Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Blue is weird.

Which is something of an accomplishment considering the cast and crew that travel through the Cave.

Superboy knows the freshman has already been vetted by Nightwing so any current or potential skeletons (metaphorical or otherwise) have already been thoroughly checked. He should consider himself whelmed by that fact but the new addition still manages to keep him on his toes.

It’s not that the kid is quiet, because he still cracks his fair share of jokes and his easy going nature resonates well within his squad. Rather, it’s the unexpected veers into new categories during conversations, the out of place complaints, and the exasperation that is so deeply ingrained in what Blue believes are his own quiet mumblings.

Superboy is no stranger to the odd, hell it about sums up his entire life. He’s used to giant leaps in logic, to impromptu judgement calls, and to just rolling with the punches. But each one usually comes with a purpose and is done out of necessity, done with a precision that has thought three, five, ten steps ahead.

Instead, Blue seems agitated and flighty alone. His fighting style is inexperienced and clunky, full of openings and still not quite adjusted to working with others. Yet, some of his actions show promise as his suit allows for a variety of tools and weapons that excel in locking down opponents and scanning unknown variables. The science behind it is beyond him but who is he to argue if it originated from the legendary Ted Kord.

Still, Superboy hears the slight hammering of Blue’s heart after he’s incapacitated a bad guy and the hitch in his breath before he turns away with narrowed eyes.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that? N’ombre! (No way!)”

The half-Kryptonian already has his mouth open to yell out to the retreating figure before Beast Boy is calling his name to proudly display their latest souvenir. He swallows his question and joins the rest of the team. They each are allowed their own secrets to keep.

Chapter Text

“For the last time, we’re not evisca-whatevering during training. We know these guys, and it’s just combat practice.”

Mal had been on his way to visit Karen after his own debrief with the senior members over the Kroloteans spotted near Star City. The lead was likely a bust, but they couldn’t risk not investigating.

The sudden outburst from the room two doors down stops him short. The glow beneath the door is faint and the dips in lighting mean someone inside is pacing. Mal checks his watch without thinking and peers back at the door with an eyebrow raised.

It’s not uncommon for some of the recruits to stick around after their missions to spar or just relax. This kind of job is not without its hang-ups and it’s somewhat comforting to hang out with those that can relate.

The comment though has him standing in front of said door while he shifts his helmet to his other side. He raises his hand to knock. It’s only polite and he still recalls the bright red marks across his cheek the last time he entered a room without permission.

Jaime opens the door before he gets the chance. He looks just as surprised to see Mal as Mal is to see Jaime.

“Oh! Sorry, I was just heading out. Room’s all yours, ese.”

There’s a nervous energy as the teen tries to squeeze past him, no longer meeting his eyes as he fidgets from one foot to the other.

Eventually, Mal lets him duck by with an unintended, “Right,” streaming from his mouth. Jaime turns the corner and is gone before Mal even thinks to stop him.

He presses the door all the way open and gazes about the small space. Apart from the desk, chairs, books, and nondescript office supplies, the room is empty. So then who was Jaime--?

A ringtone interrupts his train of thought and he reaches for his phone to show Karen’s ID flashing across the screen. He glances at the time by instinct, and represses a grimace. The meeting had run a little longer than usual and he is already running thirty minutes late.

He clicks off the light and starts a light jog towards the exit, picking up the line with a, “Hello, beautiful.”

Chapter Text

The battle is hectic and already off the rails from their initial mission. Tasked with infiltrating an operation base located in Northern India believed to still be active under the Brain’s influence, Gamma team was restricted to stealth and information gathering only.

Composed of Lagoon Boy, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, and himself, Robin was at least 78% certain the mission could be completed without an incident. That was until they triggered a silent alarm that sent Light goons by the droves to their location, along with the Brain’s own pet monkey himself, Monsieur Mallah.

“Gamma squad, group up. Beetle, you’re on point. Keep big and hairy off of us. La'gaan, Beast Boy, watch our six. Use the trees for cover and take out as many as you can. I’ll create a distraction and then we move, clear? Go.”

The orders come naturally and already the team springs into formation, plowing through enemies even as the numbers hardly dwindle. They’re vastly outnumbered and backup will take another ten minutes to arrive.

Their escape routes are limited even with the thick vegetation that Beast Boy uses to swing through the treetops, barreling down into his opponents with a quick transformation. Lagoon Boy is already inflated and uses his increased strength to punch a grunt into a small cluster. Beetle is trying to keep his distance from Mallah with a sonic attack even as the gorilla evades his blasts and tries to swat the bug from the sky.

Robin throws a birdarang that explodes on impact, trapping six Light operatives in its sticky grasp. They’re six minutes from extraction and already flagging under the sheer numbers of their opposition.

Beetle crashes through the trunk of the nearest tree, spewing tall grass and dirt into the air. Mallah approaches with a grin, getting in another solid hit to the sternum that has the hero squawking with pain. Robin dashes in with his staff and slams the pole against the primate’s face. He shifts sideways with the hit, and re-centers just as Beetle fires the cannon just beneath his chin.

“Thanks for the assist, Rob. But we’re not done yet. Any ETA on that help?” Beetle is already back on his feet and his cannon reforms into a staple gun that locks four more goons to the trees. There’s a snarl from Beast Boy behind them as he claws down a few more bad guys as a tiger.

“Any second now,” is all Robin replies with, already deep in the thicket of a new group. His reflexes take over as his staff swipes down person after person that dares to get too near. The close proximity of the trees makes for less room to fight but it goes both ways and the tight spacing is allowing them to take down the Light in packs.

But that isn’t to say the technology on their compound can’t just blast the forest apart provided they don’t mind losing their men. Which, now that he thinks about it, isn’t above them doing just to wipe them out.

“Their blasters, any chance you can disarm them?” At this point, Robin is just spit balling ideas. They hopefully shouldn’t need to worry as Beta team is not far from their location but neutralizing a threat can’t hurt.

“Sí, ese. All I need is a clear--wait, what? What do you mean ‘an anomaly?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”

Beetle is pointed towards the nearest entrance to the base, canon charged without firing as he gazes at his outstretched arm.

“Blue, what’s the hold-up? Just fire.” Lagoon Boy yells, dramatically flipping over someone to toss them at the closest grunt.

“Override it then. Yes, I’m ‘certain.’ Don’t know if you noticed, but we don’t have time for this, mi hermano!” Blue grumbles, still frowning down at his arm as his voice rises in frustration.

Finally, the cannon blares a high pitched frequency as it seeks to destroy the technology in its path. The wreckage is aimed for the base just beyond the trees but it must hit a tanker or collide with something else as an explosion knocks them back, thrusting many of them a clear ten feet as they smack into tree limbs and body parts with a groan.

“Can we never do that again?” Beast Boy jokes, holding the back of his furry head with a wince. Lagoon Boy murmurs an agreement, staggering to his feet with a tight grip on his right shoulder.

Robin clears the white spots from his vision, catalyzing all the bruises he’s sure to spot the next morning. Not the best they’ve ever done, but everyone’s still alive. That’s still something.

“Look at you boys, tripping over your own feet without us around,” comes from above as the Beta team descends upon their location. Miss Martian looks particularly pleased as she hooks her arms around Lagoon Boy’s neck, careful of his injury as she pecks him on the cheek.

“What took you so long, Angelfish? Party’s already over.” Lagoon Boy smiles wide back at the Martian, while the rest try to ignore their unabashed flirting.

“So what did happen?” Bumblebee asks, zipping through the unconscious guards as she zaps those that stir. “Apart from the fireworks show we caught at the end?”

“Ugh, don’t ask.” Beetle says, gliding over the bodies via his wings. “And don’t you even start.”

Bumblebee raises her arms in response, but the jab is clearly not aimed at her as the blue hero trails towards their ship.

Zatanna stifles a giggle into her glove before she turns towards Robin for an explanation.

“No idea,” is all he can say. There’s a thought to put this in his report but he ultimately decides against it. Gamma made it, that’s what counts.

Chapter Text

It’s hard not to get excited when they’re working with real life superheroes. Sure, they’ve had their fair share of special-ops, missions, and regular brawls with big bads, but at the end of the day, they’ll all go home to chemistry homework and late night Netflix binging. And despite what Nightwing (and even Wonder Woman herself) assures her, it’s hard to imagine their role models and mentors slumming it in sweatpants and late-night junk food.

Cassie likes to say she can keep a cool head in battle, and she really can when it counts, but you can’t not be even a little star-struck when you’re fighting alongside people that are a household name.

It’s part of the reason she gets along so nicely with the new recruits, because while she knows the older members better, it’s nice to see the awe in the newbie’s eyes the first couple times they hold a debriefing.

Blue Beetle is one of her favorites to fawn over the leaguers with because, even with that thick body suit obscuring his entire face, his expressions are so easy to pick up and the giddy smile is something to behold.

Their over excitement has also landed them into some deep trouble before, as evident by the royal screw-ups their lack of attention and desire to be liked naturally cause.

But where Cassie is brash and eager to jump into the fray, Blue is more accommodating and supportive. During team-ups, their personalities tend to sync nicely to reflect that so it’s not a surprise that they’ve been partnered more than a couple times for the more not-so stealthy missions.

It normally results in a few shoulder nudges and sly comments passed back and forth (but never over comms, not after the last couple times they’d done it to the chagrin of their other teammates).

“Can’t believe we just met Peacemaker and Captain Atom at the same time! They’re-they’re so cool!”

“Right?! And when they said they ‘look forward to working with us,’ literal chills.”

“Can we get back to the mission now? Or do you two need a room to ga-ga over them some more? Major drug ring and human trafficking ring a bell?” Batgirl murmurs, eyes focused on the panel in front of her as she disengages the security cameras set up around the perimeter.

“Sorry,” they reply in unison, sheepishly glancing at her black silhouette while Blue drags a hand along his neck.

It doesn’t take long to disassemble the cartel and free the hostages, contacting the local authorities to pick up the scattered gang members that are wrapped up in a bow. The mission ran smoothly with Cassie spearheading the charge, along with Blue and Batgirl for support, and Zatanna working her mumbo-jumbo to sideline any stragglers and levitate their weapons.

They’re on their way back to the ship with a pep in their step when the two dive back into their conversation. It might have to do with the fact Batgirl had already radioed in their progress, with gratitude coming from the other side and similar results in their joint operation.

“Never thought I’d be working with the Captain Atom; I used to have a shirt of his symbol back in middle school.” Blue comments aloud, voice tinged with the joy of a job well done.

“Livin’ the dream Blue, livin’ the dream,” Cassie musses, swinging an arm around his shoulder to press him against her side.

“Yes, I did. Yes. I. Did. “ Blue huffs under his breath, turning his face away from the group with his eyes cast on the grass.

“I believe you. You should have seen the posters I had my eye on for the longest time. Honestly, Blue, it’s almost embarrassing how--”

A gunshot fires through the air, the crack of noise resounding before Zatanna drops to her knee holding her leg. Batgirl shouts to take cover as Blue hefts their injured and bodily uses his armor to shield from any more incoming shots.

“Blue, get Zatanna and the hostages back to the ship. Wonder Girl, I need eyes on--” Batgirl shouts, already employing a smokescreen as they have little cover options. From what she can gather, it’s only one gunman that must have been in hiding so a single strategic blow should end it.

Cassie is already gone before she even hears her order, bending her knees so the ground crumbles as she propels herself toward their assailant. She reels back a fist which collides with the man’s face, knocking him back into the building. The metal contorts around his body as it sinks to the ground.

She lets out a deep breath as she straightens, kicking the gun away as she scans for any other attackers. Batgirl is staring at them with wide eyes and, as her anger reins it, she glances down at the man. Dread fills her instantly and she quickly squats to check his pulse. For one horrifying instant she thinks she’s killed this man but the slow exhale and thump of his heartbeat let her know he’s just unconscious. Unconscious with a real shiner for later.

Blue, along with the hostages and a bridal-style carried Zatanna, stare at her for a moment in shock. It is similar to the way she used to stare at her heroes, but instead this amazement and awe is more horror-stricken.

Zatanna mumbles something to Blue and immediately the two are herding the group back towards the ship. Cassie is left staring after them, gaze gliding over the group as they glance nervously back over their shoulders.

“You okay, Cass?” Batgirl tentatively asks, appearing like always, without any sign of approach.

“I-i wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to. It just sort of...happened.” It’s a lame excuse and she knows it, but she can’t stop thinking about how they looked at her. Wonder Woman had warned her plenty of times about holding back her strength with hand-to-hand combat but she wasn’t thinking about that. Only about the blood that oozed from Zatanna’s thigh and the gasp of unexpected pain as she knelt on the grass.

“I know.”

“Seriously, it wasn’t on purpose. I wouldn’t do that, you know I wouldn’t--” She’s grasping at straws now; she’s sure to hear it from her mentor and superiors when they get back. But all she can think about is how she’s stained the Wonder Woman insignia somehow. She’s supposed to represent something and she nearly murdered a man in a fit of rage.

“Cassie, look at me.” Batgirl’s voice is soft and even, as though she’s calming a wild animal. Cassie doesn’t even realize she’s shaking until Batgirl grabs her hand and pulls. “It’s over, he’s gonna have a hell of a headache when he wakes up but he’s alive. It could have been a lot worse if he managed to fire off more shots.”

“Yeah,” comes unbidden from her tongue, trying to settle her still shaking form. It takes a few deep breaths before her heart stops jackrabbiting in her chest. “Thanks.”

“C’mon, even speedsters know to slow down--well, you know what I mean. Just calm down and think before you act next time, alright?”

She nods, hefting the man to join his comrades in their huddle with a fresh pair of handcuffs. Together, they walk back towards the ship with Blue standing guard.

“Zatanna is all wrapped up and the people are already onboard. We’re good to go,” Blue reports, eyes trained on Batgirl. He’s got his left hand gripping his right, the signs of a forming blaster partially hidden behind his back.

“Everything alright?” Cassie finds her voice somehow, tilting her head at his arms. Is he scared of her?

Sure, she went too far back there but he had to know he could trust her. They’d spent last Tuesday going over which Leaguers they’d bring into a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. They’d joked over the new “scandalous” stories about Aquaman and the conspiracies over Batman’s girlfriend. They’d even admitted to their long-time hero worships, gushing over old TV coverage from past fights.

“No--yeah, no-- I mean, I’m fine, really,” Blue stammers, gripping his other hand harshly until the blaster returns to his suited hand. “No problems here.”

The last comment is said with an edge and her worry shoots up along with her eyebrows. It can’t have been that bad, right? Not to the point she’d lost his trust like that. She wants to explain, to smooth out the crease on his forehead seen even through the mask, but she knows it’s not the time.

She trudges into the ship with the others and they depart back towards a safe location to drop off their rescuees. The cabin is almost deathly silent the whole trip there and Cassie tries to catch Blue’s eye but he seems adamant about gazing out the window. She swears he whispers something else but she can’t be sure.

When they arrive back at their HQ, they split up with Zatanna heading to the medical bay to have someone check out her leg. Batgirl, with a knowing look, volunteers to escort her there.

“Yeah, Blue, I appreciate the help but I can walk just fine.” Zatanna adds, still taking Batgirl’s shoulder as she limps down the corridor. She swears Batgirl shoots her a wink but now it must be her imagination.

They usually report directly following their mission but they have a quick reprieve due to injury. It leaves them to linger for a bit longer, waiting to hear about her condition and decide if she’s able to participate. Which, considering the extent of the injury and Zatanna’s determined spirit, is likely.

It’s late and no one else is present as the two watch their other teammates go out of sight. Neither say a word and the situation quickly becomes awkward. Cassie bites her cheek as she thinks of a way to break the ice.

“I’m gonna grab some grub,” is Blue’s answer as he heads towards the kitchen area. His footsteps sound further and further away before she finally gives.

“About before,” is all she gets out but she knows he’ll understand. “It was an accident; I lost my cool. It doesn’t make it alright but I won’t let it happen again.”

The wording almost sounds practiced, plenty of faults and misjudgements from her training sessions but she hopes the apology rings sincere.

He doesn’t immediately respond so Cassie flusters to add, “I hope we’re still friends.”

Now Blue stops and turns to look at her. Normally, she’s able to read the bug like a book but his expression is such a mixture of emotions that she struggles to interpret what he’s trying to show. It’s equal parts disbelief and guilt along with what she believes is traces of anger.

It’s not an expression she remembers seeing on her mellow, laid-back teammate and she waits for him to respond with baited breath.

“Of course we’re still friends. Dios mío.” Cassie relaxes at that, one crisis averted. “It was obvious it was an accident.”

Cassie manages a smile, tight and small but still there.

“I know you wouldn’t do that, and it could have been a lot worse.” The similarity to Batgirl’s words is striking and hope swells in her chest even as she misses his quiet, “believe me, I know.”

“So why were you all fidgety before?” The way he’d concentrated on avoiding her gaze still stung and his tense pose seems to flare back up with her question.

“It’s not you, it’s a me problem.”

“You sound like a cliche. It’s not like we’re breaking up, Blue. Especially considering I don’t even remember us going out.” She tries for a joke, and if the way his lips curl ever so slightly, she considers it a success.

“As if,” he scoffs, placing a hand on his hip casually before he adds, “I’m way out of your league.”

A laugh booms from her mouth as she bends slightly at the waist.

“Please bug-boy, I can take you any day, any time.” There’s a challenge brewing in her eyes as she says it but he plays it off with ease. The temperamental yin to her yang.

“Yeah, yeah. But what if we were in the Arctic, who would you take with you then? Top three.” Her smile now feels more real as he invites her to join him in the kitchen, fixing snacks for what is sure to be a long night. She hmm’s in thought as she plucks out various chip bags, tossing Blue Chicken Whizees without missing a beat.

“Superman, Flash, and….” She stretches out the last word as she thinks it over, tearing open a bag and plucking a Dorito out. “Batman. You?”

“Not bad, not bad.” Blue replies, while Cassie bites into her goods. He doesn’t open his own bag yet, instead peeking into the fridge and coming back out with a couple bottles of water. “I guess I’d have to go with...Batman,”

To which Cassie cuts him off with a, “We can’t both have Batman.”

“Uh, yeah, we can. I don’t remember you calling dibs and you know that’s not how this game works.” They both sound like petulant children, bickering back and forth before Blue finally concedes.

“Fine, Nightwing, Fire, and Wonder Girl.” Blue sounds so proud of himself, gesturing with one water bottle towards her as the other is slid to her side of the kitchen counter. She totally doesn’t squawk in surprise.

She means to ask since when they’ve been able to pick each other, because she thought they were doing Justice Leaguers, and-- that’s against the rules! But instead, she goes with the intelligent,

“What?! Why?” Blue is already arranging a decent pile of junk food, which she knows he’ll spread and share with their own teammates who are also probably sleep-deprived and ready for the night to be over. He’s a nice guy like that.

“Well...Nightwing is pretty reliable in a pinch and Fire I thought was pretty self-explanatory--”

“You know what I mean, jerk.” She resists the urge to fling a Dorito at his head because, with his arms full of snacks, she knows he won’t be able to dodge so easily. The grin he gives her makes it clear he knows exactly what he’s doing as he takes his time to answer by busying himself into cradling as many bags as he can. He struggles to juggle the load and reach for his water bottle as well before she caves and takes a handful off the top of his pile.

“Thanks. Well, I’ve seen you plow through an entire army before. Plus, I know you’ll have my back no matter what.” A light blush rises to her cheeks as she tries not to look so thrilled by the praise. Luckily, he is heading for the medical bay so he doesn’t see her failure to school her expression.

It’s just nice to actually be thought of that way, especially up against her heroes. She thinks back to when she first helped Nightwing recruit Blue Beetle and how he had confessed that he actually was excited for their mission in Metropolis.

Fondness for the new hero melts away the last traces of her anxiety of the day. She’d known Blue would make a good fit for the team but she’d never imagined they’d be trading fantasy team-ups like this, especially when she was used to being left alone with her mom out on an archaeological expedition.

Cassie trails after the hero, now feeling much lighter than before. That is, until she hears Blue remark, “I mean, you did call Superman and Flash.”

This time, she doesn’t regret the Dorito she lobs at his head.