I don't own Young Justice or any other related characters.
A/N: I thank you guys for being patient with me. I know I have been sincerely slacking with updates. I know I keep saying its school's fault, but it really is. I'm gonna get better. I promise. Hold me to it. But I'm back now and yall know what to do.
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Mount Justice
April 5, 16:47 EST
"This is Cat Grant reporting live from New York. The city is in panic as sirens go off all around. The nuclear reactor in Buchanan, normally stable, has reached a near critical state, and chaos has broken out."
"Reporting from Jamestown, Virginia, I'm Lois Lane. Behind me stands a crowd of horrified civilians at a lost on what to do or where to go as the nuclear reactor goes into meltdown."
"Angela Chen in South Carolina. My vacation has been interrupted by the unstable nuclear reactor in Jenkinsville. Hopefully it doesn't go off anytime soon."
"Here in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, the local nuclear reactor has gone into a shutdown causing the citizens to panic. This is Vicky Vale, saying God help us all."
Those gathered in the new Monitor Womb, shut off the newsfeed as Aqualad walked in. The zeta tube glow dimmed as Robin and Nightwing strolled in. Robin joined the others as Nightwing leaned against a wall in the back. Nodding as acknowledgement of their arrival, the leader began.
"As I am sure you all are aware, four nuclear reactors have begun shut down along the east coast. Each is located at an off site research and development branch of LexCorp. I do not believe that this is coincidence, but the connection is something to be investigated when the situation is less dire.
"You all have been split into groups. Alpha: Bumblebee, Lagoon Boy, and Static. Report to New York. Beta: Guardian, Impulse, and Wonder Girl, Pennsylvania. Gamma: Robin, Blue Beetle, and Beastboy, Virginia. Tigress and I will head to South Carolina.
"Your first priority is to stop the nuclear failure. If that can not be done, evacuate the civilians and contain the resulting fallout the best way you can. With so many lives at stake, this mission cannot fail. Team, move out!"
They moved in their assigned squads to the zeta tubes. Nightwing watched as all the groups left, Robin's being last, before he moved to Aqualad. He and Tigress stood in the back as they waited their turn to depart. Aqualad further looking at the holographic screen to make any last minute connections.
"Nightwing. Long time, no see," Tigress greeted.
"Yeah. You know how that goes. After a tough streak, sometimes it's best to get back to the simple things. But it's always nice to see you too Tigress."
"Nightwing," Aqualad addressed, shutting down the screen.
"You didn't put me on a squad."
"I was not aware you would be present."
"But you saw me before you handed out assignments. With a mission like this you know you need everyone."
"Yes, but Nightwing if you are not an active member of this team, you cannot expect the same advance warning as those who still are active."
Nightwing and Aqualad stared each other down. Tigress could feel the tension between the two. She quickly excused herself, knowing she had no business there.
"Aqualad, I'll be ready when you are."
He nodded without taking his eyes off the man in front of him.
Nightwing's expression fell, a sigh escaped his lips as he looked off. "Kaldur, look I'm sorry. I just need a distraction. All of this is starting to get to me. I've looked over all the evidence and nothing fits. Every time I think I'm at a breakthrough it falls through the bottom."
"I know, which is why I did not seek to add more to your conscience. The last time I asked of you, the situation turned for the worst."
"I know. But why didn't you send in your heavy hitters? Superboy and Miss Martian. I didn't see them."
"Superboy did not disclose his location and is not responding to any calls. And Miss Martian is indisposed. In her condition, she would be more of a hinderance than a help."
"Of course."
Aqualad looked up to see Tigress urging him to leave, and while he knew the situation was urgent, he had no desire to leave his friend in the state he was in.
He rested a hand on his shoulder. "We will find the connection."
Nightwing saw the reassuring look in his friend's eye. He just couldn't feel it. He nodded and put on a fake smile so he could leave, but his stomach felt empty as a feeling of hopelessness started to grow inside him.
As the zeta tube died down, he sat in the chair in front of the monitors. He had to get his mind off of Luthor, and soon, it had drifted back to Barbara. An image of her flailing until her heart gave out filled his mind as it had when he tried to go to sleep that night. His body shuddered, a slow anger rising in him. Had he not let Jeremiah go, this case would be solved.
A floodgate of negative thoughts followed.
If he hadn't been so obstinate and believed Superboy in the first place Jeremiah would've been in custody. Perhaps if he hadn't stereotyped him. Maybe if he hadn't been so quick to judge. If he had been like Batman he would've seen it coming. If he saw the worst first, he wouldn't be so surprised a psycho could look like Jeremiah. If he had just answered Aqualad's call to begin with this could've all been avoided.
He inhaled deeply. Brooding wasn't going to fix anything. All it would do is make him bitter and give him doubt, a luxury he couldn't afford. The only thing that was going to solve this was steely resolve.
He paused as the thought resonated in his mind. It never occurred to him that Batman had had such an effect on him. He didn't want to push off emotion. A steely resolve would only push him closer to a ledge he had walked away from nearly a decade ago. One that Batman had jumped over many years ago. No, determination was the answer to this. Perseverance and passion was how he was going to do this.
He clicked the monitor and the holographic screen popped up. Nightwing knew all the clues were connected, but how? He typed in Jeremiah's name. This would be his starting point.
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It didn't make any sense. He wasn't appearing on anything. With a government job, there was no reason he shouldn't be in somebody's database. He couldn't even find as much as a birth certificate, social security number, or an address. Facial recognition didn't even recognize him. It was as if Jeremiah Danvers didn't exist. Which might have been the case, he hadn't even bothered to ask the man for ID. If he could lie his way through his story, what was to stop him from lying about his name or job. It felt like the deeper he entered this case, the more it fell apart.
He heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned to see Miss Martian oblivious to his presence, focused solely on whatever she was planning to do.
"Hey M'gann."
She nearly ran into the door threshold as she entered, startled by his voice.
"Nightwing. You… you startled me. I didn't see you there."
"I'm sorry." She was greener than usual. And she looked unsteady on her feet. "You feeling alright? Kaldur told me he benched you 'cause you weren't feeling well."
She steadied herself against the wall. "Right. It's this migraine I've had since I dropped Jeremiah off. And the latest of the symptoms of vertigo has just kicked in."
"Nausea."
"Yeah. But I'll manage. What are you doing here?"
"Trying to figure out this case. But it seems like the more I find, the less sense it makes."
"Have you made any progress on why they attacked Batgirl? I mean how is she?"
His breath hitched. He had tried to push that image out of his mind in an effort to push past the guilt that was being built in his stomach.
"She's… she had a relapse. She's not doing very well."
Miss Martian could hear the pain in the words. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine. I mean I let the man who did it walk out of here."
"Wait. Who? You're not saying that Jeremiah-"
"Yeah. Jeremiah did it. I don't know how, but it was definitely him. And I didn't want to arrest him because he didn't 'look' the part. I trusted a stranger before my teammate. Because of my short-sighted indignation, I couldn't get past what happened between Superboy and Batgirl. I claimed a teammate as the criminal and let the real one walk out. And now they're both missing."
"Nightwing you can't blame yourself for this."
"Maybe not. Maybe I can, but that's something I'll have to decide when this is all settled."
She nodded truly feeling for him as she often did with any of her teammates. But she had a task, and she couldn't let Nightwing stop her. She waited until he had settled back into his chair and started typing before moving back in the direction she was headed originally.
"Maybe when you see Connor, you could apologize for me. Tell him I jumped to conclusions without facts. You know, when you find him. And tell him to head out where Tigress and Aqualad are. They could use as much help as they can get with that reactor." He turned back around in his chair to face her.
Her face froze for a split second, but she quickly recovered. "What do you mean? I was headed to the kitchen to calm my vertigo symptoms."
"You're a great actor M'gann. But you're a terrible liar."
"I'm not-"
"The kitchen is the other way."
She was about to protest, but she could feel her lunch rising in her throat. She closed her eyes and clamped her hand over her mouth and used her hand as support as she leaned against the wall, praying nothing came up.
To her relief, the moment passed. As she opened her eyes, Nightwing stood in front of her. She inhaled, getting a hold on herself.
"Please don't try and stop me."
"I'm not going to stop you, but I suggest you not do this by yourself."
"Then you're suggesting you go with me."
"You push too hard M'gann, but I accept."
She began to walk toward the exit when Nightwing grabbed her shoulder. "I need to make a stop before we find our missing comrade."
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The zeta tube died behind them as they stepped through. Miss Martian held her stomach as she stepped through.
"You sure you're going to be alright?"
She looked back at Nightwing who had begun changing clothes. "I'll manage," she replied quickly averting her eyes as he removed his uniform top.
He noticed her turning red as he put his pants on over his spandex and smiled to himself.
She took his cue, stepping out of the transporting area and morphed into something less conspicuous, a dark leather jacket, white collared shirt, denim jeans and ankle boots. As soon as he finished, they walked out the alcove the tube was hidden in.
"Sorry M'gann. I'm so used to being alone or surrounded by a bunch of guys I didn't even think to ask."
"It's not a problem, just a surprise is all. Where did you keep the clothes?"
He laughed as they continued down the street. "It's a trade secret. You learn a few things on this job. Not everyone's clothes are organic and can be changed at will."
"Why so formal for a walk down the street?" She noted his slacks, button down shirt, and overcoat.
"It's my street uniform."
"You have a street uniform?"
"For my job M'gann. You know I'm a cop right?"
She looked at him from the side of his eye. A look as to say "Really?"
"What? You don't believe me?"
She simply gave a mischievous grin. "So what kind of stop is this if you need your 'cop street uniform'?"
His smile diminished. "I need you to take me to Jeremiah's house."
She paused in her tracks. "Jeremiah?" she asked, coming out more shakily than she had intended. "Why?"
"M'gann he attacked our teammates and I let him walk out. I can't stand by and do nothing while he roams free. Besides that, he may have information that could pull this whole thing together."
She considered his words before turning back to where they came.
"Are you walking out?"
"No. If you want Jeremiah's house we're going the wrong way."
The mood between them had shifted. Richard could see M'gann was more tense. Her motions had become stiff and their banter had ceased. If her reaction to his destination had been any indication, Jeremiah had done something to her that had made her uncomfortable.
He decided to break the stifling silence. "What happened the other night with Jeremiah?"
She didn't face him. "Nothing I couldn't handle."
"Then why are you so anxious about going back?"
She inhaled as she pondered his question. "Clearly, he's not the man we thought he was. When I escorted him home, he was far more forward than expected. His presence just makes the atmosphere… fraught."
He thought carefully over his words, not knowing how to say what was on his mind.
She frowned at his question.
"I made an error in judgement just like you did. No matter how much prior knowledge I had, it was a mistake we both made. Don't try to push your oversight of the situation on to me," she responded.
"M'gann what are you talking about? I didn't say anything," Nightwing added.
She was positive she had heard him ask, "Why hadn't Jeremiah's behavior tipped her off?"
"You didn't ask me anything out loud?" she asked.
"No. I know I didn't ask that aloud." Though he had been thinking it. She had read his mind, but it seemed as if it were on accident. "M'gann are you sure you're alright?"
She shook her head, but continued to walk.
They quickly arrived on 15th Street, the silence still weighing heavy between the two.
"His house is the only one with a gate around it." Miss Martian informed Nightwing.
"Inviting. I suppose he was paranoid."
They walked through the gate to the door. M'gann leaned heavily against the rail, her vertigo flaring with a vengeance. It seemed just being around the house or thinking about its occupant was making her physical symptoms worse. She would've like to think that their encounter with him hadn't affected her, but perhaps it had. She was practically having an anxiety attack just at the mention of Jeremiah.
Nightwing knocked on the door and waited for a response. After a minute of no movement, he knocked again. He began to grow visibly impatient after the third cycle. He had to get into this house. He didn't care how, but he had to. He looked to M'gann who seemed occupied with her own thoughts, a sick look on her face. He didn't want to ask her to phase them through the door, especially with her given condition, but he had to get in the house. Jeremiah knew more than what he had revealed in his interrogation. Not only that, he was responsible for much more grief and turmoil within the team. He was going to get his penance for his actions. There was a storm coming for what he did to Barbara, and he was not about to let a locked door get in the way of it.
It didn't take long for the realization slap him in the face. This man was getting under his skin, this whole case was. And sure, Jeremiah deserved penance, but not in the cruel way he had imagined. Once this was over, he had a lot of self-evaluation to do.
He raised his hand to knock on the door again when it opened. Before him stood a middle aged woman. She had blonde hair, short stature, and slightly overweight, not a threat, and not the man they were looking for.
"Can I help you?"
Nightwing quickly pushed his initial shock to the side and flashed his badge. "I'm Detective Malone and this is my partner, Detective Morse. We're looking for a man by the name of Jeremiah Danvers. We were informed he lived here."
She couldn't look more confused. Her face twisted deep in thought. "We don't know a Jeremiah, and there certainly isn't one in this house."
"Ma'am he is a suspect in a major crime. You do know that if you are hiding him you could be arrested for obstructing justice, aiding and abetting a fugitive, as well as an accessory to his crime?"
"Oh, quite. I'm pretty hip on police dealings. In fact, my husband is a security officer at Union Station. Darrell!"
She yelled back several times. Soon after a middle aged man, slightly shorter than Nightwing approached. He had brown hair and a strong jawline. His body looked as if it had once served in the Armed Forces, as well as his demeanor. Neither looked like Jeremiah, so hiding him to protect kin was no longer a possibility.
"Can I help you two?"
"Honey, they say that someone named Jeremiah Danvers lives here."
"Well I can assure you if he did, I would turn him right in. I don't believe in standing in the way of justice."
"Well, that's good to know. You wouldn't mind if we looked around then?"
"Not at all. Come right in."
The house was small. A couch and TV were placed on the far wall as they entered. The kitchen on the far right and a hallway on the left leading to the other rooms of the house.
M'gann shuddered as she crossed the threshold, missing her footing. As she landed in the back of Nightwing, she quickly got herself together, but not without him noticing.
"If you need to sit out, I can-"
"I'm fine."
He took note of her curtness. "Then can you read their minds to see if they're lying? Last time I tried to read a person, we ended up tracking his house down because I let him walk free."
She gave him a sorrowful look.
"I can barely keep this connection up. I don't know if reading their minds right now is the best idea."
"But you were able to read my mind not ten minutes ago," he thought to himself.
She paused before she continued. "And no, this isn't like when I read your mind on the way here. I don't know how it happened if I wasn't intending to. That was involuntarily. I didn't process it as thought, my head told me it was auditory. I heard you as if you said it aloud. I don't know what it is or what happened, but I do know that being in proximity of this house is making the headache worse. And reading their minds is not a good idea."
She had done it again. Read his mind without him saying anything. And even at full capacity, she usually wasn't able to read minds while establishing a link. Perhaps there was far more to this "headache".
"My partner is going to take a look around the house. Could either of you show a deed or lease agreement?"
"Sure. Darrell is really organized. He'll go get it."
M'gann and Darrell turned in the same direction to move to the rest of the house. As he passed her, Nightwing could see her stagger slightly. She stood against the wall seeming to investigate, but he knew she was composing herself.
Darrell had noticed her too. He paused in his tracks to assess her.
"You look a little pale Miss. Do you need some water or a place to lie down?"
She returned his sympathy with a hollow smile and stood straight up.
"I'm alright. Just settling myself."
He nodded and went on his way to grab the documents asked of him. She continued to the back of the house. It was quaint. Nothing more than a four bedroom. Each room had a charm to it, a nostalgic like air to them. Pictures hung all around, but none of their suspect. There were no places where someone could hide. No secret rooms. Everything was as it should be. A retired military man and his wife living a sedentary life.
But something was off. This house was triggering a major physical reaction for her. And she was positive this was the house she had entered when escorting Jeremiah home. The furniture and arrangement for the house was exactly the same. Was it possible she had made another mistake? The nagging feeling was causing her head to throb.
She made her way through each room to ensure there was nothing there to appease the nagging sensation in the back of her head.
As she made her way back to the front, the three other people had gathered in the center of the living room. Nightwing was looking intently at the documents Darrell had brought him. They seemed legitimate. The realtor, the property address, tax ID, the agreed price and a raised seal were all present.
As he looked at the list of past owners, his face began to form a slight scowl. He quickly put away his disdain to continue the front.
"Everything looks to be in order. But if you don't mind, I'd like to take a copy."
"Already got one for you sir. Like to be prepared."
He accepted the copy, but it only added to his suspicion. This man was perhaps a bit too helpful. But with all that was going on, maybe someone who was finally able to help was a good thing. However, after the mishap with Jeremiah, he was not about to let just anyone off the hook.
"Well Mr. and Mrs. Calfell, thank you for all your cooperation. Sorry to bother you. But I'm sure you understand."
"We know you have to uphold the law. We're just sorry we couldn't help more," Mrs. Calfell replied.
"Just make sure you put that criminal away. Keep our streets safe," Darrell added.
The couple escorted the two out the door.
They walked down the street, the silence from before returning. It wasn't that neither knew how to break it, but the gravity of the situation was causing both to think on it heavily. They were absorbed in their own worlds trying the best way they could to make sense of everything.
At the end of the street was a bus stop. Richard needed somewhere to properly examine these documents, and M'gann looked as if she would collapse if she didn't sit. Coming to rest on the bench, Nightwing examined the documents he had been given.
"I know you don't believe them. But they're telling the truth," Miss Martian chimed as she watched him.
"How'd you know I don't believe them?"
"I don't have to read your mind if you wear it on your face."
"Well I guess it's better I did it out here and not while they were talking. How do you know they're telling the truth?"
"The same way I thought I heard you speaking out loud on the way here."
"So by accident."
"I wish I could control it. It's like I've never used my powers before."
"I'm sure you'll work it out." The scowl returned as he returned to looking at the documents in his hands.
"So is this another dead end?"
"I wouldn't say dead end, it's more of a detour. This deed. Everything looks official, which means the owners listed here all legitimately owned the house. That wouldn't be a problem if I didn't recognize any of the names on it." He handed her the paper. She looked at it intently. The list was surprisingly long for a house that didn't look to be that old. There were many names she didn't recognize. A Trey Davis, Raymond Blackson, David Jeremiah, Darrell Calfell, and LexCorp.
"LexCorp."
"Exactly. I know the timing is wrong. It says that he bought the house 4 years ago, and sold it last year. But maybe he was just preparing this whole time. But I still have no idea what it means for this case."
She put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll find it."
He took a deep breath. The whole situation was depressing. He as determined to find a connection, but determination means nothing if he can't get a working lead.
Eager to change the subject, he looked to M'gann. She had an elbow rested on her knee, head in hand and she was ghostly white.
"M'gann. You really don't look good."
She raised her head to look at him. "Is this the charm you use to win over all the girls? How do you keep them away?"
"You know what I meant."
"I will go to the Cave and get much needed rest after we find Connor."
"Clearly Jeremiah isn't here, so what was your plan for finding Connor?"
"I was thinking he might be somewhere around here. That's where he went last time he blew off steam."
"Well I haven't seen him, so maybe we should go back to base. Kaldur just said he wasn't responding to his com, doesn't mean he took it out. And even if he did, we can still go to its last location and go from there."
The walk to the zeta tube had less tension than going. Slight banter had returned, a more natural and relaxed feel established. It didn't take them long to return to their origin.
"Recognized. Nightwing B01. Miss Martian B05."
It came without warning. Miss Martian grabbed her temples. The excruciating pain she had felt earlier was returning. She took a knee as her legs gave in to the pain. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her vision was beginning to blur. Time slowed down at the overstimulation of her senses. She could hear Nightwing calling her name in the background. But it was what was coming to the foreground that was grabbing her attention.
A blast of nuclear energy filled her vision, hurtling right toward them. She pulled Nightwing down to her level, hoping it would be enough to keep him out of harm's way. As she looked back up, all she saw was Jeremiah, a sinister smile on his face. Her body jerked back as a masculine figure rushed into the transporting area landing both she and Nightwing against the wall. Jeremiah strolled in behind them, the tube transporting all of them to the Cave.
North Pole
April 5, 22:46 EST
Luthor stepped out of the Fortress. The wind whipped in his face. Everything was falling into place, but the source of power he had acquired earlier hadn't been large enough. The sliver he had tested in the lab was a mere D battery compared to the mega voltage that he was procuring now.
Superboy closed the door behind them, the crystalline power source in hand. It was no question that Luthor could have gathered it himself, but the alien structure of it made it harmful to a mere human. And while Superboy was half human, the nanobots in his system were helping him build a resistance to it, covering his human DNA as the patches had, effectively solving that problem. Not only were they a way for him to control the clone, but his genius had put in many other practical functions.
He had to admit, Superman had quite a nice setup, and he had his young charge to thank for showing it to him, of course with a little persuasion. He had needed the Kryptonian DNA to enter as well as the strength. With the unlimited supply of both he had now, he would be back for the victor's spoils. Now, however, he had work to do.