A/N: Thanks for the reviews; it really makes me happy to read them. I'm trying to delve deeper into my own character, since the tv series give you the heroes personalities. Hope you're enjoying and looking forward to the building tensions. Please remember, READ AND REVIEW.

Monday, the 14th of November

10:26pm

M'gann stood wither her fingers to her temples, her eyes clothed. She was drawing the memories of her five teammates so she could construct a cohesive picture of what had happened the night before. J'onn took it from there and recounted it verbally back to the rest of the League's six founders.

"A group of teens attacked a pair, a boy by the name of Jake McAlister and a girl by the name of Cailan Leal. It seems this McAlister was…working with them. There were four offenders: a girl they called Patch, two meta-humans; one a hyena-boy and one very much like a…jack-o-lantern, and their leader; an older boy going by the name of Baal.

"It seems they were well trained not only in combat but also in our young team's particular fighting styles. They seemed intent on capturing the boy, McAlister; they succeeded. This Cailan appears to have been tied up with McAlister; she fits into the story towards the end. In some under-handed attacks, this team of pranksters gained the upper hand. In an effort to rescue Robin, Kid Flash and Artemis put themselves between him and the Jack-meta human. Kid Flash received the decisive blow, intended for Robin. With the young archer's help, the blow that—intended for Robin—struck Kid Flash was not fatal. However, through a turn of events with Baal and Patch, after Kid Flash had fallen he was left unattended.

"The Jack-meta advanced; his intent was to eliminate Kid Flash, in the most permanent of manners. For some reason, the meta removed Kid Flash's mask; it was just before he killed our young speeder that Cailan struck the meta."

"It seems," J'onn said, turning from the kids to face his other five founders. "she saved Wally's life."

He and the other's exchanged looks and engaged in conversation via J'onn's telepathy.

…

Roy sighed unhappily and threw his hat to the ground, slumping into a chair and playing with a corner of Megan's magazine absently. Once again, he was baby-sitting. He hardly knew why he was needed anyway. All she was doing—all she had done for the past day, was sleep. He glanced into the den where she was still lying on the couch, covered with the blanket Wally had so thoughtfully put over her.

He surprised himself. Roy had to admit, the kid was nice to look at.

Roy stretched and swept his hat back on his head. So she was easy on the eyes; there were plenty of girls out there who were. Besides, she was just a kid; he had at least two or three years on her. Not to mention her behavior last night had him pegging her as quite a brat.

He stood and crossed his arms, pacing around a little, looking back into the room at the girl on the couch. Regardless of the attitude she had (that he was this close to not being able to stand), forgetting that she was a liability to his friends, he felt sorry for her. Looking at the kid as she lay on the couch she looked thin and frail, bringing to mind a rather pathetic image. She looked small and helpless there on the couch, much like a mouse or rabbit.

"Red Arrow,"

He started as the big screen flickered to life showing an image from the tower.

"Green Arrow," he nodded, unsure as to how to respond since he'd gone solo.

"We need you to bring the girl here,"

…

10:43pm

Cailan tried to stay calm as she followed Red Arrow through the portal and down the metal walk way. She'd never felt so exposed and judged before—and that was something she was used to. Her feet felt bitten with each step; maybe it was a hyper-awareness of the bitterly-cold metal she was walking on, the metal path that was leading her to judgment.

Her chest felt heavy under the jacket—Red Arrow had found her something for better coverage. She didn't think it was her injuries talking either; she felt guilty of something as she walked—in her mind in slow motion—towards the famed Justice League. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her skin rippled with goose-bumps.

"Cailan Leal,"

Her ears tingled as a deep voice said her name, the sound echoing in booming waves through the vast space-tower. She found herself unable to answer. Red Arrow was suddenly off to the side, gone; she was standing alone before six towering figures, all looks solemn and stern.

She'd never felt so terrified and unsure. Her voice stuck in her throat as if she'd swallowed cotton. Unable to answer, she nodded.

"What you did the other night was very brave," Princess Diana said, much more gently than her appearance seemed to allow for.

Cailan was only dimly aware of her own voice answering that she didn't honestly remember most of that night.

"Yes, you see to have sustained some injuries." Batman said; she heard the bite in his voice and felt her breath hitch; her lungs weren't working.

"Batman, perhaps I should talk with her," the Martian Manhunter said, phasing through the control panel they all stood behind.

"I agree," Superman interjected before Batman could speak the words that threatened to come out of his open mouth.

…

It wasn't like any interrogation room she'd seen on tv. The chair was comfortable; there was no giant two-way-mirror on the wall behind the man questioning her. She didn't know that J'onn was transmitting the whole thing to the other head league members, but as far as she could tell this was more of a session with a psychiatrist than an interrogation.

"I will get right to the point, Ms. Leal," the Manhunter spoke to her, his face inexpressive. "I can and will read your mind to find out just what you know and what you intend to do with that knowledge."

"I don't want to do anything with it." She blurted out, shocking herself with the proclamation.

"What were you doing in the Narrows,"

Cailan swallowed; he had a soothing way of speaking and an ease in which she was aware he was lulling her into. "Trying to escape, I guess,"

"From what were you escaping,"

Cailan couldn't stop the flood of emotions that tried to drown her, nor the images that begin sifting back from her locked-away subconscious. She callously shrugged her shoulder.

"Dunno."

"Ms. Leal, I know when you lie because, at this moment in this room, I know your thoughts."

"Then why bother asking?" She clinched her jaw and looked away, regretting her stubborn outburst and childish antagonizing.

"Is there not something you want to say?" he seemed genuinely surprised.

"Why were you in the Narrows,"

"I was running away."

"What were you running from,"

"I lied about lots of things. They started coming undone."

"Why did you lie about your life and your family," his voice held a slight intonation, differing in a fraction from the flat, gentle monotone.

"I was hiding from my relatives." She tried to listen intently to his voice and mimic his speech fluctuations. It gave her something to focus on when she answered.

"And where did this 'hiding' lead you,"

"…" she looked up and struggled to remind herself to focus on the voice fluctuations. It took her a while to compose herself. "Here. It led me here."

"Cailan," she shivered with a dread she didn't understand why she was feeling. "The fact you know the identities of our young team is highly volatile."

"You can read my mind, right?" she said, seemingly ignoring what he'd just said.

"Yes."

"Then can't you just go talk with the league and tell them whatever you found? I hate sitting in here wondering."

Her hands felt clammy and she couldn't meet his eye after she'd spoken.

"They cannot hear anything yet, if that will reassure you,"

She blushed.

"Cailan,"

"I ran because I hated them." She interrupted. "Is that what you want to hear? That I hate? Do you want to hear how I'm human and that I hate? I do. How does that affect your judgment? Are you worried now that I'll go out and betray my friends on a whim because I'm human and capable of hate?" Her hands clenched on her legs and her jaw snapped as ground her teeth together.

"I do not believe you would do that, under any circumstances."

When she looked up, he was gone and she was alone in the room.

…

11:01pm

"What we have to fear from the child is harm coming to her, and nothing more," J'onn said as he strode towards his colleagues.

"And we're just supposed to trust her to keep her mouth shut?" Batman said, stepping to meet him.

"I believe we can." The alien said simply.

"Maybe it was impossible to think we could keep it secret forever," Diana ventured, sending a gentle gaze to Bruce Wayne. "J'onn doesn't think the girl is any harm, and quite frankly I don't either."

"Wally seems to like her enough," the Flash shrugged, chipping in. "I mean, she's a good kid,"

"My people are not generally so trusting," Aquaman began, looking longingly down towards the earth through the window; Batman's tension eased a little, thinking he'd found an ally. "Yet Kaldur's behavior indicates at least that much."

"Clark," Batman said again turning so that his cape swished around him.

Superman stood, looking around at the other heroes.

"What's happened can't be undone, Bruce," he finally said. "I know losing Jason—"

"Don't." Batman ordered, his voice cold.

"Her parents are dead," J'onn said, ending the fight before it began. "They died in a car crash. When she was eight."

It was crude manipulation, to be sure. But it had the effect the Manhunter wanted. Both Bruce's and Dick's parents had perished, when the boys were around the same age. The correlation between the events had the desired effects and Batman stilled momentarily, drinking in the new information.

"For now," the alien continued, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Our biggest concern with Cailan Leal is keeping her safe."

…

11:11pm

"Listen, and listen good," Batman barked, the young team assembled before him, Cailan standing still under the guard of the 'visiting' Red Arrow. "You blundered, and that fault has caused a serious catch in the integrity and safety of all the heroes of the League. Until further notice,"

He scrutinized each one of the teens, especially Dick, as his gaze swept over them, his voice hard. "prepare a room, and figure out how to keep an eye on your…guest."

…

Saturday, 20th of November

4:00pm

"Good to see you again," Wally rolled his eyes as Artemis walked through the portal.

"Forgive me for not wanting to live every second of my life around her." She spat back, taking a defensive stance.

"Here we go again" Dick sighed. It'd been nearly a week since Batman had taken him on a mission. "I'm gonna go practice before the fire starts,"

"Will you two give it a rest?" Megan asked quietly, slumping her shoulders, pom-poms falling to her sides.

"Why don't you ask her?" Conner said, continuing a conversation that had just been interrupted.

"…no, no I don't want to bother her." The alien smiled at the clone, who shook his head in confusion. He didn't think he'd ever understand her.

"Yeah, go get her, see what a grand ol'time we all have then," Artemis threatened, her eyes shooting daggers.

"Artemis," Kaldur walked in from the ocean, his hair still wet.

"I don't need another lecture and I'm not going to get off it." The blond growled.

"I'm not going to lecture you, Artemis. Whether we want her here or not, we have no choice. It is an order from the league that she remain here until further notice."

"I don't care what the league says! This isn't her home, and I won't—" she stopped short, finally aware of what she was about to say.

"Team," Batman's face came to view on the screen, disrupting the dispute.

…

"What's with the emergency training session?" Wally asked of Black Canary.

"Not at liberty to say kid, not my job. I'm here to train you. Now, who's first?"

The new training session was brutal. Teammate after teammate was ended on the floor, gasping for breath. Even Artemis and Dick, the two expert martial artists, even Conner, the strongest boy alive couldn't hold his own; none of the training they'd had before had prepared them for this.

"Just what the hell is this?" Conner growled as he was once again tossed from the practice arena, only stopped from crashing through the wall because of Megan.

"Watch the tone," Black Canary warned gently. "I'm following orders."

"Is that all we ever do? Follow orders, get bossed around?" Artemis questioned.

"In a word, yes. It's one way we're a part of the team. We tried running around on our own before; we were hardly better than the police forces. We could handle some things, but it was not a collective good we managed."

"Black Canary," Kaldur said, breathing hard. "Is this training, or punishment?"

"What, am I beating the mistake out of you? Kaldur," she said drawing out his name. "You of all the young heroes should know better. There's something coming. After reviewing what happened with that group a week ago, we realized you were unprepared."

"Hey," Wally began.

"Not of your own deficiencies," the woman quickly corrected. "We were training you at the pace we saw fit for our current advisories. Now, can we continue?"

They did continue, and the young team got their butts handed to them. However, aside from forcing them to push their limits, the fight drained all the animosity out of them. While it was only one practice and what they learned and what they were able to do had not fully coincided yet, their growth was apparent.

"Alright guys," The beautiful woman said, drawing her hair back behind her and pulling Dick to his feet. "That was good work for today; practice with each other, work hard. Oh, and" she turned back to them from the portal, looking devious as she gazed over her shoulder "learn to adapt."

With that she was gone.

"'learn to adapt?' what does she mean, we're working our butts off at 'adapting' to this whole team thing and working covertly!"

"Dude, not sure that's what she meant," Dick chuckled, his arms slumped between his legs, his chin practically resting on his chest.

They were all joking again, laughing. Kaldur felt some of the tension easing from his shoulders as they walked together through the hideout.

It fell to the floor when they walked into the living area.

"What are you doing."

It was Conner that growled out, surprising everyone. Cailan jumped and turned around, looking pretty guilty. She'd been staring out the window, from what they could tell.

"Sneaking around being suspicious," she said after a moment; her tone was unsure, caught between a joke and sarcasm.

"Not funny," Wally scuffed his shoe along the floor.

"Sorry."

"Way to dart around the question," Artemis said, keeping her tone surprisingly level.

"I was watching the ocean." Cailan said dismissively, turning back to the window.

She sighed and drew her arms around her. "Sorry…I'm not used to being tra—cooped up."

"Tch. Princess needs fresh air." Artemis scoffed under her breath.

"Do you wanna—"

"I'm just going back to sleep," Cailan cut Wally off and swept out of the room, not looking at them.

…

Wednesday the 23rd November

3:34pm

"Here's your schoolwork, Cailan," Megan said, knocking on the door to the room the elder teen was set up in.

"Oh," she looked up and had a regretful look on her face. "Thanks…Megan, but…"

With a sigh she adjusted and offered a spot on the bed to Megan. Eagerly, the alien took a seat and held onto the books in her lap.

"I dropped out of Gothem Academy," Cailan said, looking at the other girl squarely, watching the smile fall from Megan's face.

"What? But, but school is so important! Isn't it? Earth kids, they're supposed to go to school and to graduate and—"

"Does any of that really matter? Would I even be allowed to go to school? Megan, what good would a diploma be, if all I could do was hang it on one of these walls?"

"…you're making it sound bad… you're not a prisoner here. The League didn't kidnap you." Megan stood angrily. "You got yourself into this mess…"

Cailan let the door slam—she didn't have the nerve to try and stop a door that was swinging from a teenage girl's mind power.

"Great. Way to go; that's two down. Four more and they'll all hate you Cailan. Wonderful."

"What is wonderful?"

Cailan jumped and almost fell off the bed. "Kaldur,"

He arched his brows at her and nodded towards the inside of the room she stayed in. She nodded and pulled her knees up to herself on the bed.

"What is wonderful, if I may ask,"

"Oh…" she tried to hold her own, keep up her attitude she'd had for the past few weeks here. It was slipping. "Pissed off your friend—Megan."

"Ah. And why would she be angry?" he ran a hand through his hair.

"I said something to make her that way," her voice was flat but Kaldur was at his wit's end. His team was biting at the bits, there was too much stress on them, they were fighting. And no matter what he tried Cailan pushed him away and kept antagonizing them all.

"I have gathered that much. Cailan, this…situation, I am sorry things turned out this way. However I cannot help that. And I cannot have you tearing my team apart."

"And what if that's all I'm good at doing? Tearing people apart."