---

On the top level Alisa, Zach and Aleen’a were facing off against Thiago and the remaining agents. Their ranks were further bolstered by two other metahuman teens. One of them singled out Aleen’a. The Tamaranean tried to stay out of his reach by going airborne. He started to release pulses of energy from his palms, aiming them towards Aleen’a. At first she was able to evade them easily, but the energy lingered in the air above, creating a zone which drained her energy. Soon no matter which direction she chose to fly proved ineffective. She was losing altitude quickly and felt herself getting weaker and weaker.

Thiago kept his distance, protected by Warp’s time reversal field. Anything that found itself inside the field quickly reverted to its raw materials, falling to the floor uselessly. Another teen rushed Zach. He’d been stalking hanging onto the drawbridge with his prehensile tail. It was covered in a hard exoskeleton, segmented and carried a stinger on its end. The dangerously sharp and possibly poisonous stinger shot towards the magician.

Just as Zach was getting his butt whooped by a bunch of guys, Alisa came in and ripped one of the guys off of him. Zach gave a salute in thanks, but before he had a chance to do something, he was rushed by another teen. This one had the tail of a scorpion. Probably just as poisonous too… “Etativel!” Zach Levitated out of the teen’s way before he could get stung.

“Aw let me guess, you’re a Scorpio? Well, I’m a Gemini, and our signs aren’t compatible. Sorry! Tsif Cigam!” Zach waved his wand, and Zach sent out a big purple magical fist in the scorpion kid’s direction.

The fireball hit Alisa with what felt like the force of a truck, bowling her over and knocking her onto the ground. She screamed in pain, a burning sensation crawling across her skin. She had never been burnt before, much less on fire, and it hurt. She rolled around, trying to extinguish the flame, still mindful of the Kobra agents and roided teenagers around them, coming at Aleen’a and Zach. She needed to get up, she needed to fight, but oh it hurt so bad-

It took her a long moment, but she managed to stand, slowly, gingerly. The damage was only cosmetic- a quick run-through told her none of her essential systems had been damaged- but pain still rang through her body. Alisa staggered forwards. Some of the skin on her body had been burned or singed off, revealing the metal frame and wiring underneath. She felt vaguely embarrassed. But she could still go on, couldn’t she? “I’m fine,” she murmured, more to herself but in earshot of Zach.

She looked at Thiago, blue eyes settling on him. She noticed a… strange effect surrounding him, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Was she angry? Yes, she was angry. “You’re gonna regret that,” she yelled, raised her hand, and fired a blast from her sonic cannon.

“I don't regret shi-” the blast entered the time-distortion field and knocked Thiago right on his ass. “Warp! What the hell! Your barrier is useless!” Warp grunted a few feet behind Thiago as he complained. He kept the barrier up regardless of what just occurred.

“And she ate your fireball like it was a snack! Shut it! The barrier works on most things! Just try to dodge those!”

With a snarl, Thiago got back to his feet and recoiled upon getting a better look at Alisa. “She's a robot or somethin'… That just means I don't have to worry about killin' anyone.” With a glint in his eyes, Thiago began charging up an even more powerful attack between the palms of his hands.

Alisa wasn’t entirely sure she could tank another hit like that, let alone one more powerful. She hesitated… but then she heard what he said. Her face twisted into a scowl. She couldn’t fire a blast powerful enough to kill him- he was helpless, enthralled, a victim- but if she knocked him out he wouldn’t get hurt. She didn’t want to hurt him. That forcefield hadn’t blocked her blast at all, so it must be broken. She could get through it. Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.

Suddenly, Alisa lunged at him, lightning-fast curling her hand into a fist and preparing to hit him as hard as possible in the head. She glanced at the barrier, nervous, but ran at him anyways. Fast but… Thiago thrust his hands forward, unleashing the full force of his flames at Alisa as she passed through the barrier. With flames engulfing her entire being, Thiago smirked… but only briefly as a burning metal fist breached through his attack and connected with his right temple. Thiago fell backward with a grunt.

“What in the actual…” He uttered not looking at the downed Thiago, but at the nightmare image that was Alisa who was a flaming metallic frame slowly falling apart.

For a moment, Alisa didn’t realize what was happening. She certainly registered the fireball- that hurt more than the first one, but she was able to push through and hit Thiago- but she didn’t register that she was falling apart until her legs buckled beneath her. She started to scream, this time not just in pain but in terror and confusion. “HELP! STOP! HELP! Sheets of metal started to peel off her, revealing curling and spurting wires underneath. It was agony. She didn’t know what was happening, and it was happening so fast. Her body fell to the floor, her legs now separate from her, her fingers being pulled off by some invisible force. She tried to crawl out of the forcefield, but couldn’t find the strength. Her eyes were filled with panic.

“Don't… stop…” Thiago groaned as he slowly sat up while holding the spot where he was punched. “Take that bitch apart!” Warp nodded but appeared reluctant as Alisa's screams of agony left him shaken.

The pain just got worse from there. Alisa could feel some of her internal systems start to break apart, and her voice became gargled and staticky. This was… what was this? Was she going to…? With a bit of remaining strength, she managed to aim her hand cannon up at Thiago and blast him in the face once more, before the hand cannon completely fell apart, taking her hand with it.

It wasn't for naught as the close range of the cannon's blast knocked Thiago back and sent him rolling across the floor. Warp, not knowing what to do and fear gripping him, dropped the barrier and hurried over to Thiago.

Is he… No, he's just knocked out but… Warp didn't want to fight anymore. Not even for her.

The barrier fell, but the damage was done. Whatever that thing was doing to her had stopped in its tracks, but her body wasn’t about to come back together. Alisa just laid there, her screams dissipating. She felt slower. What had that guy done to her? She turned her head and, although her vision was blacking out, saw the parts of her that had been ripped off laying on the floor, simply pieces of scrap metal. Distantly, she saw Zach still up and fighting.

She knew she wasn’t dying. She couldn’t die. But she was… what had she been thinking about? She couldn’t remember, couldn’t recapture that train of thought. She never forgot things. Alisa felt whatever system ran inside her head slow to a stop, and then she lost consciousness, staring up at the ceiling with blank eyes as she shut down.

Riley ignored Viktor’s warning. His rage was fueled by a mixture of a second unmeasured dose of Kobra venom and the pheromones lingering in his blood. He was all brute strength without much thought behind what he was doing. The teen used his hulking body to his advantage, lunging forward at Viktor.

Unfortunate. Fighting Riley was not his intention. He was part of the objective after all, but whatever he had done to himself made him a viable threat to everyone here. A deep roaring sound loosened from the back of Riley's throat and he clasped both his hands together smashing down right where Viktor stood.

Like before, but this time without a sniper rifle in hand, Viktor sidestepped to the right. Riley growled when he failed to hit Viktor by outmaneuvering him. He was fast.

Unlike before, Viktor delivered three body shots to Riley's exposed side. The teen managed to stay on his feet, taking Viktor’s hard blows to his ribs. He was strong too.

Despite stumbling to his right from the swift blows, Riley still desired to prove his strength was superior. He had to be better, he had to be the best. The Kobra venom gave him the edge and he was confident he could find victory. Grabbing the closest desk to him he hurled it at Viktor. The metal desk made a ringing sound, flying straight ahead at a devastating velocity. As impressive as the feat was, Viktor found the rudimentary attack simple to avoid by dropping down into a low crouch

I'll end it now.

As the desk cleared over Viktor, he dashed forward as he intended to continue to fight Riley without the use of any of his weapons for obvious reasons.

Riley roared. It was a distorted and inhuman sound. Having failed to land any attacks on Viktor he was growing more frustrated and frantic. As soon as Viktor was in reach he brought down his fists again. He was aiming at no particular part of his body, and that was his folly in all of this. So much strength, and no way to use it effectively. Viktor weaved beneath the punch lining himself up for a clean back uppercut into Riley's jaw. The punch being strong enough to stun him long enough for Viktor to move around behind him before gripping firmly around Riley's waist. There was no showboating or hesitation... No hatred or relief… and above all else, there was not an ounce of mercy. With a powerful thrust, Viktor suplexed Riley's head and neck backward into the floor.

The critical move proved to be enough to floor Riley after his head was banged against the floor hard enough to chip and crack its surface. Viktor stood up and looked down upon the teen. Proper form. The right amount of force. Good. Viktor was aware how deadly such a move could be, but he counted on Riley's enhanced body being able to take away some of the risk. The force of the impact left the roided teenager in a pile of arms and legs on the floor.

With you out of the way… Viktor looked around at his surroundings. The way he and Kassy found Ja in this room put him on edge. Riley had been a bit of an issue but the woman that was entangled within this entire operation may have been the source of it all. His eyes glanced toward where Kass had escaped with Ja before darting toward the opposite direction, to the room left unexplored. Trap or not, Viktor would proceed, confident in his ability to overcome whatever he'd face ahead.

He pushed the door open and stepped through with his head on a swivel. Initially there was nothing to report but something particularly poked at his senses. That scent… Sweet yet subtle as to draw one closer… Despite his thoughts he continued his entry toward the center of the room. No different than a hunter disguising themselves like their target's prey… anglerfish, venus fly trap, spider-snake… He about faced, looking to where he had entered as he thought he heard something peculiar. He could have followed the sound back to the previous room, but the scent… the scent was…

With a fluid motion, Viktor unsheathed his sword and turned around just in time to set the blade beside the throat of the mysterious woman that had been attempting to escape him.

“Perfume? That's your downfall? Tch.” Viktor was mildly disappointed in her.

The woman took a controlled breath. She stayed calm, despite the blade being very close to her most prized asset. If he was here that meant Riley was defeated. That idiot really couldn’t do anything right. Out of all the teens she enthralled to do her dirty work he was by far the worst. This turn of events severely limited her options and she didn’t like it at all.

“I was hoping it would be you.”. She smirked. Viktor narrowed his eyes at the comment, trying to discern a deeper meaning behind it.

While Viktor pondered this, the woman had her thoughts lingering on what to do next. She had to think carefully about her next move. Viktor was fully suited up, armed and unlike most men wasn’t particularly happy to see her. For her, there was something thrilling about being in actual danger. Before deciding on a plan she'd be patient and feel out the energy between them. The young woman found Viktor difficult to gauge; his body language was stiff and tense and his face was hidden behind a dark tinted visor. Something would need to change about this if she was going to get what she desired.

“You know I smell even better up close….”

With the sword still so close to her face she didn’t dare to move. For now she would make it look like she was surrendering.

“You're not my type, so don't waste your breath. One false move, and I…” The blade slowly rotated so its very edge was staring her in the eyes. “...will guarantee you will be no one's type.” Of course, he didn't really want that. Her capture would be the perfect way to gain intelligence on Kobra's entire operation. Maiming her would only make that process difficult. It was not optimal.

The emerald reflection of her eyes in Viktor’s blade showed a hint of fear. The chill of fear extended to her spine, making her shiver. She knew when to stop talking back to someone. His threat sounded very real and she wasn’t in the position to do much about it. And then there was that. It stung enough to nearly overtake her fear. It had been a long time since she’d been rejected like that.

“What do you want?” Her smirk had dropped. He didn't answer, though he liked her better this way. The facade was torn down and her true face was shown.

He raised his free hand up to his helmet, pressing on the exterior button to communicate with the others upstairs.

“Team. I have the sniper, over.” There was no reply back causing Viktor to sigh. “Team. Rain. I have the female sniper, over.“ His eyes remained affixed to her, but the comms issue was definitely pulling away his attention. The blade of the sword trembled as Viktor's grip tightened around it. “Team! Comms che-“

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Viktor felt a large hand grip the back of his neck and raise him up. The sword's blade narrowly missed the girl’s nose as it rose up and from her neck. Riley took two steps forward and threw Viktor across the room and into a wall. “I got you babe. Did he hurt you?”

“You moron, he almost hit my FACE!!” She backhanded Riley with a surprising amount of force. He stumped back, both her hand and his cheek were stinging afterwards. Now that she was back in control of the situation, the anger she’d suppressed earlier was spilling out. She was trembling in place, taking shuddered breaths.

“I’ll kill him..” Riley growled in a low voice. At first there was no response from her until Riley started to move towards Viktor.

“No….I have a better idea.”

Riley stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to face her, waiting for her command.

“Hold him down.”

Viktor was starting to recover from the impact of hitting the wall.

Shit He rolled onto his back but before he had the opportunity to recover his weapon that had fallen beside him, Riley was on top of him. Viktor immediately punched him in the gut which both hurt and enraged Riley. With his gills flaring, he swung wildly at Viktor who attempted to block the heavy blows. I just need to withstand this… but his strength… Viktor then felt Riley attempting to take control of his arms. No!

While the two guys struggled to outwin the other, the girl moved in quickly. When an opening was available, she took a deep breath as she raised her leg up high before swinging it down. The girl delivered a devastating axe-kick to Viiktor’s helmet, shattering the tough material of his visor with surprising ease. The shards of visor pierced and cut into his face within. Despite it all, however, he was still fighting against Riley's grip. How could I allow this?! I will not fail here!

Riley was suddenly assaulted by a precise spat in the eyes. As desperate and cheap as the assault was, Viktor took advantage of Riley briefly releasing his arms. A grunt escaped him as he threw a punch at one of Riley's flared gills causing the hulking teen to scream and lean toward the girl. Perfect. With as much strength as he could muster, he thrust his hips upward to send Riley toppling over into her. Riley’s body slammed into her. The mass of muscles colliding with her small frame caused her to fall backwards, tumbling over one of the half emptied desks. She landed on the other side.

Meanwhile, Viktor quickly rolled in the opposite direction creating the space necessary to safely push up onto his feet.

“That will not happen again.” Viktor's voice carried a tinge of anger with it. He removed his helmet, clearly revealing his cut face that was already in the process of healing.
He eyed his two foes recovering from what he had done.

For the girl, there was the pain of her fall and another stinging sensation at the small of her back. Something pointed was digging into her. She rolled away in order to identify the cause. One of the testing tube holders was lying next to her.

She was so done with this. This was far too much fighting for her liking. The girl forced herself to stand up and appraised the situation inside the room. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Viktor was also back on his feet. Now without his helmet she could see his face clearly. She was disappointed to find the damage she’d done was starting to heal up. Maybe she wasn’t trying hard enough.

While this was usually the time she would exit the scene, something was gnawing at her. This was the second time he had the guts to physically assault her and he stole her weapon. A rifle which was fully customized to her tastes, irreplaceable and extremely expensive.

“Riley…..”

This time she was going to be petty and get even.

“Take him down.”

Without hesitation Riley charged back in. He grabbed a broken chair and launched it at Viktor with one arm. Throwing furniture around hadn't worked previously, but he was willing to try any form of attack for [I]her[/]/I] and especially against him. Riley recognized Viktor as the guy who got on his nerves at the convenience store. Even more reason to break his face! Again, Viktor evaded Riley's attack, but this time around, Riley was slightly prepared for Viktor to do just that. With his next action, he attempted to quickly close the remaining distance and so he could repeatedly strike at Viktor like before. Each swing hit air, and not only that, every few misses he could feel the sting of Viktor's counter strikes.

The girl watched and waited, lurking while studying the flow of the fight while being just out of reach. Decisively, she came in low to Viktor’s blind side, delivering a strong calf kick. The slight buckling of one of Viktor's legs was enough to unbalance him. And with that, Riley was able to land a punch to his face. Viktor stumbled backward, nearly falling but managed to regain his footing. His emerald eyes looked between both of his opponents, their differences in approach being a dangerous combination for him. Still, he would persist.

Two foes. One an objective. Comms are down. Helmet is destroyed. My team is up above, status unknown. Regrouping is an option but retreating doesn't ensure securing Riley. There's her. Another unknown factor… Fine, I'll stop them here and regroup with the others.

Viktor grinned. He couldn't help but feel a rush at the prospect of testing his prowess. The sliver of sympathy he felt for Riley was only just that. As long as he didn't kill either of them he could let loose.

The three clashed against each other in the open room. Just as before, Riley was the aggressor and the girl complimented his wild fury with her precision. Viktor was fighting well at first but as he parried Riley, he was struck by the girl. Every time he maneuvered to strike the girl, he was interrupted by Riley. As the engagement continued, their combined attacks broke through more and more. The girl smirked as if answering Viktor's previous grin. Each time Riley created an opening she struck at Viktor, like a snake striking at a large mammal. The strength of her kicks was uncanny considering her size. Viktor was losing this.

“Tired yet?” She dodged a kick and Riley took this chance. With a grunt, he grabbed Viktor by his dangling hood and slammed him to the ground. Now! She moved in and kicked Viktor in his side hard enough to send him rolling and then pounced on top of him.

The girl relished the feeling of finally being back in control, with Viktor writhing beneath her. Her gaze went to his exposed neck. Something within her form shifted, became more predatory. Her hands turned Viktor's face to the side and she lowered her mouth towards him. The bite was quick, hollowed fangs pumping pheromones into his bloodstream. Both of their green eyes were overshadowed by their expanding pupils, almost looking possessed by some otherworldly force.

A forceful push broke their intimate exchange. The girl fell backwards, satisfied and slightly out of breath. Riley approached but she raised a hand which directed him to halt where he stood. A bite like that was a nail in the coffin for the fight. Now was the time to string along such an exceptional thrall.

Viktor rose to his feet. One hand was holding his side while the other brushed against his neck where he had been bitten. His eyes were affixed toward the ground as a strange feeling took hold of him. The experience was both overwhelming and strange but he couldn't deny the… Was it relief? No, there was something else. His eyes met the girl's own as he finally raised his head.

“Disgusting.” His jaw clenched as he scowled at her, but he also felt himself fighting a primal urge. “What did you…” It dawned on him. Talon, Thiago, Ja, Riley, and the other teenagers! It wasn't the dart rifle, it was her. Viktor narrowed his eyes and he reached for his belt.

---

It had been a long time since he’d felt pain quite like this in his head. Sounds were blurry in nature, like his senses were dulled. In trying to open his eyes there was nothing but darkness overhead. Something seemed wrong…it didn’t smell like the Indawo Engcwele…though as the realization started to set in, his senses sobered from unconsciousness quickly. He hadn’t been there since his freedom, which was over a year ago.

Kila’s eyes shot open, body suddenly stiffening. Taking in his surroundings, not only was he away from that wretched place, he seemed to be in another hellzone entirely. Did he awake into yet another dream? He was being carried down a corridor, from low lighting to even lower lighting on the approaching floor. Looking up at his carrier directly, he was able to distinguish Kass. Trying to blink more clarity into his vision, he called to her.

“Mirage…”

Mirage was carrying Metamorph in a careful fireman's carry, making her way down the corridor to the lower level where the rest of the fighting was taking place. When she felt him start to stir and shift, she stepped into a darker area before kneeling and settling him down gently. "Metamorph." Her cool hands cupped his face. Despite the battles taking place above and below, it was clear that she was worried enough to give him full focus. "What happened? Rain and I found you unconscious. What do you remember?"

“I…don’t…” He started, trying to reclaim some semblance of how he got here. It was like the circus all over again… “I remember the rec center…searching for teens…” Kila pushed himself to sit up straighter, pulling the half-mask off to let his face get fresher air. The sounds of battle grew louder with the more alert he was getting. He tasted blood…though nothing felt particularly injured. Was it even his? “What’s happening? Where are the others?”

Mirage's hands slowly moved from his face to his head, clearly checking for damage. The expression of concern grew. "...Metamorph, the rec center was hours ago." Her mouth twisted into a frown. Then she shook her head, putting it aside. One thing at a time. "Rain is above, fighting one of the more dangerous Kobra members. The others are below, also in battle. I need to get below, as Rain is…" She trailed off, biting back several comments. "Fine. Will you be safe here? Do you want my knife?" To Mirage's eye, he didn't look fit for battle. He barely looked fit to stand.

The Meta took in her commentary slowly at first, thinking it over. Hours ago? Well…it certainly felt like it was, but the pain in his head felt fresher than that. From the many times he’d done battle, he knew the differences of pain from many injuries. It wasn’t a hit that had knocked him out…Instead something more internal, more sinister…he’d have time for that later.

She had said that Viktor was alright, which had indicated to him that he could handle his particular situation. Though…her tone suggested that she didn’t care much of how he fared… Regardless, when Mirage offered him her knife, the young warrior sharply nodded and stood up.

“I have seen darker days. Our comrades need us, regardless of what I’m currently dealing with. Let’s hurry.”

Mirage cast him one more concerned gaze. "If you say so." She didn't fully believe him. People did not shake off something that could knock them out so easily. And Metamorph was the best of the team - what could have caught him off guard?

"Try to remember what hit you, if you could. It's probably important." She extended her staff to it's full length and stood as well, pointing the way down. "Come on. The others were quite outnumbered when I left." She moved quickly, but not as quickly as she usually did. It was clear she was making sure Metamorph could manage.

Due to that, Kila took point but stopped at the mouth leading into the next room. He was not prepared for what he saw next. His heart pounded in his throat, hands clasped into shaking fists. Fire reflected off of his eyes as a body burned between the moving bodies of battle. However, it was not a body of flesh and blood. What Metamorph and Kassy bore witness to was the head of their comrade Alisa laying beside metal bits and a body being burned asunder.

Although an android, antithetical anger ascended and annunciated across his face.

Mirage clapped one hand to her mouth, eyes wide in horror as she took in the scene as well. "No… oh, gods below…" She gulped heavily and shoved the fear down, deep down. "Rain, get down here now, Cybergirl is - is -" She couldn't say it. "Just get here! Rain, respond!" Nothing. Either their comms were cut, or his fight had gone bad. Either way, things were getting overwhelming.

"Metamorph, I can't get Rain. I think we need to retreat, this is above our heads."

For a brief second did Kila watch the chaos before looking at Kassy again. The knife in his hand flipped into a reverse grip, cutting a scratch across the middle of his alternate palm. He understood that she wouldn’t be gone forever, thus it would be no deep wound. But his lapse in self-awareness would not be his undoing.

“No. Alisa was sacrificed in this battle. For her sake, we finish it. Will you cover me?”

Mirage watched her teammate slash his palm. She knew now, what that represented. Surely there had to be some way to get her back. But that wasn't going to happen until they all made it out. The fear in her eyes turned into a chilling resolution.

"I am behind you. Always. Tell me who we strike first."

Metamorph turned back to the room, eyes quickly roving between moving bodies and quick flashes from firearms. Between the teens and remaining Kobra grunts, Kila got a little over a dozen. Zatara and Brightheart were handling the teens, but cleared having to duck gunfire from the others.

“We need to get the groups off of our squadmates. Drop the furthest ones first.”

Keeping close to the wall, Kila used the relative darkness to his advantage, coming up on a trio with their weapons trained on Brightheart. The closest heard him approaching and turned a second too late. The knife left two puncture wounds in his calf and thigh, forcing the man to his knee. Grabbing the first agent’s weapon arm to divert his aim, Metamorph turned his attention to the next. The atlantean dagger flew from his hand, piercing through and pinning the second agent’s wrists together due to the man’s two handed shooting position.

With his knife hand now free, he was able to bat away an attempted punch to his stomach from the first agent. In the same motion, Kila brought his elbow down on his opponent’s joint to break the arm. With the commotion grabbing the third’s attention, his pistol was aimed for the young lion. Holding the first’s gun hand with both of his, Kila dropped to his back to duck a few shots. On the way down, he tapped the trigger on the SMG the first had, aiming for the third’s legs to wound and destabilize him.

The second in the meanwhile, being a little tougher, managed to separate his now slit wrists. With the knife still lodged in his right arm, he attempted to reach down to pick up the weapon he’d dropped, but it was for naught. Kila had never stopped moving and hit the man with a jumping back kick to his head, knocking him out instantly.

---

While Metamorph moved on one side, Mirage took the other. She had come to a silent realization, in the somber space between seeing Alisa and taking Metamorph's orders. Unfortunately, she had been more than a little self absorbed lately. Trauma was one thing, sure. Despite the pain, she was still upright and breathing. Sure, she might not have had nearly as much of her power at her disposal. But she damn sure wasn't going to earn it back wallowing in bed and refusing to fight with everything she had.

Her footsteps faded into silence as she vanished into the shadows. The first - and last - sign of her approach on the first Kobra agent was the whoosh of her staff through the air, right before it made contact with the side of his face. The thud of his unconscious body alerted the rest. Three stopped shooting below and spun to face… nothing.

"Spread out and search. Cover everything!"

The trio of agents fanned out into the dark.

"Damn… can't believe we have to do this without the goggles." The first agent paced slowly into the dark corridor, whining to himself. "And she never even looks at me. What am I doing here? I wanna go ho-" His whining - and windpipe - were suddenly stopped. Mirage was behind him, one arm neatly cutting his air supply from behind. The other was wrapped around his torso, keeping his gun arm down.

While he struggled soundlessly, his desperate struggle for breath muted under a sound illusion, Mirage flickered in and out of sight. The moment he went limp, she lowered him slowly to the ground. After removing the bullets from his gun (Rain had taught them all that) she melted back into invisibility.

The footsteps of the second agent paced slowly down the middle hall. Unlike his teammate, he had a little more discipline. He was silent, his gun sweeping left to right as he moved. It was obvious he'd taken to whatever training that had been forced upon the teens quite well. Mirage would make that his undoing. Silent and graceful as a shark on the hunt, she closed in. Her steps fell into rhythm, matching the pace of the agent's sweep. The Kobra teen danced with her, unseen, until Mirage was just winding up to knock him out-

Yet the lad struck first and faster, whipping backward, turning the gun on Mirage and squeezing off a shot. If the staff hadn't already been in their hands, it would have been too late to react. But sometimes even the most skilled fighters needed just a touch of luck. Mirage batted the gun to the side in the same moment that it was fired - the shot popped off and she negated the sound on reflex - until the pain hit her upper arm a second later.

Mirage gritted her teeth, a hiss of pain escaping. "Well done." Her lips raised, into an expression that was only in the shape of a smile. "But not enough." Everything went a fathomless black, like the bottom of the sea.

A few seconds later, a gunshot rang out in the dark. Then another.

"Come quick- I found the hero! H-help!" The Kobra leader showed up fast, looking for his squadmate. There was nothing to greet him, save a small pool of fresh blood.

"Interesting." Mirage's voice echoed through empty air. The Kobra leader spun, trying to track the sound. But it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"Without the presence of that woman… you all seem to show loyalty to each other."

"Where is he? What did you do to my brother?!" The Kobra leader spat. Mirage could see the fear in his eyes, hiding behind the anger - it was genuine. She silently debated. If Rain were in charge, the obvious move would be to use this man's loyalty to take him down. But right now, no one was leading Mirage but Mirage.

"Your brother lives and breathes. Though he will have some nasty bruises when he comes to, and for that I apologize. He'll require medical care, but it's nothing so severe that a caring older brother could not provide." She melted from the shadows, revealing herself, and the agent lying unconscious at her feet. The Kobra leader startled, the barrel raising, and Mirage raised both hands carefully. A slow but steady trickle of blood dripped from the wound on her upper arm, starting to puddle on the ground.

Without knowing what word would come next, she started to speak. "I know what you're seeing. I know it makes you want to hurt me. I think I know what has been done to you, your brother, your friends. Out of respect for the repeated violation of your self-will, I will not do as she has, and force you to stand down. I will only ask." Her orange eyes stared, soft and steady. "Disarm your weapon. Throw it aside. There's been more than enough blood shed today."

The Kobra leader stared on. Mirage was wide open - he had a clean shot that could likely be lethal. He closed his eyes… and pulled the magazine free. With a quick motion, he dislodged the remaining bullet from the chamber and flung the gun aside. Then he simply ran forward for the other teen on the ground, starting to check his pulse.

Mirage stepped aside with a tiny smile at the family reunion, digging in her side pack and pulling out a small plastic bag. It was little more than a small roll of bandages and some alcohol wipes. Truthfully, she needed them herself right now, but… she'd manage.

"Your brother has a knack for this. It's rare that anyone can get the drop on me. In the future - if this experience marks him for something other than a peaceful life - I will gladly advocate." She nodded to the two, and ran off to find Kila.

---

Across the room, Kila took aim with the borrowed Uzi to ravage the legs of yet another of the Kobra fodder that took notice of Zatara’s battle. That moment of dividing his attention though, left him open for the prickling sensation of two small objects puncturing his suit at his side. As he turned his head to the right, instantly that prickly feeling became full on waves of shock from a Kobra man with a taser.

His teeth clenched at the static like feeling rippling through his body. Although painful, Kila’s threshold for pain was much higher than most. That threshold enabled him to withstand and power through to aim the SMG at the tasing operative. As he did, he barely felt the sensation of two more prongs latching to him. The sudden jolt of more electricity caused the young lion to fall to his hands and knees, dropping weapons in the process. He felt his heart stutter in his chest and his hair stood in surprise.

While his body started to shake and his vision blurred, threatening him with unconsciousness, a third Kobra agent decided to run directly at him. However, the stunned Metamorph looked past and made eye contact with Alisa’s deadened eyes. The imagery of their cyber friend’s body engulfed by flame, metallic organs strewn about, bore into the pit of his stomach. Then just past her, one of the teens sat beside the body of another, distraught by the destruction.

None of them needed this…None of them wanted this…None of them deserved this.

How many more meta children would have to suffer because of the ambitions of organizations that wanted their power? To be twisted and manipulated into doing things they’d rather not? This was why Kila fought. So that the men and women who were responsible, wouldn’t win. Very briefly did his golden eyes tinge amber.

Kila didn’t know exactly when he started shouting, but it wasn’t a shout of anguish or fear. No, this was a battle cry from a type of pure, primal rage. The type of rage that numbed pain and drew strength from hidden places. Strength that Kila used to catch the boot of the Kobra man that ran to try kicking him while downed. Standing up from his knees, Metamorph raised the leg above his head, jutting a swift kick to the man’s groin.

As their squealing associate fell, the remaining two agents watched with shock while Kila pulled the static barbs from his suit. Still they didn’t relent, deciding to drop the tasers to rush him at the same time. Kila waited for them, feeling more free now that the electrical currents had ceased. Without the buzzing in his head, he noticed that the sounds of combat were more isolated. Kila deduced that these were likely the last two henchmen. Although his body ached, he remained steadfast. These two would not be enough.

Feigning focus on Kobra Ten, he ducked a telegraphed punch. Taking the split second to turn tail, K stomped the side of Kobra Eleven’s right knee. Weaving another hook from Kobra Ten, The Meta countered with an elbow to his neck. Kobra Eleven started to recover but Kila didn’t forget about him. The young lion faked him out with a low crane kick, hitting that knee once again.

Kobra Ten grabbed hold of him, trying to choke him out with both arms. Kila strained for a second, pulling at the man’s arms to regain his airways. In the meanwhile, Kobra Eleven took notice of the Uzi that Kila had dropped earlier. However, Metamorph noticed it as well and knew he had only a moment. Noticing the dagger at his feet, he flicked it upward with his foot to catch and stab at Kobra Ten’s armpit. Tearing through fabric and drawing blood, Kobra Ten’s grip loosened just enough for Metamorph to headbutt him and break free.

Kobra Eleven, on his one good knee, took aim at Metamorph’s chest and pulled the trigger. Kila clenched his forearms together in the knick of time, artillery shells ricocheting off of Iwisa’s gauntlets. It didn’t last long though, just as soon as six shots were fired, the weapon clicked in defiance— empty.

When Kobra Eleven looked up, a fist came directly to his head. Then another. Then another. Chain punches broke through the feeble defense that Kobra Eleven tried to put up. Kobra Ten watched with bated breath at the relentless assault until Kobra Eleven’s body fell to the ground limp.

Metamorph turned to face Kobra Ten, shoulders rising and falling with his breathing, fists clenched for more. There was a brief standoff; one that ended with Kobra Ten clutching at his bleeding armpit and running in the other direction.

Only after his opponent was gone from sight, did Kila fall to his backside in exhaustion. It would be up to the others now to finish their fights…at least before he could get his second wind…

“Stop…”
Her tone lacked the usual confidence. Viktor seemed to have some sort of heightened resistance to her powers. This was getting very annoying. First there was the fake prince, now this. What was the deal with these guys?

She kept her guard up and stepped back to Riley, waiting to see if her new thrall would obey her commands. And surprisingly, he stopped. Sure he kept that bored expression on his face but his submission to her is all she really desired. She could always change that look of his with a few more doses of her pheromones. To make him happy to see her would be satisfying after the distasteful comments he made. It would be-

“Embarrassing.” Viktor quickly grabbed and threw down a smoke bomb from his belt, engulfing the immediate area in a thick white smokescreen. The girl distanced herself from the immediate explosion of smoke, waving her hands to get it away from her face while wearing a look of displeasure. All that was heard next were Viktor's rapid footsteps as he attempted a temporary retreat. I just need to heal… but I can't leave her. I need her… No, I need to go. The girl was about to order Riley to give chase, but the hulking teen was already on Viktor’s tail. He could hear Riley's heavy breathing as he chased him down one of the halls of the sublevels.

Viktor couldn't hide away from the pair, and running around the sublevel wasn't going to work either as it would only be a matter of time before he would succumb to the pheromones. There was no way to stop it from spreading and he could feel himself slipping. A thought kept him on the straight and narrow. One that usually led to his toxic nature whenever the team was operational… [color=silver][I]The mission.[/color] But something else also remained at the forefront of his mind. Something different. The team.

The girl continued to hang back but determined to see things through. Her initial plan had been to escape once there was an opportunity, preferably one of her making. But now, even with the odds being back in her favor, she was curious to see how this would turn out. Enthralling this guy had actually proved a challenge. It wasn’t often that someone was resistant to her charms. In this one night she was proven wrong twice. She wanted to know how they did it.

Her eyes went around the trashed room. The scientists took most of their equipment and data with them. She stepped over some rubble and moved it out of the way. The girl spent some time searching. Kobra didn’t share what they were up to, not that she particularly cared. But information was always valuable to the right buyer. She opened a drawer of an upturned desk and uncovered a container of sorts. With a light tap on the front switch she revealed its contents, some sort of organic sample. She held it up to get a better look.

Glowing……. hidden in a desk drawer and created by a criminal organization known for creating neo-steroids. She was definitely taking this to one of her contacts who dabbled in pharmaceuticals.

After acquiring the yet to be determined sample, the girl moved in pursuit of Riley and Viktor. She ended up walking through an empty hallway, following the sounds she was hearing. They were coming from a larger main room, with multiple doors to enter through. It looked like one of the doors suffered from Riley’s severe lack of restraint. It was barely a door, the last piece of it hanging onto the wall.

She entered. Riley and Viktor were inside where a faint smokescreen faded as it spread. He used another. She almost instinctively looked for the easiest escape route. It was unavoidable to pass through this part of the complex on your way to the exit. Annoyingly, she couldn’t just make a run for it. Riley was picking himself up from off the ground while her new thrall was looking worse for wear. He was also in an odd position, doubled over on a large desk.

Discarded at his feet was an empty syringe. The girl narrowed her eyes, trying to piece together what happened.He couldn't have done what I think he did… Why would he do that?
She stepped forth and called out to him.

Blood in the water

“What are you doing?!” She was testing if she could force him to answer but she also wanted to confirm her suspicion.

“I got this, babe.” Riley was approaching Viktor who released an audible exhale. His suit was now tearing at the seams from the unnatural bulk taking the drug.

“What… am I… doing?” He almost sounded pained. “You… You are rather extraordinary… supple body… perfect proportions… someone worth following… Yes.” Viktor raised his head, his eyes looking past Riley and to her. Direct eye contact, emeralds locked on emeralds. There was a hint of a smile on his lips as a soft uncharacteristic chuckle escaped him before his face shifted back to dull and unamused. “But I must not indulge. I will not falter. You asked ‘what am I doing?’ Simple. I'm ensuring success.”

The compliment might have had a better reception if not for the way his tone shifted. He didn’t sound desperate to please her. He sounded…….defiant. She was no longer in control.
Impossible…..

Seeing Riley position himself between Viktor made something in her uncaring exterior crack.
“Stop..” Her voice came out in a whisper.

However, Riley didn’t stop, he kept walking towards Viktor. And so, she ran to him, pulling at his arm.
“Riley, stop! He took the formula! Let's get out of here or he’ll ki…”

The girl got cut off when Viktor suddenly rammed into her. She was sent sprawling across the room, almost hitting the wall. She landed on her back with a loud thud. Her head fell limply to the side, with her eyes open and lips slightly parted. Her body was completely motionless.

Riley snapped!

The intense rage that coursed through him made it feel like he was going to implode. His anger released into a terrifying roar. A tearing sound could be heard as a dorsal fin protruded from his back. It was covered in blood and strips of skin as it surfaced.

“WHAT DID YOU DO???!!!” Viktor hardly turned to face Riley, only turning his head slightly in his direction.

“If I kill her, you won't have anyone to serve, yes?” He pulled his combat knife from his waist.

“Not if I kill you FIRST!” Riley reached for Viktor who turned and caught him by the wrist. He made it seem frighteningly easy. Riley's wrist was then swiftly twisted before Viktor addressed him again.

“Or I can break you.” Riley groaned as he tried to reach for Viktor with his free arm but felt the sharp pain of the combat knife jutt into his bicep. Before he could even scream his kneecap felt as if it had been crushed as Viktor viciously kicked it. Riley's scream was more like a howl as the pain Viktor inflicted came in waves. Dropping down to his good knee with Viktor still controlling one arm by the wrist as the other was trickling with blood. Unlike their previous exchanges of blows, there lacked a single shred of sympathy for the teenager that had challenged him. That challenged his objective! “Break your ability to fight!” A snap echoed through the room as he slammed his elbow down into Riley's twisted elbow. Through the screams, Viktor continued. “As well as your desire! I will completely cripple you for getting in the way of my mission!” Viktor dropped Riley's wrist, letting him collapse as he cried in pain. Riley was finished, but Viktor had hardly started.

Unlike the pheromones that were less compatible with his mind, the drug pumping through him had a potent effect on his aggression.

“You are exactly what I hate. A failure. A clutz. A dependent fool!” Viktor rounded Riley just so he could deliver a swift kick to his ribs and send him sliding across the floor before his body rolled onto its side. “You couldn't even pick out the right sunscreen! What is even your ability? To be a fish?!” Riley suddenly felt one of Viktor's hands dig into the left gill and raise him up off the floor. The sensitive organ threatened to tear from the boy's neck “Worthless!” Riley's screams paused as Viktor's fist slammed deep into his gut. “Weak!” Viktor's second punch struck Riley's jaw before he was subsequently dropped onto the floor again. “To even imagine you could kill me… TO EVEN IMAGINE IT IS AS FAR AS YOU COULD EVER COME!” Viktor reached down, grabbing Riley by one of his belt loops and what remained of his shirt. It was much like the way he grabbed him at the convenience store to save the young man from falling.

“P-pl-please! I-”

“You've made a grave mistake. You provoked this because you believed you could defeat me? Kill me? Yes? IS THAT NOT CORRECT RILEY?!”

“P-please… I ca- I can't-”

“You can't what?” Riley was beginning to hyperventilate which only made Viktor grit his teeth angrily before hurling the oversized teen across the room and into a counter that was crushed beneath the impact. “A waste…” Viktor's eyes finally darted toward the girl who he would go for next…. but she was gone. “A complete and utter WASTE!” With the mysterious girl gone and Riley thoroughly beaten, the only thing for Viktor to do now was reunite with the others… But what did that mean for them?

---

The group of teens facing off against the Team were starting to lose the will to fight. Thiago was taken down by Alisa’s hand blaster. Warp was at his side and checked for a pulse with trembling hands. His eyes darted around the room nervously.

Brightheart had managed to knock out the teen who went up against her. She’d gathered up all of her remaining strength for a finishing blow, using the element of surprise to her benefit. Thinking he’d taken her down, the sudden burst of energy caught him off guard, earning him an upper cut from the Tamarenean. Unfortunately she collapsed to the ground.

Elio dodged some of the magical energy fists Zach kept firing at him. When he got hit it actually felt like a true punch. He’d tried to hit some with his tail but the stinger went right through them, as if they weren’t there. Instead he changed tactics and used his tail to get to higher ground, a safer distance away from Zach’s spells. He looked down at his allies and saw the remaining Kobra agents being taken down almost single handedly by one of the heroes, who had returned from the underbelly of the facility.

He spotted Thiago and Warp next to each other on the floor, neither of them fighting back. They were losing…..

Elio slammed his stinger into the bridge.

Fuck!!

There were only three of them left. He could have been the hero! The last man standing and winning the prize she promised him. But she wasn't even here! With no more options and his motivation waning he was forced to give up and surrender.

Realizing he had no other choice left he jumped down and joined Warp at Thiago’s side. He kept a wary eye on the rest of the Team, his tail hovered over Thiago and Warp protectively, ready to sting anyone who approached.

“He’s not dead right…?”

Location: Kobra Facility Ground Level, New Mexico
Interactions: The Team

---

Viktor rapidly moved through the facility for two reasons. To reunite with the others, but to also increase his chances of catching the mysterious woman. If only he could get his hands on her… He'd make Riley's beating seem merciful in comparison. Despite his ill feelings toward her, Viktor couldn't completely shake her image from his thoughts. She was like a mental gnat that you could pretend to ignore for only so long. Damn her! Riley too! He paid for his foolish interference… maybe not enough since he's the reason she got away.

With the girl nowhere to be found, Viktor found himself bursting into the large dimmed area, finding his team, Kobra agents, and drugged teens scattered throughout. He cared little of the reactions he might receive from them noticing his appearance. His suit was not only torn and lacking a helmet, but his muscle mass had noticeably increased.

What is this… His eyes scanned what was the concluded chaos before him. Not victory or defeat. Just an end, or perhaps a long pause in the conflict. Whatever it was, there was something specific about it that kept him on edge. His eyes darted from form to form within the room that began to slowly brighten. The signs of the battle he was only partially involved in revealed itself for everyone to see. Blood, bullet casings, cracks, and scuffs decorated the room. However, something or rather, someone was missing. “Where…” his voice trailed, barely audible as his eyes continued aggressively darting around. “WHERE'S CYBER-” He wildly boomed before noticing the pile of discolored metal segments beside Kassy. Not just any segments. Not just nuts and bolts. The singed and tattered fabric just barely retaining a familiar shade of blue answered him. Denial began to set in, but was nothing compared to the kindling flames of rage within.

Viktor walked forth, wanting… yearning for his eyes to show him differently than what he knew to be true. For the first time in so long, he desired shelter from the dark reality in front of him. He'd seen death. He was no stranger to the sight of it. This was a different. Worlds away. Everything around her melted away as he hyper-fixated on it. No, not it! Her... Alisa.

“What… happened?” He wasn't particularly asking anyone as he grunted out the question with sights affixed to what was left of his best friend. “Well?! Report! What happened to Cybergirl?!” He demanded, finally looking up, only for his eyes to lock onto Warp and Elio, the only conscious and present of the enemies the team faced. Them… He bared his teeth as he started towards them.

“Don't cower now! Finish what you started!”

Zach grinned smugly as his magical punches went flying. He actually managed to hit the scorpion kid, and send him running. “Ha! That’s right you better run!”

He gathered with the rest of the team. [color=darkviolet]“Hmph, I don’t want to hear any more nonsense from any of you about how I can’t fight. I just sent that scorpion kid packing! Hey, why is everyone looking so serious?” He looked down, and bit his bottom lip. metal pieces of Alisa were strewn about, and she had literally fallen apart. She was for all intents and purposes dead. Indirectly, it was because of him. She would still be alive right now if she hadn’t come to save his behind. “Oh… oh no…”

As if that weren’t enough, he barely had time to process anything, when Viktor looking like he had a bad case of roid rage, came stomping in. Upon seeing Alisa’s corpse… well, it looked like things were going to get even uglier. Zach sighed. “She’s gone Vik… Maybe Cyborg or someone from Old Justice can rebuild her… but taking it out on these idiots isn’t going to accomplish anything.”

---

“Don't cower now! Finish what you started!” Viktor wanted nothing more for Warp or Elio to make the wrong move. All Viktor was looking for was more justification to inflict as much harm as he could on the two teens from the youth center.

Kila meanwhile, had finally gotten back up to his feet and surveyed the room. It seemed that just after the defeat of Aleen’a’s opponent, the lights of the place turned back on. Now that it was much clearer, the young lion saw the carnage; unconscious and barely conscious bodies strewn across the battlefield. Friend and foe licking their wounds. Although more of his allies were standing, it didn’t feel like they had won.

Regardless, the saving grace was that at least some of the missing teens were found. Though, that was when Kila finally acknowledged that Viktor had entered the room. The man himself had surely seen better days as, without his helmet, his head could be seen. The veins popping across his head, and the anger that twisted in his expression.

Something did not seem right, even with the understanding that Alisa had been ‘disassembled’. Usually, Rain was more robotic than their android friend was, but clearly, he wasn’t thinking rationally. Perhaps there was more underneath the shell that he put up, a connection made that was more than just a teammate— a friend had been lost. Having endured similarly terrible circumstances, Kila could reconcile the state he was in.

Taking several steps to place himself between Viktor and the teens, Kila raised his hands.

“Alright, Rain. That’s enough. The battle is over.” It was a troubling sign when Viktor stared at Kila with an unaltered expression. His jaw then clenched in response to the obstacle Kila placed in his path.

“It's not enough! Move or get moved!” Viktor proceeded forward, but not without addressing the kidnapped teens. “Don't you want to avenge Riley?! Aren't you wondering what happened to him?!” There was a sadistic look that crossed Viktor's face.

Kila remained steadfast, maintaining his path in front of him. “What are you talking about…?” The expression that Viktor wore was met with one becoming increasingly tense. Studying him, easily there was something off, more than he initially anticipated. Kassy said he was fine, but whatever happened down there implied the opposite. Something about his demeanor seemed like it was different from an ordinary rage.

That name didn’t belong to one of the team members that had departed, that much he remembered. However, Viktor almost looked…deviously pleased? As though what he said was referring to someone who…That was when it seemed to click with the off behavior. Viktor stopped his advance when the distance between the two was too close to take another step.

“What…what did you do?”

“I did what was necessary. He was in the way…” Viktor scowled at Kila, his anger rising with his teammates’ defiance against him. “Just like you are!” Viktor reached out to grab Kila by the shirt to shove him aside. Yet, Kila grabbed him by the wrist as he himself was grabbed, unintimidated.

Although Viktor had used the reasoning of ‘doing what was necessary’ before, clearly, something else was at play. Despite appearing somewhat uninjured, his suit was disfigured on his form…almost like he’d outgrown it. Combining this with his current hyper-aggressive state of mind pointed to the idea that there perhaps was a chemical agent he was exposed to. Regardless, allowing him this vengeance likely wouldn’t calm him, and ultimately would result in a failure of their team’s purpose. Juuma…

“They are no longer trying to fight back; their captors have been beaten. You take this dishonorable revenge, you’ll lose everything…” Kila used his free hand to gesture to them behind him without breaking eye contact. Viktor had been just about to push Kila away. He felt he could do it with ease with the drug pumping through his veins. Nothing could stop him, or so he thought. Convincing him would be difficult, the Meta was aware. However, Kila took note of the only other thing that seemed to rouse Viktor's emotions. Or rather, person…

“Do you think this is what Alisa would want to be aware of when she returns? To find out that you lost control of yourself and mutilated the very teens we’ve come to rescue? That you were willing to fight your own squadmates to do it?”

“But they….” Viktor grit his teeth as he flexed his arm on Kila, but he didn't budge him. The young man who had always found himself certain, even when he may have been wrong was now conflicted. The same thing he had ridiculed Talon for… the same thing he felt made him better too. “Move… Please… DON'T MAKE ME HURT YOU! THEY DESERVE THIS FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO HER! I…” His face lowered and his outstretched arm went heavy as he let go of Kila. “I just… I just don't know what else to do.”

“We finish the mission the right way, no matter how much it hurts in the moment. We will find the ones truly responsible, and bring them to justice. And we remember, at least in her case, Cybergirl is not gone forever. What you do now, determines whether you will be there to welcome her home.” Kila’s voice took on a calmer, to even gentle, tone the longer he spoke. He let go of Viktor’s arm as well, though cautiously aware of any rash action he might take. From his synopsis, the Meta came to the conclusion that this may very well have been the first time Viktor lost someone he cared about.

“For now, we need to check our wounded, and make contact with the league.”

“Affirmative.” Viktor's voice was low as he spoke. He dared not look at the teens behind Kila, not wanting the sight of them to trigger him. In the short term, he might have preferred the rage over the dejection but he knew Kila was right. If he gave into his anger, the regret he might feel when he faced Alisa again would likely be everlasting. Finally turning away, Viktor walked from Kila to what was left of Alisa. As he stared down at her, he wiped at something unmistakably wet rolling down his face. “Let's finish this so we can all go home.”

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

---

Aftermath

With the threat of Kobra gone the Team contacted the League. The kidnapped teens were successfully saved, but at what price? Alisa was inoperational, KJ suffered an attack on his psyche, the repercussions of which were still unknown. Forcefully switched from Ja to Kila. Riley was badly injured after suffering the wrath of Viktor dosed up on the experimental drug. Brightheart, who'd already been suffering from emotional turmoil, became more destabilized after her face off with one of the teens. Viktor’s hard exterior cracked after discovering what happened to his best friend and team member.

The teens were taken to a secret lab operated by Justice League affiliates to receive treatment. After recovering they would be safely returned to their families. It gave the scientists the opportunity to study what Kobra had been attempting to accomplish. Riley’s condition turned out to be irreversible. The second unregulated dose of the drug caused a permanent change to his physique, resulting in a permanent enhanced muscular body and a dorsal fin. On the bright side, Omen, the local team at the Metahuman Youth Center was relieved when informed of Thiago's safety and recovery.

The debrief

Kila, Kassy, Viktor, and Zach were gathered inside the communications complex for a debriefing with the Dark Knight. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Hours before the debrief Batman thoroughly analyzed all the available data about the team's mission in Taos. The only missing piece was the input of the four members present. They played a large part in the mission's success and its many shortcomings.

“I will start off by saying you have successfully completed the objective that was given to you by the League.”

While this was a first Batman did not commend them on their chosen methods to achieve said objective. Their ability to work together as a Team, handle setbacks and cover for casualties left much to be desired.

“However I am far from pleased”

He narrowed his eyes and turned his attention to Zach first.
“Zatara you allowed crucial information to easily fall into the hands of Kobra. You failed to perform any kind of useful reconnaissance as a young hero, instead you operated like a hormonal teenager.”

There was no excuse for his behavior and Batman wasn’t wasting any time listening to them.

After the Team broke into Kobra’s facility Metamorph and Rain were responsible for another two failures.
“Metamorph, Rain. You both faced off against the Kobra agent, you were susceptive to the identified chemical. You took this risk knowingly. Explain this decision”

Batman’s steel gaze was fixated on the three boys.

Even though the mission was finally over, but there was still the debriefing. Batman called Viktor, Kila, and himself. Batman didn’t say anything true. He did screw up. What was he expecting? They were all teenagers, not soldiers.

Zach sighed. “What do you want me to say? I’m sorry Batman, I’ll do better next time!” Zach said in a mocking tone “Newsflash Batbrain! I am a hormonal teenager! I like boys! Not all of us are cut out to be one of your Robins… I got my butt kicked out there, and it’s because of me that Alisa is… offline. But doing what every teen boy does is the problem? I don’t think I’m cut out for this team…

And then he stormed off before anyone else could say anything.

---

To be in the physical presence was much different from a hologram. There were a select few that could intimidate Kila; Batman was one of them. The Dark Knight of Gotham brought with him a familiar air of the one who cast a shadow over the boy. While the mission ended with a semblance of success, as Batman pointed out, there were failures. Significant enough ones that their commander opted to be here to personally point them out.

Zachary was the first to be condemned. Apparently, the young magician didn’t contribute to the recon part of the mission at all. With the specific wording chosen, it seemed more like he took going undercover to a youth rec center too far. However, instead of acknowledging his mistake, the Speech Devil spoke out against Batman, causing Kila to half wince. ‘Doing what every teen boy does,’ That phrase made the young lion narrow his eyes.

Kila may have been from another country, but as a late teen boy himself, that Zatara was just making excuses. The teens that they were sent to find were taken from their families, being manipulated to work for Kobra against their will. That was just what the team discovered. They could have been tortured or worse behind the scenes.

With this tantrum he was acting out, it proved that Zachary didn’t think about any of that— about any of them. He only thought of himself, and what he wanted. So, when he walked away, turned his head away from him. A waste of potential.

When it came time to answer for himself, Kila was more anxious through the calm demeanor he put on. While pieces were trying to return to him, ultimately, no specific details came to him. Still, an ‘I don’t know’ surely wouldn’t suffice. The way that Batman talked about this particular Kobra Agent, it was clearly a threat unlike what he’d fought upon awakening. According to Batman, he fought that person, but Kila himself remembered no such thing. Unless, perhaps…

There was a theory Kila had for years, that the gaps in his memory were when his abilities of the Red came to him. BSF claimed that they couldn’t fully understand or explain the memory dilemma. This theory would explain a lot if it were true. How sufficient that notion would be for Batman, he couldn’t be sure. Still, Kila explained as best he could.

”My memory around that time is unclear to me. I am unsure if I was hit in the head or not. However, going from my past experiences, I am inclined to say that my power of Red has caused me to black out to face this threat. I have yet to understand fully what would trigger it to behave this way. Though, I understand it is not an excuse for my failure…”

Location: Communications Complex, Team HQ
Interactions: The Team and the Dark Knight

---

Viktor sat quietly, appearing as calm and stoic as usual but images of Alisa intruded the forefront of Viktor's mind. Even as he sat before Batman, someone on his short list of people he highly respected. It spelled a recipe for disaster. Additionally, Viktor had plenty to answer for, especially after the breaching of the Kobra facility. Every decision made by him was scrutinized with the vision of Alisa in a pile of metal and burnt fabric.

Zach was the first to be criticized by Batman, with the young man's poor judgment and lack of maturity being highlighted. Viktor was nowhere near surprised at Zach's reaction, especially his lack of accountability. Ever since Vegas, Viktor kept his expectations extremely low, so the outburst followed by the departure didn't move him in the slightest.

What Viktor was more concerned about is what he and Kila had to answer to. There were holes in what happened, especially with this being the first time anyone really opened up about what occurred during the mission. Kila spoke of not being able to clearly recall what happened, which left his fight with the female Kobra agent partly a mystery. However, there were a few things Viktor was sure of, and he wouldn't let them go unmentioned. He stood up to speak.

“Batman. I will first say I agree with Kila about his failure. We must all ensure a tight grasp on our abilities. Having control is our responsibility, and it is something I also lacked during this mission.” Viktor glanced over at Kila before he continued. “But if we're discussing the engagement of the Kobra agent and the existence of the chemical. It was mentioned in our briefing of the mission, yes, but we were not made aware of how this chemical was administered, its susceptibility, and how available it was to the enemy. We took the risk of facing off against the Kobra agent, yes, but it was a risk we could not quantify with the information provided. We needed to take action. In hindsight of knowing of the three factors, I would have tasked… I would have tasked Cybergirl with apprehending the agent. Additionally, I assess that Kila was not temporarily taken down by the agent's ability to administer the chemical based on my own symptoms when facing her. Respectfully speaking, I learned more about the agent's abilities in fighting her than the pre-mission brief afforded us. The chemical is administered through a bite from the Kobra agent, possibly using her saliva as a vector. Males appear to be the most susceptible but there is no evidence to prove whether or not males are simply the agent's preferred target. It also appears to have varying results depending on the target. I was affected but not with the same potency as the other teens. There were too many unknowns to weigh the risk of exposure to the chemical over the swift elimination of the immediate threat.” Viktor remained standing as he was sure there was more Batman wanted to address.

---

Batman barely acknowledged Zach’s departure, appearing unbothered as usual. He was listening to Viktor’s retelling of events, slightly shifting his body towards him. After he was finished Batman replied with two simple words.

“I disagree”

“You will always learn more on the job, the information was enough to start with”

Batman pulled up the footage of the Hotspot cafe. He replayed the entry of the Kobra agent, pausing when she sat down with Alisa and Aleen’a. This was when the Team identified her as the most likely suspect. He looked at each of them while he spoke.

“You successfully identified the Kobra agent, but your preparations to face Kobra were lacking.”

“Leaving gaps in your knowledge of threats shows poor judgment”

“An unknown could be irrelevant or the deadliest weapon used against your teammates”

He returned his attention to Viktor.

“ When you were outmatched, you took an experimental drug instead of retreating. You were dealing with multiple dangerous chemicals fighting for dominance inside your system. I suspect it is your familiarity with the super serum that kept you in control.”

He did not agree with Viktor’s approach, but he was impressed. The calculated risk worked in his favor this time.

Mirage not only managed to escape his controlled anger, she deserved praise for her part in this mission. Having to deal with the limitations set for her by the League, she did more than hold her own.

“Mirage you proved to be worthy of your place on this Team, and your skilful use of limited abilities helped ensure the objective.”

As they discussed the remaining parts of the mission Batman started to bring the debrief to a close.

He recognized that the leak of information directly contributed to the failures of this mission. Despite Zatara already having left, this important piece of information would soon reach him.

“This is how we’ll proceed from here on out”

“Effective immediately Zatara will be benched from missions, until further notice. He will be spending his time reflecting on his shortcomings with guidance of his mentor Zatanna.”

Batman turned off the footage and the screens returned to solid light blue.
“The League will monitor Kobra activity but for now the initiative will not be deployed. Civilian missions only, if any at that.”

“We have started to recruit new members, to fill in the gaps Talon, Hex, Gold Rush, Brightheart and others have left behind. While we are not considering Nymph to be among those, the possibility can not be excluded.”

“Use this time to rest and reflect. Take the weaknesses identified in this debrief and adjust your training accordingly ”

It had been determined weeks ago, even without many words between them on the matter. Call it a vibe or the atmosphere when a deceiving calmness filled the room. The piercing eye contact that lasted a second too long. The subtle flexing of muscle. The challenge that was never really openly declared but birthed nevertheless. Had it started the first time they were in each other's presence? Perhaps when they saw what the other could do? Maybe it was the altercation on the submarine? The confrontation in the infirmary?

Whatever sparked the tension felt almost natural as if meant to happen. Like a swelling tide crashing against the hard mineral of a cliffside. Like two apex predators that had claimed the same territory. One found strength in connecting to those around him, while the other felt he possessed enough power within himself to believe he couldn't be challenged.

On the training grounds outside the headquarters, Viktor waited patiently. In the back of his mind wondering if this was the day he would settle things with Kila who he detected gracefully approaching.

“Today?” Viktor turned, wearing a minimalist version of his operational suit, lacking weapons and his helmet.

“I gave you time to somewhat recompose yourself. But your behavior can’t go unchecked when our superiors aren’t watching you.” The voice of the young lion prowled ahead of him. He seemed to have been similarly dressed in mission attire, as was a custom for training. However, the upper half of the Metamorph uniform hung tied around his hips, leaving his torso and arms exposed. That is, with the exception of Iwisa’s golden gauntlets at his arms, and the bandage around the cut on his right hand.

“You believe that you know better than everyone else about everything. Others have been given the reign to lead missions and, at every turn, you disrespect your team. You ignore the consequences that your actions were responsible for. You push the fault on the team; my team. Now you are faced with a problem where the blame belongs to you alone.”

Viktor's stoic expression shifted as his eyebrows furrowed slightly in response to his words.

“To me alone? You must still be suffering from a clouded memory. I carried… No, I dragged the team through that mission and everyone simply failed to keep up. Every single one of them falls short and makes the rest pay for their weakness! Zach cares nothing for our objectives, Daphne is comatose because she lacked control, and Kass has been handicapped because she proved she can't be trusted. And you… you're on the path to crippling yourself… to prove what?”

“No, I recall. You allowed Bingley to ignorantly break Atlantean law because you couldn’t follow a simple chain of command. Mirage was put under stress and instead of attempting to support her, you tried to punch her out cold. Daphne needed a guiding hand, not a slap in the face that “she should not be on the team”. Kila paced, slowly circling Viktor.

“Zatara needed someone to ground him to what a team represents. The one time he tried to bond with us, in Las Vegas— Yes, he lied, because he felt we would ignore him if he simply asked. And Alisa. When you were so busy dragging the team when you could have finally gotten your chance to lead: She perished, and you were nowhere to be found.” Kila stopped bluntly to look him in the eyes, fists opening and closing. Viktor took a deep controlled breath through the nose. The tension between them was steadily losing its subtlety.

“I am here because something has to change. You have been nothing but a threat to the team’s stability. So I am going to fight you, since that is all you know. The defeated one, leaves the team. Don’t pull your punches, because I won’t.”

“Enough with your terms. Just bring it.” Viktor took a basic fighting stance, offsetting his feet and raising his hands which remained slightly open.

Kila sighed, rolling his shoulders to relax them before slightly tipping his headbush to bow. In the instant he was straightening back up, he leaned back to dodge a punch from Viktor who had rapidly closed the distance. Taking the brief opening, Kila used both of his legs to crash into Viktor’s side. With the other young warrior much sturdier than he, Kila had used the attack more so as a launching point for a back handspring away. Viktor patted his side where he was struck.

I thought he was stronger…

Shuffling his legs in a pattern reminiscent of ginga, The Meta went to work on analyzing his opponent. A haymaker or two from Viktor would be enough to instantly end the conflict. Ground fighting would also be a no. It’d have to be a standing fight; wear him down, take key openings. Don’t telegraph it.

This time Kila moved in for the offensive but Viktor was prepared to match him. Like a flowing of limbs, Viktor witnessed his thrown punches redirected while suffering consecutive blows from Kila's simultaneous baguazhang strikes. With a grunt, Viktor pushed himself forward and closed the distance even further while throwing an elbow strike followed by a kick to target The Meta's side. Warier of the elbow strike, Kila ducked beneath, just barely locking his forearms to defend against the kick. The force behind the blow made his arms crash into his body and stagger him backward.

The rushing sensation through his system was familiar and, in that brief pocket of time, he remembered from where. Powerful, well-practiced moves, robotic in precision yet emotional in execution. It reminded Kila of his first sparring session with Tenzi Dinah. An experience that he was grateful for; enough so that he even smirked briefly. Viktor on the other hand grit his teeth, but not in frustration. It was a tinge of excitement.

The formula-enhanced teenager used his other arm to reach around Kila's neck so he could trap him in a guillotine choke. Kila had managed to barely get his left hand in to keep from being immediately cut off from oxygen. Pulling briefly against Viktor’s superior strength, his right arm came up to brace for a knee from his opponent. With the sudden splash of pain in his ribs, he took note of their interlocked positioning.

Kila tugged his body again, baiting the larger combatant into kicking again. When the second attack came, the young lion sacrificed another impact to the chest to throw a critically timed heel into the side of his opponent’s balancing knee. The quick shift compromised the hold just enough for Kila to escape by sliding his head against Viktor’s abdominal region. Although his chest was burning, he wasted no time. Using the split second that he had earned, The Meta turned into a 180 sidekick aimed for Viktor's chin. A quick hand raised in between only to be pinched between Viktor's chin and Kila's heel. Blocking the powerful kick wouldn't save Viktor from stumbling to the side as he tried to regain his footing. He had lost his balance with that second kick.

Planting his feet, Viktor regained a steady position. He was beginning to find Kila's fight style troublesome. There was not a breaking of skin or bone. There hadn't even been any attempt at making a decisive blow. This type of patience… I'll just break it. Viktor, not wanting to display any sign of pause, advanced, this time performing open-palm strikes.

Kila’s arms came up in a boxer-like guard to protect his head. Between the rapid strikes and his retreating position, he was putting the picture together. If this battle was reminiscent of his first team sparring session, then having to be on the receiving end of this barrage meant— A roundhouse kick crashed into his right shoulder, and a small bark of pain came from Kila as he tumbled away.

“You're kidding me! Stop holding back and face me!” Viktor nearly roared as he looked down at Kila. “Do you think I'm a fool? You act as if I haven't witnessed what you could do. You're faster, stronger… you're more than this.” Viktor circled him with a look of disdain. “Was this what happened in the ocean? The reason why you failed to do what was necessary to save that creature? Too bad.” Viktor finally stopped and shook his head. “This only proves my point. You can't even bring out your best when it counts. You're all weak links on the chain.”

Down to a knee, Kila held his dislocated arm while Viktor monologued. Yet another reference to his body’s hidden power. This mystery that plagued him, that others constantly seemed to complain that he didn’t have. All it reminded him of, was what Iwisa had told him, what he shared with Felix. ‘We cannot base our plans on what we don’t know.’ Viktor stood here and talked down to him like he was worthless. Like the team that he had worked with, was worthless. What he didn’t realize was that his powers, whatever they were, could never be his best. Superpowers could never be any of their best.

Exhaling, Kila snatched his shoulder back into position. Looking back up to the condescending super soldier, The Meta stretched the same injured arm out to him and wordlessly beckoned him onward. The gesture caused a slight twitch in his opponent's eye.

“Tch.” Viktor was prepared to finish this.

The young lion stood against the Rain, watching his approach. The latter was going for aggression, clearly frustrated by the delay and lack of power usage. However, Viktor wasn’t foolish, he had already been caught with flimsy footwork once and would adapt. Hand strikes were thrown, but Kila had taken to a strategy of dodging, just barely being missed. Ducking underneath one hook, Kila finally threw a blow of his own as Viktor’s arm was still moving. It was aimed for the attacking arm, but at the last second, his fingers formed a leopard fist. With his fingers precisely aimed, he targeted the pressure point at the middle of the bicep. Viktor felt sharp pain followed by numbness. He couldn't afford to address it now.

With one limb momentarily stunned, Kila moved on to the next. With Viktor now being self-conscious about his leg, Kila threw another leopard paw down to attempt a strike at his knee. The super soldier dodged this obvious target though, opting to go in for a grab. Catching him in his grip could lead to Viktor's victory… Yet, the miss was a setup, Kila used the momentum from the whiff and the lowered position to spin into a capoeira half-moon kick. With the attack sudden from a faux opening, there was little time to defend before the kick made contact with Viktor’s jugular.

The same pain… No, it was worse. An attack that could knock out or possibly even kill struck true. However, instead of crashing to the ground, he stumbled drunkenly as his eyes fought to roll back. Whether it was his enhanced conditioning or simply stubborn willingness to continue, Viktor remained up, but there was little he could do while stunned in this way.

It's not over… It's not… over… It's…

The young lion straightened up and watched his prey for a moment, he seemed prepared to lunge at him again but caught himself. Juuma… The name rang true in his memory, again at the situation he found himself in with Viktor. If only for a split second, Kila thought he saw his fallen brother’s face. His fighting stance dropped. Thankfully, Rain was strong or the damage could have been worse.

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore.” Kila called to his teammate, his expression becoming more somber, even as witnessed Viktor grit his teeth in frustration.

It's over. Viktor dropped to one knee and held himself up with one functioning arm.

“It's over.” He voiced it this time as stared down at Kila's feet. “What now then? I leave?” He strained to look Kila in the eyes.

”No…I had only introduced that idea to try giving you a reason to fight harder. Yet, instead of changing you, it changed me.” Kila lowered as well, sitting on his knees. ”I just want you to see reason before it is too late…”

“You're wrong, Kila… I can see it. Your perspective. As I felt my body betray me after I neglected it to your strikes…” Viktor struggled to plant the hand of his numb arm on the ground, narrowing his eyes as he continued to feel the sting of defeat. “Every part… Every link in the chain… weak or strong, is important.”

Those words prompted Kila to look at him more directly. Viktor wasn’t the sort to lie in situations like this, but the blunt admittance had taken Kila aback. Sighing with some relief, Kila slowly nodded. “I didn’t want to take this route at first. But, you seemed to need proof of some kind.” He explained, looking down at his wrapped hand as he clenched his fingers.

“Do you know why I did this?” The wrapped hand was aimed into Viktor's direct line of sight but he noticed him drop his gaze.

“I can make an educated guess… but enlighten me.” He winced slightly as he started to feel pain in his bicep again, the numbness slowly fading.

”Juuma.”

“Juuma? Who?”

”A man on the first squadron I was ever part of in Buredunia. He was a Rhinoceros. He was strong, charged into battle fearlessly and crushed many foes. We spent time together, as he was my field leader. I looked up to him in many ways. For a while, he was like family to me.” Kila’s eyes drifted away to the trees as though he saw something in them. His head slowly started to shake.

”But Juuma was hard-headed and short-sighted; like a Rhino. For him, the fighting did not end on the battlefield. In his mind, a fight was in everything; fights that always had to win. So much so, that he often defied command. What he didn’t understand was that the commander’s orders for our squadron came directly from King Lion himself. The King took Juuma’s actions as a challenge, and no challenge went unanswered.” Kila pointed to a singular vertical scar-line on his bicep, asymmetrical to the other horizontal scars on his arms.

“Juuma was the first friend that I lost, thus the first scar I received. What I know now, that I wish I had then, was that my friend died due to arrogance. If I had known better, I could have talked him down. So I owe it to him that I do not let that happen to another of my squadmates.” Kila explained as he stood up. A hand extended down to his brother in arms.

“That includes you, Viktor.”

“I don't if I'd compare myself to a rhino… but noted.”

Viktor reached up with his weak arm, the feeling in his hand returning just enough for him to grasp Kila's. The latter felt a tug of pain as one hurt arm lifted the other, but instilled culture kept him from wincing. Instead, Vik’s comment received an exhaled chuckle…or perhaps a scoff in response.

“Hmph…Do you understand what happened during combat moments ago? What I have learned?”

“That you can defeat me by targeting my pressure points,” he answered genuinely as he stood up and rolled his neck.

“Any truly skilled warrior could guess that. I am talking about something of more substance. By your tactics, I can tell the way that you were trained. You were taught some martial techniques, making you a fearsome fighter, but you are not a martial artist.” Viktor raised an eyebrow as Kila pointed to one of Iwisa’s gauntlets. “My teacher explained to me that the word ‘artist’ is often overlooked, but that it’s the most important to instill during training. It is a state of mind which allows you to think outside of the box, no matter what situation you face in life…I can help you to learn, if you want.”

“Artist hmm… I think… I think I'd like that. That and a rematch. No stakes, just a spar among peers.” This time, his statement was met with an actual chuckle in response.

”In time. For now, there is someone I would like to check up on.”

In a pride of lions, brothers fight. Yet no matter how often, it is almost never to the death. A new peace surfaces at the conclusion of the violence. No longer opposing forces pushing against each other, they flow in the same direction due to the mending of their bond. Through that bond, they are able to protect their home and family with twice the strength of either of them alone.

---

Location: Justice League Watchtower

“How long will it take?” Black Canary's patience was waning concerning Alisa's status as she stood within a small chamber housing the young cybernetic heroine lying supine on something akin to an operating table. She was addressing Cyborg who nearly stood over Alisa as he calmly observed her resting body.

“I can't be certain… With some of the guesswork we had to resort to, anything can be expected.” His tone was steady as he simply briefed honestly, but he was quickly aware of how what he just said might sound to someone else. Black Canary furrowed her eyes ever so slightly. “My money's on her waking up sooner rather than later. Even without the original blueprints, we had the best the League could offer working on filling in the gaps. If anyone can get Alisa back on her feet, it's us,” he assured her.

---

One moment, Alisa was burning. The next, she opened her eyes to the glaring overhead light. It took her mind a moment to catch up- for a few seconds, her eyes flitted around in panic, her mouth wide open. She whimpered. Everything was wrong. She wanted to scream but couldn’t find her voice. Something’s wrong, this isn’t my body. It isn’t mine it isn’t mine it isn’t mine- She lifted her hand to the light, confused and afraid, and then met Cyborg’s eyes and dropped her hand. Her tongue felt lodged in her throat.

“... Hello,” she croaked. Speech felt weird. Movement felt weird. Everything was bright and loud and she was cold and the hospital gown was scratchy and what happened to her-

Breathe, Alisa. It was rhetorical, but she found the saying soothing. “What… where…” She couldn’t quite form the question, which terrified her.

“Hey hey hey, stay calm. You're just waking up and we-” Cyborg was cut off by Black Canary who placed a hand on his shoulder as she moved past him.

“We want to make sure you're alright, Alisa. It's a lot, I'm sure but we're safe here in the League Watchtower. Your friends are safe too.” She refrained from hitting Alisa with the fact that her body had been destroyed during the previous mission. She and Cyborg had to be careful with how they handled this. “How do you feel?”

Alisa’s eyes flicked from Cyborg to Black Canary. Moving awkwardly, she attempted to sit up on the table, supporting herself with her hands. She was at the Watchtower. She was in space?! Why wasn’t she at the cave? “I- I feel wrong,” she said. “What happened to me?” She remembered her limbs falling off and the fire and the agony, but little else.

“There's no point in beating around the bushes.” Cyborg spoke up. “You've been pieced back together after what happened during your last mission. I'm sure you can already identify a difference with your body. The lack of blueprints was replaced by some of the brightest minds in robotics engineering and data science within the League.”

“Can you stand?” By her tone Black Canary was legitimately asking and not ordering Alisa. She had faith in her colleagues but she needed more assurance.

Alisa’s lips parted in shock. She looked down at her exposed hands. It made sense, now. This wasn’t her body. It wasn’t even the same model, the same design. She wasn’t herself. A weird mix of shame and anger and confusion and gratitude flowed through her. She should be thankful, shouldn’t she? That she was alive? “I… you rebuilt me?” She left the other parts out, fearing she would sound ungrateful. It’s not like you couldn’t get the original, she thought. Had they even tried before they started mocking up a new model?

“I think so.” Alisa raised her eyes to Black Canary’s and flexed her feet. Cautiously, she swung her feet over the table and hopped off.

She immediately stumbled, her legs buckling. The shock of standing for the first time in months, let alone in a new body, led her to fall. But she righted herself, leaning against the table, and came to a stand. “See? Standing.” She smiled thinly with Black Canary and Cyborg answering with their own in return.

“Yes, though we should probably perform some sort of physical, right?” Black Canary glanced at Cyborg who folded his arms.

“Already prepped and ready for Cybergirl to give the new body a test run. Simple movements first to ease the gears, and then we'll escalate from there and see how you perform. Pass that to prove you're mission capable and you'll be good to go.”

“Physically. Alisa, I'd like to have a weekly sit-down with you about what happened. Nothing different than what's provided to each member of your team after a mission..”

“... Therapy?” Alisa looked a bit skeptical. “Are you sure that would work on me?”

]“Of course. Alisa, you have emotions and memories like anyone else,” Black Canary placed a hand on Alisa's. “I'm sure you have strong feelings about what happened… but save looking back at them for the two of us to work through. In the meantime, you should try to get used to your new body.”

“And crush this obstacle course!” Cyborg was a bit proud of what he put together.

“Physical Assessment.” Black Canary corrected.

“Great. I love obstacle courses,” Alisa deadpanned. “Can’t be as bad as when Daphne strangled someone… Unless I’m gonna die a second time.” Alisa says ((as she looks directly into the camera with a shrug)).

After Alisa conducted her physical and was given a reluctant yet optimistic thumbs up from the League, her team was informed of her return unbeknownst to her. Kila, Kassy, Viktor, and Zach gathered around the zeta tubes at their headquarters anticipating her return.

It had been a few hours, and Alisa was slowly starting to feel… not better, but more like herself. The new body was still strange, but she could do all the things she was meant to do. That was enough for Cyborg, and he had sent her and Black Canary on their merry way to take Alisa back home.

The team's de facto mother figure felt a pit in her stomach. It was there for the entire time Cyborg worked on Alisa’s recovery and it did not go away. This ordeal was sure to be traumatizing for the young heroine. She could not even begin to comprehend what thoughts and feelings were running through her right now. She glanced sideways at Alisa, but did not say anything yet. What words of comfort were appropriate in this situation? What could you even say….

The two of them were standing in front of the Zeta Tube now. Alisa had changed out of the hospital gown and into a blue long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and sneakers. They weren’t her clothes, but they fit fine.

Home. Alisa had been informed that it had been a whole month since she was destroyed. It was jarring to realize that she had missed nine months of the past year. It was even more jarring to realize it had been an entire year since she’d been home with her mom. It felt like only two months, but the seasons had returned to the place they’d been when she left. The world kept turning without her. Thinking about that brought her a strange melancholy, amid all the other strange emotions saturating her head. Shock. Anger. Relief. Sadness.

She was just glad that she got to go back to the cave and see her friends. How had they been without her?

Zach was sitting around scrolling through social media on his phone. He had been away from the base for some time. He had returned to be here for Alisa’s return? Zach didn’t know what the right word was. He wasn’t sure he should even be here in the first! It was his fault she had died in the first place, and they were never that close to begin with. It was his cousin who convinced him to be here for this,

Kassy paced barefoot around the Zeta tube area. She was quite anxious. With Daphne still not back from being a tree, she had been the only lady left on the team. It had been a long month. Losing two of her friends in one fell swoop hurt like nothing else. Zach had been absent, but his behavior made it clear that he was just as self absorbed as ever. Viktor was… Viktor. And she wanted to give Kila space. It was hard not to withdraw. She nibbled at one fingernail. The yellow polish needed a touch up. Alisa always did her off-hand for her… "What's taking so long…"

Viktor was just entering the area with his usual stoic gaze and neatly wrapped box tucked under his arm. He had been waiting for this day, and to him it had been a month too long. Missing someone like this was uncomfortable for him, and he didn't know how he'd feel once he saw her again.
The buzzing sound of one of the zeta tubes activating vibrated through the halls of the teleporter room. Black Canary along with a slightly bewildered Alisa stepped out of the light. Dinah softly squeezed Alisa’s shoulder, which was similar to pinching a piece of metal.

“They’ve been waiting a long time to see you.”

As their den mother she was moved to see how much they missed her. Even Zach who pretended not to care. Or Viktor who surprised her by bringing a gift, which she spotted immediately. It was endearing.

Alisa stared out at the rest of them, immediately overwhelmed. She had a stricken look on her face. “... Hi,” she said, finding herself unable to say much more. She bit her lip.

Kassy was the nearest. Her eyes went wide, and she would have rushed forward - if not for the look on Alisa's face. Still, she approached Dinah and Alisa. "Welcome back, my friend." A warm grin clashed with her teary orange eyes.

A smile reached Alisa’s lips- a real one. “It’s nice to be back,” she told Kassy, touched by her tears. She hadn’t thought her and Kassy were very close. “It only feels like a few hours since I last saw you, though.”

Hastily wiping her tears and not caring about the smear of mascara left behind, Kassy chuckled faintly. "It's been a long time. Far too long. I kept your room clean while you were away. I didn't organize anything. Just kept the dusty rabbits from the corners."

”Wamkelekile, Alisa. Back home where you belong.” Kila smiled as he called from his place near where Viktor was. He and Alisa were not that close, so he did not act that way. However, he did indeed feel pain when she had ‘passed’. He did do something, though, to remember. His hand had been wrapped over the place where he had cut it during the battle. Although by now it had long healed, he had kept it wrapped with an unsoiled bandage until she returned.

On it was written her name and the date of the mission that was completed. In the moment, the young lion had it rolled up in his hand and stepped closer to offer it to the android girl.

Alisa took the bandage, perplexed. When she turned it over in her hand, seeing her name and the date, the expression melted off her face. “Thank you,” she said, sounding choked up.

”I trust that you are feeling alright? Things have been difficult here, without you. ” Kila chuckled, though offhandedly nudging his head towards the taller young man with the box in hand.

“I’m alright,” Alisa said. “I just need to get used to the new body and everything, that’s all.”

Viktor felt a slight trembling throughout his body as he felt a level of excitement he hadn't been used to. His feet remained planted as he simply stared, struck with awe. Still, yet subtle trembling. I have to say something…

“Al-” Viktor was interrupted.

“Um… congratulations on not being dead, I guess…” Zach said awkwardly. What do you even say in a situation like this? “Ok look… I know we’re not exactly BFFs, and this is going to sound weird coming from me but… um… I’m sorry… If you hadn’t had to save my incompetent butt, we wouldn’t even be here right now.”

Alisa’s eyes glanced at Viktor first, not missing his attempt to speak up nor his shaking, but then flicked to Zach. “No,” she said. “It was all my fault. I should be apologizing for making all of you so upset. I should’ve been smart enough to not… well, run at a time reversal barrier. I failed. I’m sorry.”

Internally, Alisa believed it was true. She should’ve seen it, and in retrospect she had noticed things reverting behind Thiago. She had made all her friends so upset, and guilt was worming around inside her. She looked down. Thinking of the mission only made her think of her failures. She should’ve been better than that. Wasn’t she meant to be smart? Strong? Durable? Huggable?

The feeling of large arms wrapping around her form had followed the swift patter of rapid steps. Viktor had finally broken from his self-induced paralysis and closed the gap between the two. Eyes shut, he held Alisa tightly as he savored the moment.

“I missed you, Alisa.” He whispered. “And, I don't care about an apology. Having you back is more than exceptional. It's perfect.”

“I…” Alisa just stood in his arms for a moment, stunned. The touch felt different than it used to, but… good? Viktor… He never hugged people, and to do it in front of everyone else… Alisa made a small noise, a hitched almost-sob, before hugging him back and burying her face in the hug. She couldn’t believe he had missed her this much.

With his arms crossed in satisfaction, Kila smiled at the gesture. Finally, it seemed, the dam that held back a great river was given a vessel to flow through.

Kassy, who had retreated to give the others space, looked quite surprised. That sort of emotional display was something she hadn’t thought Viktor was willing to do at all - especially in front of all of them. She too, began to smile, flashing Kila a look that clearly read 'heh!'

“Alisa?” He broke brief silence as he wasn't sure if the feeling of Alisa sobbing against him was something he was supposed to let happen or cease. “I acquired something for you… I mean, I got you a welcome home gift.” He pulled slightly from the hug so her face wasn't buried into him and began to lead her toward the neatly wrapped box on the floor.

Alisa’s chest continued to hitch as Viktor led her towards the box. Her face was scrunched up into what looked like sadness while she made noises that were akin to sobbing. Yet, no tears fell. She couldn’t stop. Everything that had happened- to her, in the last half a day- seemed to bubble up all at once. How was she here? How had she missed all this time?

“Did you- you got me- a present?”

“A welcome home gift,” Viktor explained. “I made a thorough assessment of what you might like and… well, you should open it.” He broke away from her so she could do just that. All the while, he watched in anticipation as if awaiting the signs of a completed mission objective.

Tentatively, Alisa kneeled on the ground and neatly ripped open the wrapping paper. It was… a metal easel and paint. An art kit. She smiled, full. “Thank you,” she said, not just to Viktor, but to everyone. “I… I’m glad to be back.”

Cybergirl had returned.

---

Two superheroines were being spirited away to their new life of adventure on a cutting edge Justice League jet. A sleek, modern design that was full of space on the inside and as capable as floating perfectly still in the air as it was going faster than the speed of sound. On the inside there were chairs bolted into the walls and a decent amount of free space in the middle.

On one of these sides, seatbelt unbuckled, her hands crossed behind her head as she relaxed, was Pei Huo, the light-blue skinned girl who went by Iceburn. She was in her superhero uniform, the black base and pink highlighted cropped two-piece. Combined with her white and rainbow colored hair, she was kind of hard to miss.

She cracked one eye open and looked at the other girl across the way. ”Hey. Hey! I think I’ve left you alone long enough. Cora, right?” The two had had a brief introduction at the beginning of the flight. It was supposed to be a short flight, the Jet picking them up from separate locations then taking them to a base.

Cora was staring out a window when the girl said something to her. She turned and looked at the girl who was dressed in a pretty cool costume like Cora. She had a huge two-tone wool coat on and a white helmet for hers. She was also wearing a thick pair of gloves that had pieces of metal sewn in to conduct electricity better. It was cozy. ”Yeah, that’s me. So… Justice League. Crazy, right? You get struck by lightning and next thing you know, you’re way up here.” She took her helmet off and sat it in her lap. Cora’s eyes were solid blue, and part of her face looked burnt. ”How’d you get here?”

Pei probably would have disagreed about the ‘cool costume’ thing on Cora’s part. ”Not Justice League. Young Justice.” She skipped out of her chair and strolled over to Cora, sitting down next to her. She rested her arm across the back of Cora’s seat and leaned in, not much for personal space apparently.

”I was born a freak, I didn’t need to get hit by lightning. I bet everyone wishes they could get superpowers from crazy physical trauma. Bet there’d be a lot of people with Car powers, though.” She mused.

”That is, I am assuming you got lightning powers. It’d be weird if you got, I dunno, spider powers from getting struck by lightning. What’s the word- incongruent?” She spoke with a slight Rhelasian accent, it sounded something like one of the other south east asian accents.

”Probably “weird.” But uh, yeah, I got lightning powers. It’s cool- Wanna see?” She brought both of her hands up and leaned back a bit to put some space between them, when suddenly a glowing blue spark flickered in and out between her palms. It was about as thick as a pencil, and eventually turned into a solid arc that danced like fire.

”I got struck by lightning, so naturally I get lightning powers. That’s weird but it’s not that weird.” Because being struck by lightning and getting anything totally isn’t weird.

”I’d love for you to show me more!” Pei grinned. ”Just keep in mind we are in an aircraft. If you blow a hole in the wall, I will probably die unless I grab you and use you as a cushion or something.” She said. She looked at the dancing arc between Cora’s hands.

To match, she lifted up her palm and created a floating crystal of ice that appeared with a crackle. A thick white mist drifted from her pale hand. ”I have ice powers! I didn’t get struck by ice though, like I said, I was born a freak. Although it is possible I was dropped into an ice bath as a baby or something.”

”Okay, that’s pretty co- awesome.” Cora stared at the little misty cloud curiously. ”Oh yeah, I can fly too. Well- Kinda. You know how when you run electricity through a wire, it makes a magnetic field? I can do that to myself and float off the ground like I’m a wizard or somethin’” Cora sounded southern. She was from Florida, after all. ”I’m not real good at it or anything, but I can jump over buildings with it!”

”It is cool.” Pei responded. ”A single bound, huh? How high we talking?” She flattened her hand and moved it up and down, making several notches in the air to represent height.

”Something like uhh… A hundred feet maybe? I dunno, I jumped over my house a couple times and it’s got two floors. Landed like a rock but I didn’t break anything. It’s like I just ignore a part of gravity, sort of. Problem is I can’t stay that high up. I float back down, but I don’t actually touch the floor. It’s weird.”

”So…your house is two storeys and a hundred feet tall? Or are you just guessing that’s how high you can go?” Pei asked, tilting her head to the side.

”Just guessing.” She shrugged.

”So you’ve never done it before. Well, whatever- as long as you’ve zapped bad guys before it’ll all work out.” Pei pat Cora on the shoulder with gusto.

”Welllll… Not yet.” Cora said, laughing a little. ”I only got zapped a month ago, haven’t had a chance to zap another person aside from Wonder Woman yet, and that didn’t really do anything.”

Pei looked at Cora intently. ”As long- as long! As you have done anything ever in your whole life besides getting struck by lightning, you’ll be fine.” She said, happily setting the bar as low as possible so Cora could step over it.

That prompted an outburst of laughter from Cora. Which in turn widened Pei’s smile. ”Yeah! Okay- Okayokay that works. Yeah, I’m halfway there already! I knew I could count on me!” Pei seemed pretty cool. Cora liked her already. ”What about you? Ever freeze any bad guys yet?”

”The thing about actually freezing people is that they die fucking instantly.” Pei clarified.

”But I have encased them in ice. Or stuck them onto walls. I can make my ice not that cold and put air holes in it, so I can put them in cubes like in the cartoons. See their little eyes looking around like ‘Aah oh noo I’m stuck’ it’s great.”

”That’s cool, I’d probably just electrocute them. Did you know that if you zap someone hard enough they stop breathing? There’s this muscle around your lungs that pulls in air. It spasms if it gets shocked bad enough. They might stop breathing anyway if you shock them, but that’s how tasers work!” Cora was… A bit of a nerd for stuff like that.

”Dark!” Pei said cheerfully. ”I didn’t know the specifics, but I assumed that-” She slapped her hands together violently several times. ”-If you shoved enough electricity into someone they die. Or, I guess, in your case, get superpowers! You ever worry you might give someone superpowers? Well I guess you wouldn’t know since you haven’t tried it on anyone yet. No time like the present to find out, though!” Pei said with a nod. She was still smiling in her assertively friendly way.

”I could probably just burn a hole through someone instead. A lightning strike is as hot as the surface of the sun. Hardly anyone ever gets hit by a bolt of lightning, and usually the ones who do have to learn how to walk again, or something else happens that changes their life. Normally they don’t just die, but uhhh… It’s possible. I can’t blast anyone like that but I can still probably put them out since, y’know, it’s lightning and all that.”

Pei nodded rapidly. Whenever she spoke, she typically spoke with her hands. In this case she stuck both her hands out and pinched the air, slowly pulling her arms back in over and over again, as if to demonstrate the concept of ‘restraint.’ ”Generally- geeenerally want to avoid putting holes in people. What makes us special is the power to subdue without harming. So in general tazing will be MORE than enough, right? Hey, listen, we’re both gonna be the new girls on the block.” She switched gears.

Now she set her arm across Cora’s shoulders entirely, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. Which made Cora give her the shifty eyes for a second. ”You and me. Blood pact. We look out for each other. I can guide you and help you, being an experienced superhero myself. And you can- you can- well, I’m sure we’ll figure that out, that’s why I’m here to guide you! What do you say? Do you have a knife on you so we can cut our hands and slap ‘em together?”

”Heh. Sure. But… I ain’t got a knife. Can you make one out of ice or something? Actually that sounds painful. Uhhh… Let’s just promise to do it without blood?”

”Fine, fine, we’ll settle for second best.” Pei raised her other hand and clenched it into a fist. With the exception of her pinky, which she extended in a hook.

Cora wrapped her gloved pinky finger around Pei’s and a sacred pact was formed. ”It’s official now.”

Pei’s grin, somehow, widened even more. ”Pinky pact.” Then she sniffed. She did it a couple more times and leaned in more, like she was trying to identify the scent of Cora’s perfume or something.

Cora looked at her with a bit of confusion. ”It's static. My powers are weird.” Totally natural for a girl to smell like the screen of a tv from the 90s. Totally.

”Ssstatic?” Pei asked. Then it clicked. ”Oh, static! That’s what the TV at the orphanage smelled like!” She pulled away, laughing. ”Hey, look. When we walk into a room together, we’ll make each other look less weird by comparison. Or maybe more weird. Either way is good, right?”

”I hope so. I mean, I’m already kind of weird. Well, not that weird. I mean- I’m pretty lucky compared to other people that get zapped by lightning but I’m perfectly normal.”

”Mmm? Mmm?” She made a pair of high pitched, unsure noises. ”Mmm.” That last one was sure. ”You’re pretty weird. Glowing blue eyes, two-toned face, smell like TV static, the hair.” She gestured to each part in turn.

”The outfit. No offense.” She said, her hands up placatingly.

”I mean I haven’t even been able to make eye contact with you this whole time. I’m just guessing. Might settle just for staring here-ish.” She pointed at the space between Cora’s eyes.

Cora responded to that by looking Pei directly in the eyes. ”You can’t see it right now, but I’m making eye contact with you right now. Staaaaare.” And stare she did. ”By the way, you aren’t that weird. I mean- There’s a guy in the Justice League who’s from Mars. That’s weird.”

”That’s space racism!”

”It’s superhuman racism if we’re weird!”
”We are weird, though.”

”I don’t think you’re weird. I think you’re cool.”

”I am cool. I am the coolest.” Pei admitted. ”But nonetheless unusual.

”That’s what makes you cool! You’re literally cool too. It’s cool to have superpowers and say “FREEZE” when you freeze somebody!” She exhausted the word “cool” and then added, ”Right before I zap a motherfucker.”

”So you’re going to say freeze and then electrify them?”

”No I’d probably say something like, “You’re in for a SHOCK today!” And then zap them.”

”Because the idea of ‘freeze’ is that you give them a chance to surrender first. I can’t just use that interchangeably with a one liner.”

”You absolutely could, though. It’s your power, make as many interchangeable one liners as you want, and don’t let anybody stop you.”

She looked at Cora quizzically. ”No, I’m being serious.”

One of Cora’s oddly non-snow white eyebrows went up. ”About the surrender part? Yeah, I get that. I mean the jokes though. All the actually interesting heroes have tons of one liners. That’s why Batman sucks.”

”You’re trying too hard and your hubris is showing.” She said flatly, letting the silence afterwards hang for a moment.

”...And besides, Batman has the coolest one liner ever. He only needs one.”

”Yeah? What is it?”

”’I’m Batman.’” Pei said.

”…Know what? Point. That’s pretty good.”

”My name is already a pun, anyway. Iceburn.” She turned so Cora could see the back of her black top, the encircled symbol that looked like both ice crystals and fire.

”Oh… That looks really cool. Okay- I know I’m saying that a lot right now but really. I like that.”

”Thank you, thank you. It’s because my ice can explode if I want to. It might be a little mean but I’m happy with it. It was either that or Snowdrop! If I ever decide kicking ass isn’t for me anymore I’ll fall back on that one. What about you? Right away I look at you and think: Bright-Eyes. Or Static Shock! I think that one might be taken, though.”

”Mine is Enceladus, because when I use my powers, it’s really bright, like a flash of lightning.” She said, assuming this girl had any idea what the name even meant.

”Run that by me again?” Pei asked, turning and cupping her ear towards Cora.

”Enceladus. Like- The moon of Saturn? Brightest object in the sky that isn’t the sun?”

”...That’s kind of a deep cut to center your entire brand around. Is your target audience astronomers?”

”No, it just fits. It’s a really bright object in the sky, I can fly and I shoot bolts of lightning at people that happen to be stupid bright. Make sense?

Pei was acting like she was trying to be careful around someone who still believed in Santa Claus. ”...Do you like planets and moons and stuff?”

”Yeah, actually I do. I’m a space nerd.”

”Well, that’s all that matters.”

”Yep! So- How’d you get here? Wonder Woman heard about me and came looking for me, and that’s how I got here. Did someone catch you roughing up bad guys or something?”

That was when they got the notification- they were at the base that had the teleporter- said teleporter was to take them straight to the island that they would be spending the next stint of their careers.

”All right! From the bus, to the jet, to the teleporter. I hope they have a unicycle when we get there!” Pei said excitedly.

”Yeah! Look out world, the weirdos are comin’!”

---

“I told you babe, just come live with me. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need those losers.”

Mateo was changing into his work clothes (aka swimming shorts) in the changing rooms of the Youth Center. What started out as a workplace fling was slowly changing into a long distance relationship. From what Zach told him he got into some trouble when he told him about their mission while he was in Taos. At the time Mateo was under the influence of the Kobra and not fully in control of his actions. Zach could not have known that and he didn’t agree with the way the League treated the magician. It was not fair.

The lifeguard put on his jewelry and winked at Zach through the video call.

“I’m digging the black hair. it’s hot.”

Zach meanwhile was staying with his cousin in her mansion Shadowcrest. “Ugh, I’d love to babe. But my cousin would never let me hear the end of it if I left.” Zach rolled his eyes at the thought of it. “I’m apparently grounded. Can you believe it? I’m 19, and I’m being grounded by my much older cousin. Who does she think she is, my mother?”

Zach blushed and grinned at the compliment. “Thanks. I think it suits me better than blonde did… Although I am considering trying out galaxy colors next.”

“You can rock anything cutie”

Mateo laughed and turned on the shower.
“It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been grounded. Always gave my family a hell of a hard time though. So they’re probably happy I’m on my own.”

He let the water run down his shaved head.
“Gotta be honest though, sometimes it gets pretty lonely here. And I’m not just saying that to get you out here.”

“So what are you going to do now? You’re going back right..?”

Zach sighed. “I don’t know… I should… But… it’s become quite clear I’m not good at this superhero business. I got my ass handed to me on the last mission, and all I’ve ever done is fail. Besides, I’m sure everyone on the team hates me.”

“Tchh..” Mateo clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“No one could hate you Zach, dislike you maybe, but hate no way.”

“Besides you’re not allowed to be my trophy boyfriend if you give up this easily.I’d be willing to work for both of us, but only if I’ve seen you really try.”

He wrapped a towel around his waist and looked at Zach through the hazed over screen.
“So I’m going to watch your show from all the way here in Taos”

---

One month ago...

Location. Check! Time. Check! Equipment. Check! Objective… Unknown.

Viktor found himself within the team jet looking over at the control panel to familiarize himself with each button and switch as he'd always done before a mission. Arriving fifteen minutes prior had its perks. Finally, a solo mission. I need this… He had his standard equipment loadout with his helmet tucked comfortably under his arm. All there was now was to wait for his briefing or so he thought…

Soft, resolute footsteps announced a second presence on the bridge. Kassandra stepped up, chugging a bottle of water and checking her gear one last time. She turned toward the back of the jet without acknowledging Viktor at all, though it was absolutely impossible to miss him.

“What are you doing here?” Viktor scanned over her with just his eyes, doubling down on his question concerning Kassandra's presence aboard the jet.

Kassandra uncapped a second bottle of water. "Waiting for Kila's arrival so we can begin the mission." Her voice was soft, but the tone was slathered with a clear layer of contempt. She tipped the bottle to her lips and chugged it dry within seconds. Once it was empty, she crushed the plastic flat between her palms. Only then did she fix a cold gaze on Viktor. "If there are no more asinine questions, I will be meditating for what's ahead."

“No need, you can exit and calm your mind elsewhere. I'm not sure who misinformed you but this mission is mine alone.” He nodded his head toward the bridge, his facial expression dull as ever.

Kassandra ignored his gesture for her to leave. Instead, she stuck a hand into an inside pocket of her surcoat and retrieved her comm device. It looked quite similar to a cell phone, but it was far more sophisticated. Each team member had one, locked with an individual password along with a host of other measures that none of them had clearance to know. Kassy unlocked hers and read from the screen.

“Y06 - Report to the Hangar at 1200 hours. Full gear. Details to follow. - 13.” She turned it around to show Viktor, who frowned upon reading. “I wasn't aware you outranked Black Canary. Congratulations on your advancement.” Her lips lifted in a smile, but the expression was all teeth and no pleasure. Viktor raised an eyebrow but grabbed his own device while Kassandra continued. “As I was saying - don't bother me with your nonsense. When our leader arrives and we are all gathered, there will be answers.”

“Y07 - Report to the Hangar at 1200 hours. Full gear. This mission is explicitly a solo operation. More details to follow. -13.” Viktor sighed as he knew something strange was occurring with the different orders being given. “Your leader likely isn't coming. Even if he did hold the title, which he does not, he'd be here by now. Especially before you. We're being played.”

“Good observation. Now both of you, take a seat.” Black Canary entered, appearing slightly more stern than usual. She hadn't caught all of Viktor and Kassandra's exchange but didn't need to in order to identify the tension between the two. The team's debriefing and therapy sessions after the mission in Atlantis made it apparent that Viktor and Kassandra were at odds, even if subtly. The former consistently had issues with team cohesion and sympathy for his fellow teammates while the latter had gone through great turmoil and an acutely stressful event generated by the reemergence of past trauma.

"Ah, there you are, ma'am. Our leader for today." Her gaze cut to Viktor, sharp enough to flay him open like the knife at her belt. The young man appeared to be more unamused than usual. At Black Canary's command, she settled back in the chair. Honestly, Kassandra wondered if Viktor had suffered a concussion or something. It wasn't like she was talking in riddles; all he had to do was listen and think. Who else would be leading them but the person who had signed off in the first place?

"I would love to know what this is about." The fact that Viktor was told something different irked her. Why was he told he'd be alone, and not her? Her mind produced an answer quickly, and she let out a faint, mirthless snort.

"Kila isn't coming, is he?" She addressed Black Canary, bearing respectful, but a steady fury beginning to bubble behind her eyes. "This is about us."

“Good observation.” Viktor mocked before shaking his head and taking his seat. Whatever this was, Viktor wanted to get it over and done with.

“It is about you both, Kassy and Viktor…” Black Canary trailed as her sights centered on Viktor. “But let me be clear. Another hint of that passive aggressiveness and this could be your last time seeing the inside of this jet. Understood?”

“Yes.” Viktor forced out as he tilted his head down to hide the slight clenching of his jaw.

Kassy’s mouth closed over the nasty dig she'd been readying for Viktor, so fast she almost bit her tongue. "Yes ma'am, understood."

“With that out of the way, we need to talk. More importantly, you both need to talk to each other about what occurred on your mission to Atlantis.” Black Canary's tone lightened and took a seat across from them, having garnered their full compliance. “Your individual debriefings raised some flags, which is partly why there was not an assigned team leader for the follow-on mission. The trouble between you two affects everyone else, and based on both of your personality traits, it won't be resolved unless it is brought to the forefront.” She motioned toward Kassandra, keeping her expression soft so her following words wouldn't sound like an order or a demand. “Tell me, Kassy, when did it start? What was the first instance of Viktor upsetting you?”

Kassandra's expression had completely shifted. She'd been angry before, but that feeling had done a full 180. Despite her chin being lifted and her eye contact being firm, there was fear under the surface. "Atlantis. During Atlantis."

Viktor wouldn't know it, but Black Canary had worked with the young Atlantean long enough to know the girl's subtleties. When she was burying her emotions - or burying the root of the truth. He glanced at her, wondering what she might say next. Viktor preferred to avoid revisiting the events as much as Kassandra did.

“And what was it that he did? You can be honest here. You owe it to yourself… and your teammate.” Black Canary leaned in resting her elbows on her thighs while clasping her hands, deliberately closing the space even if it was only slightly.

"He went against my orders." It was a calm statement of fact. Way too calm. Too detached to be the core issue. Her body stayed poised, as if reading off a page. "It undermined my authority during the mission, and caused confusion between team members." Black Canary refrained from digging into Kassandra's answer. Her many sessions with the young woman gave her a good deal of insight into her social cues.

“That would be something that would upset any leader for a time.” Her words were deliberate yet her intention remained just below the surface. She shifted her body to face Viktor who stared blankly back at her, reading every expression. “And Viktor, do you understand why she would be upset because of what you did?”

“What I didn't do.” He replied immediately, darting his eyes to Black Canary without shifting the rest of his body. “I understand her initial reaction, yes. She believed that I had pushed the button and killed the creature… but it was revealed by Dr. Bingley that he was the one who fired the weapon. If Kass is still upset about something I never did, then I will never understand.” His voice remained level and cold.

Kassy’s calm wavered. "It isn't- it wasn't just about the squid. These things don't just happen - you were ready to snatch command the second you saw an opportunity! The squid's death was a result, not the start." She folded her arms, her jaw clenched.

Viktor released a sigh, being very close to letting a less-than-favorable remark leave his tongue. Instead, he chose to shoot Kassandra a glare. “I have my own theory. That Kass is only upset because, unlike the others, I never stopped seeing her for what she truly is.”

“Stop. We're not here for theories, Viktor.” Black Canary raised her voice slightly.

"No, I want to hear this." Kassandra fixed Viktor with a stare, chin raised in challenge. "Stop circling what you really want and strike." Her words were clipped, but her voice had taken on an even tone that would be eerily familiar to Viktor. He balled his hands and clenched his jaw but he wouldn't be a coward about this.

"Say it."

And so he accepted her challenge, his emerald eyes on her once again. There was a slight furrow of his brow but he retained his level tone.

“I will. Kassandra, you're a liar. A deceiver. You said I caused confusion amongst the team, but what do you think you did that day?” He raised an eyebrow matter-of-factly.

Kassandra's reaction was… odd. Instead of becoming upset, or even seeming insulted, she just smiled. She actually seemed to relax somewhat.

"Okay! Now we're getting somewhere. Still a bit of a guppy bite, but whatever." She looked back and forth between Black Canary and Viktor.

"I am a liar. It's true." The smile was less off-putting, and wearier as she looked at Black Canary. "I know you call it a symptom of my condition."The expression faded. "Look at it from the team's angle. I have not been truthful to them from the start. However-"

Her gaze went back to Viktor. "I have apologized. I am making amends. I don't expect immediate forgiveness, but… you act like I cut you on purpose. Why? You don't even like me. You don't like any of us, and you never have." A biting bitterness snuck into her tone. The barely masked emotion sounded like it belonged to a war veteran, chewed up by battle and spat out again. It didn't sound like a 17-year-old girl. "So what's the problem? Just keep acting like you're mister perfect, and move on."

Another sigh escaped him as his almost dull expression displayed a hint of frustration.

“Because I can't. I can't move on.” Viktor averted his gaze from Kassandra. She was the source of some of his recent nightly anguish. “How can I forgive someone who haunts me? Who makes the hairs on my neck stand when I think of them? I tried to trust you… I tried to keep you from hurting anyone else when you snapped. All it got me was time in the infirmary and nightmares every night. But even then, I don't hate you, Kass.”

"Seven seas, you are such a-"Her lips closed over the last word as her hands gripped the arms of the seat. Kassy was trembling subtly, but her voice didn't get any louder. Instead of volume, it was as if each word was a sharp fish bone, choked up and spat from her lips.

"Seriously? If you really trusted me, you would have listened to what I asked of you. But nooo! Even though you'd never been in the situation or the environment, you knew better. And the only thing you did in Atlantis is try to hurt me. Just like the squid, anything that isn't doing what you want is an enemy to be defeated."

“False!” It was rare for him to snap back in anger like this, but after what happened to Alisa, his emotions flew more loosely. “Anything that is a threat to my team is to be eliminated. By any means necessary. If the rest of you thought that way, Alisa might still be here. Instead, you allow for situations to unfold. Why? Just end it. Swiftly! What difference did that creature's life make considering our mission? It was simply an obstacle. Don't blame me for someone agreeing with my methods. I didn't pull the trigger, even though I wished for it.”

"Because, you id-" She snapped her teeth over the comment just in time, taking a breath.

"Because it was a protected species under Atlantean law, and unauthorized hunting is illegal. Don't you get it? Every action has ripples, every 'obstacle' has depths." She stared at him, eyes unreadable. "Did those boys in Arizona deserve to die for their actions? They were a threat to the team. What about-" There was the tiniest hitch in her voice before she pushed through.

"What about me? I threatened everyone with my lack of control. Did you want to kill me, too?"

Viktor's eyes narrowed at the question momentarily before subtly shaking his head.

“.....That's not the same.” He turned away from Kassandra as if the topic was dropped with simply that statement before a voice cut through the conversation.

“Why's that?” Viktor glanced at Black Canary, feeling like a critter that had realized they were caught in a spider's web. She had been strategically quiet, so her input caught him off guard.

“Because the boys were the objective. Their condition was the problem. So, we chose to neutralize them.” Viktor shrugged not feeling he was wrong in his thinking. And so he continued, now with his focus on Kassandra as he addressed her. “Same thing I thought I could accomplish with you. The squid called for something else. I watched how you handled it. Sloppy and ineffective. Daph was dehydrated, Aleen'a had already used her reserve power source, and Kila's status was questionable. That's half the team you risked for your endangered friend. You made the right call… but with the wrong people. You were using a butter knife on steak and Dr. Bingley had the illegally purchased machete. He may have been wrong, but he damn sure was effective.”

Kassy listened to Viktor, her face set. Some of the anger had faded from her expression, but her body was telling a different story entirely. She was turned away from Viktor. Her broad body was hunched, almost curled inward. The tremor had increased as if she were freezing cold. She simply let him speak.

“I don't like him either, but his actions at that moment aided us.” He didn't falter from his position in the matter. There was a brief silence in the confines of the jet before Black Canary cleared her throat.

“So the problem is a disagreement in how a situation was handled and some issues concerning trust… For the first issue, why not just agree to disagree? The second can be mended. Problem solved, right?” Her eyes were focused on Kassandra.

Kassandra looked right back at Black Canary. It was disrespectful not to look a superior in the eyes in Atlantis. She'd learned young how to aim a firm gaze with nothing behind it. Typical - one glance at the surface and people thought they knew everything.

It hurt to include Black Canary in that group.

Her lips moved to lie. To give up, and say 'sure' as if Atlantis hadn't been a one-time incident. As if everything had been an accident instead of an endless line of cuts that Viktor had just happened to be the last of.

She couldn’t speak. Why? She'd done it a million times. Say what they wanted to hear, play the game they wanted, because it didn't matter. Nothing would change, Atlantis or here…

“Or are you going to tell me what you think I want to hear? Kassy…”

Kassy’s whole body tensed, the fear becoming obvious. She'd been caught, and pain would soon follow. Perhaps no one struck her directly anymore. But being treated like she wasn’t even a person by Dr. Bingley and then the rest of Atlantis, when all she'd done was speak her mind? That invisible wound was still bleeding.

Black Canary's expression softened. She didn't want to risk causing Kassandra to shut down. “That's not why I wanted you two here. We're not here to check a block or to say that everything is fine. It's okay if it's not.”

“You've demonstrated courage in many other areas. Don't betray that capability.” Viktor chimed though it was oddly supportive.

"..." Kassy looked up at Viktor once more. But instead of a glare from the monster she assumed everyone saw - there was just a girl's gaze, full of confusion and deep tiredness that reached beyond her age. "I don't understand."

“You're not a fool either. Don't pretend to be now… We all have our internal battles. You will never win them if you back down and overlook them.” Unlike Black Canary, there was no mercy in Viktor's tone or his body language. A young man who lacked warmth in his actions and his words.

“Viktor, enough.” Black Canary ordered sternly. She didn't want him to keep pushing Kassandra so hard but Viktor respectfully disagreed with their senior.

“With all due respect, Black Canary. This is what she needs. Kass doesn't like me or my ways but she and I are not so different. A gentle approach is ineffective for the stubborn. She needs to quit this silly game.”

A noise, trapped between a laugh and a sob, slipped from between her lips. She almost seemed amused. "It's so annoying… that you're right. It is silly, perhaps from the surface." She propped her chin up in one hand, speaking freely. "I've been thinking, and the problem is not that I dislike you. It's that-" Subtly, she seemed to shrink inward. "You remind me of someone I hate. That has nothing to do with you at all! It's not your fault, and you can't fix it, so... it wasn’t worth mentioning."

Black Canary raised a brow at the odd development unfolding before her. Part of her wanted to delve into this but she refrained as she watched Viktor shift in his seat toward Kassandra. Viktor gave her his full attention now seeing she was beginning to open herself up.

“If it makes you feel better, I feel the same way about you. Maybe not so much now, but…” He trailed not wanting to get into it, his eyes averted for a fraction of a second. He'd keep his demons to himself. “I guess we both remind each other of people we hate.”

Kassy nodded in understanding, silently accepting Viktor's truth. "That was what finally broke me in Atlantis, y'know? When Bingley called me a monster, it wasn't his voice I heard. It was hers." The way she spat the last word, as if hate wasn't enough to describe the feeling, was surprising. "Everything was happening all over again. I was guilty before I had acted, prosecuted for being born… this." She started shaking, her gaze signaling her mind's rapid retreat from the present. "I had escaped, but only to a wider cage. I had to get out, again. So, I did exactly what everyone expected - became the monster. Made their thoughts real. It worked the last time - why not now?" Her eyes spilled over with tears. "I didn't know it would get so out of control."

“Then… Embrace it. It is you, is it not? You'll never grasp control over who you are if you let others do it for you. Take your strength and tame it. Don't cage it like everyone else has and don't let it run wild either. You, yourself, are your most valuable asset.” Viktor folded his arms across his chest as he shifted his body forward again. “Own it. And if you can't do it alone, you have us.”

Kassy subconsciously moved backward, shaking her head. "I know you mean what's coming out of your mouth. But - you saw what happened in Atlantis. They all turned on me the second they knew." She scrubbed her arm across her eyes. "For the sake of the team, and the safety of others, I will learn to control it completely." Silently, she pulled her arm back, eyes locked on the rune-engraved bracelet that held her power back. Kassy's shoulders lifted as she inhaled deeply.

And then everything seemed to warp, shimmering like asphalt in summer. At first, the eerie distortion only surrounded her, and then it spread, approaching Black Canary and Viktor like a flood. The two instinctively braced themselves as the environment around them changed, their attention on Kassandra. They were wary if only for a moment.



There was a loud crackling pop, as if the world's largest moth had met a bug zapper. The illusory distortion vanished instantly as Kassandra said something in Atlantean that only she could translate. But it sounded very much like a swear word regardless. "...ow." She slumped, rubbing her forehead. Despite being around her wrist, the sensation of her mental magic being caged was akin to cymbals crashing into both sides of her skull. It was like she'd been hit with a force just as strong as the magical energy she'd put in.

“Hmm… One day at a time, Kass. I'm sure you can accomplish it.” His words were the softest they'd been since being on the jet. They were words he often told Daphne during his daily visits.

“We're both sure as well as the rest of the team.” Black Canary almost wanted to excuse Viktor but she also knew his presence and words invoked something within Kassandra. She was sharing things she hadn't been privy to, even after their several sessions. “Kassy, you made mention of another time. Another time where you lost control as you had during the mission in Atlantis… What was it that happened?”

Kassy curled into herself, fear in her eyes, ready to retreat into her mind again. "It was earlier. Before I went to Tritonis and met the King. Where I grew up. My…" She trailed off, fear stealing her voice. And then, oddly enough, she looked up at Viktor for a moment. His eyes were focused, almost piercing. Her jaw tensed and she straightened up. Resolution had returned to her when she started fresh. "My aunt. She hated me. Maybe for what I was, maybe because she had to take care of me. Maybe she hated my mother instead, and hurt me for it." She took a steady breath before continuing.

"I will save you the sob story. Suffice to say, I was going to wait until I was an adult, and just leave. Find my own way. Apparently, that wasn’t enough. One night-" Shutting her eyes, she swallowed past a lump in her throat. "I don't remember what set her off, but she kept hitting me. Over and over. She wouldn't stop, no matter how much I begged. I knew that it would never stop unless - unless I made it stop."

Her voice took on a flat edge, colder and flatter with every word. "I used my power. I wanted her to experience every last drop of pain and fear she had forced on me. I made sure she did."

"...she was still unconscious by the time I had packed my things. I left and didn't look back."

Her words left the jet unsettlingly quiet for a time.

“Kassy…” Black Canary wished to find a way to console her after hearing her traumatic story, but Viktor cut in first.

“I might have done the same.” Viktor simply shrugged, attracting a glare from Black Canary.

“Viktor, that's not appropriate. Not now. Do you hear me?”

“Yes… but you would have also done the same, correct? It was self-defense in the only way she knew how. Heavy-handed, yes but how can we tell someone how to defend themselves at that moment? No one was there to teach her or assist her. Why do you think I've never held what she did to me against her? It was always the lie…” He hated the nightmares but in a twisted way, he thought they were deserved. He couldn't blame the flower because he got pricked by its thorns. Not when he was trying to pull it from its place.

“It wasn't her fault. Of course, anyone would agree with that, but she needs comfort, not someone telling her she was justified in her actions.” Black Canary was firm but scowling at the young man now. She was beginning to regret not dismissing him earlier. He on the other hand was more engaged in the conversation than ever as he leaned in toward the center and spoke freely.

“Why can't it be both? Why can't justification be her comfort? What she did wasn't out of the ordinary. Kass doesn't need a hug or soft words. She needs someone to not view her as a monster for what she's done. Perhaps that's why she's lied all this time, because she didn't believe anyone was ever going to give her this truth. You weren't going to give her this truth. She can tell us herself.”

Kassy’s voice cut through the argument. "She is still here and her ears still work." She looked downright exhausted. "Viktor's right. The time for comfort was when I was a child. Whatever remained of that little girl died the same moment I used my power on purpose. It's too late." She buried her trembling hands in her hair. "I am very good at packing my things very fast. If you would at least let me say goodbye to-" Her voice cracked, slipping into a soft defeated tone. "To Kila, I would appreciate that." Kassy stood swiftly, face to the ground as she gathered her gear.

“Kassy, you don't really intend on leaving, do you? No one wants to see you go. We can work through this.” Black Canary shifted back to concern when addressing Kassandra, shaking her head to show her she didn't want to think of departing.

"No, I don't want to leave. But do you really think they'll allow me to stay after I just admitted to attacking someone of my own free will?" Her arms wrapped around herself.

“Of course, they'll keep you.” His face contorted, almost disgusted by what Kassandra predicted might happen. “Do you really think their standards are that high, Kass? They recruited Daphne of all people. Talon, Kila, and myself are reformed but to what extent? We receive more therapy sessions post mission than active duty infantrymen.” He scoffed at her. “Quit assuming and be rational.”

“Viktor. That's enough. I will handle this. If we need your input again, we'll ask.” She gave him a nod before addressing Kassandra again. “What you shared is something I may have to inform a small circle of. As you can imagine, something like that can't go undocumented. If there's a decision to be made, it'll be made in deliberation. Until then, you are still a member of this team, Mirage.”

Kassy’s head jerked up at Viktor's tone, as she turned to stare at him. The derision she was expecting, but the target was all wrong. She wanted to speak but waited for Black Canary to say her piece.

"Yes ma'am. I understand." She turned to Viktor, momentarily silent. Then, she held her right fist to her chest and swept a bow. The team had seen this gesture before; she'd always described it as an Atlantean salute. A gesture of respect for one above her station. Or one worthy of respect.

"You've been very truthful this whole time. Thank you. I'm out of practice, so I might as well start now. I'm sorry for hurting you, Viktor. You were wearing my aunt's face at the time, but that doesn't excuse my actions. I don't expect your forgiveness, but I hope to earn it in time."

Viktor was about to reply but looked at Black Canary from the corners of his eyes for permission to speak. A simple nod from her was all he needed before his gaze met Kassandra again.

“Already accepted. All I want from you is your honesty. Not just to me but to the others and yourself.” He finally stood up from his seat. “Own who you are and own what you're capable of…” As Viktor spoke he looked down at her, his expression not dull, but serious. It almost appeared as if he really cared despite how cold he was being with the rest of his body language. His eyes remained on hers for a moment before darting toward Kassandra's dampening bracelet. “... perhaps when you finally get that thing off your wrist.”

She raised her arm, gaze narrowing at the offending device. "Yes. One day. And sooner than you think. Nothing makes me want to prove myself more than being challenged." For the first time since Atlantis, she smiled at him. Not a tooth-baring threat, but a soft little grin. "It's your turn, next time. When you're ready to tell me what nasty person I remind you of, I will listen."

“Sure. Next time.” Viktor nodded, cementing the idea presented. Though still very weak, Kassandra and Viktor's bond was mended.

T H E T E L E P O R T E R R O O M

---

The kitchen of Mount Justice was smelling of a freshly baked cake. The aroma wafted through the air, warm and inviting. Red Tornado usually had no business in the kitchen. Preparing food, especially baked goods was something Daphne usually did. He’d discovered her skills of hospitality were beneficial to Team bonding. Even though she wasn’t there to assist he had the TV to help him out.

He was simultaneously watching a tutorial on the lounge television while whipping up a batch of chocolate frosting. He copied the recipe step by step and even went as far as wearing an apron and chef's hat. The kitchen looked like a tornado passed through it. All the ingredients were sprawled out everywhere. There was egg sticking from the ceiling and a staggering amount of bowls and spoons. You’d think there were at least five cakes in the making.

“Now this is the important step. The cakes must be fully cooled before frosting, or the cakes won’t stick together. We don’t want any sliding action going on”

Red Tornado turned his head to the cake which had only been out of the oven for four minutes and 22 seconds. Despite being an android with superior processing speed, this human on the cooking programme had some kind of special equipment or method he used. Because the cake was already cooled and ready to be frosted to perfection, a mere two minutes into the video.

The android had miscalculated the time he needed to create this welcome gift. In less than ten minutes the new members were going to arrive. He needed to go to the teleporter room. With his free hand he sent a series of soft and steady gusts of wind towards the cake.

Three minutes and 56 seconds later Red Tornado rushed through the hallways. He was still wearing the apron and holding the cake inside a plastic dome. The Team’s caretaker arrived just in time to hear the Zeta Tube system announce the first newcomer. If he could sweat now would be the time he’d wipe some off of his forehead.

“League identification 036 Nightwing”

Nightwing exited the glowing dome of the teleporter and pulled up a touch screen, typing in a new designation code.

“Access granted, Vincent Ryder, aka Talos Y17, Authorization Nightwing 036”

Mere seconds after Wonder Woman arrived with two other new members.

“Wonder Woman 03”

“Access granted, Cora Danvers aka Enceladus Y15”

“Pei Huo aka Iceburn designation Y16”

Nightwing caught the disaster cake sitting under the dome and to top it off Red Tornado in a pink flowery apron. He almost lost his cool.

“Hello Red Tornado…” He could swear he pulled a muscle in his face in trying not to smirk.

“Good morning Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Talos, Enceladus and Iceburn”

“Morning John,” Wonder Woman answered in her usual serious tone.

“Is that a cake…?” The amazon frowned slightly in genuine surprise. It was very unlike John to attempt something like this, but she did not doubt its genuineness.

“Yes Diana, that is correct. Unfortunately there has been some sliding action.”

The two halves of the cake had slid off of each other, the frosting was all over the inside of the dome.

“It is a gesture to make the new members feel at home and welcome.”

Hopefully the new members didn’t mind eating cake with their hands, as there wasn’t a knife in sight.

“PFFFT HA HA HAHahahahaha!” Pei pointed at the chef and burst out into laughter.

With a laugh in her voice, she continued. “Awww, thank you! Gimme some of that!” She skipped over to accept the cake gift and pop off the plastic dome, ready to scoop up a part of it with her fingers and eat the cake off of it.

There was a sudden puff of smoke and Zach dashed into the room before it cleared.

“Zach Zatara, at your service!” He flourished and bowed. [color=darkviolet“I heard there were new people… But more importantly, cake.”[/color]

Stepping forth from the teleporter-warp-portal-whatever nonsense was one of the recruits with snow-white hair and glowing blue eyes. The woman, the myth, the not-legend, Cora. [color=00ffff]“Yeah! I’m a new person. Hi. Is- Is that a cake?” She asked, seeing the Avatar-looking dude with an absolute mess of a cake in his hands getting assaulted by her new friend, Pei.

“Cake for the new people.” Pei said emphatically, trying to intercept any approach from Zach with a glare. At least she said something similar to that, she still had her fingers in her mouth.

Zach shrugged his shoulders.

“There’s only three of you, and more cake than that. Ekac fo ecils.” Immediately and magically, a slice was cut and poofed into his greedy hands. “There’s plenty to share.” He shoved the piece into his mouth. “Mmm, not bad. Daphne did it better though.” He spoke with his mouth full.

The third of the recruits, Vincent, stood off to the side, facing the wall as he fought a wave of dizziness. God, I would rather have flown, he thought as the nausea passed. Hopefully it’s one of those things I’ll get used to. I don’t wanna be the guy who gets sick every time.

When he was certain he had gotten over his ‘first teleportation wooziness’, he turned toward the others to find them gathered around Red Tornado, enjoying…something that looked like a mass of blended color. A small piece of steel separated from the implant on his back, slithered down his arm, and into his hand where it molded itself into a stylized knife. “It doesn’t look pretty, no offense, but cake is cake.” He cut himself a slice and the knife reformed into a small plate, complete with a fork. He stepped back and asked, “So, what now? While I don’t mind it, I didn’t come all this way for cake.”

Zach shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll throw all of us on a mission soon. In the meantime, chill. Enjoy the party. Please tell me you're more fun than the other boys in this group.”

“...Hey!” Pei poofed a snowball into existence and flung it at Zach so it’d hit his shirt. “Cake stealer. ‘Eekaky fo wacky’ sounding. We just got killed and re-assembled into an exact clone with all of our old memories and this is how you treat us?”

Cora hoped they weren’t actually killed and cloned. That would be weird.

“Hmm.” Viktor entered, first taking in what was happening before speaking. “Welcome to the team, you three. I'm Viktor and look forward to seeing you perform in the field,” he said with much effort as he attempted to be careful with his first impression for once, though his tone lacked any warmth.

“...Hey, Vik- can I call ya Vik? I’ll stick with Viktor. I’m Pei!”

“No one refers to me as 'Vik' but it is quicker to say. I… shorten everyone's names too when possible.” Viktor wasn't used to being around someone so energetic. She moves too much…

“Oh, sweet, Vik it is! My name is already pretty short but feel free to shorten it even more.” Pei said. “I could just be ‘puh.’”

“Puh…” He tried it but frowned. “'Pei' will do just fine.” Pei laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, jolly.

Viktor's eyes quickly met Nightwing. “Nightwing,” and then Wonder Woman. “Wonder Woman.” He nodded at them respectively with his short greeting to the two heroes.

Pei looked to the side at Nightwing and Wonder Woman as Viktor regarded them coolly. She bounced lightly on her heels, excited. “I know, right? I got all my freaking out done on the way here. So many Leaguers!”

“I’m Cora. I’m the one who zaps people. Nice to meet you.” She didn’t admit it, but that Viktor guy looked… Scary. The cake looked nice, but she didn’t have a plate. “What- Uh… What happened to that cake?”

Zaps people? Viktor raised a brow but refrained from asking.

“Yep. I zap people.” She held up both hands in front of Viktor, and suddenly an arc of blue electricity began dancing around her fingers similar to what she showed Pei before they arrived. “Lightning.”

“Useful,” Viktor muttered under his breath with a slight glean in his eyes.

Vincent finished his piece of cake, having practically inhaled it, and licked his fork and plate clean before they recombined and slithered back up his arm. The liquid steel rejoined his implant as he said with a grin, “Name’s Vincent. Just point me at whatever needs beating up and I’ll get it done.” He paused and took a moment to look at Viktor before saying, “You know, you look kinda familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it…”

“Is that so, Vince? I wouldn't consider myself well known but I have featured on Zach's YouTube channel in the past. I am his former assistant.” Viktor glanced at Zach but didn't shoot him a dirty look… this time.

Pei looked between Viktor and Vincent, blinking her big eyes. She subtly moved to Cora’s side, eating the last of the cake off her fingers. She leaned over conspiratorially. “...Hey…Cora…” She sounded like she was about to say something, but then she just giggled.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Look at the beefcakes over there.” She indicated Viktor and Vincent again. “I hope one of them starts wearing funny hats or something.”

”Funny hats? Hmm. Yeah. That would be funny, I guess.”

Pei just giggled some more, trying to solidify which one was which in her head before she started getting them confused.

Meanwhile on the outer edge of the room, the young lion watched all of this from a distance, arm in hand behind his back. At least as far as initial impressions go, Kila decided to gauge how the new ones interacted with what he’d call the team’s ‘difficult’ members. He remembered the last people that were introduced, albeit the memory was strangely vague. What he had though, was that they were both associated with demons. One of them in particular had the mouth of a devil, more so than even Zach. Along with their quick removal, Kila supposed the concept of new ones left an odd taste in his mouth. Still, he kept in mind that he shouldn’t hold that against them. So, he took a half bow of sorts to the visitors and new members alike.

“My name is Kilamanjaro. But you may call me Kila.”

Pei forgot all about the cake she was so offended about and turned to everyone with a bow.

”Pei Huo. The Incorrigible Iceburn.” She walked up to Kila and went to take his hand and vigorously shake it. The young lion made an awkward smile of sorts with the oddly moist handshake.

“Nice to meetcha, looking forward to working together!” She smiled wide.

“League identification 043 Vixen.”

A statuesque dark skinned woman walked out of the Zeta Tube. She walked with poise and purpose, wearing a sleeveless orange catsuit. It was modified with a few stylistic touches, a popped collar and a v neckline.

It was likely a combination of her maternal instinct and animal senses that made her hone in on Kila almost immediately. She greeted the other leaguers in a manner that was slightly snobbish but it was offset by the warmth in her voice.

She moved through the room and reached Kila. Vixen got out a handkerchief that looked frighteningly expensive, especially when she used it to clean Kila’s hand, getting chocolate all over it.

“Geza maoko ako”

”Hongu, Amai…”

Vixen looked at her son, who had nodded his lowering head with a stern expression on her face. She then turned back to the others, tossing the handkerchief to Pei.

“Girl, that’s not really how you make a first impression.”

“Uah?” Pei said, confused and a little star struck, looking down at her hand with the handkerchief in it. “Oh.” It seemed like only then she realized the full implications of being in a room full of Justice League members. She laughed a little nervously. “It was either refuse the welcoming gift cake, or not shake anyone’s hand…” She mused quietly as she wiped her hand off. “Such are the conundrums a hero must confront…r-right?”

Cora leans over and whispers to Viktor who took a slight step away to maintain his personal space. ”Who the hell is she?” She was a bit of a nerd for Justice League stuff, but that woman didn’t look familiar.

“Vixen. She's quite capable from what I know of her.” He answered simply. The subtle yet familiar footsteps of another approaching the room drew his attention.

Alisa had been spending a lot of time in her room for the past week. Her new body took some getting used to, but today… she knew there were new teammates arriving, but she didn’t feel well. At least, she hadn’t felt well for the last ten minutes. It was strange. She had never been sick before- as a matter of fact, it was physiologically impossible for her to be sick. She felt… staticky. Off.

But no matter that. She needed to go meet new people. She couldn’t say she was excited. In fact, she had been dreading this. As Alisa approached the lounge, however, she started to feel worse and worse. She felt off balance, and she had never felt nausea before, but was that nausea? She entered, the feeling intensifying.

“Hel-” Just then, static took over her voice, sending it into an incomprehensible, high pitched noise. Panic entered her eyes. Was something wrong?

“Oh. Is… Is she okay?”

“Oh, shit!” Pei exclaimed. “Err- don’t put anything in her mouth! Right?” She said, trying to remember what to do if someone had a seizure.

“Alisa.” Viktor moved to her side. “What's wrong?”

“I feel-“ Alisa hiccuped, a sensation that startled her. “Unwell.” Her voice was still laced with static, although it was receding. She glanced around the room, searching for the source.

Vincent, who had been distracted from trying to figure out where he had seen Viktor from, watched what was happening to Alisa with curiosity and wondered if that kind of thing happened often. That's when someone who knew better approached, leading with her empathy. There was a disembodied, soft voice at Alisa's other side.

“Easy, my friend. Do you need to rest?" Kassandra appeared slowly, so as to not startle anyone further. Her hand rested at Alisa's shoulder, ready to catch her. Her orange eyes showed quiet concern; they had only just gotten her back safe and sound. “Viktor, could you carry her if she faints?”

“Easily,” he answered.

Perhaps Alisa was overwhelmed. Kassandra could relate. It had taken her longer than she wanted to dress and muster the energy to go up and join the others. Despite no longer being the skittish guppy from months ago, she was still wary of strangers. But, she was now considered a senior member of the team. If it meant saving Alisa the stress, it was worth it. She nodded briefly to Viktor, and stepped away to give the two some privacy.

By the time she turned around, she'd put on a polite face.

“Good morning, all.” She inclined her head politely to the full members of the League. She'd not actually met all of the others' mentors for more than a few moments. “And to the new members, welcome. I'm-” The young Atlantean stopped mid-sentence, her muscles suddenly taut. The core team had seen her do this before. It was her prey-sense at work. But why here - these were her allies. A second sweep of the room made everything clear. Yes, her body warned her of a predator, and she was close.

Vixen. She'd never met Kila's mother before, though he always spoke of her with love and pride in his voice. The woman was barely taller than Kassy herself, and much more slender. She was utterly beautiful - it was obvious where Kila had gotten his handsomeness from. But her prey-sense was telling her she was swimming with not a shark, but a dolphin. Less bloodthirsty - infinitely more intelligent.

She realized she'd been staring. “Um. G-good morning! Y-you must be Vixen.”

Vincent's attention pulled toward Vixen, now. He had heard of her, but only so far as her being part of the Justice League. He figured he shouldn’t be surprised that she was the mother to one of his new colleagues, given that this group were all heroes in their own right, from what Nightwing had told him. However, her status as a League member did nothing to make him think before he spoke: “Guess it’s no wonder how you got that name.”

Vixen responded to Vincent, understanding the innuendo but decided not to acknowledge it.

“I chose the name, no one gave it to me.” The woman swiftly shut that path of conversation down, which allowed for others' focus to be steered back to Alisa and her unusual problem.

It was a newer occurrence for her to suddenly grow weak to the point of her voice shifting. It wasn’t the first time that Alisa had exhibited odd little quirks, but not quite this rattling. The young lion chalked those issues up to her still trying to readjust to the new body, which they had learned was not constructed the same as her original. Kila could relate in a way, to waking up and his own body feeling foreign to him. So, he offered support where he could. However with his other teammates already aiding, as well as Justice Leaguers present, he kept in place.

Kila had his gaze still trained on Alisa up until Vincent had spoken, to which he turned his head to him. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond to what the new boy had said. What was that meant to mean? When his eyes roamed, he noticed that the views of the other teens shifted between the ailing android and his amai. Looking at the woman beside him, then to the stumbling Kassy, he wryly smiled.

“Idzi ndidzo-“ He paused, “These are my friends, amai. Kassandra, Viktor, Alisa, and…” He looked around for the black haired magician briefly before gesturing off to him still near Red Tornado.

Vixen was calmly reading the room. Her sharp eyes went from face to face. There were multiple types of energy shifting into each other. Emotional energy seemed to radiate strongest in the ones Kila called his friends. Her senses also picked up on an undercurrent of sorts. Noticing Alisa’s odd behavior, she addressed Red Tornado.

“Something is troubling her Red Tornado.” The android nodded and started towards Alisa and Viktor. The latter of which was studying his teammate's abnormal symptoms.

“Magnets? No. You should be charged, yes? Hmm…” He glared around the room. Something or someone is doing this to her, but how?. Viktor's eyes glanced between the three new members of the team. They didn't appear to be doing anything suspicious but he remained wary of them. He had always been skeptical about the Justice League's vetting process for their team. Sometimes he even wondered how easily the team could be infiltrated by a person with ill-intentions toward them. “Red Tornado, I think we should take her to the hallway. I think something here is bothering her.”

“I- hic- charged last- hic night.

”Uh. Wait. Wait, is she… A robot?” Cora asked with what sounded like genuine concern upon hearing the static come out of Alisa’s mouth. Viktor's sights locked on her immediately.

“Yes, Cora… Why?”

While the tension on one side of the room was soon becoming thick on one side of the room, the other end had a bit of its own…

Vixen wasn’t privy to the intimate details of the Team’s inner workings. She requested to be kept updated on important events, especially ones considering her son.

“I heard the Team had a trifecta of the natural forces, where is the third?” Vixen directed the question to both the Team and the League members present. Her attention then shifted to Kassandra. Her dark eyes appraised the aquatic heroine after she had introduced herself. The girl was a bunch of nerves. Sometimes she had that effect on people.

“Speak freely Atlantean.”

Kassy felt something in herself trying to shrink away from Vixen as they made eye contact. The desire to back away was strong. It was like being back in the throne room of Atlantis over a year ago, before any of this had started.

Then again, she wasn't the child she used to be. She had been chosen, tested and tried. She had even been broken, but was regrowing her teeth. Despite her scars, she was still here.

The shift in the young Atlantean was mostly invisible from the outside. She stood a bit straighter, and her voice was firm. “You are thinking of Daphne, or Nymph, ma'am. She's currently indisposed, unfortunately.”

An undercurrent would go unnoticed by the majority of the room, save for those like Kila and Vixen with the power to sense it. Kassandra looked Vixen in the eyes, her bearing respectful of the stronger predator. But there was no fear present anymore; instead a silent declaration that Kassandra wouldn't lie down if challenged.

“It's a pleasure to meet you in person. Kila always speaks of you with high praise, and I can see why.”

Oddly enough, Kila could feel the change in her demeanor. The way Kass acted when she approached versus the way she spoke now, indicated such. A subtle shift of strength that the shy water child had only displayed flashes of in the past. To see it, even up to the intimidating figure that his mother could present, caught Kila off guard. A warmth came to his chest, and the dry smile from before became more wholehearted. Golden eyes gleamed brightly and proud, but no words came from him. Even if he had something to say, it’d probably stumble out.

Vixen broke into a somewhat unexpected warm smile. The same energy she sensed before became more prevalent, the stronger Kassy’s presence became, but she wasn’t the source, rather the cause. Her eyes went from Kila to Kassy and back, something gleaming within them.

“It’s good to meet you Kassandra.” A smooth conclusion.

Meanwhile, Pei stood with Cora, Vincent, and some of the Leaguers, watching with her hands flat at her sides.

“Well, this is off to a rip-roaring start. Couldn’t even make it two minutes without a medical emergency. What are we supposed to do now? This is so awkward.”

“Well. Okay. I know what the problem is. Don’t freak out but… It’s me. Whenever electronic stuff gets around me, it acts… Off. It’s not gonna kill her but I kinda have that effect on stuff. If she’s a robot, then that’s awkward.”

“...Robot?” Pei blinked.

Alisa’s eye twitched. Her mouth resolved itself into a thin line. She was peeved. More than that- pissed. Of course it would get worse. Of course! “Are you- hic- for fucking real? Seriously?”

“Sorry… I can’t really turn it off.”

“You're kidding right? You interfere with electronics and you can't really turn it off?” Viktor shook his head as he realized the recruits were too good to be true. “How are we even supposed to conduct a mission with you around?”

“I don’t know! Just point me at somebody and I can blast ‘em out of existence. I can do that.”

Viktor simply sighed and averted his eyes, fighting not to say anything else.

“Sorry.”

Pei sauntered and set her arm around Cora’s shoulders, giving her the side hug.

“Hey.” She said to everyone. “Gang. It’s all good. We can work somethin’ out, probably. The robot could wear rubber gloves. Or…Cora could wear rubber gloves. I’m sure the answer is rubber gloves. We’re just getting to know each other!” She said.

“The robot has- hic- a name. I’m Alisa. And I’m not- hic- a robot, I’m an android. I’m AI.” The constant vocal interruptions seemed to be somewhat subsiding, but Alisa still felt off. She glanced at Red Tornado, then Black Canary. How had they thought this was a good idea?

“Alisa the Android!” Pei said, her palms skyward. She pat Cora reassuringly on the back and moved away, closer to Alisa. “Cora has lightning powers. Maybe they’re messing with your…sinuses? Your circuits? If ol’ Red here is fine, then I’m sure you can be, too.” Pei was nothing if not an optimist.

Alisa looked at Pei, not dropping her slightly annoyed look.

“It’s more- hic complicated than that. I just got a new body. I’ll- hic- have to call Cyborg again.” She grimaced. But… it probably wasn’t her fault. Or either of them’s. Alisa had no idea what it was to have powers you couldn’t control. She looked at Cora, expression softening. “I’m sorry. I’ve been- hic- stressed, lately. It’s not your fault.”

“You're right. It isn't her fault. It isn't anyone's but theirs.” Viktor's set toward the Leaguers. “I'm not a fan of this team being treated like a daycare.”

“Oh, it’s no one’s fault! Cora has lightning powers, Alisa is stressed because she just got this new body, whatever that means… I imagine it’s like spilling wine on a shirt you just bought.” Pei said. A little eagerly on the ‘it’s nobody’s fault’ part because, well…Leaguers! Yikes!

Wonder Woman carefully observed the escalating conversation between the established and new members. She had been briefed about the current state of the Team, fragile would be the word she’d use to describe it. This reaction wasn’t completely unexpected. She stepped into the center of the group.

“Everyone has a right to be here, we recruited you for different reasons. To learn control, to see the value of teamwork, trust in each other's strengths and cover for the weaknesses.”

She turned to Viktor, her blue eyes unyielding.

“It is not for you to say who deserves to be here and who doesn’t. At one time you must also have struggled with your newfound powers. Getting control over something that sometimes controls you is no easy task. Have more empathy.”

“Agreed. It's for you to say who deserves to be here and who doesn't… Your responsibility. And yes I have struggled with my abilities, but I was never operational until H.I.V.E. deemed me prepared. With that said, I'm willing to work with my new teammates as best as I am able. We'll find a way like we've done so far.” His last sentence was more so addressing the team as he looked at each of them as he spoke.

How Viktor didn’t turn into a shriveled up husk was beyond Pei, but she just clapped her hands together and shrugged happily at his response.

“Red Tornado’s an android too, right? He’s fine. Which means he’s built so he can’t be all staticked up by, well, static. That’s all it is. I just give off static, it makes phone screens flicker and sometimes speakers act weird, but it won’t kill her. I’m sorry you think my powers are annoying but if the League can build a teleporter, I’m pretty damn sure they can figure out how to work around me. All you gotta do is insulate Alisa’s… techy bits with something static-proof and do that with everything important. That’s how motherboards are kept safe. Ain’t that big of a deal right now. We’ll figure it out later.”

Nightwing nudged Vincent with his shoulder.

“You can cut the tension with a knife in here right..?”

Vincent had been watching his new colleagues attentively as he tried to get a read on them. A piece of liquid steel slithered around and between his fingers, as if it were a living piece of quicksilver. It was a quirk he had developed whenever he mulled over something, as rare as it was for him to sit back and think. This was why he preferred being on his own. There was no one to argue with, no toes to step on. Things were just easier if he only had himself to worry about.

“You’re telling me,” he replied to his mentor as the steel lifted away from his fingers. Now floating above his palm, it began to take different shapes; a star, a sphere, a tiny knife, so on and so forth. He sighed and turned his steely eyes toward Nightwing. “I’ll give them a chance. It’s the least I can do, since you did the same for me when you could’ve just as easily tossed my ass in jail.”

He clenched his fist around the steel floating above his palm and slipped his hands into the pockets of his overcoat with a smirk. “Besides, you promised me some good fights if I stuck with these guys. Gotta give you a chance to deliver on that, don’t I?”

With that, he approached the group and asked, “Everything good, now? Are we all best friends, again?”

“Were we ever not?” Pei asked. “Now c’mon, let’s scram, let’s look around, let’s get outta here!” Pei said, moving to the nearest door to see what was behind it. She opened it up and disappeared behind it as it shut.

“...It’s a closet!”

”Uh… Should we actually be running off yet?” Cora asked, looking to Wonder Woman. So far, she was the only person here that Cora actually knew, having thrown an entire thunderstorm at her, only to have it blocked by a sword.