Disclaimer:
We do not own Young Justice and Avengers nor its characters.
Without further ado…
Lethe
Chapter Four
Mount Justice
July 25, 15:17 EDT
Regardless of Marina staying the night in the Avengers Tower or the Compound, she always made sure that she kept a weapon on her. Those were the safest buildings in probably the whole planet and Tony often updates and increases the security protocols. That didn't stop Marina from stowing away guns and knives all over her room (well rooms- one in the Tower and Compound) much to Tony's displeasure.
"Come on, kid," he scolded her. "Give me a break. Most adults worry about their children sneaking out of the house. Why don't you do that from time to time? And not store a full arsenal in your bedroom."
"Didn't you break into the pentagon system and disappear all the time? Isn't that more dangerous?"
"T-That!" Tony barked a sarcastic laugh. "We're talking about you, young lady."
He never removed the guns and knives. No one did. Not even Steve or Natasha. Because they all understood.
When they fly into trouble all the time, there's always something to keep them from falling.
Shifting pulled Marina from her light sleep. Her senses tingled. Something wasn't right in her dark room. There was a draw of breath; aside from hers. Marina fully woke up but she didn't dare stir. She didn't want the intruder to know she was awake.
Sprawled on her stomach, Marina's hands dove deeper under her pillow. A chill of metal met her fingers comfortingly. The intruder's breath was coming closer to Marina. Once the breath sounded beside her, she grasped the intruder's arm and brought the knife to the intruder's neck. The blade an inch away from kissing their skin.
"Woah!" She heard a familiar female voice yelp. "Marina! It's just me!"
The lights flickered on and Marina's gaze met a startled, familiar one. She blinked her eyes hard before opening them again to see if she was really her green skinned friend. M'gann nervously watched the younger girl's face.
"What are you doing here?" Marina hissed.
"Ummm…" M'gann let out as her eyes focused on the knife still held to her throat. Marina noticed. She withdrew the knife. M'gann sighed in relief. The martian studied Marina as she placed the black knife under her pillow. M'gann stared at Marina, alarmed.
Unbothered, Marina leaned against the headboard of her bed. "What is it, M'gann?"
"I was gonna to wake you," M'gann said, rubbing her neck where a cut could've been. "Black Canary and Red Tornado are waiting for you."
Marina turned and looked at the clock atop her nightstand. 3:17pm. "The assessment," Marina reminded herself.
Marina pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes. She groaned quietly. M'gann shifted toward the door.
"I'll tell them that you're coming, I guess," M'gann shook the nerves away and smiled cheerfully as she could to the younger girl. Marina spotted the slight quiver of M'gann's lips. The martian was shaken by Marina's… defense.
Guilt pricked Marina's chest. Thoughts that Marina swept underneath the rug loomed over her head. She shaved them away.
"I'm sorry, M'gann. It's a habit," Marina genuinely apologized before pulling herself from the bed. M'gann waved a hand nonchalantly.
"I-It's no problem." M'gann stepped out of the door. Marina slumped. She screwed her eyes shut. Her hands tightened into fists. She landed in this world but yet, why does she still feel like she's falling?
"You may begin." Red Tornado announced. A blue holographic figure emerged, sprinting toward Marina. It raised an axe. She stood straight, notching a blunt arrow. She smoothly shot the figure in front of her.
Over her shoulder, she saw another figure materialize. It drew its own imaginary arrow. Without a moment's hesitation, she twisted her body, arrow flying. The hologram collapsed into azure blocks.
Another appeared behind her, a blue light spear pulled back in its hand. She twirled, dodging the weapon. She notched another arrow. A figure came to her the second the opponent faded away. She noticed the decreasing time between the holographic adversaries.
She swung her bow at the figure, the imaginary gun flying from its hands. She switched to the knife strapped to her thigh. She stabbed it through the hologram's stomach as she slung the bow across her body. She slid another knife into her free hand.
Wielding two knives, she rolled underneath a punch. She thrust her right knife into its side. A blue sniper from the upper right corner of the room. She turned away from the holographic bullet. It sailed past the back of her head. She threw a knife to the enemy tucked into the corner of the room. The metal of her blade cut through the hologram into the wall.
The simulation died down and claps sounded from the other end of the mission room. "Great job," Black Canary grinned at Marina. "Slightly too aggressive but it seems that the mission's got you rearing to go."
Marina shrugged before wiping off the sweat that dripped down her temple. Maybe all the pent up energy and frustration made her take out those holograms. But she knew that the old habit had yet to be completely erased from her memory.
"The assessment has ended." Red Tornado declared. The two Leaguers stepped closer to her. "It appears that you are adept with weapons. According to your results, you are fit to continue Team missions. The electric glove and knives in the arsenal will be prepared for you in the next mission-"
"Wait, wait," Marina interrupted the android. "Can't you, you know… Give me a gun?"
"The Cave's weapons do not include guns."
"But-"
"Marina, we do things a little differently around here," Black Canary explained. "Giving guns to a minor is something we don't do. Especially Batman, who is in charge of the Team."
Marina scowled as Red Tornado left, going further into the Cave like it was the end of the discussion.
"I can do things better if I had one," Marina argued. Black Canary shook her head. She moved closer to the console of the simulation. Marina followed her.
"It doesn't mean that you should have one." Black Canary did not look up from setting up the Team's next exercise. Simple drills and warm ups. Marina bristled. "And anyway-"
"Don't tell me I don't know how to use it!" The rest of the Team entered the Mission Room. They watched Marina as she crossed her arms. Her face screwed into a frown. "You just saw me use every weapon in the arsenal. I can assemble and disassemble a gun in a minute! And I don't even know how to actually make it!"
"Don't." Black Canary warned her, raising a brow. They stood eye to eye. Unbeknownst to the two, the Team watched them like a tennis match. Black Canary sighed, "We cannot just give a fourteen year old a gun."
"But isn't that the point of this assessment?" Marina waved her arm at the simulation console. "That you're willing to give me other weapons? Or is it to know which ones not to give?"
Wally's loud crunch of his chips drew Black Canary and Marina's attention. He hastily gulped as Aqualad and Robin nudged each of his sides. M'gann nervously waved at them. Superboy watched with an unamused eyebrow lifted.
"This conversation is over," Black Canary announced calmly. Marina stormed off, walking past her teammates. Black Canary sighed again before walking to the Zeta beam.
Marina let the shower rain around her. The large shower room was empty, leaving Marina alone to her thoughts.
Her anger washed away with the water. She exhaled deeply, tilting her head up so that she could feel the beads of water fall on her face. The water steadily lost feeling against her skin. Of course, they're weary of her. She landed on this planet literally weeks ago.
She slammed her palm on the wall. It's been two weeks. Tony doesn't know where she was for two weeks.
Her hand slid back to her side. She missed Tony and their house in New York. He must be out of his mind in worry. His dark eyes must have dark bags under them while he spends every hour looking through security footage around the world.
Did he ask for help? Did he tell the others that she was missing? Could he even find them after months on the run? Would he want to? She missed the compound with her superhero family and the warmth it brought. Her other home. Rawness scratched the back of her throat.
She wanted to go to the gym with Cap and Nat, where they let her spar with them. She longed to play darts with Clint. She craved to talk with Wanda and Vision. She missed listening to music with Sam and complaining about Tony's antics to her Uncle Rhodes. She wished for the missing Thor and Dr. Banner, who both were absent during the Sokovia Accords.
All sense of comfort ripped away from her again. She was in another dimension with no one she knew and without knowing why she was there in the first place. Desperation clung to every cell of her being.
Her eyes burned. She closed them. Water ran down her cheeks. It wasn't the first time she felt helpless but why does this hurt so bad? She laughed sarcastically to herself. It wasn't worse than the others. It was because she hasn't felt it in years.
She stared blankly at the tiled walls. Seconds, minutes, even hours passed, Marina didn't know. Slowly she came back. She heard the soft pattering of the shower water. She felt how water ran down her hair onto her back. The smell of her shampoo enticed her. She watched as drops of water fell from her lashes.
She ran her hands through her wet hair. She massaged her scalp lightly. She couldn't control her situation but she sure as hell can control what she was going to do next. She was done sitting around.
She spent the rest of the day in the living room. Robin sat beside her quietly.
"Are you okay?" He whispered to her. Above his sunglasses, his dark brows furrowed. She shrugged before going back to her formulas. She could feel his eyes lingering on her. Pressure slowly built on her shoulders.
"I'm fine," she half snapped, setting down her pencil. She released a sigh, willing some of her tension to fade as well. He was only worried for her. She glanced at her teammate. "I'm going to be okay… Thanks."
She gave him a forced, small smile. His lips drew into a thin line before nodding. He Zeta'd back to Gotham on the Bat's orders later that night. M'gann tried to lighten Marina's spirits during dinner but Marina brushed it off. After a quick dinner, she moved back to the living room. Superboy helped M'gann with dishes.
Marina peeked into the kitchen before deciding to make breakfast tomorrow morning. She watched them fleetingly as they talked to each other. M'gann giggled while Superboy cracked a tiny smile. Marina had a feeling the two felt more comfortable with each other than around her.
She wrote another line of equations. She needed to integrate FRIDAY into this world but it proved to be more difficult to program AI alone.
She leaned against the couch, stretching her back. She squeezed her eyes shut as she savored the knots around her shoulders loosened. Someone cleared their throat. She opened one eye to see Kaldur.
"May I join you?" The Atlantian asked. Marina closed her eyes again.
"Well this is the living room for everyone in the Cave so knock yourself out." Kaldur expertly stepped over her materials and paper before settling down beside her.
"I understand that this life may be overwhelming at times," Kaldur started. Marina's eyes slowly cracked open. She remained silent as she watched him continue from the corner of her eye. "It is difficult to be separated from home while having to commit so much to the life here."
"I thought you always wanted to be Aquaman and be a hero?" Marina asked him. Kaldur nodded his head. His grey eyes sparkled.
"I did," he admitted. He slid his attention to her. "But that does not mean that I do not miss my home."
"Atlantis," Marina rolled the name off of her tongue.
"Yes."
"What is it like?"
Kaldur grew quiet, gathering his thoughts. "Like no other. You can swim through crystal clear water freely, not bound to anything. People and animals alike greet one another in a friendly manner. The deep trenches never seem hostile or dark. I miss my mother and father of course."
Marina nodded, entranced by his story. Kaldur continued, "But my mission is here. They are aware of it."
Marina silently looked away. "Mine don't." She whispered. A fresh pang of hurt throbbed through her body. She did not know if Kaldur heard but he didn't say anything.
Finally, he asked her, "What is your home like?"
Though Kaldur did not force her to, Marina took a while before answering.
"A lot like here." She said. She imagined the buildings, skyscrapers, towns and islands. "My family were first strangers to me but after they saved me." She sucked in a sharp breath as she leveled her voice.
"They are all I have," she continued. "They were my home. My guardian had many of the same hobbies I have. He taught me how to tinker and invent new things. I learned how to be a hero. I became a better person from them- because of them." Her voice grew softer at the end of her sentence. Kaldur studied her.
"It is not wrong to be home sick," He told her. Marina looked at him. He gave her a small smile. "It simply means that you came from a happy home." Marina stared blankly at him, the words sinking in.
She grinned back at him. "I guess I did." They sat in silence before Kaldur stood up.
"I will return to my residence now," he said. Marina nodded as he moved to leave the room.
"Kaldur," she called after him. He paused and turned around to face her. "Thanks."
A few days later, Marina suppressed a yawn as she gripped her coffee tighter. Her eyes watered as she watched Wally and Kaldur play air hockey.
"Tired?" Robin from beside her questioned, noting her yawn. Marina nodded in reply lazily. She looked over at him.
"I take it that the Bat allowed you to update the system," Marina pointed out, gesturing to the hologram game. He smirked at her.
"Didn't need his permission," Robin replied. Marina chuckled, of course not. She took a sip from her mug.
The hologram air hockey beeped at Wally's win at the same time as the Zetatube. Recognized: Superboy B04.
Marina turned to see Superboy step out of the lights of the Zetatube. M'gann instantly brightened when she saw his face. The clone stomped across the cave and dispersed the air hockey game in between KF and Aqualad.
"Hi, Superboy. How was Metropolis?" She greeted him happily. Superboy ignored her, keeping his gaze angrily to the floor. M'gann's face dropped. Marina narrowed her eyes at the boy but before she could spitefully comment, a throat cleared.
"Ready for training everyone?" Black Canary asked, capturing the Team's attention. Martian Manhunter walked beside her.
"Black Canary! Uncle J'onn!" M'gann exclaimed, excited to see the Leaguers. Marina followed M'gann to greet them.
M'gann hugged the other martian. Martian Manhunter placed a hand on her shoulder when she pulled away. "M'gann, I was in the neighborhood so I thought I would see how you are adjusting."
Marina moved to Black Canary almost shyly. Black Canary raised a brow. Marina's eyes shifted to the floor before she gathered her courage.
"I'm sorry." Marina blurted out. Black Canary looked surprised before crossing her arms, waiting for the young girl to finish. Marina wrung her hands around her mug. "I was mad and let my emotions get the better of me. So I'm sorry."
Black Canary smiled at her. She laid a hand on Marina's shoulder. "All is forgiven. I actually have news for you. Stay after the session." Marina tilted her head in confusion as Black Canary winked at her.
"Anyway," Black Canary continued. "How is it like living here in the Cave?"
"I am used to living with people but this kind of company, not so much," Marina replied, jerking her chin to the boy staring at them from the other end of the Cave. They watched as Superboy turned to leave.
"Stick around. Class is in session," Black Canary called out to him. Superboy paused and turned to the Leaguer with a scowl. He crossed his arms over his S. Black Canary stepped to the middle of the training ring. Below her, the circle lit up.
"I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I've learned from my own mentors." She faced the Team once again. She shrugged off her jacket with a groan. Black Canary cupped her bandage on her left arm. "And my own bruises."
"What happened?" M'gann asked worriedly.
"The job," Black Canary answered simply. She threw her jacket aside. She placed her hands on her hips. "Now, combat is controlling conflict. Putting the battle on your own terms. You should always be acting, never reacting."
Black Canary lightened her tone. "I need a sparring partner."
Kid Flash's arm sprung up. "Right here. Yeah!" He called out with food in his mouth. Marina wrinkled her nose slightly. Aqualad frowned beside her. Kid Flash walked up to the blond, banana still in hand. He quickly ate the rest.
"After this, swish, " Wally spoke through his mouthful, tossing the banana peel away. He pointed at Black Canary slyly, "I'll show you my moves." Black Canary lifted a dark brow before smiling knowingly.
Black Canary threw a quick jab, which Wally blocked easily. Black Canary ducked so fast Wally had no time to react as his feet were swept under him. Wally's back met the ground with a loud thud. Marina flinched with the rest of the Team. She shook her head into her coffee.
Kid Flash laid on the ground. Blue layered circles appeared around him with a Kid Flash Status: Fail written beside him. "It hurts so good," Wally groaned. He sat up painfully.
"Good block," Black Canary commented, holding out a hand to help Kid Flash up. She pulled him up, "Did anyone see what he did wrong?"
Robin excitedly held up a hand, "Ooh, ooh. He hit on teacher and got served?"
Kid Flash held his shoulder. He moaned to Robin annoyed, "Dude!"
Marina snickered silently. "He allowed me to dictate the terms of-" Black Canary began seriously.
"Oh please," Superboy scoffed. Canary arched an eyebrow as she slowly looked over her shoulder at the irritated Superboy. His arms crossed and scowling Superboy spoke to Canary. He clenched his fists. "With my powers, the battle's always on my terms. I'm a living weapon. And this is a waste of my time."
Canary smiled, preparing for the spar ahead. "Prove it." Superboy's eyebrow raised before frowning again. He stepped into the circle with Canary and Kid Flash, who backed away swiftly. Canary and Superboy stood face to face. Canary smirked, narrowing her eyes. They both assumed their stance.
Superboy hastily threw the first punch. Canary calmly sidestepped and grabbed hold of his arm. She then threw him over her shoulder. Superboy was hurled to the ground with a grunt from the impact.
Robin guffawed, pointing at the fallen boy. Aqualad nudged him with narrowed eyes. Robin covered his laugh with his black gloves. His snickers still escaped despite his attempt to muffle it. Marina smiled down at her coffee before Aqualad gave her a disappointed glance.
Superboy got up with a growl. Black Canary stood tall, staring down at the boy. "You're angry," Canary stated. "Good but don't react. Channel that anger-"
Superboy lunged at her with a roar. Canary jumped over his punch lightly. She flipped over Superboy, ducking as he tried to back hand her. She again took his legs from underneath him. Superboy's back met the floor with a loud thud. Robin sniggered into his clasped gloves.
"That's it," Superboy snapped. Black Canary held a hand out for him. He shoved it aside while rising to his feet. "I'm done."
"Training is mandatory," Black Canary said softly, laying a hand on Superboy's shoulder. He shrugs it off annoyedly. He swerved toward Black Canary with rage in his eyes. Before anything was done or said, the room beeped. Batman appeared on the hologram screen, stoic as usual.
"Batman to the Cave," the Team moved beside Black Canary and Superboy. The glazed upon the blue bordered holoscreen. Marina settled her coffee mug on a table at the far end of the Mission Room. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary."
A picture of what seemed to be an android popped up at the upper right corner of the holoscreen. "The attacker was capable of studying then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents."
The smaller image played into a video, showing the android grabbing Superman and swirling him into the other incoming heroes. It shot the two batarangs with its heat vision.
"Arrow called in reinforcements which," Batman continued as he paused the video. "Proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."
"Woah," Wally voiced. "One guy with the power of the entire league?"
Marina glanced over her shoulder to see the worried and concerned expressions of the Team. But not all androids are bad. Feeling the icy air of the training room, she closed her mouth about her bouncing baby brother, Vision. As Tony called him. She mentally sighed.
What is it with androids? They sure do have bad rep.
"In the end, it took eight Leaugers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android."
"An android?" Robin asked. He stepped forward. "Who made it? T.O Morrow?"
"Good guess, Robin. But Red Tornado doesn't think so."
"The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo…" Martian Manhunter said. The Team looked at the Martian with surprise. Marina shot Aqualad a confused look.
"A criminal scientist named Professor Ivo…" Aqualad explained to Marina before turning back to the Bat. His brows furrowed. "But Ivo's dead."
Black Canary glanced over her shoulder. "So we all thought or hoped."
"To make certain," Batman continued through the holoscreen. "This threat is permanently neutralized. We're sending two trucks, carrying the android's parts to two seperate Star Lab facilities. In Boston and New York. For immediate evaluation. Every precaution is being taken."
A holomap appeared with a red dot in the middle of New York and Boston. Two red lined paths leading to the two cities for the Team were to take.
"We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks." Batman concluded..
"Yes!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "Roadtrip!"
"Now we take out your trash?" Superboy asked, bitterly. His eyes narrowed at Batman.
"You have something better to do?" Batman shot back. Superboy angrily looked away from the Bat while Aqualad's transmitter went off.
"Coordinates received. We're on our way," Aqualad confirmed. The Team sprang into motion, walking from their training room to the garage. Marina lagged behind, Superboy brushing past her.
"Marina," Black Canary called. Marina stood still as Black Canary approached her. A briefcase in hand. Marina raised an eyebrow. Black Canary handed it to her. Marina opened it slowly. She bit back a gasp.
"Before you take it, you have to tell me," Black Canary nodded to the semi automatic pistols in the case. "Why do you want it so much?"
Marina hesitated, her muscles tensing from the question. She traced her gaze on the body of the gun. "It's like a safety tether. I know it's weird to call it that but in every situation I was in, I had a gun. And I'm still here. Because of it."
Something crossed the face of the Leaguer. "Some rules before you go."
Marina nodded her head. Black Canary held a finger up. "Number one, do not use it against civilians. Number two, before using against a person, state that your gun is loaded and armed. And most importantly, no killing."
"Got it," Marina replied seriously.
"Marina," the young girl lifted her gaze. "I wasn't going to give these to you but someone- some people changed my mind. We trust you with this. Don't use it unless you need to."
"Thank you-"
"Lethe! Aqualad is about to give out our orders," Robin called for her. Marina's eyes darted to him, peeking out from the hanger. Her gaze flitted back to the Leaguer. Black Canary dismissed her.
"Thank you, again," Marina mumbled before following the Team. She walked toward a movable garage cabinet, placing the briefcase on top of it. M'gann moved closer to her, looking over Marina's shoulder.
"What's that?" Marina opened the case with a satisfied sigh. She took the holsters from the mesh pocket of the case's cover. She strapped them to her thighs before answering the martian.
"These are semi automatic pistols," she pulled the weapons out from their sheath. She unhinged the mag to inspect the bullets. Rubber bullets with a metal core. The less lethal alternative of real bullets but she'll take them.
She tried to feel the guns' weight in her hands. She pointed the barrel to an empty wall. She dramatically twirled them in her hands before tucking them safely in the holsters.
M'gann clapped amused by her show. From the corner of Marina's vision, she saw Robin grinning at her while Aqualad nodded. Superboy snorted at her, still upset over BC's lesson. Kid Flash whistled, seeing Marina. He leaned toward Marina and M'gann.
"I'll be on your team if you don't mind," he smiled at the two girls. Marina shook her head in exasperation.
"Robin, Superboy, Lethe, you are the Star Manhattan Team. Miss Martian, Kid Flash, and I will travel to Star Boston." Aqualad instructed, suiting up. Kid Flash pouted but said nothing against their leader. "Departure will be in five minutes."
Marina took her helmet from the rack. She studied her handiwork. Lines of electric blue cleanly drew attention to the details she worked so hard on.
A smile worked its way onto her lips. Tony's words echoed in her ears from the time they watched Tron together. Lights and lines make any project way more badass. Aesthetics, my dear Rina. She walked to her sleek black motorcycle with light steps.
The heavy weight in her leg holsters grabbed her attention away from her memories. She absentmindedly stroked the barrel. She straightened, hopefully this will not be the day she will have to use it.
Litchfield County
August 3, 20:08 EDT
Marina fixed her braid while waiting for deployment from Batman. She adjusted it so that the helmet will not sit uncomfortably on her head. She heard the blood pump in her ears.
Another mission, Marina thought. Just another mission.
She let her hand brush against her gun strapped on her thigh, letting the waves of comfort and relief wash over her. She couldn't help but wonder who convinced Black Canary to let her get the pistol.
She carefully evaluated the possible contestants for her thanks. 'We trust you.' So it's safe to say that there was more than one person.
Hell no could it have been Conner. Marina knew that their relationship only held up to glare at each other across the room. It would eventually brew into a battle of who would look away. Of course, none would until someone from the team- usually Kaldur- would interrupt it.
Could it have been M'gann? Marina hummed softly. Though she would want to get praise, she wouldn't question the League's decision. So she was out.
Wally could have done it to try to get bonus points of seduction-
The last pieces of the Amazo loaded up in the truck. Marina placed her black helmet over her head. The three trucks were given the signal to move out and so did the Team.
Marina pulled her motorcycle into the pavement smoothly. They swiftly made it onto the highway. Stalks of wheat whizzed by as they followed the truck. Robin pulled up beside her and Superboy.
"If dislike is the opposite of like, is disaster the opposite of aster? See if things are going wrong, they go right," Robin asked Superboy, who was the closest to him. Superboy remained silent. Robin raised an eyebrow, peering over the clone's head to Marina. She shrugged. "Uh, clearly, you're not feeling the aster. What's wrong?"
"Canary," Superboy replied instantly. "And what business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?"
"Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig," Robin stated simply. "Canary learned that the hard way. Same with Batman and, well, me." Superboy frowned. He revved his motorcycle and sped up closer to the truck, leaving Marina and Robin behind.
"Pretty sure that was not what he's been thinking about," Robin muttered beside Marina. She shook her head with a sigh.
"Lately, he has been more angsty than usual," Marina remarked. She understood the feeling of being lost and confused. When she would see Superboy sulking, her mind would just go blank. A robotic laugh filled the air as black and green monkeys landed on the truck ahead of them.
"Robin, Superboy, Lethe, our truck is under attack." Aqualad's voice broke over their comm. Marina and Robin accelerated their motorcycles.
The Boy Wonder pressed the side of his helmet to reply, "Kind of figured."
Marina tailed the swerving truck as Robin chuckled beside her. "Robot monkeys! Totally Ivo's tweaked style." Robin switched his motorcycle into battle mode.
"Hey, hey. Switch your ride into Battle Mode." He instructed Superboy.
"No point," Superboy grumbled before leaping off his motorcycle. Marina veered to the other lane, missing the unmanned vehicle.
"Or not," Robin's eyes widened at the incoming motorcycle. He jumped into the air right before their motorcycle collided, deploying his grapple to the metal of the truck. He kicked off a monkey.
"I'll go cover for Superboy!" Marina shouted to Robin, seeing the clone being overwhelmed by monkeys.
"Go!"
Marina zoomed to the side of the truck. She pressed the console of her motorcycle, switching it to autopilot. She unlatched a gun from her thigh holster. She aimed at the flying monkeys circling the truck. She fired at quick succession at the monkeys. Superboy roared in pain before being lifted off by monkeys.
"Superboy!" Marina called out, shooting at one of the four monkeys. It crashed to the ground but soon the monkeys dropped Superboy. Marina kept beside the truck shooting at the monkeys that clung to the sides.
Marina brought herself close enough to the side. One of the guards cried out as the monkey carried him out of the hole. Marina shot at the monkey holding the guard, causing the man to fall into the wheat field.
Robin jumped on top of the truck, batons twirled in his hands. He knocked monkeys off from left to right. Monkeys crawled down to the truck's tires. Marina aimed and shot at both.
"They're going to the tires!" Marina warned the boys on top. Another pair of monkeys crawled their way to the tires. Marina shot at them once but the sound of the empty chamber made her heart drop. The monkey shot a laser to the tire, blowing it up completely.
The truck swerved left, as did Marina's motorcycle. Robin moved to the driver's cabin. Marina watched as the driver opened the door. Robin took hold of the driver's uniform before launching them both into the stalks of wheat.
She tucked her gun swiftly in the right thigh holster before she switched the motorcycle's mode to regain its control. She skidded to a halt as the truck tumbled across the highway.
The truck flipped over as the back exploded. Marina readied her other gun, lifting it to eye level. With one magazine left, it wasn't worth the bullets as the monkeys flew into the sky far beyond her range.
Marina lowered her weapon. She sighed when she couldn't do anything more. She saw Robin watching the cargo fly away too. Their undercover mission had failed.
Marina heard a groan from Superboy. She turned to see him, lifting the truck that was on top of him. She and Robin could only watch as Superboy jumped into the air.
"Superboy!" Robin called as Marina let out a bothered groan. They watched helplessly as their partner left them.
"Aqualad to Robin. We lost our cargo. Did you-"
"It's gone." Robin heaved a sigh. "So is our partner."
"Aqualad to Superboy. Radio in your position. So we'll help you-"
"I don't need help! I-"
"Superboy!" Marina called.
"I think he ditched his comm," Robin muttered.
"Super!" Wally yelled out over the comm. "Now we can't even track him!"
"He's out of my telepathic range. This Professor Ivo if he is alive, he seems to be two steps ahead of us. Maybe we should contact Red Tornado?" Miss Martian suggested.
"Negative," Marina said, walking to one of the destroyed robotic monkeys.
"Lethe is right." Aqualad said. "Tornado always tell us to handle things ourselves. The mission could still succeed if we recover the parts before they're reassembled."
"That's a great plan!" Kid Flash drawled. "Except for the part about us knowing where to look!"
"Maybe we do," Robin crouched beside Marina, before the broken robot. He pulled a cable from his gloved wrist, connecting it to one of the plugs at the robot monkey's back.
"We would have heard by now," Robin began, typing on his glove. "If the decoy trucks were attacked. So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?"
"The parts have GPS!" He smirked as his hologlove displayed a map. "The monkeys could track the signal which I could track them with the one I caught." Marina raised a brow.
"I mean to say with the help of Marina." Robin added, giving her a smirk. "Looks like both sets of parts are converging on… Gotham City." His smile fell to a worried frown.
"That far south?" Aqualad exclaimed. "M'gann and I won't get there any time soon. I'm sending Kid ahead to meet you. Aqualad out."
With the monkey tossed over his shoulder, Robin glanced at Marina. She nodded her head to her motorcycle.
"Definitely a disaster," he said as they walked to her raising crescent moon in the sunset sky added more pressure. The sun was setting in the swirls of oranges and pinks. "Heavy on the dis."
In a matter of minutes, Gotham City Limits sign appeared on their horizon. Marina stepped on the gas, speeding past it. Robin behind her muttered under his breath, studying the holographic map from his watch. Kid Flash pulled up beside them, effortlessly keeping up.
"So you changed too?" Robin teased the bright colored speedster. Marina rolled her eyes. The boy behind her was one to talk. He even placed his mask underneath his helmet.
"You kidding?" Kid Flash questioned. He gave a disgruntled shiver, "I feel naked in civvies. You still tracking the parts?"
"They were heading through Gotham but they veered," Robin informed both Marina and Wally.
"You have any idea where they're going?" Marina asked the vigilante familiar with Gotham. She followed the GPS tracker displayed above her motorcycle's middle. The red blinking triangle moving through the city.
"I don-" Robin trailed off. He muttered something underneath his breath which Marina didn't hear over the wind. She took a right into the city. The pin they were following suddenly flew across two blocks.
"Rob?" Kid Flash asked. His brows furrowed.
"Wait, dude, they're at my school," Robin exclaimed to KF. Gotham Academy, it read on her display. Marina said nothing about Robin's personal information.
"Can you keep up?" Marina teased Kid Flash before cracking up her motorcycle's speed. Kid Flash threw his head back with a laugh.
"Babe, I'll always keep up. Maybe you can show me how that motorcycle rides after this." Robin snorted at the flirt while Marina shook her head with an inkling of a smile. But of course, the two didn't see it.
"In the gym!" Robin called out to Kid Flash before leaping from the motorcycle. Marina quickly parked before following Robin. In the darkness of the gym, Marina stood beside Robin. She shot her remaining bullets at Amazo while Robin threw his batarangs.
"Martian Manhuter," Amazo announced as the bullets and batarangs whizzed right through him. Red robotic eyes stared back at them before announcing, "Accessing Red Tornado." Amazo rose up in the center of a red whirlwind. He swiftly moved toward them, creating a surge of wind that knocked Superboy, Kid Flash, Robin, and Lethe into the air. They were sent flying in different directions.
Air expelled from Marina's lungs as she skidded across the floor. She pulled herself up on the bleachers as Amazo sent a beam toward Kid Flash, who speedily avoided it by running behind the bleachers. He went straight for the android.
"Access: Black Canary," the android stated before shrieking. The Canary cry pulsated toward the ground, propelling Kid Flash. Lethe drew out her gun, shooting at the android as Superboy ran up.
"Access: Martian Manhunter." When Superboy was within range of Amazo, she paused. Superboy launched a punch but the metal hand held the fist firmly. Amazo jabbed Superboy across the face, sending the kryptonian hurling towards the bleachers.
Lethe hailed unceasing fire toward the android while Robin threw batarangs that exploded on impact. "Martian Manhunter," Amazo extended his arm, waving off the explosions before sent it toward their way. Robin pushed Lethe to the ground with him. Wooden boards blew up behind them. Debris rained around Lethe and Robin.
"Superman." Kid Flash's cry of pain pierced the air. Lethe scrambled to her feet, picking up her gun that laid on the floor. She aimed at the android crushing the speedster. She quickly moved around Amazo to get a clean shot. Amazo turned his head to a vacant corner of the gym, "Martian Manhunter."
An arrow cut through the air before passing through the android completely, lodging itself a foot away from Robin. Kid Flash slipped through Amazo's arms before sprinting away. Marina exhaled a relieved sigh.
"Access: Black Canary," Amazo stated before Superboy came running. Amazo threw the boy over his shoulder. Superboy landed harshly against the other side of bleachers. Robin flung another pair of batarangs. Amazo ducked easily.
"Superman." His eyes glowed red. Kid Flash pulled Robin and Lethe aside before the laser beam struck them. The three sprawled on the gym floor with pained grunts.
"Oh, yawn. Normally Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what's the point?" Ivo drawled, leaning against the bleachers leisurely. He glanced and picked at his fingernails. "You're all such poor copies of the original." His mechanical monkeys hollered.
"So everyone keeps saying. It makes me angry," Superboy growled before launching himself to the Professor. Ivo yelped before scurrying to the side of the bleacher row. Superboy roared, "You wanna see me channel that anger?"
"Great, he's gone ballistic again," Kid Flash's eyes widened as they stood up.
"Maybe not," Robin began. A knowing smile broke across his face. After filling Lethe and KF in, they sprang to action. Marina melded in the darkness of the gym.
"Amazo, protect your master. Priority alpha," Ivo stuttered before dodging another punch of Superboy.
"Captain Atom," Amazo said before shooting a beam at Superboy. The robot monkeys lifted Professor Ivo on each arm, lifting the tiny man off of the ground.
"Does anyone want to play keep away?" Robin declared, kicking Ivo's back. The evil inventor was sent sprawling to the ground.
"Oh, oh. Me!" Kid Flash called, running toward Ivo.
"Accessing Superman." Amazo stomped his foot to the ground. Rippling floor boards pitched Kid Flash flying to the bleachers.
Marina stepped out of the shadows, guns in hand. She shot bullets consecutively, aiming at Amazo's head while Robin also threw a batarang. Immediately, Superboy jumped in front of Amazo, punching the transparent head.
"Superm-" Electric currents wrapped around Amazo's head. Short circuiting noises rang throughout the gym. The head exploded, a bright light enveloping the gym.
The metallic body fell back with a loud clang of metal. Smoke emitted from the headless form. Robin ran to the robot, cape billowing behind him. Marina walked behind him, not in a rush. She certainly will feel the bruises forming later tonight after the adrenaline leaves her.
"Help me disassemble him! Now!" Robin said as Marina knelt beside the android.
"Dude. The guy has no head" Kid Flash deadpanned, nursing his left arm.
"Don't take any chances," Aqualad's voice echoed as he and Miss Martian entered the gym. He attended to the android while Miss Martian attended to Superboy. A hand placed on his chest and another held his bicep, she asked, "Superboy! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," replied Superboy. He glanced at Robin with a small smile, "Feeling the aster."
Marina examined the android. "This must have taken days even for a genius to conduct without drawing attention with the amount of metals used-" Marina's thoughts were cut off due to K.F.
"Hey!" K.F exclaimed, scanning gym. "Where's Ivo?"
Mount Justice
August 4, 01:06 EDT
"The Amazo android is in pieces again," Kaldur continued as the group debriefed Batman. Black Canary, Red Tornado, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow all stood beside Batman. "Safely being analyzed in two seperate Star Labs. But Ivo escaped and since he originated the tech, he is arguably more dangerous than the android.
"Capturing the Professor is the League's priority," Black Canary stated. Martian Manhunter crossed his arms.
"But we understand your mission encountered other complications." The Team glanced at Superboy. Superboy frowned before looking away. Marina tensed as Batman stepped forward. She waited for a lecture from the Leaguer, according to Black Canary he didn't like her having guns.
"Complications come with the job. Your ability to handle them has impressed the League."
"The whole League?" Superboy asked. Batman's frown deepened. Marina relaxed as the Bat focused his attention on the clone.
"Given time, yes. Kryptoians as you know have very hard heads."
Superboy's lips turned upward slightly. Batman turned his attention to the rest of the Team. His gaze lingered on Marina before addressing the entire Team, "Of course, there's no shame in asking for help. That's why the League exists because there's some problems even we can't handle individually."
"Please," Robin rebuked. He gave his mentor a scowl. "If we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask"
Robin pulled out the arrow that saved Kid Flash from being crushed to death. "Look familiar? You were following us! Babysitting! You still don't trust us!"
Batman held the green feathered arrow, passing it to Green Arrow. "We didn't follow you." Green Arrow brought out his own arrow for a side-by-side comparison. Although nearly identical, the arrowheads were different.
"And that's not your arrow," Robin muttered sheepishly before grinning. "But that means…"
"Speedy!" Wally exclaimed
"He has our back," Kaldur confirmed.
"Souvenir!" Wally ran to get it. Kaldur and Robin gathered with Wally, talking about Speedy. Marina bit her lip, deep in thought. She wasn't the only one that felt the League didn't trust. The entire Team felt it too along with the pressure of their mentors. Something she knew all too well.
She shook the thoughts away but another arose. Who helped convince Black Canary to give her the guns?
Aqualad, although the leader, would have qualms about going against the Leagues' orders. Same with M'gann only because she is still trying to get the approval of others. Wally wouldn't think about it. Superboy had his own problems right now. And as for Robin… Well, his mentor opposed guns in the first place but… they all knew she wanted it.
The huddle slowly broke off into sections. Red Tornado stood by the Zeta-Tubes with Batman and Green Arrow, speaking in hushed tones. They stepped through the Zeta-Tube. M'gann went to the showers before starting their dinner.
Marina approached Black Canary slowly, thoughts swirling in her head. Superboy cleared his throat. "I'm ready." He stood by Black Canary, who smiled at him.
"Good. Because I'm here," Black Canary said. Marina bit back a sigh. She resigned, staring at the holographic world map displayed in the central chamber.
She gnawed on her lip. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing for her to get back to her universe. Not even a single lead. She needs more information- more leads to get back home. But one mystery was solved- she knows who helped convince Black Canary.
"Why am I not surprised to see you here?" A voice cut through her thoughts. Marina didn't stray her attention to the new company. She strained her eyes at her electronic pons. The heat sizzled on her circuit. A thin stream of smoke filled her nostrils.
"Did you expect something else?"
Robin shifted to be beside her, carefully tiptoeing over wires as he went. "Well yeah," He drawled, sidling to the side of her table. "But am starting to think otherwise. What are you doing?"
He peeked over her shoulder. The table was cluttered with wires, bolts, and papers. A pencil deeply tucked into her messy bun. A strand of hair swung too close to the circuit. Robin grimaced but didn't move it away. Marina placed down her heating pons. She looked up at him through long lashes. Surprised by their closeness, Robin took a step back.
"Making a circuit board," she answered him simply. He blinked at her reply.
"What?"
"I'm making a circuit board," she replied slowly. She leafed through her papers. Robin stared at her, waiting for more explanation.
"You put the dis in discrete," Robin murmured. Marina peered up at him.
"For an artificial intelligence," she expounded. She took a sheet from her pile. She handed it to him hesitantly. "I wrote down a draft of a prototype... " Robin stared down at the paper in his hands.
"You're okay with me looking at this?"
She flushed but the redness stood against her pale skin strikingly but fleetingly. She gathered her composure but her ears still warmed red. "You helped," she shrugged. He tilted his head like a puppy.
"With the gun," she clarified. Robin tensed slightly before responding slowly.
"I didn't do anything"
"Yes but you convinced Black Canary to let me have them," Marina stated, looking through her blueprints.
Robin's eyes widened as he stuttered, "H-How did you?"
Marina shrugged. Her collarbone moved. Skin rippled underneath her clean black tattoo. "You're not the only one with detective skills." Robin shot her a sheepish smirk.
"It's an artificial intelligence that my previous mentor created. It powered his buildings, his house…" his suits… "It takes care of almost everything- lights, systems, visual research, connection to the internet…" Marina mumbled off. She pulled another sheet from her pile. She narrowed her eyes to read the lines of computations she jotted down.
Robin studied her. She hunched over the table, pulling her pencil from her hair. She muttered to herself as she erased writing from the corner of the paper. The neckline of her tank top drooped, displaying more skin. Robin snapped his gaze to the paper in his hands.
Robin scanned the blueprint, reading the lines of text and numbers. He flipped the page over for the continuation of equations but it too was incomplete. Robin settled beside the muttering girl and looked over her shoulder. She scribbled numbers furiously. He hummed before pointing, "An alternative might be better for that. Glitches with internet searches."
She glanced at him. Robin smirked, "Batcave ran similar numbers in terms of researching but it glitched every so often." Marina nodded her head sharply before editing it immediately. Robin hovered over her shoulder.
Marina flattened the blueprint wider for Robin to see. His eyes read the numbers intently. He raised his gaze and caught Marina's eyes. Marina smiles softly at him as he sends her a crooked grin.
It wasn't so hard. Mustering her courage, she pressed send. She covered herself with a light sweater before hugging herself. There was no backing down now.
After a while, the teens filled into the living room where Robin and Marina were.
"Oh!" M'gann exclaimed when she bumped into Superboy and Aqualad. They looked up at her in surprise as they walked down the corridor together. "Were you both called to the living room too?"
They both nodded. Kaldur held up his phone, "Marina informed me that she requires to speak to me."
"That's what she messaged me too," M'gann showed the text message. Superboy grunted in agreement. The trio met another in the living room. Wally glanced up from the paper in his hand. After placing it back on the table, Wally audibly swallowed his chocolate bar.
"So why did you bring us all here, babe?" Wally asked Marina who brightened when seeing the Team complete in the living room. She stood up.
"I want to thank you guys." She finally said. "For talking to Black Canary."
The Team looked at her in surprise. Then, each other. "I thought I was the only one," Wally sighed before grinning at Marina. "Anything for you, beautiful."
"I just don't know why you all did it," Marina peered at each one of them in confusion. They shared another glance before cracking small smiles. She massaged the scar on her palm.
"To receive trust, one must bestow it first," Aqualad said briefly. M'gann nodded.
"We wanted you to trust us," M'gann explained. "We know that you won't hurt us with it so we told Black Canary to give it to you."
Marina felt her heart waver from the gesture. Her gaze darted anywhere but her team. A small, rueful smile plastered on her face.
"Most of the times I trusted someone, bad memories aren't the only things they leave." She stared at her hands. The silver slashes, almost undetectable, held her attention. She mumbled, "You guys don't even know me."
To her surprise, Superboy answered, "We know that you had plenty of chances to betray us. But you didn't." He recalled the words she spoke on the first night she stayed at the Cave.
"We know that you have our backs," Robin continued. The grin on his face spread wider. Her chest warmed. Her features which were once hardened and sharp melted into a soft and genuine smile. She willed her emotions not to get the better of her.
"Thank you," she cleared her throat.
Author's Note:
Hello! We hope you enjoyed this latest chapter of Lethe. Next few chapters are in the works so please bear with us for the following updates.
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