Slowly but surely, a pair of sore eyes opened to reveal a blurry, gray sky, trees, and...snow?

The body regained consciousness soon after, feeling itself surrounded, almost smothered by something soft, but surrounded nonetheless

That combined with the cold air hitting your face and the tattered winter gear you were wearing left little room for doubts regarding where you were

The question now was why you were there in the first place, which wouldn't be so difficult to remember if it wasn't for that damn headache

With some effort, you managed to sit up, looking around you to confirm the area. A snowy forest with no sign of the sun anywhere

Sighing, you could even see your own breath. However, you soon discovered that in fact, you weren't alone

There was a blonde girl near you. With winter clothing as well as some bracelets that were no doubt Amazon in origin

Maybe she had some answers to, well, all of this

You got up, reluctantly leaving the soft ground to approach the girl, who was rubbing the back of her head, wincing slightly

You: I know it's going to sound weird, but do you happen to know what is even going on?

She was startled by your voice and quickly got up into a defensive position, her blue eyes fixed in you

You quickly raised your hands in surrender, fighting the first person you saw wouldn't do anything to improve the situation

You: Now now, don't get your knickers in a twist. We're on the same team...I think

With that said, the blonde lowered her guard slightly, now giving you a confused look

???: I don't even know who you are

Lowering your arms yourself, you approached her with a hand extended for a greeting

You: The name's Y/N L/N

Seeing as you had no intention of hurting her, she too, ceased all hostility by shaking your hand

???: Cassie...Cassie Sandsmark

She was struggling to even remember her answer, perhaps making sure it was the right one

You: I take it you don't know how we ended here?

She shook her head in reply to your question, earning a sigh from you. Memory loss was so frustrating

Fortunately, having a drunk of a father such as Constantine had its benefits. Restoring memories was one of the first spells you ever learned as a boy

Reluctantly pulling up your sleeves, you rubbed your hands together, facing the girl

You: Okay, I'm going to try something to help us remember, but I need you to stay calm, alright?

You asked her to put her hand on the side of your head as you did the same for her

Cassie: Guess I'll have to trust you

You: I like your attitude already, luv

Softly, you intertwined your fingers with her, mustering the strength to chant the spell in the middle of the blizzard whilst closing your eyes

You: Menimi me adiuvet

Suddenly, a flash appeared to you both, startling but not enough to break the bond you formed

"Follow that train!"

The familiar voice of Timothy Drake yelled at you two. Wasting no time, you jumped aboard a train that did no effort in slowing down

It was just Cassie and you, the rest of an unknown group stayed behind to buy you some time, but still, shots were fired in your direction, even a girl with two swords was chasing after you

Before you could be hit, your blonde companion tore open an entry point

Cassie: In here, quick!

You hoped in and closed the hole using magic, just in time to keep a sword from piercing you, but getting stuck on the wall instead

Once inside the barely illuminated wagon, you found a cage in the center of the place. A young girl with brown skin and bright eyes who was startled by your presence

You: That's her?

A nod from Cassie made you look at the cage, trying your best not to appear alarmed, but instead friendly to the prisoner

You: Allo, little one, we mean no harm

While you got her to sit up and look at you, there was no reaction from her. Understanding the problem, you touched your throat, making it glow purple

You: Can you understand me now?

Eyes wide open, she nodded. Your spell translated your words from English to Hindi

Astonished that you spoke her tongue, she began to talk on her own, but this time you could understand her thanks to the spell

???: Who are you?

You: I'm Y/N, that's Cassie. What's your name?

???: ...Kiran

Your partner asked you what you did, to which you extended your hand for her to be able to speak to her as well

Cassie: Well, Kiran, we're going to get you out

Her tone helped reassure this feeling of calm. Kiran nodded as a smile appeared on her face

Cassie: Now, do you-

Then, an explosion happened right on the same wall you entered. A bunch of specialized soldiers made their way in

After them, entered a female agent, wielding two swords and with a white ponytail. Something about her seemed oddly... familiar

Regardless, you stepped forward to protect Kiran, while Cassie raised her fists too

The soldiers began to open fire at the same time, being blocked by a shield of yours and the blonde's bracers, deflecting the energy blasts

The female agent raised her fist to cease fire but then took out a small gadget, pressing a button. Both of you braced for the worst...

But instead, what you heard was the gate of Kiran's cage opening. She stepped out with a collar on her neck, a red glowing light indicating control

Her painful movements didn't help either, but when her hand became engulfed in energy, you got worried

You: Kiran?...

She looked at you with teary eyes before raising her hand

Kiran: I'm...sorry...

Cassie: Y/N!!

There was no time to react, as a massive energy blast sent you both through the metal wall

From the safety of an enforced wagon to the cold air of the outside, you had just been blasted off your target...by the target herself

You were falling quickly, the blizzard blinded you, but the deeper you fell, it became clear that it was an open snowfield you were going to land in

Cassie: Y/N! Grab my hand!

You did as she asked you and she pulled you closer, grabbing your waist and back to act as a shield for you

While the gesture was greatly appreciated, it wasn't fair for her

You: Hold on, let me try something!

With one hand free, you pointed at the place where you thought you'd land and chanted something as quickly as you could. Soon, purple aura surrounded you both

Cassie: What did you do?

You: I gave us a chance. Wish us luck

That was all you could say before the wind aggressively caught your attention as you inevitably reached the ground and then...nothing

Both of you opened your eyes, taking a couple of steps from each other to your breath as if it was all just a nightmare

While it wasn't the most pleasing sensation, it did help you regain your memories gradually. You had been sent on a mission gone horribly wrong by this unexpected twist

But that didn't mean that the mission itself was over if anything you had to get back on track, and that would start by regrouping

You: We have to reach the others

Cassie: But how? The communicators are broken

She motioned at her device, crushed by the fall you took. Yours was in no better condition either

Cassie: You know magic, right? Isn't there a way that you can reach out to the others?

You: Alright, but first thing's first, we have to get out of this freezer

She nodded in agreement, you walked towards a cave nearby that would act as a shelter whilst you find a way to regroup

Cassie: So, any ideas?

You cleared a space for yourself as you rolled up your sleeves once again to prepare yourself

You: You don't happen to have any candles with you

Cassie: I can improvise something

From her hip, she took out her lasso. Instinct suggested it would do the same as Wonder Woman's, but when she whipped the floor with it, it was as if it had been hit with thunder

Too messy for your liking, but at least you had the fire required. You thanked her for this makeshift fire and sat down in front of it

You: I could set up a portal, but without knowing where are we going it's a waste of energy and time, but I can try and reach out telepathically, hopefully, one of them hears  us

Cassie: Wait, there's a telepath in the team, try focussing on her

You: Good thinking. What's their name?

Cassie: M'gann

It took a moment to process what she said, how do you even write that

You: I...I can't say that's a common name

She couldn't help but giggle at your reaction, and for good reason

Cassie: Tell me about it. Here, I'll help you

She walked up to you and sat across the fire, determined to contact this M'gann person

You: Alright, our palms need to be touching to reinforce this link

She nodded, reaching out to you with her left hand. Your palms touched while you chanted something

You: I need you to relax and close your eyes. Think about this M'gann lad

Cassie: She's a girl

You:...Right, think about her, focus on that feeling. That need to find her, the mission and the desire to complete it

Cassie let out a deep sigh as she did what was asked and effectively beginning the process of searching for her teammate. She was putting a considerate amount of energy into it, you channeled it towards the search

Soaring through the blizzard, the trees, and the snow, eventually, you were able to find something similar to what Cassie was thinking about. It was a being with a soul, yes, but something told you it wasn't  precisely human

Upon confirming that it was a sentient being, you alerted your partner

You: I think I found something, try talking to her

Cassie: M'gann? Can you hear me? It's me, Cassie

You waited for an answer, fearing the worst in the first twenty seconds, until

"...Hello? Cassie?"

Relief could be seen in the blonde's face as soon as she heard this soft voice, presumably M'gann's. She was a telepath alright, she secured the link between you three the moment she recognized you

M'gann (In mind): How are you doing this?

Cassie: I got help from Y/N L/N. He's part of the scouting team, remember?

You said nothing during the conversation since you were also paying attention to the outside world, making sure you were safe

Except, you weren't

M'gann (In mind): I...I do! We need to find the others

Cassie: Exactly, tell us where you are so we can-

You: Wait, someone's coming. It's not a friendly

You were forced to end the link, choosing to focus on the incoming threat you felt. The teenager was startled by this as well, standing up with her hand on her lasso

Cassie: How can you tell?

You: Just listen

Keeping yourselves from making a sound while swiftly putting out the fire. You got ready

Among the snow and the wind, steps could be heard in your direction and soon enough, a voice

???: Check the cave

Almost marching, a bunch of armed men entered the cave, soldiers like the ones from your memory, pointing lasers as they looked for an objective. When they entered, they found just an empty cave, but the floor had been tampered with

Waiting for them outside, was a young girl, with pink hair and a maniacal look to her eyes. Mischievous by nature

???: So? Have you found anything yet?

Soldier: There's-

Static took over the communicators, the snow wasn't doing them any favors either. Irritated by this, the girl groaned and began to yell

???: JUST TELL ME IF THEY'RE INSIDE

She pointed her ear towards the cave, eager for an answer, but she still got none

???: I SAID-

Suddenly, there were gunshots, a small explosion, and a bunch of soldiers was sent flying backward, one of them even landed in front of the girl. Instead of being scared, she grinned

???: Finally

Some of the soldiers got up and picked their rifles, surrounding the girl. From the cave jumped Cassie, she began to deflect the energy being shot at her with ease, she didn't even have to punch the enemy

???: Pfff, show-off

The girl pointed her finger at Cassie, letting out small energy that would most likely distract her enemy, but instead of hitting her and cause mischief, the bolt hit some sort of barrier that sent it right back at her, blasting her back

You: Care to try again?

The pink-haired mischief opened her eyes to find you standing over her with a smirk. She squinted her eyes and clenched her fists when she recognized you

???: You...

Aggressively, she blasted you with her chaos magic as she stood up, forcing you to take a couple of steps back. That did not go as expected

Her blast hit you, soon you found yourself wiping blood off your nose, smirking once you became aware of her anger

You: Good to see you too, Jinx

She clenched her teeth in anger, focusing exclusively on you now, even ignoring what the soldiers were telling her like the need to retreat and report back to the base as they were being bested by Cassie

Jinx and you didn't have much of a story, but it was this one time she tried to steal some powerful gems that would amplify her chaotic magic. The thing is, they were owned by the British crown

They didn't know just how powerful this thing was, and with your help, it looked like she tried to steal from royalty, a crime that got her locked away for quite a while

Whoever she's working with was powerful enough to get her out of that situation, but she held such a grudge against you. Exactly what you were counting on

Combined with the soldiers, she posed a threat, but by dispersing them and allowing Wonder Girl to handle the units, you took care of Jinx herself

While not risking to have one of your spells backfire, you simply used her rage to deflect her spells

You: Oh, come on,luv. I thought you'd be thrilled to see me! I got you that British suite after all

Jinx: SHUT UP ALREADY!!

That was enough for her to send a big discharge, which you barely deflected back at her. Using the same energy shields, you ran towards her and stunned her with them

Jinx was not given enough time to react as she had been struck with her own magic and then a shield, but she did manage to duck under  a punch of yours and sent you back with another blast but you rushed towards her again and swept her legs

She fell while conjuring another hex, but you used the shields to overwhelm her, managing to make Jinx knock herself out

Shortly after that, a soldier was sent flying your way. It was easy to think that Cassie had already finished her part but from where you stood from, it looked like the reinforcements were surrounding her

You had to come up with something, and quickly. Fortunately, her being related to the Amazons was the first thing that came to mind

You: Oi, blondie! Remember the "flying dagger" move?

She looked at you, surprised at first, but then, with a smirk, she used her lasso and wrapped it around your forearm, pulling you vertically towards her. The enemy was taken off-guard by this, you took the chance and threw some magic projectiles at them while in the air

Cassie got rid of the rest as you landed back on your feet

You: Not bad, not bad at all

You said casually while dusting yourself. Your partner was rounding her lasso back

Cassie: How do you know that move?

You: I grew up with Amazons

She stopped her action to look at you, shocked

Cassie: Wait what? I thought no men were allowed

It would be difficult and a waste of time to try and explain the intricate details that went into your upbringing, the best you could come up with was:

You: There was an exception. Long story

"Guys, can you hear me?"

Fortunately, your chatter was interrupted by the now familiar voice of M'gann

Cassie: Loud and clear, M'gann

You: You kept us linked this whole time?

M'gann (In mind): Yes, I didn't want us to lose each other again

You: Talk about efficiency, well done

Cassie: Listen, Y/N said he can open up a portal, but he needs to know where. Can you give us a hand?

M'gann (in mind): I'll share what I'm seeing with you, but I do have to warn you, it is messy

You: Anything's good, love. We don't judge, right, Cassie?

Wonder Girl smiled at you as she shook her head, getting along with her wasn't all that difficult, it seems

M'gann (in mind): Alright, here you go...

Then, like the memory spell, you were flashed with a different perspective. M'gann wasn't lying, it was messy, well, mainly because she was fighting a giant, bearded man. She wasn't alone, though, the familiar face of Conner was there to assist in the fight

You had no idea of who this man was, but the gasp from your partner was indication enough

Cassie: Mammoth? And Jinx is here too...That means the Fearsome Five are behind this

All it took was a second of her looking away into a snowfield, much calmer than the place you were in. Now you had an idea of where you were going

You: Alright, I got you now

With a gesture of your hand and enough focus, a portal was opened for you

Cassie: Hold on, M'gann, reinforcements are coming!

With that said, she jumped into the portal, followed closely by you and into the conflict happening a few kilometers away from your previous location. Using her momentum, Wonder Girl landed a hit in the enemy's face, strong enough to send him back

This gave you time to step in and regroup with the rest of them. It was now Conner, M'gann (who was apparently a Martian), Cassie and you against this common enemy

Wonder Girl went first again, her punch was stopped, then Superboy found an opportunity and hit him in the ribs and then an uppercut. Mammoth got angrier at this but was then hit with a rock by Miss Martian

Finding her to be an easier target than the other two, he charged at her, only for M'gann to become intangible and thus making the man crash into an invisible barrier that you had set up. With him stunned, you threw a few fire blasts to send him back followed by multiple strong punches by M'gann and to conclude, a combined hit from both Cassie and Conner

It took him longer this time, but Mammoth slowly got back up, his confident smirk had left his face

That's when some sort of boomerang hit him in the back, exploding. Before he even had time to react, a powerful blast of energy knocked him to the center of the fight, with two new challengers:

Red Robin and Blue Beetle

Finding himself surrounded, Mammoth realized the situation he was in and decided to take out a small gadget to press a button. With that he began to disintegrate, teleporting him away from the scene

At least the team was back together. The blonde immediately rushed to wrap her arms around the two boys for a hug

Cassie: Guys! You're alright!

Tim: Yeah, what about you?

He was quick to return the embrace, which shortly after ended

You: We're kinda blanking on the last 24 hours, but mostly fine

Your Martian teammate approached you gently, placing her hand on your shoulder to get your attention

M'gann: I can help you with that

Agreeing, you followed her instructions, while the rest of the team checked in

Tim: How did you find the others?

Cassie: A weird combination of magic and telepathy. You?

Jaime: Tim and I tracked Conner's communicator

Tim: And talking of which...

From his wrist, a digital screen appeared. Tim began to meddle with it, no wasting any time from the looks of it

Cassie: What are you doing?

Tim: Attempting to track Mammoth. He teleported out of here, he must've left a trace

Meanwhile, M'gann snatched you to a calmer part of the area, making both of you sit down

M'gann: I wanted to thank you for all your help back there, both telepathic and physic

You: No problem, although I have one question

M'gann: Yes?

You: Your mind is pretty different from all theirs, can I ask why?

M'gann: That's because I'm a Martian, Y/N

You:...Oh, alright then. We can continue

She giggled at this reaction and moved on by placing her hands on the sides of your head. Truth to be told, with all the magic you dealt with, you had never actually taken the time to look up to the stars

But with beings like Superman and Kori roaming around, it was logical that there would be more. If anything you were grateful they weren't hellbent on destroying humanity or something like that

M'gann: Now, I'm going to access your memory, hopefully, it will unlock what you can't remember. Here we go

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, you felt calmer and even forgot you were in the middle of the snow forest

No, you were somewhere different

It was the briefing room, a place you were all too familiar with. Inside were Tim, Rose, and you

The holographic table showcased a photo of a young girl, a few coordinates and a bunch of data revolving transportation

Tim: For the last two weeks, Rose has been investigating the case of a missing child, but this one's different

You: How so?

The mercenary tapped the photograph, opening a file of the Indian girl

Rose: This is Kiran Singh. The girl's got powers, of the unstable variety

Tim: She had been living a normal life, she doesn't know about her powers, but she was reported missing a week ago

Rose: But there's an issue: I don't think we're the only ones behind it

She typed something and the table showed two factions: One was H.I.V.E, and the other, A.R.G.U.S

Rose: A reliable source from A.RG.U.S gave me some intel that indicated the last time she was seen. It was three days ago, approaching Alaska

You: That's kind of a long way from home, don't you think?

Tim: That's why they're counting on us to bring her to one of their outposts so they can safely transport her back home. We've worked with them before, they're worth trusting

You: Alright, and where are we intercepting the cargo?

Tim: Yesterday, Wally and Rose went on a scouting mission and discovered a secret railroad. It's used only by a few companies to transport heavy or fragile cargo

You: Or things you don't want people to find about

Tim: Exactly. The scout team will reach the extraction point in five hours

Rose: Conner and Tim you know, but these three are Miss Martian, Blue Beetle and Wonder Girl respectively

She pointed at holograms of all three of these people. She explained how their abilities will complement yours in the mission before sending you off to get ready

You met with the other Titans and set off to intercept the train, but something went wrong. What was supposed to be at most five soldiers turned out to be almost thirty, combined with that specialist that chased you down...

The enemy perhaps already knew you were coming and tripled the security. As for the train, it continued its journey, hell, it's likely that it had already arrived at its destination

You had some catching up to do

Thanking the Martian, you walked back to the group, finding Tim still working on that digital monitor. However, when the former Robin was about to make a breakthrough, a cartoony image of a certain villain appeared, mocking his attempts with the phrase "Didn't ask politely!"

Despite Tim's clenched teeth, the villain's name emerged

"Gizmo"

Conner: Is something wrong?

Tim: I can't access the signal. Somehow, he anticipated we'd try

Jaime: We need to find another way to catch up!

While everyone began to think about alternatives, Cassandra was the first to come up with something

Cassie: Wait, I think I know someone who can help. Right, Y/N?

The smirk she gave you while talking was a bit unsettling, she was clearly up to something not certain to work

You: Are you talking about-oh, right, her

It didn't take long for you to realize who was she talking about

Jaime: Who's "her"?

You: You'll see

You opened a portal to the area you were previously in, but before stepping in, you looked at your Martian ally

You: M'gann, I'm going to need your help on this one, luv

She didn't hesitate to come with you through the portal. Once back at the beginning, you still found the soldiers all knocked out

M'gann: Who are we looking for?

Cassie: She's annoying, pale skin and-oh nevermind I found her

She grabbed a still unconscious Jinx and brought her over her shoulder and began walking

You: Alright, what's your plan?

Cassie: I'll keep her tied with my lasso. It doesn't make you tell the truth, but it does the job to immobile. You'll hex her with something that forces her to tell the truth

Once she found a spot suitable for her plan, she placed her down and began to tie her foe up

M'gann: And what do you need me for?

You: Even when she has no power, Jinx will try to trick you. I need you to discretely read her mind, get as much as you can from her half-truths

Once done, Cassie stood up and dusted her hands off proudly

Cassie: Alright, let's do this

She was going to act, but you politely stopped her from continuing

You: Please, allow me

You kneeled next to her and gently whispered in her ear your next enchantment

You: Aeger iacebat

After hearing that, the pink-haired gasped as she woke up, soon finding herself to be immobilized

Jinx: What the- you again!?

She glared at you with such despise, but the benefit of being accompanied was that you didn't know who was she even glaring at. Jinx struggled with the lasso, groaning in pain once it electrified her

Cassie: So, Jinx, I'm going to need you to speak up

Jinx: As if! Why would I even help you!?

You: Because you'll find it much better than lying

The confident smile you showed sent shivers down her spine, but even then, Jinx tried to put the facade that she was in control

Cassie: So, where is the train heading to?

Jinx: Dunno, Gotham, maybe?

Suddenly, she felt something in her stomach, something forcing its way out. Jinx failed to contain it and ended up throwing up. While it indicated that the hex worked, it was hardly the most pleasant thing to watch

As soon as she was able to speak again, Jinx directly addressed you with both shock and anger

Jinx: W-What the hell was that!?

You: I told you lies wouldn't cut it

Cassie: Let me ask again, where is the train going?

The girl became nervous, not knowing how to play her way around the situation as she didn't want to compromise the operation, but that feeling your hex caused her was not something that she'd like to experience again

Jinx: T-To a research facility. Not far from...from here

M'gann used her powers discreetly to discover the location of this "facility", gaining valuable information despite Jinx's attempts not to think about it

Cassie: Where exactly is the girl being held at. Any floor number, special chamber, or something?

The girl nearly threw up again when she thought of another lie, barely managing to pull herself together for the conversation

Jinx: T-THe people like...like her, they're held in the thirteenth level. W-With a code

Cassie: The people like her?...

M'gann gave you a thumbs-up from behind, telling you that she had recollected the specific data you'd need to access the information. It was time to go

Cassie: Alright, we're almost done, just one more thing, though

Jinx: Oh thank god, w-what is it?

Cassie: There's no way you guys outsmarted us at every turn, how did you even know what we were doing?

Determined to get over with the interrogation, Jinx decided to just give up

Jinx: There's a...a m-mole in your team. Best p-part of it, he...he doesn't e-even know!

She began to laugh at this, remembering that even now they held the upper hand, especially since she wasn't revealing who the traitor was...because she didn't know

Once asked to, the Martian rendered Jinx unconscious, deciding that she had given enough information

M'gann: I have an idea of how to get into that place

Cassie: Great work, M'gann...but she wasn't lying about the "mole" thing, was she?

M'gann: I'm afraid not

You: *Sigh* Guess we'll need to tell Robin about this...

You returned to the group via a portal, they were eager to see you return, especially since you left without even explaining

Jaime: So, how did it go?

M'gann: I got the coordinates, but there's an umm...an issue

Tim: What is it?

You: Well, we can't exactly plan anything yet until we deal with something first

You nodded at M'gann, who used her powers to transport all of you to the same mental location, it resembled a meeting room. The team was sitting on chairs while M'gann and you acted as the expositors of the topic

You: We interrogated one of the people who attacked us, Jinx

Cassie: She was under a hex, so she was unable to lie

You: Right. The thing is, Jinx says we've been outplayed every single time because...there's a mole

Everyone reacted with surprise, shock even. Tim even stood up

Tim: How can you be sure of this?

M'gann: Well, for starters, the security of the place was much higher than we thought, but they acted so quickly, maybe someone alerted them of our mission

You: That and also the fact that our communications were disabled almost instantly. We were lucky to get the gang back together this fast

Wonder Girl was the first to react, remembering a missing key component of the operation

Cassie: Wait, the comms. Wasn't Rose supposed to be taking care of those?

Jaime: You're right, if someone has had an opportunity to fix that, it should be her

Conner: Are you accusing someone who doesn't even have a chance to explain herself?

Cassie: And how can you explain the specialist who kicked our asses, Con?

You: Not to be rude, but that look ain't exactly original

M'gann: Wait

Her tone was firm and as she requested a halt. All eyes were now on the Martian whose own gaze was fixed in the distance while she recalled Jinx's words and thoughts one by one

M'gann: Jinx said "he", and she couldn't be lying because of that hex...

You: See? It could be you for all we know. You said that you don't fully control that thing on your back, plus didn't you mention some sort of headache?

Jaime: What does it even have to do with it?

Tim: Wait, Y/N said something very true. Maybe they're tracking the scarab's signal and using it to spy on us

He looked at the green-skinned girl in the room, determined to corroborate the theory

Tim: M'gann, take us back

With a nod and little effort, you were all taken back to your previous spot. Tim wasted no time and summoned his screens again, this time focusing on Jaime, who was nervous, not quite sure how to react to this

Cassie put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile to help him calm down

Jaime: I wish I could help, but there's so much I can't do since the mission began

Tim: It's alright, buddy. Just keep calm

After a couple of minutes, the screen beeped, presumably signaling the end of its task

Tim: There's something here, another signal

Jaime: There is?

He almost jumped at this news, and not out of joy

Red Robin compared it to the previous one left by Gizmo when he tried to trace Mammoth's teleporter

Conner: What does it say?

Tim: They're...the same signal. Gizmo has been using the scarab

You: Well, what do you know, it wasn't Rose who was reporting to the enemy

Jaime: I...I don't know what to say, I-I just...

He took a couple of steps away from the group, unsure of how would were all taking this news

M'gann: Jaime, calm down

Jaime: No, I'm supposed to be better than this, the scarab is my custody and...

As he talked, you could sense something else taking over, perhaps it was the scarab he was talking about. Even his voice sounded a little metallic, forced even

Tim: Jaime, we know. Let's focus on-

Suddenly, a blue energy blast almost hit Red Robin, who ducked just in time. Jaime's face was now covered by a metallic mask, with the eyes glowing red and wings coming from the back, preparing to take flight

Whether this was Jaime, the scarab, or Gizmo, was still posing a threat. Painfully, he raised his arms, cannons forming from them and began to charge

You: Everyone, behind me!

They did as told and you managed to conjure a shield by the time he hit you with a round of plasma, nothing easy to shake off, but you were all alive, so it worked

However, when you lifted the shield, the armored teen was already fleeing the scene

Tim: We need to get him back, now!

Wasting no time, the rest of you began to set obstacles for him, but whether it eas an attempt to take him down, or throwing obstacles in his way, the Blue Beetle managed to adapt to every single situation

When you were starting to lose the target, you heard your name being called by one of your teammates

Cassie: Y/N! Remember the "flying dagger" move?

Understanding what she meant, you nodded and she quickly looked back to wrap your forearm with her lasso. Then, she used that momentum to swing you over Jaime

You threw a couple of magical projectiles to stun him so when you landed in front of him, he wouldn't be able to react to the barrier you created. And so, he crashed on it, but before he could react, Conner grabbed him from his left ankle and tried to pull him down

Cassie herself joined by grabbing the other one, Tim wrapped Cassie's lasso around him while using his technological skills to help disable the armor and finally, M'gann was able to reach out to him, placing her hands on the sides of his head

M'gann: Jaime, I know you are in there, I can tell you are scared and feel bad for what happened, but believe me when I tell you, it's not your fault, it never was

His hostility towards the team began to decrease as the Martian's words reached through his helmet and into his very own mind

M'gann: We are a team, that means we got each other's backs, even now, know that you still have us, your friends

Jaime: I...I do...

His voice sounded like him again, the red glow of his eyes died down and returned to that normal yellow, even the mask retracted once again to reveal the human face of the boy

Jaime: I...thank you, M'gann

He gained a smile from her and eventually, a hug from the group as soon as he was allowed to land safely

All while you watched. It's not that you didn't care, you just didn't know the guy enough to hug him out of nowhere

You: I don't mean to be rude, but we still have to take care of the mission

Tim: Right, M'gann, you said you had a plan?

M'gann: But isn't this information going to be transmitted too?

Tim: I took care of that while you calmed Jaime. Gizmo thinks we're heading six kilometers east

M'gann: Perfect! Well, I read Jinx's mind. The train hasn't arrived yet, so here's something we can do...

Now that you weren't under the danger of being spied on, the plan was being laid out, complemented by various members of the team, you included

The air felt less tense now. A sigh of relief washed things over  as everything was finally getting back on track

And now, it was time to get even

H.I.V.E's research facility, 5:16 p.m

The armored train slowed down as it reached the entrance to the station. Once it had arrived, the doors slid open, allowing a squad of soldiers to come down, followed by a hovering cage, in which Kiran was trapped

And behind all of that, was Jinx, who had sustained a couple of injuries herself. When the group reached the guards, he allowed them in, except for the witch girl

Guard: What happened to the rest of the squad?

Jinx: You might want to visit them in the medbay, that Amazon got them good

Realizing that a squad had been reported as taken down and corroborating it with the fact that Jinx had a rougher look to her appearance, the alibi checked out

Guard: Fair enough, welcome back, Ms. Jinx

With that, she followed the group to the thirteenth level and entered a specific room after going through rows of closed doors

Kiran's cage opened, the soldiers aiming their rifles at the girl in case she tried something else while she was transferred to this new containing cell

Jinx: I'll take care of it, go check on the rest of the cargo

They agreed and left her alone with Kiran, thinking Jinx would perform one of her infamous torture sessions on the girl

Instead, she remained by the control panel that determined the kid's freedom.

Kiran didn't even look where to rest her gaze, finding the place disturbing and the company unnerving, to say the least

... until she heard something in her mind

???: Don't worry, Kiran, you'll reach freedom soon. I promise you

Kiran could understand English, not quite speak it, but she certainly knew what those words meant her freedom

When she looked at the source of the voice, she found that the pink-haired teen just winked at her

The reason for that was that Jinx was in fact, M'gann in disguise

However, as the disguised Martian navigated through the system, she stopped when she found something quite unsettling:

Kiran was labeled as "project 37"

M'gann (in mind): Guys, we have a problem...

She shared what she was looking at with the rest of you, what the screen showed you was alarming enough to change the structure of the mission entirely

You (in mind): It has to be a bloody joke

Cassie (in mind): My god...

Tim (in mind): Change of plans, we have to rescue all of the kids

Conner (in mind): Any ideas?

While the mental conversation kept going, so did the operation. In the station where the train was, the soldiers were unloading the rest of the cargo

The door from one of the crates opened slightly, gaining the attention of a lone agent. He slowly approached the crate, only for a grappling gun to wrap around him and force him inside the confined space, where he was taken out silently

Mere seconds after that, two figures came out of the crate: Red Robin and you

Tim (in mind): Y/N and I are on our way to a nearby station, we'll figure out the status of the kids from there

You hid behind another box and waited for a small patrol to come by, moving once the coast was clear

Tim (in mind): Jaime, you and Conner need to secure one of those trains, we'll need it to escape. Don't let them see you until I give you the signal, alright?

Jaime (in mind): You got it

Cassie (in mind): What about me?

Tim (in mind): Cover M'gann while she rescues the children

Running towards the small building, Tim disabled the camera while you put the agents inside to sleep using magic, securing the area

You (in mind): I'll set a distraction for you to sneak in

Cassie (in mind): Any hints?

You: Oh, you'll see it alright

Without further due, you entered the station. Tim was quick to access the computers while you guarded the entrance

Tim (in mind): M'gann's right, there are another thirty-six children held in this station. They managed to keep them hidden for a month now

You: Where are they being held at?

Tim: I'll try to access the system, but it's going to take a while

You: I got a better idea, cover me

Not saying anything else, you sat down in the middle of the room, hands resting on your lap and eyes closed with your breathing becoming steady enough to move on

Soon enough you could see the entire room, Tim and yourself, from above. You had exited your body and were now in an astral form

Without any of the physical limitations, you wandered through the facility as quickly as you could, phasing through walls and floors as you trying to pinpoint anything that looked suspicious enough to be what you were looking for.

There were too many souls in this confined space, but that's when it hit you, the desperation, powerlessness, and depression in overwhelming numbers. It came from the sublevels

You counted every single floor you were descending until you made it to the source of those emotions you sensed

The place was called "station omega" and it was filled with tortured souls. Thirty-six to be exact

With this new information, you floated your way back to your body, gasping once reunited with it

Tim: What did you do?

You: Did your investigation for you. Try "station omega"

He searched for what you suggested and the moment the readings were found to be similar to the one in Kiran's cell, he reported it

Tim (in mind): Guys, we found out where are the rest of the kids. They're all alive and held in station omega, sending the coordinates as we, uh, think

Cassie (in mind): Alright, time to see this distraction you prepared, Y/N

Quickly recovering from your astral trip, you began to chant something, pointing your hands at the hangar you saw from the window

You: nunc retribuas

And with that, a portal tore open, from it, jumped an enraged Jinx. Energy coursed through her tense body and even her eyes were glowing pink

With everything you had done to the girl, from taunting her relentlessly to force the truth out of her like that, it was only fair that she had her turn

Where one saw soldiers, she saw superheroes. So to her, she was in the middle of a base filled with the people that pissed her off

Jinx: IT'S YOUR TURN NOW!!

With that, she unleashed her energy on a nearby tank and made it explode with ease, immediately getting the attention of the staff

Jaime (in mind): Santo cielo, she looks enraged!

Conner (in mind): What did you do to her?

You (in mind): That's all her, mate, I just have something to lash out at. Cass, it's now or never!

Cass (in mind): On it!

She ran towards the inside of the base, camouflaged by the chaos that was taking place all over the base

Tim (in mind): Conner, Jaime, how's the transport coming along?

From the other side of the base, a half-Kryptonian boy and his armored friend mowed down the soldiers that were guarding the train, with Jaime knocking down the last one

Jaime (in mind): It's-

???: In the train! We need to prevent them from escaping!

A male voice ordered a squad of soldiers inside the wagon the heroes were in

This squad of soldiers entered and immediately began to open fire on them, and commanding them, was the technological genius, Gizmo

Gizmo: What the- You're supposed to be kilometers away from here!

Jaime: Well, I'm here now!

While Conner engaged the soldiers, Gizmo attacked Blue Beetle with his energy projectiles

Gizmo: You're not even worthy of this alien gift! You amateur!

The boy blocked them with a shield, taking a couple of steps forward before sidestepping. Then, spider-like legs protruded from his back in a menacing way

Jaime: You're right, I'm still learning how to control the scarab...

One of those legs swiftly destroyed the weapons of the enemy, while the other kept the floating kid in place

Jaime: But I know better than to piss it off

The eyes of the helmet turned red as his hands turned into blades, terrorizing Gizmo. He jumped out of his small battle jetpack, away from Jaime, only to be knocked out by Conner

Jaime: Good one, amigo

Then, Beetle destroyed a small antenna in the suit, the same one that had been used to track him during all the mission

Now they were clear

Conner (in mind): Tim, it's clear now. We took control of the train

Tim (in mind): Good job, start the engines now. There's no time to waste

Conner nodded before looking over to his partner

Conner: So, do you know how to operate this thing?...

Over at station omega, Cassie had broken inside, disposing of any opposition she found along the way. Tim reported that he had caused a short-circuit, just enough to open the cells for the kids

So by the time Wonder Girl accessed it, the kids were already out of their cells

Cassie: Alright children, time to leave. I'll need you all to follow me, and stay together!

The kids closest to her nodded and rounded up the rest of the group, eager to leave this tormenting place

Under the blonde's guidance, the children escaped the station and went into a platform that would take them back to the surface

The place was an absolute mess thanks to the pink-haired witch who was still fighting illusions. Mammoth was called in to stop her, but even he was having a difficult time

Once they passed her, it was pretty much mission accomplished

Cassie (in mind): M'gann, how are you doing with Kiran?

Just as she asked, she found the Martian carrying the girl in her arms and already on her way to the train

Cassie couldn't help but smile seeing as she had her answer

You (in mind): How are you ladies doing? Did you get the kids?

Cassie (in mind): We do, where's the train at?

Jaime (in mind): Up and running, everyone get to the hangar!

That was enough to make you leave your station, it was time to go. But of course, as it happens when you steal an entire train, it would be noticed, even with all the chaos ensuing

M'gann and Kiran were the first to board the train. Once the Indian girl was safe with Conner, the Martian rushed to help Cassie get the rest of the children aboard

The soldiers that did notice opened fire at the heroes, that's when Red Robin and you intervened to provide cover for the rest. By the time the train began to speed up, most of the kids were already inside

However, so were a bunch of the enemy's forces. At this rate, they would catch up rather quickly, thus rendering the entire operation a failure

Tim: Jaime make this thing speed up!

He commanded while using his grappling hook to get aboard himself. As soon as you got on board, Blue Beetle (who was controlling the vehicle) increased the speed significantly

Jaime: Hold on!

The doors were shut closed to allow the increase of speed, lights on the ceiling turned on to help illuminate the area. You were effectively escaping the facility

Now all you had to do, was lose the people chasing you

Roaming through the wagons, the soldiers began to close the gap, led by, yet again, the female specialist that was previously thought to be Rose

Being the first line of defense, M'gann tried her best to take out as many enemies as she could, but the numbers were enough for some to slip past her

Fortunately, Conner and Cassie were the second wave

While they did their part, Tim and Jaime took care of navigating the train

And you, you dealt with any poor soul that dared enter the pilot's station. The last of the soldiers fell by your sword, none even managing to make it past you, but as easy as it was, you knew it wasn't nearly the end of it

You: So, any idea on how to get us out of here?

Tim: I was thinking you could open a portal to take us out of here

You: A portal is a static place in space, if I summon one in a place that is moving so fast as this train, nothing will come out of it, literally

Another group of soldiers attempted to burst into the room, keeping you busy while the conversation resumed

You: ...however, I could try and transport the entire section to another place, that's easier to manage

Surprised by this proposal, the former Robin looked back at you

Tim: Are you sure you can do that?

Headbutting an enemy before knocking him out with the pommel of your weapon, you answered:

You: Yeah, now all I have to do is channel enough energy to transport an entire bloody wagon

Jaime: The wagon behind us, A1 is specialized for heavy cargo, maybe we can all fit inside

Tim: Good thinking.

Using the telepathic link that M'gann set up earlier, Tim went ahead to communicate the next phase of the plan

Tim (in mind): Alright guys, we have a solution. Y/N's going to teleport the wagon, but we need to get everyone in here as quick as possible

Cassie (in mind): On our way!

You: Alright, looks like I need to start working

Jaime: I'll isolate the wagon until you give me the signal

You just nodded before leaving the pilot's cabin to begin work on the huge spell they needed you to do. When you entered the space, the doors sealed close, seemingly leaving you alone

Wasting no time, you raised both hands facing the wall and concentrated on surrounding the entire wagon. About six seconds passed when you felt something, the wagon wasn't empty

You ducked seconds before a sword was thrown your way, nailing itself to the wall

You: *Sigh* Of course, why the hell not?

It was the female specialist, the one that had caused so much mischief with so little. The thing was, you had already begun the spell, you couldn't just stop it to fight

You (in mind): Guys, I'm not alone in the wagon, a hand, please?

From the other side of the train, your Martian ally heard the call. Slamming an agent to the wall with her telekinesis and growing an arm from her back to knock out the other one, she had mostly finished her part

M'gann: Conner, think you can hold them off?

She got a nod from the boy without stopping his fight, that's all she needed to see. And so, the green-skinned girl flew straight into your wagon, becoming intangible to get there quicker

Using that momentum, she flew straight into the enemy and sent her crashing onto the sealed door

You: Thank you, luv. Just in time

She smiled at you, but when she saw you looking at the side, she found that the specialist was practically stuck to the door. It had been hit so hard parts of its skin fell off, revealing cables and metal beneath

You: Looks like the specialist wasn't even a person, to begin with

It appeared to be recovering from the blow dealt to it, soon getting unstuck

You: Think you can hold her?

M'gann: Leave it to me

The Martian rushed towards the android, dodging the swings of its blades before throwing a couple of punches to its face. Suddenly, it slashed away at M'gann's stomach, just missing it by inches

Realizing this, she began to attack with increased speed, soon overwhelming the automaton, or at least until it docked and placed a good uppercut on the girl, followed by a sword that would have been the end of her if not for a blast coming from your hand

M'gann was surprised by this, you just nodded at her, seeing as the spell was taking effect and also draining your energy, there wasn't much room for words. The wagon was slowly filled with magical energy

Seeing this as a signal to hurry up, she moved in for another attack, making the android block in advance only for M'gann to sweep its legs and crush them with her telekinesis, followed by the head once it tried to retaliate

Tim (in mind): Y/N! How are you doing?

You: Y-You're lucky...that I-I ate a c-complete breakfast t...today, mate!

The walls were losing density, the landscape could barely be seen through them, in fact

You: G-Get in here, now!

The doors were opened to allow Cassie and her group of children to get inside, followed by Conner and Kiran too. It closed as soon as they got inside, shielding everyone from the incoming blasts of fire, but the enemy wouldn't just stop

Tim and Jaime entered from the other side, mentioning how the train had been irreversibly hacked to travel across the country. It was now or never

There were a bunch of hits on the door, however, something was aggressively trying to get in, but by the time the access was torn open, a blinding flash took over. And just like that, there was no wagon on the train

Just a bunch of soldiers and supervillains, stranded

Back on an A.R.G.U.S facility, a squad accompanied by their director and Rose Wilson herself were waiting. They all reunited outside the building when they got a message from Tim Drake saying that they were "taking the wagon"

Before they got time to question what did that even mean, the entire block of metal landed on the platform, its speed was stopped by the combined efforts of some of the heroes and A.R.G.U.S's androids

Of course, it was just in incredible speeds just seconds ago, it would need stopping, but once it was secured, the wall was torn open and out came all the children, guided successfully by the team

Tim and M'gann explained to the kids that they were safe now, in the hands of good people that would take them back to their homes. The hope in their eyes was priceless, it made everything worth it

If it weren't for the fact that you nearly passed out from exhaustion, of course

Titans Tower, 8:15 p.m

You were walking down the halls to reach your room, ready to hang up the coat and rest for the rest of the day when you came across the familiar face of Rose

Rose: Hey Y/N. How was the mission?

You: An absolute mess, although I'm going to miss having a telepath around. They're so useful

The girl laughed at what you said, even when exhausted you still had your sense of humor

Rose: Good to see you had fun

Then, she remembered why she even stopped you for a talk in the first place, a sigh left her lips as she continued

Rose: Listen, there was a complication with the communication system, we tried for hours but there was something else blocking the signal. Tim explained that it was Gizmo, but I understand the issue caused a lot of controversies

You: You could say that, yes

Rose: I also heard that you defended me in front of the team. I understand you're tired, I just wanted to thank you for trusting me

She followed this action with a hug, a gesture so rare from her it took you by surprise, but you didn't hesitate to return it. Once it ended, you could see a clear smile on her face

Rose: Well, see you around

With that statement and a pat on the shoulder, she left you alone. It was so strange, when you remember what happened back there, it didn't seem like something so big, but it looked that for Rose, it was

Choosing not to think much of it, you finally arrived at your room, turned on the lights and closed the door behind you, falling on your bed as soon as you saw it

The complete silence, warmth and overall comfortableness after such a rough mission was the best thing you could ask for

It was amazing

...or it was until the phone started ringing

After cursing and choosing to ignore it the first two times, you finally picked it up

???: Y/N L/N?

You: What is it?

???: I'm Jamie Summers, I'm a friend of Jennifer

You: Charmed, what do you want

Jamie: I think she's in a huge problem

You fell back on your bed, already dismissing the situation

You: She's smart, she'll be alright

Jamie: You don't understand...

"I think that Enchantress claimed her as a host"