Fifth chapter of this story
Finally, I got off my ass and wrote the Fifth chapter of this story!
Hope you like it :D
I do not own Young Justice or any of it's characters. That right goes to DC Comics and WB. I own only this story, the Danian race, Caroline, Jaqueline and Carmen Ericson
"What should we do first?" Jackie said and looked at Carmen. She was sitting on a table and swinging her legs back and forth.
"You know. We have to find the others, and then free them of the mind control" she answered and looked at the holoboard in front of her. It displayed a map over Dania.
"What are we going to do about Ethan?" Jackie asked and Carmen froze for a moment.
"Jackie, he made a rebellion and turned half of Dania's people against us. That, according to old laws, is punishable by either exile or death" she studied the map closer and sighed #Nothing…#
"What are you even looking for?" Jackie asked, not wanting to know more about the situation with Ethan.
"A place where you can hide half a planet's population… but I can't find anywhere it might be possible…" she closed down the map and sighed. The entire room went dark for a moment before blinds were opened around them. Jackie looked at Carmen who had a serious and worried look in her eyes.
"Why did we leave the caves?" Jackie asked and looked out the windows. As far as she could see, was the beautiful city of D'malia.
"We had to, D'malia is easier to protect, and it has more advanced technology" She looked out the window and gave a smile "And to think I once hated this place"
"So, what's with you and Dick?"
"What are you talking about?" Carmen said and looked at Jackie, her voice a little harsh.
"Well, one day you two are all hearts and stuff, the next day you're mad at him. What did he do?"
"Nothing" Carmen said and walked towards the door.
"You're lying… I can sense it…" Carmen turned around and looked at Jackie. She looked slightly confused, and slightly distrusting.
"You chose to study future telling… how can you 'sense' I'm lying?"
"Don't know, but sometimes, if I concentrate really hard, or if a person's thoughts are really powerful, I can hear them. It mostly works if the person's a bit panicked…" Jackie answered and got down from the table "So, what's up?"
"Nothing you need to worry about, okay?" Carmen said and walked out the door "It's for me to handle, you just care about Tim" she said and Jackie got a lump in her neck.
"Carmen… I…" she said with a wavering voice and Carmen looked back at her again.
"yes?" she said and noticed Jackie was crying "Jackie" she walked back to her and looked in her eyes "Jackie, is this about that second reality dream you mentioned back in the caves?" she asked and Jackie nodded "Can I see?" Carmen asked and Jackie nodded again. Carmen put their foreheads together and took a look into what Jackie had seen back then. She didn't have to look for long though, so she pulled away and looked at Jackie with wide eyes. She reached into her pocket and took out a small container.
"Take this" Carmen said and Jackie looked at it.
"What is it?" Jackie asked and took it.
"It's a form of Dalia, made from genetic experimenting. Keep close to Tim when we get into battle, if it happens, and make sure he gets that, quickly. Understand?" Carmen asked and Jackie nodded "Good, and don't tell Tim about your vision. Knowing you saw him die, in a future vision, might not be too good for the boy, okay?"
"Okay" Jackie said and looked at the container. The blue liquid was moving around inside and she held it a little tighter.
"We have to get moving soon" Carmen said and looked at the others.
"Do you even know where to start looking?" Tim asked and she shook her head.
"No, I don't. But I'm pretty sure that Ethan wouldn't move them too far away from D'malia. He's a proud danian, and our capital is one of our most prized cities and landmarks. So he would want to be somewhere he could watch it, whenever he wanted to"
"So maybe in the surrounding forest?" Dick asked and Carmen nodded.
"Maybe… but then he'd have to dig an enormous underground city or at least a massive underground tunnel system…" she said and looked thoughtful.
"Carmen, Delia told me earlier, that not every three fingered is in on this rebellion. Most of them think it's nothing to get all fuzzed up about. Besides, it's quite the well known fact that you won't take over the throne, and neither will Jackie" Tim said and Jackie looked at him.
"I won't?" She said playfully and he smiled.
"No ,you like snow too much"
"True…" she said and Carmen looked at the two.
"Even so, the main argument Ethan has, is that Delia didn't become Da'jeen, even though she married the King and-"
"OH NO!" Jackie exclaimed and got up.
"What?!" Carmen said and looked at her.
"I forgot Kalia back on Earth!" she said and Carmen sighed, face palming herself.
"Jackie, our home world is at war, with itself, I think you can overlook the fact that we forgot a damn Lemur, back on Earth" she growled and looked at Jackie.
"Right…" she said and sunk back into her seat.
"Anyway, Ethan has a strong standing point. The throne is normally given to the one who has another heir. Mom has three, two of which who won't accept the throne. Delia has a daughter, who probably won't leave Dania before she's old. So the most logical choice would have been Delia… Why didn't Delia become Da'jeen?" Carmen asked. Jackie looked around at all the people in the room. She knew every face in the room. Most of them were different kinds of guards deployed in the castle, and then there were different ministers. And then lastly, where her, Robin, Nightwing, M'Gann and Carmen. Herself and the others had gotten their normal clothes back.
"Delia chose not to take the throne yet, in order to get all the necessary knowledge about the newest laws" one of the ministers said.
"Like the one about the kissing marriage?" Carmen said and he nodded "Did it get removed?
"Yes, My Queen"
"Good, because I really hated that law… it was stupid" she said and sighed "Did she ever make that a public statement?"
"It's common courtesy that such insignificant reasons are kept quiet you know this my Queen" he answered back and Carmen sighed.
#this planet and its stupid laws and etiquettes! # she thought furiously and took a deep breath "But, if you had given that statement, none of Ethan's arguments would have any ground to stand on. It would be explained as to why Delia didn't get the throne, and even ensure the people she would get it at some point"
"We still intend to give her the throne at some point-" the minister was cut off by Carmen slamming her hands into the table.
"That doesn't really help now that the damage is done! If you were going to give her the throne, you should have said so from the freaking beginning!" she yelled and multiple gasps could be heard around in the room "It's entirely, your fault dear ministers of Dania, that this war is going on. Not giving the people basic information such as to why a certain heiress does or doesn't get the throne is sure to back and bite you!"
"My queen! Control your language!" the minister said and she looked at him and growled.
"No! The laws and norms of this planet and its aristocrat people are too idiotic!" she said and looked into the table. The whole room was silent. Nightwing looked around and caught sight of Jackie who just sat there staring at Carmen like she was crazy once more.
"My Queen, please, calm yourself" the minister said and Carmen looked up again.
"No, I won't! I have been hiding this for way too long! The only reason I don't want to take over the throne, is because of all its weird laws! They are too… too… complex!" she sat down on her chair and looked around "We have laws, actual laws, on how dates are to be conducted… on Earth, they are simply unwritten rules, and hardly anybody follows them"
"But those Earthlings are also barbarians!" Another minister said and Carmen sent him a death stare.
"Do I need to remind you, that three of the royals' ring bearers are Earthlings, and two of them are sitting in this very room? Not to mention that most of the Justice League members are Earthlings too, in one way or another?" she said in a slow threatening voice and he gulped "not to mention, I myself am half Earthling. And yes, with all their unnecessary fighting and their ridicules wars they may seem barbaric, but never the less, they are a relatively free people" Carmen had seemed to calm down and looked out on the crowd again.
"My mother is not present at the time, because she has little to no idea on how to conduct wars, so she put me in charge of it, mostly because I know how to make orders and arrange troops" she said and added playfully in her head #And because of videogames# "However, I hold no power to really change any laws, but I will give you this piece of advice: you need to seriously change the laws of this planet. We are way too strict. I'm not saying we should change the way of living here, but some of the laws has to be removed, including every law on dating"
"But how would we even do this?" Nightwing noticed this time the one speaking was a woman "the laws are engraved in our very way of living… we can simply not just change it like that" she said and Carmen sent her a look Nightwing couldn't figure out.
"It's simple… I say we need to include the public itself when a law is taking to consideration. And the laws of old need to be looked through as well. Not by any of the Higher Powers, even if they are the wisest here. Being too wise is almost as bad as being stupid. We need to take a group of civilian Danians in, ask them what they think, and what they want"
"That sound like what the Earthlings do My Queen" the first minister said and Carmen nodded.
"It's called 'Democracy'. While it has its flaws, it's a very well functioning system" she got a stern look "Because it includes the thoughts of the people" she said the last sentence with a hard voice and the crowd gulped.
"Maybe we should get back to the matter at hand my Queen" A guard said and she nodded.
"Yes, we need to find out where Ethan has his troops hidden, and after we find out we must rescue the team"
"Why do we need to rescue them first?" another guard asked, and Robin noticed the Ministers were all looking a little scared.
"They are Earthlings, and Ethan will surely use them against us. They are also indirectly part of the Justice League, so we a bound by our alliance with them to rescue the team" she leaned back and smiled "besides, I'm one of their leaders, making it my responsibility too"
"And after we've rescued the team?"
"We have to make sure they aren't brainwashed after that, then we search their minds to find out exactly what Ethan is to… he wouldn't want to destroy Dania in any way…"
"So what do we really have to fear from this guy?" Nightwing asked and everyone in the room turned their attention to him.
"He might force me into marriage…" Carmen said and sighed. Nightwing looked at her and send her a questioning look.
#You would fight against it though, right?# he asked and she nodded.
#Of course, I would never marry someone like him… he's a total creep# she answered and he sighed in relief.
#Good#
"My Queen, are you having a mental conversation right now?" One of the braver looking ministers asked and she looked at him.
"Yes, sorry about that" She said and took a deep breath "anyway, do we have any means of searching the forest without alarming Ethan?" Carmen asked and the Ministers at each other, looking like they were hiding something from her "tell me, or I'll have to use more persuasive methods…" she said threateningly low voice.
"You see My Queen, we managed to find one of the Earthlings a few days ago…" Carmen stood up abruptly at this and all the ministers gasped in shock.
"And I only get knowledge of this now, why?" she asked and looked at them.
"We had no idea what to do with her and-"
"You will let me get to her, or else" Carmen let the threat hang in the air and looked around "Meeting dismissed, I have another appointment" she said and the ministers stood up and bowed. One stayed back and Carmen followed her out the door.
"We're sorry we didn't say anything My Queen… but she has been saying a lot of things you see, and w-w-w-we thought that maybe, it could, uh, you know, maybe help, in some uh, some kind of way" she said, becoming increasingly more nervous as they walked.
"It's okay, but you should still have let me know of her capture, did you get her name?"
"No, but she wears a cowl, has red hair and a bat on her chest"
"Batgirl" Carmen said and they turned a corner.
"I wouldn't know I only studied the art of telling truth from lies" the minister said and gulped "you were very truthful in there" she said and Carmen smiled.
"I was… it felt good" she said and they reached a cell. The door opened and she walked inside.
"Here she is, my queen" the minister said and Carmen walked in.
"Thank you, that would be all" she said and walked over to Batgirl, who was sitting in a chair with her arms bound.
"You can't keep me here forever! I have a right to freedom!" She said and Carmen raised an eyebrow.
"Barbara" Carmen said and noticed a small reaction in Batgirl's eyes.
"You're brainwashed Carmen! Caroline's brainwashed you! She's cracked!" Batgirl said and Carmen sighed.
#great…# she said and walked up to her "no, you're brainwashed Barbara. My mother is just fine" she gently placed a hand on her cheek and put their foreheads together. She searched her mind and found the part that Ethan had inserted and removed it. She moved away again and Batgirl looked confused for a moment before blinking then shaking her head. She looked up at Carmen and squinted.
"Carmen?" she said and Carmen nodded "my head… it hurts… what happened?"
"You were sent here based on a false rescue message sent by the rebellion"
"So you guys weren't abducted?" Batgirl asked and Carmen sighed. She walked behind and started unlocking Batgirl from the chair.
"Not really, but we didn't go of our own free will either…" she said and the chair let go of Batgirl. She rubbed her wrists.
"Where's Dick and Tim?"
"Right here" a voice said and they both looked.
"Dick, oh thanks heavens you're okay" Batgirl said and got up from the chair and hugged him. Carmen looked away and bit her fingernail "Are you guys okay?" she asked and looked them over.
"We're just fine, what about you?" Nightwing asked and let go of her.
"Well, aside from the headache I'm just fine too. But what on Earth is going here?" she asked and looked out a window behind Nightwing "Wow" she said and walked past him.
"It's beautiful, right?" Robin asked and Batgirl nodded.
"This sure is one beautiful planet" She said and Carmen walked to stand beside her.
"Do you remember anything from when you were with Ethan?" Carmen asked.
"I remember that when we arrived, we were taken underground. But that's all" she replied "Sorry I can't be of more help"
"It's fine, at least we now know it's underground…" Carmen said and smiled.
"Yeah, I guess you're right" Batgirl said and looked outside "your city looks so… natural, yet at the same time it doesn't"
"We get that a lot when aliens from another planet visits" she said "you're free to walk around the castle as you please, we can even get you some more civilian clothes if you want"
"Thanks… I need some rest" she said and Carmen smiled at her.
End of chapter
:D
Don't really have much else to say...