MOUNT JUSTICE
NOVEMBER 11TH, 2010
15:25 EST
From her understanding of Terran teenagers (primarily from coming of age movies), sixteenth birthdays were something of a big deal.
Ski'Lira's own sixteenth was a minor affair, as it didn't register as one of the 'important milestones' that warranted true celebration for her culture. Thus, her increase in age was spent with a trip to the diner with her Uncle Hal, but that was about it.
Wally West was her polar opposite in this regard.
The speedster had been dropping hints all week that he wanted a surprise party. As he was the one instigating the surprise, it sort of defeated the purpose entirely. The irony had not been lost on anyone involved, including Conner, who had only very recently been introduced to the concept. M'Gann, on the other hand, was absolutely ecstatic at the opportunity to throw a 'proper Earthling party'.
Earlier this morning, she had gone on a one-woman mission to a local party store, returning with a giant banner, a bag of balloons to be inflated, a massive amount of junk foods, and all the ingredients required to make the custom cakes she had in mind. Upon her return with the haul, she'd sheepishly admitted that she had even more decorations picked out, but a very tired shop attendant had urged her against going too overboard for a relatively small party. M'Gann murmured something about 'having to put back all the piñatas', then urged them all to pitch in with the party preparation process.
Her words, not Ski'Lira's.
With everyone helping, execution of decoration was swift and efficient. Flash and Red Tornado had been excused from helping, the speedster instead regaling his fellow League member with a caper from the week prior featuring a majority of his Rogues Gallery.
M'Gann commandeered the kitchen, roping Artemis into acting as her assistant, giving her the jobs of making the homemade frosting and mixing together the sickly-sweet punch recipe she'd found online. Cake duty, she took entirely upon herself, dedicating herself entirely to creating the best confections she'd made yet.
Conner and Kaldur had been relegated to moving around furniture, as well as filling bowls with snack foods and ferrying them out of the kitchen and into the main room.
Robin, Hawkgirl, and Zatanna were on balloon duty.
Really, it should not have been a three person job, but due to a lack of helium to fill said balloons, they had to improvise. According to Dick, Wally was increasingly passionate about the worsening helium shortage, and if he saw them using it 'unnecessarily' they would all be subjected to a lengthy lecture about their frivolous usage of a finite resource.
After a little bit of experimentation, they'd come up with a viable (and relatively environment-friendly) solution.
Using her superior lung capacity to her advantage, Ski'Lira filled each balloon with a single exhale, then handed the orb to Dick, who deftly tied a string around it, then handed it to Zatanna. Muttering a short incantation, Zatanna imbued each balloon with the ability to hover on its own. Once that was done, they were handed off to either Superboy or Aqualad, who ascended a short ladder and taped them to the banner.
Okay, so technically an unnecessarily three person job had turned into a five person job, but the two boys finished their own tasks so early that they felt bad about standing around and watching everyone else keep doing work.
"I'm sure we've all thought it, but this is the least surprised I think anyone's ever going to be about a surprise party." Robin mused aloud. "And that counts the time I helped plan a surprise party for Batman."
"You're telling me," Emerging from the kitchen, Artemis was drying her newly washed hands with a small dish towel. Spattered stains of food coloring marred her skin, the kind that took multiple hard scrubbings to dissipate entirely. "Honestly, I'm just glad we have a solid excuse to stay indoors for a while. It's freezing outside." Despite the thick material of the black sweater she'd donned, she still shivered a bit. The heating was working overtime in the Cave to combat the chill, but the place was large and naturally drafty.
"I don't even want to think about what patrol would be like." Dick frowned to himself, reevaluating his statement. "Probably pretty close to fighting Mr. Freeze, actually. And let me tell you, that's never fun." He shot a mock-sympathetic look in Ski'Lira's direction. "I guess you, Kaldur, and Conner will never truly understand."
"Oh, it's such a shame," Zatanna added with an over dramatic sigh, fighting back a grin. "Never to know what it's like to lose feeling in your fingers and having your body vibrate against your will to generate more heat. Such a loss."
"Hmm, yes." Ski'Lira deadpanned. "A great tragedy we shall never recover from, right Kaldur?"
That earned a solemn nod from the Atlantean. "Indeed."
It wasn't until everyone was laughing that Ski'Lira realized how... easy it had been to slip back into bantering with the others. The feeling that thought elicited was... oddly nostalgic, akin to putting on an old shirt that you'd lost in your closet for months. Broaching upon the unfamiliar, but still a comfort.
"Recognized, Kid Flash: B-03. Zeta Tube Network now offline due to extreme atmospheric conditions."
A mad scramble ensued as they moved to stand in position, Flash flicking off the lights and speeding back to be with the rest of them. It was just in time, as Hawkgirl's hearing picked up Wally's musing to himself aloud as he approached.
The warning from the computer about the worsening status of the winter storms was forgotten as Wally stepped inside. "Woah, I just made it! Be a tragedy if I missed my own-"
On cue, M'Gann flipped the lights back on with a burst of her telekinetic prowess, several members of the assembled group shouting, "Surprise!" Those present that were less enthused by the event (including herself), remained silent.
Hand pressed to his chest, Wally's smile was wide as he took in the cheaply decorated space. "Aww, guys! You shouldn't have!"
"Yeah," Robin snorted. "Not like you've been hinting for days or anything."
After a few minutes of profuse thanks from the birthday boy, a conical pastel hat was strapped to his head and he was sat down in front of the junk food-strewn table. His attention was locked, naturally, on the two massive, yellow and pink frosted cakes that had been dutifully topped with candles. Ski'Lira had taken over the process of lighting them, guaranteeing M'Gann didn't get any closer to the pinprick flames than she was comfortable with.
"We made two cakes!" M'Gann showed off her and Artemis' handiwork.
"Awesome... What will you guys eat?"
Leaning in, M'Gann offered him a conspiratorial smile. "We'll split the cupcake. Make a wish!"
"Waaay ahead of you," blowing out the candles on both cakes with ease, the smoke curled up and away, quickly dissipated via a miniscule push of wind power from Red Tornado.
As M'Gann started slicing out the first piece of cake, Wally drifted towards her, attempting a suave facial expression. "You know, if I tell you my wish, it won't come true. But if you guess..." To which, he was promptly handed a plate filled with a large slice of his birthday cake. "Nope, guess again."
Without missing a beat, M'Gann pressed a very platonic peck to his forehead. "Happy Birthday."
Initial obligation now forgone, the present partygoers split off into their own smaller groups, as M'Gann continued to dole out plates of cake. Ski'Lira ended up sitting on the couch, close to where Zatanna was standing awkwardly apart from the festivities.
"Not going to get any cake?" The young magician asked her, shaking off her apprehension and attempting to engage.
A frown twisted Ski'Lira's lips. "Unfortunately, my dietary choices are still limited, so no." Even with the expansion of her diet, an overload of processed sugars and trans fats were definitely taboo. Not that she made a habit to indulge in such foods often, but that cake was too mouthwatering in appearance and smell to easily ignore.
"That sucks," Zatanna said.
"Yeah. It does."
Robin sidles up to the two, bearing two plates (one clearly intended for Zatanna, based on the commiserating look he shot Ski'Lira). "You settling in here okay?"
"Oh yeah," Zatanna's eyes rolled in her head. "Just like home."
"I know this is all very new and intimidating, but I promise you... Someday you'll get used to watching Wally eat."
To which Ski'Lira mumbled a, "No you won't, no one ever does," under her breath." The comment lessened some of the tightness in Zatanna's face.
"So, I don't want to be... culturally insensitive." The younger girl began, speaking far more freely now as she addressed Ski'Lira. "But Robin said your people don't celebrate birthdays? Do you guys do something else instead?"
"We celebrate milestones in one's life, first molt, adult molt, particularly important battles, promotions..." She took a moment to muse. "I suppose there are some celebrations for if one reaches a certain significant age, but those are reserved for elders."
"And do you have parties?"
"Mmm, we do. Though there is usually more..."
"You can just say violence, HG." Robin tacked on, earning a scandalized expression from Zatanna.
"You can't just say stuff like that!"
"No, no," Ski'Lira let out a chuckle. "He's partially right. But I was going to say that they're more passionate. As our celebrations are few and far between, a great deal more enthusiasm goes into them. Food, games, dancing, and almost everyone you know gets invited. The place I grew up in was small, so pretty much every person in town would attend. My Aunt Tildi used to spend weeks in preparation baking all of the pastries commissioned for them."
"I can't even begin to imagine a Thanagarian street party." Robin shook his head. "I bet they're wild. Have you had one? For your, first molt I guess?"
Ski'Lira's grin froze a little, "I ah, no. I was already living on Earth before I had the opportunity, but I attended plenty. More often than not, there was at least a little violence, formal and informal, like tournaments or spectacle fights. And the occasional intoxicated bouts later in the evening." She glanced over at Conner, who was distinctly sulking. "I believe if Wally continues his flirtatious behavior, Conner might instigate a little informal violence of his own."
Summoned by the prospect of further opportunity to mess with Wally, Artemis joined the trio. "Think we should tell him?" They all looked to the birthday boy, who was still fervently flirting with M'Gann, and failing miserably.
"He is the only one who doesn't know." Robin admitted with a mischievous tilt of his head.
"Then please, allow me." Her mind made, Artemis strode forward with singular purpose, whispering in Wally's ear.
"Aw, man!"
Any attempts at teasing were unfortunately cut off before they could even begin, as the intercom system burst into life. Instead of the digital voice of the computer, it was Batman speaking directly through the system. "Attention Team, suit up. Polar stealth, mission briefing in five."
H
The Team scattered like ants beneath a boot after the proclamation, making their way to their rooms to suit up. Ski'Lira herself had practically torn open the door of her closet to grab the components of her polar suit, tossing them on the bed and donning her armor first.
Pants, boots, thin black gloves over her metallic gauntlets, each one of those slid on easily, hiding away metallic gold. But when it came time to throw the grey and white jacket on, she paused, just sort of... holding it.
Logically, she knew that she needed to put on that jacket. Not to prevent any ill effect from the weather, but purely for stealth reasons.
But this would be the first time her cold weather gear was being put to use in the real world (not counting the initial testing after the outfits had first been developed).
She had no true memory of the situation, but she had secondhand information that the initial trauma had begun in a wintry landscape, in this very attire.
A sharp rap on her door snapped her from the spiral her thoughts were falling into.
"Did you get lost?!" Artemis shouted through the door, listening for an answer she wasn't about to receive. "Say something now if you don't want me to come in." The blonde waited a for heartbeat, then the door slid open, her sharp grey eyes taking in the situation. "Is it torn or something?"
"It... No. It's fine." Cursing herself for her momentary weakness, she slid her arms into the sleeves, making sure the hood was situated fully over her helmet via a glance in her mirror. Satisfied with the way the voluminous hood shadowed her face, showing only the barest glint from the beak of her helmet when she tilted certain angles.
"You sure, because you looked a little..." Artemis made a vague gesture with her hand.
"I'm fine, really. Just... being illogical for a moment. We don't want to keep Batman waiting." With only the reminder of Artemis' presence was enough to keep her from dwelling.
There was a worry about further interrogation, but Artemis gave a terse nod. "Probably a good idea. Come on."
Everyone (apart from the newly departed members of the Justice League) were readied in their monochromatic gear by the time Hawkgirl and Artemis arrived. They gathered up before a massive holographic projection of Batman's face, his broadcast originating from the Batplace, judging by the background. There was a tight set to his jaw as he both started the briefing and maneuvered the aerial vehicle through the hellacious weather.
"Where's Flash?" Wally asked, not seeing his mentor present.
"Flash and Red Tornado already have their assignments. A massive ice storm has paralyzed north america from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying ice fortresses," A secondary hologram display popped up, depicting a rotating image of said machinery. The basic design was reminiscent of the terraforming devices that some species used when occupying or conquering new planets. "Source unknown, which seem to be responsible and must be stopped."
"Well can't the Watchtower blow them out of the sky or something?"
Zatanna's brow furrowed. "What's a Watchtower?"
A sigh left Batman's lips, sounding more akin to a disappointed father than their collective mentor. "The League's orbiting headquarters is not weaponized. And with both Green Lanterns off-world, I need all hands on deck."
Practically vibrating in place in a manner that would give Wally a run for his money, Robin blurted out, "Does this mean what I think it means? The League and the Team fighting side by side?"
"Whoa, really?!" From Wally's tone alone, it was clear that this prospect topped any other gifts or surprises he could have received today.
Ignoring the outbursts, Batman continued as if he had never been interrupted. "Superboy, use the Supercycle to rendezvous with the Batplane at Ice Fortress One. You'll drop off Robin, Aqualad, and Hawkgirl, then continue on with Wolf to meet up with Black Canary and Red Tornado at Ice Fortress Two. Miss Martian, Artemis, and Zatanna, take the bioship and rendezvous with Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter at Ice Fortress Three. Other Leaguers will deal with Fortresses Four and Five. Sending coordinates now."
"Uh..." Stepping out of the line, Kid Flash spoke up. "Batman? I think you skipped-"
"Kid Flash, a young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you'll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston, and run three thousand miles cross country."
"Who is this girl?!"
Until this moment, she didn't think it was possible for Batman to sound even more like a disappointed father. "Does it matter?"
"Of course not," the speedster insisted, though it was hard to hide his rapidly depleting enthusiasm at his more... mundane assignment. Not that it was any less important. "But can't we Zeta-"
"Zeta Tubes are offline, sorry." Robin gently reminded him.
"Right. Then how can I say no? Guess I won't be needing stealth. " Tapping the lightning bolt on his chest, the white saturated to his standard yellow hue once more.
H
ICE FORTRESS ONE
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
The flight had been... tense. Combined stressors (namely, the still fragile relationship between Hawkgirl and the Team, along with the prospect of completing a mission in tandem with the League for the first time) meant that no one was willing to break the silence. Even Robin was at a loss for words, a rarity for him.
Hawkgirl couldn't help the pang of disappointment that she had been assigned to this Ice Fortress, and not the one that was being handled by her parents. Apart from Zatanna, literally every other member of the Team was fighting alongside their own mentors. And yes, she was definitely counting Black Canary as Superboy's mentor. Considering how much work she'd put into training him, she had the right to be considered as such.
If she had to guess based on team composition, they were careful to guarantee that there was at least one flier on every team, understandable considering the altitude at which the ice fortresses were hovering. She didn't even want to think about a dire scenario in which someone was knocked off, with no one able to perform an aerial rescue. Hence, why Hawkgirl was here.
They had made good time, arriving even before the League.
"Should I... wait?" Superboy asked them as he circled the perimeter, uneasy with the prospect.
"No, we cannot afford to waste any time." Aqualad insisted. "We will manage."
Nodding, Superboy closed distance so the trio could leap from their seats and drop directly down onto the chilled metal surface. Harsh clangs ran out, as Hawkgirl and Kaldur's landings were noisy, Robin's own feet making nary a sound on impact on instinct. Hawkgirl didn't have time to track Superboy's departure, as panels flipped open, revealing laser gun turrets.
"Of course this thing's armed," Robin grumbled aloud.
As the machines whirred into life, Hawkgirl snagged both the boys by the backs of their uniforms, dragging them into the air and flying them all over to a sloped air vent. It was just tall enough for them to crouch behind, offering at least some cover.
Lifting a hand up to his ear, Robin activated his comm. "Robin to Batman, we are in position. Waiting on the old slowpokes."
"Who are you calling slow?" Flash's cheery tone broke through the common line first, on the special channel for this select group of heroes. "I'll have you know I was on the other side of the globe."
"And yet we were here first. Weird how that worked out."
Flash's inevitable retort was cut off by Batman. "ETA one minute. Aquaman?"
"Present at location, but I could use a lift up."
"On it."
"Stay careful on approach, defense systems are currently active." Peeking out from behind their makeshift cover, Kaldur drew his head back immediately as a laser locked onto his face. He jerked back in time to dodge it, but it proved they were far from safe in their hiding place.
The wait was tense, but thankfully short, as the familiar silhouette of the Batplane appeared in the clouds. Crouched on top of the canopy was Aquaman, the orange of his uniform and his golden blonde hair eye-catching. A burst of wind from nearby sent Hawkgirl's feathers fluttering, the source revealed as Flash, who had borne himself aloft via a rapidly-spinning-arm-created vortex. His landing was clumsy, but he caught himself and zipped over.
"See? Perfectly on time." He grinned as above, Batman set his plane to autopilot, ejecting himself out of the top as Aquaman dismounted, bringing the group up to full power.
"Split into pairs and take out the turrets." Batman ordered, and they quickly acquiesced, the three teens sprinting out of cover on his signal.
Once lasers started firing, things turned downright chaotic, but Hawkgirl was well used to dodging projectiles. Not limited to ground fighting, Hawkgirl remained aloft, where she could both dodge the best and deal the most damage.
Robin and Batman were a well-synchronized team, and she expected nothing less from the Dynamic Duo. The elder launched off batarangs as the younger fired a grapple hook directly into the delicate components of a turret, two of the machines taken out in succession. Aqualad rendezvoused with Aquaman, the two effortlessly decimating another turret with their superior strength.
Flash was running literal circles around another contraption, dismantling it with high velocity strikes, as Hawkgirl dropped from the sky and dive bombed the one next to it before it could alter fire to the red blur.
Skidding to a halt, leaving scorch marks on the metal grating beneath him, Flash clapped her on the shoulder. "You know, I was thinking about it, and I think this means I'm your mentor now."
She glanced over at him, using her mace to deflect a laser shot from one of the smaller muzzles built into the wall. Detaching the head of her weapon, she rocketed the newly formed meteor hammer into the turret, crumpling it like tin foil. "Are you?"
"Well, Aqualad's with Aquaman, Robin's with Bats, my own wayward charge is off on a one-man mission of great prestige, and your mentors are off fighting their own battles. Logic dictates..."
"I'll be sure to tell Green Lantern you usurped his claim as back up mentor when he returns."
"Considering he's not here to argue, I retain my stance." He shot a wink at her. "So, my winged protégé, think you can keep up?"
A low growl leaving her throat, she snapped out her wings and took off back into the air. "Think you can?"
That earned her a sharp laugh that cut abruptly when he sped away, leading her to the opposite side of the machine to take out the defenses on the other side. It turned into a little bit of a game, her swooping in from above and him running on the surface, a makeshift race of ground and sky to ruin their opposing force as quickly as possible so they could move on in the mission. After all, the goal here was to dismantle the machine before it could cause irreparable harm to the planet.
Minutes later, frost and snow thoroughly dusted throughout her feathers and making them appear speckled, Hawkgirl dropped down next to a self-satisfied Flash.
"How many did you get?" He asked once she made touchdown.
"Eight. You?"
A smug grin stretched across his face, "Twelve. Don't feel too bad, eight is still great!"
Swiping at him with a wing, he was kind enough not to dodge and taking the soft-smack good-naturedly.
"All turrets down." Flash spoke into the comm, updating the others. "I think it's time to get a better look inside."
H
The metal exterior wall, while sturdy, proved to be not quite sturdy enough to stand up against the combined strength of two Atlanteans. Once the metal had been peeled away, the fragile, complicated components inside were finally revealed.
"I don't want to say anything for sure, but Bats..." Flash had a concerned twist to his mouth, his usual joviality gone in the face of a puzzle to solve. "Does this tech look a little... Familiar, to you?"
The Dark Knight made a quiet noise of agreement, eyes narrowing as he inspected the wiring closer. "Five of these fortresses are currently in operation."
"And we've got five ice themed-villains that have a past history of attacking at the same time." Flash added, tapping a finger to his chin in speculation. "Well, five and a half. Is Snowman still...?"
"Dead," Hawkgirl answered swiftly. "Last week. Died in his hospital room in Belle Reve."
When the Hawks had received that particular update, it had been a true surprise. The yeti's wounds had been severe, but he was still expected to attain at least some level of recovery. According to the coroner's report, the damage from the gunshot wounds was serious enough that even his healing factor was overtaxed.
Hawkgirl had been called in for a short interview by the investigation team, mostly just to reconfirm her recounting of events from the initial questioning process after she'd found the Snowman in the sewers. Her parents had been worried that blame was going to fall on her, after all, she had dealt him some heavy blows before he was reincarcerated.
But the autopsy deemed it unlikely he would have survived, whether she'd found him or not. Whoever had gotten to him before, well, they certainly weren't aiming to maim. They wanted him dead. The investigation had since been upgraded to a full murder mystery.
And judging by the look Batman shot to the present Leaguers, he was adding this important fact to his growing pile of suspicions.
"I think I can do some hasty rewiring here," Flash peered deeper into the exposed mechanics. "Theoretically I could disrupt the function entirely without it exploding with us on it."
"And practically?" Robin ventured.
"I guess we'll find out."
Not waiting for further permission, the speedster's arms blurred. For a blissful moment, the deluge of snow and ice appeared to slow... but then the panel erupted into a gout of sparks that forced Flash reeling backwards to avoid electrical burns. A grinding, mechanical noise from nearby put them all back on alert, as a previously unseen door slid open.
Quadrupedal robots, razor sharp teeth glinting and gnashing, stepped out onto the battlefield, already intent on tearing the intruders to pieces.
Flash's head tilted slightly in amusement at the escalation. "I have to admit, I did not expect the robot guard dogs."
"Perhaps we require a more direct approach." Aquaman suggested as he moved to take a defensive position in front of Batman and Robin. "A more... explosive approach?"
"Hey HG!" Robin called out to her in the precious few moments before the robots made contact. "Remember how we dealt with Ivy's tree?"
Hawkgirl's answering grin was downright feral.
In a well-practiced maneuver (honed through a great deal of trial and error in the relative safety of Mount Justice's training room), she crouched down, wings spread. Robin took a running jump and leapt onto her back. Only once his skinny legs were wrapped securely around her waist did she stand back to her full height.
"What's the plan, kiddo?" Flash prompted.
"You identify the weak points, we plant the explosives." Robin rattled off. "Aqualad, you good?!"
"I am well!" Kaldur called back as he casually backhanded a gaping robotic maw away from his face, kicking out and sending the robot skittering away from him in a flurry of sparks as metal claws dug into the floor.
"We have these beasts well in hand!" Aquaman assured, speaking confidently for himself and Batman.
Satisfied, Flash shot the two birds a thumbs up. "Alright kids, let's cause a little mayhem."
Taking a few steps forward, Hawkgirl let herself fall off the edge of the platform, submitting to the pull of gravity. Robin let out a whoop of glee as they hit freefall. Flaring out her wings, she leveled out their descent and then began to ascend until she was circling the platform.
Just as they'd practiced so diligently, the moment she was stabilized horizontally, Robin unlatched his legs and repositioned so he was crouched on her back. The deep treads of his boots and his boney knees dug into the fabric of her jacket for grip, as his fingertips pressed into her shoulderblades. He kept his body low, careful not to create excess drag that could hinder her speed.
As ever, his balance was impeccable, shifting with her as she banked back and forth to compensate for the tumultuous, frigid weather.
With her enhanced sight, Hawkgirl easily tracked the red blur that betrayed the location of her temporary mentor as he identified weak points for them. The moment he would make a call out, she'd sweep in low, just close enough for Robin to toss a sticky explosive. Then she'd veer away before she could be swiped at by one of the steadily increasing number of sentinel robots swarming the battlefield.
"I'm out of ammo!" Robin tapped her on the shoulder to guarantee he had her attention. "I need more from B!"
"Hang tight," she ordered, waiting until she felt his fingers bury themselves into the fabric of her coat and his legs lock back around her waist like a clingy toddler. Satisfied with his secure grip, she banked a harsh right turn that would have sent the Boy Wonder tumbling if she hadn't prepared him beforehand.
Robin used the comm to contact Batman, making sure that he was ready for them on approach. When Batman caught sight of them, he held up a cluster of explosive devices for her to snatch. She dived in, plucking them from his grasp without slowing, maintaining the momentum so she could cross to the other side of the platform.
With the last few instruments of their meticulous sabotage in place, Flash held up his hand for a high-five of mid-battle victory. She obligingly swooped down so that Robin could slap his hand against the speedster's. One never left The Flash hanging.
Things were going smoothly, which in her experience, meant that something was about to go catastrophically wrong.
And wrong it certainly did.
"Kaldur, watch out!" Aquaman's panicked exclamation reached her sensitive ears, despite being on opposite sides of the platform and the heavy wings. There was the sound of a meaty impact, followed by a wordless shout from Aqualad.
A horrifying image built itself in her mind, confirmed as the comm crackled to life, courtesy of Aquaman. "Hawkgirl, Aqualad's falling!"
She felt boots scrape across her back as Robin immediately launched himself off and into a flip, landing safely close to the Flash. Not having to worry about a wayward passenger, she extended her wings and flapped with all the strength she could muster.
The thing about being part of the Team, was that she didn't have much opportunity to show off how truly fast she could fly if she wanted to. A majority of the time, their missions were either within Zeta range or M'Gann's bioship would ferry them to their location. On top of that, most of their debacles had restricted her to ground-level maneuvering.
Her perceptive gaze caught and locked onto the movement of Aqualad tumbling below her, catching the moment self-preservation kicked in and he forced himself to spread out his arms and legs to increase his surface area and slowed his descent by increments.
Inhaling one last time, she gave one last powerful flap to extend that last bit of mustered strength, and tucked her wings in tight to her spine. She became a bullet, reaching greater speeds than the free-falling Atlantean was attaining. Her wings only popped from their tight curl a few times, making micro-adjustments to her trajectory.
The result?
She slammed into Aqualad's back at over a hundred and eighty miles per hour, wrapping her clawed gauntlets under his arms and lacing her fingers together in a tight weave. Her wings flared wide. It could only be compared to a skydiver pulling their parachute, but significantly more painful.
A ragged noise tore its way out of her throat from the utter amount of strain her wings had just been put under. Having never caught someone as heavy as Aqualad during free fall before (an Atlanteans increased density was no joke), she was pretty sure she had very narrowly avoided a full double-dislocation. That would have spelled trouble for both of them, but thankfully her joints remained in place. Barely.
Hawkgirl managed to reel their combined speed back to manageable levels through sheer effort and force of will, even as they approached the unrelenting surface of the storm-churned ocean with every second that passed.
They slowed just enough that when they did hit the surface, they didn't immediately turn to paste. The dive was a rough one, but they were both relatively unharmed and more importantly, not dead. That meant it was a success in her book.
As their momentum had rocketed them a good distance underwater, Hawkgirl didn't put up any resistance as Aqualad grabbed her by the arm and helped her up to the surface with his far superior swimming ability.
After surfacing, she activated her comm, breathing slightly labored. "Aqualad retrieved, no injuries to report." She gave her wings a test flap, wincing as the muscles pulled uncomfortably as they dragged through the water. "Sore as hell, though. Don't think I'm gonna be able to fly us up anytime soon."
"Good job. We're abandoning the platform now." Batman answered. "Rendezvous at the coast."
"Understood," turning to Aqualad, she shot him a weary grin. "I don't suppose you're willing to...?
Returning the grin, he swam closer to her, turning so that she could clamber onto his back. "Tap my shoulder twice when you require air."
Nodding, she activated the hidden button on her helmet, sealing the bottom half of her face. Only once he was sure she was ready did Kaldur duck beneath the waves. Now it was his turn to show off the higher limits of his speed in his own preferred element.
Thanks to her efficiently evolved lungs, Hawkgirl only needed to call for a stop twice on the journey. It also helped that they weren't too far away from the coastline where they were to meet up with the others. As it was, they were still going to be the last to arrive, as they had the slowest method of travel.
Halfway through their underwater traversal, a distant explosion created a slight shockwave, confirming that their sabotage had been effective. A curl of warm satisfaction sat in Ski'Lira's chest at the controlled destruction.
When they trudged up the rocky beach, Ski'Lira found herself thankful her polar gear had been designed specifically to account for potential waterlogging, and she had remained mostly dry. A quick shake of her wings dislodged the ocean water clinging to her feathers, and she made sure to be perfectly in range of Robin when she did so.
"Hey!" He cried out indignantly, fighting back a grin even as he stepped away from the line of fire. "Don't get the fragile human wet in cold weather!"
"Excellent work, you three." Batman praised, now that all three teen heroes were present and accounted for.
"Not just excellent, outstanding!" Before he could be stopped, Aquaman had scooped the trio into a tight, brief group hug. "You've all made us so very proud today."
"Above and beyond expectations," Flash added. "Robin, your quick thinking to find an effective way to sabotage the platform was exceptional. Aqualad, you successfully drew the line of fire to protect your teammates and allow them to achieve their goal unhindered. And Hawkgirl... You made an ideal air taxi service. You should think about making it a business."
Scowling, she raised a wing to whomp him again, only to let out a grunt of discomfort as she felt her tendons pull further than they wanted to at the moment. Instead, she resorted to crossing her arms and letting a glare do all the work. If it worked for her father, it would work for her.
"I'll take you to the nearest Zeta point so you can rendezvous with your team at the mountain." Motioning his head towards the Batplane, Batman urged the teens towards the vehicle. "Aquaman, Flash, we'll debrief later."
"Got it," Flash grinned and shot his teammate a thumbs up. "You get the kids home so us adults can talk about boring stuff." Without further preamble, he vanished, speeding off who knows where.
After giving Aqualad a meaningful shoulder squeeze and a quiet murmur of something reassuring in Atlantean, Aquaman too, departed. He leapt into the nearby ocean, nary a ripple left on the surface from his elegant dive.
Once he was alone with the teenagers, Batman turned to address Ski'Lira and Kaldur. "Think you'll be okay riding on the outside?"
"We can manage." Hawkgirl assured him. "But if Kaldur falls, I expect you to catch him this time."
Kaldur gave a good-natured huff and eye roll as they headed towards the plane.
With Robin strapped safely inside and making increasingly grotesque faces at them through the glass, Hawkgirl and Robin hopped onto either wing and got a solid grip. They both had full faith that Batman would escort them safely home.
H
MOUNT JUSTICE
When the Team was fully reconvened right back where the day had started, in the remains of a birthday party, they all had a plethora of stories to share. Comparing and contrasting their varying experiences with the flying ice fortresses was... surprisingly fun. It certainly helped that there was still an entire spread of food leftover, which was steadily being torn through during the increasingly dramatic retellings.
Despite numerous proddings on his own solo mission, Wally insisted on telling his tale last.
Because it was one hell of a story.
Even the thought of facing Count Vertigo again made Ski'Lira's stomach do uncomfortable flips in her gut, a feeling that was mutual amongst her peers based on the vaguely ill expressions.
As his story came to a close, Zatanna let out an unexpected laugh. "Sorry, it's just... I guess he ended up doing Hawkgirl's 'proof of combat prowess' thing after all!"
Wally offered a chuckle of his own, though it was far more forced, as he did not have the context for the jest. "Is this another one of your unnecessarily violent Thanagarian customs?"
She didn't deign to respond, mostly because she knew that he knew what the answer was. But while the speedster's attention was still upon the brunette (before his eyes would inevitably flit away with discomfort, as he had been doing ever since the long session of truth telling), she had something she wanted to say.
Thanagarians never gave gifts or well wishes for birthdays, but they never hesitated to show respect for a battle well won. "You did good today."
Some of the unease faded in his shock, green eyes widening. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she assured. "And your choice of trophy was... apt."
Shuffling in his seat, Wally sent her a smile, a real one this time. "... Thanks, HG."
Ski'Lira resigned herself to sitting back and letting the others continue to chat, content to just exist amongst her friends for a little while. However, her peace was relatively short-lived as her phone began to vibrate. Checking the caller ID, she answered with hesitation.
The moment the call connected, she heard a loud cry of triumph that only barely sounded like words, followed shortly by her mother's exasperated sigh. "Ignore your father."
"Ta'me sounds like he's having fun." Ski'Lira switched seamlessly to her mother tongue, keeping her voice low to avoid interrupting the other conversations around her. It would have been more polite to take the call to another room, but she was very sore and it had taken her ages to find a comfortable spot on the couch that didn't exacerbate the dull ache in her wing joints.
Shayera sighed again, this one more resigned. "Arthur was just recounting your 'astounding rescue' in truly dramatic fashion. You know how they get when they have each other to bounce off of."
Truly, the sight of Aquaman and Hawkman hyping each other up to increasing levels of fervor after a solid victory was something to behold, and often resulted in destroyed furniture. She was a little sad to be missing it.
"Anyway, how's your victory celebration going?" Her mother prompted.
"I'd count it as more of a continuation of Wally's birthday than anything else." Glancing over, she noticed that Zatanna was straight up staring at her with something like astonishment on her face. "I have a feeling if I tried to instigate so much as an arm wrestling contest I'd be put in time out."
Shayera proceeded to laugh purely at her expense. "My poor fledgling, confined to Terran social niceties. Fortunately, your father and I are planning a little party of our own at home. He's a little upset we didn't get to team up with you for your first true battle with the League."
"Tell her to invite a friend if she wants!" Katar's voice echoed down the line, followed shortly by the distinct sound of someone being tackled into and through a table.
"Good idea. Maybe Conner?"
Wincing, Ski'Lira cautioned a glance at the Kryptonian, who was cuddling with M'Gann in the armchair. "I don't think that's the best idea right now. We're still... recovering, I guess."
"Fair enough, just thought I'd throw it out there. I miss the kid, you know. He's a riot."
"Maybe another time."
"Hopefully soon, but why not ask Robin? I know for a fact Bats is going to be out investigating some leads."
Based on the tone, this was less of a suggestion and more of a demand. Huffing in defeat, Ski'Lira angled the phone away from her face (more out of habit, it's not like her mother wouldn't hear it anyway, Thangarian hearing and all). "Robin? My mother wants to know if you want to come over to our place for victory dinner."
He shot up, "Really?! I am so in!"
"Well, I'll take that as enthusiastic acceptance. Need a pick up from the Zeta? Bats said your wings were in rough shape."
She gave an experimental twitch of her feathery appendages. Yep, still hurt. "A ride would be nice."
"Alright, I'll meet you there. See you soon, love you."
"Love you too, Da'mi. And you too, Ta'me."
"LOVE YOU!" Her father shouted from the distance.
Call ended and phone stowed away, Zatanna finally broke her silence. "Was that your native language?"
Thrown from the sudden change in conversation, Ski'Lira just nodded.
"I've never heard you like, fully speak it before. Mostly just muttered cursing." Zatanna continued. "It's really cool, I've never heard anything like it."
"We've tried coming up with a comparison before," frowning in mild frustration, it was Artemis who spoke up. "It did not work. By the way, when do I get invited to celebration dinner?" She asked, clearly joking to keep the mood light.
Robin scoffed and tossed his head with a snooty air. "Only once you've reached exclusive VIP status with our favorite bird. It's a very difficult club to get into."
"The only reason you got a club membership was because our parents tricked us into meeting in person." Ski'Lira deadpanned. "The only one I actively invited to said club is ka'zera- Conner." She corrected herself, and cleared her throat. "And M'Gann is an honorary member, I guess, considering she'd technically seen my civilian persona, she just doesn't know my real name."
"Aw, thanks!" M'Gann grinned. "Though I'm still suspicious that you're pulling a double bluff on me and that your actual name is Robin."
"That's a mystery left for another day. And don't worry, Artemis, your application is currently being reviewed for acceptance." Standing, Ski'Lira stretched out her back and wings. "Well, Robin and I should probably head out. Ready to go?"
"Born ready. See you guys later!" Robin stopped only briefly by Wally to bestow one last noogie unto the birthday boy, leaving him sputtering with indignance.
It was only once they were standing before the Zeta tube, preparing to teleport to St. Roch, that Robin spoke up again. "Today was a good day."
"... Yeah. It really was."