A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long! I hope it lives up to your expectations.
Also, in response to a review: I understand your concern with ages. But remember that Ted Grant, the original Wildcat, trained Black Canary. The way I see it, she was training with Ted when Kara began her own training with him. That doesn't necessarily mean that Kara was living with BC at the time. She served as a role model until she became her mentor officially. During season 1, Ted is believed to be 92, and as stated in chapter one, Kara started living and training with Dinah when Ted turned 89 in 2007, due to Ted's retirement. However, due to a falling out between Ted and Kara that will be explained later on, she has considered Dinah as her guardian for the entirety of her training. As far as the designations go, in the show Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash were ordered based on how long they had been training as protégés. Technically, if Kara began training as Ted Grant's student when she was 10, she would have the most experience as a protégé/student.
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Young Justice.
Welcome To Happy Harbor
Star City
July 17, 23:23 PDT
Kid, Robin and Aqualad had tried to convince Roy to join the Team, but to no avail. Before they went home, they did manage to track me down and badger me into talking to him. I found him out on patrol near the docks.
"Heard you had some help taking down Brick tonight." I said as I joined him on top of a shipping crate. He didn't reply.
"Look, Roy, I know you're still upset, but you need to consider that this Team might be good for you." I placed a hand on his shoulder, "We would love to have you working with us."
"Sorry, Whiskers," he grunted, "But like I told the others, I don't want to be a part of something that's meant to keep me in my place. The only way the League will ever take you seriously as a hero is if you prove it. Your little Team is supposed to keep you from doing that."
"How do you know that for certain, Roy?" I countered. A grimace formed on his face, telling me that I had stumped him.
"Tell you what, Whiskers. Go on one of Batman's errands first, then we'll discuss this."
Mount Justice
July 18, 11:10 EDT
"Recognized: Wildcat, B zero-one."
I emerged from the zeta tube dressed in my civvies. A black long sleeve shirt (sleeves rolled up), an unbuttoned denim shirt (sleeves also rolled up), blue jeans, combat boots and a smart watch on my right wrist (yes, I'm left-handed). My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing my ash gray eyes.
"I trust that you spoke to Speedy last night?" Aqualad asked as I joined him at the holo-computer. I nodded.
"I did. But I'm afraid he's refused to join us."
"I expected as much."
"So did I. He's always felt the need to prove himself. His solo act is the only way he believes he can prove his worth to the League." I explained. Aqualad nodded in understanding. We were the two people that were closest to Roy, having known him the longest.
"How has your stay in the Cave been?" I asked, trying to pass the time before Kid and Robin arrived.
"Uneventful. Superboy has kept to himself, while Miss Martian has been moving in." Speaking of them, they joined us at the holo-computer about thirty seconds later. I gave them a quick nod as the zeta tube called out:
"Recognized: Robin, B zero-two, Kid Flash, B zero-four."
"Did you ask him?"
"What did he say?"
The boys bolted toward us, also in civvies, with excitement written all over their faces. The League's GPS system indicated that Red Tornado was almost at the Cave.
"Relax, guys. He's almost here." I laughed.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid asked before speeding off to the hidden entrance. We all took off running, unable to keep up. The entrance to the Cave descended, creating a grass covered ramp that led to the exterior of Mount Justice. Above us, a red cyclone became visible, drawing nearer until it reached the ground, dissipating and revealing Red Tornado.
"Red Tornado!" Kid shouted happily.
"Greetings." The robot replied in his monotone voice, "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the Cave?"
"We were hoping you had a mission for us." I said.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."
"But it's been over a week and-" Robin started to complain, but Red Tornado raised his hand to cut him off.
"You will be tested soon enough. For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company."
"This team is not a social club." Aqualad growled.
"No, but I am told that social interaction is an important team-building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourselves with the Cave." With that, the Leaguer brushed past us and entered the Cave.
"Keep busy. Does he think we're falling for this?" Kid asked angrily.
"Oh, I'll find out!" Miss Martian replied excitedly.
"Recognized: Red Tornado, one-six."
"I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind," she sighed. Kid placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Nice try, though. So, uh, you know what I'm thinkin' right now?"
I roughly punched the redhead in the arm, "We all know what you're thinkin'."
"And now we tour the clubhouse." Aqualad said resigned.
"Well, Superboy and I live here. We can play tour guide." Miss M offered. We all nodded.
"Lead the way." I said. Miss Martian's tour led us through the entire mountain, which KF explained had been hollowed out by Green Lantern and Superman when the League first started.
"So why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?" Superboy asked. Well...
"The Cave's location was compromised a while back, forcing the League to relocate." I replied, trying to avoid mentioning the Watchtower.
"So they traded it in for a tourist trap? Yeah, that makes sense." Superboy grumbled.
"If villains know of the Cave, then we must be on constant alert." Miss M exclaimed. Her reaction, however, wasn't necessary.
"Actually, Miss M, that's not necessary. We're basically hiding in plain sight. This is the last place they would care to look." I told her. She relaxed when I finished.
"Ah, that makes sense."
"I smell smoke." Superboy suddenly said. Smoke? Shit. We haven't even been here two weeks and we're already burning the place down.
"My cookies!" Miss M gasped. She instantly flew off toward the kitchen. We ran after her and saw her levitate a tray of burnt cookies onto the counter. "I was trying out Grammy Jones' recipe from episode 17 of-, heh, never mind."
I narrowed my eyes at her, but didn't question her.
"I bet they'd have tasted great. He doesn't seem to mind." Robin said, jabbing his thumb at KF who was stuffing his mouth. We all stared at him, making him stop eating.
"I have a serious metabolism," he confessed, mouth full.
"I'll make more?"
"It was sweet of you to make any." Aqualad said. The Martian smiled.
"Thanks, Aqualad."
"We're off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur."
"I'm Wally," the hungry speedster flirted, "See, I already trust you with my secret I.D., unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here. Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name."
"Mine's no secret, it's M'gann M'orzz. But you can call me Megan. It's an Earth name, and I'm on Earth now."
After a brief moment of hesitation, everyone looked at me, silently asking for my name.
"Don't tell me BC is making you keep your I.D. a secret too, gorgeous." Wally joked. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Kara. My name is Kara." I said. Across from me, I could see a small smile forming on Kaldur's face.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Superboy suddenly shouted. Next thing I know, a dull throbbing pain formed in my temples.
"What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically."
"M'gann. Stop." Kaldur commanded aloud, "Things are different on Earth. Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy."
"Besides, Cadmus' creepy, little, psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain." Wally stage whispered.
"I-, I didn't mean-" M'gann stammered.
"Just. Stay. Out." Superboy growled before storming off to the couch. A pregnant pause fell over us for a moment, which was eventually broken by M'gann.
"Hello, Megan! I know what we can do!" She flew down the hall toward the grotto, and once again, we followed. She turned back quickly to get Superboy who unwillingly joined us a minute later. In front of us, a red pod like thing was sitting on a landing pad.
"It's my Martian bioship!" M'gann explained.
"Cute. Not aerodynamic, but cute." Wally commented.
"It's at rest, silly. I'll wake it." A flick of M'gann's wrist caused the bioship to take its true form. The red and black ship did a full 180, opening a door for us to enter. We stepped inside and took seats that formed when we approached the key pads that lined the front of the bioship. M'gann took the helm.
"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors," she called out. Ahead of us, the doors opened and M'gann sent us flying out. We continued soaring over Happy Harbor for a few minutes before two separate conversations broke out. Aqualad was whispering something to Superboy, while Robin and Kid spoke to M'gann. I sat in silence, caught in my own thoughts.
Robin broke my train of thought when he called out to M'gann, "Hey! How about showing us a little Martian shape-shifting?"
The Martian smiled and stood up from her seat. Before our very eyes, M'gann changed into a feminine version of first Robin, then Kid Flash. The speedster swooned.
"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" he asked.
"It's very wrong, Wally. You may need some professional help." I answered with a grin. Wally glared at me while Robin laughed. Even Superboy cracked a small grin at my remark.
"Impressive," Rob commented, slowly clapping his hands, "but you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone with those."
M'gann changed back to herself and replied, "Mimicking boys is a lot harder. But I can do this perfectly."
I watched as she shifted into a mirror image of myself, down to the very last detail. My eyes widened and as I peered around at everyone else, I could see they had a similar reaction.
"What about your clothes?" I asked, curious. The Martian returned to her original form and grabbed onto her cardigan.
"They're organic, like the ship. They respond to my mental commands," she explained.
"As long as they're the only ones." Superboy growled. Another brief yet heavy silence fell over us before Wally piped up.
"Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?"
"Density shifting? No, it's a very advanced technique."
"Get this," I said with a smirk, "Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall. But when he tries it: bloody nose."
"Hey!" Wally yelled.
M'gann smiled, "Here's something I can do. Camouflage mode."
Outside, the ship became transparent aside from a reflective shimmer from the angle of natural light. It made us nearly invisible to the naked eye.
"Red Tornado to Miss Martian." RT's voice suddenly came up on the ship's comm, "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor Power Plant. I suggest you investigate covertly. I'm sending you coordinates."
"Received. Adjusting course." Miss M replied sternly. I whipped around in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest with scoff.
"Another attempt by Tornado to keep us busy."
"Perhaps..." Kaldur answered quietly.
"Well, a simple fire led the four of you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert." M'gann exclaimed. I nodded begrudgingly as we approached the power plant.
"I think I know the cause." Superboy suddenly said, staring out the window. I followed his gaze to see what looked like an F2 tornado. As plant workers ran from the site, we jumped out of the Bioship.
"Robin," Kaldur yelled over the winds, "are tornadoes common to New England? Robin?!"
The Atlantean and I looked around for the Boy Wonder but couldn't find him anywhere. I did, however, hear a faint cackle in the direction of the main building of the power plant. Rob must have done his annoying ninja thing again. I took off running toward the plant with everyone else close behind me. Once inside, we found Rob fighting a large red and black robot, who I assumed to be the cause of the emergency alert. As our opponent flung Robin into a wall, Superboy jumped in and started to charge the robot.
"Who's your new friend?" he asked.
"Didn't catch his name, but he plays pretty rough." Rob replied.
The machine rose up higher into the air before he began to speak.
"My apologies. You may address me as Mr. Twister."
Now that we had a name for our problem, KF, M'gann, Kaldur and I all charged him at once. But, like he had done with Robin and Superboy, Mr. Twister tossed away like pieces of trash.
"I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero. I was not, however, expecting children."
"We aren't children, you bucket of bolts!" I shouted as I charged again, and again being thrown aside.
"Objectively, you are. Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite disturbing."
"Well, we hate to see you disturbed." Robin replied sarcastically, "Let's see if you're more turbed once we kick your can!"
Twister slammed the two of us into a wall for a third time.
"Indeed. That was quite turbing." The villain said monotonously, before turning to leave, "Thank you."
This guy was really starting to get on my nerves now. I reached into my right breast pocket on my denim button-up to pull out my clawed gloves. I slipped them on as I began to make my way outside, my eyes never leaving Twister as he confronted Wally. Luckily, M'gann came to his aid when Twister attempted to blast him into the wall of the plant. I ran out to join the others as they gathered around Wally.
"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now," the android said smugly.
"What do you want!?" Kaldur shouted over the gusts of wind that Twister sent our way.
"Isn't it obvious?" Twister replied, "I'm waiting for a real hero."
I suddenly came up with an idea, "M'gann! Read his mind! Find out what he's thinking!"
The Martian looked over at me, "I thought I wasn't supposed to do that!"
"It's okay with the bad guys!" Robin answered for me. M'gann nodded and focused her gaze on Twister as her eyes began to glow green.
"Nothing. I'm getting nothing," she muttered before saying, "Hello, Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's inorganic, an android. And how many androids do you know that can generate tornadoes?"
Realization hit the rest of us simultaneously, but Kaldur was the first to speak.
"Red Tornado sent us here."
"After saying we'd be tested soon enough, this is his test. Something to keep us busy."
Anger swelled inside me as I realized that Roy was right.
"Speedy called it. We're a joke." I growled.
"This game. So over."
Wally, Kaldur, Robin and I all stepped closer to the android.
"We know who you are and what you want." The Boy Wonder started.
"So let's end this." Kaldur finished.
"Consider it ended." Twister replied.
The android raised his arms and created a large storm above his head.
"Impressive. But we aren't giving into your little game." I shouted. As soon as I had finished speaking, twin bolts of lightning cracked above us. And after knowing Tornado for years, I knew for a fact that he couldn't do that. This wasn't Red Tornado.
"Uh," Wally yelled, obviously confused, "Can Red Tornado do that?"
"You think I'm Tornado? Ironic." Twister replied sarcastically as he began to move toward us. Superboy leapt up in an attempt to knock the android off his high horse, but a large gust of wind sent both him and the rest of us onto the ground. As Twister was about to strike again, M'gann raised her hand and separated us from him using the bioship in camouflage mode.
"Fine, then. I won't deny you children have power. But playing hide-and-seek with you would not help me achieve my objectives. So stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy." With that, the android turned and flew away.
Once he was gone, M'gann moved the bioship away. Wally sat up and groaned.
"What happened?"
"I placed the bioship between us..." M'gann said weakly. Superboy punched the ground twice.
"And that's supposed to make it right," he growled, "You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado!"
I held up a hand to silence him.
"Relax, she didn't do it on purpose."
"It was a rookie mistake," Robin agreed, "We shouldn't have listened."
"You are pretty inexperienced." Wally sighed.
"Hit the showers. We'll take it from here." The speedster instructed.
"Stay out of our way." Superboy added. I wasn't completely on board with leaving M'gann behind, but Wally was right. Her inexperience put her at a disadvantage. So, with reluctance, I turned away and took off after Robin.
We found Twister tearing up the pier of Happy Harbor. Clearly, he wanted an audience because he was creating chaos throughout the residential areas that lined the water.
"Certainly this will get the required attention!" he declared. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw KF speed towards him.
"You've got ours! Full and undivided!"
Twister batted Wally away.
"Immaterial and insufficient! You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!"
I smirked as I moved into the clearing, ready to fight.
"Funny! I was about to say the same thing to you, you bucket of bolts!"
"Listen to me; all of you." M'gann's voice rang through my head.
"What did we tell you?!" Superboy growled.
"I know! And I know I messed up. But now I'm very clear on what we need to do. Please. Trust me."
There was a heavy moment of silence. I was the first one to reply.
"Alright. I'm with you, M'gann. But if this plan of yours doesn't work..."
"It will. I promise."
We never should have doubted M'gann. Her plan worked perfectly, aside from the brief moment when thought she had killed a guy. When we returned to the Cave, Aqualad and I filled Red Tornado in on what had happened.
"Clearly it was sent here to sabotage or destroy you, Red." I finished.
The Leaguer nodded in agreement, "Agreed."
"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" M'gann asked.
"No. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine for me."
"But if you're in danger-"
"Consider this matter closed." Red cut the Martian off and began to walk away.
"Batman, Black Canary, Aquaman and Flash would've jumped right in to fix things." Wally muttered.
"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need." Robin replied.
I nudged him hard in the ribs.
"A little harsh, don't you think?"
"And inaccurate." Tornado called out, "I have a heart; carbon-steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing."
The Boy Wonder rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Heh. Right, sorry. I'll strive to be more accurate."
"And more respectful." Kaldur added.
The four of us began to walk over to the zeta tubes together.
"Speedy was so wrong." Wally suddenly said.
"This team thing,"
"Might just work out."
I entered the nearest zeta tube to return to Star City, the thought of our first victory as a team making me smile the whole time.