

Her eyes widened as I nodded my confirmation, a slow grin coming to my lips.

"Oh, Amara!" She gushed, "You guys would be perfect together! I can't believe I didn't realize it earlier!"

I held a finger to my lips. "Quiet, Megan. The last thing I need is the entire team hearing this. But yes, now you know."

She smiled. "Now I know. Well, I wish you all the best with your crush."

I gripped her hand. "Same with you. Us girls have to stick together in this cave full of boys. Just know I'll always have your back."

"Same here!" She flew door the hallway, no doubt to see where Superboy wandered off to while I made my way to the medical wing. Opening the door, I was surprised to see Kaldur leaning against one of the tables.

"Kaldur," I spoke. "Hi."

He gave me a warm smile. "Hello, Amara. I was just wrapping a slight cut I got on my arm from the mission. I also wanted to see how you are doing?"

I floated over and leaned against the table next to him. I saw a thin, sterile bandaged wrapped around his arm. I traced my fingers lightly over it. "I didn't know you got hurt."

"It's nothing," he said, "just a scratch. How are your ribs feeling?"

I grimaced weakly. "Painful."

He pushed away from the table, grabbing a wrap from the counter. "Can I help you wrap them?"

I nodded slowly, reaching to my collar to undo my cloak. The fabric fell to the ground and I was left in my black bodysuit. The material was thin and flexible, so I didn't have to take it off as he placed the end against my sternum, placing my hand over the end before he began to wrap the thick fabric around my torso.

"I'm sorry this happened." His voice was soft.

I lowered my gaze. "It's nothing. I've always been a quick healer and it isn't too bad as long as I don't move."

He chuckled. "Yes, moving would be a bad thing for your ribs."

I watched as he tightly wrapped the cloth around my body. When the wrap came to an end, he took the safety pins and secured the end tightly in place. His body was so close to mine and my heart was beating rapidly. His hands were warm as they rested on my waist and I lifted my head to see him staring at me.

"Amara, I–"

I interrupted him to press my lips against his. The small movement sent fireworks through my body and I loved the way his lips felt pressed against mine. Pulling back, I looked at him, waiting for a response.

There was pain in his eyes and my heart stopped. My mind instantly went to the idea of rejection.

"Amara," his voice was pained as he took a step back.

"It's okay," I said quickly. Standing up, I moved towards the door to make my escape.

"Wait, stop." He grabbed my hand and pulled me back so I was facing him. His hand rose and lightly caressed my cheek. "Amara, this is very hard for me." A massive lump sat in my throat as he continued. "Everything that just happened felt so right, so perfect. Yet," he paused for a moment, "I'm confused."

My eyebrows pinched together. "Why?" I asked lightly.

"Because there is someone I left behind on Atlantis, someone important that I haven't fully let go."

"Oh." The lump was still lodged in my throat when I realized the situation. I was embarrassed by what I had just done. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

He gripped my hands tightly. "I'm just confused. I would never want to lead you on because I do like you, but I cannot accept your feelings until I'm certain of my own."

I lifted my hands out of his and took a step back. "I understand. I should have waited. Just let me know what you decide."

I left the room before I had the chance to look back at him. Tears spilled out of my eyes as I flew back to my room, avoiding the noise coming from the living room. I entered my bedroom and laid down on my bed, cluttering my pillow tightly to my chest. The pain I felt from my hurt ribs was forgotten as a new pain replaced it. I reminded myself that it wasn't a clear rejection, yet I couldn't get the look of pain from him out of my head.

I laid silent for a long time, contemplating what I should do to handle my emotions. Finally, I was able to close my eyes as I welcomed the darkness of sleep.

New chapter, hope you like it! More to come soon:)