"Ready to go?"

Ski'Lira nodded without looking up at her da'mi, all of her focus occupied by her new footwear. Ta'me had called them 'Light Up Sketchers', a phrase she only understood separately. With every firm stomp of her foot, little colorful lights would activate along the bottoms, perplexing her as to their purpose. Apparently they were quite popular with human children, at least according to the salesperson that had helped her da'mi pick out shoes for her.

With little experience dealing with human children, Shayera had to rely heavily on the recommendations of whatever worker happened to ask her if she required assistance during her multiple trips to clothing stores. Of course, her mother knew what colors and patterns she at least liked, but style was a complete unknown.

Thus, she ended up with the Light Up Sketchers.

She wondered if she could shuck them off before they left, with her parents none the wiser. That plan was foiled quickly, as Shayera dropped down in front of her, tightening the laces. Satisfied with the snug fit, she grabbed one of her daughter's hands and hoisted her up and onto her back, easily slotting in the empty space between her wings.

With Ski'Lira dangling around her neck, Shayera double checked that the front door was locked, before spreading out her large wings and taking to the air.

Today was a big day for her, a special occasion one might call it. Today, she was going to be meeting the rest of her parents' kast at their headquarters under a mountain. Her ta'me was already waiting for them there, having taken a 'Zeta Tube' that drastically shortened the journey.

About halfway through the flight towards the 'Zeta Tube', she realized that there was a prime opportunity.

Making sure to keep her movements as subtle as possible, both not to alert her mother or potentially disrupt her balance, she began to rub her feet together. Thus, she began to gradually loosen her shoes.

H

Ski'Lira still clung firmly to her mother's back, even as Hawkwoman stepped through the Zeta Tube. The bright flash of light momentarily blinded her, and she dug her face into her da'mi's shoulder blades with a low whine.

Blinking away the spots in her eyes, she looked up to see her father standing there, and a group of people milling around behind him, gathered into smaller clusters. They all looked so... different from one another, it was jarring.

"How was the flight?" Katar asked, stepping forward to press a kiss to his wife's cheek. Reaching out, he plucked his daughter off Shayera's back, swinging her into his arms.

"Excellent. She was well-behaved as always. She- Ski'Lira Hol, where are your shoes?!"

Dark blue eyes widening, she plastered on her most innocent expression, and prepared to deny the accusation. "What shoes?"

Her father burst out laughing, promptly tossing her into the air, making her shriek in delight at the temporary feeling of flight. Tiny wings flapped as if she could hold her own weight, and when she dropped she was caught and scooped into an embrace.

She didn't know it, but on the other side of the Cave, Barry Allen was whispering frantically to Aquaman, "She's too cute. Just look at her little wings! None of us are going to be able to say no to her."

The King of Atlantis gave a solemn nod, unable to disagree.

Shayera gave a long sigh, knowing she'd lost the battle. "Alright, fine, you win. No more light up shoes."

Settling his daughter onto his hip, Hawkman turned them both to face the rest of the room. "Ski'Lira, this is our kast. Best behavior, alright?"

Her eyes scanned each individual more carefully this time, taking note of the wide array of bright colors, each one foreign to her... apart from Hal Jordan, of course.

"Ta'me... Da'mi..." She began meekly, smooshing her chin into her father's shoulder.

"What is it, fledgling?" Katar prompted.

"... Your kast dresses funny."

H

It had taken a solid minute for both Shayera and Katar to successfully stifle their laughter and regain their legendary composure. By that time, Hal had grown impatient of being apart from his claimed niece, and had jogged over with a wide grin.

"There's my favorite Thanagarian!" He greeted, booping her on the nose with a finger, making her scrunch her nose indignantly.

"Hello, Hal!" she chirped back, ecstatic at seeing the Green Lantern again.

Inclining his head towards the nearest group of League members, he asked, "We all ready for some introductions?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Shayera answered.

With that, she was promptly carried over to the first group of heroes, a duo, one man in a skintight red outfit and a much taller blonde man decked out in orange and green armor. Said armor seemed to be composed of overlapping scales.

"Ski'Lira, this is Flash and Aquaman," Katar gestured to each man in turn with his free hand.

Blue eyes narrowing, her attention stopped on the emblem positioned in the dead center of the Flash's chest.

Seeing the unspoken question in her eyes, he chuckled. "It's a lightning bolt. Because I run really fast."

She didn't answer immediately, as her brain was caught on 'lightning bolt' and what it meant.

"Her English still needs work," Hal shrugged after the silence had stretched on too long.

"Lightning bolt?" Ski'Lira finally gave up trying to figure it out on her own, instead turning to the adults to translate for her. With an amused look, her father did so, and understanding dawned in her eyes.

Her brain was flooded with information from her lessons on weather phenomena, "Lightning. Electrostatic discharge between cumulonimbus clouds." She rattled off the rote fact, her pronunciation slightly off, and it took her three tries to get the word 'cumulonimbus' to properly come out of her mouth.

The man known as 'The Flash' was staring at her open mouthed, "Um... What?"

She leveled a look at him, pointing to his emblem, "Lightning."

"No, no, I understood. Great job," sheepishly chuckling, he put his hands up defensively. "I was just surprised by the technobabble coming from the baby."

"She likes definitions," Katar said succinctly. "And she's a great student, takes her education very seriously."

Taking pity on the flustered speedster, Shayera elaborated, "She's excellent at rote memorization, but she's struggling with conversational comprehension and implementation. It's expected, considering she learned English from a virtual program rather than an actual tutor. She's a little more proficient in conversational Arabic and Mandarin, but we're trying to encourage her to practice her English for the time being."

Her father couldn't help but add, "Also, she really likes learning about things that explode."

"... So she takes after her mom, then? Good to know." Barry grinned.

Hal laughed again, "That's what I've been saying!"

Leaving the two to gossip amongst themselves about this new development, Aquaman stepped up, addressing Ski'Lira directly. "Your achievements in education insofar are something to be proud of, young one. I know what it is like to learn an entirely alien culture from necessity, one so different from your own. I have no doubt that in time, you will acclimate and flourish."

After her father had very patiently translated the short speech, Ski'Lira's wings flared. Yes, she was proud, and it was kind of Aquaman to point out how great she was doing.

"Not to mention, you already seem to have developed excellent taste in proper footwear," the Atlantean's grin turned a little mischievous as he pointed at her feet.

She gave a wiggle of her sock-clad toes, the garments bearing little prints of Earth creatures called sharks.

"I like sharks," she informed him, very seriously. "They are very cute and have very sharp teeth.

That earned her a hair ruffle from the King of Atlantis, "I am quite fond of them myself. Perhaps when we have more time, you'd like to hear some stories about them?"

Ski'Lira hoped that the rest of her parent's kast were as kind as Aquaman was.

H

After she had started squirming around, her ta'me had dropped her to the ground, letting her walk around on her own. Happy to be allowed to move independently (she was nine, not a baby after all), she still found looking up at the much taller people occupying the room a little awkward.

She was led over to the next group, this time a man in a green hood and a woman with a black leather jacket that looked really cool. Despite the mask obscuring his face, the man looked familiar. Sniffing, she caught a transient whiff of a familiar scent, something she knew was called 'cologne' (pronounced nowhere near how it's spelled) and was used to make one seem more attractive to others.

Earthlings were truly strange, trying to alter their scent of all things.

She put the pieces together, "Ollie!"

Shayera gently nabbed her by the wing, tugging on it admonishingly, "Ski'Lira, remember his other name? The one you use when he's in uniform?"

Ah, right, she'd can't believe she'd forgotten. A serious look overtook her young face, still thoroughly rounded with baby fat. "Arrow Man."

Hal nearly bent over double, wheezing with laughter, while Ollie's female companion hid a smile behind her hands.

"Almost," Ollie offered placatingly. "Add a color in front of it," he tapped his tunic for emphasis.

"Green Arrow Man."

Gasping for breath, Hal frantically grabbed at Katar to keep himself upright, only for his hands to be swatted away.

"You know what? That's close enough," Sighing, Ollie cracked his neck from side to side. "Skylar, this is Black Canary."

"It's very nice to meet you," The woman bent down so that she was eye to eye with her. "I like your socks. They're very cute."

"Aquaman like the socks too," Ski'Lira replied.

"Fledgling, why don't you tell them what happened to your shoes?" Hawkwoman said, still sounding a little disgruntled from the event, which meant she was probably in for a little scolding when they got home.

"Shoes light up. I did not like them. Shoes fall."

Ollie promptly looked at her parents for an explanation. "Uh… Translation please?"

To the small group's surprise, it was Black Canary who spoke up. "She had a pair of light up sneakers, but she didn't like them so she kicked them off. Probably on the flight over judging by the look on Shayera's face." At their stunned looks, she merely shrugged. "I've taken care of kids before… Speaking of which, if you ever need someone to look after her, I'd be more than happy to."

"That would be highly appreciated." Shayera let out the slightest of exhales, which was the Thanagarian equivalent of a massive sigh of relief. "I have a feeling we're going to be coercing the entire League into helping watch our fledgling at some time or another. Although you should know you will have to fight Hal over first babysitter rights."

H

"She's such a precious little thing," a woman taller than her own mother, ebony hair almost shining, it was so silky, was crouched down on the floor in front of her. Her smile was gentle. "Has she started to fly yet?"

"No," Hawkman's answer was succinct. "Nor will she be able to until she grows new feathers."

"Fly soon," Ski'Lira pouted. "I am not a baby."

"Of course she knows that phrase perfectly," A man in a blue suit with a long red cape draped around his shoulders teased.

"Skylar, this is Diana, Superman, and J'onn," Hal was taking over the introductions now, thrilled to be showing off the child.

Her attention locked onto the last member of the trio, the quietest person she'd met so far, taking in his green skin and solid red eyes. "Ta'me, is he a Martian?"

"Yes, he is," Katar answered, sounding a little proud. "Excellent memory." Assuaging the curiosity of the other members of the League, he explained, "She recognized J'onn as a Martian."

Shayera followed Diana's lead, kneeling down on the ground next to her daughter and tipping her head with purpose in Superman's direction. "He is not of Earth either, though he was raised on this planet from infancy."

"Where is he from, then?" She asked, curious now.

"Why don't you go ask him yourself?"

Giving her a little nudge between the shoulders, she sent Ski'Lira in the man's direction. She knew what her mother was doing, trying to goad her into conversations without the help of her parents (or Hal).

Upon her approach, Superman went a step further than his colleagues, sitting down fully on the floor and crossing his legs. A buried instinct deep in the back of her head was practically screaming at her 'if something goes wrong, go to him for safety'. That more than anything drove her more confidently forward.

"Ta'me said you... are like us?"

"A little," he affirmed. "I'm a Kryptonian, from Krypton. My parents sent me here when I was just a baby."

Her eyes widened in recognition, "Krypton?"

"Yes. Do you... know about it?"

She nodded so quickly that a few hairs were dislodged from her ponytail, earning a grumble from Katar, who had spent so long that morning trying to get it perfect. "School. It is um..." Desperate, she swapped languages. "It's a cautionary tale."

Dutifully, her mother translated for Superman's benefit. "It's a cautionary tale. Thanagarian children are taught early that even the mightiest of planets can fall in an instant, with Krypton being a prime example."

"That..." Superman's face twisted into an expression of discomfort. "Seems a little heavy for a child."

"Maybe for a human," Shayera shrugged, nonplussed. "It's an important lesson for them to learn early on. Thanagar has made many enemies over its long history, both justified and not. On Earth, are we also not at risk for planet-risking calamities?"

"You have a point. Still, I guess I just wasn't expecting her education to be so... candid, so early."

"Of course, not all terrible things are explained until later. It's merely best to start laying down the foundations as soon as possible before they establish too many expectations about reality."

Bored by the turn this conversation had taken, Ski'Lira had hedged closer to Superman, going so far as to grab his cape and start tugging on it experimentally.

"You seem surprised," Shayera said to her friend, smirking.

"No, that's not it, " he admitted. After a moment to formulate his thoughts into coherent words, he continued. "It's just... so many things about you and Katar make sense now."

Opening her mouth to snap back a witty retort, Shayera was suddenly interrupted by a new, deeper voice.

"I think someone's about to steal your cape right off your back, Kal."

Ski'Lira's eyes shot towards the newcomer, a looming presence swathed in black and grey, armor thick and practical. A cape similar to Superman's fell to the floor, ending in crisp spikes. He smelled of petrichor and stone dust, and the coppery tang of blood.

Something in her chest compounded when she looked up, seeing his cowl and the deep set of his mouth. That little sense in her head, the one triggered by Superman, was similarly ringing in her head.

Stumbling towards him, she released her grip on Superman's cape as she stopped in front of the newcomer. "Ta'me and Da'mi didn't tell me there was another Thanagarian in their kast! My name is Ski'Lira Hol, what's yours?"

It was Hal Jordan who intervened, scooping her up into his muscular arms and dropping his voice to a quiet tone. "This is Batman. He's a human, just like me. Not a Thanagarian… But you do have a point, he is kind of like one of you, ain't he?"

She deflated in her disappointment, smile dropping and turning into a displeased pout.

"Oh no, what did Bats do?" Flash called over from nearby.

Hal shot Batman an apologetic grin, readjusting Ski'Lira so she was perched on his back instead. "Seems little Skylar here thought you were a Thanagarian."

Despite the fact that his cowl was obscuring his eyebrows, they were clearly raised in incredulity. "She thought what?"

"I mean, I can see where she got the impression," Hal admitted, tilting his head ever so slightly. "With the mask and the general..." Releasing his grip on one of the girl's legs, he made a vague gesture with one of his hands. "You-ness."

Any response Batman could possibly have given was interrupted by the loud, unexpected grumble from Ski'Lira's stomach. Cheeks blushing furiously from embarrassment, she pressed her face into the back of Hal's neck. She was determined to steadfastly ignore everyone present.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," Superman stood up from his place on the floor, dusting his hands off despite there not being a speck of dirt on them.

Hal made direct eye contact with Katar, making sure he had the resident dad's full attention. "I'll take her to the kitchen, it'll give you two a chance to explain some things without certain ears around to hear it."

A low grumble left Ski'Lira's throat at the implication, knowing that he meant her.

Katar dipped his head in acknowledgement of the offer, "Thanks."

"No problem," Hoisting her up further onto his back, Hal started towards the nearest hallway. "Let's see what we can rustle up for you to snack on."

She was thrilled at the prospect of getting to spend time with Hal, but she was also nervous about being separated from her parents. It would be the first time she wasn't in the direct eye line (while not asleep) of one or both of them since they'd landed here. But clearly they needed to stay so they could talk to their kast.

The knowledge of their duty warred with the feeling of discomfort, and not even Hal's cheer assuaging it, nor could it be fixed by whatever food he was going to find for her.

It was instinct more than anything that motivated her, as she unhooked her arms from around Hal's neck and dropped off his back. Caught off guard, he twisted to catch her, but she was already gone, running back to the group of heroes who had congregated back together. They very politely stepped away, giving a clear path to her parents.

But instead, she ran straight back to Batman. Latching onto his cape, she stared up at him, pleadingly. "Come with?"

"Oh no..." Flash put his face in his hands. "She's already learned how to do the Disney eyes. We're all doomed."

"I have seen the face of our undoing," Green Arrow agreed solemnly. "And it is truly adorable."

The Dark Knight, the Hero of Gotham, he who has defeated countless villains, the man known to strike fear into the hearts of the most hardened criminals prowling the streets... was struck momentarily speechless. "You... want me to go with you?"

"Come with," she repeated, giving a harder pull on his cape to try to hurry him along.

A loud throat clear from Shayera made him look over, breaking him out of whatever stupor he'd been thrown into. "Go with her." She ordered.

"I-"

"Go. With. Her." The 'or else' needn't be said.

Less than enthused about this new development he may be, but an idiot he most certainly was not. Disobeying would undoubtedly result in the wrath of two pissed off Thanagarian parents. That right there was a fate worse than death.

A deep sigh left him, but he acquiesced, following along as she led him back towards a waiting Hal Jordan, never once letting up her grip on his cape.

Superman was doing nothing to stifle his broad smile, nor was he stopping Green Arrow from snapping picture after picture from the phone he'd slipped out the moment this had started.

H

"Does she still think I'm a Thanagarian?"

Pausing in his search through the fridge for snack inspiration, Hal tossed his answer over his shoulder, "Nope."

"I don't see how she could have made such a mistake," Batman admitted, eyeing the child with trepidation.

"You know that she can mostly understand you, right?"

"Mistake. Error. Bad," Ski'Lira piped up.

"Good job, kiddo," Hal shot her an approving grin before resuming his rummaging. "And like I said, I can see why she thought you were. "First of all, your cowl looks a lot like what Thanagarian's consider 'casual wear', since they're still masked more often than not even when they're not running around in armor. And, despite what you may have been led to believe, not all Thanagarians have wings. Hell, the current Green Lantern of Sector 2682 doesn't have them. He actually uses his ring to make wing constructs, which I think is pretty damn badass. I've only met him a few times, but he's a good guy."

It took a great amount of effort on Ski'Lira's part to stop herself from asking for more details about Ennar Tov, the Thanagarian Green Lantern. He was one of the common heroes for children of her age. Green Lanterns on their own were the most respected group of soldiers in the universe, and having a Thanagarian indoctrinated into their ranks was considered one of the greatest honors the planet could receive.

And moments later, when a plate bearing a simple sandwich and a sliced up apple were placed in front of her, all questions were forgotten in favor of scarfing down her food. The rumbling in her stomach was finally quelled.

Casually leaning against the counter, Hal kept a careful watch over her, "I can feel your curiosity from here, Bats."

Being called out so directly earned the Green Lantern a scowl, but Batman nevertheless asked the inquiry he'd been holding onto. "If she knows I'm not a Thanagarian, why did she ask me to come with? She seemed… more comfortable with Kal."

"Well, to answer the nuances of that question, we'd have to ask the little lady herself, but I fear what would happen if we interrupted her right about now. I can however give my best, most possible guess. See, the thing about Thanagarian children, is that they're born vicious little f-" Clearing his throat, he mentally backpedaled as he remembered the child's presence. "They're vicious. When they're born, they're hardwired with a predisposition to latch onto both the most trusted and most powerful adult present, as it's the best way to guarantee their safety. Most often it's family and close friends, meaning you more than qualify as a member of Katar and Shayera's kast. Since she was being actively separated from her parents for the first time since she came to live here, it makes sense that little behavior kicked in. Of course, I'm a little hurt that she briefly abandoned me for you. It also explains why she was so comfortable with Supes earlier, the man pretty much emanates an aura of safety even to those without highly tuned instincts."

"That's... unexpected, I admit. Though I suppose it makes sense considering Thanagar's evolutionary pattern, especially for potentially vulnerable juveniles."

"I wouldn't say completely vulnerable..." Trailing off, Hal turned to Ski'Lira, only to see that she had been steadfastly following the conversation. "Hey sweetheart, can you open up your mouth for me?"

Quickly chewing and swallowing her last bite, she complied, revealing the eight razor sharp canines set into her mouth.

"Those are her baby teeth," Hal began to explain, silently motioning that she could close her mouth and go back to eating her lunch. "Sharp enough to tear through flesh like tissue paper. They'll fall out and be replaced with her adult teeth about the same time she molts for the first time. Then she'll have just the standard four canines."

"... You know a surprising amount about the topic."

Hal shrugged, "My connection to the Central Power Battery allows me access to nearly infinite knowledge. And when Katar told me they were bringing the kid home, well… I thought they'd appreciate having someone else around who understood what was going on. And I thought Skylar here might feel more comfortable too. Thanagar's a much different place from Earth. Even though she's been prepped for living here, it's still not going to be an easy transition." He cast a slightly tired-looking smile at the girl, gaze lingering on her socked feet. "I mean, she already declared a personal war on light up shoes. Who knows what she'll target next?"

H

"Did you have a good day, my little warrior," Shaking out a knitted blanket, Shayera laid it over her daughter, making sure she was thoroughly tucked into bed.

The girl had been quiet in the last hour, thoroughly exhausted from the day's events. Not long after her lunch, she had spent the rest of the afternoon going from League member to League member, asking increasingly specific (and sometimes violent) questions. Flash and Green Arrow had used the time to increase their 'uncle points', but despite their efforts, Hal, Superman, and Batman remained her favorites.

Not counting her parents, of course, they were always her two absolute favorites.

"I did, da'mi," Stifling a yawn, she missed the fond look she received from her mother, one she always wore whenever Ski'Lira used the title she chose.

"You did very well," Shayera continued, smoothing out the blanket. "Apart from purposefully losing your shoes." She snatched one of her daughter's blanket-obscured feet and squeezed her toes playfully. "If you didn't like them, you could have just said so."

"I won't do it again," Ski'Lira promised. "As long as they don't light up."

"I promise I won't buy any more light up shoes." Shayera paused for a moment, eyes shifting to look contemplatively out the window. "Perhaps next time I'll take you shopping with me, that way you can pick out your own shoes. What do you think? It'll be like your first mission." Looking back at her daughter, she realized that Ski'Lira had fallen fast asleep.

Pressing a short kiss to her daughter's forehead, Shayera silently crept out of the room, using every bit of stealth training she'd done over the years to avoid waking her. She promptly ran into Katar, who had been hovering in the hallway, no doubt patiently watching.

"She's had a long day," Shayera switched over to English, more by habit than anything else, heading downstairs into the living room.

"We all have," Katar grumbled, allowing himself to collapse onto the well-worn couch in front of the television. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack when she ran at Bats... Both times."

"He wouldn't hurt her," His wife rolled her eyes, ""Batman's not completely heartless. Remember four months ago when we were helping with evacuations during that flash flood in China? He had at least six kids all vying for his attention and he didn't so much as bat an eye." She scowled as she realized what she'd just said. "That pun was completely unintentional."

"Sure it was," he teased. "But you've got a point."

"Of course I do. I'll bet you anything that Batman is going to end up the second member of the League with offspring of his own."

Katar couldn't help his snort. "I highly doubt that. Bats is never going to settle down enough to have a kid."

Shayera settled back against the couch cushions. "We'll see. Anyway, today went... Smoother than expected. Momentary fright and missing shoes notwithstanding." She paused, contemplative. "You know, I was thinking of inviting Kent over to dinner."

"Clark or Nelson?"

"Nelson," she clarified.

That earned a frown from the male Thanagarian, his most common expression. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I love our fledgeling to death, but at this age she could be... a bit much, for him."

"He's not completely helpless, you know. Besides, I figured he'd appreciate finally having a rapt audience for all his war stories."

Tiling his head, he acquiesced. "You've got a point. But later."

"Maybe in a couple months," Shayera compromised. "I'll let him know, see when he can make the trip down. For now, I don't know about you, but I would very much like to watch the news and not talk for a while."

"Hmph."