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Alisa clutched the credit card in her hand like a lifeline. Only some minutes ago, she had been broke, but now she had so much money that she didn’t know what to do with it. Maybe this whole Young Justice thing wouldn’t be so bad- not if they were getting paid this much.

Soon after the bus group had split up, Alisa had made a beeline for the art store, leaving Daphne and Talon to go look for phones and Ja and Kassy to go to the music store. It was a relief to find out that Happy Harbor had a place like this. The art store, Reflections, seemed to be a small mom-and-pop affair, not something ginormous like a Michelle’s. Despite its size, it was nice inside. The walls were covered with artwork for sale, the aisles were small and welcoming, and there was even a painting studio. They had had nicer places in San Francisco, but this place was still quiet and artsy, and that was all Alisa could really ask for. Melodic music played in the background as people browsed in the shop. Alisa browsed through quietly, one of three people in the store. She had picked out paints, paintbrushes, a sketchbook, colored pencils, canvases, and an easel for herself. She was ready to go. Humming to herself happily, she went up to the cashier and presented her things.

It took a moment to bag and ring it all up, but it was quick, and soon Alisa had left the store. Now, she was carrying three bags of art supplies, and she had no idea where to go. Anxiety nibbled at her. It didn’t look like anyone else was around. Shopping alone in a strange city didn’t sound too appealing to her, and it seemed that everyone had already gone their own ways. Maybe I can try to find one of the girls or Viktor? She had wanted to introduce herself to Aleen’a earlier, but hadn’t gotten the chance. Maybe she should try to find her.

Alisa wandered about the mall for a few minutes, craning her head, trying to find someone else. It couldn’t be that hard to find one of 10 teenagers in the mall but, unfortunately, they seemed to have come at peak shopping time, and it was crowded.

Finally, Alisa sighted a familiar red head of hair in the crowd and smiled. That had to be Aleen’a! She pushed through the crowd to get to the other girl, who was window-shopping happily. “Aleen’a! Hey!” Alisa tapped her on the shoulder and smiled. “We didn’t get the chance to talk earlier. I’m Alisa Fields- or, like, Cybergirl or whatever. I’m on the team with you. It’s really nice to meet you.” Alisa extended her hand for a handshake.

Aleen’a was thrilled the entire trip on her riding the human-made vehicle called jeep with her friends. It’s much more comfortable and relaxing than flying. Sure, she could probably have much more leeway in sight-seeing and getting to her destination at her own pace but she didn’t enjoy the various little bugs that kept being crushed on her face whenever she didn’t fly high enough. It’s one of the things that she didn’t like about Earth like those humans who would discriminate against their own kind if they didn’t pass their standards and also pineapples (its many eyes creep her out).

As far as Aleen’a knew, humans were aware of the existence of aliens ever since Superman’s introduction to the world and the formation of the Justice League. Aleen’a was also aware that the aliens were met with mixed reactions from the humans as well. Some welcomed them with open arms while others weren’t as welcoming. Nowadays, people would just treat them as they would any other of their fellow human beings but of course those lingering stares will always be there. It took some time to get used to and it was thanks to Koriand’r for helping her with it too. Aleen’a would just give them a wave and a warm smile. Sometimes they’d smile back but sometimes they won’t; either way, life went on for everyone.

It seemed that everyone went their separate ways upon arriving at the mall which made Aleen’a a bit sad but she understood her fellow teammates’ needs of exploring on their own. She honestly didn’t have any idea of what she wanted to buy yet so Aleen’a decided to take a look around. Again, she could feel some people looking at her but she was used to it. It made her feel like those famous human actors. What were they called? Ah yes, seller breetees.

She happened upon a poster of a human model that wore the store’s clothes. All these models looked the same to Aleen’a no matter their skin color. They all had well-defined cheekbones, structured jawlines, and they all looked so somber and wistless. Wouldn’t they be supposed to be smiling with happiness on wearing such beautiful and expensive clothing?

Aleen’a perked up at the sound of a familiar voice and was delighted to see one of her teammates. Alisa extended her hand for a handshake and the Tamaranean happily shook her hand. ”It is of much pleasure to meet you, Alisa! I am always feel so full of joy upon making new friends. There are many people here at the mall as well so it is a relief in one’s eyes on seeing a familiar face. Have you already buyed your favored item?

Alisa returned a firm handshake. Aleen’a’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she felt her grin growing by the moment. What a breath of fresh air this girl was from the rest of the seemingly moody team! The other girl’s grammar was a bit strange, but she couldn’t judge- she came from an alien planet! “Thank you! I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends,” she told Aleen’a before returning her hand to her side. She gestured to the bags at her side at Aleen’a’s question. “I went to the art store and got some things. I, um, like to paint and draw in my spare time.”

Alisa took note of Aleen’a’s few bags and raised an eyebrow. “Have you not bought anything yet? I think we’ve had some time… do you need help deciding?”
”Oh my, I am eager to learn more about the art of Earth. I do not understand it but it is still very interesting for me.” Aleen’a said. She didn’t know what to make of Alisa. She looked human but at the same time, she was getting a weird vibe from her. She had no idea who these people were and what they’re capable of and the only clue as to what kind of person or hero they’ll be was with their chosen hero name. Aleen’a knew the term ‘cyber’ pertains to any technology. Perhaps Alisa was a human who was proficient with technology?

She looked at the bags she had with her and compared them to the many bags Alisa had before sheepishly laughing. ”I am used to Kori always helping me on where to go and what to buy when we are shopping. I will appreciate your help, yes!” She excitedly said and went beside Alisa. ”I am thinking of buying clothes and I really need a human to help me decide what is appropriate. It does seem like you are the perfect candidate for it!” She cheerfully said with a giggle.

Alisa giggled right back, not really feeling like correcting her. She wasn’t entirely human, but she was an emulation of one. That counted! Alisa took Aleen’a’s arm in hers and started to walk towards what looked like a women’s clothing store. “Kori… that’s Starfire, right? She’s so cool. You implied that she was your cousin earlier. It must be awesome to be related to someone like that.” Out of the little superhero news Alisa had seen before all this, Starfire had been one of the heroes who stuck out to her the most. She was strange and kind and inhuman and beautiful, but she wasn’t about to tell Aleen’a that she thought her cousin was hot. “I’m not too good at clothes shopping either. My… well, my parents used to always go with me, so this is my first time shopping by myself too. But we can help each other! And have fun, of course. That store looks like it has cute dresses.” She pointed to the store they were walking to.

Aleen’a eagerly nodded. ”Koriand’r is Tamaran’s pride and joy. She did not give up on us in our time of need and she is always there for her people and homeland even when she is lightyears away. Like how Earth have its own national heroes like the Justice League, Kori is Tamaran’s own hero as well.” She said as the two women walked side by side. Alisa could feel how happy and proud Aleen’a was towards her cousin. The Tamaranean saw the shop Alisa was pointing at and she marvelled at how pretty the selection was on its window displays. ”Oh my, they are indeed of the cute variety. Come, let’s go have fun!” Aleen’a said and giggled as she excitedly pulled Alisa to the store.

Sure enough, the store had lots of cute clothes to choose from. It’s mostly modern and preppy but there’s still a variety of different fashion choices for everybody. ”Alisa, this looks all amazing!” Aleen’a exclaimed, marvelling at the rack of clothes nearest to her. ”So many choices… What shall we try first?”

“I’d love to hear more about Tamaran, if you’d want to tell me. It sounds super interesting!”

Once they got into the store,Alisa looked around at all the options, trying to disguise her own amazement. There was so much! And to think she could buy anything she wanted… There were dresses, jeans, shirts, tank tops, swimsuits, shoes, and other various trinkets in the store. “I don’t really know where to start… maybe we should just pick out clothes that we think are nice and try them on and show each other?” That was how Alisa had seen things like this done in movies, anyways. “You know your size at least, right? Like, small, medium, large...”

”Size… Oh yes, I believe I am somewhat in the middle of medium and large on Earth terms. And indeed, I will be more than happy to tell you about my home planet!” Aleen’a said to Alisa with a warm smile. ”Good thing you are here, friend. All these various beautiful selections can whelm me in a very over way!” She excitedly exclaimed, eyes already scanning the numerous racks of clothing available. There were also some women shopping for clothes as well and Aleen’a saw a woman with numerous shopping bags like Alisa pick out a shopping cart and put her stuff on it. She got the idea and quickly got one for themselves. ”Your bags must be heavy, Alisa. Put your things here so it will be easier for us to shop for cute and beautiful clothes.”

“Thanks! They’re not very heavy, but having my hands free will come in handy.” Alisa put her bags in the cart gently. They were in fact heavy, but certainly not for her. Any human without enhanced strength would have had a difficult time lifting them, considering there was an easel in those bags, but Alisa seemed to lift them without an issue. “I’ll take the cart. We can go around, pick out cute clothes and shoes and things, and then we’ll meet at the dressing room in 25 minutes to try stuff on. Okay?” Alisa took the cart from Aleen’a and cast her gaze around the room, steadfastly ignoring the swimsuit section. Dresses first.

”Okie donkey!” Aleen’a cheerfully agreed to Alisa. She first heard this term from a 90’s TV ‘seat-calm’ show when she was checking out Earth’s media months before she even heard of the Justice League forming another team full of young aspiring heroes. As her seemingly human friend and her parted ways, it gave Aleen’a the chance to check out the store for herself too. She went to the shirts section and marvelled at the diversity of the designs before her. Some were plain and in different colors, some had funny prints on them, some had graphic designs, and some had various patterns like floral and whatnot. Her interest got piqued by the sweatshirts and cardigans, loving how they looked as well as how comfortable they were to the touch. She began collecting the things she liked, imagining how they would look like together based on her taste and what passed in human standards.

Meanwhile, Alisa browsed around the clothing store. She made her way methodically through the racks and displays, searching for anything that struck her fancy. She ended up picking out a lot of clothing. Colorful dresses, shirts, and a few pairs of jeans and shorts ended up in the cart. Does Aleen’a know her jean size? She pondered as she browsed through the spare stacks of petite jeans (Alisa had been cursed to be short and, unfortunately, there was no chance of her growing naturally). If she didn’t, she would surely need to figure it out.

Alisa also grabbed a few pairs of shoes: cute sandals, boots, and a pair of black flats. She went undisturbed while shopping. A lone teenage girl wasn’t a strange sight in the mall at this time of year. She relished the invisibility. Plus, the ability to choose whatever she wanted! Alisa’s style, she found, was very colorful; it was loud and bohemian.

When she ended up at the dressing rooms exactly 25 minutes later, she had collected an array of clothing that had caught her eye in the store. She glanced around for Aleen’a, prepared to start trying on clothing. It had been 25 minutes, so the other girl should be there soon.

"Hello again Alisa!" Aleen'a greeted her friend at the dressing rooms after she got what she wanted. Like Alisa, the Tamaranean also had a lot of stuff she wanted to try out. Her fashion taste was very that of today, typical of an alien wanting to blend in on Earth based on its current time period. They're almost all pastel colored as well with her choices consisting mostly of chic crop tops, sweaters, and shorts. Thanks to Koriand'r, Aleen'a knew what her sizes were in Earth standards though there'll still be a chance she won't get her exact size.

Thankfully, no one seemed to have paid Aleen'a any mind so she was able to shop at peace. It looked like all the women shopping here were more focused on clothing than an alien among them. Either way, Aleen'a was brimming with joy and excitement. "I cannot wait to try them all out! Oh and you have picked very cute selections as well." She said as she took a quick look at Alisa's things. "Now we will try them on and show what we got to each other, yeah? Oh, this is so exciting! I will take the stall next to you." Indeed, two stalls were free after a few minutes which was perfect for the two ladies.

“Alright!” Alisa replied, chipper, and lifted her clothes into the stall next to Aleen’a’s.

Aleen'a got into the stall and closed it. She was giggling with excitement as she was trying out the clothes she got. She mixed and matched them until she managed to get some outfits she thought would be very pretty. She tried them on and went out to show it to Alisa. "Is it good?" Aleen'a asked Alisa as she twirled around to show the latter her outfit. It was a white long-sleeved turtleneck that showed her midriff with ripped mini-denim shorts and a pink bomber jacket.

While Aleen’a was dressing up, Alisa took the liberty of stepping into her own stall and wriggling out of her own clothes and into a red maxi dress. She frowned, looking at herself in the mirror. Red wasn’t exactly her color, and the dress was way too long. If she had been Aleen’a’s height, she could’ve pulled it off, but as it was… well, there was definitely not supposed to be a train there. Definitely not a good pick. Why did they have to make me this short? An inch or two extra couldn’t have been that more expensive in materials… Still, Alisa exited the stall and twirled around, showing Aleen’a her dress.

“Looking good! Try the jacket with something else, though- it doesn’t look good with the sweater. Maybe a tank top?” Alisa suggested. Despite her desire to make others happy, she had a tendency to be very honest about her thoughts. “I’m not getting this dress. I’m way too short for it.” She huffed and tugged on the train that was definitely not supposed to be a train.

“So, what do people on Tamaran wear? I know you get powers from the sun. Do you- do you wear clothes? Do you guys have clothing stores like this?” A color came to Alisa’s cheeks.

"Oh, I see. Will try out your suggestion." Aleen'a nodded in understanding and threw her jacket back into her stall. "Indeed, the dress does seem to not fit you but good thing you are small. It looks like human female clothes are more made to fit small, skinny humans like you, Alisa. They claimed some of the clothes I really liked did not have sizes that fit me. As one would say, such a bummer." She sighed sadly.

She was still out of her stall with Alisa and was looking at what she picked, thinking about what kind of crop top went best with the jacket, when Alisa asked Aleen'a questions about her people's fashion. "We also have many clothing and accessory stores in Tamaran. Our main color is violet but some of us like me like to wear different colors from time to time. It is, as humans say, to put spices onto things."

Aleen'a continued as she picked a crop top with a NASA logo on it. "Unlike Earth, we embrace nudity and the beauty of the physical body although we also prefer if you wear clothes for common decency of course. As for our clothing, we like to show off our bodies whenever we can. Most of our clothes consist of ones where we show off our legs and arms, sometimes even a part of our chest and most of our midriff. It is to let us absorb our stars' rays as much as we can while also being decent. If humans would visit Tamaran someday, one would definitely say our people are scantily clad."

“Ah. That’s very interesting! Thanks for answering my question.” Alisa supposed it was slightly ridiculous that she expected Tamarans to go naked, but their interesting biology would make their culture around clothing different. “Lucky for you, crop tops are fashionable right now, so it probably won’t be too hard of a transition!” She laughed at her own statement and then grabbed a tank top and a pair of shorts to try on.

In the changing room, she took off the dress and put on the blue tank top and denim shorts. Again, she frowned in the mirror. It was a cute tank top, but, like a lot of women’s clothing, it did something strange in the back. Its back was open- instead of fabric, there were strings of fabric, showing off nearly Alisa’s entire back. Including the access panels there. Screws were visible, something out of place on any human’s back.

She kind of wanted to change back, but decided to go out and show Aleen’a anyways. “I like the front, but it’s really weird in the back… the shorts are nice, though. What do you think?”

"That is very glad to hear! Human crop tops are too modest for Tamaranean standards anyway." Aleen'a giggled as they both got into their stalls. While Alisa was trying out her crop top, Aleen'a instead found some different clothes to wear instead. She opted on a pink sweater and paired it with a white skirt with flower prints on it. This one was definitely modest for her people alright.

She went out to find Alisa wearing a crop top. "That is a cute look on you! Let me see the bac- Oh." Aleen'a went around Alisa to see how she looked like from the back and was surprised with what she saw. "What are these strange metal objects on your back, Alisa?" She asked. It reminded her of a Leaguer named Cyborg she saw back at the war, he's human but technology had integrated itself into his body, making him part robot. "A-Alisa, are you also not-human?" She asked in awe and confusion.

“Um.” Alisa crossed her arms over herself. “They’re screws?” she said, hoping that would explain it. It did not. She sighed, and launched into an explanation. This part was always so awkward! Hopefully her teammates would stop asking so many questions soon. “Yeah. I’m not really human. I look like one and act like one, but I’m really an android. That pretty much means I’m an entirely synthetic or artificial being. A computer in a metal body. I could be compared to Cyborg, if you’re familiar with him, but he’s partially human and I never was. He’s the one who brought me into this whole Justice League thing, actually!” Alisa peered at Aleen’a for a reaction after her spiel. “Does that answer your question? I know it can be sorta confusing.”

Aleen’a blinked a few times at Alisa after she explained what she was. That actually explained a lot about her confusions about her friend. A robotic machine capable of human emotions and rational thinking, a metallic being that had a consciousness, and this was a creation of the humans? Aleen’a knew of the humans’ resourcefulness and intelligence but she never thought they would be this marvelous.

It did take Aleen’a a few moments to understand what Alisa explained but in the end, the Tamaranean gave her a warm smile and a big hug. "Friends come in all shapes and sizes, tastes and smells. Your creators have blessed you with the gift of life just as our goddess blessed us with good health and fortune. I am proud and blessed that I am able to have a friend like you.” She kindly said to Alisa while hugging her. "Also, the crop top’s back is not so much cute-looking.”

Alisa laughed, relieved, and returned the hug in full squeezing force. Yet again, she was struck by how kind and accepting some of her teammates were in terms of her origins. Being an android wasn’t a horrible thing, but many who met her were slow to accept and understand that something like her could exist, could be a person of their own. Had she been wrong to believe she would unsettle them? It seemed like she had. To them, she wasn’t human, but she was certainly a person. It was a good feeling, a warm feeling. It had only been a week, and yet her teammates were being so friendly to her. Aleen’a was even calling her a friend, and they had only met today!

She separated herself from the hug, perhaps a bit too late for comfort. “Thanks, friend,” she told Aleen’a. “This top is terrible, you’re right. I’m not buying this. I have like 10 other tops to try on, though. I’m sure something else won’t have the back torn off it.” With a wry smile, Alisa went back into the dressing room.

Aleen’a nodded as Alisa went back to her stall. She was glad to have learned something new about one of her friends and she thought it would be a great start for them to be closer together as well. While she had no experience on being friends with an android before, she thought that it would just be the same as a regular human, just that they’re a robot and not a human altogether. Nevertheless, Aleen’a was thrilled to have such a diverse set of people she could call friends. It made her even more excited to get to know the others too!

"Take your time, friend! I have many clothes I would like to try on as well!” She said to Alisa as she went back to her own dressing room. She admired herself in the mirror and really liked the outfit she had on right now so she decided to add them to what she wanted to buy. She then hopped on to the next mixing and matching of the clothes to find what worked well together. Most she didn’t like but she did find some clothing that she found really cute and pretty.

After a few outfits of varying success, Alisa came out wearing a dusty red-colored long-sleeved romper. She twirled around in the mirror. “I like this,” she declared. It did look good on her. Maybe it would look even better with boots or sandals? Maybe some sunglasses and earrings too… “So, Aleen’a… do you have any hobbies? Stuff you like to do when you’re not fighting or training?” Alisa belatedly checked the price tag on the outfit. “If you’re looking for an example, I draw!”

Aleen’a tried out a bunch of outfits she thought looked cute on her and came out wearing white linen trousers and a printed strapless crop top. She loved how light and comfortable it was for her. Plus, she could absorb as much ultraviolet rays while wearing decent clothing in human standards so all was well. "Hobbies… Well, Kori introduced me to writing and I do keep a book of notes in my room where I write whatever I want on it. I also love eating, it is one of my most favorite of hobbies! Oh, that looks cute on you!” Aleen’a praised Alisa when she saw her outfit. "Putting more accessories on it will make it even more cuter. Also, you say you draw? As in, you make art? That is indeed super cool! Why have your hobby to be drawing? What is it about that you found a liking in?”

Alisa shrugged and turned to face Aleen’a. She hadn’t thought much about why she liked to draw- she just did it. “It’s just nice to make something, I guess,” she answered. “Like... those jeans you saw me wearing? The flower ones? I painted those yesterday. I just like how they look.” Alisa tried on a pair of dark sunglasses and laughed
at herself in the mirror. She looked like Talon when she wore those- dark, edgy, and mysterious. She put them down. That wasn’t really her vibe. “If you like eating so much, what’s your favorite food? I bet food on Tamaran is very different.”

"You made that? Oh, that is so pretty! I really like how they looked too!" Aleen'a excitedly said as she put on these black-colored shoes called boots on. It made her much taller than she already was but it also added so much more to her outfit too. "Creating things is a very happy and rewarding experience so it is no wonder you find joy and fulfillment with it too. As for food, we also have the same basis like here on Earth. We have certain types of food we like to eat with soup, some fried, and some baked. Koriand'r introduced me to all-you-can-eat buffets and these restaurants called Korya-no, er, Korean! Yes, Korean unlimited barbecue. Also, peanut butter pizza is very wonderful too! What food do you like to eat, Alisa?"

"I can taste, but I don't actually need to eat anything to survive, so food sort of loses its oomph for me, if that makes sense," Alisa explained, but then quirked a smile. "But I love sweets! Have you had ice cream yet? Oooh, ooh, or a frappuccino from Stardollars? They are so good."

"Oh yes, sweets! I love ice cream especially that one called, uh, tiramisu! It is the perfect blend of sweetness and bitterness for me. I can't get enough of it!" Aleen'a excitedly said before picking a white coat from her selected clothes and put it on to see if it looks good with her outfit. "Frapuchee-no, fraphu… Ugh, I cannot ever say that name right. Me and Kori do not like going to that cafe. We cannot pronounce those drinks with such complex names and whatever we got was oftentimes too bitter or too weird-tasting. We do like some of their snacks though too bad they do not serve ice cream."

"Oh, too bad! The frappuccinos are so good. I don't really like the bitter ones either- apparently the bitter tasting stuff is coffee. Humans like it because it energizes them. I don't really get the point, though." It was true- caffeine did nothing for Alisa, although she liked the taste of the things put in it.

"We should totally take the team out for ice cream sometime! It would be so fun. It might even cheer up some of the moody ones." Alisa stuck out her tongue playfully at no one in particular.

Aleen'a agreed on what Alisa said about caffeine as her kin relied on ultraviolet radiation for energy. She did try to drink coffee with Koriand'r once and they both weren't able to sleep a wink later that night. Aleen'a giggled at what Alisa said about ice creams and cheering up the moody ones in their team too. "I sure do hope so. If not, I'm sure peanut butter on pizza could work too!" She said.

"I'm gonna go and try something else on. See you in a minute!" She walked back into the dressing room, a skip in her step.

Aleen'a was admiring her outfit on the mirror and eagerly nodded at Alisa as she went back to the dressing room. Aleen'a returned to hers and tried out some more clothes too. She would often show Alisa her outfits and listen to her suggestions and ideas about them. Aleen'a also liked how small most of Earth's accessories were as compared to those of Tamaran. They were simple-looking but they added very fine details to the outfits. Some outfits don't even need accessories which she learned as well.

After a long time of trying out new clothes, Aleen'a had finally chosen the ones she liked the most out of all she picked out for herself. "Alisa, I will be waiting for you outside, okay? Please take as much time as you need!" She called out to her friend as she went out with the clothes she liked separated from those she didn't. She had the grandest time doing it with such a joyful friend like Alisa and she was already looking forward to spending more time with her in the future too. That got her thinking: who else could she bond with next?

Soon after, Alisa left the dressing room with her picks. She had a good collection now. Much better than the few things hanging in her closet back at base! Quickly, she paid for the clothing at the register and had it bagged and then went out to join Aleen’a.

She left the store with two more bags than she had started with, grinning from ear to ear. It had been so much fun to shop with Aleen’a! “Thanks for helping me pick out all these clothes, Aleen’a. It was really nice to talk to you.”

“I think I’m gonna go and shop around for some room decorations and stuff, though. I’ll see you later!” Alisa turned to go, walking to where a lot more stores were. That was successful! Aleen’a and her, at least, seemed to have a lot in common. Hopefully making friends with the rest of the team would be just as easy.

Location: Happy Harbor Mall
Interactions: -

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Daphne stood in front of the interactive map of the shopping mall. There were options to select the type of store and products you wanted to buy. She didn't need those because she had an idea of what she wanted to buy. The map showed all of the stores and their location in the mall, that would come in handy. Her plan was to split the gift buying into guys and girls. The guys would be easy, there were usually less options. Something neutral and useful in everyday life, like a solid colored shirt. She looked at the available stores, Cara, J&M, Forever 23, Flourish, Beyond Bathing, JL Max and a whole lot more. Daphne was surprised at some of the available stores. Compared to Gotham Happy Habor could barely be considered a town. She walked to her first destination, looking at the list on her phone. A set of workout clothes for Viktor, a long sleeved shirt for Talon, a green sleeveless hoodie for Ja, a purple tie for Zach, something baseball or soccer related for Felix. She knew he practiced both sports by checking out his social media. Casper was probably the most tricky. On one hand there were a ton of things she could buy, but on the other hand......

It would be nice to not go for the obvious. She wanted to get him something with thought and attention behind it. She had a strategy for these kind of challenges. She would know what to get him when she saw it, meaning she had to wander around a couple of stores. One of her favorite things to do. Just browse and come up with ideas. Daphne stepped into Forever 23, trying to ignore the women's section and making a beeline for the mens clothes. They had a great selection and she immediately started to browse. She pulled out a couple of options for the guys, feeling blissful. She loved buying things for someone else. After about an half an hour of careful consideration, comparing and swapping out sizes she'd managed to find something for Viktor, Ja, Talon and Zach. Daphne pulled out each article of clothing for one last check, to see if there weren't any stains or holes in them. When she held up Viktor's shirt and shorts she started to doubt again. She'd gone back and forth on his size twice and she still wasn't sure it was a good fit for him.

It would be annoying if he had to return it and that was the last thing she wanted. Daphne felt like annoying him was all she'd done so far, so the gift had to be perfect. She sighed and hugged the clothes to her chest, a frown on her face. After a couple of minutes of quiet pondering Daphne decided to go back and compare the size one more time. That was likely going to make her doubt more, but she was out of ideas. Feeling decidedly less enthusiastic she went back to the sports section, grabbing the same shirt one size up and holding them next to each other.

Daphne sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. She cupped her face with her right hand, staring at the shirts sideways.
This was hopeless....
She looked up at the ceiling with pleading eyes. Maybe the answer would come down from shopping heaven?

"Are you checking if there is a second floor?" A girl spoke up standing beside her jokingly.
Daphne turned to her and shook her head with a slightly defeated smile.
"I saw you from over there, trying to figure this out" She said, pointing to the shirt situation.
"I think I can help you out"

"Cameron get your butt over here!" The girl called out to her brother sitting on the edge of a display table full of jeans. Cameron sighed, clearly done with his sister's shopping trip.
Daphne smiled more cheerfully this time, turning to the siblings next to her.
"Oh that would be really great, usually I don't have any trouble with this, but I really need to get the right size."
Daphne sized up the girl's brother Cameron, he was about the same height as Viktor, just not as muscular. The girl offered to let her brother try on Viktor's clothes to get the sizing right and Daphne gratefully agreed. When they walked over to the dressing rooms, the girls chatted a bit and Cameron followed reluctantly. He tried on both shirts but Daphne still wasn't convinced.

"You're really helping me out, thanks so much for that. Could you....uhm...try on the large on top of your hoodie?"
The teen girl didn't really know how to put it gently. He just didn't have the muscle mass to fill out the shirt and she needed to see how it looked. It couldn't be floppy or too tight, it had to be just right.
"You heard her Cam, her boyfriend's built" Lea laughed, throwing the hoodie back at her brother.

Daphne took a sip of her jasmine iced tea but nearly spat it out when she heard Lea's comment. Tears sprung up in her eyes and she coughed, trying not to spill on her white top. She took out a tissue and cleaned up her face and cup. Good thing she was wearing waterproof make up today.
"You okay girl?" Lea snorted, while Cameron mumbled to himself.

After they helped her finally settle on a size Daphne thanked the siblings one more time with many excessive thank you's and smiles and they went their separate ways. Daphne picked up a custom engraved basketball with Felix's name on it along with his alias Gold Rush. She managed to spot something for Casper too, in the most unexpected store too. So far she was doing great. All she needed was something for the girls and cute gift wrapping paper. She dropped her iced tea in the trash can neatly and took the elevator to the top floor. The mall only had two floors. Daphne stepped through the elevator doors and was on route to the next store, absorbed into her own thoughts.

Someone tailed the teen girl discreetly, following her from the elevator. He kept his distance, looking just like any other typical shopper. He went into each store she did, watching her from a couple of aisles down, sometimes even crossing paths, pretending to browse items.

Location: Happy Harbor Mall
Interactions: @Prints Avoid Felix and @DreamingFlowers Daphne

---

Sporting a baseball backpack for his newly purchased gear, Viktor exited the sporting goods store alongside Felix. Once again, Viktor winced at how out in the open he was with so many people around. Being on the ground level for too long was something he would not be able to stand. He stopped in place, scanning the faces of people in the ever-moving crowd.

The movement of his eyes was inhumanly rapid as he studied the lost, the complacent, the excited mall occupants. It was captivating

"Felix, go on ahead. I need some air." Viktor made an excuse he had heard from one of those reality television shows he had watched while in the lounge of the HQ. He found the expression silly, but like Zach's backward speech, it seemed to work and allowed Viktor to go off on his own to the second level of the mall.

The new vantage was comforting. With a closed down clothing store behind him, he leaned on the metal railing to overlook a good portion of the mall. People watching… He still found the term inadequate. From interaction to interaction, Viktor observed. Some were mysterious, while others held a hint of humor. All in all, they all held a unique vibe.

However, something particular caught his eye. Like a hunter stalking their prey or an agent tailing their target, a man gave off the appearance of stalking none other than Daphne. Of course, she was oblivious, holding many bags with that lost look on her face. She appeared to have an objective, but a known destination was absent to her. It only made it easier for her stalker to follow. The prey was slow and distracted…

But she was also a member of his team. Choosing subtlety as his method of intimidation, Viktor took his own route to Daphne, circling around to intercept her from her front. With his hands tucked in his pockets, he strolled over to Daphne, his eyes looking past her to the man following her. To Daphne, it would appear as if Viktor was unaware of her and to the stalker, it would appear he had Viktor's full attention. He removed one of the two aluminum baseball bats from his backpack, holding it in one hand while resting it on his shoulder. One swing would do. It was all a matter of the intended end state. All in all, it was simple. Easy.

Viktor halted in front of Daphne before his eyes looked down to her wary ones.

"Daph, can you hold this... I want to see if it's too big for the smaller members of our team." As he handed her the aluminum bat, his eyes shifted back to her stalker who had moved back quite a bit. Viktor stared long enough for the man to deduce Viktor yet again had eyes on him, and with that came a swift retreat. "Come, we can walk and talk." He nodded his head in the direction she had already been walking in.

Should he have told her about the stalker? Perhaps, but he mysteriously decided against it. Why?

Location: Happy Harbor Mall

---

Daphne attempted to head into a accessoires store but her path got blocked by Viktor´s tall frame. He seemed to have come out of nowhere. She hadn´t seen him coming and now he was suddenly right in front of her, staring down at her with his deep green eyes. He made her nervous. Viktor spoke to her and she tensed up a little. Another order. Before she could protest he pushed a baseball bat into her arms. She struggled a bit to hold it, it was made of metal, instead of the regular wooden ones. Daphne placed her bags down on the floor. She tested the weight in her hands, imagining having to make a swing with it. Maybe if she did something useful for him she could lift his mood a little. She wasn't even bothered he called her short.

She looked up at him carefully and noticed he wasn't looking at her anymore, he was staring at something behind her. Daphne glanced over her shoulder. There was nothing out of the ordinary there, just people going about their day, shopping to their hearts' content and their wallets' limit. Confused at Viktor's odd behaviour she dropped the bat at her side. Her brows furrowed together and she stared at whatever Viktor seemed to have been looking at, answering him hesitantly. She was unsure of what was going on.
"I uhmm....think it's okay, not too heavy and.....I..I could use it if I need to."

"Come, we can walk and talk."
Daphne cringed inwardly. Talking.... with Viktor.
Well she couldn't say no. In her imagination she could, but in reality she was too polite for her own good. Putting on her best fake smile she powered on.
"Sure...we can do that...." She returned the bat to him and grabbed her bags. The bag with Felix's basketball was getting pretty heavy combined with the other items. The handles of the bag were leaving indents in her palms, so she shifted the weight around every so often. It made it manageable.
"So...how do you like the mall?" Daphne had no idea what to talk about.

"It's adequate." He answered plainly. Viktor didn't strike her as the talkative type of guy, so it surprised her he wanted to walk and chat. She explained to him that she still had some shopping to do and he tagged along silently. Maybe he would grow bored after a while and leave, she secretly hoped that might happen. The stores she went into were mainly targeted at women, stores which Viktor would probably never voluntarily enter.

It hadn't escaped the attention of a sales woman either. She was adjusting the clothes of a mannequin and tried to start up some small talk with Viktor and her.
"Wow I can never get my boyfriend to come in here." Viktor glanced around the store at the comment, trying to deduce why anyone would be averse to entering the store with their relationship partner.

"Why not? Is he intimidated by female clothing?" Viktor answered. His eyes fell on Daphne who appeared to be flustered by something. "I think it is a good thing to help your girl friend shop if she needs assistance" He widened his eyes towards all the bags Daphne was holding.

Daphne’s face blushed green with embarrassment. She’d never heard Viktor talk this much. It was odd, his face and tone stayed stoic, but the things he was saying were actually pleasant. Not his usual sneering. It was a change and it gave her mixed feelings. Daphne was still holding a flower hair pin, intending to buy it for Alisa. She couldn’t make up her mind and was constantly worried Viktor would converse with the sales woman again. In the end she placed it back in the stand, right underneath a matching pair of earrings, staring at it wistfully.

A couple of minutes later they were walking on the other side of the second floor. There were a handful of stores still left to go. Daphne passed by a Veronica Secret store when an idea popped into her head. Viktor wouldn’t follow her there for sure. Okay, it was kind of mean, but he was making her nervous and she couldn’t pay attention to her shopping.

Daphne stepped into the store confidently and could almost taste the freedom. Saved by satin robes and lace underwear… or so she thought. Viktor entered the store just as easily. Not even fazed! He noticed a few guys were loitering at the front, but he continued to trail Daphne. He noticed he was getting a little more attention in this store. "Are men not allowed to enter this store?"

"Viktor...are you sure you don't want to wait outside?"

"I'm always sure. Is there a problem, Daphne?" Viktor replied rather sternly.

Location: Happy Harbor Mall

Zach’s solitary shopping adventure was interrupted when Kassy came in to ask about the Unicorn plushie he was holding on to. He was amazed she had the nerve to approach him again after everything that happened. Zach raised an eyebrow. “You… haven’t seen a unicorn before? Oh… right you’re from Atlantis. You probably grew up with Kelpies and stuff… He sighed. “Um… anyway, it’s called a unicorn. A mythical horse that’s as fabulous and magical as I am! Their magic comes from their horn. There’s a lot more to them than that, but I don’t think you’re here for a history lesson.”

“I see.” Kassy was actually listening with attention, though she wouldn’t quite meet Zach’s eyes. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, but she didn’t want to leave things as they were. “It’s very pretty. I’m sure it will make good company.” After a moment, she held out her stuffed shark.

“This one is coming with me. I’m not sure what to name it yet.” Kass had an odd predilection for naming inanimate objects, like her staff. For some reason, it just made her feel better.

Stepping closer, she lowered her voice. “About… earlier. I really am sorry. If you need to take your vengeance, I’d prefer it at home. But I also don’t like waiting for the other wave to crest.” She looked around the store, noting it mostly empty. The only other patron besides the store’s clerk was a harried looking mother with 2 children. “Go ahead. Hit me.”

Kassy had picked up a plush shark for herself. It was cute, although Zach didn’t understand why anyone would want to cuddle up with a carnivorous sea creature, but Zach wasn’t in a position to judge.

What she said next made Zach’s eyes go wide with shock. Did she really just ask that? “What?! No! I’m not going to hit you. It would reflect poorly on me if I just casually punched a woman with no context. My career would be ruined. Even with context that’s really bad. I don’t know how things are done in where you come from, but we don’t go around inflicting violence on everyone who upsets us… As much as we may want to.”

Zach sighed and shook his head. “I do suppose we have to talk about my reaction don’t we?” He put his purchases in front of the cashier for them to be rung up. The man listening to this was probably confused about what the heck was going on.

“Oh. Well, it’s not so much Atlantis as it is…” Just happening inside her house. The words stuck in her throat. “A long story. It’s a long story.” She did not have the energy to open that box. “And yes, we do have to talk about that. Though I’m not sure if here is the best place.”

Once Zach’s unicorn was paid for, she put up her shark on the counter to be purchased. “Would it be better to walk and talk?”

“Yes, it would be better to walk and talk. Mine is also a long story.”

Kassy nodded, and paid for the shark. She gestured for Zach to follow as she exited and joined the milling mall crowd. “If you didn’t want to…” She gestured a little punch in the face. “Then what did you want to talk to me about?” Her voice dropped to a bit of a mumble. “I’m used to that phrase meaning bad things, unfortunately.”

“I mean… I’m the one who ran off crying after a sparring session. I’m sure everyone that watched thinks oh Zach cried because he lost. He’s a sore loser. Boo-hoo! While, yes I’m not exactly happy about that. It’s a little more complicated than just getting beaten.” Zach sighed, and rubbed the back of his head.“Before I had access to magic, I often felt helpless… And that whole situation brought me back to those times… Zach bit his lip, and looked away from Kassy. He really hated talking about this stuff. He just wanted to be a world class magician and superhero. Why did this have to rear its ugly head again.

Kassy was surprised to see the usually confident Zach looking so downtrodden. Even more of a surprise was not having powers his whole life. The way he wielded them, he seemed to be born with them. “You couldn’t always use magic? That… must have been really hard.” She fidgeted with her hair, one curl being tweaked over and over. “I’ve always had magic, but… not very many people like what I can do, back home. So they’d…” She inhaled, and exhaled. If they were being honest, she’d have to at least comply. “Call me things. Do things to me.” He would probably have to drag the detail out of her if he even wanted to know. Hopefully he would not.

Zach nodded. It was clear that Kassy didn’t want to talk about what happened to her. It made sense. He barely wanted to talk about what happened to him. “Right, some people can be cruel for the most petty of reasons. It’s the same above the surface… I can’t imagine why anybody wouldn’t like what you can do. They’re awesome.”

Kassy actually flashed him a bit of a smile. It was there one moment, but gone the next. “Thank you.” Her hair was becoming a bit of a mess, as she had nervous hands. “But if I could give up my power, all of it, I would do it. It’s really caused me nothing but trouble most of my life.” She shook her head, curls bouncing. “I don’t expect you to understand that part, though.”

Zach shrugged his shoulders. She had a point. He only had his powers for two years, and he would never give them up for anything. “I mean… yeah… I wouldn’t. My mother bound my powers hoping to give me a normal life…For all the good that did. He chuckled a little. “I would never go back to that…”

“Well, you don’t have to.” Kassy nodded firmly. “And, seas willing, neither do I.” A hesitant smile slipped onto her face. “We’re going toward a new life. A better one. Hopefully.”

Zach nodded and grinned in return. “I hope so.”

S E C R E T S A N C T U A R Y

---

"La Hoya, Argentina."
Red Tornado had gathered the team inside the communications complex, with a blue hued hologram of Batman standing in the center of the room while the multiple screens behind him displayed maps and blueprints of a factory owned by the cult of the Kobra. They were a pseudo-religious criminal organisation that often relied on a muscle mass increasing drug known as Kobra Venom.
"This factory is the source of a dangerous and illegal chemical."
The maps shifted to show pictures of the inside of the factory and several red dots were spotted around the map.
"Heat signatures show the factory is still operating at full capacity, but no shipments have been confiscated for weeks."
"This could be connected to a theft at Gotham University labs, of which Kobra is the prime suspect, but we need harder evidence."

From his side of things, Batman slightly narrowed his eyes, studying their faces calmly, assessing to whom this next sentence would be of particular importance. He'd read about their progress in the two weeks the team was formed. It was safe to say he was far from impressed.
"That's where this team comes in."¨ He moved his cape behind his back.
"This is a covert recon mission only." The bat's body language was stern as he pointed towards none of them in particular.
"Observe and report, if the Justice League needs to intervene it will."

Batman then used a remote to swap to a larger map of La Hoya.
"The plan requires two drop zones." The drop zones appeared on the screen indicated by zone A and B, located strategically through the mountain region. The mission required two squads, where the team would be divided according to their skill and powers. One squad was tasked with infiltrating the factory to retrieve proof. The other team was going to patrol the perimeter, keeping a close eye on any contraband leaving the premises to be transported.

Batman was asked who would be in charge. He focused on Red Tornado momentarily before answering in his usual deep and even toned voice.
"As this mission is strictly covert we´re putting Talon in charge"

Location: Communications Complex
Interactions: Everyone

---

Two Week of Viktor

Between a lot of reality tv, training, and "research", Viktor had found himself spending much of his time with a few of his teammates, more specifically Aleen'a and Ja who seemed to bombard his typical brooding with their highly positive energy, though it was more the second week where Ja seemed vastly more enthusiastic. Ja helped Viktor learn to cook more appetizing meals and taught him to keep his guard up in the most peculiar way. With Aleen'a, Viktor more of the teacher. She had so many questions on Earth and its people and he had wondered why she had chosen him to be the one to give her all the answers. On a nice day with minimal wind speeds, they played a game where Viktor would send a baseball flying with a throw or baseball swing with Aleen'a attempting to catch it out of the sky.

Viktor still spoke to some of the others on the team. With Alisa, it was typically sharing a tip for combat or asking about her specifications. Like Ja and Aleen'a she was very positive, though he noticed her slight insecurity when he asked about her parts for much too long. Viktor enjoyed his few conversations with Felix about sports and fitness, though he seemed to get lost in his thoughts at times. Viktor noted this.

Viktor had also spent time with Zachary, who was always available to show him displays of magic or tell him how useful it was. Viktor agreed with him, but he also shared how overreliance on one skill can be a bad thing. Casper and Coal we're also good company, and Viktor couldn't say he had a problem with the Wraithborn. Physically frail, but magically powerful. He wondered who was more capable between Casper and Zachary, but he kept that to himself and for his own assessments.

Kassandra or, the other "Kass" was shy and friendly, sort of like Daphne, except he found Kassandra to be far more capable in her ability. She could hold her own in a fight, and despite her socially shy demeanor, she seemed to become confident in the heat of some good physical training. Daphne, however, avoided him for the most part. It was probably best considering that he didn't feel she had much more to show for, especially after the bit of leaf he had shriveled and dried up after a few days. He was of the mind that she would quit at some point. Go back to Gotham to live as a normal teenager would, except she got to meet a few superheroes and their proteges. Two weeks had passed, however, and still, she remained. One thing he was interested in regarding her, was the person who had stalked her at the mall.

And then there was Talon. There were no words shared between these two, and rarely any acknowledgment. Talon befriending Daphne was actually a good thing in Viktor's as he didn't have much reason to speak to either of them outside of any mission.

The hiking trips during the two weeks were enjoyable and allowed Viktor to learn more about Ja, Alisa, Kassandra, Zachary, and Aleen'a during the activity. All in all, it was a good two weeks for Viktor Sullivan.

---

Viktor stood with the rest of the team as they received the briefing for their first mission. He felt a tinge of excitement as he was finally permitted to perform towards something of significant value. He absorbed the details of the mission, noting the criminal organization, Kobra.

It wasn't until Batman's final comment, that Viktor furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't very fond of Talon, but this type of mission would fall into his field of expertise. Looking around at the rest of the team, Viktor had no choice but to put his faith in Talon. Perhaps he'll present himself as a better leader than a follower.

"Who's on which squad?" He addressed Batman.

---

Talon started at the mention of his name. He hadn't been expected to be put in a leadership position so early, especially considering how their early training exercises had gone. In the two weeks since, Talon and the others had improved upon their skills and their communication, and this would be a perfect chance to demonstrate Talon's leadership qualities and confidence in the field. Despite a lot of their interpersonal relationships still having some room to grow, the opportunity to lead the team in a real mission was something Talon wasn't going to take lightly. And he would prove to them all his worth in the field. He studied the viewscreens in front of the team, illuminating two separate drop zones.

Batman called the mission an "observe and report" type, but actually infiltrating the target and recovering any proof around Kobra's involvement in the recent Gotham Labs robbery meant that at least some of the team would have to get their hands dirty. Talon immediately ran through the entirety of the team in his head, flipping through all of their abilities, strengths, and how they worked together.

Rain however was the first to speak up, asking Batman who the teams would be split into. Talon felt irritated. If he was in charge, he should be the one to decide who goes where - that's what part of the expectation being a Team Leader means. Talon could feel himself able to speak up about this. He could feel his training and upbringing begin to take hold, he could run almost on auto-pilot.

"I'm going to assign the two teams, I've come to know everyone's strengths in the short time we've been here and as Team Leader for this mission I need to be able to operate with complete control." He was looking at Rain as he spoke, then turned to the rest of the team, stepping out in front of the viewscreens.

"Squad A will be the infiltration group. I'll be on Team A, and I want Zatara, Mirage, Metamorph and Cybergirl. Zatara's magic will open extra doors we might not have been able otherwise. While Mirage's cloaking will enable her extra stealth options. Metamorph's tracking will give us the edge on sneaking around, and Cybergirl will be our internal muscle. Squad B will focus on Recon and any patrolling. For that, Brightheart - Stay airborne, keep ground team informed of any extra movement. Hex will be able to use their invisibility and teleportation for ease of movement. Felix your clones can cover more ground and make it easier to patrol in a larger space. Nymph will be on comms, outside in the sunlight is where you'll operate best. Rain, you're the most experienced and I want you on Squad B's lead. Keep them organized, keep them calm. If Squad A comes off comms I want you to take over.

It was the most Talon had spoken at one time since joining the team, but he felt natural, felt at ease. He was grateful for the opportunity that Batman had given him - he had felt personally that Batman was somewhat apprehensive about his joining the Bat Family, and even moreso joining the ranks of Young Justice. Talon would have bet that Batman had more interest in someone like Rain, a more obviously safe bet. Talon wouldn't blame him. He was a product of violence, angry and uncontrollable. But Rain was the picture of determination, well regarded by the others. He was tall, an incredible physique, the picture of discipline, he already had the superhero look. Talon wanted to punch his stupid face, right in his perfect jawline.

But later, that was personal, petty stuff. In the two weeks since joining, Talon and Rain hadn't crossed paths much. They were seemingly on opposite schedules, and when one finished up a workout in the gym, the other was just starting one. They had yet to truly fight each other. Talon knew it was only a matter of time.

Talon looked back to Batman, addressing him.

"Is this acceptable?"

---

Two weeks of training, two weeks of team building, two weeks of him. Casper could narrow down the moments of that man’s presence, each one less appreciated than the next. Though Hex had maintained composure, expressing little more than an otherwise regal, if apathetic exterior, frustration had certainly been building. With arms crossed, the boy leaned against a nearby wall, his spectral eyes fixed on each teammate. Their first mission, and for some, an introduction into this most dangerous profession. “Ah, the quiet one has been put in charge,” a voice echoed, a tune Casper had grown reluctantly used to. “And Batman himself, is it? I always did wonder how that man conducted himself,” Duke Murdock Blackwood, or rather his projection uttered, the tall man standing at Casper’s side.

Had anyone been cursed with the ability to gaze into Hex’s mind and witness his father, questions would surely rise. The Duke was an intimidating fellow, tall and daunting. His extravagant suit denoted aristocracy, an expression of authority exposed arrogance, and yet, he did not seem to mind the one-sided interaction bestowed upon his son. Duke Murdock had come to accept that Casper wasn’t eager to offer words in turn. “Let’s hope they don’t all perish in the frozen wastes,” the spectral image continued, a hand rising to rub at his chin. “But issuing you reconnaissance? Dear me, that boy doesn’t understand your powers at all.”

A brow rose as Casper’s attention turned towards his father, silence lingering. It was true that those present did not comprehend the nature of Hex’s abilities. Death Magic was complicated, and short of Zach, no current member of the Young Justice League had spent any notable time studying magic. Zachary Zatara himself was still quite new to the life. Truthfully, however, Casper preferred this. He did not desire such knowledge for his teammates. Casper’s magic was, in a word, disturbing. Death, the afterlife, decay, and ghostly grace, none of which spoke of a colorful approach. The atrocities committed by Necromancy were gruesome to say the least, and Casper had actively attempted to maintain a certain aspect of the dark art, refraining from interacting with flesh and bone.

He was unsure of what to expect on this mission surrounded by snow and rime, but it would certainly reveal everyone’s strengths, and mayhaps their weaknesses. “And the grumpy one is your commander? Sweet Casper, I do not envy your position.” A final statement, before the entity vanished, leaving Hex and the yet quiet Coal to their own devices. With sharp teeth clenched, Casper retired his attention to the floor. Did he agree with these compositions? Talon’s statements revealed one thing; that despite these two weeks, an understanding of everyone’s positions was lacking. Though, it was fair to say that Hex would not have managed it better, himself. The last two weeks had been quite distracting. Between attendance at college, his father’s sporadic appearances, and training, there was little time to establish a connection with anyone else.

Despite this, he recalled being gifted a ribbon by Daphne, a sweet gesture indeed. In the same vein, however, Hex was deigned to return the bracelet he had procured for her. It revealed a somewhat tone-deaf position. Casper had bought a girl something that, in this world of economically challenged individuals, would make her a target. He had not considered that outcome. Perhaps, going forward, he ought to contemplate the price before a purchase. Others were not quite as indifferent towards it as he was.

With those spectral orbs gazing upon the flowery young woman, Casper’s thoughts turned towards the mission. Was she ready for this? Plans were notorious for malfunctioning, and Rain’s opinion of the girl had presented itself, albeit vaguely. If he was to command their half of the team, how would he conduct himself? Would he be able to keep everyone organized? Perhaps. Would he be able to keep everyone calm? Of that, Casper was unsure. The boy himself was no leader, and he dreaded the day when others found themselves relying on his instructions.

”It’s acceptable,” Hex responded, clawed digits gently tapping his arm from their crossed position.

---

Aleen'a had lots of fun in the past two weeks. She would never have thought it was possible for her to make such new and very good friends that were not of the same alien race as her. It was like a dream come true for her. She enjoyed spending time with Alisa, hiking with some of them, and doing a whole lot more training and other fun stuff with them. In those two weeks, Aleen'a wouldn't even imagine she'd be spending time with Viktor. He wasn't as scary now as she thought of him before after all. In fact, she liked hanging out with him although those eyes of his really made her feel flustered for some reason she couldn't explain.

She had such wonderful moments bonding and getting to know each of the members of her team too. Well, not all of them. Talon had become the 'next scary-looking guy' for her after Viktor and try as she might, she was still too nervous to approach him. It's the same manner for Casper but for a different reason. The darkness and the negativity that surrounded him made her apprehensive about approaching him and she guessed he was very nervous around her too. At least though, she could tell he was a very kind-hearted fellow.

Despite all that, she enjoyed the times she had spent with her new friends no matter what. She had grown to love her newfound friends so much that for the past two weeks she spent alone, she would invest all of her time in creating some things for them. Aleen'a would laugh giddily as she worked upon her project. When the right time came, she was sure every single one of her new friends would enjoy her gifts for them. Surely not now, not even tomorrow, but soon...

Presently, the whole team had been called upon for a meeting at the communications complex. Aleen'a audibly gasped when the Justice LEaguer on the screen was none other than the Batman himself! It was her first time seeing one of the founding members of the League as he wasn't with Superman and the rest when they helped free Tamaran from the Citadel. She also vaguely remembered Kori talked about meeting him some time ago when she used to be in a relationship with one of Batman's proteges but she wasn't entirely sure about it now. Nevertheless, if the Batman was the one briefing them about their first major assignment ever as a team then that must mean it's going to be some very serious stuff.

Aleen'a intently listened to Batman as he explained the nature of their mission: a covered missio- Covfered? Coverd? Oh, a covert recon mission. All they had to do was gather information about the bad guys that could be used against them. She did utter some 'Ooooh's and 'Woaaahh's whenever Batman simply just zoomed in on the map and showed them where they needed to land because she had never seen this type of technology before but she still understood what must be needed to accomplish.

She also listened as Talon listed off who'll be in each one's teams. He'll lead the team comprising of Zatara, Mirage, Metamorph, and Cybergirl as the ones who will be infiltrating the bad guys' base to get the needed information while Vik- er, Rain will lead a team consisting of herself, Hex, Nymph, and Gold Rush to be in charge of recon and patrolling. Her assignment made sense as she's practically the only one in the team who could naturally fly. She was very nervous about this but she was determined to not bring anyone down. She was also surprised to hear Talon speak with such natural confidence although he still did seem a little too proud. He sure was a weird and interesting fellow indeed.

Aleen'a eagerly nodded. "Like Hex, I too am whole of heartingly agreeing to you, leader. Although, I am just concerned..." She paused. It had been troubling her ever since she first stepped foot into the communications complex with all of them. It was bugging her so much that she couldn't bear to wait any longer. She really, honestly, genuinely needed to know the answer to it. Aleen'a looked at Batman with concern and pity in her eyes. "Why is Batman so blue?"

---

---

The last two weeks had gone swimmingly for Alisa. She had spent most of her time getting to know her new teammates and making new friends. Hiking and talking with some of the others had been enjoyable and she was starting to feel like she understood her new teammates a little better. Many of them, like Aleen’a, Daphne, and (sometimes) Ja were kind, fun, and easy to speak with. Others, like Viktor, weren’t quite as enthusiastic, but Alisa still found herself befriending him. While the other girl was shy, Alisa found hanging out with Kassy enjoyable, and while he could be annoying, Alisa had connected with Zach over some of their similarities- specifically, their hometown. In particular, though, she had spent a lot of time hanging out with Aleen’a and having short chats with Viktor. There were others she had spent time with, but those were the two she had connected with the most so far.

Alisa had appreciated Daphne’s gift very much and had been wearing the hairpin around often. After she had realized it was from Daphne, she had tried to hang out with her more but found that she was more often than not either training with Martian Manhunter or hanging out with Casper and Talon. Those two… well, Alisa was the least friendly with those two. It wasn’t that either of them were outwardly unfriendly to her or that she was to them. Talon, with his explosive temper and threatening silence, scared her a bit. And Casper was just strange. Simply put, he gave her bad vibes. He seemed to be friendly and downright kind to many of the others, but Alisa just couldn’t connect with that part of him yet.

Besides talking to others, Alisa spent much of those two weeks either doing combat training, learning how to fly a jet, or working on projects in the lab. Flying the jet was downright incredible. It was probably one of her favorite things she had done so far- something about ascending into the sky in an intricate metal machine just appealed to her. It certainly helped that she was good at it. Combat training was… less enjoyable. Her fighting lacked any sort of comprehensive skill or tactics and moreso relied on brute strength and speed. Simply put, combat challenged Alisa. She could memorize the best places to hit and when to strike as much as she wanted, but that split-second application would ultimately be the thing that stood between her and an unfortunate end. Meanwhile, in the lab, she had spent time working on various augments for herself. Included among these was a hand outfitted with a small yet powerful blaster cannon that was ready today. Upon requesting it over email, Cyborg had sent her the schematics for his own and several other pieces of offensive technology that outfitted his body. It had taken a bit of configuring and it still looked rough around the edges, but it worked. That was the important part.

Now, on the long-awaited day of their first mission, Alisa stood in the communications complex with all the others. She was wearing her costume for the first time. She looked ridiculous. She felt ridiculous. Her hand, which usually looked human, was bare metal with the blaster core clearly visible. She hadn’t had much time to pretty it up. She was standing next to Aleen’a, listening to Batman talk attentively. Holy shit, Batman is talking to me. That awe of working with superheroes had diminished over the past few weeks, but it was still fucking cool to talk to Batman.

A covert recon mission? With Talon as leader? Alisa could barely disguise her wide-eyed staring. Him? Really? While he was certainly an incredible fighter, Alisa had hardly heard him utter a word to anyone else, much less a friendly word. But there had to be a reason he was being picked. Was there something she was missing? Talon began to divide the teams, and Alisa nodded at her assignment. Muscle. Right. Evidently, Talon hadn’t seen her lackluster combat skills at work yet. She would’ve said something if she hadn’t wanted to avoid embarrassing herself. Hopefully, he just meant strength, and there wouldn’t be a reason to get into a fight. The rest of the assignments made sense, as far as she knew. Kassy, Ja, and Zach would all be fine to work with.

“Sounds good!” Alisa told him.

She slid her eyes to Aleen’a as her friend spoke, and cackled at her question. “He’s a hologram, Aleen’a,” Alisa explained as soon as she stopped laughing. “He’s not actually here, he’s just projecting himself. Here. Let me show you.” Without thinking, Alisa went up to the hologram projector and waved her hand through it, distorting the image of Batman.

As soon as she realized what she had just done, however, she hurriedly backed away from the hologram, blushing. Oh God, I just touched hologram Batman’s butt. “So sorry,” she squeaked. “Mission sounds good. G-go team! Woo.”

Location: Communications complex
Interactions: the Team

---

No one said hero life was easy and the past two weeks were definitely proof of that. Her time was divided between learning how to control her powers, combat training, a study session with her dad and school. Daphne hadn´t been sure which one was the worst, probably the training with the Martian Manhunter, which at times was more like intense physiological therapy. After the incident during their first combat training Daphne asked her mentor to help gain better control of her powers. It was the first time something like that had happened. She thought she understood her powers. It turned out studying them under controlled conditions at her father´s lab was not at all the same as being out in the field. So even though she knew what they could do, it did not help in controlling them.

Together they figured out her power responded strongly to her emotions. Which made sense because it was fear that caused her metagene to activate a couple of months back. Negative emotions were the source of her powers and that made them dangerous. They protected her from everyone and didn´t differentiate between friend or foe. Daphne worried her powers had a sentience of their own, but the Martian ensured her they didn´t. It was more similar to the immune system of the human body, fighting to protect and maintain balance. They had long talks about her insecurities, doubts and fears. It left her vulnerable, sharing so much of her inner self. The Martian always respected her boundaries, only resorting to telepathy when Daphne had trouble putting words to her thoughts. Their hard work paid off. She learned to use her hair like a fifth limb, able to control the movement like she´d move her arm. Talking to plants became a little easier, she was now able to understand them better even if she was distracted. The bark like armor was still the same, she couldn´t use it at will, not yet.

Her full schedule also meant she couldn´t spend as much time with her team as she wanted to. Whenever she was free, which wasn´t often,she spent most of her time lounging about, trying to recharge. Her near constant exhaustion meant she purposefully stayed away from the more lively members of the team, namely Alisa, Aleen´a, Felix, Zach and Ja. She couldn´t match up to their cheerfulness and didn´t want to bring down the mood. Instead she often found herself in the company Casper, Talon, sometimes Kassandra or even Viktor. With Casper she enjoyed quiet movie nights, despite Cole´s critique of her movie choices. The bird had a particular distaste for sappy movies, which were her favorite. It was the only thing which disgusted the animal enough to make him momentarily leave the lounge, giving them some peace and quiet.

Combat training was something she still despised. She searched for a style of fighting that was comfortable for her. After a couple of sparring sessions with the combat savvy members of the team she had an understanding of the basics. She kept at it and slowly became more skilled in countering physical attacks. It went against Black Canary´s combat philosophy, but for now this worked.

She listened to Batman, paying close attention. This mission might not be the ideal activity to bond, or well actually maybe it was. They were walking into a dangerous place together and watching out for everyone´s safety was always her first priority. Daphne watched Alisa explain the holographic projection of Batman to Aleen´a which made her laugh. She covered her mouth with her hands, forcing herself not to laugh out loud. It was endearing to see Aleen´a figure out how everything on Earth worked. She reminded Daphne of a little kid, who saw everything for the the first time. Daphne was about to walk over to them but stopped when Talon demanded their attention as their current mission leader.

Squad B, patrol duty, she could do that. Right?
She glanced at the members who were going to be on squad B with her. Viktor would be leading them, it made sense. He was going to be blunt and harsh. Even though it wasn't the way she would go about it, Daphne had come to accept their differences more in the past two weeks. His attitude bothered her less and she tried to keep out of his line of fire as much as she could. Felix and Aleen'a were there too. Daphne joined up with her squad, standing next to Felix.
"Hi guys, so squad B, we'll probably need to bundle up" She said, referring to them being outside in the snow.

Batman simply nodded at Talon's question, not saying he agreed or disagreed, leaving things ambiguous. He closed the briefing with a final instruction.
"You'll be leaving in an hour, Alisa will be the pilot since she doesn't tire, make sure to rest up on the way, you're going to need it"

---

Contrary to popular belief, Casper enjoyed fashionable escapades. Upon learning of this mission, his typical attire found itself altered to reflect the chilling touch of winter. White cloth hugged the boy’s scrawny, slender shape, offering sight of a ghostly entity blending into a snowy field. This would, however, contrast greatly with the dark nature of his powers, black energies clashing with Hex’s white attire. He did not mind this transgression, and would admit its contribution.

Spectral spheres turned towards Daphne, Casper’s thoughts traveling to their upcoming assignment. Would Viktor be able to lead a team so diverse in strengths, weaknesses, and utility? Despite Casper’s chalk-white nature, and his newly procured attire, the boy would radiate an aura of blackness in protection from the sun. It would allow for an easy spot, but yet again, he was reminded of the attention paid. There had not been enough.

The question then arose. Why did the boy not argue the decision? A black aura in a field of white was hard to miss, but was this mission executed during the comforting embrace of night, problems were null and void. However, if sunlight was required, the issue persisted, and yet, Casper did not waste a moment bringing this up. Did he not care? Was he fed up? Perhaps the more reasonable assumption was allowing others, mainly Talon, to learn from his mistakes. Duke Murdock was correct in offered statements, and while Hex refrained from giving his father the satisfaction of attention, agreement reluctantly lingered.

”I ought to remain a distance from you, it would allow for more vantage points.” With the scenario playing out the way it did, Casper was not willing to allow Talon’s decisions to endanger the lives of his comrades by placing a dark beacon next to them.

“Don’t forget about me! I can scout real good!” The spirit pitched in. It was true. Coal possessed flight, and would be considered nothing more than an ordinary crow, or raven, considering his size. The avian had donned this roll on several occasions, and was comfortable continuing tradition.

”It falls in the hands of our leader,” clawed digits motioned towards Viktor. Upon their initial meeting, Casper pinned Viktor for a good leader, someone with a sturdy spine and vigilant stance. However, he had come to see the young man as brash, moody, and rough. Aspects well suited a warlord, and less so a commander. It was an unfair display, however, judging his teammates following a mere two weeks of lacking interaction.

Casper had only himself to blame, in that regard. The boy was growing exceedingly less patient with Zachary’s antics, Alisa remained alien to him, the actual alien, Aleen’a, radiated enough ultra-violet light to warrant respectable distance, and Casper had yet to interact with Felix, in the slightest. Talon’s shell was something Hex could not be bothered with, currently, as he was maintaining what people called ‘bigger fish’, mainly his father’s presence. In a way, this team’s insecurities, character quirks, and challenges were stringing along an obnoxious development as a result of Casper’s strained patience with his father.

The boy was known for his relaxed, reserved, and harmonic mannerisms, something he did not want to jeopardize. However, Duke Murdock’s appearance would have managed just that, if Casper spent any notable time with many within the Young Justice League.

Where others may have noticed how Hex grew more distant within the past two weeks, he appeared keen on spending time with Daphne. In truth, he could relax in the presence of this girl. Her positive nature separated itself from Casper’s own issues, and his friendship with her steadily grew. There was a desire to protect, and a wish to socialize entwining into what Hex and Coal would consider stable companionship. Despite the bird’s distaste for emotional movies.

Their mission was starting in an hour, plenty of time to mentally prepare for what was to come. Their first mission, the first stage where mistakes could very well force lasting consequences. Casper was not keen on shepherding any of his allies to the afterlife just yet, and deigned to proceed with care. Hopefully, hiccups and obstacles were kept to a minimum.

Location: Communications Complex
Interactions: Squad 🐝

---

Of all the small exchanges that went on, Talon speaking up to take charge not only surprised him but drew all of Viktor's attention. Being assigned as the leader of Squad B caused a slight raise of his brows. Viktor personally felt he was the obvious choice, but he almost expected Talon to be petty and assign… someone other than himself. Viktor's eyes scanned over the members of his squad.

Brightheart. Gold Rush. Nymph. Hex. Their aliases were what he would use from now until the mission's end. They were who he'd have to coordinate a successful observe and report mission with. Almost what I might have chosen. Viktor gave his attention to Casper who approached with an idea. Coal too, who he almost did not consider initially.

"One moment, Hex… Squad B, gather around me and listen up!" As the squad gathered Viktor positioned himself in the center of them while typing into his cellphone now in hand. He initially didn't look up at the squad as his thumbs tapped away at his phone's touchscreen "We've received our orders from Batman and Talon regarding our mission. Observation is simple, but it is necessary so the others can be successful." If one were to look closely at Viktor, it could be noted that he was typing notes as he spoke.

"0400 hours in the mountains during the winter season. Dress accordingly. I will allow you to choose appropriate vantage based on your line of sight, but you will follow my instructions on how to conduct yourself… or if I find your choice… unwise." He looked up from his device and locked eyes with Casper. It would be rude not to address him first. Despite all of his abilities, Viktor still had to be a bit creative with the task he gave him. "It will be dark when we arrive, but it may not remain that way depending on the length of the mission. Coal can scout and our lower aerial sensor. If anything occurs, he can bring it to the closest person with comms. If you can task any other spirits to increase the number of eyes on the objective, do it… Oh and in the case of the sunrise, go prone and get behind something to minimize your profile." Viktor gave Casper a nod before his eyes set on Daphne next.

"Nymph, you are with me and will be the link of communication between myself and the infiltration squad. Our squad will communicate amongst ourselves and I will relay pertinent information to you for the other squad. Understood?" He didn't see Daphne having difficulty with this. Simply relaying information. Besides, he'd be right there beside her. Next was Aleen'a.

"Brightheart, you will be our eyes in the sky. You shouldn't have to go too high with the sky being dark. I recommend conserving as much energy as you can while up above. Remember we have Coal up close and you watching everything from up above." Viktor worried about Aleen'a's communication skills, but he felt he could decypher a lot what she said if he kept the context of her message in mind.

"Gold Rush. Use your AI drones, carefully, however. Hold off on the clones. I may need them if things go poorly. Be ready to fill someone else's role on my order." Viktor then sighed praying they all comprehended his introductions.

"Communicate, remain hidden, and don't die. It's simply just that. Pending any questions, go get prepared." Viktor's cold gaze met each of their faces. This was his responsibility and the other squad was Talon's.

Kassandra stared at the hologram Batman and tried not to squirm. Even though he was leagues away and wearing a mask, it was a struggle not to be intimidated by that stare. She listened as their mission was described, and was quite surprised when Talon was chosen to lead.

She was even more surprised, and impressed, when he began speaking quickly and tactically about what their mission duties were. It was a bit of a shock: Talon spoke up less than she did, although she had been working on that quite a bit. Still, the others would be beginning to see that she was holding something back. What exactly, was a mystery.

“Infiltration, huh? I can manage that.” She could manage the cold, too. It wasn’t something she usually thought about, but it was cold in Atlantis compared to the surface. A few adjustments to her costume and some closed shoes, and she would be fine.

“Talon, unless you’ve got more to say, I’ll go get ready.” Already her stomach was twisting, with a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. At least she’d get to do some good work before she was kicked off the team. That day was always going to be looming over her head.

The day everyone found out what she was, and what she had done.

It was just a matter of time.

Zach had decided to make another trip to the mall. Nothing felt better after training than a little retail therapy. After browsing his usual favorite places, he decided to stop by the music store. Granted, Zach didn’t actually play any instruments himself. He just sang and danced. Still, there was nothing wrong with browsing the selection. They had various instruments set up for people to try out, which meant you could occasionally catch a show here if somebody who knew what they were doing happened to stop in.

Inside, he was met with a melody that was played on a piano. However, there wasn’t anyone sitting in the pianist’s chair. Instead, the musician in question was sitting on a high stool on the opposing side of the grand piano. The top cover of the instrument was removed for the time being, allowing for the unorthodox musician to see and play the strings themselves. It was a soulful song that he was playing, but his expression seemed rather intense. He didn’t want to mess it up again. It was always about the time of the second verse that he lost his footing so to speak.

Zach saw a familiar face examining the pianos strings, and playing a song without touching the keys, but the strings inside the piano themselves. It was a beautiful song, for sure. Although he wasn’t expecting to see the musician playing it. He had expected to spend a day at the mall by himself today. Should he even say anything? Ja was adorable, but it was clear to the magician that Kila didn’t like Zach very much… Eh, can’t hurt to try and be his charming self! He approached his teammate. “Hey Kitty Cat. Wasn’t expecting to see you here. I didn’t take you as the musical type… Did you even get permission to open the piano?”

Hearing the damned nickname made Kila retract his hands from the strings. As though caught in a moment of vulnerability, he eyed the Zatara from behind the shadow his mane cast. ”So long as the instrument isn’t damaged and I knew what I was doing…” The young veteran was willing to explain.

”The great Speech Devil has decided to commute with the common people it seems…?” Kila broke eye contact, resting his hands on the legs he had crossed in his seat.

Zach narrowed his eyes at the nickname, but shrugged it off. “Well of course! I love communing with my fans!” He said with a flourish of his hand. “Anyway… What brings you to the mall?”

Kila gestured with one hand to the device before him. ”I am intrigued by this instrument. Casper’s playing from before inspired me to return to it. I would buy this, though there is no space in my room currently…” He explained. Without much more to say though, his fingers went back to the strings to try again: CGBE, g b e g b e g b e g b e g…

Kila went back to playing, and suddenly an idea popped into Zach’s head. “emutsoc otni egnahc.” The magician was enveloped in smoke for a second, and was left standing in his signature tuxedo. He then grabbed a microphone that happened to be on display, and sat down at the edge of the piano with his legs crossed. “If you're going to put on a show, then do it right. Hit it Kila!” He raised the microphone to his mouth, and started to sing.

Some people live for the fortune
Some people live just for the fame
Some people live for the power, yeah
Some people live just to play the game
Some people think
That the physical things
Define what's within
And I've been there before
That life's a bore
So full of the superficial

A crowd started to gather around the duo.

Kila all the while took all his willpower to keep from walking off. His music was often just for his own entertainment, sometimes for family. Zatara’s theatrics, while entertaining to some, were just a means to show off in reality. What was worse, he actually picked up a microphone and started singing along. Every opportunity to get attention…Regardless, Kila decided against making a scene.

What was more, as he played along, it seemed to actually sound good. Though, there was a reason why he didn’t play this song in front of…wait, the part he usually struggled with had already passed…? The crowd still cheered and Zatara was still singing. He looked down at his fingers still gently nipping at piano strings.

The transition from the intro to the verse was in private circumstances where he discoordinated. He had been struggling for weeks with it. He caught himself almost smiling in triumph, but it didn’t last long when a notion crossed his mind…Kila’s eyes turned to Zach singing along for a moment. The song had a mirrored transition into the outro that he equally struggled with in the past…The young lion kept playing, as an experiment came to him.

Zach continued singing as Kila played on the piano, people gathered around, and started cheering. This was what Zach lived for. The applause and attention of people. Kila was actually pretty good at this. This was one of the better live performances he had put on. Zach started to sing louder, and put more passion into it.

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, yeah

Some people search for a fountain
Promises forever young
Some people need three dozen roses
And that's the only way to prove you love them
Hand me the world on a silver platter
And what good would it be
With no one to share, with no one who truly cares for me
Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby

Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, you, you
Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, yeah
If I ain't got you with me, baby, oh, ooh
Said nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing
If I ain't got you with me, baby

When it was over, Zach stood up, and took a bow, as people applauded. Kila abruptly pulled his fingers from the strings. Walking away from the piano, Kila barely acknowledged the crowd with a nod. He still eyed the instrument, then one of the hands he used to play it. Just before exiting the store entirely, he looked over his shoulder one last time at Zach. With the results of his experiment confirmed, Kila wasn’t sure what they meant. Without a word to say, the Meta let the magician bask in the ambiance.

Meanwhile, Zach stood there accepting bows and compliments from the audience. “Thank you, you have been a wonderful audience.” He was going to say something congratulating his partner in all this, but he left. It was unfortunate, because he deserved praise for this performance as well. Guess he didn’t like the spotlight as he much as he did…



It had been two weeks, and finally they had been given their mission. In that time, he had worked on some new spells and magic tricks. Viktor did his best to teach Zach some nonmagic combat skills, but he just couldn’t get a handle on the manly tough guy fighting thing… Or maybe he was just distracted by Vik. Who knows… He also got to know some of his teammates better, although he still little interest in Casper. He just tolerated him more than anything.

After Batman explained the mission, it was an observe and report situation, he had chosen Talon to lead. After which, Talon divided the squads and gave them their roles in the group. It was the most he had heard Talon speak in the entire time he knew him. He never even removed that damn mask in that entire time. He probably had beautiful eyes underneath it.

Since it was supposed to be cold, and he needed to be stealthy, Zach had to make adjustments to his costume. “emutsoc egnahc” After being enveloped in smoke, he emerged in a more wintery magician costune, which included a fur lined coat, and a more muted color scheme. He then approached Talon, and gave him a salute. “Good luck captain.”

---

Metamorph seemed mesmerized by the holographic imagery, wonderment similar to Aleen’a. While he knew of different advanced forms of technology given his extraordinary past, there was still quite a lot he hadn’t seen before. On top of that, this time they were getting a mission from Batman. His new friends seemed to be interested as well. To call them friends already in the time frame they had spent felt, ironically, natural to the animal boy.

They had done all sorts of stuff together in the past two weeks. Well not really, but some fun things happened. He made it a goal to try spending time with different team members to try getting to know them better. Vicky’s hiking trips definitely helped with that. Daffy-Knee even got him a green shirt that he didn’t want to take off…though a few days passed and it apparently started to smell after a while and needed to be washed. Then there was also a lot of time he ended up spending on his own. He got a job at the local zoo! His apparent experience handling animals in the past should have made it easier but the people in charge didn’t believe at first. But that story would be for another day.

The mission at hand had to be secretive. With that concept in mind, Ja didn’t think it was a bad idea that Batman said Talon was the leader today. In fact, it was pretty smart. At least that story about Batman seemed true. Ja was still kinda disappointed about the reality of him not looking like a actual Bat-man.

When Talon told them the plan, he slowly nodded in understanding. It all seemed to make sense. It was odd to think that this was the most Ja had ever heard the guy talk. He spoke english pretty good and nothing seemed wrong with his voice. It made Ja wonder why he kept so quiet all the time, even more than Kassy.

Regardless, the seriousness faded momentarily; Ja barely holding in a giggle with Alisa not realizing she was touching ghost Batman’s butt. The lad would have wanted to play with ghost Batman too, but Red Robot said that he had to behave or he wouldn’t help him order any baobabs. Sure Ja could have tried going to the store on his own, but none of these stores had baobabs. Thus, Ja kept to his place crouched on all fours and stuck to the wall, trying to resist the urge of a moth to a flame…or a light…or a hologram.

Focus. Mission. Talon asked if his idea was acceptable, which prompted an upturned thumb from Ja. ”Can we bring snacks on the mission plane?”

---

---

The squads seemed to be splitting off into discussion groups to have short chats before they went. Alisa went over to join Squad A, the infiltration team. Kas- Mirage, Zatara, Metamorph, and Talon. Interesting group. Alisa knew nothing of the finer points of strategy, but she could see why Talon had picked them all. His reasoning made sense.

“Winter clothes are a great idea, Zach. It’s late fall in the Southern Hemisphere right now, and La Hoya is in the southern part of Argentina, so it will be cold.” It would probably be a good idea for her to go get winter clothes too. While she was resistant to extreme temperatures, her joints could still freeze up and stiffen. Finding suitable winter gear here wouldn't be difficult at all.

Alisa turned her head to Ja when he spoke. “Ooh, snacks! Yes, bring those. It’s a long flight both ways, and you’ll probably get hungry.” Admittedly, Alisa often forgot that others actually needed food, so she was glad somebody had remembered. “Maybe bring some candy? Some water? You’d know better than me.”

“I’m gonna go get some winter gear and then hop into the jet. See you guys in a few!” With that, Alisa walked out of the communications complex, in search of some winter gear. Hm. Maybe the supply closet...

---

A certain Tamaranean was very enlightened, so to speak. Aleen'a didn't want to say she wasn't clueless to things like that, in fact, her kin had some knowledge when it came to technology as well but theirs were more designed for the field of war ever since their freedom from the Citadel, but they have been deprived of these advancements for a long time that it felt like they were being introduced to galactic civilization for the first time. She figured holograms would be of great help to her people and made a mental note to ask Alisa about it later after their mission.

After her friend gracefully showed her that Batman was indeed just a hologram, she nodded in understanding and thanked Alisa eagerly for expanding her knowledge about human things. Aleen'a was confused when the others laughed when Alisa swapped at the area where hologram Batman's butt was but she figured it was just another human thing as well.

Aleen'a met up with Squad B when Viktor called for them and listened carefully at him as he relayed his instructions. She would be their 'main eyes' up in the sky with Coal helping with the much more close-up land surveillance. She needed to make sure to alert the team if the enemies would do something sneaky. Since it was nighttime, she needed to conserve as much energy as she could just in case of an emergency. Additionally, Aleen'a would also have to call everyone by their hero names since this was a covert mission. The latter was something she was yet to be used to but she hoped she wouldn't confuse them like what she did with Black Canary and Green Arrow the first time.

She raised her hand. "Uh, since this is a covert mission, I believe it is our priority to only observe and give information to others yes? What happens if one of us is caught and is fighting the enemy? Are we to abandon our posts to help our friends or should we remain hidden? Also, if I were to be spending most of time in the night sky on a snowy place, should I wear black or white?"

---

With arms crossed, Casper listened to the instructions given by their leader. So far, he appeared to have a good understanding of the situation, and issued commands in a reasonable manner. Naturally, few plans survived contact with the enemy, and this was no different. The moment chaos struck, what separated failure from success was an ability to remain calm and adapt. When the deafening roar of fired guns echoed, would it warrant deep focus, or panic? The Young Justice League was, after all, quite liberal in their choice of recruits. Teenagers, some of whom had never seen battle, and never participated in combat. Ordinary kids, by every respect, with the exception of peculiar powers. Now, it was getting to a crucial point where past lives were to be thrown aside, and the mantle of ‘hero’ was to be donned.

Shifting his gaze towards the various members of this, in Zatanna’s words, ‘new family’, the boy closed his eyes, contemplating the scenario. They all seemed to maintain a bright, positive outlook. They were laughing, and making jokes. Casper hoped this wouldn’t change to any notable degree once reality set in, and set in it would.

Lowering himself to a chair, the Wraithborn decided to wait their remaining hour. He had already prepared himself for their upcoming mission, dressed in white with his tail covered by the suit. A way to stifle the Wraith’s supernatural glow from giving away his position during night time operations, which in Viktor’s words, this would be.

“First mission, Cassy’! Excited?” Coal’s voice reached the teen’s ear, talons landing on Casper’s lap.

He was unsure if excitement was what brewed within his chest. This was all quite new to him, despite being among the far more experienced members of the team. Hex’s previous assignments were supernatural in nature, which was enough to separate this task from his repertoire.

”It ought to be a clean approach,” came a response. The only thing required of them was procuring a dangerous substance, from where they would then retreat. Granted, even the Justice League themselves rarely found missions to maintain initial simplicity. It would be a lie to claim that Hex wasn’t expecting complications. They had a tendency of creeping around every corner.

“Hah, oh, yeah,” Coal chuckled, “no trouble’s waiting for us, not at all,” the bird shook its head slowly. “And as we’re smoothly sailing through the mission, remember to dial back the death you throw around.”

The spirit was right. Casper was no longer fighting monsters, and undead lost to insanity. These new enemies were the living. A prerequisite for being what others would consider a ‘Hero’ was refraining from lethal means. Quite frankly, Casper was surprised with the development he had managed to achieve in that regard. Tailoring Death Magic into non-lethal spells. In truth, Hex considered it odd, still. It felt unnatural, like he had bastardized Necromancy into some form of suppressed version of itself, and that was exactly what he had done. Equally so, Casper would be lying if he claimed that his body did not long for using Necromantic powers the way they were supposed to be wielded. ”I will restrain myself,” the boy finished, his spectral gaze lowering as he spoke, now listening to the alien. She made some fair points, indeed. He’s shifted his attention to Viktor, awaiting his answer.