Star City. July 17. 23:16 PDT
Several sketchy looking men were busy unloading cargo from trucks on a pier. Large storage crates were stacked all over the pier. Suddenly as two guys were carefully carrying a case and arrow sprouted from the ground at their feet. It exploded knocking both guys back and forcing them to drop the case. The case fell open when it hit the ground scattering guns everywhere. One of the guns skidded along the ground until it hit the foot of a large muscular red skinned man with white dreadlocks pulled back in a ponytail with a white beard dressed in a fairly fancy suit with a scarf draped around his shoulders who kicked it up and caught the weapon expertly. Three red lights on the barrel lit up as the man looked around for the source of the disturbance. A second later he saw Speedy, still missing his hat, glaring down at him from one of the cranes. "You again!" The man snapped, "I'm started to get insulted Green Arrow's not messing up my operations personally!" The barrel of the gun glowed the same red as the other lights an instant before a bolt of red light shot out of the gun as sped at Speedy. The archer ducked out of the way as the discharge exploded behind him. Deftly he leapt from place to place on the metal contraption, avoiding the following shots with ease. Running along a catwalk Speedy vaulted over one of the next shots, notched and arrow and fired it all in one smooth motion while he was still in mid-air. The arrow found its mark, the barrel of the man's high-tech gun, causing it to explode, covering the man in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared the man was unharmed by the explosion but the same could not be said for his suit. The jacket and scarf had been completely obliterated leaving the shirt in tatters. "Do you know what I pay for a suit my size!" the red skinned weapons dealer shouted angrily. "Scorch the earth boys." he ordered the four men behind him.
Before they could act through, a red and yellow blur sped past the two in the back knocking them over. Two disks knocked the guns out of the other two's hands before they realized what was happening. A red and black covered figure landed on top of one of the crates the disappeared between two more. Aqualad landed where Robin had vanished from, drawing his hilts and activating his water control, causing his normally back tattoos to glow blue again. Forming two whips made of water attached to the hilts the atlantean leapt forward swinging the tendrils of water into two more of the goons. Arcane flew in low, covered in white light, and fired off a beam of energy into a group of hired guns blasting them back into more of the crates.
Growling the red skinned man dug his fingers into the concrete at his feet and ripped out a large chunk of it and threw it at Speedy. The archer nimbly dodged and fired an exploding arrow which impacted on the mans shoulder making him grunt in pain but not enough to make him drop the new chunk of rock he was leap out of the boulders path, replaced by Aqualad who had changed his whips into a mace and a sword and cleaved the rock in two. Speedy in the meantime fired off a smoke arrow at the man making him cough as he inhaled the smoke. "The cave is perfect. It has everything the team will need." Aqualad said, allowing his weapons to disperse.
"For covert missions. You know, spy stuff." Robin said landing behind them.
"And wait until you see Superboy and Miss Martian. But I saw her first!" Kid Flash said zipping up the crate they were on and standing next to Aqualad.
"It's no orbiting satellite, but it's proof that we are getting somewhere, operating outside our mentors shadows." Arcane added landing next to the others.
Roaring in rage the weapons dealer picked up another huge chunk of rock and hurling it at the heroes. Sensing the danger they quickly split up, moving to different locations except for aqualad who formed his maces again and smashed the rock to dust. Coming out of his roll Speedy let loose three arrows that stuck to the mans chest, exploding in quick succession that once again made him grunt in pain and drop forward onto his fingertips but did no real damage.
The man chuckled, standing up straighter. "Tell Arrow he shouldn't send boys to do a mans job!" Speedy said nothing, simply notched another arrow. "Go ahead." The man taunted, spreading his arms out in an inviting gesture. Speedy fired the arrow, and like the others it stuck to the mans chest. Unlike the others however this one didn't explode. Instead it released a red foam that soon covered the man from head to foot before solidifying.
"High density polyurethane foam. Nice." Kid Flash grinned, speeding up to where Speedy was perched and giving him the thumbs up. Speedy turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
"So Speedy, you in?" Robin asked from where he was leaning against a crate along with Aqualad.
Speedy looked over his shoulder. "Pass. I'm done letting Arrow and the League tell me what to do. I don't need a babysitter or a clubhouse hangout with the other kids! Your Junior Justice League is a joke." he scoffed, making Aqualad stand up straighter. "Something to keep you busy, and in your place." he hissed walking into the shadows between two crates. "I don't want any part of it." The other four simple watched as the angry former sidekick strode between two crates and vanished.
Mount Justice. July 18. 11:16 EDT
"Recognized: Robin B 01. Kid Flash B 03." A computerized voice called out as the cave's zeta-tube teleporter activated and the two teens, now dressed in civilian garb stepped out of nowhere in a flash of yellow light. Robin was dressed in black pants, a green hoodie and black jacket and a pair of wrap around shades. Kid Flash was dressed in jeans, and a yellow t-shirt with a red overshirt unbuttoned on top. The two looked at each other and grinned before running to the middle of the room. It was a large circular room, mostly empty except for the holoscreens and the rest of the team, also in civilian clothes looking at the screens intently.
"Did you ask him?" Robin asked.
"What did he say?" Kid Flash urged.
"He's arriving now." Aqualad grinned. The Atlantean was dressed in black and blue jogging gear.
"He's not going to have anything for us." Arcane said shaking his head, his voice still clear despite the scarf he kept wrapped around the lower portion of his face even when not in uniform. The spellcaster was dressed in black cargo pants and combat boots, a gray t-shirt with a white cross covering the front of it and his signature white scarf wrapped several times around his neck and mouth, obscuring both from view with the ends trailing off down his back.
"Well it can't hurt to check." Miss Martian, who was currently dressed in a pink skirt, white shirt, a matching pink sweater, and slippers complete with knee high white socks, said optimistically.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid Flash grinned holding up a fist before running out the door followed closely by Robin then by Aqualad. Arcane just looked at the other two shaking his head at the speedsters antics before following them outside alongside Superboy who was now dressed in cargo pants, combat boots, a black superman t-shirt and a leather jacket, and Miss Martian who was floating in the air next to them.
Outside the cave a section of ground lowered with a his, revealing a hidden entrance to the cave inside. As the six teens walked outside a red android suspended in the air by a red twister began to lower himself to the ground.
"Red Tornado!" Kid Flash greeted, waving enthusiastically at the android.
"Greetings." the wind controlling hero replied in a monotone. "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?" he asked.
"We hoped you had a mission for us." Aqualad explained.
"Mission assignment it the Batmans responsibility." the android answered.
"But it's been over a week and nothing," Robin started to protest only to get cut off by Red Tornado.
"You will be tested soon enough." Red Tornado said holding up an hand to stop the arguments. "For the time being simply enjoy each others company."
"This team is not a social club." Aqualad reminded him.
"No, but I am told social interaction is an important team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." he suggested walking past them into the hollowed out mountain.
Kid Flash punched Robins arm in frustration and muttered "Keep busy." angrily.
"I told you to be patient." Arcane sighed, shaking his head.
"Does he think we're falling for this?" Robin asked incredulously.
"Oh, I'll find out!" Miss Martian said eagerly staring at Red Tornado.
"Recognized: Red Tornado 16. The caves computer intoned after scanning and confirming Red Tornado's identity.
"I-I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine. Inorganic." She apologized. "I cannot read his mind."
"Nice try though." Kid Flash comforted. "So uh, you know what I'm thinking right now?" he asked flirtatiously.
"Tch, we all know what you're thinking now." Robin gripped elbowing him in the side.
"Ow." the speedster muttered.
"And now we tour the clubhouse." Aqualad said, obviously remembering Speedy's earlier comment.
"Well, Superboy and I live here," Miss Martian began, "we can play tour guides." she said looking at the black haired boy.
"Don't look at me." he responded when the others turned to look at him as well.
"We won't." Kid Flash said turning back around to look at Miss Martian. "A private tour sounds much more fun."
"She never said private!" Robin protested.
"Team building. We all go." Arcane said, his stern voice cutting off all arguments, even from Kid Flash. The blue eyed sorcerer then turned to Miss Martian and bowed slightly, gesturing or her to lead them into the cave. The green skinned girl blushed slightly as she turned and lead them into the cave.
Robin roughly jerked Kid Flash behind him by the elbow as the speedster tried to get close to the martian girl who was getting into her role as tour guide. "So, this would be our front door..."
"And this would be the back." She finished, leading them out onto a small outcropping of rock higher up on the other side of the mountain. "The cave is actually the entire mountain." She explained as they walked back inside.
"It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League." Kid Flash continued.
"Then why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?" Superboy asked.
"The cave's secret location was... compromised." Aqualad explained.
"So they traded it in for a tourist trap?" Superboy asked, not seeing the logic. "Yeah, that makes sense." he scoffed.
"If villans know about the cave we must be on constant alert!" Miss Martian realized sounding worried.
Robin took her hand but before he could speak Arcane slapped a hand over his mouth. "No need to confuse her." he scolded the boy wonder. "Basically the principle is 'hide in plain sight'." he explained. "They believe that since they know about it we will never use it again so they would never look for us here."
"I smell smoke." Superboy said taking a few sniffs.
Miss Martian gasped in horror. "My cookies!" she exclaimed floating quickly down the hall. In the kitchen smoke was leaking from one of the ovens. Using her telekinesis the martian opened the oven and pulled out a tray covered in smoking black lumps. "I was trying out Grammy Jones recipe from episode seventeen of, heh never mind." she laughed nervously.
"I bet they'd have tasted great! He doesn't seem to mind." Robin grinned nodding at Kid Flash who was busy crunching down on some of the 'cookies.'
"I have a serious metabolism." he said sheepishly.
"I'll make more." Miss Martian replied sounding confused.
"It was kind of you to make any." Aqualad said.
"Thanks Aqualad." she nodded.
"We're off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm. My friends call me Kaldur." he smiled.
"I'm Wally." Kid Flash said leaning over the counter, trying to look and sound smooth. "See I already trust you with my secret Id. Unlike mister dark glasses over here." he then said gesturing at Robin who put his hands on his hips and glared at Wally. "See, Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling any his real name." the slight laugh in his voice prompted Arcane to smack him upside the head earning a yelp of pain.
"Mine's no secret." Miss Martian said cheerfully. "It's M'gann M'orzz. But you can call me Megan. It's an earth name, and I'm on earth now." she gushed.
At this point Superboy pushed off from where he had been leaning on the counter and began walking away. "Don't worry Superboy." M'gann said telepathically making him grunt in shock. "We'll find you an earth name too." she comforted.
"Get out of my head!" Superboy yelled angrily at M'gann making the others look at her as well.
"W-what's wrong? I don't understand." she said to the rest of them the same way causing everyone but Arcane to grip their heads. "Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically."
"M'gann stop!" Kaldur snapped at her making the green skinned girl jerk back.
"It's okay." Arcane said walking over and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You just have to remember that things aren't the same on earth as they are on mars. Here nonconsensual telepathic communication is considered an extreme invasion of privacy to anyone who isn't experienced in its use."
"Besides, Cadmus's creepy little psychic g-gnomes left a bad taste in his brain." Wally said putting a hand to the side of his mouth conspiratorially and pointing at Superboy.
"I-I didn't mean to," she began verbally.
"Just stay out!" Superboy snarled, stalking over to their green couch and sitting down.
M'gann looked down sadly until a thought came to her and she hit herself lightly in the head. "Hello Megan! I know what we could do!" Using her telekinesis to make herself fly the martian lead them out of the room.
Arcane hung back though, intent on talking to Superboy. "You overreacted you know." he said softly.
"So?" Superboy replied angrily.
"So, you need to learn to control your temper. Otherwise you're going to make a mistake that gets someone else killed." Arcane snapped.
"Don't give me orders!" Superboy snarled standing up.
"I'm not. This is advice." Arcane snapped back before sighing. "Look. I'm trying to be your friend, we all are. But you need to be willing to let us in before that can happen." Holding out a hand he looked Superboy dead in the eye. "So, willing to give us one more shot?" he asked with a grin.
Superboy looked at the offered hand for a moment before smiling slightly. "One more shot." he agreed. The two teens then went to catch up with the others.
"It's my martian bio-ship!" M'gann said as the elevator doors pinged open. The it she was talking about was an oval shaped red pod with black markings.
"Cute." Wally commented. "Not aerodynamic, but cute."
"It's at rest silly." M'gann said.
"Woah, that's incredible." Arcane gasped when he saw the ship.
"What? What is it?" Robin asked.
"That whole ship is alive!" Arcane explained breathlessly. "A single living organism, capable of responding to telepathic commands it I'm right." he said looking at M'gann for confirmation. Smiling M'gann nodded and holding up a hand told the ship to wake up. The bio-ship the shifted from a pod to a ship with a cockpit between two somewhat triangular wings. With another wave of her hand the ship levitated slightly and turned to that the rear was facing them. The wall in the back of the cockpit flowed down, opening the ship and also forming a walkway at the same time.
"Well? Are you coming?" M'gann asked smiling at the gobsmacked expressions on the faces of Wally, Kaldur and Robin. Superboy looked indifferent while Arcane looked amazed. Snapping out of their dazes they then followed her onto the ship.
The inside of the ship was mostly purple and pink. The doors blocking their path melted into the walls at another mental command from M'gann revealing a virtually empty room. Chairs and control panels then formed from the floor up at another command. "Strap in for launch." M'gann said. Robin and Wally looked at each other eagerly then quickly sitting down in the chairs which then proceeded to strap them in.
"Woah!" Robin exclaimed when he was strapped in.
"Cool." Wally said casually.
"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors." M'gann asked when she sat down in the center seat. In response the reinforced concrete wall in front of them, separated by a small expanse of water, opened revealing the bright blue sky outside. As M'gann held out her hands, two glowing orbs rose out of the floor in front of her, held up by two curved bars made of the same material as the rest of the ship. As she placed her hands on them the ship levitated then shot out the door into the sky. The ship rose quickly and thanks to some mental commands from M'gann flipped around smoothly so that the ship was flying over the island.
"Incredible!" Robin told M'gann honestly as he looked up from the window.
"She sure is." Wally said with a lovestruck sigh. Arcane's eyes narrowed and flashed white for an instant as Wally suddenly felt a hand slap him on the back of the head. "I-I mean the ship." he said nervously when he noticed the spellcaster's glare. "Like all ships is a she."
"Fast with his feet, not his brain." Arcane said teasingly.
"Dude!" Wally protested.
"I think you might be protesting a little too much KF." Robin grinned at his friend.
Up in the front of the ship Kaldur leaned in closer to Superboy. "I might not have psychic powers but I can guess what you're thinking. You overreacted and you don't know how to apologize. Just say sorry." Superboy just looked back out the window silently.
Witnessing the exchange M'gann looked down a bit, somewhat depressed. "He'll come around." Robin assured her quietly.
"He doesn't seem to like me very much." she whispered back.
"You guys remember he has super hearing right?" Wally interjected, pointing at the stoic clone. Robin and M'gann looked in front of them surprised but Superboy gave no indication that he had heard them at all.
"Hey, how about showing us a little martian shapeshifting?" Robin suggested, eager to move the conversation away for the uncomfortable topic.M'gann smiled and stood up. Black began to creep up her body, eventually gaining extra colors and definition until, seconds after the process began, a female Robin stood before them. Looking over her shoulder at Wally M'gann did a little twirl and repeated the process, this time turning into a female Kid Flash, complete with cocky grin and struck a pose.
"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally asked, starstruck.
"impressive!" Robin clapped as she changed back to normal. "But, you know you're not exactly going to fool anybody with those."
"Mimicking boys is a lot harder." she said shyly, sitting back down.
"And your clothes." Kaldur said confused.
"They're organic." she laughed. "They respond to my mental commands."
"As long as they're the only ones." Superboy said harshly.
"Superboy!" Arcane snapped, his eyes literally flashing with anger. Superboy crossed his arms stubbornly. M'gann looked down at her feet, hurt by his cruel comment.
"Hey, can you do that ghosting through wall thing that Manhunter does?" Wally asked, taking a leaf from Robins book and trying to distract the pretty martian girl.
"Density shifting?" M'gann clarified. "No. It's a very advanced technique." she said nervously.
"Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall." Robin told her. "He tries it? Bloody nose." he laughed gesturing at Wally.
"Dude!" Wally protested yet again.
Here's something I can do." M'gann grinned. From the outside, the red and black craft vanished from the front back, similar to M'gann's shapeshifting Arcane noticed. "Camouflage mode."
"I just realized something." Arcane said getting everyone's attention. "I haven't fully introduced myself. My name is Rorek, but most people know me as Arcane." he told the people he hadn't worked with before.
"Red Tornado to Miss Martian." the monotone voice came in over the ship's speakers. "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate. Covertly. I'm sending coordinates."
"Received." M'gann confirmed. "Adjusting course."
Pft. Tornado's keeping us busy again." Robin huffed.
"Well, a simple fire lead you to Superboy. We should find out what cause the alert." M'gann reasoned as she brought the ship down lower.
"I think I know the cause." Superboy said looking out the window at a small tornado headed right for them. Before M'gann could move the ship out of the way it had been swept up by the swiftly growing vortex, shorting out the camouflage mode. Everyone grunted as the ship was rocked about. M'gann managed to deftly maneuver the ship out of the tornado, using the extreme winds to slingshot them away from it so they could land safely. A hole opened in the bottom of the ship, allowing the six heroes to jump off.
"Robin, are tornados common in New England?" Aqualad asked. "Robin!" but the boy wonder was gone, his signature laugh already on the wind.
"He was just here." Miss Martian said confused, looking around for their teammate.
"Yeah, he does that. We need to move." Arcane said, sprinting for the main building. "Well that's not good." he muttered when he saw the windows on the upper levels shatter and explode outward.
"Gah!" Robin grunted as he was thrown into a pillar by twisting winds, courtesy giant in a red and black suit, with two blue cords from his hands leading to his shoulders. Whoever it was also had blue lenses covering their eyes and a brown scarf wrapped around their neck.
The other five raced through the front door. Superboy leapt forward landing next to Robin. "Who's your new friend?" he asked clenching his fist.
"Didn't catch his name but he plays kinda rough." Robin warned as Superboy charged.
My apologies." the person said in a clearly modified voice, complete with bad accent. "You may address me as Mr. Twister." he said before sending out strong winds from his robotic suits hands that succeeded in slowing down the black haired teen. Sending out another bust he formed a tornado under him that threw him away hard enough to make a small crater in the wall of the warehouse.
Looking at each other the other five steeled themselves for the coming fight. Wally got out his goggle, and Robin stood up groaning and Arcane began to glow white. then they charged. Racing forward Kid Flash launched into a full body double kick to Mr. Twisters chest which did nothing. The man then used the winds from his hands to throw the teen out the open door behind him. Turning back around he quickly sent out more tornados to intercept Aqualad, Arcane and Miss Martian. "I was expecting to be challenged by a superhero." he gloated to Robin, who was arming one of his exploding disks behind his back. "I was not however, expecting children."
"We're not children!" Robin growled, throwing the disks. Mr. Twister made a wall of wind to block them which was cancelled out by the explosion of the first disk, clearing the way for the second which he contemptuously flicked off.
"Objectively you are." Mr. Twister said as the second disk detonated off to the side. "Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite...disturbing." he admitted.
"Well we hate to see you disturbed. Let see if you're more turbed after we kick your can!" Robin shouted back. Arcane nodded, signalling for Miss Martian to break apart a container above Mr. Twisters head, releasing a lot of smoke. With a roar Superboy leapt at him only to get blown back into Miss Martian. Robin and Aqualad charged, only to get picked up by a tornado ead and slammed painfully into one another.
Suddenly a bolt of white light crashed into Mr. Twister sending him stumbling back. "Let's see how you fight someone who doesn't need to get close." Arcane snarled.
"Ah. The 'sorcerer'. I will enjoy studying the technology that grants you your abilities." Mr Twister said confidently, sending out another wave of wind.
"You're as bad as Kid Flash." Arcane muttered as he dodged the wind. Concentrating Arcane muttered under his breath causing the ground underneath Mr. Twister to explode. Unfortunately this gave Mr. Twister the cover he needed to send out three different tornados at the spellcaster. They slammed into his hastily erected shield, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Yes that was quite turbing. Thank you." Mr. Twister taunted as he floated away on the powerful wind currents.
Wally sat up groaning in the trench Mr. Twister had dug with his body. Looking over at the warehouse he saw Mr. Twister emerging and assumed the worst. Charging forward the speedster rolled twice in front of the wind controller, cutting him off. "What have you done with my team?" he demanded.
"Embarrassed them largely." Mr. Twister scoffed before sending out another tornado that scooped Kid Flash up and sent it crashing into the building.
"I've got you Wally." Miss Martian told him as the smoke cleared and the lowered him telekinetically onto the ground.
"Woah, thanks." he sighed in relief.
"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now." Mr. Twister said from his place in the sky above them.
"What do you want!" Aqualad shouted at the giant.
"Isn't it obvious?" Mr. Twister laughed. "I'm waiting for a real hero."
"Miss Martian, read him. Find a weakness." Arcane ordered, not taking his eyes off their enemy.
"I thought I wasn't supposed to do that." she protested confused.
"It's okay with the bad guys!" Robin snapped.
Miss Martian closed her eyes, focusing on the foreign mind. "Nothing, I'm getting nothing." she told them. Then she came to a realization. "Hello Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's inorganic, an android. How many androids do you know that can generate tornados?" she said triumphantly.
"Red Tornado sent us here!" Aqualad said angrily.
"After saying we'd be tested soon enough?" Robin added. "This is his test. Something to keep us busy."
"Speedy called it." Kid Flash sighed. "We're a joke."
"Gra!" Aqualad growled slamming his fist into his hand the turning to face Mr. Twister.
"This game is so over." Kid Flash said as he and Robin joined the atlantean walking towards the android.
"We know who you are and what you want." Robin snapped as the three came to a halt.
"So let's end this." Aqualad said spreading his arms.
"Consider it ended." Mr. Twister agreed, raising his hands. Two tornados emerged from his hands and rose into the sky, not only forming another tornado between them but making the sky grow dark as the clouds became gray.
"An impressive show." Aqualad said pointing up at him. "But we will not indulge you. We will not engage!" Lightning began to flash behind the android.
"No." Arcane muttered looking up, his eyes widening.
"Uh, can Red Tornado do that?" Kid Flash asked when he saw the lightning.
"You think I am Tornado? Ironic." Mr. Twister said before blots of lightning blasted straight at them.
"Get down!" Arcane roared, suddenly in front of his three teammates. When the smoke cleared Arcane was standing with his arms raised, electricity crackling all over his body.
"Oh? Impressive." Mr. Twister mused.
"Oh trust me." Arcane said shakily. "You haven't seen anything!" he roared. Then with his eyes glowing white, he sent the electricity back even stronger than it was before. It slammed into the android, sending him cartwheeling back, smoke issuing from his damaged chest.
"Aarrg!" the android cried out as the shock registered. "It seems, we are at a stalemate. The rest of you should thank him." Mr. Twister mussed before floating away.
"He's getting away!" Superboy yelled, preparing to leap after him.
Superboy! Arcane needs medical attention!" Aqualad shouted to the kryptonian from where Arcane had collapsed, convulsing with electricity still sparking off his body. Nodding Superboy ran over and picked up the white haired teen, carrying him aboard the bio-ship and setting him down on a bed that the ship formed.
The team stood around in silence for a moment before Superboy rounded on M'gann. "This is your fault! You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado!"
"She didn't do it on purpose!" Kaldur defended.
"It was a rookie mistake. We shouldn't have listened." Robin sighed.
"You are pretty inexperienced." Wally agreed, not looking at the martian girl. "Hit the showers." he said not unkindly, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "We'll take it from here."
"Stay out of our way!" Superboy snarled, stalking angrily off the ship as it landed in the hanger, followed by Robin and Wally.
"I was just trying to be part of the team." she murmured, looking down.
"To be honest," Kaldur sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm not sure we have a team." But as he made to leave a hoarse voice stopped him.
"We don't have a team because no one is willing to try." Rorek's voice was scratchy and low. "Get them back here. We have work to do." he told Kaldur.
"You need rest." Kaldur tried to protest.
"Now."
It hadn't taken long for Kaldur to gather the rest of the team outside the bio-ship. "Dude, It's great to see you up!" Wally cheered.
"Yeah." Robin agrees. "We thought you'd be down for the count after that lightning thing."
Rorek didn't respond. He walked kept his back turned to the as he spoke. "Has everyone here earned the right?" he asked and the others winced at how hoarse he was.
"What'd you mean? Of course we all deserve to be here." Wally said defensively.
"Is everyone here dedicated to what this team means?" Rorek asked quietly.
"Well, yeah." Robin shrugged. "Of course we are."
Then why," Rorek snarled rounding on them, "is it that at the first sign of difficulty you only trusted your own skills! And not only that but you ostracized M'gann for a mistake when you followed her instructions!" His voice couldn't get very loud but for some reason that just made it worse as the others lowered their heads in shame. "As far as I'm concerned," he said more in control, "the only ones on a team are M'gann and myself. If any of you want to join feel free but for now we have work to do." And with that he lead her onto the bio-ship with one hand on her shoulder.
Once the door of the ship closed Rorek's knees buckled. M'gann gently lowered him into one of the seats that rose out of the floor. "You shouldn't be straining yourself like that." she fretted.
"I have to." Rorek muttered shaking his head.
"No. You don't." a voice said as a hand laid on his shoulder. Looking up Rorek saw Superboy looking down at him.
"Not when you have us to pick up the slack." Kaldur said leading Robin and Wally inside.
"Besides, we still have a job to do." Robin grinned.
"And I kinda have to make up for what I said earlier." Wally shrugged sheepishly.
Rorek looked around at the other boys before grinning feraly. "Let's do this."
Tornados tore through town, picking boats up out of the coastal waters and sending them crashing down at the town below, and destroying buildings. "Certainly this will get the required attention." Mr. Twister assured himself as he directed the three tornados.
"You got ours! Full and undivided!" Kid Flash shouted launching into forward double kick that sent the android skidding back several feet.
"Immaterial and insufficient!" Mr. Twister scoffed. "You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!"
"Raag!" Superboy yelled, descending from the sky and forcing the android to slide back. Mr. Twister began forming a tornado only for it to be disrupted as a blot of white light slammed into his face.
"I really like doing that." Arcane said snarkily, already looking and sounding better. Before Mr. Twister could react he was forcibly shoved into Superboy's vice like grip by Miss Marian's telekinesis. Gripping the android tightly by the arm and punching two holes in its chest before his last punch sent it sailing out into the ocean where Aqualad was waiting. Slamming an anchor into Mr. Twister's chest Aqualad channeled his power, turning his tattoos blue and sending out a stream of electricity blowing one of the androids arms off and the rest of it out of the water. Kid Flash then raced by ripping the remaining arm off and spinning him around. Robin quickly followed that up with a few exploding disks that sent it toppling over onto its front.
Rising up on its knees the androids chest opened with a hiss, and a middle aged man with brown hair dressed in a green and white jumpsuit fell out. "F-foul. I call foul." he stuttered nervously. Arcane landed in front of him glaring cooly. Raising a hand he sent out a blast of white, blowing a clean hole through the mans chest.
"Rorek no!" Aqualad yelled as he fired.
"What got into you!" Robin shouted. "You know we don't execute people!" he shouted at the older teen.
Rorek smirked. "Look closer." Leaning down Robin realized that no blood was leaking from the wound. Instead wires, sparking with electricity protruded. "That's why M'gann couldn't read his mind." Rorek explained.
Kneeling down Wally picked up an eyeball that had fallen out of the human android when Rorek had blasted it. "Cool. Souvenir." he said flicking it up and catching it.
"We shouldn't have been so harsh on you." Kaldur apologized, laying a hand on M'gann's shoulder.
"Forget that! You were totally amazing!" Wally said in his lovestruck way.
"Ignore him. We're all just turbed you're on the team." Robin grinned.
"Thanks. Me too." M'gann smiled.
Unknown to the heroes the androids other eye was still active and broadcasting the conversation to its creators. "Now Brom, aren't you relieved I didn't let you wear the armor?" a man with black hair dressed in a lab coat chuckled.
"Extremely Professor." A man who looked exactly like the human android dressed in a mechanics outfit said somewhat nervously, well aware of how easily his androids fate could have been his own. "But you're not upset?" he asked confused.
"I'm convinced that our tracking program was operational and the real tornado was somewhere in the vicinity." the other man replied. "Besides, you know science advances in fits and starts. Even failure can be instructive. And I'd say we learned quite a lot today." the man smiled.
That night at the cave the team was showing Red Tornado the remains of the destroyed android. "It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you." Kaldur told him.
"Agreed." Red Tornado said.
"Is that why you didn't come to help us?" M'gann asked.
"No. This was your battle. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you." the android told them. "Nor should you solve mine for me."
"But if you're in danger..." M'gann started but was cut off.
"Consider this matter closed." Red Tornado ordered walking deeper into the cave.
"Batman, Aquaman, or Flash. They'd have jumped right in to fix things." Wally said.
"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter a heartless machine is exactly what we need." Robin said exasperatedly gesturing at Red Tornado's back.
"Dude, Harsh!" Wally protested.
"And inaccurate." came Red Tornado's monotone. "I have a heart. Carbon-Steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing." he said turning around to look at Robin.
"Ah, right. Sorry. I'll strive to be...more accurate." Robin said uncomfortable.
"And more respectful." Kaldur said placing a hand on Robin's shoulder and leaning down to look him in the eye.
"Speedy was so wrong." Wally said as the four who didn't live at the cave walked towards the zeta-tubes.
"This might just work after all." Rorek grinned.
On his way to his room Superboy paused and looked at M'gann for a moment. "Sorry." he said softly before going to his room, missing the smile that came to her face.
*For those that don't know the weapon dealer's name is Brick.
*Yes Arcane did always have the scarf wrapped around him covering his face.
*Based on the shape or Red Tornado's body I am assuming that he is 'male'.
*I know that I am giving a lot of Aqualads lines to Arcane, that will change later.
*I will call them by their civilian names when not in 'hero-mode'.
*Arcane heals faster because of the magic his body contains.
This was the first chapter that I really got to change around. I tried to play up Arcane's protectiveness of Miss Martian and still get the job done. I also tried to not have him steal the spotlight from anyone. Please review, it helps me know that there are people out there other than me who enjoy my work.