Sorry for the pause between chapters! Don't kill me! I skipped forward a few days/weeks so it wouldn't become stagnant. :) Young Justice belongs to DC, not me, but Jerra and this story is mine. See you at the bottom!
By now, Robin had learned the girl responded to non-threatening environments.
Which is why he didn't bring her to Mount Justice (he rather preferred it not blow up).
They sat at a little coffee shop in Gotham, sipping their drinks idly and making light conversation.
Dick kept looking out the window.
"Rob?" Jerra asked. "Who are you looking for?"
"The team," he replied smoothly.
Jerra choked on her drink.
"You didn't," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. The door chimed, and their heads swiveled in the direction. A redhead held the door open as a group of teenagers piled in.
"I did," Robin grinned, sunglasses on. He waved to the group. "Over here, guys!"
Jerra tensed. Would they attack her with a crowd? She decided they wouldn't. She still stole a smoke pellet from Robin's pocket and held it at the ready in her palm.
"Guys, meet civilized Jerra." Robin gestured to the girl. "Jerra, this is Kaldur, our leader, M'gaan, call her Megan, Conner, and Wally."
"Hello." She held out her hand to Kaldur first, since he was the leader and looked the least concerned.
He took it lightly, not trying to prove his strength or anything. She decided she liked him.
Then there was Megan.
She grabbed Jerra's hand with both of hers and giggled, babbling about how she hoped Jerra would be more into shopping and earth girl things than Artemis.
Robin looked around. "Where's the archer?"
"Star City, be here soon," Kaldur replied as Jerra got to Wally.
"Hey, babe, nice hair." He grinned. "I'd like a footrace later, if you don't mind."
"I love the windblown look," Jerra grinned, flicking her curls behind her ears.
"Nice to meet you," Conner said bluntly, not sounding at all like he meant it. Jerra was sure it was a personal problem, and ignored it.
A blonde girl walked through the door. "Arty, you're late," Wally called.
"Shut up, Baywatch."
"Art, meet Jerra."
"Hi," Artemis said breathlessly. "Nice to see you and not be ordered to fire."
"Agreed," Jerra replied.
They all sat down, scuffing the chairs on the floor.
"So, is there anyone else I should know about, now that I understand the whole thing and relatively trust you guys?" Jerra asked, slipping the trick back into Robin's belt.
"Well, there are the members of the Justice League, and all sorts of villains," Megan said, thinking.
"As long as I'm allowed to hit, that's not a problem," Jerra waved her hand. "I mean, the villains, of course."
Robin grinned. "And you've already met Batman."
"Charming fellow, if not a little gloomy." They all laughed. "I'm sure I'll manage." She grinned.
"You seem a lot more easygoing than you did when we first met," Artemis noted, taking a bite out of Wally's pastry. He did a double take and snatched it away, shoving it all in his mouth.
"Well, I've gotten over a few problems since then," Jerra said, looking sideways at the door.
"Like what?" Wally asked, licking his fingers. She scowled at him. "None of your business, West."
"Did you mention my last name? I didn't." Wally looked at Robin. "Looks like we had a stalker."
"Don't flatter yourself," Jerra rolled her eyes. "I hacked into the JL's database and read your profiles. Uninteresting, actually. Real people are a lot more informative."
"You hacked into the-Wait, how so?"
Jerra grinned. "I can tell you're right handed, though you seem to be left eye dominant. And you're ADHD, for sure. You're not even listening to me. You ran here instead of taking a zeta beam, because you were bored."
"You're a really detail oriented person," Wally replied.
"You're just an open book," Jerra snorted.
After an hour of bonding, Robin came to the decision Jerra would be comfortable at Mount Justice. He asked Kaldur for permission.
"If she is to be on the team, I see no point in waiting," he sighed. "I just hate how carefully we have to act around her."
"You have to do the same thing when you get a new puppy from the pound," Robin shrugged. "Works the same way with people, I guess."
"Let's go to the nearest Zeta Beam, then."
The team left the store, Jerra trailing behind throwing a tip on the empty table. Artemis noticed this act and decided Jerra might be a naturally good person.
The alleyway was slightly threatening, but Jerra showed no sign of mood swing, so Robin was generally pleased with himself.
Then he noticed her pause when he was about to walk through the beam.
"You coming?"
"I've never used one of these before," she murmured, scrunching her eyebrows. "Will it recognize me and let me through?"
"Yep. You have a profile. Officially cleared to use." He grabbed her wrist loosely so she wouldn't feel like he was attacking her. "C'mon." He pulled her through.
"Recognized: Robin, B02, Tempus, B013."
"I'm unlucky 13?" Jerra asked, pulling her hand away from him and looking up at the cave. "If that's not a bad sign, I don't know what it."
"Stop with the random thoughts of logic already."
The rest of the team was going about their own business. Suddenly, a hatch opened in the roof and a red whirl came down.
"Who is that?" Jerra scowled.
"Red Tornado," Wally replied. "Our mechanical babysitter and Leaguer."
"A robot?" Jerra suddenly looked intrigued, like the red giant was the most interesting thing all day. Robin felt slightly offended.
"Red Tornado!" Robin called, pushing Jerra in the direction.
"We have a new team member!"
"I see, Tempus," he said in a mechanical clipped voice.
"Hm," she hummed, eyes boring into the robot. "How does your design let you create tornadoes? It shouldn't, from a physics standpoint."
"Why don't you let him explain that later?" Robin suggested, pulling her away. "I need to show you around." He led her off, grabbing onto her wrist easily. She let him drag her away.
"He sure does feel some emotional attachment to her, doesn't he?" Conner asked, watching Robin pull Jerra away.
"I think he's just trying to make her feel at home," Megan mused. "I'm picking up on their emotion waves. They're really strong."
"What type of emotions?" Kaldur asked.
"Excitement from Robin, and concern and hope from Jerra." She looked at Red Tornado. "Do you know anything about her? Why is she so strange?"
"Jerra has had four guardian figures in recent years, three of whom have died, causes leading back to protecting her. I do not think she knows how to handle teams, or people who care to look out for her. She is concerned something will happen to one of you."
"Well, that's reassuring. She punched me in the face because she cares," Wally smiled. "I guess we're friends!"
"You idiot," Artemis scoffed. "It just means she punched you in the face."
"I don't think excitement is the right word for it," Megan wondered to herself. "Oh, hello, Megan! He's relieved."
"I believe Robin would prefer our time-warper in a safer environment and is glad she is bonding well with the team."
"I think we should stop talking about her, and just go get to know her."
"...So Mom died when I was born, though I think the doctors really could've saved us both. I mean really, in this day in age, though I suppose it was a while ago, but still. Then Dad died in that Star Lab 'accident.' Highly suspect. I think they did it because of my slip-up, personally. Or he was doing something he should've. He was kind of curious." She sighed, looking around the places he was showing her. He wasn't tour guiding; Robin was silent, amazed the girl would suddenly just spill everything. "Then, last year, Mu Qin was killed in a car 'accident' by an armored Lab vehicle."
"Mu Qin?" Robin asked.
"Chinese word for mother. My stepmom was from Hong Kong."
This surprised Robin greatly. "Really? Can you speak Chinese?"
"I speak and read Mandarin, Robin."
"Right, right."
He paused. "Can you write it?"
"Duh."
"You can read, speak, and write in English, too?"
"I can't speak in English. Sorry."
Robin rolled his eyes.
"This is Wally's room; this is Megan's, Connor's, Artemis's, Kaldur's, and, mine." He waved at a closed door. "You're welcome to bang loudly if you ever need anything."
"Thanks for the permission," she said sarcastically.
"Anything for you, he retorted sardonically."Oh. This one is, actually, yours." She walked down the hall to the room he gestured to.
Opening the door, she smiled.
"I took the liberty of painting it black, since you said you hated white rooms," Robin said, hands on his hips. "It was a pain in the butt."
"You'll have to get your Grandpa's okay before you move in, and you have special permission to beam to the Batcave when you want to get home."
She sent him a smile. "Thanks, Dick."
"Anything for you," Robin repeated, less sardonic.
Jerra blushed.
"I'm going to test out the Batcave thing."
She walked past him and down the hall. "No point in getting locked out, right?" He followed her, ready to reprogram it.
"I don't think that'll be a problem."
"Oh, just like the war to gain my trust was only a one-night stand?"
"Hey, I won in the end, didn't I?"
Jerra scoffed. "Barely. You're walking on a tightrope, Grayson."
"Thank God I grew up in a circus," he whispered, running past her to the zeta beam. "C'mon, Nightingale! Before I lock you out."
"Try me, Robin."
"I value my neck."
"Then you won't mind if I break your leg instead?"
"Har har."
"I know, I'm hilarious."
"Get in the zeta beam, Jerra."
"You're not the boss."
"I will be, one day."
"Keep thinking that, Bird brain."
"I will, thank you for the permission."
"Ugh. Beam me up, Scottie."
"Aye aye, Spock." She scowled as she disappeared.
"Is it just me," Wally asked, "Or do you two act just like Art and I used to, before we got together?"
"Can it, Wallman."
Wally grinned. "Ha! Robin's gotta crush! Oh, I bet BATMAN loves that! And with the tortured, confused but powerful and pretty time-warper. Gee, isn't this a predictable plotline?"
Robin scowled. "Goodbye, Wally."
"Bye, lovebird!" He cackled, falling onto the practice mat (which took the liberty of saying "Kid Flash, fail.") and began singing, "Robin and Tempus, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes crime fighting, then comes bickering, then come undying sappy love!"
"You're such a poet, Wally, really, write that one down." Robin scoffed, stepping through the portal.
"You know what? I think I will."
The Boy Wonder disappeared.
"Robin's got a crush on Tempus," he said as soon as Artemis walked into the room.
"What gave it away? The fact he's been trying for three months and a half to get her information and on the team, or the fact he can't take his eyes off her, not even for a second?"
Wally blushed. "Hey, I'm a dude; I'm allowed not to notice these things until they're somewhat obvious."
Hey! Thank you guys for all the follows, faves, and reviews! :D They really make my day. Suggestions for the story/characters are always appreciated, so don't hold back. Also, if you haven't already, check out my new fic (Max Ride) here: s/8921827/1/Before-the-Flock It's pretty laid-back right now, but I have so much sarcasm coming that way, you might just die. Thank you for reading!
-Auri the Awesome