JLU Watchtower, Metropolis.

If Coba was expecting the members of the League to warmly welcome her and Batman into the group, she would have been just as disappointed as her brother. Being a bit psychic, however, allowed her to see what their real response would be.

"This is League business," Big Barda, the current Wonder Woman, said angrily to Superman. "How dare you bring them in without consulting us. It's completely against procedure."

Despite getting glared at by his fellow team members, Superman stood at Batman and Batgirl's defense. "Batman was one of the League's founding members," he argued.

"The real Batman," Warhawk scowled, "not this pointy-eared punk or his girlfriend."

Terry looked at Warhawk in surprise upon hearing this put-down. Coba, however, shot a tough Batglare at the hero. Warhawk and the others, except for Terry (who had become accustomed to these glares), flinched in surprise. Everyone had their attention on the small teen. "For one thing, it's not professional to insult him like that," Coba spat. "For another, I'm his sister, not his girlfriend. Is this what we get for looking up to you guys our whole lives and for wanting to help: a bunch of insults?"

"Silence, runt!" Barda barked.

Although Brooklyn felt like she had been slapped in the face and wanted to beat the tar out of Barda for calling her "runt"—a put-down she commonly heard from her enemies—she did as the heroine ordered. She managed to calm down a little when Terry placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Barda looked at Superman accusingly. "I thought we were a team! Slaves on Apokolips are treated with more respect."

A young Green Lantern, Kai-Ro, looked at Barda calmly. "Please," he pleaded, "anger only clouds the issue."

"Does it?" Warhawk snapped. "My beak tells me this stinks."

"I'm afraid Barda and Warhawk have a point," Aquagirl said almost as calmly as Kai-Ro had been when he addressed Wonder Woman. She looked down regretfully. "No offense," she said humbly to Superman.

"This isn't a discussion," Superman said flatly. "Like it or not, Batman and Batgirl stay."

Barda stormed out of the room, followed by Kai-Ro. Warhawk followed after them, but stopped in front of the two Bats. "Just stay out of my way, Juniors," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Hawks eat rodents like you for breakfast."

Coba glared at him once more and smiled, her smile just as poisonous as her eyes. "Sorry to break this to ya," she said with an almost playful snarl, "but we're indigestible."

Warhawk glared at the girl before he stalked off after his teammates. Aquagirl walked past the Bats last, but was very apologetic towards them and Superman. She holds a lot of respect for Clark, I know that much, Coba thought.

"Maybe this was a mistake," Terry said regretfully.

"No," Kent said seriously. "I need someone I can trust."

The half-siblings looked at the hero in confusion. He had not yet told them exactly what was going on.

~!~

One hour after their bitter meeting with the rest of the League, Terry and Coba sat in the computer room, looking at files of each member. "Going over my file?" a familiar voice asked curiously.

Terry spun around in the computer chair as Coba turned off the computer screen and turned on her heel. "Aquagirl," Terry said in surprise.

"You guys can call me Marina," Aquagirl said with a smile.

"Marina," Terry repeated. "It's all a bit overwhelming." He looked down shamefully. "I don't think we got off to a good start today."

"Which we didn't," Coba muttered.

"Give them time," Marina said patiently. "Everyone's on edge since Micron's accident."

"I'm sorry," Coba said apologetically.

Marina shrugged. "Occupational hazard, I guess. Either of you wanna join me for a swim?"

Terry and Coba both shook their heads. "Thanks, but we're kinda crammed," Terry answered. "This League stuff is still new to us- -well, me at least."

"Maybe later, then." Aquagirl was about to turn and leave, but then remembered something. "Hey, Batgirl, can I have a word with you?"

Coba knew it had something to do with her outburst earlier, but nodded and followed the heroine out of the room after shooting Terry a look that informed him she'd be back in a minute. "What's up?" she asked Aquagirl.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier, about our behavior towards you," Marina explained. "You were out of line to express that."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Coba said guiltily.

"I'm sorry, too. We were out of line, as well. I guess we're just- -"

"- -worked up about what happened to Micron," Coba finished. She was immediately ashamed when Marina's shocked face looked at her. "Sorry, it's a habit."

Aquagirl shrugged it off. "What I'm trying to say is... you were right: we were in the wrong." She was silent for a moment. "You know, Superman bringing you both here is a blessing."

Although she knew where this conversation was going, Coba could not help but ask, "What do you mean?"

"Well, a little while ago I couldn't help but think that maybe Micron's accident was not an accident," Marina explained. "It's too weird."

"I know what you mean," Brooklyn agreed. "Micron always gets out of situations like that. Why did he not get out of that one?" The answer to that she already knew: a few minutes before Marina started talking to her and Batman, Superman had told the two half-siblings about a force field that the size-shifting hero could not get through. Who actually committed the crime—as well as why they did—was still a mystery, even to the young genius.

"I'm not sure, Batgirl," Aquagirl replied honestly. "I just hope it doesn't happen again later."

"Same here, although—" Coba stopped herself. Way to go, kid! she mentally chided herself. You just about told someone about the betrayal within the team—that you promised Kal-El to keep quiet about—and almost brought up your psychic abilities!

Marina noticed her new teammate's irritation. "Although what?" she asked concernedly.

Coba hesitated, then let out a troubled sigh. "Although I sense it'll happen again soon," she answered in a quiet voice. Well, at least I didn't let Kal down.

The heroine smiled as if she understood, but Batgirl knew she did not believe her. Instead of trying to prove she was telling the truth, she politely dismissed herself. Marina walked down the hall towards the tank. Coba re-entered the computer room where Terry was now talking with Bruce over his com link and listened to their conversation. "I can't do this," Terry said in an overwhelmed tone. "It's just too weird."

"What is?" Bruce's voice inquired.

"These guys have saved the world more times than we can count," Coba answered.

"How can one of them be a traitor?" McGinnis wondered aloud.

"Keep digging, you two," Bruce pressed. "The answer's there somewhere."

"Aquagirl!"

The sound of Coba's urgent voice brought Terry out of his own conflicted world. He looked at the screen that had been showing Aquagirl swimming, only to see that it was black. Batman quickly tried to get the screen to work again, but it still would not come back on. "Try the intercom!" Coba suggested urgently.

Terry pushed a button several times for the intercom to come on, but to no avail. "That's not working, either," he told his half-sister tensely. "Now what?"

Brooklyn wasted no time in coming up with a logical response. "Go get Barda and Warhawk," she said as she went to exit the room. "I'll see what I can do with the tank's computer."

"I doubt they'll listen to me!" Terry called as Coba rounded the corner.

"Then figure out how to get their attention!" Batgirl called back. Without waiting for her brother to try to protest, she dashed faster down the hall.

McGinnis ran the opposite direction. I sure hope she hasn't lost her mind, sending me to try to tell these bull-heads about Aquagirl's problem, he thought grimly. Then again, they wouldn't listen to her either, and she's better at problem-solving than I am.

Coba was in the tank room in just six seconds, a record considering her crippled right leg. She tried to open the tank door using the room's computer, but to no avail. Coba saw Marina swim into view and stare urgently through the glass at her, giving her an idea. The young Bat pulled out a few small, rectangular explosives from her utility belt. None too gently, she flung the devices at the upper cement part of the tank.

Water poured out of the tank as the glass broke, immediately filling up the small area outside of it and swallowing Coba in the process. Less than ten seconds later, Batgirl thrust her head to the surface and flew out of the liquid, holding on to Aquagirl as she did so. She landed gently on the upper level of the room, which was connected to the hallway. "Can you stand?" she asked the woman.

Marina nodded. "Yes."

Batgirl carefully allowed Marina to stand. The heroine smiled at her rescuer. "Thanks."

"No prob," Coba responded, returning the smile.

Aquagirl became grim. "How did you know I was in trouble?" she asked in a tone that was almost accusatory.

"The tank's cameras shut off," Coba answered honestly. "I knew that it didn't normally happen."

"Isn't this your first time being here?" Aquagirl asked suspiciously.

"Yeah."

"Then how did you know?"

Coba was about to answer when Batman, Warhawk and Barda darted into the room. Barda looked at the small girl accusingly. "What did you do to her?" she demanded to know.

Once again, Batgirl was put off by Wonder Woman's behavior. "I saved her life is what I did," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. She cleared her throat as she calmed herself down. "And I used my time wisely in the process."

"What makes you say that?" Warhawk inquired ill-temperedly.

"Well, during the little time it took for me to break the tank and get her out before she could have drowned, you and Barda were arguing with Batman."

Both easily-angered heroes stared at Coba in disbelief. "How did you know that we did?" Barda inquired.

"I'm a bit psychic," Coba answered. She looked at Marina. "Which is also the answer to your question from just a moment ago."

Marina's mouth gaped open, as did the rest of her teammates'. "I thought you were just joking earlier about sensing something else happening!"

Brooklyn shrugged harmlessly. "I wasn't joking," she stated, "although I didn't know it would be within minutes of me saying it to you. I thought it would be within a few hours."

Warhawk rolled his eyes. "Great!" he mumbled. "First Micron's out of action, then Aquagirl nearly drowned, and now the sidekick is really a psychic who can hardly tell what'll happen in five minutes!"

Terry shot a glare at the hero. "Hey, watch what you say about my sister!" he snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, she's the one who just saved Aquagirl."

"Which is not a sidekick's job," Warhawk shot back: "it should've been yours!"

Barda glowered at Batman. "How could Superman bring in a brainless punk like you and a psycho brat like her?"

"The word's psychic, not psycho," Coba stated coolly. "Besides, I don't like this situation any more than you do. Strange stuff is happening, and I think—"

"I don't care what you think of it," Barda interrupted coldly. "I only care what I think of it, and I think we can manage this on our own." She turned and stormed away like she had earlier that day, clenching her fists as she did.

Batman noticed Batgirl's crestfallen face before he looked at Warhawk questioningly, his eyes full of hate. "Is this how it always is here?" he asked spitefully. "Someone new tries to help you and you shove it back in their face with no remorse? I can't believe I ever looked up to you guys! Even the first Batman showed more respect to others."

The large hero seemed extremely angered at Batman's words at first, but then sighed regretfully. "You're right," he said apologetically, "and I apologize to both of you." He looked at the fifteen year old genius curiously. "You were about to say something before Barda cut you off, weren't you? Something about—"

"—what's been going on?" Coba slapped herself on the forehead irritably. "Sorry, I've gotta stop finishing other people's sentences. Yeah, I was about to say something about it."

"What was it, do you remember?" Warhawk pressed.

"I was going to say that I think—or more accurately feel—that you'll need us, and soon," Coba replied. "I don't yet know how we'll help you, though."

Warhawk became serious once more. "Well, you'd better find out quick," he said sourly. "Not all of us have time for this, you know!"

"I do know that, actually," Brooklyn said in a dead serious tone that was neither angry nor sad. "I'll get it all figured out as fast as I can. You've got my word on that."

The hero let the girl's words sink in, then nodded and turned to walk away, flashing a small grin at her as he did so. "Alright, kid," he said gently. "I'll take your word for it."

Marina and Batman stood wide-eyed in shock. "How did you do that, Batgirl?" Marina asked.

"Do what?" Coba, although abnormally smart and insightful, asked in confusion.

"Get Warhawk to soften up to you," the heroine replied. "How did you do that?"

Coba shrugged. "I was sincere when I spoke. Am I not supposed to be?"

Aquagirl's eyes lit up. "Actually, this team needs to learn to be more sincere with each other," she replied. "I think we just found a way for you to help us."

"To teach honesty?" Terry asked in surprise.

"What?" Marina asked sharply. "Do you think she's not capable of it?"

Terry quickly shook his head. "No no, it's not that at all," he said defensively. "I just never thought you guys would have to be taught that."

"Believe me: you'd be surprised at what all we need to learn—and remember." Aquagirl turned to Batgirl and smiled. "Thanks again... teammate." She smiled at Batman and waved to him and Coba before she walked out of the tank room, leaving the two Bats dumbstruck by her sudden liking towards them.

"Is that all we need to do with the others to get them to like us?" Terry asked after a shocked moment of silence. "Save their lives, I mean."

"I guess so," Coba answered with a shrug.