Try to Remember
Chapter 20: Debriefing
—?M?—?M?—?M?—
"Mysterion; A-zero-three."
Cape billowing behind him, Mysterion stepped out of the concentric metal cylinders of the teleporter, the intense light of the ring-shaped machine fading around him. The space he emerged into was cavernous, similar to what he had seen in the Bat-cave, except much more care seemed to have been taken to turn it into a liveable space. The concrete floor was smooth, with several hallways and doors leading off from the wide foyer. Higher up, where the ceiling tapered into more natural geology - rough rock and stalactites - he could see gangways and balconies indicating the presence of a second floor. Everything he saw gave Mysterion the distinct impression he was underground.
Furnishing this chamber was an impressive bank of computer monitors and hardware, all arrayed in a semi-circle. Standing before this half-moon of technology probably worth more than his life, were a gaggle of costumed individuals, all of whom the newly-arrived vigilante recognised to varying degrees. Every single head was turned and had their eyes fixed on him. Feeling the weight of their combined stares, Mysterion stopped in his tracks, frozen by their sudden vigilance locking onto him.
Kenny found himself being reminded of that scene in western movies, where the out-of-town loner steps into the saloon, and all the locals look up from their whiskey to stare him down. If there was an old man in the corner, playing piano, Kenny was certain he'd have taken his cue to abruptly stop playing right about now. The locals in this bar however, didn't look like the kind to be drinking whiskey. Or anything alcoholic for that matter, on account of the majority of them being too young to watch rated R movies, let alone drink. Also due to the fact that one of them was Batman, and while Kenny didn't know much about the older hero, he could spot a non-drinker when he saw one. Unless the dark knight had a Pabst Blue Ribbon tucked away in that utility belt of his.
From left to right Mysterion could identify; Artemis, gracing him with a neutral stare, her nose only slightly up-turned. She didn't seem too pleased to see him, or maybe she did, Kenny couldn't be sure. Which was the biggest problem dealing with people who wore masks most of the time, they obscured the identity of the wearer in more ways than one.
Kid Flash, whose name he had discovered to be Wally. A fact Mysterion would find amusing if his own full name wasn't Kenneth. Not exactly dark or mysterious. Wally stood with arms folded, offering him a look that even through the Kid Flash cowl, Mysterion could tell was impatient and unimpressed.
Robin stood next to Wally, grinning ear to ear and flashing Mysterion a double thumbs up as the two briefly met eyes.
Aqualad stood patiently beside, with a placid and calm smile on his face. Bearing an expression and stance that showed Kenny that this guy, from the little he knew about the aquatic sidekick, was nothing if not amiable.
The green-skinned girl with the oxblood-red hair was next along the line, smiling broadly and doing her best to look welcoming. She succeeded for her part, and Kenny might've let his stoic facade slip, if not for the fact that he didn't have the best track record with extraterrestrials. Whether they were martians, slim black-eyed creatures, or giant taco's pooping ice cream. So he kept his stony expression in place.
Close to her right, standing just behind her shoulder and looking grumpy, was Superboy. From what he remembered of their brief interaction at the Tower of Fate, and the quite obvious context clues, Kenny didn't have the be the world's greatest detective to guess that this kid could probably punch him through a wall or two. This didn't do much to abate the suspicion Mysterion had, that the Superboy didn't like him very much.
Across from them, standing with their backs to the computer-bank, were three figures who descended from left to right in both height and general stoicism. At the far left was, surprisingly, someone other than Batman. But the fact that the figure who stood there was a robot with no clearly definable facial expression, probably skewed the barometer on that particular scale. Kenny recognised the android, of course, from news reports and press appearances Mysterion could identify him as the Justice League member, Red Tornado. His blue, yellow and red costume made him stand out like a sore thumb. But that was only in Mysterion's own opinion, since he himself had never been the 'bells & whistles' type of hero.
In the centre, unreadable as ever, was Batman. Giving no indication as to what was going on behind that cowl in either expression or stance. He just watched as Mysterion surveyed the room and then it's occupants, before his eyes landed with surprise on the final person.
Raven stood close by Batman, the size of the room and the ominous presence of Gotham's Dark Knight beside her, seeming to make the diminutive young teen even smaller than she already was. Clad still in his old cloak, the hood raised and shrouding her face in darkness, she too remained plain faced as he entered. Though if the light didn't deceive him, Kenny thought he detected the hint of a smile when she saw him arrive.
Why she was here, Kenny could only guess. But something about her presence at this so-styled 'debriefing' didn't fill him with confidence. So it was with an iron resolve and fortified countenance that he approached the gathering, greeting them with the word.
"Hey."
With that, the expectant silence of his entry broke like a twig snapped underfoot, and the air of awkwardness lifted. Without much of an introduction, Batman plowed right into the main topic that seemed to be at hand.
"Now that everyone is here, we can begin." Mysterion slowly took up a spot just outside the semi-circle of teens, standing closer to the exit, between the two sides of this meeting. Raven on his right, Artemis to his left. With crossed arms, Kenny settled in to hear what the Bat had to say.
"Team, this is Raven. Recently the League took responsibility for her safekeeping, however a set of unfortunate circumstances have led to us being unable to give her the environment she needs." The Bat seemed to have anticipated the sour look that would spread across Mysterion's face, so much so that as his disapproval bristled, the Dark Knight met him with a look that was, if anything, patient. It read to Mysterion, as if there was more to say. And as Kenny briefly glanced at Raven, he found her eyes placatingly gazing at him. He had been about to object, to deride the League, to interrupt Batman and ask where Zatara was if he couldn't look after the girl. But before his impudence could win over, Batman had continued. "So in order to better foster her training and her education, we have arranged for Raven to take up residence with a sect of the Monks of Azarath, an order of pacifist monks who the League have had contact with before. These monks base their temple in the Andes mountain range, specifically the J'anq'u Uma peak in northern Bolivia. You are to take the bioship to a drop-zone three-quarters of the way up the Janq'u Uma and from there escort Raven to the temple at the top."
With a whine, Kid Flash interrupted. "What? We've got to march up half a mountain? Why can't we just drop her at the top, why do we even have to take her there…" Stalling in his objection, the ginger speedster offered a small apologetic shrug to the girl they would be escorting, adding. "No offence…" Before turning his attention back to Batman. "But is this really a high priority stealth mission!"
"If you would remain quiet and listen, then you would understand why these things are necessary." The reply was what Mysterion expected, blunt and forthright. The tone of voice employed being the exact same one teachers use when talking to especially thick-headed students. "The Janq'u Uma's summit itself is recorded as having an elevation of 21,000ft. In actuality it is two thousand feet higher than that, the discrepancy being due to magic that is integral to the Azarathian monks way of life. To get to this section of the mountain you will not only need to make some of the journey on foot, but you will also need a guide who has experience in mystic matters." At that point Mysterion didn't even need to look at them all. He could feel the eyes of the team snapping over to him. For his part he continued to wait for Batman to finish his explanation. "You will need to escort Raven, not only because she is an individual of high priority to the League, but because the unchartered section of the Janq'u Uma is dangerous terrain, and home to several examples of unique and hostile wildlife… This is not a mission you can let your guard down on, each one of you will need to have your head in the game, at all times… Now… Any questions."
In terms of questions, Kenny had a few. "You want us to escort a teenage girl to go live with a bunch of ancient magic monks up on an invisible mountain somewhere in Bolivia… Yeah I've got a question. Are you smoking crack?"
An unceremonious snort of laughter exploded out of Robin, and also a little more unexpectedly, Artemis, as Mysterion levelled his sarcasm at Batman. The other Team members, though not blatantly amused, were all struck at some level with a reaction orbiting the gravity of shock and confusion. The alien girl didn't seem to realise what had been said, flicking her gaze between the rest of her teammates with a desperately lost expression on her face. Her pretty features moved uncertainly as she tried to ride the wave of the overall response, probably not wanting to appear like she hadn't understood what the offence was. Meanwhile Aqualad and Superboy both quirked an eyebrow to varying degrees of surprise. Then there was Kid Flash, who stood apart from the group, gaping open mouthed, looking between Mysterion and the Bat, clearly wondering what the Dark Knight was going to do to him now.
Very much shooting from the mental hip, Mysterion continued. "Because even if these monks know all sorts of magic, even if they can teach Raven all the arcane know-how she needs, even if that's true. A magically unchartable mountain peak is so not the place for a, i'm gonna guess thirteen year old girl, to grow up. She needs to be with people her own age, just as much as she needs whatever Hogwarts bullshit you had in mind."
"Would you have us place her in the school system then?" The question was rhetorical, but all that did was rile Kenny up even further.
"I never said that was the right alternative. I'm saying the one you seem to have settled on, isn't the right one either." Oblivious to the awkward looks that were dancing between the other occupants of the room, Mysterion continued to fire off his argument.
Batman, growing ever sterner, rebuffed. "Circumstances have made it impossible for us to house her anywhere else."
"What happened to her staying with top-hat and his kid?" Exasperated already, Kenny had lost his cool, calm exterior.
"Zatara is very busy, and cannot take time out of his schedule to train both his own daughter, and Raven, whose needs are vastly more complex. More so than we originally guessed." Speaking through his teeth, Kenny could see that Batman was becoming agitated. Perhaps the Dark Knight wasn't so used to be questioned and ridiculed quite so intentionally by The Team.
As such Mysterion took great pleasure in meeting his stony gaze and reminding him that, he was not part of any Team just yet. "What about Nelson, if he is Earth's sorcerer supreme then surely he can take the time to train her. What exactly is it that old man does all day?"
"Kent Nelson does not have as much time as you think. And do you mean to suggest that Raven would be better off staying at the Tower of Fate."
Throwing his arms up, Mysterion ridiculed further. "It'd be better than living on a freaking Bolivian mountain."
"I want to go." Her voice was so remarkably calm, that when it interjected into their bout of verbal jousting, both Mysterion and Batman did a double-take. Raven was however, only looking at Mysterion. From under his - or now he supposed, her - hood Raven's eyes bored into his own, a soft but insistent honesty that he couldn't snap back at. "I told you what my powers do. You know. I need help, I need this."
"… I… I know, it's just-"
"You mean well, Mysterion. But you don't know what's best for me."
"And they do?" He didn't have to point, or even look at the Bat for anyone to know who he meant by 'they.'
"Please. I know what I need, and these monks of Azarath can help me find it. I've met one of them. She was illuminating." It took him that moment to realise that Raven, as quiet and as young as she was, was very much her own person. Whenever he'd spoken to her, as she was speaking to him now, she had a way of focusing in on you. As if you were the only person in the world. It was, among other things, very good at getting you to listen. With those violet eyes boring into him, Kenny couldn't argue for long.
As he looked at Raven's placid face, the building anger ebbed out of him like a wave, dissipating bit by bit until he stood calmly once again. "Alright. If this is what you want, it's your call. As long as it's your call." In the end, he consoled himself, what did he know about this girl, really? He'd met her maybe two, three times, tops? Sure those times hadn't been your typical meetings, but he knew next to nothing about her powers. Really Zatara was in a better position to suggest things like this, and Raven seemed self-aware enough to judge them. Perhaps it was who she reminded him of that had triggered the quite deep-rooted reaction. Or maybe it was the fact that Batman had been the one to put it forward.
Suddenly Mysterion became conscious of the other people standing in the gathering with them. His eyes, shadowed beneath his mask and cowl, sliced across each one of them in turn with a cold annoyance. Each one in turn, from Artemis to Superboy tried to look like they hadn't been staring at the confrontational exchange between the three. God, Kenny thought, it was going to be a long night.
—?M?—
"What do you mean we're leaving in two hours?"
Furthermore mundane briefing on the mission had followed, and now Batman turned with a flourish and went to leave.
"Surely you can pass the time for just two hours, Mysterion?" The Dark Knight shot back over his shoulder, and as he turned away to access the Zeta-beam, Kenny could've sworn he saw a smirk on the older vigilante's face.
As the light of the teleporter flared and died, Mysterion turned back around and was presented with the rest of The Team looking at him quizzically.
"So… uh… Hey." Artemis was the one to break the awkwardness, tugging at her long blonde ponytail absent-mindedly.
"Yeah… Hey. Nice to meet you all… Again." Still like a stone, Mysterion felt trapped. Not by some super villain, not by some eldritch horror, but by something as mundane as meeting new people. Kenny McKormick didn't have this trouble.
It was Aqualad who tried to take the conversation into a flow. "You have strong opinions. I do not think Batman is accustomed to people being quite so…"
Miss Martian bounced on the balls of her feet, laughed nervously and offered. "Rude?"
"Nah, he's used to that and worse. I think Mysterion just brings it to a new level." Chuckled Robin, sidling up to Mysterion and elbowing him in the ribs, before darting off around their little circle, like the small, flighty bird that was his namesake.
Aqualad responded to the young boy in kind, smiling and shrugging. "And a new location. I don't think anyone here has ever spoken out at him like that."
"Not so." Snapping out of some kind of shock, Kid Flash joined the talk abruptly. The response was a quizzical look from the team, which prompted Wally to jab a finger at them each and follow up by saying. "At CADMUS, we told the whole League what we think of them."
"True." Superboy spoke once, and did so succinctly. While Robin and Aqualad nodded reminiscently.
"So what do you plan to do with two hours?" The question came to Mysterion quite genuinely. His own preparation for 'work' did not usually amount to much. When it did require particular planning or forethought, two hours wouldn't exactly be the right amount of time. A few days, even weeks, was more the schedule of his 'mission prep.' Few were the occasions when he had forewarning of anything that called for his special attention.
The answer, given by Robin, was exceeding simple. "Eat cookies!"
"Oh no! My cookies!" Mysterion's eyes then went to Miss Martian, as her hands flew up in distress, before in a sweep of red hair and blue cape, she fled further into the underground complex.
"Eat burnt cookies!" Robin mourned after her, laughing as he ran in her wake. The others fell in step behind the two, as Mysterion found himself rolling his eyes good-naturedly.
He turned back to look at the girl who'd stood by his side throughout. Raven, reticent and withdrawn like a small animal waiting in the mouth of its burrow, smiled only slightly and moved past him to follow the Team.
When he brought up the rear of their group, he found Artemis waiting for them as the others hurried off. The two of them fell into step, flanking Raven on either side. A look of recognition was shared between the two of them, like warriors meeting twice on different battlefields. Something dwelt in her sharply piercing eyes, something like a curious recollection. Then she smirked at him, and he smiled in response as the smell of finely burnt cookies wafted throughout the corridors.
—?M?—?M?—?M?
A/N: At long last, Mysterion meets the Team! Formally at least. And there's more where this came from next update. Now I could ramble about my pains with this chapter, how it's only part of what it would've been, but I feel the over apologising is both very British and very overplayed by now. So I'll just say I hope you enjoyed it, leave a review with your thoughts if you so wish, and thanks for reading!
- Faff