Chapter 3
Hi, so I made a slight change to the first chapter, I decided to go a certain way to the story and I needed to change the groundwork for it, so go check it out so you can understand something that happens later in this chapter
Also, Young Justice's timeline is a bit messy in cannon, but to my understanding, the first season takes place in 2010, even if it's not very clear, so take that year as a guideline
A person pointed out that it would be cool if things don't play exactly like Cannon and I agree. For the next three chapters counting this one, I will keep to the missions that the series did. Just till I introduce Artemis. But after that, the series does this good thing and starts to focus on the individuals of the group.
Like in the episode focused on Aqulad and Atlantis. Or the prison episode focused on Superboy and Megan.
It gives me the chance to make my own original missions and storylines while I advance the main plot. And also, one of the gripes I have with the show. The team, at least in the first season. Was supposed to be a stealth and covert focus team. But they rarely did that. No matter what they did they always fought in the open.
And once or twice here and there is okay but when it happens in every mission then that's just stupid. So I would like to introduce real stealth missions when not much fighting happens.
And finally one of the things that hurt the series on the long wrong is that they grew the cast too much and stopped focusing on the main characters too much. So I won't do that. For two reasons. One I can't develop 30 or more characters at the same time, I just can't. Secondly, I want to just focus on Nate's relationship with the main cast with some side characters here in there
And by the main cast, I'm referring to the team, Roy and Jade. With notable side characters being Black Canary and Batman, amongst a few others.
And finally, if you haven't noticed Nate's powers are taken from some notable X-Men but that doesn't mean this is a crossover. It is just an inspiration I took. They won't play a major role in the story other than to help build Nate's past, so don't expect them to appear.
Thank you for reading my notes and with that being said please enjoy the chapter.
Gotham early afternoon
Nate was currently walking the main roads of the city with a purpose. He had a direction in mind and he was making his way towards it at a quick pace but without actually running to it. He shook his left hand a bit as he had slept on the wrong side of the bed and his left arm was a bit numb at the moment and he was trying to get rid of the discomfort.
He got to a crossroads and waited for the sign to change so he could cross the street and then saw an old middle-aged Vietnamese woman in a wheelchair waiting for the sign to change also. He around the streets knowing full well how wild these streets could be so he walked up to the lady
"Excuse me ma'am," Nate said as the lady looked up in curiosity "Hi, can I help you cross the street?" Nate asked trying not to overstep and the lady gave him a small smile
"Oh honey, you're sweet. But I don't want to be a bother," The lady said and Nate gave her a smile
"You won't be. It would be my pleasure ma'am," Nate said "It's a nice day, it would be a shame to walk these streets without any company, even if it's just crossing the street," Nate said and the lady giggled a bit
"Well, how can I refuse such an offer," The lady said as Nate's smile widened up a bit. He moved to stand behind her and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair "My name's Paula by the way," The lady said and Nate looked ahead
"Nice to meet you Paula," Nate said as he looked at the traffic light "My name's Nathaniel but you can call me Nate," He said as Paula looked up
"Nathaniel huh? That's a strong name," Paula said and Nate gave her a small smile in thankfulness
"So Paula. Are you from around here?" Nate asked in curiosity making time for the headlight to change
"Yes, you see that building on the end of the street?" Paula asked pointing at the street ahead of them Nate nodded and hummed in acknowledgment "Well that's my apartment complex," Paula said and Nate pursed his lips
"Oh, well that's convenient," Nate said and Paula giggled a bit as she looked up
"How about you sweety?" Paula asked and Nate looked down "Are you from around here?" She asked in curiosity and Nate looked up in deep thought
"Well. I moved recently to Happy Harbor, but I used to live around her with a friend," Nate said and Paula nodded in understanding "Lively city isn't it?" Nate said cheekily and Paula snorted
"You don't say," Paula said amused "I have lost count of how many times people have mugged me. You would think that because I'm in a wheelchair people would be more considerate but no," Paula said and Nate just let out an exasperated sigh
"Some people just don't have any class whatsoever," Nate said and Paula hummed in agreement Nate noticed the light changing "Well that's us," Nate said moving forward as Paula put her hands on her lap
"Onwards then pilot," Paula said cheekily and Nate chuckled as he led her toward the other side of the street
They fell into a comfortable silence as Nate helped her reach her apartment complex "And here we are. Thank you for traveling on Nate's international airline, hope you visit us again soon," Nate said cheekily and Paula giggled a bit and looked up as she put a hand on top of his
"Thank you, young man. You're very sweet," Paula said and Nate looked at her with a small smile on his face
"It's okay ma'am, it was my pleasure," Nate said and then looked up at the apartment complex "Are you sure you don't any help getting up to your apartment?" He asked in curiosity as the lady shook her head
"Nah it's okay, I'll just bother my daughter with it," Paula said and Nate nodded in understanding
"Then that's it. It was my pleasure to meet you ma'am. But I have to get going," Nate said as he removed his hand from the handles of the chair and started walking away
"I hope to see you again young man," Paula said and Nate looked back smiling at her widely
"Me too ma'am, have a good day," Nate said and then continued his walk and heard the lady in the background shouting at her daughter
"Oi Artemis! Get your ass down here and help me get up!" Paula shouted and Nate snorted when he heard it. She was a lively woman alright
Nate turned around the corner and walked straight for a couple of minutes hoping that the woman had made it all right to her home then he stopped in front of a restaurant bar that was currently closed. He walked up the steps of the bar and opened the door as the bell on top of it rang alerting the ones inside of his presence
"We're closed!" Nate heard a man from behind the counter shout. This man was Markus, the friend who had helped him for the past two years. Markus turned around to look at the entrance and blinked when he noticed Nate standing there "Oh it's you. You're early," Markus said
"Well, good afternoon to you too," Nate said cheekily and Markus grumbled as he placed one glass on the counter and started cleaning up "How are you Markus?" Nate asked in genuine curiosity while taking a seat in front of him
"A little tired. Bosses were up my ass yesterday. And I wanted a day off but I couldn't," Markus said and Nate raised an eyebrow in confusion "They needed me here and there's no one that can cover for me that quickly," Markus said and Nate sighed
"That's rough. I'm sorry Markus," Nate said in sympathy and Markus shrugged his shoulders
"Meh it is what it is," Markus said as Nate put his hands on the counter "They pay the bills and give me a safe space. I can't complain," He said and Nate gave him a nod
"As long as you're happy Markus," Nate said and the bartender chuckled lightly and then his eyes winded
"Ah right. I almost forgot," Markus said as he net down and grabbed something from behind the counter "Your package from Fred is here," Markus said putting a cardboard box on top of the counter and then grabbing another box and putting it on top of the counter as well "And this is a present of mine," Markus said as Nate stood up and started rummaging around the packages
"Markus you shouldn't have," Nate said and Markus smiled at him and let out a snort
"Don't worry kid it was no issue. They were just lying around in my apartment," Markus said "Besides as much as I like Fred. His creations lack any style and personality, so that way you can put some there," He explained and Nate smiled at the adult in front of him
"Thanks a lot, man. I don't know what to say," Nate said and Markus gave him a smile
"You don't have to say anything kid. I think it's huge what you're doing, making a difference and all that," Markus said and Nate smiled and looked down "Now when you hit the big leagues. Don't forget where you came from okay?" Markus said and Nate looked at him confused and slightly hurt
"Markus, I would never. You guys took such great care of me. I will always be in your debt," Nate said and Markus grabbed his shoulder
"And we're thankful for it but don't forget you also have your own life. Do not get attached to us just because of your debt," Markus said and Nate nodded in understanding "So, how's your new team getting along?" Markus asked in curiosity as Nate let out a sigh
"It's getting there," Nate said scratching the back of his head "We're still too independent. And the league don't seem to care enough," Nate said and Markus looked at him in confusion
"Meaning?" Markus asked and Nate looked down
"We have no leader, no chain of command," Nate said and Markus tilted his head in curiosity "Sooner or later that will affect us. I would rather Batman just assign one leader already," Nate said exasperated and Markus hummed
"Well, if I remember correctly. You told me this team was created because those youngsters wanted independence right?" Markus asked and Nate nodded his head "Then it's up to you to find it isn't it? You get to decide for yourself. I think that's why Batman hasn't picked one yet," Markus said and Nate sighed and pinched his nose
"I know, I know," Nate said and Markus leaned forward
"Are you perhaps afraid they'll pick you?" Markus asked in curiosity and Nate nodded
"A little bit," Nate said as he scratched his head "I mean those guys have a lot of history. I just don't see myself leading them and so," Nate said and Markus sighed
"You still think of yourself as an outsider," Markus said and Nate sighed but didn't offer any comment "You belong there, Nathaniel. You've proven that, so there's nothing wrong if they pick you," Markus said and Nate nodded in understanding
"Nate," Markus said and Nate looked him straight in the eyes "Is not about who wants it more or who deserves it more. Being a leader is about those who can rise to the occasion," Markus said "And I know you can," He said as Nate looked down at the cardboard boxes with some determination in his mind
"So are you all set? Or there was something else you wanted to talk about?" Markus said leaning back as he continued organizing his work preparing for the day.
"Actually yeah. I could use your help with something." Nate said as Markus looked up with curiosity in his eyes "I've been having these weird dreams,"
Mount Justice some time later
Nate was in his room in the process of changing into his new suit so he could get ready for tonight's mission but he was stumped. Markus had overstated the no personality comment. The suit was simple and resembled a modern ninja's or a modern assassin's outfit
Dark cargo pants with armor padding on the knee parts of the pants, and some black combat boots that were tall enough to reach just below his knees. Those things were fine overall. But it was the top part that didn't particularly suit Nate's tastes
This part was a tight black long-sleeved shirt with silver armor padding on the shoulders, elbows, pecs, abs, and back parts of the shirt. It also had a long neck that served as a face mask as well as a hood on the back of it, and a pair of fingerless gloves with metal padding on the knuckles
It was an okay outfit but for Nate, it lacked any color and personality. It was just simple, and Nate needed to change that. So he looked inside the cardboard box from Markus searching for inspiration
He took a small pocket knife from the box and proceeded to cut the part that covered the left arm of the outfit waiting to leave that part open for his tattoo sleeve. Then he grabbed the rest of the top part of the outfit and walked to grab a hanger
He got one and hung the piece of fabric in the middle of the room and then walked back and grabbed all the materials from Markus' box plus the box where the suit used to be
He looked at the hanging suit let out a huff of air and then cracked his neck while walking forward and with a narrowed and focused eye on him
It was a methodic process that took most of Nate's time but he had a goal in mind, a vision sort of speaking. Once he was done he took a seat on his bed to rest his hands and forehead covered in residual spray paint.
He then looked forward to the new style his armor suit had. He had painted all the padding on the armor and left the ones on the shoulders and elbows pitch black the back padding was a different story. He had painted all of it black except for a huge chunk in the middle that he left unpainted in the form of a big X, and made it look like a big silver X
Then on the front, he had painted it black also but this time he created the form of a skull with the eyes being around the pectoral area of the armor, then the teeth of if dropping down the abdomen of the armor
Then he placed a dark red X on top of the right eye that covered all the middle part of it and then painted the knuckles on his gloves dark red as a wrap to the whole style of the armor
He rubbed his chin in deep thought wondering if he should put something more but then decided not to. Simplicity sometimes was the better option. He walked up to his restroom to clean himself as he let his suit dry
He opened the sink water and started cleaning the paint off his hands and then started cleaning the paint off his forehead. He washed off his face and then looked up and narrowed his eyes in confusion as he saw them glow full red for a second before returning to their normal blue eyes
He blinked in confusion and rubbed his eyes wondering what was that and leaned forward to check his eyes but then heard his phone vibrating on the bed and gave the mirror a final confused look before walking back to his bed
He grabbed his phone and looked that Aqualad was calling him "Hey, what's up Kaldur?" Nate answered the phone while holding a hand on his neck
"Hey Nate, sorry to bother you," Kaldur said and Nate took a seat on the bed
"You could never bother me friend," Nate said getting a snort from the Atlantean "What can I do for you? Debriefing doesn't start till another hour," Nate said and heard Kaldur sigh
"Can I be honest with you?" Kaldur asked and Nate hummed in a positive answer "I feel kind of nervous," Kaldur said and Nate changed into a crossed-legged seating position
"About the mission?" Nate asked, and Kaldur now made a yes hum and Nate looked forward. His eyes resting on his suit "Well, that's kind to be expected. But, this isn't your first rodeo. So can I ask why?" Nate asked as he heard the Atlantean sigh
"The whole time I've been in this profession I had my king by my side. and the only time I have been alone was on Cadmus. And as much as we did good, we also had a lot of trouble," Aqualad said and Nate put a hand under his chin
"So you're worried that we will face those same troubles today?" Nate asked in curiosity and received a yes as a response "I don't have too much experience in this," Nate said knowing that was a full-on lie "But what I do know is that nothing you expect will ever develop the way you wish for, is about how you react to these changes, and you go from there," Nate said and Aqualad sigh
"There is wisdom in what you say, still the nerves remain," Kaldur said and Nate nodded
"True, but look at it this way," Nate said as Kaldur listened closely "In this case you have other five people to share those nerves. That's what a team is for isn't it?" Nate said rhetorically and Kaldur chuckled
"Yeah, you're absolutely right," Kaldur said and Nate smiled at the comment "Thanks for listening to my concerns Nate," He said and Nate shook his head
"No, it was my pleasure Kaldur," Nate said "If you ever wish to talk, about anything, do not hesitate, mon amie," Nate said and Kaldur smiled on the other line
"Thank you, Nate, the same goes for you, my friend," Kladur said and Nate smiled but then cleared his throat before Kaldur could hang up the call
"Actually Kaldur, I do have one question," Nate said as Kaldur waited in silence for Nate to speak up "Can I ask why did you call me of all people? Don't get me wrong I appreciate it. But I thought you would prefer to talk to Robin or Wally," Nate said and heard Kaldur sigh
"Normally I would. But I'm starting to notice the age gap between us," Kaldur said and Nate hummed in deep thought "And also I needed an outside perspective, so that's why I called you," Kaldur said and Nate nodded in understanding
"Okay then, well thanks for thinking of me in the first place," Nate said and then looked forward "So, you're okay Kaldur?" Nate asked in curiosity
"Yeah, I'm better now. Thank you once again, Nate," Kaldur said, and Nate smiled a bit
"Any time, mon amie," Nate said as he cracked his neck and then stood up from the bed "Well I got to get ready. So I'll see you in a bit okay," Nate said
"Sure, see you later friend," Kaldur said as Nate hung up the call and walked up to the suit
"Rise up, huh?" He whispered as he took the suit off the hanger
Sometime later
Nate was walking up the hallway that led to the main area of the cave in deep thought as he adjusted the gloves on his hands and opened and closed the fists repeatedly
He arrived at the main area and looked and saw Superboy and Megan standing there wearing normal outfits. He walked up to them as both teens finally noticed him
"Hey," Nate said as Megan flew up to him "It seems I'm overdressed," Nate said sheepishly. And Superboy, who caught up to them, snorted at the blond teen in amusement
"A little," Superboy said sarcastically and Nate just made a face at him
"Is that your new suit?" Megan asked in curiosity and Nate nodded "It looks so cool, but why are you wearing it though?" Megan asked
"Oh," Nate said looking down "Well, it's a new suit so I wanted to break it in. Make sure it's loose before the mission," Nate said as he stretched his arms a bit "And I wanted to get comfortable in it as well," Nate said looking down at the suit and passing his hands along the abdomen
"Well, it looks amazing, and I love your war paint on your arm," Megan said and Nate looked to his left arm in confusion
"My war paint?" Nate asked confused "Oh you mean my tattoo," Nate said and Megan looked at him in confusion
"What's a tattoo?" Megan asked in curiosity and Nate looked at Megan while narrowing his eyes in deep thought but the answer didn't come from him, it came from Superboy
"A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the skin by inserting pigments into the dermis layer of the skin's second layer using needles or other instruments. Tattoos can be decorative, symbolic, or commemorative and have been a part of human culture for centuries." Superboy explained robotically as Megan and Nate looked at him in confusion "They can range from simple designs to intricate artworks, and people get tattoos for various reasons, including self-expression, cultural significance, or personal meaning." He said and Nate smiled and nodded at the clone
"Yeah that's about it," Nate said, "Where did that come from?" Nate asked in curiosity and Superboy blinked a bit
"Cadmus," Superboy said and Nate made an ah sound "What does it mean?" Superboy asked in curiosity and Nate rubbed his arm a bit
"Fighting the rage that we all carry inside of us," Nate said while giving a silent look to his tattoo while Superboy and Megan gave him a look of concern but also of understanding "That and that it also looks cool as hell," Nate said gaining a chuckle from both teens
"And what about the drawing on your chest?" Megan asked looking at Nate's armor as he looked down
"Oh, this is so the bad guys get afraid when they see me," Nate said and then he turned around revealing his X drawing "And this is so the people that I'm rescuing can focus on something else than what's happening in front of them," Nate said turning around again
"That's very clever," Superboy commented and Nate gave him an appreciation smile "Wonder where the others are," Superboy commented and Nate looked to the Zeta tubes
"Well, they do live far from here, and debriefing doesn't start till another 10 minutes or so," Nate said and then he hummed in deep thought "I wonder what kind of traffic Atlantis has," Nate said looking up and Megan crossed her arms
"Submarines and boats perhaps," Megan offered and Nate's eyes winded realizing she was probably right
"Oh, yeah that makes sense," Nate said and then they heard an announcement from the computer
"Recognized Robin B-01, Kid Flash B-03, Aqualad B-02," The computer said as Wally rushed forward with excitement
"So are we ready to rock this mission or what!?" Wally said with excitement and quickly went to Megan to try, unsuccessfully, and flirt with her while Robin made snarky comments on the side
Kaldur approached the blond teen as Nate smiled at him "Hey Kaldur, how are you?" Nate asked and Kaldur smiled at him
"Better now, thanks for earlier," Kaldur said and Nate slapped the Atlantean's arm without any force
"Anytime," Nate said as they heard the computer speak up once more
"Recognized Batman 02, Red Tornado 11," The computer said as the teens saw the league's heroes walking towards them
"You're all here, good," Batman commented as he and Tornado put themselves in front of the group "Let's begin, computer show me a map of Santa Prisca," Batman said as a hologram of the island appeared in front of them
"Island Santa Prisca," Batman started saying as the whole team put their attention on him then the blond teen heard someone munching on some chips and turned to the sound and saw Wally eating some chips and wondered when he got those
"The island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neuro-steroid. A strength-enhancing drug sold under the name Venom," Batman said as the display in front of him changed to photographs of blueprints of the island's main facility
"The infrared heat signatures indicate that their facility is operating at full capacity. But all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off," Batman said and Nate hummed and made his thoughts known
"Hostile takeover, perhaps. Do you want us to figure out what happened right?" Nate asked as Batman looked at him and nodded
"Precisely," Batman said "This is a covert mission only. Observe and report only. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will," Batman explained and the team nodded in understanding and then the Boy Wonder spoke up in eagerness
"So, who's in charge?" Robin asked and Batman and Tornado quickly turned their heads toward him before looking at each other for a moment
Then both heroes, after what appeared to be a silent conversation, looked at the group and Batman spoke up once more "Work that between you," Batman said as Nate saw the young teen smile in eagerness and looked at him in concern. He would've to keep a careful look on the kid, that eagerness to be leading, while coming from a good place, can sometimes spell a lot of trouble.
Sometime later, inside the bioship
The team was currently on its way toward the island in deep comfortable silence. Nate was shuffling a deck of cards while looking at the clouds outside in deep thought
"Approaching drop zone A in 30," Megan said as Nate flipped a card up grabbed it pointed it toward the island ahead. Then turned it around revealing it to be the king of hearts
Then he put the deck away in one of his cargo pants' pockets and looked back to see Aqualad standing up and punching his Atlantean symbol turning his red costume to a black one, going into stealth mode as it was agreed earlier
"Ready," Aqualad said to Megan who nodded and started pressing some buttons on the panel in front of her
"Turning the bioship into camouflage mode," Megan said turning the ship invisible and Kaldur prepared to jump out
"Kaldur," Nate called out as the Atlantean looked up at him "Good luck, and stay safe," Nate said with a nod and Kladur gave him a smile in return
"Likewise friend," Aqualad said as a whole appeared in front of him and dropped down into the ocean heading straight into the location of drop zone A
The rest of the team waited a bit for Aqualad to disable the motion and camera sensors and once he did Megan flew straight for the island heading to the next drop point
"Approaching drop zone B," Megan said stopping the ship mid-air as all the teens stood up from their seats and got ready for the mission. Nate wiggled his legs a bit and cracked his neck getting rid of the soreness of being seated through all the trip. He saw Megan dropping a zip line in front of each member of the team but decided not to put it on unlike Robin and Kid Flash
Then he saw KF turning his suit into stealth mode as the speedster looked at the team proud of himself "How cool is this?" Wally said cheekily and Megan nodded at him
"Very impressive," She said, and then she moved her arms to the side and started morphing her clothes. Her blue skirt and blue boots alongside her white shirt turned into a full black body suit with a red X from before remaining there and her cape remaining the same color
"Uh that works too," Wally said impressed at the morphing ability "Hey Supey, not too late to put on the new stealth tech," Wally said and Superboy looked at him with a frown
"No capes, no tights, no offense," He said crossing his arms
"It totally works for you," Megan said dreamily and Superboy glanced at her in confusion as her eyes grew big "In that, you can do good work in those clothes," She said putting her cloak over her head and turning around
Then she crossed eyes with Nate who was giving her a knowing smirk so she decided to turn invisible from the shame before dropping down with Robin and KF
Superboy was about to drop down without using the zip line but then he felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed that Nate had teleported behind him
"As cool as you dropping down may be, let's try to be quiet okay?" Nate said rhetorically and Superboy huffed and looked away "So, Zipline or me? Which one will it be?" Nate asked cheekily and Superboy sighed as he looked down
"Just get it over with," Superboy said and the blond teen smirked as Superboy took a deep breath in, and his vision was suddenly filled with a sea of rainbow color as he saw what could only be described as an astral plane for a few seconds and suddenly with a puff of dark purple smoke he was down on the island trying to not fall to his knees
"Every time," Superboy said holding a hand over his mouth and trying to avoid puking
"You're getting better at it, mein freund," Nate said tapping Supebroy's arm and lifting his mask to cover the bottom half of his face. Then he lifted his hood to cover his bright blond hair
Nate gave Megan a nod telling they were ready to go "Aqualad, drop B is a go," Megan said over the coms line as the team surrounded Robin he put a holo map of the island KF crouched next to him while the older teens stood in full height behind the Boy Wonder
"Head to the factory, I'll track your GPS and meet you ASAP," Kladur said, and Nate looked around trying to get accustomed to the environment
"Roger that," Robin said as he quickly took off while KF followed closely
Nate let Megan and Superboy walk in front of him while he took the rear and looked around. It was a quick but calm journey through the whole island, and in the middle of it Nate decided to teach Megan and Superboy how to travel as quietly as possible
It took some time for the newest members but they got there eventually. As their steps and sound got to a minimum and moved around the trees and bushes without any trouble
They started walking through a part of the forest as Nate kept looking around, even if this was a big island, a drug facility was here, and there wasn't a lot of protection. So this much quiet was raising a lot of bells for the blond
"Hey, do you hear that?" Superboy asked gaining the attention of everyone and Nate spoke up before Wally could
"Super hearing?" Nate asked simply and Superboy nodded his head "Describe it," Nate said and Superboy looked at him
"Steps, a bunch of them," Superboy said and Nate nodded as KF looked forward
"Okay Rob, what now?" Wally asked but noticed that the Boy Wonder wasn't there "Man I hate it when he does that," Wally said and Nate let out a sigh
"Aqualad how close are you to us?" Nate asked as he looked ahead
"A few miles away, want me to rendezvous?" Aqualad asked as the blond hero turned back
"Kid, Superboy, turn to infrared, what's up ahead?" Nate asked as the named heroes nodded their heads, Wally moved his goggles down, and Superboy focused his eyes ahead
"Gor a squad or armed bozos incoming," Wally said as Nate looked at Superboy in expectation knowing that he could get a better picture
"Two squads," Superboy corrected "But they'll meet each other before they can find us," Superboy said to Nate who nodded in understanding
"Unless they're switching patrol, I don't think they're on the same side," Nate said as he looked around "Stick to the shadows Aqualad, we'll move around towards you," Nate said and then the whole team turned around as gunfire started ahead of them
"Seems like your theory was right," Wally said sarcastically and Nate narrowed his eyes ahead
"Let's stick to the plan, we go around it," Nate said walking to his right but then Wally looked ahead and got into a running position
"Yeah, yeah, just as soon as I find Robin," Wally said rushing ahead and Nate could only look at him dumbfounded
"He can't be serious can't he?" Nate asked the other two remaining members of the team and then he pinched his nose "Robin I don't know if you can hear me but keep an eye on KF, Aqualad," Nate said and then searched for the Atlantean's attention
"Yes," Aqualad said and Nate looked at Superboy while talking to Kaldur
"Go to Wally's location, access the situation, and only intervene if needed," Nate said and received a positive affirmation from the Atlantean
"Sups, go up ahead, same as Aqualad, only intervene if necessary," Nate said and Superboy crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow
"Why?" He asked and Nate noticed it was just genuine curiosity
"This is a covert mission, the fewer people on the team are known, the better," Nate said and Superboy nodded in understanding "Go," Nate said as Superboy rushed forward toward the gunshots
Nate looked at Megan who stood upright expecting orders and Nate had to bite his chuckle down and then looked straight into her eyes "Meg," Nate spoke mentally and Megan's eyes widened "Is this okay or am I overstepping?" Nate asked and Megan shook her head
"No it's okay, what am I to do?" Megan asked eagerly and Nate looked back
"I want to keep most of your powers a secret, so we will only use telepathy in front of the bad guys from now, till I tell you otherwise," Nate said and Megan nodded in understanding "Also, I want to give a hand ahead, and I need your help to do this quietly, so are you ready?" Nate asked and Megan nodded with conviction
"Good, we're gonna call this strategy, hot potato maneuver," Nate explained and Megan looked at Nate intently "Now listen close," He said
Megan started implementing Nate's plan by flying up, still camouflaged, and looking at the scene below her as the team, those being Superboy, Robin, and Wally. Megan saw Robin and Wally argue while Superboy dealt with Bane
Megan lost focus for a moment but then she hardened her eyes on the scene and started looking at the scene below her
Below her, the team was currently managing fine against Bane's goons but then the Cobra fanatics started to close in. Aqualad had disposed of one of the cultists and was about to jump to help but stopped when he saw what started happening
The Cobra cultists started approaching the young heroes guns ready, but then one by one started disappearing in a cloud of dark purple smoke. The cultists looked around in confusion and shock as they started shooting at everything and at nothing at the same time
But it didn't in the end as every cultist soon disappeared from the area till only one cultist remained there. He looked around in fear not knowing what was happening and then he heard a noise behind him and flinched in fear when he saw the source of all that was happening
"Don't worry mon amie," Nate said as he put a hand on the cultist's shoulder "This will end shortly," Nate said teleporting himself and the cultist to another place, and in front of him, his cultist teammates were all there tied to a tree unconscious. the cultist started turning his head around but then Nate sucker punched him in the chin knocking him out cold in an instant
Nate looked at the cultist while tying the last one too and then rubbed his face in tiredness "This is such a mess," Nate whispered to himself as he turned around and walked to where the others were fighting
Megan and Superboy were hanging on the side after dealing with Bane's goons. They had tied them to a tree and now both aliens were listening to Robin's and Kid Flash's fight about the leadership status of the team
"Do you want to lead?" Megan asked the young clone in curiosity as Superboy looked up at her
"Me? No, no thanks," Superboy said scoffing "You?" He asked in return and Megan chuckled sarcastically
"Yeah, after Mr. Twister Fiasco? No thank you," She said and Superboy offered her a small reassuring smile
"I think you did alright," Superboy said and Megan blushed and smiled embarrassedly as Superboy looked ahead "Besides, I only trust one of us to do a good job right now," Superboy commented and Megan looked up
"Yeah, I feel the same," Megan said knowing full well who the clone was referring to and then they heard footsteps behind them
They looked back and saw Nate approaching them at a slow pace "You guys okay?" Nate asked looking up and the other teens nodded their head
Nate approached Megan put a hand up in front of her and smiled at her "Nice work with the hot potato maneuver," Nate said, and Megan chuckled and gave him a high-five filled with excitement
"Hot potato maneuver?" Superboy asked in confusion and Nate just gave him a cheeky smile and offered no comment "Why do I even bother?" Superboy whispered with a tired sigh but then his ears twitched a bit as he heard Bane and his goons whispering something between them
Nate bit his chuckle down and then looked forward at the arguing young heroes "How long has this been goin' on?" He asked Megan who looked up and hummed
"A while now," Megan said and then looked at Nate in curiosity "Do we stop them?" She asked and Nate shook his head
"No, let them be," Nate said as he looked at where Bane and his goons were "Let's them underestimate us, right Superboy?" Nate said whispering to the two of them as the young clone looked at him with a cocky smile and gave him a slight nod
Then the group heard a deep chuckle and lifted their heads abruptly and saw Bane laughing at them "Such clever niños," Bane said and Nate could easily detect his sarcasm but he decided to ignore it in favor of whatever the bad guy would say next
"You figured that the cobra cultists are here but you only know half of the story," Bane said as the group of teens approached the bad guy to listen to him better "Let me show you the way in, through my secret entrance," Bane said and Nate saw that Megan was preparing to read his mind
"Meg, pretend to read his mind, and instead read the one next to him, the mind of his goon," Nate said mentally as Megan put her fingers on her temple and her eyes glowed green "And also he seems to be familiar with telepaths, pretend that you can't crack his mind," Nate said and Megan narrowed her eyes
"There is a secret entrance," Megan said as she groaned a bit trying to sell the act "But he's hiding something else," Megan said as she focused her eyes and then she gasped as her eyes turned normal once more "He's mentally reciting futbol scores in Spanish," Megan said looking at the rest "This could take a while," Megan said and then connected eyes with Nate
"I got the general area of the facility, blueprints, the way to the secret entrance, and a general understanding of what happened," Megan said as Nate looked at Bane and offered no reaction to her comments
"Show me, we'll play along with this idiot for now," Nate said as he listened to Bane explaining how it was better to work together towards a common goal.
The group plus a freed Bane was looking at the facility while standing on a cliff that offered a clear view of the target
Robin was lying on the ground with a pair of binoculars in front of him while KF was crouching next to him with his goggles down covering his eyes
"Look at all that product," Robin said as the youngest members of the team were watching all the crates moving around "A buy is going down, but if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-" Robin said and Aqualad finished the sentence for him
"We need to find who the buyer is," Aqualad said and KF stood up
"Just what I was thinking," KF said lifting his goggles and Robin stood up as well giving him a sarcastic comment
"A real thinker you are," Robin said sarcastically, and before KF could retort Nate had enough and raised his voice
"Enough!" Nate said making the two boys flinch and look at the blond teen who had his eyes narrowed on the two and then Nate looked at Bane "They're hired muscle right? Threw you and your goons out to start production on their product, am I correct?" Nate said crossing his arms as Bane moved to the right
"Yes, you are on the right track," Bane said moving a pillar away with a grunt revealing a cave hole leading to a mine shaft in front of him "All the answers are this way," He said as Nate was the first one to follow him inside
"Great, now El Luchador is our leader," Wally said and Robin scoffed and slapped his shoulder before walking in front of him
The group quickly caught up with Bane and Nate finding them having a side conversation "I do wonder, how did they manage to throw you out? I mean," Nate said out loud to the very frustrated villain "Kobra is pretty tough but according to the files you're stronger, either the files are wrong or," Nate said and Bane glared at him
"What did they use?" Nate asked in curiosity and Bane looked down frustrated
"Don't know, but they turn one of them into a monster," Bane said grumbling as he continued walking forward
"A variant of your drug?" Nate asked as they reached the end of the hallway with a door standing in front of them
"Perhaps," Bane said opening the door, and suddenly Robin moved in between them wanting to lead them
"Clear," Robin said looking around and then moving forward followed by Bane and Nate, then the group reached the next room and found that Robin had disappeared from sight
"Has the little fool already been captured?" Bane asked in annoyance at the possibility of their infiltration plan being compromised already
"No," Nate reassured him "He just does that, it's starting to get annoying," Nate said looking around. Megan's mental pictures were helping a lot, he had all the facility in his mind right now, and that let him keep an eye on Bane
Then under his peripheral, he saw Wally putting his goggles on and the blond moved before the speedster could do anything stupid
"Stay put, I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder can," Wally said as he prepared to rush forward and took a step forward but then suddenly he found himself lying on the ground facing upwards and saw Nate glaring at him
"You'll stop this pissing contest right now," Nate said glaring at the speedster to drive his point forward "Is that clear?" Nate said and Wally gulped in fear
"Yeah," Wally said as Nate gave him a hand and helped him stand up and then brought the speedster close to him
"You're equally capable as him, you have nothing to prove Wally," Nate whispered as he put a hand on his shoulder and walked forward leaving the young teen with something to think of
"Great chain of command," Bane said sarcastically at Nate and the blond didn't take the bait and responded back quickly
"Says the guy that got kicked out of his facility," Nate said gaining a glare in return, and then the teen looked at the luchador "So, shall we continue then?" Nate asked as Bane grumbled and led them forward
They got to the main area of the production line and crouched behind a few boxes to hide themselves as they saw a massive cargo line moving out of the facility
"It's massive," Aqualad said referring to the shipment in front of them
"Yeah, but they're not touching the venom product," Superboy commented observing how does crates were being left alone "They're focusing only on the new ones," He said and Nate frowned in deep thought
"They're producing their own product, but why take over the facility?" Nate asked out loud as Superboy's ears twitched again and turned his head to the right
"Chopper incoming," Superboy noted as everyone turned to where the clone was watching
"Kid, find Robin," Nate said and Wally moved his goggles down and nodded as he rushed back to find the Boy Wonder "Miss M. Move in to get a closer look," Nate said as Megan turned invisible and flew forward
The remaining teens plus Bane moved forward to get a closer look and Nate kept his eyes on Megan making sure nothing happened to her
After a while of waiting Megan reached out to the oldest teens in the group "Nate, Aqualad, sending you an image of the buyer," Megan said telepathically as Aqualad's eyes grew big while Nate's narrowed in complete focus
"Sportsmaster? He is the buyer?" Aqualad asked in shock looking at Superboy and Nate in confusion
"And the supplier, it seems," Nate said "Or just the middle man. This smells fishy," Nate said as Aqualad put a finger on the coms of his ear
"Aqualad to Red Tornado, do you read?" Aqualad said putting a hand on the comms device on his ear but received nothing but static as a response
"Got anything?" Nate asked and Aqualad shook his head no "They must be jamming our coms, we need a plan," Nate said out loud quickly trying to figure a way out but before he could do so Bane took the lead
"I have one. This!" He said jumping down and taking two Kobra goons in the process as the young heroes looked at him in shock
"Dammit. No wonder the idiot lost his facility," Nate said and was about to tell the others to fall back. But then they saw a shadow growing behind them.
From the window behind them, an enormous creature appeared with the sole intent of killing them. Nate teleported himself to the ground as a reflex while the other two jumped down and landed without any trouble.
The trio were faced by a bunch of Kobra goons and Nate quickly took out his metal Bo-staff and prepared to face the goons
Superboy quickly confronted the creature and Nate moved behind Aqualad who shielded him from the bullets coming from the goons. Nate quickly responded by throwing three glowing cards in rapid succession. They connected with the goons and quickly knocked them out cold. But three more goons replaced them just as quickly.
Nate looked back to find a way out and saw Bane looking at them. He was chuckling at their predicament and the blond hero watched him leave the scene. He cursed the luchador mentally and looked back to the problem at hand
On the other side, Sportsmaster had arrived at the scene and quickly took the information in. He saw several goons floating away by a mysterious force and noticed a camouflaged person in the air.
He looked to his right and saw the creature going one-on-one with Cadmu's price project. Desmond was an idiot for letting it out of their grasp he thought but he ignored him. Instead deciding to focus on the fight in front of him.
He saw the Atlantean shielding another hero. Someone unfamiliar to him but then the young hero's blue eyes connected with him. And Sportsmaster was invaded with a nostalgic feeling. This teen was familiar, but from where he didn't know.
He shook those feelings away and decided to focus on the camouflaged person. He took out a spear with an explosive device attached to it. He threw it in the air. Its target being the person floating around
But then he saw a glowing purple projectile hitting the spear in mid-air creating a small explosion there effectively stopping it before it could hit the person in the air.
Sportsmaster looked down in frustration and saw that the familiar teen had stopped him.
Nate managed to protect Megan from that projectile but they needed to fall back. That much was clear. So he grabbed Aqualad's shoulder and teleported both he and the Atlantean behind cover.
He saw a trio of goons rounding up to them but before he could do anything Wally intervened and took care of them "Megan," He called out to the Martian girl mentally "Communications are down. Set a connection with everyone," He said still looking for a way out
"Everyone online?" Megan asked connecting to all the minds of the team
"Yes," Superboy grumbled still not liking the feeling of having someone on his mind
"You know it, beautiful," Wally said still attempting to flirt. Even in such a situation like this
Nate resisted the urge to roll his eyes and looked again for a way out. He then found the doorway where they came from. "Good, we need to regroup," He said as he pointed at the doorway for Kaldur to see
The Atlantean nodded and waited for Nate's signal. "Busy now," Robin's voice cut through
Nate nodded at Kaldur and both of them made their way through the passage in front of them with the rest of the team following close behind
"It wasn't a question Robin," Nate said as he turned around and deflected two knives with his staff that Sportsmaster threw at him.
The team got to the doorway and Nate saw Robing finally catching up to them. Nate threw two cards onto the floor behind him. An obstacle preventing the bad guys from following them.
Both he and Superboy stayed back to close the door leading to the facility. They quickly ran away but glanced back when they saw the monster breaking the door down
"Shit/Dammit," Both Superboy and Nate cursed at that and then Nate looked around "Superboy. Hit the left pillar!" He said as he sent a card to the right pillar
Superboy hit the left pillar while Nate exploded the right pillar. Both of them rolled forward avoiding the falling debris just in time
Nate stood up first and cracked his neck a bit. He offered a hand to Superboy to help the clone stand up. He took it and let Nate help him stand straight
"Are you okay?" Nate asked in concern and Superboy gave him a nod and a smile. He appreciated how, even after all that was going on, Nate never lost that concern for all of them
"I'm okay. You worry too much," Superboy said sarcastically and Nate chuckled and rolled his eyes in amusement.
Megan approached them to see if they were alright. The trio that lived together had formed a quick bond with each other so she had a reason to look after both of them.
Nate saw Kaldur activating a glowing stick while Superboy and Megan stood behind him. Both older teens looked at each other before looking at Robin who spoke up "How could my first mission as a leader go so wrong?" He asked out loud mostly to himself.
"You do have the most experience. But that's exactly what played against you," Kaldur explained as Robin turned to look at him a bit confused "Fighting alongside Batman, you have roles defined. You don't need to talk," Kaldur said before Nate took over
"Communication is key in bran new teams Rob," Nate said before looking back at Megan and Superboy "Especially with people who are new to this. No offense," Nate said and both aliens shook their heads telling him it was okay
"So I'm supposed to hold each of your hands?" Robin asked a bit frustrated as the others looked at him amused "Oh who am I kidding?" He asked himself a bit of pain in his voice
"You should lead us Kaldur. You're the only one who can," Robin said as Kaldur frowned in deep thought and his eyes traveled to Nate for a moment.
"Please!" Kid Flash shouted out in indignation "I can run circles-" He started saying but Robin interrupted him before he could finish
"Wally, come on," Robin cut off using Kid Flash's real identity unconsciously "You know he's the one, we all do," Robin said but then Superboy cleared his throat
"I don't want to be rude. But I don't agree," He said as everyone looked at him in slight confusion "No offense Kaldur. But I think this idiot fits the job better," Superboy said nodding his head at Nate who almost chuckled at the way he said that sentence
"I have to agree." Megan said as Nate looked at her with a raised eyebrow "I've been following your lead since Happy Harbor so," She said shrugging her shoulders before glancing at Superboy with a slight smirk "And we can't forget the hot potato maneuver," She said and Superboy snorted
"No we cannot," He said amused and Nate rolled his eyes away from the other two sight.
Before Nate or Robin could argue that Kaldur was the better choice. Nate not wanting to be the leader unless it was a unanimous decision. Kaldur decided to voice his thoughts
"I agree with them," Kaldur said as most of the team looked at him in surprise "He stepped up back at Happy Harbor. He stuck out for Megan while I hesitated to do so." Kaldur said and Nate was about to disagree but the Atlantean stopped him by moving his hand up "But most importantly. His decision-making and improvisation are faster than my own. He has an experience that we all lack," Kaldur said and Robin crossed his arms in confusion
"Meaning?" Robin asked confused and looked at Kaldur waiting for an answer
"Working alone, that is," Kaldur said before looking back at Nate "Or am I mistaken?" Kaldur asked and Nate let out a sigh
"Yes. About a year or so," He said and crossed his arms "Are you sure? Because I also think you'd make a great leader," He said and Kaldur nodded his head
"Till I learn to stand by myself. I'll choose to follow you, my friend," Kaldur said and Nate sighed again, resigning to this fate. He looked at Robin and Wally wanting to gauge their thoughts
"What about you two?" He asked the younger members of the team
"Well if Kaldur trusts you. Then I will too," Robin said shrugging his shoulders.
Then the team looked at Wally waiting for a response. The speedster looked around before shrugging his shoulders "Okay," He said with a small smile on his face
Nate looked at the team and rubbed his face "Fine. I'll do it then," Nate said before turning serious "But that doesn't mean my words are law. Everyone here has a voice. Understood?" Nate asked and the team gave him a nod in understanding
"Now, we all agree that the new drug cannot leave this island right?" Nate asked as the whole team nodded in agreement and then he saw Robin smirking at them
"It's like you read my mind," He said taking out a device showing how he had sabotaged the chopper of the bad guys. And the whole team gave him a smirk of their own.
The team made their way out of the tunnel while discussing how Sportsmaster had acquired the Blockbuster sample from Cadmus and made the new drug
Several theories were thrown down and the consensus was that he had to be working for someone else. But who? They didn't know.
But their discussion was suddenly stopped when they found Bane waiting for them there with a remote device in his hand
"Halt niños," Bane said as the team looked down and found them surrounded by explosives all of them placed just outside the exit of the tunnel "I'm feeling explosive," Bane said and Nate didn't waste any time
"Wally. Get a running start," Nate said mentally as he focused on the villain and decided to not lose him from his sight.
"You betrayed us. Why?," Kaldur asked genuinely confused but using the question as a distraction so that Wally could move into position.
"It's simple. I want my factory back," Bane said with a shrug on his shoulders "So, I've forced you into a situation where you either helped me recover it or die trying." He said with a big victorious smirk on his face "If the latter happens. Then the Justice League would come here to avenge their little sidekicks. And once the smoke clears, I will take back control of Santa Prisca once more," Bane said with a dark chuckle
"I figured that blowing the tunnel with you inside would do the same trick," Bane said pressing the button on the device in his hand. But then noticed that the device was missing and then heard a chuckle behind him
"With what? This little trigger thingy?" Wally asked from behind the villain with cheek in his voice. Bane turned around with a growl in his voice and lunged at the speedster but he found himself floating in the air of all a sudden, courtesy of Miss M.
"A word of advice mon amie," Nate said as Megan turned Bane around so he could be facing them "Don't go into a speech revealing your plan. It gives your opponents time to prepare," Nate said with a smile on his face and then turned to Superboy
"All yours man," He said as Superboy smirked widely and got into a fighting stance
"Finally," Superboy said both please and with a hint of desperation in his voice before turning towards the Martian girl "Drop him," He said as the Martian let go of her hold and Bane fell straight into Superboy's fist
"That was fun," Nate said looking down at the unconscious villain "Now, concerning the drug matter at hand. I do have a plan," Nate said before he looked at Megan "And you're the key factor here, Megan," Nate said as Megan grew confused about what he wanted her to do.
Sportsmaster never considered himself a patient individual. He rather prefers action and getting the job done as quickly as possible. And that was being tested right now. To the very limit.
I mean how long does it take to get rid of the sabotage, he thought. He was just about to lose it when finally they managed to get rid of Robin's sabotage
He grabbed the briefcase and made his way to the chopper. But then he saw a red blur taking down two guards the farthest from him. He grew confused wondering what was happening but then realized that the young heroes were here
"Protect the shipment!" King Kobra said as fighting unfolded.
Sportsmaster was accessing what was happening in front of him. Cadmus' clone baiting the monster into attacking just for the Atlantean to take him down. And with the speedster around he did not doubt that Batman Jr. was offering support from somewhere around the area.
But the thing that set alarm bells in his head was the fact that he didn't see the blond hero and the camouflaged Martian. He didn't care much for the Martian but the blond was an enigma. One that put his guard up
Thank god he did as he felt someone behind him and dodged down just in time to avoid a bo-staff strike aimed at his head. He turned around and saw the blond hero bent down in a fighting stance with the bo-staff behind him and two cards in between his hand pointed at him
Sportsmaster threw the suitcase carefully into the chopper and then cracked his neck while facing the teen hero. He needed to end this as quickly as he could. He couldn't remain here for much longer
Sportsmaster quickly rolled to the right avoiding the two projectiles and then blocked a blow of the staff with his forearm. He threw a jab to get some distance as the teen jumped back
The villain threw a roundhouse kick aimed at the teen's head. Nate dodged down but then saw that the villain had taken a laser gun out.
Sportsmaster shot two shots at the teen but his eyes winded when he saw the teen disappearing in a cloud of dark blue mist.
He didn't have enough time to react and he paid the price as his right leg was suddenly invaded with a huge amount of pain. He looked back and saw that the teen had teleported behind him and had kicked his right leg hard.
He threw a big swing but the teen dodged down and hit Sportsmaster in the stomach with his staff.
Sportsmaster fell back in pain and quickly took two shots at the teen but he disappeared once more. This time he was ready and once the smoke appeared again he threw a fist that connected with the teen's jaw
Nate took a step back and spit a bit of blood down and now he was on the defensive end. He disappeared and appeared whenever the villain took a shot at him. And whenever he had an opening Nate either threw a card or tried to hit Sportsmaster with his staff
This fighting process continued for a while neither of them gaining the advantage but then Sportsmaster felt himself trapped and looked to the right to see the Martian girl next to him.
He managed to shoot at the girl and managed to release her hold on him as she had to dodge the shots. Then he grabbed her and took her hostage while glaring at the teen.
Nate threw a card in reflex but the villain swatted away as the card landed inside the chopper not realizing that it didn't explode at contact like the rest. "One more try and I shoot her!" He said pointing the gun at her as Nate stopped moving and watched Megan carefully
The villain made his way to the chopper and pressed a button to start the vehicle. They started gaining altitude and Sportsmaster never lost sight of the blond teen "Thank you for the workout brat. Alas, I have places to be," He said throwing the Martian girl down into Nate's arms
Nate saw the chopper flying before giving Megan a smirk "Did you get it?" Nate asked as Megan turned to him with a smile on her face
"I did," She said showing him a vial that contained the drug they were making. Nate knew that getting the whole samples would be a difficult task. So, they made a contingency plan to at least get a sample to start making a cure "I also put something else there too," She said showing the device that Bane was going to use to explode them
Nate Put Megan down and smiled at her wickedly as his hand glowed purple "I did as well," Nate said and both activated their explosions at the same time. Megan by pressing the button and Nate by snapping his fingers
They saw the chopper exploding in mid-air and starting to fall. But then both of their eyes grew big as they saw the trajectory that the chopper took. It headed straight into the factory exploding not only itself but the factory as well wrapping it in a river of flames
And all that Nate could think of is that if Bane was watching he was probably seething by this view.
Nate and Megan made their way to the rest of the team as they were busy tying the criminals up.
"Did you get the sample?" Robin asked ad Nate gave Megan a nod and she showed them the vial she had grabbed
"Kobra?" Nate asked and the youngest member shook his head.
"He ran away," Robin said and Nate nodded his head in understanding
"Don't worry too much. That snake will appear some other time, we'll get him then." Nate said and then looked at the burning facility
"Well done team. All things considered," Nate said pointing at the burning factory and gaining a chuckle from each member of the team "Let's go home."
Mt. Justice late at night
Nate was in the training room that the cave had to offer, sitting cross-legged on top of a yoga mat. It may be a bit cliché but the blond teen liked to meditate. It let him organize his thoughts.
And after all that's been happening to him. He needed a bit of peace and quiet to center himself.
He was almost done when he heard footsteps approaching him. He had told Megan and Superboy where he would be and had asked them to not disturb him unless it was an emergency. So he knew that the stet of footsteps probably didn't belong to them
He opened his eyes and saw one of the league members standing in front of him. Black Canary if he remembered right
"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," She said and Nate shook his head at her
"It's okay. I was just finishing," Nate said cracking his neck and then looking up at her "Is there something I could help you with ma'am?" He asked in curiosity and Canary thought for a second.
She was deciding what the best approach could be and decided that honesty would be the best way to go. "I wanted to talk to you for a second Nate," Canary said and Nate looked at her confusion in his eyes
"Um sure," Nate said and then looked around "I would tell you to take a seat but," He said and Canary noticed there weren't any chairs around. So she sat cross-legged just in front of Nate "That works too," He said amused gaining a snort from the older woman "So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked in curiosity
"I'll be honest Nate. Batman asked me to do this," Canary said as Nate tilted his head a bit in curiosity "He has a habit of researching every person he meets. Civilian or otherwise. He's a bit paranoic," Canary said as Nate understood what she was saying
"So he tried to look into who I am, right?" Nate asked and Canary nodded
"He did. But the thing is," Canary said looking straight at Nate "That he didn't find much. Only a few of your heroic exploits from last year." Canary said and Nate snorted
"And he wouldn't have. The people that made me work hard on it," Nate said almost mumbling to himself but Canary picked it up "So, he asked you to find anything of use didn't he?" Nate asked and Canary nodded her head
"He did. He asked me to use my psychology degree to gain info on you," Canary said and Nate frowned in irritation for a bit "But I told him I would only tell him if you were a danger to the team or not. Any details would remain between the two of us." She said and Nate raised an eyebrow at her. Appreciating her thoughtfulness a bit
"Thanks," Nate said "So why are you being honest with me? Shouldn't it be easier to just interrogate me?" Nate asked and Canary gave him a smile
"It would. But I get the sense that it would anger you or hurt you. And I don't want to do any of those things," Canary said and Nate gave her a nod
"You thought right ma'am. I very much dislike when people try to take advantage of me," Nate said as he crossed his arms "So, what do you wish to know?" Nate asked and Canary thought for a second
"Just a bit of your background would suffice," Canary said remembering what Nate had mumbled earlier "You said people make sure you were hard to find. Can you expand on that?" Canary said and Nate let a sigh
"I'll try my best." He said and quickly noticed her frown "It's not like I don't want to share believe me. Rather I can't. I'm amnesiac," Nate said as Canary's eyes winded a bit
"It's all foggy in here," Nate said pointing at his head "I remember bits and pieces of my past. Whatever happened before two years ago that is." Nate said as Canary grew curios
"What I can say is there's a reason I quickly grew fond of Superboy. He and I are a bit similar in some regards, I should probably speak to him about it soon," Nate said to himself before looking back at her "I was experimented on," He said and Canary held back her gasp of shock knowing it might break his train of thought
"I'm not a clone or anything like that. But some doctors did experiments on me, for what? I don't remember," Nate said scratching his head "I remember someone saying I would be the weapon that will grant him access to the light but I'm not sure that's real or just a dream," Nate said as Canary nodded in understanding
"Anyway, I was a puppet for them till two years ago when one of the doctors that worked on me set me free," Nate said while looking down at his hands "And I'm trying to get my life back since then. It's been a slow and steady process but I'm managing," Nate said and Canary hummed taking all the information in
"Why would anyone want to experiment on you?" Canary asked in curiosity and Nate shrugged his shoulders
"Beats me," Nate said a little bit tired "My theory is that it has to do something with my parents or with the place I was born," Nate said, and Canary looked at him with curiosity in her eyes
"How so?" She asked and Nate hummed a bit before responding
"Well, I remember them saying that my blood was strong. So maybe that could be it," Nate said shrugging his shoulders once more
"And what of the place you were born?" She asked in curiosity
And for the first time since they started talking Nate hesitated for a second. She could see that this was a very sensitive topic for him
"You promise this will stay between us?" Nate asked after a while and Canary nodded her head reassuringly
"I'll give you my word. As a doctor and as Hero of the Justice League," She reassured him and Nate looked at his hands once more
"There could be another reason why Batman couldn't find anything about me. He was looking for records of someone being born seventeen or eighteen years ago maybe. And by doing so he was not looking at the right picture," Nate said before looking up again
"I was born in Genosha," Nate said hesitation present in his voice "Born on October 10, 1955,"
End of Chapter 3
