Chapter Fourteen

"Because you were foolish enough to love one place you are now homeless, an orphan, in a succession of shelters. "

They were fighting again. Cyborg leaned against the wall around the corner as he rested his head back, listening in on the raised voices.

"Just admit it! Stop acting like I'm an idiot and just fucking say it!"

Ever since Zatara had brought Kent Nelson and Constantine to the Tower and the League had found the laboratory in Columbus, Ohio all Wally and Jinx had been doing was fighting.

Cyborg got it and he knew that Karen got it too because unlike nearly everyone else in Titans Towers, they had seen Jinx— known her —in a way no one else did.

He and Karen got that just because Jinx had left a life of villainy behind it didn't mean she didn't care about the Hive members she had left behind. It didn't mean she didn't care that Mammoth— the dimwitted but at times well meaning cultist —had died.

She did and if the sound of glass breaking as she once more raised her voice at Wally was any indication, she still cared a lot. And why wouldn't she, Cyborg had seen Jinx and Mammoth and Gizmo at Brother Blood's school; as dysfunctional as they could be they had been family to each other long before they'd made their evil debuts.

The door hissed open from around the corner and a breeze blew past Cyborg.

Wally.

The young man pushed off the wall as soon as he heard the door hiss open a moment later and smiled softly at Jinx as she stepped into the hallway. Her eyes were rimmed red.

"The warden is going to let Giz out for Mammoth's funeral. I'm going to pick him up." Her voice was gravely and quiet. Her knuckles were white as her fists were balled at her sides. "Bee is gonna come too."

"I'll drive."

And then she smiled at him and Cyborg couldn't help but remember the way she'd felt slotted against him years ago, as they had danced in a room full of their future enemies.

…

Arley, Dubbilex, M'gann and Superboy were in the kitchen. Artemis Crock was still knocked out, unconscious on the ratty left-behind couch whilst Cameron Mahkent was in the home's basement, strung up to an old metal bed frame waiting for someone to come down.

Arley didn't need Superboy's hearing; if she strained her ears she could hear the meta-humans whining and pleading.

"You want Sportsmasters daughter to join?" Superboy said slowly, as if Arley had lost her mind. His arms were crossed over his chest.

"I do," Arley nodded. M'gann was pressed up next to her; Arleys shoulder, due to the height difference, was flat against the flat of M'gann's arm.

"Sportsmasters daughter," Superboy said slowly.

"I'm not saying we give her our social, security numbers" Arley rolled her eyes. She wasn't even sure if she still had one; between the fact that when Hal had adopted her he and Bruce had needed to doctor up some phony paper work and the fact she'd more than likely been pressured dead Arley was almost positive legally she was a ghost, "I'm just saying anyone who wants the Light gone isn't someone we can turn away. Especially when they have more contacts than us."

Nabu had said to listen to her heart more and while she would do that— was doing that —it wasn't hearts that won wars.

Snapper, Constantine, and with only one or two more people Arley knew weren't or couldn't be under the Lights thumb, there were only so many places they could go for much needed help whenever the occasion would arise.

But Artemis? She would be able to know who her father dealt with, find new trails Arley and the others would have never even thought to look for, she could open doors that would have been previously thought to be closed.

Fight smart, not hard.

"Look I know you may not like it but I need you to trust me here Supes," Arley said earnestly. She wouldn't take Artemis on unless everyone was on board, she wouldn't make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe but she knew that they needed Artemis on the team.

"You know I do," Superboy said with a sigh. Dubbilex, who sat on the kitchen countertop, chuckled into his fist

Arley smiled at the clone boy. She then turned to the Martian.

"Alright then, Megs, my shirt please." Half a moment later M'gann had used her abilities to make Arleys shirt look as if it was covered in half dried blood. "Okay then, Lex, you're with me. Megs keep an eye out for anyone in the area and Superboy?"

He hummed in acknowledgement.

"Keep an eye on Artemis. I hit her pretty hard, we don't need her slipping into a coma if she's concussed."

"If?" Superboys brow arched. Arley rolled her eyes before leading the blue genomorph down the stairs to the left, to the basement.

…

Wally West beat his fists against the heavy bag in Titans Towers gym.

"You love her!" Jinx had shouted . "Just admit it, you're still in love with her!"

Of course he was. How could he not be? How could you meet Arley, get to know her and not fall so in love it became part of you.

He hadn't though; the words had become stuck in his throat.

How could he admit to being in love with someone he had failed so thoroughly? How could he say it when he wasn't worthy of it.

…

Cameron Mahkent was a cockroach. He was a weasely little cockroach but he was a weasley little cockroach who wouldn't be haunting Arleys nightmares because the minute he had seen the fake blood dawning Arleys shirt he had immediately begun to sing like a canary.

Any information that Arley had wanted was hers without so much as a single threat needing to be uttered.

The only problem was, Cameron Mahkent didn't know much. He had no idea who were Light sleeper agents or moles, no idea where the boys were being kept or where exactly the main base of operations were, but he did know the names of his fellow lackeys, the location to four new bases Arley and the others hadn't been aware of and he knew, that if anyone knew who had her boys it would be the Lights newest head member.

Brother Blood.

With not only Ocean Master and the Brain out of commission and Ra's Al Gul slowly pulling away from the Light for some reason Mahkent didn't know, Blood had made an appearance.

Cameron Mahkent said he had watched as the man had swooped in and stolen the spot right out from under Cameron's father; not that the young lackey was surprised.

Brother Blood was rich. He could not only throw all the money he wanted into the Light, he could control people's minds. He was exactly the kind of monster Savage was looking for in his ranks. And he was the reason Cameron Mahkent wanted out.

"Blood is twisted," Mahkent had said, "The kind of things I've seen him make people do? No way I want anything to do with him. Man freaks me out."

"That bad?" Cameron Mahkent nodded.

"Do you know where he'll be? Where he is?" Arley asked. She hadn't cut Cameron down from where he hung but she had taken a seat on an old milk crate.

"California? Last I checked he had a home in North Cali, a compound. Ever since the Titans ruined his school whenever he's not overseeing operations, he's been setting up shop there."

"What kind of operations is he setting up?" Dubbilex wondered before Arley could.

"The Lights making moves, big moves. All I know is it has something to do with space."

What are the Guardians' names?

Arley shot to her feet. "What kind of stuff to do with space?"

"I-I don't know."

"Bullshit, you have to know something."

Mahkent did his best to shrug, "Look all I know is it has to do with some pink dude with a ring like yours and a starfish."

Arley's blood ran cold, it curdled in her veins.

No.

"What do you mean a ring like mine?" Arley asked quietly.

"He has a ring like yours, only it's not green its—"

"—Yellow?"

"Yeah, you know the dude?"

No. Yes.

Arley knew of him. Before Hal he had been the best there was. He was the story all white circles were told of.

"Is his name Sinestro?"

"Maybe? I really don't know." Arley went to open her mouth only for the basement door to be thrown open,

"Arley!" M'gann shouted, "We have company. I can't get a read on them!"

Arley didn't hesitate to take out her gun. She clicked the safety off.

"Lex, wipe him."

"What!" Mahkent squeaked.

"You want out right? That's what you said?" Arley had already started up the stairs.

"Yeah."

"Okay then, just let Lex do what he has to and you'll be fine. I told you, I wouldn't hurt you if you helped me."

"I still don't understand," Mahkent said.

"You don't have to, just have a good life Mahkent and make it your own for once." And then she was gone, passing M'gann in the kitchen and joining Superboy at the home's front door as the Martian splintered into hers and Superboy's minds.

M'gann had taken Artemis into the basement.

Where are they? Arley asked as she and Superboy paused on the house's barely held together deck. Superboy in front of her like a shield.

Walking up the road to the house. They're moving slowly . M'gann replied.

There was brush surrounding the house. Tall wheat like brush. A plan began forming in her head.

Supes , Arley instructed, I want you here ready to cut them off. I'm going to get them from behind.

You're kidding.

No, if we can get the drop on them we can take him for Megs and Lex to get through to.

Superboy sighed; Be safe.

Always am. And then she was off, sneaking through the tall brush in one direction as Superboy went off in the brush on the other side of the road as M'gann's voice led them in the right direction.

Superboy?

In position.

Arley breathed.

Now.

They jumped; Superboy lunged from the front out of the brush in the direction of their target while Arley slipped out of the brush from her spot behind only to freeze.

Because holding Superboy down wasn't a genetically modified lab rat or some sleeper agent wearing the face of someone she loved but rather, a construct.

A glowing green construct made by a stringy haired Lantern.

A Green Lantern.

"Hey!" Arley snapped, the Lantern— the new Lantern she could remember reading about; the one who'd taken up her mantle —spun.

"Arley!" He smiled. Despite the fact his mask took up half his face reminding her of Batman's it didn't take away from its brightness. "Holy shit I found you! I knew I would after I saw you taking Icicle but holy shit!"

Arley wanted to say several things; her mind raced at the sight of the insignia on the young man's chest. She wanted to ask what he meant by seeing her take Icicle, wanted to ask how exactly he had found her, instead though, she asked, "You know my name?"

He blinked.

"Of course I know your name, you're all the other others talk about," the young man said.

Arley felt her heart twist in her chest.

"Others?"

"You know Hal, John, Guy, the others," he said with a nod.

Arley knew it, she knew her partners— her dad's —would never forget about her. That they would never stop looking for her, and yet to hear how they told the rookie about her did something to her that she hadn't been expecting.

It brought tears to her eyes.

Because knowing and hearing we're two different things; Arley smiled wetly at the Lantern in front of her only to grimanced when Superboy loudly cleared his throat behind them, still trapped in the Lanterns construct.

"Right, uh—"

"—Kyle Rayner," he introduced, his hand outstretched. Arley grabbed it and shook firmly, the way Kilowog had taught her to.

"It's a pleasure Kyle. If you wouldn't mind letting Superboy go though." Kyle Rayner's dark caterpillar brows knitted together.

"Let him go? Arley, I'm here, you don't have to worry about him hurting you anymore. Fuck him if he's angry."

"What!"

Arley felt her head tip to the side, her hand still in Kyle's. "I think you have your wires crossed White Circle, Supes would never."

"Like I haven't heard that before." Arley wanted to twist the new Lanterns thumb back at his condescending tone. She didn't. "Roy told us—"

Arley didn't restrain herself this time. Using their interlocked hands and the newbies' relaxed stance to her advantage, Arley swept the Lanterns' feet out from under him and brought her other hand— the one that had been holding her weapon —level to the Lanterns eyeline.

"Hey!"

"Shut up asshole," Arley snapped, "You're why Savage was going to get rid of me, right?"

"What!"

"Please when Lex broke me out, he told me all about how Savage didn't need me anymore and now with what I got from Mahkent it makes sense!"

"Arley what the hell are you talking about!"

"You're working with the Light!"

"The hell I am!" The Lantern's construct disappeared from around Superboy, "Arley," The Lantern said earnestly, "I'm on your side."

"You don't know?"

"No," Kyle Rayner said, "Obviously not." His mask was gone, Arley could see his pupils had grown wide, that the emotion reflecting in them was genuine.

Arley, for a second, could have sworn her own ring burned against her finger.

She flicked the safety off the pistol.

"Arley," Superboy warned, only for her to shake her head as she moved off of the Lantern, helping him to his feet. Her eyes never leaving Kyles.

"It's fine, Supes, I trust him." He was a Lantern; family. That was the first real thing Kilowog had ingrained in her, if she couldn't trust the people who had her back then she had no business being in Corps.

And Kyle— Arley could see it from the kindness in his eyes —had her back.

"Thank you." Superboy scoffed.

"Come on inside, we should talk. If you're dealing with who's wearing Roy's face that probably means you're dealing with the others." Arley only managed to take two steps forward before Kyle's hand wrapped around her wrist.

She arched her brow.

"Before anything, Icicle, he's okay?"

"Why?"

"Because for a dumbass he's pretty okay."

Arley tilted her head back; Icicle Jr wasn't someone she would call okay. Cameron Mahkent was spineless and had been working for the Light for years out of fear of what might happen to him if he took off on his own, and duty to his father and only wanted out of the game when he realized just what kind of players he was throwing down with. But if this Lantern did then she supposed he knew something she didn't, and so she'd trust him.

"Yeah." Arley pursed her lips together, "Sort of."

"What does sort of mean?"

"I had Lex wipe him. He said he wanted out so someone's gonna have to teach him how to use a spoon again."

"What!"

"After the information I got from him, this was the only way to keep him safe. If the Light finds out he talked, even under pressure, Savage will gut him like a fish in front of others to make a point."

Kyle sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth before letting it hiss out of himself like a deflating balloon and while Arley didn't feel guilty over having Lex wipe twenty-plus years worth of memories from the lackey she couldn't help but feel bad for Kyle, who despite not having anything to do with Arley's decision, did look guilty.

Arley and the others had tracked Mahkent from Washington to Milwaukee; Arley couldn't help but think Kyle Rayner had something to do with that move.

"Come on," Arley jerked her head towards the condemned home, "He won't be awake but you can see him after we talk."

…

It was late when Jinx got back, arm and arm with Cyborg and Bee, the apples of all three of their cheeks slightly darkened. None of them were fully upright and Wally could see Jinx was the worst out of all three of them; Karen was practically carrying her over the threshold of Titans Tower.

He knew he should make himself known; knew he should say something so that he could take Jinx to the room she'd been given and help her change out of the fancier-than-usual black dress she had worn for her ex-teammates funeral.

But he didn't. Instead, with aching knuckles he continued up to the roof, where not for the first time since that fated Fourth of July, he would watch the stars and talk to a girl that wasn't there.

Notes: FIRST OFF; HAPPY HOLIDAYS PEOPLE! Second off, this is my shortest chapter by far mostly because it's more a part-two to chapter twelve rather than it's own chapter, and while it's not a lot, it's the lynchpin of the story. Sort of. We're almost at the end, I have no clue how many more chapters because I always just end the chapter when it feel right but it's probably only a few more.

I would love your guys thoughts, like not even about this story but Arley in general. And in the meantime, I'll give you guys Arley fun facts cause I can't run a character blog for shit.

1. Originally Arley was supposed to be an alien; I wanted her to be the sole survivor of a planet Hal couldn't save and get her ring like that because Arley's whole thing is, she lives. No matter what she goes through, she lives. She's a human version of a cockroach (and I love her for that).

2. She was supposed to have the Black Lantern ring. Before I even started writing, when I was originally thinking about her original storyline, I never had her getting pregnant with Maria or even hearing Aniell in part one. Originally she was supposed to hear her ring as she died and be brought back like that. She was supposed to be so willful that she could defy death. (I also wanted her to mirror Kyle, the White Lantern in the comics).

3. If her mother had never been attacked by the Joker and Arley had still become a Lantern, Maria would be married to Guy. I just think it would be funny for Guy to be someone's step-dad especially when that kid is somehow technically his boss.

4. It's not Superboy, if Wally wasn't in the picture (because I toyed with the idea of not bringing him back at the end of part three and having a part four based on YJ s3) Arley would end up with Will. (Roy's clone).

Feel free to let me know all your thoughts about this chapter in the comments down below!