Young Justice is not mine.
Alpha Male
"A true leader has confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others."
- Douglas McArthur
MOUNT JUSTICE
Nightfall didn't have a concussion, and that was blessed news to the girl.
On the flipside, however, Robin had been wrong about the gash on her forehead and she did, in fact, need a few stitches. Five to be precise. This wasn't her first encounter with stitches, but she still found them incredibly uncomfortable.
And itchy.
After waking up in a panic in the med-bay, disoriented and in pain, Black Canary had done a medical check-up on the girl after getting her to calm down. The fact of the matter was, who knew Black Canary was also adept in medicine like she was in fighting? Once Nightfall was deemed good to go, she was sent on her way to meet up with the others.
They were gathered in the mission room, huddled around a table and each looking various shades of depressed. She noted that Nightlight was absent, and Aqualad was in the corner with Batman, no doubt talking leader to leader.
Robin had perked up as soon as the waterbender walked into the mission room, and Kid Flash made a quip about it. The boy wonder ignored his speedster friend and scooted over, making space for Nightfall between himself and Artemis. She slipped into the spot, tossing out a quick 'I'm okay' when asked how she was.
Silence lingered in the room as tensions ran high. Nightfall ignored the others as she played with a stray balloon she had found on her walk from the med-bay to the mission room. She wasn't sure how it had gotten all the way there from the common room, but she guessed it didn't really matter.
Nightfall didn't really know a lot of things about what happened last night.
The poor balloon in her grasp looked how the girl felt: hell.
It was a blue color, slightly deflated and singed, but miraculously hanging onto life.
"Synchronizing cave security protocol with Watchtower mainframe."
The lights in the cave suddenly flickered back to life, Nightfall not paying them much mind. A few Justice Leaguers flew about overhead, busying themselves with fixing the various dings and dents the Reds reign of terror had left behind. She assumed the Leaguer's working down in the hangar had fixed up the generator.
Nighttide, flanked on either side by Green Arrow and Black Canary, approached the sullen teens, snacks in tow. Nightlight trailed alongside the Leaguer's, a soft frown on her face as she took in their dejected forms. She still felt guilty that she hadn't been there to help them against the Reds, but the logical side of her understood she wouldn't have been much help.
The older waterbender set a bowl of pretzels down on the table, passing a sullen gaze over the gathered group of teens. His eyes settled on his daughter, but Nightfall's gaze was still casted downwards and focused on the shriveled balloon she had picked up. Nighttide felt a pang in his heart as he noted the stitches on her forehead and dejected look upon her face, but he hid it behind an expressionless demeanor.
Kid Flash glanced up, eyeing the pretzels before shaking his head, "Thanks, but no thanks. Not in the mood for your pity pretzels."
Nighttide frowned and crossed his arms. He left the bowl sitting in front of the teens, as he knew the speedster didn't speak for the group and the others could be hungry as well. The waterbender understood Kid Flash's annoyance and anger, and in his position, Nighttide would probably feel the same way.
They faced hell last night.
Nightfall reached forward and snagged a pretzel before popping it into her mouth and crunching softly. At the same time, Nightlight stepped forward. She placed a large plate on the table, "Are you in the mood for some cake?"
The question caught the group's attention and Nightfall quirked a brow. Nightlight wrung her hands together, looking rather sheepish before nodding at the plate.
Sat upon it was a small, chocolate cake. It was frosted with a light dusting of blue sprinkles.
"I-I saw the remains of the cake Miss M had originally baked," The spirit energy wielder began explaining, "There was an extra box of cake mix and I figured I'd make a quick cake to try and cheer you guys up…" She trailed off unsurely.
Truth be told, while the team recuperated in the mission room, Nightlight had to excuse herself as she was wrought with guilt. She had found her way into the kitchen, where she discovered the destroyed and burnt remains of the cake Miss Martian had originally baked for Nightfall. When she discovered more cake fixings, Nightlight had the sudden urge to bake.
It proved to be a good distraction, and it put a small smile on Nightfall's face.
The waterbender opened her mouth to thank Nightlight, but before she could utter a single word, the scowling boy wonder beside her beat her to the punch, "I- we- want answers, not cake." Nightfall's smile fell.
The pink-eyed girl frowned at Robin's tone, shrinking back slightly as Black Canary stepped forward. She placed a hand on Nighlight's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze before turning her blue eyes towards Robin, "The League understands how traumatizing last night was but-"
"But what?" Artemis cut in, grey eyes flashing darkly, "We want answers about Red Tornado and his siblings."
"Artemis," Green Arrow warned softly. Artemis glared at him, but dropped her eyes after a few seconds to stare angrily at the table.
Nighttide sighed, "You need to have patience. The League wants answers as well, and Batman has placed it as the League's highest priority. Red Tornado-"
The elder waterbender didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Superboy suddenly flung himself across the room, voice roaring, "You KNEW?"
The sudden commotion shifted the heavy tone in the room, and Nightfall shot to her feet as the clone grabbed Aqualad by his shirt collar. The team watched, with wide and confused eyes, as Superboy pinned their leader to the wall. Even though Aqualad could easily take down the boy of steel, he remained calm as Superboy restrained and berated him.
"That android and his maniac family nearly killed everyone!"
"Conner!" Miss Martian cried out, flying towards the irate clone, "What are you doing?"
Superboy's scowl deepened and Nightfall's gaze hardened into a glare as she attempted to activate her non-existent laser vision. Nightlight flew closer towards the commotion as well, ready to place herself between the two.
"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!"
The waterbender's gaze melted into confusion and hurt as she processed the clone's words, "Y-you knew?" She voiced softly.
"And didn't tell us?!" Kid Flash chimed in angrily.
Aqualad tried to place a calming hand on Superboy's own, but his grip only tightened, "I sought to protect the team from-"
"Protect us from what?" Artemis butted in, "Knowledge that could have saved our lives?"
"We're supposed to be a team." Robin shook his head.
Nightfall wanted to speak up, to get Aqualad to tell them why he did what he did, but she found her voice suddenly gone as she processed everything that was going on. She had come to consider Aqualad a good friend, and someone she could look to as a brother figure, so this whole thing felt like a huge betrayal.
Nightlight finally wiggled her way in between Aqualad and Superboy. She flashed the clone a dark glare, pink eyes brightening with the subtle threat of using her powers to get him off their leader. Superboy relented and released the Atlantean. Aqualad straightened himself out, doing his best to remain stoic and strong as the Kryptonian glared at him harshly.
It wasn't that Nightlight was okay with Aqualad keeping the mole a secret from them, but she liked to consider herself to be a reasonable person. It hurt to know their leader- and someone she considered a close friend- would keep this information from her. However, this was Aqualad they were talking about. The Atlantean was of sound mind and would never make a decision lightly.
"We almost died!" Superboy roared in anger, "And you-"
"Enough."
Batman's voice cut through the anger in the room, and the team turned to face him. An uncomfortable silence settled on the room as the dark knight studied the gathered protégés, eyeing them each with his steely gaze. The tension in the room continued to increase, Aqualad taking the brunt of the anger as various angry gazes leveled him with dark glares once more.
It all continued to build until-
POP.
The sudden noise decimated the awkward silence and all eyes turned towards the source.
Nightfall stood, with wide eyes, at the back of the group. The remains of her singed balloon resting in her trembling hands and at her feet. She shakily looked down at her hands before shyly looking up at the various eyes that were upon her. "S-sorry." The waterbender managed to squeak out. Kid Flash, who was nearest to the girl, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Batman cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to himself, "With Red Tornado… missing, the team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shirt."
A tall, burly man stepped forward. He had broad shoulders and was wearing a red, white, and yellow uniform. A childlike smile was stretched across his face, the expression being grossly out of place for the atmosphere in the room, "I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys!"
Nightfall frowned. She remembered her father telling her about Captain Marvel. Nighttide wasn't really a fan.
Superboy scowled and glanced back at Aqualad, a murderous look upon his face, "After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are going to-"
"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League," The dark knight cut in, leveling the snarling clone with his famous batglare, "That makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us. For the time being, I have another assignment for this team."
Nighttide stepped forward, a deep frown on his face, "Do you think sending them on another mission so soon is a good idea?" His gaze landed on his daughter, who still looked rather out of things.
"Yes," was Batman's simple response. In other circumstances, Nighttide might've argued more with the dark knight, but now was neither the time nor the place.
Batman turned away when the waterbender didn't say anything more and activated the computer. Several newspaper clippings and an image of a gorilla appeared onscreen, and Nightfall eyed the images with mild confusion, the headline 'Gorilla Trades Bananas for Bullets' catching her attention.
"Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerilla Gorilla?" Kid Flash read aloud; voice laced with annoyance as his arm fell from Nightfall's shoulder.
'Was this the only thing he could find to distract us?' Superboy asked over the psychic link.
Robin glanced at the clone before stepping forward, voicing the question that was on everyone's mind, "Batman, please! Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase."
Batman leveled him with a firm glare, and Robin shrank back, "I never joke about the mission." The boy wonder's eyes widened before he glanced down, silent anger radiating off him in waves. Nightfall felt the urge to comfort him, but stayed still in her spot, "I've checked the sources, and I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents," He shifted his body to look at Aqualad, "Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out."
Aqualad nodded his head in confirmation.
"Tch. Your team." Kid Flash scoffed as him and the others began to leave the mission room. Nightfall watched as they began to leave, uncertainty filling her body as she spared a sorrowful look towards Aqualad.
His seafoam eyes met her ocean blue. The Atlantean looked rather apologetic, as well as unsure and downcast, but he tried to hide it under a mask of strength. Nightfall shook her head, hands clenching at her sides before she turned to leave the mission room.
"Nightfall." A cool voice called out. Said girl turned, eyeing her father with saddened eyes as he stepped forward, "I don't think-"
"Don't." The younger waterbender managed to find her voice, "Please." She knew her father was less than pleased with the idea of her going on a mission so soon after nearly dying, but she wasn't going to stay back, "I don't need you not trusting me either."
Nighttide looked ready to say something more, but Nightfall had already turned her back to him, and any more words he spoke would fall on her deaf ears.
NORTHERN INDIA
Nightfall's fingers thrummed against the console in front of her, cheek resting heavily on her open palm as she stared blankly out the bioship window. A heavy silence had settled upon the team, one filled with lingering resentment and awkwardness. The only one ignorant to this tension, however, was Captain Marvel.
The Justice Leaguer had been eager to tag along with the team on their trek to India, and he was the only one to feel this way. He bounced in his seat, cheerfully calling out shapes of clouds as they passed by outside, blissfully unaware of the rising tensions within the bioship. Nightfall wished she had his cheery attitude, as it would make the prospects of this mission seem a whole lot better, but she found it hard to even perk up.
Unsureness still riddled her gut, and her heart felt heavy.
Nightfall did her best to tune Captain Marvel out, but jumped in her seat as a different voice called out, "Destination approaching." Miss Martian spoke, voice lacking her normal chipper tone.
Aqualad nodded before standing up. He turned to Robin and Artemis, but the two were already standing. Without a single word, the two attached lines to their belts, and disappeared through the hole Miss Martian created to scout the region below. The Atlantean frowned as he watched his teammates disappear into darkness.
A part of him should've been proud the team seemed to the point where dictation wasn't necessarily needed, but he knew their silence was more of spite than it was progress.
Nightfall stood up from her own seat and crossed her arms. She glanced around the bioship, noting her teammates to be in similar positions as her own, and each avoiding eye contact with their leader. A signal sounded within the ship, and Miss Martian steered it towards the ground.
Once landed, a hatch opened, revealing a seemingly endless swathe of Indian jungle. A soft breeze rustled the nearby trees, casting a cool haze over the otherwise humid night. Nightfall found herself sticking close to Nightlight as they exited the bioship, Artemis and Robin turning back to approach the group.
"All clear." The hacker reported.
Aqualad tilted his head in acknowledgement, "Switch to stealth, and we will review mission parameters."
Nightfall pressed the moon logo on her chest, the lighter blues in her suit darkening as other members of the team activated their own stealth suits. Kid Flash scoffed as his yellow was consumed by gray, "Parameters? We don't need no stinkin' parameters."
"It's recon," Robin rolled his eyes, "We know what to do."
The waterbender was slightly taken aback by the tone of the boy wonder's voice. It was more hostile and harsh than she had ever heard it, but she could tell it stemmed from how hurt he was.
And to be honest, she could relate.
Robin and Kid Flash began to walk off, Aqualad stepping forward. He reached for the duo, "Kid, Robin-"
"The four of us started this team," The hacker began, cutting Aqualad off with a glare, "because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us."
Nightfall felt a slight pang when Robin only said four, despite her having been on their fateful Cadmus mission as well, but she also recognized that she didn't immediately join the team. That, and she knew he didn't mean any harm with his words.
"Or did you forget that? Like you forgot to tell us about the mole?" Kid Flash chimed in snidely.
Aqualad looked crestfallen and dejected at their words, but didn't stop them as they turned away once more. He looked slightly hopeful, however, when the speedster paused and looked back over his shoulder. Instead of making eye contact with the Atlantean, he called out to Nightlight, "Light, you coming?"
The girl in question looked hesitant. On one hand she wanted to follow Aqualad's orders, as he was still their leader, but the other part of her was also hurt and angry. With a shake of her head she lifted off the ground, mumbling something about how she'd keep an eye on them as she flew after the two proteges.
Together, the trio disappeared into the jungle, leaving their broken team behind.
The silence they left behind didn't linger long, however, as Superboy suddenly cried out, "Come on, I'll keep you safe." He latched onto Miss Martian's arm, the girl looking shocked and angry as she glared at her boyfriend.
The Martian tore her arm out of his grip, glaring harshly up at him. Nightfall watched them awkwardly from the sidelines as the two seemed to share a mental conversation.
"I-I just want to protect you…" Superboy stammered out hesitantly.
Artemis scowled, "Like Aqualad protected us?" The archer stormed up to the clone, pressing her bow to his chest and lightly pushing him away, "I'm not sure your protection or your patronizing is good for our health."
With one last glare, Artemis spun on her heel, Miss Martian in tow, as the two headed towards the jungle. Nightfall wrung her hands and chewed her lip, unsure of where to proceed from here. As if sensing her hesitation, the archer paused in her departure to glance over her shoulder, "Come on, Nightfall, the boys can protect each other."
The waterbender eyed Artemis, who was looking at her expectantly, before she spared a glance at Aqualad. They made eye contact, the Atlantean's seafoam eyes full of guilt. He was looking at her almost pleadingly as Nightfall took a step towards the only other females on the team, "Nightfall, plea-" He started, only for the girl to cut him off with a shake of her head.
"I-I'm sorry."
And with that, she spun on her heel and raced after Artemis and Miss Martian, the trio disappearing into the jungle and leaving their distrustful leader behind.
Nightfall lagged behind Artemis and Miss Martian, the latter who was leading the small group and using her telekinesis to move stray branches out of their way. The jungle was thick with brush and trees, which made it hard to traverse through at times. Artemis was seething as they trekked forward, mumbling incoherent things to herself. Occasionally her voice was loud enough for the waterbender to catch a word or two, and based on what she did hear, the archer didn't have anything pleasant to say right now.
Miss Martian moved a particularly large branch out of their way, revealing a wide river ahead. It glistened in the moonlight, and though Artemis and Miss Martian approached the river banks, Nightfall found herself suddenly frozen as she stared at the enchanting water.
She seized up as panic flooded her system, breathe coming in quick bursts. Whereas the sight of water was normally calming to the waterbender, after last night's catastrophe- where she almost drowned in her element- it had the opposite effect on her.
Nightfall wanted to run back into the jungle and get as far away from the water as possible.
Artemis noticed the small group was lacking their third member and turned around, hands on her hips as she called out, "Nightfall, you alright?"
"I-I'm fine." She stuttered, tearing her gaze from the water to stare back at the archer, "Where, uh, where to now?"
Artemis looked less than convinced but shrugged it off. She glanced at Miss Martian, offering up, "We can follow the river? At least the banks would be clearer?"
Nodding, Miss Martian opened her mouth. "That sounds-"
"B-but the jungle's stealthier?" Nightfall intervened. She twiddled her thumbs as she glanced nervously between her two teammates and the water. She had never felt this way about the water, and she hated it, but she hated the fact that she couldn't seem to get over it more.
Artemis stepped closer to the water and Nightfall had to force herself to not move her away from the river. The archer glanced downstream and then upstream before facing the other girl, "I don't think stealth matters here. We're just-"
The river suddenly erupted, a scream ripping from Nightfall's throat at the sudden commotion. An alligator came barreling from the water, large jaws snapping and teeth glistening in the moonlight. Its skin was rippling and cracked, its body twice the size of a normal alligator. Nightfall didn't have much of a chance to further study it as it suddenly launched itself at her.
Her body shifted backwards automatically to avoid the creature, and it just barely missed her as she dropped to the ground to avoid its enormous chompers. It snarled angrily and whipped around, snapping its powerful jaws at the waterbender as she scrambled backwards.
Nightfall spared a glance to her right, hoping to find one of her teammates ready to help her out, but Artemis was nowhere to be seen, and Miss Martian was scrambling to fight off another monstrous alligator. That left the girl to her own devices, and she wasn't super confident in her odds against the monstrous beast.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Panic bubbled up within the waterbender as the alligator loomed closer towards her. She shifted backwards, only to find her back suddenly pressed against the base of a tree. The alligator lunged for Nightfall once more and she frantically dove to the side. The jaws of the creature latched onto the tree she had once been pressed against.
The beast thrashed about as it tried to dislocate itself from the tree. The tree snapped and crackled as its base was shredded, bits and pieces of ripped off wood flying in various directions. Nightfall managed to jump to her feet just as the alligator finished shredding the tree apart. As it turned towards the girl, she whipped out her bō staff, hands shaking as she held it at the ready.
It launched itself at the waterbender once more, and Nightfall lashed out with her weapon. It caught in the alligator's mouth, holding its jaws apart, but her staff proved weak against the powerful- and oversized- jaws of the beast as it made quick work of her defense.
The staff snapped in two with a loud clang, and the brief thought of owing Robin a thousand apologies for destroying his generous gift flitted across her mind. However, she couldn't dwell on it too much as the alligator backed Nightfall up into a tree. She glanced around for her options and noted the glistening water, just waiting for her command. Doing her best to push her feelings of last nights events to the side, the waterbender extended her arm outwards, an attempt to call the water towards herself.
The water ignored her call.
With its prey petrified and pinned down, the alligator moved in for the kill once more. Nightfall snapped her eyes shut, the inside of the beast's mouth becoming seared into her memory forever.
There was a thud, and when death didn't find the girl, she hesitantly opened her eyes.
The alligator was suddenly gone.
"Nightfall!" Miss Martian called out, floating over to the petrified waterbender, "Are you okay?" She looked at her friend in genuine concern, and only when Nightfall went to answer did she realize just how short of breath she was.
"I-I'm f-fine." She managed to breath out, eyes scanning the area. The alligator that had attacked her- and another one- were in a tangled pile and buried beneath a few trees. Nightfall could only assume that had been the work of Miss Martian's telekinetic abilities.
The Martian didn't look convinced by her friend's answer, but a realization dawned on her so she commented on it instead, "Where's Artemis?"
Sure enough, the archer was no where in sight. It was enough to cause Nightfall to panic once more, and Miss Martian helped the girl to her feet as they looked around the area. The Martian suddenly bent over, clasping her head in pain, and Nightfall placed a questioning hand on her shoulder.
"Artemis!"
"M'gann?" She hesitantly asked, and her teammate glanced up at her with wide eyes.
"She's under the water!"
They exchanged wide-eyed looks before whipping around to race towards the water's edge. Combined with the darkness and the already murky waters of the jungle, Nightfall couldn't make out anything before her. Her heart hammered in her chest, her mind screaming at her to jump in, but her feet just wouldn't move.
Miss Martian looked towards the waterbender, fully expecting her to dive right in and use her powers to save their drowning teammate. However, what she wasn't expecting, was the hesitation and fear that radiated off Nightfall in waves as she eyed the cool liquid before them. Considering her powers were water, Miss Martian was confused by these feelings her comrade had, but she didn't have much time to further deliberate them as Artemis called out in her mind once more.
A sudden splash broke Nightfall from her momentary trance, and she looked over to see that Miss Martian was no longer standing beside her. She turned back towards the water just in time to see her figure disappear beneath the murky surface.
Time seemed to tick by slowly as Nightfall stared at the water, but within a matter of seconds, the water suddenly erupted. The alligator that had attacked Artemis was launched into the air before it landed roughly in the jungle and slinked away. Miss Martian hovered in the air above where the water erupted, four arms outstretched, as she commanded the water to go around herself and Artemis. The archer was hunched over on the riverbed, hacking away and Nightfall called out to her.
"A-Artemis! Are you okay?"
The blonde looked up, annoyance at the situation flashing in her eyes, "I'll be fine, but nearly drowning two nights in a row is way less fun than it sounds." Nightfall wasn't sure whether to laugh at the archer's comment or not, so she settled for an awkward smile, "Now get me out of this river before another stupid alligator attacks us!"
Miss Martian complied with a silent nod, and as Nightfall watched her fly the two back towards land, she couldn't help the guilty feeling that washed over her.
Even when the life of her teammate was in danger, she couldn't get over her fear or trauma or whatever it was that was currently affecting her to help.
The waterbender darted towards the two of them as soon as they landed on the shore, apologies tumbling out of her mouth as she nearly crushed the blonde in a hug.
"Woah, woah, woah, Nightfall, slow down." Artemis attempted to calm the babbling girl, as well as pry herself out of Nightfall's grip. She hadn't realized how strong the younger girl actually was, "Why are you apologizing?"
"Because- because-" The girl looked down at her hands, twisting them awkwardly before heaving a heavy sigh to meet Artemis's confused gaze, "I-I couldn't use my powers to save you because they've been off since last night and if M'gann hadn't been here to save you and- and-"
Artemis looked befuddled for a moment before placing a hand on Nightfall's shoulder, effectively shutting her up, "Don't sweat it, Kayanna. Last night was…" The archer pursed her lips, glancing away for a second before looking back at the girl before her, "it was traumatizing for all of us, yeah…"
"But-"
"It's fine, Kayanna, really."
Artemis's voice was firm, but she didn't intend to be harsh. Talking about feelings just wasn't her forte, and she may have been slightly reeling still from almost drowning again. Nightfall- thankfully- took the hint and dropped the topic.
Miss Martian walked back up to the duo, the archer's quiver in her hands. She passed it to Artemis, who sat down on a nearby log- that was away from the river- and began to empty it of water. Unfortunately, it appeared as if she had lost most of her arrows.
With Artemis distracted for a moment, the Martian placed a hand on Nightfall's shoulder, and in a hushed voice spoke, "We're all hurting from last night, Kayanna." She nodded her head towards Artemis, who wore a sullen frown as she harshly shook her upside-down quiver up and down, "Despite her outwards appearance, Artemis is as well, but we're all here for each other, and that's what matters."
Nightfall's shoulders sagged as she exhaled deeply, "Thanks, M'gann. I just-" She looked down at her hands, "don't understand why I feel this way towards my powers. They're supposed to help me…"
"And we can figure that out together to," She comforted, "but for now, we should get back to the mission. The others may have been attacked as well."
Nightfall nodded and Artemis stood up from her log, slinging her quiver back into place before approaching the two. She eyed them suspiciously, "Did I miss something?"
"We were just-"
"Talking about how the alligators that attacked us were wearing inhibitor collars like those used at Belle Reve Penitentiary." Miss Martian cut the waterbender off.
Nightfall noticed Artemis momentarily stiffen at the mention of the inescapable prison, but it was such a quick motion, that she wasn't sure if she had actually seen the movement or not. As quick as she had stiffened, Artemis had already relaxed and donned a slightly defensive posture, "That doesn't seem right. What are those things doing in the middle of the Indian jungle?"
"I don't know, but I should contact Aqualad and inform him of this development."
Artemis scoffed, "Please, we can do this mission without him."
"He's still our leader…" Nightfall shyly added, rubbing her arm, and Artemis grumbled incoherently at the reminder. Miss Martian shook her head before stepping away, eyes glowing momentarily as she established a link with Aqualad.
Nightfall absentmindedly kicked at a rock, watching as it skipped away. Artemis had sat back down on a nearby log, and judging by her pose and expression, she was in no mood for a conversation, which left the waterbender to her own devices as Miss Martian filled their leader in on what had occurred.
This mission was going swimmingly.
With some time to herself, Nightfall glanced down at her water pouch. She chewed her lower lip and raised a hesitant hand. She took great care in slowly popping open the lid, even though she knew the force of her water would easily do it for her. The waterbender sucked in a deep breath, blue eyes slipping shut as she tried to calm her mind to focus.
With a flick of her wrist, she attempted to remove the water from the pouch. Her eyes slowly opened, unsure of what to expect but hoping her powers were cooperating with her.
Eyes now fully opened, an excited smile stretched across her lips. Before her outstretched hand was the water from her pouch. It hovered in the air messily, shape wavy and uneven, and unlike the normal smooth bubbles she could hold the water in.
It was a small sign her control wasn't at full compacity, but it was a decent start.
'Link established.'
The sudden voice in her mind caused Nightfall to jump, and her limited control over the water wavered before ultimately collapsing. The water fell to the jungle floor with a small splash. She frowned.
'Should you really still be giving us orders?' Artemis hissed, standing up from her log and crossing her arms in a defiant manner. She flashed an annoyed glare towards Miss Martian, 'And should you really be following them?'
'Listen, please-' Aqualad tried.
'Oh goodie!' Kid Flash sarcastically chimed in, 'Aqualad's voice in my head. I've so missed that.'
'I certainly haven't missed yours in my head.' Nightfall shot back with an eye roll. She hadn't actually meant to say that in the mind link, but her mind wasn't exactly her own right now.
'Nighty! Who's side are you on-'
'Hey Kaldur!' Robin chimed in, voice irritated and cold, 'KF, Light and I were attacked by giant vultures. 'Course since we're the moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves.'
'Don't drag me into this.' Nightlight snapped. There was a muffled ow in the mind link, and Nightfall assumed Robin had been smacked.
'If he did, he wouldn't tell you!'
'Superboy, are you online or just pouting?'
A few seconds of silence passed before there was a grunt, 'Busy, call back later.'
Nightfall ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head as the others continued to bicker in her mind. She was irked at Kaldur for sure, but this was just giving her a headache.
"Hey, M'gann," She asked allowed, catching the Martian off guard.
Miss Martian glanced at her, "Yes?"
"Can I hang up on a mind link?"
"No."
Nightfall frowned, "Bummer."
'What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us!' Kid Flash continued to complain, adding more fuel to the fire.
Robin was quick to continue with the 'wail on Aqualad party', 'He should be chalant! Way chalant! Extremely chalant!'
'You can say chalant as many times as you want, but that does not make it a word!' Nightlight snapped.
From beside Nightfall, Artemis gestured madly, brows furrowed harshly, 'How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?'
'Or if Conner doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves?'
'Did he really think any of us could've been the mole?' Nightfall assumed Kid Flash had directed that rhetorical question at Robin and Nightlight.
'We've known each other for years!'
'Then we should trust Kaldur hid this from us for a reason!' Nightlight chimed in once more, trying to be the voice of reason.
'Well trust is a two-way street,' Miss Martian shot back, 'and you know that they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them!'
'Not that we'd do that. Ever.' Artemis was quick to respond. Nightfall glanced at the girl with a quirked brow, but she was looking in the opposite direction.
The bickering only grew stronger and louder. Nightfall paced back and forth, watching as Artemis and Miss Martian made wild hand gestures as the arguments in their minds carried on.
'Enough!' Aqualad's voice tore through the mind link. The bickering instantly ceased, and Nightfall shared a surprised look with her two teammates, 'Captain Marvel has been captured and we must act as a team to save him.'
'Under your leadership? I don't think-' Kid Flash scoffed.
With a firm and steady voice, Aqualad prevented anymore bickering from breaking out, 'This is not up for debate. You all chose me to lead. When this mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. But until that time, I am in command here. Captain Marvel is in danger, and under my leadership, we will rescue him. Meet me at the rendezvous point ASAP. Is that clear?'
The- slightly shocked- voices of the team chorused various 'clears' together in acknowledgement.
'Good.'
Once the team had reconvened, they immediately set off on the trail of Captain Marvel. Whoever had taken the Leaguer had left behind footprints, and incredibly large footprints at that. Robin had surmised they belonged to the accurately dubbed Guerilla Gorilla, but what the oversized primate who had once attacked Mayor Hill wanted with Captain Marvel was besides the team.
With help from the boy wonder's holo-computer, they were able to track the footprints back to a small building nestled within a small clearing. Nightfall found herself tucked behind a bush, Robin and Kid Flash beside her, as the team surveyed the building from afar.
They didn't see any guards- animal or human- patrolling the perimeter, and the area was relatively silent, save for the natural noises of the vast jungle that surrounded them. The building itself was rather dingy, overgrown with vines and other plants. Surrounding the building were what appeared to be pylons, but what purpose they served was beyond Nightfall.
'Nightlight and I will fly over, survey the area.' Miss Martian announced. She was in camouflage mode in a tree just behind Nightfall, with an invisible Nightlight beside her.
Robin was typing away on his holo-computer, which was currently scanning the building before them as Kid Flash slipped his goggles onto his face, 'Negatory,' The speedster replied, 'The building is surrounded by a forcefield.'
'Pylons are insulated,' Robin tacked on, 'but one good shock could cause a momentary gap.'
Artemis's eyes narrowed, bow drawn back as she aimed an arrow at the building, 'I see a target.'
'Then be ready to hit it. Be ready, all of you.' Aqualad's voice was firm as he slipped out of their cover. He darted through the tallgrass and approached the hidden forcefield cautiously. His tattoos began to grow brightly, and once near a pylon, he reached forward. Static and electricity crackled at his fingertips as he gripped at the protective barrier. For a few seconds nothing seemed to be happening, but then a small hole began to form in the shield.
'Now!' Kid Flash called out, and Artemis released her arrow. It shot through the air, sailing smoothly and slipping effortlessly through the gap Aqualad had created. It hit its target, landing on a small button and disengaging the forcefield. The Atlantean grunted as he honed his powers in, the shield fading, and he waved the rest of the team forward.
Kid Flash zipped ahead, and Nightfall saw the faint outline of Miss Martian behind him. She pushed through the brush alongside Robin as the team made their way towards Aqualad, but the boy wonder suddenly grabbed onto her arm. The waterbender glanced at him curiously before following his gaze, as he was looking upwards in concern.
A monkey- that had not been there before- was sat on top of the building, staring blankly at the gathered teens. Before Robin or Nightfall could utter a single warning, the monkey opened his mouth and began to scream at the top of its lungs.
The noise was unnerving, and suddenly sirens started wailing and flashing as more and more monkeys poured in from the top of the building and the jungle. Nightfall tensed up, the rest of the team finding themselves in fighting stances as well as the monkeys charged towards them.
In a strange turn of events, the team found themselves in a battle against an army of monkeys. Nightfall kicked away a monkey that charged at her, ducking down as another one launched itself her way. The monkey sailed over her head before landing on the ground behind her, and the girl whirled around. It snarled at her, large teeth glistening in the moonlight.
"Remove their collars!" Aqualad suddenly shouted out over the sound of battle.
Nightfall grunted as the monkey slammed into her chest, her arms coming up to grasp it. She fought against it as it tried to bite and claw at it, the girl reeling backwards to avoid its claws and teeth, "I see why Superboy hates you guys." She grumbled under her breath.
Suddenly a pink disk came sailing the waterbender's way. The energy orb collided with the collar wrapped around the monkey's neck, shorting it out before it slipped off the creature.
Nightfall and the monkey shared perturbed looks, each blinking wildly before the monkey suddenly screamed. Nightfall made a similar noise and dropped the screeching beast onto the ground, where it then scampered off into the jungle.
Mild heart attack aside, the waterbender didn't get much of a chance to recuperate before another team of screaming monkeys locked onto her position. They raced at her, feet thudding softly against the ground, screeches growing louder as they came closer. With a flick of her wrist, Nightfall whipped out the remaining water from her water pouch.
She snapped her arm forward, the water doing her bidding and Nightfall felt giddy at the fact her powers seemed to be cooperating with her once more. The monkeys blinked and slowed to a halt as they suddenly found themselves being splashed harmlessly in the face, and Nightfall frowned.
Instead of a solid stream of water knocking the primates back like she had hoped, all she did was give them a mild bath.
With quick shakes of their heads, the monkeys picked up their screaming once more before continuing their charge. Nightfall shrieked and tossed her hands up to block her face. She let out an oof as she landed harshly on her back, the monkey that lead the charge tackling her to the ground. It clawed and snapped at her face, and the waterbender used her arms to block the attacks.
During a particularly harsh bite, the monkey's teeth latched onto one of the girl's arm bracers. It bit down, puncturing the bracer and creating a hole in one of her hidden water pouches. Nightfall spluttered as the water from the hidden pouch rained down on her, and after a few moments of randomly thrashing, she finally got her feet underneath the monkey.
Thrusting her feet outwards, she kicked the monkey off her, swatting another one away that aimed to take its place. She hurried to climb to her feet and scampered away.
The howling behind her suddenly stopped, and Nightfall slowed her pace before glancing cautiously over her shoulder. She had turned just in time to watch the trio of monkeys that were chasing her scamper off, their collars freshly removed. Robin frowned at the girl, a few birdarangs in his hands as precaution, before he jogged to her side, quickly noting her lack of weapons- and water.
"Where's your staff?"
"An, uh, alligator ate it?"
"An alligator?"
"Yeah, so uh, could I get a new one?" Nightfall asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.
Robin chuckled, pausing to launch his prepared birdarangs at some monkeys that were encroaching on Nightlight, before he reached into his utility belt. When he pulled his hand back out, he had another staff that he passed to the girl. She took it gratefully, offering him a quick thank you as Robin explained that it was actually his escrima sticks latched together, so he definitely wanted it back.
'We need to get inside the building.' Aqualad's voice echoed in their heads.
Nightfall separated from Robin, whacking away a monkey that tried to bite her once more.
I hope none of these guys have rabies.
The monkey flopped onto the ground, and before it could get up, Kid Flash zipped by and snapped its collar off. He winked at the waterbender, a light blush dusting her cheeks from the action, before a chilling roar caught their attention.
The door to the building were now open, but an oversized ape- Guerilla Gorilla- stood within the opening. His massive body blocked most of the opening, and he carried an oversized gun, one that he was oh so happily pointing at the team.
Kid Flash and Nightfall shared perplexed and concerned looks, which quickly morphed to fear as he opened fire on the two. The speedster was quick to scoop Nightfall up into his arms, zipping away and weaving around the gunfire. As bullets littered the battleground, the team was forced to momentarily retreat to avoid being hit.
'I think I can slip by him.' Miss Martian informed, and when Nightfall went to look for the girl, she was already hidden in camouflage mode. Aqualad frowned but gave the Martian the go ahead.
She flew forward and toward the opening, but Nightfall lost sight of her teammate when she was forced to duck behind the tree once more. Kid Flash had wrapped his arms around the girl for more protection as shards of bark reigned down upon them.
A sudden flash of pink illuminated the area, and Nightfall peaked out from her cover to see Nightlight floating in front of the team, arms outstretched. Her eyes glowed slightly brighter as she focused on the shield she had created to protect the team from Guerilla Gorilla's gunfire.
'I'm i- ah!' Miss Martian suddenly cried out, and Nighfall watched in horror as the oversized beast grabbed the girl, despite her being in camouflage mode. He slammed her onto the ground, ceasing his open fire on the team, and Miss Martian cried out in pain. She reappeared in view, Gorilla Guerilla pinning her down on the ground.
The oversized gun whirred as it powered up, the primate taking aim at the slightly disoriented Miss Martian. Nightlight dropped her shield just as Aqualad shouted, "Kid, go!"
Without a moment to lose, the speedster took off across the battlefield, racing to the Martian's aid, "Get your hands off her, you damn, dirty, ape!"
Guerilla Gorilla stood tall and snarled at the incoming speedster. He puffed his chest, and Kid Flash rammed straight into it, which then sent him flying away. Nightfall flinched as he bounced harshly on the rough jungle floor.
Though Kid Flash's rescue didn't go as intended, it proved to be useful distraction. Just as the primate turned to deal with Miss Martian once more, she used her telekinesis to launch him into the building. This created a large sized hole, and the team was quick to run into it.
Nightfall clenched her new- and temporary- staff as the dust began to settle and the team readied themselves for further battle. Captain Marvel made a happy noise as his eyes settled on the gathered heroes, but he looked a bit worse for way. Numerous thick, metal straps were laid across his body, holding him in place, and there was an inhibitor collar strapped across his neck. She assumed this was preventing him from escaping.
"It's the Brain!" Kid Flash cried out; voice clearly surprised.
Artemis scoffed, "Ugh, I see it's a brain!"
"Not a brain, the Brain!" The speedster snapped back. Nightfall had loosely heard of the supervillain from her father, but she didn't know much about him.
"In the flesh," The Brain rolled forward and more into the light, and Nightfall did her best to mask the disgusted look that appeared on his face, "Er, so to speak." The Brain was literally just that- a squishy, pink brain attached to an oversized vacuum for a body. Oh, and it had a French accent?
Villains these days were just so weird.
"Mallah."
The gorilla pulled out a remote, and a set of pylons suddenly shot up from the floor. Nightfall eyed them suspiciously before they suddenly hummed to life, glowing a dull blue and the girl suddenly lost all feeling in her body. She collapsed to the floor, alongside the rest of the team, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't even move her pinky toe.
Nightfall could feel panic starting to well up within her at her inability to move.
'Miss Martian, Superboy, now!' Aqualad commanded over the still active mind link. Miss Martian's eyes glowed a soft green, and suddenly the remote was ripped out of Guerilla Gorilla's grip. It sped through the air, coming to a stop just above the Martian's face. With a simple thought, the button was pressed and the pylons were turned off.
Relief flooded through Nightfall's body as she climbed to her feet, fully able to move once more. She picked up her discarded staff, slipping into a defensive stance. The gorilla growled as he prepared to face down the team once more, until the wall behind him suddenly erupted.
Debris reigned down on the Brain and Mallah, and when the dust settled, Superboy was revealed to be the cause of the demolition. His shirt was torn, bite marks and scratches littering his body, but that wasn't the most surprising part.
No, Nightfall was most surprised by the oversized white wolf that stood protectively at his side. It growled lowly before charging forward and jumping onto the gorilla's back, pushing him into the ground as the primate tried to stand.
Kid Flash attacked next, racing towards the gorilla and this time, instead of ramming the beast with his whole body, the speedster slammed his feet into Mallah's chest. The gorilla went skidding back a few feet, immediately blind firing at the spot Kid Flash once stood. Nightlight flew in next, a barrage of energy disks colliding with the beast.
Guerilla Gorilla's gunfire ceased as he swatted blindly at the bright disks, and this distraction allowed Robin to swoop in. The boy wonder kicked the gorilla in the face, and just as he made a move to grab Robin, Miss Martian caught Mallah with her telekinesis. She tossed him into the ceiling before she slammed him into the ground.
The gorilla stumbled to his feet, and Nightfall whacked him as hard as she could with her staff. She ducked under his arm when he made a wild swipe for her, and dove away just as Superboy leapt at the oversized primate.
Mallah opened fire once more, this time hitting Superboy square in the chest with a barrage of bullets. Luckily the clone was part Kryptonian, which made him bullet proof, and he was only knocked back a few feet.
Artemis let loose an arrow, and it exploded upon hitting the gorilla's back. Robin skidded to her side, pulling out his own explosives and together the two continued to barrage Guerilla Gorilla with explosives. The attack proved successful, and the primate's weapon was destroyed.
With Mallah unarmed, the team formed up and circled the gorilla and the Brain, who had been facing off against Aqualad. Upon realizing they had suddenly become unmatched, the Brain reconvened with his primate partner, which gave Aqualad the chance to free Captain Marvel.
The gorilla shifted uncomfortably and angrily, letting out a fearsome roar as he stared down the team. Superboy scowled and cracked his knuckles, "Try it. I. Hate. Monkeys." The wolf growled menacingly at his side.
Mallah growled in retaliation and prepared to charge, but the Brain stopped him from attacking, "No, Mallah, this will not be our Waterloo." The villains voice was menacing, and suddenly he began to undergo a strange transformation. The machinery around its protective casing shifted and morphed, new arms and appendages appearing as an ominous whirring sound filled the small area, "Au revoir, mes amis."
Kid Flash's eyes widened as the rest of the team went on alert, each drawing the same conclusion that this was some strange- and dangerous- new weapon, "Quick, get down!" The speedster warned.
Nightfall tossed her arms up, aiming to protect her face, as Nightlight created another shield. She was only able to surround Nightfall, Kid Flash, Robin, Artemis, and Miss Martian with the barrier, as Superboy and Aqualad were on the opposite side, but those two were the most durable of the bunch.
They were fully prepared for an explosion of any magnitude, but instead they were greeted by sudden darkness as the lights in the lab vanished. A few seconds passed, and a single light flickered back on ominously. Nightfall hesitantly peaked out from behind her arms, and Nightlight cautiously dropped her shield.
"Wait…" Kid Flash looked confused, and Artemis and Nightfall shared a befuddled look as the rest of the team looked around, "that big weapon thingy was a… light switch?"
Aqualad's voice was solemn when he spoke next, "No, it was just a distraction for their escape."
And sure enough, Aqualad was correct, as both the Brain and Mallah were nowhere to be found.
With help from Robin's holo-computer, the team had managed to track down the rest of the collared animals in the jungle. It took them almost the rest of the night to free the animals from the Brain's control, and Nightfall felt as if her body would crumble any second now from fatigue.
And she could tell most of the team felt the same way.
Despite the fatigue that lingered within the team, their spirits were pretty high right now. The tension that had haunted the mission had seemingly dissipated, almost as if the lot had forgotten about the fight before their trip to India. Aqualad eyed each of his teammates as they trekked through the jungle, watching as they conversed amongst themselves.
Kid Flash was smirking to himself, and Artemis eyed him curiously, "What are you grinning about?"
The speedster pulled out a piece of red fabric- Mallah's discarded red beret- and tossed it onto his head with a large grin, "One word: souvenir."
"Two words:" Artemis picked up her pace and mimicked his tone, "Gorilla lice."
It took a moment for her words to register, and when they did, Kid Flash ripped the beret off his head with panic. Wide, green eyes stared at the beret as he held it as far from himself as possible, "Oh man!"
Nightfall chuckled and smiled up at the redhead, "I'm sure a few trips through the wash and it'll be gorilla lice free."
"Always looking on the bright side of things, babe!" Kid Flash beamed before tossing a casual arm over the shorter girl's shoulder.
The waterbender let his arm stay where it was, and she even went as far as to lean her head on his shoulder. It was a comforting motion more than it was a romantic one, and together the two entered the clearing where the bioship had been parked.
Aqualad had positioned himself beside the bioship, where he snapped the last collar off the only remaining trapped animal. Captain Marvel turned to the large tiger that stood beside him, a grin on his face as he spoke to his new animal friend, "That's the last of the collars?" The tiger roared in response, and Nightfall assumed it meant 'yes', "And I can count on you to keep the other animals out of trouble?" The tiger growled, "Good." The Leaguer stroked the tiger's head affectionately, and the animal purred in response, "I'll be back for a visit, I promise."
The tiger rubbed its head against the Leaguer one last time, Captain Marvel scratching under its chin. They separated, the giant tiger racing off into the jungle. Instead of looking sad as his new friend departed, Captain Marvel sported a soft smile, "I think I'll call him Mister Tawny." He said to no one in particular.
Nightlight quirked a brow, "I didn't know you could talk to animals?"
He turned towards the girl with a large grin, "Neither did I! Cool, right?"
"The rest of the pack is gone, what are you still doing here?" Superboy was petting the large wolf that had followed him the whole night. His tail was wagging madly, almost like an oversized puppy, as he soaked up the attention from the clone.
"I think he wants to stay with you." Miss Martian smiled at her boyfriend.
He looked up at her, blue eyes wide with hope, "Can I keep him?"
Nightfall and Kid Flash approached the duo, the speedster dropping his arm to place his hands on his hips, "Ha." He snorted, "First the sphere, and now this beast? Dude, you sure make a habit of collecting strays."
"Maybe that's because he's such a stray himself." Miss Martian affirmed before kneeling down. She reached out, placing a hand on the clone's shoulder. The two stared at each other, miniscule movements giving hints that the two were having a telepathic conversation.
Well Superboy was distracted by his girlfriend, Nightfall swooped in to shower the wolf with love and affection. She cooed as she scratched behind his ears, squealing as he licked her face, leaving it soaked with saliva. The wolf's fur was incredibly soft, and the waterbender was smitten with him immediately.
Nightfall murmured sweet nothings into his ears, trying to persuade the furry beast to ditch Superboy and come home with her instead. Kid Flash eyed the girl with amusement, "Nighty, what are you doing?"
"Do you think my dad would let me keep him?"
"You live in Gotham, right?" She nodded, "Then no." Nightfall frowned, and the speedster chuckled, "Besides, it looks like he's pretty attached to Supey here."
Sure enough, when the waterbender had paused in her affection, the wolf had returned to the Kryptonian's side. He rubbed his head against Superboy's back, drawing the clone's attention from Miss Martian and bringing their telepathic conversation to an end.
Superboy smiled, and immediately pulled the large beasts head into his hands, "Hey, boy."
"Whelp, he's gonna need a name." Kid Flash informed, and Nightfall pursed her lips in thought, "How about Krypto?" He suggested.
"Pass." Superboy was quick to deny, the wolf growling in agreeance.
"Besides, isn't that taken?" Miss Martian questioned. She made eye contact with Nightfall, who shrugged.
Their conversation was cut short, however, as someone cleared their throat. The four turned their attention towards the bioship, where Aqualad stood on the ramp, an unusually quiet Robin beside him.
"Look," The boy wonder started, voice hesitant, "I need to know… why did you keep the mole intel a secret?"
All eyes were on Aqualad now, and his jaw clenched, "The source of the tip was Sporstmaster.
Artemis was the first to react, eyes going wide as she practically shouted, "What?! You can't trust him!" Nightfall was a bit taken aback by the archer's outburst but kept silent as their leader continued his explanation.
"I do not." The Atlantean asserted, "It seemed possible, even likely, that he was attempting to divide the team with false information."
Robin's lips pursed as he digested this information, and he ran a hand through his messy locks, "And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded," He admitted with a heavy breath, "but you had to consider it might be true."
"Yes, as leader, I did. In which case, I did not wish to alert the traitor."
There was a brief pause, the team soaking in Aqualad's explanation. Nightfall felt a wave of guilt wash over her at her reaction to the initial mole news, and from the solemn expressions on each of her teammates faces, she could tell the feeling was mutual.
They never gave their leader a chance.
"Hate to say it, but… makes sense." Robin finally announced, a smile on his face.
"I am still prepared to step down."
Kid Flash shared a look with Nightlight, the pink eyed girl nodding before the speedster called out, "All in favor of keeping Aqualad as team leader?"
Everyone's hands shot into the air, and the Atlantean released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
Captain Marvel beamed as he watched Aqualad stand taller. He walked over to the boy, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Guess it's unanimous." The two shook hands, and the Leaguer's smile grew even more, "See you tomorrow!"
Aqualad looked confused, "You are not coming back with us?"
"Nah, gotta fly!" Captain Marvel bid the team a vague farewell and took off into the sky before disappearing into the horizon.
Following Captain Marvel's lead, the team made their way towards the bioship, fully ready to leave India and go home.
Nightfall was fully prepared to sleep for at least a week.
"So, what are you going to call him?" Miss Martian asked as she boarded the bioship alongside Superboy.
The clone's brow furrowed, "What's wrong with Wolf?"
"It's a bit generic, don't you think?" Kid Flash shot back. Superboy frowned at him, and Nightlight elbowed his side. The speedster scowled at her as she spoke.
"It's simple. I like it."
At Nightlight's admission, Kid Flash relented, "I guess it's acceptable."
Robin cackled as Nightfall slipped into her seat in front of the boy wonder, "Dude, like you had any say in the matter."
"My opinion matters." The speedster admonished.
This caused Artemis to snort, "Keep telling yourself that, Kid Idiot."
He immediately turned on the archer, letting loose his own quip and Nightfall pinched the bridge of her nose as the two dissolved into yet another argument, with Nightlight immediately trying to break it up.
Aqualad couldn't help the small smile that settled on his face as he stepped aboard the bioship. Though this mission had proved to be almost catastrophic, the atmosphere on the bioship felt familiar and comforting, the exact opposite of the angry and tense one that companioned them on their way to India.
Things were seemingly back to normal.
A/N: Hey guys! So sorry for the long delay between chapter updates. I got married a month ago, so up until my wedding, my attention was focused on preparing for it and getting everything in order! I've had most of this chapter done for a while, but it's not my favorite episode so it took a bit for me to get through it.
Don't forget to drop a review! Tell me what you think and leave any questions you may have for Nightfall and Nightlight!
Thanks for all your patience, your support means a lot!
-SnowWolf22
