September 23
6:34 A.M
We all come back to the cave after the events of Red Tornado's betrayal.
All I see is destruction.
'Remember when you said you wanted to be a builder?' I think humorously to myself.
Green Lanterns Gardner, Jordan, and Jordan Jr all help with the large scale destruction. Creating cranes, and lifting cement blocks.
When the generator is restored, all of the lights in the cave turn back on.
Martian Manhunter and the Atom help with configuring the Cave's main frame, which was busted when sphere was thrown into it.
Sphere rolls by them, and Manhunter gives sphere a pat.
"Synchronizing: Cave security protocols with Watchtower mainframe," The female automatic voice calls out.
Wally, Artemis, Robin, Aqualad, Conner, Nash, M'gann and I all sit in the dining hall wearing depressed looks upon our faces.
Green Arrow sets down a bowl of nuts on the table.
"Thanks," Wally begins. "But no thanks."
"Yeah, what we want are answers!" Robin exclaims. "About Red Tornado and his siblings."
"And not the watered down version. We're grown up enough to know," Nash defends, crossing his arms over his chest.
Green Arrow moves to take the bowl.
K.F moves to take it out of his hands. "Leave the bowl…"
Kaldur and I report to Batman.
"We had suspected that there had been a breach in the team," I begin quietly.
"It was during the Tai Pei mission with Red Arrow," Kaldur begins. "Sportsmaster revealed the possibility of a mole within the team. In light of last night's attack, Tornado would appear to be the traitor. But whether he betrayed us willingly or was pre-programmed is still-"
"YOU KNEW?!" Conner yells, attacking Kaldur.
"Hey!" I yell, throwing him off. "Watch it Rock-head!"
"That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!" He yells at us.
"Connor, what are you doing?" M'gann yells at him, flying over to us.
"Kaldur and Adeline knew we had a traitor among us, and said nothing!" He accuses.
"You two knew?" Robin asks.
"But didn't tell us?" K.F adds on.
"We sought to protect the team from-" Kaldur begins.
"Protect us from what, knowledge that might have saved our lives?" Artemis argues.
"It's not like that-" I try.
"Isn't it though?" Nash yells at me, getting in my face. "Keeping secrets like this is not protecting us!"
"That's rich coming from you!" I yell back.
"You almost died!" Conner yells at M'gann.
"Enough!" Batman yells. "With Red Tornado missing, the team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."
Captain Marvel looks a lot like Superman. He's tall, muscular, has black hair, and bright blue eyes. His outfit is a red one piece with a white gold lined cape, and he has a golden lightning bolt on his chest.
"I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys," Captain Marvel greets.
"After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna-" Conner begins to threaten.
"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League, which makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us. I have another assignment for this team," Batman explains.
"'Gotham Mayor attacked by Guerrilla Gorilla'?" Wally reads the news article out loud.
"Really, yo!" Nash complains.
"Was this the only thing he could find to distract us?" Conner asks via telepathic link.
"Batman, please! Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase," Robin pleads.
"I never joke about the mission," Batman deadpans. "I've checked the sources. I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out."
"Your team," Wally scoffs, storming past us.
"You're coming with?" I hear Robin ask Cap. Marvel.
"Sure! We'll have a blast!" Captain Marvel exclaims.
"Translation. He blames us for Red fiasco. Doesn't trust us," Robin whispers, as Kaldur and I appear behind them.
"It's a big club," Wally scoffs at us.
I give Kaldur a re-assuring look as we enter the Bio-ship.
Northern India
9:36 P.M
"All clear," Robin reports as we exit the bioship.
"Switch to stealth, and we'll review mission parameters," Aqualad orders.
"Parameters? We don't need no stinkin' parameters," K.F argues.
"It's recon, we know what to do," Robin spits.
"We always review-" I begin, trying to regain Robin's attention.
"We don't need to," Nash snaps at me.
"Kid, Robin-" Aqualad begins.
"The three of us started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us!" Robin accuses.
"Or did you forget that, like you forgot to tell us about the mole?" K.F adds on as the two disappear into the jungle.
"Come on. I'll keep you safe," Superboy orders , grabbing her arm.
M'gann yanks her arm back.
"I just want to protect you," He defends.
"Like Aqualad protected us? I'm not sure your protection or your patronizing is good for our health," Artemis pokes at Superboy, then storms off with Miss.M.
"Why didn't you stop them? You're supposed to be in charge," Superboy accuses Aqualad.
Kid Lantern begins to fly off.
"Nash-" I call, flying after him.
"What? You're not gonna stick with you new pal?" He spits.
"Get back here," I command. "We need to talk."
"You know, for once, I really don't want to talk to you," He spits.
"That sounds like a you problem, now doesn't it?" I reply, flying in front of him.
"Get out of my way Adeline," He growls at me, using my full name.
"Try me, Nash," I growl back. "We need to stop ignoring each other-"
"I'm sorry, was I ignoring you? Or were you hiding from me?" He asks angrily. "I was looking for you everywhere, Addie! Why are you avoiding me? Did you think I was the mole?"
"Not for the reasons you might think," I defend.
"Oh really now?" He mocks.
"Yes!"
"Then why?" He yells. "What reason could you possibly-"
"Because I saw you with Sinestro!" I yell.
His eyes widen.
"W-what? T-that's-"
"You stutter when you lie, Nash," I state.
"I-I d-do not!"
I raise my eyebrow.
"O-okay, maybe a little," He admits. "But I'm not with Sinestro! Are you crazy?"
"No. Don't degrade me! I saw you Nash! And don't think that I haven't noticed the golden sliver slipping into your bright green eyes! You've been working with the fear-ring haven't you!" I demand to know.
"It's none of your business, Addie," He says.
"The Underworld, it's not!" I yell at him. "How could you be so stupid? After everything Sinestro's done, and you want to have faith in him?"
"Of course I don't!" He argues.
"Then why can I see it in your eyes?" I ask.
"You don't see anything in my eyes," He says lowly. "Not anymore."
"Just because I don't agree with your decisions, Nash, it doesn't mean that I care any less about you," I say, reaching out to his cheek.
He ducks away.
"Nash," I begin. "Why? Why are you trusting him?"
"Trust?" He asks. "I don't trust anyone. Not anymore."
"Oh yeah?" I ask. "And why's that?"
"When were you planning on telling me that you went on a mission to save that K-pop reject?" He attacks.
"When were you planning on telling the team that you're working with Sinestro?" I defend.
"When I turned on him," He responds.
My eyebrows raise in suspicion.
"He has information on my mom. Addie, I need to know what my Dad has been hiding from me about her," Nash pleads.
"Then why don't you just ask him!?" I yell.
"Yeah, like he'll tell me," Nash scoffs.
"If you explain the situation to him, I'm sure he will," I assure. "Now, as much as I'd love to talk about this, we have a mission to work on."
"Huh. You mean the one where Aqualad is supposed to be in charge? I don't think so," Nash crosses his arms over his chest.
I glare at him.
"Regardless of what you may believe, he is still our leader. He did the things he did for the right reasons," I defend.
"Some of the world's worst nightmares happened with the best of intentions," Nash growls to himself.
"Then I guess it's a good thing that Kaldur and I didn't create a seismic event, now, huh?" I retort.
"Link established," Miss.M's voice says in my head.
"Should you really still be giving us orders? And should you really be following them?" Artemis asks us.
"Listen, please-" Kaldur tries.
"Oh, good, Aqualad's voice in my head. I've so missed that," K.F retorts.
"Hey, Kaldur, KF and I were attacked by giant vultures. 'Course, since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves," Robin sarcastically reports.
"If he did, he wouldn't tell you," Artemis budds in.
"Superboy, are you online or just pouting?" M'gann asks.
"Busy. Call back later,"He replies.
"What gets me is how nonchalant he is about not telling us." K.F remarks.
"He should be chalant. Way chalant. Extremely chal-" Robin begins.
"How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?" Artemis asks
"Or if Connor doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves?" M'gann pipes up.
"Did he really think you or I could have been the mole?" K.F asks Robin.
"We've known each other for years!" Robin points out.
"Trust is a two-way street, and you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them." M'gann says.
"Not that we'd do that.Never," Artemis states.
"And Wonderbat seems to be just fine with this! Speak up why don't ya!? You had a part in this too!" K.F yells at me through the link.
"If all of you don't shut up, and let the man talk, I swear, I will come down there and beat all of you into Kingdom Come!" I yell through the link. "Good enough for speaking up,Wallace?"
"Enough! Captain Marvel has been captured, and we must act as a team to save him," Kaldur takes control.
"Under your leadership? I don't think-" K.F begins.
"This is not up for debate. You all chose me to lead. When the 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," Kaldur takes command once more.
We all make our way to the coordinates Kaldur sent us.
We surround a base about two stories high, and surrounded with small pointy-techie-thingies.
"I'll fly over," M'gann begins.
"Negatory. The field is stamped like a dome over the whole compound," K.F reports.
"Pylons are insulated, but one good shock could cause a momentary gap," Robin contributes.
"I see a target," Artemis says.
"Then be ready to hit it," Kaldur prepares. "Be ready, all of you,"
Kaldur runs down the hill, and lights up his arms to electrocute the pointy-techie-thingies.
I can't see where the small gap is, but evidently K.F can with his goggles.
"Now!" He yells at Artemis.
She shoots an arrow through the gap, and dead center of a red button on the base, that shut the machines down.
We all meet up at the bottom of the base, only to stop when we hear a monkey call out to his buddies on the roof of the building as the alarms sound off.
"Aww, heck…" Nash cries.
We begin to fight off the monkeys.
"Good thing Superboy isn't here!" I joke as Robin and I work as a unit to take out the monkeys. "He definitely wouldn't be feeling the Aster!"
"Remove their collars!" Kaldur orders.
"Sounds easy when he says it," Robin says, As we are tackled by monkeys.
Luckily, Artemis has our backs, shooting at their collars with her arrows.
In return, Robin uses his Bird-arangs to hit the two sneaking up behind her.
"You have to show me how to use those sometime!" I say.
"Get your paws off her, you darn dirty ape!" I hear K.F hollar.
I look around to see a Gigantic Gorilla wearing a red beret, and a loaded six barrel machine gun.
Wally runs head first into it, and all he does is bounce backwards.
I turn back to the Gorilla and glare.
"Your turn," I growl as M'gann gets up.
I fly at it arms first. It moves to swat me out of the air, but that wasn't my goal. I grab it's arm, and swing it around with my momentum, and I release it, making it crash through the walls of the base.
"Remind me to never tick you off to that point," Nash remarks.
"It's The Brain!" K.F says, yelling at the strange R2D2 rip off.
...Nash made me watch Star Wars...
"Uh, I can see it's a brain," Artemis sasses at him.
"Not a brain, the Brain," He clarifies.
"In the flesh, so to speak. Mallah," The Brain calls to the Gorilla.
Mallah, opens his hand, to reveal a small remote with one large button on it. He presses a button on the remote, and more of those pointy-techies come up, and force us to the ground with it's electricity.
"Miss Martian, Superboy, now!"
Miss.M uses her telepathy to take the remote from Mallah's hand, and she releases us from it's hold, just as Superboy bursts through the wall behind Mallah and the Brain.
Alongside Superboy is a very large, very white wolf, who jumps from his side to attack Mallah.
'Why does Conner always get the cool pets….' I pout.
We all begin to attack the large Ape, one after another, Nash and I work on holding him in the air, then he drops him, and I kick him right back up to the ceiling, where Miss.M slams him back down.
Artemis and Robin use their respective devices to explode the machine off his back, and hands, while Kaldur works on taking down the Brain and freeing Captain Marvel.
Now, we have a member of the Justice League on our team! No way we'll fail now!
The Gorilla growls as his sudden surrounding, roaring, and puffing out it's chest.
"Try it. I hate monkeys," Superboy growls at the large Gorilla, cracking his knuckles.
It growls, and readies itself for an attack.
"No, Mallah, this will not be our Waterloo. Au revoir, mes amis," The brain starts to open itself up, and it seems as though he's turning into a large weapon of sorts.
I ready my stance.
"Get down!" Kaldur yells.
Everyone hits the deck, but Nash and I. We are in the air.
Just as I believed something bad was happening, I see a green glow surround me, and arms wrap around me, pushing me against the wall.
The lights flicker back on.
I look up to see Nash's face buried into my shoulder, and a green orb surrounding us. I assume that it's one of the safety bubbles.
"Wait, that big weapon thing was... a light switch?" K.F asks.
As we exit the scene, I see that dawn is approaching over the horizon.
"What are you grinning about?" Artemis asks K.F as we all make our way back to the bioship.
"One word: Souvenir," Wally smiles, placing the red beret on his head.
"Two words: Gorilla. Lice," Artemis lists off.
"Huh? Oh, man!" Wally complains, removing the hat, and holding it at arms length.
"That's the last of the collars?" Cap. Marvel asks the tiger, after he removes a collar off of the last monkey.
It growls in acknowledgement.
"And I can count on you to keep the other animals out of trouble?"
It growls again.
"Good. I'll be back for a visit. I promise," Cap. Marvel promises the Tiger as it runs off into the jungle. "I think I'll call him Mr. Tawny,"
"The rest of the pack is gone, what are you still doing here?" Conner asks the white wolf, rubbing his fur all over.
It yipps happily.
"I think he wants to stay with you," M'gann says, watching the scene unfold.
"Can I keep him?" He asks as if he were a child in a puppy store.
"Ha ha ha! First the sphere, now this beast? Dude, you sure make a habit of collecting strays," Wally notes.
"Maybe because he's such a stray himself," M'gann replies.
"Well, he's gonna need a name. How's about Krypto?" Wally offers.
"Pass," Conner passes on as the Wolf growls at the name.
"Besides, isn't that taken?" M'gann asks.
"I am still prepared to step down," I hear Kaldur say as we all gather to the bioship.
"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?" K.F asks.
We all raise our hands.
"Guess it's unanimous," Cap. Marvel says, shaking Kaldur's hand. "See you tomorrow."
"You're not coming back with us?" Kaldur asks.
"Nope, gotta fly," He says just before taking off into the sky.
"So, what are you gonna call him?" M'gann asks Conner as they enter the Bioship.
"What's wrong with Wolf?" Conner asks.
"Generic, but acceptable," K.F replies.
"Nash," I say, taking his hand. " We do need to talk about your deal with… you know…"
"We will," He says, his grip tightening around my hand. "Just not now. Kay, Princess?"
He nuzzles his nose into mine.
"Okay," I reply, as he leads us onto the Bioship.
HOLA.
.L: So, I can't really answer your questions without giving away any spoilers... so please forgive meeeee!
YJ and Batfam: It's okay to ship Addie and Kaldur! I was thinking about it at first but then I took a minute, then thought, "Naaaahhhh...". And Addie, is very much based off of me, and how I would react in the given situations. Nash is based off of a mixture of Michelangelo, and Leonardo from TMNT. Mostly Mikey though.
I know that Jason isn't supposed to be in here yet, but I've always had the biggest crush on Jason, and I couldn't wait any longer! You see? This is me holding restraint!
Gargoyle77 Out!
