ST. ROCH, LOUISIANA
JULY 18TH, 2010
09:35 EDT
Wrinkling her nose, she stared down her own reflection with singular purpose, eyes narrowed, mouth twisting into a scowl. Abruptly, she smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth, sticking her tongue out at her mirror image as she finished twining the last few sections of her braid.
There most likely wasn't a single soul on this planet who had seen her put a heavily armored fist through a brick wall and associate the sixteen year old girl making faces at the mirror with Hawkgirl.
But at the moment, she was Ski'Lira Hol, or Skylar Hall, depending on who she was talking to. Her Thanagarian name was reserved for a select few, used primarily when she and her parents reverted to their native language. She considered 'Skylar' a nickname more than anything else, a close approximation she had Oliver Queen to thank for.
"Fledgeling!" Her father suddenly shouted from the floor below. "Get down here before I eat your share of breakfast!"
The threat of missing out on her favorite meal of the day was more than enough to spur her into action. Scrabbling for the hair tie sitting on the bathroom counter, she quickly finished off her braid before throwing open the door. Ignoring the stairs entirely, she merely vaulted over the side of the banister and landed in a crouch. Once she was in the kitchen, she claimed her usual spot at the table, sitting across from her father.
When the two were side by side, the resemblance was clear. She may have inherited her mother's facial structure and build, but her coloring was all from her father. Their brunette hair and dark, but vibrant blue eyes (that were on close inspection a hue that did not occur naturally in humans, not that they let anyone who would make a fuss that close anyway), were all shared perfectly between them. Even their wings were identical in color and pattern, albeit drastically different in size. Katar's own wings were currently pulled close to his back so he could sit comfortably on the kitchen chair without letting the feathery tips touch the ground.
Grabbing a slice of toast and slathering some strawberry jam on it, she took a massive bite and glared at her father defiantly. He merely smirked at her over the newspaper he was perusing.
"Where's da'mi?" She asked, having not heard her mother leave the house, guessing she most likely did so while she was still sleeping.
Katar didn't even bat an eye at her slightly garbled speech from the food she'd shoveled in her mouth, which she expected, considering he'd seen her eat a steak with her bare hands with the voracity of a rabid hyena before. This was nothing compared to the hunger of a Thanagarian child stocking up energy before a molt.
"A few artifacts were lost in transport for the new exhibit, so she had to go in early." He explained. "We're hoping that the boxes were just mislabeled. I highly doubt anyone wanted to steal a replica of a Galapagos turtle, so worst case scenario Shayera's in for a long game of phone tag."
Ski'Lira felt bad for whoever unfortunate soul was to find themselves on the other end of that phone conversation, as her mother was a master of polite viciousness.
"Will it delay the exhibit opening?" She prompted.
Offering a shrug, Katar folded up the newspaper and set it aside. "Probably not, but at most only a few days, but I'm not too worried. All of the important artifacts are already in our possession, and we can do without a few set pieces. I'm more curious about what you have planned today. More schoolwork?"
She shook her head. "I'm all caught up for the week. I finished my last two assignments last night after I got home from Star City."
"So no plans?"
"For your information, I am going to Happy Harbor today."
Katar raised a brow. "Oh? I thought Black Canary's training didn't start until later."
"Robin asked us all to go, something about 'a team endeavor' or something like that." She explained. "He told us last night he had something planned for today." At the memory of the previous night, she couldn't help but frown.
"Judging by that look on your face, your attempt at talking to Roy didn't go so well."
That was an understatement. In lieu of slamming a clenched fist on the table like she wanted to, she instead crammed the last of her toast in her mouth. "He said we were a joke. I tried to punch him, but Aqualad stopped me."
"Well? Are you a joke?"
"No."
"Then why are you taking anything he says to heart?"
She paused, her rising tide of anger dissipating at her father's words. That was the thing about Katar Hol, he may not speak often, but when he did it was often with purpose and a surprising amount of wisdom. Shoulders slumping, she drooped back in her chair.
"I guess it is stupid of me to still care about what he thinks about me."
"I wouldn't call it stupid," her father offered. "You two were friends for a long time. Besides, he's made his own choice. He decided that his life as a hero was to be a solitary one, just as you and yours made your own choice to stay together."
"Yeah..." Straightening, the thought of her new team brightened her mood. "I guess we did."
"It seems like you're finding your kast quicker than expected, and in spectacular fashion. You're growing up so fast, fledgling."
"Ta'me..." She groaned, ducking her head to avoid the hand reaching out to ruffle her recently brushed hair. "I'm going to fly out before you start telling war stories about your own kasts."
"We both know you love my war stories."
"Only when I don't have somewhere else to be." Standing up from her chair, she quickly rinsed her plate and put it in the dishwasher.
"Don't forget your mask!" Katar called out to her before she vanished from earshot completely, picking his newspaper back up and resuming his reading.
H
MOUNT JUSTICE
JULY 18TH, 2010
11:16 EDT
When she'd arrived at the mountain, she was immediately subject to curious stares from the only other two present members of the team, Miss Martian and Superboy. The former's eyes had gone a little wide, but she'd maintained her silence, still clearly wary of her presence.
Superboy, on the other hand, did not have a subtle bone in his body. "What's with the mask?"
"Thanagarian custom," she answered, which seemed to be enough for him.
It was refreshing, really, how he so easily accepted her cultural differences. All three of them were classified as 'non-Terran', though she and Miss Martian were both raised elsewhere and had very different perspectives on the prospect of 'blending into Earth culture'.
Miss Martian was clearly making an effort to seem as human as possible (apart from her verdant skin), dressed in a neat and tidy pink skirt and cardigan combo. Ski'Lira's ratty grey halter top, torn and stained jeans, dusty combat boots, and wings spread proudly behind her created an obvious juxtaposition, especially with the cloth mask obscuring the upper half of her face and the Nth metal mace hanging from a loop on her belt.
Usually when she was in her civilian persona as 'Skylar Hall', she'd have a pair of aviators borrowed a long time ago from her Uncle Hal. But here, she didn't have to play at being human, and was instead allowed to indulge a little. Cloth masks were often worn on Thanagar for more casual settings. Her own, a dull yellow strip of fabric with white mesh eyes, and black embroidery on the bottom edge and around said eyes, had been a gift from her family on Thanagar. When she pulled it out of the box and tied it snugly over her face, she'd been nearly floored by the familiar scent of her home world and the strong spices that her aunt Tildi favored in her cooking.
The smell had faded a bit on the flight, but there was still enough to make her smile. Not that she was openly smiling, she had a reputation to maintain here. Reaching up, she flipped the trailing tails of her mask back over her shoulder and out of the way.
Aqualad had shown up not too long after she did, just as casually dressed, and breaking the awkward silence with earnest greetings and small talk, at least until the others arrived.
The telltale whirring from the nearby zeta tube entrance broke the idle conversation as the computerized voice announced the appearance of the two missing members of their party.
"Recognized: Robin, B01; Kid Flash, B03"
"Did you ask him?" The question left Robin's mouth before even the simplest of salutations, getting straight to the point, Kid Flash running beside him.
"What did he say?" The speedster was literally vibrating from excitement.
"He's arriving now." Aqualad sounded genuinely amused at their enthusiasm.
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
H
Emerging out of Mount Justice, the moment sunlight hit her feathers her wings splayed out, a light breeze catching on her plumage. Cawing gulls spiraling over the beach filled her with a singular jealousy, as she was forced to remain on the ground instead of taking off to join them. She managed to restrain herself from just leaving without a word, though only because she wanted to hear Red Tornado's verdict herself.
The android himself came into view, descending via a red blurred cyclone obscuring his lower half, gently dropping to stand in front of them.
"Red Tornado!" Kid Flash greeted first with a wave.
"Greetings," Red Tornado droned. "Is there a reason you intercepted me outside the cave?"
"We hoped you had a mission for us." Aqualad answered. It had been decided beforehand that the Atlantean would be the one to ask, as he was the most polite.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."
Robin interrupted, only to be cut off mid-sentence by the android, "But it's been over a week and nothing-"
"You'll be tested soon enough," Tornado assured. "For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company."
Even Aqualad's seemingly never-ending well of patience began to run dry at being shut down so easily, amicable expression fading into frustration. "This team is not a social club."
"No, but I am told social interaction is an important team-building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." Further protests were denied entirely as he merely walked away from them, heading into the mountain.
"Keep busy," Kid Flash mocked in a very poor imitation.
Equally incredulous, Robin gave a scoff. "Does he think we're falling for this?"
Miss Martian suddenly brightened, turning towards Tornado's retreating form with a sparkle in her eyes. "Oh, I'll find out!" She went silent, eyes only narrowing slightly. Based on empirical evidence, it was likely she was attempting telepathic investigation.
"Recognized: Red Tornado, 1-6." The computer announced, accompanied by the blue lights of the scanner before the door at the end of the hallway slid open.
A short sigh left Miss Martian, shoulders slumping in defeat. "I'm sorry, I forgot he's a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind."
"Nice try, though!" Kid Flash complimented with a grin he probably thought made him look charming. It did not. "So, uh, you know what I'm thinkin' right now?"
"We all know what you;'re thinking now," Robin muttered, smacking his best friend on the back with a pointy elbow, earning a groan of pain.
Aqualad's head dipped slightly in resignation. "And now we tour the clubhouse."
"Well, Superboy and I live here," Miss Martian spoke up, trying her best to create a more positive mood. "We can play tour guides!"
Superboy recoiled as he suddenly became the new center of attention. "Don't look at me."
"We won't," the speedster assured, still smiling at the Martian girl. "A private tour sounds much more fun."
"Sh-she never said private," Robin stammered.
"Team building," Aqualad suggested easily. "We'll all go." Ski'Lira resisted the urge to clap him on the back in pride with how effortlessly he shut down Kid Flash's abysmal attempts at flirting.
Robin grabbed the redhead by the back of his shirt, yanking him backwards and keeping him from dogging Miss Martian's steps. Never one to miss out on a prime opportunity when it presented itself, she stuck out her leg just at the right moment, sending him sprawling onto the ground. He scowled at her indignantly, but she smirked at him.
"Learned that one in the Thanagarian equivalent of kindergarten." She teased.
"So cruel," he mumbled to himself, dusting blades of grass off of his pants.
H
"So this would be our front door, and this would be the back. The cave is actually the entire mountain." True to her word, Miss Martian acted as primary tour guide, pointing out both the big and little things she'd noticed in her short time living here. Superboy kept silent, trailing behind and refusing to offer any input of his own.
"It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League." Kid Flash added, trying to impress the new girl with his knowledge.
"Then why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?" Superboy's tone was genuine in his curiosity, no doubt the mention of his genetic donor's name was enough to pique his interest.
"The cave's secret location was compromised." Aqualad explained. "Though I am unsure of the details..."
"It happened four years ago," Hawkgirl took over, casually glancing around and noticing how things had been shifted around since she was here as a kid. "Joker managed to get in and lifted nearly a dozen alien and magical artifacts. My parents spent weeks personally hunting them all down. The cave's been abandoned since."
"So they traded it in for a tourist trap?" Superboy scoffed. "Yeah, that makes sense."
She and Robin traded a look, an unspoken 'oh yeah, they don't know about the satellite base, huh'. He raised a brow in question as if asking 'should we tell them?' to which she shook her head, remembering how upset Batman had gotten when Green Arrow had told Roy without permission.
Meanwhile, the new influx of information seemed to make Miss Martian panic. "If villains know of the cave, we must be on constant alert!"
Robin reached out, gently grasping Miss Martian's hand reassuringly, bringing the group to a dead halt as their tour guide was stopped. "The bad guys know we know they know about the place, so they'd never think to look here." Lightning fast, Kid Flash's hand darted out, snatching Robin's hand away and making the Boy Wonder glower.
"Uh, he means we're hiding in plain sight." The speedster clarified, trying to be the focus of her attention again.
"Ah, that's much clearer," the panicked look on Miss Martian's face faded. Though that calm did not last long in the face of Superboy's sudden question.
"I smell smoke."
Hawkgirl had passed off the smell as lingering from the clean up (she had watched Captain Atom use his energy bursts to clear cobwebs instead of using a broom like a normal person), but it was steadily growing stronger.
"My cookies!" Flying off into the depths of the mountain with a singular desperation, the rest of them ambled after Miss Martian at a more sedate pace, feeling no rush at the prospect of this most minor of emergencies. Just as they reached the kitchen, Miss Martian was pulling out a metal pan of burned lumps of what were supposed to be cookies out of the oven. "I was trying out Grammy Jones' recipe from episode seventeen of-" Seeing their looks, she cut herself off. "Nevermind."
"I bet they'd have tasted great." Robin snorted, gesturing towards Kid Flash, who was scarfing down the burnt remains with tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "He doesn't seem to mind."
Freezing mid-bite, the speedster floundered, two of the charred confections already crammed into his mouth. "I have a serious metabolism." He explained with embarrassment.
"... I'll make more?" Miss Martian offered.
Aqualad gave a slight tilt of his head. "It was sweet of you to make any."
"Thanks, Aqualad."
"We're off duty," he shook his head. "Call me Kaldur'ahm... Actually, my friends call me Kaldur."
"I'm Wally," Kid Flash introduced himself, and Ski'Lira tamped down the urge to laugh at learning his name was 'Wally'. "See, I already trust you with my secret ID. Unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here. Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name. Not to mention the masked menace."
That earned him a scathing glare from both the resident birds, and the sheer combined force of their disapproval made his hands go up defensively. Only once she was satisfied he was sufficiently terrified of her, Ski'Lira stepped further into the kitchen, searching through cabinets for a bowl to put the rest of the charred cookies into.
"Mine's no secret, it's M'Gann M'orzz. Like, you can call me Megan, it's an Earth name and I'm on Earth now." She turned to Ski'Lira, who had just scraped the last of the disaster cookies into a bowl for Wally and was in the process of putting it in the sink to soak, in an attempt to save the pan. "What about you? Do you have a preferred Earth name?"
"Yes," she answered, turning the sink up as hot as it would go and plugging the bottom.
"... And?"
"I wouldn't bother, she won't tell you." Robin interrupted the impromptu interrogation. "Or her actual name, for that matter."
M'Gann was visibly disappointed. "But... surely there is no harm?"
The Thanagarian paused, bare hands sunk into the sudsy, steaming water. "You're being very culturally insensitive, you know."
If she were capable of paling, she probably would be right now. "What? I mean, I didn't mean-"
The frantic sputtering made Ski'Lira laugh aloud, grabbing a nearby scrub and setting to the task of salvaging the pan.
Superboy seemed to have enough of the conversation at the moment, unamused by the clash between alien social customs. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he started to amble his way out of the kitchen.
The next thing they knew, he was whirling around with a livid expression on his face leveled wholly on M'Gann. "Get out of my head!"
"What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically."
Under the sudden shock of the voice reverberating inside of her head, so loud it was grating despite not being any sort of true noise, the metal pan in her hand crumpled under her fingers like it was made out of tin foil. She had heard J'onn speak in her head before, it didn't sound anything like this.
"M'Gann, stop!" Kaldur shouted, freeing all of them from the telepathic feedback. "Things are... different on Earth. Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy."
"Besides, Cadmus' creepy little psychic gnomes left a bad taste in his brain." Wally added.
"I... I didn't mean to..." At a loss, M'Gann was at a loss for words.
"Just stay out," Superboy shot her one last hate-filled glare before leaving the immediate area, plopping himself down on the bright green couch in the corner, steadfastly ignoring everyone.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the group as the non-telepaths recovered from the sudden mental intrusion. Pulling her hand out of the water, she sighed at seeing how thoroughly her fingers had warped the metal. Setting it on the counter, she deemed it a problem for later.
"If this means we're resuming the tour, I'm going to excuse myself." Ski'Lira asked, grabbing a towel to dry off her hands.
Uncertain, M'Gann shook off the last of her culture shock, taking the out she'd been provided. "There's still so much cool stuff to-"
"Private rooms that way, stocked med bay and training room with an entire swimming pool and equipment calibrated for enhanced strength and speed, and the hangar." She pointed out diligently, scraping the vestiges of her childhood memories.
"How do you...?"
Robin huffed a laugh. "HG here's the only League kid who's been in the mountain during active service. Wally, Roy, and I were a little late to that party."
"Don't let the title fool you, 'League Kid' just means 'this child has been babysat by multiple members of the League at some point and they will never let you forget that fact, especially embarrassing stories.'" Wally explained. "You should be thankful you're well past the qualifying years."
The awkwardness came back in full, at the unspoken reminder of M'Gann's new arrival to the planet, and that Superboy hadn't been given the chance to be raised as he should have been. No one knew where to go from there, as it was clear the whole 'tour' idea was a bust by this point.
M'Gann brightened considerably, smacking herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand. "Hello, Megan! I know what we can do!" Grin back in full force, she took off flying again.
Sharing a lok, the remaining teens followed her once more, curious about what the Martian had in store now.
H
That spark of curiosity ended up in disappointment, and Ski'Lira ended up regretting not staking out a room while she had the chance. Sitting innocuously in the middle of the hangar was a blob, a round, purplish-red oblong object with black markings.
Boring.
"It's my Martian bioship!" M'Gann explained proudly, showing it off with a flourish.
"Cute," Wally grimaced, attempting to feign excitement and failing miserably. "Not aerodynamic, but cute."
A heartfelt laugh left the Martian girl before she corrected the speedster. "It's at rest, silly. I'll wake it." With a wave of her hand, the blob changed and expanded, taking its true form of a compact spacecraft. It earned her an appropriate amount of awed looks, though she didn't receive one from Ski'Lira.
She'd seen images of Martian ships via the Thanagarian side of her education, and she knew that this one qualified as a 'personal craft', hence its small size and higher amount of versatility. Still, compared to the sleek warships with glittering hulls of Nth metal alloy her people used to travel the stars, this was nothing. She would be the first to admit she may be a little biased on that.
"Well, are you coming?" M'Gann prompted from the ramp of the ship.
The group filed in, the inside far more spacious and... neon... than she had expected. M'Gann moved to her place at the helm as the door sealed shut, Robin and Wally flocking to a couple of seats. Superboy, Ski'Lira, and Kaldur were a little more subdued and cautious.
"Strap in for launch," M'Gann's grin was back in full force now, the remains of her ruined mood from the... mishap earlier finally faded.
Ski'Lira attempted to follow Kaldur's lead, taking the seat to his immediate left (as Superboy took the spot to his right). As she sat, it became very clear how poorly designed these chairs were for someone with massive appendages sprouting out of their back. Even with her wings pulled in tightly to her back, she couldn't sit properly. Standard Earth chairs weren't this bad, and she was beginning to experience more and more regret at agreeing to this.
Actually, what was keeping her here?
"I think I'd rather fly on my own power, thanks." She said, rising and intending to exit the ship entirely.
"Scaredy cat," Robin mocked, freezing her in her tracks. "Afraid of peak Martian bioengineering?"
Scoffing, she reluctantly returned to her spot, knowing exactly what he was doing. Goading her with the possibility of cowardice was one of the surefire ways to trigger her stubbornness, and he knew it. Resigning herself to a very uncomfortable ride, she scowled down at the console before her as straps crept over her shoulders and fastened themselves.
"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors." M'Gann spoke with a confidence she had yet to display, hands held out before her with surety as the ship burst into life. Hovering just above the ground, it remained stationary until the android complied with the request. Like a bullet from a gun, they shot out of the hangar and into the bright sunlight.
Seeing the clouds zip past them was strange without the accompanying bite of the wind on her skin, currents catching her feathers. If anything, being cut off from the sky in this manner was just making her more surly. Judging by the cautious look Kaldur was sending her way, her steadily dropping mood was not going unnoticed.
Meanwhile, Robin was leaning as far forwards in his seat as he could manage with the straps binding him. "Incredible..." No doubt his eyes were wide with wonder under the obfuscation of his dark sunglasses.
And naturally, it was Wally who broke the moment, a long sigh leaving him as he gazed at the resident Martian, hearts in his eyes. "She sure is..." Realizing how much attention he'd drawn to himself, his cheeks flushed bright red. "I-I mean the ship!" He stammered, "Which, like all ships, is a she."
"Fast with his feet, not so much with his mouth."
Wally whirled on Robin, who had a self-satisfied grin on his face. "Dude!"
Meanwhile at the front of the ship, Ski'Lira was resisting the urge to snort loudly from the speedster's embarrassment. As if unblocking a dam, conversation began to flow a little more easily. Leaning over, Kaldur quietly got Superboy's attention. "I may not have psychic powers, but I can guess what you're thinking. You overreacted, and you don't know how to apologize. Just say sorry," He suggested earnestly, keeping his voice low enough that the others couldn't hear.
At the back, Robin was having a similar conversation with M'Gann. "He'll come around."
"He doesn't seem to like me much," M'Gann admitted, her confidence fading ever so slightly.
"You guys remember he has super hearing, right?" Kid Flash pointed out the obvious, bringing that train of conversation to a screeching halt.
That seemed to be a common thread today, semi-amicable conversation shot and killed by a newly discovered cultural difference or faux pas. It was a stark reminder that at the core of it, they were a loose conglomeration of near strangers. Sure, she knew Robin and Kid Flash enough that they could be considered friends, and Kaldur was rapidly earning that title too, but Superboy and Miss Martian were still unknowns. The only two that knew each other any semblance of 'well' were Robin and Wally, with their unshakeable best friend-ship.
At first, the thought of Red Tornado's imposed 'team bonding' seemed inane, but in this moment she recognized how desperately they needed it. Not only was a strong platform of trust vital to the successful execution of their inevitable missions, but they needed to establish some common ground before they ended up seriously maiming each other.
"Hey," Robin piped up. "How 'bout showing us a little Martian shapeshifting?"
The redheaded Martian hopped off of her pilot's seat, complying with the request happily. With an exertion of will, her skin and clothes rippled, altering shape and hue until a female version of Robin stood before them. As effortlessly as breathing, she shifted into an inherently flawed image of Hawkgirl, as she was missing her wings entirely. The sight of a Vaen'garr, one without wings, version of herself sent a shudder down her spine.
M'Gann saved a female version of Kid Flash for last, which seemed like a mistake.
"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally asked, proving her right immediately.
Steadfastly ignoring his idiot best friend, Robin applauded. "Impressive, but you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone with those."
M'Gann turned sheepish. "Mimicking boys is a lot harder, and Hawkgirl's wings are... complicated."
"And your clothes?" Aqualad chimed in.
"They're organic, like the ship. They respond to my mental commands."
A scoff left Superboy, " As long as they're the only ones." He muttered, tone low enough that only Kaldur and Ski'Lira caught it.
"Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?" Apparently M'Gann's abilities were something of a shiny new toy for the youngest boys, judging by the rapid-fire nature of their inquiries. Wally's eyes were practically shining at the prospect of even more powers for her to demonstrate.
"Density shifting?" M'Gann corrected. "No, I- it's a very advanced technique."
"Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall," Robin said. "When he tries it, bloody nose."
"Dude!"
"Here's something I can do," M'Gann interrupted before Robin's teasing could escalate.
"Camouflage mode."
At first glance, it seemed as if nothing had happened, but a look outside the wide windows confirmed that the exterior of the ship had disappeared from the naked eye. Only the slight distortion gave away the presence of the ship, but Ski'Lira had no doubt that it was unnoticeable from a further distance.
"Red Tornado to Miss Martian," the intercom didn't so much as crackle, the android's voice filling the space suddenly. All further attempts for amicable conversation were ruined, for good or ill. "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate covertly. I'm sending coordinates."
"Received," M'Gann confirmed, and they all sobered quickly at the prospect of danger. "Adjusting course."
Robin was the first to comment, "Tornado's keeping us busy again."
"Well, a simple fire led you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert." M'Gann had an excellent point.
"I think I know the cause," Superboy said, drawing the attention of those in the back of the ship to the front trio's line of sight.
She and the other two had spotted it soon after the ship altered its path. The last she checked, tornadoes were not only rarer on the east coast, but also didn't tend to spring up on blue skied, sunny days. The force of nature was tearing its way through a warehouse, but soon the bioship was caught within its cyclonic winds. Careening off course, M'Gann fought to regain control, while below civilian workers were screaming and desperately scrambling to safety.
The landing was a little rough, but they were none the worse for wear, dropping to the ground and battle ready.
"Robin, are tornadoes common to New England?" Aqualad asked, but he received no response. Looking back, he noticed their missing member. "Robin?"
"He was just here!" M'Gann sounded genuinely perturbed.
Rolling her eyes, Hawkgirl unhooked her mace from the belt of her jeans. "He does that. And no, they're not." An auditory scan of the area pinpointed Robin quickly, thanks to a well-timed eerie cackle that gave away his position. With a clear destination, she took off at a dead sprint towards the warehouse, caring little if the others followed her lead.
Already she could tell this battle was going to be far from entertaining. Unable to use her wings at the risk of being pulled up into the sky and away from the inevitable battle, she was limited to what she could do on the ground with her superior strength and ever-present Nth metal mace. She didn't even have her armor, the fabric of her halter top and pants would do nothing to protect her from heavy blows. At least she was still masked, though once again, her helmet was not present to protect her skull from being impacted.
Steeling herself for a grueling fight, she skidded to a halt at the wide entrance of the warehouse, arriving just in time to see Robin thrown against a wall. A short cry left him as he slammed into the wall, and he fell to the ground in a slump.
His attacker was a monstrous metal man in red and blue, looming far taller than any of them. Hands with massive fingers had glowing blue tubes jutting out of knuckles and joints, an out of place, ragged scrap of cloth wrapped around the lower half of its face like a makeshift scarf.
It was clear from the confused looks on everyone else's faces that they didn't recognize this being either.
"Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked.
"Didn't catch his name, but he plays kinda rough." Robin snapped back, clambering back to his feet and showing no obvious signs of injury.
"My apologies," The new villain actually responded, which either meant they were still a rookie, or they were powerful enough to be so aloof. "You may address me as Mr. Twister."
The facade of exchanging pleasantries was ruined as he sent out a miniature cyclone, tossing Superboy off the battlefield like a piece of paper caught in a small gust. Fully switched onto 'semi-experienced vigilante mode', Kid Flash pulled his goggles over his eyes and sped into the fray. Deciding to take a small risk, Hawkgirl flared out her wings so she could attack from above and Kid Flash took below.
Taking that risk was a miscalculation on her part.
A second before she was about to slam her spiked mace into the metal shell of his head, twin concentrated blasts of wind from Mister Twister's bulky hand cannons sent both of them flying out of the warehouse. Kid Flash scraped across the ground, digging a deep furrow with his body and only stopping at a small copse of trees. She herself was shot diagonally, the blast catching under wings and launching her upward. Usually, she could catch herself out of a spiral easily, but Mister Twister's manipulation of the area had irrevocably screwed with the natural patterns of air currents and thermals.
Curses poured out of her lips, a constant muttering growl of Thanagarian as she tried to maneuver through the complicated tangle of strong winds. The moment she'd ground Mister Twister into metallic dust, she was going to make sure her parents one, never found out about this, and two, drill solo flying maneuvers until she passed out.
By the time she finally managed to break out, mostly by tucking her wings in tight and letting herself free fall to a lower altitude, Mister Twister had fully emerged from the warehouse, fully back on the warpath. It was only a quick intervention from M'Gann's telekinetic abilities that saved Kid Flash from being sucked into another cyclone.
Touching down next to the rest of the team, they faced off against the android once more. She was about ninety five percent sure that's what they were going up against, considering the lack of a heartbeat and distinctly mechanical sounds whirring inside the metal shell.
"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now," Mister Twister droned, sounding more amused by their attempts than anything else.
"What do you want?!" Aqualad demanded.
"Isn't it obvious?" Mister Twister asked, rising effortlessly into the air, shouting down at them. "I'm waiting for a real hero." With that, he took off. Scarcely had she tensed to pursue him into the sky before Aqualad gently touched her shoulder, a silent warning of 'do not'.
"Read his mind, find a weakness." Aqualad's eyes were locked on the Martian.
She seemed genuinely confused by the request. "I thought I wasn't supposed to do that?"
"It's okay with the bad guys!" Robin's arms flew up into the air, visibly frustrated by the situation. He was probably still sore (both metaphorically and literally) from being thrown around earlier. The 'real hero' comment probably didn't help, as it was the more pointed barbs from villains that had more effect.
The glow of her eyes was the only sign that Miss Martian had actually listened to the suggestion, blinking rapidly a moment later. "Nothing," she admitted. "I'm getting nothing?" Her face lit up, smacking herself on the forehead. "Hello, Megan! Mister Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's inorganic, an android. And how many androids do you know that can generate tornadoes?"
"... Red Tornado sent us here." Aqualad said slowly.
"After saying we'd be tested soon enough," Robin's eyes widened, incredulity melting into a scowl. "This is his test, something to keep us busy."
Hawkgirl was far from convinced of this turn of events. The biggest sticking point was how... different 'Mister Twister' looked and acted. He was actively threatening the lives of civilians, and a member of the League wouldn't do that just for a test. It wasn't unimaginable that a villain reflected their chosen heroes' appearance and abilities. It was weirdly common, actually.
"I don't think-" Hawkgirl said, only to be cut off by Kid Flash.
"Speedy called it, we're a joke." He spat, his vitriol covering up her attempt to make them reevaluate.
"I'm not convinced that-
"Unh!" Slamming his hands together, it was Aqualad who interrupted her with a frustrated growl. At this point, she was debating flying up there anyway, and stealing Mister Twister's stupid scarf so she could prove her hunch.
"This game is so over," Kid Flash declared.
Robin yelled up at the being he assumed to be their caretaker. "We know who you are and what you want!"
"So let's end this!" Aqualad added.
The android didn't move or respond for a few moments, before gracing them with a final, "Consider it ended."
The sunny, blue skies that she'd been so excited to soar through earlier began to darken, far more rapidly than nature could have done on its own. A maelstrom of nearly black storm clouds swirled above them, the wind whipping harshly, loose debris thrown back and forth. Hawkgirl felt her wings being forcibly tugged backwards, her feet dragging backwards. Just as the pressure started to become painful, she tucked her wings in as tight to her back as she could. Okay, now her vague suspicion was ratcheting up to almost a sure fact. There was no way Red Tornado would risk damages to the unaware populace like this.
"An impressive show, but we will not indulge you." Shouting over the gale, fighting to make himself heard, Aqualad continued to goad the android. "We will not engage."
"Uh... Can Red Tornado do that?" Kid Flash asked sheepishly, finally, someone else coming to their senses.
It was Mister Twister himself that shattered the remains of the false allusion over her teammates. "You think I'm Tornado? Ironic."
Screaming in unison, they scrambled as a bolt of lightning struck the ground dangerously close. One moment they were upright, and the next, all sprawled on the ground in varying states of consciousness. Ski'Lira's vision was graying in and out, her extremities uncooperative at the moment thanks to a blanketing numbness. It was only due to Nth metal's status as nonconductive that kept her from far worse injury, else she'd be in much worse shape.
Through her fluctuating vision, both due to the tentative hold on consciousness and the light that had seared into her retinas, she was barely able to make out Superboy's form as he recovered first. He leapt at the hovering android, fist poised and letting out a fairly impressive war cry. But before he could make contact, a second bolt slammed into his chest, and he ended up in an impact crater not far from the rest of them.
Mister Twister's hands were still up, ready to let loose another bolt, this one more... final. They were vulnerable, and no matter what enhancements they had, there was a good chance at least half of them would be stone dead.
But instead, he paused. "Fine, then... I won't deny you children have power." He began, hands lowered. "But playing hide and seek with you would not help me achieve my objectives, so stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy." With that dismissal, he flew off in the thunderous sky, leaving them with no true indication of what had actually driven him off.
"What... happened?" Groaning, Kid Flash's eyes were locked on the retreating form of their new enemy.
As quickly as they could manage without aggravating lightning-induced injury, the young heroes all began to rise, pulling themselves together to eliminate the threat. Violently shaking her head, the last of the fuzziness left Hawkgirl's vision, just in time to see a slight distortion as the bioship de-cloaked above them.
"I placed the bioship between us," Miss Martian explained, not that she really had to, considering it was somewhat obvious.
A growl left Superboy, followed by a shattering impact as he obliterated a nearby rock with a single punch. "And that's supposed to make it right?! You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado!"
Aqualad leapt to the teen Martian's defense, "She didn't do it on purpose."
"I - it was a rookie mistake," Robin snapped. "We shouldn't have listened." Most likely, he was more disappointed in himself than M'Gann.
"You are pretty inexperienced. Hit the showers, we'll take it from here." Kid Flash added.
"Stay out of our way." Superboy agreed, having the final word as the boys all took off after Mister Twister.
That just left Hawkgirl alone with Miss Martian.
"Are you going to yell at me too?" The Martian demanded, both petulant and hurt.
"This is your first battle, is it not?" Ski'Lira asked.
"... Well, yeah, I guess? How did you know?"
"On facing an enemy, your first assumption was that it was a friend."
Miss Martian's cheeks darkened. "Right."
"But your mistakes are understandable. Take the opportunity to learn from them, else I really will be upset with you."
Snapping out her wings, Hawkgirl took flight, leaving the other girl behind to reflect on her actions.
H
Chaos had thoroughly descended on Happy Harbor. With the arrival of evening also came a wave of weather-induced destruction and mayhem. Small whirlwinds targeted the backs of civilians desperately rushing for shelter, harsh gales sent cars rocking and threatening to overturn, and a good number of windows were already lost causes or being hastily blockaded. Shingles were torn off roofs of houses, boats torn from the nearby marina and thrown back to earth like man-made meteorites.
Hovering inside the eye of his storm of Mister Twister, watching the spectacle with something akin to satisfaction. "Certainly this will get the required attention."
"You got ours, full and divided!" From her vantage point atop a nearby crumbling house, she watched as Kid Flash practically appeared out of nowhere, speeding towards the android and lashing out with a momentum-enhanced kick. The sheer amount of generated force sent Mister Twister straight backwards, thoroughly divesting him of his calm.
"Immaterial and insufficient!" His modulated voice raised in frustration. "You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate." The raising of her hands was her cue to move, jumping off the de-shingled roof of the residence, wings extending to their full span as she used the generated currents in her favor. She was practically dragged straight towards him, mace held aloft and ready to strike.
At the same time, Superboy was dropping in from the sky, landing just in front of Mister Twister, the mini-shockwave he generated forcing Mister Twister even further backwards, straight into the path of her mace.
The victory of feeling the metal spikes of her mace digging into his metal armor was short lived, as he promptly angled his hand straight at her, a massive blast of wind slamming into her. This time, she didn't lose complete control over herself, though she was still temporarily knocked out of the fight.
Aqualad and Robin tagged in, leaping over a parked car and moving to engage, backing up Superboy. Their intervention was well-needed, as Mister Twister tossed an entire boat at the Kryptonian, pinning him underneath the fiberglass hull.
Hawkgirl quickly realized that her use of her wings was no longer feasible without the element of surprise, and once she was safely back on the ground she pulled the feathery appendages into a tight fold once again. She'd be useless if she were constantly fighting buffeting winds rather than their opponent.
Dodging a twister sent in their direction, Aqualad and Robin finally managed to get into range. Aqualad had merely dodged just barely enough to avoid being swept away while retaining a straightforward course, while Robin was forced to veer for cover until it had passed. However, before the Atlantean could attack, yet another whirlwind was sent his way, sending him crashing into the second story of a nearby house.
Ski'Lira winced in sympathy, but kept running. Kid Flash had goaded Mister Twister into a bizarre version of cat and mouse, giving the rest of them enough time to step in. Taking over a support role, Robin tossed explosive birdarangs into cyclones as they appeared, dissipating them before they could cause further havoc.
Letting out a war cry, Hawkgirl darted into the fray, slamming her mace into his metal knee and abdomen, dodging to the side at the last second as Superboy dropped in from above. But he missed, and she was just out of range to land more hits.
Mister Twister took advantage of their stumble, summoning yet another cyclone to send Superboy spiraling up high into the sky, lashing out at Hawkgirl with a metal foot. The impact to her abdomen knocked her back, tumbling far enough that she came far too close to dropping straight into the harbor. It was only a lightning-fast grab at the lip of the pier that kept her from an unexpected dip.
Just as she had about a third of her body back on solid concrete, she noticed Superboy falling through the roof of the house Aqualad's own drop had previously damaged, followed by a second boat.
Aqualad took advantage of the new weapon, picking up the engine from the destroyed boat and throwing it at the android, only for it to be deflected. By this point, she was almost back onto solid land, when M'Gann's voice sounded in her head. The sudden blast of telepathic interference startled her so badly, she ended up releasing her grip entirely and plummeted backwards into the cold waters of the harbor.
"Listen to me. All of you."
"What did we tell you?" Superboy shouted, voice muffled to her ears thanks to the feet of water now between her and him.
"I know, and I know I messed up, but now I'm very clear on what we need to do. Please trust me."
H
"Get back!" A member of the Happy Harbor Police department was screaming, diverting civilians away from the epicenter of the current villain rampage that showed no sign of slowing. "Everyone clear the area!"
From the sky came a savior in red and gleaming gold, as Red Tornado slowly floated down from the sky, landing gently next to the group of bedraggled teen heroes. By this point they were boasting bruises and cuts, clothing torn and frayed. One of said teens was completely soaked through with pungent water from the harbor, thanks to an unexpected swim. Needless to say, she was pissed. The only consolation she had was that her wings were at least dry (thanks to a quirk of genetics that meant Thanagarian feathers didn't absorb liquid, similar to Terran waterfowl).
That didn't stop her braided hair and clothes from steadily dripping onto the concrete below her as she stood there.
"Hit the showers, boys... and girl," 'Red Tornado' ordered. "I was hoping you could handle this. Clearly you cannot."
"But you've got a plan now," Robin argued.
"The subject is not up for debate."
As agreed, they walked away at a sedate pace, feigning resignation. Once they were sure they were out of immediate sight, they circled around the ruined section of the city, repositioning and lying in wait for Miss Martian's signal to re-engage.
"I was beginning to believe you'd never show up." Mister Twister announced.
"I'm here now," 'Red Tornado' answered easily.
The two proceeded to engage in a duel that was frankly, lackluster. A small cyclone from one was quickly canceled out by the other, neither making a move to physically engage their opponent.
"We are evenly matched, Twister."
"No, Tornado, we are not."
That was all the warning he gave before a bolt of lightning hit 'Red Tornado'. Once the burst of light and lingering smoke faded, said being was sprawled on the ground, faking vulnerability.
"Remain still, android. The reprogramming won't take long," Mister Twister knelt down, fingers stretched towards his downed opponent. Wire-like tendrils shot out of the ends, latching onto 'Red Tornado's' face.
That's when Miss Martian dropped the shifted form of her face, reverting back to a familiar, fleshy green. "Longer than you might think."
The twister that 'Red Tornado' had created stopped suddenly, revealing a grinning Kid Flash. The rest of them followed suit, emerging from their hiding places. Superboy went first, driving his fists into the android's metal body, driving him away from M'Gann and right to where Hawkgirl was waiting.
Sliding her foot backwards to properly anchor herself and tightening her grip on her mace, Hawkgirl swung her mace into Mister Twister's torso with her full strength, batting him out towards the harbor, where she knew Aqualad was lying in wait. While Aqualad was dealing with the android, Kid Flash sped up to Hawkgirl, hand held aloft.
"Home run!" He cheered, fist pumping when she returned the high five without hesitation.
Miss Martian caught the android's body as he was tossed out of the water by Aqualad. With a push of her power, his remaining arm was blown off. A series of explosive birdarangs lodged into his chest courtesy of Robin, the resulting blast thoroughly defeating their opponent.
The newly armless being dropped to the ground, limp, and eyes dark.
But that was not the end.
The front of the android cracked open down the middle, too neat of a line to be damaged. With a pneumatic hiss, twin panels swung open, revealing a cavity inside rather than solid machinery.
A mousy man, wearing a gaudy green and white jumpsuit tumbled out and onto the pavement. Hawkgirl was incredibly confused, as she hadn't heard an organic heartbeat earlier, and she still wasn't hearing one.
"No!" The being squeaked. "Foul. I- I call foul!"
Snapping out a hand, Miss Martian took telekinetic control over a nearby boulder. Seeing her intention, Aqualad lunged at her with a command to stop, but the Martian was far quicker. The man's body was obliterated underneath the massive rock.
"Don't know how things are done on Mars, but on Earth, we don't execute our captives!" Robin shouted, moving in front of M'Gann, bearing a harsh glare.
"But he wasn't-'' Kid Flash clapped a hand over Ski'Lira's mouth before she could finish that statement. By this point, she was getting very tired of people interrupting her today.
"You said you trust me," The Martian said easily, nonplussed. Lifting up the rock revealed not the gore and viscera as expected, but a smattering of shattered electronics and machinery. "That's why I couldn't read his mind."
"I was going to say that he wasn't organic." Hawkgirl snapped at the speedster, after tearing off his hand. "No heartbeat."
Superboy blinked, "I... didn't notice?"
Darting away before Hawkgirl could grab him for grabbing her, Kid Flash sped to the remains of the entity, picking up a miraculously intact metal eye. "Cool. Souvenir," Turning to the team, he slyly glanced back at a scowling Hawkgirl. "Now, we should head home and let the soggy duckling towel off before she gets even grumpier."
Her eyes narrowed behind the soaked fabric of her mask. "What did you just call me?"
"Would you prefer waterlogged swan?"
Kid Flash promptly let out an exaggerated, "Meep! Meep!" before zipping to hiding behind Superboy, who was not amused by his new status as meat shield.
"We should have had more faith in you," Aqualad was saying to Miss Martian during the playful standoff, his eyes brimming with apology.
"Yeah, you rocked this mission!" Kid Flash called out from behind Superboy. "Get it? Rocked. Heh." He folded himself even further behind Superboy as Hawkgirl lunged.
"Ignore him," Robin suggested. "We're all just turbed you're on the team."
Miss Martian's cheeks flushed green, this time with pride rather than embarrassment. "Heh, thanks. Me too."
H
In the depths of the mountain, the members of the newly formed team of 'sidekicks' gathered around a metal table, whereupon lay the body of the broken android piloting the shell called 'Mister Twister'. It was a strange, macabre parody of an autopsy, being carried out by the real Red Tornado.
"It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you," Aqualad's tone was grim as they all stared down at the table.
"Agree," Red Tornado replied.
Miss Martian's brow furrowed a little. "Is that why you wouldn't help us?"
"No," If he were human, Red Tornado would probably have been shaking his head. "This was your battle. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you, nor should you solve mine for me."
"But if you're in danger-"
"Consider this matter closed."
A scoff left Kid Flash as their League-appointed caretaker took his leave, intent on heading towards the Zeta Tube and departing the mountain. "Batman, Aquaman, and Flash, they'd have jumped right in to fix things."
"Does this mean it actually... was a test?" Hawkgirl mused aloud. "An unorthodox one by Terran standards, but still rather tame than some of the practical examinations on Thanagar."
That earned her a startled look from everyone but Superboy, who had no standard of what was and wasn't 'too violent'.
"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need," Robin said, quickly stopping Hawkgirl before she could begin to give examples.
"Dude!" Kid Flash snapped. "Harsh."
"And inaccurate," Red Tornado called back. "I have a heart, carbon-steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing."
"Heh, right," Robin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, dislodging a few pieces of rubble as he did so. "Sorry, I'll strive to be more accurate."
Laying a hand on Robin's shoulder, Aqualad leaned in closer, a good-natured smile on his face. "And more respectful."
A moment of silence passed, before Wally broke it. "Speedy was so wrong."
"He's wrong about a great deal of things, you'll have to be more specific." The need to insult Roy was ingrained in Hawkgirl by this point, and right now was no exception.
"This team thing..." Robin explained.
Aqualad's smile grew, "Might just work out."
Now, in this moment, bruised, bloodied, and still wet, Hawkgirl couldn't help but grin too. Hearing Superboy quietly apologizing to M'Gann for his behavior, seeing some of the bonds of friendship forming and growing, there was only one thought running through her head.
Her ta'me might have been right after all. Maybe having these people as her kast wouldn't be so bad.