"Well, that just sucks. For Robin, I mean." I recognize Tucker's voice even under all these fat heads.
Immediately, the team is off me and observing the new arrivals. I groan as I get up, shaking lose my pole from my arm and brushing off my cape. "Traitors," I mutter.
"Yeah, well, we all got you, so you owe us all seventy dollars," snipes Zatanna, before looking back at who I now see are Jazz and Tucker.
"Who are you two?" asks Kaldur politely. He knows they came in through the Zeta Beam, so they must be allies, but of course he doesn't know who they are.
"This is Jazz," I chirp, going over to them with a big smile. "And Tucker! I would've told you they were coming and all, but I was busy with the whole betrayal thing."
"In my experience, people tend to betray the most competent member of the team to feel better about their own contribution," Jazz says.
The team protests loudly, and I grin widely. "I've found that to be true, too!" I yell over them.
"What are they even doing here?" asks Wally, a tad insensitively.
"Apparently we're here to help your team or something..." Tucker is doing something on his screen when he mutters this, but finishes up and slides it into his pocket.
"New team members?" asks Zatanna. "Great, I guess. What powers do you guys have?"
"... None," mutters Jazz. She's not wearing all her armor today, but carries a backpack I'm sure is full of it and a shiny silver and green belt. Tucker also has most of his stuff off and the belt, but also has a techy watch I didn't notice before.
"Yep. We're really just here to find a couple friends of ours, one of which actually does have powers," supplies Tucker. I file him away as either very trusting or a very bad secret keeper.
I wonder briefly where Batman is.
"What are your skills?" asks Aqualad.
"I am amazing with technology," boasts Tucker with a large grin. "And Jazz here is good at being-"
"I swear, Tucker, if you say backup I will kick you and break your PDA."
"Like you could," he scoffs, but when she glares at him his exasperated expression turns into one of apprehension. "But, er, you definitely rock at... um... humans."
"What?" I ask, before Jazz can.
"I'm a psychology major," she supplies.
"I like psychology, too! I'm a psychic!" M'gann has recovered from whatever had held her back from greeting Tucker and Jazz before and flies over and extends her hand. "You can call me Miss Martian!"
Tucker takes her hand immediately, his technology forgotten. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. We have another Wally... Why does no one ever have a crush on me? I mean, except Zatanna. And maybe Barbara. And a couple girls in my math class. I grin. I do okay on my own.
"Psychic?" Jazz seems skeptic. At least, that's what I see at first, but she seems more... wary? I guess? Like she doesn't trust M'gann because of her powers? I'm about to ask her about it, but Miss Martian is already doing her enthusiasm thing.
"Yep! Don't worry, though, I won't read your minds." She gives a blinding smile.
"So you're from Mars?"
She nods in affirmation.
Jazz continues. She talks directly to Superboy, having to lean around M'gann a bit to see him fully. "And you're from space, too, right?"
"I'm from Earth," he says. "But I'm part alien, yeah." He's automatically defensive from the single question.
"Two aliens..." she muses.
"Are you... against aliens?" asks Zatanna.
"Oh, no!" Tucker exclaims. "Course not... It's just a little weird..."
"Why?" growls Superboy. Dude... Mellow...
"Err, our friend is a huge fangirl about space. We just assumed, you know, he'd meet an alien first." Tucker gives kind of shaky smile, his hand going to his PDA. I mark that as his nervous habit. "We have to collect the data, cuz he won't speak to us for weeks if we met you guys and didn't have all the information."
"Assuming we find him," Jazz mutters bitterly.
"Who's your friend?" probes Wally, interested in a new case. Things have died down since the Missing Hours Fiasco, and we're all a little jittery for action.
I jump in. "He's a ghost! Whatcha gonna say about that, Kid?"
He's immediately skeptical, but Zatanna and Artemis exchange a knowing look. M'gann and Superboy look instantly confused, probably still uneducated on paranormal stuff like this, and Aqualad maintains a neutral look.
Tucker and Jazz aren't amused at my outburst.
"I'd prefer to introduce him simply as Danny," emphasizes Jazz, annoyed.
"A ghost..." mutters Kid.
"Can he speak more than one word?" asks Zatanna.
Tucker looks between me and her. "What is up with you guys and that? Is it some sort of inside joke?"
"No. There's a ghost we met, only said 'secret'. She helped us in a fight against her power crazy brother," supplies Artemis.
"Must've been her obsession," Jazz theorizes. We focus on her with varying curiosity, waiting for her to continue. "I dabble in ghost psychology, too. But, um, this girl, did she focus on one goal?"
Artemis speaks up again. "Her brother killed her so he could be pure, to get this sword. He was insane, attacked Zatanna and I for sport. She led us back to her home. Harm-his name- saw her, and the second he did the sword rejected him. Then she faded back into her grave."
"Was there any light?" Jazz asks.
"Like a ball of it, yeah. Took it out of his chest and then faded into the dirt," Zatanna tells her.
"That's a fulfillment of an obsession. It's very rare with ghosts. Actually, for ghosts older than a year. If ghost's obsessions are easy, than they ascend relatively quickly. Like avenging a death. She didn't sound very powerful, either, if all she could do is say one word. Most ghosts have elaborate obsessions. The more unattainable, the more powerful the ghost. I mean, I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule... Maybe the harder it is to get the more you want it and ghosts fuel on emotion-"
"Jazz..." Tucker groans. Jazz gives a sheepish look, but her brows furrow, still trying to work out whatever she was ranting about.
"What's this friend of yours obsession?" asks Aqualad, finally entering the ghost conversation.
"Don't know." Tucker shrugs. "It's very broad."
I tip my head to the side. Jazz elaborates, coming out of her world.
"Heroism. Sometimes it includes the whole world, sometimes just his close group of friends and other times just himself. He has to protect something. Not sure if it's specifically linked to anything, yet. But he is powerful. Really, really powerful."
With this, the Zeta Beam activates, announcing the arrival of Batman. I vaguely wonder why he's late, but when he steps through I know. His limp is so slight I barely caught it, but I can tell he got a little wrapped up.
He observes the room. I give him a slight smile as his gaze roams over me and for almost a second I think I can see him return it. But as quick as it's there it's gone.
"Are you going to explain now?"
I nearly jump out of my skin, and I'm not the only one. I forgot that Black Canary was here! She hadn't said a word since I'd been attacked-betrayed- and Jazz and Tucker came.
Batman recalls our meeting with them in that cryptic way of his, glossing over points I'm sure he wants to keep quiet or that he doesn't deem important. Jazz corrects her name when he says it Jasmine with the same acrimonious tone that Tucker used when I called Sam by her full name.
"But ghosts!" sputters Wally at the end of it.
"KF, don't be insensitive," snaps Artemis immediately.
"I'm just surprised it took this long," yours truly snipes, and Wally sends me a look that resembles the Bat Glare.
Batman speaks before this can turn into a full-blown argument. "Regardless if you acknowledge the existence of these ghosts or not, their friend is wholly sentient and entitled to be found. However, this is not my team. Aqualad, it is your decision."
Everyone turns to him.
"We could use some homebase members," he begins, sending a small smile to the two non-superheroes. "And finding people is part of the job. We'd be honored to take your case."
"Great!" Tucker cries.
"Are there any objections?" Batman asks, like he doesn't expect there to be any.
One by one the team shakes their head, and when it comes my time I vigorously nod my head. Batman doesn't ask. So I explain. "They need some names!"
Tucker and Jazz exchange glances. Jazz gives a neutral look and points to Tucker. "Technogeek."
Tucker coughs, badly concealing a "backup".
They both look ready to fight each other. "Noooo," I whine. "Good names. Superhero names. Like, um, Vision, for you Jazz. Cuz psychology. And Technolad!" Batman looks at me knowingly. I'd been working on this the other day, and now he knew what I had been doing.
Jazz seems to like the name, but Tucker crinkles up his nose. "How about Aparato?"
"How'd you come up with that?" asks Jazz.
"Danny did. Esperanto for 'device'. We're into Esperanto." He folds his arms, smiling smugly.
"Hey team, guess what?!" I shout excitedly.
They all look at me.
"We have new members. This here is Vision, and this is Aparato! Guys, welcome to the team!"
Hope these names are okeedokee... I used a superhero name generator and it came up with something like Orange Vision and Device-monger or something so I went from there... They seem to fit, at least to me...
**Man, I wish Danny Phantom and Young Justice were mine, but they're not. They go to their respective creators.**