"All hail the underdogs, all hail the new kids, all hail the outlaws, Spielbers and Kubricks."
-X Ambassadors
~~~
After everything, we all decided the best idea was for us to back to the mountain. From there I took a zeta tube to the watchtower. I knew I wasn't supposed to but I had to talk to the adults.
No one on the team was a mole, but intel still got out somehow. And only one person knew about my situation before I told everyone...
I walked around the empty area. I guess they were having their party in the other room.
I looked around frantically before a sharp pain was felt in my upper arm. I hissed and saw an arrow get ripped out. Screaming in pain I held the wound and whipped around to see Roy aiming his bow at me.
"You" I whispered, not able to get any of my thoughts out, "why?"
"Why what Lorelei?"
"Why betray us?"
He shook his head no, "I didn't betray you. Don't you get it? I'm on top now, you could join me."
"Join you?"
"I know you feel it too. The need to be bigger, better. The adults look down on us like we're children but we could end that here and now, they will look up yo us, we could help so many people"
"This" I took a shakey breath, "this is not helping people. This is destruction"
"it's a better world for everyone and you know it. You're smart, you caught on before anyone else could even Batman. You're better then them, then this. You don't have to be the protege anymore. They will look up"
"Dove?"
Both Roy and I looked at the entrance to see Barry there with a smile on his face. Roy smiled, his demeanour changing completely, and walked over to the Flash.
"She just came to tell us about some recon"
"Recon?" The blond asked, "what happened?"
"Barry you need to leave" I said sternly.
"What?"
"You need to go. Now" I looked at Roy who smirked, "don't"
"Dove has been hiding something from everyone for some time now"
My eyes widened, "Roy."
"Were you aware that she has been working with the court of owls this whole time behind our backs? A slave for her great grandfather, tending to his every need."
"I wasn't his slave" I corrected
Barry looked at me, "so it's true?"
I looked back at the blonde man who had given me so much, "no, you- you don't understand"
"No I understand perfectly. You're the mole"
"No!" I shouted, louder than I meant to, "Barry just leave, please" I begged, watching as Roy approached him from behind.
"You need to calm down" Red Arrow said
"Me?" I scoffed, "You're the mole. This whole time, we trusted you, I trusted you! You're turning this onto me!"
"Lorelei. I'm sorry but this has gone too far." Barry said. Roy got closer and I panicked. He wasn't going to believe me.
"Barry please just leave, it's not safe. Get help"
He sighed, "ok, listen-"
Before the blonde could continue, he shut down. I looked at Roy who had placed something on his neck which I couldn't see.
"NO!" I yelled and looked at Roy, rage filling me.
"You're next" he whispered.
Roy's fist flew at my face and I caught it. He kneed me in the stomach and I groaned in pain. He took the opportunity to wrap his arm around my torso and hold me close. I tried to kick and get away but with the way he held me I wasn't going anywhere.
I tried to scream but a cloth was placed over the lower half of my face, the smell of chloroform way too familiar.
Slowly, I couldn't fight back anymore and everything around me went dark.
~ ~ ~
I groaned in pain as someone shook me.
"Get up. Get up!"
"...what?" I mumbled. There was a huff of annoyance as my body was lifted off the ground and whoever was carrying me started running.
It took me a long time to fully wake up. My ears didn't stop ringing until about five minutes later when I finally opened my eyes to see myself being carried down a hallway by...ROY?!
"HEY" I shouted, startling us both, "PUT ME DOWN"
"Great you're awake" He put me down quickly and got his bow ready, "how caught up are you?"
"Me?!" I asked, extremely confused. "YOU SHOT ME AND KNOCKED ME OUT! WHY ARE WE EVEN TO- mhmmhmm"
Roy grabbed me and covered my mouth, hiding around a corner. There were footsteps then silence as he let me go.
"Stop yelling, christ. I was the mole" he whispered to me.
"Yeah I noticed" I snapped back, "but... you seem fine now?"
"I'm a clone. Cadmus. I know this isn't a lot of time to take in this information but-"
I interrupted, "what do you mean a clone?"
"I mean I'm not Roy"
I stood there in shock and confusion but he didn't care to explain as he ran to the zeta beam and set it up.
There was an arrow which shot near us and exploded, Roy grabbed my arm and we ran together away from our attacker. Eventually reaching underground train tracks.
I threw down two smoke bombs as we dodged attacks from Aquaman, Flash and Green Arrow.
After running out of arrows, Roy hit Aquaman with his bow just for it to fall apart.
"Now what?" I shouted, he looked around confused. A bright light started to appear from down the tunnel.
"Train!" I shouted. He pulled me down and thinking quickly, opened the sewer which we both climbed into, leaving the three men behind.
~ ~ ~
Roy led me into an old brick apartment building. We walked inside and it was completely empty except for a few essentials.
The floorboards would creak at any moment, and the walls definitely needed to be redone. Scratch that, the whole place did.
"Homey" I joked, looking around. "Safe house?"
"I guess" he shrugged, looking through a cabinet, "sit down"
I raised an eyebrow, "dude I'm pretty sure you just kidnapped me. I'm not doing anything until you explain."
He walked over, this time with a first aid kit. "Just let me fix your arm. I'll talk while i do, ok?"
I thought about it for a moment. I've known Roy for years, I think I could trust him?
I nodded and sat in an old cushion chair and he started to talk.
"The league is under the control of Vandal Savage." The ginger poured alcohol onto a cloth and over my wound.
"That's why they chased us"
"How do I know you're not lying?" I asked, "tell me something only you would know"
He let out a long sigh, "when we first met and found out each others real names were similar we made a song called 'Roy and Rory'"
"Sing it"
"I'm not singing it, it's stupid"
I huffed, "fine...what else?"
"Every time Wally is around you try your best to be near him, even before you knew you liked him"
I furrowed my eyebrows, I had never noticed that.
Red Arrow continued to address my wound and fill me in on all the details of what was happening, when all of the sudden, the door knob fidgeted.
We both shot up in shock.
"Get behind me" He instructed, grabbing a bow and aiming it at the door. I did what he said.
The door was kicked down and Kaldur stood there, not moving due to the arrow pointed right at him.
"I have not come to harm or apprehend you" The Atlantean clarified, "but the team requires answers"
"Me first" Red spoke, "Tell us something you haven't told anyone else. Tell us who broke your heart"
Kaldur sighed sadly, "Tula. The girl I loved chose my best friend Garth over me. While my best friend on the surface world aims an arrow at my chest"
Roy lowered the bow and looked at me, we silently agreed he was safe.
~ ~ ~
"We were told you were the mole but we have reason to doubt"
"Forget doubt. I was the mole" Roy interrupted as we flew in the bioship. I sat in-front of Artemis and watched as he spoke.
"Batman and Tornado said you're a Cadmus clone. Like me" Conner said.
"That explains it" Red stated simply, "I was a sleeper agent. Pre-programmed to infiltrate the League. I think Sportsmaster was my handler. He had a key-phrase, Broken Arrow, that could shut me down. Put me in a hypnotic state to steal secrets for his superiors, or incorporate further programming. I'd then carry out all orders subconsciously, completely unaware of what drove me." He turned to M'gann, Artemis and Conner.
"I think one of those orders was to focus suspicion on the three of you...I'm sorry."
"How did Batman discover this and prevent you from betraying the League? And how did Dove get involved"
"He didn't. Dove seemed to have found out quickly that it was me, she came to confront me but I wasn't in control and, well..." they all looked at my arm, "I did that, and knocked her out. Once I was myself again I couldn't just leave her"
"Which proves you're still loyal. Thank you" I said gratefully, who knows what would've happened if I stayed.
"I'm sorry" M'gann spoke up, "but how is it that you are no longer enslaved?"
"No Starro tech for starters. Just my Cadmus programming. And once I had satisfied it's last parameter, my mind began to clear. I'm sure Savage planned to Starro Tech me but he paused to bask. That's when I grabbed Dove and escaped"
"I promise. I can clean any residual programming from your mind" She told him.
The bioship stopped and the noise of spheres engine was heard. I stood up and walked to the back to see not only red tornado, but a new body for him, along with a gagged Dinah.
"...lets compare notes, shall we?"
~ ~ ~
The whole team huddled around Dick, now inside the watchtower watching his screen.
"RT did it. Wirelessly bypassed security for us as soon as he arrived. Savage shouldn't know we're here." He informed us.
"Move out" Kaldur and I ordered together and the team split up.
Sprinting down the hall I passed the main room where a ton of fighting could be heard.
I peaked inside to see some more league members beating Roy, Dinah, and Red Tornado.
"They're onto us" I informed the others, "should I engage?" I looked inside again and gasped at the sight of RT being torn apart.
"I don't think they plan on keeping us alive..."
"It may not be the best idea, meet up with Kid and help him until we can get more help" Kaldur suggested. I nodded and tracked Wallys location.
I ran down the hallway where Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Flash stood. I got prepared before Flash held up his hands.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're not infected" he told me, "last time we saw you Red Arrow was taking you away. Are you alright?"
I was sceptical but went with it, maybe he was right.
"We thought you were with the others? I watched you get infected"
"It didn't work on us, kid. We're the only ones not." He walked closer, "what happened to your arm?" He went to hold it but I flinched away. He noticed and gave me a kind look that made me want nothing more than to trust him.
In a moment of weakness, I put my guard down. He took my arm gently at first but soon his grip tightened intensely to the point where it felt on fire.
Artemis entered quickly and began to shoot arrows at the three but Barry never let go. The pain worsened and I watched GA shoot an explosive which knocked Artemis onto the ground.
Wally entered quickly, punching Barry and running me to Artemis.
"I'm amazed we're still alive" She admitted.
"It's cause they're being controlled. They're limited by whoever's pulling the strings. The very thing putting us in danger, is the only thing giving us a chance."
Artemis nodded and ran over to Kaldur to see what she could do to help. Together they shut the large metal door. I realized what was happening and tied my grapple around a pillar nearby then got a good grip on it myself. Wally noticed my plan and held on.
Artemis and Kaldur both got a grip on the door handle as he pushed a big red button on the control panel.
"Hold on" He instructed.
"Holding" all three of us replied.
The door slowly began to open.
"WARNING: CARGO BAY VENTING ATMOSPHERE" The computer alerted.
Everything went flying back as we hung on for dear life, once their mentors started to fall back Kaldur reached for the button. As soon as the doors shut, all three men slammed into the wall.
KF ran over and gave a cure to each of them.
"DOVE! A LITTLE HELP?!"
The sound of my brother yelling for me scared me, I didn't even check with the others, I just ran to find him.
Entering the balcony that oversaw the garden I spotted him narrowly avoided Hawkwomans hits. I ran over but was quickly distracted by a dark shadow landing in front of me.
Bruce didn't speak as he began to attack. Harsher and more violent then any training we've every done. I was struggling to keep up, I was lucky I had Dick with me on this one.
As we fought our mentor and father together, Conner fell nearby.
"Robin, go." I ordered. He nodded in return and I took over the fight with Bruce as he helped our friend.
I used the grapple again and attached it to a nearby wall, I ran around B as he threw batarangs at me and let go of the wall with the grapple. It retracted and stuck around his legs, I pulled it to quickly keep his feet together, tripping him. Which gave me time to flip over him and place the cure on his neck.
I only rested for a moment before running over to Raquel to see how she was doing, meeting up with M'gann along the way.
The rest of the team entered. Once we knew everyone was accounted for, and all Leaguers were cured we ran into the main room. But we weren't fast enough.
Wally missed Klarion and Savage just by a couple seconds as the witch boy used a portal to transport them god knows where.
I looked to the ground to see Red Tornado, limbless.
"Congratulations, Team" the Android told us,
I took a deep breath and smiled. "You have won the day"
A blue hologram appeared mid air with the date and time.
'January 1, 00:00 EST'
"Happy New Year, Justice League"
I looked at the hologram and was caught by surprise as Wally picked me up bridal style.
"Well Mademoiselle, if I may just say-"
"Shut up" I told him, grabbing the side of his face and pulling him closer. Our lips connected and moved perfectly together.
Eventually he put me down and I looked at Artemis who was on her phone. I smirked and peaked over her shoulder to see her messaging someone who definitely wasn't a stranger.
"JACKSON?!" I gasped, she looked at me with wide eyes and I smiled, "YOU AND JACKSON?!"
"Who's Jackson?" Wally looked over confused.
"You know him" I stated, "Maddies brother"
"Wait. Wally knows Maddie?" Artemis looked confused before it clicked, "you're that Wally guy!"
"How does she know them?" He looked at me.
"She goes to my school, that's why you weren't able to come" I explained.
"OH!" He shouted, "that makes so much sense" he thought about it for a moment before smirking and looking at Artemis. "Aha, you like Jackson"
I smiled at the sight of the two of them finally getting along.
I glanced over at Dick who was standing super close to an equally shy Zatanna.
Raquel and Kaldur were talking, while M'gann and Conner did the same.
It was nice to see this, everyone being so close after disaster struck...or once aster became.
Knowing at the end of the day, after all of the terrible crap we've been through, we still had each others backs.
After all...
We were children.
~ ~ ~