The Archangel Chapter 11: Targets, a young justice fanfic

Chapter 11: Targets

After finding Hawkgirl, we went to Batman for a separate debriefing. I explained to him that once again Oz was involved and how I suspected him potentially planting a program in my mind. Mr. J'onn came to the cave and he assured me that my mind was clear of any subliminal programming. Batman was given the crushed bullet to analyze, and we left the rest up to good fortune that my expedited healing works on my mental state as well.

Once I said goodbye to everyone, save from Wally and Kaldur, the two of us went back to the apartment. Most everything in our apartment was in boxes, except for the food and a few other essential items. My new father sat on the couch until he heard us walk into the room, which made him spring up and pick me up in a hug. A large smile danced on my lips as I returned the hug. He looked me in my eyes then placed a loving kiss on my head.

"I'm glad you're ok. When Batman told us you all hadn't come back, we got a little worried. I had to hold Shayera back from flying out there and getting you all back herself." Ms. Shayera looked at Mr. John with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"I think he means Diana had to stop BOTH of us from going out there and finding you guys." I let out a small laugh before we all grabbed some take out Chinese food and talked about the mission. I told them all about it excluding the part where Kaldur kept calling me angel of course. They both told me they are proud that I choose to help Kaldur without any memories of the past, knowing that I still choose to do the right thing despite what I was made to be. I feel like it was not necessarily a matter of choice, however a turn of events that happened solely due to my memories returning, but we agreed to disagree.

"Do you think you'll need a few more days off from school? I know that you're durable but we don't want you stressing out about fitting in on top of recovering." Mr. John asked, I had almost completely forgotten that I was starting school soon. R. C. Morgan High School located roughly 20 minutes on foot from our new house and 20 minutes from the closest Zeta Tube. They are supposedly one of the best private schools in Michigan in terms of academic and physical turn out. Even their musical programs are really good. I could not wait to go there!

"No! A day is more than enough time for me to recover!"

"But you're still getting used to being on the team, not to mention the move. Maybe you should hold off another year?" Ms. Shayera countered.

"I am getting on fine with the team and we are almost done packing for our moving in. The only thing I need to worry about are my fellow classmates and I am sure they will be no problem to me. All I have to do is be kind and be a normal human, then hopefully the rest will come naturally." The two looked at each other with a small look of worry on their face.

"Maybe we should have enrolled her at Happy Harbor High school instead. At least then she would be with Superboy and Miss. Martian." Mr. John said, looking at Ms. Shayera.

"Superboy and Miss. Martian aren't humans either, I don't think that would make it any better. Plus she would have to get up even earlier for school."

"Mother, Father I will be fine. Will it make you both feel any better if I were to join a school activity? That would make it easier to make friends and I have no problems with my academic studies so it will not hinder me further." I reasoned they both looked at each other and gave me a small nod.

"As long as you aren't bringing any boys home." Mr.John said. Ms. Shayera laughed and I gave him a confused look, not completely understanding the reference. It was to my understanding that he was ok with Kaldur, or Roy coming here? Perhaps I misunderstood.

"I'm sure Aqualad wouldn't like that very much either." I raised a brow at the two of them in confusion. Why does it matter if I bring a boy home or not? Does that mean Superboy or Roy are not allowed in either? Why would Kaldur not like that?

"I am unsure why that is a problem, but I will inform my male friends that they are not allowed over if you are both uncomfortable with them." I said bringing our trash to the garbage. The two of them shared a look and a small chuckle and I could not help but smile at the two. Perhaps I should take tomorrow to learn more pop culture and high school.

The next day I spent packing my things, preparing them for our move into our new home. Ms. Shayera and Mr. John were... fretful of me moving around too much to say the least, but after a good night's rest I was nearly completely healed from all injuries. Typically, bullet wounds to the arm would only take a few hours to heal for me, but I suppose I should be grateful it took 12 hours and not 12 days.

I spent a little time watching cheesy 'coming-of-age' movies, both current and older. I focused on the way they spoke and their mannerisms, practicing it to myself as to not look completely out of the ordinary if possible. Perhaps I will tell anyone who asks that I am from a foreign country. That could explain my colloquialisms… Poop, no one my age says colloquialisms. Either way, my general understanding of teenage speech is not the only issue I may have. I realize that I have no clue how to actually make friends. All the friendships I do have have been forged through life threatening situations and vigilantism and half of them were a bit of a rough start. Maybe if I just be as kind as possible, I will make at least one friend.

ARCHANGEL B009

It is the morning before school and after a long, exasperating send off from my mother and father, I managed to find my way to the cave to pick up a few books and to wish Superboy and M'gann a great first day. I was in my normal form and could not wait to show M'gann my first day of school outfit. We had talked about it a few days prior, and knew that the first day of school required the quote "perfect outfit". Something that shows who you are, and that looks great on you. I had decided on a pair of dark blue ripped skinny jeans, with a bright light blue crop top that has a sweetheart neckline and black stitching. My black and light blue plaid shirt was tied around my waist hiding my wide hips a little better, the colors of which matched with my sneakers. To top it all off I put my hair in a high ponytail, keeping my natural side bang, and had a bright white fabric headband to bring more color diversity into my outfit. It is a small change to how I normally dress, but I think I look like normal human teenagers would on their first day of school when they want to impress others.

As soon as I entered the cave I noticed Mr. J'onn, Superboy, M'gann, and Kaldur standing in the hall. M'gann Looked over first giving me an excited squeal as she rushed over to hug me. I noticed she had switched to her human form, a Caucasian teen with her usual red hair that went past her shoulders held back by her red plastic headband. M'ganns outfit was extremely cute. She wore a red short sleeved sweater jacket, with a white shirt, and a red skirt that went to her knees. She looks absolutely amazing!

"M'gann you look amazing!" I said giving her one last look as she spun around.

"Not as good as you! I almost didn't recognize you Rose! Doesn't she look great?" She said, causing me to blush at the attention. Kaldur and I locked eyes and I could see the shock on his face, and a small hint of a blush form. I gave him a small wave and my kindest smile as I heard M'gann giggle a little at the interaction, making my blush deepen. Superboy came over and gave me a small hug and one of his subtle smiles.

"You look good, Rose." I wrapped my arms around him and smiled back giving Superboy a quick thank you. Mr. J'onn came over and I gave him a quick hug as well.

"Shayera and John Stewart tell me that you are starting school this year as well?" Mr. J'onn asked, looking down at me.

"Yes! Although, they were very hesitant and, um, fretful to let me go. I will admit I am a bit nervous to go. My furthest interaction with people my age has only been with the team really. I hope I am able to make friends with everyone." I said playing with my hair nervously. Kaldur came over to me and gave me a hug. I could feel my face heat up, which I am starting to think is a normal interaction with him now.

"Do not worry, you're kind, and friendly. I am certain that you will fit in well...Perhaps, however, you should consider a hoodie to hide your wings?" I looked up to Kaldur a little confused by his statement. Did he not think I would transform into my human form? Suddenly utter stupidity filled my head as I remembered I had not gotten a chance to really talk to Kaldur since my formal adoption. He is ignorant of my new human form, and my adoption. I let out a small chuckle letting go of my best friend.

"I suppose I forgot to tell you, I have a necklace that turns me into a human now. Namuh." The warmth of the necklace's power washed over me as I transformed into my human form. My now dark hair fell onto my shoulder from doing my own spin to show off my human form.

"Meet Rose Stewart Hall the human! I even studied normal teen behavior and speech so I can blend in better. Totally rad right!" I said excitedly Superboy chuckled a little patting my head affectionately.

"I don't think I've ever heard Wally, Robin, or Artemis ever say 'totally rad', but I guess you do sound more...natural." M'gann said, giving me a smile.

"Yeah! I'll try to keep that in mind! Thank you!" I said with a wink. Kaldurs mouth was slightly parted as he stared at me in shock.

"Well Conner Kent, we better get to school! Have a nice day Rose! Thanks for coming, Kaldur and Uncle J'onn!" M'gann said pulling….uh I guess Superboys name is Conner Kent now, Through the Zeta Tube. Mr. J'onn, Kaldur, and I waved and said our goodbyes. Mr. J'onn sighed happily walking away leaving Kaldur and I by ourselves. I shifted uncomfortably, playing with my ponytail nervously. Kaldur still has not commented on my current form. Perhaps I do not look well, or sound ok? I could see his face getting a little red. Perhaps he feels sick? This is not like Kaldur so it would make sense that he is feeling ill. In fact, it was only a few days prior that he was close to death due to severe dehydration. I placed my hand on his head, feeling for a temperature. He has none.

"You do not- you don't have a temperature. Are you feeling well? Your face is a bit red, and you have been a bit quiet." I asked him concerned, dropping my hand, bringing Kaldur's attention back to the current situation. Kaldur gave me a small smile, his cheeks still looking a little red and grabbed my hand subtly for reassurance.

"Apologies, I must have zoned out for a moment. You look… well. I am sure you will have no problem fitting in, but you must know that you do not have to change how you speak to do so. You will undoubtedly make friends regardless." Happiness filled my very core at his statement. I placed my other hand on top of his own, giving him my brightest smile.

"Do you honestly think so? I was afraid you may have thought I sounded weird and looked so, uh, stupid." I said thinking of my words carefully. Kaldur let out a small laugh before looking into my eyes. I felt his other hand reach up and cup the left side of my face.

"I do not believe anyone could ever think that about you. Just be careful." Kaldur said never once taking his eyes away from me. My heart began to beat faster the more he stared at me, giving me slight goosebumps. He was so handsome, or cute, the way he stares at me makes me feel like I have birds flying around in my stomach. The alarm for my phone went off making us both jump apart. My heart hammered in my chest, a strong sense of disappointment replaced those birds in my stomach. I looked down at my phone and instantly remembered the alarm to leave the cave so I could make it early to school.

"It um, looks like I have to leave. I am cert- I'm sure I will be able to meet with you after school?" I asked beginning to walk towards the living room to get my books. Kaldur followed behind me absent mindedly, still looking a little red. Once we reached the living room I scooped up my books and gave Kaldur a quick hug.

"I will see you after you finish school. We...have much to catch up on." Kaldur said, returning my hug.

"And do try to get some rest. I worry that you're feeling unwell, especially considering how much you've been, uh, zoning out. Text me, ok." I smiled and blushed before deciding to do something a little bold. Quickly, I leaned up and gave Kaldur a quick peck on the cheek before walking away, a subtle smile on my face.

KALDUR

I watched as Rose walked away with a smile on my face. It was hard not to notice how beautiful she looked today. There were times where I was utterly speechless, and she sounds so… adorable. I knew when I was back home, but the more I am around her the more I realize how much I really do have feelings for her. If nothing else, her kiss confirmed it further. My communicator beeps (I guess it Beeps I'm really not sure)

"It's me." Red Arrow says simply. "I may… possibly be in over my head."

"I'll meet you." I replied, turning my attention elsewhere. Duty calls.

ROSE

I finally made it to my new school. Teenagers roamed around the front of the large 3 story building. The huge blue and black letters read 'R. C. MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL' my excitement bubbles even more. High school is the best way for kids my age to meet other people, discover themselves, and learn. It will be good for me to interact with fellow teenagers. I started to walk into the school, occasionally saying a few excuses to get past when I suddenly felt my trip on something. I landed on one knee, some my books falling onto the ground.

"Oh sorry. You must be the new girl." I heard a sort of condensing voice say. I looked up to see a female, probably a little taller than myself. She had long red hair that reached her hips, and bright green eyes. She wore a white crop top, and a short black mini skirt going up her mid thigh, and high heels. Something about her said do not trust her to me, but perhaps I should still try to be nice.

"Yes. I'm Rose Stewart-Hall. Nice to meet you!" I said standing up with a smile. She gave me a seemingly sweet smile and batted her eyes at me. I could see a few different people around the girl. Both boys and girls.

"Well aren't you a cheerful one. I'm Casey Sterling. My father's Principal Sterling. He was so excited to have you come here, something about high test scores?"

"I guess I did ok in the entry level test." I said modestly.

"Don't be modest, daddy said college level courses would be easy for you! Not to mention you're pretty, I could tell you're fit. Maybe even cheerleader material, if you tried! Wouldn't she girls?" The girls all nodded in agreement, all of them smirking to each other.

"Well thank you, but I'm not really interested in cheerleading."

"Let me give you a little bit of advice." She said as she leaned in a little. I raised a brow at the girl and let her continue with what she was doing.

"Try to choose who you hang with carefully. Some people around here can be pretty fake." She pulled away with a sickenly sweet smile, and I just tried to return it with kindness.

"Thanks, I will keep that in mind. Maybe I'll see you around sometime Casey." I said walking away

"See you around girl." Something about her just did not seem genuine. Her smiling was not like M'gann, there was no real warmth, and her tone reminded me of how Artemis was when we first met but more uh I guess malicious. Either way I don't think I really want to be around her.

It took me some time, but after navigating my way around the various confusing school hallways, my messenger bag hanging on my shoulder, I finally found the guidance counselor's office. In the front was an older lady, maybe around her mid to upper 40s, with graying hair held in a high bun. She was wearing a dark grey pants suit, from what I could see. Her tanned fingers typed rigorously in rhythm while the faint sound of a neutral radio station played in the background. The sun itself shined brightly through the poor blinds letting in a shaded sunlight, giving the office just a little life. I noticed how the room was filled with a desk, a bunch of filing cabinets, and a few chairs and small tables which held a few decorations. The room itself was no bigger than your common living room, but it did have 3 doors connected to it. Two on the right, one on the left. The one left had Mrs. Jenkins, one of the two on the right said Vice Principal Cartwright, the last said Principal Sterling. I walked over to the lady at the front desk, noting that her name plate says Ms. Carrol, smiling politely.

"Hi, my name's Rose Stewart-Hall. I'm supposed to meet with the guidance counselor." Ms. Carrol looked uninterested. She glanced at me, then back at some papers sitting next to her.

"You're the college level student?" Her voice sounded very skeptical as she eyed me. Do I not look like I could be?

"...I suppose?"

" Mrs. Jenkins is in her office with another student right now. Take a seat and wait for her."

"Thank you, Ms. Carrol." We sat in silence for a few minutes, which was very uncomfortable. The entire time I could feel this tension in the room, like she just did not want to be here.

"I'm telling you Mrs. Jenkins! Me and my brother will be MODEL students from now on! No more trouble making from us!" I heard a feminine voice state Mrs. Jenkins door swung open revealing two teenagers, who looked very similar. They both looked like they were Hispanic, with their tanned skin and facial structure. The male was probably around Wally's height, average build, with curly brown hair that reached his shoulders. He wore a Tee shirt that had Panic at the Disco album cover on it and a pair of jeans. The girl had shoulder length hair as well, but a part of her head was shaved. I could see that her hair had green streaks in it, like Avril Lavigne. She was the same height as her brother and curvier too. She had a grey tank top, with an unzipped hoodie, and shorts that reached her mid thigh. They were followed out by an African American woman with short curly hair. She had glasses and dark brown eyes, she wore a pretty green floral dress that reached her knees.

"I know you will. I understand you're excited about your band, but your stunt nearly caused a multi vehicle traffic collision, and a power outage! Hopefully being a student guide will settle you guys down more." Multi vehicle traffic collision? I wonder how that happened. I am assuming that is Mrs. Jenkins. I stood up and reached out my hand.

"Mrs. Jenkins, my name is Rose, I'm new here." I said politely. Mrs. Jenkins looked over to me and gave me a big smile. I could feel the genuine want to be here and kindness that I was missing earlier. She swooped in for a hug and I was surprised but accepted it.

"Ahh Ms. Stewart-Hall! It's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard great things! Meet your tour guides! Mr. Ashton Ayala, and Ms. Ashley Ayala. I'm sure you'll be a great influence on them. Keep them on the straight and narrow!" I blinked a few times. What's the straight and narrow?

"What?? But Mrs. Jenkins I thought we were bad influences!!" The boy said

"Yeah what happened to 'trouble since freshman year', or 'mischief personified'??" The girl continued, Mrs. Jenkins sighed and looked at me.

"Don't worry, these two are good kids, just a little spirited." I raised a brow at her before glancing at the pair.

"Don't listen to her, we're as bad as they come! We snort crack, and shoot up weed! We even have tattoos!" The boy said looking at me with a serious tone. I let out a chuckle and picked up my messenger bag. I have a good feeling about these two. They are trying to seem like they are bad, but even I know enough that most of what he said did not really make sense. The girl facepalmed at her brother and Mrs. Jenkins rolled her eyes.

"You mean you smoke crack and marijuana, and tattoos don't make you a bad person." I said

"God sometimes you're an idiot. You make us seem like even better student guide candidates." The girl Ashley said

"I'm glad you agree! Here's your schedule and if you have any more questions, feel free to stop by anytime Ms. Stewart-Hall! I expect great things from you!" Mrs. Jenkins shooed us out of the office. I blinked a few times before looking over to the two. They did not seem to want to be here. The two looked at each other seemingly having a conversation with each other… Is this what it's like to be outside of Miss. Martian's telepathic conversations? I cleared my throat causing the two to look at me. I choose my words carefully

"Um Hi. I know you both aren't exactly thrilled about doing this. I understand if you both want to leave. I can try to find my way around." I said with a smile. The girl, Ashley, tried to walk off but her brother, Ashton, quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back giving her another look. She groaned before looking at me exasperated.

"Your name was Rose, right?" A smile formed on my face and I nodded kindly.

"And yours are Ashley and Ashton? It's nice to meet you both."

After our rough meeting, the three of us got along very well. Ashton and Ashley are fraternal twins, with Ashley being proud of the fact that she was 15 minutes older. They also told me that my arrival had been the talk of the school. Morgan high school has the top academic scores in Michigan, they were also known for their top athletic program, and award winning band, but mostly academics. When Casey spread the word about my academics, I became the talk of the entire school.

"I will be honest, I imagined you being more like Casey." Ashley said as we walked past the music hallway. The two had decided to give me a tour of the school, which I greatly appreciated. The two of them were giving me a quick summary of the school's gossip dynamics, which as I stated before was mostly about me at the moment. I raised my brow at Ashley confused. What does she mean to be like Casey?

"Half the school did, the other half figured you'd be some scrawny push over." Ashton explained fiddling with his phone.

"But, You seem fine so far! What do you do for fun after all that homeschooling?" Ashley continued spinning around to see me. Oh, the truth is I fight the forces of evil, with my trained professional team.

" I um, like to read, play a few instruments, and exercise if I have the chance." The two of them looked at me with a glint of interest in their eyes.

"What instruments?" They asked in unison. I gave them a surprised look at their sudden interest, pondering if it was a god thing or a bad thing

"Well so far I have learned the guitar, bass, piano, drums, violin, and the clarinet." I listed eyeing the two. Ashton gave Ashley a wide smirk, to which Ashley returned with a nod.

"How are you at singing?" They spoke in unison... Perhaps they really do have telepathy. I thought back at the times that I have sung in my home. Every time I sang I do not believe I sounded bad. Then again, I have never sang in front of others.

"I'm not sure… I have never done so in front of other people, but I suppose I sound decent. Why do you ask?" The two gave each other more side looks, every now and again glancing at me, which was very suspicious.

"So we've decided, if you're interested-" Ashley started

"To give you an audition for our band." Ashton finished.

"We normally don't give people the opportunity without even a demo." Ashley crossed her arms and stopped by a locker giving me a look.

"But we like you new girl. And considering you a so-called prodigy, we'll show some good faith." Ashton finished putting an arm around my shoulder. I thought for a moment weighing my options. Will this affect my time with the team? As a leader, I do have an obligation to be ready and available at all times. At the same time, I did tell my mother and father that I will try to join the school band or some other type of club in school. Technically speaking, this is a band from members of the school. Besides, it will be fun to be in a band, albeit I am unsure if I am able to sing or not. In fact, I've never played in front of anyone other than the Justice League before, and they are not exactly talent scouts.

"Well I guess there is no harm in trying out."I said, giving them a smile, They both gave me wide mischievous grins as we continued our tour.

KALDUR

"So that's what happened." Red arrow explained as we sat on the rooftop. Red Arrow called me earlier hoping for assistance in apprehending Cheshire at the Rhelasian Peace conference. Unfortunately, he had been successful in capturing her and preventing this on his own. Now that he knows both Sportsmaster and Ra's Al Ghul are involved he can't afford to take any risk, even if the target is Lex Luthor. The Peace Conference itself is too important.

"Perhaps we should bring in Archangel to help as well, or even the rest of the team? I am sure that they will not mind." I said leaning against the high ledge. Roy shook his head prepping some of his arrows.

"No, I'm sure the two of us can handle it. Besides, Sparky told me today's her first day of school. God knows she needs a break from all this, I want her to enjoy it." I raised a brow. Why would Rose need a break? Did something happen and she did not tell me? Worry danced it's way around my mind like a ballerina as I thought of what could Rose have gone through since we last talked. Did something more happen with Oz? Is everything ok with Hawkgirl?

"A break? Did something happen?" Roy hesitated with his arrows, an action I rarely see from him, taking his time to put it safely in his holder. He turned to me with a confused look on his face.

"You don't know? She was worried sick about you leaving the team, and going back to be with Tula. Then the whole Sword of Gaia thing in itself was probably traumatizing."

"Wait Tula?" I asked, I had always guessed that she was a little upset about me possibly leaving, but I didn't think she was "stressing out" about it. The entire time I was thinking about my predicament, I never once considered how Rose was feeling about it, or that she would even be affected by it. Guilt gripped my heart when I started to think about how she didn't tell me, or how much she's been going through. Then I realized, I've been a terrible friend to her. Roy let out a sigh as he leaned back crossing his arms.

"You're both so clueless. Come on Kaldur, I know you BOTH like each other. She won't shut up about you, and you won't shut up about her once you start."

"I… I have realized that I do have feelings for her, but I am not sure if she feels the same, or if I should tell her." I stated looking to the side

"Listen, Rose is complicated, I mean she hasn't even been awake for a year yet. She practically knows everything, but knowing something and understanding it are two different things. I think she knows how she feels about you, but she doesn't understand how to deal with it." Roy said carefully. I looked over to my friend with a little more understanding. It makes sense. Rose acted based on logic and instinct in battle, but when it comes to feelings there is no logic and she was not as made with an instinct in feelings. She was made to be a weapon of mass destruction, a tool for an end, why would she instinctively know how to care for someone? Even still she does her best to express these emotions based off of what she's shown. Perhaps the reason why she does not know what to do in a romantic setting is because she's never really witnessed it.

"What should I do then?" I asked curiously.

"Depends. As your friend, I say go for it, but as someone who knows Rose, I say don't tell her." I raised a brow at my friend at his statement. How could he offer me two conflicting options? I should tell her, but at the same time I should not tell her. Waiting too long could mean her not reciprocating my feelings is more likely. Any feelings that she had towards me could fade away if I wait too long to tell her how I feel.

"Don't tell her?"

"Just hold off for a little while. What Rose needs right now is a friend. Let her settle into school and meet other people, then let things happen naturally." Roy said standing up and looking at me. He was right. I have been a bad friend to Rose since my mind has been on Tula. My best place for her at the moment would be to strengthen our friendship, and be there for her.

"I believe you may be right. Thank you, my friend." I placed my hand on his shoulder giving him a small smile of gratitude for the advice. Roy let out a small chuckle crossing his arms once more.

"Don't thank me yet. You still have to help me with the whole Lex Luthor situation." My smile dropped at the thought of our mission. This will not be easy.

ROSE

After comparing our schedules, we discovered that we shared 3 classes together. 1st, 4th, and 6th period, all of which were 45 minutes, lunch was after 4th period, and there was a 10 minute break between classes to get to where you needed to be. My classes were AP World History, AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP World Literature, then Lunch, Gym, Music, and Theater. The twins did not understand how I would take so many advanced placement classes, and still get any sleep, but they let it go considering the fact that my test scores apparently "spoke for themselves".

Once we finished the tour, we made our way to 1st period. The three of us walked into the class full of teenagers our own age, all sitting at their desks just like in the movies. The walls were covered in pictures of historic figures with inspirational quotes, and a man with a woman in different places. There were bookshelves and cabinets decorated in our school colors, gold and red. 3 large windows gave the room light and gave it life. It was hard to hide my nervous smile as all 24 people in the room looked our way. This is both exciting and terrifying to be the center of attention in an ACTUAL school classroom. Hopefully I can make a good first impression. Ashley and Ashton gave a cheeky smile to the man standing in the front of the classroom.

"Hear ye, hear ye! Us, the fair and noble tour guides-" Ashton started

"-are here to address the elephant in the room by presenting the fair and noble lady-" Ashley stated with a dramatic courtesy

"-The girl we've all heard about-"

"Rose of the house Stewart Hall!" The two of them goofily showed me off. I gave a small nervous wave as a small blush formed from the attention. Why do I feel as though this was planned between the two of them? The sounds of giggles and whispers echoed throughout the class, even the teacher let out a small laugh. Ashley handed the middle aged man a folded up piece of paper.

"And a note excusing the tardiness of your hard to learn class, given to you by my lovely sister!"

"Please carry on with your regularly scheduled lessons." The two walked back to their seats as the class gave them a round of applause. I joined in as well laughing a little as they each gave a bow before sitting down at their adjacent desks.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with the resident class clowns for your tour guide, I'm Mr. Hughes, your world history teacher." Mr. Hughes was a Caucasian man with tan skin who stood around 6'4. He had dark brown eyes and short brown hair combed to the side. He wore a beige untucked collar shirt with a pair of jeans, nothing too out of the ordinary with a teacher. He held out his hand with a small smile and I gladly took it with an equally kind smile.

"Rose Stewart Hall, I'm happy to be here Mr. Hughes."

"Ok Rose, in order to take a seat in my class, you have to answer 1 history question. Ordinarily it would be something you have been taught the year prior, however, I understand you've been homeschooled all your life. Let's see. You scored pretty high on your entrance exams, when was modern day Rhelasia established?" Too easy.

"Modern Rhelasia was created in 1855 and ruled by the Boquoon Dynasty until it was divided by the Great Powers into North and South Rhelasia after World War II. The reason their conflict began is unclear. If I'm not mistaken there should be a peace conference mediated by Lex Luthor sometime today." Mr. Hughes gave a small clap and the rest of the class joined in.

"Well done, how about you take a seat next to Marqueis. Marqueis if you could raise your hand? Thank you. And I can give you the slides of everything we've learned thus far." I gave him a quick thanks before going down to my seat next to a African American boy with half his hair shaved and the other half in small dreadlocks.

He looked a bit taller than Ashton, who was sitting just a few seats over with Ashley, so maybe around 6'2". He turned to me with a smile and I could see the prettiest dimples that went perfectly with his lighter brown eyes. It was hard to deny that he was very handsome and he ever dressed the part. With a blue collared shirt and a sweater vest. Matched with khakis and a pair of black Jordans.

"Hey, I can see they weren't lying about you." His voice was deeper and more husky than I expected, but I can feel kindness in it.

"Oh I just studied a lot. I didn't want to fall behind the learning curve. I'm sure he just gave me an easier question." I said modestly in a small whisper as to not interrupt Mr. Hughes' class. He let out a small chuckle.

"Mr. Hughes usually asks questions that none of us know just so he can lead a segway into the lesson. I thought those two goofs would've warned you, but what can you expect from the Ayala twins." He said looking at the two of them with a smile.

"Are you friends with them?" I asked looking over to them.

"Only childhood friends, and band mates." Only? My mind instantly clicked to the sarcasm from what Artemis taught me. So they are pretty close friends.

"They did tell me they were in a band. What is it called? What do you all play?" I questioned curiously

"Halfway To Summer. I'm on bass, Ashley's on Drums, and Ashtons on keyboard. Then we have our manager Eric. We're looking for a guitarist and singer if you're interested. We're having auditions after school." I opened my mouth to reply when Mr. Hughes cleared his throat catching our attention.

"I'm glad you feel my history class is the place to scout for talent Mr. Hayes, but if we can get back to the exciting world of History, I'd appreciate it." A blush formed on my face as I pulled out my textbook sharing a small giggle with Marqueis before focusing on the lesson.

After history class ended the 4 of us walked through the hallways together. Here is what I understand about the group so far. Ashley and Ashton started the band with Marqueis in their freshman year. Eric,of whom I have yet to meet, met the group in middle school, but is unable to perform on stage due to a bad childhood experience. They did have a singer and guitarist at some point, however, they will not tell me who they used to be. It is from my understanding that there is bad blood between them and whomever it was, so they are looking to find a new singer and guitarist to the band.That is when the attention turned to me.

"So being homeschooled must have been pretty lonely huh." Ashton asked.

I thought back to my time alone at the apartment when my mother would go to the Justice League Headquarters. Back before there was a team, when the most contact I had with people my own age was watching them from the streets. Perhaps I was lonely. Those times, which in reality was only a few months ago, were as though my life was passing by in a cell. Now I know I was technically supervised around the clock, but when it was happening I had felt more like an inmate than a prisoner. I thought it was more for my protection than it was for public safety, due to the enemies I have like Dr. Oz and regrettably the Gold Saber, but perhaps in all actuality it was more of the latter. Staring at life through a window with others looking in. I suppose it was lonely, though I also suppose it was never that bad. I mean I have always had Ms. Shayera, and Mr. John, and I got to train with different members of the league. Plus they give me a lot more freedom now, I'm even on the team and have all new friends, albeit they're all superheroes.

"Actually, it wasn't that bad. My parents and I are very close and once I joined- I mean started, my uh part time job! I was able to talk to more people around our age." I correct myself. The others did not seem to notice but gave me a small smile.

"That's good! What's your part time job? Do you think that'll get in the way of Band practices if you make the cut?" Maybe last night, instead of studying pop culture, I should have come up with believable backstories. It is not like I can say 'Oh you know, we fight supervillains and gather intel for the sake of good.' They will think I am crazy.

"I work at a family friends job as an assistant. I just help deliver paperwork and things like that, nothing too fun. It won't come between band practices if I make the uh.. cut. I'll make time for both." I said as we turned down the hallway. That answer seemed to satisfy them as they all nodded and left it alone.

This next class I was alone, Ashley had Earth science this period, Ashton had gym, and Marqueis had chorus, but shares physics and theater with me. Compared to the first few hours of my day, the 2nd period was pretty uneventful. I met a few other people like Maria Moore, and Tabitha Andrew, most people gave me a small smile and a wave, but tried to focus on their work. The teacher was a young man by the name of Mr. Kennedy, and he was probably around his mid 20s, a fairly good looking man who was clearly excited about his job. Typically, calculus is not interesting but Mr. Kennedy made it very fun with his approach of making it fun for people our age.

Eventually the 3rd period came around and I was grateful for Marqueis coming to walk with me to class. Marqueis told me how he's an older brother of 2 younger sisters, his mother is a lawyer and his father is a Captain in the Midway police department. His partner was the twins father, which is how they ended up growing up together. It is nice to have a childhood friend, and to have the memories that they do. I could not help but smile as Marqueis told me stories of how they were. It is obvious to tell they are close. We walked into the classroom and the familiar sound of laughter filled my ears. Marqueis' attention shifted over to the source of the laughter. His kind smile dropped as he laid eyes on Casey and her group of friends. Next to her was a tall male with similar red hair. He had brown eyes and a squared jaw. He had an athletic build, and wore a white v-neck with a black jacket and a pair of nice jeans. I wonder, is everyone in this school handsome or just everyone I have met so far. Casey eyes shifter towards me and her signature suspicious smile, she walked over to me completely ignoring Marqueis standing next to me.

"Rose! How are you dealing with school? It must be so hard to adjust from being privileged enough to have a homeschool tutor, to sharing a teacher with an entire class." I shifted nervously as I looked to Marqueis who was preparing to walk away. I gently grabbed onto Marqueis' arm with a smile.

"Actually since I was old enough, I've been teaching myself. School has been great so far, especially since Marques here has been so kind as to let me hang around him." I said giving Marqueis a comforting smile. He smiled back feeling a little more confident. Casey gave him a cold glare only to have the other guy come behind her. He gave Marqueis a glare as well before turning to me with a weird smile. I could feel his eyes inspecting me making me a little uncomfortable. My grip on Marqueis are subconsciously tightened.

"Hey sis, is this the new girl you were telling me about? You were right she does look like my type." I do not like his tone. I feel as though he is attempting to be the same thing that Mr. John does to Ms. Shayera. Could it be that he is flirting with me. My stomach turned as I felt disgusted by his eyes. Casey gave her brother an eye roll.

"Johnny, this is Rose Stewart Hall. The prodigy new student daddy was telling us about. Rose, this is my idiot brother Johnathan Sterling, star running back for the football team, and point guard for the basketball team." Johnathan chest poked out with pride as he gave me a small wink. I shivered uncomfortably once again. Marqueis must have noticed that I was uncomfortable and placed his hand on mine, giving it a small squeeze.

"Yeah, her single brother." Marqueis let out a snort stepping up.

"Dude, take a hint. I don't think Rose cares if you're single or not. You're making her uncomfortable." The rest of the class snickered at the interaction, letting out a ooo' at Marqueis' sass. The brother, sister duo glared at Marqueis and suddenly I made the connection.

"Oh! I see. Ummm. Let's all calm down and take our seats." I said glancing between the three of them. Casey looked at me and for a split second I could see the pure attitude she held, but only for a second. She soon covered it with a small smile.

"You're right, Rose! Why don't you sit with me or my brother?" Johnathan gave me a smile reaching out for my arm

"Yeah, ditch ole Marqueis here and sit your pretty ass with me." I quickly wrapped my other arm around Marqueis and gave a nervous laugh.

"That's ok. Marqueis already offered for me to be his new physics partner. Thank you for the offer! Come on Marqueis!" I said pulling him along. The three stared each other down for a moment until Marqueis finally let it go and walked me to our table. I let out a sigh and pushed my bangs back before turning to Marqueis. I could see he was visibly irritated at this point. He was still glaring at the pair who were still glaring at the both of us now. I suppose I just failed at gaining a few more friends. I turned my attention toward Marqueis awkwardly thinking of what to say.

"So umm. I guess I know what you all meant by bad blood." Marqueis quickly turned towards me with a little surprise on his face. I gave him a small, sad smile.

"Casey and Johnathan used to be in your band right? You don't have to tell me what happened. I get that it's a personal matter." I said sitting straight on our bar stool shaped, science chair. Marqueis let out a small sigh before looking at me.

"That obvious huh?" I gave him a small nod as I pulled out my binder. "Yeah. Let's just say they caused a lot of drama and heartache for the band, and I don't take kindly to people messing with my friends." I nodded completely understanding the concept. I am, after all, the same way about my friends. If anyone were to mess with any of my friends, I would be one of the first to defend them. I gave them a kind nod before we came to a comfortable silence. After a few minutes of quiet, I finally spoke up.

"Thanks for, um, stepping up for me? I really did not feel comfortable around Johnathan." I said pulling out my pen.

"No problem, I could see you weren't comfortable, and he was being pretty creepy." I nodded slowly eyeing the boy as he laughed with a few male friends. Kaldur would never make me feel that uncomfortable. If Kaldur were to reach out to me like that, I would have felt much more comfortable. In fact, if he were to have called me pretty I would be extremely happy. A sense of sadness filled my chest as I thought of my atlantean friend. I really wish he were here. I am grateful that Marqueis was here, but I would have felt so much more safe. At that moment, Marqueis was the safest option, but he is no Kaldur. I looked down to my phone and with a small smile I quickly sent a text to my friend

'Hi! It is me. Just texting to report that so far everything has been great at school! I hope you're having a great day! Stay safe A few minutes later, I heard my phone ding, causing a smile to form on my face.

' I am glad school has been going well for you. Perhaps I can come by after school and walk you to the cave? I would love to hear about your day.

'I would love that! I will see you at 4 :)'The bell rang starting the class and I quickly sent my text before putting my phone down.

"Are you blushing? Talking to your boyfriend." I heard Marqueis asked in a small whisper. My face heated up a little as I looked at Marqueis. I had not even realized that I was blushing.

After another less than exciting introduction, our class began our talk on Einstein's Theory of Relativity, one of the more interesting theories of Einstein to me.I was sitting with Marqueis taking notes on what the teacher was saying until Casey cleared her throat and raised her hand. The entire classes focused on her as the teacher Mr. Harding, stopped to acknowledge her.

"Mr. Harding, I was wondering if maybe we should give our new classmate a chance to prove her knowledge. We've all studied hard to be able to get a slot in this class, it seems only fair that Rose should have to test her own knowledge to be here." Casey said, giving me a fake sweet smile. Marqueis glared over at her as the rest of the class looked to me with a curious look. Mr. Harding gave a small look towards Casey, before his eyes landed on me.

"Alright then, Rose. Are you up to the challenge?"

"I don't see why not?" I said with a small shrug. I also do not see the necessity in Casey assessing my mental capabilities. It seems to me that Mr. Harding had no intention in testing me before she mentioned it and everyone else was comfortable with that. The uneasy feeling I held towards Casey was slowly starting to make more and more sense. Was Casey threatened by me? Does she feel intimidated by the mere possibility that I may be more intelligent than her?

"Ok Ms. Stewart-Hall, what can you tell me about Einstein's theory of Relativity?" I frowned slightly. Einstein's theory of relativity is a subject I only know the basics of.

"I really only know the basics of it, so I apologize if my answers aren't to your liking." I said nervously

"Oh please. If you didn't know you could've just said you didn't know." Casey started to laugh and a few of her friends started to giggle too. Ignoring their laughs I picked my head up high giving a look of confidence.

"Essentially, part of it is a theory of gravity. The basic idea is that instead of being an invisible force that attracts objects to one another, gravity is a curving or warping of space. The more massive an object, the more it warps the space around it. That's referred to as general relativity, which is only part of Einstein's theory. What you're describing is special relativity, which is light travels at an unvarying speed of 186,000 miles a second. No matter how fast an observer is moving or how fast a light-emitting object is moving, a measurement of the speed of light always yields the same result. It also states that the natural world allows no "privileged" frames of reference. As long as an object is moving in a straight line at a constant speed, with no acceleration, the laws of physics are the same for everyone. In fact, Einstein's equation E = mc2 shows that energy and mass are interchangeable as the basis of the theory of relativity, but I'm sure you knew that Casey." I finished up with a kind smile towards her. When I looked at her, she looked as though she was absolutely seething with anger. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Why is she so upset? Beside me, Marqueis chuckled and Mr. Harding's mouth dropped at my response. I shifted uncomfortable for a second before Mr. Harding gave me an impressed smile.

"A perfect textbook answer Ms. Stewart-Hall. Very well done. Of course, we will only be going through the theory of relativity at a base level towards the end of the year. Now let's get back to our current class." I took a seat as the class continued. The entire time I could feel a tense glare, and so the whole class I spent the class shrunken down in my seat.

The next class I was unfortunate enough to have the Sterling siblings as my classmates. This time, however, Casey and Johnny kept away from the twins and I, both pairs of them just took to glaring at each other and whispering snide remarks about the other. It was hard not to feel awkward with the interaction, as I felt like I was stuck between the two as mediators.

Casey once again took the opportunity to attempt to test my intelligence in literature, which was a poor decision if she was trying to find a way to make me seem less intelligent as reading is one of my favorite hobbies. This earned me another awkward class full of Casey apparent discontent at my display, which the twins found absolutely amusing. I could not help but feel a little bad for her. Even though Casey seems intimidated by my intelligence, I still wanted to at least be on ok terms with her. Casey may have her reasons to feel the way she feels, and that does not automatically make her a bad person. I may not feel that I can be friends with her, but I certainly do not want to not like her.

The rest of that class went uneventfully filled with the class having discussions on the Scarlet Letter, and its various interpretations. Once class was finished, the three of us made our way to the cafeteria filled with students of different grades. The twins and I were getting to know each other more and more. It makes me happy to know the three of us may have quickly become friends. Of course, it could just be me, but I feel that they have been nice, and extremely friendly to me. Perhaps if I join their band, we can all be close friends. The twins led me to a table where I could see Marqueis leaning back with another male sitting next to him.

This boy was tall, and looked like he was of Japanese heritage. His jet black hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail showing off his dark brown eyes. He was not very muscular, but his build suited him. He wore a blue button down shirt, with a pair of khakis, and dark, suede dress shoes. Beside him he had a leather jacket to pull off a more stylish, casual look.the twins happily joined the table, pulling me to join them.

"Eric, meet Rose. She's the new girl everyone's been talking about." Ashton said, taking a seat next to Marqueis. Ashley sat down next to Eric with a small smile on her face.

"She's gonna try out for the band, if you're up for it." Eric looked at me with a small smile taking in my appearance.

"Marqueis was just telling me about you. So what instruments do you play? Do you have any experience in live performances?" Eric's voice was smooth and lighter than I imagined. He had this mature and comforting tone about him, that was serious and straight to the point all at the same time. I thought back for a moment at all the instruments I could play.

"I know how to play the drums, piano, bass, violin, guitar, and I'm learning the flute in between my after school job and studies." I listed off with a smile, everyone gave me a look of surprise for a second, before it became one that was clearly impressed.

"Well when they say prodigy they really weren't kidding. What about your experience?" I blushed slightly embarrassed that I do not have any experience.

"I actually don't have any experience. Is that a problem?" I asked curiously I heard a laugh behind us. We all turned around to see the Sterling siblings and a few of their friends. I glanced at the group to see their entire demeanor had changed. Eric had an uncomfortable look on his face, clearly not liking this interaction. Ashton looked like he was incredibly nervous under the gaze of the siblings, as he was unusually quiet. Marqueis looked irritated and kept a worried look at Ashton. Ashley, however, looked downright angry. Ashley usually is standoffish at first glance, but so far she has been so nice and down to earth. Right now the look on her face was fury and it was a little scary. I nervously glanced between the two groups.

"I knew you all were looking for a new member, but I figured you'd have some standards with who you invite." I frowned at Casey's tone as her friends all let out small giggles, and laughs. Ashley stood up glaring at the girl.

"Oh please, just like everything else in school, I'm sure Rose is naturally better at singing and playing the guitar then you and your dumb ass brother will ever be." The entire cafeteria all snickered and watched all of us in anticipation. I could feel some eyes on me waiting for me to speak up and say something. I give Ashley a kind smile at her vote of confidence. She hardly knows me, but Ashley was still sticking up for me in her own way. Casey and Johnathan let out laughs before crossing their arms.

"Home school? She may look pretty, but I doubt she's ever really even played. She's probably just looking for attention by lying." Johnathan said looking at me. I raised a brow at the pair. Why would I lie about playing instruments in a school where the preforming arts are so valued? That is asking for trouble. Unlike the others, I was more perplexed by his statement than anything. The other, however, seemed to be a mix between furious, and annoyed.

"Besides even if she could, it's not like it would make any of you good. You are about as talent-less as they come. You're stupid, useless, and tone deaf." I looked at Casey shocked that something like that could ever come out of her mouth. How could she say something like that to someone? I was about to stand up for her, when Ashton stood and glared at her

"Don't ever talk about my sister like that! You're just mad that she's better than you ever will be!" Johnathan laughed rolling his eyes.

"Oh great, the faggot sticking up for his ugly ass sister."

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" I stood and yelled, my voice booming throughout the cafeteria. All eyes were on me as I glared at the two rude teenagers, my eyes turning cold and vicious. Casey and Johnathan looked at me, slightly taken aback. I fought to stay in control of the power inside of me as I lost my temper with the two.

"Who the hell are you to talk to anyone like that?! Ashton is right! You're just upset because Ashley's better than you will ever be! She is nice, funny, and prettier than you inside and out! And Ashton's more handsome and talented than you could even attempt to be! Just because you think you are the smartest one here, and you assume you are the most athletic, doesn't mean you can treat everyone else like garbage. So you and your friends take your disgusting attitude and leave." I turned towards the group who were all looking at me shocked. My eyes softened with giving them a caring look.

"Ashton, Ashley, don't let whatever they say bother you. They are too far beneath you both to let it phase you. Let's just go somewhere else." I said standing up to go. The group's entire atmosphere suddenly changed as they gave me a comforted look. Ashley and Ashton gave me a smile and stood up to go as well until Casey grabbed my arm. I could feel the anger dripping off of her as her green eyes blared menacingly at me, like a viper staring down its victim. I simply returned it, yanking my arm out of her grip. Is she going to try to attack me? I could easily take her down, but perhaps I should take it as easy on her as possible. She is a civilian after all, even if she is as mean as a villain. I clenched my fist preparing to take her down when she suddenly gave me a mean smirk.

"Oh looks like Rose here thinks she's top shit. Why don't you go on up to the stage and show us just how absolutely better you are then me?" My angry look turned into a confused one. What?

Kaldur

Sportsmaster sends a strike at me, with a foil, to which I evade with a simple sidestep. Taking a few small steps back, with my waterbearers becoming twin falchions, I made an attack at Sportsmaster. Sportsmaster simply raises his foil as if a match is about to start between us.

"Not bad, Lad." he says casually. "Better than your team did at Santa Prisca or Bialya."

"How did you...?" I try to stay as unfazed as possible, but I could not hide the surprise in my voice. He's suggesting that there is a mole hidden among my team.

"Let's just say I have an inside source. Very inside." Sportsmaster narrowed his eyes as I shifted into an even stronger stance. Who could it be? Robin, or Kid Flash could not be the mole, we have known each other for years. Superboy could be a mole and have no idea of it, due to Cadmus, but the League has had him under close surveillance for the most part. Miss. Martian and Artemis have uncles that can vouch for them. My mind instantly flashed to Rose for a moment. She has been granted more freedom, and has Hawkgirl's and Green Lantern's trust enough to be left alone. She would be the most logical suspect. Guilt and disgust stirred in the pit of my stomach the thought. How could I ever even consider her to be a suspect? Rose is the most loyal, considerate, and kind hearted girl I have met. She would never betray us of her own free will. None of my team would.

"Aqualad, let's end this." Roy says as he releases the explosive arrow that hits the sprinklers. I barely glances up as my tattoos glow almost white and I raise my arms up and out. From the shallow water, a twister rises up and becomes a serpent that charges at any of our foes still standing. Sportsmaster's eyes narrow, but Cheshire drops in front of him and puts on her mask. Pulling something from her back, she throws whatever it may be into the mouth of the beast. I let the beast drop as Roy lands beside me, but as the water and smoke covers us, the strong urge to cough overcomes us. From inside the dark smoke, mere inches in front of us, is a final henchman holding two swords and aiming for the Rhelsian leaders.

"Mercy." Lex growls. His bodyguard says nothing as she raises her arm, but it opens up to reveal a laser gun set up underneath her fake skin. Her laser arms knock the man to the side and to the ground with nothing more than a grunt. We turn back towards the window, finding Cheshire and Sportsmaster gone and no one else is moving. The Rhelsian dignitaries look at Mercy in shock as her arm collapses back to hide the gun and if it wasn't for her torn sleeve there would be no visible evidence that she had done anything.

"Gives new meaning to the arms race, doesn't she?" Lex asks the men. Tseng and Li sigh in relief.

"That technology is most impressive, Luthor." Li tells the man.

"We owe you our lives, sir." Tseng agrees, shaking hands with Luthor.

"They owe him their lives?" Roy asks me, the both of us feeling slighted.

"Yes, quite a coup for Lex Luthor." Cat continues to broadcast. "Under his leadership, North and South Rhelasia are signing a treaty which could eventually lead to reunification." The two of us watch the signing and Luthor for a few more moments before we head towards the door.

"I can't believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor." Roy says irritably, though I can not say I completely disagree with him. Although helping Lex Luther is the last thing I would like to do, I have to admit, some good came from this as the peace conference was an overall success.

"Not for Luthor, for peace." Kaldur corrects. "Beyond that, if Ra's and League of Shadows wanted to sabotage the Summit the signing of the treaty renders their contract moot." The two of us stop just before the first outside step. "It is over."

"Is it?" Roy asks skeptically. "I heard what Sportsmaster said. Do you really think there's a mole on your team feeding him intel?" I show none of my thoughts on my face, but turned away from Roy choosing to look into the fountain. Even though I do not suspect any of my teammates to be a mole, it would be absolutely foolish to rule it out completely. It is more likely that Sportsmaster is trying to divide the team with distrust if they were to find out, but if he was telling the truth then informing the team would only inform the mole that he or she is no longer a secret. The less people who know the easier it will be to covertly discover their identity.

"I cannot rule out the possibility. I will investigate quietly." Roy raises an eyebrow.

"Not tell them? Even Rose? She is your second in command, shouldn't she know?" he questions, shocked. I turned towards Roy again.

"I do not want the unit unraveling over baseless suspicions. And if there is a mole, I have no wish to tip him or her off. Besides in the event that the team does discover this, I would like Rose to have deniability in this investigation. As you said, she has enough to worry about as it is. " Roy gives me a small salute and a slight smiling-smirk.

"Good luck with that." He turned to leave, but I quickly spoke up, making him pause.

"One moment, my friend. Tonight, you could have called Green Arrow for help or the Justice League. Instead, your first instinct was to call the Cave." Roy turned towards me with his head held high.

"You're right. The team deserves… has my respect. I'm still getting used to this solo act stuff, but if you need me, I'll be there." this time he simply smiles, offering his hand to me. With a small smile, I took his hand and we both shook each other's hands respectfully, the thought of the mole weighing in the back of my mind.

Rose

This is not what I had in mind when I thought of having lunch with my peers. I thought of nice lunch conversations like 'what are your hobbies', or 'what's your favorite television show?', maybe even 'how was literature class for you?'. Never did I even consider that my lunch would consist of me being pulled into a childhood, high school drama-filled rivalry, being fought by me performing on a stage that just so happens to also be in the cafeteria. How did I not notice the white marble stage in the center of the cafeteria? It was circular, to have space for a drum set, bass, guitar, keyboard, large speakers, amplifiers, microphones, and extra room to move around.

Apparently, because the auditoriums, both of them, were in use after school, Halfway To Summer's band auditions were to be held in the cafeteria after school. This morning before school, Eric, Marqueis, Ashley, and Ashton had set up their equipment and were promised by the Principal Sterling, that the instruments would be safe until they finished up their auditions after school. Why is this important? Casey saw this as the perfect opportunity to embarrass me in front of half the school, by making me do my first and likely last performance. I mean, why fight your enemies head on when you can set on humiliating them?

I will be honest, I am not ok with this. I have never performed in front of anyone before. I have not even sang in front of Shayera and John! I have no idea if I can sing, let alone if I can even perform. I feel my heart racing, and not in a good way, my stomach turned and flipped in ways I have never imagined. My legs felt weak and wobbly as I stared at the equipment on stage. Am I sick? I glanced over to Marqueis, who put his arm over my shoulder.

"You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to? I can tell you're nervous." I let out a small, shaky breath. This feeling is foreign. I have been nervous before but this was different. This time I felt fear, and anxiety that made me sick to my stomach. Is this normal?

"I have never performed in front of anyone, how do you calm this anxiety down?" Marqueis' eyes cut over to Ashton and Ashley for a moment, a warm smile crawling on his face.

"I just imagine that I'm playing only playing for the people that make me feel the most comfortable and happy. Not the crowd in front of me, not even the people who doubted me. Just him- OH I mean them! I think of them!" Marqueis corrected quickly. I could see a small tint of red on his face as he laughed nervously.

"Oh why don't you think of that guy you were texting? Imagine he's the only one here. Close your eyes and breath. Then just sing." A small blush formed on my face as I thought for a moment. Think of Kaldur? I do feel extremely comfortable around him. And I have heard that good singers put their heart and soul into their music by drawing from the memories and love of their loved ones.

"Beside if you pick a song we know, we'll come in and start playing with you! It's the least we can do after getting you involved!" Ashton said walking up to us with a smile.

"You got this girl! Just let go and think about the music!" Ashley encouraged with a smile felt comforted by their kind smile and words as I stared up to the stage. Think about the music. Think about your loved ones. Think of Kaldur. My stomach started to ease up as I considered my options. Finally I came to a conclusion on the song I will be playing, having Kaldur in mind. I went up to Eric and told him the song before climbing onto the stage and grabbing the guitar. Eric grabbed the microphone giving a charismatic smile.

"Ok R. C. Morgan! Are you ready for a real treat? In case you don't know I'm Eric, manager of Halfway to Summer, and the host for after school auditions! For obvious circumstances, we have our first audition right in front you all here today for lunch! Give it up for Rose!" The entire cafeterias attention turned towards me. A few claps came from the audience, but most people just turned their heads curiously to see how I'd do. Nervously, I fiddled with the guitar pic in my hands and closed my eyes. Letting in a deep breath I closed my eyes. I imagined Kaldur sitting in the cafeteria, no one else around. No students who watched in order to silently judge me. No Johnathan to watch me like a snake with his meal. No Casey, ready to pass judgement on me for even trying to be better. I could only see Kaldur giving me a comforting smile and patiently watching me with kindness. Letting out my breath I started to strum the strings to one of my favorite songs. The entire cafeteria was quiet as I elegantly strum each note perfectly. Then my voice started to sing.

Think of me when you're out, when you're out there

I'll beg you nice from my knees

And when the world treats you way too fairly

Well it's a shame I'm a dream

I opened my eyes seeing the crowd in front of me with looks of both shock and joy on their faces. Could it be that they actually like me?

All I wanted was you

A few people started to yell in delight and clap along to the song. I could see Ashton, Ashley, and Marques all smile and come up on stage to their instruments. Ashton on the keyboard, Ashley on drums, and Marqueis on the bass. They all prepared to enter with an encouraging smile on the face. With a confident smile I began to belt out the lyrics, no longer feeling the stage fright I had before.

"I think I'll pace my apartment a few times

And fall asleep on the couch

Wake up early to black and white re-runs?

That escaped from my mouth"

"Oh, oh" Ashton, Ashley, and Marqueis all snag behind me.

"All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you" As I sang, all I could think of was Kaldur and the absolute thrill of the crowd enjoying the melody that the four of us were creating. This is fun, and somehow I feel more free and happy than I had when the League had set me free. I was at complete euphoria, lost in the music.

I could follow you to the beginning

And just to relive the start

And maybe then we'll remember to slow down

At all of our favorite parts"

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you.

All I wanted was you

I let the final cord play for a second, sweat that I never noticed was dripping down my face. I was out of breath from singing my heart out to the words of the song. Ashton, Marqueis , and Ashley were all in a similar state as we all looked at each other. Eric was staring at us with a wide smile, and I could see him give me a small nod. Playing with them just felt so natural and easy. We fit together perfectly. When the five of us looked at each other, I knew they felt the same.

The audience cheered and clapped in delight, a handful of people even stood, giving us a standing ovation. My heart swelled with pride and I could feel a warmth in my stomach at the recognition. I can not believe they liked us! My eyes traveled over to Casey and Johnathan who just stared at us in shock. For just a split moment I could see a little sadness in Casey's eyes, but that was quickly replaced with pure rage as she and her brother quickly turned away and walked out of the cafeteria. I could not help, but feel a little happy at her reaction. She tried to humiliate us, but instead here we were receiving nothing but love and adoration. That was Justice at its finest, if you asked me.

"Well if you ask me, our new friend just nailed the audition!" Eric said into the microphone giving me a wink. The crowd cheered as Ashley, Ashton, and Marques all came behind me giving me a hug. I could not help the smile that spread on my face as I shared the moment with my new friends. This had quickly become the best moment ever.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful compared to lunch. My new friends were excited about me agreeing to join the band, but decided to go through with the auditions to be fair. The auditions themselves did not start until about 4 so the band offered to walk with me outside, still feeling excited over our performance. Eric warned the group that there could be other singers and guitarists that were equally as good, if not better.

"Either way, as far as I'm concerned, you're part of the group! In the band or not." Ashley said with an arm over my shoulder.

"Really?" I asked with a wide smile.

"Yeah! Anybody who can lay Casey and Johnathan out at the same time is cool with me!" Ashton said, putting his arm around my other shoulder.

"Same. I think even Eric was impressed and he hates seeing confrontation." Marqueis said with his arms crossed. Eric let out a chuckle before giving a shrug.

"What can I say? She deserved everything she got." I blushed before giving them a small smile.

"I don't like bullies, but I'm more than willing to stick up to them for my friends." The five of us shared a smile before my eyes shifted over to a familiar face. My face brightened instantly as my eyes met his light green ones.

"K-Jackson!" I quickly corrected myself remembering his alias.I sometimes forget his alias, as he rarely ever needs to use it. Truthfully, the only reason I know it is because Roy told me one day. I could see him smile before making his way to me, passing the crowds of exiting students. I was so happy to see him that I had almost forgotten my new friends did not know who he was. Marques glanced at the two of us before giving a knowing smirk.

"Oh that must be the boyfriend." Marques said

"Who? The fine ass tall man over there? Girl, you really do have everything." Ashley said, swooning over Kaldur. My blush deepened as I looked at the two horrified. Kaldur finally reached us, and instinctively I reached out to give him a hug.

"Jackson, these are my new friends. Ashley, Ashton, Marqueis, and Eric. Guys, this is my friend Jackson."

"Friend? So you're both fine and single?" Ashley asked a little surprised. I lifted my brow at her as Kaldur blushed for a second. Ashton lightly pushed his elbow onto his sister before smiling back at us.

"Nice to meet you. Rose, we actually have to go to watch the auditions, we'll send you a text when you make the cut." Ashton said with a smirk. Eric slapped his shoulder and gave a playful glare.

"If she makes the cut. There could be someone better than her, no offense Rose."

"None taken. You're right everyone deserves a chance." I said letting go of Kaldur. I kept my arm wrapped around his as I watched Ashley groan.

"Please! Rose is amazing, and she has good chemistry with us, we'll text you when we have practice."

"Band?" Kaldur asked, looking at me a little confused. I gave him an excited smile.

"I auditioned for the band today at lunch! Isn't it exciting? Don't worry though, I can make time for work and band practices." Kaldur gave me a soft smile

"Speaking of work, we have to make our way there." Kaldur said, giving me a subtle wink. I can feel my face heating up a little bit at the action, but quickly caught on to what he was saying.

"Oh, we should get going. See you guys tomorrow! Have fun auditioning!" I said, grabbing onto Kaldurs arm. The group waved with smiles on their faces before turning to go audition others. Kaldur and I continued to walk away from the school, and I hummed happily holding onto his arm. Kaldur did not seem to mind as we continued to walk in a comfortable silence.

"I am assuming you had a good day."

"Oh yes, but not as good as your own. I hope you do not believe I wouldn't notice the small scratch on the side of your face." I said without looking at him. I continued to walk with my head held high, and a knowing smirk on my face. Kaldur gave me a small stunned look before he let out a small chuckle.

"Why don't you start with your day and then I will share mine with you? I am sure it was exciting for you." My heart warmed as he watched me eagerly listen to me ramble about my day. I told him about the twins, and Marques during the first period, my easy classes like theater and Literature, and even my whole ordeal with Casey. Kaldur was a little surprised by the fact I had managed to make an enemy of sorts on my first day, but assured me that some people are just like that, which I completely understand.

In turn, Kaldur told me about his day with Roy. He explained to me all about Lex Luthor's assasination attempt, and because he was to be the mediator at the Rhelasian peace conference, the two of them had to help him. Kaldur's mixed emotions about helping a known bad guy were inherently clear and understandable to me, however, in the end it was for peace. Lex Luthor just so happened to be collateral good service.

During our walk, I was able to catch Kaldur up on all that has happened since his trip back home. From the sword of Gaia, to my conclusion that my new ability to imitate others abilities through contact and my feelings on it. Kaldur seemed more eager to hear of my adventures and struggles, which I greatly appreciate from him. It is not unusual for him to be such a great listener, but getting all of the fears and struggles off of my chest made me feel so much more lighter. Talking to Roy sometimes helps, but I have missed talking with Kaldur so much. His attentiveness is so much different than Roy's in the ways that are not even necessarily clear to me.

Kaldur also had a chance to speak with me about his trip home and all the confusion he has felt prior to that. Kaldur explained that he was going to stay home, but after the events at the research facilities in Atlantis, Kaldur slowly started to realize that his place was on the surface, which made me very happy. He said that Atlantis is filled with people who can very well take care of themselves, like his friends Garth and Tula, who were instrumental in helping save the day. The surface, he feels, suits him and he realized his place is here. Still I could not help but ask, I was too curious to know why he no longer liked Tula.

"So what made you realize that you no longer have feelings for Tula?" I asked hesitantly as we finally made it to the Zeta tube. Kaldur looked me in the eyes with the same emotion that I could not quite understand coming from him. I might call it care, but that didn't really sum it up for him, nor did I feel right calling it that. Whatever it may be, it made me feel warm even if it was there for a second. He quickly covered it up with a straight face.

"Tula and Garth are together, and instead of being upset, I felt more clarity than I had felt in the last few weeks." We walked into the cave, with the computer announcing our names. I turned to him with a small concerned look. It is hard to believe that his feelings for her would just fade away. Tula was his first love after all, and Garth his best friend. How can he be content with this? Even if it does hurt me, his happiness means so much to me.

"Are you sure you're ok? I know how strongly you felt about her." Kaldur gave me a small, sad smile of reassurance.

"I am well. Tula and I were not meant to be." I was not convinced.

"You know, as your best friend, I just want you to be happy, so if you need to talk I am here." I said returning the smile. Kaldur opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Batman coming into the room. The dark knight strode in with as much intent and pride as usual, catching our attention.

"It's a good thing you both are here. I have a mission I need to discuss with you both." Batman said The two of us looked at each other then smiled. Duty calls.

Annnnnndddddd there we go! Targets is done! I appreciate all the love this story has been getting, and I want to let you all know that even though I take a long time to update, I'm still dedicated to finishing it! The story of AquaAngel must be told and I'm so excited to get through it. Thank you all for the support, and stay safe!

-Anna Blue Ivory️