[IC] Young Justice

[DClassified]

_{Interaction | Daphne Or @Dreamingflowers
Felix Or @Prints Avoid
Jack Or @Courtaud
Location | Base Level of The Sanctuary}

---

Ja bit his bottom lip when Daphne explained that it wasn’t soda in the tiny bottle. It made more sense that it wasn’t, because the bottle was much too small to be worth anything drinking. That meant it was the ‘not-food’ nose twitch, which made him nod his head to make sure to remember the differentiation again. When she extended her wrist after spraying the perfume, his head bobbed to take a whiff of it. The boy almost sneezed but blew gently out of his sensitive sniffer instead; the distinction was clearer when on the outside of the bottle.

”It is very flowery, Daffy-Knee.” Ja smiled, though his statement brought him back to his previous thoughts. Flowery...Ambuya’s explanation of the other force of nature. ‘With the Red and Blue was weaned, the life breathing force that is called— ”The Green!”’ Ja stated the last part inadvertently aloud as he put it together. He blinked and realized that what he said hadn’t made much sense, especially with how random it was. Still, he was glad to figure out what she was; the nature force she was part of, that is.

He was saved from any possibly awkward explanation when she called him with the request of showing them around. He knew he caught different individual scents briefly on his way here before the Red told him about her. Red Robot left them down here? That was weird, he was usually very focused, or at least in the time since he’s been Ja’s boss. The Red conduit thought about what could have stolen his attention, but Red Robot could handle it. So instead, he focused on her question and he smiled cheerily.

”Yeah! Let’s go find them!” Ja answered. A giddy feeling settled in his chest and his instincts found inspiration. So, as he skipped ahead of Daphne into the main area of the Base Level, one could pick out the chattering and even a few minor barks of a Baboon coming from him.

Upon further inspection, Ja saw two new people, each new scent leading to the appropriate owner. One of them was a brown skinned boy with his hair shaped in a line across his head. He could detect a hint of fear coming from him, but Ja wasn’t sure of what. The other was a white boy with bright blue eyes and really thin eyebrows. Happy to meet these new people that would be on teams with him, Ja’s pointed toothy grin was shared with them.

“Mhoro noobs! My name is Ja and this is Daffy-Knee—” Ja introduced, gesturing to Daphne, though not realizing he skipped ahead pretty fast and he had to turn his head to see if she was still following. Turning back to them he waved.

”Welcome to the team.”

[Shard]

Location
💀 The Sanctuary.
💀 The Kitchen → The Dorms.

Interactions
💀🐦

---

It was an odd sensation, not only the consumption of nourishment otherwise abandoned following a dark transformation. Rather, this also included the social endeavors put forth by the Wraithborn. Why did he care, and how would this development impact Casper’s life? Or rather, his Unlife. Was the Necromantic entity to wield dark powers alongside a group of Heroes and save the day? Was he going to halt a robbery in progress while presenting heroic monologues? An ironic thought, to say the least. However, Casper had learned how to neutralize foes without permanently damaging their souls. He had unlocked a means of weaving his magic which refrained from destroying, consuming, or otherwise leaving aggravated wounds on a being’s essence. This was the very first lesson taught to him by Zatanna, preceded by the words ‘If you are to deal with the living, you need to know how to keep them that way.’ The magician was right, of course. Casper could not unleash Necrotic darkness upon unsuspecting villains and leave behind an empty shell. It was not quite how heroes operated, he was told.

As such, the young Wraithborn had, following arduous training, finally mastered the ability to force a soul into temporary dormancy with his magic, rendering the living unconscious. In accordance with Zatanna’s theories, Casper could also heal a damaged soul, but that was yet beyond him, and far more difficult than regenerating undead flesh, a feat he was more than capable of. Thoughts would proceed in traveling to Constantine, the 'Accomplished Warlock’. A single look at the man offered Casper a frightful image of his soul, a damned man if he had ever seen one. What forces of Hell and beyond had Constantine managed to piss off so drastically as to leave his spirit a mangled mess? One would shudder at the thought, but Casper was well aware that magic for humans tended towards a price in recompense, a price Constantine had dragged out with wits, shady deals, and mischief.

Finishing his meal, Casper, or Hex as he would be called far more frequently, rose to his feet. ”Thank you, Zach..,” the boy repeated, and silently began a quiet drift towards his dorm. The Wraithborn required sleep to the same extent as nourishment, that is to say, not at all. However, he found that meditating offered a sense of unmatched serenity. A world of silence where he sat surrounded by little else than the magic he was composed of. It allowed for clarity and understanding. A form of training all on its own, accompanying relaxation and what could only be considered rest.

Upon entering the dormitories, Casper paused, eyes tracing the many doors stretching across a corridor. This was where he would be living for the foreseeable future, alongside other individuals he was forced to rely on. “You okay, Cassy?” A voice tore the Wraithborn from his thoughts, a quiet word following.

”Yeah..,” he responded, raising a keycard to a screen by his door, seeing how the metallic barrier slid open to reveal the dark room within. A closed window greeted him, blinds preventing intrusive light from entering. With the dark aura constantly surrounding Casper now dissipating, the boy fell to his bed, clawed hands gently rubbing at his face.

“You don’t seem okay,” Coal stated, wings flapping before the crow’s talons grabbed onto the edge of Casper’s computer screen.

There was a pause, a frown making itself visible upon the boy’s face, a ghost in the darkness where he dimly glowed. It was quite poetic, in a way. Casper’s phantasmal eyes allowed him to see clearly without any light source, but equally so, others could see him just as well in darkness precisely as thick. ”I’m scared..,” a soft whisper left the boy’s lips, attention falling to his converse-clad feet, a bright blue to contrast with his otherwise monochrome presence.

Though the Wraithborn was expecting ridicule and faux mockery, he soon found that a crow had flown onto his lap, arms gently wrapping themselves around the avian as if on reflex. “You’ll be okay, Casper,” Coal stated. “I think everyone’s a bit scared, and I mean.., something has to scare you, right?”

Unable to hide the small, mellow smile bridging itself across Casper’s lips, the boy tightened his embrace of Coal’s feathery frame. ”Yeah..,” he finished, feeling a soft presence against his chest.

[dreamingflowers]

Location: The Sanctuary, base level, teleporter room
Interactions: Talon, Gold Rush, Metamorph

---

The Green?
Ja looked like he'd figured out something important, but it was completely lost on Daphne. Her full brows wrinkled together in confusion, but she kept an amused smile on her face. What was Green? She figured she could ask him later. His cheerful attitude was rubbing of on her. The way he said her name was funny. She had a feeling that correcting him wasn't going to do all that much, so she just let it slide.

"Yeah! Let's go find them!"

Daphne broke into a light sprint, trying to keep up with Ja, who was skipping through the hallway like a cheerful little monkey. It made her laugh. Running and laughing at the same time left her a little out of breath once they joined up with the remaining team members in the teleporter room. These hallways were long!
Running up and down just one of them was a whole workout on it's own. Daphne took a bit to catch her breath and listened to Ja talking to the two guys. She fanned herself with her hand, feeling a little hot. Her cheeks were lightly flushed, only they were soft green instead of the usual pink. Feeling self conscious she touched her cheeks,realizing they were warm, meaning she probably broke out green again.
How embarrassing....

She blew a piece of hair from her face, shifting her attention to the two team members in front of her. Daphne looked at guy who was carrying an owl shaped helmet first, trying to make eye contact with him, which wasn't easy because of the domino style mask he wore. He looked pretty serious and she couldn't really tell what he was feeling, excitement, nerves, maybe both or neither. She decided on a cheery wave at both him and the guy standing next to him.

"Hi, nice to meet you two, I'm Daphne" She overtly emphasized the pronunciation of her name, wanting them to learn the proper way to say her name. It made her giggle.

[dreamingflowers]

_{E P I S O D E O N E : M E E T I N G T H E T E A M}

FIGHT-FLIGHT-FREEZE

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

---

^{May 4rd, 2021 | 8:00a.m. | Happy Harbor, Rhode Island}

It was a bright and early morning, emphasis on the early. The team was expected to be outside 8:00 am sharp, at the main entrance of Mount Justice. It led into the forest bordering Happy Harbour. The location of their first combat and scenario training. Their teachers of the day were standing in the middle of the grass field, talking to each other. There was an obstacle course, a target practice area and several other areas constructed for a specific purpose, some more readily identifiable than others.

"Ladies first" A man dressed in green carrying a quiver on his back motioned for the other teacher to take the stage and address the group of teen heroes in front of the pair. She smirked at him, and rolled her eyes lightly, as someone who was used to being spoken to like that on the daily. She approached the group with confidence.

"We consider it an honor to be your teachers"

Behind her, the man was scratching the back of his head, not sure if honored was the way he felt. More like they were the only leaguers currently available. That and both him and Dinah were two of the most skilled fighters in the current Justice League. He wanted to show these kids not having powers didn't mean you couldn't win a fight. He was pulled away from his thoughts when the undeniable voice of Dinah explained the basics of combat to the team.

"Combat is about controlling conflict, putting the battle on your terms"
"You should always be acting, never reacting"

She realized that for some this training would be the first physical fight in their lives.
"Everyone responds differently to violence, you can either fight back, run or freeze on the spot"
"I'll need a sparring partner"

Dinah looked at the group of teens with anticipation, expecting at least one of them to step forward. That chance was ruined, when none other than her fellow teacher decided now was a good time to be flirty. Big mistake....

"Oh oh pick me pick me" He said excitedly, holding up his hand like the teens were supposed to do.
"After this, I'll show you my moves" A cheeky smile spread across his mouth, eyes still hidden behind a mask, but they were undoubtedly gleaming.

She nodded, giving him the okay.

He barely had time to string up an arrow, before he had to block several punches. When he tried to get in a hit, he got his legs kicked out from under him, falling face first into the grass, earning him a mouthful of leaves.

Dinah smirked and brushed back her blonde hair, barely breaking a sweat. It was difficult to keep a straight face, as the satisfaction of beating her partner never really did get old.
"Did anyone see what he did wrong?"

[Courtaud]

TALON

Interactions:Daphne, Jaro

“Mhoro noobs! My name is Ja and this is Daffy-Knee—Welcome to the team.”

@DClassified

Talon turned at the sound of two new pairs of feet approaching. Two of the team members he had only gotten a mere glimpse of earlier. The boy with the headphones, and the brown haired girl. This was it, introductions to the others. Talon felt his nerves grow jittery as scenarios began to play in his head, but he quickly shook them away. He wanted to give a good first impression. Still, his eyebrows furrowed at being called noobs. He wondered if members of the Justice League would call each other by silly names like that. This was merely another reminder that he was a child, on a team of other children.

But he never was one.

That familiar wave of frustration moved through him. He could feel his face growing hotter. Talon knew that the reason h was being set up to join the team was to make friends, but is that what he really wanted? Or did he want to get out there and become a hero? There was so much he had to still work through, still discover about himself. He nodded to the boy named Jaro.

"You can call me Talon. Is everyone on this team so cavalier about their secret identity? I was under the impression that it would be best to keep our real names to ourselves until we grew to trust each other."

---

Later that night
Location: Dormitory

That night, after being shown to his room. Talon stayed up, unable to adjust to his new environment right away. So many changes had happened in his life, and so rapidly at that. He had met each of the members on the team, each reacting in their own way to his refusal to give out his real name. Real name. What a joke. Even in this life, Jack didn't have a real name. He wasn't anybody. He was never anybody. The others - what kind of lives did they live before coming here? They were all well adjusted, even the ghost boy was friendly enough. The atlantean girl...she was someone who stood out to Talon. And the Cyborg. These were people who came from such radically different worlds. Do they stay up, like he stays up? He looked towards the door to the rest of the hall. He wondered if he were to go and walk the halls, would he run into any other night owls? Would he make his first real friend? Would he love these people? Could he love?

He rolled over in his bunk and faced the wall, staring at a familiar emptiness until sleep finally caught him. He did not dream.

---

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

---

^{May 4rd, 2021 | 8:00a.m. | Happy Harbour, Rhode Island}

"Did anyone see what he did wrong?"

@dreamingflowers

Talon looked around at the other members of his team. They seemed excited to be getting a live demonstration from Black Canary and Green Arrow - two heroes who's time with The League stretched back nearly to the beginning of it's inception. It was not lost on Talon that this lesson was of particular import to him, as they were both heroes who did not have metahuman capabilities - just like himself. When Black Canary asked her question, Talon spoke up.

"You said it was important to act over reaction. His attempt to draw his bow at such close range hindered his movements. He should have anticipated that you would quickly close the distance on him. His draw-speed may not have been an issue if he hadn't wasted time telling jokes."

[Shard]

Location
💀 Happy Harbour.

Interactions
💀 Those Present.

---

Spectral spheres eyed the early morning, tail slowly swaying at the sensation of a windy breeze. Divorced from temperature, Casper could still appreciate comfort accompanying the motions as sunlit gales gently caressed the Wraithborn’s cheeks. As if on reflex, clawed fingers rose to gently adjust the purple scarf so frequently positioned by the boy’s neck, a habit from when he still drew breath, perhaps? It was somewhat different, seeing his companions all gathered in one location, rather than spread out across rooms and hallways, much like the previous day. Gently rocking back and forth on the soles of his feet, Casper’s hands slipped into his jacket pockets, a slight frown managing its way to his features as the sun aimed bright rays at the deathly creature, Casper’s Necrotic shroud keeping him safe from relentless bombardment.

Physical training had never been his forté, and today nothing would change. Casper was unable to build muscle, or in any way alter his body. The boy was far weaker than that of an average human, and notably useless in a physical altercation. Rather, Casper’s entire repertoire of usefulness hailed from his magic. It begged the question, what would he have done in the situation currently witnessed? Conjuring forth Necrotic magic to attack his aggressors before they could reach him was an option, but that boiled down to exactly how skilled they were. Black Canary was a prime example of someone who would have utilized her advance and her stride to avoid being hit, all the while closing the distance between herself and Casper, giving her the upper hand. There was a reason as to why the Wraithborn felt most comfortable at a distance.

Rather, in a scenario where his assailant already possessed the advantage of distance, Casper’s first move would have to be logistical. Through means of his spectral magic, the boy would shift locations, phasing his body to another nearby location which shifted the advantage. Unlike Green Arrow, Casper could not hold his own in melee combat, and required quick thinking. Powers or not, Hex was taught by both his mother and Zatanna never to underestimate an opponent. A bullet unhindered by magical defenses would kill him, and arrogance paved a sure path to defeat.

Shifting his attention to Talon, the Wraithborn found himself agreeing with what had been said. It lined up well enough with the boy’s own deduction. Oddly enough, even Coal was silently watching this unfold. Though a playful bird, the spirit knew full well the importance of training. When Casper and Coal were alone, other rules applied, but in a scenario like this, another position was adopted. Most of Casper’s enemies were going to be alive and use weapons, rather than spiritual entities wielding powers. He had to adapt, and quickly.

[FunnyGuy]

Location: Happy Harbour
Interactions: The Team

---

The day prior…

Despite his lack of expression, Viktor really enjoyed the lunch provided by Zachary. So much, he had three helpings since other members chose not to eat.

After lunch, he had at least made eye contact with the rest of the members of the team, but from there, he ventured around the sanctuary. Like a vigilant security guard, he marched through the corridors spying at anything he had not noticed up to this time. Eventually, he took advantage of the gym and shortly after, went to bed.

Currently

Viktor stood amongst the others on his team, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Black Canary and Green Arrow lead the instruction. The request for a sparring partner caused him to shift forward before Green Arrow volunteered himself. He shifted back, observing Black Canary swiftly best Green Arrow.

Hearing Talon's answer drew his eyes to him. Talon was correct, yes, but there was more. Something more concerning to Viktor. He looked to the pair of seasoned heroes.

"I agree, but Green Arrow should not have even volunteered if he didn't prepare to take our training seriously… However, he did unintentionally make your point."

[Crimson Flame]

He managed to get a compliment from Viktor. Or, at least his attempt at one anyway. It was a start, but Zach knew he was going to have to come up with a spell that would knock his socks off! What kind of spell that would be, he didn’t know. He sat down to eat the meal he had magically prepared. The rest of the day was relatively uneventful.

—-

Who decided they had to wake up early to do combat training? They had 24 hours in the day, did it really need to be first thing in the morning? Zach considered himself a night owl more than a morning person. Why couldn’t mornings start later? When they got there, they were greeted by Black Canary and Green Arrow who were going to teach them to fight. Zach was less than amused. Not only was he going to have to get his butt handed to him several times over (he knew he didn’t possess any fighting skills. His cousin always insisted he should learn martial arts in case he was in a situation without magic, but how often was that going to happen?) He also had to deal with all the heteros going gaga for Black Canary. He didn’t even get an attractive male superhero to ogle. Green Arrow did not do it for him. Why do straight men think ridiculous facial hair is attractive? It’s not. Who wants to kiss a hairy face? He didn’t. Yuck. Why couldn’t it have been Nightwing training them? He was certainly a better fighter than the Robin Hood knockoff, and handsome to boot.

Canary and Arrow sparred, which did not last long. Canary bested her partner with ease. Then asked what Arrow did wrong. Viktor and Talon were the first to answer. “He was beaten that’s what he did wrong.” Zach casually replied. “For the record, telling jokes is not a waste of time. It takes enemies off guard. I’m a magician, catching people off guard is my gimmick. Granted, she’s used to his shenanigans by now. Ugh, I’m a sorcerer, not a brawler. Is there a point to this?”

[Mistress Dizzy]

Kassandra
Location: Happy Harbour
Interaction: @crimson flame

As Kassandra watched the demonstration, she couldn’t help but smile vaguely. She had never met Black Canary before, only heard of her. So far, she was impressed. Less so by Green Arrow. There was a time for jokes, and this clearly wasn’t it. It was no wonder he ended up on his butt so fast. As the others gave their responses as to what he did wrong, she nodded along in agreement.

But after, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Zach. The other boy was very kind, but he was also on the arrogant side, which was annoying. Still, he was the least scary among her team members, and so she had enough nerve to speak up.

“The point, is to not rely on just one thing or aspect of yourself. What if you’re fighting someone and you lose your voice, or you run low on magic? Then what? You’d probably die. That’s why we need to learn how to fight in different ways.” Her voice had been fairly confident up to that point, but she shrank back slightly. She was probably talking too much, even though that had been more words than the team had heard out of her at once thus far. “Um. That’s what I think, anyway.”

It was early. Usually that was fine with her, but today was a day they had to interact, and Kassy was nervous about it as usual. She could sense unease and irritation from the others. Probably the early hours for some. The clinging material underneath her flexible armored suit was making her body sweat slightly, and she kept fidgeting with her staff. She understood why they had to train in a group. But at the same time… why? Why couldn’t they just use the gym like normal? Why all of this?

The League really did have faith in this team, didn’t they?

[Shard]

Location
💀 Happy Harbour.

Interactions
💀 Those Present.

---

People had started to speak their minds. Responses were being offered, and even Kassandra had something to share. Each statement brought another thought to mind, and it was growing exceedingly clear that Green Arrow was less popular than expected among the members of this newly formed team. However, Zach and Kassandra took a step outside the question they had been asked, and displayed an interesting point.

For most, varied capabilities would certainly aid in a battle. Casper was, however; a bit of an exception. He could not run out of magic, as it had been phrased, and no components were used when weaving his powers. However, the boy’s weaknesses remained elsewhere. Casper was helpless against artificial life forms, but no amount of physical training could change that. Was he going to claw an Android into pieces? An ironic thought, but hardly a reality which would come to pass.

” I appreciate the lesson..,” Casper began, speaking up for the first time, ”But I hope relying on our physical strength isn’t mandatory..” Did the phantasmal entity coated in a vague but noticeable dark cloud need to explain the reasons why different rules applied to him? Casper’s body was merely a shell, a container for the Necrotic magic within. That very magic was arguably his true self, simply using his body as a vehicle. Expecting the same training regime to work for every individual in a team composed of entities worlds apart was foolish. For Casper, his magic was as much a biological part of his body as the boy’s limbs. If by chance he was unable to utilize this magic in an area, a suppression field would likely have been prepared, which in turn would prevent him from entering in the first place, considering how his very being would have been repelled by such powerful spellcraft.

With all of that presented, however, Casper did find it paramount to learn of others’ fighting styles and how to adapt. He was more than capable of conjuring forth his powers in melee combat, given enough training. As long as Black Canary and his teammates weren’t expecting him to throw a punch. This was already a hurdle passed with Zatanna. Much like Zach, she had suggested physical training to the Wraithborn, with little to show for it.

A Wraithborn wasn’t a physical combatant, and no amount of training would change that. Asking Casper to fight without his magic fell along the same lines of asking Viktor to fight without his arms, or his legs for that matter. “Hah, you can show them that you have your teleportation on point, at least! Zatanna made sure of that.” Coal cawed with a chuckle. Maintaining a safe distance to your opponent was true for every combatant. “…so can you regulate your magic enough not to cause paralysis?”

Casper had learned how to prevent his spells from damaging the essence of whatever entity it came in contact with. He did not, however, think that he could go beyond that. All in all, Hex wasn’t a very spar-friendly creature, but he would make the best of it. ”No..,” the boy returned.

“Sweet!” Coal exclaimed. Yes, this would be a disaster. “Can you regulate your magic enough not to cause organic matter to die?” The physical side of Necromancy, targeting the body rather than the soul. While fully capable of this, Casper preferred the spectral side of his magic. It was less messy, and far more versatile.

”…no..” Casper repeated, his eyes lowering to the ground.

“You’ve got this, kid!” Coal joked. A disaster indeed.

[canaryrose]

---

Location: Happy Harbour Interacting with: The Team

---

Combat was not Alisa’s forté. She had always known she was capable of violence, but she had never been encouraged to or had wanted to pursue it before the Young Justice League found her. Now, however, she found herself standing at the main entrance to Mount Justice, watching Black Canary and Green Arrow demonstrate a basic combat scenario. It was something she needed to know, but that didn’t mean she was any less uncomfortable. Her discomfort was palpable in the way she stood, arms crossed, eyes down. She didn’t want to hurt anybody, but… if it was for a good reason, if they were hurting other people, didn’t she have to? It would be the least amount of risk for her to fight, anyway, since she was hard to kill.

Alisa pondered these moral questions for a moment as Black Canary and Green Arrow warmed up. She had been the first to get to the training area and, even though she wasn’t thrilled by fighting, she was admittedly excited by the prospect of training. Technically, her muscles didn’t need to “train”, but it would be a fun bonding activity! She had worn workout leggings, tennis shoes, and a tank top that morning, showing off her ports. Her hair was down, however. Showing the big port there was a bit far for her. Alisa didn’t sweat, but these clothes were less liable to fall off and they were just comfortable and cute. She was standing next to Kassy, who she had deemed a potential friend yesterday afternoon.

She stood at rapt attention as Black Canary lectured briefly on battle. As the woman asked for volunteers, Alisa grit her teeth. Don’t pick me don’t pick me don’t pick me…

Her prayers were seemingly answered by Green Arrow. Alisa watched as he stepped up to the plate and… was promptly knocked into the ground. Alisa winced in sympathy, although she did see where he went wrong. Why would anyone ever flirt while sparring? Just seems like an easy way to get punched. Her teammates (coworkers? colleagues?) seemed to share the same sentiment, as they each spoke up about exactly what Green Arrow seemed to have done wrong.

A bit worried about being picked out for her reluctance to respond, Alisa elected to put in her own two cents. “Maybe Green Arrow should try not flirting with his colleagues in the middle of a fight? Or, since he uses arrows, he’s ranged, and he should try moving farther away first…” That was how ranged combatants worked, right? Alisa remembered seeing that in a game one of her parents was playing. Alisa wasn’t sure. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing at her teammates. Certainly, they were more experienced with this than her!

[baraquiel]

Location: Happy Harbour
Interaction/s: Everyone! :D

---

The loud, crunching of branches could be heard from a distance, followed by a series of screeches and yelps that seem to come from an unknown origin and a female one at that. The sounds were getting louder the closer the creature got to the team's location. Was it a villain? How did it know of their top-secret location? Was it going to attack the young heroes? What was its purpose?

"Eep!" The source of the sounds finally came to view, a woman crashing through the branches once more before rolling to the ground and splattered face-first on it, a few feet away from where everyone was. She groaned as her clothes and long, wavy reddish-brown hair was covered in twigs and leaves. She grumbled something in an unknown language as she stood up and patted the twigs from her clothes yet she didn't seem to notice some of them were still on her hair. She even had a few leaves sticking out of it.

Her grumbling stopped when she finally saw she wasn't alone, first staring dumbfounded at a pair of humans then looking back to see a group of younger-looking humans as well. She looked at them back and forth, back and forth, for a few more moments until something clicked in her head as she realized who she was staring at.

She gasped. "You must be Justice Leaguers! It is my first time meeting you in such a long time!" She excitedly said as she went towards Black Canary and Green Arrow, shaking both their hands at the same time excitedly as she didn't notice she was floating a few inches from the ground. "It is an honor to meet the heroes who helped free my people. We are of the greatest of debts to you, Green Canary, Black Arrow." She said earnestly to them, looking so sincere despite not knowing she confused their two names together.

The unknown woman looked back at the team and that's when they realized she wasn't human at all. Her golden skin seemingly glowed under the bright sunny day, her wavy reddish-brown hair flew freely in the wind, and her bright blue eyes twinkled with excitement and happiness. She flew towards them and looked at each of the members of Young Justice with fervent curiosity. "Oooooh, I did not know humans come in all shapes and sizes. Much so diverse." She said to herself out loud before pausing again and flying backward, creating distance between herself and the team.

"My apologies. You might not know my name yet as I have come of late." She said while sheepishly laughing, getting back down on the ground and bowing before everyone. "Greetings, humans of Earth. I am Princess Aleen'a of House Tykayl, daughter of Lord Drogon'a and Lady Grethan'a, blood kin of Princess Koriand'r of House Tykayl. I come from the beautiful planet of Tamaran and I have come here on planet Earth to fortify the relationship between our people." Aleen'a said, looking to the sides and leaning over as if telling them a secret. "Actually, it is just an excuse to hang out with my cousin." Aleen'a said with a wink and a giggle.

[Courtaud]

TALON

“For the record, telling jokes is not a waste of time. It takes enemies off guard. I’m a magician, catching people off guard is my gimmick. Granted, she’s used to his shenanigans by now. Ugh, I’m a sorcerer, not a brawler. Is there a point to this?”

@Crimson Flame

Talon looked over at his more flamboyant teammate. The boy was energetic, loud, and chaotic. A stage performer through and through. His showmanship came out even in his more simple statements. It was his question that Talon considered. He thought to himself that it would be a good point to learn these sorts of basic self defense so in the very likely odds someone took a swing at them, they had more options than a witticism. He was about to make this surly point of his when another of his teammate - this one the Atlantean - spoke up. She spoke with some uncertainty, but her words were true. The nervous energy she gave off for speaking in front of everyone gave Talon some hope. He too often struggled with speaking to crowds, or speaking in general. He had more in common with his new team than he thought, things beyond being trained by members of The League together.

When the cybernetic girl spoke up as well, Talon glanced over to her. She was dressed comfortably, and Talon found himself gazing at the bevels on her arms. They weren't as noticeable without a second look. He scanned them quickly before he saw what looked like a psuedo-exhaust port on her back. Talon admired it. He hadn't much experience in dealing with sentient artificial intelligence - and he wasn't entirely sure that that's what he was looking at. Would that be offensive to say and think? Talon was still trying to work that out in his head when she looked over at the rest of the team in turn, him included. He felt his face grow hot - wondered if he looked stupid, caught staring at her mechanized parts with stupid wonder. Luckily, he didn't need to stay embarrassed for long as suddenly the training exercise was interrupted by the arrival of a young flying girl. The day kept getting curiouser and curiouser.

[Shard]

Location
💀 Happy Harbour.

Interactions
💀 Those Present.

---

Apathetic, spectral eyes shifted towards a peculiar newcomer, Casper’s attention tracing across the combat scenario to a more rambunctious presence. A sight morphing an otherwise expressionless face into a faint frown. What was what light? As if concentrated sunlight gathered in a single container. It was headache-inducing, the boy narrowing those ghostly spheres before looking away. A new addition to the team? One the Wraithborn would have clear issues with. A singular glance in this girl’s direction, Aleen’a, was enough to warrant irritation. It wasn’t her personality, nor was it her flamboyant approach. The girl, or this creature, had done nothing wrong. Rather, her nature clashed with Casper’s to a dangerous extent, enough so for the Wraithborn’s dark shroud to grow somewhat thicker, and more noticeable.

This team, this family as Zatanna had phrased it, was continuing to grow, more individuals appearing with bombastic aftershocks soon following. Casper was aware of Tamarans. He had never met one before, but he recalled a Teen Titan by the name of ‘Starfire’. They were peculiar aliens, and their souls had a tendency of shining like bright stars. Aleen’a was no different, and indeed confirmed the rumor. In a way, Casper considered it beautiful. To him, an individual wasn’t the body they wore, but rather what was within. Quite literally. To a Wraithborn, the soul was everything, in any of its many different iterations and names. In old scripts, it wasn’t called a soul, it was called a shade, but semantics were irrelevant. To Casper, it was one’s being, one’s actual self. It would be fair to say that Casper witnessed a person’s inner being far before he ever saw their face. A body was simply a sleeve, a container for what was truly important. With that in mind, Casper would have been a fool to gaze upon the sunlit Tamaran and consider her spirit anything but beautiful, akin to a sunrise amidst darkness. Despite this, the ultraviolet rays emanating from Aleen’a were difficult to ignore.

“Hey, Casper! Try not to get a tan, yeah?” Coal stated, hopping from one foot to the other atop his friend’s shoulder.

”I’ll try..,” the boy mumbled, slowly backing away from Aleen’a.

“Anyway! Go up there and show them how it’s done, dead boy! Come on! It’s time for your gloomy ass to shine!” The avian continued. It wasn’t an attempt at embarrassing Casper, and much less so a desire to see him fail. Rather, Coal was aware that Casper wouldn’t participate without a push. The Wraithborn was a more than capable combatant with his magic, but like many others present, he was somewhat reluctant to offer a public display. It was almost ironic. Was any other superhero team this reserved? This group must have broken a record, certainly.

”I don’t know, Coal..,” Casper replied, his ghostly gaze lowering to the ground. If he was to go to the offensive, whoever ended up affected by the boy’s magic would be paralyzed for a few hours. Not the most effective training sequence. However, Casper didn’t need to focus on offense, he was already experienced enough in that regard, and the concept remained the same, irrelevant of if he was fighting the living or the dead. It was defense he needed to work on, defense and reaction time. That was where the two worlds differed for him. Spirits and those on the material plane would utilize an offense against him in completely different ways. He needed to master a response to both. ”Okay, I’ll try..,” the boy finally conceded, taking a step closer to the Arrow and the Canary. ”I’ll work on my defense..,” Casper stated, speaking up somewhat now that his older, feathery brother had pushed him enough.

[Crimson Flame]

Location: Happy Harbor
Interactions: Kassy,@Mistress Dizzy Aleena@baraquiel

Kassy spoke up, and said something about needing to know more than one way to fight and blah blah blah. Zach rolled his eyes. “Oh, easy for you to say. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you Atlanteans have enhanced strength or something? Or at least you’re stronger than a normal human? Anyway, I wasn’t blessed with being this sexy and strong too!” He said with a grin. “If I go in for punch, I’m liable to get my butt handed to me. Then I won’t be useful to anybody. Magic is my advantage!”

During all this, an orange flying woman with leaves and twigs in her hair appeared out of nowhere flew up to greet them. She reminded Zach of the hero Starfire. Sure enough, this woman was in fact Starfire’s cousin. Neat, another cousin of an established hero, like himself. She seemed like a barrel of laughs too. Zach wasn’t interested in women that way, but he had to admit, she had style. Zach stepped forward. ”Greetings your majesty.” Zach tipped his hat and bowed. “I am Zachary Zatara, of house Zatara. Blood Kin of Zatanna Zatara and Giovanni Zatara of House Zatara. And I’m the most popular teenaged magician thank you very much! I welcome you to earth.” He took off his top hat, and waved his wand over it. “Sesor fo teuquob!” A bouquet of red roses popped out from his hat, and he handed them to the Tamaranean. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”

[DClassified]

_{Interaction | Team & Teachers
Location | Happy Harbour}

---

It was somewhat of an uncomfortable night for the young man. Sure, he had laid on beds for the year he had been back with his Amai, and even sometimes when he was under President Bland’s command. However, he rarely ever slept on them. It was too soft, after many times of sleeping on the floor back then, it felt more comfortable on the ground. His Amai explained that there would be many things to get used to, things that he didn’t have to worry about anymore. That he was no longer a soldier, he would learn to relax.

While he had no doubt in the intentions of Amai, he wondered, if he wasn’t to be a soldier anymore, why was he here? The world of heroics didn’t seem much different from the world that he had supposedly left behind. Was it just that most didn’t kill their enemies? Saving the innocent? The Red Lion often gave speeches about saving and protecting people’s lives too. His Amai didn’t explain, but told him to just give it a chance. If he didn’t like it, he could just come home.

So, that’s what Kila set out to do. He would give this Young Justice Initiative a chance, to fight for ‘the right side’ and see if that made a difference to him. Thus, he did what Iwisa taught him, and prepared himself for training that morning up until the deadline.

Among the others, Kila stood with his arms behind his back, observing Black Canary as she spoke. There were few times that he’d seen and fewer that he encountered this duo. Both were of the League, just as his Amai. Though, more personally, Black Canary knew the father of his that he hadn’t the chance to meet. Because of that, there was a certain reverence he had for the warrior.

What she had taught today specifically, though, seemed to be beginner information though. It made him wonder about the real life combat experience of those whom he’d be going to battle with. As the small skirmish played out in front of him, Kila observed each action and reaction closely. However, as expected, Green Arrow was the first to be knocked to the ground. When the question was posed, Talon and Viktor offered each of their agreeable answers, given the Green Arrow’s jesting disposition.

It was when Zachary opened his mouth to give his opinion however, that Kila narrowed his eyes. The magician gave a generic answer to the question, clearly not paying much attention which irritated him. Furthermore, he went on a tangent about jokes and how they worked in battle, which to Kila made no sense in this context. He could understand the possible strategic value for some opponents, but that could just as equally make things worse. On top of that, the way he talked down to their teachers was dishonorable.

Kila was soon to reply, but Kassandra did it first. The tension within him eased as she broke down the usefulness of such training. He admired her confidence in speaking up, as she had barely said a word in the week he’d been here. Although her resolve seemed to falter, Kila nodded in acknowledgement. He wasn’t sure why, especially with her reclusive nature, but something within him seemed to be drawn to her.

The less verbal of the two pupils of Zatanna made a comment about not relying on physical strength, which made Kila roll his eyes. These two did not pay attention to what had just happened at all? What had just happened wasn’t about physical strength. Surely they were more perceptive, given magic’s tendency to be more than what the eye sees. That’s when Zach started talking again to try and worm around Kassandra’s explanation.

”If you trained to throw a punch correctly instead of complaining, then maybe you would have twice the advantage. Right now, you have one advantage and twice the complaint. How much more useful is that?” Kila couldn’t resist, his voice almost a snarl.

As the robot girl spoke, it became blurred noise as he caught onto abnormal sounds coming from their environment. He turned towards that section of the forest to give it a better investigation. The sounds of branches snapping and a high-pitched voice airing discomfort. As far as he was aware, there were no monkeys in America, which meant that there was a person approaching that was unaccounted for.

Just as his eye turned to the current League members on site, a girl crashed out of the shrubbery. She was bright, in almost every sense of the word; Her skin, hair, eyes, and even her outfit. While she could have been a threat in disguise, her demeanor and introduction implied otherwise. If she was a new recruit, she was rather late, especially to training, though it was her first time. No need to hold that against the princess, Kila supposed.

With his attention now returning to their training, Casper and his bird began speaking again. As it seemed, the feathered companion had managed to talk the spectral boy into volunteering next. In which case, Kila’s initial impressions about the magical members' work ethics were appeased for the moment. At least this one was willing to try.

[Shard]

Location
💀 Happy Harbour.

Interactions
💀 Those Present.

---

It was a daunting experience, to say the least, Casper’s attention fluctuating between his team and Black Canary. This was here he’d show them what he was capable of, at least in a defensive manner, and it would likely decide how the others saw him. Some of the individuals in this group likely judged their teammates based on their capabilities. Jack came to mind, followed by Viktor, and certainly Kila. The less fun side of their very own Kilamanjaro duo. Feeling how several eyes were boring into him, Casper clenched his teeth. This was just like fighting spirits, wasn’t it? It was just like standing up to a mad phantasm ready and hungry for the Wraithborn’s end. It was almost ironic how many individuals in the Young Justice team Casper had found himself to be a part of that lacked powers, all of whom compensated with elite training and physical skill. Casper did not possess any of that. No, he wielded something else entirely.

What did it matter what the others thought of him? In what capacity could Casper actually work together with them? Were they all going to practice choreographed motions, one attack leading into the next from several directions before a heroic end to the battle was at hand? It felt far too romanticized. It felt like fiction. Perhaps the boy simply lacked imagination, perhaps he had been on his own for so long that the notion of working alongside other aspiring do-gooders was divorced from reality. Then, this held true for nearly all of them. Despite Zach’s bombastic nature, Casper knew the boy well enough to point out that he hadn’t worked alongside others, either. The Wraithborn could only guess that this held true for those without powers on his team, as well. The quiet ones, the reserved heroes. The more Casper considered this situation, the more he longed for a quiet environment. He looked back at the moments spent in the Spirit World, despite how much it had initially frightened him. There was a sense of comfort that came alongside residing on a plane of the dead. An understanding he didn’t come across on the material plane.

None of that mattered, at the moment. Standing beneath a blazing sun, face to face with his new teacher, and only a few feet distanced from a Tamaran, Casper was starting to feel stress build up. Had he been breathing, acceleration in that aspect was imminent. Had his heartbeat been able to rise, he’d have felt the muscle beating against his ribs, repeatedly. Rather, Casper’s emotional chaos was kept within, a swirl of anxiety unable to reach the surface of his undead body. He appeared calm, collected, and untouched. His apathetic eyes, two ghostly swirls lit up within seemingly endless darkness stared ahead, insecurity hidden behind their glow.

’I’m scared..,’ thoughts traveled back to the previous day, Casper’s words confessed to a feathery friend always by his side. ’You’ll be okay, Casper,’ was the response he had earned, something which allowed for a sense of calm to wash over him. The truth was that no one truly knew how this would play out, but words of encouragement were never meant to afford glimpses of the future, but rather the strength to carry on. Coal had put Casper in this position, but the Wraithborn would not admonish his dear friend for that decision, knowing full well that this was always going to happen, one way or the other. Was this stage fright? Perhaps, Casper’s clawed toes curling slightly within his shoes as the boy’s body tensed further with every second. At the very least, his poker face was superb, the pinnacle of displayed apathy. Within, however, chaos reigned.

’You can use your magic freely, at will, and without drawbacks,’ Zatanna’s words made their way to the forefront of Casper’s mind. ’But that does not mean that you can be careless. With all your power, what would you do if I summoned a miniature sun in front of you? Ball up in a black sphere and hope it goes away?’ That session had been harsh, a lesson that taught Casper that power meant nothing in the eyes of superior tactics. It didn’t matter if he could subjugate a room of people with a wave of his hand if a single one of them managed to raise a gun for long enough to shoot him. Power was a tool, and it was easily surpassed by those with the ability to think a step further.

There was more to concentrate on than simply Black Canary. He had an incredibly powerful opponent in front of him, as well as a blazing sun above his head, which was arguably the most daunting foe Casper would ever face. Though his protective shroud had grown to be a passive addition of his magic, a reaction to sunlight more so than anything, a lapse in calm could very well cause the layer to fluctuate and that spelled out certain death for the Wraithborn. A lot was at stake here for a simple sparring session, but that was good. This was what most of their missions would entail, focusing on more than one thing, more than one enemy. ”I’m ready..,” Casper stated, hoping that he wouldn't make a fool of himself.

[Prints Avoid]

Location: Happy Harbour
Interactions: The Team

---

Felix hadn't known what to expect from the Talon. But this wasn't at all it. "Talon." He seemed to be keeping his identity close to his chest. Bats... But otherwise he opened up quite easily. Noticeably, the other teen signed his words. It was a different form from what Felix had seen, but a few gestures were familiar.

Soon enough, other joined them and they moved on to meet the rest of the team. It was a real "ragtag bunch of misfits" scenario. But of course, it seemed everyone his age in this scene was some sort of misfit or another. Well adjusted normal people didn't become heroes... Mostly.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Felix acquainted himself with the base, particularly the gym. He'd missed some of the others working out but that left the gym clear for him to film a new fitness video for his channel. The rest of his evening was spent editing the video, scrubbing any information identifying the base, and arranging it for it to be uploaded from a remote location. Privacy and being an influencer did not go well together. Zach had been here a while. Maybe he had an easier way of getting his stuff online. Probably magic.

---

The next morning found Felix groggy and bleary-eyed standing in rank with the other young heroes. He hadn't slept too well and was content to just watch the proceedings. Black Canary and Green Arrow. He'd seen them in action once or twice. They didn't have the biggest exposure, but they were effective. They put on their show. Black Canary said something about fighting, running or freezing. For Felix it was nearly always fight back or run. He wasn't the kind to freeze. Which made it surprising that their other teacher beat him to the punch in volunteering to be a sparring partner. But these two seemed to know each other well. Nice.

The cheek. Yeah, the knew each other real well. Felix watched the quick skirmish, Green Arrow getting his ass beat. And with that class was in session? What had Green Arrow done wrong? Everyone had their opinion. All about what he expected. The bat-lings went on about taking the threat seriously. The magic-y guys wondered how this applied to them. Surprising him was Kass. She seemed the most grounded. Too bad she wasn't confident about it.

Zach's comments managed to get some of the others steamed up, so he figured it was as good a time as any to jump in. "Zach, man. Unfortunately sexiness isn't a weapon for us guys. Not unless you're Nightwing."

Instantaneously another Felix appeared behind the group. Drumsticks in his hand he played a quick rim shot *Ba dum tss*. And just as quickly disappeared.

Felix went on as if he hadn't heard it, "But hey, maybe one day you might reach that level of sexiness. I believe in you. But it won't happen if you get your shit wrecked, though." He gestured to Zach's face. "I get it. You don't want to mess up the moneymaker. You think I do? But that's why you have to learn to hold your own. Just in case. Maybe you don't have to throw the best punch. But at the very least you gotta be able to take one."

The conversation went on but something else caught Felix's attention. Someone else was here. And then Aleen'a made her entrance introduction. And Zach swooped in with his own. Someone who didn't know Zach would think he was making a move. But that was just the magician. Felix stood up straight and put his fist to his heart.

Putting on his best official tone, he spoke up. "Greetings, Princess Aleen'a of Tamaran! I am Gold Rush - Felix Fierro, of no house, son of strangers, blood kin to none. I come from the distant future, and I stick around 'cause there's nowhere else to go. I also welcome you to earth..." he paused to grin, "And I look forward to fortifying out relationship."

And this was usually the part where the buzzkill trainers got them back on task.

[dreamingflowers]

_{E P I S O D E O N E : M E E T I N G T H E T E A M}

FIGHT-FLIGHT-FREEZE

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

---

^{May 4rd, 2021 | 8:10a.m. | Happy Harbor, Rhode Island}

Green arrow held up his hands in defeat, being bombarded by criticism from every corner by the team. He leaned over to whisper something to Black Canary.
"God Dee, these guys are even more straight laced than the Justice League, I mean where is the teen spirit?"
She merely shook her head in response, but her face remained serious. It was important for the team to take them seriously, judging how they brutally analyzed Ollie's mistakes made her hopeful. The potential they'd seen in each of them would benefit from an attitude like that. In time they could make a great team, so long as they got the basics down. They might be capable heroes on their own, but working together was a whole different ball game. You had to consider each other's strengths and weaknesses as if they were your own.

Green Arrow faced the team boldy, not deterred by their earlier remarks.
"Lighten up guys, obviously I was showing you all how not to go about things"

Dinah rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hip, knowing there would undoubtedly be more of this nonsense coming.

"Your observational skills are good but...."
He walked over to Dinah to demonstrate something. In his opinion this was also of incredible importance, although not as widely useful. He'd gotten his butt handed to him multiple times, falling into this same trap.
"Sometimes appearance can also be weaponized, case in point.." He explained, gesturing to his lovely fellow teacher, making an effort to point out her signature hero suit.
"Don't let it be a distraction" He explained in a very unfitting serious tone, while looking at the boys in particular.

Green Arrow's derailment of the combat training was halted by the comedic and slightly dramatic entrance of Brightheart, their latest team member. They were informed she would be arriving after training, but she arrived early. Great, she could also benefit from this.
He cleared his throat and looked at the disheveled Tamaranean. The Leaguer offered her a simple welcoming nod of acknowledgement. Zatara and Gold rush offered her a more warm welcome. Green arrow ignored the little statement of Gold Rush which partially undermined the point he was trying to make. Truth be told it was usually the female heroines and villains who employed their looks. So he wasn’t wrong.

“Thank you Ollie, for that very specific bit of information, you never know when that might save the day” Black Canary didn’t even bother to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

“Okay team, as you can see behind me, there is a sparring area which will be under my supervision. Further up ahead there is a trail leading into the forest where you’ll find an obstacle course.”

Together with Ollie she had designed a simple yet effective obstacle course. It was an exercise in teamwork, communication and perseverance The course was made up out of four segments along a 3km path. A tall 12ft stone wall, a large rectangle shaped gap deep into the ground over which monkey bars were positioned , followed by another second identical gap with no way across and lastly a set of fives tires that needed to be flipped 30m

“Rain, Cybergirl, Talon, Nymph and Hex”
“You’re sparring, so you can stay with me”

“Zatara, Brightheart, Gold Rush, Metamorph and Mirage”
“You five follow Green Arrow to the start of the obstacle course”

“Okay guys…..and girls”
“Some ground rules, Zatara you only got two spells, Brightheart no flying, Gold Rush only one clone at a time, Metamorph one animal power only for the entire course, Mirage your staff is off limits.”

While the second group was making their way to the obstacle course, Black Canary turned to her pupils.
“I am aware there are varying degrees of martial prowess between you five” She took off her black cropped coat and went to do some warm up stretches while continuing to talk.
“That means some limitations, Alisa mind your strength, same goes for you Rain”

Dinah was also aware of the potential of Hex’s magical abilities, something she wanted to experience herself first, before subjecting the remaining team members to its effects. She walked up to Hex, as he’d previously stated to be willing to work on his defense, trusting the remaining four to create pairs on their own.

“Hex, we’re going to work on your defense, don’t hold back and trust your instincts”

When the second group reached the obstacle course Green Arrow walked into the forest, without explaining to the team where to go or how to proceed. His peculiar teaching methods were a source of unpredictability, which was exactly what the obstacle course was supposed to do too. Throw surprises at the team, they had to overcome together. The Leaguer was hauled up into one of the nearby trees, hidden between the branches, neatly camouflaged by his green suit. He wanted to see how his team was going to handle this.

[Shard]

Location
💀 Happy Harbour.

Interactions
💀 Those Present.

---

A gust of wind made its way past Casper’s features, strands of hair briefly pushed aside as phantasmal eyes peered ahead at Black Canary, his combat teacher. The differences between the two were staggering, to say the least. Casper, or Hex, wielded far more power than his current mentor, but as Zatanna had revealed, power meant nothing in the eyes of a tactical approach. “Good luck,” Coal spoke, the bird soon vanishing from place, his shape and being fading with a small, ghostly flash. It left Hex and Black Canary upon the stage, eyes meeting moments before the storm. It was ironic, in a way, where the actor with superior power felt anxiety building within. Was the Canary worried? Were her thoughts on anything other than the battle at hand?

In an instant, there was a charge. Despite claiming to be ready, Hex stumbled back, a fist moving towards his face. ’When fighting an agile enemy, you don’t want to be stationary. Always be on the move, always keep them guessing. Be a Ghost, which shouldn’t be too difficult for you’. Zatanna had left the boy with countless lessons, her methods a harsh combination of trial and error, and magical bombardment. Before Dinah’s clenched fist connected with her mark, Casper’s shape dissipated into phantasmal energy, all before manifesting a short distance from his sparring teacher. A black flow of Necrotic magic taking him from one location to the next. Black Canary, however, did not let up. Don’t hold back, words Dinah had uttered only moments prior.

With a quick motion of his hand, Hex conjured forth a flash of spectral energy, darkness coming into being hungerly attempting to swallow Dinah within its infinite void. The Canary was not deterred, her movements expertly executed as one foot pushed her to the next, maneuvering around Casper’s spell before a kick aimed to slam into his side. ’You can’t dodge everything. Blinking requires you to know where to go, which is an extra thought, something you don’t always have time for. You need to be able to block.’ True to his teaching, Hex willed a ghostly barrier into shape, Dinah’s kick halted by its ebony surface, as if connecting with a soft field nullifying the impact. ’But blocking keeps your enemy at a short distance. Use the second you’ve bought to reposition.’ Memories of Zatanna were still fresh within his mind, and reflexively, Casper’s shape burst into a spectral force, this time appearing behind his teacher.

Thinking he had acquired the upper hand, Hex cast another spell, the ground beneath his mentor growing utterdark, with Necrotic tendrils rising from its depths, attempting to wrap themselves around her and restrain the woman. Typically, they would have drained her soul. With Casper’s training, they would merely paralyze her. However, none of these effects came to pass, as Dinah executed an impressive backflip, evading the spell’s reach and spun, her knee nearly slamming into Casper’s forehead as gravity did its job, lowering her towards the ground. Again, the boy was attentive enough to dissipate, allowing for another brief moment of distance, another spell to be cast. Hex manifested a series of dark, Necrotic bolts launching forward, warranting a response from the warrior he was confronting. Gracefully dropping southward, Dinah lowered her upper body, dodging the dangers of magic before spinning back to her feet, yet another kick caught by Casper’s ghostly barrier. ’Great, you’ve blocked, but have you thought of everything? When you’re enemy’s that close, you need to pay attention to more than the one attack you’ve negated.’

The boy’s eyes widened, recalling another of Zatanna’s lessons. Black Canary’s kick was a distraction, mere theatrics, as it instantly led into a low sweep. Before he knew it, Casper was forced to the ground, his legs knocked out from under him, and the Wraithborn was defeated. Had air traveled through his lungs, Casper would have been out of breath, surely. Was he capable of growing tired outside of very specific mistakes, he’d have been exhausted. Rather, the boy’s attention rose towards Black Canary who extended a hand, clawed digits accepting her help as the woman pulled him back to his feet with little effort. ’Your enemy is going to read your every move, Casper. Eventually they’ll notice a pattern, a weakness, a mistake, and they will use that. Never be predictable.’ Zatanna was right. Black Canary was the superior warrior in every way, and it showed. She dodged, evaded, and slid past fearsome Necrotic magic as if wind given form. She barely thought about her movements, every motion a reflex, every action practiced perfection.

“Woah! That was awesome!” Coal exclaimed, the spirit appearing on his favorite spot once more, upon Casper’s shoulder. “I mean, she kicked your ass, but damn! You held your own, kid!”

Though a moment passed, Casper’s phantasmal eyes lowered, a small, timid smile bridging its way across his lips. ”Thanks..”