Okay, so this episode WASN'T easy to write. Mostly because I try my hardest to not make Lina a Mary-Sue (if you're getting some Mary-Sue vibes please tell me!) so there was a bit of a problem because I knew it wasn't going to be easy to write her as a captive. But at the same time, it would be pretty Mary-Sue-esk if I didn't make her get caught in the robot's attack because THIS CHAPTER IS ABOUT THE NON-POWERED HEROES AND HOW YOU DONT NEED POWERS TO BE A KICK-ASS SUPERHERO WHICH IS SOMETHING MOST OC WRITERS TEND TO IGNORE (flips table). At least I got some Kaldina (thanks for the suggested ship names guys) fluff in!
So, ya, this is the result. Also, I'm hoping that this is the only chapter where I'll use the original title name. I like using more creativity than just using the episode's original name but honestly, I came up with nada.
So without further ado: here we go.
I was reading in the living room of the cave, lost in the story that unfolded before me. Most say it's childish to reread Harry Potter when you're almost 17, but I say to hell with it: nothing's gonna keep me from not shipping Harry and Ginny and fawning over Remus Lupin.
Suddenly however, I sensed a presence behind me and I looked back to see Kaldur walked over.
"Hello Kaldur." I smiled.
"Hello Lina." He nodded. "Where is everyone?"
I looked at the empty seats around me.
"Hanger I think...Megan and Conner left a while ago and Wally went to go check on them." I said, but then thought for a moment, swinging my legs off the coach and fully turning to Kaldur. "Is it just me, or are Megan and Conner have been spending a lot of time alone lately?"
"I do believe something happened between them during their undercover mission in Belle Reve." He explained, a knowing look in his eyes.
My eyes widened and I smiled grandly, hopping onto the balls of my feet in excitement. "You don't think..?"
Kaldur shrugged, but smiled and I made a squealing sound: spinning and levitating slightly in happiness.
"I knew they liked each other!"
Kaldur chuckled as I settled down, landing beside him.
"Should we go check on them?" I asked.
"I was more thinking along the lines of ensuring Wally was still alive." Kaldur muttered and I giggled.
"Fair enough." I said, and we made our way out of the living room.
As we walked into the hanger, we were met by Wally laying behind Conner's bike and Megan passing him tools as Conner stood aside; glaring at Wally.
"Hello!" I said, floating over to join my youngers.
"I've been meaning to ask." Kaldur said, in a tone that stuck me as off, but I shrugged it off. "Have any of you been having difficulties juggling your schoolwork with your responsibilities here?"
"Nope." Conner grunted.
"I've been doing fine." I said, smiling.
"Juggling's just one of my many talents." Wally said smoothly. "Socket wrench."
Megan flew the tool to Wally using her powers before answering the open question. "Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge, but my first priorities are always to the team. This team I mean, not the Bumblebees."
I think you're possibly the nicest cheerleader I've ever met
"Artemis starts school today." Kaldur mentions. "Do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties."
"Probably not." I said. "Artemis doesn't strike me as the type to crack under pressure."
"I agree with Lina." Wally said, surprising us. "I mean, how much more hostile and annoying can she-"
Wally was cut off by an explosion hitting the wall, forcing us all back abruptly. We all let out a grunt at the force, but go to recover. Unfortunately, as soon as we get up: a huge tidal wave hits us. As I feel the strength of the wave's current take hold of me, I try to use my powers to blow myself out, or at least form my air bubble but my attempts are futile as I can't get a steady hold on my winds. After a while, I lose all my strength and my lungs burn for air, which I am unable to access. Slowly, I feel myself lose consciousness and everything goes black.
It wasn't until I felt a strong push on my chest that I regained consciousness. Before I had any time to do anything however, I forced myself to roll over as I coughed up what felt like liters of water from my lungs.
As I regained my breath, I rolled my body back up to see that the force on my chest had been Kaldur, who looked relieved.
"What-" another cough "-happened?" I asked.
"It would seem that your mentor has siblings." Kaldur said, motioning to his side and I turned to see two robots with a signature structure and design as Red, for the excpetion of a female model.
"What?" I coughed, furrowing my eyebrows. "There's...no way that he knows about them."
"Silent now Lina." Kaldur said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You nearly drowned, you need your lungs to recover."
I then noticed that the young man over me seemed far less from 100%. A cold sweat covered his body, and his breath was somewhat labored, and he seemed exhausted.
"What...are you okay?" I asked touching his face and turning to look at it for signs of injury as my eyes scanned the rest of his body.
"I'm much better now." He said, placing his hands over mine and moving them off of him. "Now that I know that you are well."
I blushed at the comment and hunched over, trying to make my thick wet hair cover my newly-pink face.
"O-okay." I muttered, but then cast my eyes to the rest of the team. Wally and Conner were encased in some weird metal substance, Megan was leaning on Conner's side (making me have a little mini fangirl moment), Artemis was fidgeting with a weird laser, and Robin was as soaking as me.
"Looks like I missed quite a party." I said, as Kaldur got up and helped me to my feet. I let myself slightly lean on him and take comfort in his body heat. "Are you all okay?"
"Says the one that wasn't breathing two minuets ago?" Robin smirks. His comment takes me by surprise.
"I wasn't breathing? I thought I was just unconscious!" I exclaim, then I connect the pieces and turn to the guy supporting me. "You preformed CPR on me?"
Kaldur nods and I swear I see a slught blush before my attention is stolen by Wally yelling at Artemis.
"Would you stop playing with that thing and cut us free already?" Wally exclaimed.
"It's not working genius!" Artemis retorts. "EMP shuts down all machines, remember?"
"All machines present at the time." A familiar voice says and we all turn to see my mentor flying down. "What has occurred?"
"Had a little visit from your family." Robin explains.
"Your extremely nasty family!" Artemis adds, yelling.
"Did you know about them?" I asked, looking straight at my mentor. "Because you've never mentioned them before."
"I was not aware I had...relations." He said, and I sighed in relief.
I swear if he had been keeping a secret this big from me after the whole Watchtower-thing in July, I would have lost it
"Where have you been?" Conner asked as Red walked over to check out the fallen robots.
"Monitor duty at the Watchtower." Red explained. "When it became clear communications were down, I attempted t investigate, but your zeta-tubes were also non-functional. I transported to Providence, and proceeded here."
Suddenly, Sphere (Conner's pet robot-sphere he picked up from Byalia) came to life and sprung out from in the wall. At the same time, the laser Artemis was holding sprang to life and shot a beam at Wally's feet.
"The pulse has worn off!" Robin and Wally exclaim in unison, and weall turn to look at the robots.
Before anyone can do anything however: Red Tornado activated his powers. He formed three, strong, reverse-cyclones which sucked out all of the oxygen from the room.
"Red!" I gasp. But it's not long before everything goes black again and I feel my body fall.
I wake up to the sound of someone calling my name. It sounds vaguely familiar but so far away.
"Lina! Wake up!"
I feel a sharp sting on my cheek and I'm suddenly very awake. I look up to see Dinah kneeling over me: a look of sorrow, worry, and annoyance on her face.
"Did you slap me?" I asked, holding my cheek.
"You weren't responding!" She exclaims back. I'm about to say something, when suddenly the memory of how I was rendered unconscious hits me.
It hurts like a bag of bricks.
"Red..." I said, suddenly feeling empty and blank.
"Lina..." Dinah says, and she goes to help me up but I move away, getting up on my own but keeping my gaze forward. I feel multiple eyes one me but they don't matter.
"No! There's no way that he would hurt us!" I said. "That wasn't him! He wouldn't betray us!"
"Lina, you need to calm down." Dinah said, placing hands on my shoulders but I shake them off.
"I...I need to go after him! The robots, they...infected him or something! He wouldn't-"
My words seemed useless as I tried to fly away but I only managed to levitate slightly before I fell, landing on my knees. I grasp the ground with my hands as I stare hardly at the floor, trying to comprehend what was happening.
He wouldn't have betrayed us.
He wouldn't have betrayed me.