Why is it that the chapters with Roy always take longer? It's a mystery. It's almost like his sheer dislike for Sky is weighing down my creative process. I had to debate between a few different ideas as far as the overall concept for this chapter, but I think I landed on a pretty good one.
And now I present, 'Targets'.
MOUNT JUSTICE
SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2010
06:20 EDT
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Ski'Lira's eyes were locked on the notebook carefully perched on her lap. Scrawled in a neat rows were a series of notes from the latest training session with Black Canary, carefully organized according to the team member in question.
"I think we should step up M'Gann's agility and self-defense training. I don't like how much she relies on her powers." She began, flipping to a new blank page and snagging her pen from beside her to quickly jot that down.
"I agree." Aqualad answered, carefully stepping around where her wing were spread out behind her, and began pacing a little. "Perhaps Robin can assist her with the former?"
"He'll most likely be alright with that." She wrote that down too. "But I think if we can get Wally to stop ogling her every thirty seconds, he could be a great help as well, at least for practical application… Actually… That might be a good option for the entire team."
"Hm… Are you suggesting he use his super speed against us?"
"Yes. And maybe using projectiles in addition to physical attacks of his own. Harmless ones, of course. I know how fragile you Terrans can be." She shot him a smirk that earned her a slightly exasperated look in return.
But whatever rebuttal he was about to give was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected source, as a telltale beep heralded the activation of a League issue comm unit as they were hailed.
"Aqualad." Kaldur answered immediately.
"Red Arrow" Ski'Lira's spine stiffened. "I need access to the Justice League's database and the exact height of the League of Shadows assassin known as Cheshire."
Pointedly remaining silent, she kept her eyes trained on the wall in front of her as Aqualad complied with the request.
"Checking" He announced, pulling up a circular holographic screen, manipulating a keyboard with one hand to connect to the database in question. "Cheshire is one point six seven meters."
"Um…"
"She is five six." Aqualad corrected. "And exceptionally dangerous. Do you require back-up?"
"Please the last thing I need is the Junior Justice League."
"Just our computer." The Atlantean smirked. "Good luck, my friend. Aqualad out."
Shutting down the screen, he turned back to Ski'Lira. "Where were we-?" He cut himself off. "Hawkgirl, are you alright?"
"Just fine." She said through gritted teeth.
"The pen you just destroyed begs to differ."
Looking down, she finally noticed the ink-covered notebook and the splintered pen in her hands. Unluckily, her jeans hadn't been spared their inky fate. "Son of a bitch."
"Perhaps you should consider switching to pencils…?"
Growling at him, Ski'Lira stood up. "I'm going to clean up."
"Remember, we have fifteen minutes before Superboy and M'Gann leave for school."
"Yes, I know. I'll be there."
Grumbling under her breath, she stomped off towards her room to grab replacement pants before making a beeline for the showers. Stripping off her jeans, she didn't even try to rinse out the stains, instead pulling the important items out of the pockets before carefully folding them and setting them aside so she could toss them in the washing machine.
(One of the perks of having part-time residence in a superhero headquarters, industrial strength washing machines. Those suckers could take bloodstains out of white fabric without leaving a single trace.)
Checking via the mirror, she made sure that there were no matching stains on her grey halter top (of which there were none).
The ink hadn't seeped through the fabric too badly, so a quick scrub with wet paper towels and soap easily washed off the black substance from her legs, though getting it off of her hand and forearm took longer. Unfortunately, she didn't have a spare pair of jeans (and she made a mental note to rectify that error) so instead she was wearing a pair of loose grey sweatpants. Tucking her phone and keys back into her pockets, she took a last moment to pull off her mask and readjust it before heading out.
Dropping back by the laundry room, she threw the jeans into the hamper designated as hers (which had been Robin's idea, mostly because their uniforms were made of different fabrics and mixing them up could be disastrous). While she was there, she heard the computer announce the arrival of both Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado, taking that as her cue to rejoin the others, but she did make one small detour back to her room to pick up something for Superboy.
The menial tasks she'd just undertaken had done wonders in tampering down her temper, and she had nearly forgotten about Roy.
But not completely.
On the way, she met up with Aqualad, J'onn, and Red Tornado, and as a group they headed into the hangar where they could send off their two, soon to be high-schooled teammates. Superboy had apparently just finished working on his bike, with M'Gann standing near him bearing two paper bags.
Martian Manhunter spoke first to announce their presence. "The first day of a scholastic season carries great cultural resonance. We want to wish you both well."
When he finally looked at them, Superboy's face fell slightly in clear disappointment. "Guess it's not a Kryptonian thing."
M'Gann set the lunch bags on top of Superboy's bike, seemingly searching for something reassuring to say. But Aqualad spoke up to defuse the situation by changing topics. "You may wish to change before you depart." He gave a meaningful look towards their current attire.
"Ah!" M'Gann's face suddenly erupted into a blinding grin. "I spent hours choosing this outfit." Her usual uniform shifted into a matching dark pink skirt and jacket ensemble, with white knee high socks and black flats. It definitely suited her… not that Ski'Lira would ever tell her that, but it did. Although her still-green skin did ruin the illusion more than a little. "What do you think? Can M'Gann M'orzz pass as an Earth girl now?"
"Well…" Aqualad looked distinctly uncomfortable, before M'Gann burst out laughing.
"Just kidding!" Her verdant skin changed into a standard flesh color for a Caucasian female, her eyes and hair remaining their usual hues. "Meet Megan Morse!" She proceeded to do a single spin and curtsied before whirling towards Superboy. "What's your new name?"
"My what?"
Ski'Lira resisted the urge to smack herself in the head. She knew she'd forgotten to talk to him about something.
Thankfully, J'onn was already on it. He altered his own appearance until the vestiges of his Martian characteristics were gone. He wore a smart suit, slipping into his human persona that Ski'Lira had only seen a couple of times before. "I chose the name John Jones for myself and suggested John Smith for Red Tornado. You could be a John, too."
Not to mention John Stewart, Green Lantern, racking up the number of 'Johns' in the Justice League to three.
"Pass." Superboy immediately declined.
"You're lucky." Hawkgirl spoke up. "You get to choose your own human name." She couldn't help her small frown. "Green Arrow picked mine for me." She would never forgive him for giving her a pun as a name.
M'Gann grabbed Superboy by the arm and shoulder. "Conner's always been my favorite name."
The half-Kryptonian merely shrugged, though Ski'Lira knew that was the greatest show of acceptance he could have given. Conner was a pretty good choice, actually. It suited him.
"A last name will also be required." Kaldur reminded gently.
"Perhaps Kent."
Hawkgirl's head whipped towards J'onn so fast that the cracking of her neck was audible. Her eyes were wide behind her mask, and she was doing everything in her power to keep from smiling uncontrollably.
"Oh, in memory of Dr. Fate!" M'Gann assumed incorrectly, though she appeared to be thrilled with the connection. "The late Kent Nelson!"
J'onn merely returned to his Martian form, calm as ever. "Of course."
"Okay." The newly dubbed Conner shrugged. "I guess it would be an honor or something." His blue eyes snapped over to Ski'Lira, a questioning look in them. She gave him the tiniest of nods, and she saw his shoulders release an iota of tension at her affirmation of the choice.
"Well, Conner Kent, time to change your shirt." Megan tapped the obvious red symbol on his chest. "You don't want to reveal your identity."
Ski'Lira desperately wanted to point out that it would probably be his face that would spoil his own identity, but she kept silent.
Unfazed, Conner took off his shirt and just turned it inside out. "Will this work?"
Blushing up a storm, M'Gann was blatantly staring. "Heh. Works for me."
"Wait…" Conner said. "Shouldn't I be Conner Nelson?"
The two walked off, as Hawkgirl once more fought a smile.
"They grow up so fast." J'onn said wistfully.
Shaking her head a little, Ski'Lira broke away from the group, jogging to catch up to her teammates. She ended up catching them at the entrance of the mountain.
"Megan, may I have a moment with Conner?" She requested.
"Of course!" The disguised Martian reached out and gently squeezed Conner's shoulder. "I'll meet you up ahead?"
He gave the tiniest of nods before she flounced off, practically floating she was so giddy with excitement.
"Conner, hm?" Ski'Lira began. "It's a good fit."
"Thanks." He went silent for a moment, clearly fighting with himself over asking a question. She merely remained patient. "So… It's… It's really okay for me to be, well… a Kent?"
Mentally thanking years of Thanagarian evolution and intense training that gave her an excellent poker face, she rose an eyebrow, the effect lost since it was still hidden behind her mask. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"I know Kent Nelson was… important. To you." He clarified, face going a little red.
"He was. And I know he'd be glad to share his name with you. The name is more apt than you know." Before he could question her about that, she swiftly changed topics. "But that's not why I pulled you aside."
Conner's expression sobered. "What is it?"
"I have not had personal experience with Earth high schools, but I have heard stories from reputable sources." Those sources mostly being Roy and Uncle Hal, though recently Dick had taken to telling her stories about Gotham Academy now that she knew about his real identity. "I… would like to offer you some advice while the adults cannot hear us, mostly because I don't think they would… approve."
His sudden spike in interest was nearly palpable. "What?"
"Humans have developed a number of strategies to avoid talking to each other. It's quite remarkable the lengths they'll go to, really. One of these strategies is pretending to be busy on their phone."
Conner's brows knit together in confusion. "Okay… But how is that supposed to help me?"
Hawkgirl reached into her right pocket and held out a brand new smartphone towards him. Cautiously, he took it from her, though he just held it gently. "Robin and I both agreed that you should have a phone, mostly so that you can more easily contact us while we're away from the mountain. And before you ask, no, you don't worry about paying bills or anything, since you're part of my family's cell plan, unlimited calls and texting, not to mention all the additional encrypting Robin did himself. Both of our cell numbers are already in there… And my parents' are in there too, on their request. For emergencies."
Thoroughly thrown for a loop, Conner carefully stowed the device in his pocket. "I… Don't know what to say."
"On Thanagar, it is tradition to give gifts on important milestones. And I think your first day at school is quite a meaningful one." She explained. "And now you have your own defense mechanism. When you are not in class and do not wish to talk to your fellow students, you can pretend just as they do. Or you can actually text me or Robin, if you like."
The very small smile she earned in response completely made up for the morning's earlier unpleasantness. "Good luck on your first day. I know you will need it." After giving him a firm pat on the back, she headed back inside the mountain.
H
She received a text from Conner earlier than she had expected. It was a welcome break, as she was merely hanging out in the kitchen and finally eating breakfast, reading an eBook via her phone. Half an hour after she had said her farewell, her phone buzzed in her hand as a notification popped up from Superboy's number. She took a moment to edit his contact to 'Conner' before actually reading the message.
Conner: I hate this.
Snorting a little, she tapped out a reply with one hand while shoveling a spoonful of cereal into her mouth with the other.
HG: If you recall, I did try to warn you.
Conner: They're all wearing shirts with hero logos.
Conner: Why couldn't I have worn mine?
She couldn't help her slight wince, okay yeah, that must have been a hell of a slap in the face. And considering how popular Superman merchandise was… Ski'Lira opted to supply at least a little positivity to cheer him up.
HG: At least you can just wear a normal shirt in public. Do you know how many weird looks I get for wearing baggy jackets in the middle of summer?
Conner: Do you care?
HG: Not at all : )
Conner: What was that? The parenthesis?
Oh, how the tables have turned. It was strange being on the other side of this question.
HG: It's called an emoticon. It's supposed to represent a smiley face.
Conner: It's stupid.
HG: It grows on you.
After he sent a final message telling her that class was finally starting, she reopened the eBook. But her silence was interrupted once more barely ten minutes later by another text.
Though this one definitely wasn't from Conner.
Dick: Did you remember to give SB the phone?
Sky: Of course I did. He's gotten the hang of texting fairly quickly.
Dick: Good for him. How's he doin?
Sky: About as well as expected from the sound of it. Pretty sure M'Gann's having more fun than he is.
Sky: But…
Sky: Something important did happen…
Dick: ?
Sky: He picked a name. With help.
Dick: I'm on the edge of my seat.
Sky: Megan picked Conner.
Sky: And J'onn suggested Kent as a last name. They thought it was for Nelson.
Dick. O.O
Dick: I'll have you know I just nearly got caught texting in class because of that bombshell.
Sky: Please, like they'd ever catch you.
Dick: :P
Dick: But that's… pretty big.
Sky: I think J'onn's trying to preemptively guilt big blue.
Sky: I can't wait to-
"Hawkgirl, may I have a word?"
Sky: gtg
Putting her phone to sleep, she slipped it into the pocket of her sweatpants and turned so she was facing Aqualad directly. His mouth was set in a grim line, a worried draw of his eyebrows making her more than a little concerned.
"I hope I was not interrupting anything important?" He asked.
"No." Ski'Lira immediately answered. "Just bringing Robin up to speed on recent events… Is something wrong?"
"Red Arrow has called in for backup on his mission."
Ski'Lira froze for a moment, but it was so subtle and fleeting that she knew for an absolute fact that the astute green-eyed boy currently staring her down hadn't noticed. "Oh?"
"He is currently acting alone to take down a formidable assassin that we failed to apprehend in the past and seems to be struggling."
"You mean Cheshire."
"Correct."
At that moment, it clicked. She knew exactly what Kaldur was trying to ask of her, and she only had one answer for him. "No."
That threw him for a loop, and his eyes widened in surprise. "No? You think he can handle it alone?"
"Of course he can't. I meant no I'm not going with you to help him."
"May I ask why not?"
"You can."
An awkward silence settled over the two of them, before Aqualad broke it with a small sigh. "I would feel far more confident if the both of us went to support him."
"The answer's still no."
"And I would still like to know why." Setting her jaw and crossing her arms, she settled in for a long, silent contest of wills. But Kaldur wasn't content with merely staring. "Never before have I heard you turn down the prospect of a fight, nor the chance to defend a comrade in battle. But now all of a sudden you decide that you do not wish to do so at all?"
"It's more complicated than you think, Kaldur." She answered immediately.
"Then explain." He was sounding thoroughly exasperated by this point. "Please, Hawkgirl."
A small growl of frustration building in her throat, Ski'Lira found herself crumbling under the force of both a direct order from her superior, and Kaldur's concerned expression. "I can't go with you to Taipei to help Roy."
"You can't. Not won't. Can't." He repeated, as if for clarification.
She offered an affirmative nod. "Incapable of doing so, yes."
He merely waited patiently for her to continue talking.
"I… Well… As you know, despite our relative autonomy, the League ultimately has control over us. Multiple members of the League had… concerns… and… I've been banned from working with Red Arrow until further notice. If I do so anyway, I will be immediately suspended from the Team."
Apparently Aqualad hadn't expected that exact answer, and was thus understandably taken aback. "I knew there was some… tension, between the two of you, but does that really warrant such restriction? You seemed quite complacent with our attempt to recruit Roy onto the Team."
"I was, at the time. There may have been… an incident." Hawkgirl winced as her mind drifted into the past. "This happened not long after we first encountered the League of Shadows as a team. I stumbled across Roy in New Orleans by pure chance. He was doing a stakeout while I was searching overhead for an escaped prisoner. I thought there was a chance he might have seen my target, and well… an honest attempt at professional cooperation escalated very quickly."
"I am… almost afraid to ask how exactly." Kaldur prompted cautiously.
"There was a significant amount of yelling… and by the time my father arrived on the scene, he had an arrow pointed at my face and I was about to hit him with my mace." She frowned a little, remembering her father's disappointment. "He reported the incident to Batman and Black Canary. They in turn deemed it a cause of concern and the ban was put in place."
A short sigh left her lips as she turned her head to the side, wings drooping a little behind her. She really didn't want to think about Roy, specifically, how hostile her relationship with him had become. She still remembered fond days at the beach, of showing off what they'd learned in training, of his lessons in how to properly ride a motorcycle, and of pulling all-nighters playing video games because they were both too stubborn to concede defeat.
The sensation of a hand on her shoulder roused her from her reminiscing. Kaldur had moved to stand in front of her, reassuring smile on his face. "I understand, Hawkgirl. And I apologize for forcing you to talk about a sensitive subject."
"Don't apologize." She insisted. "It was… nice getting to talk to someone about it." Aqualad wasn't the first person on the team to know (mostly because Robin seemed to know everything), but he was the first that she actually felt comfortable talking about it with.
"Then I consider it an honor that you have trusted me."
"We are friends, aren't we?" Hawkgirl offered, making his smile widen. Clearing her throat, she hopped off her stool, dislodging his hand in the process. "Well, I can't go with you to Taipei to save Scarlet's ass, but I do have an idea how I can help."
H
Stretching her arms as far above her head as they could go, Ski'Lira settled in for the long haul. She sat in the very center of the Hub, perched carefully on a stool that she had stolen from the kitchen. Surrounding her was a semi-circle of holographic screens, each one displaying something different. Several to her right were tuned in to multiple news broadcasts from Taipei, while the ones on her left were all plugged into various external security cameras from the buildings surrounding the peace summit's location.
Dominating the largest screen directly in front of her was a live feed from the body cam she had affixed to Aqualad.
"Are you sure you can operate from here?"
Ski'Lira scowled at him and resisted the urge to slap him upside the head as she carefully applied the spy gear to his person. A communicator fit into his ear that was nearly imperceptible, while an equally tiny camera was fit around the shell of his opposite ear. It would allow her to get a view almost identical to his eye line.
"I don't just hit things with a mace, you know." She replied instead, satisfied with her work and heading towards a holographic screen to make sure that everything was broadcasting correctly. A few key taps pulled up the footage, and she saw herself nearly through Aqualad's eyes as she tested it.
"I apologize for insinuating otherwise."
"Better be." Ski'Lira grumbled. "The camera is tough, but not indestructible. Please avoid being hit in the head."
"I was planning to do so anyway."
He ended up with a smack upside the head for the cheeky comment anyway.
"The camera picks up both audio and video, so I'll be able to hear what you hear. But if you want to contact me directly, you'll have to use the earpiece."
"Alright."
"I'd much rather physically be there with you, especially since Cheshire's involved, but I'll do what I can."
"I appreciate it, Hawkgirl."
Needless to say, Red Arrow was far less… accepting of the Thanagarian's help, but it was to be expected. It took a significant amount of arguing on Aqualad's part to convince him to switch his comm unit over to his and Hawkgirl's channel, and even then he still hadn't said a single word to her.
With Red Arrow's help, sneaking Aqualad into the event had been a cake walk. Now came the difficult part.
"I need you to make a sweep of the room. Try to get everyone's face." She requested.
Moments later, he had found a nice vantage point that gave him a view of the entire room. It took a few minutes to properly get everyone's face, but he managed to do it. Once she had the data, she put the footage through facial recognition and set it to work.
Mere seconds afterwards (since League tech was almost scarily efficient), she had found their target.
"Aqualad, Scarlet, I have confirmed Cheshire's presence. She's in the back of the room, traditional dress and makeup, wearing bright red. I believe she's posing as the tea server."
Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the assassin to make her move.
H
Sky: I'm back.
Dick: Something up?
Sky: Mission. Running the Hub for Kaldur. I may or may not have forgotten we were texting.
Dick: Oof, running comms? That must hurt you to your core
Sky: It does. But it's a necessary pain.
Dick: ?
Sky: Roy
Dick: OOF
Dick: League of Assassins, huh?
Honestly, she shouldn't be surprised. Robin really did know everything.
Sky: They seem to have it under control at the moment.
Dick: Shouldn't you be paying closer attention :P?
Sky: I can multitask.
Sky: And I'm trying to distract myself from Luthor's nauseatingly flowery lies. Please tell me the League's investigating his involvement in this?
Dick: Of course they are, but as of right now, he's… actually doing something good?
Dick: Ugh
Dick: I think I need to bleach my eyes.
Dick: I can't believe I just wrote that.
Sky: How could you?
Dick: My friend's giving me a weird look now. Aaaaaand now the teacher's all suspicious
Dick: Should probably stop texting before I get detention
Sky: Please do not get detention.
Dick: No promises : )
Putting her phone back into sleep mode, Ski'Lira refocused on the broadcast as Luthor seemed to be winding down in his spiel. The moment she heard the words "tea ceremony" leave his lying mouth, her spine stiffened and she shifted over to combat mode.
"On your six, Aqualad." She said calmly, reminding her leader of the assassin's current position. She watched the body cam footage like… a hawk… as Aqualad turned around, facing the "Tea Server" head on.
Holding one of his water bearers in front of him in a defensive position, Aqualad addressed the intruder directly. "That is far enough, Cheshire."
There was an instant where Cheshire's mask fell, a slight frown on her face that was only accentuated by the bold make-up covering her features. But then she smirked.
Drawing her arms back, she practically threw the metal trolley in her grasp as hard as she could straight towards the Atlantean. Ski'Lira saw Aqualad's arms move up, and then water seemed to appear out of nowhere, forming up around himself and the civilians in a watery dome. An arrow flew past from off screen, impacting the trolley before it hit the dome, and said trolley promptly exploded.
Ski'Lira stood up so fast her stool was sent clattering on the ground behind her as Aqualad's body cam turned black and the audio turned to static. External security footage clearly displayed the shattered windows and smoke billowing out of the newly created holes.
When Aqualad's footage suddenly burst back into life, she let out a relieved sigh, though that relief didn't last long as she realized the audio was still an unpleasant screech. Wrinkling her nose, she disconnected it. Just as she was about to ask Aqualad to report in, something caught her eye on the external footage.
A helicopter.
She knew that all air traffic around the summit had been grounded, so it was a safe bet that it wasn't friendly.
"Unidentified helicopter quickly approaching your position." She said succinctly. "And I've lost audio from your camera feed. Request verbal confirmation that communications are still operational."
"Aqualad, reporting in." When he spoke, she picked up on some ambient audio, mostly terrified screaming from the civilians and orders flying left and right for evacuations.
"I can hear you." Well, she certainly hadn't expected Roy to say anything. "Unfortunately for me." There it was.
Satisfied that her two fellow heroes seemed to be unaffected by the blast, and that she wasn't completely cut off from them, she turned her attention back to the assassin at fault for the mess.
Cheshire was lying on the ground amidst broken glass and debris, though her hair and makeup was somehow still impeccably perfect.
Roy already had an arrow trained on her, standing just off to the side of Aqualad, so she could see his mouth move as he said something (though she had no idea what exactly, as she didn't have the clearest view of his lips in order to read them).
However, she could see Cheshire just fine. "You would think so." The woman stood up gracefully. Either she wasn't affected by the blast in the slightest, or she was just very good at pretending. Ski'Lira was definitely leaning towards the latter.
But that thought was immediately overridden as the helicopter finally arrived, open door slotting perfectly within the hole in the building. Sportsmaster stood at the forefront of a squad consisting of black clothed thugs, all heavily armed. As he jumped off, his goons spread out into the building, and Cheshire flipped to her feet. Some manner of sleight of hand resulted in two Sais held tightly in her hands.
"So territorial, and only our third date." Cheshire said, looking towards the red headed archer.
Ski'Lira's brow furrowed, mentally filing that away to both ask someone about and potentially make fun of Roy for.
The body cam was obscured for a moment as Aqualad executed a neat flip over Cheshire, locking onto Sportsmaster as his primary target.
"Try to keep your distance." Hawkgirl advised. "Sportsmaster's an expert in hand to hand and weapon based combat."
"Acknowledged"
A pair of water whips appeared from Aqualad's water bearers, each bearing spikey mace heads. Hawkgirl felt thoroughly vindicated. "How thoughtful of you." She deadpanned. He must never know how happy that made her.
Aqualad was actually doing pretty well against his opponent, far better than she thought he would. Of course, that's immediately when things started to go wrong. Sportsmaster made an unexpected charge forward, decking Aqualad straight in the face, causing him to fall face down onto the ground and obscuring the camera footage in the process.
"Move, Kaldur!" She yelled. "Now!"
The Atlantean rolled off to the side, just in time to dodge a meteor hammer aimed straight for his face. Her phone abruptly buzzed in her pocket, heralding a new text. She didn't check it, but the sudden disruption had been enough for her to glance away from the screen.
And apparently in that mere moment of distraction, Sportsmaster had exchanged the meteor hammer for a rapier and had switched over to a standard fencing stance. That right there was part of why he was so dangerous, Sportsmaster was unpredictable.
Aqualad met the villain's blade with two of his own. Judging by the way he was moving, he was speaking to Aqualad, but because of his stupid hockey mask, she couldn't tell what it was in the slightest. Though, it was probably just another villain monologue, and she'd heard enough of those to last a lifetime.
Not that she'd ever stop hearing them, considering her line of work.
The fight was disrupted as the sprinklers went off, dousing the room in water. Ski'Lira pumped her fist into the air as the tide of battle was turned in Aqualad's favor. After all, there were few things more dangerous than an Atlantean in their element.
Kaldur definitely didn't disappoint, as a massive serpent made out of liquid took form, its master directing it towards every intruder scattered around the room. But just as its watery maw was about to close on Sportsmaster and Cheshire, black smoke erupted at their feet. The ensuing cloud forced Aqualad to drop his construct, buying just enough time for one of the black-clad assassins to break free. They jumped out of the smoke and headed straight towards the leaders. Aqualad tracked the movement, but Luthor's aide calmly stepped forward, holding out a hand that shifted into plates, revealing a laser jutting out of her palm. She shot the assassin out of the air.
When Aqualad turned back around, Sportsmaster and Cheshire had disappeared without a trace.
H
Hand perched on her chin and once more sitting on her recently righted stool, Hawkgirl watched the news feed, which displayed the final signing of the treaty between North and South Rhelasia. She had cut off the live video feed from Aqualad's camera some time ago, citing it was probably safer to remove the malfunctioning equipment entirely before it caught fire. And considering its proximity to his face… Yeah, it was just safer to abandon it completely for now.
The only reason she was still hanging around the Hub was because she was waiting for confirmation for Aqualad's return to the Cave, and well, once again it was safer than to be sorry in case of a follow-up attack.
Even though she was waiting for it, the sudden sound of her communicator still startled her the tiniest bit. But when she heard Roy's voice, she was thrown for a loop. After a second, she realized he was very clearly in mid-conversation, the archer's voice picked up as ambient noise from Kaldur's earpiece.
"-luck with that."
"One moment, my friend." Aqualad said. "Tonight you could have called Green Arrow for help, or the Justice League… Instead, your first instinct was to call the Cave."
"You're right." His answer sounded more than a little reluctant. "The team deserves… has my respect. I'm still getting used to this solo act stuff. But if you need me… I'll be there."
"Does that happen to apply to the entirety of the team?"
"… Yeah. Any of you. Just… don't tell the harpy I said that. See you around, Aqualad."
The comm cut off and Hawkgirl was struck thoroughly speechless. Pulling out her own earpiece, she pulled her mask off of her head and ran a hand through her brown hair before throwing her head back and groaning. Why were people so damn complicated?
H
Hawkgirl was waiting for Aqualad's return in the Hub, yellow cloth mask firmly back in place. When he stepped out of the zeta tube, she raised a hand in greeting. "Good to see you're not injured. I didn't think you were, but…"
"I am unharmed. I do not find myself in the habit of hiding my injuries from my teammates." He offered, mouth pulling up slightly in a smile.
She scowled at him. "That was once."
"And I doubt it will be the last."
Hawkgirl immediately opened her mouth to refute that point, but snapped it shut when she realized he had a point. Instead, she changed topics. "At least your mission was successful."
"It was Red Arrow's more than mine. And your help was invaluable."
"I would have been more valuable if I was actually fighting with you. But it was no trouble on my part. And…" She trailed off a little, clearing her throat loudly. "That was a nice thing you did for me. Thank you."
"I am just glad that I have proven there is still hope for you and Roy's friendship."
"Well I wouldn't go that far." She grumbled, but any further grievances she could have aired about the archer were stopped by the sudden buzzing of her phone. It was at that moment she realized she'd forgotten to check her message from earlier.
Both were from Conner, with the first being a slightly odd question.
Conner: What are cheerleaders for?
And the most recent one.
Conner: Back from school.
HG: Aqualad and I are in the Hub.
After typing back her answer, she just waited in complete silence, offering Aqualad no explanation. She gave a mental countdown, and sure enough, M'Gann flew into the Hub, spinning around in a couple of happy circles once she touched down. Conner sauntered in after her, face twisted into almost a look of frustration combined with disbelief.
"Hey guys!" The Martian girl greeted them excitedly, jumping up and down. "Guess what? Guess what?!"
"Did… you have a pleasant day at school?" Kaldur posed.
"Yes! But that's not it!" She was smiling so wide, Ski'Lira was slightly convinced she was using her morphing powers to make it wider. "I'm officially a Bumblebee!"
With that one sentence, Ski'Lira hit the top of her tolerance meter. "… That's it for me today." Spinning on her heel, she made a beeline straight for the hallway, offering Conner an acknowledging nod. "I'll be in the gym aggressively weight lifting if anyone needs me."
WHO GAVE HAWKGIRL RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE CONFUSED CLONE BOY?! WHO ALLOWED THIS HAPPEN?!
… Oh.
It was me.
I am.
WELL I'M NOT SORRY.
Next time on Fight or Flight: … Hold up, I actually have to check my notes because I have no idea which one is next. OH DAMN, IT'S THAT ONE! I've been waiting forever to write this chapter!
Next time on Fight or Flight:
Conner blinked exactly twice as the implication of what she meant finally hit him. "… Hawkgirl?"
"That'd be me, yes"
"I… didn't recognize you without your armor and mace. Or your mask… thing."
Skylar proudly held up her lanyard that clearly had a small bottle of mace dangling from it.
The half-Kryptonian suddenly looked like she'd handed him a particularly difficult puzzle. "You… don't really need that, do you?"
"Not at all. But I'd never pass up the opportunity to pepper spray someone in the face. If I have to play human, I should at least take advantage of some of the perks."