If she were being honest, she really didn't want to go to Mount Justice today. They had no scheduled missions, no training, no nothing except a plea from M'Gann about 'spending some time together while our lives aren't in danger'. That, she didn't have much issue with, but she was not in the mood for it at the moment. She had spent her entire day so far alternating between studying for an upcoming physics test for her online class, and helping her mother with inventory work at the museum.

Working at the museum had been a last minute decision on Ski'Lira's part, in an attempt to alleviate at least some of the stress her mother had been under lately. Both of her parents, really, as they'd been spearheading a search effort for a missing friend, spending most of their nights away from home and following leads. The least she could do was take over some of the tedious busywork so that her mother could focus on more important things.

When she'd told her father she was thinking about ducking out on plans with her team thanks to being thoroughly burned out, he insisted she go anyway. Katar said something along the lines of, "A true kast is bonded when they're seen at their worst."

It was a credit to how fried her brain was at the moment that it took her a moment to realize that he was referring to her grumpy mood.

So it was with great reluctance that she tied her cloth mask over her eyes and flew towards the nearest Zeta access point.

H

Any hope she had for a potentially peaceful afternoon with the team was shattered after taking her first step into the cave. A cacophony of yelling voices echoed down the corridor, originating from the kitchen. Breaking into a sprint, she was intent on finding out what had gone so drastically wrong in her absence.

The kitchen was, in a word, chaotic. M'Gann and Wally were both yelling, the former more of a surprise. Superboy was struggling to lunge forward at the speedster, being held back by M'Gann's unwavering telekinetic prowess. The speedster's hands were curled into fists, his eyes wide as he hurled insults at the Kryptonian.

In the wall right next to Wally's head was a hole, a clear imprint of a fist that could only have been created by one person present. She couldn't help but think that the redhead's uncanny reflexes that kept that strike from going through his head.

Steeling her spine, she strode into the room with single minded purpose.

"What. Happened?" She barked, using every bit of her authority as their team's second in command to her advantage.

The yelling stopped in an instant, bringing about a tense silence.

M'Gann recovered first, "I- I don't know exactly. I wasn't paying attention since I was trying out this new recipe and I was having trouble finding-"

"Focus," Ski'Lira snapped.

"Right, sorry," the Martian cleared her throat. "The next thing I know, Superboy's shouting and he... tried to hit Wally, but he dodged before..." Trailing off, M'Gann started to wring her flour-covered hands together, sending little particles of white drifting towards the floor.

For a moment, she strongly considered calling Kaldur away from his trip to the Hall of Justice, knowing he was far better at playing mediator. They would both have the opportunity to express their problems in an emotionally healthy manner under the Atlantean's understanding watch. But who knew what else would fester in the span of time it would take for him to break away from his meeting.

That just left her, and the Thanagarian Tough Love™ approach.

Seeing that Superboy hadn't relaxed so much as an iota, still poised on a hair trigger to hurl another punch, she acted. Striding up to him, she casually locked her elbow around his neck and pinned his favorite punching arm to his side. "Wally, why don't you help M'Gann in the kitchen? I'm sure she could use some pointers. We'll talk later."

Wally eyed her dubiously, before acquiescing, stumbling off into the brightly lit kitchen.

Making direct eye contact with M'Gann, she gave a silent signal that it was alright for her to drop her telekinetic influence, freeing Superboy from his frozen state. The moment she did so, M'Gann scampered after Wally.

Control of his limbs regained, Superboy immediately tried to rip himself out of Ski'Lira's grasp, but she managed to keep him relatively immobilized thanks to her forethought. With singular purpose, she dragged him out of the common room and to the main hub, only releasing him when they were in the center of the room.

Not expecting to be released so quickly, he ended up sprawling to the ground, clambering to an upright position with a snarl.

Cracking her neck from side to side, she reached out with a hand and activated one of their training programs, throwing the immediate area into harsh lighting. Once the program was fully booted, she surged forward, snapping a punch straight into Superboy's face.

Staggering backward, he reflexively clutched at his face. "You hit me."

"Yes, I did," she answered easily, body locked into an offensive stance. "Didn't feel too great, did it? Now, are you going to do something about it or are you just going to glare at me?"

Letting out a frustrated cry, he ran forward, rocketing a fist straight at her torso. Twisting to the side, she avoided his blow and dealt two quick jabs to his ribs. With a strong flap of her wings, she sent herself careening backward and out of the reach of his next strike.

Ski'Lira knew that Superboy's base strength and speed dwarfed hers, something she'd learned the hard way in their first fight deep in the tunnels of Cadmus. But then, she had been woefully caught off guard by his fervor, his victory nothing short of humiliating.

But by now, she had a full scope of his abilities and skills, not to mention that she herself was a major contributor to his martial training. She could never win this fight by overpowering him, only by being smarter.

She had picked up enough over the years that she knew a few, devastating moves that would end this fight and leave him a mess on the floor. But the goal of this spar wasn't to win... It was to create a safe channel for the unchecked aggression Superboy was feeling.

That's why she allowed the next few hits to connect once he'd closed distance. The blows struck like a freight train, but she was used to taking hard hits. A strike to her jaw made her bite the inside of her cheek and bloodied her nose, and she paused to spit out a mouthful of blood on the ground.

The expression on Superboy's face had morphed, turning from rage to confusion, clearly at a loss as to why she wasn't putting in nearly as much effort to dodge as she usually did. Tension began to bleed out of his shoulders, anger finally leaching out of him.

Spitting out a second glob of blood and saliva onto the illuminated floor, Hawkgirl drew her wings in tight to her body as he reared back for a kick. Ducking and rolling under his extended leg, she ended up behind him, slamming a fist into his lower back and doling out a kick of her own to the back of his left knee. Folding forward into an awkward kneeling position, he was too slow to prevent her from locking an arm around his neck. Her legs wrapped around his torso, trapping both arms to his sides, and she threw her weight backwards to send them both prone.

He thrashed back and forth, but it was to no avail, as this was a move Black Canary hadn't taught him how to counter yet. The only way out would be to make use of his full strength level and cause irreparable harm.

The fact that he restrained himself from doing so was a good sign.

After a few tense heartbeats, he went limp, and tapped out.

But for once, she didn't follow the rules of engagement. She increased the amount of pressure she was exerting on his windpipe, not enough to choke, but more than enough to serve as s warning. "Let me make one thing abundantly clear. If I ever find out you've raised a hand to any of our teammates outside of training or dire circumstance I will gladly rip your throat out with my teeth. Do you understand me?"

"... I understand," he mumbled.

Satisfied, the computerized floor declared his defeat, and she unwrapped herself from the hold. Instead of standing, she merely flopped onto the ground next to him, panting from the exertion of keeping a Kryptonian at a standstill.

Using the edge of her shirt, she held it up to her nose to stem the bleeding. A careful test with her fingers confirmed that it wasn't broken, which was something at least. All damage was superficial, and would probably be healed within the hour.

A strangely comfortable silence settled over the two of them as she waited for her nose to stop bleeding.

Superboy's face was shifting through a variety of microexpressions, before he finally spoke, "How did you know...?" He stopped, seemingly unsure how to phrase his question. "What I needed to stop feeling...?"

"Experience," she answered truthfully. "You were angry, you needed a safe outlet so that you could clear your head long enough to actually think about your actions." Leaning back on her hands (uncaring she was once again, smearing her own blood on a floor), she tipped her head towards him. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Thanagarians are naturally prone to violent outbursts. We are taught early how to control our tempers. But that takes time, so first, a safe outlet, someone who can take the hits, just as I was given as a child."

"Who was yours?"

His genuine curiosity threw her for a moment. "My parents, for the most part. Sometimes Hal Jordan would create constructs for me to fight... a few times Superman merely stood still and let me hit him until I was too tired to throw another punch."

Superboy's wince at the name of his genetic parent didn't go unnoticed. Opting to let it go for the moment, she continued, "Once Green Arrow made the mistake of attempting a friendly spar during one of my… episodes, though he quickly realized his error."

"What happened?"

"Hm" Ski'Lira couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face at the memory. "He shrieked like a little girl, locked himself in a closet, and called Black Canary to come deal with me. She made me pancakes and never told Green Arrow it was safe to come out. He was in there for two hours until Roy found him by accident when he was looking for a spare blanket."

An amused snort left him, and the smallest of smiles appeared on his usually passive face. "I thought Green Arrow was supposed to be… I don't know. More intimidating?"

"Oh, he can be." She assured, pulling her legs up and crossing them, angling so she could face him better. Plastering a dubious look on his face, he followed suit, so he was mirroring her position (albeit more stiffly). "He wouldn't be in the League if he wasn't extraordinary at what he does. Just like with anyone else, he is prone to moments of weakness. Though his moments of weakness tend to be personally humiliating and excellent blackmail material."

While Superboy digested that revelation, Ski'Lira mentally planned out her next words very carefully, well aware she was going to cause a sudden shift in the pleasant mood she had literally fought to create. "Why did you try to attack Wally?"

His hands abruptly curled into fists, setting his jaw. Through his clenched teeth, he provided a muffled explanation. "He said Superman might never accept me and I should just move on."

Ski'Lira had to admit, that was not what she'd been expecting. From the ensuing temper tantrum, she assumed it had been something petty he didn't have the social skills to ignore. The last thing she expected was a legitimate suggestion being taken the wrong way.

Though, knowing Wally, the tone he used was most likely inappropriate for the situation, and that's what set Superboy off.

As promised, she'd interrogate the speedster for his side of the story later. For now, she had to deal with the sullen teen sitting across from her. "He does have a point, you know, as much as it hurts to hear." She paused for a moment. "I like to think I know Superman pretty well. Both the cape and the man wearing it. He's... He's a good man, but just because you're good doesn't mean you're infallible. He makes mistakes just like everyone else. And not realizing how awesome of a guy you are is a pretty big one."

Superboy's expression turned decidedly stricken.

"His treatment of you..." She gave a solemn shake of her head. "It's not excusable, but it is understandable. His DNA was stolen from him without permission, used to create a teenager raised in a glorified mad science lab for the express purpose of creating a replacement for him under their complete control." Saying it out loud for the first time, she realized how insane the situation was.

Going quiet again, he was clearly mulling over both sides of the situation.

"As it stands..." She continued, interrupting what was sure to be a riveting internal monologue on Superboy's part. "If he doesn't pull his head out of his ass soon, I'll ask my parents to step in."

Spluttering, Superboy was thoroughly caught off guard by her declaration. "Your parents? What... What would they do?"

"Knock some sense into him, hopefully," a vindictive smirk appeared on her face. "Or maybe terrify him into at least apologizing until he finally manages to sort everything out. Either way, really."

"... Are... Are parents usually so...?"

"Thanagarian ones, yes," leaning forward, she readjusted her position, perching her elbows on her knees. "Can I offer you some advice? And you aren't allowed to punch me for it."

"I... guess so? Is it about my combat training?"

Ski'Lira fought back a grin, "Despite popular belief, I don't solely think about fighting."

"Just a lot more than a normal person," Superboy added. "And people say I'm the socially maladjusted one."

Her smile was let loose as she laughed, "You made a joke!" Hand balling into a fist, she fondly punched him in the shoulder as a show of pride. If he winced a little from the force she put into it, well, that was just a sign she was really proud.

"So... If it's not combat... I want you to teach me how to break that hold by the way..."

"I'll add it to the docket for our next training session."

"What kind of advice is it?"

"I agree with Wally. Until he gets his head on straight, there's no point in running after Superman. He's already proven that he's not willing to help you anytime soon and there's an entire Justice League full of possible mentors that are more than happy to help you."

Judging by the look he gave her, he hadn't even considered that possibility, no doubt thanks to the remnants of Cadmus brainwashing and pervading hero worship of the Man of Steel. "... Like Black Canary?"

"Exactly. She's already taken you under her wing…" She made a face as she realized what she'd just said. "That pun was unintentional."

"But my powers… She can't train me to use them, right?"

Well, he did have a point there. Black Canary was an expert in hand to hand, but her abilities made her incompatible with allowing Superboy to hone all of the powers of his disposal. There was only so much she could teach him, even if it was a great deal. "Not really, I suppose..." she admitted. "But there's nothing stopping you from requesting a supplementary mentor. Wonder Woman would be a good option, or even one of the Green Lanterns. They may not have super strength, but they are the resident experts on perfect control of one's abilities."

"I... I couldn't, I mean... How would I even ask? I don't want to seem... ungrateful?"

"If you're that nervous about it, I'll ask for you. It wouldn't be too unusual, considering my position on this team."

He perked up at the suggestion, the brewing apprehension fading away. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, what else are kast for?"

"… Kast? What does that mean?"

Ski'Lira was struck speechless for two reasons. First, she hadn't realized that the Thanagarian term had slipped out. The second, was that Superboy's pronunciation of the word had been absolutely correct.

She shook her head a little as she realized she'd been staring off into the distance while Superboy waited uneasily for an answer. "It… roughly translates to 'Group of Warriors', but that definition does not do it justice. 'Team' would be slightly more accurate, but it does not capture the nuances of the term." Damn, explaining Thanagarian to non-Thanagarians was hard. She was getting flashbacks to more than one painful conversation with Roy abound with misunderstandings and mistranslations. "It means… It means a group of individuals that have banded together in battle and formed a bond akin to… friendship, albeit war-hardened."

"… Was that an unnecessarily complicated way of saying we're friends?"

The Thanagarian frowned. "I am willing to overlook your disrespect of my culture because that was actually a pretty good comeback. But yes. We're friends."

He nodded to himself a little, content with that answer. "Friends." He repeated the word, still unused to it.

The two slipped back into a comfortable silence, basking in the unspoken strengthening of their platonic relationship. Hawkgirl flopped down onto her back, stretching out her wings, and stared at the cave's ceiling. Judging by the shuffling noise shortly thereafter, Superboy had followed suit.

Said silence was broken roughly two and a half minutes later as the Zeta Tube whirred into life. Neither of them bothered to move.

"Recognized: Batman, 02. Recognized: Flash, 04."

Entering the cave, the two Leaguers promptly stopped as they spotted the two teenagers lying faceup on the floor, one of whom was visibly bloodied.

Flash let out a long sigh, "... Do I even want to know?"

"We were bonding," Ski'Lira explained, tilting her head to the side to look at them directly. "It's not that much blood. He didn't even break my nose."

Flash sighed for the second time in the past minute. "Your definition of 'not that much' needs work. Especially with your last debacle with the League of Shadows. Anyway, I'm not here to lecture, at least not lecture you. Superboy, Bats says you need someone to help you with speed training. You up for it? Or did Hawkgirl knock you around too much?"

It was with great vindication that Ski'Lira muttered, "I told you so."

Leveraging himself to his feet, Superboy stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and ambled over towards the scarlet speedster, who started to excitedly relay his plans for teaching as they left the mountain.

That left Ski'Lira alone with the Dark Knight himself. He stared down at her for a moment, "Did you win?"

Huffing, she changed to a slightly more upright position, but she still didn't get up off the floor. Sue her, she was tired. "Of course I won. But that wasn't the point. His anger issues are getting worse. Not pre-teen Thanagarian level, but… Have you been able to talk some sense into Clark yet?"

As expected, Batman's expression didn't waver. "Not yet. It's... a work in progress."

"Yeah, that's about what I thought." Shifting one of her wings out in front of her, she set to the task of sifting through the plumage and straightening errant feathers. ""I told Superboy to seek out other members of the League for help. Seems like you had the same idea."

Batman's head tilted ever so slightly, "I hadn't expected you to take responsibility for him."

Returning her wing to a neutral position, she hopped up to her feet. "No one else was doing it." Turning her back on him, she left the hub, hoping that Batman would step up his game in getting the Kryptonian the help he really needed. Her day wasn't over yet, she still had to have a talk with Wally about tact and check in with M'Gann to make sure she was okay.

But that could wait for a few minutes longer, a shower and a change of clothes were in order first.