Additional Edit on 3/1/2023: Author's mistake in identifying Mammoth as Blockbuster have been fixed. Thanks go to TKDGirl2016 for pointing out my error, it was incredibly helpful, thank you : )

CARIBBEAN SEA
JUNE 22ND, 2010
20:08 ECT

Silence had settled over the occupants of the bioship about an hour ago, and had yet to lift even now as they rapidly approached their destination. The anticipation of their first officially sanctioned mission, the members of the team had fallen into either quiet contemplation or nervous rumination. Ski'Lira was firmly in the category of the former. Thanagarian warriors did not panic before a battle... but if they theoretically did, they would never allow others to see it.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca," M'Gann announced.

Internally, Hawkgirl was wondering exactly how this was going to play out. When they'd fought Mister Twister, they had been disorganized, constantly getting in each others' way during fights. They hadn't even started formal combat training with Black Canary yet.

This was going to be a mess, she just knew it.

H

MOUNT JUSTICE
EARLIER THAT DAY

"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman spoke before a rapt audience, facing a massive hologram displaying a map of the island in question. Beside him stood Red Tornado, who was watching the briefing quietly. "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neosteroid… a strength enhancing drug sold under the street name 'Venom.' Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off… That's where this team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. The plan requires two drop zones."

With a gesture, two glowing red points appeared on the surface of the island.

"So, who's in charge," Robin interrupted before his mentor could continue with more detailed information of their mission.

There was a pause, the two members of the League sharing a silent look. Turning back to his protégé, Batman just said, "Work that out between you."

The rest of the briefing had gone without further interruptions.

H

ISLA SANTA PRISCA
PRESENT

"Drop Zone A in thirty," Miss Martian said, and Hawkgirl found her spine stiffening in preparation for their landing.

This was Aqualad's cue to stand, his chair melting away into the floor as it was no longer needed. Pressing his fingers to his belt buckle, the red hue of his uniform faded to black, activating the stealth mode. "Ready."

M'Gann gave him an acknowledging nod, "Putting bioship in camouflage mode."

The exterior of the ship rippled, until it perfectly reflected the night sky around them. The Atlantean cast a last glance around the ship before dropping down through the newly opened hole in the floor. Tracking his descent through the windscreen, Ski'Lira watched the graceful dive he executed, entering the waters of the sea with barely a splash.

She found her hands curling and uncurling into fists as they neared the second drop zone, her excitement growing by the moment at the prospect of the task they were undertaking. The claws of her golden gauntlets clicked softly on each tense of her fingers, the only sound that filled the space other than hastening heartbeats and steady breathing.

They didn't have long to wait before Aqualad's voice piped through their League-issued comm units.

"Heat and motion sensors are patched," He said tersely. "Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."

Giving the slightest tilt of her head at the go-ahead, Miss Martian reached out to manipulate the console in front of her, bringing the ship to a dead halt, "Drop Zone B."

The rest of the chairs melted away, for which Hawkgirl was grateful, as she was yet to find a comfortable way to sit in those things. Two organic cords with attached carabiners dropped out of the roof, ready for Robin and Kid Flash's use. They both grabbed them wordlessly, clipping them to their belts.

Kid Flash took the moment to activate his own stealth mode, the yellow turning into a dark grey while maintaining the crimson accents. "How cool is this?" He struck a little pose, accompanied with a flash of a smile at M'Gann.

She returned the grin, albeit it was a small one. "Very impressive." Making use of her organic clothing, she altered the colors on her own outfit.

"Uh... That works too..." Clearing his throat, the speedster turned to Superboy. "Hey, Supey, not too late to put on new stealth tech."

That earned him a scowl from the Kryptonian, "No capes, no tights," the look he leveled at Kid Flash was unapologetic. "No offense."

"It totally works for you..." M'Gann offered with a near wistful tone in her voice. A heartbeat passed before she realized exactly what she'd just said aloud, and quickly scrambled to cover up the mistake. "... In that you can totally do good work in those clothes." Her eyes darted over to Hawkgirl instead, searching for a lifeline and finding none. "Aren't you going to change?"

Hawkgirl blinked in surprise, "Why would I change?"

"Your costume's a little... flashy?" Kid Flash gestured to all of her. "Metallic gold isn't really a... stealthy color."

She honestly wasn't sure why Kid Flash was so concerned. "And?"

"I don't know if you know this, but light reflects off of metallic surfaces."

Eyes narrowing, a low growl rumbled in her throat, "I have done far more stealth missions than you, in this exact armor, and had not a single issue. And unlike you, I can see my enemies coming in the dark. Anything else you'd like to argue?"

Making an indignant, high-pitched noise, he shook his head. "Excuse me for being concerned!"

Robin tutted, "Shoulda known better KF."

Kid Flash whirled back towards her, his embarrassment forgotten. "Wait a second, did you just say you can see in the dark? Since when?"

"Since always," she raised an unseen brow. "Aqualad can too, if you didn't know."

The speedster looked like he was having a crisis at this revelation. "Wait... Do your eyes reflect light?"

She smirked, moving to stand by the waiting drop point. "That's for me to know and for you to never find out." Without further ado, she fell through the hole, swooping out her wings and doing a lazy circle around the perimeter, waiting for the rest to follow her lead.

Kid Flash and Robin were the first after her, detaching the carabiners once their boots touched solid ground, allowing the cords to suck themselves back up into the ship. Miss Martian came soon after, but Superboy's own entrance destroyed any chance of remaining completely undetected.

Landing without any attempt to mitigate his descent, he crashed so hard that dirt and stone was sent erupting into the air, forcing those on the ground away from the point of impact. Straightening up from his newly made crater, Superboy just looked nonplussed. "Knew I didn't need a line."

"And yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert." Robin snapped, careful to keep his voice at a low tone. "HG, did that alert anyone nearby?"

Taking a last sweep, straining her senses carefully, she heard no irregular patterns. Drop Zone B was far enough away from the main complex that only an outer perimeter guard would have been summoned by the noise, but she didn't want to take any chances. Flying down, she came to a stop next to the Boy Wonder. "I think we're in the clear, for now, but I suggest we move quickly." She shot Superboy a scathing look. "I'd like to remind you that this is a stealth mission, Ka'Zera. I suggest you keep that in mind, unless you're trying to get us all killed?"

Just like that, any illusion of calm the Kryptonian possessed was shattered, jaw clenching tightly. "What did you call me?!"

"We are not having a conversation right now. We are on a mission that you very nearly jeopardized." Ignoring the aura of seething disdain emanating from him, she activated her own comm unit. "Aqualad, we have reached Drop Zone B."

"Head for the factory," Aqualad ordered. "I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."

Pulling up his holomap to provide directions, Robin offered a professional, "Roger that." Directions memorized, he turned off the screen to avoid risking the glow being seen, and led the way into the jungle.

Thanks to the full moon and nearly cloudless sky, the landscape around them was nearly crystal clear, allowing those in the party with normal, human-level vision to maneuver easily.

As she had mentioned earlier, her night vision was impeccable, but could also observe far distances with stark clarity, but during the day and at night. Once they delved deeper into the forest, where the canopy was thick enough that moonlight didn't reach through, her eyes adjusted accordingly.

Wally had actually gotten it right earlier, she did have tapetum lucidum and thus, her eyes did reflect in the dark. A shame he couldn't see it, no doubt it would be a great way to scare him.

That train of thought was abandoned as her highly-tuned hearing picked up on an errant noise, far removed from the standard rustle and bustle of the local flora and fauna. Before she could voice her concern, Superboy spoke, coming to a halt in the center of the path. "Did you hear that?"

"Uh... No?" Kid Flash's eyes darted around uneasily. "Is this a super hearing thing?"

"You do have great ears..."

Rolling her eyes at the blatantly crushing Martian girl, Hawkgirl interrupted. "I heard it too."

A slight rustle of cloth and the creaking of a nearby tree gave away Robin's abrupt disappearance, earning a second eye roll within the last ten seconds. At the rate this mission was going, her eyes were going to fall right out of their sockets. Really, was some professional communication so much to ask?

"Okay, Rob, now what?" The speedster turned back, fully expecting to see his best friend still there. He huffed as he realized what had happened. "Man, I hate it when he does that."

"Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared," Aqualad chimed in over the comm. "See if you're being tracked."

Sliding his red goggles down over his eyes, faint red glowing lines appeared over the lenses as Kid Flash activated the built-in infrared mode. Seeing the danger in them standing in the middle of a designated pathway, Hawkgirl made a low noise to catch everyone's attention, taking control of the situation. She led them towards a nearby outcropping, a useful vantage point with a large boulder and fallen log that provided perfect cover.\

It didn't take long for Kid Flash to pinpoint the source of the noise from earlier, "Got a squad of armed bozos incoming."

"Two squads," Superboy corrected. "But they'll meet each other before they find us."

A barrage of gunfire rang out through the jungle, startling the nearest wildlife and turning the quiet peace into a cacophony of noise.

"No super hearing required now," Wally muttered to himself, earning a scowl from both Superboy and Hawkgirl for the comment.

"Swing wide, steer clear," Aqualad ordered, but was promptly denied.

"Yeah, soon as I find Rob," Before he could be stopped, Kid Flash sped off into the forest, on the hunt for his best friend. Off in the distance, the gunfire paused for a mere moment before kicking up again, twice as intense as before.

Adding another mental note to her list of 'Rookies Mistakes Made on This Mission to Definitely Tell Batman About Later', Hawkgirl resisted the urge to beat her head against a nearby tree. Frustration was nearly burning inside of her, at how inane and reckless her teammates were being. Did they have no concept of teamwork? Of strategy?

Fortunately, there was a perfect outlet for her to work out some aggression just ahead. Sprinting towards the approaching squads, she forewent her mace for the moment. The second she was in the clearing, she was charging straight at an armed thug, rocketing a gauntleted fist straight into his face. As her teammates fanned out, engaging their own opponents, Hawkgirl took the initiative and lingered on the fringes, taking down and stragglers or any who attempted to flee. The last thing they needed right now was more people aware of their presence.

Already, there was the major issue of Bane, who was ordering one of the squads. The potential of his presence had been high on the list of possible dangers Batman had outlined during his briefing. He had told them in no uncertain terms that if they spotted Bane, they were not to engage unless circumstances were dire.

Needless to say, the Dark Knight wasn't going to be happy when he read their reports later.

"What is wrong with you guys?!" Robin's voice suddenly cut through the commotion, as he leapt down from one of the trees, seemingly appearing from nowhere. "Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?!"

"That's what you were doing?" Feet skidding to a halt, Kid Flash directly addressed his friend with disbelief. "Way to fill us in. We're not mind readers, you know!"

At that very moment, Miss Martian slammed a red-hooded thug nearly through a nearby tree via a blast of telekinesis.

"Er... I'm not, anyway," Kid Flash tacked on sheepishly.

"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds," M'Gann reminded him.

Finally, Aqualad made his own entrance, casually dropping down from his own vantage point, using a burst of bioelectricity to shock the remaining thug into unconsciousness.

H

Restraining the armed goons hadn't taken long, as they were lucky that enough of their enemies had been carrying rope. The two groups of combatants had been separated across two of the largest trees, bonds thoroughly checked by multiple members of the team. Extra attention was given to Bane, as he was far and away the most prominent threat.

"I recognize those uniforms," Robin stared pensively at their captives. "They belong to the Cult of the Kobra."

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Brows furrowed, Aqualad voiced the concern lingering on all of their minds.

"Agreed. And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

An noise of exasperation left Kid Flash as he threw his hands up in the air, "We get it! Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we'll be home in time-"

"These cultists aren't on Venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave, not until I know why." Eyes narrowed, Robin had a firm set to his shoulders, practically daring the others to argue with him.

That was more than enough of an argument for Hawkgirl, there was no point in leaving a job partly done while they were willing and able to continue. She was fully prepared to leave and locate the factory. However, that didn't appear to be the end of the discussion.

"Until you know why?" Striding forward, Kid Flash put himself near nose to nose with Robin.

"This team needs a leader," Robin insisted.

"And it's you? Dude, you're a thirteen year old kid who ducked out on us without a word!"

"Ha! And you're a mature fifteen?"

Sensing that this was going to be a whole... thing she didn't want to involve herself in, Hawkgirl decided her attention was better spent elsewhere, she shifted her focus away from her teammates. She opted to keep an ear out both for potential escape attempts from the hostages and any possible threats in the surrounding forest. Considering how Kid Flash had been the one to chide her for 'not being stealthy enough', he sure was going to great lengths to make a great deal of noise by loudly bickering.

Ski'Lira was strongly considering pulling her own disappearing act. On her own she could probably find the factory fairly easily, if she was careful. But she was reluctant to leave the others alone with Bane.

Speaking of which, her attention was piqued by said villain when he began speaking to his men quietly. Unfortunately, Spanish wasn't one of the languages she was fluent in, and the short phrases she'd picked up over the years to use in emergency situations weren't going to be of any use.

However, by the smirk on Superboy's face, it seemed he did. She made a mental note to ask him later how many languages he actually knew. But for the moment, her goal was to sidle over and quietly ask him what he'd heard.

But before she could, Robin and Kid Flash's argument ratcheted up in intensity and volume.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!"

"Neither does Batman!"

"Duh, you're not Batman!"

"Duh, closest thing we've got!"

Just as she was about to storm together and physically grab them by the backs of their shirts to get them to stop their petty squabbling, Bane began to chuckle. ""Such clever niños… But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest… Get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

The argument was momentarily forgotten in the face of Bane's declaration. They all moved to surround the renowned villain, on the alert for an escape. Hawkgirl's hand rested casually on the handle of her mace, more than prepared to smash it into the brute's face if he so much as twitched.

She was earnestly hoping she'd get the chance to do so.

Miss Martian took initiative, delving into Bane's mind instead of playing verbal chess, "There is a secret entrance," she confirmed. "But he's also hiding something." Frowning, she crouched down in front of him, and her eyes began to glow a solid white.

Bane was unphased, "Ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy."

Glow fading from her eyes, the Martian sat back on her heels. "Oh... He's mentally reciting fútbol scores en español. This could take a while…"

"It's not complicated," Bane spoke again, really pouring it on thick. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Stepping forward, Hawkgirl leaned down, a snarl on her lips. "You are still an enemy, despite any animosity or common goals we may share."

"It's just a saying," Kid Flash said, still sounding agitated from his spat with Robin.

Her gaze didn't waver from Bane's smirking visage, "I am aware of the aphorism and it is foolish to believe in it. We should not trust him."

H

Apparently there was some kind of field around Santa Prisca, one that stripped people of their common sense. How she was the only one actively remembering that Bane was one of the most notorious villains of their time, boasting uncanny strength and the intelligence to manage a criminal empire in a terrifyingly effective manner. Bane had nearly ended Batman's career entirely, but yet her teammates seemed to be under the impression that they could take him at his word?

The report she was going to write later would be scathing, and she was already penning some choice phrases in her head.

Despite her incredibly stern warning, she had been outvoted, and thus they were making this trek through the forest along with Bane. The few miles they'd traveled were incredibly tense, not once did Hawkgirl let herself stop watching their... captive? Was he still a captive if he was technically freed?

Finally, they reached a break in the trees, only a meter or so of clear ground before it dropped off into a steep cliff, a perfect vantage point overlooking the factory in the distance. The building complex, all concrete and belching smoke, was a blight on the verdant forest. The air around the factory was acrid, the stench of burning with that sharp smell she was coming to associate with Venom, as Bane reeked of it.

Robin was the first to move forward, a pair of high tech binoculars in hand. Trusting him to properly case the warehouse, she maintained her position as Bane's unofficial watchdog.

"Look at all that product," Robin actually sounded a little impressed by the operation as he spied on it. "A buy is going down."

Drawing away from the young heroes, Bane moved to a spot nearby, steadfastly ignoring her unwavering attention. She just knew he was up to something, there was no way he would cooperate with them this easily unless he had a solid plan. He moved some vines away from a massive boulder, eyeing it carefully.

Robin looked back at them, "But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-"

"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad finished, nodding to himself.

Kid Flash couldn't help but add, "Just what I was thinking."

Rising from his crouch, Robin gave the speedster a pointed look. "Yeah, you're the thinker."

"Sarcasm? Dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers."

Meanwhile, Bane had hooked his meaty fingers around the edges of the boulder and effortlessly rolled it aside, revealing the mine shaft it had been obscuring. This tunnel had clearly been out of active mining use for years, if not decades. However, it apparently had a new purpose, judging by the electric lights that had been strung up and down the walls. The hanging lanterns provided just enough light for a normal human to traverse comfortably.

With a flourish, Bane gestured at the entrance, as if he'd just revealed how many 'C's' were in the puzzle phrase. "Answers are this way."

Sneering, Kid Flash taunted, "So, now el luchador is our leader."

All caution was to the wind, as the Team followed Bane into the tunnel. Hawkgirl lingered last, eyeing the space with a dubious eye. She couldn't help the small shudder that sent her wings shaking, though she snapped them shut quickly just in case anyone saw. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she forced her mind to focus on her task, keeping Bane from hurting anyone. Reluctantly, she descended into the mine.

H

To his credit, Bane had at least been telling the truth about the secret entrance. The journey through the cramped space had been tense, not a single person speaking, and Hawkgirl's nerves ratcheting up by higher levels the longer they were underground. Thankfully, the tunnel was relatively short, and soon they reached an electronic door.

Bane activated the access panel, admitting them into the heart of the complex. Mere moments after they had stepped foot into the factory, Robin had snapped off an, "All clear," before darting off deeper into the building.

Grumbling, Bane folded his arms, "Has that little fool already been caught?"

"No," Aqualad deadpanned. "He just does that."

"If he had been caught, we would know." Hawkgirl added, earning a visible eye roll from the supervillain.

"Stay put," Slipping his goggled back over his eyes, Kid Flash didn't wait for any argument. "I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder."

"Wait, Kid!" The Atlantean tried to reach out and grab him, but the attempt was in vain.

There were a few awkward beats of silence, which was broken by a scoff from Bane, shaking his head in disbelief. "Great chain of command."

Temper flaring, Hawkgirl's words came out more as a low growl than audible speech. "This is becoming embarrassing." Her rage spiked as Bane started to chuckle. "I will not hesitate to snap you like a twig."

Chuckles turned to fully blown laughter, Bane bending down slightly at the waist so he was eye level with her. "I invite you to try, pajarito."

As he leaned back, she lunged at him, only for Aqualad to snag her firmly by the arm, a sharp shake of his head wordlessly deterring her from a further attempt.

If she didn't get the chance to punch Bane in the face by the end of this mission, she was going to be a very unhappy Thanagarian.

H

"It's a massive shipment..." Aqualad's pale green eyes were locked on the thugs bustling back and forth, moving massive crates of product for shipment. When they had realized that neither Robin nor Kid Flash were going to be returning anytime soon, Bane had led them to a closer position to the warehouse, where they could safely spy on the proceedings.

"Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line," Superboy pointed out. "They're not touching this Venom."

M'Gann shrugged, at a loss. "Maybe freshness counts?"

Before further speculation could happen, Superboy's head tilted suddenly, focusing on an unseen target. "Helicopters incoming."

They scattered then, not wanting to risk being seen from above. Aqualad ordered a retreat into the warehouse itself. Miss Martian stayed behind, as her invisibility drastically lowered the chances of her being spotted by the new arrivals. The rest of the Team (and Bane) had found a nice hidden spot on a high catwalk. Superboy and Aqualad had settled into more comfortable positions, but Hawkgirl remained at attention. They were too far into enemy territory (and in too close of a proximity to a notorious criminal) for her to relax even marginally.

Aqualad's body suddenly jerked, eyes snapping open, "Sportsmaster. He is the buyer?" She was confused for a split second before she realized M'Gann must have contacted him telepathically.

Her confusion then switched to the information they had just learned. Sportsmaster? That was one of the last people she'd expect to buy from Kobra. Or hear from at all, really. The mercenary wasn't exactly a household name, but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. And if it was suddenly showing up at a Kobra operation, well... Maybe he was more of a threat than he'd been assessed to be.

"Aqualad," Hawkgirl caught the Atlantean's attention. "I think we've gathered sufficient intel."

"You're right," He agreed, reaching up to activate his comm unit. "Aqualad to Red Tornado, do you read?" A burst of static erupted from the earpiece, making all of them wince at the cacophonous sound. He tried a couple more times, only for them to fail. "Can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid. Comm's jammed. We need a plan... no-"

"I have a suggestion," Bane interrupted. Letting out a war cry, he promptly leapt off the metal catwalk, landing straight onto a pair of unsuspecting Kobra goons.

"What is he-?" Aqualad was cut off by a crashing noise behind them. The window behind them shattered into countless pieces, as Mammoth (a superpowered goon associated with Kobra that Bane had, thoughtfully, warned them about beforehand) dropped right onto the catwalk. His sudden appearance, and significant bulk, snapped the catwalk in half, sending them careening towards the ground.

Relying on instinct, Hawkgirl's wings snapped out the moment her body recognized the feeling of freefall. Gliding down, she came to a hover just behind Aqualad and Superboy, who were picking themselves up off the concrete floor. Mammoth wasn't the only surprise guest, as King Kobra himself swept into the building with a grand entrance, accompanied by a slew of identically-dressed, heavily armed followers.

King Kobra didn't hesitate to make the kill order, "Destroy them."

Everything turned to chaos.

Mammoth let out a roar of challenge, surging forward, only to be met head on by Superboy in the middle of the battlefield. Taking the defensive approach, Aqualad used his water-bearers to summon a solid blue shield, protecting himself as Kobra's men started to fire on them. He resorted to taking potshots with globules of charged water from behind the safety of his shield.

Hawkgirl, mace now in hand, dodged and weaved through the air to avoid the gunfire aimed at her. Periodically she would drop down and either directly hit a soldier with her mace or bodily pick them up and fling them at larger throngs of their fellows, knocking groups down like bowling pins.

Miss Martian's arrival was heralded via multiple goons being blasted into the walls by an unseen force.

Ski'Lira just barely caught sight of Sportsmaster, a solid black javelin held aloft in his grip. With the confidence of hours of long, intensive practice, he threw it directly at the slight distortion that betrayed Miss Martian's position. With her telekinesis, she stopped it before the sharp tip could tear through her chest, but the javelin suddenly exploded. Abruptly visible, M'Gann rocketed backwards from the blast of fire and heat.

Darting in, Hawkgirl snagged the Martian by the very end of her cape before she could make impact, hauling her upwards and dropping her safely on top of one of the numerous metal tanks lining the wall of the warehouse.

Hawkgirl wasted no time, dropping to her knees and carrying out a basic inspection for injury. The worst she saw were a few incredibly minor burns on the skin exposed by her uniform, dotting her neck and palms of her hands where she'd instinctively thrown her hands up to use her powers. "Are you harmed elsewhere?"

"No, no, I'm fine," M'Gann's voice was trembling, giving away her dishonesty immediately.

Grabbing the girl's slightly singed green hands, she inspected them closer, ignoring the slight wince from her teammate. "Not even first degree, unless it's different for Martians?" She was mentally making another note about a makeshift first aid course for the non-humans in the Team. The difference in biology was really something they needed to plan before going out on the field.

"It'll heal soon enough," M'Gann insisted. "I'm more... shaken, more than anything else."

Ski'Lira suddenly understood, perhaps better than anyone else. "The fire?"

The slight nod she earned was all the confirmation she needed.

Jaw tensing, Hawkgirl stood. "Take a moment if you need it, I will defend you until you feel you are steady enough."

"Miss Martian!" Aqualad shouted from across the room, grabbing the attention of both female members of the Team. "Radio is jammed! Link us up!"

Visibly taken aback by the suggestion, M'Gann's eyes cleared and her fingers ceased their trembling.

The connection snapped into place, this time with far more ease than when they'd battled Mister Twister. It seemed Miss Martian had been practicing her restraint.

"Everyone online?" Naturally, M'Gann was the first to test the connection, her mental voice more confident.

"Yeah," Superboy was the first to reply, even though he was currently locked in a battle of strength against Mammoth.

"You know it, beautiful," Kid Flash chimed in.

Hawkgirl gave her best attempt at transmitting her glaring disapproval purely mentally, "Keep it off the battlefield!"

"Good," Aqualad's relief was nearly palpable across the link. "We need to regroup."

"Busy now," Robin snapped, his mental voice sounding slightly strained.

It was with that casual dismissal that Aqualad's seemingly infinite well of patience finally ran dry. "Robin, no! Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path."

Tearing through the horde of goons with a burst of speed, Kid Flash provided enough space to create an exit point. Hawkgirl and Miss Martian flew down from the makeshift hiding spot side by side, heading for the newly reopened door of the secret entrance. Filing through one by one, Superboy was the last inside, slamming the metal door shut from the inside and locking it.

But a mere locked door wasn't going to stop a force like Mammoth, as he pulled the door apart like it was made of Styrofoam, not six inch thick steel.

From ahead, Aqualad shouted, "Superboy, Hawkgirl, the support beams!"

With Superboy taking the left, while she took the right, they both punched through the aging wooden beams supporting the earthen ceiling. Wood splintering easily under the power of their blows, the roof began to collapse behind them. Tons worth of clay, packed earth, hidden stones, and soil dropped into the empty space behind them. It would take even Mammoth hours to dig through that much earth, meaning their escape was assured.

Only once the dust had settled and they were certain all pursuit was evaded, did they finally allow themselves to stop.

Heart still racing from the battle, Hawkgirl found it easy to keep the tinges of panic at being underground again at bay. With the lights out of commission thanks to the tunnel collapse, Aqualad retrieved a red glow stick out of his belt, cracking it and dropping it to the ground. The immediate area was illuminated with a dim, eerie light, faces thrown harshly into shadow.

It was Robin who broke the silence first, voice distraught, "How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Turning away from them, he refused to look at them for the moment.

The remains of his ire faded, Aqualad spoke up. "You do have the most experience... Perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan."

Robin whirled on him, raising his voice, "Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?!" Blowing out a breath, his fight left him. Running a hand through his tousled black hair, he deflated. "Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can."

"Please!" Wally scoffed. "I can run circles-"

"Wally," The use of his real name made his friend stop his protesting. "Come on. You know he's the one. We all do."

Miss Martian smacked herself on the forehead, "Hello, Megan! It's so obvious!"

"Could have told you," Superboy added.

Shoulders slumping at his dashed chances for leadership, Kid Flash resigned himself. "Okay."

Hawkgirl found herself the subject of everyone's scrutiny. For an instant, she was worried they'd picked up on her growing discomfort at their location and were about to call her out on it. "What?" She demanded, teeth gritted.

"Aren't you going to, I don't know, challenge Kaldur to a duel for right of leadership or something?" Kid Flash actually sounded taken aback by her flippant response.

"Why would I?" Her genuine confusion allowed her a decent distraction, tension bleeding out of her shoulders and her breath coming a little more easily. "I have been following his orders this whole time... Was he not the leader?" To that, she only received stunned silence. "Kaldur'ahm was the logical choice to lead our kas-" Clearing her throat, she reworded. "Our team. He has earned my respect as a comrade and as a friend." She flashed him a sincere smile. "And for that, I will follow his orders to the end."

Blindsided by her heartfelt admission, Kaldur returned the smile, tilting his head to her in acknowledgement. Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Then I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team... Maybe not now, but soon."

And just like that, Robin was back to his enthusiastic, carefree self.

The newly confirmed leader of the Team turned to the rest of them. "And if you are all in agreement, I would like to select Hawkgirl as my second in command."

Hawkgirl blinked twice, "... Pardon?"

"You are skilled in battle, a fact none of us can deny," He explained. "And you often see things the rest of us overlook. I would be honored if you would agree."

Kid Flash let out a noise like he was being strangled, "Oh no... Don't put her in a position of leadership! I'll never be able to get away with anything!"

That earned a signature Robin cackle, a sound she had honestly missed hearing. "Pretty sure that means she's the perfect choice, KF."

"You'll do amazing!" M'Gann was beaming, fully recovered from her earlier brush with fear.

Sighing deeply, Hawkgirl nodded. "Fine, I will serve as your second. And as your second, I recommend we cease debating inter-team politics as we are currently mid-mission in hostile territory?"

"Alright," Taking over, Aqualad switched back to full command mode. "Our first priority is preventing the shipment from leaving this island."

Robin smirked, "Funny. I had the same thought."

H

Only the light from Robin's open holoscreen illuminated their path as they ran along the mineshaft. "Sportsmaster's the supplier-slash-buyer, but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."

"And neither of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerdage," Kid Flash amended.

Aqualad spoke up, "I believe the term is 'tip of the iceberg'."

They slowed as the end of the tunnel came into sight, but that's when Bane made his reappearance. In this confined space, the scent of Venom wafting off him almost burned at her nose.

"Halt, niños. I'm feeling explosive." A decidedly unpleasant smile split his face, one fist gripped around a detonator that he showed off. Explosive devices had been rigged all round the mouth of the tunnel, right about where they were standing.

"You betrayed us..." Aqualad's eyes were wide. "Why?"

"This is a completely unsurprising turn of events," Hawkgirl deadpanned, baring her teeth in warning. "The enemy of my enemy remains my enemy."

Meanwhile, in the mental link, things were progressing very differently.

"And Bane's inevitable betrayal, right on time," Robin mocked. "HG really called that one."

"Kid... You'll need a running start," Aqualad's inner voice was calm, showing none of the emotion he did when addressing Bane. Though he was careful to maintain his placid expression.

"I want my factory back," Bane began, clearly about to outline his entire secret plan in a villainous monologue. "So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect."

That's when a blur of dark grey and red shot past Bane, reforming into a smirking Kid Flash just behind him. "With what, this trigger thing?" He pointedly dangled the detonator from his hand.

A shout of anger leaving him, Bane attempted to grab the speedster and retrieve the detonator, only to be jerked up into the air via Miss Martian's telekinesis.

Superboy moved to stand underneath the struggling wrestler, his vast strength turned useless without any purchase. "Finally."

Never one to pass up an opportunity, especially one she'd been dearly hoping for since the villain had made his appearance, Ski'Lira joined Superboy so they were practically shoulder to shoulder. "I second that."

They made brief eye contact, then Superboy gave the go ahead, "Drop him."

Fists curled and every vestige of strength they had poured into their hits, they both slammed hearty punches straight into Bane. His bulk was sent careening off into the distance, far enough that his form turned into a speck, then vanished, even to her superior eyesight. She had no idea they'd launched him out into the ocean.

She'd be riding the high from that satisfaction for days.

H

Kid Flash reached the tarmac first, just as the backup helicopter had whirred into life. He was met with gunfire from the trigger-happy Kobra cultists. Hawkgirl was close behind him, dropping down from the sky with a war cry, taking out a line of five goons with one well timed swipe of her mace.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra shouted, fighting to be heard above the noise of gunfire and the helicopter's rotors.

Making a beeline for Mammoth, Superboy grinned at the hulking mass in challenge, "Go again?"

Speeding past, Kid Flash knocked a Kobra cultist out of the way, opening up space for Aqualad to send a torrent of water straight at the unaware Mammoth. The distraction worked exactly as intended, his balance had been so focused on Superboy's frontline attack, that he was swept off his feet by the current.

"Sorry, not the plan," Despite his words, Superboy was unapologetic, but he was blasted a moment later by a laser blast courtesy of a gun wielded by Sportsmaster.

Hawkgirl was content with her role in tag teaming the horde of Kobra goons with Kid Flash. Not only did they get to beat down glorified cannon fodder, but it meant that their teammates could take on the operations' ringleaders without distraction or interruption.

She was unable to stop herself from barking out a laugh as the speedster snatched a mask from one of the unconscious thugs, holding it aloft and proclaiming, "Souvenir!"

"A worthy trophy of battle!" She crowed back, briefly flipping upside down while mid-air, evading a hail of bullets and slamming her booted feet into the chest of the closest cultist.

The fight ended with an exuberant bang, in the form of Sportsmaster's helicopter exploding in glorious fashion and the defeat of the last few members of Kobra's horde.

The King himself was sent slinking off into the forest with a parting promise, "Another time, then." Disappearing into the foliage, a quick sweep confirmed he had thoroughly vanished into the depths of the jungle.

"We picked the right guy to lead," Robin announced, spreading his arms wide as he surveyed the fire steadily eating away at the warehouse. "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman!" He cackled madly at the stricken look on their leader's face.

Striding over, Hawkgirl clapped Kaldur on the shoulder, "Don't worry. I will help you shoulder this burden. I would like to make it explicitly clear I am not to blame for any of the mistakes that occurred and completely called Bane's betrayal."

"So you've said," Aqualad admitted.

"I also have several notes about how we can improve our training to compensate for aforementioned failings. First and foremost, specialized first aid training. Second, actual stealth training."

H

MOUNT JUSTICE
AUGUST 4TH, 2010
01:06 EDT

Kaldur, Ski'Lira, Robin, Wally, M'Gann, and Superboy were lined up in the hub of the mountain, straight backed and stern faced. Even though they had all changed into their civilian garb, they at least tried to remain as professional as they could. Calm was difficult to maintain under the sheer force of the Dark Knight's reprimands.

"A simple recon mission, observe and report... You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes. Until then..." They all braced themselves, "Good job."

Expressionless facades finally broke, replaced with disbelief.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," Batman continued, undeterred by their shift in behavior. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success... and how you choose who leads determines character."

He... wasn't wholly disappointed about this abysmal showing? Well, he was still disappointed enough for individualized reports about their flawed performance, but that was far less than she'd expected.

She guessed that this had really been a valuable learning experience. They'd managed to finally establish concrete team dynamics and roles, and now they had plenty of material to work on for improving their showings as heroes. Maybe they needed a mission like this, one that nearly failed, a long string of errors that they had to compensate for to guarantee success.

The greatest silver lining, of course, was getting to punch Bane in the face. That was a reward all by itself.