( Chapter One )
Leader of the Crew

Katerina believed she was gifted. Not in the sense of magic but being born. She wasn't supposed to exist, not in this universe or the next. Across the galaxy there was only one Katerina Astraia Vasiliou. At birth she was marked for the reaper. Cold hands were supposed to take her down to Charon's ferry but fate had changed. Had it been the gods seeing her potential or maybe it was the work of a demon wanting to shake the norm of the world. Point is, Katerina was not supposed to be alive.

She knew this. It was no secret to the girl. She lived her life knowing this was the only one she would get. That in another universe there was someone else in her place. It should have saddened her but all Katerina felt was relief. Now, Katerina did not want to die. Really she didn't, but the thought of being the only version of herself was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had nothing to live up to — unless you count her aunt Diana.

As the first Wonder Girl, Katerina needed to meet the expectations set for her. And she would, she vowed to. Her mother and aunt believed in her. That was all she needed. Or hoped. Their faith in what she could accomplish had been seen and valued, though it did little to quiet the voices inside her head. The ones telling her she would fail. She was a symbol of hope, as many had told her.

It was a lot of pressure to put on the teen, though she will prevail. This was her destiny. She would not have accepted the role had she lacked self confidence.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca," Miss Martian, one of Katerina's teammates, said as she flew the bioship over the Caribbean Sea.

The team of young heroes was still new, this being their first real mission since being formed. It started out with Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad rescuing Superboy from a lab — Cadmus. That had sparked something amongst the boys, a never ending loyalty to one another. It wasn't till later did Wonder Girl and Miss Martian join the team, both advised by their mentors. Katerina was a little hesitant to be working with someone other than her aunt, especially boys but they ended up being decent company.

They could be frustrating and a little piggish but they weren't bad men. Katerina considered them friends at this point, but sometimes their comments made her want to commit violent acts. Especially Kid Flash. Now, she adored the redhead and sought him out when she needed a good laugh but the way he drools over Miss Martian had gotten old. She was tired of seeing it.

"Drop zone A in thirty," Miss Martian announced as the ship began to slow its pace.

Aqualad stood from his seat, watching as it dispersed into the ground as if it never existed. He pressed the emblem on his belt to activate stealth mode on his suit. Something that had recently been added to most of their attire. "Ready," he nodded to the Martian.

Miss Martian turned to him with a look of determination. This mission needed to go smoothly, they could not risk making any bumps. Not when Batman himself instructed them to be careful. Recon only. Observe and report as needed. "Putting bioship in camouflage mode," she muttered.

Once they were closer to the island, a hole formed in the middle of the ship. Just enough space for Aqualad to dive down into the Caribbean Sea while the others remained seated, awaiting their own position. It didn't take long before his voice came through the comms, "heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."

With the bioship hovering over the jungle the team stood silently. Katerina rolled her shoulders back with a neutral expression. She grabbed one of the lines created by the ship under Miss Martian's command, hooking it to her belt. She could have jumped down just fine or but she was concerned for her weight causing a disruption to the ground below. They were supposed to go unnoticed, they needed to be cautious.

Kid tapped his own emblem on his chest to activate stealth mode, his yellow suit turning a dark gray. "How cool is this?" He was looking between Miss Martian and Katerina in excitement. Clearly enjoying the update.

"Very impressive," Miss Martian smiled in amusement. In a matter of seconds the white of her suit turned black the same time her skirt was replaced by pants. This version was better suited for the mission unlike her bright, eye-catching one. Though she liked both, the black was comfortable in comparison to the white. She looked triumphant at her work with her hands resting on her hips.

"Uh, that works too." The speedster glanced over at the Kryptonian clone. "Hey, Supey," he was fully facing him now while Katerina watched their interaction half-interested in what was going on. "Not too late to put on the new stealth tech."

"No capes, no tights." Superboy narrowed his eyes, "no offense."

"It totally works for you," Miss Martian said in a dream-like tone. It had Katerina looking at her oddly. The Martian's crush on Superboy was beyond obvious to everyone on the team and the Amazon wanted to gag. Relationships within the team would only lead to drama and Katerina wanted no part of it. "In that you can totally do good work in those clothes." Miss Martian tried saving herself from embarrassment when she realized she had been talking out loud, throwing the hood of her cloak over her head and turning invisible as her cheeks flushed.

"I'm going to throw up." Katerina jumped through the hole in the ground, using the line to help lower her. Once her boots touched the grass, she unhooked the line and moved over to a tree to wait for the others. She leaned her shoulder against the trunk while her eyes roamed the jungle for any threats. She had seen none but things were often not as they seemed.

Down came her team, silent as a mouse — or at least they had been till Superboy's massive body landed on the grass patch, kicking dirt into the air from the impact. Katerina scowled at the boy, waving the dirt away from her. "Thank you for that. I love eating dirt for dinner." She pushed herself off the tree and offered a hand to Robin who was resting beside her after jumping out of the way from the Kryptonian.

"Knew I didn't need a line," Superboy smirked.

"What part of covert do you not understand?" Katerina huffed but was ignored by the clone.

Robin had been just as irritated as Katerina, if not more. He was glaring at Superboy, "and yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert." The attitude inside this short boy was almost humorous to Katerina. She would have laughed had it been an appropriate time.

"Aqualad, drop B is a go."

"Head for the factory. I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."

The Boy Wonder pulled up his map of the land on his glove, creating a holographic screen. Katerina peered over his shoulder at the device, taking in the route they would need to follow in order to make it to the factory in a timely manner. "Roger that," Robin said before running off with the team following close behind.

In a matter of minutes, they were walking along the side of a mountain with a waterfall behind them. It was quiet. Something that didn't happen often with this team. They were a chaotic band of ex-sidekicks shouldering the weight of the world — though not as much as the Justice League, they were still just children. No matter how hard they tried to act older. They were teenagers, still unaware of the darkness awaiting them.

Katerina trailed behind Kid Flash, her foot occasionally catching on the heel of his shoes. Short apologies were muttered in the silence. The girl with hair as black as a raven's feathers, didn't know how long they had been walking. The sun had disappeared and in its place the moon rose to cast a gentle glow over the teens. It set a peaceful atmosphere despite the mission ahead.

She peered up at the moon hanging high in the sky. There was a gentleness to her eyes the longer she looked to the sphere in space. Katerina had loved the moon, it became a bit of an obsession of hers. Ever since she was a little girl she would sit outside with her mother, her head resting on her shoulder, just watching. She had a moon-chart in her room back in Washington. It was one of the many moon themed items she treasured.

The team had to climb the rest of the way to meet the grassy layout. Katerina helped the speedster up with a steady stance, her hand grasping his in a tight grip as she pulled him the rest of the way. Superboy had taken up the rear of the group as they continued to walk. His ears strained as he heard the snap of a twig. "Did you hear that?" He asked the others.

"Uh no," Kid whispered.

Katerina listened closely for a threat but came up empty. However, her guard was up. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as if she were preparing for a fight. "We should get to higher ground, scope out the area." She glanced back at Kid Flash who was still addressing Superboy.

"Is this a super hearing thing?" He asked.

"You do have great ears," Miss Martian blushed.

Katerina let out a huff of air as she noticed the Boy Wonder had disappeared. One of the many times he'd done that since meeting. It was a little annoying — okay, a lot. All she could think about was what could happen if Robin was caught and they'd have to save him. Or, more accurately, he would save himself and they'd be left scolding him instead. The norm really.

In the past, working with Robin had been an experience. She had gotten used to the Boy Wonder's disappearing act a long time ago, she just didn't like it. Katerina wasn't the only one to be annoyed by the games the Gotham heroes enjoyed playing. Wonder Woman often butted heads with Batman for the same thing, though the woman knew when to keep her comments to herself.

Katerina did not. "Little weasel."

"Man, I hate when he does that." Kid Flash sighed.

"Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked."

Kid pulled his goggles over his mask, using the infrared mode to look for heat signatures. There were four up ahead with guns from what the speedster could tell. He stood up straight as he told the remaining members of the team, "got a squad of armed bozos incoming."

They crouched behind a pair of boulders on either side of the path ahead. Keeping themselves hidden from the incoming threat. "Two squads," Superboy corrected. "But they'll meet each other before they find us."

Gun fire sounded from the distance, causing Katerina to narrow her eyes in disdain. She hated guns. A man who needs to hide behind a loaded barrel is a coward, fight with your hands or use a weapon that requires discipline. "No super hearing required now," Kid gave a humorless laugh.

"Swing wide, steer clear."

Kid waved him off with a shrug of his shoulders. A passive smile tugged at his lips as he said, "yeah, just as soon as I find Rob." He ran off, leaving his teammates not at all shocked but disappointed.

The Amazonian teenager felt her heart sink as he vanished in a flash of yellow. Surely he would get himself into trouble when running in the direction of the gun fire. She glanced back at Superboy who gave her a nonchalant shrug. With a huff she started her trek down the dirt path with Miss Martian and Superboy on her heels.

By the time the trio made it there, Katerina's assumptions were right. The speedster had found himself in the crosshairs of a gun fight. Not one of his proudest moments. He wouldn't be caught dead admitting that to the Amazonian though, she'd just give him that disapproving pout that made him feel like he was being scolded. Not something he wanted to witness again.

"I swear I had it under control!" He yelled over the guns, dodging the bullets in a zig-zag motion.

Katerina used her Bracelets of Victory to block the stray bullets from hitting her, a hard glare directed at the blur moving side to side beside her. "Somehow I doubt that." She grabbed two of the cultists closest to her, one hand on the backs of their necks and banged their heads together. She watched them drop to the ground in a pile of limp limbs. "Sometimes I think you and Robin need to be put on a leash."

"See, now that's just not right." Kid Flash grumbled while slamming his fist into the face of his opponent.

While Superboy was battling with Bane — a criminal who usually operated in Gotham — Katerina was throwing down as many of the cultists as she could. At one point she had grabbed her lasso and wrapped it around the waist of one that had wandered too close to Kid Flash. With her muscles flexing she swung him around and commanded the lasso to release him as he hovered over a bush. She heard a grunt of pain but shrugged it off. A bump of the head wouldn't hurt anyone.

Robin dropped from a tree, kicking one of the gunmen in his chest on the way down. "What is wrong with you guys?" He mumbled with a shake of his head. The Boy Wonder shoved the gun out of the way of another man in a blue coat and punched him in the nose with a 'hyah'. He then kicked the guy in the stomach, hard and without thinking of the bruise the man would definitely be dealing with the next day. "What happened to convert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?"

Katerina ducked out of the way of an incoming fist and slid her foot out to trip the man who was charging at her. "Notice how not a single one of us got that? You are supposed to communicate with your team, do not assume we know what you are thinking."

"Yeah, way to fill us in." Kid roundhouse kicked his own guy. "We're not mind readers, y'know."

Behind them Miss Martian used her telekinesis to throw a cultist into a tree. They may not have been mind readers but the Martian was, something she was advised not to use on them since it is an invasion of privacy. Not that Katerina had much of a problem with it, she had nothing to hide. "Uh, I'm not anyway." Kid stood awkwardly with a hand scratching at the back of his neck.

"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds." Miss Martian said.

Robin had nothing to say to that as he looked at her in complete silence. He turned to the side where a lone cultist was running at him but Aqualad dropped from a tree above and electrocuted the man with his markings glowing as they wrapped around his arms. He glanced back at the team while slamming his foot down on the man's communicator.

The team huddled in a circle after tying the gunmen and cultists against two separate trees. Katerina divided her attention between the other teenagers and that man who got his ass handed to him by Superboy. Bane. Also known as a criminal who gave Batman and Robin trouble often. She knew very little about him but enough to know he wasn't to be trusted.

"I recognize these uniforms." Robin said from beside Kid Flash, who was rubbing at his knuckles. "They belong to the cult of The Kobra."

Katerina hadn't taken down a cult before, or even met a real cultist. Sure, she had heard about them through stories and even movies but to actually be in the middle of the occult? She had to admit it was a little interesting. Katerina would have to ask Robin about The Kobra at a later time.

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's venom operation." Aqualad crossed his arms over his chest while narrowing his gaze on the younger boy.

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

Kid huffed out, "we get it." He threw his arms up dramatically. "Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved, radio Bats and we'll be home in time —"

"These cultists aren't on venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff." Robin said with a twitch in his eye, getting frustrated with them not understanding his train of thought. "We don't leave. Not until I know why."

"Until you know why?" Kid was standing in front of him now, looking down his nose, slightly leaning into his space.

"This team needs a leader."

Katerina could feel an argument coming. They weren't uncommon between the pair. Kid Flash and Robin tend to butt heads more often than not, especially when it comes to decision making. And every time, Katerina was forced to witness the conflict like it was a special exhibit. Those two made her question her sanity on a daily basis.

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

Robin laughed humorlessly, "and you're a mature fifteen? You blew our cover the first chance you got."

They continued to argue while Katerina contemplated tying the boys up with her lasso. Neither of them were fit to lead. While she cared for them both and believed in their abilities she knew they could not lead this team, not yet. There was still so much they needed to learn. In time maybe they could take control but for now it should be left to Aqualad and her.

Though that wasn't to say Katerina actually wanted to be leader. She wasn't opposed to it but she would rather take a backseat position for now. There was still room for her to grow.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!" Kid yelled in protest.

"Neither does Batman!"

"Duh, you're not Batman!"

"Duh, closest thing we've got!"

Katerina pinched the bridge of her nose while closing her eyes, trying to imagine herself somewhere peaceful. Themyscira, her home. Or well, home away from home. She thought of the sand beneath her feet, the hot sun beating down on her, tanning her flesh as she battled with the other Amazons. All of that was better than listening to her friends fight. Hell, she'd rather listen to her father's coughing fits than put up with this much longer.

Bane's low chuckle surprisingly got the speedster and hacker to finally be quiet. If he wasn't a villain Katerina would have clapped and praised Athena right then and there. "Such clever ninos. But you only know half the story, let me show you the rest, get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

The six walked closer to Bane with a mix of determination and confusion. Why was he so willing to help them? There had to be something he wanted. Miss Martian crouched in front of him with a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "There is a secret entrance but he's also hiding something." Her eyes glowed white as she tried looking deeper into his thoughts.

He shook his head, "ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy."

Miss Martian groaned, "he's mentally reciting football scores in spanish. This could take a while."

Katerina took a step forward with her lasso in hand and eyebrows furrowed while her lips twisted into a scowl. "I can make him talk." She glanced over at Aqualad but he shook his head once, causing her to lower the lasso.

"It's not that complicated," Bane said. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Robin and Kid Flash turned to Katerina with question marks practically hovering over their heads. They wanted to know if they should trust Bane, and while the Amazonian wanted to say no and get answers her way, she also knew sometimes you needed to make tough decisions. Katerina looked to Aqualad who nodded.

Trusting the enemy, what could go wrong?

Standing on a cliff overlooking the factory storing the venom, led by Bane, Katerina stood between Robin and Kid Flash. The man gestured down below to the building. The speedster and detective walked closer to the ledge and crouched down, passing a pair of binoculars. "Look at all that product, a buy is going down." Robin whispered to the team. "But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then —"

"We need to identify that buyer." Aqualad said.

Kid nodded while lifting his goggles, "just what I was thinking."

"Yeah, you're the thinker." Robin chuckled.

Katerina sighed while shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Don't start this again."

Kid Flash ignored her. "Sarcasm, dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers."

  The commotion of Bane lifting a boulder captured the team's attention, causing them to look at him with blank expressions. "Answers are this way," he rubbed the grime from his hands onto his jeans. Bane began walking down into the passageway.

  "So now El Luchador is our leader," Kid huffed. He was then hit in the shoulder by Robin who nudged past him to follow Bane.

  Katerina shoved Kid Flash forward as they all went in after their caped friend. There were lights above to prevent them from stumbling in the dark and running into one another. Something Katerina was grateful for in the long run. She'd like to keep her dignity and not trip over anyone's foot while down there.

  They weren't walking for long before they came to a dead end. A secret door. It was like those spy movies Katerina liked watching while lounging around her living-room, like Mr. & Mrs. Smith that she almost always had playing on repeat. Her favorite scenes were when Jane and John were fighting inside their house, damaging the interior in the process. Amaltheia, her mother, had given her a poster for the movie to hang in her room as it was her favorite. She still had it, right above her bed next to her wall of polaroids she's taken with her friends — mainly Wally.

  Bane pressed down on a red button that made a buzzing sound. When the light lit up green, the door opened. Allowing them access into the factory. They stayed there in silence a moment longer. Robin peeking through the opening to check their surroundings for any cultists. "All clear," he told them before running on out and ahead.

  The others walked out after, losing sight of him as they rounded a few pipes. "Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane grumbled in annoyance.

  Katerina narrowed her eyes ahead, at his back. "No."

  Aqualad sighed, "he just does that."

  Kid Flash pulled down his goggles over his eyes and rolled his shoulders back in anticipation. "Stay put," he said to them. "I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder."

  "Wait, Kid!" Aqualad tried stopping him but the slightly younger teen had already ran off to who knows where.

  "Great chain of command." Bane snickered till Katerina kicked the back of his knee, making him falter in his stance.

  "Shut up."

  The five crouched down behind a wall of crates, watching as the cultists loaded venom into more bins, carrying them to one end of the room while a forklift came towards them. "It's a massive shipment." Aqualad breathed out.

  Superboy furrowed his brows. "Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this venom."

  "Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian sounded unsure of herself as she glanced over at Katerina who just shrugged in response.

  "Helicopters coming."

Kira believed she was cursed. A sorcerer must have placed one on her at birth, why else would chaos follow her everywhere? Why else did the decisions of her mother haunt her? A life of crime was not what she wanted for herself. She was a sixteen year old mercenary. How fucked up did that sound? A child following in her mother's footsteps of murder and mutilation. Kira was the kind of person parents warned their children away from, the ones who hide in the dark.

  She had a normal life at one point. It was nothing glamorous but the little time she had between eight and thirteen had meant the world to her. Kira would play with friends, spend time with her mother in the bakery, even feed the ducks in the city pond. It all sounded insignificant but those moments were special to her. A time where she was just Kira Yaeko, the innocent child. A baker's daughter. Not a mercenary alongside the woman meant to teach her right from wrong.

Yami Yaeko, the Akuma, led her teenage daughter down a path of murder and deceit. She gave her a new name. One that she used as a mask to bury that once doe-eyed child who wanted a peaceful life. Akane. The red beast. Yami failed her daughter just as her mother had before her. It was a running cycle, one that will continue to be repeated.

  That same rhythm is what led Kira to Santa Prisca alongside a man by the name of Sportsmaster. They were set to retrieve a shipment for the Light. No details were spared to the two other than what it was. No explanation on what they wanted the Kobra Venom and Blockbuster formula for. Kira was not going to worry herself with the semantics when she had bigger fish to fry.

  Akane was one of their enforcers, not a consultant.

  Kira, hidden behind her kitsune mask, walked down the ramp of the plane with her katana strapped to her back. In this line of work she needed to keep her identity a secret. It was one of the first things Yami taught her, never trust in anyone. Not even each other. And yet Kira was devoted to her mother despite the rule.

  Following the steps of Sportsmaster, she walked down the line of cultists till they reached the leader — or whatever he was called. The guy who led the pajama party of red robes and snake teeth. Kira liked snakes but definitely not enough to join a cult for a snake god. Now make up a cult for foxes and she'd join that in a heartbeat.

  "Lord Kobra," the blond man greeted simply.

  "Sportsmaster." He didn't so much as look in Kira's direction despite the girl standing right beside the other enforcer now. "The shipment is ready."

  Shimmer stepped forward and opened a case to show five vials of the dark purple formula. Sportsmaster grabbed one of them with a low hum emitting from the back of his throat. "The new Kobra venom?"

  "A complete success," Lord Kobra gestured to the boy beside him — Mammoth. His skin was stretched and ripped in the shoulder to reveal parts of his nerves, sharp teeth and greying skin. He looked every inch a beast to Kira who had remained quiet during the entire interaction. Though she did want to tell that boy and his twin sister they made a horrible mistake. "Our friends will not be disappointed."

  "This is a game changer," Sportmaster grumbled while gently nudging Kira who only blinked behind the mask. "Finally, we can go mano-a-mano with the Justice League." He tossed the vile into the air before catching it easily.

  Gunshots rang out from the factory not even a minute later. Kira watched as Mammoth smashed through the window with a roar, the cult following him. She had been unsure if they should go after them, investigate the situation themselves but the firm hand coming down to rest on her shoulder had her nodding up at the man and running after Lord Kobra.

  It was a war. A team of vigilantes fighting in a chaotic motion. The only ones that seemed to have even a semblance of a plan was the tall Amazonian with a giant W across her chest and the boy shooting water spheres at any cultist within range. The team was divided.

  Kira ducked as a cult member was thrown in her direction from an invisible force. She looked up the same time Sportsmaster threw his extendable staff through the air before it exploded, making the Martian visible as she was thrown behind a wall of barrels.

  "Go," he told the sixteen year old.

Katerina had decided she hated snakes. They were pesky things that would be stomped beneath her boot. She couldn't even count how many she had tossed around before she felt the telepathic pull of Miss Martian linking their thoughts together. Their communicators weren't working so this was a last resort. One she knew Superboy was not fond of but Katerina didn't have any complaints. Whatever is necessary for the mission.

  She was backed into a corner with Aqualad, swinging her lasso around to toss the cultists away from them. "Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path." The Atlantean said through the link.

  After Kid Flash zipped around the group of cult members, knocking them out, the team ran for the secret door they had used coming in. Superboy slammed it shut before they were running again. Katerina kept pace with the Kryptonian as they tried avoiding Mammoth who broke through the door and was hot on their trail.

  Stamina was not something Katerina lacked. Since she was a young child she had been training to further her abilities and skills, she did this by racing the other Amazons. Of course it wasn't all that difficult to convince the others to run against her when she used it as training. She wasn't nearly as fast as a speedster but she could keep up, evenly matched to a Kryptonian in speed and strength.

  "Superboy, Wonder Girl, the support beams!" Aqualad yelled over the gunfire.

  The two with abnormal strength came to a slowering pace behind the team, punching out the support beams as ordered. Superboy latched a hand around Katerina's arm and tugged her to his side to avoid one of the wooden beams before they started running again, repeating the process.

  Pieces of the ceiling and walls came crashing down. Rocks blocked the path behind them with a loud crash that reverberated through the tunnel. With heavy pants of breath the team came to a stop. Aqualad cracked a couple glow-sticks and set them around the six teens as they caught their breath.

  Katerina stood between the Martian and Atlantean with her arms crossed, copying the stance of Superboy. "How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin asked into the silence that surrounded them.

  "You do have the most experience." Aqualad said. "But maybe that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new, and a leader must be clear, explicit." He narrowed his eyes on the back of the boy's head yet his voice remained calm and collected, almost comforting. "He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan."

  "Oh so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?!" Robin's voice raised before groaning in frustration. "Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur." His lips curled into a small smile that was contagious cause Katerina followed in suit. "You're the only one who can."

  Kid scoffed in offense while his arms hung limp at his sides. "Please, I could run circles —"

  Katerina rolled her eyes, though her smile stayed in place. "Wal, you know it is the truth. Kaldur is the most fit for the role." She bumped her hip with the Atlantean's, gaining a look of gratitude from her friend.

  "Hello, Megan!" Miss Martian palmed her forehead as if she had just seen the answers that had been in front of her the whole time. "It's so obvious."

  "Could have told you," Superboy agreed.

  They all turned to Kid Flash who slowly broke into a smile mirroring the others. His hands came to rest on his hips as he said, "okay."

  Aqualad stepped up to Robin and gently grasped both of his shoulders in his calloused hands. "Then I accept the burden, until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon."

  Getting a nod of understanding in response, the eldest of the group turned back to face the remainder of the team. "Alright, our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving the island."

  "Funny, I had the same thought."

With the chopper's rotor spinning and engine started, Kira stood beside Sportsmaster as he addressed Lord Kobra and his second in command, Shimmer. Earlier in the night he had sent Kira to find the ones responsible for the delay in their shipment but she had lost them. She would have followed them into the tunnel but Mammoth took up most of the room and the brats made it collapse.

  She felt dejected over returning to the man empty handed but there was not much she could do to help her case.

  "Sabotage." Sportsmaster clarified to the cult leader in front of him. "Robin?" Who else would it have been? Batman was otherwise busy in Gotham fighting a separate battle so he had sent his sidekick and his friends to ruin the night — though in actuality, this was supposed to be recon for the team of vigilantes.

  "Undoubtedly." Lord Kobra turned to the young adult, maybe nineteen, and said, "find the problem. Fix it." She bowed in understanding and walked off while Mammoth and a member of the Kobra cult made their approach.

  "Master, shall we send search parties after the intruders?"

  "Don't be absurd. They'll come to us."

  Back in the tunnels the heroes were running towards the exit with Aqualad in the lead. Robin had his holographic computer pulled up as he looked at the data he had stolen from the computer in the control room of the factory. "Sportsmaster is the supplier/buyer but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula, or to get Kobra to do his dirty work." Robin voiced while avoiding a smaller rock in his path.

  "And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with venom." Kid Flash shook his head while thinking back to what he had seen in the control room when he had ditched the team to find Robin. "That took some major nerdage."

  "You would know," Katerina jested.

  "I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg.'" Aqualad muttered as they neared the exit.

  However, when they got there Bane was blocking the way. Katerina knew they shouldn't have trusted him. He was nothing but a dirty villain who will do anything to complete his own agenda. It had her grinding her molars together while slightly standing in front of the team, beside Aqualad.

  "Halt, ninos." Bane smirked while gripping a button in his hand. "I'm feeling explosive."

  The team looked up at the sound of beeping to see five explosives set up around the arch of the exit. Katerina glared at Bane while Aqualad asked in disbelief, "you betrayed us. Why?"

  "I want my factory back." He said simply.

  "Kid, you'll need a running start."

  While Kid Flash slowly backed away to the back of the group the others tried not to bring any attention to him. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you," Katerina scowled up at the muscular man. "You had this plan all along."

  Bane continued to smirk, though now his eyes were locked on the Amazonian teenager who looked like she wanted to deliver his ass to the gods. "I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared," he continued. "Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect.

  He held up the button to activate the explosives but his thumb pressed down on nothing but skin. That object that had once been in his hands seconds earlier had now disappeared. "With what?" Kid asked behind the man while leaning against a tree and held it up in a taunting manner. "This trigger thingy?"

  Bane went to throw his entire body weight at the redheaded speedster but was stopped by an invisible force. Miss Martian, she hovered him into the air with ease while he made a face of surprise. Superboy walked under him with a smirk, "finally. Drop him."

  Miss Martian complied with her eyes holding a glimmer of mischief, not bothering to look away when the Kryptonian delivered a hard blow to the man's face. Knocking him unconscious with ease.

  Back with the enforcers of the Light, Kira watched a cultist approached them with his expression blander than her mother's nut-muffins she baked in the winter. "The helicopter is operational, exalted one."

  Kira and Sportsmaster began walking to their chopper holding the cases of venom but stopped when a blurr ran past them. The cult members began shooting while Kira pulled out her katana in preparation for a fight.

  "Take the shipment!" Lord Kobra yelled to Sportsmaster who then began running.

  The young mercenary watched the blur intently, mapping out his moves as he zipped past Shimmer and Lord Kobra yelling "souvenir" as he took one of the men's masks. He seemed experienced with his powers but Kira was wondering if he had the combative skills to match.

  Kid Flash ran towards her in an attempt to take her mask as well but instead he felt his left leg give out on him. He yowled in pain as he crashed to the ground. The culprit behind the attack being the kitsune wearer. The tip of her sword was angled under his chin either in an attempt to intimidate him or because she actually planned on killing him, he wasn't sure.

  "I'm not all that into swords," he plastered on a cheeky grin, "but for you I could make an exception."

  Her stance faulted as her mouth hung open behind the mask. His words had stunned her. Never, not once had an opponent flirted with her, or even made an offhand comment like that. It was shocking, and unprofessional in Kira's opinion. But is her line of work even considered professional when she kills people for a living?

  Kid took the opportunity to sweep her leg out from under her from his position on the ground, avoiding the sharp edge of her blade. She landed with an 'oomph' and a groan that made the speedster smile turn more genuine, feeling triumphant despite the fact she was sitting on his legs. Namely, the one she had bruised with her platform boot.

  "Woah, you just fell for me." Kid pulled his leg from under Akane. It was a cheesy line but the boy thought it was funny, flirting with his opponents was an on-going bit he had been working on since he first started as Flash's sidekick. Though he had a feeling the mercenary was not a fan of it because she pulled a dagger from her belt. "Why are you so stabby?" He asked while running in circles around her.

  Akane got to her feet and threw the dagger blindly, but she apparently hit her target because he yelled out a "fucking damnit" which had her mentally fist-bumping herself. The dagger's blade was stabbed through the boy's shoulder and she would have added another while he examined the wound but she stopped when a familiar voice called out to her.

  "Akane, hurry up!"

  With one last look at Kid Flash, she made a run for the helicopter. Sheathing her sword back to her back with a disappointed sigh she spoke for the first time of the night. "I have failed," she sat in the passenger seat with a straight back and hands resting in her lap. "The speedster is injured but alive. Mother will be disappointed I let him live."

  Sportsmaster grumbled a low, "let me deal with her."

  On the ground Katerina stood with Miss Martian and Superboy, watching the helicopter fly away and over the Caribbean Sea. She was disappointed in their efforts to retrieve the formula and she was almost certain Batman would be on their case once they returned to the cave. At least disapproval from the Dark Knight was easier to choke down than the unhappy frown on her aunt's face.

  However, the night was not a total bust as Miss Martian held up a trigger like the one Bane had earlier in the night. She smirked mischievously at her teammates before pressing down on the button, causing a chain reaction of explosions.

  The engine went out first, resulting in the helicopter taking an odd turn and crashing into the factory. Destroying the Kobra venom in the process. Katerina wasn't worried about Sportsmaster or Akane dying in the crash either as she had seen them jump out of the helicopter, using parachutes to save themselves. Things were looking up for the Young Justice.

"A simple recon mission, observe and report." Batman walked along the lineup of teenagers who stood in their civilian attire, all feeling like they were being scolded for how last night had gone. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes." He narrowed his eyes on them with his hands behind his back. "Until then..." the ghost of a smirk formed on his face, though Katerina could have been imagining it. "Good job."

  The six teens all wore expressions of surprise or confusion but they took the compliment nonetheless. "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character." Batman said while walking towards the giant computer and away from the team, leaving them to their own devices.

  "Pizza?" Wally asked once it was just him and his friend. He stood in front of Katerina with his shoulder wrapped under his yellow shirt — she had to help him reapply the bandages before the debriefing with Batman and had actually been gentle despite her complaining and comments of him being an idiot for flirting with Akane in the first place.

  "As long as you're not putting pineapple on it again...that was just disgusting." Katerina crossed her arms over her chest but was already walking towards the zeta-tube with the others following close behind.

  "It's a delicacy!"




  

  

 









NOTE!

I love these characters already. They mean the world to me and I've been trying to finish this chapter for DAYS which actually felt like years. 7278 words and it's finally done.

keupid made this and it's so fitting for them. Like actually, and it works both ways.