Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sometimes, Nell Bishop thinks she might be dead.

Her thoughts, feelings, the near-constant ache in her ribs from training, and the sorrowful tugging of her heartstrings as she flies around Oa half-girl and half-ghost. They tell her she's still alive– here to see another day– but they also remind her that the clock is ticking.

She can hear it sometimes, she thinks, in her dreams. Her room in John's apartment is small – only larger than her room in Hal's place on Earth by the tiniest fragment – and when she's curled up in bed at night, she can hear the familiar tick of a clock she knows John doesn't have. Time on Oa works differently than Earth, after all. There's no need for a measly human clock to know the time of a planet in the Centre of the Universe.

The clock she hears isn't telling her that the sun is rising, it isn't reminding her that she has school, or therapy, or visitation with her mother. It's telling her that time is running out. It's telling her that she, like most other Green Lanterns, is nothing more than a dead girl walking.

So, scratch that. Sometimes, Nell Bishop knows she's dead. Or that she will be soon enough, anyway.

An active Green Lantern, on average, lives for four years and three months. She's almost five months past that now. Surviving from here on out is a luxury, not a guarantee. Every Green Lantern knows that. They know what they're sacrificing–what they're giving up for even the slightest chance of bettering the universe.

Every Green Lantern is prepared to lay down their life for the cause.

Which is why, instead of the training grounds or the Hall of Great Service, Nell finds herself in the medical bay on Oa. Sitting beside a lone bed, she hugs her legs close to her chest as she stares down at the motionless, unconscious man in front of her.

It's been a week since Guy Gardner was downed in battle. A week since he told her a stupid joke, or went back to Earth, or helped her with the essay he promised they'd finish together over her summer break.

They said he was in a coma. They explained it in such a soft way; that he could wake up in a month's time, perfectly healed, or he might never wake up at all.

When people think of him, they think of his smirk or his arrogance. He had pissed off everyone in the Justice League more times than Nell could count, and that was all before she had ever even gotten her own ring. They think of how he leads the fight with his fists and not his head.

They never talk about his heart. They never mention the lengths he'd go to just to make the people he cares about smile.

It was Guy who took her to school in the mornings, and taught her how to stand up for herself when one of her classmates tried bullying her. It was Guy who held her hand on the way into her mother's apartment every month, and bought her ice cream before the trip back home. And it was Guy who had, despite not being invited to the Justice League himself, cheered for her when Batman announced the sidekicks would be joining the League a few weeks ago.

He got her in ways Hal and John never could.

He had been a Green Lantern for two whole years before she joined the Corps. An active hero for over seven years now. It was only two weeks ago that Guy had joked about joining "The Greats", because of course out of all people, it was another human beating the odds.

Hal wasn't regarded as the greatest Green Lantern, the best to sling the ring, because he survived past the average service time— but it's an easy dinner table joke, between Guy and Nell when they need something to laugh at so they don't think about the weight of it all, that living past it means they join The Greats right alongside her sector partner.

Now, Guy's laying in an infirmary bed, about to be transferred off Oa and onto the Justice League's Watchtower for the foreseeable future. The clock is ticking, and Nell can hear it in the back of her head. It was louder than ever before– because if Guy is going to die, if he's already halfway there with one foot in the grave, then she knows her time is running out too.

She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she were in his place. Aside from John and herself – and Hal, because she knows he'll visit every chance he gets despite protesting against it – Guy doesn't have anyone to sit at his bedside. His father is dead, and he hasn't spoken to his brother in years.

Nell supposes her mother would visit, if they kept her comatose body or buried corpse somewhere on Earth. If she was sober enough to remember. Maybe the Corps would come see her from time to time, but they would move on. The list of losses grows longer each passing day, and her name would just become another lost to time.

If it were John, he would want his sister and his mother at his side. He'd probably be buried somewhere near his younger sister, and his family would visit often.

Hal would have his brothers, and his niece, and Nell all at his side. There's no doubt in her mind that Carol would grieve his loss too, though the thought breaks her heart more than the idea of one day being forgotten.

Green Lanterns don't fear anything. But she can't, doesn't want to, think about leaving somebody else behind to grieve her when she's gone. She couldn't think of a more evil thing to put somebody through.

"Are you ready, Nell?" John's voice echoes through the infirmary and Nell, who has barely looked away from Guy's motionless body since she arrived in the medical bay this morning, glances over her shoulder with a frown.

"Do we have to?" She asks, her voice small and tired. "If we give him another week here, the ring could wake him up. And you know he'd want to see Oa."

John sighs quietly, then steps forward until he can rest a hand gently on her shoulder. "We can get him better help back on Earth, you know that," he says.

In the back of her mind, she knows he's right. The Watchtower is better for him. The League will always be watching over him, and he'd have access to human doctors that could be trusted– who would understand him and his human biology more than the other Lanterns ever could.

But if the Corps can't help him, if the ring and the Guardians can't help him, then what chance do human doctors have? What could they do that some of the more advanced alien planets can't?

"It'll be easier for you to see him if he's on the Watchtower," John adds a second later. "And he wouldn't want you to miss the big day."

Her nose scrunches as she turns away from John, resting her chin against her knees as her green eyes flicker back over to Guy. "The day is a hoax anyways," she mutters stubbornly. "We're only getting a tour of the Hall."

"The Hall is just the first step," John reminds her, a faint smile crosses his face as he lets his hand fall away from her shoulder. "Now come on, Hal's ready to head out."

⋆ ʚ ♡ ɞ ⋆

Every summer, Nell finds herself on Oa to undergo more training with Kilowog. Every single summer, without fail, she leaves Earth the day after Summer break begins and it's been that way since she became a Green Lantern.

But between her and the other sidekick's meeting with the League coming up, and Guy's condition keeping him comatose in the Watchtower since they brought him home last week, she's grounded to Earth for the first summer in almost five years.

In an hour, she and Hal would have to make their way across the country and over to Washington for their meeting with the League. The Day, the others were calling it. It's not the day, or anything even that special really, but Nell knows how important the first step is for her friends.

In bright pink shorts and a white pyjama shirt with a unicorn printed across the middle, Nell sits at the dining table in her and Hal's apartment. There's a half eaten bowl of cereal in front of her, beside an open book.

Her thoughts are miles away, drifting somewhere between the stars and the Watchtower. The topic of Guy Gardner's condition has been weighing on her heavily these past few days, and the day ahead – heading to Washington to meet with the Justice League – feels like just another thing she has to get through. She hasn't had a proper moment to breathe since Guy's body was brought to Oa.

She lets out a huff, her gaze flicking back to the top of the page she had been rereading over and over for the past five minutes, unable to truly absorb a single word on the page. Sa'laak had let her borrow a book from the Hall of Great Service detailing the stories of the first Green Lanterns. She had to take it back in a week's time, which would usually be no problem but with her thoughts all over the place, she can barely get past the fifth lantern; Jal-Al of Krypton.

Hunched over the table, her gaze pointed at the book and her head in the clouds, she doesn't notice Hal walk into the kitchen. She doesn't notice him as he walks past her and to the other side of the kitchen nor does she notice as he makes his own bowl of cereal with the box she left on the counter. It's only when he sits beside her, reaches across the table, and steals the book from beneath her hand that she finally notices his presence.

"The First Lanterns, again? Seriously?" His lips are twisted into a calico grin as his eyes flicker between her and the book cover. "We've gotta get you out more, kid. Make more friends."

"I have friends," she points out, one hand pressing against the wooden table as she leans over to snatch the book from his hands. "Kaldur, Wally and Roy are my friends."

"They don't count." Hal glances back at her and, when she parts her lips to speak again, he shakes his head. "Neither does Arisia. You know heroes never count in this conversation, Nellie."

"That's just unfair," Nell scoffs, then closes her book. The topic had been quite common. Nell's supposedly lack of friends outside of other heroes or the Corps. Each time, she would name someone and Hal would always say they didn't count. "And you're bad at the game."

"I'm great at it," Hal grins. "You're the one who needs to make more friends."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." She rolls her eyes, slumping back into her chair as she pushes her half-eaten cereal aside. She'd never quite understood Hal's obsession with her supposed lack of "regular" friends. She was used to the Corps, used to being surrounded by people who understood what her life was like.

The more people that care about her, the more people who will be hurt when she inevitably falls in the heat of battle. At least other heroes can understand that– at least other Green Lanterns can understand that. She can't promise she'll be around forever, and with Guy in a coma, that's never been more clear to her.

She's quiet for a beat, then glances at her watch, her lips pressing together as she checks the time. They'll need to leave in just under an half an hour for the meeting at the Hall– the downside of Batman running on Eastern Standard Time means that a 2 p.m. meeting time in Washington is actually an 11 a.m. start in Coast City. The upside is that, as Green Lanterns, she and Hal can leave three minutes before 11 a.m. and still make it there before the Flash even thinks about leaving his post-fight interview.

She's still not too sure that The Day is even worth the hype. The idea of all the other young heroes gathering together in one place is significant, sure, but it feels more like an introduction than anything. As usual, the grown-ups will take the lead, and the kids will just follow suit.

And all the while, she'll be thinking of Guy's condition.

But there's no room for pessimism in the Jordan-Bishop family apartment, and she doesn't want to be a burden on a day like today. So, she plasters a smile across her face as she glances back up at Hal. "We're still leaving soon, right?" She asks, and watches as he nods his head while eating another spoonful of cereal. "Great. I'm going to finish this chapter first, then."

⋆ ʚ ♡ ɞ ⋆

Reporters, journalists and fans alike were all gathered outside the Hall of Justice; it wasn't every day that the Justice League expanded their roster, certainly not to those considered sidekicks by the rest of the world. But today is the day, or so the others were calling it.

The first time Nell had been to the Hall of Justice was when The League first unveiled themselves and their new public headquarters in 2006, following the Joker's attack on their previously hidden Secret Sanctuary back in Rhode Island. Then again, a few months after that, when she and Robin – Dick Grayson – were revealed to the world as the first two sidekicks of the Justice League.

Four years since then, and the building has barely changed. She wonders if it still looks the same inside as it did four years ago, or if the League's PR team stacked more trophies inside to appeal to the masses.

From where she stands on a small hill overlooking the Hall of Justice, she can see the crowd gathered outside the Hall. They had yet to notice the heroes but, even from behind the barriers set up by security, it wouldn't be long.

Nell crosses her arms over her uniform, cautiously observing the crowd while Hal makes idle chatter with Batman somewhere behind her.

"Can you believe it?" An awestruck whisper reaches her ears, dragging her attention away from the Hall and its crowd, and over to the boy who had moved to stand beside her at some point between his arrival and her distraction. Dick, with his hands on his hips and a bright grin tugging at his lips, flicks his masked eyes back and forth between her and the large building. "We're finally joining the big leagues."

"Maybe you are," Nell comments as she turns to face him. Her lips twisting into a smug smile. "But I'm already part of the big leagues. It's kinda my job to protect this entire space sector, remember?"

Dick's grin falters, and he gives her an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

She's known Dick longer than she's known Kaldur, Wally, or even Roy, and it's a chilling thought. For some reason, she's never been able to grow closer to him in the way she had with the others.

"Look who it is!" Hal's cheer has both of the teen heroes turning around. Green Arrow and Speedy – Oliver Queen and Roy Harper – had walked up from the other side of the hill but, while Green Arrow stops at Hal's side, Roy continues forward until he reaches Nell and Dick.

"Robin." With a grin, he fist-bumps the younger boy, then glances at Nell. "Hey, lightbulb."

Nell's stomach immediately drops at the nickname, the smug smile falling from her face and her cheeks warming in embarrassment as she straightens up. "You said you'd stop calling me that!" She looks between the two boys, her green eyes narrowing slightly at Roy as he chuckles. "My name's Green Lantern. Not lightbulb."

"It could be worse," Dick laughs.

"Oh, really?" Nell's voice drips with sarcasm. "Like what?"

"Like glowstick."

Nell glares at Dick. "You're not helping."

Roy laughs at his suggestion, and she is quick to shoot him a warning glance. "Try it, Robin Hood," she dares him. He holds his hands up in surrender but, before he has the chance to say another word, Nell catches a glimpse of movement over his shoulder. The smile instantly returns to her face as she pushes past her old friend and waves to catch the attention of the newcomer, "Aqualad! Over here!"

Standing beside his mentor, Aquaman, Aqualad has his hands behind his back as he greets both Hal and Green Arrow. But when he hears Nell's shout, he turns around, his lips curling into a smile. "Green Lantern," he greets as he walks over to join their group. "Robin. Speedy."

He then looks around, his brows furrowing. "The Flash and Kid are not here yet?" He questions.

"Kid said they'd be here the same time as Batman and I," Dick announces, then glances down at his gauntlet with a teasing grin. "Which means in about... Three, two–" A sudden gust of wind brushes over the group of heroes, two red blurs breezing by. Dick finishes counting down, "One."

The Flash appears first, a grin on his face and his hands at his side as he waves to Hal, Green Arrow and Batman. Half a second later, Kid Flash – Wally West – appears at his uncle's side, with his goggles perched atop his head, his arms crossed over his yellow and red suit, and an unimpressed frown etched across his freckled face. "Oh, man!" He complains loudly. "I knew we'd be the last ones here."

"Told you," Dick says, his hands falling back to rest on his hips. When Nell glances over her shoulder to look at him, there's a knowing grin on his face as he stares over at the two speedsters and she has to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, well it doesn't take a genius to know the Flash's would be late," she points out. "They always are."

Wally's frown deepens as he catches Nell's remark, and he puts on an exaggerated scowl. "Hey, I'm not always late," he protests, though his tone is more playful than offended. "Just... fashionably delayed."

Nell smirks but doesn't respond. Instead, she raises an eyebrow at Wally's signature smugness. "Right, because no one looks cooler than a guy who can outrun time and still show up after everyone else."

Wally grins. "You just wait, Lantern. One of these days, I'm gonna make you eat those words."

"You'll have to catch me first," she shoots back, her confidence returning.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get you to agree to that race one day, and we all know who's winning that." He falls quiet for a moment, his grin faltering as, for once in his life, he thinks about his next words carefully. "Hey, speaking of Lanterns," Wally says, his voice dropping to a lower, almost uncertain tone, "how's Guy doing?"

Nell's shoulders tense slightly at the mention of Guy Gardner's name. "Don't worry about it," she replies quickly, brushing a strand of her red hair behind her ear as she attempts to sound unaffected. "He's tough. He'll wake up when he's ready." Her voice is steady, but she can't quite shake the tightness in her chest as she speaks.

Wally looks unconvinced, his brows furrowed. "You sure? I heard it was pretty bad."

"I said he's fine, Kid," Nell insists, her tone sharper than she intended. She forces a smile, trying to hide her unease. "It's Guy. If anyone can survive a week in a coma, it's him."

Wally looks like he wants to say more, but before he can push it further, Batman clears his throat behind them. "It's time," he informs the group of young heroes.

Their attention shifts quickly, and Nell finds herself grateful for it, as the brief and awkward moment surrounding Guy's condition fades back into nothing. What could she even say? What was there to say that she hasn't already been telling herself since the day Guy was brought back to Oa?

In a few days, or a week, or a month's time, Nell doesn't care. She knows he'll wake up.

No one can keep a good guy down for long.

The young heroes fall into line with one another as they walk towards the Hall of Justice, their mentors trailing closely behind. It's almost overwhelming when they reach the crowd. The loud chatter, children squealing in excitement, and camera flashes going off as reporters take photos of the heroes. Had Nell not grown up with this, a camera in her face documenting each time she did her job of saving the world, maybe she would've flinched at the bright lights periodically going off with each step they take.

Instead, she wears a bright grin on her face and waves to the cameras.

"I'm glad we're all here." Kaldur says, a warm and polite smile on his face as he glances between the three other heroes by his side.

Wally nods in agreement, "Have all five sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?"

Nell hums in thought. She had spent afternoons at Wally's house in Keystone, ran missions with the boy and his uncle over the years since they met. Occasionally, she would meet up with Roy in Star City for lunches or investigations that seemed more on the alien side. However, she couldn't say she had done the same with Kaldur'ahm or Dick.

"Don't," Roy's tone grows sharp, "Call us sidekicks. Not after today."

For a moment, there's the urge to bite back – Nell has never been anyone's sidekick. She has been a full fledged member of the Green Lantern Corps since completing her mandatory year of bootcamp four years ago. She's Hal's partner, not his sidekick. But she doesn't bark, or bite, or even roll her eyes at the comment. She just glances back at her friend.

"Today's the day, right?" She asks with a smile.

Roy grins back, "Today's the day."

"Sorry." Wally says sheepishly. "First time at the Hall. I'm a little overwhelmed."

"You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" Dick wonders aloud.

The group passes through the doors of the Hall, the outside chatter silenced as they shut behind them, but all Nell can focus on is the interior. Seven large statues of the League's founding members tower over them– golden, glimmering, and as intimidating as the heroes themselves. Those certainly weren't here four years ago, Nell thinks to herself, her green eyes widening slightly as she stares up.

"Oh..." Beside her, Dick lets out a shaky breath. Completely starstruck by the towering statues. "Maybe that's why."

They push forward, continuing through the Hall until they reach the outside of large metal doors marked with an Authorised Personnel Only sign. The doors open with a quiet hiss and the teens are greeted by Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado.

"Green Lantern, Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash. Welcome," Martian Manhunter greets them. He then turns around, missing the fist-bump between Wally and Dick, as he leads the group through a long hallway. "You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked gallery, and of course–" They come to a stop in the largest room at the end of the hallway. "–Our library."

"Make yourselves at home," the Flash tells them, motioning to the cushioned black seats with a warm, welcoming grin. Wally and Dick take a seat next to one another, while Kaldur sits across from them and Roy stands with his arms crossed behind the latter's seat.

Nell lingers near one of the large bookshelves taking up almost the entirety of the right-most wall, her gaze scanning over the books before she flies up for a better look at the higher shelves.

Their mentors gather in front of another closed door, their backs turned to the young heroes as they discuss something quietly. Batman turns around a second later. "Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day," he informs them. "We shouldn't be long."

Nell floats back down onto the ground, right beside the chairs where the boys are sitting, and crosses her arms as she watches a small machine pop out from above the Justice League Only doors. She had been told before that members of the League who couldn't fly, those who couldn't withstand space like John and Hal, used a zeta-tube to access the Watchtower.

This, she thinks as she watches the machine, must be the zeta-tube.

"Recognised: Batman, zero-two." The machine announces as it scans the Dark Knight, then moves onto the other heroes, "Aquaman, zero-six. Flash, zero-four. Green Lantern, zero-five. Green Arrow, zero-eight. Martian Manhunter, zero-seven. Red Tornado, one-six." The doors slowly hiss open.

"That's it?!" Roy snaps, taking a step forward as his shout captures the attention of their mentors. "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass."

"It's a first step, you've been granted access few others get," Aquaman tells the archer.

"Oh really?" Roy lets out a scoff, then throws his arm up to motion to the civilians currently watching them from behind the library's glass ceiling. "Who cares which side of the glass we're on!"

"Roy," Green Arrow says, "You just need to be patient."

"What I need is respect." With a huff, Roy turns around to face Nell and the other boys. "They're treating us like kids. Worse, like sidekicks," he spits. "We deserve better than this."

With furrowed brows, Nell glances over at the others. The sidekicks – barring Roy himself – each share a look, one that has Speedy growling. "You're kidding, right?" He breathes out in surprise. "You're playing their game? Why? Today was supposed to be the day. Step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League, remember?"

"Well, sure," Wally shrugs in response. "But I thought step one was a tour of the HQ."

"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ!" Roy reveals in his anger. Nell watches, surprised, as the League heroes behind Roy stiffen while the other sidekicks straighten in their seats. Then, she glances over at Hal, who stares back at her with a surprisingly stern look– as if he expects her not to say anything.

She had always assumed the others knew about the Watchtower, that – even if she had been the first to step foot in the Watchtower only a week ago – their mentors would've told them the truth even if they hadn't revealed its existence to the government or the general public.

Roy's eyes narrow into a glare as he continues,  "I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta-beam teleporter tubes to the real thing: an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower."

"The Hall's just the first step, Roy." Nell echoes the words John and Hal have been telling her for weeks.

"You don't get it!" Roy spins around to face her. "You already knew about it, it's not the same to you!"

"Wait, what?" Wally's voice breaks through the tension, his eyes wide with disbelief as he turns to Nell. "You knew about this?"

Nell's hand tightens around her arms as she tries to mask the wave of discomfort washing over her. She doesn't meet Wally's eyes right away, instead fixing her gaze on the zeta-tube. For a moment, she's lost in the quiet hum of the room, wrestling with what to say, how to explain that she hadn't been in on this secret for as long as they seem to think.

She knew about the Watchtower, sure. She'd even been there— if only because it was where they were keeping Guy, and she'd be damned if she let them keep her away. But what Roy doesn't realize is that it wasn't some grand step in her career, nor was it something that had been handed to her on a silver platter. It wasn't a reward for being a Green Lantern, or for being Hal's partner, or for having been part of the League in her own quiet, unnoticed way.

Permission to enter the Watchtower came under circumstances she wouldn't wish on anyone.

She stays silent for a beat, tearing her gaze away from the other sidekicks as they all stare at her with varying looks of hurt in their eyes. "There's a reason some of the new League recruits aren't taken straight up to the Watchtower," she points out stubbornly. "We have to earn it, Roy. That's what today is all about."

That's the truth of it, she supposes. Even if they had been heroes for years now, joining the Justice League means they go back to being rookies– and rookies don't magically earn the right to visit a place the Justice League hasn't even told the government about. Today was never meant to be anything more than a tour of the Hall, a first step on the long path to becoming members of the League.

"Like you even care," Roy scoffs. "You go there all the time."

Aquaman steps forward, his hand reaching out to rest on Roy's shoulder. "You're not helping your case here, son. Stand down–"

"Or what?" Roy slaps the older hero's hand away from his shoulder with a growl. "You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son, I'm not even his." His narrowed gaze flicks over to Green Arrow, whose face falls at the words. "I thought I was his partner–" Roy grips the top of his feathered, yellow hat, then throws it at the ground. "But not anymore."

Nell's eyes widen, her arms falling to her side in shock as Roy spins around on his heel to storm away from the heroes. "Guess they were right about you four," he hisses. His shoulder slams against Nell's as he storms past and, though she doesn't stumble, she takes a step to the side and rests a hand against her forearm as she watches him. The other sidekicks all stand up from their seats, as if they were torn between following after him or begging him to stay. "You aren't ready."

The doors slam shut behind him, but before any of the heroes have the chance to process his sudden exit, alarms begin to blare throughout the library and Superman's face appears on the large computer screens covering the wall beside the zeta-tube. The adults swiftly move to the computers.

"Superman to Justice League, there's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire," the Man of Steel informs them.

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus," Batman says. "This may present the perfect opportunity to–" He's cut off by another alarm, exactly like the one that had played before Superman's call. Nell and the boys move closer to their mentors, eager for a better listen as another face appears on the screen.

"Zatara to Justice League. The sorcerer, Wotan, is using the Amulet of Attan to blot out the sun," the man announces. "Requesting full League response."

Batman hums, then glances up at the Kryptonian. "Superman?"

"It's a small fire, local authorities have it under control," Superman explains calmly.

"Then Cadmus can wait." Batman pushes a button on the computer panel, "All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out." Without another word being said, Green Arrow moves toward the zeta-tube with Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado; the other heroes – Batman, Flash, Aquaman and Hal, linger behind and turn to face their proteges.

"Stay put," Batman orders.

"What?" Dick gasps. "Why?"

"This is a League mission," Flash says. "You're not trained."

Wally's eyes widened, "Since when?!"

"I meant you're not trained to work as part of this team," Flash corrects himself, trying to calm the situation before it gets out of hand once again.

"There will be other missions when you're ready," Aquaman tells them.

"But for now, stay put." Batman repeats his order. He moves towards the zeta-tube with the others following close behind, and Nell quickly flies forward, intercepting Hal's path before he can disappear through the zeta-tube with the other Leaguers. As soon as her feet touch the ground, she stares up at him, a pleading look in her eyes; she's a Green Lantern, and a mission to stop someone from blotting out the sun sounds exactly like something she should be stopping.

Hal only sighs. "Sorry, kid. You heard Bats." He reaches out to gently ruffle her hair, his lips tugging into a smile as she quickly swats his hand away. "Besides," glancing over his shoulder at the other sidekicks, he leans in closer to jokingly whisper to Nell, "Someone's gotta stick around and make sure they don't run away."

With a frown on her face, she watches Hal disappear through the zeta-tube, leaving her and the other teens alone in the Hall's silent library. Alone to face the sting of their mentors' words.

Behind her, Wally scoffs. He falls back in his seat, frustratedly crossing his arms as his foot taps against the floor. "When we're ready?" He repeats rhetorically. "How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like- like sidekicks?"

Kaldur lowers his head dejectedly, "My mentor, my king... I thought he trusted me."

"Trust? They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got a secret HQ... in space!" He throws his hands up to emphasise his point. He's quiet for a moment, then turns around, his arm resting on the back of his seat as he glances Nell's way. "And you knew about it!"

Nell's gaze flickers toward Wally, then shifts away. "I thought you all knew," she tries to explain herself. "I mean, I didn't really think it was some big secret they were keeping from you guys. I saw it every time I left the planet. It's just something that's always been there."

"How could you keep that from us?" Dick asks, his tone sharp and accusing. "Speedy said you're there all the time!"

"He doesn't know what he's talking about. Where did you think the League was keeping Guy?" Her frown deepens as she finally glances up to meet the gazes of the other teens. Dick has his back turned to her, but both Kaldur and Wally are staring in her direction with sympathetic looks. She pleads, "Trust me, I would have told you if I knew they didn't."

The others are quiet for a long moment, their eyes lingering on her. Then, Kaldur sighs. "What else aren't they telling us?"

She didn't blame them for feeling hurt. She knows that if Hal, or John, or even Guy chose to keep the Watchtower a secret from her, she'd be upset too. They believed they had their mentors' full trust, they believed they were equals; and with one sentence, Roy has completely shattered that delicate illusion.

"I have a better question," Dick murmurs, his back still turned to the group. "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?"

Kaldur frowns, his eyes flickering from the group to the computers, then back again. "What is Project Cadmus?" He wonders.

That catches Dick's attention, and he glances over his shoulder with a small smirk. "Don't know, but I can find out." He immediately makes his way over to the computers, and begins typing. The automated voice responds with an Access Denied, and the screen flashes red for a moment. The boy chuckles, "Wanna bet?"

Wally walks over to the computers, leaning over Dick's shoulder for a better look. "How are you doing that?"

Dick smirks. "Same system as the Batcave." With one last press of a button, the red 'access denied' screen flashes green and a file related to Project Cadmus appears in front of them. "Alright, Project Cadmus, genetics lab here in DC," Dick reads aloud. "That's all there is, but if Batman is suspicious... Maybe we should investigate?"

Catching onto the boy's train of thought, Nell raises a brow as she glances at him. "And what, solve their case before they do?"

"It would be poetic justice," Kaldur hums.

Dick grins, "And they're all about justice."

"But they said stay put," Kaldur reminds them.

"That was for the blotting out the sun mission," he points out. "Not this."

Hal had always told her to ask for forgiveness, not permission. If it didn't apply here, then what was it for? Nell's lips twitch into a smile as she turns to look up at the Atlantean hero. "Robin's right," she agrees, though the words pain her to say. "They never told us to stay away from Cadmus. Besides, we're staying in DC, right where they told us to be."

"Wait." Wally, who had been standing between Dick and Nell, places his hands on both of their shoulders and grins as he looks between them. "Are you going to Cadmus? Because if you're going, I'm going." The three heroes turn around to face Kaldur, each of them grinning up at the older teenager as he stares back at them with an exasperated look.

He lets out a sigh, his seafoam eyes flickering between the three of them. "Just like that, we're a team on a mission?"

"We didn't come for a playdate," Dick tells him, and Kaldur smirks.

Chapter Text

The sun is setting in the cloudy sky of Washington by the time the group leave the Hall of Justice and make their way across the city. With a fully charged ring, Nell lands in some alleyway across the street from the burning Cadmus building.

The closer she gets, the stronger the smoke has become. The sirens wail louder than ever, and the screams for help are almost deafening. Robin and Aqualad land in the alley somewhere behind her, and Kid Flash comes sprinting over to their sides a few seconds later.

"Help!" Trapped on the second floor of the building, two scientists lean out of the window as they scream to capture the attention of the firefighters below. "Get us down!"

"Stay put!" The captain orders them, as his men try to combat the fire with gallons and gallons of water. "We will get you out." As soon as he says those words, an explosion rocks through the room and its force sends the scientists flying out the window.

Kid Flash, before either Nell or Aqualad could react with a construct or the water from the fire-trucks, darts out of the alleyway. With his goggles pulled down over his eyes, he races up the side of the building and catches the two scientists by the collars of their lab-coats. He throws them over the ledge of the building's roof right before his momentum slows down, and he begins to fall.

Quickly, his hands wrap around the edge of the open window to the second floor, and he's left hanging off the side of the building.

"It's– what's his name?" The fireman with the megaphone cheers as he, and the rest of his crew, stare up at the boy hanging from the window. "Flash Boy!"

Aqualad moves closer to the entrance of the alleyway, where Robin stands with an amused grin on his face as they watch their fellow hero dangle aimlessly from the window. "Does he always have to run ahead?" The Atlantean wonders. "We need a plan–"

As Aqualad closes his eyes in thought, Nell watches Robin sprint out of the alleyway and use his grappling-hook to jump from the top of the firetruck and through the open window. "We– Robin?" Aqualad glances to his left, blinking in surprise when he notices the boy is no longer standing there.

With a sigh, Nell lifts herself off the ground and glances down at the hero below her. "Here's the plan," she says. "I'll rescue the scientists, while you follow Idiots One and Two into the building."

Aqualad nods his head, and the heroes take off towards the building as Robin pulls Kid Flash up through the window. Nell flies straight up to the rooftop, her lips curling into a kind smile as her arm stretches out in front of her. She imagines a platform, and, in a matter of seconds, a glowing green one appears from her ring.

Without a second thought, the two teary-eyed scientists scramble onto the glowing construct. Quickly, but gently, Nell lowers the scientists back to the ground before she turns around and flies through the open window to join her friends inside.

Aqualad, using the water from the firetrucks to propel himself up the side of the building and through the window, follows her inside a second later. "We appreciate the help," he tells the two boys sarcastically.

"You handled it," Robin answers with a grin. He stands behind the desk, all too happily hacking into the computer while Kid Flash rummages through the file cabinet behind him. "Besides, we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?"

Nell lands on the carpeted floor, her hands resting on her hips as her eyes scan over the rather normal looking office they stand in. "What are we investigating, insurance fraud?" She questions jokingly as she plucks a clipboard off the desk.

Robin shoots her a teasing look without missing a beat, his fingers still flying across the keyboard. "This place stinks of something bigger than a little paperwork mishap."

"You sure that's not just the fire?" Nell quips. She holds her ring up, using its glowing light as a torch as she gently tosses the empty clipboard back onto the desk and instead crouches down next to the desk's drawers.

Aqualad wanders out into the hallway and Nell pauses, the drawer in front of her barely halfway open before she lets go of the handle and stands up to follow the boy out of the room. Kid moves on from his respective task, searching through the file cabinet, and silently follows Nell and the eldest sidekick out of the office when a loud beep echoes through the hall.

Aqualad's standing several feet ahead of them, his eyes trained on the elevator as the doors slid shut. "There was something in the–"

"Elevators should be locked down," Kid points out as he walks around the corner. Nell stands next to the speedster, her brows furrowed in confusion as she follows his and Aqualad's line of sight– Kid's right, in emergencies like this, fires and the like, elevators shouldn't be working. It was a safety hazard, though she doubts a place like this would care about that.

Robin comes sprinting around the corner. He runs into Nell's back, causing the girl to stumble forward slightly, her shoulder knocking against Kid's. "Are you serious?" She complains, glancing over her shoulder as her eyes narrow into a glare pointed at the Boy Wonder.

He doesn't seem to pay her much mind. Instead, much like his mentor, he makes a sound from the back of his throat as he steps around her and makes his way over to the elevator. "This is wrong." Crouching down beside the elevator, the gauntlet-like device connected to the back of his glove projects a holographic-like blueprint of the elevator in front of them. "Thought so. This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building."

"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad says with a grim tone. He walks past the team and forces the elevator open with his bare hands. Robin ducks under his arm for a better look, while Nell floats over the two of them and into the elevator shaft.

The shaft stretches downward, far deeper than she expected. The dim emergency lights flicker weakly above, casting long shadows that seem to disappear into an abyss. Her glowing ring casts a faint green light across the sides of the shaft, but it doesn't reach the bottom. She blinks, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness, and for a brief moment, she wonders if the elevator shaft goes on forever.

"And that's what they need the express elevator for," Robin breathes out as he stares down. The Boy Wonder swiftly fires his grappling-hook into the ceiling of the elevator shaft, then jumps down. Kid Flash and Aqualad grab hold of the grappling-hook's wire and slide down as Nell flies down the shaft.

It's around sub-level twenty-six that Robin reaches the end of his line. He jumps from the wire to a small ledge that would connect the elevator to the floor, and Nell lands carefully beside him as she watches the other two slow their descents. The Atlantean leaps from the wire to the ledge with ease, and Kid Flash reaches out for the hand Nell holds out to help pull him across.

"Bypassing security." Robin attaches wires from his gauntlet to the door. A second later, he glances up at Aqualad with a nod of his head. "Go." Just like before, the Atlantean forces the metal doors open with his hands and the group exits the elevator shaft one by one.

"Welcome to Project Cadmus," Robin says.

Sub-Level Twenty-Six is a long, dark hallway, tinted red by the dim ceiling lights along the sides of the hall. The air is heavy with the scent of sterile chemicals, a sharp contrast to the smoke still wafting from above. Robin's sharp eyes scan the hallway, and he raises a hand, signalling the group to stay quiet.

Kid Flash pulls his goggles back down over his face and, without a word to the three other heroes, takes off down the hallway in a blur of yellow and red. "Kid, wait!" Aqualad calls out, but he's too slow to stop the speedster.

When he reaches the end of the long hallway, Kid Flash skids to a stop with a muffled scream as his momentum forces him to fall and roll across the ground. He stops in the centre of the next hall over, his eyes widening in fear as the hoof of a large elephant-like monster comes barrelling down.

"Kid, get out of the way!" Nell shouts. She lifts off the ground, quickly flying forward and through the hallway as the others run to catch up. Right before the monster can squish him, Kid Flash rolls to the right and dodges the monster.

He pushes himself back onto his feet and quickly weaves between the monsters, rejoining the rest of the team as they reach the end of the hallway. Nell slows, her hands falling to her side in shock as she lowers herself back onto the floor and watches as the herd passes by. "What the–"

"No," Aqualad whispers, his eyes trailing after the monsters, "Nothing odd going on here."

"Lantern, can you-?" Robin's eyes flicker back and forth between Nell and the monsters, and though there's a part of her that loathes the idea of following his orders, she nods her head.

"Right." Shaking herself out of her stupor, she raises her hand and points her ring at the monsters as they continue down the hallway. But her ring comes up with no answer; no hologram or information about their planet of origin.

The realisation hits Nell like a punch to the gut as she watches the creatures – massive, grotesque, and completely unfamiliar – march through the facility. Her ring should know what they are. It's supposed to know everything the Guardians know. But these things? Nothing. No data, no match, no record in the Lanterns database, and Nell knows it can only mean one thing.

Someone created them.

And Cadmus has something much more sinister going on beneath its surface than any of them could've ever thought.

The hallways of Cadmus are like a labyrinth to navigate through. With the herd having long-since passed by them, the group had trailed down the direction they came from; down long winding corridors, through twists and turns, until they came across a large metal door that's been locked remotely.

It doesn't take long for Robin to hack his way inside. "Okay," he says as the door slides open, revealing a large room filled from floor to ceiling with tubes carrying bug-like monsters. There were large cables connected to the tubes, cycling electricity from the bugs up into wires in the ceiling. "I'm officially whelmed."

Full of curiosity, Nell shoots off the ground to observe the tubes closer to the ceiling. Her lips twist into a frown as she stares at the motionless bug. "This must be how they keep this place hidden," she calls down to the boys. "No way they want this place showing up on the bills."

Kid Flash walks into the room, a few steps behind Robin. "The real Cadmus isn't on the grid," he realises. "This is– It has to be what they were bred for."

"Even the name is a clue," Aqualad points out. He stands in the centre of the room and, when Nell floats back so that she's hovering only a few inches above the ground by his side, he continues. "The Cadmus of myth created a new raven by sowing dragon's teeth into the Earth."

"And this Cadmus creates new life, too," Robin whispers.

"If you can even call it life," Nell scoffs, "They're being used like batteries."

With a smug grin plastered across his face, Robin glances at her as he walks past. "So, let's find out why," he suggests, then connects his gauntlet to the nearby computers. Aqualad and Kid Flash gather around him, eagerly awaiting information on the creatures produced by the laboratory.

Nell crosses her arms for a moment, her fingers tapping the side of her arm impatiently before she floats over to join them by the console. "Find anything yet, Boy Wonder?"

Robin spares her a quick, narrowed glance, before turning back to the computer. "They call 'em Genomorphs." He gasps, "Whoa! Look at the stats on these things: super strength, telepathy, razor claws. These are living weapons."

"They're engineering an army," Kid breathes out shakily, "But for who?"

"Wait!" Nell leans closer to Robin, pointing at a file that pops up on the holographic screen of his gauntlet. "What's that? Project Kr?"

Robin begins typing again, his fingers pressing against each key. "The file's triple-encrypted," he complains, "I can't–"

"Don't move!" A loud voice rings through the room. A man stands blocking the entrance, with an array of tall, blue-skinned Genomorphs waiting behind him. Their red eyes are sharp and unsettling and, the longer Nell stares at the creatures, the more she thinks about how they look like something she'd see on a distant, hostile planet. Not on Earth, twenty-six levels beneath Washington and the Hall of Justice.

"Wait..." The man seems to freeze up as his eyes, blue and almost hidden under a golden helmet, scan over the four teenagers. "Robin, Aqualad, Green Lantern, Kid Flash?"

Robin, still attempting to hack in the computers, grins up at their speedster friend. "At least he got your name right." While Nell moves in front of him, shielding his actions from the newcomer, Kid Flash rolls his eyes, his arm gently knocking against Robin's.

"I know you." Aqualad takes a step forward, his head held high as he tries to keep the situation from escalating at all. "You're Guardian. You're a hero."

The man smiles, "I do my best."

"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash demands.

"I'm the chief of security. You're trespassing," Guardian tells the teens. "But we can call the Justice League and figure this out."

"And you just think the League will ignore what you're doing here?" Nell quips, her green eyes narrowing into a glare. "You're breeding living weapons, they'll never turn a blind eye on that."

Guardian's eyes widened. "Weapons? What are you-" he begins to trail off, "What have I-"

The horns of the tiny monster on his shoulder glow a bright red and Guardian's pupils dilate. "What have I–" He groans, grabbing his head as he sways where he stands. "–My head!" In a matter of seconds, he stands up straight, his expression hard and his glare sharp as he points at the teens. "Take them down. No mercy!"

The creatures around him growl as they each lunge forward.

With no time to waste, Robin leaps into action and throws a smoke-bomb on the ground. A thick fog-like smoke fills the room and, as Nell fires a bolt of green energy at one of the Genomorphs – forcing their body to go flying across the room – she can hear the sound of Robin's faint laugh echo through the room.

Planting her feet on the ground, she creates a baseball bat in her hand and spins around on her heels to hit one of the monsters who had somehow gotten behind her over the head with it before they could get any closer to her with their sharp claws. It crashes to the ground with a quiet whimper.

Kid Flash is a blur through the smoke, his movements lightning fast as he dashes between the creatures, knocking them aside before they can get a hit in.

"Lantern!" Nell can hear Aqualad shout over the growling noises of the Genomorphs. "Clear a path!"

"I'm on it!" She bats another Genomorph out of her way and into the wall, before her baseball bat morphs into a large, glowing shield in her hands. She lunges forward in the direction of the doorway, using the shield to knock back several more of the attacking Genomorphs. Aqualad and Kid Flash immediately move through the opening she creates.

When they reach the hallway outside, Nell drops the shield and flies up into the air; Kid Flash sprints down the hallway, with Nell flying just slower than he runs and Aqualad following behind them. They race around the sharp corner, almost skidding around it, as Kid Flash leads them towards where Robin crouches in front of the elevator.

"Way to be a team player, Rob!" Kid snaps at the boy.

Robin glances up with a grin, "Weren't you right behind me?"

Landing on the ground behind them, Nell raises her hand and, right as Aqualad barrels around the corner with the creatures hot on his tail, she creates a large green wall with her ring to push the Genomorphs back. "Just get the door open," she tells Robin sharply. "We don't have all day."

"Yeah, yeah," he murmurs, almost sarcastically. The doors slide open a second later, and he and Kid Flash are the first to run inside the elevator.

The Genomorphs continue to bang and claw against the construct keeping them out, and Nell keeps her arm extended, trying to maintain the integrity of the wall. "Aqualad, you first!" Nell calls out through clenched teeth, feeling the boy's eyes lingering on her as she struggles to keep the growing crowd of enemies out. "I'm right behind you!"

With a nod of his head, Aqualad takes off for the elevator. Nell glances one last time at the surging Genomorphs, gritting her teeth. She feels the wall beginning to give way under the pressure, but she's already moving. With a final, determined push, she drops the construct entirely and rockets into the elevator, just as the first of the creatures claws at her heels.

The doors slide shut right behind her, and Nell slams headfirst into the back wall of the elevator with a harsh thud that has her crumpling to the ground. "Ow," she groans, clutching her head in both of her hands.

"You alright, Lantern?" Kid Flash asks, his voice full of concern as he and Aqualad gently take both of her arms and help lift her off the floor and back onto her feet. Still dazed from her collision with the wall, Nell rubs the back of her head as she regains her bearings.

"Yeah, yeah," Nell mutters, still wincing a bit as she stands up. "Just... headbutted the wall, no biggie."

Aqualad's eyes flicker from her to the number above the elevator doors that change with every floor they pass. "We're headed down?" He questions.

"Dude!" Kid Flash spins around to face Robin, who leans against the wall with his arms crossed. "Out is up!"

"Excuse me? Project Kr," he reminds them, "It's down, on sub-level fifty-two."

"This is out of control," Aqualad says, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration as he leans against the wall behind him. "Perhaps... Perhaps we should contact the League."

The suggestion of contacting the Justice League, the adults they've been trying so hard to prove themselves worthy of, feels like an admission of defeat. They've already come so far, dug into something far darker than any of them had anticipated. "We started this," Nell points out, her hand falling from the top of her head and back to her side as she glances at Aqualad. "Isn't it our job to finish it?"

Before any of them have the chance to speak again, the elevator lets out a ding and the doors slowly slide open. Aqualad and Robin both push off the walls they had been leaning against, already jumping into defensive positions, while Nell floated up into the air with her ring ready to act. Only, instead of the enemies they were expecting, the four heroes were instead greeted with another long, dark corridor.

A hollowed-out cave, Nell thinks to herself as she observes the way the lights reflect a red hue against the jagged rocks of the cavern's walls. Machinery and pods, ones similar to what they had seen in the room with the batteries, were scattered throughout the corridor.

Robin slips his birderangs back into his utility belt before he takes the first step out of the elevator, and then another, until he's running down the cave's hallway with the others following close behind him. The four of them stop at a fork in the road, and they quickly hide behind a row of containers as they observe their two options.

Aqualad glances down at the youngest of them. "Which way?" He asks Robin.

"Yeah, bizarre-looking hallway one? Or bizarre-looking hallway two?" The Boy Wonder's gaze flickers between the two paths.

"Halt!" A voice shouts. A tall, blue Genomorph steps out of the shadows on the left-most path, it was dressed in a white lab-coat and seemed far more intelligent than the others they had come across; its horns glow red, and it levitates two oil-drums into the air, before tossing them in the heroes' direction. They explode the moment they hit the wall behind them.

Nell flinches at the explosion, lowering her head, as Robin leans over the containers to toss a birderang at the creature. The small weapon stops mid-air, then falls onto the ground lamely.

"Go!" Nell throws up a shield, blocking the next oil-drum from making contact with their hiding spot. With her free hand, she pushes Robin's shoulder, nudging him in the direction of Bizzare Hallway Two as the others start running.

As soon as the boys disappear around the corner, she takes off flying after them, leaving only a trail of green light behind her. It doesn't take long for her to catch up with the boys, flying straight past both Aqualad and Robin, and around the next corner where Kid Flash had run ahead.

A female scientist, more concerned with the clipboard in her hands than the two heroes zooming towards her, steps out of a room labelled Project Kr. Kid Flash, skidding across the cavern rocks, knocks the woman's feet out from under her and he slides through the closing doors of the room ahead while Nell holds the door open for the others.

As soon as Aqualad and Robin race inside, she slips through the small gap herself and lets her construct drop. The doors spring shut, locking with a quiet tick that leaves the Genomorphs trapped outside, only able to claw and scratch at the metal doors.

Robin immediately connects to the computer consoles, quickly hacking into the system before he grins up at the team. "I disabled the doors," he informs them. "We're safe."

"We're trapped," Aqualad corrects with a pointed look.

"Aqualad's right," Nell nods in agreement, as she wanders away from the closed doors and over to the console where the two boys are standing. She's been to dozens of alien planets since getting her ring, has fought in countless battles and seen things she couldn't even begin describing to the heroes around her– and yet, if it wasn't for the fact that Green Lanterns aren't afraid of anything, she's sure the thought of being trapped here would have her hands shaking.

With a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists as she glanced at Robin. "There's no way we're getting out of here without facing what's on the other-side of that door," she points out. "And now they know we're trapped."

"They don't know that," Robin defends himself. "And they won't risk whatever they're keeping down here just to get to us."

"Uh, guys?" Kid Flash calls out.

"They have a whole army out there!" Nell snaps. "The last I checked; there's only four of us against hundreds of them. I don't even believe in those odds."

"Guys!" Kid Flash raises his voice, drawing their attention to the centre of the room where he stands in front of a large pod. "You'll want to see this."

Nell's eyes flick back to Robin, and, with a scoff, she pushes past him, her shoulder harshly knocking against his, before she floats over to where Kid Flash is standing. Aqualad soon joins them, followed by a seething Robin who has his arms crossed stubbornly over his chest.

Inside the pod there's a young man, no older than Aqualad and no younger than Robin, with dark hair and pale skin. His eyes are closed and, in small pods above him, there are three tiny creatures with glowing red horns similar to the thing they had seen sitting on Guardian's shoulder.

"Look." Kid Flash points at the symbol on the boy's white t-shirt. "Big K, little r. The atomic symbol for Kryptonite." His hands fall to his hips as he glances back at his teammates, looking back and forth between the three of them as his brows furrow. "Clone?"

"Robin, hack," Aqualad orders sternly.

"Right, right." Robin begins to furiously type into his gauntlet "Weapon designation: Superboy. A clone force grown in–" His eyes widened, "–Sixteen weeks?! With DNA acquired from Superman."

"Superboy?" Nell echoes, her voice tinged with disbelief. "They're creating clones... of Superman?" Her green eyes flicker to the pod again, taking in the young man suspended inside, looking so peaceful, so innocent.

Kid Flash tears his gaze away from the clone and turns to face Robin. "What do you mean... acquired?"

"More like stolen," Aqualad states.

Nell crosses her arms, her stomach twisting into knots. "No way Big Blue knows about this," she whispers. Superman wouldn't, he'd never, allow his DNA to be used like this. He would never allow his DNA to be used for the creation of what she can only assume Cadmus intends to use as a weapon.

"His solar-suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation twenty-four-seven," Robin continues.

"And these creatures?" Aqualad points up at the three tiny creatures sitting above The Superboy's pod.

"Genomorph Gnomes," Robin answers. "Telepathically force-feeding him an education."

"And we can guess what else." Kid Flash lets out a breath, his expression softening as he turns around to face the pod once more. "They're making a slave out of, well, Superman's son."

"That's putting it lightly," Nell murmurs. She's been to countless planets, seen horrors in the form of warlords and mad scientists, but this– this feels like something else entirely. Cadmus is breeding living weapons, an entire army, for who knows what.

And with Superman's clone at the head of their army, they'd be impossible to stop.

"Now we contact the League," Aqualad decides. Kid Flash nods his head in agreement and, as he presses the lightning-bolt on the side of his head to activate his in-ear comms, Aqualad presses the symbol on his belt and Robin brings his communicator up to his mouth.

Each of them are met with the sound of static. "No signal," Robin announces, his brows furrowing as he tucks his communicator back into his utility belt.

"We're in too deep," Kid Flash sighs. "Literally."

With her lips twisted into a frown, Nell reaches out to place her hand against the glass of the pod. "Can we get him out?" She questions, then glances over her shoulder to meet the boy's gazes. "I mean, we can't just leave him here. He's Superman's son."

"Set him free." Aqualad agrees as he turns to Robin, "Do it."

With a nod of his head, Robin lowers two levers on his holographic gauntlet and the clone's pod slowly hisses open. Nell steps to the side, her arms crossing over her chest. For a moment, everything stills, until Superboy's eyes snap out and he races out of the pod like a speeding bullet, taking Aqualad with him.

He tackles the Atlantean to the ground, throwing punch after punch. Kid and Robin rush forward, grabbing hold of the clone's arms in an attempt to hold him back from hurting Aqualad.

"Hang on, Supey!" Kid grits his teeth, struggling to keep the clone from hitting Aqualad again. "We're on your side!" The Superboy growls and, as he breaks his arm out of Robin's grip, he lands a clean punch across Kid Flash's jaw with enough force to send him hurtling back towards the pod. He crashes through the chamber, the glass shattering as soon as he makes contact, as he hits the ground, he rolls across the floor until he's limp and unconscious.

Robin lunges forward, grabbing onto the boy's arm again even as he struggles against him. "I don't want to do this!" Robin reaches forward to place a gas-bomb in his mouth.

Aqualad raises his foot and kicks at Superboy's chest, sending the clone flying back into the consoles behind him. Robin fires his taser, the two-prongs sticking to Superboy; the clone ignores the electric current flying through the wires and grabbing hold of them, he tugs harshly to pull Robin towards him. As soon as the boy is within reach, Superboy grabs him by the front of his costume and slams him against the ground, pressing his foot against the struggling boy's chest.

Nell imagines a large hammer, something strong enough to keep the Man of Steel's clone down long enough for them to regroup, and when she feels the weight of its handle in her grip, she flies forward. She swings it through the air, the weight of it making a resounding whoosh. The massive hammer connects with Superboy's side with a loud crack, sending him flying across the room and into the nearby wall with a bone-shaking impact.

Superboy slumps to the ground, dazed but still conscious, his breathing heavy as he lifts his head slowly. His blue eyes burn with anger. His gaze locks onto Nell, his eyes narrowed, chest heaving as he rises from the ground with surprising speed.

Before she can react, he's on her, throwing a punch that she narrowly dodges, but not fast enough to avoid the impact of his elbow to her side. She grunts in pain, stumbling back. Her ring burns against her finger as she clenches her fist, but Superboy is on her again. His fist comes down in a crushing arc.

Nell throws up a shield just in time, the blow rattling through her construct as Superboy's strength crashes against it. He takes a step back, as if reassessing the situation for a moment, then he charges again. She twists in the air, dodging the initial strike and summoning a chain of glowing green energy from her ring. It wraps around Superboy's legs, pulling him off balance. He crashes to the floor with a grunt, but he's on his feet again in an instant.

His eyes snap up to her with a growl and he lunges at her in a blink of an eye.

Nell's eyes widen as she tries to form another construct, but this time she's too slow. Superboy tackles her mid-air, sending her crashing into the wall. The wind is knocked from her lungs as he slams her against the wall once, then twice, her head spinning. His hand locks around her throat.

She struggles under Superboy's grip, gasping for air as his hand tightens around her throat. With her fingers frantically clawing at his wrist, her vision begins to blur, and the edges of her sight darken.

Before she can summon the strength to act, the pressure around her throat shifts. Superboy is pulled off her, and she gasps for air as she slumps forward. Across the room, Aqualad and Superboy are battling it out but as Nell falls to her knees, and everything spins around her, she's not sure of the outcome. She's not sure of anything, because the second she falls forward and hits the ground, everything goes black.

Chapter Text

"Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken now!"

Nell's head shoots up, though she immediately winces as the room spins around her. The voice in her head, whoever that was, she can't hear them anymore– and when she tries to move, she finds that her hands are bound above her head.

She tries to ignore how much her throat hurts with every breath she inhales, or the ache that spreads through her body like fire. But she can't; her ring, like all other Green Lantern rings, can heal its host which means the ache of being tossed around like a ragdoll should be non-existent by now. Yet each time she shifts in the bonds keeping her trapped within a containment chamber, she can feel the ache of her ribs and the pressure still on her throat.

But worse than the physical pain, the fear of being captured, of being trapped, claws at her mind. She wiggles her fingers above her, trying to summon something – anything – to help her escape, but nothing comes. Not a flash of light, nor a construct of any size.

She feels a cold rush of panic, her breaths shallow and ragged.

Her ring has never not worked.

She pulls harder at her restraints, but the bonds remain unbroken. Her green ring flickers weakly, but it's like a dying ember, as the room continues to spin around her and her vision starts to blur once again.

"Lantern– You–?" A voice catches her attention over the loud, thumping beat of her heart in her ears. She turns her head to the side, her green eyes widening as she realises in three identical pods beside her, the boys are trapped as well. "Lantern," Kid Flash calls out again, his voice much clearer this time. "You okay?"

Nell blinks once, then twice, trying to steady her blurry vision as she weakly nods her head. "I'm– I'll be okay," she answers, then leans her head back. On the ceiling above them, yellow crystals twinkle in the bright light of the room, and they imprint themselves behind closed eyelids as she squeezes her eyes shut. Lanterns don't cower, they aren't afraid of anything, she repeats over and over in her mind.

There's a logical reason for her ring not working, maybe she hit her head too hard. There's no reason to panic. It's fine, she tells herself. Lanterns don't cower, it's fine. She blinks her eyes open, then glances back to her right, where Kid Flash and Robin are trapped. "Where... Where are we?"

"Ask Supey down there." Kid Flash practically hisses, as he tears his gaze away from his friend and glares down at the clone. Superboy stands in front of the pods, his arms behind his back as he silently watches them. "Quit staring! You're creeping me out!"

"Uh, KF," Robin speaks up, his voice low and quiet, "How about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?"

To Nell's left, Aqualad clears his throat, trying to recapture the attention of the clone before Kid Flash's comments can anger him too much. "We only sought to help you," he says softly as they meet one another's gaze.

"Yeah! We free you and you turn on us," Kid snaps, adding fuel to the burning fire. "How's that for grat-?"

"Kid, please, be quiet now." Aqualad cuts the boy off, then flicks his gaze back down to the clone. "I believe our new friend was not in full control of his actions."

Nell's eyes dart over to Robin, who's fiddling with something, his hands working swiftly despite the restraints. He catches her eye for a brief moment, and for some strange reason, Nell feels the tiniest flicker of hope. She's quick to avert her gaze, not wanting to draw any attention to Robin's movements as he works to unlock the cuffs.

"Wh- What if I..." Superboy's voice is hoarse, unused. As if this were the first time he had spoken before. He tries again: "What if I wasn't?"

Kid's eyes widen, "He can talk?"

"Yes." Superboy growls. "He can."

Around him, the other heroes all glare at the Speedster, who only shrugs his shoulder. "What?" He asks obliviously. "Not like I said, it."

Aqualad, with a sigh and a roll of his eyes, simply ignores Kid Flash and addresses the clone again. "The Genomorphs taught you telepathically?" He wonders.

"They taught me much." Superboy nods. "I can read, write. I- I know the names of things."

"But have you seen them?" Robin asks, "Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?"

"Images are implanted in my mind," Superboy answers, then shakes his head, "But no. I have not seen them."

"Do you know what you are, who you are?" Aqualad questions.

Superboy straightens up, as if he were programmed to answer the question without a second thought. "I am The Superboy, a Genomorph, a clone made from the DNA of The Superman," he states firmly. "Created to replace him should he perish... To destroy him should he turn from the light."

Nell swallows the lump formed in the back of her throat as her eyes subtly flicker between her teammates. Cadmus has not only created a clone, a living weapon with the powers of Superman, but they did so to take out Superman...

Aqualad doesn't falter at the statement, nor under the clone's hardened look. "To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration," he assures. "But like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod... Beyond Cadmus."

"I live because of Cadmus!" Superboy snaps. His eyes narrow and, for a split second, Nell flinches with the thought he was going to fry them all. But he doesn't. Nothing comes, except for his voice. "It is my home!"

Robin frowns, "Your home is a test-tube."

"We–" Nell pauses, swallowing again as she tries to ignore the dull pain in her throat. "We can show you the sun."

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight," Kid Flash corrects her with a grin, then glances down at Superboy. "But we can show you the moon!"

"We can show you, introduce you to Superman," Aqualad offers.

Superboy falters for a moment, and Nell recognises that look that comes across his face in the same way she recognises the back of her hand or the symbol on her suit. She's worn it before; she had the same look in her eyes when she got her ring, when Hal promised to take care of her. It's the look of hope.

But before Superboy has the chance to dwell on it, before he can say something or acknowledge their offers, a voice speaks up from behind him and his face instantly falls. "No, they can't," a man in a lab-coat states. He walks into the room, followed by Guardian and the female scientist they had seen outside of Project Kr. "They'll be otherwise occupied."

The scientist glances at his associate. "Activate the cloning process," he orders.

Robin's voice, quick and sharp as always, cuts through the tension, "Pass. The Batcave's crowded enough."

Nell bites back her fear. She's always known, since the moment she got her ring and joined the Lantern Corps, that she would die one day. She's been preparing for it since she was eleven and finished bootcamp, because she knew the day would come no matter what. But she'd be damned if she went out in some dingy cave fifty-two levels beneath the surface.

She glances down at Superboy, who stands below them with a conflicted look in his eyes. "We can still help you," she promises. "You don't have to be like this. You don't have to be what they made you."

"Get the weapon back in its pod!" The scientist snaps at Guardian, glancing over his shoulder to meet the man's gaze. Without a word, Guardian nods and steps closer to Superboy, who shrugs his hand off his shoulder with an angered look.

With a frustrated sigh, the scientist strolls over to Superboy. "Don't start thinking now," he tells him. The Genomorph on his shoulder lifts its head, its horns glowing a bright red in the same way Guardian's had earlier in the night. "See, you're not a real boy. You're a weapon and you belong to me! Well, to Cadmus, but same thing. Now get back to your pod!"

Any fight Superboy had, or that she thought he had, seems to vanish from the boy's eyes as he silently turns around and follows Guardian out of the room without a word of protest. The female scientist moves away from the man's side and, as she begins typing into the console off to the side of the room, two metal prongs shoot up from the floor of the pods.

Nell's breath catches in her throat as the metal prongs rise from the floor of her pod, and she finds herself tugging at the restraints again. The metal bites into her wrists, and the more she moves, the more her head spins and throbs.

The prongs drive forward into her chest, sending waves of electricity through her body as they extract her blood. Every muscle in her body tenses, her vision flickering and spinning in and out of focus as the electrical current courses through her. A sharp, agonized scream rattles through her ribs.

But as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

Nell slumps forward from exhaustion, her red hair hanging over her face as she squeezes her eyes shut and tries to catch her breath. When she wearily opens her eyes, Superboy has returned to the room; the door has been ripped off its hinges, and the scientists, alongside their Genomorphs, have been knocked to the ground.

"You here to help us or fry us?" Kid Flash asks breathlessly.

Superboy's eyes narrow up at them, and he stays silent for a moment. Then, a smirk breaks out across his face. "Huh, I don't seem to have heat vision," he says, "So I suppose helping is my only option."

Robin's restraints click open, and the boy jumps from his pod with a relieved laugh. "Finally! Lucky Batman isn't here," he rubs his wrist, "He'd have my head for taking so long."

"Seriously? That's what you're worried about?" Kid Flash watches as Robin runs over the pod's control panel. "After tonight, the whole League will have our heads!"

Nell groans quietly, knowing Kid Flash was right. While Hal and John couldn't take her ring, couldn't stop her from doing her duties as a Green Lantern, or bench her in the way the others will pull Robin and Kid Flash from the streets for a couple weeks, it won't stop them from figuring out some sort of fitting punishment for ignoring direct orders.

Robin hits a button on the console and, as the needles retract from the heroes, the pod doors open swiftly. "Free Aqualad," he tells Superboy. "I'll get Lantern and Kid Mouth."

"Don't you give me orders either," Superboy growls. Nonetheless, he leaps up to Aqualad's pods and easily breaks the metal restraints.

Robin jumps to Kid Flash's pod, quickly picking the locks that kept the speedster's hands bound above his head. When Kid drops to the ground, Robin swiftly moves to the left. One of the Nell's shackles pops open with ease but, when the other unlocks and she starts to fall forward, Robin grabs hold of the side of the pod and quickly wraps his arm around her waist to stabilise her.

"Thanks for the catch," Nell murmurs as she glances at the boy, then averts her gaze. Her hand clenches into a fist, her eyes focusing on her ring for a moment. It's still like dead-weight on her finger– but it can't be dead because she remembers charging it this morning, and again before they left the Hall, and she was still in her uniform.

With a deep breath, she jumps out of the pod and lands in front of the other heroes. As she stands up straight, the room spins for a second.

"You- You'll never get out of here!" The male scientist yells angrily as the five teens begin to make their way out of the room. "I'll have you back in pods before morning!"

"That guy is not whelmed." Robin stops in the doorway of the room, twisting his body around to throw four birderangs. They connect to the blood-filled containers beneath the pods, then explode, destroying any DNA that had been stolen from them. "Not whelmed at all."

"What is it with you and this whelmed thing?" Kid Flash wonders aloud as the five teens make their getaway. Nell runs just behind the group, her eyes narrowing at her hand as she shakes it back and forth, as if she could somehow wake her ring up with the motion.

The group turns around a corner, back in the direction of the exit. Then, without warning, the ring flares to life, and a rush of green light engulfs her. The pain in her ribs, the tightness in her chest, all of it fades away in an instant as she floats up off the floor with a bright grin.

"Finally," she whispers to herself as she shoots forward, flying just ahead of the boys. The fear – though she'd never admit that's what it was – that had gripped her loosens its hold as her confidence surges back.

Behind her, Robin and the others notice the change instantly. Kid Flash grins as he slows just enough to run at her side. "Well, there she is!" He cheers, with a distinct note of relief in his voice.

"We are still fifty-two levels below ground," Aqualad reminds the group. Not willing to let his guard down and celebrate the small victory just yet. The five teens turn another corner and find their way back to the fork in the road. "But if we can make the elevator..."

He trails off as monstrous growls echo through the cavern. In the air, Nell slows to a stop, her eyes widening as she stares up. The large Genomorphs they had first seen upon entering Cadmus were blocking their path to the elevator. Behind them, more Genomorphs tear themselves out of egg-like pods attached to the cave's walls.

A larger Genomorph raises its leg to stomp down on them; the boys jump back to avoid the hit as the Genomorph's hoofed foot slams against the ground, and Nell flies up closer to the cave's ceiling.

Glancing down, she watches as the group moves to dodge the Genomorphs and get behind them; Robin fires his grapple-hook at the ceiling and swings over them, Kid Flash zigzags between their legs. Nell creates a green bubble around Aqualad and lifts him into the air – with all the grace she's learnt in her time in the Corps, she floats over the Genomorphs and gently lands on the other-side, where she lowers Aqualad to the ground with a grin.

They all make it... All except for Superboy who jumps on the offensive. The cave walls shake as Superboy tosses the creatures around and, as he slams another one into the wall opposite him, the ceiling trembles and a crack begins to form.

"Superboy!" Aqualad shouts to catch his attention as the rest of the group gathers in front of the elevator. "The goal is to escape, not to bury ourselves here!" Pebbles and rocks begin to split off from the ceiling, dropping down into the cave hallway.

With a grimace, Nell raises a hand above her head and creates an umbrella to shield her – and the rest of the team's – head from the rubble.

The clone turns around, his eyes blazing. "You want to escape?" With a growl, he lifts one of the Genomorphs over his head and whirls around, tossing it at the others and knocking them all over so they're unable to follow.

With a new opening, Nell lowers her construct and instead fires directly at the elevator doors. They blast open, slamming against the wall of the shaft with a metallic screech. Robin doesn't hesitate to run into the elevator shaft and fire his grapple-hook up, while Superboy takes Aqualad and leaps upward.

"Oh, look, they missed the elevator," Nell jokes, glancing over her shoulder to meet Kid Flash's gaze, as she summons a platform at the base of the elevator shaft. With a playful roll of his eyes, he steps onto the glowing green construct as Nell flies upward after the boys.

For a moment, it seems like the perfect getaway. Until, above her, gravity seemingly catches up to Superboy and he begins to fall instead of fly. With widened eyes, Nell swiftly moves to the side before Superboy and Aqualad can crash into her. She thinks of something big, something soft to cushion their fall. One moment, her construct is a sleek, sturdy platform; the next, a large bed, cushioned and sprawling beneath the weight of Superboy and Aqualad as they crash into it.

For a moment, everything is eerily quiet.

Aqualad groans as he slowly sits up, rubbing his head.

Superboy, who looks just as confused as he is disoriented, pushes himself up from the bed with a sharp grunt. "Superman can fly," he whispers brokenly. Hovering above them, Nell frowns as she moves the construct to the nearest edge, allowing the three boys to move off of it and onto solid ground again. "Why can't I fly?'

Robin drops down from the ledge above.

"Don't know, but it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound," Kid Flash points out cheerily, gently grabbing Superboy's wrist and pulling him up off the bed and onto the ledge. "Still cool."

Superboy's silent for a moment, mulling over the speedster's words, then nods. "Thank you," he whispers gratefully.

A whirring sound echoes through the elevator shaft above them and, as Nell looks up, she gasps at the sight of the elevator barreling towards their location. Robin, seemingly catching onto the same thing, shouts, "This will have to be our exit!"

Superboy's hand balls up into a fist, and without a second of hesitation, he punches straight through the doors and into the hallway of Cadmus's fifteenth floor. The group takes off running through the office-floor halls.

Genomorphs rush at them, their growls echoing off the walls. The group takes the closest left and, at the front of the group, Nell flies neck-to-neck with Kid Flash.

"Left, go left!" At the back of the group, Superboy orders them. Nell shares a glance with the speedster at her side, and he shrugs his shoulders in response before zooming around the next left corner with her following shortly behind. "Right!" They follow the clone's orders again, only to wind up at a dead-end.

Kid Flash stops right in front of the wall, then spins around on his heel to face Superboy, who stares at the wall with confusion written across his face. With a sigh, Nell settles on the ground beside the two boys.

"Great directions, Supey," Kid Flash says sarcastically. "Are you trying to get us re-podded?!"

Aqualad and Robin come running around the corner a second later, slowing their paces down as Superboy approaches the wall. He places his hand against the wood-paneling with a frown. "I– I don't understand," he whispers.

"Don't apologise. This is perfect." With a grin on his face, Robin approaches them and points up at the small vent on top of the wall. "Lantern, you mind?" He glances over his shoulder, meeting Nell's gaze as she nods her head.

Floating upwards, Nell carefully blasts the vent open and creates a small ladder for the group to climb up. "Boys first," she calls out. One by one, with Robin leading the charge, the four boys climb into the vent. Nell follows them inside a moment later, carefully closing the vent behind her.

They crawl through the vents for a few minutes at the very least, their only lightsource coming from Robin's gauntlet as he guides them through the complicated systems.

"At this rate we'll never get out," Kid Flash complains. At the centre of the group, trapped between Aqualad and Nell in a cramped air-vent, the speedster crawls much slower than he's used to.

It's not ideal, Nell thinks to herself as they continue moving. Keeping a speedster in a small, confined space rarely works out well.

Right behind Robin, Superboy suddenly pauses, forcing the rest of the group to slow down. "Shh, listen," he tells them.

Nell strains to hear what the clone does but, when the faint sound of animalistic screeching echoes through the vents, she can't help the quiet gasp that falls from her lips.

Robin twists himself around, kicking open the side of the vent before dropping out into the hallway. "Go, go!" He urges the rest of the team out, then drops to one knee beside a panel in the wall. "I'm hacking the motion sensors, should buy us a little time."

"Sweet," Kid Flash approves as he drops down from the vent and observes the empty hallway. He stretches his arms above his head, as though they were trapped in the vents for longer than a few minutes.

"Still plenty of them between us and out," Robin says as he glances up at the speedster.

"Maybe." Kid Flash grins as he slides his goggles down over his face. "But I've finally got room to move." Without another word, he takes off sprinting down the hallway and through the stairwell, ahead of the group.

They race up the stairs to follow him, making as much space between them and their last known location as possible. Nell ignores the staircase altogether, shooting up the space between the winding stairs like a speeding bullet of green light.

"More behind us!" Robin shouts.

Superboy skids to a stop, quickly turning around and slamming his foot against the ground hard enough to destroy the staircase the Genomorphs were following them up from.

Speeding out of the stairwell on sub-level one, shortly behind Kid Flash, Nell's eyes widen as she watches the metal doors ahead of them slowly shutting and cutting them off from the outside world.

She's quick to pull up, slowing her flight until she can safely land on the ground a few feet away from the closed doors. Kid Flash on the other hand isn't able to slow his own momentum in time, and slams into the doors headfirst with a thud loud enough to have Nell wince.

"You okay, Kid?" She calls out warily, slowly flying towards him as he carefully sits up. The others come running out of the stairwell a few seconds later.

"Just hit my head on the wall," he groans, rubbing his forehead softly as he repeats her words from earlier. "No biggie."

"We're cut off from the street," Aqualad points out with a growl.

"Thanks," Kid replies sarcastically. "My head hadn't noticed that."

"Walk it off, Kid." Nell reaches a hand out to him, carefully helping him back up onto his feet as Superboy and Aqualad move towards the closed metal doors, trying to pry them open while Robin attempts to hack into the system. She glances behind them, her lips twisting into a frown as the group of Genomorphs that had been chasing them up the stairwell begin to close in on them.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, Robin jumps to his feet and kicks open the door to his left. "This way," he calls out to the team. They rush through the door, closing it behind them to slow the Genomorphs.

But when they reach the end of the hallway, they're cut off by Guardian and his own entourage of Genomorphs, blocking them between him and the group that had been chasing them through the various different sublevels of the building.

The large war-hammer, the same thing she had used to fight off Superboy, reappears in Nell's hands as she readies for a fight. Robin stands to her right, four birderangs tucked between his fingers as he faces the Genomorphs. The others keep their attention on Guardian.

The horns of each Genome begin to glow red, bright and bone-chilling in the same way it had been when Superboy woke up or when Guardian had turned on them hours ago, and Nell crumpled to the ground as a sharp pain shot through her head.

Her construct disappears as she blacks out for a moment, her ears ringing. But, as quickly as it happened, the feeling suddenly subsides. With the blue Genomorph they had seen in the cave standing over them, and Guardian with his hands on his head and his shoulder free of the Genome that's been sitting there all night, Nell's vision refocuses on the dark hallway.

"Feels like a fog lifting," Guardian mumbles.

A gloved hand appears in front of Nell's face and, cautiously looking up, she realises that it's Robin who holds his hand out to help. "Thanks," she whispers as he pulls her back onto her feet.

In front of them, Aqualad takes a step closer to the older hero. "Guardian?"

Guardian opens his eyes, now free of malice and looking more clear-minded than he previously had. "Go," he tells the five teens as he stands up. "I'll deal with Desmond."

"I think not."

The sea of Genomorphs part to reveal Desmond, the scientist, holding up a blue vial with a crazed look in his eyes. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus," he states. Without a second thought, he gulps down the liquid, then immediately drops the vial as he hunches over in pain.

Nell watches with wide eyes as, right in front of her, Desmond begins to change. She can hear his bones crack with every inhumane twitch of his body, his skin stretches and his clothes tear into pieces as his body grows larger. She takes a step back, her mouth dropping at the horror of it all as Desmond's skin tears, hanging loosely off his new enlarged form.

Desmond rises to his feet with a growl.

"Everyone back!" Guardian orders as he charges at Desmond. He reels his arm back to land a hit but, before he can, Desmond bats him away with a flick of his hand.

Superboy is the next to rush forward. They fight for a few moments, matching each other's furiosity, but then Desmond grabs Superboy's ankle and throws him through the ceiling. He jumps through the newly created hole a few seconds later, joining Superboy on the ground level of Cadmus.

"Okay, that's one way to bust through the ceiling," Robin quips. He shoots his grapple hook into the ceiling, then grabs Kid Flash's wrist.

"You think Lab-Coat planned that?" Kid asks as the two boys fly up through the hole.

Nell creates a staircase for Aqualad and, as he sprints up the short number of stairs, she flies up to join the others on the ground floor. "I doubt he is planning anything anymore," Aqualad answers Kid Flash's question as he follows them up.

Right as Nell lands her feet on the ground, Desmond swipes Superboy's feet out from under him and easily tosses him in the teens' direction. Nell's quick to duck, and Superboy sails over her head to instead slam into Aqualad. The two boys roll across the lobby and skid into the Cadmus Help desk.

Kid Flash and Robin run over to help them and Nell floats back up off the ground to keep the monster distracted. Her eyes narrow, and she quickly forms a solid green construct in her hands—a spear. She charges forward, holding the spear out in front of her like a knight's lance.

Desmond roars, his enormous fists swinging in the air. Nell darts to the side, narrowly dodging one of his wild punches, and leaps into the air. She twists her body midair, forming another construct—a large shield that blocks his next attack. The force of Desmond's punch hits the shield with enough momentum to send Nell flying back into one of the stone pillars hard enough to leave splintering cracks behind her.

Nell grits her teeth, pain shooting up her spine as she pushes off the pillar. Shifting the shield into a spinning disc of green light that cuts through the air, she launches it toward Desmond's head. Desmond howls in anger as the disc slices into his shoulder.

Kid Flash zips past the two of them, falling onto his knees behind the former scientist as Aqualad and Superboy race forward. At the last second, they leap upwards and punch Desmond, knocking him back over Kid's crouched form.

"Learned that one in kindergarten," Kid Flash laughs.

The battle rages on as Superboy and Desmond clash in a brutal back-and-forth. Though nothing seems to stun Desmond as he and Superboy crash into one of the pillars, completely destroying the stone.

Creating a lasso, Nell tosses the long rope around Desmond's arm and tugs as hard as she can, trying to prevent the monster from landing another hit on Superboy. He moves his arm with a growl and yanks Nell, who was still clinging to the construct, forward.

She tries to fly up at the last second, but Desmond's hand wraps around her ankle and before she can react, he tosses her across the lobby. She groans as she pushes herself upright, shaking off the disorienting blow. Her head throbs, her ears ringing.

"Kid, Lantern!" Robin shouts, waving the two heroes over to him. "Get over here!" Kid Flash sprints to his friend's side and, after collecting herself off the ground, Nell joins them by the help desk. "We need to bring this building down."

Nell follows his gaze over to the already destroyed pillar. "On top of us?" She questions as she glances back at him. "Did you get knocked on the head or something? I think you're seriously overestimating how much damage a human body can take right now."

Robin glares at her for a moment. "If we knock out the pillars, the place will come crashing down on Desmond," he tells her. "The two of you, distract him. Get ready for my signal. It's up to you to protect us, Lantern."

He takes off running without another word, and Nell scoffs. "Wow, no pressure or anything," she murmurs, floating off the ground as green light surrounds her body. Kid Flash sprints in one direction and Nell turns her attention back to the pillar she had slammed into earlier. She quickly forms a large, green construct in her hands—a hammer this time. She hurls it toward the base of the pillar, aiming for the weak spot. The hammer hits with a resounding crack, the second pillar beginning to crumble. But she doesn't wait for the dust to settle.

Across the room, Kid Flash is running circles around Desmond, distracting him long enough for Robin to tell both Superboy and Aqualad the plan.

She creates a giant green chain, wrapping it around Desmond's other arm and anchoring it to the floor. As the chain pulls taut, Desmond roars and tries to break free, but the added weight slows him down just enough for Kid Flash to loop around him and leap upwards to punch him.

Kid Flash falls back to the ground, skidding to a stop a few feet away and grimacing as he shakes his hand back and forth. "Uh, got your nose?" He quips, fighting back the look of disgust that crosses his face as the scientist's skin falls from his hand.

Desmond growls, snapping out of Nell's construct and charging at the speedster. With a grin, Kid Flash ducks as Desmond swings his fist. He punches the pillar, weakening its support but somehow remaining oblivious to the birderang that digs itself into the side of the stone as he turns around to follow Kid Flash.

Robin draws an X mark in the centre of the lobby with chalk, and Aqualad uses his water-bearers to cover the ground with water. Kid Flash, still being chased by Desmond, skids across the water, spreading it over the mark while luring Desmond closer.

As Desmond approaches the centre, Superboy leaps forward to land the final punch that knocks the monster onto the ground. The five teens quickly back away from the water as Aqualad's tattoos begin to glow; he leans down, placing his hands against the large puddle and electrifying it.

"Lantern!" Robin calls out, dashing over to where the rest of the group is waiting as the bombs he planted start to tick. As soon as he's within reach, Nell creates a small dome to protect the group as the building comes crashing down around them.

Dust and debris fill the air as the five heroes huddle inside the dome. The sound of crumbling stone and metal screeching fills the air, but somehow, against all odds, the dome holds firm.

"We did it," Aqualad breathes out in shock.

Robin grins childishly, "Was there ever any doubt?" He glances to his side, then reaches across to high-five Kid Flash. The two boys quickly retract from one another, wincing in pain.

The seconds stretch out like hours, but she keeps the construct intact as the building continues to crumble. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the shaking stops. The dust begins to settle, and Nell can feel the weight of the destruction lift from her shoulders. Her construct wavers for a moment but holds, the barrier still glowing faintly.

Focusing as hard as she can, the dome begins to grow in size, pushing the wreckage away until the night sky is visible above them. With a sigh of relief, Nell recalls the construct and the green tint that had been surrounding them fades away to instead greet them with the dark, starry sky. Moonlight shines down on them.

"See? The moon." Kid Flash rises to his feet and joins Superboy at the edge of where the dome had formerly been. The clone stares up at the night sky, letting the moonlight wash over him as he stares up at it.

But, it seems, that's not the only thing in the sky that catches his attention.

A speck appears in front of the moon, one headed straight for them.

"And Superman," Kid Flash grins, "Do we keep our promises or what?"

The smile falls from Nell's face as she watches more and more figures appear in the sky, until suddenly all of the Justice League are appearing in front of the destroyed Cadmus building. "Oh we are so in trouble for this," she complains under her breath, her eyes flickering over to Robin and Kid Flash as they step up to her side.

Hal and John, using their rings to hold the non-flying members of the League on platforms, lower themselves to the ground behind Superman, with stern expressions that have Nell averting her gaze instantly.

Superboy, with his head held high, steps closer to the man he was cloned from, and lifts his torn solar-suit to show him – and the League – the symbol printed onto it.

Batman walks up to Superman's side, his masked eyes flickering between the clone and the Kryptonian, then over to the four teens standing behind Superboy. "Is that what I think it is?" He asks gruffly.

Kid Flash moves closer to Superboy, one hand covering his mouth as he leans in to whisper to Batman, "Uh, he doesn't like being called an 'it'."

"I'm Superman's clone," Superboy answers.

His declaration catches the entire League off-guard, and they all exchange curious glances with one another. Batman, however, narrows his eyes at both the team and Superboy. "Start talking," he orders.

After the group explained what went down, from the very moment they left the Hall of Justice up until the League found Cadmus in a state of total destruction, the League stepped away to discuss what to do next. All that the five teens could do now was wait.

Kid Flash rests his elbow on Nell's shoulder, ignoring the glare she shoots his way as he leans his weight against her, and smiles sheepishly at the other teens. "So," he starts, "How harsh do you think the punishment's going to be?"

"For leaving the Hall without permission, exploring Cadmus and unearthing an entire telepathic race scientifically created right under Washington alongside a clone of Superman himself?" Robin says, then sighs. "I'm almost too scared to ask."

"Can't be as bad as when you recreated the Flash's experiment in your garage," Nell points out, her lips curling into a smile as she glances up at Kid Flash. "Your parents didn't let you out for a month after, right?"

Kid Flash groans, his head dropping forward. "I swear, next time we go on a mission, we need better planning," he whispers, though the grin on his face tells them he's still trying to lighten the mood.

"Next time?" Nell raises an eyebrow, glancing sideways at him. "I'm pretty sure there won't be a 'next time' after this one."

"Yeah, but it was kind of fun, right?" Kid Flash grins. "I mean, that was epic."

"Epic doesn't exactly scream 'let's do it again,'" Robin quips, smirking as he overhears the conversation.

Their smiles quickly fall again when Superman slowly approaches the group, moving directly towards Superboy who takes a step closer with a look of awe in his eyes. "We'll, uh, we'll figure something out for you. The League will, I mean." He says awkwardly. "For now, I better make sure they get the Blockbuster creature squared away."

Behind the man of steel, Hal points at Nell. "You, kiddo, better be in bed and asleep by the time I'm home," he says.

Nell can't help but wince at Hal's words. She was exhausted, the weight of the night's events pressing down on her shoulders, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. Still, if Hal and John weren't dragging her away and forcing her to go home then and there, it meant she wasn't on complete lockdown.

They wouldn't ground her, tell her that she's unable to do anything outside of the apartment for the next week, but that didn't mean she'd get off scot-free either. Still, as much as she hated the consequences, she couldn't deny the thrill of everything they'd just pulled off.

"Yeah, yeah, you got it, Hal," she mutters.

"You realise you could have been hurt, right?" John questions, his arms crossed over his Green Lantern uniform as he stares down at her. There's a look in his eyes, something soft that lets her know this is because he cares, and not because he wants to lecture her. "Any one of you could have been hurt, or worse. This was dangerous, and reckless, Nell."

Nell shifts uncomfortably under John's gaze. But even though she knows he's right, she can't help the words that come out next. "I know. But this won't be the last time."

John's brows furrow, confusion crossing his face. "What do you mean, this won't be the last time?"

She meets his eyes, a wry grin tugging at her lips. "I'm a Green Lantern. Dangerous comes with the job. Every time I take that ring and step out there, I know it's risky. But it's not like I can just sit around and wait for someone else to handle it. I was told—when I first got this ring—that I have a responsibility."

She looks down for a moment, her eyes locked onto the ring on her finger. The truth is, she's not just thinking about Cadmus or tonight. She's thinking about the countless other times she's had to make the call between safety and doing what she feels is right. And most of the time, it's the latter that wins.

"I get that it's reckless, and I get that I should have followed orders. But it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?" She glances back up at the two other Lanterns, her lips curled into a bright grin.

"If I had a dime for every time I heard that," Hal mutters, rubbing his hand across his face in the way only a dad would.

"Yeah, well, it's true," Nell says, her grin widening. "You guys always say we have to learn on our own, right? So, consider this one of those lessons."

Hal gives her a sidelong glance, his lips thinning, but there's a soft chuckle that escapes him. "You really don't make it easy, kiddo," he mutters, shaking his head.

John, on the other hand, doesn't seem as amused. He steps a little closer, gently resting his hand on her shoulder as he stares down at her. "Nell," he says, his voice more serious now, "You might think you're invincible with that ring, but you're not. You don't always get to walk away from the consequences. We don't always get to walk away." His gaze flickers briefly to Hal before returning to Nell. "You all put yourselves at risk tonight. You need to think about that the next time, before you act."

Nell opens her mouth, but the words don't come. She wants to argue—wants to tell them that sometimes you can't just wait around for permission or follow orders when things feel wrong. But John's words hit her harder than she'd expected, and she doesn't have a quick comeback.

She isn't invincible.

Guy is in a coma on the Watchtower, and she's been taught since she was ten years old that a long life in the Green Lantern Corps shouldn't be expected, so she knows he's right.

But she's fourteen, and she can't stop herself from stubbornly arguing back. "I'm not sitting around while the world burns just because it's 'dangerous.' I'm a Green Lantern. I'm supposed to act," she points out.

Behind them, Hal lets out a sigh and takes a step closer. "Look, let's just–" He cuts himself off, glancing back at Desmond as he stirs slightly in the green bubble he's trapped within. But, when he doesn't wake up, Hal turns back to Nell. With another sigh, he reaches out to ruffle her hair. "We'll talk more about this in the morning."

John puts a hand on Nell's shoulder one last time, a silent reminder of the concern still lingering between them. "Think about what we said, Nell."

Hal and John share a look. In an instant, they shoot into the sky, leaving behind a streak of vibrant green that cuts through the night. The distance between them and the group grows with every second, their forms disappearing into the dark sky as they fly off with Desmond in tow, headed for the prison where he belongs.

Kid Flash lets out a dramatic sigh. "Well, we did kinda save the day, right?" His grin is wide, almost too wide.

"Sure," Robin adds dryly, leaning against a ruined pillar. "We saved the day by turning Cadmus into rubble. Can't wait for Batman to tell me all about the charges the League will have to pay for this."

Nell shrugs, as she glances over at Robin. "Better them than us?"

"Cadmus will be investigated." Batman states firmly as he, and the other teens' mentors, walk over to the group. "All fifty-two levels, but let's make one thing clear."

"You should have called!" Flash interrupts, his arms crossing over his suit.

"End results aside, we are not happy," Batman clarifies. "You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."

Aqualad takes a step forward, his shoulders tensing as he holds his head up high. "I am sorry, but we will."

"Aqualad, stand down," his mentor orders.

"Apologies, my King, but no," Aqualad refuses politely. "We did good work here tonight; the work you trained us to do. Together, on our own, we forged something powerful, important."

"If this is about your treatment at the hall, the four of you–"

"The five of us," Kid Flash cuts his uncle off with a shake of his head, "And it's not."

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us. Or why even use it at all?" Robin asks as he steps up to his friends' sides.

Nell moves forward, her hands falling to rest on her hips. "Before I'm a League member, I'm part of the Green Lantern Corps. You can't stop me from doing my job, and you can't stop me from doing it with whoever I want," she points out. "Have some trust in us, you trained us, we know what we're doing."

"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy snarls. "It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way."

The five teens stand by one another's sides defiantly. In front of them, Batman's eyes narrow slightly as he looks between them. "Give me three days," he decides. "Until then, stay home."

Nell presses her lips together, both to hide her grin and to stop herself from biting back; Batman isn't her mentor, he can't stop her from doing her job as a Green Lantern any more than Hal or John could stop Robin from protecting Gotham. But she knows better than to push her luck.

"Three days," Nell echoes softly, as her green eyes flicker over to the four other teens standing beside her. She crosses her arms, her stance mirroring the others, standing firm with the group.

Kid Flash shrugs his shoulders, "Three days isn't so long."

Robin grins in agreement, though as he and the other sidekicks begin to walk forward towards their mentors, he stops and glances back at Superboy. He stands still behind them, staring down at the rubble of Cadmus. "Uh, guys..."

Nell glances over her shoulder at the boy, her lips curling into a frown. "I think Batman might've forgotten something when he told us to stay home," she comments quietly, hoping that only the three other sidekicks beside her would hear. However, when Superboy lifts his head to meet her gaze, she finds herself looking away.

"Hey, Supey," Kid Flash calls out happily. "How 'bout you come home with me?"

Chapter Text

Though Nell wasn't grounded in the same way Dick, Wally and Kaldur had been – unable to patrol or don their respective suits and masks – she had spent the following day locked up in the Jordan-Bishop apartment with nothing to do. Usually, if she were to disobey orders or run off to do her own thing, she'd spend the following week being run ragged by Kilowog in training until she learnt from her mistake.

But she was given permission to spend the rest of summer on Earth, not on Oa.

So, instead of training or patrolling for the first day of their punishment, Nell sits on the carpet between the couch and the coffee table. Some random late-night drama plays on the television and Nell, with one hand pressed firmly against the table, paints her nails a deep shade of blue.

"Do you think Bats will have an answer soon?" She wonders aloud, leaning back against the couch and tilting her head back to look up at Hal. He stands behind the couch, his arms pressed against the top as he reaches over to grab the remote off the cushions. "He's a quick thinker; does he really need three days?"

Hal, who had just gotten off work and arrived home to be bombarded with a dozen questions, only sighs as he switches the television channel. "Asking more doesn't make the time go by faster, Nellie," he points out. "If you're really looking for something to do, John's heading back to Oa tomorrow."

Nell raises a brow, "You're the ones who told me to stay home for the summer. Now you're trying to get rid of me?"

Hal chuckles at the teasing tone in Nell's voice, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he flicks through channels absentmindedly. "It's not about getting rid of you," he says, giving her an exaggerated sigh. "It's about making sure you don't lose your mind cooped up in here. You're not great at the waiting-game, Nellie."

"Well, you can't seriously think I'll just sit here for three days waiting for some answer from Batman." She carefully closes the bottle of nail polish, wiping the excess off her fingers, eyes still fixed on Hal. "That guy's probably working on some ridiculously complicated plan or trying to figure out a dozen ways to say 'no' before he even gives an answer. But what do I know? I'm just a girl with too much free time, slowly but surely losing her mind here."

Hal playfully rolls his eyes, "He banned you kids from going on patrol, not from seeing each other. Why don't you get out of the house tomorrow?"

Suddenly, as if the universe had heard Hal, Nell's phone buzzes to life on the coffee table. Wally's name printed across the screen. She squints at it, then glances back at Hal. "Do you know something I don't?" She questions and, when he shrugs, she sighs and summons a green hand from her ring to pick up her phone and hold it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Nell! You'll never guess what just came in the mail." Wally's voice is full of excitement, but Nell can hear the faint sound of his mother telling him to lower his voice echo through the background of the call.

Nell's lips twitch into a smile. "The chemistry set you've been waiting on, for how long now?"

Wally groans in response. "Don't remind me."

She chuckles, leaning back against the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her. "Okay, then what is it?" she asks, trying to contain her curiosity.

"Well, Batman sent us some money for Superboy," he explains. "To get him anything he needs. Anything! You know, new clothes, stuff for his eventual room, whatever. Maybe the League's already decided on what to do with him, I know Mom is getting weirded out by his sleeping habits already."

"Do I even want to know?" Nell asks, then shakes her head. "Actually, no, I don't."

Wally's laugh sounds through the phone. "I was thinking, maybe you could come with us tomorrow. We're hitting the mall. I know, right? Big shocker. But hey, someone's gotta help Superboy pick out some actual clothes that aren't the solar suit he's been wearing since we found him."

The smile slips from Nell's face. "Superboy's still wearing that thing? Seriously?" She questions. "Why didn't you give him some of your clothes? Or your dad's old stuff?"

Wally's voice takes on a slightly sheepish tone. "Believe me, I tried. But the guy's practically living in that solar suit, like it's his security blanket or something. I don't think he really knows how to take it off."

"I get it. He doesn't have anyone to teach him how to do normal things. That's where we come in, right?" She sighs at the thought. Superman, who should be helping the boy, taking him under his wing in the same way Hal had done for her, was nowhere to be found. But that didn't mean Nell would just leave Superboy to figure it out on his own. "One sec, Wally."

The glowing green hand lowers the phone from her face, and she turns around to look up at Hal. Since the conversation began, he's moved away from the couch and over to the kitchen, holding the fridge open with one hand as he looks for something inside. "Hey, Hal," she calls out. "Can I go to Keystone tomorrow to hang out with Wally and Superboy?"

Hal closes the fridge and leans against the counter, considering for a moment. "You know, I can't say 'yes' to that without making sure you check off your other responsibility first." He raises an eyebrow, giving her a pointed look. "Tomorrow morning, you're going to visit Guy, remember?"

As if she could forget. She'd spent all morning convincing Hal and John that Batman's "stay at home" rule didn't apply to her visiting Guy on the Watchtower, and even if it did, why should she let him stop her?

"Yeah, I know," Nell says quietly. "I'll go first thing tomorrow. But after that?"

Hal's expression softens, and he nods his head. She grins up at him, then turns around as the phone moves back up to her ear. "You still there?" She asks and, when Wally responds, she continues. "I've got somewhere to be in the morning, but we can meet up at the mall by your house for lunch?"

"Sounds good!" Through the phone, she can hear voices talking in the back, before Wally leans away from the phone to call out Superboy's name. He huffs out a sigh as he returns to the call. "I've gotta go stop Supey from sleeping in the closet again, I'll see you tomorrow, lightbulb!"

Before she has the chance to protest against the nickname, Wally hangs up the phone.

The next morning, three hours before she's supposed to meet with Wally and Superboy in Keystone, and only one after waking up in Coast City, Nell sits beside a hospital bed in the Watchtower's infirmary. There's a large window on the opposite side of the room, showcasing the Earth beneath the orbiting satellite– usually, the sight of her home planet leaves her in awe. Every time she leaves Earth for Oa, or for patrol of the sector, she always stops to take it all in.

But on the Watchtower, the Earth is the last thing on her mind.

She sits with her feet against the metal bars of the hospital bed, her suit had materialised over the pyjamas she had been wearing because she'd pretty much rolled out of bed and came straight to the Watchtower so she wouldn't waste a single second of the time she was given to sit with Guy.

"And then Superboy told them to either get on board or get out of the way." Nell laughs quietly as she recounts the story. "Honestly, it was kind of lame... But he spoke back to the League, at least. You would've loved that."

Nell leans back slightly in her chair, her fingers drumming softly against the armrests as she watches Guy, still unconscious in the bed. His steady breathing, the only sign that he's alive, is a small comfort. The faint beeping of the heart monitor fills the silence between them, and for a moment, she wonders what he'd think if he could hear her talking to him.

A doctor had once told her and Hal, back when she was twelve and her mother went into a coma for a few days after a few too many pills, that there's a chance the person can hear you. It's in times like these that she prays the doctor was right.

"I guess, in a way, I get it," Nell continues, absentmindedly picking at the nail polish on her left hand. "Superboy's been thrown into all of this without warning. He doesn't have bootcamp to teach him everything he needs to know about being normal, but still... I think he'll get there. I think he'll be okay."

Nell shifts in her seat, her legs uncrossing and stretching out, her boots tapping softly on the floor. The idea of him waking up to hear her rambling about the Cadmus mission or a mall trip feels oddly comforting. Maybe it's because, even in the mess of everything, she needs to believe that this, too, will be just another weird chapter they'll laugh about someday.

"I think it'd be easier on him if Superman wasn't avoiding him," she notes. "But he's been staying with Wally since Cadmus, at least. I'll take you to meet him when you wake up, maybe he'll have settled in somewhere by then."

There's a small hope – maybe even a little stubbornness – that things will get better. Guy will wake up. The League will figure out what to do with Superboy. They'll sign off on their little team.

She watches the way Guy's chest rises and falls with every breath, steady and calm. He's alive – he's here – but it's so fragile. It could be gone in an instant.

Even when he wakes up – if he wakes up – the Green Lantern Corps is a demanding life. She doubts this is enough to have Guy retiring from it all.

And before they're members of the League, they're Green Lanterns. Before they're heroes, they're soldiers. The Green Lantern Corps has never promised anyone a long life. It's not something that anyone mentions in the oath or the bootcamp, but Nell's learned the hard way. There's always the risk of burning out too fast, of fighting too hard against enemies that won't stop coming. The mission is never over. And sometimes, that means that the Corps doesn't get to keep its members as long as they might like.

She'll be gone someday soon, too. But she'd be damned if she lost Guy, or Hal, or John before that. Nell sighs and reaches out, her green ring glowing briefly as she gently holds Guy's hand. "Just... Come back to us, Guy. Please."

Three hours after the Watchtower, Nell sits in Keystone Mall's food court, across the table from both Wally and Superboy. Powered down, dressed in a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt with short blue sleeves, Nell taps her nail-polished covered fingers against the table. She had all but picked off the blue polish on two of her fingers.

Sitting across from her, Superboy is dressed in a too-long pair of denim jeans and a beige shirt that Nell had stolen out of Hal's closet that morning when she got the text from Wally claiming the clone refused to leave the house in Rudy's old clothes.

"I don't like wearing your father's clothes," Superboy complains, adjusting the shirt with a huff as his eyes flick up to meet Nell's.

Nell glances up from her food to stare at the boy. "Hal's clothes fit you a lot better than Rudy's or Wally's would have," she points out, though doesn't bother to correct him about her relationship to Hal.

To the right of Superboy, Wally has three different trays of take-out scattered on the table in front of him and is already halfway through his second lunch. But the food in his mouth doesn't deter him from speaking up, "Maybe we should've asked Roy for spare clothes?"

"Who?" She can faintly hear Superboy ask.

"That would only work if he picked up the phone, Wally," Nell sighs. But Roy has been AWOL since the Hall of Justice. Ollie had called Hal yesterday asking if either of them had seen him, because he hadn't been home since that day and hadn't bothered to contact him or Dinah either.

Nell had no doubt he was probably crashing in one of Ollie's various safe houses, but it didn't stop her from worrying that he'd run away from home and ended up on the streets instead.

"Anyways, this doesn't thrill us either, you know, but the solar suit had to go," the speedster says firmly. "Besides, dude, that's what we're here to fix." A grin tugs at Wally's lips as he turns in his seat to look at Superboy. "You've got Nell and I as backup, what could go wrong?"

Plenty.

Plenty can, and will, go wrong, Nell thinks to herself another hour into the shopping trip. They've moved from the food court to various stores, and as she stands at the register and watches Superboy hand Batman's black credit card to the cashier to pay for the dozen t-shirts he pulled off the rack, all she can think is that so much can go wrong so quickly.

"Uh, are we sure about this?" Nell questions quietly, leaning in closer to Wally to whisper to him as she watches the girl behind the register fold the shirts into the bag– the Superman emblem was on full display, printed in bright red on the fronts of the black shirts. "I'm pretty sure we were supposed to go for something on the down low, that wouldn't give his identity away."

"Do you want to be the one to tell him that?" Wally whispers back, his green eyes flickering between his best friend and the clone. "I don't think we'd win that conversation."

Superboy glances over at the two of them, his eyes narrowed slightly. "You know I can hear you," he reminds them.

Nell smiles sheepishly, then shrugs. "Well, hey, at least we're not the ones paying," she says, watching as Superboy gratefully accepts the shopping bag from the cashier and steps away from the register to follow her and Wally out of the Forever Sixteen store.

"Are you sure you don't want a little variety?" Wally asks, crossing his arms over his chest as he walks side-by-side with the two other teens. "I mean you picked out a whole rack of the exact same black shirt with–"

Loud sirens from a store on the floor above them echo through the mall, alongside the sound of glass shattering, and Wally cuts himself off as he looks around. A group of security guards push through the crowd, bolting to the escalator.

Wally glances back at Nell, sharing a look with the girl. "I left the suit at home," he tells her, his voice lowered to a whisper as Nell grabs his and Superboy's arms, gently pulling them behind the escalator.

"Seriously? Have you learnt nothing from Robin?" Nell questions with a roll of her eyes. She hated to admit it, but Dick being taught to always carry his utility belt was a good thing. Like her, he was always prepared to take action.

She stations the two boys in front of her, shielding her, as her ring hums on her finger. Her Lantern uniform melds over her civilian clothes, and her green mask slowly materialises on her face. "Alright." She stands up straight, glancing between the two boys. "Kid, go find something– anything, to use as a disguise. Superboy, you're with me."

With a nod of his head, Wally takes off running from behind the escalator – at a normal, human speed – and back towards the Forever Sixteen they had just walked out of. Nell's green eyes flick back to Superboy, and she grins at him. "Ready for a fight, Supey?"

He smirks. "Always."

Barely a second passes before Superboy leaps up onto the floor above them. Nell flies up shortly after him, hovering in the air above as he lands behind the two criminals. A male and female, no older than Wally, Nell thinks to herself as she observes; the boy has his arm wrapped around a mall cop, keeping him in a headlock, while the girl has another mall cop pinned to the ground.

"Let go of the hostages." Nell orders, her voice becoming firm as she glares down at the criminals.

The teens – twins, perhaps? – share a look with another, their lips twisting into cruel smirks. The girl then glances back at Nell. "Sure, honey," she says as she pulls the man beneath her up with one hand. "I just hate when folks leave litter lyin' 'round." Without an ounce of hesitation, she tosses the man off the third floor.

Nell's eyes widen and she flies forward, prepared to create a construct to cushion his fall or swoop down to pluck him out of the air herself. But before she gets the chance, Superboy leaps off the third-floor railing and grabs the mall cop, holding him in his arms as he crashes to the floor– landing on his feet, the tiles beneath him crack and splinter from the momentum.

Her shoulders sag in relief as she watches the mall cop jump out of Superboy's arms and take off running towards safety. "Nice catch!" She calls down to him. As she lifts her gaze, ready to deal with the twin criminals, the girl jumps up and tackles her out of the air.

Nell's breath is knocked from her lungs as the girl slams into her with the force of a freight train. She's sent spiraling backward, her body hurtling toward the mall's floor below. The sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears drowns out everything else, and she can feel the wind rushing past her skin as she falls.

The girl twists mid-air, her feet pressing against Nell's abdomen as she quickly pushes off of her, leaping back onto the third floor. At the last second, Nell uses her ring to create a bubble around herself as she hits the ground with a loud thud.

"Lantern, you okay?" Wally, now wearing a yellow bandana to cover the lower half of his face, comes sprinting down from the second floor and over to where she lays. The bubble disperses and Wally quickly grabs her hand, pulling her back up onto her feet as Superboy runs toward them.

"I think I might've seen Jesus for a second," she winces as she stands up straighter, "but 'm fine." She will be as long as she can stay focused on using the ring to heal herself, at least.

Wally gives her a once-over, then turns back to Superboy. "Here, put this on." He hands him a red bandana, the same type he was using as a mask.

"Why?" Superboy questions, though, he takes the bandana and wraps it around the bottom-half of his face anyways.

"Because until Bats makes his decision about our team, I'd rather not create another Cadmus-style incident. At least not one we can be blamed for," Wally explains. Nell scoffs, already knowing the League will blame them for the damages already done to the mall. Wally's elbow hits her arm and, she rolls her eyes, he turns back to Superboy again. "Besides, us heroes are supposed to keep our identities secret."

"I don't like wearing a mask," Superboy tells them.

"Too bad," Nell says, then glances at Kid Flash. "You know who they are?"

"No idea," he shakes his head. "Never seen them before. You have a plan?"

Nell's eyes flicker back up to the third-floor railing, watching with furrowed brows as the girl steps away from the side to return to her brother in the food court. "No," she answers. "Your city, how do you wanna play it?"

"Why do we need rules?" Superboy huffs out.

"Because they have hostages, dude," Kid Flash points out calmly.

"So we draw their attention away," Nell decides. "Keep them focused on us, give the hostages a chance to escape."

With a nod of his head, Kid Flash pulls his goggles out of his pocket and slides them down over his eyes before he takes off running up the escalator. Floating up off the ground, a green light surrounds Nell as she shoots back up towards the third floor of the mall.

"Heads up!" Focusing on her ring, Nell creates a large fist that slams into the female criminal's abdomen, knocking her off balance and sending her onto the floor.

The boy – Tommy – snarls, then shifts his focus to Nell. "You'll regret that. You might think you're somethin' special with that shiny ring of yours, but you ain't nothing compared to my sister and I."

Kid Flash races up to the third floor, just in time to overhear the conversation. "Sounds like a family affair, huh?" There's a grin on his face as he skids to a stop next to where Nell hovers in the air. "Guess we got a real southern showdown happening now."

"I think we can tag team the terrible twins over there and make it back to your mom's house for her early dinner," Nell says confidently, sparing Kid Flash a quick glance out of the corner of her eye. "She told Lantern she was making everything."

"Of course we can–" Kid Flash cuts himself off, quickly dodging to the right as Tommy charges at where he had previously been standing. "But let's try to focus on Big and Ugly over here first!"

"Fine." With a roll of her eyes, Nell creates a large, comically oversized baseball bat and strikes the male twin. He crashes back into a pillar in the centre of the food court. "Hey, where's Superboy?"

In the blink of an eye, Superboy leaps up to the third floor, landing directly in front of the girl who had just risen back to her feet. Superboy grabs the girl – Tuppence – by her shoulders and slams her into the pillar of the walkway they stand on. "Son, you do pack a wallop," she groans, wiping the blood off her chin with the back of her hand.

"Lady, I'm not your son." Superboy growls, his hand clenching into a fist. He pulls his arm back, aiming for Tuppence's jaw. But before he can hit her, she catches his fist in the palm of her hand with a smirk.

"And I ain't no lady." Tuppence twists his arm behind his back and kicks him forward, with enough force to send him tumbling over the railing. He hits the ground floor with a loud crash that has Nell wincing from where she remains in the air.

Kid Flash's eyes widen and he races over the railing. "Supey!" He shouts.

"Reckon yer focused on the wrong hero, hero." Closing in behind him, Tommy raises his fist prepared to strike the speedster.

"Kid, hit the deck!" Nell calls out. He doesn't hesitate to quickly drop to his knees, and Nell creates a large anchor. The chains wrap around Tommy's arm and, as Nell drops the anchor onto the ground floor, it pulls Tommy over the edge as well.

Nell flies past Kid Flash, until she can lower herself onto the ground beside Superboy. As soon as her feet touch the cracked tiles surrounding his crash-site, she leans down to grab his right arm in an attempt to pull him back up. "You alright, Supey?"

"I'm fine," he grumbles as he stands back up. Suddenly his eyes widen and his left arm shoots out to push her behind him. "Get back!" Jumping behind her, he takes a direct punch to the jaw from Tommy.

Nell floats backwards, narrowly dodging Tommy's attempt to swing Superboy's body at her like a weapon. With a growl, Tommy lifts the clone above his head and tosses him through the wall, right beside two large windows, leading to the mall's parking lot.

Kid Flash comes speeding back down from the top levels of the mall, racing past Tommy and Tuppence until he reaches Nell's side. "Time to regroup," he whispers to her, then glances back at the twins when he's already half-way out of the hole Superboy had created in the wall. "Come and get us, Timid Twins!"

Immaturely, Nell sticks her tongue out at the twin criminals. Tuppence leaps forward, her arms stretched out to grab her, but Nell only laughs tauntingly as she shoots up into the air and follows Kid Flash out into the parking lot.

Halfway across the parking lot, Superboy crashed into the windshield of an empty, parked car. Kid is the first to reach him, an amused look in his eyes. "Good job luring them away from the hostages!" He cheers.

"Is that what I was doing?" Superboy groans as he sits up.

Nell lands next to Kid Flash, her lips twisted into a teasing grin as her eyes flick between the two boys. "Is it bad to say I'm excited Superboy will be getting the whole "cost of damages" lecture this time around?" She asks. "I mean, he did cause half of it. Not us."

Tommy and Tuppence leap into the parking lot, scowling at the three heroes before their faces suddenly pale. "Dang it, Tup! I ain't sure we ready for them yet!" Tommy tells his sister.

Tuppence shakes her head fearfully. "Nah, Tom. Definitely a part o' valor moment!"

Sharing a look between themselves, the two criminals take off running. Nell smirks triumphantly as she takes a few steps away from the boys, creating a megaphone with her ring as she shouts, "And stay gone!" Her voice echoes across the parking lot.

"Uh, wow... Guess we scared them off," Kid Flash says, his brows furrowed.

Superboy glances between him and Nell. "Should we go after them?"

Nell turns around, her lips parted to say something, but she freezes as her eyes slowly flicker upward to meet the disappointed faces of the Flash and Superman. "No, you shouldn't. And no, you didn't," the Flash answers their questions.

"I– uh– They started it!" Nell quickly blurts out, pointing in the direction of the escaping criminals. The Flash glances back at Superman, then nods his head, as if silently agreeing to a plan because less than a second later, Superman takes off flying after the criminals and leaves Flash alone to deal with the three teens.

"Three days," Flash sighs frustratedly as he glances down at his nephew. "You couldn't stay out of trouble for three days..."

Wally's eyes widen, "Hey, that's not–"

"Go home, get some sleep," Flash cuts him off. "I'll pick you and Superboy up first thing in the morning. Batman's made his decision." Without another word, he takes off running in the direction of Superman and the criminals.

"Think Superman will be there tomorrow?" Superboy wonders as he lowers the bandana covering his face. He stares up at the sky, his blue eyes filled with amazement and awe.

"Uh, sure," Wally says, lowering his own makeshift mask. "You know... If there's no emergency somewhere..."

Powering down, Nell's uniform disappears alongside her mask, returning her back to her civilian clothes as she smiles up at the clone. "And if not tomorrow, then definitely the time after that," she assures him. "I mean, we work with the League all the time. We'll have a chance to sit Big Blue down long enough for a conversation soon, I'm sure."

"Exactly!" Wally grins. "Now, come on. We better retrieve your new duds."

When the Flash – Barry – had said Batman made his decision, there were plenty of things Nell was expecting. Namely that he was going to refuse their idea of becoming a team. They disobeyed direct orders, trespassed, completely and utterly destroyed public property, and unearthed an entire scientifically made species beneath Washington...

In Nell's head, it makes up for a pretty good mission. They did what had to be done, they did their jobs, and everyone made it out alive. Not all Green Lantern missions run so smoothly. But in Batman's books, they had clearly crossed too many lines.

Which is why, three days after Cadmus, Nell is surprised to be called to the League's former headquarters – Mount Justice – for Batman's announcement. She stands in line with Kaldur, Wally, Superboy and Dick. All of them dressed in their civvies rather than their suits; except for Dick who wears a pair of sunglasses, and Superboy who chose to wear the black t-shirt with the red Superman logo he had bought at the mall yesterday.

Nell powered down her ring almost immediately after arriving, so she'd be in civilian clothes as well. It fit the situation far better, she thought. So, instead of wearing her green and black Lantern uniform, she's instead dressed in a pair of denim jeans with stars drawn across the thigh and a pale green tank top.

"This cave was the original Secret Sanctuary of the Justice League," Batman explains to the group of teens. They're standing in the main room of the cave, two large zeta-beam teleporters sit off to the left side of the room and the landing-pad is on a higher platform. "We're calling it back into service again. Since the five of you are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms."

Batman pauses to let his words sink in, but he glances at Nell towards the end of his sentence. She smiles up at him innocently, as if she has no idea what he's talking about.

He lets out a quiet huff, then glances back at the League heroes standing behind him. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy missions."

"Real missions?" Dick questions his mentor.

"Yes," Batman answers. "But covert."

"The League will still handle the obvious stuff." Behind Wally, the Flash answers the questions he knows are coming with a bright grin on his face. He pats the large lightning emblem on the chest of his suit. "There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests."

Nell raises a brow. Between Superboy's new wardrobe, and the Lantern insignia permanently imprinted across her uniform, it's not like this new team of theirs won't have their own fair share of wearing 'big targets'. But she bites her tongue, determined not to make a mess of things before their team gets a real shot.

Aquaman nods his head in agreement with Flash. "But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter," he says. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly. The six of you will be that team."

"Cool," Dick grins, only for it to falter as realisation washes over him. "Wait... Six?"

Batman, with a tilt of his chin, motions behind them and the five teens turn around to watch as Martian Manhunter walks into the room with a green-skinned girl, obviously another Martian, though she has long, auburn hair.

"This is Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian," Batman introduces them.

With a bright smile, Nell waves to the girl. Miss Martian happily waves back.

"Welcome aboard!" Pushing past Nell and Dick, Wally walks over to Miss Martian with a smile. "I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin, Aqualad, and Green Lantern. It's cool if you forget their names."

"Ignore Kid Mouth." Nell, hitting Wally's rib-cage with her elbow, nudges the boy to the side and holds her hand out to shake Miss Martian's. "You have no idea how nice it is to have another girl on the team."

Miss Martian smiles kindly, "I'm honoured to be included."

"Hey, Superboy." Dick glances over his shoulder to meet the clone's gaze. "Come meet Miss M."

Miss Martian lifts her gaze from Nell to instead look past her and over at Superboy. Suddenly, her eyes widen and her cheeks flush, as her blue cape slowly morphs into a black and red t-shirt– much like the one Superboy was wearing. "I... I like your t-shirt," she compliments.

Aqualad stands beside the group, his hands behind his back and a warm smile tugging at his lips as he looks between each of them. Nell is already leading Miss Martian further into the cave, Dick and Wally are elbowing each other and laughing, and Superboy begrudgingly follows behind the girls when Nell calls out to him.

He whispers, "Today is the day."

Chapter Text

It’s on a Saturday, over a full week after Batman’s decision had been made, that Roy Harper finally responds to Nell’s messages. A week of silence, of unanswered questions and the sick feeling in her stomach every time she checked her phone, but he finally responds. It’s not a reassurance that he’s okay, that he’s not living on the streets somewhere. It’s not an answer to the questions she’s been asking for a week, but the message is simple.

Star City Docks. 23:00 PDT. Tell the others.

It doesn’t take a genius for Nell to realise that “the others” isn’t referring to Hal, or Ollie, or Dinah, or anyone else in the Justice League that’s been trying to keep an eye on him since he walked away. He’s referring to her and the boys — to Kaldur, Dick, and Wally — because who else would he trust if not the four of them? He wouldn’t call if he didn’t need their help.

So around the scheduled meeting time, when Nell should be at home preparing for tomorrow’s meeting at Mount Justice, she instead landed a glowing green jet carrying her fellow teammates at the edge of Star City’s docks to meet with Roy. According to the archer, he had a tip that Brick – a superpowered human who has been making a name for himself in Star City’s criminal underground these last few years – was going to be smuggling weapons into the city tonight.

The red-skinned, large criminal stands by a shipping container, watching his men cut through the steel to retrieve their new weapons. They start unloading the crates from the shipping container, loading them into their truck.

Speedy fires a trick arrow down at two of the criminals who were carrying the first box of weapons over to the truck. It lands in the ground between them and, before they can realise what it is, the arrow explodes. The two men jump back and drop the crate onto the ground. The weapons scatter across the floor.

With a growl, Brick kicks a gun up and into his hands, then points it at the sky. “You again!” He shouts, his eyes landing onto Speedy who stands out in the open atop a long steel beam. “I’m starting to get insulted Green Arrow’s not messin’ up my operation personally!” 

He shoots up at Speedy, who leaps out of the way and lands on another steel beam. But it’s not the sudden attack, nor Brick’s shouts that catch Nell’s attention. Instead, it’s the red blast that shoots out of the barrel of the gun instead of a bullet. 

She’s seen plenty of crazy things on Earth – killer clowns and half-human half-bat monstrosities in Gotham, mad scientists over the world, and a parasite-like creature in Metropolis – but this weapon, while it does look like something she’d find on any alien planet outside of her sector, it’s certainly not of human-origin. Which poses a question that has Nell’s heart sinking into her stomach…

Where did Brick get these weapons?

High above the criminal group, Speedy dodges each and every blast from the gun. At the last second, he flips mid-air and reels an arrow back in his bow. He lets go and, the very second the arrow hits Brick’s gun, the weapon explodes in his hands.

The criminal leader growls as he glances down at his shirt, now torn to shreds by the explosion that seemingly left him unharmed. “Do you know what I pay for a suit in my size?!” He demands, then glances back at his men. “Scorch the Earth, boys.”

Kid Flash takes off running out of his hiding spot, snatching the guns out of several of the criminal's hands before they had the chance to shoot. Swinging over the criminal group, Robin tosses birderangs at another two of the armed men. Aqualad and Nell leap off the shipping container they had been hiding on top of– he raises his water-bearers and forms two whips to disarm the criminals in front of him.

Nell focuses on one of the armed criminals in front of her, a bulky thug who’s just raised his weapon, preparing to fire at Aqualad. With a flick of her wrist, a glowing green vine-like structure shoots from her ring and wraps around the thug’s weapon, yanking it from his hands with ease.

The thug stumbles back, surprised by the sudden loss of his weapon. He opens his mouth to shout, but before he can, the vine wraps tighter around him, binding his arms to his sides and securing him in place. Nell hovers in midair, a small smirk crossing her face.

Brick digs his fingers into the concrete beneath his feet, tearing a slab off the ground and raising it above his head as he turns his attention back to where Speedy is standing on the shipping containers above him. With a growl, he tosses the concrete at the archer.

Without a second thought, the vine-like construct disappears and drops the thug onto the ground as Nell spins around to create a bubble around the concrete slab. It slams against the side of the bubble but effectively stops midair before she carefully drops it onto the floor.

Brick grabs another slab of concrete and, this time when he throws it, Aqualad leaps in front of Speedy and slices through the concrete with swords formed from his water-bearers. 

Speedy shoots a trick arrow at the criminal leader, releasing a burst of smoke to keep him distracted. Nell flies towards the boys, her arms crossing over her chest as she lands on the shipping container beside them. 

Aqualad has already turned to look at the archer, a hopeful look in his eyes as he explains, “The cave is perfect. It has everything the team will need.”

“For covert missions!” Robin drops out of the shadows and lands behind the trio, a grin tugging at his lips. “You know, spy stuff.”

Kid Flash dashes up the side of the shipping container. “And wait till you see Superboy and Miss Martian,” he exclaims playfully. “But I saw her first.”

Rolling her eyes at Kid Flash’s comment, Nell’s hands drop to rest on her hips as she glances up at Speedy. “There’s also free bedrooms,” she tells him. “Miss Martian, Superboy and Aqualad all live at the Cave already. You could join them, if you–”

“I already have a place to stay.” Speedy cuts her off, not unkindly. Even shielded by a mask, there’s something soft in his eyes when he looks down at her. “One of my own safe houses in the city. I’m fine, lightbulb.”

With a shout from below, Brick rises to his feet with another slab of concrete that he tosses in the group’s direction. Speedy and Robin each roll to the side, Kid and Aqualad jump down to face the Kingpin head-on, and Nell creates a large, green mace and swings it at the concrete, smashing it to pieces.

“We’re trying to have a conversation up here!” She shouts down at the criminal as she shoots out of the dust and up into the air. No longer blinded by the dust and dirt, Nell watches as Speedy shoots two explosive arrows down at Brick. The man stumbles back, but chuckles as the smoke clears and he’s left without injury.

“Tell Arrow he shouldn’t send kids to do a man’s job,” he chuckles, stretching his arms out at his sides as he stares up at Speedy. The archer notches another arrow and pulls the bowstring back as he stares down into the Kingpin’s eyes. “Go ahead.”

With a smirk, Speedy releases the arrow. It attaches to the man’s chest and, instead of exploding, it bubbles over with a red foam that expands until it covers the criminal’s entire body. 

Kid Flash races back up onto the shipping container, skidding to a stop at the edge of it right beside Speedy, before crouching down to watch as the foam hardens before the criminal can escape. “High-density polyurethane foam,” he realises, then glances up at Speedy with a grin. “Nice.”

Nell lowers herself back onto the shipping container, right beside Kid Flash, with her back turned to Brick as she smiles up at their archer friend. “So, we gave you an hour to think about it. What do you–”

“Are you in?” Robin cuts her off, with the same question she had been planning to ask. Nell’s green eyes snap from Speedy, over to the boy wonder, as they narrow into a glare. He’s leaning against the shipping container behind them, watching as Speedy begins to walk away from the group. 

The archer stops right before a walkway leading out of the docks, then glances over his shoulder at the team. “Pass. I’m done letting Arrow and the League tell me what to do. I don’t need a babysitter or a clubhouse to hang out with the other kids. Your Junior Justice League is a joke, something to keep you busy and in your place,” he tells them stubbornly. “I don’t want any part of it.”

Robin pushes off the wall, quickly turning around to watch as Speedy walks off into the darkened shadows of the dock’s shipping yard. 

⋆ ʚ ♡ ɞ ⋆

“Green Lantern, B-Zero-One.”

With her arms crossed over her green cardigan, Nell steps out of the golden light of the zeta-tubes and into the Cave’s main room. There are already three figures standing in the centre of the room, in front of the computers with a large holographic map emitting from them.

At the sound of the zeta-tube’s announcement, the three teammates turn around to watch as Nell walks toward them. “Hey, guys,” she greets with a smile.

With a grin, Miss Martian flies forward to meet her halfway. “Green Lantern!” She lands in front of her, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “It is good to see you again.”

“You too, Miss Martian. Oh–!” Nell slips one of her arms out of her backpack, pulling it around her side so that she can sift through the items inside. “I got those chocolate chips you asked for. Or, well, Hal bought them last night and told me to bring them here for you.”

Still adjusting to Earth, neither Miss Martian nor Superboy had left the Cave much since moving in. The League had fully stocked the fridge for them but Miss Martian had a few extra requests that her uncle passed over to Hal so Nell could take them to the Cave for her during her visits.

Miss Martian’s eyes brighten, and she claps her hands together. “You’re the best! Thank you, Green Lantern!” She reaches out eagerly, taking the bag of chocolate chips from Nell’s hands, practically bouncing with delight. “These are exactly what I needed for Granny Jones’s recipe!”

“Uh, Granny who?” Nell questions with a raised brow.

But her words fall on deaf ears. Miss Martian lifts off the ground and takes off flying in the direction of the Cave’s living quarters. Nell blinks in surprise but doesn’t question the Martian girl. Instead, she shrugs her bag off her shoulder and places it off to the side of the room before joining Kaldur’ahm and Superboy by the computers.

“So,” her eyes flicker between Kaldur and Superboy, “Is Red Tornado here yet?”

“Almost,” Kaldur answers, a polite smile tugging at his lips. He glances down at her, then back at the computer screens and reaches out to point at a red dot speeding across the map of Rhode Island. “We have been tracking his arrival. He should be arriving at any moment now.”

“Robin, B-Zero-Two. Kid Flash, B-Zero-Four.” 

The two boys come sprinting through the room, excited expressions painted across their faces. With sunglasses shielding his eyes, as a form of protecting his identity, Dick is the first to stop in front of the group. “Did you ask him?” He wonders with a large grin.

With a shake of his head, Kaldur directs the boys’ attention to the map. Red Tornado lands in front of Mount Justice. “He is arriving now,” he announces.

“Then what are we waiting for?” 

Miss Martian comes walking back into the room, her brows furrowing as she observes the group, who begin walking towards the Cave’s front entrance. “Are we going somewhere?” She questions.

“Red Tornado’s here,” Nell answers with a grin, waving the girl over to join them. “We’re heading outside to ask him for a mission.”

The Martian’s face lights up and, with a nod of her head, her feet lift off the ground and she flies over to the group. The six teens walk up the ramp and out the shutter doors leading to the front of Mount Justice, Nell and Miss Martian are the last ones to make their way up the small incline as Red Tornado lands on the grass in front of the team.

“Red Tornado!” Wally skids to a stop in front of the android, his lips stretching into a bright grin as he waves.

“Greetings.” Red Tornado’s automated voice echoes through the light-breeze that sways over Mount Justice. “Is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?”

“We hoped you had a mission for us,” Kaldur explains hopefully.

“Mission assignments are The Batman’s responsibility,” Red Tornado reminds them. 

Dick frowns, “But it’s been over a week and–”

Red Tornado raises his hand, cutting the boy off much to his dismay. “You’ll be tested soon enough,” he tells them. “For the time being, simply enjoy each other’s company.”

“This team is not a social club,” Kaldur states.

“No but I am told social interaction is an important team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy familiarising yourself with the cave.” With that, Red Tornado walks past the six teens. 

“Keep busy,” Wally repeats with a scoff. He tucks his hands into his pocket, his eyes narrowing into a glare pointed at the back of Red Tornado’s steel head as the android begins walking down the incline into the cave.

“Does he really think we’re falling for this?” Dick rolls his eyes.

Miss Martian gasps, “I’ll find out!” She glances over at Red Tornado’s departing figure, then lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I forgot he’s a machine, inorganic. I cannot read his mind.”

Nell rests her hand on the girl’s shoulder, smiling softly at her, “Nice try.”

“So, uh, you know what I’m thinkin’ right now?” With a flirtatious grin, Wally steps in between the two girls and leans closer to Miss Martian.

Dick scoffs, “We all know what you’re thinking now.”

Nell rolls her eyes and jams her elbow against Wally’s ribs. The boy lets out a sharp gasp and clutches his side, glaring down at her. “Ow! What was that for?” He mutters, eyes narrowing.

“Being annoying?” She blinks up at him innocently, a smile stretching across her lips before she pushes past him and loops her arm with Miss Martian’s. “We should go back inside, Miss M. You can show me what you needed those chocolate chips for.”

Miss Martian’s eyes twinkled happily as they flicker between Nell’s face and the arm she has wrapped around hers. “Oh, I would love that!” She grins.

Behind them, Kaldur lets out a quiet sigh, “And now we tour the clubhouse.”

“Well, Superboy and I live here.” Miss Martian offers, “We can play tour guides.”

The five teens turn around to glance at Superboy, who shakes his head. “Don’t look at me,” he tells them.

“We won’t.” Wally faces Miss Martian again, his hands tucked into his pockets. “A private tour sounds much more fun.”

“She never said private,” Nell points out. With her ring, she creates a construct of a soft pillow that rushes forward through the air to slam against Wally’s face. With a muffled shout of protest, Wally stumbles a step back and Miss Martian giggles at the two of them.

“Team building,” Kaldur quotes Red Tornado. “We’ll all go.”

Nell pulls her construct back, the glowing green pillow disappearing mid-air. The six teens turn around to walk back into the cave; with her arm still looped with Miss Martian’s, the two girls are the first to re-enter the cave. Dick, as he turns to follow after them, grabs the back of Wally’s shirt and yanks the boy a few steps back, before running forward to join the others.

Miss Martian leads the team through the cave, stopping in various rooms – the main meeting chamber, the living quarters, and the large inner library – before taking them to the back of the mountain. “And this would be the backdoor,” she tells them as she comes to a stop on the edge of a small cliff overlooking the sea at the edge of Happy Harbour. “The cave is actually the entire mountain.”

“It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League,” Wally explains as the team walk back inside.

“Green Lantern?” Curiously, Miss Martian’s eyes flicker over to Nell. Throughout the tour, she had let go of the Martian girl in favour of trailing just slightly behind the team. 

“Not me,” Nell answers with a shake of her head. “The first Green Lantern, Hal. I didn’t have my ring yet at that point, and the Justice League was still a secret to, well, everyone at the time.”

“Then why’d they abandon this place for the Hall of Justice?” Superboy wonders.

“The cave’s secret location was compromised,” Kaldur recounts, unable to tell the entire truth about the Justice League’s secret headquarters.

While Nell hadn’t been around for the formation of the League, only getting her ring two years after, she had been around when Mount Justice was found and attacked by the Joker after the Justice League’s civilian associate let him inside. The entire Justice League had almost died that day, Hal included.

“So they traded it in for a tourist trap?” Superboy scoffs, “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Miss Martian frowns, “If villains know of the cave, we must be on constant alert.”

With a charming grin, Dick steps forward to take her hand. “The bad guys know we know they know about the place, so they’d never think to look here.”

As Wally walks forward, slapping Dick’s hand away from the Martian’s, Nell crosses her arms over her cardigan. “Wow, great explanation, Rob,” she says sarcastically, then glances at the Martian girl. “Basically, we’re hiding in plain sight. They won’t look here if they think they’ve already driven us out.”

“Oh,” Miss Martian nods, “That’s much clearer.”

Over Miss Martian’s shoulder, Nell’s eyes meet Dick’s. Even behind his sunglasses, she can tell he’s glaring at her for interrupting his moment with Miss Martian. Nell bites back her grin.

Superboy sniffs at the air, “I smell smoke.”

“My cookies!” Miss Martian cries out, then lifts off the ground and shoots in the direction of the kitchen.

Dick’s still glaring at her, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he’s about to say something. But Nell doesn’t give him the chance, her expression flickering with a mischievous glint. She sticks her tongue out at him, then takes off running after the team.

By the time the two of them reach the kitchen, Miss Martian has already placed a tray of burnt cookies on the kitchen counter. “I was trying out Granny Jones’s recipe from episode seventeen of, uh,” Miss Martian stutters, “Never mind.”

“Is that what you needed the chocolate chips for?” Nell asks. Despite the sizzling and cracking cookies in front of her, she can’t help but smile at the Martian. “You were making these for us?”

Miss Martian shyly nods her head. “I wanted to make something special for all of you,” she says, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. “But… I think I may have overcooked them.”

Nell chuckles softly, stepping closer to the tray and inspecting the burnt cookies. “It’s okay, Miss M. You gave it a shot.”

“Yeah, and I bet they would’ve tasted great,” Dick reassures her, then glances at Wally. “He doesn’t seem to mind.”

On the other side of the island-counter, Wally has already plucked one of the cookies off the tray and taken a large bite. “What? I have a serious metabolism,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders.

“I’ll make more?” Miss Martian offers kindly.

Standing beside her, Kaldur shakes his head. “It was sweet of you to make any.”

The Martian girl’s eyes soften as she glances up at the Atlantean. “Thank you, Aqualad,” she smiles.

“We’re off duty, call me Kaldur’ahm,” he tells her. “Actually, my friends call me Kaldur.”

“Oh, we’re sharing names?” A grin tugs at Wally’s lips. Quickly, he swallows the last bite of his burnt cookie then nudges Nell’s arm with his elbow, “That’s Eleanor and I’m–”

“It’s Nell,” she cuts him off, her green eyes narrowing into a glare at her best friend. He meets her eyes, still grinning, and all she can do is sigh as she turns around to face Miss Martian again. “Please, just call me Nell.”

“Of course, Green–” Miss Martian corrects herself, “Nell.”

“And I’m Wally!” The speedster introduces himself. He leans forward against the counter, his chin resting against the palm of his hand as he smirks up at Miss Martian. “See? I already trust you with my secret I.D. unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here,” he jerks his head in Dick’s direction, “Batman’s forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name.”

Nell snickers under her breath. While it had been their mentor's decision to inform Nell and Dick of each other’s identities back when they believed the Justice League’s only child heroes should at least try to be friends, she can still recall how Dick practically jumped at the chance to tell Roy and Wally his name when they met a couple years later.

“Well mine’s no secret,” Miss Martian smiles. “It’s M’gann M’orzz. But you can call me Megan. It’s an Earth name, and I’m on Earth now.”

Silently, Superboy pushes off the counter he had been leaning against and starts to make his way out of the kitchen. When he reaches the doorway, he grunts and spins around on his heel to face M’gann. “Get out of my head!” He shouts at her.

Nell and the three other boys each turn back to M’gann in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” M’gann wonders telepathically. 

The sudden mental intrusion has Nell bracing herself against the counter, her hands tightly wrapping around the marble edges as she squeezes her eyes shut. She had been to Mars once before, spoken telepathically to the Martians there as well as those who have joined the Corps, but it's always been willingly. They have never forced their way into her mind as M’gann is, unintentionally, doing now. With her eyes closed, she pictures glowing green razor wire and barking dogs, anything to protect her mind from the weight that’s settled over it.

“I don’t understand,” the Martian girl says as she looks between each member of the team, her brows furrowing in concern. “Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically.”

“This isn’t Mars,” Nell manages to get out. Instantly, the weight lifts and Nell sucks in a deep breath as she straightens her back and glances over at M’gann. “On Earth, you– You have to ask first, M’gann. Here, your powers are an invasion of privacy.”

“Besides, Cadmus’s creepy little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain.” With one hand covering his mouth in an attempt to hide his words from Superboy, Wally still nods in the clone’s direction.

M’gann’s eyes widen, “I– I didn’t mean to–”

“Just stay out,” Superboy growls at her. He storms out of the kitchen and over to the small living area, where he takes a seat on one of the green couches.

An awkward silence settles over the kitchen for a moment as M’gann stares down at her feet sadly. Until a second later, her eyes light up and she gently slaps the palm of her head against her forehead. “Hello, Megan!” She exclaims, then glances up at the four teens still surrounding her in the kitchen. “I know what we can do!”

Her feet lift off the ground and she takes off flying down the hallway that leads back to the Cave’s meeting chamber and surveillance room. The four original teen heroes linger behind, sharing a look with one another before Dick simply shrugs his shoulders. As the boys walk down the hallway, Nell stops in the doorway and glances over at Superboy.

The clone has turned his head away from them, glaring at the wall to his left in silence. Nell hesitates for a moment, her fingers gently brushing the door frame as she watches him sulk. 

She parts her lips to speak, wanting to say something, anything, to convince him that M’gann didn’t mean anything malicious by it. But instead, she presses her lips together, shakes her head, and takes off after the rest of the team.

Dick, Kaldur and Wally are all waiting by the elevator in the surveillance and training area, but M’gann comes flying back down the hallway, right past Nell, and into the living room once again. 

“Roy was right. This team’s a joke,” Dick complains, his arms crossed over his hoodie as he stares at the closed doors of the elevator. “The League won’t even give us a mission.”

Nell rolls her eyes. “Or there just isn’t a mission to give us yet?” She suggests. “It’s not every day a covert mission pops up, right? And we did agree to be covert.”

Dick scoffs but doesn’t argue, just staring at the elevator doors with a huff. “Covert or not, we’re still capable of more than just hanging around. Or why put us on a team at all?”

“Nell is right,” Kaldur says. “Perhaps they simply don’t have a mission yet. And as Red Tornado told us, team building is important.”

Dick glances over at him, “If this whole ‘team building’ thing is such a priority, why don’t we just, I don’t know, do something to build the team? Like, a real mission?”

“Let go of it, Bird Boy.” She huffs out a sigh, then murmurs under her breath, “No wonder why Roy called us the junior Justice League. All you do is whine.”

He parts his lips to argue, but before he can, M’gann flies back down the hallway. “We can go now!” She announces happily, landing beside the team and pressing the button for the elevator, as Superboy walks over to them.

When the elevator arrives, the six teens step inside. A few seconds later, with a ding signalling they’ve reached their destination, the elevator doors slide open to reveal a red pod sitting in the middle of the cave’s hangar. “Ta-da!” M’gann grins, spinning around on her heel with her arms stretched out. “It’s my Martian Bioship!”

She walks out onto the landing pad, and the rest of the team follows shortly behind her.

“Cute,” Wally compliments. “Not aerodynamic, but cute.”

“It’s at rest, silly,” M’gann laughs. “I’ll wake it.” With a wave of her hand, the pod begins to shift and change. The once-curved, compact shape stretches out and elongates. The once-smooth sides of the pod extend outward in the shape of wings. The ship’s nose elongates into a pointed front, mimicking the design of a fighter jet.

Nell has never really cared about aircrafts the way Hal does. She’s never wanted to make a career out of it, and she doesn’t really enjoy the days where she gets to go to work with Hal and listen to him rave on and on about Ferris Aircrafts newest projects. When it comes to flying, she’ll always prefer using her ring. But she’s also rarely seen a Bioship take form like this.

A twinkle of excitement shines in her green eyes.

The Bioship turns around, and a small ramp extends downward onto the landing pad. M’gann walks forward, then glances over her shoulder. “Well, are you coming?” She asks.

“Hell yeah,” Nell grins as she races forward. The inside of the Bioship is purple and blue, and when they walk into the cockpit, five seats rise up from within the ground alongside the control panel and the pilot's seat.

“Strap in for launch,” M’gann tells them as she takes her seat.

Nell sits at the front of the Bioship with Kaldur and Superboy, where three seats were lined up in front of the large glass window. Dick and Wally sit on either side of M’gann, whose pilot seat is in the middle of the cockpit. Straps morph out of the seat, winding around each of the heroes like seatbelts.

“Red Tornado, please open the bay doors,” M’gann requests. Two glowing blue orbs – Nell recognises them as the Bioship’s steering wheels – appear in front of the Martian girl as she prepares the ship for take-off. The large, metal doors creak open and within seconds, the Bioship speeds out of the cave, skimming over the ocean before lifting up into the sky.

“Incredible,” Dick gasps as he peers out the window. The Bioship flies over Happy Harbour, passing by the town in a blur.

“She sure is.” Wally sighs affectionately, then clears his throat. “I– I mean the ship, which, like all ships, is a she.” He back-tracks on his words quickly when M’gann glances his way.

“Fast with his feet, not so much with his mouth,” Dick laughs.

Wally hisses, “Dude!”

Beside Nell, Superboy glances over his shoulder to look at M’gann, then quickly faces forward again before anyone can notice. Or, at least, before he thinks anyone has noticed. Nell tears her gaze away from the blue expanse she can see beyond the window, her eyes flickering between M’gann and Superboy instead.

Kaldur also seems to catch onto it, because he leans closer to Superboy. “I may not have psychic powers, but I can guess what you’re thinking,” he whispers. “You overreacted, and you don’t know how to apologise–” he smiles, “–just say sorry.”

As if he could sense that she was listening to their conversation, Superboy glances in Nell’s direction next. “Uh– Well, Kaldur’s right,” she agrees. “You didn’t have to yell at her, she doesn’t know how things work here yet. But you’re also, kinda, messed up from the Cadmus genomes–”

She cuts herself off when Superboy’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “Look, all I’m saying is that you’re allowed to be uncomfortable,” she tells him, raising her hands. “But don’t take it out on her, or us. And say sorry.”

Superboy doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t make a noise of agreement, nor nod his head to show that he listened to a word she said. He just silently turns back to the window, crossing his arms over his chest as he stares out at the sky.

Nell leans forward in her seat, looking past Superboy and at Kaldur. The Atlantean is already staring back at her, and when she raises a brow, he simply shrugs his shoulders in response to her unspoken question.

“Hey.” Dick’s voice echoes through the cockpit. “How about showing us a little Martian shapeshifting?” 

Intrigued, Nell turns her seat around just in time to watch as M’gann stands up. Her form begins to shift, the curves of her body altering as her silhouette changes. Her green skin slowly transforms into a slight tan, and she loses just a few inches of height.

It takes a few seconds before M’gann straightens her back, now fully transformed. It’s Robin. Or at least, a very close approximation. M’gann’s hair is now black, neatly swept into a robin-like hairstyle, and the classic domino mask rests across her eyes. She’s wearing the standard Robin suit, complete with the red tunic and yellow utility-belt. But there’s an unmistakable issue. Despite the general shape of Robin, there’s one glaring difference: the Martian-version of Robin still has breasts, something that Robin – Dick Grayson – doesn’t have himself.

Nell can’t help the loud laugh that escapes her lips, much to Dick’s dismay as he spins around in his seat to glare at her. 

With a spin, M’gann’s form shifts from Robin’s to that of Kid Flash, and she flexes her arms. Her hair is now red, and her outfit mimics the classic yellow and red suit, complete with the lightning bolt. She flashes a confident grin.

Wally stares up at her with a lovestruck look in his green eyes. “Is it wrong that I think I’m hot?” He wonders aloud.

“Yes,” Nell chimes in without a second thought. Wally, turning his seat around, childishly sticks his tongue out at her and Nell responds with a glowing green hand that flips him off. 

“Impressive, but you know you’re not going to fool anyone with those,” Dick points out, subtly motioning to his own chest.

“Mimicking boys is a lot harder,” M’gann explains. Her form ripples and twists before settling into a more familiar look. This time, she becomes Nell. M’gann’s skin tone shifts to match Nell’s paler skin, her hair grows long and red, and a Green Lantern uniform forms around her. The familiar black and green suit with the white and green lantern symbol on her chest is an exact match. Even the subtle details, like the way Nell’s ring sits snugly on her right ring-finger and how her fringes have a slight curl to them, are perfectly recreated.

Nell – the real Nell – freezes, wide-eyed, as M’gann stands there with her exact form. The resemblance is uncanny, down to every little detail. “I... uh... wow,” she says, a little breathless. There’s a strange feeling in her stomach, like she’s seeing herself through someone else’s eyes.

She’s not sure whether she likes it.

Dick’s gaze lingers for a second, before he turns to glance out the window. While Wally grins up at M’gann, “Woah, great job, Miss M!”

With a sheepish smile, M’gann shifts back to her normal green self and returns to her seat. 

“And your clothes?” Kaldur wonders.

“They’re organic, like the ship,” M’gann answers. “They respond to my mental commands.”

“As long as they’re the only ones,” Superboy growls. 

Her face falls and, as both Nell and Kaldur look at the clone sharply, Wally clears his throat and changes the topic. “Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?” He asks.

“Density shifting?” M’gann questions after a beat, then shakes her head. “No… It’s– It’s a very advanced technique.”

“Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall,” Dick starts, and across the ship Wally’s eyes widen as he realises where the story is going, “When Wally tries it, bloody nose.”

Wally glares at his friend, while M’gann giggles softly. “Well, here’s something I can do,” the Martian girl announces as they fly over Happy Harbour. “Camouflage mode.”

From inside the Bioship, there are no noticeable differences. But Nell knows that if she were on the outside of the ship, it would be completely invisible to the naked eye. 

“Red Tornado to Miss Martian.” The android’s voice cuts through the teens’s conversation. “An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbour power plant. I suggest you investigate, covertly. I’m sending coordinates.”

“Coordinates received,” M’gann tells him through the comms. “Adjusting course.” The Bioship changes directions. Instead of flying over the town, they start in the direction of the power plant.

Dick sinks back in his seat, his arms crossing as he glares out the window. “Tornado’s keeping us busy again,” he grumbles.

“Well, a simple fire led you to Superboy,” M’gann reminds them happily, her lips twisting into a kind smile. “We should find out what caused the alert.”

A few moments later, though they haven’t landed, the Bioship hovers over the parking lot of Happy Harbour’s power plant. “Uh, I think I know the cause.” Superboy points out the window, right as a swirling tornado hits the ship, sucking them into the storm before M’gann could swerve out of its path.

The Bioship spins wildly as the tornado's powerful winds grip it, pulling it off course. M’gann struggles to steady the ship, her hands clutching the controls. The Bioship shakes back and forth, and Nell grips the sides of her seat.

“M’gann–” She glances over her shoulder, “Open a hatch!”

“What?” M’gann questions her with wide eyes. “That isn’t safe, we could–”

“Trust me.” Nell grins back at her teammate and, after a moment, M’gann reluctantly nods her head, and a hatch opens in the centre of the cockpit. Heavy winds rush through the opening, but Nell raises her right hand, picturing bubbles on a summer day.

A glowing green bubble forms around the Bioship, blocking the tornado's winds from rocking the ship back and forth. With the ship no longer being thrown around, M’gann pilots them forward out of the storm with a relieved sigh. The bubble dissipates as soon as they’re out of the tornado, and the Bioship lands at the edge of the parking lot.

The safety straps keeping Nell tethered to her seat retract and she quickly follows the team, dropping out of the hatch and onto the asphalt of the parking lot. Workers and other civilians were running from the building screaming, and a second tornado swirled around the back of the building.

“Robin, are tornadoes common in New England?” Aqualad questions, then glances to his left where the Boy Wonder had been standing only seconds later. His eyes widen when the boy is nowhere to be found. “Robin?!”

Nell’s eyes snap to the entrance of the building, her lips tugging down into a frown as she catches a glimpse of the Boy Wonder disappearing through the doors. 

“He was just here,” Miss Martian says worriedly.

“And now the idiot’s in there.” Nell points towards the power plant, as several windows on the upper floor explode outwards. Glass scatters across the front of the parking-lot. 

Aqualad lets out a sigh. “Then we must provide backup.” He takes off running, leading the other four teen heroes towards the power plant. They turn into the building just in time to watch a strong gust of wind throw Robin back against a pillar.

Instead of taking the stairs down, Superboy leaps over the railing and drops onto the ground floor by Robin’s side. “Who’s your new friend?”

“Didn’t catch his name but he plays kinda rough,” Robin answers. Across the room, wind swirls at the feet of a robotic red suit. There are various blue tubes connected to his back, arms and hips, and a tattered scarf hangs around his neck.

“My apologies. You may address me as Mister Twister.” With the wave of a wave, he sends three tornadoes in their direction. Superboy charges forward, only for the swirling twisters to push him back into the wall behind them.

Nell’s eyes narrow into a glare and, as she creates a comically large green sledgehammer in her hand, Kid Flash slips his goggles over his face. 

Robin rises to his feet with a grunt, one hand pressed against his abdomen. Miss Martian turns away from Superboy, glancing back at Aqualad, who then looks to Nell and Kid Flash. He nods his head and the four heroes leap into action.

Kid Flash, sprinting faster than the others, is the first to attack. Halfway to Mister Twister, he presses his hands against the ground, then somersaults up into a kicking motion at the villain’s chest. Mister Twister reacts quickly, catching the teen hero in a small tornado; he turns around, and flings Kid Flash out of the open doors behind them.

Miss Martian moves in from the air, Aqualad charges at him, and Nell reels the sledgehammer back – ready to swing – only for Mister Twister to summon a harsh, strong gust of wind that blows them all back. 

Nell slams against the concrete stairs, the edges of the steps pressing against her side. Aqualad hits a pillar at the back of the room, while Miss Martian ricochets off the railing of the stairs Nell landed against. Still powered down, Nell groans in pain as she rolls onto her back, one of her hands moving to clutch her side as she lifts her head off the concrete.

“I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero.” She can hear Mister Twister taunting them. “I was not, however, expecting children.” 

“We’re not children!” Robin shouts as he throws two birderangs. One explodes mid-air and, though the other digs into the metal armour of the villain, he flicks it away before it can blow up.

“Objectively, you are,” Mister Twister says. “Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite disturbing.” Nell rises to feet, as do the others.

“Well, we hate to see you disturbed!” Robin calls out as the others move to his side. “Let’s see if you’re more turbed once we kick your can.”

Miss Martian throws a hand out, and telekinetically pulls down the vent above Mister Twister. The open vent spurts out dirty air that blows down on the villain and blocks his vision. Superboy leaps at him but, before he can land a hit, he’s thrown back by another twister; the strong winds push him into Miss Martian, knocking the girl out of the air as they crash land on the ground.

While Robin and Aqualad charge at Mister Twister, Nell lingers behind. Her ring hums to life on her finger, and a sword begins to form in her hand. As the weapon finishes forming in a ray of green light, Nell lifts her gaze and watches as another tornado pushes both boys away from the villain.

Before she can race forward, though, she pauses, a moment of realisation washing over her. The wind is too strong. She can't just charge in recklessly, not when every time they get close, he blows them back. She needs something more.

Her eyes scan over his metal suit, and an idea pops into her head. The sword vanishes into a green light that begins to wrap around her. The heavy armour forms quickly, glowing green as it envelops her body, a second skin that hardens around her. 

Nell charges forward, her footsteps heavy, and as she runs toward Mister Twister, she braces herself against the incoming wind. He swings his arms out in front of him, increasing the wind pressure, and Nell stumbles back a few steps before regaining her balance.

A sledgehammer begins to form in the grip of her two hands and, as she reels it back and prepares to strike, the wind increases again. Mister Twister creates another tornado, this one heading straight for her. The wind whips around her, pulling at her limbs, her body being tossed into the air despite the weight of her armour.

She lands on the other side of the room, her impact with the ground creating a small crater around her. Nell groans, almost curling in on herself for a moment as she wills the armour to disappear, an ache spreading through her body.

“Indeed, that was quite ‘turbing,” Mister Twister mocks them, his voice growing quieter as if he were getting further away. Laying on her back on the ground, Nell sucks in a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment.

A shadow appears over her and Nell peeks one eye open, half expecting to see Mister Twister coming to finish the job. But when her eyes blink open, it's not Mister Twister standing over, it's Robin. She doesn’t know which is worse.

“There’s no time for lying around on the job, Lantern.” There’s a smug smirk on Robin’s face, even as he holds out his hand for her. Nell rolls her eyes but takes his hand and lets him pull her back up onto her feet. 

“Isn’t that what you were doing when we got here?” She bites back. Letting go of his hand, she rolls her shoulders back, slightly wincing at the ache of the bruises no doubt forming beneath her shirt. He doesn’t give her the satisfaction of another argument, only scoffs as the two of them – as well as Aqualad, Miss Martian, and Superboy – rush out into the field behind the power plant.

Outside, a tornado sweeps across the field, heading back towards the side of the building. As it begins to dissipate, Miss Martian quickly throws out her hand, telekinetically catching Kid Flash before the twister tosses him against the building.

“I got you, Wally!” She says, smiling when the dust clears. The Martian girl sets their teammate back on the ground and he grins her way.

“Thanks!”

“I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now,” Mister Twister calls out from the sky.

Aqualad takes a step forward, his eyes narrowing up at the villain. “What do you want?!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mister Twister asks, “I’m waiting for a real hero!”

Nell snarls. They’re all heroes– she is a hero, whether the Justice League or the world is ready to admit that. She did her time in bootcamp, she earned her Lantern, she has had her ring for almost five years and been a full-fledged member of the Corps for four. That’s longer than John’s had his ring, longer than the Justice League has been public.

Aqualad turns to Miss Martian. “Read his mind,” he orders. “Find a weakness.”

She blinks in surprise, “I thought I wasn’t supposed to do that!”

“It’s okay with the bad guys,” Robin tells her loudly.

With a frown on her face, Miss Martian presses two fingers to her temple and closes her eyes. “Nothing!” She informs the team. “I’m getting nothing!” Suddenly, her eyes shoot open and a grin tugs at her lips. “Hello, Megan! Mister Twister is Red Tornado in disguise, he’s inorganic, an android. And how many androids do you know that can generate tornadoes?”

Aqualad’s eyes flicker between the possible android and the Martian. “Red Tornado sent us here,” he realises.

“After saying we’d be tested soon enough,” Robin points out, then glances over at Nell, “See? Speedy was right. This is Red’s test, something to keep us busy.”

“He called it,” Kid Flash sighs. “We’re a joke.”

Nell’s heart sinks to her stomach, and her throat burns, the more she thinks about it. Roy couldn’t be right. She doesn’t want him to be right about the team. This was hers. This was Kaldur’s, Wally's, and Dick’s. It wasn’t the League’s. It’s not their way of keeping them in their place. And yet, as her green eyes flicker up to the android’s hovering form, she can’t help but think Roy might’ve been right about one thing.

The League is treating them worse than children. 

They’re treating them like sidekicks. 

Kid Flash glares up at the android. “This game,” he scoffs, “So over.”

The four of them – Nell, Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad – walk forward to shout up at the android. “We know who you are and what you want!” Robin calls out, angrily pointing up at Mister Twister.

“So let’s end this!” Aqualad snaps.

“Consider it ended.” The android says menacingly. He raises his hands into the air, and the sky above begins to darken with clouds that swarm in to cover the previously sunny afternoon.

“We said we’re done with this game. Give it up already!” Nell shouts. Did Hal and John know? Did they agree to put her – to put all of them – through this stupid test, or had Batman kept it to himself? No. No, it had to be Batman’s idea alone. Hal and John wouldn’t, they’d never, act as if her years of being a hero meant nothing. 

Nell’s eyes widen as lightning strikes from the dark sky. “Uh,” Wally’s eyes flicker from the android and back to his team, “Can Red Tornado do that?”

“You think I’m Red Tornado? Ironic.” He cackles as lightning crashes around the team. Dirt and rocks fly up from the ground as the lightning hits, and the team is thrown back by the impact. Nell hits the ground a few feet away from where she had been previously standing, her ears ringing as she tries to recollect herself.

“Fine then,” the android says from above. “I won’t deny you children have your power but playing hide-and-seek with you will not help me reach my objectives so stay concealed.” 

With a wince, Nell rolls over onto her back as she listens to the android’s taunts. After a moment passes, she opens her eyes to watch as the android hovers above them, glancing around the field as if he really couldn’t see them. Her brows knit together; they weren’t hidden, why can’t he see them?

“If you confront me again, I will show no mercy!” Mister Twister declares, then flies away. 

“What–” Kid Flash presses one of his hands to his head as he slowly sits up, glancing over at Miss Martian. “What happened?”

“I placed the Bioship between us,” Miss Martian explains. 

Behind them, Superboy punches the rock beside him, once and then twice. Nell flinches at his reaction, her eyes following him as he storms in Miss Martian’s direction. “And that’s supposed to make it right? You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado,” he accuses.

“She didn’t do it on purpose.” Rising to his feet, Aqualad walks over to stand between Superboy and Miss Martian. 

Robin pushes himself back up, and Kid Flash, after getting onto his own two feet, pulls Nell up with a tug of her arm. She smiles up at her friend gratefully.

“It– It was a rookie mistake.” She overhears Robin say as he approaches the others. “We shouldn't have listened.”

The smile falls from Nell’s face. “What?” She spins around on her heel, her eyes narrowing into a pointed glare as she looks at the Boy Wonder. “Any of us could’ve thought Twister was Tornado, we listened because it made sense. You can’t blame Miss M for that.” The two of them arguing is no surprise. If Nell can — and she always does — find a way to argue with Robin’s opinion, she’ll take the chance.

But this is different. She won’t just stand around and let them berate M’gann for making a mistake that any of them would have made, a mistake that up until five minutes ago, they believed was the truth because what other android did they know with Tornado’s powers except for the League hero himself?

“She is pretty inexperienced, though,” Kid Flash chimes in, then glances down at Miss Martian. “Hit the showers, we can handle it from here.”

With a growl, Superboy storms past Miss Martian. “Stay out of our way.” With a running start, he leaps into the air in the direction of the town.

Nell watches him for a moment, then sighs as she powers up; as her Green Lantern uniform begins to materialise over her clothes, she creates a platform for Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad, though the latter remains rooted in place where he stands in front of Miss Martian. “Aqualad, are you coming?” She asks. 

Aqualad glances over at her. “I will catch up,” he tells her. “Go ahead.”

Her eyes flicker down to Miss Martian, then back to Aqualad. Something unspoken passes between them and, only after Aqualad nods his head in understanding, Nell lifts up into the sky and shoots towards the town of Happy Harbour. 

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By the time they reach the town, the sky had turned pink and orange, and the robot had already created a path of destruction. Multiple twisters were destroying businesses and homes, and civilians were screaming as they ran through the streets in fear.

“Certainly this will get the required attention.”

Kid Flash sprints into the town. “You got ours! Full and undivided!” Nearing the android, he jumps and kicks the robot with both legs, knocking him back.

“Immaterial and insufficient!” Twister shouts angrily. “You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!”

Superboy, with his fists clenched, falls out of the sky to crush the robot. Mister Twister speeds away at just the right moment, and Superboy slams into the ground instead. The robotic villain tosses two tornadoes in the direction of Kid Flash and Superboy.

Nell, still hovering in the sky, floats to the left to avoid the two twisters only to be swept up by a third that she hadn’t seen him create. She’s tossed back further into the town but, before she can hit the top of the car she was flying in a bee-line towards, she creates a bubble around herself. The glowing green bubble ricochets off the car, and tosses her onto the asphalt as it disappears around her in shimmering particles.

“Ow, ow, ow,” she complains under her breath as she lifts herself up onto her knees. She glances down at her hands, covered in reddened scrapes. 

Kid Flash skids down the street, coming to a stop in front of her. “Lantern, you alright?”

“Fine.” She answers as she looks around the town. Aqualad and Superboy are thrown into a nearby house, one that comes crumbling down around them just a few seconds later. Her shoulders tense, and her brows furrow. “Where’s–?”

“Look, there’s Robin!” Kid Flash points toward the Boy Wonder. Across the street, Robin hides with his back pressed against the edge of a boat that had been pulled to shore by Mister Twister.

Nell moves back to her feet. “Great,” she murmurs, but Kid Flash has already sprinted over to Robin’s side and is waving her over. With a roll of her eyes, she flies over to them and crouches by Kid’s side.

Silently, Robin pulls his utility belt out from beneath his hoodie and swings it around his shoulder and under his arm, clipping it into place across his chest. Kid Flash stares up at him with a raised brow, “You brought your utility belt?”

“Never leave home without it,” Robin says, “First thing Batman taught me.”

“Was that after he told you to never go to the bathroom without it?” Nell teases. She hates to admit it, hates to even think it, but his and Batman’s readiness was a good thing. Like the Lantern Corps, they’re always ready for the unexpected to occur. Still, she can’t help but laugh at the glare Robin sends her way.

“Listen to me, all of you!” Miss Martian’s voice rings through Nell’s head, and the girl ceases her laughter as she winces and squeezes her eyes shut. 

“What did we tell you?!” Superboy growls.

“I know! I know I messed up, but now I’m very clear on what we need to do, please trust me,” Miss Martian pleads. But Nell can still feel Superboy’s distaste through the mind-link. 

“What do you need from us, Miss M?” She asks, effectively answering for the team before anybody could shut the Martian down. “We’ve got your back.” A sense of relief washes through the mind-link, followed by a plan flashing through everyone’s minds. The boys simultaneously groan in response, while Nell smirks.

Nell, followed by the four boys, moves back into the town square just as Miss Martian – disguised as Red Tornado – lowers from the sky. “Hit the showers, kids,” she orders them, in the same emotionless, automated voice of Red Tornado. “I was hoping you could handle this, clearly you cannot.”

“But we’ve got a plan now,” Robin says.

“The subject is not up for debate.” The disguised Martian tells him. The young heroes, with their heads hanging low, split off to let the Martian carry out the rest of their plan. 

“I was beginning to think you would never arrive.” Mister Twister states.

“I’m here now.” Still disguised, Miss Martian waves her hand and Kid Flash, who had been hiding in the town below, sprints fast enough to create a speedster-made tornado to mimic Red Tornado’s powers.

Mister Twister replicates the attack, forcing Miss Martian to dodge to the left. “We are evenly matched, Twister,” she calls out.

“No, we are not!” Mister Twister shoots lightning at the disguised-Martian. Though instead of hitting her, it strikes the boat below and creates an explosion large enough to knock her out of the air. She hits the ground, and Mister Twister quickly lands in front of her. “Remain still android. Reprogramming won’t take long.”

Cables extend from his fingertips but, before they can attach to who he believes is Red Tornado, Miss Martian grabs the wires and morphs her face from the android’s back into her own. Her lips twist into a smug smile. “Longer than you might think.” She throws her hand out, telekinetically pushing Mister Twister away from her.

With a noise akin to a growl, Mister Twister creates a large tornado. It picks up a car that had been parked nearby and tosses it into the air; Nell, hovering in the skies above to watch Miss Martian’s plan, quickly leans back and narrowly dodges the vehicle as it slices through the air.

Quickly thinking, Nell twists around mid-air so that her back faces the ground, and creates a glowing green lasso that wraps around the half-wrecked car. With a harsh tug, she pulls the car off its flight path towards the pier and back in the direction of Mister Twister. He flies back at the last second, and the car smashes against the asphalt.

But that half a second is all that’s needed for Kid Flash to create another speedster-made tornado, one that sucks the robotic villain up as soon as he speeds out of Nell’s attack. The villain swirls around the tornado for a moment, before being thrown towards Superboy.

The clone, with heavy hits, punches two holes into the metal armour and then tosses him into the harbour’s water. Aqualad waits below the surface, electrocuting the android as soon he disappears below the water. The intense pressure blows not only gallons of water, but the android itself, out of the harbour.

He crashes against the pier where Miss Martian – back in her green skin and pink clothing – and the rest of the team, is waiting for him. She telekinetically lifts him into the air, tearing his remaining arm from his suit. Below, Robin tosses three birderangs up at the android causing it to explode and tumble back down to the ground.

He lands on the concrete just across from the pier, and he falls to his knees with an echoing thud. The chest cavity of the suit opens, and a skinny man crawls out of it with a quiet whimper. “Foul!” He shouts up at them. “I call foul!”

With a tight-lipped smile, Miss Martian silently lifts a nearby boulder into the air and hovers it over the man. Aqualad’s eyes widen, and Nell can feel her heart drop to her stomach as the boulder crashes down onto the man.

“M’gann,” she gasps. This isn’t the first time, it won’t be the last time either, that she’s seen the enemy fall in battle. But on Earth, things are different. On Earth, things have to be different.

On Earth, they don’t kill.

Robin spins around to face Miss Martian and, though he’s still wearing his sunglasses, Nell knows from his expression alone that he’s beyond angry. Batman has a code, and by extension, so does his protege. “I don’t know how things are done on Mars, but on Earth we don’t execute our captives!” He snaps at the Martian.

Miss Martian smirks down at him. “You said you trust me.” She lifts her hand and slowly, the boulder rises. Nell has half the mind to look away, to spare herself the gruesome view she believes will be left behind, but when the boulder is lifted all that remains are the broken and shattered remnants of an android.

“That’s why I couldn’t read his mind,” the Martian reveals to the team. 

With furrowed brows, Kid Flash crouches beside the destroyed android and plucks something off the ground. “Cool. Souvenir!” He grins, tossing the humanoid android’s eyeball into the air and catching it again in his right hand.

With a relieved sigh, Aqualad reaches out to place his hand on Miss Martian’s shoulder. “We should have had more faith in you,” he says. 

“Yeah. You rocked this mission,” Wally grins, “Get it? Rocked.”

“Oh my god,” Nell groans dramatically at the poor joke.

“Ignore him.” Robin turns to Miss Martian. “We’re all just ‘turbed you’re on the team.”

She smiles gratefully. “Thanks. Me too.”

⋆ ʚ ♡ ɞ ⋆

By the time they return to the Cave, the sun has set over Happy Harbour. Nell, powered down and back in her civvies, stands in front of the parts and pieces that had made up the humanoid android’s body. Her arms are crossed over her cardigan as she stares down at the workshop’s table, and the pieces scattered atop it.

“It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you,” Kaldur informs Red Tornado.

The android nods, “Agreed.”

“Is that why you wouldn’t help us?” M’gann wonders. Behind her, Dick and Wally stand in front of the computer to run diagnostics on the parts they brought back.

“No.” Tornado says. “I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you, nor should you solve mine for me.”

Nell’s brows furrow in concern, and she lifts her gaze from the robot’s remains to instead look over at the League Hero. “That’s not– Red,” she starts, “If you’re in danger, then–”

“Consider this matter closed,” he concludes, cutting the Green Lantern off as he turns away from the team and begins walking away. 

“Batman, Aquaman, Hal or Flash, they’d have jumped right in to fix things,” Wally points out with a sigh. 

Dick doesn’t look up from the computer, only shrugs his shoulders. “Guess if we’re going to have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need.” Red Tornado stops mid-step, then turns his head to stare at the boy.

“Dude,” Wally hisses, nudging the Boy Wonder with his elbow, “Harsh!”

“And inaccurate,” Red Tornado tells them. “I have a heart. Carbon steel-alloy. I also have excellent hearing.” 

Dick blushes in embarrassment and sheepishly laughs. “Right, sorry,” he apologises. “I’ll try to be more accurate.”

Kaldur places his hand on the boy’s shoulder, his lips curling into a smirk. “And more respectful.”

Stepping away from the table and following the boys to the workshop’s exit and into the kitchen, Nell uncrosses her arms as she snickers under her breath. “Leave it to Bird Boy over there to set a bad impression with our team’s new babysitter,” she comments.

Walking beside them, Wally grins. “Speedy was so wrong.”

“Didn’t I say that?” Nell glances at the redhead, laughing when he simply waves her off with one hand.

“This team thing,” Dick agrees with a nod, “might just work out.”

Chapter Text

It’s not every day that Mount Justice’s meeting chamber gets put into use. In fact, for the team, it has never been put into use for the purpose of an actual mission. They often gather for games, pushing the tables around to teach M'gann and Superboy cards or bringing the air-hockey table in from storage to keep themselves entertained. Until tonight. Sitting at the long table, with Kaldur to her left and Wally to her right, excitement floods through Nell’s veins as she listens to the mission briefing.

Their very first official mission, assigned to them by the Justice League. 

“Isla Santa Prisca.” Batman stands in front of a large map of the island. “This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neuro-steroid, a strength-enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments have been inexplicably cut off. That’s where this team comes in.”

He turns around to face the six teenagers. “This is a covert recon mission only,” he tells them firmly. “Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will.”

“Who’s in charge?” At the other end of the table, with his sunglasses shielding his eyes, Dick rests his forearms against the table as he leans forward to ask the question. Batman and Red Tornado share a look before the former turns back to the teens.

“Work that out between yourselves.” The Dark Knight decides.

꒰ ♡ ꒱

Later that night, and with a fully charged ring, Nell sits in the Bioship with the rest of the team as the Martian aircraft speeds over the Caribbean Ocean. Seated off to the side, in front of Miss Martian’s pilot seat but behind both Kid Flash and Robin, Nell leans back in her seat with eyes closed and her arms crossed over her Lantern uniform.

Dinah had told her once, a couple of years ago, when they began meeting for therapy sessions the League insisted on, that she should have a pre-mission tradition. Something to keep her head in the game, something to calm her mind before a rough Lantern mission. Nell had long since settled on thinking of what would happen after the mission. Tonight, she’s going to have a sleepover with M’gann at the Cave, and tomorrow she’s supposed to go out for lunch with Hal and Carol for the woman’s birthday.

If she has plans, then she can’t miss them.

If she has plans with the people she loves, she refuses to miss it.

And that's what gets her through the mission.

“Drop-Zone A in thirty.” Miss Martian announces. 

With a nod of his head, Aqualad rises to his feet and presses the symbol on his suit. His suit shifts from red to greys and blacks before he glances over at Miss Martian. “Ready.”

“Putting the Bioship in camouflage mode.” Nearing the island, Miss Martian lowers the Bioship closer to the water and opens a hatch for Aqualad to dive through. As he disappears beneath the dark water, the hatch closes behind him, and the Bioship continues towards the island.

“Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop.” Aqualad’s voice transmits through their in-ear radios a few moments later. “Move in.”

Miss Martian pilots the Bioship over the island, then comes to a stop over a small clearing in the forest. “Drop-Zone B,” she announces to the rest of the team. One by one, the five heroes stand up and their seats, as Aqualad’s had, disappear into the floor of the Bioship.

Three lines morph out of the ceiling in front of Kid Flash, Robin and Superboy—the first two boys attach the hooks to their belts, while Superboy ignores it.

“Check it out!” A grin spreads across Kid Flash’s face as he presses the lightning emblem on the centre of his chest, and his outfit begins to shift from yellow to black and red. “How cool is this?”

With a smile of her own, Miss Martian closes her eyes as she wills her own suit to change. The sleeves of her white shirt lengthen down her arms, and change from white to black, while her skirt splits into pants that morph with the long boots rising across her legs. Her cape becomes longer and darker, too. 

“Uh, that works too,” Kid Flash whispers in awe, staring at the Martian girl for a moment longer before he glances at Superboy. “Hey, Supey, you know it’s not too late to put on the new stealth tech.”

Superboy stands at the back of the room, his arms crossed over the black Superman shirt he had bought when shopping with Nell and Kid a few days after his rescue from Cadmus. “No capes, no tights, no offence,” he says firmly. 

Leaning her cheek against the palm of her hand, Miss Martian lets out a dreamy sigh as she stares over at the boy. “It totally works for you.” When Superboy and the others turn to look at her, her eyes widen and her green cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “In– In that you can totally do good work in those clothes!”

Awkwardly, she lifts her hand to give the boy a thumbs up, and Nell can’t stop the grin that tugs at her lips as she watches her friend. Miss Martian’s gaze flickers from Superboy over to Nell, a pleading look for help in her eyes as she pulls her hood over her head and turns invisible.

“Alright,” Nell says, biting back a giggle. Unable to change her own suit for the mission—the Green Lantern uniform can shift to fit its user, but the colours always stay the same—she takes a step forward with her hands resting on her hips. “Let’s get out there before Aqualad shows up at the factory on his own.”

Eagerly, Miss Martian opens another hatch in the ground. She and Nell are the first to jump, using their powers to float to the ground, while Robin and Kid Flash are lowered by the lines that had appeared out of the Bioship’s ceilings. The four teens are quick to scatter when Superboy leaps out of the Bioship and comes crashing down into the dirt, leaving a small crater behind where they had been standing just a few seconds prior.

“Knew I didn’t need a line,” Superboy smirks.

Robin hisses, “And yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert.”

“Aqualad.” Miss Martian lifts a hand to activate her in-ear radio as she joins the others behind Robin, who pulls out a holographic map emitting from his gauntlet. “Drop-Zone B is a go.”

“Head for the factory,” Aqualad tells them. “I’ll track your GPS and rendezvous asap.”

“Roger that,” Robin says into his own comms. He had been crouching at the edge of the clearing, close to the overgrowth of weeds that rose against the base of a thick tree. His masked eyes scan over the holographic map emitting from the back of his glove, before it suddenly closes, and he rises to his feet. He waves his hand, silently signalling for the team to follow him into the dark forest.

With Robin at the front of the group, Kid Flash and Superboy running right behind him, and Miss Martian floating above, Nell takes the flank. Her ring emits a soft emerald glow as she follows her friends through the dark forest. When the rushing sound of water from the river fades out of earshot, she lowers herself onto the ground to walk behind the rest of the team. 

At least until Superboy, walking half a step behind Miss Martian after she too dropped onto the ground, pauses in his path. With Nell’s eyes surveying the surroundings at her sides, she continues forward until she slams into his back. He glances over his shoulder at her, eyes narrowed slightly down at her, as she simply shrugs her shoulders in response.

“What?” She asks with a grin. “Don’t stop randomly if you don’t want people running into you, SB.”

He raises a finger to his lips, shushing her despite the exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Do you hear that?” He wonders, glancing from her and over to the rest of the team, who have come to a stop just ahead. 

“Hear what?” With a flick of Nell’s hand, a glow emits from her ring, and a giant cone appears next to the side of her face. She leans her ear towards it, her lips still curled into a grin, “All I hear are the crickets. Are you hearing things, Superboy? You know, some people say that might be the first sign of madness.”

“Wait,” Kid Flash steps back towards them, “is this a super-hearing thing?”

“You do have great ears.” Miss Martian swoons, her voice soft and light.

“Okay, Rob. What now?” Kid Flash, too far—or maybe too distracted—to hear the Martian’s comment, asks. He and the other three heroes turn around to where the Boy Wonder had just been, crouched by the trees, only to find him gone. Kid’s shoulders drop, frustratedly, “Man, I hate it when he does that.”

Dropping the cone-shaped construct she had formed with her ring, Nell crosses her arms over the Lantern-symbol across her chest. “…Well, I don’t,” she says flatly, stepping forward through the underbrush. “Let him go brood in a tree or whatever it is he’s doing.”

“Superboy, Kid,” Aqualad’s voice crackles through her comm, sounding calm, but pointed, “Switch to infrared. See if you’re being tracked.”

Kid Flash lowers his goggles over his eyes, his expression shifting from annoyance to focus as he glances around the forest. Quickly, he rushes forward, grabbing hold of Nell and pulling her behind a nearby set of bushes. “Got a squad of armed bozos incoming,” he announces. 

Nell shifts within the bushes, her eyes flickering over to Superboy and Miss Martian. They drop fast, hiding behind a fallen log. “Two squads,” Superboy corrects, staring out into the forest. “But they’ll meet each other before they find us.” As soon as he finishes, the sound of gunshots travels through the silent forest. Miss Martian covers her mouth with her hand, while Kid Flash reaches up to switch off the infrared in his goggles.

“Swing wide, stay clear.” Aqualad orders.

Kid Flash moves beside her, slowly creeping from the bushes and over to the log where Miss Martian and Superboy sit. With his goggles still covering his eyes, he peeks his head over the log for a better look around. “Yeah,” he agrees, absentmindedly, “Yeah, just as soon as I find Rob.”

It takes a second, only a second, for the words to process in Nell’s mind. But that’s all it takes for Kid Flash, in a blur faster than the eye can see, to move from where he had been sitting and disappear through the dark forest before anyone can stop him.

With her lips curling downward, Nell shuffles over to join the others behind the log. “Looks like the disappearing act is contagious,” she grumbles under her breath. “We should go find them before something goes wrong. Aqualad–” She presses a finger to her comm device, “Did you catch all that?”

“Find them,” he agrees. “But be careful. I will be at your location shortly.”

“Roger that.” She pushes herself over the log, then rises off the ground to fly through the forest in the direction Kid’s footsteps seemed to be running in. They continued quite far into the forest, then disappeared down the muddy side of a hill, in the direction of the ongoing gunshots.

Nell narrows her eyes as she floats down the hill, close enough to the canopy that her shadow is lost in the trees. Just ahead, she catches flashes of motion—Miss Martian dives first, aiming for the clearing where the two squads had converged in their fight. Nell follows close behind, flying lower until her boots hit the ground with a heavy thud. Almost instantly, a squad member whirls toward the sound, raising his rifle. Too slow.

With her ring flaring bright, Nell slams her feet into the dirt and conjures a construct mid-spin—a glowing emerald baseball bat, nearly as tall as she is. “Batter up!” She calls out, her boots grind to a stop just as she swings. The bat slams into the gunman’s chest, sending him flying backward through the air like a rag doll. He crashes into the trees, his rifle skittering across the forest floor. “And it’s a home run!”

Robin drops from a nearby tree, a scowl painted across his visage as he knocks one criminal out and disarms the other, only to follow up with a punch strong enough to send the unarmed criminal flying. He spins around on his heel to face the rest of the team. “What’s wrong with you guys? Remember covert?” He questions loudly. “Why didn’t you follow my lead and vanish into the jungle?”

“That’s what you were doing?” Kid Flash, repetitively beating his fists against a thug much larger than him, wonders aloud. “Way to fill us in. We’re not mind readers, you know?” Behind him, Miss Martian’s hand shoots out in front of her as she uses her telekinesis to throw two armed men into the trees. He glances back at her, then over to Robin. “Er, I’m not anyway.”

“You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds,” Miss Martian states, her voice lifting in confusion. 

Striking down the last thug with her bat, Nell lands on the forest floor beside Miss Martian with a grin. “And that’s still true, Miss M,” she points out. “Telepathy isn’t really that big of a thing here on Earth, remember?” Miss Martian’s brows furrow, but she nods in response. 

Across from them, Robin turns around, his masked eyes narrowing at something beyond the trees. Nell follows his gaze, catching a glimpse of the red cape of a man attempting to sneak away from the fight. As quickly as he can, Robin reaches into his belt and pulls out two birderangs, but before he can toss them, Aqualad drops down from the trees and grabs the man by the front of his shirt. 

The tattoos painted across Aqualad’s arms begin to glow, as electricity courses through his hands and shocks the man unconscious. With a sigh, he drops him onto the forest ground and glances back over to where the team is still watching him. 

“I told you to swing wide and steer clear,” he reminds them. Leaning down, he grabs the man by his shirt once more and drags him into the small clearing where the other unconscious thugs remain.

“Well, the rest of us did.” Nell steps forward and tosses a look to her left, her eyes narrowing at Robin, who meets her look with a matching glare.

Aqualad sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose for just a moment, before he waves a hand down at the thugs. “We must restrain them before they wake,” he instructs the team. “We can figure out where to go from there.”

With a nod of her head, Nell tears her gaze off Robin’s masked face and over to the unconscious thugs surrounding them. She summons a large, green hand and separates the two groups—propping the red-caped men against one tree, and the other criminals to the tree beside them—as Robin moves forward to tie them to the tree stumps.

“Those uniforms look familiar,” Nell hums in thought, her hands resting on her hips as she stares down at the red-capes. Then, after a moment, her eyes widened slightly. “Oh! It’s the Cult of the Kobra, right?” 

“I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca’s venom operation,” Aqualad says, somewhat in disbelief. 

“What? Are you saying Batman doesn’t know?” Nell’s lips lift into a grin at the thought. Much to Hal’s chagrin, Batman knew almost everything in an annoyingly infuriating way that seemed to rub off on his ward, too.

Robin gives Nell a pointed look, the kind that’s meant to make people second-guess their tone—but she just crosses her arms over her chest, and her smirk doesn’t budge. “I mean,” she continues, feigning innocence, “he’s Batman. World’s greatest detective. Master of shadows and all that.” She twirls a finger lazily in the air. “But if he missed something this big? I don’t know, that kinda makes this a Lantern win, don’t you think?”

Robin’s mouth flattens. “This isn’t a game, Lantern.”

“Never said it was,” she fires back, her voice easy, almost sing-song. “But c’mon. You don’t find it a little funny that the Bat missed this? If Hal were here, he’d be eating this up.”

“He either didn’t know—” Aqualad ignores the glare Robin sends his way, “—Or the cult were not the ones behind this operation.”

“Exactly.” Robin agrees. “And since there’s clearly no love lost between the Cult and those goons, I’m betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. It would explain why normal supply lines have been cut off.”

“Cool, Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved.” With a grin painted across his face, Kid Flash shrugs his shoulders. “Radio Bats and we’ll be home in time—”

“These cultists aren’t on venom,” Robin points out, cutting the speedster off. “Kobra’s hoarding the stuff. We don’t leave. Not until I know why.”

“Until you know why?” Kid Flash scoffs. 

Robin shrugs, “This team needs a leader.”

“And it’s you?” He rolls his eyes, his hands dropping to rest on his hips as he bends slightly at the waist to match Robin’s height. “Dude, you’re a thirteen-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word?”

Robin lets out a bitter laugh. “And you’re a mature fifteen?”

Kid Flash’s mouth opens to fire back, but Nell steps in first, her ring glowing faintly as if responding to the spike in emotion.

“Okay, well,” she says, her voice louder now, cutting across the rising tension, “I’m fourteen.”

Robin’s masked eyes shift to her, sharp and annoyed. “Nobody was talking to—”

“But maybe you should be,” Nell snaps, stepping forward, boots crunching the underbrush beneath her. “Because if we’re tossing around resumes for who should lead this team? I’ve got one.”

Well, that certainly wasn’t the plan, she thinks to herself. Nice going, Nellie.

As a Green Lantern, she had been taught to be a soldier. To follow orders without questioning them. Sure, she knew that sometimes, some orders needed to be ignored for the sake of the mission, but that came with the lessons that had been drilled into her during boot camp—that a Green Lantern finishes the job, no matter the cost.

Having what it takes to choose which orders should be followed and which should be ignored, Nell can do that. She can handle doing whatever it takes to make sure the mission succeeds, too; she’s been prepared to do that since she finished boot camp.

But to accomplish all that, to be ready to die at a moment’s notice just to finish the job, while leading a team? Nell doesn’t know she has that in her. Still, the glare Robin sends her way is enough to annoy her into speaking again. 

“I’ve been out in the field since I was eleven,” she continues. “On real missions. Off-world stuff, with Hal and the rest of the Corps. I’ve seen more than most of you have. So don’t act like I don’t know what I’m doing just because I didn’t grow up in a cave with the Bat.”

Kid Flash lets out a laugh-snort, then quickly covers it with a cough when Robin glares at him.

She continues, “Besides, what type of leader vanishes without a word?”

“I didn’t vanish into the jungle without a word,” Robin retorts. “I was gathering recon. Which is what a leader does when they don’t want to give away their position by broadcasting it to the whole forest.”

“Right. Because you’re so good at communicating,” she says, folding her arms tightly across her chest. “Maybe next time send a signal or use your comm. The rest of us are getting sick of your disappearing act.”

Robin’s lips part to speak, probably to argue with her again, but he falls silent as one of the men—the biggest of the average criminal-looking group, with a black and white mask covering his face—begins to laugh.

“Such clever ninos,” the man says, “But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. I can get you into the factory via my secret entrance.”

With two fingers pressed to her forehead, Miss Martian kneels in front of him. Her eyes briefly glow white, then she sighs and glances over her shoulder at the rest of the team. “There is a secret entrance,” she informs them. “But he’s also hiding something.” She turns back around, her eyes glowing again, only to stop a moment later. 

“Ah, ah, ah, chica,” he tisks. “Bane is not that easy.”

Miss Martian’s hand drops onto her lap. “He’s mentally reciting football scores in Spanish. This could take a while.”

“It’s not complicated,” he tells them with a shrug of his shoulders. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Nell’s eyes narrow at the man—Bane—as his words hang in the thick, humid air. The others may be willing to entertain the idea, may even be considering trusting him for the sake of moving the mission forward, but she doesn’t budge. “Yeah, well, enemies-of-enemies still tend to stab you in the back the second it benefits them,” she mutters, just loud enough for the others to hear.

“What other choice do we have?” Aqualad asks, his lips curled into a frown as he takes a step towards her. “If Robin is right about the Cult of the Kobra coming in and taking over this operation, we must learn why.”

“Turning on the people who kicked him out of his drug empire doesn’t make him somebody we can trust,” Nell fires back. “It just makes him a sore loser.”

Aqualad glances over at Miss Martian and, with a nod of his head, she loosens the rope that tied Bane to the tree, freeing him enough to rise to his feet. “Come on, ninos,” Bane says as he walks past them. “It’s this way.”

As the team reluctantly begins following Bane deeper into the jungle, Robin slows to walk alongside Nell at the rear of the group. “Really stellar job leading the team back there,” he mutters, his voice low but unmistakably sarcastic. “Glad we all listened to your gut about trusting Bane.”

“You know, next time you disappear into the shadows,” Nell side-eyes him, “I hope we don’t find you again.”

꒰ ♡ ꒱

Bane leads the six teen heroes to the edge of a cliff overlooking the factory below. While Nell, Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash approach the side of the cliff, Miss Martian and Superboy stand behind and keep their eyes on every move Bane makes.

Some floodlights surround the gated shipping yard, and far too many workers in the same cloaks as the Cult of the Kobra move around the yard. With the amount of crates being moved back and forth between the warehouse and the yard, it wasn't hard to piece together that the operation was still in full swing even with Bane's absence from the facility.

"Look at all that product," Robin hisses, staring down at the building through his binoculars. "A buy is going down, but if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects then—"

"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad states.

Kid Flash nods, "Just what I was thinking."

"Yeah," Robin snorts, "You're the thinker."

"Sarcasm?" Crossing his arms over his suit, Kid Flash turns to glance down at him. "Dude, a real leader would focus on getting answers."

Nell drops down into a crouch beside Robin, leaning her elbows on her knees as she stares hard at the yard below. “A real leader wouldn’t waste time sniping at their own teammates either,” she points out, though there’s a spark in her voice that dares him to try and bite back.

Kid Flash grins and elbows her shoulder. “Finally, somebody who gets it.”

Robin bristles, but before he can reply, Aqualad raises a hand, his tone steady. “Enough. If we cannot work as one, the mission will fail regardless of who claims leadership.”

Nell exhales through her nose, then rises to her feet, though she doesn’t look away from Robin. “Fine. Let’s focus." For a moment, she lets her eyes flicker over to Bane, where he remains behind them, then back to her teammates beside her. "I still don't think we can trust him, Aqualad."

As if on cue, Bane lifts a boulder from the side of the mountain behind them, carrying it out of the way and placing it down again only once a dimly lit and hidden pathway is revealed in the mountainside. “If you cannot trust me, trust your own eyes. Answers are this way." Without another word, he turns to lead them down the path.

Kid Flash scoffs, "So, now he's our leader."

They follow Bane through the passageway for about two miles before he comes to a stop and presses his thumb against an ID scanner of a large metal door built into the rocky walls of the path. Several clicking sounds are emitted from behind the door, and then it slides open. The team enter into a small locker-room, following Bane through a side-door into the warehouse once Robin gives the all-clear.

By the time the rest of the team leaves the locker room and finds a stack of large crates to hide behind, Robin has already disappeared. Bane scowls as he glances around, scanning their surroundings in search of the boy. "Has that little fool already been caught?" He wonders with a hiss.

"No," Aqualad sighs, "He just does that."

With a grin, Kid Flash slides his goggles down over his eyes. "Stay put," he tells the others. "I'll get our intel and be back before Boy Wonder." Just as Nell had been too slow to grab his arm back in the forest, Aqualad reaches out a second too late, and his hand only grasps at the empty air where Kid Flash had just been sitting.

Nell narrows her eyes as Kid Flash’s streak of yellow vanishes between the stacks of crates. Robin slipping off on his own was bad enough, but now Kid Flash? Both of them acting like they’re above the team? She can’t stand it. Her boots shift against the concrete floor, her muscles already tensing as she prepares to push off after them. Proving she could outpace both of them—proving she wasn’t someone to dismiss—that would feel very satisfying right about now.

But before she can take a step, Aqualad’s hand clamps firmly onto her shoulder. His grip isn’t forceful, but it’s enough to stop her in place. “Do not follow," he orders calmly.

Nell turns her head sharply toward him, her brows knitting. “You’re kidding. They’ll get themselves caught before they even—”

“They made their choice.” Aqualad’s voice doesn’t rise, but his gaze locks with hers. “Ours is to remain together. If you run after them, we splinter further, and that is exactly what the enemy would want.”

Nell’s jaw tightens, her breath catching in her chest. She hates it—every instinct in her screams to prove herself, to make sure Robin and Kid Flash don’t get all the glory while she sits back with nothing to show. But Aqualad’s words cut through the static in her head. He’s right. She knows he’s right.

As a Lantern, she’s seen enough missions go sideways when pride or recklessness tipped the scales too far. Being part of the Corps, her fellow members had drilled it into her from day one: sometimes you can’t just wait around for permission or follow orders when things feel wrong, the plan will change accordingly, but no matter what, you have to work together. It doesn’t matter how much she wants to throw Robin’s smugness back in his face—if she breaks ranks now, she’ll only prove just how unfit for the leader position she truly is.

And she'd rather shut up and listen to orders for once than ever let Robin hold that over her head.

Her fingers curl into fists, then loosen. She exhales slowly, lifting her chin. “Fine,” she mutters. Her eyes flick back to the maze of crates where the others disappeared, then settle on Aqualad. “We stick together."

Bane scoffs, "Great chain of command."

With no time to argue, the remaining four members of the team follow Bane out of the warehouse and into the loading dock outside. Aqualad races forward first and then, from a safe hiding spot behind a shipping container, waves the others over. As Nell reaches the shipping container, she falls to a crouch and carefully peeks her head up over the top of the crates.

"It's a massive shipment," Aqualad observes.

Superboy glances towards the crates being lined up across the yard. "Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line," he points out. "They're not touching this Venom."

"Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian suggests.

Nell shakes her head, whispering low so her words don’t carry across the shipping yard. “I doubt it. Freshness isn’t what makes Venom valuable; it’s the formula. Even the older batches are worth more than we could imagine.” Her eyes scan the scene, tracing every worker and every crate. “If they’re ignoring it, that means whatever they’re moving now is more dangerous.”

Superboy's eyes flicker away from them, and he tilts his head up slightly. "Helicopters coming," he informs.

"Miss Martian," Aqualad turns to the girl, "Can you follow the shipment to the landing pad? Identify the buyer?"

Miss Martian nods quickly. “I can do more than that. I can project what I see into your minds—share a visual link. We’ll all stay on the same page without making a sound.” Behind Nell, Superboy bristles at the mention of the Martian's telepathic powers.

“Do it,” Aqualad agrees. “Nell, Superboy, we’ll re-enter through the side entrance and track what is being moved inside. Miss Martian will monitor the shipment outside and alert us to the buyer’s arrival.”

In a matter of minutes, they disperse in their respective directions; Miss Martian, turning invisible, disappears into the forest to follow after the helicopter, while the other three heroes and their villain tag-along re-enter the factory according to Aqualad's plan. Through the side door, it doesn't take long to reach the long metal walkway that leads to the second floor, with a perfect view of the factory floor.

They sit crouched beneath a row of windows. Nell glances over the side of the railing, observing the workers below until Miss Martian's voice rings through her head, clear, as if she were sitting right beside her. Closing her eyes, an overlay of Miss Martian’s vision begins to unfold before her. The image is hazy at first, like looking through a fogged window, but it sharpens until Nell sees what Miss Martian sees: the workers carrying crates into the helicopter, and a man—a blonde man, adorned with a white mask—stepping out of the aircraft and onto the helipad.

Nell's brows furrow as she blinks her eyes open again. Because, really, she had been expecting some big, evil, bad guy. The average super-villain with the smarts and the power to be behind an operation this big. But this man, Sportsmaster, was just another assassin from Gotham City. An extremely active assassin a few years ago, but lately he'd been quiet, slipping into the shadows like some nobody.

The League never even bothered to keep up with him after his sudden disappearance from high-stakes operations and multi-million dollar break-ins. Why would they? Hal always said that somebody like him wouldn't give up that sort of life, quitting cold turkey like he did, unless something like death forced his hand. Yet, lo and behold, here he is. Back in the mask, the gear… The face behind Kobra's new Venom operation.

"Sportsmaster? Seriously?" Nell shakes her head, her voice dripping with dry humour. “Out of all the terrifying masterminds we could’ve drawn, we get discount Deathstroke in a hockey mask.”

Superboy tilts his head, frowning. “Who?”

“Exactly,” she mutters, pressing her elbows against the railing as she peers down again. “The JL writes this guy off years ago, and now he’s running Kobra’s side hustle? Either we’ve been seriously underestimating him, or Kobra’s standards are way lower than advertised.”

Aqualad raises a hand to switch his in-ear comms on. "Aqualad to Red Tornado, do you read?" He asks, but his words are only met with the sound of static. With a sigh, he turns back to the others. "I cannot reach the League, Robin, or Kid. Comms are jammed."

"Then how do we play this?" She wonders. "Unless someone here’s hiding a magic compass that points to ‘reckless sidekicks who think they’re too good for the plan,’ running around blind trying to find Robin and Kid Flash probably isn’t the best move.”

"We cannot leave them," Aqualad says.

“No one’s saying that. But storming off without a clue? That’s a great way to end up chained in the basement with a Kobra tattoo and a lifetime membership card.” Nell tilts her head toward him. "We need a better plan than—"

"I have a suggestion." Rising to his feet, Bane grabs the side of the railing with one hand and leaps over. He crashes onto the ground floor, the concrete splintering beneath him, and the sound draws the attention of every cultist inside the factory.

Aqualad shoots up onto his feet with widened eyes, "What is he—?" Before he can finish, a shadow sweeps across the upper level. The windows behind them explode inward with a shriek of tearing steel and shattering glass.

Something massive hurtles through, its claws raking the catwalk as it lands. The impact buckles the metal under its bulk, the entire walkway groaning before it snaps loose from the wall. Nell barely has time to register the creature—a large figure the size of Blockbuster, roaring with a guttural snarl—before the floor gives out beneath her boots.

The railing twists free, the catwalk tilting violently as all three are sent plummeting. Nell’s ring flares to life on her finger, instinctively creating the shape of a bouncy house on the ground floor below. One by one, the heroes crash into the cushioned fabric of her construct, bouncing slightly before the green glow splinters and dissolves. Around them, steel clatters against the ground and concrete dust clouds the air.

A few feet away from them, the monster lifts itself with a ferocious roar.

Nell floats up into the air, hovering a few feet above her teammates, as a sigh of annoyance falls from her parted lips. “Great. Because fighting the hockey mask reject wasn’t enough, now we have Kobra's Blockbuster wannabe."

The doors leading out to the loading dock swing open, and Sportsmaster races inside alongside a group of cultists and their leader. "Destroy them!" One of the men shouts, his hand swinging out in the direction of the team.

With another roar, the monster lunges at Superboy. He meets the beast head-on, his boots grinding into the cracked concrete as the two collide. The shockwave of their impact rattles the walls and sends several cultists staggering back, but it doesn’t stop the rest from raising their rifles.

Aqualad unfurls his water-bearers, creating a shield in front of him with one before piercing the other through the shield's surface to shoot back at the cultists.

Nell lowers herself back onto the floor, focusing on her ring as she imagines a barrier large enough to cover them from the attack. Bullets ping and flatten harmlessly against the surface of the newly formed construct, ricocheting off in harmless sparks. The shield curves outward like a half-dome, broad enough to cover Aqualad as well.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Sportsmaster striding through the chaos with unsettling calm, mask glinting. He isn’t firing. He isn’t shouting. He just watches, for a moment, then reels his arm back and launches a javelin high into the air at seemingly nothing. Or, so Nell thought. Her eyes widen as the javelin explodes mid-air, catching an invisible Miss Martian in the crossfire and forcing her out of her camouflage from the shock as she comes down over the vats of venom.

"Lantern," Aqualad raises his voice, just enough to be heard over the gunfire. Lowering his own shield now that he kneels behind the dome she has created around them, his gaze flicks up to her for just a second, before he glances back out at the cultists and shoots another two of them down with the water from his water-bearers. "We must retreat. There are too many."

Nell nods eagerly, though she doesn't lower her hand as the half-dome continues to expand and cover their sides. Slowly, the two of them back up towards the nearby cylinders of venom. The sound of boots scuffing against the concrete jolts Nell’s attention sideways. Two cultists round the corner of the vats, their rifles already coming up.

“Down!” She shouts, throwing her hand up, but before her ring can spark to life, a red-and-black blur slams into both men.

Kid Flash ricochets off their chests like a pinball, knocking the first into the second and sending their rifles clattering to the ground. In the next instant, he’s pressed flat against the nearby wall, his grin warm despite the chaos raging across the factory floor.

Bracing her stance again as another wave of cultists spills in from the left flank, her fist clenches as a second emerald shield flares into existence, snapping into place to their left.

"Miss Martian, radio is jammed!" Aqualad shouts. "Link us up!"

Across the chaos, the Martian presses her fingers to her temple. A breath later, Nell feels it hit her like a tidal wave. A splitting ache tears through her skull as something pries open inside her mind—doors she didn’t even know were there. Voices crash into her all at once: Superboy’s roar, Kid Flash’s rapid-fire thoughts, Aqualad’s focus, the vague half-visions of Robin's view outside the facility. She doesn't let her own mind linger on it for too long; she can't. She can barely keep up with the rush of thoughts that don't belong to her.

Her knees nearly buckle. Her constructs flicker.

“Dammit—” Nell gasps, clutching her forehead with one hand as her shield threatens to unravel. It feels like every piece of her brain is being pulled in a different direction at once, every voice screaming for space inside her skull.

There's a difference, she realises, between a psychic link with one other person and one shared with multiple others. The difference is that her mind is fractured into six parts that all speak over each other. She had been taught in the Corps how to fend off psychic attacks, anything that could tamper with her ability to use the ring effectively. But she hadn't been taught anything about letting in the psychic intrusion of five other people while also mid-fight.

Miss Martian’s voice trembles at first, like she’s holding back against the flood of noise herself. "Everyone online?"

The words slice through the storm in Nell’s skull, clearer than the overlapping rush of thought. One by one, the voices snap into focus.

"Yeah." While Superboy's sigh echoes through her head, Nell takes a step back, her concentration on the shield lapsing—a bullet pierces through the green dome, though it hits the floor before it can strike her down. Behind her, Aqualad ducks and rolls over to the wall where Kid Flash is still hiding.

"You know it, beautiful!" The speedster flirts.

Fighting off the urge to roll her eyes, Nell focuses on patching over the hole in her shield. She exhales sharply through her teeth, then thrusts her arm forward. The half-dome bursts outward in a sudden surge, the green light rolling like a tidal wave across the concrete. Cultists in front of her cry out as they’re swept off their feet, their rifles scattering. The emerald wall slams them back into a row of crates with enough force to shatter wood and rattle loose the cargo inside.

"We need to regroup," Aqualad informs the team.

"Busy now!" Robin's voice sings through the mind-link. He isn’t inside. Nell knows it, because he knows it. The mental image slips unbidden into her skull—he lands in front of the helicopter, face to face with Kobra and a red-haired woman.

Nell swallows against the splitting ache in her head. He left them to deal with all this while he plays lone wolf outside. Her jaw tightens. Part of her wants to scream at him across the link, call him out for ditching them in the middle of a war zone, but she doesn’t. The urge twists in her gut all the same.

"Robin, now!" Aqualad orders firmly. He slips out from behind the wall, his water-bearers forming a long whip. He knocks two cultists down, then fires the water at a man shooting down at them from the second floor. "Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path."

Without a word of objection, Kid Flash races forward. He sprints toward three armed-cultists, snatching their weapons, then tossing the men aside to clear a path for the others to swiftly follow him back towards the passageway door they had first come in from. Superboy is the last to enter the secret tunnel, slamming the metal door shut behind him.

Though the door didn't stop the monster. The thing—a monster far too much like Desmond back in Cadmus—barrels through the closed door, and a group of cultists with guns follow close behind.

Nell wheels around as the tunnel shakes, dust raining from the ceiling. Her ring surges to life again, emerald light spilling into the corridor. She grits her teeth, raising both arms as a construct begins to form; a wall thick enough to seal the passage. The barrier stretches across the tunnel. Bullets ping against it instantly, bouncing off the surface, but the wall holds. At first.

Then the psychic noise hits her again. All of it shoves at her skull like jagged glass, splintering her focus. Fissures crackle through the surface of her construct, glowing lines threatening to splinter. She digs her boots into the floor, her arms shaking as the wall groans under the impact of the bullets and the monster's punches.

The monster’s claws rake across the construct from the other side, leaving tears that barely seal over before another is formed.

"Superboy!" Aqualad calls out. "The support beams!"

Superboy doesn’t hesitate. With a grunt, he drives his fists into the wooden supports running along the tunnel’s sides. The beams groan under the impact, splintering into jagged shards. Dust fills the corridor as cracks race across the ceiling. He smashes through another beam with a violent shove, and the whole structure begins to give way.

Nell’s chest tightens. She drops her construct with a sharp exhale, her boots skidding across the ground as she launches herself into the air. Emerald light flares around her like a comet trail, carrying her down the passage and away from the collapse. The supports snap, stone crashes down, and the monster’s roar cuts short as tons of rubble bury the passage in a choking avalanche of dust and broken wood. The cultists’ shouts vanish under the rumble.

When the sound finally dies, silence fills the tunnel like a vacuum.

Nell hovers in the air a few feet above the ground, her heart hammering in her chest. She forces herself down gently, landing with trembling legs beside the others and slowly creating another construct—a lantern, this time, that hovers in the air to provide a light source now that the tunnel behind them has been sealed. Green light bounces off the walls, painting everything and everyone in its glow.

Robin stands in front of the rubble, his back facing the team. "How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" He laments.

"You do have the most experience," Aqualad agrees. "But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new, and a leader must be clear and explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?!" Robin snaps. He spins around, turning away from the wall to face the team, and Nell raises a brow at his sudden outburst.

Nell crosses her arms, the lantern-light above flickering faintly with the motion. “Leaders don’t have to hold anyone’s hand. But they do have to let their team in on the plan before running off to play hero." Her green eyes narrow at him.

Through the mind-link, she can almost taste his frustration. But, rather than saying anything at all, Robin lets out a heavy sigh. "Who am I kidding?" His eyes flicker over to Aqualad. "You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can."

"Please," Kid Flash scoffs, "I can run circles—"

“Wally, shut up. Robin's right." Nell's truly beginning to hate how often she's saying those words lately. Turning away from the speedster, she glances over at Aqualad with a small smile. "You're the one who kept us from getting torn apart back there. This whole mission would've been a bust without your plan."

"Hello, Megan!" Miss Martian grins, "It's so obvious."

Superboy nods, "Could've told ya." One by one, they all turn back to Kid Flash, who nods in agreement and places his hands on his hips.

"Then I accept the burden," Aqualad steps forward and places a hand on Robin's shoulder, "until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon." He drops his hand back to his side, then turns to the rest of the team. "Alright, our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

Robin grins. "Funny. I had the same thought." Though he doesn't say anything about what he had done to disrupt Sportsmaster's helicopter from taking off again, the others know—in the same way they had known he was outside in the first place. The mind-link served as both a blessing and a curse. A thing Nell knows she needs to get used to fast if they want to salvage this mission while they still can.

The six heroes take off down the tunnel, the emerald glow of Nell's construct the only thing to provide light in the darkness.

"Sportmaster's the supplier-slash-buyer," Robin explains, after going over everything he and Kid Flash had found while investigating the factory. "But it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."

"He's been out of the business for, what? A couple of years now?" Nell wonders. Maybe Hal was right—a criminal like Sportsmaster can't quit the life so easily—but no amount of small crimes over these last few years would give him enough money or power to get Kobra to do his dirty work, or Cadmus's mad scientist Desmond to simply hand over the formula for blockbuster. Anything that could've given him that type of power wouldn't have allowed him to fly under the Justice League's radar for so long.

"And neither of them has the chops to bond blockbuster with venom," Kid Flash points out. "That took some major nerdage."

"I believe the expression is, this is just the tip of the iceberg," Aqualad says as he and the others come to a stop near the end of the tunnel. Just ahead, Nell could make out the shadowed figure of Bane standing with his back to the forest outside, blocking their path out of the passageway.

Her eyes narrow as she lands on the ground beside her teammates. Surrounding Bane's feet were various canisters, and in his hand was a small device with a glowing green button at the top. "Halt, ninos," Bane tells them. The explosives lining the cave mouth above their heads beep loudly. "I'm feeling explosive."

Aqualad gasps, "You betrayed us—"

"—I called it," Nell murmurs. "Didn't I call it?"

Bane tilts his head, his eyes narrowing behind his mask as if her casual remark is more insulting than Aqualad’s surprise. “You think this is a joke?” He squeezes the detonator tighter, as if threatening to set them off.

“No. I think it’s predictable.” She shoots a glance at the others, her lip quirking upward. “And if anyone wants a head-start on the round of ‘you were right,’ then I’m collecting.”

Ignoring her comments, Aqualad keeps his gaze focused on Bane. "Why?" He demands.

"I want my factory back—" Bane begins.

While Bane begins his explanation, Aqualad's voice rings out through the mind-link. "Kid, you'll need a running start." Slowly, Kid Flash begins to inch back into the tunnel.

"—So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks, and when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more." Bane continues. "Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect." He lifts his hand, showing off the detonator. Then, bringing his finger down over it, the pad of his thumb meets the palm of his hand instead. The bombs above their heads remain intact.

"With what?" Kid Flash laughs. Having long-since left the tunnel, he now leans against a nearby tree behind Bane, the detonator hanging from his hand. "This trigger thingy?" With a growl, Bane swings his fist at the boy, only to miss as Miss Martian steps forward and lifts him into the air.

"Finally." Smirking, Superboy walks until he stands underneath the villain, then reels his arm back. "Drop him." When Miss Martian releases, Bane drops straight into the punch. Superboy’s fist drives into his chest like a battering ram.

Dropped unconscious onto the ground, no longer posing a threat to any of them, the attention drifts from Bane and back to Aqualad. Nell crosses her arms over her chest, her lips curling into a grin, "So, what's the plan now?"

꒰ ♡ ꒱

The sound of gunfire echoes across the factory's tarmac as Kid Flash, outrunning every bullet shot his way, sprints across the yard. At the last moment, he leaps over a crate and knocks into a cultist who had been hiding behind it.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra, the cult's leader, shouts at Sportsmaster. The cultists around him begin to shoot in various directions, anywhere they believe Kid Flash will appear next, as the boy continues to knock them down.

Superboy falls from the sky, landing between the helicopter and the monster from earlier. A crater forms beneath his feet from the impact, and as he lifts his head, a smirk tugs at his lips. "Go again?" He taunts. With a roar, the monster falls for his trick and lunges forward, only to be shot back by Aqualad, who walks out of the jungle brush. "Sorry, not the plan!"

Kid Flash races across the yard, grabbing the cultist standing to Kobra's left, while Nell rockets out of the treeline. Her eyes lock on the tall, red-haired girl standing just behind Kobra—Shimmer. Nell slams into her, shoulder first, and the impact throws them both across the tarmac. They hit the ground in a skid of dust.

They break apart almost at the same time, springing up to their feet swiftly. Shimmer's fists clench, and she’s already moving when Nell runs forward again. She throws a sharp right, then a left hook. Shimmer weaves under the first and absorbs the second with her forearm before snapping a jab into Nell’s ribs. She hisses through her teeth, twisting to shove Shimmer back.

Behind them, Kobra smirks as he turns around, watching carefully as Robin drops into the yard. "I know you hate getting your hands dirty," the Boy Wonder says.

"True." With his eyes narrowed at Robin, Kobra drops his robe and readies his fists in front of him. "But sometimes, even a God must stoop to conquer."

Nell braces, her boots grinding against the pavement as Shimmer comes at her again. She ducks under a swinging fist, only to grunt as Shimmer’s knee drives hard into her side. The blow knocks the wind from her lungs, and before she can recover, Shimmer pivots—her leg snapping up in a clean arc.

The kick sends her stumbling back a step, but Shimmer doesn’t let up. Another kick whips in, aimed higher, grazing Nell’s jaw. Sparks of pain shoot up her face, though this time Nell’s hand flashes up, snatching Shimmer’s ankle in a tight grip.

“Got you.” Emerald light flares from her ring, curling outward and wrapping around Shimmer’s waist in the shape of a large staple. With a sharp pull of her arm, Nell yanks her backward. With the staple locked around her waist, it slams her into the factory wall with a heavy thud, pinning her there. Shimmer’s head snaps back against the concrete, her body going limp before she can even push against the glowing construct holding her.

The construct dissolves into sparks of green, letting Shimmer crumple to the ground in a heap. Across the yard, the monster Aqualad had been fighting, in a flash of light emitting from the stream of water, falls to the ground with a loud shout.

"Thanks for the workout, but I gotta fly," Sportsmaster tells Superboy, then tosses Miss Martian, who he had wrapped in a headlock, from the back of the helicopter and forward into the boy's arms. The helicopter lifts into the air, but before it can get away, Miss Martian sets off the detonator the team had confiscated from Bane, and the explosives light up the cargo bay of the aircraft. The helicopter crashes into the factory, setting off another large explosion.

Pinning Robin to the ground with a foot against his chest, Kobra stares up at the fire, his lips twisting into an annoyed frown. "I am plagued by mosquitoes," he complains.

At the sound of his voice, Nell spins around on her heel. Without hesitation, she thrusts her arm forward and a sharp blast of light fires out, cutting through the smoke and heat in a straight beam.

Kobra tilts his head, almost lazily, and sidesteps the attack.

"Good," Robin grunts. "'Cause this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain." With the distraction, he rolls across the dirt, then springs up, landing lightly on his boots. In a blur of motion, he back-flips and comes down in front of his teammates, his cape fanning wide as he straightens. Superboy and Aqualad close in from either side, Kid Flash skids to a stop with dust curling around his shoes, and Nell and Miss Martian float down beside them, their eyes locked on their enemy.

Kobra glances back at the raging fires overtaking the factory, then back at the team. "Another time, then," he says, already inching back into the shadows of the forest before Robin has the chance to run forward and grab him.

With the enemies either gone or still unconscious, Nell lowers herself onto the ground and lifts a hand to gently rub at her jaw. Her ring's healing would kick in soon enough, patching her up as fast as it could, but in the meantime, she could feel every single ache left behind from Shimmer's hits.

Turning away from the forest, a small smile paints itself across Robin's face as he walks forward over to Aqualad. "We picked the right guy to lead," he comments, then nods back to the burning factory with a laugh. "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman."

꒰ ♡ ꒱

After spending the entire morning passed out in the Cave's living room with M'gann—too exhausted to move what was supposed to be a fun, first sleepover to show the Martian a taste of Earth's girlhood, to her room—they and the rest of the team were gathered back in the Meeting Chamber. Nell stands in line with the others, dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a striped white and green t-shirt. Just like she had been before yesterday's mission, and vaguely aware that Hal was going to kill her for missing lunch with Carol.

It wouldn't be the first time. Maybe that's what makes it so much worse.

Both of their excuses were growing weaker each time they had to come up with something on the spot to explain their sudden disappearances, sometimes for more than a week at a time, to someone who wasn't in on their shared secret. Though not for lack of trying on Nell's part. She couldn't count the number of times she had prayed Hal would just tell her something—anything—about what they did. If not to spare Carol, then at least for his own sake.

Safe to say, those conversations never went over well.

Kaldur stands to her right, and Wally on her left. The speedster shifts from one foot to the other, anxiously watching as Batman silently paces back and forth in front of the team. "A simple recon mission, observe and report," the Dark Knight finally says. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes."

He walks to the end of their line, then stops and turns around to face them. "Until then," he says, "Good job. No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success, and how you choose who leads determines character."

For a moment, Nell thinks she misheard him. Her brows shoot up, and she glances sideways at Wally and then at Kaldur, but both of them look just as stunned as she feels. A compliment from Batman… A compliment from Batman, after a mission that went as wrong as their last…

Wally is grinning ear to ear now, and even Kaldur’s lips curve into the faintest smile. Further down the line, M’gann beams so brightly it’s like she’s glowing, and Superboy’s shoulders lift just a little higher. Robin, of course, only smirks—like he knew it was coming the whole time.

She swallows. Did that really happen?