THREE ───── SANTA PRISCA!

 "Drop-zone B." Megan informs in the dark of the bioship, causing her and the others to stand up from their seats. Erica looks down to the circle emblem on her chest—fingers coming to push on it. Her suit changes to a dark purple from it's previous blue—stealth tech, nice touch, Erica thinks, nodding to Robin. It was their first mission as a group—a simple covert recon in and out as Batman stated, set in the middle of the Carribean Sea in Santa Prisca. Erica could barely feel the power discs in the souls of her boots—acting as similar sources of power to her hand. Now, she was more useful than she had been.

Erica grabs the hook from overhead in the bioship, hooking it to her utility belt. Wally switches on his own stealth tech, opening his arms open wide. "How cool is this?" He asks, smugly, turned to Megan. "Very impressive." Megan replies, her suit changing, too. Wally awes at her for a moment, causing Erica to chuckle. "Uh—that works, too!" He says.

"Hey, Supey! Not too late to put on the cool new stealth-tech!" Wally whispers excitedly.

"No capes, no tights—no offense." Superboy replies, crossing his arms over his chest. Totally missing out, Erica thinks to herself, watching as Megan hums at Superboy. "It totally works for you." Megan says, blushing. Erica deadpans, looking to Robin, who is also grimacing at the way they're all flashing googly-eyes at one another. "In the way you can totally do good work in those clothes!" Megan adds, holding a thumbs up. From behind Superboy, Erica sticks a finger in her mouth, pointing to her tongue and pretending to gag.

The five of them walk to the bioship's door, sliding down from the hooks holding them, touching the ground with ease. Erica unhooks herself and then looks around. "Hey, where's Super—" then, she looks up and jumps out of the way of the body coming directly towards her. Superboy creates a crater in the ground he collides with, a cloud of dirt puffing up. He stands up, smiling widely. "Knew I didn't need a line." He says proudly.

Erica huffs, brushing dirt off her new suit. "And yet creating a seismic event didn't may not have helped us with the covert!" Robin argues, before pushing himself off the ground and pulling up his holoscreen. Erica could feel the rain on her skin, the cold but not unwelcome breeze and the smell of the ocean she'd grown used to. Megan speaks to Kaldur—who tells them to report to the factory, where the new steroid drug venom is being developed. "Roger that!" Robin says.

They make their way through the moonlit jungle, treading on light feet—well, most of them at least. Superboy...not so much. By the time they came walking down a mountain, a narrow path hugging the curve of the mountain, steeping off into what Erica assumed to be an endless abyss accompanied with a waterfall—Erica made careful work of her feet against the slick dirt, a hand gripping the jagged rock as she stepped in the dark. Superboy was just a foot behind her, occasionally holding a hand out if she messed her footing up.

At one point, Erica grabbed Wally's hand to climb a particularly tall rock—her left foot swerved off towards the edge and Superboy placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her up. It was this same routine for a while, helping one another and being cautious as to not fall or get caught. Robin's hologlove was the only thing providing any sort of light as they set foot into the wooded area again, creeping around like shadows of the night. Erica had to admit, a covert mission had sounded a little dull in the beginning, but the adrenaline she felt stated otherwise.

Superboy stopped abruptly, with Erica now behind him, walking in stride with Megan. "Hey—" Erica whisper yelled, brows knitted in irritation. It was definitely not fun crashing into what essentially was a walking stone hedge. "Did you hear that?" Superboy asks, looking expectantly to the others. "Uh, no." Wally replies, looking at Superboy oddly. "Wait—is this a super-hearing thing?"

"You do have great ears." Megan awes. Erica's jaws drop a little—what the hell, Megan?

"Okay. Well, now what, Robin?" Wally asks, turning to where Robin is. Well, was. Wally throws his arms up in frustration. "Man, I hate it when he does that!" Wally exclaims in a whisper. Erica nods in agreement, patting his shoulder as she walks past him, following in Robin's path. Her stride quickens, a little frantic to find her friend, though she knows he's most likely just wandered off.

"Superboy, Kid, Rogue—switch to infrared to see if you're being tracked." Kaldur orders from rhe radio, somewhere else on the island.

Erica kicks the button on her domino mask, vision turning blue as it zeroes in on a squad of yellow figures off in the distance. "Got a squad of armed bozos incoming." Wally states, they creep over to a fallen tree and crouch behind it. Superboy squints, looking off in another direction. "Two squads." He corrects. Both Wally and Erica snap their head to him, before turning back to find the second. "But, they'll meet each other before they find us."

Shots echo somewhere off in the distance, causing birds to flock in herds away from it. The four of them jump a little—sounds just like Gotham! "No super-hearing required now," Wally jokes, hopping over the log. "Swing wide, steer clear!" Aqualad orders, and Wally looks back to them. "Yeah, yeah. Just as soon as I find Rob." The speedster replies, jumping into a puddle and speeding off into the forest. Before Megan or Erica can say anything, he's gone from their sight, disappearing into the murkiness of the woods.

"Idiot." Superboy comments, leaping after Wally. Megan and Erica exchange a look before doing the same, both Superboy and Erica rolling their way down a steep hill, getting cover in mud and dirt. When they finally come to a stop—in a heap against one another, they look at the situation at hand. Wally, being the miraculous fool he is, dodging bullets from seemingly two enemies. He's scrambling in a circle, cornered by two teams.

Superboy jumps into action, literally. Erica follows his lead, in pursuit of the masked man who smashes Superboy's face into the ground, holding an arm behind his head. Erica, despite her own personal doubts, jumps onto the mans back. Like a fucking spider-monkey! Electricity pulses from her hands and shoes, shocking the man. Superboy seemingly didn't mind throwing Erica along with the man into a tree, but she rolled out of the way without comment. Suddenly, Robin is dropping down from the trees, backing into Erica as she fights one of the cloaked figures.

"What is wrong with you guys!" Robin exclaims, jumping to Erica. "What happened to covert! Why didn't you follow my lead—disappear off into the woods?" He asks, and Erica tosses the man she's been beating to Robin's chest, to which he does the same back. Monkey in the middle! "That's what you were doing up there, you little freak?" Erica clips, shoving the poor guy paticularly hard.

"We're not mind readers! Well, at least I'm not." Wally informs.

Aqualad appears, delivering the final blow to the man that had been tossed between Erica and Robin. The team, now reunited, all aided in tying all of the unconscious people up via rope. Robin takes a long look at them, before nodding. "I recognize their cloaks. It belongs to the Cult of the Kobra." He acknowledges.

"So, Batman sent us out here...for an in and out mission...with a dangerous cult?" Erica asks.

"I am certain Batman would've mentioned it if he knew if a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's venom operation." Says Kaldur.

"Agreed. And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out." Robin suggests, smiling widely. "That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

Erica purses her lips, throwing her hands up.

"We get it. Kobra wanted super-cultist. Mystery solved. Radio Bats and we'll be home in time for—" Wally starts. Erica was in the same plane as him—she wanted to go home. Like, now. They got their info, so what else is there more to do?

"These cultists aren't on venom. Kobra's hoarding this stuff. We don't leave, not until I know why." Robin orders.

"Until you know why?" Wally asks, brows raised as he bends down to Robin's height.

"This team needs a leader!"

"And it's you? Dude, you're a thirteen year old kid who ducked out on us without a word." Wally reminds, angrily.

Robin laughs. "And you're a mature fifteen? You blew our cover first chance you got!"

"Don't you wanna lead?" Megan asks Superboy, who shakes his head slowly. "You?" He asks in return. "After the Mister Twister fiacsco, I'm good." She informs.

Superboy smiles. "You did alright."

Erica steps foot between Wally and Robin as they walk forward, huffing. "Listen, idiots! How about we decide this later—you're taking this upon yourselves without much consideration of the team. Now's not the time. I don't wanna hear you to argue about this until we back to the bioship." Erica orders, turning into a mother for a moment, she points a finger to both of them. They nod.

Bane begins to speak from where's roped to the tree—laughing, too. "You only know half the story, let me show you the rest. Get you into the factory via my secret entrance." Bane says, trying to entice them with his husky voice. Erica glares him, but he only smiles widely.

Megan bends down in front of him. "There is a secret entrance." She confirms. "But he's also hiding something." Megan adds. Erica sighs, watching as Megan's eyes glow white. "Ah, ah, ah, chica! Bane is not that easy." He says. Only losers refer to themselves in the third person, Erica thinks. Megan groans and stands, shaking her head. "He's mentally reciting football scores en Espanol." She says, frustrated. "This could take a while." Megan informs to her team.

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Bane grins.

The team exchanges a look before Kaldur gives a confirmative nod. They know what they have to do, now.

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 "Oh, that's cool." Erica says as she presses the button on the side of her mask twice, acting as binoculars. Man, they added everything! She can see the trade going on down below at the factory from where they stood on the cliffside. Bane had led them here, and they'd allowed him to do so. But, there was enough of them to take him out with ease if need be. So, Erica wasn't that worried about when he walked away. He moved a large boulder out of the way and pointed to what seemed to be a mineshaft. "Answers are this way." Bane spoke ominously. It's not like Erica had a fear of mineshafts, but she had a fear of this one.

She crept closer to whoever was nearest, her shoulder bumping with Wally's. He sent her a not-so comforting grin, making a comment about Bane to which Robin smacked him upside the head for. The team allowed Superboy towards the front right behind the man leading them to what may or may not be their imminent death. It was dark and dreary, the occasional light a dim yellow bulb fluttering and flickering with age.

Bane pressed his finger onto a button at the door, and it sighed with a click and opened. He allowed Robin to look in—who then gave them the all clear for them to enter the factory. Robin scampered off, as per usual. He'd been gone for quite a while that even Bane begin to question the little bird's whereabouts. "Has that little fool already been caught?" He asks.

"No, he just does that." Kaldur informs.

Wally pulls down his goggles. "Stay put. I'll go get and our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder." Wally claims.

"Wait, Kid!" Kaldur tries.

Erica groans. "They're so dying from stupidity! I can't stand either of them."

"Great chain of command." Bane says.

"Shut up, Bane." Erica hisses.

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 "You're so gonna pay for that!" Erica had claimed as she'd runs towards one of the cult members. Now, she was in quite the predicament. A man's hand was wrapped around her windpipe, crushing her against one of the machines. Now she was paying. Her legs lifted from the ground and wrapped around the man's torso, feet planting into his sides and shocking him. He dropped her harshly to the ground, wobbling on his own feet. She used her hand and shocked him again—before looking up and watching as another member ran to her. Erica thought quickly and grabbed her grappling hook, holding the cord tightly before launching the gun itself at her attacker. It whacked them in the head hard—knocking them to the floor.

Erica surprised herself there, she had to admit her little move was pretty fucking cool. Two members came to her, before they were suddenly kicked into the machinary. Wally stood there, looking to her. "Thanks." Erica says, doing a finger gun. "No problem. Cool move." Wally replied. She flashed a smile and ran off to where Kaldur stood as he yelled to Megan to link them up telepathically due to the radios being down.

"Everyone online?" Megan's voice echoes in Erica's head.

"Yeah." Superboy thinks, sounding bored.

"You know it, beautiful." Wally answers.

Erica goes to respond, before her legs are getting kicked out from underneath her. She hits the ground—hard. In her hazed vision she can see a weird creature getting a beating from Superboy.

"Rogue? Oh, man. She's down." Wally thinks. In their heads, all they can hear is the echoing groan from her mind. "Nevermind, she's alive." Comes soon after from Wally. Erica looks up to another cultist running towards her—and a stream of water is wrapping around her leg and pulling her across the floor.

"Thanks, Kal!" Erica thinks.

"We need to retreat. Kid, clear a path." Kaldur orders. Wally takes out various members of the cult in an instant, and they bolt towards the exit. They go back the way they came, but Superboy crushes the support beams of the mineshaft per Kaldur's order and soon they're standing against collapsed rock. Kaldur pulls out a couple red glowsticks, handing one to Erica. She hands it off to Wally, then holding her metal hand up and creating a small orb of light—but you know, the non dangerous type. She sighs.

"How could my first mission as leader go wrong?" Robin questions aloud.

Erica looks up, casting a slow glare in his direction. Kaldur drops the glowsticks to the ground. "You do have the most experience. But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared." Kaldur suggests, before continuing. "Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this is team is new. And the leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan." Kaldur states.

Ouch, that's an ego crush right there!

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands!" Robin exclaims, angrily. "Who am I kidding...you should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can." Robin calms, and smiles.

"Please, I can run circles—" Erica is giving a hard elbow into his ribcage.

"Hello, Megan! It's so obvious!" Megan agrees, nodding with a wide grin.

Kaldur looks to Superboy. "Could've told ya."

He looks to Erica, now. "I think you're the perfect leader, Kaldur." Erica simple chimes.

Now, Wally. "Okay!"

Kaldur nods. "Then I accept the burden," he pauses, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Until you are ready to lift it off my shoulders." Robin nods. "You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon."

"Now. Our first priority is making sure that shipment does not leave the island."

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 Bane stops them from leaving the end of the mineshaft, saying he's feeling explosive while dropping small controlled bombs in front of them. Erica looks at the bombs with angry eyes. "And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more." Bane says, finishing a monologue she hadn't bothered to listen to. Something about winning Santa Prisca over—typical. "To start, blowing this tunnel up with you inside." Bane says, thumb hovering over the button. A blur moves past them, before Wally is leaning against a tree. "With what? This trigger thingy?"

Bane goes to attack Wally, but Megan lifts him into the air. Superboy brushed past Erica, cracking his knuckles with a smile. "Finally," he says. "Drop 'em." He orders to Megan. As soon as Megan does, a sickening crack sounds through the air where Superboy's fist collides with Bane. Once Bane is for sure out, they all break into a run back towards the factory.

Wally is quick to take out more of the cultists, while Superboy taunts the creature, luring him into a stream of water from Kaldur. Erica holds her foot out where the creatures slides to a stop, before jamming her foot up and back into it—shocking it. "That's gotta hurt, big man! You're all covered in water. Wonder who did that." Erica says, innocently as it falls to the ground, Kaldur's head poking up from the other side. "Must've been you, Aqualad!" She adds with a laugh.

He cracks a smile at her joke.

Erica runs to Megan and Superboy as the shipment takes off, before seeing that Megan is holding a control—one similar to the control Wally had just taken. Within seconds the helicopter has exploded, big bursts of fire and smoke. The team regroups around Robin, watching as the God-man thing disappears into a tree trunk as the factory explodes behind them.

Robin turns to Kaldur. "We picked the right guy to lead...automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman!" He says, cackling.

Erica raises her hand. "Can we go home now?"

Superboy nods. "I agree—can we?"

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 "A simple recon mission, observe and report." Batman states, going on down the line of them. It was safe to say that yesterday's misson had landed them in some big trouble. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many, many mistakes." Erica's head hangs low in embarrassment. I didn't think we did that bad, she thinks. "Until then, good job." Batman says. The members of the Young Justice spring up—confused, looking in synchronization to Batman.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And as you choose who leads determines character." Batman states.

A few minutes later, the members of the Young Justice sit in the longue, mostly in silence. Erica sits at the couch, Superboy's arm draped around the back of the couch, Kaldur on her other side. "Well, who wants cookies? I made them this morning" Megan asks, quite out of the blue.

They all share a look before running to the kitchen, shoving one another. Erica reaches for one, seeing a freckled hand reach for the same one. "Wallace, move your filthy little hand away from my cookie." Erica hisses.

"Chillax, you can have it, sugar!"

"What is that even supposed to mean?" Superboy asks.

"You know...sweet. Like sugar." Robin informs.

"I hate it here." Erica says, and they all laugh.

emma speaks.
ERICA AND KALDUR BROMANCE ESTABLISHED HERE WE ARE ERICAS BFF'S ARE CONNER AND KALDUR HELLO