The Hunt ⋆ Young Justice (o.h.)

twenty-three : different normal

( CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE : DIFFERENT NORMAL )

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HEARNE LOOKED OVER TO MAL, WHO WAS PLAYING WITH BANDIT. Ever since she had gotten the dog a year before, Mal had treated him like he was royalty, going as far as to give him rides in Sphere. She'd go as far to say that Mal might love the dog more than her.

As Dick and La'gaan sparred a few yards in front of them, Mal looked up, noticing her staring. "See something you like?"

She laughed and bent down onto their level, giving Bandit a scratch behind the ears. "Like I'd ever test Karen. She's lethal."

He smiled dreamily. "Yeah, she is."

Recognized, Superboy, B04. Miss Martian, B05. Bumblebee B18. Beast Boy, B20. Robin, B21. Blue Beetle, B24.

Once Connor was in the room, Bandit bolted, nearly pushing him over. 

"What am I?" Mal said. "Chopped liver?"

Hearne smiled, gave him a sarcastic pat on the back, and jogged over to Connor. Her nose immediately wrinkled once she was within four feet of him, her eyes drifting to the brown splotches on his body.

"Is that . . .?"

"It's mud," he said. "Trust me, I checked."

He ruffled Bandit's ears, grabbing him in a headlock playfully as the two started to wrestle. It was cute. Connor usually wasn't this relaxed--at least not in this way. He never dared to "wrestle" with someone, always self-conscious that he'd accidentally hurt him. After five years, Hearne had convinced him that she'd never let anyone get hurt on her watch, especially not herself. 

"So, we still on for tonight?"

"Movies? Of course. Just let me hit the showers first, I'm pretty sure you don't want this on your couch."

She smiled. "Yeah, probably not."

As he walked away, she felt a sense of peace. Ever since Kaldur had--since he left, they'd been having movie nights every Friday since then, because Connor had insisted she needed someone there. He was right. She was glad that despite everything, she still had people. Five years ago, down to the date, she had thought her life would be over in a matter of weeks. She wasn't sure if she was glad or not, but she likes to think she was.

"Emergency alert." Hearne's head snapped up as Captain Atom appeared on the holographic screen above the remaining people in the room. She doubted it meant anything good. "United Nations Headquarters is under attack."

She walked forward, Bandit following obediently at her heels. Dick gave her a brief nod to let her know that he knew she was there.

"Beta's only two blocks away," Mal whispered to the two of them.

"Captain Atom," Dick said, "the team's Beta Squad is in the vicinity. ETA three minutes."

"Good. Thank you, Nightwing. You make this job a lot easier."

"I think I remember you telling me that, a lot."

With a roll of his eyes, Captain Atom cut the call, and Hearne turned to find the room empty, aside from Bandit, Mal, and Dick. She was going to put a bell on this team one day.

"Calypso's with Beta, isn't she?" Hearne asked.

"Cassie said she joined them a few hours ago." He shut the computer off. "Calypso can handle herself, Hearne. Don't worry about her."