Young Justice is not mine.
Independence Day
"Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects."
- Dalai Lama
HALL OF JUSTICE
"When we're ready?" Kid Flash exclaimed, outraged as he kicked at the floor. The Justice Leaguer's- consisting of their trusted mentors- had just left the room, off to some grand 'ol Justice League adventure, on they weren't allowed on, "How are we supposed to ever be ready if they treat us like, like…" He searched for the word.
"Sidekicks?" Robin grumbled, arms crossed.
"Exactly!"
Aqualad looked at his friends before casting his eyes towards the ground, dejected, "My mentor... my King... I thought he trusted me."
"Trust?!" Kid Flash retorted, emerald eyes ablaze as he flailed his arms, "They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got an orbiting secret HQ in space!"
Nightlight, the lone female member of the small group, shook her head as she wrapped her cape around herself, "This is the Justice League we're talking about, I'm sure they have their reasons."
And she meant that. She trusted her father, Shadow Hunter, more than anything. He would know best, and as much as she would love for more responsibilities, she- and the others- were still young.
They still had plenty of time to join the Justice League.
Kid Flash scoffed and ran a hand through his red hair before green eyes met pink, "You would defend the League."
The caped girl's eyes narrowed, "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Before Kid Flash had a chance to retaliate, Aqualad stepped in, placing a hand on the annoyed speedster's shoulder, silencing him with a simple look, "Nightlight has a valid point, Kid, this is the Justice League we are referring to. Besides, bickering amongst ourselves will not help our situation."
Kid Flash opened his mouth to respond, but faltered for a moment. He knew Aqualad was right, but his feelings were still a tad bit hurt, so his emotions were running kind of amuck, but he didn't mean to take things out on Nightlight. With a soft frown, he glanced back at the girl, "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," The pink-eyed girl responded with a shrug, "but it does beg the question, how many more secrets are they keeping from us?"
"I've got a better question," Robin spoke up, brows furrowed as his friends glanced at him, "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?"
A heavy silence hung in the air at the Boy Wonder's question, four sets of eyes casting their gaze down to the floor. They were stuck, and unsure of how to move forward, spirits crestfallen at the rejection from the League.
What could they do?
Aqualad was the first to break the silence, a curious look in his eyes, "What is…" The young Atlantean paused, thinking over his next works, "Project Cadmus?"
And just like that, the fire was ignited once more.
"Don't know…" Robin started, voice filled with a mischievous air as his lips quirked upwards into a devious smirk, "but I can find out."
The Boy Wonder stepped towards the large computer, fully intent on putting his hacking skills to use. Just before his fingers could touch the key pad, however, the zeta tube burst to life, the computer's robotic voice echoing in the air.
"Recognized: Nighttide: Zero-Four."
Four sets of eyes snapped towards the zeta tube, watching as the doors slid open and the bright light dimmed, revealing the Justice Leaguer. Robin immediately shot back from the computer as Nighttide stepped out of the contraption, doing his best to act like he wasn't just about to hack into the computer as the waterbender turned his way.
"N-Nighttide?" Kid Flash spluttered, surprise evident in his voice.
Nighttide barely acknowledged the four young heroes' presence- their only true acknowledgement being a curt nod from him- as he walked towards the large computer before beginning to type. The Boy Wonder attempted to casually look over the man's shoulder to see what he was doing, but had to jump back quickly as Nighttide finished typing.
"Access Granted: Nightfall: A-Zero-One. Authorization: Nighttide: Zero-Four."
Once more all eyes turned towards the zeta tube as it lit up, revealing a very confused- and slightly concerned- Nightfall as the light dimmed. Her head went left, and then right, blue eyes scanning for any missing parts before she stepped forward cautiously, testing the weight on her left foot before deciding it was fine, and she could walk.
The waterbender exited the zeta tube before cocking her head back as the large door blocking the zeta slid shut with a hiss. She frowned before turning her gaze forward, only realizing then that all eyes were on her.
"Uh, hi?" She hesitantly waved.
Robin was the only one that waved back, more enthusiastically than Nightfall really expected. The others just gave her blank looks before turning towards her father, the Leaguer not having spoken a word since his arrival.
"I'm sure the League has already informed you of the situation at hand." Nighttide cut right to the chase, cutting Kid Flash off before he could even speak.
"We were told to stay put until the League returned from their mission." Nightlight spoke up, pink eyes glowing underneath her hood. She ignored the look a certain speedster flashed her.
"Good," The older waterbender nodded, "Nightfall will be joining you four."
"I just wanted to go-"
Nightfall was cut off as Kid Flash spoke up, "Today was supposed to be the day!" He extended his hands out, flailing them slightly and causing Nightlight to step away to avoid being hit in the face. She glared at him from the corner of his eye, but the speedster went on, "We're ready to work alongside you guys!"
"Obviously not if you have to question direct orders from the League." Nighttide responded smoothly, narrowed brown eyes focused on the ginger.
Emerald eyes widened, and a slightly embarrassed expression settled on Kid Flash's face before he turned his gaze towards the floor. Nightfall blinked, feeling slightly bad for the speedster. Nighttide wasn't known for sugar coating his words.
Robin stifled a laugh behind his hand, turning it into a quick cough as he caught Nightfall's confused look. There was just something about his best friend being embarrassed that made him amused. Nightlight flashed the Boy Wonder a glare before shaking her head. She was used to his immature antics.
Aqualad took a deep breath and placed a hand on Kid Flash's shoulder before speaking to the Leaguer, "Then you should be on your way. We will stay put."
"Thank you, Aqualad." Nighttide nodded at the Atlantean, "Your patience will be rewarded, I promise."
The waterbender nodded his head in goodbye at the four before turning towards his daughter, who was silently watching the whole ordeal from beside the zeta. She glanced up at him when he stepped in front of her.
"Najuk, Nightfall, pigasuak utik." (Stay put, Nightfall, I will return.)
"Ii, atâtak." (Yes, father.)
"Tavvauvutit." (Goodbye.)
Nighttide nodded, content before placing a hand on Nightfall's shoulder, squeezing slightly before stepping into the zeta. A shoulder squeeze didn't seem like much, but it was the only affection for a goodbye she'd get when he was in uniform. Forehead kisses and hugs were a Koda Sanders thing only- not Nighttide.
And then, in the blink of the eye, he was flashed away, leaving the four sidekicks- and their newest addition- alone once more.
"Are we babysitting you?"
The question came from nowhere, breaking the heavy silence and Nightfall's head shot up. She turned towards the source of the voice, confusion and annoyance evident on her face as Kid Flash held his hands up in mock surrender.
Why would they be babysitting her?
"No offense, babe, oof-" Nightlight suddenly elbowed the speedster's side, which earned her an irked look from him, "Hey!"
The caped girl just shrugged her arms before crossing them, ignoring Kid Flash as he rubbed his- now aching- side tenderly. She tried to keep herself looking indignant as she settled her pink gaze on Nightfall, "I think what Kid Flash meant is, why did Nighttide bring you to the Hall of Justice if he was just going to ditch you?"
Nightfall felt her face heat up, and she wanted to protest what the other girl had said to let her know that no, her father did not ditch her, but she knew it was pointless. Maybe ditching wasn't exactly the right word for how she ended up where she was, but it was pretty much true.
Nighttide had ditched her to go on a League mission.
Hey, she'd do the same in his position, honestly.
Though after learning the other sidekicks were here because they thought they were joining the Justice League- who ditched them as well for League business- it made Nightfall's reasoning for being here just a tad bit pitiful. Her dad may have been concerned for her well-being, which as a father was a fair excuse, but she still felt it would reflect on her negatively if she told them he wouldn't let her simply walk home.
It seemed kind of lame, right?
"We were in the neighborhood so we decided to stop by?" Nightfall attempted to lie, though lying was never her forte.
She had a very obvious tell: she'd always chew her lower lip whenever she lied.
Just like she was doing now!
Nightlight didn't exactly look convinced, and neither did Kid Flash for that matter, but before either of them could call her out on her bullshit, Robin called for their attention.
As the two other heroes turned towards the Boy Wonder, Nightfall released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding, glad to have the attention off herself.
"Woah," Kid Flash breathed out, and Nightfall focused her attention on the computer screen Robin was positioned in front of. Where the screen had once been off and black, it was now illuminated brightly, displaying an image of a white building, with multiple firefighters attempting to defeat the fire that was burning in the upper floors, "How'd you do that?"
"Same system as the Batcave," Robin replied smoothly with a smirk, as if it was the most obvious answer out there. The screen changed slightly as the raven's fingers clacked on the keyboard, more images and files of the same building popping up.
Nightfall was confused as she eyeballed the screen, not entirely sure what Robin was doing- or what all the files and images were supposed to mean. She may have gotten the intel from the four sidekicks about their denial to join the League, and that they League had ditched them too, but that was it.
"What are we looking at?" She hesitantly spoke up as the others stared at the info, "And why's it on fire?"
"This," Robin glanced back at the girl and gestured to the screen, "is Project Cadmus. As for the fire part, the League was going to check it out until Zatara called in about Wotan."
Nightfall just nodded, gaze shifting from the Boy Wonder back to the info on the screen. It still didn't clarify much for her, but she was slowly getting used to being kept out of the loop when it came to things like this.
After all, her father failed to mention the other sidekicks had been invited to join the League today.
Kinda stung a bit to find out she hadn't been invited- not that she was necessarily ready to join them of course, but was it so hard for them to extend her an invite as well?
He carried on his explanation, letting out a slightly annoyed groan when he realized how little information there was on the building, "It says it's a genetics lab here in D.C… and that's it."
Well, there was some info to clarify things…
"That's not very helpful." Nightlight frowned as she crossed her arms.
Robin shrugged, a coy smirk spreading across his face as an idea popped in his head, "Which means, since Batman was suspicious, maybe we should investigate?"
"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad looked thoughtful, and Nightfall shifted her gaze between the two, "It would be poetic justice."
"Hey," Robin shrugged with a chuckle, "They're all about justice."
"I think you're forgetting an important fact here," Nightlight spoke up, not flinching as four pairs of eyes focused on her, "we were told to stay put."
Nightfall felt excitement bubbling up in the pit of her stomach- despite Nightlight's valid point- as she began to realize what Robin was implying. Maybe they weren't going to be trapped in the Hall of Justice for who knows how long… maybe helping to solve things at this… Cadmus place would prove to the League- mainly her father- she was ready for more exciting missions!
"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this," Robin was quick to point out, flashing the pink eyed girl a devious smirk. Nightlight wasn't amused.
"Wait," Kid Flash piped up and zipped to his best friend's side, placing a hand on his shoulder, "are you going to Cadmus?" The speedster's excitement seemed to grow, emerald eyes shining, "Because if you're going, I'm going!"
The two turned, flashing bright grins towards Aqualad, who had yet to input his two cents on the matter. He looked thoughtful for a moment, a soft grin on his lips, "Just like that? We're a team on a mission?"
"We didn't come for a playdate."
Nightlight frowned and shook her head, hood shifting slightly at the movement, "Aqualad, not you too!" She had hoped if anyone was going to listen to the League and talk some sense into the other boys, it would've been the Atlantean, "The League isn't going to approve of us hacking their files and disobeying their direct orders. I thought the goal of today was to prove we were League material? Not prove that Speedy was right about us: we're not ready."
Kid Flash tossed an easy arm around the worried girl's shoulder, replacing it once when Nightlight shrugged it off, but he wasn't fazed, "Come on, Light, this is the chance of a lifetime! Imagine the League's reaction- Shadow Hunter's- reaction come to find out we solved their case for them!" The speedster smiled brightly down at Nightlight, who was a few inches shorter than himself, emerald eyes pleading with her, "We'll so prove to the League we deserve to be amongst them!"
They really were determined on going, weren't they?
Nightlight eventually sighed, reluctantly giving in, "Fine, but I'm only going to make sure none of you guys get in trouble, okay?"
"Great," This time it was Nightfall who spoke up, blue eyes filled with excitement as she rocked on her heels, "When do we leave?"
The more responsible part of her mind was telling her she should stay put, but she shoved that thought to the side as her mind focused on the good potential outcomes of the Cadmus adventure. Hopefully it would let her dad see she was a good hero! Plus adventure, right?
"Uh, we?"
Nightfall blinked as the other four sidekicks stared at her, confusion evident on her face- as well as theirs. She wasn't sure what that comment was supposed to mean, so she kept her mouth shut as she waited for an explanation.
"It would be wise if you were to stay here, Nightfall," Aqualad supplied, an apologetic look on his face as the waterbender's shoulders drooped.
"Yeah," Nightlight piped up, "You are pretty inexperienced. We just don't want to see you get hurt."
Nightfall scowled as her face burned in embarrassment. A million and one things whirled through her mind to say in retaliation, so she just said the first thing her mind latched onto, "After the League just treated you guys like children, you're going to treat me like one?" She crossed her arms over her chest, blue eyes narrowed in anger.
Kid Flash looked away from the angry girl, arm still around Nightlight's shoulder as she narrowed her pink eyes, and Aqualad rubbed the back of his neck as the girl spoke, "We have years of experience. It's not a matter of us treating you like a child, it's a matter of us ensuring your safety."
She had a valid point, but Nightfall was underestimated enough by her father. She didn't need this from people her age as well. Not to mention the fact that if she did stay behind, what exactly was she going to tell the League when they inevitably returned?
"Oh, where's the other's you ask? Yeah, they went on this grand 'ol adventure and left me behind because I have no experience!"
That was a surefire way for her dad to see she wasn't ready. Plus she'd probably die from embarrassment at having to admit her limited experience in front of the whole League.
Robin interjected before either girl could say another word, "Hey, I think she'll be okay joining us. She has us to protect her after all!"
"I can protect myself."
"She has us for back-up after all!"
Nightlight didn't look convinced, but chose not to comment any further. As proved earlier, arguing was going to get them nowhere. Kid Flash grinned before he suddenly zipped over to Nightfall's side, tossing an arm around her shoulder and pulling the surprised girl closer to his side.
"I've gladly got your back any day of the week, babe!"
Was that a flirt?
Nightfall didn't know how to handle flirting.
Finding her voice suddenly gone, the waterbender clammed up as she just nodded. Goosebumps rose up on her arms, a bright red flush dusting her cheeks and she gaped as she tried to find words- and her voice.
Robin, meanwhile, roughly pushed off his best friend's arm, scowling at him, "We all will have her back!" He snapped, tone snippy.
"Uh, t-thanks, Kid Flash." Nightfall had found her voice, or some semblance of it at least.
Kid Flash beamed as he smiled mischievously at Robin, which could only mean disaster, "Feel free to call me the man of your dreams, babe!"
And there was another one!
Nightfall was really thrown through the loop this time. Her experience with flirting was limited if you couldn't tell- and she always found herself a blushing, clammed up mess whenever someone flirted with her.
As she attempted to process what was just said to her, Robin looked ready to murder the speedster and Aqualad just looked on with a shake of his head.
Nightlight scowled as she reached forward and grabbed the poor girl's arm, dragging her away from the two boys and towards the exit, "You two are ridiculous. Let's just get on with it before the League comes back!"
Aqualad followed the two girl's while Kid Flash and Robin hung back slightly. The speedster couldn't help but laugh at his friend's expression, but the smile was quickly removed from his face when the Boy Wonder punched him hard in the shoulder.
The ginger let out a quiet whimper, and Robin smiled victoriously to himself before chasing after the other three sidekicks, Kid Flash scowling at his back.
"Dick."
WASHINGTON D.C
When it came to things that terrified her, the list was short for Nightfall.
There was clowns, Medusa, and squirrels, and that was just about it.
But now, now she had to add 'riding on the back of a motorcycle with Robin' to the list.
With the way the Boy Wonder bobbed and weaved through traffic, Nightfall felt as though she was going to fall off at every turn and face a painful death by splatting on the cement. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and it made her cling even tighter to Robin's torso.
The plus side was, she finally got to feel his biceps. So that was a good thing, right?
Robin had been the first to offer her to ride with him.
Well, actually, that wasn't true. Kid Flash had been the first, but he offered her his arms to ride in and promised he wouldn't ever drop a girl as beautiful as her. Looking back now, maybe the speedster would've been the lesser of two evils?
Nightfall cried out as Robin suddenly took a sharp turn, following the directions on his GPS- Cadmus was only another mile away. He couldn't help but grin under his helmet, however, as the waterbender's grip on his torso tightened, her own head pressed up against his shoulder as much as her helmet would allow her to.
Eventually- after what felt like an eternity to the poor waterbender- the rag tag team of sidekicks made it to their destination: Cadmus.
The building was still on fire, flames flickering in various windows as smoke rose up from within. Various firetrucks and firemen were stationed outside the burning building, water aimed at the flaming embers as they attempted to control the scene.
Nightfall immediately shot off the bike, nearly falling over in the process as she stumbled to her feet. She pulled off her helmet and tossed it to the ground, shaking her head as Robin appeared at her side, "Who taught you to drive?"
"Batman."
Yeah, guess that made sense…
Nightlight landed beside the duo and Aqualad parked next to Robin's bike as she opened her mouth, "Are you okay, Nightfall?"
"I am never riding with Robin ever again."
"Told you you'd be better off in my arms, babe!" Kid Flash skidded to a halt besides Nightfall, tossing a casual arm over her shoulder as he bit into a hot dog.
Robin scowled as Nightfall blushed, and he whacked the speedster's arm, knocking the hot dog to the ground. Kid Flash blinked and frowned as he looked from his best friend to his lost meal, "Hey!"
"Did you have to stop for food on your way over here?"
Kid Flash shrugged, "I was hungry."
Nightfall stared between the two, the speedster's arm still wrapped around her shoulder. She wasn't sure what to say- or what to do- as the two friends bickered, Aqualad and Nightlight both sporting unamused looks.
All of a sudden, an explosion rocked the small vicinity, the shockwave rippling across the earth. Two scientists were launched from their positions on the second floor, the explosion sending them careening towards the hard ground below.
Nightfall stepped forward, Kid Flash's arm falling as she gaped, "We have to save them!"
"Way ahead of you, babe!" He winked at the girl, another flush dusting her cheeks before he sped off. He raced up the side of the building and caught the two scientists, using his momentum to toss them back up onto a ledge. Unfortunately, gravity caught up with the speedster and Kid Flash lost his momentum, sliding down the solid wall until he was able to catch himself on a lower ledge.
"So smooth." Robin commented under his breath, a snort escaping his lips.
"Is that a regular occurrence?"
Nightlight nodded as she glanced at the other girl, "Unfortunately, yes."
Aqualad shook his head, a frown on his lips, "He should not have run off ahead, we need a pla-" The Atlantean cut himself off as he turned his head to the side, mentally counting the number of bodies still with him.
There were two.
They lost one.
"And there goes Robin." Nightlight deadpanned, and Nightfall watched as Robin launched himself up and onto a firetruck, running up its ladder as his cackled echoed in the air. He jumped up and launched a grappled, swinging himself over to the ledge Kid Flash was dangling from.
"Uh, is that a regular occurrence, too?"
There was an audible sigh as Nightlight shook her head, "Yes."
Nightfall glanced back over just in time to see a flicker of Robin's cape as he disappeared inside the burning building, Kid Flash already gone from view. Aqualad stared after the other two boys, a frown seemingly permanently etched into his features.
This was off to a great start!
Nightlight floated lightly into the air and turned towards the Atlantean, "We should probably follow them and make sure they're not in trouble." At the confirmation nod from Aqualad, the pink-eyed girl took off, her pink aura surrounding her.
Aqualad made eye contact with Nightfall before together the two ran off and towards the firetruck. The Atlantean pulled out his water bearers, turning towards the shocked firemen before stating, "I need to borrow that."
He pointed his chosen weapons at the water hose in the firemen's hands, and a brilliant blue glow illuminated the tattoos on his arms as the water from the hose flowed towards him. It circled his feet before creating a platform, and Aqualad used the water to propel himself upwards.
Nightfall frowned as she glanced up at the Atlantean, watching him disappear into the same window Robin had gone into. She wasn't sure how she was going to be getting up there seeing as Aqualad's method of transport was one she hadn't tried before, but there was a first time for everyting.
Practice makes perfect, right?
"Need a hand?" The waterbender jumped slightly before she turned towards the source of the voice. Nightlight, brightly illuminated by pink, floated about a foot away from herself. Two scientists- the same ones who Kid Flash tried to save- ran passed Nightfall and towards the firemen, who were waiting with paramedics to ensure the two were okay.
"I- I think I got it."
Nightlight looked slightly skeptical at the other girl's reply, but nodded regardless. It was obvious the waterbender was trying to prove herself- either to them or herself the pink-eyed girl wasn't quite sure- but she wasn't going to stand in the way of that. She was, however, going to be here for back up shall Nightfall find herself needing it.
Having expected Nightlight to fly herself where the others had gone, Nightfall was caught off guard when the girl didn't move much. She floated up a few feet, but kept her gaze on the waterbender.
Feeling slightly pressured, Nightfall took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. Releasing her breath, she turned towards the firemen, "I'm sorry," She shrugged, trying her best to seem as apologetic as possible, "but I also need to borrow that!"
With a wave of her hand, more water flowed out of the hose. Instead of creating a platform of water like Aqualad did, Nightfall lifted her hand into the air and moved it into a small circle, and the water moved on her command to wrap tightly around her body. She thrust her hand upwards and immediately she shot up, the water propelling her into the air.
Nightlight watched the other girl go upwards before she flew upwards herself. Nightfall landed on the ledge, wobbling slightly as she regained her footage. She turned, doing her best to ignore the height before she released the water from her control and it fell to the ground with a splash.
When Nightfall entered the room, her presence was barely acknowledged. Robin was typing away on a computer, the light illuminating his face. Aqualad was in one corner of the room, flipping through some files pinned to a board while Kid Flash- who had somehow found a granola bar during his search- was flipping through a filing cabinet. Nightlight was the last to enter the room, and when she did, a bright pink orb flickered in her palm, lighting the dark room up.
"Thanks for the help, guys." Nightlight commented snidely.
Robin barely looked up from the computer screen, a smirk on his face, "You guys handled it. Besides, we're here to investigate! Poetic justice, remember?"
"Aren't we also here as a team though?" Nightfall tossed out, crossing her arms and Robin simply shrugged.
Aqualad rolled his eyes before stepping out of the room, entering a dark hallway. Nightfall sighed before turning to rummage through a desk drawer. Nothing exciting was in it- just your typical office supplies.
There was a gentle ding and Nightfall perked up, Robin glancing up from his hacking. She shut the desk drawer, cringing slightly as it shut harder than she anticipated, the bang echoing in the small room. Nightlight flashed her a look, and the waterbender offered an apologetic smile.
The four left in the room quickly exited it, tracking down their Atlantean friend who stood in the hallway, mouth slightly agape, "There was something in the…"
"Elevators should be shut down," Kid Flash commented, looking confused momentarily as Robin pushed past him with a frown.
"Wait a minute, this is wrong." He tapped his forearm and his holographic computer appeared, showing scans and schematics of the elevator. Nightfall tried to catch a glimpse of what he was looking at, but the Boy Wonder was scrolling a bit too fast through the elevator data for her to keep up, "Thought so," He spoke up after a few seconds of silence, "This is a high speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building."
"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad added grimly. Robin stepped to the side as he stepped forward, jamming his hands into the tiny gap between the elevator doors. His muscles tensed, and with a strained groan, the elevator doors were pried open, revealing a pit of darkness.
The five of them peaked over the ledge and Nightfall felt her heart rate pick up as her eyes widened. Adrenaline began to course through her veins and she took a subconscious step back, bumping into Kid Flash's chest. He offered her a reassuring smile when she looked back at him, but it did nothing to ease her racing heart.
Robin took a step back, pulling out his grapple and shooting a hook into the roof of the elevator, "And that's why they need an express elevator."
Without a second thought or any signs of hesitation, Robin leapt over the edge and plummeted down into the darkness and Nightfall felt her heart lurch at the sight. Aqualad was the next to disappear into the pit of darkness, leaping forward gracefully and grabbing onto the rope.
As Aqualad disappeared from sight, Nightlight took that as her cue to follow suit. Instead of using the rope, however, she hovered into the elevator shaft, her pink aura casting an eerie glow along the dark walls, before she slowly began to descend, her pink glow following her.
Blood pounded in her ears as Kid Flash nudged Nightfall forward gently. She shook her head and stepped back, any and all confidence about their mission she once felt being replaced by fear. She had never done anything like this before. And frankly, she wasn't really sure she wanted to.
"Uh, after you!" The waterbender tried, twirling a lock of her hair nervously.
Kid Flash shook his head, "I'm not leaving you behind, Nighty, besides, you'll be fine!"
It wasn't much of a confidence booster if the girl was honest with herself, but this is what she got for insisting she tag along on their rag tag adventure. This was what she wanted- to do hero things. And hero things consisted of plummeting into unknown, pitch black pits, right?
This was going to be the death of her.
Pushing back any and all thoughts of her just jumping to her doom right then and there, Nightfall sucked in a deep breath before leaping into the darkness and grabbing ahold of the rope. Kid Flash followed her, calling down to the girl, "I'm right behind you!"
His words fell on deaf ears, however, as the fear in her stomach changed to butterflies and excitement, the feeling being akin to riding on a roller coaster. Nightfall's hair whipped around her head, smacking her in the face here and there and the girl suddenly regretted not having her hair in a ponytail.
Or bringing a hair tie so she could tie her hair back.
She made a mental note to start carrying one on her wrist at all times.
The bright white lights that traced the elevator wall rushed past the girl's vision, the colors blurring together as she slid further and further down the rope. She took a chance, glancing downwards to see how much farther she had to go before spotting Nightlight's pink glow.
Nightfall clenched her hands together, slowing her descent as Robin called up, "I'm at the end of my rope!"
The rope began to swing, Nightfall clinging to it even more, as she watched the Boy Wonder swing from the rope to a ledge. He managed to balance himself before glancing up and waving everyone else down.
Aqualad landed on the ledge besides Robin and reached up to help Nightfall as she leapt over. Kid Flash followed after, Nightlight helping him to balance as he stumbled slightly.
"Bypassing securing and… go." Robin nodded Aqualad's way, and the Atlantean turned and pried the doors apart, and the four of them stepped into the deserted hallway, a dim, eerie red flow illuminating the metallic walls.
"Welcome to project Cadmus," Robin murmured, his voice echoing quietly.
Nightfall glanced around with her mouth slightly agape, realization dawning on her that yeah, they were definitely in over their heads. They had come here for a simple fire, but there was something much, much bigger going on than a simple genetics lab.
Simple genetics labs didn't have dozens of sublevels hidden from the public.
Not wanting to stand still any longer, Kid Flash slipped his goggles onto his face and raced off ahead, ignoring Aqualad's protest.
The ground beneath them began to shake, catching Nightfall off guard as her eyes went wide. The four sidekicks took off in a sprint in the direction Kid Flash had headed, just in time to see the speedster go skidding across the floor as huge, mammoth sized legs came down.
Nightlight quickly darted towards Kid Flash, pushing him roughly to the side where he rolled into the wall. Nightfall wanted to warn the other girl to look out as the mammoth creatures stomped her way, but the pink-eyed girl merely went intangible, crossing her arms in annoyance as the herd stormed past- and through- her.
"That was close," Kid Flash muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He sheepishly looked at Nightlight, who not only looked rather irked, but also unfazed at the fact giant ass creatures just stomped through her.
"You think?"
Aqualad eyed the creatures as they disappeared down the hall, seafoam eyes hazy, "No, nothing odd going on here."
They trekked further and deeper into the bowels of Cadmus, Robin guiding their way. They had taken off in the opposite direction that the ones the giant creatures had gone in, and eventually they came to a large metal door. Robin immediately pulled up his holo-glove, hacking into the door with ease. It slid open with a soft hiss, and Nightfall's eyes widened as the interior was revealed.
A long hall was stretched out in front of the five, but that wasn't the weird part. The walls were lined with glass containers, each one sparking and flickering with electricity from the creatures contained within them.
"I'm officially whelmed," Robin breathed out, the first of them to step into the room. Nightfall took a cautious step after him, pushing back her want to question Robin's word choice.
"What are these things?" The waterbender asked as she pressed a hand up against one of the containers, surprised at how cool it was.
"Whatever they are, they look like they're generating their own electricity!" Nightlight commented.
"This must be how they hid this massive underground facility from the world," Kid Flash joined the conversation, sharing a concerned look with Nightlight, "the real Cadmus isn't even on the grid!"
Nightfall shook her head and a somber feeling settling in the pit of her stomach, "So, these… things are bred to generate power for this place?"
"Of course!" Aqualad spoke up, realization washing over him, "Even the name is a clue. The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragon's teeth into the Earth!"
Nightlight groaned and facepalmed, muttering to herself, "How did I miss that?"
Nightfall looked confused and Kid Flash cleared things up for her, "Greek lore nerd."
"Hey!"
"And this Cadmus creates new life too," Robin stepped over to the console located in the center of the hall, removing a cable from his glove and plugging it in, "Let's find out why."
Nightfall wrapped her arms around herself as she gazed up at the seemingly endless columns of electrical creatures. At the time she was dead set on coming with the four sidekicks on this little adventure, but at that time, she thought they were facing a simple fire.
Not a genetics lab gone rogue.
Despite arguing the contrary, she honestly wasn't sure if she was ready for this. It was all incredibly overwhelming.
"They call them genomorphs," Robin read aloud, voice breaking the waterbender from her thoughts. They all flocked towards the Boy Wonder, crowding around him as he began to read off what he had found, "Whoa, check out the stats on these things. Super strength, razor claws, telepathy- they're living weapons!"
"They're generating an army," Kid Flash surmised, "but for who?"
"There's something else," Robin pointed out, hurriedly typing on his screen, "Project KR. Ugh! The file's triple-encrypted, I can't-"
"Don't move!" A new voice bellowed, and Nightfall tensed as the others turned, bodies ready for the attack as a man ran into the room. Long-tailed and clawed creatures- who the waterbender suspected to be the genomorphs Robin had mentioned- followed him in. The masked man stood, glaring down the small group before his eyes grew wide, "Robin… Aqualad… Kid Flash… Nightlight? And…"
"At least he got your name right," Robin jested as he continued to hack, and Kid Flash tossed him an annoyed frown, "but it seems Nightfall's still rather unknown."
Said girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, hissing, "Not all of us have years of superhero-ing under out belts!"
Robin chuckled to himself but said no more as Aqualad stepped forward, "I know you." His brows furrowed, "You're Guardian. A hero."
"I do my best," Guardian replied with a nod, but Kid Flash's eyes narrowed.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I'm the head of security, you're trespassing," Guardian responded easily, and the genomorphs at his side snarled and snapped their teeth. Nightfall's heart began to pound once more as unease began to fill her being.
Nightlight scowled as she floated up a foot, "I don't think the League is going to approve of you breeding weapons down here!"
The atmosphere darkened slightly as Guardian frowned, confusion evident on his face, "What are you…" The small genomorph perched upon the older 'hero's' shoulder shifted, its horns glowing a soft red, and Guardian placed a hand to his forehead, "My head…" His eyes suddenly shot open, pupils wide and face suddenly angered as he pointed a finger at the group of sidekicks, snarling, "Get them! Take them down, hard! No mercy!"
Nightfall squeaked and took a step back, the genomorphs snarling as they leapt forward. Robin reacted the fastest, flipping forwards and throwing down a smoke screen. It erupted and the genomorphs were hidden from view temporarily, their snarls and growls the only sign they were still there.
A shadow lunged her way, and Nightfall dove to the side as a genomorph sailed over her. It landed on the ground, sliding a few feet before digging its claws into the ground to stop itself. The waterbender whipped the water out of her water pouch as the genomorph turned back on her.
She flicked her hand the genomorph's way and a water whip sailed towards the creature, knocking it to the side. Nightlight flew above the girl, launching pink energy bursts as Aqualad faced Guardian. Kid Flash raced up a wall, tackling a genomorph that was creeping Nightfall's to the side and Robin was no longer in sight.
A genomorph charged towards Aqualad, who was laying on the ground after being tossed by Guardian, and Nightfall collected her water before launching it again. It shot through the air and curled around the leg of the genomorph just as it leapt at the Atlantean.
Nightfall jerked her arm back, pulling the genomorph away. It crashed to the ground, Aqualad jutting his foot out to knock the creature out. He nodded his thanks to the young brunette, and she responded with a quick nod of her own.
Aqualad suddenly opened his mouth, seafoam eyes wide as he called out, "Nightfall! Behind you!"
The waterbender whirled around as a genomorph aimed to tackle her. Before she had a chance to react or do anything, a pink bubble appeared around her, and the genomorph bounced off of the shield.
Nightfall glanced up through the pink shield to see Nightlight floating above her, arm extended towards the shield, "Uh, thanks?" She called out to the other girl.
The pink eyed girl nodded in response and Nightfall cried out as the bubble- with her in it- was suddenly jerked. Her blue eyes widened as she suddenly found herself floating, stuck in the pink bubble as Nightlight flew them to safety.
Nightfall frowned as they flew over the battle, crossing her arms and pouting slightly. She thought she had been fairing pretty well in the battle and wanted to continue fighting, but now she was being carried like a child in a giant pink bubble.
You're doing great, Nightfall!
A genomorph bounced off the side of the bubble, the sudden noise startling the waterbender. A small crack formed on the bubble, tiny cracks splintering off it in all directions and Nightfall eyed it wearily, hoping the bubble wouldn't burst so she didn't fall.
Nightlight landed next to Kid Flash, who looked disgruntled as he glared at Robin, who was hacking into the elevator. She dropped her hand as her pink glow faded, the bubble surrounding Nightfall dissipating.
Nightfall propped her hands on her hips as the elevator door slid open with a hiss, Robin being the first to dart in. She turned towards Nightlight, "A warning next time would be nice."
Nightlight shrugged and entered the elevator alongside Kid Flash, Nightfall trailing behind them, "Sorry, we needed to get out of there."
"Aqualad!" Robin called out, not giving Nightfall a chance to respond to the girl. She turned her head, watching as the Atlantean rounded a corner, entering a straightaway and making a beeline towards the elevator with a handful of genomorphs on his tail.
Aqualad launched himself towards the elevator and when he landed inside, Robin slammed his fist into a button on the elevator's panel, the doors sliding shut. The metal door vibrated as the genomorphs slammed into the closed doors, and Nightfall flinched back slightly.
She leaned back, head resting against the cool wall of the elevator. The adrenaline in her system began to slowly dissipate, and it was replaced with a feeling of anxiousness and worry.
"Wait, we're going down?" Nightfall suddenly spoke up, blue eyes widening as she stared at the numbers above the door increased.
Kid Flash glanced up at the numbers before whirling on his best friend, "Dude, out is up!"
"Excuse me?" Robin scowled, crossing his arms and standing his ground, "Project Kr is down, sublevel fifty-two. We need to check it out!"
"We need to, or you need to?" Nightlight questioned harshly, arms crossed and Robin looked down.
"This is getting out of control," Aqualad sighed, exasperated, "Perhaps… perhaps we should contact the League."
Nightfall's stomach flopped at the mention of the League- who her dad was a member of. He'd have her head for disobeying orders and not saying put, nonetheless putting herself in so much danger. That was the last thing she wanted… she knew it was inevitable, but she wasn't exactly ready to face him right now…
Robin looked like he wanted to say something more when the elevator chimed, the number fifty-two gazing back at them from above the door, challenging and taunting them as the doors slide open. Robin quickly moved and darted out of the elevator, being the first to rush ahead.
Aqualad shook his head and Kid Flash glanced up at him, "We are already here?"
"Cause that makes things better," Nightlight retorted as she flew past the speedster. She kept herself floating in the air as her pink eyes took in the surrounding area, nose crinkling in disgust. It looked like intestines. She was not going to touch anything down here.
Nightfall was the last one to exit the elevator, Aqualad asking the girl if she was okay. She nodded in response, telling him that she was fine, and the two were off the catch up with the others. They found Robin and Kid Flash crouched behind some barrels, Nightlight nowhere in sight, and a fork in the road standing ahead of them.
"Okay, Rob," Kid Flash whispered, "which way?"
"Yeah, bizarre looking hallway number one," He gestured towards the left, "or bizarre looking hallway number two." He gestured to the right.
"My vote is neither," Nightlight spoke, and Nightfall jumped, eyes wide as she glanced around. The other girl still wasn't in sight, but she had definitely heard her voice.
The speedster noticed the waterbender's confusion and spoke, "She's invisible."
That cleared up a lot of things…
"Oh."
"Halt!"
A strong voice commanded, and Nightfall paled at the thought Guardian and his genomorph companions had caught up to them. When she glanced over, she saw a humanoid figure standing in the shadows, one that was smaller than Guardian's own figure, but when it stepped into the light, she realized how humanoid it wasn't.
The figure had pale grey skin coupled with bright red eyes, and vaguely resembled a genomorph. Two large horns protruded from its forehead, its ears pointed. If the figures appearance wasn't weird enough, what made it weirder was the fact it was wearing a lab coat and formal clothes.
Making the decision for the small team of sidekicks, the figure raised its hand up, its horns glowing a bright red, and a group of barrels rose upwards. The barrels shot forward when the figure extended its hand, and Nightlight revealed herself.
A pink dome appeared around the five, deflecting the barrels as they exploded upon contact. She dropped the shield and they raced off, darting down bizarre hallway number two since the figure made the first hallway not an option.
More explosions rang out behind them, but Nightfall didn't dare look behind her as she ran alongside Aqualad. Kid Flash had used his superspeed to pull ahead of the group, and when they rounded a corner there was a large door, the speedster having propped it open with a metallic barrel.
"Hurry!" He waved at them.
Nightfall pushed herself, heart racing and adrenaline once again coursing through her veins. She darted through the small opening after Robin, with Nightlight and Aqualad entering behind her. A group of genomorphs had appeared behind them at some point in time, but they crashed into the closed door once Aqualad kicked away the cannister that had propped it open.
Robin plugged into the door's mainframe, fingers flying across his holographic keyboard. He glanced up once his work was complete, masked eyes setting on Aqualad, "I disabled the door, we're safe."
"We're trapped." Aqualad corrected and Robin shrugged.
Nightfall doubled over and panted slightly, her hands on her knees. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her hair hung limply around her face, her headband barely holding back her messy bangs now. She pulled her headband out as Robin walked towards her, doing her best to fix her disheveled locks.
"You alright, Nightfall?"
"I've been better," She shrugged, dropping her hands once her headband was back in place.
Robin sighed, "You know you could've stayed behind if you felt you weren't ready."
"It's a bit late for that now, isn't it?"
"Uh, guys," Kid Flash's voice interrupted the two's short conversation, directing their attention towards the speedster, "You should see this."
He pressed his finger down on a button on a control panel and a dull glow began to glow brighter and brighter until the pod before them was fully basked in the light. Nightfall felt the blood drain from her face, Robin going stiff beside her as Kid Flash and Nightlight looked on in shock.
Superman.
Inside the tube was a man, but he wasn't an ordinary man. He identically resembled Superman, the only difference being the man in front of them was obviously younger. He was clothed in a bright white body suit, Superman's defining red symbol plastered across his chest.
"Big K, little r," Kid Flash realized, turning towards the others, "the atomic symbol for Krypton!"
"So Project Kr is… Superman?" Nightfall tried to surmise, but the thought didn't sit well with her.
"Or Superman's clone." Nightlight added and Nightfall glanced at her.
"Robin," Aqualad shook his head and glanced at the young hacker, "hack."
"Huh? Oh, right, right."
Robin stepped up towards the console after shaking his shock away. He removed a cord from his gauntlet, plugging it into the computer. Multiple Robin faces appeared on the screen as he hacked into the computer, bypassing the firewalls and breaking into the files. Nightfall found her gaze being pulled back to the pod, disbelief still evident on her face.
"Weapon designation: Superboy, a clone force grown in… sixteen weeks? From DNA acquired from Superman…"
Nightfall glanced back as Aqualad's face hardened, "Stolen from Superman."
"There's no way the big guy knows anything about this," Kid Flash agreed.
"Does it say how…" Nightfall spoke up, voice quiet and the others glanced her way, "how they got his DNA?"
Robin diverted his gaze back to the files he was scrolling through, looking up a few seconds later with a shake of his head, "No, it doesn't say anything about how they got Superman's DNA, but it does say the solar suit he's wearing allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation twenty-four seven."
Nightfall nodded and Nightlight spoke up, looking at the tiny genomorphs sitting within the clone's pod, "And what about these little guys? They look like the one Guardian had…"
"Genomorph gnomes, telepathic, force-feeding him an education."
"And we can guess what else," Kid Flash muttered darkly.
"They're turning Superman's… son into a slave of sorts…" Nightfall murmured, blue eyes gazing over the clone's sleeping face, "and no one but us knows."
"Now we contact the League," Aqualad's voice was firm as he tapped the Atlantean symbol on his build, a soft glow arising from it. There was a brief pause, and Robin shook his head as Nightfall pulled the emergency communicator from her ear, having gotten nothing but static from it.
"No signal."
"We in too deep… literally," Kid Flash commented dryly with a frown.
Nightfall, after placing her communicator back in her belt, wrapped her arms around herself. The day had taken a turn for the worse. It was supposed to be a simple fire… a simple in and out mission, but now they were trapped.
With Superman's clone nonetheless.
Worry and panic bubbled up within her stomach, and the waterbender clenched her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Panicking now wasn't going to get her anywhere…
Just keep it cool, Nightfall…
"Are we…" Four eyes flickered towards Nightfall, who had broken the silence, "are we just going to leave him like this?"
Something about this whole thing just didn't sit right with her- and it wasn't the fact they found Superman's clone. She didn't like the idea of leaving him here… a powerful weapon in the hands of whoever ran Cadmus.
That wasn't a good thing.
And apparently she wasn't the only one with that sentiment.
"This is wrong," Kid Flash agreed, and turned towards Aqualad, "We can't leave him like this."
Aqualad's seafoam eyes turned thoughtful, and his gaze flickered to the ground until he glanced back up, "Set him free, do it." He ordered Robin.
The Boy Wonder made a move to open the pod, but Nightlight called out to him, "Wait!" All eyes turned towards her, "I'm not comfortable with this either, but what if he's not friendly?"
She raised a valid point, Nightfall thought, but they still couldn't leave him?
"Does he not deserve his own life to live, Nightlight?" Aqualad questioned.
"Yeah, it's not right to keep him trapped like this. We can take him to Superman!"
The pink eyed girl frowned, looking at the clone until she glanced back at the others, "I know but," She sighed, still not totally convinced. It wasn't that she wanted to do nothing, but they also needed to think things through. So far on their journey through Cadmus, everything they've come across had wanted to injure or kill them.
So would this clone be any different?
"Okay," Nightlight relented, floating a few feet back from the pod.
Robin nodded and began to fulfil Aqualad's earlier order, tapping away at some keys before sliding his fingers downwards. The glass pod hissed as smoke rolled off the smooth edges and the glass doors began to slowly descend downwards, removing Superboy from his confines.
Nightfall could hear her heart hammering in her ears as they all stood in anticipation, waiting to see what would happen. The horns on the genomorphs situated inside the glass pod began to glow softly, but the boy's eyes remained shut.
For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then Superboy's fingers flexed and curled, the sounds of knuckles cracking echoing in the cavernous space and sending chills down Nightfall's spine. Blue eyes snapped open, wild and full of unknown anger. Giving no one time to react, the clone flew forward, tackling Aqualad to the ground and pounding his fists into him.
Robin, Nightlight, and Kid Flash immediately ran towards Superboy, latching onto the clone in an effort to pull him off of the Atlantean. Nightfall wanted to help, but at the sudden attack she found herself petrified and frozen, mind struggling to figure out what she should do.
Kid Flash was knocked back where he went crashing through a glass case, the shards raining down upon him. Nightlight's eyes widened as she whirled around, dropping her grip on Superboy and crying out, "Kid!"
"Wait, Nightlight!" Robin tried, still struggling to hold onto the clone, who was still pummeling Aqualad. Nightlight ignored the Boy Wonder, flying over to the speedster's side to check on him.
Robin clenched his teeth and Nightfall suddenly found herself snapping out of it, albeit momentarily. She darted forward and latched herself onto Superboy's back, holding onto dear life as he thrashed about.
"On my mark," Nightfall glanced over at Robin, who was also still clingy to Superboy, but he held a small pellet in one hand, "Move!" She nodded her head and the hacker slammed the small pellet just below the clone's mouth, and Robin grabbed the girl's arm before pulling her off Superboy's back as the two jumped to the side.
Superboy backed away, smoke billowing out from the pellet and causing him to hack and cough. Aqualad leapt up from the ground, using the distraction as an opportunity to deliver a swift kick to the clone's firm chest and knocking him to the side.
Robin pulled out a taser as the smoke dissipated and Superboy righted himself. He extended the electrical wires towards the clone, but Superboy responded faster by reaching over and grabbing and unsuspecting Nightlight by her cape, who had been previously distracted by the downed Kid Flash.
She yelped as she was suddenly yanked, but before she could make a move to escape Superboy's grasp, Robin's electrical wires latched onto her chest and she was suddenly electrocuted.
Robin made haste to turn off the taser, but it was too late as Nightlight's body slumped in Superboy's grip. He tossed her body to the side, the force yanking the taser from Robin's grasp as she went sailing through the air, collapsing limply in a heap next to Kid Flash.
And then there was three.
Nightfall could feel panic bubbling upon within her once more as she stepped back from the seething Superboy, Robin having placed himself between her and the clone. Half of the sidekicks she looked up to were down for the count, leaving just her, Aqualad, and Robin to deal with this mess they made.
It was getting harder and harder for her to not breakdown right then and there.
Superboy advanced towards them, Robin whipping out a few birdarangs before releasing them. They sailed through the air where they collided with the clone's chest, but they bounced harmlessly off of him before clanging uselessly to the ground.
"Enough!" Superboy was suddenly sent flying, Aqualad glaring hard at him after hitting the clone with one of his water hammers, "We are trying to help you!"
The glass pod that once housed the clone exploded as Superboy leapt through it, and Robin tackled Nightfall out of the way as Superboy sailed over their heads. He collided roughly with Aqualad, the two exchanging heavy blows before the clone gained the upper hand. Superboy roughly slammed Aqualad into the ceiling, causing the room to shake as rocks rained down, before slamming the Atlantean into the ground below, landing on his chest and delivering a swift blow to the dark-skinned teens face.
He was down for the count.
Robin helped Nightfall up from the ground, once again positioning himself in front of the girl as Superboy turned on them. The clone advanced and just as he lunged at the two, the Boy Wonder dropped another smoke pellet before yelling, "Split!"
The two each dove towards the sides, going in opposite directions as smoke shrouded the area in cover. Nightfall waved her hand in front of her face in order to clear some of the smoke, all the while rubbing her head as well. In the cover of the smoke, she couldn't exactly see where she was going, so she managed to bang her head against the metal base of the center console.
Nightfall staggered to her feet, vision slightly blurry as her head swirled, the part of her head she hit throbbing. The room had gone silent, and the waterbender felt unease as she glanced around. The smoke was slowly dispersing and when it did, her blue eyes widened.
Superboy had Robin by the cape, the Boy Wonder struggling to unclasp it so he could make his escape. He had almost gotten the cape off when the clone suddenly slammed him into the ground, the force causing the breath to leave Robin's system.
Whilst struggling to regain his breath, Superboy pressed his foot against Robin's torso, not hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to cause not only some nasty bruising, but also prevent him from catching his breath.
Eventually Robin stopped struggling, and Nightfall's breath hitched as she realized she was alone.
All of the sidekicks she looked up to had been knocked out swiftly by a single foe.
And she stood no chance against him.
Fear began to overwhelm her senses, and any and all advice her dad had once given her in regards to keeping her emotions in check left her body. Her emotions ran rampant, the feeling of loneliness filling every fiber of her being as Superboy stalked towards her.
With every step he took toward her, she tried to take twice as many steps backwards, but it didn't do much good as her back collided with the solid, rocky wall. There was no one to save her- or her newfound friends- now.
They were going to die down here, and the League would never know.
Superboy had gotten within arm's reach of the waterbender now, and she did her best to snarl at him through tear stained cheeks, "Stay back!" She lashed out with the remaining water in her water pouch, the water shifting into ice spikes. They bounced off his muscular chest like they were nothing, shattering upon impact and falling to the ground.
Suddenly Superboy's arm shot out, his large hand curling around her neck. Nightfall immediately began to thrash and panic in his grip, oxygen leaving her system with every pained breath, but no more entering as her airways were blocked.
He stared down at her struggling form with emotionless blue eyes, feeling nothing as she clawed at his fingers, "Please," She breathed out, voice soft and strained. She tried to speak more words, but found none would come out as her final breaths left her system.
Nightfall's mind began to feel numb as darkness crept up in the corners of her vision. As she stared pleadingly at Superboy, all she could see in his cold gaze was the disappointed face of her father.
Her struggling began to lessen, and eventually her hands dropped limply to her side, all ability to hold them up leaving as the lack of oxygen caused her body to become unresponsive. Nightfall's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her eyelids slowly slipped shut, the disappointed gaze of her father melting into the unforgiving and cold face of Superboy.
The face that would forever haunt her.
A/N: Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the amazing support so far! I really appreciate it! You are all absolutely amazing! :D
So as promised, here's another chapter of this fic! I'm going to try and update Falcon next though, so keep an eye out for that, and then I'll jump back into this fic and try to get on a rotating schedule of updating Falcon, and then this fic, and then Falcon, and then this fic, and you guys get the jist!
Nightlight/Shadow Hunter still belong to my great friend, xDarkHikarix on deviantART! Make sure you check her stuff out to so you can see what the pink bae looks like! :)
Reviews:
ARandomChicken: Aw, thank you so much! That really means a lot! Yesss, 'Anna is definitely a fangirl who wants to be a superhero but isn't exactly cut out for that life yet! As you all will hopefully see... I'm glad you like her and her dad's relationship! I've been working on it for a long time and it's honestly one of my favorite OC/OC interactions I have! Thanks so much again! :)
BloodyAvenger21: Heck yeah, all the Avatar vibes! ATLA was honestly such a HUGE inspiration back when I made Kayanna and Koda, hence their waterbending abilities as well as Inuit heritage (that I hope to explore more!). I've actually made one Dick/'Anna offspring already! Her name is Maizy but as it stands now, she's an alternate universe child because spoilers... And yes, I plan to use Dick's Romani heritage! At some point in their relationship, Dick actually teaches 'Anna some Romani and 'Anna teaches him some Inuit! Thank you so much for your kind words!
locky3670: Thank you, thank you, thank you! That really means a lot to me- even more so since you're not deterred by another Robin shipping! I love my little birb child so much. It's hard to not ship him with 'Anna!
Lil Miss Sunshine14: Thank you! :D
Guest: Thanks a lot!
Okay, so I am by no means an expert in the Inuit language, so I am terribly sorry if the little Inuit I have above is wrong. It's not exact translation, of course, but I tried my best and spent like a good hour looking up English to Inuit translators and dictionaries and that's the best I could come up with! More will be revealed as the story progresses, but Koda and Kayanna are Inuit in descent!
PLEASE let me know if one of my readers just so happens to speak Inuit (any of the variations) or has any tips and stuff for more accurate Inuit speak! Google translate does NOT have an English to Inuit translator, so like I said, I had to look up dictionaries and stuff!
Question of the chapter: If you had to become an animal, what animal would you become?
Remember to leave a review! They keep me going and I LOVE hearing from all of my amazing readers! Your reviews are ALWAYS the best and I LOVE any and all feedback you may have to offer!
Thanks again, guys! :3
-SnowWolf22
P.s. For those concerned about who Nightlight is, I promise more information on her will be revealed! Nightfall is the main OC of this story, so you're going to mostly be seeing stuff pertaining to Nightfall, but stuff about Nightlight will be added here and there so you will be learning more about her!
