A/N: I own nothing you recognize.
Update (May 2023): so I changed Fireworks a little! It's not super major, and it doesn't change the trajectory of the story, but I think it gives a little more insight to the changes Lark is experiencing, and also I realized it didn't make sense that she would be electrocuted if Desmond wasn't originally planning on taking her DNA. Anyway, it's not necessary to reread, but if you are interested in seeing the new scene, it's the scene where Desmond is collecting their DNA.
(Also sorry, this will be going in the A/N for the chapters I have posted, just in case someone is in the middle of reading the posted chapters *sheepish smile*)
4.0 - Drop-Zone
Location: Over the Caribbean Sea
Date: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Time: 2008 ECT
The six young heroes sat in silence as they flew over the Caribbean Sea. Miss Martian was at the captain's chair, as usual, and while Robin had taken the chair at the head of the ship, Lark sat in the back, behind Superboy.
She had wanted to talk to the clone about their little camping trip behind Mount Justice, to gauge where his thinking was now, but hadn't had the time; Gotham had required a couple late nights, which had inevitably led to sleeping until noon. And perhaps tonight was just going to be another all-nighter.
"We're approaching Santa Prisca," Miss Martian said finally. On the window before them, a holograph appeared, giving them stats of the island. Lark glanced at Robin and furrowed her brow when she saw the same little smile on his lips that had appeared when Batman had given them the assignment.
"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman had announced. An image of said landmass appeared on the screen. "The island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid, a strength-enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom."
"Bane," Lark muttered distastefully.
"Yes," the Dark Knight nodded before changing the picture to show images of a factory and its stats. "Infrared heat signatures indicate his factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have inexplicably cut off." He turned to them.
"That's where the Team comes in," he explained. "This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will." Batman turned back to the screens, and another aerial view of the island popped up.
"The plan requires two drop zones." Two large red dots, marked A and B, appeared.
"So, who's in charge?" Robin asked, trying to be nonchalant, but Lark noticed he couldn't keep the anticipation out of his voice.
Batman and Red Tornado glanced at each other before turning back to the teens. "Work that out between you," the masked hero said. Robin nodded, but a smile crossed his lips all the same.
"Drop-zone A in thirty," Miss Martian said quietly, and Robin straightened in his seat but then frowned when he felt a pair of eyes on him. Turning, he caught Lark's gaze. He scowled at her before quickly turning away.
Lark sighed as Aqualad stood from his seat, the events that immediately preceded their departure for Santa Prisca flashing in front of her eyes.
Before they were scheduled to leave, Lark pulled Robin aside.
"What's up?" he asked curiously.
Lark was silent for a moment and she raked her fingers through her hair in frustration as she tried to figure out the best way to word what was on her mind. Finally, she dropped her hand and said, "You know you don't have to prove yourself, right?"
"What do you mean?" Robin asked, his head tilted slightly in confusion.
"I just mean..." She sighed heavily. "No one expects you to be leader right away," she explained, putting her hands on his shoulders and giving them a light squeeze. "Maybe you should let someone else step up, until you're ready."
Robin glared at his sister and shrugged off her hands roughly. "Oh, you mean someone like you?" he snapped. "Are you just here to tell me you think you should be leader over me?"
Lark huffed and rolled her eyes. "If you think that, you really are bird-brained," she scowled. "I don't want to be leader any more than Batman does!"
"What does Batman have to do with this?!" Robin exclaimed. "Did he put you up to this?" he suddenly demanded. "Does he think I can't lead the Team?"
"Argh, just shut up for a minute, Rob!" Lark said, clearly exasperated, but Robin was too angry to notice. "This is coming from me and me alone," she said. "I just think..."
"What?" Robin yelled. "Spit it out!"
"You're too young and immature to lead!" Lark shouted back. Robin's expression turned to shock as her words hit him and she sighed heavily as she calmed her breathing. "Look," she said softly, "you are amazing at what you do. You are a great hero and are on the path to becoming an amazing one in the future. But right now, you're only thirteen. In the missions we've had, you've disappeared, leaving the rest of the Team in the dark about what your plan was."
Robin opened his mouth to snap that she did that too during their unsanctioned mission to protect Selena Gonzalez, but she quickly added, "Not that I'm not guilty of doing that too. But I recognized the problem and made an effort to correct it. You haven't done either and a leader cannot leave his Team in the dark."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Robin snapped before turning on his heel and storming toward the hanger. Lark sighed and stared after her brother, wondering how she could have broached the subject better.
"Ready," Aqualad said, snapping Lark once again from her thoughts.
"Putting Bio-Ship in camouflage mode," Miss Martian informed before opening a hole in the bottom of the ship through which Aqualad entered the water below.
A few moments later, Aqualad's soft voice carried through the Bio-Ship. "Heat and motion sensors are patched," he informed. "Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."
"Drop-zone B," Miss Martian said once they were over their designated location. Everyone stood, and Miss Martian created cables for Lark, Robin, and Kid Flash to hook onto.
"Lark?" Miss Martian said when the older bird failed to take the cable.
"Huh?"
"What's got you so distracted?" Kid Flash asked, and Robin glanced over, (vaguely) concerned despite their earlier argument.
"Nothing." She brushed off the speedster's concern with a small smile as she reached forward to take the line and hook it onto her utility belt.
Kid Flash didn't look convinced, not that Lark could blame him. He knew her and Robin pretty well, and he knew how in sync they usually were, so for there to be a chilliness in the Bio-Ship that originated from them, something must have been up.
She shook her head a little to clear her thoughts as Kid Flash attached his clip and pressed the lightning bolt symbol at the center of his chest. His bright yellow and red uniform turned to black and dark gray.
"How cool is this?" he asked, turning to Miss Martian and Lark.
"Very impressive," the Martian humored.
"Consider it Batman-approved," Lark chuckled when Kid Flash turned inquiringly to her.
Miss Martian one-upped the speedster, though, when she closed her eyes in concentration, changing her blue skirt and white top into a black one piece similar to Lark's with a red X across her chest and a dark blue hooded cape.
"Uh, that works too," Kid Flash said once Miss Martian was done. "Hey, Supey," he called to the clone, "not too late to put on the new stealth tech."
"No capes, no tights," Superboy grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "No offense."
"Don't knock it 'til you try it," Lark smirked, flicking her own cape dramatically for emphasis.
"It totally works for you," Miss Martian sighed, spacing out and gazing at the clone. "In that...you can totally do good work in those clothes!" she added quickly when she realized what she had said out loud. Superboy stared at her blankly for a second before turning away, and when he caught Lark's gaze, she just chuckled a little. Miss Martian quickly pulled the hood over her head and went into camouflage mode, hiding the blush she couldn't keep off her cheeks.
Miss Martian opened a hole in the bottom of the Bio-Ship for them to drop through, and she flew down with Lark, Robin, and Kid Flash following closely behind on their cables. Lark glanced up once she was on the ground and quickly jumped out of the way, the others following her example. A moment later, Superboy landed with a thump that shook the ground beneath their feet.
He stood from the shallow crater he had formed. "Knew I didn't need a line," he said with a satisfied smirk.
"And yet, creating a seismic event may not have helped much with covert," Robin snapped from his spot at the base of a tree.
"We'll definitely have to work on your stealth skills," Lark commented dryly, leveling Superboy with a displeased look.
"Aqualad, Drop-zone B is go," Miss Martian informed Aqualad over the noise.
"Head for the factory," he responded. "I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."
"Roger," Robin said. Lark glanced at her partner and saw he pulled up a map of the island. Once everyone had confirmed their knowledge of their endpoint, he closed the holograph and they began their journey into the jungle.
After passing a waterfall and climbing up a short ledge, Superboy suddenly froze. "Did you hear that?" he asked no one in particular.
Lark shook her head, along with everyone else. "Uh, no," Kid Flash voiced for them all. "Wait, is that a super-hearing thing?"
"You do have great ears," Miss Martian told Superboy in the same dreamy tone she had used back on the Bio-Ship.
"Okay, Rob," Kid Flash said. "Now what?" He turned back to find Robin had disappeared. "Man, I hate it when he does that," he grumbled with a huff. Lark sighed and shook her head before pulling up her holographic map. Robin's red GPS dot appeared on the screen.
She took a step after him but stopped when Aqualad called over the comms, "Lark, Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked." Kid Flash pulled his goggles over his eyes and Superboy began scanning the area. Lark switched her mask from night-mode to infrared.
"Got a squad of armed bozos incoming," the speedster informed.
"Two squads," Superboy corrected.
Lark looked between the two groups and added, "It looks like they'll reach each other before they find us."
Suddenly, gunshots echoed through the otherwise quiet jungle.
"No super-hearing required now," Kid Flash quipped.
"Swing wide, steer clear," Aqualad commanded.
"Y-yeah, just as soon as I find Rob," the speedster said, already taking a step foward.
"No!" Lark whispered sharply, lunging forward and managing to grab the redhead's arm before he could speed off. "No offense, but you don't exactly have stealth in the bag," she said. "I'll go and regroup with you."
"I'll only be a moment," he assured with a grin. "No need to worry about me, babe." After a wink, he took off and Lark cursed under her breath.
Sure enough, a moment later, the young heroes heard Kid Flash say, "Huh? Oof!" She shook her head as the tell-tale signs of a tumble down a hill followed closely.
The gunshots stopped and Lark took off through the trees, Miss Martian and Superboy following behind her.
"So much for stealthy," she caught Kid Flash mumble.
Immediately, both sides started firing again and Lark jumped into action. Two red-cloaked gunmen turned her way and with a flick of her wrist, two birdarangs sailed through the air to land in the barrel of their guns, causing them to drop their firearms.
Now that they were divested of their long-range weapons, Lark rushed them. Both men looked only slightly terrified by the charging bat, whose face was darkened with a frustrated scowl.
She was on them in a flash, ducking a punch to get under the Kobra goon's defense, jabbing him three times in quick succession in the solar plexus. He groaned and stumbled to the side, and while the second Kobra let his eyes follow his crony, Lark took the distraction to clock him across the jaw.
He reeled back in surprise but raised his fists quickly. Lark easily blocked his first few punches before ducking below a swing and sliding around him. Before the goon could turn around completely, she dropped into a crouch to sweep his feet from under him. He landed with a thud on the forest floor, his breath escaping in a rush. A birdarang landed beside his head and immediately, murky green smoke was released from the casing. The Kobra coughed and attempted to get away from the knock-out gas, but Lark planted a foot on his chest to keep him in place and after a moment, he stopped struggling against her.
Something came barreling behind her, knocking Lark to the ground, a heavy weight settling on top of her. With a grunt, she twisted enough to see her assailant: one of Bane's men. His arms were like vices around her, and he sneered down at the prone teen.
{Ah, I see Batman's little bird decided to pay Santa Prisca a visit,} he said in Spanish. {I wonder what fun we could have.}
Lark couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow as she replied, {I think you're forgetting the snake that's currently nesting on your turf.} It was enough of a distraction for her to snap her head the side, her skull connecting with the man's nose. He howled in pain and spat curses at her as he released his iron grip around her to clutch his bleeding nose.
As his weight shifted, Lark's leg lashed out and came in contact with his knee. Now completely free of the extra body weight, Lark sprang to her feet before quickly and swiftly knocking out the goon, who was still whimpering on the ground, one hand on his nose and the other on his knee.
She stood ready for another adversary when a shadow passed over two men. She glanced up, though she already suspected who was in the trees. Robin dropped from the foliage, landing behind the two goons.
"What is wrong with you guys?" he demanded angrily as he kicked one away. "Remember covert?" He threw an upper jab at the other and then turned to face the Team. "Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?"
"That's what you were doing?" Kid Flash exclaimed as he swung a punch. "Way to fill us in! We're not mind readers, you know," he pointed out. Behind him, Miss Martian took out three red-garbed figures with her telepathy. "Er, I'm not, anyway," he amended.
"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds," Miss Martian reminded as she turned to them, confusion written all over her face.
Lark rubbed her forehead as Robin rounded on her. "This is all your fault!" he accused, glaring furiously at her.
She gave him a look that clearly read I-can't-believe-you're-blaming-me-for-this-but-please-go-on-tell-me-how-I'm-responsible-for-this-mess.
"If you had helped me scout, we might have been back to the Team before Kid Stealth had a chance to screw up this covert op!"
"Hey!" Kid Flash snapped. "Don't drag me into this!"
"We're only in this because of you!"
"Oh, Christ," Lark muttered, exasperation dripping from her voice as she scrubbed her face roughly with her hands as a way to keep herself from lashing out. Dropping her hands, her frown settled on Robin. She didn't say anything further, but Robin found himself slumping just slightly under her gaze, which, while unreadable to others, was clear to him: she was disappointed in him.
She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to say something further, but she stopped and pulled out a birdarang when she caught sight of another red figure running on higher ground behind Robin. Lark drew back her arm to throw it, but before she could, Aqualad appeared from the trees in front of the fleeing Kobra. The Atlantean calmly placed a hand on the red-cloaked man's chest before his eel tattoos glowed. The man let out a strangled scream as electricity coursed through his body before he dropped like a fly.
Silence settled over them as Aqualad observed them from the higher ground. He took in Robin's tense posture, Lark's frown, Kid Flash's angry glare, and Miss Martian's and Superboy's slightly uncertain expression.
With a heavy sigh, Aqualad jumped down to their level, coming to a stop between Lark and Robin.
"We should restrain these men while they are unconscious," he said, looking between the Team.
The older bird moved first, grabbing a red-clad figure by his hooded cloak and dragging him over to a tree. The others followed her lead, and soon, they had the Kobra cultists tied to one tree and Bane's men tied to another.
"I recognize these uniforms," Robin said as he crouched beside Lark in front of the unconscious hooded men. "They belong to the Cult of the Kobra."
"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Aqualad said.
"You're right," Lark nodded. "That's because there has been no chatter anywhere on the dark net about Kobra moving in on Bane's turf."
"Agreed," Robin said. "And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, Kobra clearly managed to sneak in and toss them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off," he finished, sounding pleased with himself.
"We get it," Kid Flash said. "Kobra wants super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats and we'll be home in time—"
"These cultists aren't on Venom," Lark interrupted, standing from her kneeling position. "I mean, look. They're not bulked out or anything."
"Kobra's hoarding the stuff!" Robin exclaimed. "We don't leave," he proclaimed. "Not until I know why."
"Until you know why?" Kid Flash challenged, leaning down so his face was in Robin's.
"This team needs a leader," Robin snapped. Lark groaned under her breath as she moved away from the two arguing teens.
"And it's you?" the redhead asked sarcastically. "Dude, you're a thirteen-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word!"
Robin laughed loudly in his face. "And you're a mature fifteen? You blew our cover first chance we got!"
Lark pinched the bridge of her nose. {God, you two are acting like children,} she mumbled to herself and Superboy was startled to realize he understood what she had said; what was that, Mandarin?
Aqualad glanced down at the dark-haired teen. Her eyes were trained on Robin and Kid Flash, her expression almost...disheartened.
"Has something happened between you and Robin?" he asked Lark softly. Her eyes snapped to him, looking like he had brought her out of her thoughts.
"What makes you ask that?" she asked, her gaze returning to her partner.
"There has been a certain...chilliness between you two since we left for this mission," Aqualad said.
Lark sighed and finally nodded. "I told him what I thought about our leader situation. He wasn't happy with me."
"I take it he wishes to lead," Aqualad stated and Lark nodded glumly again, her hair swishing against her jaw. "But you do not believe he is ready." She nodded once more.
"He's my brother and I love him, but he's only thirteen," she said. "He might be more mature than your average thirteen-year-old, but still, he's thirteen."
"I understand," the Atlantean assured, and he could tell Lark was relieved at least one person saw it from her point of view. "Have you considered the roll of leader yourself?" he asked, head tilted slightly. "You seem to by the type of person who could command attention."
Lark's lip twitched downward in a frown, just slightly, as she rolled Aqualad's words around in her head. She thought of Batman as family, like they were blood, but she saw what the life did to him, saw the walls he put up and the masks behind which he hid. She didn't want that kind of future for herself, but she couldn't pretend there wasn't something inside her that was a reflection of the Dark Knight. One of those similarities: the ability to lead, but not because she inspired those following her into action; rather, she had a commanding presence that demanded she be listened to, despite her small stature.
"What about you?" she countered lightly, making Aqualad think he just imagined her displeased expression. "You seem more even-tempered than me. I think you'd make a great leader."
"Perhaps," Aqualad said, but Lark could tell he didn't quite believe it.
Lark's ear twitched when she heard voices and she held up her hand to silence Aqualad before he could say another word. She brought her finger to her lips before inching her way toward the voices, tilting her head to listen in.
{Look at them argue!} one of the goons muttered in Spanish. {Free yourself and take them while they're distracted!}
{Quiet!} the white-faced man, who Lark immediately recognized as Bane, commanded. {For now, I play along. They'll give me what I need.}
The two finished speaking and Lark was brought back to the Team when she heard Kid Flash say loudly to Robin, "Yeah? You don't even have superpowers!"
"Neither does Batman!" Robin yelled back.
"Dude, you're not Batman," Kid Flash reminded.
"Dude," the young bird parroted, "closest thing we've got."
Bane chuckled and Lark approached him first. "Such clever niños," he said. "But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest," he persuaded, "get you into the factory via my secret entrance."
Miss Martian knelt in front of him, her eyes glowing as she read his mind. "There is an entrance," she confirmed, "but he's also hiding something." Her eyes glowed again as she delved deeper.
"Uh, uh, uh, chica," Bane said in a chiding tone. "Bane is not that easy."
"Ugh," Miss Martian said, pulling away from Bane's mind. "He's mentally reciting fútbol scores en español," she grumbled. "This could take a while," she said, turning to the Team.
"It's not complicated," Bane smiled. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Lark marched away from Bane, the others following. Once they were a safe distance away, she muttered, "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."
"He has knowledge of the island that could help us," Miss Martian pointed out.
"There's nothing he could know about this island that the Batcomputer doesn't know already," Lark hissed, glaring at Bane suspiciously. "It's not like Batman's never been here before."
"We do not have a choice," Aqualad said firmly. "We go along with Bane...for now." Lark's eyes remained narrowed, but she nodded once in understanding.
She pulled a kunai knife from its sheath at her thigh and knelt beside Bane to cut his ties. The man next to him leered at her and she punched him without a second thought or glance. He cried out in pain as her fist connected with his jaw.
{Why, you little bit—!} he exclaimed in Spanish.
She turned on him in a flash, the whites of her mask narrowed into slits as she gave him a Batglare. {Finish that sentence,} she growled. {I dare you.}
The man gulped and held his tongue. Satisfied she wouldn't get any more trouble from him, she returned to cutting Bane loose.
Once his bonds were loosened, Lark gave him a warning glare before she stood and turned on her heel, her dark cape snapping behind her. She might not have been nearly as tall as Batman, or as physically strong, but those on the Team who weren't familiar with her were certainly impressed such a small teenager was able to intimidate men much larger than herself so well.
"Vamanos," Bane said with a grin, and he took off into the trees. Lark, refusing to stand anywhere near him, let the others file in front of her, and she and Superboy took up the rear.
Superboy cast glances at Lark as they hiked through the trees, and finally she sighed and turned to the clone. "If you're going to say something, spit it out," she said, though not unkindly.
A small smirk crossed his lips as he said, "I don't think I've ever seen a grown man so scared of a teenaged girl before." A dark look clouded his eyes as he muttered, "Well...you know what I mean."
"Perk of being a Bat," Lark said lightly, politely overlooking Superboy's obvious fury at himself for the slip of the tongue. "I've been training in the art of intimidation of years now."
"How long is that?" Superboy asked curiously.
This time, the dark cloud passed over Lark's face. "Since I was eight."
"Eight?" the clone repeated, clearly shocked. "You've been doing this for half your life?"
"How'd you know I was sixteen?" Lark muttered, and though Superboy heard it, he figured she hadn't really meant for him to hear. In a louder voice, she said with a nod, "Yeah, I guess it has been that long."
"Why?" he asked simply, but the question was a heavy one, and he knew it.
"Most powered individuals become heroes because they feel they have a duty to use their abilities for good," she explained after thinking for a moment. "But the thing that makes a normal human being like me or Robin or Batman become heroes is usually not so...altruistic."
"Then why do you do it?"
"Tragedy."
Not able to come up with a good response, Superboy remained quiet, and they returned to walking through the humid jungle in silence.
After hiking for several miles, they finally reached a cliff that overlooked the factory. Bane stopped there and let the Team step forward. Robin lifted binoculars to his eyes and Lark pulled her own pair out of her utility belt.
"Look at all that product," Robin muttered, watching as a Kobra cultist drove a forklift with three more armed Kobras walking beside it.
"This doesn't make any sense," Lark said, her eyebrows furrowed. "The buy's going down, but the amount of product obviously isn't decreasing."
"If Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then—"
"We need to identify the buyer," Aqualad finished for Robin.
"Just what I was thinking," Kid Flash said, placing his goggles on his head.
"Yeah," Robin said sarcastically. "You're the thinker."
"Sarcasm?" the speedster questioned. "Dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers."
"Enough," Lark said sternly. "This isn't helping us."
Robin shot her a glare before stalking off, leaving Lark sighing after him as Kid Flash glanced between them uncertainly.
Bane grunted behind them as he lifted a boulder that was blocking an entrance in the side of a hill, drawing everyone's attention to him. He tossed it aside and said, "Answers are this way."
He entered the tunnel and Kid Flash scoffed. "So now El Luchador is our leader." Robin gave him a shove and followed Bane, the others filing in after them.
They eventually reached a metal door, and Bane touched his thumb to a small button. The door beeped and then slid open for them. They walked down a short hallway before reaching another door.
Bane opened it slowly and peeked inside. Robin ducked forward and stuck his head through as well, looking around. "All clear," he whispered, and he dashed forward.
"Robin!" Lark hissed, lunging forward to seize him by the cape, but she was too late.
By the time they entered the main floor, Robin had already disappeared. "Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane questioned, looking at the Team.
"No," Aqualad said with a sigh. "He just does that."
"Perhaps I should go after him," Lark muttered to the Atlantean. Thinking about the dynamic between the two, he nodded, figuring perhaps Lark would have a better chance to convince Robin to start participating as part of the Team.
Lark took off immediately, knowing exactly where Robin was going. She joined him as he was alleviating a knocked-out Kobra of his chair. The younger bird proceeded to sit in the newly vacated chair and set to work on the computer.
"What are you doing here?" he snapped, sparing Lark the briefest glance over his shoulder as she joined him.
"You know exactly why I'm here," Lark said softly, her tone making it evident she wasn't looking for a fight. She sat in the chair beside Robin. "You disappeared, for the second time this mission."
"What about you?" Robin countered harshly, not looking away from what he was doing on the computer.
"I told Aqualad where I was going," she explained in the same soft tone, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Oh, so now I need a babysitter?"
"Rob—"
Lark was cut off when Kid Flash came speeding into the room, coming to a halt behind them. "What you got?" the speedster asked.
"Chemical formulas," Robin answered, and Lark's eyes finally went to the computer screen on which Robin was working. "I'm guessing it involves Venom, but..." He trailed off, uncertain of his findings."
Kid Flash took a large bite from his energy bar as he leaned between Robin and Lark. "This one's Venom," he agreed through a mouthful of food as Robin enlarged the image of Venom's chemical bond. A second bond appeared besidet he first and Lark gasped, leaning in closer to see.
"Oh my God," she said. "Is that—"
"The Blockbuster formula from Cadmus," Kid Flash finished with a grave nod. With the next few keystrokes, the chemical bonds on the screen merged and rearranged itself into a hybrid bond. Other stats appeared on the screen, and Lark wasn't sure if they were purely hypothetical, or if they were the results of a successful test.
"Mixed correctly, Kobra's new juice is three times stronger than Venom...and permanent," the redhead continued.
"But how the hell did Kobra get his hands on this Blockbuster formula?" Lark asked, mostly rhetorically, but an answer was already starting to form in her head.
Robin voiced her answer out loud as he glanced between her and Kid Flash. "Our mystery buyer must also be Kobra's supplier!"
Lark nodded as she continued to study the screen. "They used the Cult to combine the two chemicals, creating a Blockbuster-Venom super formula," she realized before she and Robin got to their feet.
"Robin to Aqualad," the raven-haired boy said as he pressed his comm-piece. "We got..." Lark winced a little as all she got was feedback on her end. "...static."
"Come on, we need to regroup," Lark said, taking a step toward the door.
"Not until I download everything I can!" Robin argued, pulling out the cable in his glove and hooking himself up to the computer.
"One step ahead of you." He turned and saw that the monitor next to his had been unlocked. The home screen appeared identical tho the one he had been using, but when he turned back to Lark, he saw she had a USB in her hand. When she had started the downloading process, he wasn't sure.
"Now, let's go."
Robin scowled but ran to the door anyway. He barreled past Lark, Kid Flash on his heels, leaving the older bird to sigh before hurrying after them.
Gunshots suddenly echoed in the warehouse, followed closely by a loud crash, and the three young heroes skidded to a stop high on the catwalk.
Below them, Bane had engaged several of the Kobra cultists, and what appeared to be the result of the Super Venom formula was in front of Aqualad and Superboy, Miss Martian nowhere in sight.
Kid Flash immediately took off to join the two powerhouses of their Team, but Robin paused, the villainess Shimmer catching his eye outside. He smirked and vanished without a word. Lark grumbled under her breath but followed Kid Flash, knowing there was no talking Robin out of what he had planned.
She swung from the catwalk on her grapple gun and barreled feet-first into a red-cloaked goon, knocking him and the cultist behind him down like dominoes. She hit the ground running, ignoring the gunshots behind her and instead focusing on the three Kobras that had started running in her direction.
Lark pulled out her crescent-shaped birdarangs and in a flash, they landed in the barrels of the guns. They quickly tossed them aside before suddenly being thrown backward by an invisible force, and Lark guessed it was Miss Martian.
Those three dispatched, Lark made her way toward Aqualad, but not before another Kobra ran toward her. The young bat made quick work of her, feinting to the left before taking the opening to knock the Kobra out with a solid punch on the right. More gunshots rang out and she and Aqualad took refuge between two large vats just as two more Kobras came forward, but Kid Flash zipped past them and kicked them away. Three more appeared on the catwalk above, and the redhead ducked out of the way of the bullets.
Lark threw several smoke bombs in the air and the Kobras stopped shooting as they began coughing. She jumped into action, using her grapple to swing up to the catwalk. She landed behind the three Kobras, who were completely unaware of the silent bird creeping up to them.
Cupping her hands, she clapped them on the ears of the Kobra in the middle. He gasped at the uncomfortable pressure that was forced onto his eardrums, and Lark took that time to disarm him. Swinging the gun, the butt came across the second Kobra's jaw and he dropped with a cry of pain.
Whirling around, she found herself looking down the barrel of the last Kobra's gun. The trigger was pulled, and below them, Kid Flash yelled out Lark's name in alarm, his emerald-green eyes wide in horror.
He needn't have worried, though, because even though Lark hadn't been able to move fast enough to dodge out of the way, a shimmering black wall had materialized in front of her, stopping the bullets in their path and causing them to drop harmlessly to the catwalk. The Kobra's eyes were wide in surprise, and Lark quickly knocked her out before rejoining Aqualad on the ground, the Kobras' discarded weapons in her arms.
"Holy shit!" Kid Flash exclaimed as he sped over to them. "I thought you were a goner for sure!"
Lark rolled her eyes, glad they were covered by a mask to hide her own shock at what had just happened. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said before adding, "Now, care to help me with these?" She passed a gun each to the two young heroes, and one was easily crushed with Atlantean strength and the other disassembled in the blink of an eye by the speedster. The last Lark handled herself, and it was expertly dismantled before the pieces were tossed away.
"Miss Martian!" Aqualad called out, "radio is jammed! Link us up!"
{Everyone online?} the Martian's voice asked in Lark's head.
{Yeah,} came Superboy's grumbled response.
{You know it, beautiful,} Kid Flash grinned.
{Not now, Kid,} Lark said dryly, giving him a Batglare Lite.
{Good,} Aqualad said, ignoring the two beside him. {We need to regroup.}
{Busy now,} Robin said, and Lark's eyes narrowed.
{Robin, now!} Aqualad commanded, and Lark was pleasantly surprised to see Robin finally came into view a moment later. {Strategic retreat,} he instructed once Robin joined them. {Kid, clear a path.}
Kid Flash ran forward and the five Kobras shooting at the Team were knocked down. Everyone took off after him. They headed for the door from which they had entered, and once they reached the metal door that led to the tunnel, Superboy closed it behind them. They didn't pause before sprinting toward the exit, and a loud crash echoed behind them.
"Superboy, the support beams!" Aqualad called over his shoulder. The clone hung back and let the Team pass before punching the wooden posts that helped keep the tunnel from caving in. Instantly, there was a rumbling and large rocks began to collapse around them.
Finally, Aqualad called a halt and Lark skidded to a stop. She pulled out a super-powered glow stick from her utility belt and cracked it, bathing the dark tunnel in red light. She sighed heavily and leaned forward, bracing her hands on her knees as her hair formed a short curtain around her face. If it weren't for her extensive training with Batman, she would have been extremely winded; as it was, she was a little short of breath, which she chalked up to the run and the extra adrenaline that coursed through her veins.
"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin inquired, sounding perplexed. Lark frowned at her partner and opened her mouth to say something, but Aqualad beat her to the punch.
"You do have more experience than most of us," he said, keeping his eyes steady on Robin as the younger bird's eyes flashed to his partner, "but perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman and Lark, your role is defined. The three of you do not need to talk.
"But this team is new," Aqualad continued, "and a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts of an unknown plan."
"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hand?" Robin snapped, whirling around to face them, but he sighed and seemed to deflate a little. "Ah, who am I kidding?" he mumbled. He looked up at Aqualad. "You should lead us, Kaldur," he said. "You're the only one who can."
"Please!" Kid Flash scoffed. "I can run circles—"
"Kid," Lark cut across tiredly. He caught her masked gaze and she quirked an eyebrow, challenging him to continue.
"Come on," Robin said quietly to the redhead. "You know he's the only one. We all do."
"Hello, Megan!" Miss Martian said. "It's so obvious!"
"Could have told ya," Superboy said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest, but Lark caught a small smile cross his lips.
She didn't say anything, but she nodded and gave Aqualad a warm smile. She glanced to her side and stared at Kid Flash. He finally shrugged and grinned. "Okay," he said.
Aqualad walked foward to Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders," he said.
The young bird glanced over Aqualad's shoulder to his partner. "You really don't want to lead?" he asked curiously. He had assumed she had just said that to appease him because she knew how furious he had been at her.
"I really don't want to lead," she repeated with a small smile. "It's all yours when you're ready."
"You were born to lead this Team," Aqualad agreed. "Maybe not now, but soon." Lark saw Robin's lip curl in the corner, and he nodded.
"All right," their newly appointed leader said, stepping back to address the Team again. "Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."
"Funny," Robin said, crossing his arms and smirking. "I had the same thought." Lark rolled her eyes and gave Robin a little shove as they stepped forward to complete the circle. Robin scowled at his partner but finally cracked a tiny smile, which she reciprocated happily.
"We need to know exactly what we're facing," Superboy started.
"We found something," Lark spoke up, gesturing between herself, Robin, and Kid Flash.
"Venom and Blockbuster, combined to form a Super Venom," the younger bird explained.
Kid Flash nodded. "And it's three times as strong, and appears to be permanent," he added.
"And we saw Sportsmaster," Miss Martian said. "He certainly seemed friendly with the Kobra members."
"Sportsmaster should be our priority," Lark said, glancing to Aqualad for approval. "We can't let him leave the island with this new Venom."
"Then Superboy and Miss Martian, your job will be to keep Sportsmaster grounded," Aqualad nodded. "Lark, Robin, and Kid Flash will keep the Kobras off you. I will keep Mammoth busy."
"Mammoth, huh?" Lark asked as they took off down the tunnel again. "Catchy." Aqualad just chuckled.
"Sportsmaster's the supplier-slash-buyer," Robin reiterated as they raced through the tunnel. "But it still doesn't track," he huffed. "He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula, or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."
"And neither of them has the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom," Kid Flash added. "That took some major nerd-age."
"They must have a common benefactor," Lark frowned. "But who? And why?"
"I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg,'" Aqualad said, coming to a sudden halt at the tunnel entrance.
Lark peered around Aqualad and saw Bane standing before them, something clutched in his hand. He let it drop to the ground, which was already littered with empty vials. Lark looked up at Bane again, and by his buffed muscles, she could only assume he had just injected himself with his original Venom formula.
"Halt, niños," Bane commanded with a devilish smile. "I'm feeling...explosive." Lark heard a faint beeping and she glanced up to find multiple bombs rigged to the last set of support beams.
"Aren't you a hoot," Lark commented dryly, glaring venomously at Bane.
"You betrayed us," Aqualad said, his eyes wide in surprise. "Why?"
"I want my factory back," Bane said with a shrug.
{Kid,} Aqualad's voice whispered in their heads, {you'll need a running start.} Lark made a point to step forward as if to charge Bane as a cover for Kid Flash as he slipped into the shadows, and Aqualad caught her by the upper arm to keep up the appearance of holding her back.
"So, I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying," Bane continued blabbing. "If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks."
"We're not sidekicks," Robin muttered angrily.
"And when the smoke cleared," Bane persisted, "Santa Prisca would be mind once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside," he said, lifting his hand to reveal the trigger that would activate the bombs, "should have the same effect."
He lowered his thumb as if to press the trigger, but nothing happened. His eyes widened in surprise when the bombs failed to detonate and he stared disbelievingly at his empty hand.
"With what?" Kid Flash called from behind him. Bane turned and found the speedster leaning casually against a tree. "This trigger thingy?"
Bane yelled in anger and swung his fist, but his yell of outrage quickly became one of surprise as he was thrown back and then hefted into the air by Miss Martian. Lark stepped forward with the others.
"Finally," Superboy said with a smirk, standing next to the Martian. "Drop him." She released her telekinetic hold on Bane and he fell to the Earth, right toward Superboy's waiting fist. Once he was tied up again, the Team hurried down to the factory.
Lark saw many Kobras part to let Sportsmaster through. Kid Flash ran ahead and knocked out several before they knew what hit them.
"Take the shipment!" Lark heard Lord Kobra yell at Sportsmaster as she jumped into action. She disarmed two Kobras with her birdarangs and dodged another one's wild swing. While the Kobra was doubled over by his momentum, Lark vaulted over him and kicked another in the chest, sending him stumbling back into a third.
"Souvenir." Lark glanced up to see Kid Flash holding a Kobra mask with a proud smirk. Behind him stood Lord Kobra and Shimmer. A bolo suddenly wrapped itself around the slender villainess and she staggered back a few steps in surprise.
Lark appeared behind her and tapped her shoulder. Shimmer did her best to whirl around with her upper body still wrapped up, and Lark smirked and said, "Good night," before drawing back her fist and knocking her unconscious.
Two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her chest, trapping her arms by her side. She was yanked away from Shimmer and Robin, her captor easily lifting her off her feet. Lark grunted and threw her head back, which resulted in the unmistakeable sound of breaking cartilage. The Kobra's grip loosened in surprise and he took a step back with a cry of pain, allowing Lark to break free completely. He continued to wail about his broken nose, and Lark rolled her eyes and turned her back to him.
"I know you hate getting your hands dirty," she heard Robin remark as he got into a fighting stance in front of the cult leader.
"True," Lord Kobra admitted, narrowing his eyes before dropping his robe. "But sometimes even a god must stoop to conquer."
Lark's attention was drawn from the ego factory and the bird as she ducked under a swing by a Kobra. She kicked him back and then stepped on his thigh to bring her knee to his chin. As he fell back, Lark backflipped away and landed soundly on the balls of her feet. As another rushed forward, Lark stayed low and charged him, catching his solar plexus with her shoulder and then tackling him to the ground, where she quickly knocked him out with a punch.
Jumping to her feet, she stood ready for another attack but found all the Kobras down, except for one.
"I am plagued by mosquitos."
Lark's eyes narrowed when she saw Robin was flat on his back with Lord Kobra standing over him, stepping down on his chest.
"Good," Robin grunted. "'Cause this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain!"
She smirked proudly when Robin managed to throw off Lord Kobra's foot and she squeezed his shoulder briefly when he joined her and the rest of the Team to face the pale-skinned man.
Lord Kobra stared at each of them, weighing his chances. Finally, his lip twitched and he said, "Another time, then," before backing into the trees. Robin hurried forward and parted the ferns through which he had disappeared but turned away with a scowl.
When he returned to the Team, he looked at Aqualad with a smile. "Well, we picked the right guy to lead," he said. He walked up to their leader and then said deviously, "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman!" He turned to the burning factory and threw open his arms before doubling over with laughter.
Lark rolled her eyes at her partner's glee and gave Aqualad a reassuring smile. "Don't listen to Bird Brain," she said. "You did good."
"Thank you for your vote of confidence," Aqualad said, looking relieved to have at least one bat on his side.
"Now, come on, leader," she smirked. "Time to face the Bat."
Aqualad groaned quietly as the Bio-Ship appeared overhead. It settled gently on the ground in front of them and once the ramp lowered, they entered.
Location: Mount Justice, Happy Harbor
Date: Friday, July 23, 2010
Time: 1001 EDT
"A simple recon mission, observe and report." Batman didn't sound happy. The six members of the Team had been summoned to the mission room as soon as they reached Mount Justice and found a glowering Batman standing there, waiting for them.
"You'll receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes," he said sharply, walking down the line in front of them. He turned once he got to the end of the line. "Until then," he started, "good job."
Lark had been looking at her feet, but when she heard Batman say Good job in a surprisingly soft tone, she snapped her head up to look at him.
"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," Batman explained. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success," he said, turning to walk away. "And how you choose who leads determines character."
Once he had disappeared, Lark breathed a sigh of relief and then let out a shaky laugh. "We survived our first mission," she said.
"And the wrath of Batman," Wally added, looking equally relieved.
"That was nothing," Lark and Robin said together, and they glanced at each other briefly before turning back at the Team.
"You should have seen Bats the first time we snuck out to patrol the city by ourselves!" Robin grinned.
Lark groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me," she said, though a small laugh escaped her lips anyway. "Talk about a silent Batcave."
Wally yawned widely just then. "Man, I could use some sleep."
"That is a good idea," Kaldur nodded. "We have all been awake for hours, now."
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Wally said. "See you guys later!" He zipped to the Zeta-Tube and waved as he disappeared.
Lark hung back and Robin glanced over his shoulder when he realized she wasn't with him. "L?" he called.
"I'll be right there," she said, deciding she was at the Cave and might as well approach Superboy. "There's something I want to take care of first."
Robin nodded, a little confused, but stepped into the Zeta all the same. Lark gave Kaldur a small wave before jogging after Superboy and M'gann.
She caught up with them in the hallway, presumably on their way to their bedrooms. M'gann looked surprised to see the dark-haired teen, but Superboy merely looked curious as to why she was there.
Lark offered M'gann a small smile before turning to Superboy. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" she requested.
Superboy shrugged and nodded. Lark gave M'gan another small smile as she and the clone began walking in the opposite direction, and the Martian returned the smile, though it was a little tense as the green-skinned girl wondered what was so important it couldn't wait until they saw each other next time. Or, at least that's what she told herself. She was not tense because she was jealous of Lark's ease around Superboy, and Superboy's apparent ease around Lark.
Once she was sure M'gann was out of earshot, Lark stopped and said to Superboy, "I just wanted to talk to you about the other night, when we all went camping."
Superboy tensed at the mention of that night, the night he had admitted he always thought about defeating Superman.
"Nothing bad, I promise," Lark said quietly with a soft smile, noticing the slightly distressed look in Superboy's eyes. "I just wanted you to know that I'm always here if you feel like talking about…anything, really," she said. "I obviously know nothing about what you went through, and are going through, but I've been told I'm a good listener, so if you ever wanted a nonjudgmental ear, I'm here for you."
That put him at ease, at least fractionally, and he managed a tiny smile. "Thanks," he said slowly, and a little unsurely, and Lark smiled back. She put a comforting hand on Superboy's upper arm and gave it a brief squeeze before heading toward the Zeta-Tube.
When Naomi appeared in the Batcave, she found Dick waiting for her, already de-masked. He was spinning in a chair idly but stopped when the Zeta announced Lark's arrival. They stared at each other for a moment before Dick said, "I'm sorry for how I acted."
Naomi nodded as she approached him. "I just…it felt like you were doubting my ability to lead," he continued. "But I see now what you meant, about me not being ready."
"I'm glad," Naomi said, relief clear in her voice as she pulled up a chair next to him. "I do believe you will make a fantastic leader, but just not yet."
Dick nodded and stared at his fingers, which were clasped in his lap. Naomi reached over and grasped both his hands in hers, and when he glanced up at her, she smiled gently and said, "I love you and believe in you, always."
He returned the smile, squeezing Naomi's hands slightly. "Always."
A/N: This might be one of my favorite chapters? I dunno, I'm just having such a great time writing Lark's and Robin's sibling dynamic, as well as diving more into Lark's character.
Anyway, until next time.