A/N: Hey guys! I'm updating some of the first chapters a bit, so if you keep seeing this story being 'updated' but no new chapter, that's why! Whenever I mess with a chapter or something by changing a document, FFnet just automatically sends out an update. Failsafe is in the works for those wondering- just bare with me please! I love Nightfall, but my passion for this story has lessened some.
Young Justice is not mine.
Ripples
"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."
- Rabindranath Tagore
GOTHAM CITY
"You are the hero Gotham deserves, Nightfall."
A mischievous smirk toyed on her lips, blue eyes twinkling in the moonlight as brown locks swayed in the cool night breeze. Her back was to the caped crusader, gaze lingering on the bustling city before her. The comment fueled her ego, though she didn't let it show, and she angled herself towards Batman, who wore a defeated expression as he stared out at what was once his city.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
"I was wondering when you were going to come to your senses, Batman." Nightfall's voice was sly, and Batman felt small under her taunting gaze. She circled around the dark knight like a predator toying with its prey, steps light and almost dancer-like.
Batman grumbled in contention, posture rigid as the young teen continued to taunt him. There was a spring in her step, and he hated how at ease she was before him. Talk about being knocked down a peg or two. The big, bad, bat; outdone by a thirteen-year-old girl.
Finally ceasing her circling, Nightfall came to a halt before Batman. She stared up at him expectantly, unphased by his cold stare, and her smirk further increased in size, "Is there anything else you'd like to say, Batman?"
There were very few people in the world who could make Batman himself quake in fear, but the young girl before him did just that as her blue gaze stared him down. Knees suddenly giving out, the dark knight fell before Nightfall. With his head tilted downwards, his voice was soft as he spoke, "I relinquish my ci—"
"Kayanna."
A deep voice boomed, and around the two the city shook. Nightfall blinked, smirk falling from her face. She shared a confused look with Batman. A few seconds passed, and when nothing else happened, Nightfall pressed on, "I'm sorry, you were saying?"
"Yes, I was saying that I relinq—"
"Kayanna!"
The voice returned, more forceful this time, and the city began to blur as thunder trembled in the distance, "Okay, who's there!?" Nightfall shouted to the sky just as droplets of rain began to fall. The world around her continued to shift and crumble, Gotham fading into nothingness as Batman dissolved right before her very eyes. Anxiety bubbled up from within as the darkness began to close in on her.
"Kayanna, wake up this instance!"
Wake up? I am awake! Batman's giving me his city—
"Kayanna!"
And the next thing the girl knew, she was soaking wet.
Mind completely disoriented and body feeling otherworldly, Kayanna shot up with a cry of shock. With wide blue eyes she spluttered, water dripping down her face, "B-Batman, I accept your city!"
Koda Sanders quirked an unamused brow as he let out a deep sigh, watching as his daughter slowly put two and two together, finally remembering where she was and why she was suddenly drenched with water. Kayanna rubbed at her eyes before pushing her damp bangs from her forehead, shaking off some of the excess water in the process.
Lips quirking in a sheepish smile, she faced her father, "H-hi dad…" He looked less than pleased.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Koda's arms were folded over his chest, an irritated look tainting his chiseled features and his voice was clipped. If the throbbing vein in his forehead was anything to go by, he was most definitely annoyed.
Kayanna stood up from the bench, stretching slightly and sighing in satisfaction when her back cracked ever so nicely. She angled her body away from her father to ignore his annoyed gaze, "Resting my eyes?" The quip caused her father to roll his eyes.
"We were on a quick break, Kayanna, not nap time."
She shrugged. Always the serious one he was.
Slightly irked—though that was more so due to her sleep deprivation than her father's response—the young girl rolled her eyes before moving her hands around her body, using her powers to remove the water and drying herself off in the process. Feeling a bit on the rebellious side of things, Kayanna was less than cautious about where the excess water ended up, and she watched, slightly satisfied, from the corner of her eye as Koda had to hold a hand out to deflect the incoming water.
"Sorry, Mr. Marine, some of us aren't used to getting only four hours of sleep at night. I mean, who trains at five in the morning!" For emphasis, Kayanna threw her hands up to gesture at the clock the hung on the opposite side of the room. It currently read 5:43. They had only been training for twenty-eight minutes.
"People who take being a hero seriously train this early."
Kayanna pouted as she turned back towards her father, rolling her shoulders, "I take superhero-ing very seriously!" She defended with a frown.
Koda clicked his tongue, "Kayanna, this isn't a joke." He stepped towards his daughter, expression softening as a disheartened expression took the place of her defiant one. It wasn't his intention to be harsh, but Kayanna was his only daughter, so he tended to be a bit more overbearing. As a founding member of the Justice League and former Marine, Koda knew firsthand just how dangerous crime-fighting—and just battle in general—could be.
If Kayanna couldn't realize that, then he really didn't want her out in the field.
With a huff, the brunette flopped back onto the bench, fiddling with the ends of her braided hair. Her gaze was focused on the floor, staring intently at the cement and tracing the small cracks with her eyes, "I know it's not."
"Well, you could've fooled me."
Koda's tone was softer as he sat on the bench beside his daughter, who looked up at him with annoyed eyes. Kayanna didn't have to be a mind-reader to know her father was gearing up for yet another one of his 'overprotective daddy' speeches—which, if she were being honest, he gave her at least once a week. His favorite thing to do was to remind her just how dangerous the hero business truly was.
It drove Kayanna nuts, even if he did mean well. She just felt as if he had little trust in her. Sure, sometimes the excitement at the idea of being a hero blinded her from the dangers, but she still wasn't daft to the dangers of the profession she had chosen.
"I just want you to keep you safe, okay? That's why I stress training so much. If you're dead-set on joining me in the field, you need to take training seriously as well. Bad guys won't take it easy on you like I will, and I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt in the field."
"But I am serious about it!" Kayanna argued, angling her body towards her father, "I've been training my ass—"
"Language."
"—butt off extra hard for the past three months! And for what? You let me do nothing on patrols."
Technically, Koday had been training Kayanna since she was nine, when her powers had manifested, but it was only a few months ago that he had been training her for the field.
"You helped me with that bank robbery last night." Koda reminded his daughter with a sly smile, nudging Kayanna with his shoulder.
Kayanna rolled her eyes, "You made me stay with the hostages while you kicked the bad guys butts." She corrected him in a deadpan voice, face less than amused.
"You were protecting those hostages, Kayanna." Koda reminded with a slight bite to his tone. He knew his daughter was eager to see some actual action, but that didn't mean she didn't play important roles when they were out in the field. There was more to heroics than just kicking butt.
With a childish huff, Kayanna crossed her arms and dropped her gaze to the floor. She knew her father was right, but that didn't easer her irritation any. If anything, it further fueled it, "You still don't let me do anything." She grumbled.
"You've only been in the field for three months, Kayanna." Koda huffed, "These things take time." The younger brunette opened her mouth to argue, but her father continued speaking before she could get a word out otherwise, "You'll get there one day, I promise, okay, nautchiak imik [water flower]."
Kayanna's shoulders sagged at his words. It was times like these where her impatience got the better of her. Ever since her powers had shown up—and she had learned many years prior of her family's generational heroics—she had been dying to be the next Tatkret-Sanders to join the world of heroics.
During World War I, her grandmother, Anyu, had fought alongside the Justice Society of America, later the All-Star Squadron, as Cascade, one of the first female heroes of the world. A few decades later, her son—and Kayanna's father—had followed his mother's footsteps and become a hero as well, debuting as Nighttide. Shortly after, he even helped found the Justice League.
It was a lot to live up to, and as a third-generation hero, Kayanna was quickly growing impatient. It was almost a family tradition to join the world of heroes, and seeing as she inherited her father and grandmother's powers, it was basically in her blood to become a hero. The snail's pace her father was training her at was, frankly, exhausting.
Kayanna just wanted to live up to Cascade and Nighttide's names; do something great, important, with her powers. All this splashing around with her father had her feeling like nothing more than a child, and it was exhausting. There was change something, she could feel it, but Koda seemed yet to realize it.
With a wave of her hand, Kayanna pulled herself off the bench. She stretched her arms upwards before doubling over and touching her toes, doing what she could to wake her body up for training, "Fine, then let's just get back to it."
Koda watched his daughter straighten up before he stood up himself. Grabbing his water bottle, he chuckled lightly before tossing his towel over his shoulder, "Actually, we'll pick this back up at nine." Kayanna's brows shot upwards in confusion and Koda snorted, "Consider it a special treat for the fourth of July."
Smack!
A groan slipped past Kayanna's lips as she landed roughly on the training room floor for the umpteenth time that morning. The water that was once in her control dropped lifelessly to the floor beside her, splashing the girl in the process. She squeezed her eyes shut; mind focused on the throbbing pain in her side versus the encroaching footsteps.
For such a flowy and liquid-y element, water sure could hurt.
"Again."
"Is that, like, an order or—"
"Now."
The young waterbender let out a noise of annoyance and her eyes cracked up, blue meeting brown as she frowned up at her father, who was staring down at her. In a small feat of defiantness, Kayanna took her time picking herself up off the floor. Her side flared in pain for a moment as she righted herself, but she shoved the feeling aside as she positioned herself across from her father.
"Your form was sloppy and movements slow." Koda has slipped back into military-daddy mode, voice reminiscent of a drill sergeant as he eyed his daughter with a scrutinizing gaze, "If you were up against a bad guy, you would've been killed in a heartbeat."
Kayanna rubbed her aching ribs, "Oh, that's reassuring." With a quick wave of her hand, she lifted her discarded water up from the ground.
"Kayanna—"
Noting the disappointed tone in her father's voice, Kayanna's irritation reached a tipping point. She threw her arms up, the water in her control following the movement and flying outwards away from the teen, "I know!" Fists clenching together, the water shifted into ice and embedded themselves as icicles in the cement walls with harsh plinks, "No jokes." Her chest heaved.
Koda eyed the embedded icicles with mild disinterest before his analyzing gaze flickered back to his irate daughter. This wasn't the first time she'd had outbursts like that during training; the holes in the walls were evidence of that fact, "You need to keep your emotions in check."
Kayanna stood silent, the only sign she had been listening was her piercing gaze. Blue eyes watched as her father waved his hand, and the icicles melted before pulling themselves into a liquid ball that hovered before Koda. Palm extended outwards, the water ball floated in the air, its form changing and rippling.
The gentle movements of the floating ball helped to soothe Kayanna's racing heart, and her gaze followed the water as it floated up and down. She tried to allow a sense of calm to wash over her, and she bit her lower lip in an effort to not snap back at her father. She knew he was right—he always was. Their powers were closely tied to their emotions, and though they were behind closed doors currently, a slip up like that in public could be devastating to the secret life her father had built for himself. His life was dangerous enough as Nighttide; Koda was his sanctuary.
All energy, which included her irritation, had slowly melted away, and in its place a deep feeling of lethargy settled. They had been back at training for a few hours now, and though Kayanna had gotten another hour or so of sleep between sessions, she wasn't sure it had helped much. Though she had done her best to give it her all at the very start, she could feel her strength slipping away. Her muscles ached, and she was soaked from head to toe in a mixture of sweat and water.
It was an unpleasant feeling, but one she was slowly becoming accustomed to as her body adjusted to the harsh training regime her father had set up for her. Kayanna knew in the end this would all be worth it, but for right now, she just wanted to climb in bed and sleep for a thousand years.
A distant look settled in Kayanna's eyes, blue gaze dulling from fatigue, and Koda sighed. Running a hand through his disheveled and dripping hair, the older waterbender shook his head and dropped his hand. The water that was once in his control fell to the ground, and Kayanna blinked.
With the sudden disappearance of the object of her focus, she shifted her attention to her father. Realizing she had zoned out some—and that she had never actually responded to him—she sighed, "I'm sorry." He folded his arms over his chest, and her shoulders slumped. Her tone was quiet, dejected even, and Koda frowned.
"Don't be." He kept his voice light and reached forward to place a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder, "You're improving greatly, Kayanna. You should be proud of yourself." A small smile split his lips, breaking his drill sergeant exterior.
Kayanna peaked up at him. She studied his face for a few moments, gauging whether or not he was yanking her chain, but when she realized her father was being genuine, she perked up, "Really?" A hesitant smile danced on the corner of her lips.
"Of course." He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
And it was true; Koda meant every word of what he had just said. Though he may have been hard on his daughter—sometimes too hard—that didn't mean he didn't see her improvement. Even if her form and mobility had slipped up some during the last half hour of training, Kayanna was still putting in some effort to keep up with the training; and that counted for something.
"Incoming message."
Their little moment was interrupted, however, when the computer in the back of the room illuminated, a soft beeping echoing in the enclosed area. Koda's demeanor instantly changed, posture tensing as his hand fell from Kayanna's shoulder, and he moved to intercept the message. Kayanna hesitantly followed after her father.
Koda pressed a button on the computer, accepting the message. Batman filled the screen, face as stoic as ever, and Kayanna felt her face flush as her mind briefly replayed the earlier daydream she had of him.
"Nighttide."
"Batman."
Their greeting was borderline cold, each of their faces schooled and lacking any sort of emotion. Kayanna always found their interactions to be rather… odd; especially when she compared Koda's interactions with Batman to other members of the Justice League, like Wonder Woman and Shadow Hunter. With them he was more friendly and open, but with the dark knight, there was always an air of frigidness, and Kayanna wanted to know why.
Getting right to the point, Batman began to speak, "Fifteen minutes ago, Mister Freeze launched an attack on Gotham Park. Robin and I were able to apprehend Mister Freeze and send him back to Belle Reve. However, during his attack, multiple civilians were left frozen in large blocks of ice. We need your assistance to get them out safely."
"Damage control." Koda surmised, voice slipping into hero mode, "I'll rendezvous with you ASAP."
"Good." The dark knight nodded, "Batman out."
The feed faded out, Batman's face disappearing from view as the screen went black. Koda frowned as he noticed his daughter hovering over his shoulder in the screen's reflection, though his brown eyes were tinged with amusement. Realizing she had been caught, Kayanna shifted backwards. She fiddled with the end of one of her braids, trying to act nonchalant.
"So, uh," She began to speak as Koda stood, and she did her best to feign ignorance, "What did Batman want?"
With a snort, Koda shook his head. A small smile quirked his lips upwards and he walked around his daughter, making his way towards the opposite side of the room, "Like you didn't just hear everything." Pressing his hand up against the wall, a small scanner appeared beneath his hand.
"Recognized: Nighttide."
As the computer droned on, the scanned disappeared into the wall once more. The wall suddenly split with ease, revealing a hidden vault. Koda opened it, revealing his—and Kayanna's—super suits. He grabbed parts of his uniform, taking them with him before sitting down on a nearby bench.
Koda reached down, rolling the leg of his joggers upwards before he unhooked his lower left leg. Carefully setting aside the normal prosthetic leg, he swiftly began to hook up a specially designed one Batman had made him a few years ago. It was more durable than his usual prosthetic; meaning it could take more hits and was better suited for heroics.
Koda may have gone through a few prosthetic legs before Batman gifted him the specially made one. It was odd, if Kayanna was being honest with herself, for Batman to have gifted her father something so clearly expensive and specially made, but then again, the two seemed to have gotten along better back then than they did now. Though they could still clearly work together, their relationship was very obviously tense—but Kayanna didn't know what had changed.
Without a word, Koda disappeared to finish changing into his Nighttide garb, and Kayanna sighed. With the end of training meant one thing: after training chores. To be more specific, she had to clean up all the water they used while training.
It really wasn't all that hard of a chore if Kayanna was being honest with herself, and it did help her practice her waterbending on a small scale, but it was just so tedious. During their sparring sessions, water went everywhere—and that wasn't an exaggeration.
Alongside one of the walls were large metal vats, and each of them were filled to the brim with water they used to train with. The water was cleaned out once a week, but in the meantime, it was always Kayanna's job to put all the water back.
Every. Last. Drop.
"Can I, uh, come with?"
Kayanna had been battling with her nerves for the last five minutes or so as her father finished getting ready to go. He was currently pulling on his gloves, and he spared a brief glance at her daughter. She caught his gaze for a moment before redirecting hers to her hands, picking at a stray hangnail on her thumb.
"I don't think so, Kayanna." Koda sighed, "It could be dangerous."
Wow, what a shocking answer.
Rolling her eyes, Kayanna groaned, "That's what you always say!" Koda quirked a brow and slipped his mask onto his face, "Come on, dad! It's just damage control, right?"
Though Koda had been semi-fine with taking Kayanna out on patrols with him a few nights a week, missions appointed by League members—not matter how small they may have seemed—were a different story. Not to mention that it was Batman that had called him in; being summoned by the dark knight himself already had him on edge some.
"Damage control can still be dangerous. Mister Freeze—"
"Was already taken care of by Batman and Robin! You heard him. That old popsicle is off to Belle Reve! So, what's the danger?"
Koda looked unconvinced as he shook his head. He spared his daughter another pointed look as he passed by her, making his way towards the vats tucked against a wall, "I said no, Kayanna." With a flick of his wrist, he filled the water pouches strapped to his hips with water and turned back towards Kayanna, who had inched herself closer to her super suit. Koda shook his head, "Besides, this is Gotham. There's always danger."
"We live in Gotham."
"That's beside the point."
Kayanna's groan bounced off the enclosed rooms walls, "Please?" It was ironic how irritated the teen was growing in regard to her father's stubbornness, especially since she was just as stubborn as him. This back and forth had been the exact kind of thing she had put her father through earlier, but that thought never once crossed her mind.
"We're just dethawing civilians, right?" Kayanna started once more, not willing to give up just yet. After all, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, "It'll go faster if I help!" Koda opened his mouth to protest, head already shaking with another 'no' on the tip of his tongue, but Kayanna barreled over him, "My ice-bending could use some work!"
That got her father's attention, and his mouth closed as he thought over her words carefully. If Kayanna had learned anything these past few months, it was that her father was more willing to bring her along and let her do something if he could turn it into a teachable moment.
Koda ran a gloved hand through his still disheveled locks, and Kayanna could almost see the gears turning in his mind as he mulled her words over. She knew he was silently weighing the pros and cons of bringing her along, and she crossed her fingers behind her back, silently pleading to her father with her eyes.
Please let me go. Please let me go. Please let me go.
Finally, after what felt like minutes but was really about thirty seconds, Koda sighed, "Fine." He relented and Kayanna jumped up into the air with a happy squeal, "However," Her father's clipped tone interrupted her celebration, and the teen paused mid victory fist pump, "You listen to everything I say and there will be no arguing. Understood?"
Kayanna composed herself, hand shooting up in a mock salute—and earning herself a small eye roll from her father—and she beamed, "Aye aye, sir!" Heart hammering excitedly in her chest, she bounced on her heels in anticipation.
"Kayanna." Koda's tone was warning, and she sighed.
Composing herself into a more serious demeanor to appease her father, Kayanna moved her arms to cross them behind her back, "Yes, dad, I understand."
"Good." Koda nodded his head, a soft smile appearing on his lips as excitement once more washed over his daughter, "Now, suit up. And if you are not ready in five minutes, I'm leaving without you."
Eyes widening at the thought of being left behind, Kayanna scrambled to grab her super suit and go get changed. Koda couldn't help but laugh as his daughter tripped over her own feet but the feeling died down as an uneasy one washed over him when Kayanna disappeared from view.
Koda wasn't sure where they feeling had come from—or why he was even feeling it in the first place—but it was usually never a good sign.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"
Gotham Park was located smack dab in the center of Gotham City. Lined with trees and rolling hills of green, the park was a favorite amongst the locals if they just needed a day to forget the hell of a city they called home, as the park itself felt completely disconnected from Gotham itself. There was a pond with a small fountain in the middle of the park, and there were barbeques and various sporting areas scattered within.
The overall serenity and relaxed vibe the park gave off made it a prime location for Gothamites to flock to during the holiday, but that mood had clearly been soured when Mister Freeze interrupted the festivities.
Patches of ice and frozen spikes were strewn about the park, with various glaciers holding petrified civilians within their frozen confines. Citizens who had not been frozen or harmed by the attack had been quickly escorted out of the park, and though the park was now only filled with officers and EMTs, the media and onlookers had quickly surrounded the outskirts.
Nighttide and Nightfall had to weave their way through the gathered crowds to enter into the park, and Nightfall clung close to her father. A sudden feeling of shyness clenched her chest and she tilted her head downwards to avoid curious gazes as two officers escorted the heroes into the park.
The media—and even some onlookers—called out to Nighttide as he passed, tossing various questions his way and begging for an interview. They were paid no mind, however, the older waterbender giving them the cold shoulder as he pushed onwards, Nightfall on his heels.
They quickly realized they were getting nowhere with the Leaguer, and suddenly Nightfall found even more attention directed her way. She curled in on herself further, a shy and uncomfortable smile toying at her lips as a particularly aggressive newsman shoved a microphone in her face.
"Riptide! What's it like working with Nighttide?"
Nightfall cringed at being called the wrong name and tried to shy away from the man with the microphone. He was determined, however, and followed right alongside her as she tried to keep up with her father. The man ultimately pushed himself between Nightfall and Nighttide, and panicked welled up within the girl as her father continued further through the crowd.
She wanted to yell out to him, but with the microphone shoved into her face and more media closing in on her like a trapped prey, her voice caught in her throat. Her heart hammered in her chest, threatening to burst and Nightfall had never felt more overwhelmed in her life.
Maybe I should've just stayed home.
They had all packed themselves so tightly around her that Nightfall could barely move, and that thought sent her nerves on fire. Being confided and bogged down was one of her greatest fears, and with cameras and microphones still being shoved in her face, Nightfall couldn't help how hopeless she felt.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but Nightfall refused to let them fall. Breaking down right here and right now would reflect negatively on not only herself, but her father as well, and she knew that if she did break down, Nighttide would never let her back into the field. All her hard work would've been for nothing.
"Hey!" A familiar voice called out, "Leave her alone." The media that had been buzzing about Nightfall dispersed some, and she glanced over her shoulder as another officer approached her. Relief spread through her body as she recognized the man, and he glowered at the remaining media, "Get that out of her face." Jim Gordon placed a protective hand on Nightfall's shoulder, tucking her into his side as he shoved the microphones and cameras away from her.
Voice still caught in her throat, Nightfall hoped Commissioner Gordon could make out the gratefulness in her facial features as he escorted her past some police tape and into the park. No longer surrounded by media, Nightfall felt she could breathe safely now.
Gently squeezing Nightfall's shoulder, Commissioner Gordon smiled down at the young hero, "You gotta watch out for the media, Nightfall, they're vultures."
"Thank you, sir." She smiled up at him and he patted her shoulder before his gaze flickered upwards. Nightfall turned her head as well, watching as Nighttide approached the duo.
Though his features were schooled, Nightfall could make out the underlying concern in his eyes as he scanned over his daughter. Besides being a little shaken from being swarmed, Nightfall seemed relatively unscathed, "Nightfall, you have to make sure you keep up."
Nightfall's ears burned at the public reprimand, but she knew her father didn't mean anything ill by it. She also wanted to argue and say she had kept up; it was just that a pushing newsman had interjected himself between the duo, but she bit her tongue. Now wasn't the time nor the place to argue.
"Commissioner Gordon." Nighttide turned his attention to the seasoned officer, "Thank you for looking out for Nightfall."
He shrugged, "I'm just doing my job. The gall of those news people is something else, isn't it?"
"It certainly is." Nighttide hummed in confirmation, "Regardless, I appreciate it." Not one for idle chit chat while in the field, the light conversation was quickly shifted, "Is Batman still around?"
Commissioner Gordon nodded, "Oh, yeah." He pointed just beyond a small hill behind the two heroes, "Just over there. I'll come with you."
Together, the trio traversed the small hill, Nightfall lingering a bit behind Nighttide and Commissioner Gordon. Though she had seen Batman—and by extension Robin on occasion—on live feed when he'd call her father, she had yet to meet the dynamic duo in person—and that thought alone was enough to send her heart lurching into her throat.
Nightfall had honestly thought they'd be gone by the time her and Nighttide arrived.
These were her actual heroes, and knowing she was mere minutes away from actually meeting them had her feeling all kinds of giddy—especially Robin. As the first sidekick in the game, Nightfall really looked up to the boy wonder. He was a huge inspiration to her, and her heart fluttered at the thought of meeting him.
They crossed the crest of the hill, and Nightfall's breath hitched in her throat as her gaze settled on Batman and Robin. The two were talking to a few officers, their back to the approaching trio. As if sensing their approach, however, Batman turned his head, gaze first landing on Nighttide and Commissioner Gordon before falling to Nightfall.
She stiffened under his look, only relaxing some when he turned his gaze to her father once more. Robin, noticing his mentor's shift, turned as well. Where his mentor stayed stoic and expressionless as the three approached, a wide grin split Robin's face, and it only grew when it settled on Nightfall.
Nightfall flushed under his bright gaze and prayed to the gods above that no one could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Her hands had gone clammy as well, but she tucked them behind her back in a subtle effort to wipe them off. Robin continued to smile at her, and Nightfall was positive she was going to die right then and there from being so flustered.
"Nighttide." Batman greeted her father, gloved hand extended outwards.
The gesture was accepted, the older waterbender nodding in response, "Batman."
Their interaction was just as clipped and cool as it had been on the computer a mere half hour ago, and Nightfall frowned at them, momentarily forgetting about the beaming boy wonder. So consumed by her thoughts and curiosity, she missed Batman greeting the Commissioner before he turned his attention to her.
"Nightfall."
The girl blinked at her name being called, and her stomach flip flopped. A strange mixture of excitement and nervousness danced in her chest and she turned her wide gaze towards the dark knight, who stared down at her expectantly. One thought panged at the forefront of her mind as her heart continued to hammer.
Batman knew who she was!
Nightfall nodded in response, taking his gloved hand with her own when he presented it. She was very grateful he was wearing gloves and she really hoped her hands weren't sweaty enough to soak through both his and her gloves. "B-Batman." She finally managed to stammer out, internally kicking herself as her voice cracked.
Smooth, Kayanna, real smooth.
If anyone noticed her voice mishap—or her nerves in general for that matter—no one said a thing, and Nightfall was appreciative of this fact. Dropping each other's hands, the dark knight turned towards Nighttide and Commissioner Gordon, diving into a debriefing, "Mister Freeze was apprehended and currently is en route back to Arkham Asylum, where he'll then be transferred to Belle Reve…"
With the debriefing fully underway, Nightfall attempted to pay attention as best as she could. Batman revealed that Gotham hadn't been the only place attacked by an ice villain, and other Leaguer's had apprehended four other ice villains across the states.
Aquaman and Aqualad faced Killer Frost in Pearl Harbor.
Flash and Kid Flash took down Captain cold in Central City.
Shadow Hunter and Nightlight captured Minister Blizzard in San Francisco.
And Green Arrow and Speedy dealt with Icicle Junior in Star City.
So that was five ice villains attacking on the same day. Batman, Nighttide and the commissioner seemed to come to the same conclusion: that it was not coincidental in the slightest. They divulged into theories about why five different ice villains attacked at the same time, on the same day, in five different locations and what it meant. Nightfall attempted to keep up with their theorizing, but they quickly lost her, the teen ultimately starting to zone out.
It may not have been the best idea to zone out in the field on a semi-League based assignment, but Nightfall could tell the three were so deep in their conversation that she was being ignored, so she didn't see any harm in it.
Well, she was mostly being ignored.
Nightfall could feel a pair of eyes on her, in fact, she had felt them since the three had started their conversation, but she had chosen to initially ignore them in favor of seeming like she was actually paying attention. Even if she may not have been fully attuned any longer, she at least had to try and look the part; appearances were key, after all.
And maybe she was choosing to ignore the masked gaze because she knew who exactly the eyes belonged to, and that further strung out her already taut nerves.
Attempting to play the part of an astute 'sidekick' once more, Nightfall folded her arms over her chest, pointedly angling herself away from her ogler. She had lost track of the conversation the two Leaguers and the commissioner were having, not fully understanding the direction they were going in now, but in an attempt to quell her nerves, she tried to focus once more. They were still discussing how the situation was unlikely to be a coincidence, and what exactly it all meant, and the young teen didn't quite understand just why the conversation seemed to be dragging on.
Mister Freeze was already gone, so shouldn't the two waterbenders be getting to work already?
The scorching July sun hung high in the air, bathing the earth below in blistering heat. Sweat trickled down Nightfall's forehead, and she silently cursed all the black that her costume possessed. She was just grateful her uniform sported a more breathable material, but that was just a minor consolation. The longer the group stood there discussing the events that had transpired—couldn't it be done over email?- the more the sun did the waterbender's job.
A quick glance around, and Nightfall noted how the snow piles and ice had already melted, and the poor frozen civilians that were in view were also slowly melting, with condensation rolling off them in waves. Craning her head around, Nightfall attempted a quick count of how many frozen civilians she could see. Though there had been scattered remains of snow and ice littered throughout the park, the area they were currently standing in seemed to be the hardest hit.
Nightfall had counted a grand total of six icebergs—each with various amounts of people within them—before a pair of masked eyes entered her field of vision. Almost subconsciously her gaze snapped to his, and Robin's face lit up before the waterbender could look away.
Hand extended outwards, a bright grin danced on his lips, toying the fine line between boyish charm and outright smirking, "Name's Robin." The boy wonder introduced, and Nightfall quirked a hidden brow.
Did he really need an introduction? Probably not.
Did he give one? Absolutely.
The cheeky shit.
The introduction was clearly more of a formality than anything really. Of course Nightfall knew who Robin was. At this point in time, even if her father didn't live in Gotham, she'd know who he was. The boy wonder was basically a household name now; she'd have to be living under a rock to not know who he was.
Seeing as this was the first time she was meeting Robin in person, Nightfall found herself a little bit tongue-tied. He was the whole reason she had begged her father to join him in the field at the age she was. To say she looked up to the boy wonder was an understatement; and if she was being honest, she may have even been a bit jealous of him. A fully trained sidekick—not to mention the very first—working alongside one of the world's greatest heroes ever? Who wouldn't be jealous of that? Robin was everything Nightfall aspired to be and more.
Nighttide just had her on a very short leash.
Up close and personal with the boy wonder, Nightfall found herself unabashedly checking him out. From pictures and media sightings, it was clear Robin was cute, but those distant sightings of him did absolutely nothing for him. Robin's dark hair was lightly tousled, a mixture of a style choice and messiness from battle, and the look gave him a boyish charm that suited him very well.
Enough so that Nightfall found herself wanting to run her hand through his disheveled locks. It was probably super soft.
Despite being of a shorter stature—he was at least an inch or so shorter than Nightfall—Robin gave off a powerful energy. It was clear whatever training regime Batman had him on was working; the boy was ripped for a young teenager.
Was it bad that she wanted to feel his biceps?
That's creepy, Kayanna! Get yourself together.
Shoving all crazy-hormonal-teenager-feelings aside, Nightfall couldn't help but get a sense of familiarity from the boy wonder. It was as if she knew him from somewhere, but she just couldn't place him, and the thought slowly soured her mood. The familiarity would've further irritated her had Robin not cleared his throat, clearly bemused by the silence—and obvious checking out—from the waterbender.
Cheeks tinging red, Nightfall pulled herself back to reality as it dawned on her that she had been basically gawking at Robin this whole time. For his part, Robin didn't comment on her staring, but as her cheeks heated further, his smirk did increase.
Making a pitiful attempt to save herself, Nightfall's hand shot out, firmly grasping Robin's own still extended hand, and she shook it almost a bit too hard, "I'm N-Nightfall!" A squeak punctuated her words, the syllables catching in her throat some, and Nightfall dropped Robin's hand to sheepishly rub the back of her neck, "It's uh, it's nice to officially meet you, Robin." Her voice tapered off at the end, Robin chuckling at her sheepish behavior, and his smirk turned into a light smile.
"Likewise, Nightfall."
The genuine tone of Robin's voice made Nightfall glance up, and when she met his masked gaze, the sincere smile that split his lips caused a frenzy of butterflies to flutter about her stomach. The softness in his expression helped to lessen her nerves some, face returning to her normal tan color, and Nightfall returned his look with a soft smile of her own.
The two weren't given much of a chance to further converse, as Batman and the others turned their attention to the two teens. They faced their mentors, and the dark knight addressed Nighttide and Nightfall, "So, you two will handle it?"
Nodding in affirmation, Nighttide spoke, "Of course, Batman, we can take it from here."
Content with his fellow Leaguer's response, Batman nodded, "Good. Now if you'll excuse us," The caped crusader faced his protégé, who's grin had shifted into an almost knowing smirk, "Robin and I have a prior engagement to attend to."
Curiosity gnawed at the back of Nightfall's mind, and she really wanted to ask what exactly the prior engagement was, but she bit her tongue. It wasn't her place to ask, and it would reflect negatively on Nighttide if she tried to but into other Leaguer's business without permission.
Batman bid the two waterbender's—and Commissioner Gordon—a brief farewell before he spun on his heel, cape fanning out behind him. As his mentor began to walk away, Robin started to follow, only to pause briefly shortly after, "I'm glad we got to finally meet, Nightfall." The girl's eyes widened slightly at his words, realization dawning on her that maybe, just maybe, Robin had known of her as well, "I hope we'll be able to work together soon."
There it was again, that soft smile that sent Nightfall's stomach into a tizzy and heart lurching. She met his gaze again, smile shy and fully aware of the burn on her cheeks, but this time, she didn't care. Robin's words, as simple as they might've been, meant a lot to her; and they were an easy confidence booster.
"Don't count on it, Robin."
And there went that confidence.
Mood souring and face contorting in irritation, Nightfall flashed her father a glare as he stepped between herself and Robin. A firm hand was placed on her shoulder, and the teen had half a mind to shrug it off, but she let the gesture go, instead groaning, "Dad."
The hand on her shoulder tightened, and Robin's smile faltered, "She's still in training."
Now the heat in her cheeks was from angry mortification more than it was from comfortable shyness. The ire in her body was strong, and Nightfall folded her arms over her chest, blue eyes glaring daggers at the grass below. Her fingers dug into her biceps in an effort to help contain her irritation, as she didn't want to seem like a petulant child in front of Robin.
The boy wonder's gaze shifted between the two waterbender before it settled on Nighttide, and his grin strengthened once more, though this time, it was borderline mischievous. Nighttide didn't like the look Robin was giving him, but the Leaguer chose to not comment on the cheeky expression, instead waiting expectantly for his response.
"Of course, sir." He spoke with more formality than Nightfall expected, and when her father's hand clenched on her shoulder once more, she glanced up in concern, "Then I'll see you when I see you, Nightfall."
Brows furrowing together, Nightfall's head cocked to the side at his cryptic words. Nighttide glared down at the boy wonder, some unspoken words passing between the duo, and a strange feeling blossomed within Nightfall's chest at the interaction. It was clear her father was annoyed by Robin, but just why was beyond her. As far as she was aware, the two never really worked much with each other.
Nighttide stood firm, ignoring the cheeky grin on the boy's lips, "You better get going, Robin, Batman's probably waiting for you." His tone was slightly clipped, and the boy wonder's grin only increased. Nightfall, meanwhile, was completely and utterly lost.
Tossing the Leaguer a mock solute, grin still mischievous, "I'm on my way, Nighttide. Good luck, you two." Under his mask, Nighttide's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Nightwall was positive Robin winked at her from under his.
She didn't get to dwell on the look for very long, however, as Robin spun on his heel and darted off after his mentor. Nightfall followed his figure with her eyes as he disappeared into the horizon, and when he was well out of ear shot, she turned towards her father.
His hand fell from her shoulder, and she frowned up at him, "What was that about?" Nightfall interrogated, staring expectantly at Nighttide.
"It was nothing," Nighttide rolled his shoulders. Knowing full well his response wasn't going to sit well with his daughter, he cut in before she could respond, "Now, if you're done ogling Robin, we have work to do."
Nightfall's eyes widened, hands falling to her sides, and she spluttered, "W-what?! I was not ogling him!" She rushed to defend herself, words almost blurring together as red painted her cheeks once more.
Nighttide would've been bemused by her response had Robin's words not exasperated him. Steering things back to the matter at hand, the older waterbender shook his head, "Come on. You can ogle him later; we have work to do."
Setting off for the nearest chunk of ice, Nighttide didn't give a chance for his daughter to argue. She stared after him, blue eyes wide and blazing, before she quickly raced after him, yelling at his back that she was in fact not ogling Robin, and that she would not be ogling him later.
You know that feeling you get when your muscles feel like lead and your whole body just felt like death?
Yeah, that was how Nightfall was currently feeling.
Though damage control had initially sounded like it'd be pretty easy, it was proving to be anything but. Nightfall had quickly regretted giving her father the idea he could use this as a training exercise, as he had quickly taken things to a whole new level.
Just as a quick 'how to', Nighttide had dethawed the first civilian, showing Nightfall the proper stance and safest technique to harmlessly unfreeze a person. The technique had seemed simple enough, and Nightfall had prided herself on getting it down almost right away.
Dethawing her first civilian had been a walk in the park—metaphorically speaking, of course—and once the young man had been freed from his icy confines, the paramedics had immediately whisked him away, checking for any signs of hypothermia before carting him off to an ambulance. It had made Nightfall feel good, knowing that she had saved that man's life, and she was eager to help the rest of the poor, entrapped citizens of Gotham.
However, that was about twenty minutes and nearly a dozen frozen people ago. Nightfall's initial 'frozen people count' was very off.
After deeming Nightfall's technique good enough to get the job done, Nighttide had taken a huge step back, leaving the remaining frozen civilians to the younger waterbender. When she mentioned that it'd be faster if he helped, Nighttide told her that the people were stable; basically in some sort of cryo-sleep, and they had some extra time for her to train her icebending—her own words, if you didn't remember.
They tasted bitter when they were thrown back in her face.
"Straighten your back." Her father barked, arms folded over his chest as he stood a few feet back alongside some more paramedics and a stretcher, "you're slouching."
"yOu'Re sLoUcHiNg." Nightfall mocked under her breath, grateful her back was to Nighttide so he couldn't see her mouth move. Regardless, she readjusted her position, straightening up and tightening her form. She'd never admit to the older waterbender, but the straighter posture made her stiff muscles feel a lot better—even if they were still yelling at her.
There were only a handful of civilians left to dethaw at this point, and though Nightfall knew she should've been happy she could see the finish line, when she shifted her arms upwards into proper positioning, she could've sworn they were going to fall off. Nightfall groaned at the movement, but pushed on.
Everything was in pain, but she was so so close.
Shoving aside the aching feeling in her arms, Nightfall stretched her extended arms outwards. The shook in the air slightly, a physical sign of her growing fatigue, but she concentrated on steadying herself. Arms levelling out some, and shakiness residing, she splayed her fingers as she honed in on the target before her. It was a middle-aged woman with frizzy orange hair, and she was holding tightly onto a young boy, who's hair was just as frizzy and orange. Nightfall felt it was safe to assume they were mother and son, and a newfound determination burned in her chest.
Nightfall pulled in a deep breath, eyes slipping shut for a moment as she centered herself. A feeling of ease washed over her, and her eyes opened once more. Nightfall slowly and gently lowered her arms before pulling them towards her body, mind focusing on the ice melting into liquid once more. She could feel the water resist her command initially, the ice hesitating before all at once there was a rush, and the newly liquified water fell the earth below.
The paramedics were fast to rush in, catching the newly freed civilians before they could hit the ground just as Nightfall doubled over. She panted slightly, barely catching the paramedics asking if the two were okay, and when a hand found purchase on her shoulder, she glanced up.
Though the expression on his face was still stoic, Nighttide's eyes carried a silent praised, "Very good, Nightfall." He spoke lightly, watching as the paramedics carted the mother and son off. The two looked like they had been in shock, much like the other civilians had been, but otherwise, they seemed like they'd be okay—and that was a relief to both waterbender's.
"Thank you, d—" Nightfall cleared her throat as she realized her almost slip-up, "Nighttide."
Even if the compliment had been brief, it was still one regardless; and Nightfall would take whatever she could get. While Koda would intersperse compliments into the training to keep his daughter's spirits up, Nighttide was much more reserved in the field. It wasn't that Nightfall didn't do good work when she was in the field with him, it was more so that Nighttide's persona was based on Koda's time as a Marine; and compliments in the military weren't so easily earned.
"Come on, Nightfall, only a few more left."
Why was the sun so dang bright?
Nightfall stared up at the afternoon sky, eyes squinting slightly against the sunlight as she basked in its glow. All the civilians had been freed; the damage control done. Nighttide was currently talking to Commissioner Gordon once more, clearing up any potential loose ends, and Nightfall took his brief distraction as a chance to take a small break. After all, she felt like she deserved one.
Not that he would necessarily approve of her laying on her back in the grass, blinding herself with the sun. But the cool grass felt nice against her sweat-soaked skin; and the ground supporting her aching muscles was a huge plus as well. Her tired body was comfy.
Who cares if her position was vulnerable—and maybe a little bit unprofessional?
Nightfall certainly didn't. What was the worst that was going to happen?
Was a random perp going to sneak up on her?
In the middle of Gotham Park?
In broad daylight?
With multiple police officers hanging around?
Fat chance.
Her slightly fatigued-inspired thoughts caused her lips to split into a dumb grin, and her eyes slipped completely shut. Though the sweltering heat from the sun still baked the world below, the cool grass beneath Nightfall felt nice, and she may have used her powers some to cool herself off with the water from her pouches as well— so sue her. It just felt nice to take a moment to herself.
The whirlwind events of the day played heavily in her mind, dwelling just a bit longer on her first meeting with Robin that she probably should have, but it wasn't everyday one got to meet their idol. Today had gone in a completely different direction than Nightfall had thought it would, and that thought alone caused a flurry of excitement to mix with the fatigue that stirred in her body.
Today she felt like an actual hero—and boy did it feel good.
A shadow loomed over Nightfall, momentarily blocking out the sun and creating a darker shadow in the teen's already darkened view. The waterbender cracked an eye open, peering sheepishly up at her father. Nighttide stared down at her, arms folded over his chest and a single eyebrow quirked expectantly.
"I was just—"
"Resting your eyes?" His tone was bemused, and a grin split Nightfall's lips.
"Now you're getting it!"
Nighttide rolled his eyes at his daughter's comeback, though a small grin toyed at the corners of his lips, "Come on." He offered Nightfall a hand, the girl accepting the gesture, before he hoisted the younger waterbender to her feet, "Let's get home; our work here is done."
Nightfall nodded her head in agreeance; stretching herself out like a cat and groaning in satisfaction as her back cracked loudly. An ache had settled in her limbs, the feeling akin to how one's muscles felt after a good workout. It wasn't an unwelcome feeling, but Nightfall was certainly looking forward to just getting home and crashing on her couch for the rest of the evening.
Sirens blared in the distance as ambulances carted off the remaining civilians that had been frozen, and Nightfall and Nighttide began to make their trek out of the park. Officers and EMTs still littered the recreational area, but their numbers had dwindled as the morning's fun began to die down. The media and reporters had been further blocked off, creating a clearer path for the two heroes to exit from, and the younger waterbender couldn't have been more grateful.
Facing the media and pushy reporters again was the last thing Nightfall wanted to do.
Cameras flashed as the duo passed, a variety of questions shouted at their backs, but the reporters were mostly ignored. Nightfall curled in on herself as they continued to be barraged, and Nighttide placed a protective arm around her shoulder. The anxiety the teen had started to feel lessened some, and she smiled gratefully up at her father.
Nighttide steered the two towards the alley their motorbike was hidden in, the reporters desperate attempts for interviews slowly fading into background noise. Their bike came into view, and Nightfall had never felt more relieved to see it than she did in that moment. Typically, she loathed the bike—well, not the bike itself per say, but more so, the fact she had to share it with her father. As an argument for her safety, Nighttide had refused to get her her own bike, and Nightfall felt various shades of embarrassed whenever she had to ride on the back of it with him—which was every time she went on patrol with him.
She was grateful at least she didn't have to ride in a sidecar.
They paused before the bike, Nighttide dropping his arm from his daughter's shoulder to instead place a hand on her shoulder. His expression was soft, much softer than what he normally wore in the field, and an almost proud look glinted in his dark eyes, "You did good work today, Nightfall."
At the praise, Nightfall beamed up at her father, "Thanks, dad." Her tone was soft, thoughtful even, as she matched his smile. A praise from Nighttide in the field was rare, even if they were alone in an alleyway, but the compliment still meant a lot to her regardless, "Does this mean that—" The girl paused, chewing her lower lip in thought, and Nighttide quirked his brow at the look. Nightfall thought her next words over carefully, pondering how she should word her next question. She didn't necessarily want to bother her father—especially when he seemed to be in a fair mood currently—but she just had to know, "Does this mean you'll give me more responsibilities in the field?"
Nighttide exhaled through his nose at the question, gaze flickering to the sky for a brief moment before he turned towards his daughter. Honestly, he should've seen that one coming, "We can discuss that la—" The older waterbender suddenly trailed off, body tensing as he went rigid. Nightfall's head titled to the side in curiosity, but her father held up a finger, signaling her to be quiet, before he pressed a finger to his ear, "Nighttide here."
Ah, so it was Justice League related.
Nightfall's arms folded over her chest as she watched her father converse with whoever was on the other end of the comm link—or rather, she watched as Nighttide made a series of nods and noises of affirmation as he listened intently. The conversation carried on, Nightfall standing in blissful ignorance, and she watched as the older waterbender pulled a small device out of his utility belt. Nightfall immediately recognized it as his GPS, and Nighttide pressed a few buttons before it whirred to life, a ping sounding from the small device.
A mini holographic map appeared, a red dot marking a random location, and Nighttide spoke, "Got it." He nodded his head once more, listening to whoever was on the opposite end, "I need to take care of Nightfall and then I'll rendezvous ASAP. Nighttide out."
Nightfall's brows furrowed at his words, and when her father faced her, she spoke before he could, "Take care of me?" Her arms fell to her side, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means…" Nighttide started before trailing off, brown eyes filling with concern and uncertainty as he thought about the options that laid before him. With a soft sigh, he ran a gloved hand through his slightly disheveled locks, "I'm taking you to the Hall of Justice."
Nightfall pursed her lips, "Uh, why?"
"You recall the sorcerer Wotan, correct?"
"You've mentioned him once or twice before."
Nighttide quirked a brow at her coy response, only to shake his head his head before pushing past his daughter. Nightfall followed him hesitantly, curiosity growing as he passed by their bike—which had been locked and cloaked between two bins—and approached an old phone booth that was tucked away in the back of the alley.
"Wotan is using some ancient amulet to blot out the sun. Zatara has requested full League back-up."
Nightfall's nose scrunched in confusion, "Uh, then where does the Hall of Justice come in?" Her and her father had stopped before the decrepit phone booth, and Nighttide turned towards the younger waterbender, hands now placed on his hips.
"I don't have time to take you home and then rendezvous with the League, so I'm taking you to the Hall of Justice for the time being." His tone was authoritative, an attempt to leave no room for argument, but one look at the confusion and irritation that flickered on Nightfall's face, and Nighttide knew she wasn't going to listen easily.
Letting out a huff, Nightfall scowled, "You know, I'm not a child. I can get myself home safely."
Under other circumstances, Nighttide would've let Nightfall head home on her own. He knew she knew the way; but decked out in full hero garb with no change of clothes, she was a walking target, and he wasn't going to risk anything.
"I know, Nightfall." The older waterbender's tone was almost pleading, exasperated even, "but home is across town and," He pointed to the crescent moon logo on her chest, the same one that was displayed above his heart, "this makes it unsafe for you to go across town on your own."
"I could take the bike."
"You don't know how to drive it."
"I would if you taught me how!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Nighttide inhaled deeply. Stubbornness ran in the family, and he was internally cursing the trait, "Nightfall, enough. I'm needed elsewhere, and we will be zeta-ing to the Hall of Justice."
"Zeta-ing?" Nightfall quirked a brow, electing to shift the conversation some. She could tell her father was getting tense, and as much as she may have wanted to, it was probably not a good idea to continue to push his buttons. So, with a sigh, she shifted tactics.
Nighttide pulled open the door of phonebooth, and at Nightfall's querying eye, he began to explain that inside the seemingly useless phone booth was what the League called a 'zeta-tube'.
Not that it looked very tube-y.
And she had no idea what a zeta was.
The younger's brows further furrowed in confusion, but before she could voice her questions, Nighttide carried on his explanation. Apparently, a 'zeta-tube' was a teleporter device used by the League for fast and easy travel across the country—and even to some parts of the world. Nightfall's own aunt had helped the League develop the technology, working in cohorts with other scientists at Star Lab in a project known as the 'Erdel Initiative', which focused on zeta-beam research.
Zeta-tubes were the League's main means of transportation, allowing them to quickly and effortlessly get to their missions in a timely fashion. According to Nighttide, it could take someone from Gotham all the way over to Star City in the blink of an eye—and to say that cleared up some of Nightfall's confusion on how fast her father could travel sometimes was an understatement.
Nightfall had often wondered how Nighttide could travel from Gotham City, which was located in New Jersey, and all the way over to Star City, which was in California, in like five seconds flat.
Regardless of the decrepit and nasty phone booth in front of the two supposedly being some high-tech League machinery, Nightfall still had some reservations. The hesitation must've been clear on her face, because her father sighed.
"Look, I'll be going first. When the computer tells you to, just enter the phone booth and you'll be teleported to the Hall of Justice, where I will be waiting for you."
Nightfall scrunched her nose in skepticism, "Seems sketch."
Eyes narrowing, Nighttide frowned, "I don't have time for this, Nightfall." It was clear his already thin patience was getting thinner, and it showing more and more in his tone of voice, "Just do what the computer says, and all will be fine, angerut [I promise]."
There was some slight apprehension still sitting heavily in Nightfall's mind, but with her father's reassurance, she allowed her mind to find some semblance of ease. If he trusted the janky machine before the two, then surely she could as well. It wasn't like Nighttide to lead her astray, so she swallowed her hesitation and nodded her head, chewing her lip slightly.
Content with his daughter's response, and the lack of an argument, Nighttide climbed into the phone booth. Her offered Nightfall a small smile, one the girl was sure was meant to be reassuring, before the door slid shut. For a few seconds, nothing in particular happened, and Nightfall wondered if this was all some weird joke.
A part of her was kind of expecting her father to jump out of the phone booth and yell 'just kidding' or something with jazz hands—but she knew that was just her imagination running rampant.
When donned in hero garb, Nighttide was all business.
From within the phone booth, Nightfall heard a familiar computerized voice called out her father's name. A bright flash of light accompanied the disembodied voice, and Nightfall's eyes widened in surprise as she took a startled step backwards.
"Uh, d-dad?" The younger waterbender meekly called out, and the light from within died down.
The door suddenly slid open, the abrupt motion sending Nightfall's heart lurching, and her mouth fell open in surprise. With a hesitant step, she approached the phone booth, taking in the fact her father was no longer inside the machine. The emptiness was mildly alarming, but she assumed that meant this zeta-tube was up to code and working properly.
"You may now enter."
Rearing back as if the phone booth had bit her, Nightfall startled once more. Her heart hammered in her chest at the unexpected, immaterial voice, and the young waterbender did her best to steel her already frayed nerves. It vaguely clicked in the back of her mind that the voice was the same one the computer system her father had at home used, and she figured it must be a League thing.
"You may now enter."
The voice droned once more, and Nightfall was almost positive the monotonous voice was tinged with impatience—if that was even possible. Pulling in a deep breath, she neared the device once more. She poked her head inside, nose cringing at the cobwebs in the corners as she took in the crummy interior. The inside was just as dilapidated as the outside—if not more honestly—and Nightfall supposed that made sense.
If this really was some state-of-the-art League technology, you wouldn't want just anyone approaching it. Therefore, hiding it as some old, rundown telephone booth made a lot of sense.
Only when the voice called out to her a third time did Nightfall enter the machine, carefully closing the door behind her. It gave her some resistance before fully closing with a creak. Finding herself shrouded in darkness, Nightfall glanced around the interior, trying to figure out the inner workings of the device. Nothing overtly stood out, and she didn't get much longer to try and make sense of things before a bright light began to glow from the center of the machine.
As it continued to grow brighter, Nightfall found herself subconsciously backing away from the illuminance until her back hit the wall of the phone booth. The light began to surround her, a strange tingling stirring in the tips of her fingers, and her heart felt like it was going to burst forth from her chest.
Well, here goes nothing…
