Welcome back one and all! Yet another chapter has arrived just for you!
Allow me to wish each and every one of you a very (belated) Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, please accept a Happy Holidays instead. I hope that everyone had a nice safe and happy time during this season, especially as we prepare for the New Year. Speaking of the New Year, this will be the last chapter uploaded until 2019. But don't worry, I'll be back relatively soon with it. Hopefully the extended waits won't be nearly as numerous. But with another semester of school starting next month, we shall see.
This was definitely a fun chapter to tackle, and one that I've been excited to do for a while. The next one will be yet another one of these, so I hope you folks enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
But first, as always, let's check out some of the reviews!
rmarcano321: Id there a theme to this fanfic? Again, not really. There are some underlying slight themes about independence, maturity, and the usual limit to respecting authority. But those were also present in the original source show. As for my favourite villains, Marvel is easy. Doctor Doom is the single greatest comic book villain in all of recorded history, and he is also my absolute favourite from the House of Ideas. As for DC, I love the Riddler and I love Lex Luthor. They're just enjoyable in how calculating and indirect they can be. Although Darkseid is always enjoyable, as is Snowflame.
darthwolf: Don't worry, Clark will get what's coming to him. Eventually.
Malchior the Bad: Yeah, I suppose I did take forever, didn't I?
Celgress: Oh you have no idea how frightening she can be. We've only scratched the surface.
Dion ComicWiz: Always good to hear from you my friend. Ace was definitely a sly stand-in for Layla. As flawed as House of M was, it's definitely got some highlights, and Layla was one of them. Yeah she doesn't really hold back either. Her subtly and presence are definitely far above anyone else they've encountered so far, so it's so much fun to explore exactly how much more powerful she can get. I'm glad you liked Nina's introduction. There will be more for from her later in terms of what she'll do for the team, and I'm definitely excited to explore it. Heh, Jason potentially being a secret weeb was just too fun to pass up, but I'm not sure if I'll really pursue it later. Maybe if it fits the time for another joke. Ashley and Keemia's relationship has been something I was excited for since the beginning, so I'm definitely ready to work on it more and build it up. It's a cute dynamic. I'll admit that I'm unsure about the Shadows/Assassins classification. For now, the Shadows are just that, so I don't really know if the Assassins will become a plot point in the future. I actually had to go and look up what exactly the H-Dial was, but from what I saw "Dial H for Hero" sounds hilarious. I don't think I'll be adapting it though. I already have a bunch of stories and ideas and characters in the plan already, and that might just overcrowd it a touch. Wendy and Marvin will be their counterparts from the YJ show just to keep it simple. As for Wonder Dog, he already had a tiny little cameo in Sandman Unlimited. It was in "Ultimatum" if I can recall correctly. As always though, thank you for your in-depth review.
7-Eleventh: Trust me, Conner will be getting a last name. And it will be fitting. He won't be going to school with Megan however... "Revelations" Will for sure have an expanded Injustice League roster, and I've already finalized just who will show up. Gotta keep some surprises though. Jason will not be appearing in this chapter though. It was just getting a little too crowded already and I wanted to make sure everyone got enough screen time. Coldsnap will be appearing again VERY soon. And yes, as you've mentioned previously, I have noticed the various members of the Fearsome Five that have appeared previously. I will not be adapting that team though. Too crowded in the future plans already.
Guest from Nov 21: As I have said multiple times before, there will be no major Marvel crossover in this story beyond the elements that have already appeared in the previous chapters and in Sandman Unlimited. There will be NO THANOS.
Zeo: No, they will not be having a biological son.
Mysterygirl145: Sandman being a hero surprised me at first too. But I grew to love it so fast. It definitely is a surprise to find out what exactly has happened to your favourite characters outside of TV and Movies. And yeah, damn you joker. I have to admit though, I never once considered who exactly would be voicing who in my series. The Justice League would definitely keep their voices from Young Justice or else JLU. Especially Batman, because Kevin Conroy is amazing and Zatanna was played best by Jennifer Hale. Frost and Shark have their Assault on Arkham voice actors, and Sandman keeps John DiMaggio from Spectacular Spider-Man. You know what, Shocker and Rhino keep their Spectacular Spider-Man voice actors too. As for Keemia, she gets voiced by Danielle Judovits, no question.
TheGreatGodzilla: The scenes with Zatanna from "Humanity" will be changed so that a different character fulfills a similar role. Marvel stuff may be mentioned if it becomes relevant. It already happened several times in Sandman Unlimited (Flint mentions the Secret Invasion and Civil War after all), but they won't be frequent. The entirety of the League knows of the other world, but it is kept under incredibly tight security. "With great power comes great responsibility" already got tossed around in the previous story, so it'll probably show up again... eventually.
Thank you for all the reviews you've left! It helps me out immensely to see the warm response every time, and I always enjoy receiving them.
And now, for the disclaimer: I own nothing but my original idea. Young Justice and all related characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Keemia Marko and all related characters are owned by Marvel and therefore Disney. Please support the official releases.
Now away we go!
Taipei – September 7th, 19:20 NST
"This is Cat Grant, reporting from Taipei where the historic peace summit between South Rhelasia and North Rhelasia has completely broken down." The blonde reporter said with her usual smile. The journalist was one of many who had come overseas to report on what was to be a historic event. The two warring countries had arranged the meeting between their leaders to form a peace treaty.
However, the tensions between the two countries proved to be far more prevalent and hostile than presumed. Their long-standing feud and history of bad blood had proved to almost be their own undoing as the talks moved forwards.
"As a last resort, Prime Minister Tseng of South Rhelasia and North Rhelasia's General Singh Mann Li have agreed to bring in an independent arbitrator." The reporter continued as her cameraman moved to get a better view of the two leaders. Tseng was dressed in a sharp business suit, surrounded by several bodyguards who appeared much like the secret service. Li, however, was dressed in his finest military garb, surrounded by several of his own private soldiers who had formed a near impenetrable barrier around their leader. Despite the guards, both leaders still took time to cast dirty looks at their counterpart.
"But who is it?" Cat asked rhetorically. "Speculation has run from the secretary general of the United Nations to Superman. But the Man of Steel seems unlikely as I'm told the arbitrator is due to arrive by car, not cape, at any moment."
Off to the side and behind a large pillar, Roy Harper looked out at the crowd of onlookers, his eyes hidden by dark sunglasses. He carefully scanned the crowd, looking for any particular figures, before adjusting the tie on his suit. The archer had chosen to dress similar to the rest of the security detail to ensure he blended in as well as possible. Still, even with his best efforts, he would have to remain vigilant if he wanted to avoid detection.
'Maybe I should have asked for that glamour after all,' he chastised himself mentally, remembering an offer that Keemia had made to him when he first mentioned this mission to her and Kaldur, before spotting a figure of interest. His eyes narrowed before he pressed the communicator in his ear.
"Aqualad," a voice from the other end answered.
"Red Arrow," Roy greeted simply. "I need access to the Justice League's database, and the exact height of the League of Shadows assassin known as Cheshire."
"Wow Roy, didn't know you were that dedicated to the espionage stuff." Keemia snarked as she and Aqualad worked together in the Team's mission room, searching through the databases on their holoscreen. "So does this make me your equivalent to Otacon?"
"No, that would be Kaldur. You'd be lucky to be Mei Ling." Roy answered smirking ever so slightly.
Keemia huffed indignantly as Kaldur simply rolled his eyes. "Checking…" he muttered before the database loaded the results they were looking for. "Cheshire is 1.67 metres."
There was an extended silence. "Um…"
"She's 5'6", and exceptionally dangerous." Aqualad clarified, warning his friend of the danger posed.
"Don't take her lightly Roy. Single hand-to-hand combat is her forte. She'll bait you until you're vulnerable, and you can only avoid her poisons for so long." Keemia warned. "Also, get on the metric system already."
"Noted," Roy said, rolling his eyes. "Didn't know you cared so much."
"You're one of my best friends Roy, of course I would care." She said before pausing. "You're still mad about me turning you down, aren't you?" she accused. Several months back, before the Team was even formed, Roy had attempted, somewhat unsuccessfully to ask Keemia out on a date. She had been polite enough in her refusal, but the awkwardness around them was definitely palpable in the months following.
"No, it's not about that!" he said sharply before sighing. "Sorry for snapping. I guess I'm just stressing myself out here. Anything else you can give me on Cheshire?"
"Try and play distance if you can. She has exceptional skill at long range with her knives, but it's definitely weaker than you with your bow. If you have to engage close quarters, always watch her trailing hand. It'll carry the knife with the most potent toxin." Keemia said, remembering her own fight with the assassin a few weeks prior. "My advice? Try and grapple her, then try to dislocate some fingers. It'll halt her effectiveness, and hopefully distract her long enough for a takedown."
"Understood," he nodded, returning focus to the crowd.
"Do you require backup?" Kaldur asked.
"Please, the last thing I need is the Junior Justice League." Roy scoffed, before pressing a button on his sunglasses which immediately scanned the crowd for individuals matching Cheshire's height.
"Just our computer," Kaldur replied with his own rarely used sarcasm.
Roy snorted at that before his scan suddenly picked up an almost identical figure. He focused more intently on one of the merchants who was standing inside a magazine kiosk, before receiving a positive confirmation on their identity. Cheshire was here.
"Got her," Roy said.
"Be careful out there Roy. Djinn out." Keemia warned him again, as Kaldur nodded.
"Good luck my friend, Aqualad out."
As his friends dropped their end of the call, Roy pressed a button on the suitcase he was holding to reveal his bow, before readying it in case Cheshire made her move. He carefully drew it, mindful of his surroundings before the sounds of approaching vehicles drew his attention back to the front of the building. A police escort, led by motorcycles was carefully guiding a limousine out in front of the building. Clearly, the third party delegate had arrived.
"The arbitrator has arrived," Cat said excitedly as she urged her cameraman to get a good shot of the limousine. Roy ducked behind a few low-lying bushes before looking out at the magazine stand. Cheshire had disappeared from inside and instead emerged onto the roof, in her full assassin garb. It seemed in place of her usual subtly, she had instead opted for the basics. A massive RPG was clutched in her hands as she took careful aim at the limousine.
Her finger slowly started to depress the trigger, before Roy suddenly fired the arrow he had notched in his bow. It met its mark, striking her hand and startling the assassin enough that she launched the rocket straight up into the air and off course. The effect was immediate, as the crowd started running away in a panic, with the police escort moving to protect the limo. Both Tseng and Li were immediately put into a protective formation by their guards as Cat, and her cameraman simply opted to crouch low to the ground, out of the line of fire.
"Did you get that? Did you get that shot?" she asked her frantically nodding cameraman.
Cheshire rolled her eyes under the mask before deciding to use the distraction of the sudden panic to her advantage. She leapt from the roof, running across the shoulders of the fleeing onlookers before landing in front of the car. Two guards immediately attempted to stop her, but the assassin easily knocked them aside with a flurry of kicks. One grabbed her from behind, but she lifted herself into the air, kicking two more away before twisting out of his hold and sending him crashing to the ground with a well-placed uppercut to his solar plexus.
She drew her twin Sai before rushing the car, nimbly dodging out of the aim of the numerous guards who were attempting to shoot her before Roy leapt out. He fired another arrow, this one releasing a net which Cheshire easily cut through. But that only proved to be a distraction as he easily tackled her to the ground afterwards, just as her rocket returned to earth, detonating the magazine kiosk she had been hiding in moments before.
Cheshire rolled along the ground with Roy before ending up on top straddling him. She got her bearings long enough to see the dozen or so guards who were levelling guns right to her face. "Don't move!" one of the guards yelled dangerously as the assassin put her hands behind her head in surrender.
"We have just witnessed an assassination attempt, live." Cat said excitedly, looking right into the camera, as the driver of the limousine stepped out "Thankfully, no one seems to have been hurt, including our mystery arbitrator."
'Oh my god… it can't be.' Roy thought to himself as he looked at the driver, recognizing her immediately as Mercy Graves, the head of security at LexCorp. 'It is… then that means…" he thought before his eyes widened in disbelief.
He stood up gasping in surprise as he saw the man himself stepping out of his limo, before adjusting his tie, as he gave Mercy an appreciative nod. Cat seemed to echo his surprise as she too was utterly floored by the mystery arbitrator being…
"Lex Luthor?"
After the initial shock of the attempted assassination had worn off of everybody, Cheshire was placed in heavy cuffs before being detained by the local law enforcement. The police drove off with the assassin as Mercy looked at the car with interest, a phone clutched in her hand. She ended her call before nodding once to her billionaire boss.
Luthor nodded back before turning to the rest of the law enforcement, who had seen fit to place Roy in cuffs as well for his own involvement. "We have confirmation. This one's Green Arrow's pal, Speedy."
Roy was silent for a moment before looking away almost indignantly. "It's Red Arrow now."
"He must be questioned," the on-duty police captain insisted before Lex shook his head.
"Lex Luthor vouches for him, captain. Release the sidekick." He said, taking in a great deal of satisfaction from the look of annoyance that Roy shot him.
"Ex-sidekick." Roy scowled as the cops removed the cuffs from his wrists. "And I don't need any favours from you."
"My apologies," Luthor said with a subtle smirk as Roy started walking away. "I didn't realize you wished to join the young lady behind bars."
Roy stopped before turning and levelling a flat-glare at the billionaire. "You may have everyone here fooled Luthor, but I know what you are." Roy scowled, still clearly remembering Luthor's past history. While the rest of the world seemed to have forgotten all about Lex's criminal record, which was in itself missing from ever database on Earth, the League and all of their allies still had clear memories of it. A fact that amused Luthor to no end as he seemed to relish the thought at every opportunity, almost taunting the League with his renewed success.
"Oh, I don't pretend to be an angel. It just so happens that this time I'm on the side of the angels." Lex corrected before walking into the embassy with Mercy and Roy hot on his heels.
As soon as the three had entered, they immediately noticed the numerous reports clamoured around the base of a staircase just across the room ahead of them. At the top of the stairs on a small landing, both Rhelasian leaders were surrounded by their guards, and very clearly in some sort of heated argument with each other.
Cat was quick to continue with her cameraman in recording the events as they unfolded. "The violence outside has not helped the peace process." She reported as Tseng shot a jeering look at his North Rhelasian rival.
"Hiring assassins, Li? Had you no one among your own troops to do the North's dirty work?" The Prime Minister accused.
"I need no assassins Tseng!" General Li denied vehemently, as one of his soldiers held the raging general back until he had regained his composure. "Such is the method of a Southern coward!"
The two leaders quickly devolved into insulting each other in their native tongues as Cat watched the argument, almost in disbelief. "Tensions are running high, and troops are amassing on the border between the two countries. Right now, Lex Luthor seems to be the best, or only, hope for peace."
Roy frowned as he took all of this in before he shot an accusatory sneer at the billionaire. "Why should either side trust you?"
"Because LexCorp is a company founded on peaceful enterprise for all humanity," Lex answered simply, giving what was clearly a pre-rehearsed and often used speech.
"Cut the act Luthor," Roy scowled. "I've got intel linking LexCorp's shell companies to the sale of weapons in both Rhelasias. You're profiting off this war. So what's your angle?"
Luthor looked at the hero, almost bemused before he leaned in closer. "War income is pocket change compared to the billions that can be made investing in a peaceful, united Rhelasia." He said before shrugging. "Besides, isn't it better to have peace even if that scoundrel Lex Luthor profits from it?"
"That scoundrel may not survive to profit. Cheshire failed, but the League of Shadows won't stop until the contract is fulfilled." Roy pointed out.
"Which does beg the question, who hired the League?" Lex asked, giving Roy a pointed look.
"And… were you really the target?" Roy asked in realization as he turned to look at the bickering leaders. "Or was your death just a convenient way to sabotage the summit?"
"Allow me to hire you to find out," Lex offered.
"Your money has blood on it, and I'm not here to make a buck," Roy said as Luthor simply chuckled.
"So, you'll provide your services, but for free?" Lex asked, placing a hand on Roy's shoulder. "I can live with that, hero." He chuckled before removing his hand and straightening his jacket. "Now, excuse me. I have a hemisphere to save." He smirked before walking up the stairs to the Rhelasian leaders. "Gentlemen, gentlemen. Shall we attempt some smiles for the cameras?"
Mount Justice – September 7th, 06:41 EDT
Down in the garage of the Team's base, Conner held a wrench in his hand, his face focused intently on the bike in front of him as he tightened another piece of the frame. His interest in cars and motorcycles had been a recent development, but after helping Flint with his car the other day, he discovered he really loved being a mechanic. If not a hobby, he was determined to make a career out of it one day.
He hummed to himself as the Sphere he picked up in Bialya rolled around behind him, trying to get his attention. When that didn't work, it moved right up to the clone before nudging his back gently. Conner smirked before chuckling. "Jealous much?"
The sphere rolled back, making a few beeping noises as it spun in place, before rolling towards him again. Conner laughed, stopping it with one hand. "Alright, alright." He relented, wiping some of the axle grease from his face with a spare cloth.
"Ready for school?" M'Gann called as she flew into the garage, flanked by Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Kaldur, and Keemia. "I made our lunches."
"The first day of a scholastic season carries great cultural resonance," J'onn said in his usual flat tone. "We want to wish you both well."
"No need for that. I'll be showing Conner around, after all, he's going to be going to my school." Keemia pointed out, hefting her book bag onto one shoulder as she gave Conner a wry grin. "Bet you conveniently forgot about that little detail, huh?"
"I might have," he deflected, his own smirk adorning his face. "Guess it's a Kryptonian thing."
"You may wish to change before you depart," Kaldur advised.
"He's got a point. The general public might be ignorant to your identity for now, but dressing like that would be pushing it. Not everything works like a pair of glasses." Keemia nodded.
"Ah, I spent hours choosing this outfit," M'Gann said eagerly before shifting from her uniform into a white shirt, with a red cardigan and matching skirt that went to just above her knees. She had long white socks and black flats, as well as a red headband. "What do you think? Can M'Gann M'Orzz pass as an Earth girl now?"
Kaldur looked at his still green teammate, his face skeptical, while Keemia held back a laugh at the Atlantean's hesitance. "Well…"
"Just kidding!" the Martian laughed before her skin turned a Caucasian tone. "Meet Megan Morse." She greeted again, curtseying a little with her skirt before she turned to Conner. "What's your last name going to be Conner?" she asked curiously.
Conner gave a meek smile, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, it's still a little new to me but…"
"His full name is Conner Marko." Keemia interrupted, drawing Megan's attention away from the blushing clone. "My dad and step-mom decided to invite him into the family for real. As of last night, he's been adopted into the Clan Marko."
"So you two are siblings for real now? That's amazing!" Megan exclaimed as Kaldur nodded in approval, placing a hand on his teammates' shoulder.
"Congratulations my friend. It must be nice to have a real family after so long."
Conner looked away for a moment before giving a grateful smile to Keemia. "Yeah, it is." He nodded.
"Well, Conner Marko still needs to change his shirt," Megan said, pointing to the S-Shield on his chest. "You don't want to go revealing your identity."
The clone looked at it for a moment before sighing and taking the shirt off and turning it inside out, before showing it to the Martian girl. "Will this work?" he asked as Megan looked at the clone, her face tow tinged pink with a deep blush.
"Works for me." She swooned as Keemia face-palmed.
"Ugh, break it up you two. We still need to prep you before you head off to school. Don't want to make any faux pas." She said before handing Conner a sheet of paper after the clone had put the now plain black t-shirt on. "Oh, and here's your schedule for the term."
"Thanks." He nodded before the three walked off to finish getting ready. "Wait, whose idea was the art class?"
J'onn, Tornado, and Kaldur watched them walk off before the elder Martian sighed wistfully. "They grow up so fast."
"Aren't you going to ask me anything?" Cheshire asked coyly, as she went through various tai chi exercises in her cell. After his little confrontation with Luthor, Red Arrow immediately suited up and left for the police station, hoping to get answers out of the would-be assassin. However, he had spent the last several minutes just watching her from the other side of the bars.
"I think you know what I'm after." He said matter-of-factly, his face impassive. 'Why do all the gorgeous ones have to be assassins?' he asked himself mentally before shaking his head to focus.
Cheshire noticed his little slip and smirked wider. "I do, actually. Do you?" she asked, stretching provocatively as she rested her left foot against the bars. Roy stepped back before folding his arms across his chest.
"Who hired you?" the archer asked. 'And why didn't anyone warn me about her using seduction as a distraction?'
Cheshire simply shrugged. "Shadows."
"Who hired them?" Roy asked again.
"I don't ask." She answered before merely giving him a sultry wink.
Roy stood his ground, trying as hard as he could to fight against the blush that was working its way across his face. "What's the end game? The peace summit, or Luthor himself?" he demanded, his patience wearing thin.
Cheshire finished her exercises before pointing a finger gun at the young archer. "Two birds, one stone." She said before her hands found themselves placed on her hips. "Hey, where are your little sidekick friends? They're always fun to play with, especially the sorceress and Ar- …chery girl." She corrected. "I like her."
"She- they, aren't in my league." Roy countered.
"And you think you're in mine?" Cheshire asked as she moved to the bars before reaching through, grasping Roy's shirt, and pulling him forward until their faces were only inches apart. "Where's Green Arrow when you really need him?"
"I don't," he said slowly, trying to keep his cool.
"Sure about that?" she asked, cupping his face gently as she slowly pulled him closer. Roy's thoughts were running at a mile a minute as he went over every possible variable that came to mind. 'Okay Roy, don't panic. You're just about to be kissed by a world-class assassin. Dick has Kori, why can't you get one? No, she's a murderer. She needs to be brought to Justice! But… I could use some help in the romance department. Maybe I am still feeling Keemia's dejection… what the hell. Why not?' he decided, about to give in when Cheshire suddenly let go and ducked to the floor.
Roy took all of two seconds to put the pieces together. "Oh shit…" he muttered before the wall of the cell suddenly exploded inward, launching Roy across the room as a massive hole was blasted in the far side of the jail. A rope slid down from above, and along with it, Sportsmaster.
Cheshire coughed at the dust before giving the other assassin a scowl. "Ugh! It had to be you!"
"Beggars can't be choosers little girl." He pointed out, clearly amused by the situation. "Coming?" he asked before sliding down the rope. As soon as he was out of the way, Cheshire followed down behind him.
Roy was back on his feet a few seconds later, cursing himself for his negligence before he ran up to the roof and looked out over the edge. He could see the two making their escape together, running across adjacent rooftops as they hurried to a hovering helicopter. The archer fired a grappling arrow to a nearby skyscraper before using it as a zip line with his bow to follow after them.
Despite their head start, he was quickly able to catch up with them. However, the assassins soon took notice of this. "I admire persistence, but…" Cheshire mused before throwing a shuriken with deadly accuracy and severing the rope of the zip line. Roy dropped and rolled to the roof below him before continuing his pursuit on foot.
Sportsmaster and Cheshire made it to the helicopter, leaping inside as Sportsmaster strapped himself into the co-pilot's chair. "Go, go!" he urged the pilot, as the helicopter slowly took to the air again. Roy was right behind him, another grapple arrow being fired into the helicopter before he held onto the rope as it took off with him. Sportsmaster looked at the archer in disbelief before turning to Cheshire. "Are you even trying to ditch this guy?"
"I really hate to admit it, but he has a point." She called to Roy, almost apologetically, before she used her Sai to cut the arrow in half. With his tether to the chopper now broken, Roy was sent falling dozens of feet to the roof below. Thankfully, he fired a foam arrow in time that he broke his fall with the cushioned substance.
Roy grimaced before crawling out of the foam and retrieving a small device from his pocket. He pressed a button before the screen showed the location of the helicopter and where it was flying. It seemed that while Cheshire had broken the arrow, she failed to notice the tracker that it had left behind on the chopper.
After having escaped the archer, the two assassins arrived at a nearby base for the Shadows, where Cheshire restocked on her gear. Now clad in her usual favoured mask, she stared Sportsmaster down, her arms firmly folded across her chest. "Because I'm a professional, I won't kill you. At least not while we're on the job."
"You wouldn't have this job if not for me. Grow up already." Sportsmaster admonished her, apparently unfazed by her intent to kill him.
"The evening's agenda was to create strife between nations, not my assassins." A third voice called to them, this one cultured and refined, and very experienced. Cheshire immediately bowed out of respect as Ra's al Ghul stepped out of the darkness and towards his agents.
"Master," the young woman greeted.
"And client." The leader of the Shadows greeted. "So, twice disappointed in your failure." He said with a frown as he walked down a small staircase towards the two. "Luthor has been a thorn in my side for too long, and peaceful countries rarely call upon the League of Shadows. So I expect a better outcome and less interference from that boy." He said before staring behind them, as the two assassins followed his line of sight, seeing Red Arrow perched on the roof behind them, listening in to their conversation.
"Perfect…" the archer sighed before standing up from behind his cover and firing an arrow at the aged master of the Shadows. Sportsmaster was quick to intercept as he used a javelin to easily knock the arrow off to the side while Cheshire immediately sprang into action, running at the archer.
Ra's stepped back into the darkness as his assassins took over, dodging Roy's flurry of arrows as Cheshire leapt onto the roof first, her Sais drawn and ready for the attack. She used them to deflect two more arrows before making a broad swipe at the archer, forcing him back across the roof and out of her range. Another one of his arrows just skimmed through her hair before she sent a flurry of blows right at him. He deflected the first few, until her knee connected solidly with his gut, winding him for a second until he got back into the fight, exchanging punches and kicks with the young woman.
Sportsmaster wasn't far behind, leaping onto the roof before flinging a large discus at the two. Cheshire ducked out of the way, as Roy attempted to block with his bow, only for the metal disc to break through it and continue its sailing flight through a nearby roof. Roy flipped away to the edge, before taking stock of the two assassins that were slowly moving in for the kill. He looked to the river thirty feet below him, before looking back at the two with undisguised hate.
"I hear you go by Red Arrow now." Sportsmaster mused. "Heh, more like 'Broken Arrow'."
Miami, Florida – September 7th, 07:58 EDT
"Alright, welcome to my stomping grounds," Keemia said, holding her arms out dramatically as she led Conner through the front doors of her high school. "This is where I get to cause my usual ruckus until the job takes over."
Conner looked around the tightly packed halls with a grimace. He didn't like people at the best of times, so the large crowds were going to take some getting used to on his end. "Looks busy. Do you expect me to know everyone's name?"
"Oh hell no, just the important ones," Keemia said, shaking her head with a laugh before pointing to three individuals who stood of to the side. "Like those three!" she said before dragging Conner off to her friends. "Conner, these are my friends; River, Cupcake, and Loma. Guys, this is my brother Conner."
"A brother? I would have expected long-lost twin." River snarked, shaking Conner's hand.
"I would have said evil body-double." Cupcake chimed in.
"I would have said an alien replicant." Loma joked as Conner gave his own small smirk.
"Hey, keep it quiet. The invasion is supposed to be a secret right now." He joked before the four broke into a fit of laughter.
"Oh, he'll fit in nicely." River nodded with a grin. "So how you related to Keemia?"
"Oh uh… I'm adopted. It became official last night." Conner said, rubbing the back of his head before he stuck his hands in the pockets of his new brown leather jacket.
"That's really nice of your family to do that Keemia." Cupcake said cheerily.
"Hey, it's the least I could do. Besides, he's saved my ass in the field before, so I kinda owe him." Keemia shrugged before Conner looked at her in surprise.
"They know?!"
"Yes we do, and there's no need to worry," Loma assured him. "Your activities are kept confidential between the five of us. After all, I'm also a hero in the field." She greeted before demonstrating a few of her meta-powers by generating a swirl of colours and shapes from her hand. "My identity is Shade, the Changing Girl, and I'm the current owner of the M-vest."
Conner nodded, still unsure, before looking at River and Cupcake. "What about those two?"
"Oh, we're just regular kids. We leave the fun stuff to you guys." River said, holding his hands up in surrender before Keemia gave him a noogie.
"Kilts aren't normal and you know it!" she teased.
"They are a fashion statement you uncultured swine!" River defending, trying in vain to get the sorceress off of him, while Conner just watched them, unsure of how exactly to react to this.
"Are they always like this?" he asked as Cupcake nodded.
"Yep. This is normal for them."
Cheshire and Sportsmaster both moved closer to Roy, their hands each clutching their signature weapons tightly; sais for Cheshire, and javelins for Sportsmaster. Roy sighed, admonishing himself mentally for the situation he found himself in. Cheshire simply gave him a friendly wave before Sportsmaster threw one of his javelins. Roy leapt aside to dodge, but the weapon exploded, knocking the archer off of the roof and into the river below.
Sportsmaster threw the other javelin after him, as Roy dove into the water and the javelin after him. Seconds later, there was another massive explosion sending a mass of large waves through the water. Sportsmaster watched the river carefully as Cheshire walked to the edge alongside him.
After a few seconds with no sign of Roy, she looked to see her compatriot walking away from her to continue the job. Casting one last longing glance at the water, she soon followed on after him, leaving the site of the hero's supposed demise.
However, on the other side of the building, Roy emerged from the water before gasping for air as he weakly dragged himself onto the shoreline. He took a few seconds to breathe, trying to get air back into his lungs before he touched the communicator in his ear.
"It's me. I may… possibly, be in over my head."
"The League of Shadows wants you dead," Red Arrow said bluntly, his arms folded as he looked across the room at Lex. Luthor was currently in the middle of preparing for the next leg of the peace talks, as Mercy worked carefully to make sure his suit was all nice and clean.
"Doesn't every League? I know Superman's certainly thought about it." Luthor remarked with a chuckle, remembering the Justice Lord counterpart of the Man of Steel, who had killed the Luthor of his home reality.
"It's not just Cheshire, its Sportsmaster. And Ra's al Ghul himself." Roy added, distinctly unimpressed with Luthor's apparent apathy towards the situation.
"I can't say I'm surprised." Luthor shrugged, as Mercy carefully slipped his jacket on. He straightened it out. "Ra's is something of a, competitor of mine."
"Then maybe I should stand aside and watch you take each other out," Roy said snidely. Luthor simply rolled his eyes before smirking again.
"You stab at pragmatism is, well, adorable. But the summit and the peace are at stake, remember?" he reminded the archer as Mercy buttoned up his jacket before straightening his tie, finally finishing her work. Luthor nodded appreciatively to his bodyguard before looking at Red Arrow. "We'll increase security. Though, if the Shadows think you're dead, maybe we can surprise them."
Roy then bore his own smirk as he stepped towards the billionaire. "I've got a better surprise."
"So this art teacher of yours, he's really some incredibly powerful immortal being?" Conner asked skeptically as he observed Mr. Walker up at the front of the classroom, guiding the class step-by-step through the new water-colour techniques they were trying out.
"Yep. He's the embodiment of an integral part of the cosmos." Keemia nodded, carefully wetting her brush before she dabbed it on the paint block. "He's also better at sculpting."
"Have you heard his poetry? He's supposedly submitted some works to an international journal." Cupcake said eagerly, looking up from her own canvas.
"That sounds awesome. Might have to subscribe for a few issues to make sure I get it." Keemia grinned as Conner just looked at her oddly.
"How are you so okay with this? He's practically a god, and you're just acting like its normal for him to teach you how to paint?" the clone asked, before attempting the same techniques for himself.
"It was stranger back when I first met him. But to be honest, it's not really affected much. Sure having someone that strong in your school can be… humbling at times, but he's a normal guy. He's got thoughts and opinions just like everybody. And he's also got responsibilities of his own. Granted, he spends most of his time avoiding them, but still." She answered before getting a text on her phone. She looked at it before her eyes widened. "Crap I gotta run."
"What's the matter?" Conner asked, looking at her curiously.
"Kal just texted me, he needs some help with an… assignment." She said, trying to keep their cover.
"Would you like a hand?" Conner offered.
"I would, but Kal wants as few as possible. Something about keeping the circle small to avoid detection." She said, packing her things.
"What about Mr. Walker, won't he notice if you leave?" Conner frowned.
"We can cover for her. Besides, he knows the truth anyway, and he doesn't care. He rather applauds her for it." Loma shrugged. "In any case, I hope you're done before your date tonight."
"You have a date?" Conner asked curiously as Keemia suddenly blushed a dark crimson.
"Yeah, Keems' been wanting to ask this girl out for a while, and she finally got the chance. Better not mess this up." River teased.
"Girl? You asked out a girl? You're a girl…. You can do that?" Conner said, trying to process this new information.
"Yep. And I can tell that those little gnomes didn't give you absolutely everything about the real world, just the abridged version. We're gonna have to get you up to speed," Keemia said hurriedly before hefting her bag on her shoulder. "Now don't tell anyone on the team, okay? This isn't coming out until I'm ready." She said before turning to leave. As she did though, she looked at his canvas before smirking. "That's a nice painting of Megan, by the way." She said before leaving.
Conner blinked before looking away in a huff. After Keemia was gone though, he looked back at the canvas before giving the smallest of smiles. True to her word, the painting did resemble Megan quite a bit.
Back with the negotiations, the two parties had been moved to a large table where the South Rhelasians sat on one side, and the North Rhelasians on the other. Luthor sat in the middle of the table, dividing the two factions, with Tseng on his right, and Li on his left. Right behind Luthor, Mercy and Red Arrow stood ready as guards, carefully watching over the presiding in case any more assassination attempts were made.
"The unification is unthinkable," Tseng said adamantly. "Our peoples no longer have anything in common."
Luthor simply chuckled good-naturedly as he folded his hands together. "Gentlemen, this is mere rhetoric. Despite your differences, you still share an appreciation for many things." Luthor said, looking from Tseng to Li as he spoke. "Such as the exquisite art of the Rhelasian tea ceremony."
Both leaders looked a little more relaxed by this statement, as a young woman dressed in traditional Rhelasian ceremonial garb approached, pushing a tea cart with her towards the crowd. However, two figures in front of her turned quickly to stop her.
"Ooh, we got ourselves a little sneak," Keemia smirked before dropping her glamour to reveal herself in uniform as Djinn.
"That is far enough, Cheshire," Kaldur said defiantly, holding one of his water bearers out as a warning to her. At the mention of the assassin, the crowd immediately turned in interest, as Roy drew one of his arrows from behind Luthor, aiming it at the Shadows' assassin.
Cheshire scowled a little at being discovered so early, before smirking as she pressed a button on the cart, launching it at Kaldur. The Atlantean was prepared, however, as he pulled the water from all of the glasses on the dignitaries' table and using his water bearers, made a large wall in front of him. Before the wall closed, Roy fired an arrow at the cart, which exploded and detonated the bomb on the cart prematurely, before it could harm anyone.
The force of the blast blew out all the windows on either side and slowly started forcing Kaldur back as his jacket was torn away. Keemia was quick to respond as magic circles surrounded her hands and she rushed forward. "Ecrofnier eht reirrab!" she said as a wall of arcane energy helped to support the water against the explosive force as two giant bronze statues collapsed from the strain.
Once the explosion had ended, Kaldur dropped the water, panting heavily from the exertion. He then leapt over the downed statues alongside Djinn and Red Arrow, where they found Cheshire. The assassin had been thrown away by the initial blast, but she was on her feet again quickly.
"It's over Cheshire," Roy warned, aiming his bow at her.
"You would think so," she smirked before a helicopter rose from outside the broken window behind her. Sportsmaster and several more Shadows assassins leapt out as Tseng commanded his guards to attack them. With a small army behind them, Cheshire drew her sais before getting in a ready stance.
"Take Sportsmaster!" Roy ordered Kaldur and Keemia. "Cheshire's mine."
"So territorial and only our third date." The assassin mused as Keemia shrugged.
"You know, I'm all for you branching out and seeing other people, but could you have picked someone other than the assassin?" She asked, exasperatedly.
"What? Aren't I pretty enough for him?" Cheshire asked coyly.
"What, no! I mean, yes you're gorgeous but… oh damn it!" Keemia stammered, before covering her rapidly blushing face with her hands. "J-just shoot her already." She asked before Roy complied, letting his arrow loose.
Cheshire easily deflected it. However, it was only a distraction for Keemia and Kaldur to leap over her as they pursued Sportsmaster. The older assassin was fighting the security detail for the peace signing and was easily trouncing the baton-wielding guards without even drawing his own weapons. After kicking one aside, he was soon met with a mace of water from Kaldur's water bearers striking him in the chin before Keemia was right underneath him with her hands glowing. "Ygrene tsrub!" she said before a beam of light forced Sportsmaster back further.
He drew one of his javelins, just as Kaldur rushed him, swinging his maces with deadly precision and forcing the assassin to go on the defensive as he deflected the Atlantean's strikes, before attempting to jab him with the javelin. Kaldur dodged, before Keemia came at him again, swinging her staff to deflect the next blow away harmlessly.
Red Arrow notched two more arrows in his bow before firing them at Cheshire. Much like before, however, the assassin was easily able to deflect them. "You called two of your little sidekick friends. But didn't you tell me they weren't in your League?"
"That's a little uncalled for" Keemia huffed, clearly offended before Sportsmaster kicked her in the gut, sending her flying across the room. Once she was gone he rushed forward, clotheslining Kaldur and sending the Atlantean to the floor before he drew his next weapon; a large mace on the end of a chain. He whipped it around his body to gain momentum before swinging down at Kaldur. The Atlantean rolled out of the way just in the nick of time to dodge as the weapon instead cracked the floor behind him.
Luthor watched the fight from afar, distinctly unimpressed, while Tseng and Li were flanked by two of their own bodyguards. Mercy had taken point right next to Luthor, ready should anyone attempt to move closer.
Keemia groaned, clutching her chest before she stood up slowly, seeing Cheshire still engaged with Roy. She growled before rushing forwards, her hands covered in magical flames before the sucker-punched the assassin in the kidney from behind.
Cheshire clutched her side before looking to Keemia with a smirk. "Oh, don't tell me? You're jealous that he's spending so much time with another woman."
"Puh-lease, he's more like a brother to me." She scoffed.
"Really? But he's so cute," Cheshire taunted, rushing Keemia with her sais before the sorceress summoned her staff to block the strikes.
"Trust me, I don't see it." Keemia dead-panned before throwing a fireball at Cheshire, who narrowly dodged it.
"Am I right that there is some tension there?" Cheshire asked, noticing Roy who had since gone on the defensive against another Shadows assassin who attacked him. "I've seen the way he looks at you."
"Trust me, I have too." Keemia nodded, blocking another strike before the two girls stared each other down from their deadlock. "He asked me out once, and I said no. I just wasn't interested. I really hope he finds someone though."
"Really? Why weren't you interested?" Cheshire asked, slowly inching the tips of her sais closer to Keemia's throat.
"Because I'd rather date someone of your persuasion."
"Oh, assassin?"
"No, female." She shrugged, surprising Cheshire and leaving the assassin dumbfounded. Seeing her opportunity, Keemia grinned before her hands suddenly glowed a violent, crackling blue. "Hctirdle tsalb!" she yelled as the massive blue beam struck Cheshire dead on, sending her flying back into the assassin that Roy was fighting.
With classes finished, Conner had since moved out to the track field, where he was currently reclined in the wooden bleachers. He stared out across the field blankly, watching the buses load with students before leaving. He was so engrossed that he didn't even notice the figure walking over until they stood next to him.
"Something on your mind?" Loma asked curiously, as Conner turned to look at her.
"Uh… I guess?" he said, unsure of that himself. The girl sat next to him, careful that she wasn't sitting on her coat, before looking at him expectantly.
"Well? Fire away. Maybe I can help." She offered.
"Well, you said that Keemia had a date right? That's something you do with someone when you like them?" He asked.
"I am fairly familiar with the concept, so yes. That is in fact what you do." Loma nodded.
"Well… how do you know if you like someone?" he continued, as Loma cocked her head curiously.
"That's a little harder to say. It's different for everyone really." She mused, her chin cupped in thought. "I guess the main thing is that, no matter what, you still like them. Even if they annoy you or even if you're angry. If they're on your mind, both through your worst moments and their own worst moments, I think that's when you know you like them."
Conner nodded in understanding. "So, should I ask them out?"
"Well if you're unsure maybe you should take some more time to figure that out. You'll never know if it's for real without checking first." She reasoned. "One thing I can say is that if it gets to be life-threatening, then you'll know. Your true feelings really come out if their lives are on the line."
"Uh… I don't think it'll get that bad." Conner chuckled before standing up to leave. "Thanks for the advice by the way."
"No problem. I like helping people. If they feel groovy, then so does the world." She smiled before standing. "Out of curiosity though, who is this girl that you like so much?"
"Oh uh, her name's…. her name is Megan. And she goes to another school." He said carefully.
"Ah, I see. I was a Megan once. That was fun." She said, giving a knowing nod as she remembered the painting he worked on in art class. "Well, I wish you luck with that." She grinned before seeming to literally shimmer out of his sight as she vanished in a brief burst of colour. Conner looked around in surprise for a moment, before opting to leave. He grabbed his backpack before walking down the bleachers and heading towards home.
Since the blast had left Cheshire so close to Roy, she decided to attack the archer yet again as the two exchanged kicks and punches with each other. She swung at him with both legs before attempting to stab him. However, he was ready and blocked with his bow before swinging it at her like a club. She swiftly jumped away to dodge his attack before throwing a flurry of shuriken at him, which he nimbly deflected much like she had his arrows.
Sportsmaster meanwhile, had drawn a fencing foil and was currently engaged in a sword-fight with Kaldur while Keemia took care of the numerous other assassins who tried running for the dignitaries. Kaldur deflected several strikes before Sportsmaster chuckled.
"Not bad, lad. Better than your team did at Santa Prisca or Bialya." He taunted.
Kaldur's eyes widened in shock hearing that. "How did you…"
"Let's just say I have an inside source. Very inside." He taunted again as Kaldur stared him down with a glare. Roy climbed on a statue behind the two, intent on shooting the assassin while he was distracted since Cheshire had once again moved to engage Keemia. However, he soon got a better idea as he looked up to see the numerous sprinklers all along the ceiling.
"Aqualad, let's end this!" he declared, before firing an explosive arrow at the sprinkler, detonating it. The smoke, however, activated the dozens of other sprinklers all along the ceiling as water poured down on the fighters below.
Kaldur nodded before summoning his power to take all of the water and formed a massive serpent from it. He then sent it after all the assassins, knocking them aside and astray before it stood poised to strike at Sportsmaster, who watched it impassively.
"Oh, now we're talking!" Keemia grinned, watching the serpent before Cheshire suddenly leapt away from her and landed in front of Sportsmaster. As she fell, she drew her mask and placed it on before drawing a smoke-pellet and launching it at the ground under the serpent's chin.
It detonated immediately, with the explosion weakening the water's integrity as it could no longer hold its form, while the smoke produced covered their escape. Roy and Keemia regrouped with Kaldur before coughing at the sudden smoke.
One assassin, however, managed to escape the confusion and leapt from the smoke at Tseng and Li with two swords drawn and intent to kill.
Luthor turned to his bodyguard before nodding. "Mercy." He said, in a tone she knew all too well.
At his command, she raised her right arm, which promptly transformed into some sort of railgun before firing a bolt of energy at the assassin. It struck him dead on, sending him crashing to the ground where he convulsed from the electric energy in the bolt.
Djinn, Red Arrow, and Aqualad all searched around them as the smoke cleared, but found that there were no attackers left and that the Shadows' elite assassins had made their escape. Tseng and Li meanwhile, looked at Luthor in surprise as Mercy's arm returned to its standard form.
"Gives new meaning to the arms race, doesn't she?" the billionaire chuckled before planting a gentle kiss on Mercy's cheek. Of all the people in the world, the only one that Lex Luthor cared for was Mercy Graves. In spite of the billionaire being notably vain and narcissistic, he still had a genuine affection for her. She was his most trusted confidant, running LexCorp during his leaves of absence, and she was rather adamant in her role as bodyguard. It was this loyalty that made her willing to undergo the cybernetic enhancements in the first place.
The two dignitaries sighed in relief before stepping forward and shaking Luthor's hand. "That technology is most impressive Mr. Luthor." Li complimented.
"We owe you our lives, sir," Tseng added as the three young heroes looked on in disbelief.
"They owe him their lives?" Roy asked snidely, jerking a thumb to them.
"Of course they do." Keemia sighed, shaking her head. "Stupid cueball."
"Yes, quite a coup for Lex Luthor." Cat Grant said with a broad smile, as Luthor sat at a table with Tseng and Li on either side of him, just in front of the grand marble staircase in the lobby of the building. Both men were signing documents, while Luthor looked satisfied with the turn of events. "Under his leadership, North and South Rhelasia are signing a treaty, which could eventually lead to reunification."
Kaldur, Roy, and Keemia gave one last look to the billionaire before quietly slipping out the front doors of the building, having seen enough. "I can't believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor," Roy grumbled.
"Believe it. It could have been a lot worse." Keemia grimaced. "He could have gloated about it."
"And it was not for Luthor, it was for peace." Kaldur corrected. "Beyond that, if Ra's and the League of Shadows wanted to sabotage the summit, the signing of the treaty renders their contract moot. It is over."
"Is it?" Roy asked before cocking his head to Keemia. "We heard what Sportsmaster said. Do you really think there's a mole on the team feeding him Intel?"
"I dunno Roy. It sounds sketchy to me. Besides, they might just be trying to sow disarray. It's entirely too convenient that it comes now of all times." Keemia countered before looking to Kaldur. "Right Kal?"
"I cannot rule out the possibility." He sighed before looking back at the two of them. "I will investigate, quietly."
"Not tell them?" Roy frowned as Keemia looked appalled by the suggestion.
"I do not want the unit unravelling over baseless suspicions." He explained. "And if there is a mole, I have no wish to tip him or her off."
"Still though, that's a big risk Kal. What if it blows up in your face? It could fracture their trust with you as a leader. These are our friends, we're supposed to trust them," Keemia said worriedly. "And what about me? I know too, how am I supposed to operate?"
"As though you didn't know a thing. I will trust you to help me investigate, but I also trust that you can keep yourself safe if the worst happens." Kaldur said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be able to handle this."
"Good luck with that." Roy chuckled before giving a mock salute and turning to leave.
"One moment my friend," Kaldur said, stopping him. "Tonight you could have called Green Arrow for help. Or the Justice League. Instead, your first instinct was to call the cave."
"You're right." He nodded, turning back to them. "The team deserves… has my respect." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm still getting used to this solo act stuff. But if you need me, I'll be there." He smiled before shaking Kaldur's hand.
After that, Keemia suddenly leaned forward and hugged him tightly, looking him in the eyes. "Thank you, for trusting us I mean."
"Is it true…? That you like girls, I mean." Roy asked carefully, not wanting to upset her. Keemia frowned, trying to compose herself correctly before she nodded.
"Yeah, it is." She confirmed. "I'm really sorry Roy, but it just wouldn't work between us. You're too high-maintenance for me." She joked as Roy gave a small laugh.
"And you're too sarcastic for even me to handle." He fired back as Keemia giggled lightly.
"That's the spirit." She smiled before leaning in and kissing his cheek. "Take care Roy. Hopefully, we can talk about this again under more… casual circumstances. We'll definitely need to clarify some things moving forward." She smiled before releasing him from the hug as he nodded with a smile and walked off.
Lafayette, Louisiana – September 7th, 21:26 CDT
"Thanks again for dinner. It was really nice of you, and I enjoyed it a lot." Ashley said shyly as Keemia walked her back up to her front door.
"Hey, I thought I would try to make our first date as special as possible, while also being relatively easy to get eased into." She shrugged. "It's new for both of us after all."
"I know, but I still appreciate it." Ace smiled, pausing in front of the door as she wrapped her arms around the back of Keemia's neck. "Well definitely have to do this again sometime though."
"For sure. Maybe next time we can see a movie?" Keemia offered, her arms wrapping around Ashley's waist.
"I'd like that." She nodded, before smiling. "Although there's nothing wrong with relaxing in a coffee shop."
"Heh, now you're speaking my language." She grinned before the two leaned in to kiss each other. Neither one noticed the door behind them opening, however.
"A-hem!" Amanda Waller said sternly as the two girls suddenly broke apart. "Hands where I can see them." She ordered.
"Y-yes ma'am!" Keemia said as her face flushed red in embarrassment and she raised her hands up in surrender.
"Hmph. I suppose you're the girl that Ashley here is so smitten with?" Waller questioned as Keemia seemed to shrink under her gaze.
"Y-yeah, I'm Keemia. Keemia M-Marko. We met briefly at Mount Justice." She nodded, carefully extending her hand, but Waller ignored it. This whole time, Ashley was watching in a mixture of horror and embarrassment.
"Yes, I know of you Miss Marko. And your father." Waller nodded. "Just know that I expect you to follow every rule to the letter. You followed her curfew tonight, and that's good. But I expect that your behaviour around Ashley will be nothing but exemplary at all times. Is that clear?"
"C-crystal…" Keemia nodded nervously.
"Good. Because if you don't follow these carefully defined rules, or worse, if you decide to break Ashley's heart, I will know." She said threateningly before a red sniper dot appeared on Keemia's right temple. "And I will take every motion necessary to ensure such an action is never repeated, by you or anyone else."
Keemia was now, quite literally shaking in fear as Ashley saw the dot before gasping. "Floyd!" she yelled indignantly at a nearby tree, which seemed to be the source of the sniper dot.
"Sorry Ashley, you know how the boss gets." Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, announced from his perch. "She asked me to do this, and she's really convincing as you know."
"Besides, we're really fond of ya, and we just want'cha to be safe!" a second voice called from a bush under the tree.
"Harleen?!" Ashley cried out as Keemia looked to her in surprise.
"Does the squad just live in your house or something?" she asked as Waller chuckled briefly.
"No such luck. They actually live in the trustee house next door. Sort of a mediator towards rehabilitation. But the threat still stands…" she said before snapping her fingers as the dot disappeared. "Remember, best behaviour only. Ashley only deserves the very best."
"Well, we can certainly agree on that one." Keemia nodded hastily before looking at Ashley. "I'll see you at the cave, I guess?"
"Yeah, you will." She nodded. "Call me sometime?"
"Absolutely," Keemia nodded before activating a magic charm in her pocket to teleport her back home. Once she was gone, Ashley immediately turned on Amanda with a scowl.
"I can't believe you embarrassed me like that!"
"What? Can't I have a little bit of fun?" Waller asked. "I was just teasing, it's not like I was actually gonna hurt her."
"She's right, the cartridge is empty," Floyd called from the tree before he climbed out and walked into the trustee house next door.
"Despite what most people think, I'm not actually a sociopath." She shrugged. "I only want what's best for you. Besides, you have to admit, her face was priceless."
Ashley stared at her for a moment before relenting with a sigh. "Yeah… yeah, it was pretty priceless." she nodded before entering the house with Waller.
"Priceless, and I got it all on tape!" Harley grinned, emerging from the bushes before returning to the trustee house to show the rest of the squad.
Miami, Florida – September 7th, 22:32 EDT
Seconds after activating the charm in her pocket, Keemia reappeared back home in her bedroom. Zatanna was vehement in regards to her stance to long-distance teleportation. It wasn't that Keemia couldn't perform such feats, it was just that it put far too much strain on her body. Just going one state away could force her into exhaustion, to say nothing of Keemia's attempts to push further.
As such, the unique charms were a solution to this problem. Each one held the magical essence of a few locations Keemia frequented; her house, Mount Justice, and the House of Mystery. They were still new, and Constantine was always tinkering with the enchantments to "improve them," much to Zatanna's chagrin, but they got the job done.
"Well, at least I can say they work." Keemia mused, looking at the charms on the bracelet she had placed them on before she left her room for the kitchen. As she walked past Conner's room, she would notice the open door and see the clone tinkering with something on his desk. "Trying to build your own toaster?" she asked with a smirk.
Conner fixed her with a mock glare before shrugging. "It's a compact radio. I'm trying to see if I can make it work on my bike. Just need to make the wires work between the two." He reasoned.
"Sounds pretty advanced. You're really getting into this car stuff."
"Everyone needs a hobby." He reasoned before turning to her. "How did the date go?"
"It was perfect," she said contentedly, hugging herself as she spoke. In her mind she could still imagine that Ashley was there with her.
"I'm glad to hear it," he nodded, but he looked a little unsure of himself. "Um…"
"You want to know how to ask Megan out on a date?" She asked bluntly. Conner looked at her, blushing faintly before he shook his head.
"I was actually just going to ask if it's a good idea."
Keemia frowned a little at that, cupping her chin in thought. "I don't see why it wouldn't be. But I suppose you're just not ready?" she asked. He nodded in affirmation before she continued. "In that case take your time. Just be careful; she might lose interest by the time you come around. It could be too late one day, and she'll end up dating Barry. That poor girl," she said with a mock shudder before she left. Her laughter echoed down the hall to the kitchen as Conner looked in the doorway after her.
He stared into the empty hallway before returning his attention to the desk. He no longer had any interest in the radio, setting the tools down before he stared off out the window and at the moon. As he did, his thoughts wandered back to the green-hued girl as a smile slowly came to his face.
"That went well," Lex grinned, pouring brandy into two glasses at the bar counter of his hotel suite. "Both Tseng and Li were quite impressed with Mercy's… equipment, and are quite literally buying into the peace."
He shrugged a little at that, before talking both glasses and walking towards a figure on the other side of the room, offering one of the drinks to them. "Our plan to ensure the eventual reunification of Rhelasia, under LexCorp's political and economic guidance, is a success."
Ra's al Ghul reached out before taking the offered glass from Luthor and giving his own triumphant smirk. "And thus, another corner of the world… sees the Light." He said before the two clinked their glasses together in a toast.
And done!
We get some romantic tension building as well as some backstory building too. Always nice to have a double-dose of character development. And it helps flesh out the dynamic of Roy, Kaldur and Keemia. While Roy is friends with most of the rest of the team, Keemia and Kaldur are his two closest friends. They would go to hell and back with him, and he knows it. He'd better not screw it up.
Also, it's the return of Lex Luthor. About time he showed up, eh? I loved writing every single aspect of his dialogue in this chapter, and what do you know? He loves Mercy graves. It seems appropriate for him honestly, and I always shipped him and Mercy. It was just a match made in Heaven.
Cheshire was also a lot of fun to write. I can't for her to return.
Conner has been officially adopted by the Markos. This was always the plan with him from the beginning and it helps develop the relationship between him and Keemia. It'll also help with the eventual end of his mini-arc with Superman.
Oh, also something about a traitor? But that's probably nothing.
Next time though, things get dangerous. Very, VERY, dangerous. Conner and Megan will have to go into the lion's den to complete a mission. Who will go with them? What will they learn? Who can be redeemed? And will any of them live to overcome these... "Terrors"?
Find out next time!
As always, be sure to read and review!
See you guys in 2019
Ciao for now!
~WafflesTheApprentice