Chapter Warnings: The chapter is rated a very light T for Teen for mild swearing.

The Markings of a Hero

Chapter Sixteen: When Pressure Builds Pt. II

"Elias… Are you up?"

Eli's eyes rolled off of the lit screen in front of him and bore a hole into his bedroom door. He was in pain thanks to the combined efforts of the Black Canary and the newly introduced Green Arrow. And while Eli recognized who the Green Arrow was (then again, it was hard not to know a famous multi-millionaire playboy) he was not at the liberty of discussing that information with anyone due to the guy's insanely great aim. Eli would not want to be overheard by his new mentors and risk an arrow hitting him from Ivy Town.

Painfully, Eli rolled out of bed and sat his laptop down on the empty bed. "Yeah Mama, I'm up." The boy trudged towards the door and opened it. "I'll be ready in a few minutes. Just give me a moment."

Leila studied her son before shaking her head. "You overdid it again, didn't you?"

"No," Eli answered. It was a blatant lie that somehow managed to come out less sarcastic as it sounded in his head. Black Canary's training was brutal but Green Arrow's… Seriously, pulling the bowstring of a bow took more energy than most people knew. "I'll be down in a second."

Leila's lips thinned but she took in a calming breath and nodded. "I'll be ready."

"Okay."

Eli slowly closed his door afterwards to not offend his mother but regain some privacy within her house. He had to get everything out of his mind for a moment- at least for the day. Leila would sense it and then things would go south from there.

She was already suspicious about last night.

Eli had joined his mother, his half-brother, and stepfather for dinner at Good Knight's Pizza and Subs the previous night. The scene for their "family dinner" was not the problem. If anything, it had been the highlight of the night as Eli was a big apizza fan. But Eli was not a fan of Robert's questioning Eli's private life such as Barbara.

However… Due to Eli's earlier meeting with Dinah and her boyfriend, Eli was all too tired to even give the man the natural attitude every other teenager has against their stepparent. Instead, Eli could only shrug his shoulders every now and again and that had somehow alerted Leila that something was not right. All in all, the woman was a hawk when it came to spotting small changes in Eli's character and he feared that sooner or later, she would uncover his activities as Hornet.

"Elias, if you don't hurry, you'll be late for work!" Leila called.

Eli's eyes rolled upwards to the ceiling. Maybe today would be the day where he could take his frustrations out on some poor dumbass who crossed Hornet. Hell, if he was really lucky that person would be Bookworm and/or Tobias Whale. But if he could not get to them then a couple of low-lives starting with the staff of the Stagg Youth Home Program would do.

And then the SRC…

So what has happened since Hornet ran roughshod through Gotham City? There were many things that directly and indirectly happened.

The death of Firefly had been a major red flag that waved over the GCPD. To have some murderous "hero" claim that the GCPD had crooked cops was not good publicity. Having a known villain, one brought in by Hornet no less, die in custody less than twelve hours of his arrest did not do the boys in blue a favor.

The Hound escaping was also a very big thing and had Jim Gordon furious. To have a man who worked for several mob families within the city literally slip from the grasp was something the seasoned commissioner was not too pleased about and had demanded that the fugitive be found immediately. Of course, Jim's worry that the Hound would wind up dead by the Hornet was seen the last time Nightwing spoke to the GCPD commissioner.

And the Hound most likely would.

There was also a mysterious murder of Officer Mo Anderson the day of Hornet's last sighting in Gotham. The man had his throat hacked in one clean slice- something uncommon from Hornet victims. His partner claimed that Hornet was not there but a girl in green with a sword. Nightwing knew that that description matched the girl who had aided Hornet in New Camford. It was a long shot but Nightwing was sure that if she was present in Gotham City this entire time, then Hornet didn't kill those guys in the Gotham Narrows. She did.

"Slept down here again?" The teasing question came from one Barbara Gordon.

Well damn. And just when he thought he would get away with it too.

"Late night," Richard grumbled as he attempted to fix his dark tresses with just his hand. He had no idea when Barbara had gotten to Bludhaven or even when she entered the bunker. But here she was, present in tight blue jeans and a pink Wonder Woman t-shirt, in the warehouse.

Richard studied her smirk and groaned. "Don't you have to work today?"

"Would I be here if I did?" Her response was both cheeky and obvious, two things people normally hated to hear right after they woke up. But for Richard, it signaled to him that Barbara was in a good mood. "So, what have you learned?"

"On?"

Barbara shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. You're obviously working on something. I thought it would be on Tobias Whale but I busted some of his guys last night and Nightwing was a no-show."

"Three different robberies," countered Richard as he sat up on the medical bed that he was previously sleeping on. "And that doesn't start with the losers rioting in the Narrows." His blue eyes followed Barbara as she walked over to the computer stationed in the satellite cave. "You need something?"

"The guys from last night," Barbara said while typing something into the computer. "Said something about deliveries from Dakota City to New Camford that were stopped. I didn't know much about it until I looked it up earlier and," Barbara pressed the enter key and turned to face Richard, letting the monitor reveal her discovery. "Seems as if you have help."

Richard got up from the bed in tank top and shorts that he had slept in. He looked at the two articles that Barbara had pulled up.

Barbara, seeing Richard already reading one of the articles, continued, "Seems as if you and Hornet aren't the only ones chasing after Tobias Whale and his group. Apparently Static and Rocket have been doing the same thing."

"Problem is," replied Richard, still reading the screen. "I don't know Static or Rocket… Yet."

"And you know Hornet?"

"I trust Hornet. Big difference." Barbara released a disapproving grunt that gained the boy's attention. "He's a little rough around the edges, but he's smart- way smarter than you give him credit for."

"I don't see deaths caused by Static or Rocket either." Barbara gave her usual argument.

"That point is getting smaller and smaller," Nightwing conceded before getting back on track. "What do you know about the shipment that went to or from Dakota?"

Barbara crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "Nothing much. Just that it was a few drugs- coke and weed mostly- and that there was some hold up in New Camford that forced the shipment to come to Gotham. The guys I got were pretty useless."

"And that," said Richard snapping his fingers. "Is where Hornet comes in. Nothing scares these guys more than eying death, or someone that can bring it to them, in their face."

"Anyway," Barbara did not easily concede when her mind was made up on one thought or the other. "They weren't much help but when I pieced together that it was a Whale shipment, I came here with the information."

This got Richard to lift his brows in surprise. "You came here right after you got the information? You didn't sleep or call your boyfriend in-between the time?" Barbara scoffed as a spray of pink appeared on her cheeks. "So you did both of those things, huh?"

"So what if I did?" was the defiant response from Barbara.

"Hey, I'm just getting your story straight. Nothing personal." Richard said with his hands held in front of him in a surrendering fashion. "No need to be hostile about it."

Barbara turned in her seat. "Back on topic, if Static or Rocket has any new information on Tobias Whale, you're one step closer to bringing him down."

"You're right," Richard said. "What do you we know about them?"

"Rocket was a partner of Icon and apparently has been doing this for a while. From reports, she seems to be a smart vocal girl. Quite strong too."

Richard nodded his head. "Another you with strength. Just what I needed." Barbara scoffed. "And Static?"

"Goes by Static Shock or just Static. Lightning powers probably gained during the Big Bang. He's been a hero for a year, maybe more. Nothing but a local hero but useful." Barbara explained. "From what I saw from news reports, he's a bit a showboat. Could probably be the guy that pushes your friend in yellow over the edge."

Richard took in the information. Counting the possibility of Rocket and Static that made seven members of his unnamed initiation.

Firstly, there was Batgirl. Batgirl's strengths lied in her computer hacking abilities which he admits surpassed his own. She was also a good fighter, an incredible acrobat, and a pretty damn good detective. The redhead was also a pretty good on-field medic and not a bad cook. Batgirl was family friendly which helped with public opinion of vigilantes and could be the middleman- middle woman actually- between the group and the local authorities.

Next was Hornet. The guy was not the best at sneaking around but made up for it with his detective abilities and fear factor. Hornet was also patient enough to know when and where to strike, gaining evidence on Holocaust without the Bang Baby even knowing. Hornet's blunt somewhat rude manner made him someone Richard did not trust standing in front of a microphone and camera but the younger adults and teenagers loved the guy's rebellious attitude.

Speedy was someone that Richard had met only once and it was a quick meeting at that. Due to some difference(s) between Bruce and Oliver (as well as Batman and Green Arrow), Robin and Speedy did not exchange a lot of words. Despite this, Richard knew that he and the redhead archer were quite similar; Speedy being more of a, dare he say, dick than he was. Speedy was short-tempered at points but was just as ready to leave Green Arrow's shadow as Robin was with Batman. Richard only knew this as the term "sidekick" seemed to trigger Speedy on a deep personal nerve. However, the archer was crafty, sneaky, and unafraid to face danger in the eye.

Then there was the relatively unheard of Wonder Girl- Wonder Woman's apparent daughter. The blonde was shown using strength above the average human being and she could fly but nothing much was known about her. Richard had planned to go down to D.C and meet her to see just how well that pair up.

"Dick, did you hear me?"

Richard glanced at Barbara. "No, sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you could tell me more about Tobias's operations." Barbara repeated.

"From what I've uncovered-"

"With Hornet, no doubt." inputted the redhead.

"Fine. What we uncovered," Richard restated before continuing. "Tobias is pushing drugs and weapons to gangs and smaller organization in exchange for property and money. He controls several neighborhoods in Metropolis, Gotham, Bludhaven, and New Camford. He's going westward with Dakota in his sights. But with Killer Moth currently locked up at the moment, his weapon distribution will drop and he'll need to find a new weapons supplier."

Absorbing the information, Barbara gave Richard a small nod. "Killer Moth's weapons were high-grade and manufactured by Killer Moth himself. Without Moth, Whale would have to search the black market for more weapons."

"Thankfully, Hornet's been able to track down a number of Moth's weapon caches. I'm sure he can find the others." Barbara seemed skeptical of Richard's answer though the former Robin ignored her cynicism. "I won't say that I approve of his methods, but I do like his potential and results."

"His potential to do what exactly? Kill half of Whale's organization and scare the others into Arkham Asylum?" countered Barbara.

"You don't have to agree with his methods but the fact is that neither of us took down Killer Moth or Firefly. He did."

"Yes. And he did that after killing several of men who were working for Killer Moth. So-"

"I don't think he fired that rifle. And neither do you," Richard's words gained a small shrug from Barbara. "I'm not asking you to become his best friend but trust me on this one. I don't think Hornet is as bad as they make him seem. He actually cares about saving people."

"I hope you're right." Barbara said with an exasperated breath.

"I know so," responded Richard. "Now are you coming with me? I need to go check something out."

Barbara frowned. "Where are you going?"

"D.C., of course," Richard answered while looking back at the screen. "There's someone I have to see in person."

Barbara quietly told Richard that she was "okay" with his decision to go but the boy hardly paid her much attention. At the moment, Richard was thinking about Tobias's operation and how Static and Rocket could aid him. He would most likely have to read up or watch their heroics online before making his way to Dakota City. He had to make sure that the pair could be as helpful to him as Hornet had been in leading up to taking in Killer Moth and Firefly.

Richard thoughtfully hummed as he read some more. While he had taken a small pause in figuring out just who Hornet was, he had not forgone his original wish of working with Hornet. Richard knew that somewhere within Hornet was someone who ultimately wanted to make New Camford, and the world, a better place.

If only he could get the Yellow Jacket to stop killing…

An alarm caught both teenagers' attention, their eyes locked onto the alert flashing on the screen.

"Kenny Hemi? Who is that?" Barbara questioned as she read the name off of the screen.

"Real name is Kenneth Hennington, works at car garage downtown. A guy I met days before I went to New Camford. He's my unofficial CI in Whale's organization." explained Richard. "I've been following him to find more of Whale's drug stashes in the city. He's actually been more helpful than the cops."

"Something tells me that you're about to pay Kenny a visit, and not the friendly kind."

Richard smirked. "Something is absolutely right."

"I would like to remind you that vigilantism is illegal in the state of Connecticut- more so in the City without Heroes, New Camford. And it gets worse when I see this Yellow Jacket character in Gotham City attacking the GCPD. And what happens? The citizens of Gotham City parade this punk and, because of that, James Gordon- the freaking commissioner now- was seen colluding with the Yellow Jacket and two others!"

"And what do you think can be done to the Yellow Jacket and others like him?"

"It's hard to tell. Superman is an alien who abides by his own rules but has not killed anyone. Not directly, at least. But he has done tons in property damage and has paid for nothing. And then there is the Yellow Jacket, a thug in a mask killing other thugs. He has attacked cops, held teenagers- children for crying out loud- at gunpoint, and has left dead bodies in his wake. He's on a path to be worse than Batman or-"

The TV was turned off by Oliver who was wiping his sweaty forehead with a small towel. The man was currently working out in the gym in Ivy Town. He had been rather impressed by Eli's resolve the previous night, Eli's hatred to lose being what fueled the boy to endure most of Oliver's and Dinah's training regimes. That, and the thought of actually taking down Tobias Whale.

Now that was something Oliver would pay to see; Tobias Whale stopped by Hornet…

"Well the kid has fans." Oliver said to Dinah, the woman currently throwing punches at the punching bag in the gym. "You sure you can help him?"

Dinah sighed, stopping her punches. "I don't know."

Truthfully, Dinah had no idea how to help Eli in regards of being a hero. Eli was a natural detective (when he applied himself that is) and was not a bad marksman. His penchant for solving things had him chasing ghosts and criminals every time he put on his mask. All of this and Eli's personal code made it hard for him to just be a typical hero. When he gathered enough proof that someone did wrong, he went after them and had no problem taking out anyone who tried to get in his way.

If, Dinah reasoned with herself, if she could get through to him then it was a win-win for all. She would be able to lower (if not completely stop) Eli from killing and give heroes in general better publicity. But she doubted that she could do but so much. The Black Canary was not the best role model to have.

Sensing some inner strife, Oliver spoke up, "What's on your mind Pretty Bird?"

"Nothing," said the sighing woman. She placed her left hand on the punching bag. "Just thinking how some kid from New Camford runs into the Bronze Tiger. Can I even trust a student of the Ronin?"

"I doubt we have to worry about a seventeen-year-old kid who doesn't even know how to utilize half of what he knows. I'm sure if some girl walked by, he'd lose his focus on us long enough for us-"

"Won't work," Dinah interrupted with a half-smile. "He's been dating Batgirl." Oliver's eyes widened at the information. "Seems as if the World's Greatest Detective can't even keep an eye out for his teenage partner."

Oliver released a whistle. "I'd hate to be the guy to reveal to the Bat that the Yellow Jacket is banging his junior partner. Hell, I'd hate to tell Gordon!"

"Apparently, they don't have any clue about each other so that's how we'll leave it. Eventually their so-called detective skills will kick in they will unmask each other."

"They're teenagers. The masks will probably be the last thing that comes off." Dinah rolled her eyes at Oliver's perverted comment. "But you're not worried about that. You're seeing a kid becoming a vigilante to avenge her parents."

Dinah's blue eyes skated to the floor. "It's not like that Ollie."

"It's exactly like that." Oliver concluded with a smile. "It's the same with-" The man's words were ended when his cell phone, which was in a bag near the stairs, started to ring. "That's probably Roy. He and Hal have probably destroyed half of Star City by now."

Dinah said nothing as Oliver moved to answer his phone. In her mind, she was replaying everything Ben had told her about Hornet prior to meeting the teen; things such as his deep hatred of his mother's marriage to his stepfather or how Eli despised the "Killer Bee" nickname. Ben had also, from Jade's tale, spoken about Eli's reaction to his first kill. But the main thing Ben pressed on was that Eli was still chasing a father he thought he knew. Maybe it would lead him to become someone like the Black Canary or maybe it would transform him into Bane. Either way, Ben knew that Eli's current resolve was a dangerous weapon to wield.

It almost made her forget that she was trying to make a hero in a city where heroes are .

"Hey," Oliver gained her focus. "I have to fly to Star City. Count Vertigo and Onomatopoeia are giving Roy more than he can handle and Hal has a small problem of his own."

"Go. I can handle things over here." said Dinah before eying the punching bag again. "But I'm going out tonight. I want to see how it feels to actually have a sidekick."

"What? Batgirl wasn't enough so now you're stealing her boyfriend?" joked Oliver.

Dinah smirked. "Kid's gotta learn to fly, right?"

"Just don't kill him," Oliver spoke as he walked towards the stairs. "The last thing we need is for the Batman trying to figure out why his junior doesn't have a date to prom." Oliver paused. "Or worse, the Bronze Tiger."

As Oliver descended the stairs with a chuckle, Dinah stared at the punching bag. The Ronin were a fearsome foursome of the world's deadliest assassins. The four included: Ben Turner, Sandra Wu-san, Richard Dragon, and Constantine Drakon. Separately they were everything any martial artist inspired to be; together they were collectively the world's most common fear. Dinah had been fortunate enough to have battled Sandra (Lady Shiva) to the point that she earned the woman's respect- which more than made up for the actual loss Dinah suffered. But the other three were people who Dinah, and Oliver for that matter, made sure to never cross on a bad day.

Or a good one for that matter.

So how in the hell did some random kid with no connection to the fighting world come into contact with the Ronin? It wasn't like the kid was special and Bronze Tiger sought him out, so what was it? Did Eli so happen to walk in on Ben changing into costume and live to tell the tale? Or was there something the wily teenager actually had over the Bronze Tiger?

That couldn't be it.

Maybe it had something to do with someone other than Ben; someone close enough to Ben that could get the man to cave into Eli's demand to be trained. That seemed like a more believable scenario thought it left Dinah to question: Just who was close enough to the Bronze Tiger that wasn't a highly skilled assassin and how did Eli win a favor over them?

Sighing, the woman resumed her attack on the punching bag.

Today was going to be a long day.

Richard was not pleased by the fact that Kenny had gone to another meeting that had nothing to do with Tobias Whale or Killer Moth. In the back of his mind he could hear Bruce's voice saying over and over, "This wouldn't have happened if I was there." Batman's CIs never strayed far from the goals, so why did Nightwing have an informant going to a meeting with a shady lawyer over said informant's child custody case?

A heavy breath left Richard's lips. That was over two hours ago. He should learn to let the small things go or be transformed into someone so caught up in crime-fighting that they forget things like Christmas or birthdays.

"Are you okay?"

Richard chose not to say anything, opting to nod his head to the redhead who had taken the trip to Washington, D.C. with him. Of course he was lying but now was not the time to talk about it. He pushed his small slip-up into the back of his mind to focus on the mission at hand.

Just like he had taught Robin to do…

"How are we supposed to find her?" Batgirl asked.

The pair was in downtown D.C., scouring rooftops to find this mysterious Wonder Girl. One would think that a flying blonde in a red and gold armor would be relatively easy on a clear day but that was not the case.

"You think there's a light we can shine to get her attention?" Batgirl joked quietly.

Now Nightwing smiled. "Maybe she has a phone like the Powerpuff Girls?"

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Batgirl said.

The duo stood quietly and looked over the bustling capital, the building roof that they occupied giving them a nice skyline of the downtown area. Nightwing would search for sirens that he could hear in the distance, hoping to see the blonde that he was searching for.

"I didn't know Batman was sending his children to spy on me."

The familiar voice came from behind the duo, Batgirl and Nightwing turning at attention quickly. Slowly drifting from the heavens was Wonder Woman, her blue eyes focused on Nightwing and Batgirl. Behind the Amazon was the missing blonde who descended just as gracefully as her mother in front of her.

Nightwing studied the blonde carefully. Obviously, she was beautiful as one would expect of the daughter of Wonder Woman. The girl was young, possibly his age, and her gentle face looked friendlier than Wonder Woman's. While Richard had seen Wonder Girl in her red and gold armor that resembled Wonder Woman's, the girl today wore a red shirt with the Wonder Woman symbol on the front and black pants with knee-high red boots.

"Oh, no! He didn't send us here!" Batgirl spoke first, pleased to speak to one of her role models. "We, he actually, came for Wonder Girl."

Wonder Woman's face showed her surprise. "Should I be worried that Batman's protégé wants to speak to my daughter? If I remember correctly, he had bad timing for dates."

And now Richard remembers why he opted not to get Bruce's help here. Bruce's previous relationship with Diana Prince was well-documented by every journalist in Gotham City, Vicki Vale especially. The relationship did not last long (albeit longer than Richard and Alfred had betted it would) and it was a hush subject that not even Superman himself dared to whisper around Wonder Woman.

"No, it's nothing like that." Richard said as respectful as possible. "I was starting an initiative, a group for junior partners-"

"Sidekicks?" Wonder Woman implied.

Nightwing bristled. "Yeah, junior partners. I wanted to see Wonder Girl in action, first-hand."

"You think that I can be a hero? On my own?" Wonder Girl asked with genuine interest.

"Um, yeah, I do," said Nightwing. "There are others that we're looking at too. Static and Rocket from Dakota City. Speedy in Star City."

Wonder Girl's eyes widened. "What about the Yellow Jacket?"

Batgirl visibly sneered for a moment before her face rested into a neutral position. The commissioner's daughter did not understand why people were fascinated by the insect gun-slinger. So what if he broke rules, used guns, and was arguably the most talked about person from New Camford at this moment? He was a menace and-

"Already have him on board. Sort of." Nigthwing stated. He could see Wonder Girl's interest at meeting Hornet. He could use that to his advantage to get a new powerhouse.

"I wanted to meet him. He seems… Different. Like, he doesn't take-"

"Does Batman know that you are working with the Yellow Jacket?" Wonder Woman cut her daughter's enthusiasm in half with her comment. "His tactics seem to be unorthodox, or something that I don't see Batman getting behind."

Batgirl quietly scoffed. "He's not okay with it at all."

"But this isn't Batman's thing. It's mine. And I've worked with him before. He helped me take down Killer Moth, Firefly, and found out information on Tobias Whale for me." Nightwing said, sending Batgirl a sharp glare before turning his look back to Wonder Girl. "I can vouch for him. He's a little rough around the edges but not necessarily unworkable."

"I hear he can do the Batman trick." Wonder Girl stated. "You know, the smoke disappearing trick?"

Nightwing chuckled lightly. "Yeah, he can do that. He's also pretty smart."

"And a known killer," Wonder Woman's words seemingly put an end to her daughter's and Nightwing's conversation. "Listen Robin-"

"It's Nightwing now." corrected the boy.

"Right, Nightwing," continued the Amazon woman. "While I appreciate the honor to be considered a role model for many little girls, and boys, I am not a hero. I don't search for those who break man's law. I am here to maintain peace. That is what I want to teach my daughter; not to be a symbol of vengeance or vigilance, but to be a bringer of peace."

Silence followed with Barbara and Richard looking at the quiet Wonder Girl. Both of them understood what having a parent inside the hero game was like, albeit Barbara's adopted father didn't know that she was Batgirl. Still, they knew what it felt like when the proverbial foot had been put down and whatever they wanted to do was better forgotten or done at their own risk.

"However," Diana stated. "If Wonder Girl wants to help, and it's nothing too dangerous, then she is permitted to aid your cause."

Joy seemed to illuminate Wonder Girl's blue eyes, a smile present on her face. "Thank you Mom! I won't fail you!"

"I have faith that you won't." Wonder Woman said before her eyes cut to Nightwing. "And he's going to make sure of that. Clear?"

"Yes ma'am." Nightwing gave a quick answer. He knew he couldn't best Wonder Woman and was not in a hurry to see how long he would last against her.

"Batgirl, there is a stand-off between three gunmen and the police in Deanwood. Wonder Girl, escort her there. I need to talk to Nightwing."

Neither girl refused the command from the Princess of Themyscira and left rather hastily, though Batgirl did give her ex an apologetic look before doing so. Nightwing felt unnerved by Wonder Woman's gaze; almost as if he expected her to have heat vision or some other form of painful eye beams.

"You have the natural skills of a leader," Wonder Woman said after a minute of silence. "So if you see potential in those you picked, then so be it. But do you think that they are capable of working towards the same goal as you are? Will they be able to join together for a common cause?"

"Batgirl and I want the same thing. We want to protect the city of Gotham as much as our father figures do. We are willing to put everything on the line every night to make sure that the men, women, and children of our city can go out without worrying about much."

Wonder Woman nodded. "And the Yellow Jacket?"

"He wants to take down those who have done wrong and have not answered for it yet." Nightwing answered. "Tobias Whale killed a boy named Earl years ago and, despite people knowing he did it, he hasn't been arrested for it. That's what drives Hornet. He doesn't care how he does it, he just wants to make criminals pay."

"My daughter sometimes confuses what I do for heroics. My goal was not to give people someone to call when their cat is stuck in a tree. I wanted to inspire people to do better, be better, and achieve peace and love worldwide." Wonder Woman stated. "Her duties will undoubtedly grow as she does, but for now, being a heroine for young girls is what she inspires to be. Can you help her become that while helping everyone else reach their individual goals?"

Nightwing stood quietly as he tried to find the best answer to the question. Truthfully, he did not know Speedy, Static, or Rocket to answer that question honestly. What were their goals? What were their ambitions? And would they work well with Batgirl- or Hornet? Maybe more the former than the latter, but the question was if they could work well with each other.

Oddly, he gained his answer, not from Batman, but from the Killer Bee himself.

"Regardless of our individual goals," Richard recited. "Our collective goal is to give citizens answers as to why their moms, dads, kids, aunts, uncles, friends, whoever are killed or hurt by these guys we're going after. We will give the innocent the answers they deserve while bringing in those responsible."

Wonder Woman seemed annoyed by the answer which caused Nightwing to prepare for a lecture. Once more, being the former sidekick of Batman gave him a newfound hatred for lectures. They were important, sometimes, but normally just pointed out his mistakes.

And then Wonder Woman turned. "Wise words. Are they yours?"

"Actually," chuckled Nightwing. "Hornet's."

"A part of being a good leader is to listen to those you are leading. Remember that." Wonder Woman stated as she hovered in front of Nightwing. The woman paused in her departure and gave Nightwing one final questioning glance. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

"Not yet. Any ideas?" returned the teen.

"It should be something to reflect who you guys are as a group, as a team." Wonder Woman answered. "It'll come to you. I'm sure it will… And if you can, make sure you keep an eye on Lyta. Her fondness for the Yellow Jacket worries me."

Nightwing gave the woman a nod before the dark-haired beauty flew off with Nightwing standing on the roof with his thoughts. Name aside, Nightwing thought about just exactly he was looking to achieve with this group. Sadly, there was a part of him that knew he was doing this just to prove to Bruce that he could. But he did want to help people. The thought of saving a life is what made Robin continue to do what he did so that no child went through what he did. And while he was no longer Robin, he still maintained his earlier beliefs.

Turning, Nightwing gazed out at the capital city. He knew Bruce had talked to Wonder Woman before he got down here which is probably why the woman agreed to allow Wonder Girl join Nighting, but that was alright. For now, he had to secure Hornet's spot on the team and then move on to the next stop: Dakota City.

Leila's Mercedes hummed quietly as it smoothly glided through the streets of Ivy Town. Eli sat in the passenger seat with his eyes focused on the passing buildings. There was not much said between mother and son since Leila picked Eli up from work, then again, there was nothing to talk about. They were going to have a day of "bonding" which meant that at some point, Leila would reveal something else about her past and Eli would eventually walk away to try to track down Whale and/or Bookworm.

"Are you alright, Elias?" Eli rolled his eyes to his mother, staring at her with a lack of interest for the conversation. Leila obviously ignored his disinterest and continued, "You looked exhausted and worn down earlier. Working with children can't help with that, so I ask: Are you alright Elias?"

"Fine."

The one word answer earned him a sharp glare from Leila. Her brown eyes focused on him for the longest ten seconds of his life before she turned them back onto the road. Her fingers gave the steering wheel a strangling squeeze and then they relaxed altogether.

"He felt as if he had a duty to uphold," Leila suddenly said, drawing Eli's attention away from the scenery. "He told me that what they did in Qurac was morally wrong and he wanted to undo his sins the best way possible. He owed it to the people."

"Wha… What are you talking about?" Eli knew; he fucking knew what she was talking about. She was revealing what made Malcolm become a vigilante and it bothered him because she fucking knew this entire time! He had bruises on his body- blood on his hands- and she had the answer to his question all along!

Leila sighed. "I never believed him though. I know there was another reason, I just couldn't…" Leila paused. "It's who he was, I suppose."

Eli sat perfectly irritatingly still. "You knew?"

"I've never left you father, Elias." Leila pointed out hotly if she was exonerating herself from some unknown crime. "I spoke to him whenever we had the chance. We talked."

"You knew?" Eli repeated, this time letting his anger drip with his words.

"And now so do you." said the woman. "I hope that with this, you can learn to bury some of that anger. It isn't doing anyone any good."

Eli sat quietly again. Throughout his entire life, he had always respected his father, and mother for that matter, for being honest with him- if not brutally honest. It was Malcolm who explained that Leila was moving out. It was Malcolm who explained that Leila was pregnant. It was Malcolm who explained to Eli how important his mother was as a lawyer. But never had it occurred to Eli that Malcolm and Leila had kept important things away from him.

Sure, he reasoned, he was more than certain that there were some secrets between the two. Secrets he probably did not want to know at that. But this… This was something Eli felt that he was obligated to know. His father had donned a costume and gotten himself killed for doing it and Leila knew why Malcolm became Army Ant in the first place.

"He wanted to tell you once," Leila continued. "I told him not to."

"Why?!" Eli growled. "It wasn't your dad being shot at! It was mine! And now-"

"Because," Leila calmly intervened. "Because you wouldn't know how to handle it, just like now."

"Handle- What the hell is that supposed to mean? I handle shit everyday by myself because of this! And you knew!"

Leila gave Eli another warning gaze. "Watch your language Elias." The woman all but rolled her eyes back to the road, now driving slower. "And no, you wouldn't know how to handle those nights alone with thoughts that Miles could be in a burning building or a shoot-out with your friends from the SRC."

"You just thought about yourself," argued Eli with his fists clutched. "You always have."

Nothing more came from Leila as the woman drove to her destination. Eli was unsure about what he was angrier about; the fact that Leila knew and wouldn't tell him or the fact that his parents had kept him out of the loop prior to the death of Army Ant.

Soon Leila pulled into a parking lot. Eli realized that they were in the Ivy Town University parking lot, one of them at least, though was not in any mood to do anything school related. Or rather, he wouldn't mind doing anything for a school that had no attachments to his mother.

"Today is the open house for their middle college program," stated Leila as she parked in an empty parking space. "I am going inside. You can join me or take the bus home."

Eli's eyes narrowed. "You're mad? For what? You got to know-"

"We're not arguing Elias. You can join me or you can leave me. You choose." Leila said.

"No," responded Eli, shaking his head. "No, you won't make it seem like I ever had the chance to leave you! Because if I could, if I could, I wouldn't be here! I wouldn't be doing some stupid deal doing whatever! I'd be in Gotham or Bludhaven living my life away from whatever crap you and Dad can make together!"

"Then leave Elias. I won't stop you anymore." With those words, Leila stepped out of the car, taking her keys and purse with her.

Eli sat stunned. She had actually left him, and not in the way that he had earlier complained about. Leila had left him there and twisted the tale so that it seemed to be that he was leaving her! And for what? Because she chose this random fucking moment to reveal such a sensitive piece of information- information he had asked for earlier, no less!

Eli took in a deep breath to keep himself calm and went over the situation. Leila was, as normal, a bitch. He was currently in her car at Conn-IV, which meant that he could actually get a bus ride to the gym and deal with Canary and Arrow. Other options would be taking the subway back to New Camford and trying to find something else to occupy his time.

Or, he heard a part of him say, you can do what you promised to do yesterday and spend time with Leila.

Eli grimaced. That plan seemed rather unrealistically in his character at the moment. Spend time with the one person who he truly wanted to be away from? What sense did that make? And why would it just erratically pop up in his mind like that?

Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on other things. Alexander Wyvern, Bookworm. He was here. He was present. Hornet had to find him before it was too late. Tobias Whale had to pay as well. Jade's father had to be saved from Jade.

And then no more Hornet.

Eli grunted at that. His mom had shortened Hornet's life by removing one of the reasons that Eli became Hornet in the first place. She had metaphorically demolished the main reason he had donned Trent's unused costume in the first place. And she did so, for what? To clear the air? To "bond" with him? What the hell was her reason? To bury his anger that starts and ends with her?!

Furious, Eli got out of the car, slamming the door close behind him. He was sick and tired of people noticing his anger- Nick had, his mother had, Ben had, and now Black Canary and Green Arrow were mentioning it. He knew he was angry but there were reasons behind this. Bookworm, Whale, Holocaust, the Hound, his mom, his dad's death there were many reasons behind his rage. And yet they continued to speak to him as if he was a child who couldn't understand simple things.

Yet for some reason he found himself walking to the building that Leila had entered. There was no reason for him to be walking there. He could have left. He should have left.

But he was not Leila Rassan or whatever her actual real name was. Elias Jackson did not run from his problems, he solved them.

"Hi! Are you here for the Middle College Tour?" Eli hardly paid the woman at the set up kiosk in front of the building any attention.

"Yeah," he growled.

"Okay," the ever chipper brunette said. "What's your name?"

"Eli Jackson." The woman nodded and wrote the name on a list before filling out a name tag, and handing Eli the tag. "Thanks."

"No problem! Enjoy the University of Connecticut in Ivy Town!"

Eli rolled his eyes at the statement and walked inside whatever building this was. He was not trying to be rude, at her at least, but he still disliked whenever people spoke the university's full name instead of referring to it as Ivy University or Conn-4.

Eli looked around the area he had just entered. To him, it was equivalent to walking into an arts museum. Portraits of people from decades ago hung on the wall in large golden frames with small glass displays next to the walls that held artifacts of the city's and university's past. There was a small crowd of people entering a room with opened large double-wooden doors.

Eli debated on where he should go. The only times that he has stepped foot on Ivy University's campus were when he went to see the science fair with his school. In truth, he was lost. But he knew he could just turn around and walk away if needed be.

…But that would be what she wanted him to do.

"I wanted to surprise you," Eli nearly jumped at his mother's voice coming from behind him. He rounded on her, seeing her brown eyes zeroed in on his person, Eli relaxed. "I knew you wouldn't just jump at the idea of transferring schools so, I felt like a tour would change your mind."

Eli noticed that she stood with an eerie calamity that all but startled him. It was like they had not just had a verbal dispute five minutes ago that ended with her telling her oldest son to leave.

"The door is still opened, Eli. You can leave whenever you want." spoke Leila. "I'm not forcing you to do this and not going to fight with you anymore."

Eli's eyes narrowed. "I don't run away like you do." Leila just stared at him, her eyes mimicking his dangerous look. "You think that I want to be like you? You think I want to leave my family behind to chase some stupid selfish dream?"

"No. I do not think that you want to be me." Leila punctually stated. "You want to be Elias Jackson. Then be Elias Jackson elsewhere."

"Why are you trying to kick me out of your life?" Eli whispered angrily, stepping up to his mother. "You do all of this to force me to live with you and now this?"

"Am I the one that's angry?" Her childish remarked made Eli recoil a little as if he was dodging an invisible strike. "I brought you here to see if you liked the program and to reconnect with you. You want out. So get out." Leila's left brow rose. "That is what you want, isn't it?"

Eli wanted to answer her but the truth was, it was what he wanted. He wanted to be out there looking for his objectives as Hornet. He wanted to find out if Senator Pullman was Jade's father or not. Hell, he wanted to spend a day with Barbara without anything or anyone interrupting.

But he was here.

"Here are your options," Leila said in her righteous tone. "You can do what you want and leave. I'll see you when you decided to return home. Or, you do what I want and that is to spend the rest of the day with me." Leila crossed her arms. "Those are you choices. Choose."

She out-lawyered, Eli thought. Those were the words Malcolm used whenever Leila somehow narrated the situation to the point that it seemed that she was right and they (Eli and his dad) were wrong. This was one of those moments. Eli could do what he wanted and look like a giant asshole or try to muster out a day with a woman he has had necessity-only contact with for the past eight years.

Leila's eyes left Eli for a second before darting back to him, this time softer as if she felt something remotely remorseful for her earlier words or actions.

"Desoraa-man," Leila muttered.

"What does that-"

"Forgive me." Leila interrupted softly. "It means, 'forgive me' in Kahndi. I'm apologizing, Elias." For reasons unknown, Eli felt as if he had actually won this round. His body noticeably relaxed and the woman stepped by Eli. "Join me, if you want. Again, I won't push. I won't judge. But I want you to join me."

Despite the fact that Eli knew he won this argument, he felt like a loser. Maybe it had something to do with Leila openly apologizing. She never did that, especially not in her native language. The fact that she did so made Eli feel as if he was the asshole here.

Then again… Maybe she did this because they were in public and people would assume that Eli was the one in the wrong here.

Eli shoved his hands into his pants pockets with a grumble. "I should've just left…"

He should have. He could have. But facts were that he didn't. He stayed because that's what he thought he had to do. No matter the reasons for or against the decision, he had to stay.

And stay he did.

Leila spent most of the day afterward attempting to start anew with Eli to no avail. She had explained to him how underrated Ivy University's Law program actually was- one of the state's best apparently. She attempted to tell him more about Bialya and the people from it. Of course, Eli could not care less about Bialya, the Kingdom of Kahndaq, or the people from both combined eras. She even cracked a few jokes about her college life with Malcolm.

All in all, it was a bust and Eli regretted every second he was with the woman.

Well… Not fully regretted his decision. He had, while on the tour at Ivy University, spotted many adults present without the child they wished to enroll into the program. They all had their fake smiles and asked questions about how their child could excel here instead of the middle college program offered at Cam State or Calvin College. Leila, however, didn't offer any fake smiles and stood like proud parent next to Eli. It made Eli feel a little bit better knowing that he could actually make his mom (though he had referred to her as "Mrs. Nolan" for the rest of the day) happy.

Apparently, he didn't spend enough time doing that for his dad…

When Eli returned back to the Nolan residence in Mancastle Hills, he did not even entertain the thoughts of another late night talk with Leila. Her visibly shaking hand told him that she would be out there for a while smoking in secret but he was going to bed.

That is until he heard a quiet but noticeable knock on his bedroom door.

Eli grunted quietly, climbing out of bed and walked to his locked door. Unlocking and subsequently opening it, Eli was surprised to see Sam standing in the hallway.

"What is it?" Eli sighed out.

"Um," Sam nervously began. "Are you…?"

"Am I what?" Eli impatiently egged on. He saw Sam wince and shook his head. The last thing he needed was for Leila, or Robert, to think that he was bullying the boy. "Come in Sam."

Sam hurriedly moved by Eli and made a beeline towards Eli's bed. Eli chewed at the insides of his cheeks before closing his door and walking to his bed cautiously. In his mind, he approached the situation like he did the children on the bed. Don't do anything startling or frightening and this would go by smoothly. Of course, Hornet scared kids (and adults) a lot more than Elias Jackson did.

"What do you want to talk about?" Eli asked in a quieter and calmer tone.

"You were mad and… Well you leave when you're mad." Sam connected aloud. "Are you leaving again?"

Eli glanced down at the boy. "Why does it matter?"

"Because, well, you're my big brother," Eli quietly scoffed at the comment. "Mom talks about you a lot too… Well, she did yesterday."

"Uh-huh?" Eli was clearly not interested by Sam continued.

"Yeah! She was saying how tough you were and how smart you were and how cool you were! Well, I think you're cool, but she said that I can't cry if I want to be you." Sam recollected eagerly.

Eli couldn't help but laugh quietly. "Be me? Sam, you can't be me. We're different for good reasons."

"Is it because-"

"It's because you're Sam and I'm Eli. It's who we are." Eli interrupted. "Be Sam Nolan, alright? Maybe they'll be kids who want to be you someday."

Sam nodded. "Okay!" The boy then paused and stared at Eli wide-eyed. "Have you seen Hornet yet? Mom says not to talk about him or any hero around you but… Have you?"

Eli stared at Sam for a brief moment. Given that today had gone terribly wrong, he had half the mind to just throw the kid out of his room and get some sleep. But none of it was Sam's fault per se.

"Once, but I didn't talk to him." Eli said, making Sam buzz with excitement on his bed. "Why? Do you want to be like him to?"

"My friend's mom was at Kacey One and- and she saw Hornet fight the bad guys there!" Sam revealed, making Eli's brows rise in false amusement. "And he was awesome! He was like pow and bang! And the bad guys were all beaten by him and his sidekicks!"

Eli actually chuckled at the thought of him having sidekicks. Then he thought about Nightwing being one of those sidekicks. Oh, he thought, the fights that we'd get into…

Eli just shook his head. "Running around with guns don't… Doesn't," Eli paused after he corrected his grammar. Damn his mother was really rubbing off on him. "Make someone awesome, Sam. Just dangerous."

"Well… He saves people too… Isn't that cool?" Sam asked.

"I guess." Eli stated before exhaling softly. "Listen, you need to get to bed. I don't need your parents thinking I'm keeping you up, alright?"

"Fine but… Don't go, please?" Sam asked as he got off of Eli's bed.

Again Eli sighed. "I'm not leaving tonight Sam. Go to bed."

"Okay… See you tomorrow!"

Eli said nothing. In truth, Eli would most likely be gone tomorrow before Sam woke up. Sam would more than likely go to the neighbor's house and not think about this conversation or Eli's whereabouts. Maybe Sam and his friends would talk about Hornet and maybe they wouldn't. In reality, Eli knew that life would go on for Sam regardless if Eli was there or not. Sam had Leila and Robert to make sure of it.

However, Eli's envious thoughts were halted by the vibrations of his cell phone. He answered the call and just lied back in his bed.

"Yeah?"

"Hey," Barbara said on the other line. "Bad time?"

Eli laughed quietly. "Perfect time actually."

His mother would always be a constant hit-or-miss with him and Sam was hardly any better. But at least Eli had people he could actually trust. Barbara was one of the most trustworthy people in the world and Eli was simply glad to know her.

Author's Notes: Took a few months off (most of it on vacation in Pensacola, New Orleans, and Houston) but I got back two days ago and typed this up. Before I forget to mention it, in this story, Bialya, Qurac, and parts Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan make up the former Kahndaq with Bialya touching the Mediterranean Sea (south of Lebanon, north of Israel) and Qurac to Bialya's east bordering Syria and Jordan. Also the pronunciation of "Desoraa-ma" is "day-so-rah mah" and will be a phrase that Eli will regrettably use in the nearby future. Lots more of Eli and Leila's rocky relationship to come, along with the building of Nightwing's "initiative", and a little trip to the library may do Hornet some good. But before then, if you have any comments, thoughts, or questions, leave a review or PM to let me know and I'll see you next time. Peace.