Young Justice is not mine.
Tsunami
"When the water starts boiling, it is foolish to turn off the heat."
- Nelson Mandela
BROOKLYN
"Tell me again where you're going?"
Nighttide's voice was tired and clipped, and Nightfall's eyes involuntarily rolled at the tone.
"To stop a bank robbery!"
"I told you to stay put."
"But what if it's The Pyro's?" Nightfall slowed her run as she approached a gap in the rooftops. She glanced over the edge, estimating it to be about a six story drop. Her heart hammered in her chest and she took a few steps backwards before propelling herself forward, leaping over the gap and landing on the next rooftop in a roll.
"I don't want you facing them alone, Nightfall."
The younger waterbender continued racing across the rooftops, cool wind whipping through her hair. She was about a block away from the bank now, and she hoped she wasn't too late to help.
"What if I told you I wasn't going to be facing them alone?" Nightfall questioned slowly, voice slightly strained as she took deep breaths.
There was an audible sigh on her father's end, "Then who will be helping you?"
The bank came into view, and the lights flashing in the front entry were the only signs something was wrong, as the alarms had been silenced. Nightfall paused as she stared at the bank, looking for her point of entry. She wasn't sure where the others had entered, but she assumed they didn't enter through the front entrance.
The younger waterbender reached up, pressing the comm in her ear, "Robin, Kid Flash, and Nightlight will be helping me."
Honesty was the best policy, right? Maybe if Nightfall was honest with her father she wouldn't get in as much trouble…
"Babe," A voice that was definitely not her father's responded, "We know we'll be helping you! But when will you be helping us? These guys are nuts!"
Nightfall smacked her forehead with a groan, pressing her ear again to reply to Kid Flash, "Sorry… this whole two comm thing is confusing."
"No worri- gahh!" The speedster was cut off by his own cry of pain, and Nightfall could only assume someone had caught him off guard.
Anxiousness bubbled up within the waterbender and she quickly shimmied down the nearest fire escape. The bank was- of course- across the street. Nightfall looked both ways before darting across the street and disappearing into a nearby alleyway.
"Nightfall." Her father's voice was firm, and the girl internally cringed. She forgot to respond back to Nighttide, "Answer the question."
"Sorry!" She squeaked quietly, voice soft as she pressed her back against the brick wall. One of the bank's- normally super secure- backdoors was kicked open, and Nightfall peered around to see if someone was guarding it, "Robin, Nightlight, and Kid Flash are with me."
Nighttide's response was fast, "What are they doing here?"
There was person standing near the entryway, a large flamethrower in hand, but they had their back turned towards Nightfall. She debated whether or not she had enough space to sneak in behind them and potentially take them out, but then they shifted and turned towards the door. Nightfall quickly ducked back behind the wall, hoping she had gone undetected.
She waited with bated breath, ignoring the sounds of her dad calling her name over the comm link, for a few moments before deciding she went unseen. However, that posed another issue for the waterbender.
If the man was now facing the doorway, she couldn't poke her head in to look, lest she risk being seen.
Nightfall glanced down, thinking about her predicament before she spotted a stray can. An idea popped into her head and she stepped back a bit more from the door before kicking the can. It skidded across the rocky surface, metallic clanking noise echoing in the alleyway.
A few seconds passed and nothing happened, which left Nightfall wondering whether or not her distraction had worked. She was about to give up hope and move onto a back up plan- not that she had one yet- when the tip of the man's weapon poked out from the doorframe.
The waterbender held her breath, crouching down behind a trashcan and the man stepped further out into the alleyway. The familiar headband of The Pyro's was wrapped around his forehead, the flame insignia almost glowing in the moonlight. A mask covered the lower half of his face, eyes dark as he cautiously entered the alleyway in full, flamethrower flicking side to side as he searched for the source of the disturbance.
Water curled around Nightfall's fist as the man turned towards her hiding spot. She stayed ducked down, blue eyes narrowed and focused on the Pyro and he began to turn away from her.
The waterbender made her move.
Lashing out with her water, it shot through the air before wrapping around the barrel of the flamethrower. The Pyro startled at the sudden water whip and cried out before turning towards Nightfall as she shot out from her hiding spot. Flames sprouted from the end of the flamethrower, licking the walls before being aimed at the waterbender. With a sharp tug of her hand, she yanked the weapon from the man's hands, and it crashed onto the ground of the alleyway, flames dissipating.
The Pyro made a move to activate his communication device to alert the other's in the building of her presence, but Nightfall reacted faster. She grabbed the water that was once wrapped around the flamethrower, repurposing it and launching it at the man. It collided harshly with his chest, knocking him into the bank and the waterbender quickly followed.
He laid on the ground, groaning slightly and before he could get up, Nightfall knocked him out.
She straightened up and looked around, finally acknowledging her father's shouting voice in her ear, "Sorry, but I don't know… they said they came to check up on me. And then the robbery happened and so now we're here." Nightfall began to make her way further into the bank. She could hear a scuffle going down, and began to follow her ears towards the source of the noise, "I know you said stay put, but they've never faced The Pyro's, so I'm going to help them."
Nightfall heard her father open his mouth to say something, but then he groaned. She could picture Nighttide pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "Be careful, Nightfall. I'm on my way."
"Acknowledged. Nightfall out." Nightfall nodded, though she knew her father couldn't see. She hadn't expected him to relent so easily, but a calm reaction now didn't mean she wasn't going to be in hot water later.
The waterbender slipped into a hallway, noting the shards of glass from shattered office windows littering the floor. She reached up and pressed her other comm, hailing the other proteges, "Where are you guys at?"
"Main lobby," It was Nightlight's voice, "but it's just Kid Flash and me. Robin disappeared on us."
"As usual." Kid Flash grumbled.
Nightfall rolled her eyes and did her best to make her way towards the lobby. She opened her mouth to respond, but then Robin's voice sounded over the comm, "I'm at the main vault. They have hostages. Three security guards. They must've been the one's that tripped the alarms."
"What's the game plan then?" Nightfall skidded to a halt and waited to hear what the plan was.
"We save the hostages and kick ass!"
"She means a legit plan, Kid." Nightfall could hear the eyeroll in Nightlight's tone.
Robin replied before Kid Flash could put up an argument, "I could use your help down here, Nightlight. Your powers could come in handy for getting the hostages out safely."
"Roger that," Nightlight responded, "I'll make my way to you and Nightfall can help Kid Flash."
"On it!"
"Good. There may be a few- or five- fires for Nighty to help put out."
Nightfall breathed out a laugh and took off, making her way down the hallway. It was dimly lit, and the girl hoped she was headed in the right direction. She didn't want to get lost and have to have the others come find her.
"Any words of advice on facing these guys, Nightfall?"
"Not really," The girl admitted, "They can be unpredictable and they do not care about where their fire ends up. They're more than likely going to try and burn this bank to the ground."
"Tch. Don't have to tell me twice. Every time I put out a fire, a new one appears!" Kid Flash complained.
The lobby came into view, and Nightfall pushed through a door and darted in. Kid Flash was running in circles around a group of Pyro's, who had their backs to each other as they aimed their flamethrowers at the speedster.
And sure enough, there were a handful of fires dotting the lobby floor, and a few teller booths were also up in flames.
"Kid!" The waterbender called out, alerting the speedster to her presence.
Kid Flash looked over at Nightfall before speeding towards her, ducking underneath a plume of fire before sweeping the girl into his arms. He sped the two behind a teller booth that wasn't on fire, placing them out of sight of the Pyro's.
"Where'd they go?" One of the Pyro's questioned.
"Don't know, but we gotta find them or boss will have our heads."
Nightfall faced the speedster. "You're faring well." She commented lightly, noting some soot and scorch marks that littered Kid Flash's uniform.
"I repeat my earlier sentiment: these guys are nuts."
"Light this place up!" A Pyro ordered.
That wasn't a good thing.
The two shared a look before looking over their cover object, watching as The Pyro's lined up, flamethrowers aimed at the teller booths- the one Nightfall and Kid Flash were hiding behind included.
"And that's our cue to move."
Kid Flash picked Nightfall up once more, racing the two away from their hiding spot just as a wall of fire began to consume the teller booths. He sped them towards the opposite side of the room and deposited the waterbender in front of a water fountain before turning and racing towards an unsuspecting Pyro.
The speedster rammed into the man, knocking him to the ground and the flamethrower from his grasp. The wall of fire ceased before turning on Kid Flash, and he zipped around them as a fireball sailed his way.
Nightfall sank into the familiar position, drawing in a quick breath as she concentrated before throwing her arms forward. This move was slowly becoming a favorite move, and that just meant it got easier and easier each time she performed it.
The water fountain creaked and groaned as the water pressure built up behind it before it suddenly erupted, the water fountain itself being ripped from the wall as a spout of water burst forth from the pipes behind it. Nightfall twisted her arms and pulled the water in front of herself as a shield just as a flamethrower was turned on her.
The heat combining with the cool water caused a burst of steam to fill the area, giving the waterbender some cover as The Pyro's ceased fire. They searched the area and just as the steam dissipated, Nightfall sent a large wave careening towards the closest Pyro.
It collided with the Pyro, washing her up in the wave before Nightfall twisted the water around and sent the woman right smack into a wall. The Pyro fell limp and slumped to the ground, unconscious, before another Pyro slammed into the wall beside her, courtesy of Kid Flash.
Three more Pyro's took aim at the two heroes, opening fire on them and releasing a barrage of blistering flames. Kid Flash zipped away to avoid the fire, Nightfall raising up another water shield to deflect the flames as she dove to the side. The two ended up on either side of the room to each other, the three remaining Pyro's standing between them, each locked onto the heroes.
Nightfall's arms moved fluidly back and forth around herself, the water in her control bending and moving per her arms movements. It circled around her, creating a shield of water tentacles ready to deflect any fireball that came her way. Kid Flash stood at the ready across the way, knees bent in preparedness to race off.
"Nightfall," He called out, and the girl glanced at him, "Maneuver seven!" The speedster suddenly took off, grabbing a flamethrower from one of the Pyro's before tossing them to the ground, spinning around another as they took aim at Kid Flash.
"Maneuver what?"
"Seven! Gah… just- jump on my hands and I'll propel you upwards!" The speedster sped in front of Nightfall before turning towards the girl, hands clasped together and lowered down. The waterbender wasn't quite sure what Kid Flash was looking to do, but she listed to him regardless.
Darting forward, she held her arms out behind herself, the water trailing alongside her in two large streams. Once she approached Kid Flash, she leapt up, placing her feet in his hands before he propelled her upwards.
Nightfall was pushed into the air, the Pyro's eyes locked on the girl as they took aim at her. She moved her arms forward, extending them outwards and crossing them harshly. The water sped past the girl, shifting into large icicles and ensnaring two of the remaining Pyro's. They were pinned to the ground in the process, limbs confined and unable to move thanks to the entrapment of icicles.
One Pyro remained, eyes harsh and focused as they stared down the two young heroes, water pooled on the ground around them, as they had reacted fast enough to melt the incoming icicles. They lifted their flamethrower once more, ready to light Nightfall and Kid Flash up when a birdarang sailed into the room. It knocked into the man's head, and he slumped limply to the ground.
Nightfall glanced over as Robin and Nightlight ran into the room, the three hostages now free and running behind them. Kid Flash turned to his friends as the waterbender raised her hands up, lifting the water from the ground before directing it towards the fire.
"Did you just leave the other Pyro's down at the vault?" The speedster questioned his best friend as they neared.
"Trust me, they're going no where any time soon." Robin smirked, and Nightfall coaxed the water over the rest of the fire. It steamed and sizzled, slowly diminishing as the smoke began to lessen in the area.
Nightfall admired her handwork for a moment before turning towards the other proteges, eyes scanning over the damage the main lobby had taken, "For the record, Nighttide and I normally handle these things more stealthily."
Kid Flash shrugged, flashing the girl a lopsided grin, "Sorry babe, we're still working on the whole stealth thing."
"Kid Flash blew our cover before we could come up with a plan."
"Dude!" The speedster cried out and glared at Robin.
"Just spea-"
"Nightfall." A voice, clipped and firm, spoke. Said waterbender tensed, heart rate quickening as her stomach plummeted and goosebumps ran up her arms.
"H-hi dad…" Nightfall turned around slowly, greeting her father- who was flanked by a few cops- with a sheepish look. The cops immediately began to round up all the Pyro's, a few cops disappearing deeper into the bank and heading towards the vault. The three security guards were ushered out, a few medical personnel checking them over as they left.
Nighttide's face was rather stoic, but the girl could see relief swirling around in her father's brown eyes. He glanced around at the damage, noting the scorched walls and floors, as well as the water that was pooling on the floor, the source being the damaged water fountain Nightfall had decimated. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the water at the end of the pipe suddenly froze, water no longer flowing outwards.
"The bank's not going to be happy with all this damage."
Nightfall hung her head, "I-"
"That's not her fault, sir," Kid Flash spoke up, sharing a look with Nightlight as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I kind of blew our cover."
Nighttide turned his sharp gaze towards the speedster, who flinched back and dropped his arm. He stared Kid Flash down for a few seconds before a soft laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head, "Why's it always the speedsters that blow cover?"
Nightfall's head snapped up in confusion and Robin cackled, Kid Flash looking slightly offended as he cried out, "Wh- hey!" Nightlight's arms were crossed as she smiled softly.
"Did you just-" Nightfall blinked and stared at her father, "make a joke? You never joke in the field."
Nighttide brushed off his daughter's confusion and carried on like he hadn't just made fun of the speedster's, "That's besides the point. What we do need to discuss is, what happens next?"
The older waterbender folded his arms and stared down at his daughter. She had averted her eyes once more, gazing at the floor beneath her feet and Nighttide sighed heavily. A range of emotions and thoughts were dancing around in his mind.
A part of him wanted to scream and yell at Nightfall. Scold her and ground her for eternity for the stunt she had pulled. Even though he- admit ably- was grateful she had been upfront and honest about where she was off to, the moment she had said bank robbery and The Pyro's within sentences of each other, Nighttide had felt his heart lurch and stomach plummet. The last thing he wanted was for Nightfall to face the fire-obsessed gang alone.
Nighttide would be lying if he said he didn't feel some semblance of relief when Nightfall mentioned she'd be working alongside Robin, Kid Flash and Nightlight. He was still unsure as to why the three young heroes were in Brooklyn and why they had sought out Nightfall, but the three of them being there had been one of the primary reasons as to why he hadn't fought his daughter more on not trying to stop a bank robbery lead by The Pyro's.
That and Nightfall was just as stubborn as he was. So Nighttide knew, had he been more firm with her, she probably wouldn't have listened to him anyways.
The older waterbender was struggling with how to handle the current situation laid out before him. Nightfall- and the others- did manage to stop The Pryo's from robbing (and then burning) the bank, but his daughter did disobey orders. He was at a crossroads. Nighttide knew his daughter well enough to know that as soon as he began to praise her for the work she helped accomplish tonight, he'd be barraged by questions pertaining to the team and whether or not she was allowed to join it.
It also didn't help that half of the current team were standing before him as well.
"So?" Nightfall prodded when her father didn't say anything more, "What does happen next?"
Nighttide shook his head, running a hand through his disheveled- and sooty- locks. He glanced around the main lobby of the bank, watching as various cops scurried around the damaged bank as they took care of the remaining Pyro's.
"That's something we'll have to discuss later." He breathed out and turned back towards his daughter. Her hopeful expression fell slightly before she nodded her head.
"O-okay."
"For the time being," Nighttide started and Nightfall glanced back up at him as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "You did good," His eyes shifted over to the other three proteges, "all of you. I appreciate the help."
"But?" Robin was quick to respond, brow quirked and arms crossed.
Nighttide glanced over at the boy wonder, who didn't seem fazed to have the annoyed look of a Leaguer focused on him, "But?"
It was Kid Flash that spoke up next, Nightlight remaining silent as she analyzed the situation beside him, "Yeah, here's usually a but with you guys."
Nightfall looked from her father to her new friends, silently pleading with them to shut up. The fact Nighttide had complimented them and not immediately scolded them was a good thing. And the younger waterbender didn't like that they were egging him on.
Just take the compliment and leave.
Was what she wanted to scream at them, but Nightfall held her tongue as her father looked contemplative.
"But," Nighttide spoke after a few seconds, not denying the speedster's accusation, "I'd appreciate it if you would leave Nightfall alone in the future. I've already stated that she will not be joining the team." His voice hardened as his brown eyes narrowed into a glare, "Failure to adhere to my word and I will not hesitate to get your mentors involved. Understood?"
Kid Flash flinched back at the Leaguer's words, Robin and Nightlight both doing their best to look unfazed. They shared a look with each other, the three of them then flashing Nightfall an apologetic look. The girl missed it, however, as her eyes were downcast, focused on the floor beneath her feet.
Her face was heated- either in embarrassment or anger, she couldn't tell- and she did her best to swallow any emotion she was currently feeling. She wanted to cry and die all at the same time.
"Understood." Robin, Nightlight, and Kid Flash chorused together.
"Good." Nighttide nodded, "You three should head out before your mentors come looking for you."
Nightfall glanced up as Kid Flash rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, later, Nightfall." The speedster paused, casting a quick glance at Nightfall before returning his gaze to the younger waterbender, "It was nice working with you."
"Yeah, you too." She muttered sadly, glaze flickering upwards for a moment as she watched the three turn to walk away. Nightlight gave the girl a curt nod, Robin waving and together, along with Kid Flash, they departed from the bank.
A part of Nightfall was prepared to turn on her father, ask him what the heck all that was, but once Nighttide placed a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at him, Nightfall instantly deflated once more. Angry and embarrassed tears sprouted in the corners of her eyes, but the girl forced them back. There was no way she was going to cry in the middle of the bank.
Surrounded by cops and gang members.
And some reporters.
With her father standing beside her.
That would just scream 'I'm an amazing hero'.
"Let's go."
FLASHBACK
Koda and Kayanna stepped through the threshold between the basement stairs and the kitchen, silence settled over the two like a blanket. They had just returned from patrol, and the younger waterbender was slightly irked. Patrol had gone fine, and her father had even let her partake more when it came to taking down some of the bad guys, but when they returned back home, the mood had soured.
Kayanna had dared to ask about the team one more, hoping that maybe Koda would relent and let her join it. After all, she had proven- on more than one occasion- that she worked well alongside them.
Koda has shaken his head and groaned as soon as the question had left her mouth, and a wave of annoyance had washed over him. He immediately told her no, but Kayanna being the stubborn person she was, just had to argue.
Her father didn't take to kindly to that, not that he ever did in the first place.
Luckily it hadn't escalated too much, Koda putting an end to the conversation as soon as he could. He didn't like arguing with his daughter, but unfortunately for him, Kayanna was the argumentative type.
But then again, so was he.
The two entered into the kitchen and froze.
"Mom?" Koda quirked a brow, voice confused.
An elderly woman turned around, a pleasant smile on her face as her dark eyes twinkled. She cradled a cup of coffee in her hands and greeted the two, "Good morning, you two."
Kayanna perked up, "Grandma!" and darted towards the woman. She threw her arms around her, her grandmother returning the gesture with a soft laugh.
Koda was a bit more apprehensive as he eyed his mom, "It's three in the morning, mom, what are you doing here?" The woman grinned mischievously.
"Time is but a fickle thing."
Anyu Tatkret was the mother of Koda Sanders. A waterbender herself, she had been a member of the Justice Society of America and the All-Star Squadron back in her heyday, operating under the guise of Cascade. And at the ripe old age of ninety, she was still rather spry and always carried an air of mischievousness wherever she went.
"I don't have time for your riddles." Koda shook his head.
Anyu's smile brightened, unfazed by her son's annoyance as she watched him grab a glass of water, "I came to have a chat." She revealed slowly, watching Koda's reaction.
"About?" He prodded.
The eldest waterbender ran her hand lovingly through Kayanna's hand, offering her granddaughter a caring smile, "Why don't you head off to bed, Kayanna? So your father and I can talk."
Kayanna glanced between her grandmother and father with confused eyes, but agreed nonetheless. As argumentative as she could be, Anyu could out-argue her any day of the week, "Okay, night grandma." She placed a quick kiss on Anyu's cheek before saying goodnight to Koda and disappearing upstairs.
Koda watched his daughter leave before turning his brown eyes towards his mother, "This couldn't have waited until morning?"
Anyu brushed him off, "Technically, it is morning."
There was a heavy sigh, "Mom, please."
"Oh, fine." The elderly woman spoke with an eye roll, "It's about Kayanna."
"What about her?"
Anyu turned her critical eyes towards Koda, the moonlight glinting in her dark hues, "Diana mentioned the Justice League has formed a team of young heroes, and that Kayanna wasn't on that team."
Koda sighed and dragged a hand down his exhausted face, "This is what you wanted to talk about at three in the morning? I didn't realize you and Diana still talked heroics."
"You forget I met most of the young team at Kent's funeral last week. I was bound to learn about them at some point."
That was true, Koda had forgotten about the recent funeral. Kent and Anyu had once fought side-by-side with each other way back in the day. Three generations of heroes were in attendance at the old magician's funeral; the JSA, the JLA, and then the team.
The old members of the JSA- or what was left of them at least- had gathered together to honor their fallen comrade. Besides for Diana and Red Tornado, who were current Justice League members, Ted, Jay, and Anyu were all that remained of the JSA.
"Right, I forgot the team were in attendance," Koda nodded. He had even allowed Kayanna to attend the funeral, "but I'm not having this conversation with you, mom. I'm not letting Kayanna join the team."
"And why not?" Anyu was quick to ask, having expected her son's response.
"Because she doesn't need the team. I can teach her all she needs to know about being a hero, and keep her safe in the process." Koda countered.
It was Anyu's turn to sigh, voice soft as she responded, "And I don't doubt that, Koda, but you can only teach her so much. With the team she'll be surrounded by kids who are just like her and can relate to her experiences, and teach her things you just can't. If it wasn't for the Justice Society, I wouldn't be the woman that I am today. They've taught me so much, and I'm sure you can relate with the Justice League."
Koda's eyes squeezed shut, fingers clenching and unclenching while his mother watched him with a calculated gaze, "She's not ready!" He finally burst.
The elderly waterbender reached forward, unfazed by his outburst, and placed her hand over Koda's own. He tensed slightly at the touch, but didn't pull away, "Is she not ready, or are you not ready?"
Koda's eyes flashed darkly, hardening into a glare aimed at his mother before they suddenly softened and he shook his head, "What if something happens to her on a mission and I'm not there to help?" His voice was soft when he spoke, and Anyu had to strain her ears to listen. It wasn't often she say this side of her son, as he often withheld his feelings so as to not look weak, "If she gets hurt an-"
"That's what the team is for, Koda." Anyu replied delicately, "Kayanna's not going into this alone; she'll be accompanied by kids her age, each with unique abilities like herself. You know she needs this, it'll be good for her."
"But what if she stops needing me?" Koda glanced up at his mother, and Anyu was startled by the amount of vulnerability swimming about in his eyes. It was as if the wall surrounding his deepest emotions and thoughts had shattered, and now he was exceptionally vulnerable.
"Oh, Koda." The elderly waterbender leaned forward, hand moving from Koda's own to his shoulder, where she gave it a soft squeeze, "Kayanna will always need you. You're her father. The team isn't your replacement; they're to fill in the gaps where you cannot."
"I still have so much to teach her."
Anyu exhaled heavily, "And I'm not saying you can't keep teaching her, I'm just saying the team can benefit her greatly."
"I know, I know," Koda relented with a shake of his head. A silence settled upon the duo as he digested his mother's words, brown eyes flickering towards the window to stare at the moon. A few moments passed by, and just as Anya opened her mouth to speak, Koda turned his attention to her, "I'll think about it."
PRESENT TIME
GOTHAM CITY
Kayanna slammed the bathroom door shut, her recently changed out of costume bundled up in a messy ball within her grasp. Her blue eyes were dark, coarse with anger as she stomped towards the laundry. Koda watched from the corner of his eye as his daughter tossed her dirty costume into the hamper and turned on her heel to storm up the stairs.
She made it up exactly two steps before her father called out to her. Kayanna groaned but stopped nonetheless, facing Koda with an annoyed look, "What?"
"Our conversation isn't over," The older waterbender stood up from the chair he was sitting on, his high-tech prosthetic leg used for heroics in hand, his normal one back in place on his leg. He placed it back within its special container and Kayanna walked back down the stairs with an eyeroll.
Annoyance coursed through her veins as anger settled over her. She crossed her arms defiantly and settled her firm gaze on her father, "I get it. I'm grounded. Do we really need to have this conversation?"
Kayanna really didn't want to have this conversation with her father again. After all he had said and done at the bank- which included embarrassing her in front of the other proteges- she just wanted to jump into bed and sleep the night away. There was no way this conversation wasn't going to escalate into an argument, and the young waterbender was really in no mood for that.
Koda sighed and gestured to an empty seat as he sat down across from it, "Just sit, Kayanna."
His daughter eyed him curiously for a second, a part of her tempted to ignore Koda's wishes and instead keep standing where she was. When he gestured towards the empty seat once more, however, Kayanna relented and sat down. She spared her father a quick glance before diverting her gaze towards her lap.
"Let's talk about what happened tonight, shall we?" Koda didn't both beating around the bush, not allowing the silence between the two to linger any longer.
"Do we have to?"
The older waterbender chuckled lightly as Kayanna levelled him with a pleading gaze. It shifted into mild confusion at his reaction and Koda shook his head, "Look, Kayanna, I'm not happy with tonight's turn of events. You really scared me."
Kayanna rubbed her arm, "I didn't mean to," She voiced softly.
Koda ran a hand through his disheveled locks, "I know," He acknowledged quietly, pausing briefly as he pondered over his next words carefully, "and I appreciate you being honest with me about where you were going, but if you're going to join the team, Kayanna, you cannot pull these kinds of stunts, understand?"
Koda ended his sentence on a firmer note, but his eyes were lighthearted and laced with amusement as he trained them on his daughter, waiting for her to digest his words.
"But they nee-" The younger waterbender attempted a counterargument, but her words suddenly caught in her throat, voice trailing off as realization coupled with confusion washed over her, "Wait- what?"
"You heard me," Koda's fingers thrummed gently against the surface of the table before them, "If you join the team, you explicitly listen to orders. No ifs, ands, or buts."
"Are you-" Kayanna leaned forward, hands gripping the table as excitement bubbled up within her, "-saying what I think you're saying?"
The older waterbender swallowed thickly, nodding his head slowly. He hadn't actually said the words 'you can join the team' aloud- to himself or anyone- and now that the moment had come, he was finding that the words kept getting stuck in his throat. His daughter kept staring at him expectantly, her mood having done a complete three-sixty as she waited for Koda's response.
Finally, after a few agonizing moments of silence, Koda spoke, "Yes, but-" He was quick to cut the young waterbender off as she practically bounced in her seat, "you follow orders and listen to Aqualad, who the team has elected as leader."
"Of course!" Kayanna chirped eagerly and Koda rolled his eyes.
"If I feel you are not taking this responsibility seriously, or if you start slacking in school, I will remove you from the team. Understood?"
The young waterbender nodded her head vigorously, agreeing without a question, "Completely!"
Koda couldn't help but smile as his daughter jumped up from her seat, a large smile on her own face, "Well, Nightfall," He started, "I guess you're joining the team." The older waterbender finally spoke the words.
Kayanna could only respond with an excited squeal as she flung herself into her father's arms, a flurry of 'thank yous' escaping her lips. Koda chuckled as he wrapped his arms around his daughter. However, he couldn't help the doubt that nipped a the back of his mind.
Is this the right decision?
MOUNT JUSTICE
Four days later...
"Recognized: Nighttide: Zero-Four. Nightfall: B-Zero-Nine."
The zeta beam hummed to life, bright light emanating from within. It died down, revealing the two waterbenders. Nightfall buzzed with excitement, a shy smile on her face as seven sets of eyes snapped in their direction. She shriveled up slightly at the sudden attention, but her father nudged her forward, a comforting hand placed upon her shoulder.
Nightfall recognized seven of the eight figures, a girl with long, blonde hair decked out in green being the only one she didn't recognize. The familiar faces of the proteges she fought alongside at Cadmus smiled her way, and the young waterbender waved at them.
It was finally happening.
"Nightfall," Batman stepped forward, "welcome to the team."
A/N: Aight well early chapter is early lmao... and I mean, maybe not early, early... but I was gonna work on Falcon next and then this chapter happened instead xD
I had ideas and I didn't want to lose them, you know? And honestly, the next chapter may be fast-ish because it's been in the works for like two years lol I was gonna write a one-shot with the next chapter but then I forgot about it so it's sat in my files for a while ^^;
Words: 5,944
Pages: 14
Anyways, ya'll are great and I appreciate each and every one of you so much!
Keep leaving those reviews .3.
-SnowWolf
P.s. was gonna make a cover pic with Nightfall and probs Kid Flash but then my art computer pooped out on me :c
