"It's complete." Someone announced.
I jerked awake, trying to refocus my sleepy eyes. Dick stirred behind me, a low groan escaping his lips as he buried his head in the crook of my neck.
"Five more minutes." He muttered against my skin.
Normally my insides would have tied themselves into knots at the sound of his hoarse voice and the feeling of his arms around my body. But I was too preoccupied with the possibility of a cure.
"Robin! Robin wake up!" I hissed, trying to untangle myself from his limbs.
Most of the Team who had been napping were now snapping awake, rubbing sleep from their eyes or drool off their cheeks. Kaldur, at the news of a potential cure, hastily jogged over to the table where Queen Mera, Dr. Thompkins, Dr. Vulko, and Dr. Roquette had gathered.
I got up, my body aching from sleeping on the hard floor. I seized Dick's forearm, practically yanking him to his feet so we could witness whatever miracle the scientists and magicians had whipped up for us. Kaldur's gentle eyes were now a stormy gray, his gaze fixated on the single silver chip that lay in front of us in a printing case.
"An antidote, your majesty?" Our leader asked.
Queen Mera was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen; with fiery red hair, a golden crown on her brow, and fierce emerald eyes. I swallowed unconsciously. Did I need to bow? Even though I was no Atlantean, I still wanted to be respectful. I observed her closer, the tingling sensation of my Metagene power catching my attention.
I thought it was nothing. Maybe I was just hallucinating or going crazy, but I swear it was like something moved inside her. I sucked in a breath, my eyes zeroing in on the queen's abdomen. Though I couldn't be certain... could Queen Mera be pregnant? I wanted to snatch Kaldur's hand, drag him into a corner and demand if was true. Because if it was... could my Metapower really sense something as small as a fetus? I might have remained dumbstruck for hours if her voice had not snapped me out of it.
"We believe so. Yes." The queen confirmed.
A ripple of elation went through our team. Dr. Roquette adjusted her glasses, folding her hands in front of her.
"By reverse engineering the Starro-Tech chip, we were able to determine an anti-virus that should be able to counter its effects." She told us.
I wanted to leap for joy.
"But we'd like to test our prototype before we mass produce it." Dr. Vulko added.
My joy deflated.
In unison, everyone's eyes seemed to gather to Dinah, our perfectly infected Leaguer friend. My heart contorted painfully in my chest as doubts began to surface. What if the cure didn't work? What if it made her worse? I swallowed the thick lump in my throat. My mentor, forever programmed to kill me. I could feel all the eyes in the room shift to me. Dick slipped his hand into mine and gave it a squeeze.
I can do it, he seemed to tell me. But I shook my head. This was something I needed to do. If something went south, I would be responsible for it, and no one else. Holding my hand out, Dr. Thompson gave me the cure. It was no bigger than an SD card, and it was warm to the touch.
"You're sure this works?" I asked, looking the specialists in the eyes.
I didn't want to poison Dinah's brain any more then it already had been. But instead of shrinking away with uncertainty, they held their ground.
"We're certain." Queen Mera declared.
I remembered that among the Justice League was her husband, Aquaman. And if I was correct, the father of her unborn child. Mera was just as desperate as the rest of us for this cure to work. She did all she could to make sure this antidote was the real deal. I clenched my fist to keep it from trembling.
"Alrighty, here goes nothing." I walked slowly towards Dinah's table.
"Place it on the back of her neck- that will help the cure get to her nervous system quicker." Dr. Roquette called out.
I nodded numbly as I gazed over the body of my mentor. Dinah looked peaceful in her slumber- her hair in a blonde halo around her head. But I knew in Savage's hands, the Black Canary could do as much damage as an entire army. One well-timed breath from her could level our entire team. We needed her on our side.
But it was more then that.
Dinah was family to me. I didn't know what I would do if I lost her too. With twitching, nervous fingers, I brushed aside Dinah's hair. Muttering a prayer, I placed the rectangular chip onto the back of her neck. Oddly enough, it seemed to dissolve right into her skin.
I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest. Watching. Waiting. Hoping she'd wake.
"It may take some time." Dr. Thompkins told me.
And take some time it did. The doctors monitored Dinah's vitals, making sure her brain activity didn't plummet or that her heart didn't stop. I felt like a nervous wreck, pacing back and forth, my finger tapping against my folded arms.
But eventually, I felt a tug in my stomach. A small one, just like I'd felt with Queen Mera's baby. I gasped, whirling around just as Dinah's dark eyelashes fluttered. She groaned through her cotton gag, her blue eyes murky and out of focus. She tilted her head, scanning the room until she found me. She squinted her eyes before murmuring my name, barely intelligible.
"Ahh-ckie?"
My moves were mechanical. Without thinking, I ran to her. But before I could tear off her gag and release Dinah from her restraints, Kaldur stuck his arm out, catching me before I got to her.
"Wait." Kaldur blurted. "We do not know if it worked."
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. He was right. I needed to ask her a question only Canary would know. If Savage was still pulling the strings... perhaps she wouldn't be able to pick out a detail so specific. I thought for a moment before deciding on one.
"What's my real hair color?" I asked.
Wally slowly pulled down the gag, ready to replace it with lightning speed if Dinah made any threatening moves.
"Blonde." Dinah answered.
The room was silent. A grin grew on my face. It was her. It was really her. Kaldur didn't stop me this time when I threw myself at her table, my nimble fingers quick to untie her wrists. Dinah's head still looked like it was spinning, but even she was able to manage a smile for my sake.
"Wait, what?!"
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
I felt like I was going to be sick. Of course I'd been in a plane before, but I'd never been to space! To reach the atmosphere, the Bioship had to travel approximately 25,000 miles an hour. As we rose in the sky, I feared I was about to make a very colorful display of my dinner on the floor. But one thing was certain; rollercoasters were officially ruined for me.
When we finally breached past the Earth's gravitational pull, the Bioship slowed to a stop. Kid Flash and Miss Martian didn't seem phased in the slightest, but I think it was safe to say I wasn't the only one affected by the sudden change in velocity. Several of my friends remained frozen in their seats, their hands gripping the armrests of their chairs or taking deep breaths. I closed my eyes and choked back the bile threatening to rise in my throat. There was no way I was throwing up.
Kid Flash stuck out his bottom lip in mock sympathy as he took in his best friend's expression.
"Aww, did Rob get a little motion sickness? It's okay, it gets better. Trust me." Kid Flash assured him.
He tried to stroke Robin's hair, snickering when his hand was slapped away.
"Is everyone okay?" Miss Martian asked from the helm.
Unable to trust my voice, I flashed her a thumbs up instead. Even our fearless leader Aqualad looked a green from our little trip past the atmosphere. But the Atlantean remained his composure, unlike myself who felt like running to the nearest garbage can.
"Peachy." Artemis murmured sarcastically, a hand over her stomach.
But even as terrible as I felt, I couldn't hold back my awe as I looked out the windows of the Bioship. The Earth loomed underneath us, a soft glow around the green and blue planet. Pinpricks of light spiderwebbed across the surface, illuminating the Earth's great cities and continents. There were blankets of clouds and stretches of grand blue oceans. It was utterly breathtaking.
"Beautiful. It really humbles you, doesn't it. Makes you realize how big the world is." Robin said softly next to me.
I could only manage a bewildered nod.
"Say, why aren't we flying about the cabin?" Rocket asked, her eyes drifting to the ceiling.
"Artificial gravity." Miss Martian explained, rising from her seat.
"I thought that stuff was only in the movies...sweet." Rocket trailed off.
In addition to artificial gravity, the Bioship was also in camouflage mode, making sure to avoid the League's satellites. We needed to keep the element of surprise on our side. But as much as I would have loved to gaze into space while holding my boyfriend's hand, we had a job to do.
"Watchtower. Coming up at twelve o'clock." Superboy warned.
From the front windows, I could spot the distant shape of the Watchtower. A dry taste rose in my throat as I took in its size. The massive orbiting space station was made of promethium, integrated with Kryptonian and Martian technology. Thankfully, they had the good sense not to weaponize it for a situation precisely like this one. The Watchtower served as the Justice League's headquarters, and was nearly impossible to get to.
But wasn't that the Team's specialty at this point?
We prepared for entry, everyone double checking their gear. And most importantly, we all checked for our individual cases of Curro-Tech.
Soon after the prototype's success with Dinah, the cure was mass produced. We had enough chips for the entire League, plus an extra batch just in case. We thanked the scientists, informing them we'd come get them if our plan succeeded. If we failed, they would be the only ones who knew how to fix the Justice League.
Before we left, Queen Mera insisted she accompany the Team to the Watchtower. She wanted to help rescue her husband, and said her powers as a master of the mystic arts would be extremely useful. While she was right, Kaldur and I couldn't refuse her fast enough. The queen's green eyes flashed, and for a moment I feared I was about to become fish food. But how could I blurt out the fact she was pregnant? Fortunately, Kaldur respectfully insisted that Atlantis couldn't risk losing its second leader. Eventually, Mera saw his wisdom and agreed.
I rose from my chair and shook out my arms, and rolled my shoulders. We were to be silent. Stealthy. Furtive. We would pick off the Leaguer's one by one, slowly taking down Savage's army right under his nose. And with luck, the cured members would regain consciousness in time to help bring down his scheme. It was far from foolproof, but we were running out of time. Who knew what orders the League had carried out while they were brainwashed?
"We're gonna kick some ass." I said to myself, mostly for encouragement.
"Cure." Robin corrected. "We're gonna cure some ass."
We closed in on the bottom of the Watchtower. There was a tense silence among us, one that normally fell upon us when something was desperately serious. I scanned the Bioship, taking in the mixed expressions of my friends- anxiety, determination, courage. When the clock finally ticked down to the decided rendezvous time, everyone tensed, gathering to the back of the Bioship.
"Nearing the drop zone. Stay alert." Aqualad said.
Black Canary, Red Arrow, Red Tornado would materialize inside the Watchtower and pose as decoys; pretending they were still infected, and distract Savage. My heart thumped painfully in my chest. Please, please be okay, Dinah. Miss Martian placed her palms on the glowing controls.
"Touchdown in three, two..."
I held my breath as the rear end of the Bioship began to mold against the southern wall of Watchtower. My fingers twitched with anticipation.
"Vacuum seal completed." She reported. "Stand by."
Zatana stepped forwards, the tailcoats of her magician's costume swaying. She opened her palm and muttered a backwards spell under her breath. I could feel the heat on my face as a portion of the metal began to smoke and melt away, revealing an opening big enough to crouch into.
No alarms sounded. No flashing lights activated. Superboy ducked in first, his super-hearing straining for any signs of a nearby enemy. Artemis drew an arrow, ready to cover him.
"We're clear." Superboy said.
The rest of the Team followed suit, ducking through the entry hole, our adrenaline peaked. As planned, we emerged into a narrow hallway, one that was usually vacant according to Black Canary. It was cold, and the air tasted stale. Gripping my staff in my hands, I took up a defensive position while the remaining members of my Team filed in. Once everyone was through, Robin pulled up his holographic computer again, his eyes darting over the information displayed.
"RT did it- wirelessly bypassing security for us as soon as he arrived." Robin confirmed.
I felt a little minuscule ping of relief- step one was complete. But I knew this was far from over.
"Miss Martian, can you link us Black Canary and Red Arrow?" I asked, wishing for a way to communicate with Dinah.
The martian girl shook her head.
"No. They're still out of my range. But I'll keep trying." She insisted.
"Move out." Aqualad ordered.
We slinked out of the hanger, our footsteps nearly soundless. It was moments like these where we moved together like a well-oiled machine, perfectly in tune with each other. (Well, except for Rocket who was still pretty new but we don't talk about that) The hallways looked identical, but thanks to the blueprints on Robin's computer we weren't lost.
It wasn't long before Superboy steered us in the direction of our first target. Hiding behind a wall, I could see the red color of Plastic Man's suit as he moved boxes.
"That's one of the new Leaguers." Zatana recognized.
"Poor guy. Only been a real Leaguer for a week and he's already been turned into a mind-numb robot." Miss Martian muttered empathetically.
We took him down in a matter of moments. Artemis crouched low, her eyes narrowing. She drew an arrow, firing it at the box he was holding. A plume of dark smoke erupted, and using the distraction, Kid Flash managed to stick one of the antidote chips on his lengthened neck. As guessed, Plastic Man flopped to the ground like a slinky. I nearly jumped away from his stretched body, the sight of it a bit unnerving. Kid ran to Plastic Man, confirming his pulse and the fact that he was unconscious.
"Well, that was easy." Rocket said casually, nudging the man's limp arm.
I wanted to smack my forehead. And I'm sure I wasn't the only one.
"I hear footsteps coming this way." Superboy reported.
My heart leapt in my throat, and I clutched my weapon tighter. We needed to move. Aqualad sprang into action, pointing and ordering with confidence.
"Split up. Robin and Bluejay, you go with Superboy. Kid Flash and Artemis- to the hanger. Rocket and will come with me. Miss Martian and Zatana take Wolf and watch the left corridor." Aqualad said.
I nodded, drinking in a last look my friends before ducking down the hallway. I ran side by side with Robin, while Superboy took the lead with his hearing. Adrenaline seemed to bubble in my veins, pumping through my heart and frying my nerves. For a brief moment, I tried reaching out to my Metapower. But it was fruitless.
"Quick! Hide!" Superboy ordered.
I ducked into a doorway, pressing my back against the wall as Robin scaled it as easily as a spider. Within moments, a tall figure sauntered down the hallway. He wore a bronze helmet featuring the likeness of a bird, and had an enormous pair of feathered wings. It was Hawkman. I swallowed my nerves. Even though there were three of us, the Leaguer was still very powerful. But all we needed was to be faster than him.
We hardly needed to communicate with each other to divulge a plan. With a nod from Robin, Superboy leapt from his hiding place, pulling back his fist to land a blow that would have crumpled any normal person's skull. As Hawkman stumbled backward, I shot out with my staff, tripping him before he could regain his footing. Robin dropped from the ceiling, landing on his shoulders and slapping the cure onto his neck all in a matter of moments.
"Hawkman is down." Robin reported.
The winged man slumped to the floor, his body motionless.
"So is The Atom." Miss Martian told us.
"Good. You five rendezvous at the Zeta Tubes. Once Savage notices his numbers beginning to dwindle, he will likely call upon every Leaguer under his control." Aqualad said.
Using Robin's map, we took off in a run, ready to take down anyone we encountered on our way. I wondered if Savage knew we were here. I wondered if he had found out that Black Canary, Red Arrow, and Red Tornado were decoys yet, and were immune to his mind control.
"Take a left up ahead!" Robin instructed, and we ducked into the room just as the Zeta Tubes began to glow.
Miss Martian, Rocket, Aqualad, and Zatana had already strategically positioned themselves around the room, waiting for the opportune moment. There was a bright flash of light.
"Captain Marvel 15, Icon 20, Doctor Fate 17." The computer robotically announced.
"Shit!" Rocket hissed.
I could feel myself begin to pale. She spoke my thoughts exactly. Even if there were seven of us, we were still up against some heavy hitters. Ones that could probably crack my very vulnerable human skull in two.
"Let's hope we kept the element of surprise!" Robin encouraged.
The three Leaguers materialized into the room, and we immediately shifted into attack mode. I met my friend's gazes, trading looks of raw determination. The moment the three men were in clear range, Miss Martian shot out with her telepathic abilities, silently floating down the Curro-Tech. She managed to successfully subdue Dr. Fate, who's blue eyes rolled back into his head before falling to the floor.
Unfortunately, the other two didn't go down so quickly.
Noticing his ally drop to the ground, Icon whipped around and called up a bolt of lightning. The other two Curro-Tech were vaporized on the spot, and Miss Martian was blown into the ceiling.
"Miss Martian!" Superboy yelled.
He leapt to her aid, catching her body before it hit the ground. Rocket was quick, soaring at her mentor and dodging his attacks. With a narrow dive under his swinging arm, she managed to deposit the cure onto the back of Icon's neck. He tumbled to the floor. Captain Marvel was last, but before I anyone could attempt to attack the caped superhero, Zatana beat us all to is. She spoke a spell, words tumbling from her lips as fast as quicksand.
"Shazam!" Captain Marvel blurted.
There was a flash of lightening, and suddenly the Captain was replaced by a young boy in a red jacket. His not-so alter ego, Billy Batson. It seemed in his separate body, he wasn't poisoned by Savage's Starro-tech. Which was indeed a great thing, only his body was still flying towards Zatana. They body slammed with a painful sounding oof, and the two of them splattered on the floor in a heap of limbs.
"Z!" I ran to her.
The magician looked dazed, but otherwise alright. I helped pull her to her feet.
"Too bad Curro-Tech doesn't work as fast as Starro-Tech. We could use these guys!" Rocket lamented.
While I agreed, Aqualad was always the optimist. I briefly registered Kid Flash requesting backup when I felt a weird tickling sensation in the pit of my stomach. My vision seemed to spin. I felt it right there- in my gut. It was a sickening surge of pure, concentrated energy. I felt dizzy, and might have buckled to the floor if Robin hadn't immediately noticed me swaying.
"Bluejay! What was it? What did you feel?" Robin was instantly at my side, his arms around me.
I blinked, trying to clear my brain. I was confused, but only momentarily. Usually a reaction like this would normally have to do with Rocket's inertial belt. But I already knew the amount of kinetic energy I was feeling had to have come from something much more powerful.
A Boom Tube.
"They're here! I felt it!" I exclaimed, my mind a jumbled mess of thoughts.
"What is it? Who's here?" Miss Martian quickly asked, her face pinched with worry.
I shook my head, my eyes wide and frantic. I gripped Robin's hands.
"I don't know- but he opened a Boom Tube." I informed.
The word had a collective impact on the Team. We all knew the portal could open to anywhere in the world. Our enemies didn't need to be on the other side of a Zeta Tube in order to access the Watchtower.
"How!? He would need a Motherbox, right?" Superboy asked me.
Inside the mind link, it was like I could feel the panic rising inside of Zatana.
"No. Not if Klarion is here." Zatana said.
My eyes widened. Klarion could have summoned any number of Leaguers or soldiers to the watchtower. Dinah, Roy, and Tornado were up there, and no doubt were desperately outnumbered and needed backup immediately. And because Dinah could no longer become re-infected, she was of no further use to Savage's plans.
"We have to go help them." I concluded. "Besides, once Savage realizes the three of them are immune to Starro-Tech, he'll have them killed!"
My distress seemed to light their own, and I could feel the growing tension among us. At the mention of Dinah's and Roy's possible deaths, our leader was quick to agree.
"Very well. You six head there, and I'll help Artemis and Kid Flash." Aqualad told us.
And so we ran, sprinting through the metal hallways like our lives depended on it. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. A chilling image kept flashing in my mind- Dinah's mangled body, twisted and broken by the hands of her own mind-controlled friends.
"Do you know exactly where they are?" Superboy asked me.
I bit down on my cheek as Robin pulled up a map of the compound on his holographic computer.
"If Batman was one of the passengers on the Boom Tube, I think I might be able to track his location. Give me a sec..." Robin said.
I banked right, desperately searching for the magnetic pull of my powers. The three of us charged past the hangers and the training rooms. Hang on Dinah, we're coming. I turned the corner, shrieking as I narrowly avoided decapitation. Curse words few from my mouth as my instincts took over, and I dropped to the ground like a fly as a glowing green sword arched overhead.
"Dliehs!" Zatana quickly sputtered.
A glowing screen magically appeared, saving her and Miss Martian from becoming diced Green-Lantern-style. The man hovered in the air, his face blank as a corpse. The glowing sword shifted, morphing into a giant fly swatter instead. Points for creativity, I guess? With a mighty battle cry, he swung it down at us, and the six of us scattered.
"A fly swatter? Seriously?" Superboy questioned, clearly unimpressed.
But any other insults he was about to make were silenced as Green Lantern swung the enlarged weapon like a baseball bat, and hit Superboy square in the chest. He was sent careening into the wall with the speed of a bullet. I winced in sympathy as concrete cracked behind him.
"Who called in the SWAT Team?" Robin grinned.
Unfortunately, I was too stressed and agitated to laugh at any of boyfriend's poor jokes. I danced away from another swipe of the fly swatter, feeling a cool gust of wind against my face. I backed away, using my staff to keep distance.
"Superboy, you okay?" Miss Martian checked.
"Fine." He groaned.
As time ticked on, I became increasingly aware of how much danger our friends could be in. We needed to end things quickly.
"Keep him distracted." Robin told me.
I gave a small nod. With an exaggerated flourish, I twirled my staff between my arms in an effort to keep his attention. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Robin fish a Curro-Tech out of his pocket.
"Why don't you take another swing, eh? Maybe you'll get lucky." I encouraged, watching Robin slowly creep up behind Lantern.
Just as Green Lantern raised his glowing fist to smash it down upon me, Robin pounced. With the grace of an acrobat, he soared over Lantern, twisting in midair to press a Curro-Tech into the Lanter's neck. But before the chip could touch him, Green Lantern seized his left arm, and Robin cried out in pain.
"Hey!" I yelled, twirling my staff and leaping at him.
My staff cracked Green Lantern under the jaw, his grip slacking enough for Robin wrench away and slap the cure onto Lantern's neck. He collapsed to the ground as Superboy jogged over to us, clearly recovered from his snow angel in the wall.
"Are you okay?" I gingerly grabbed Robin's arm.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He pressed a few buttons on his glove, his expression crumbling. "Dammit! My computer- he busted it!"
My heart dropped into my stomach. Miss Martian and Zatana looked at each other, distress etched on their features. Oh no. Robin suddenly seized my shoulders, saving me from spiraling into a panic. His gaze was firm and unmoving.
"Blue, I need you to listen to me. I don't have access to the blueprints anymore." He told me. "You'll need to pinpoint Black Canary's location with your powers."
I expected Robin to look regretful, but nothing but confidence burned in his eyes. My hands gripped his wrists, and I took shallow breaths.
"Me?" I exclaimed. "I've never anything like that before! I've never been able to access my powers on command! What if it doesn't work-!?"
Robin hushed me gently, and I clamped my mouth shut. I could feel my hands trembling. The Watchtower was massive! How was I supposed to discern between all the kinetic energy that was going around? Besides, if I failed... Dinah and Roy might die. I wondered, was I really be capable of this? But to my surprise, Robin was smiling at me.
"You can do it- I know you can! Listen to the kinetic energy around you, and trace it." Robin nodded. "I believe in you."
I held my breath. I couldn't understand how he could have so much faith in me. But he was right- people were counting on me. I recalled how I had sensed something as small as Queen Mera's baby this morning. Maybe I really could do this. I gave a tiny nod. I had to try. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out all of my five physical senses, and reach out with my sixth.
Dinah's words came into my head. Just listen to your instincts. Your Metapower is a part of you. I willed my heart to calm down. Slowly, the pounding of blood in my ears began to fade. I willed my senses to stretch out beyond my body. I needed to feel every tiny joule of kinetic energy that was traveling throughout this satellite. I imagined it like tree branches- stretching away from myself and feeling every corner of the Watchtower until...
There.
It wasn't a painful tug. It wasn't sickening or nauseating. But instead, it felt as if a missing piece of a puzzle- one that I hadn't realized was gone- had fallen perfectly into place. I felt stable and sturdy. I could feel Black Canary, about two hundred feet away. I could sense the kinetic energy of her lungs expanding as she inhaled.
My eyes snapped open.
"This way."
I'm so sorry, I've had like no motivation to write between studying for finals, and basically not caring lol. I know this chapter is a little below my standard, but I think I just need to throw it out there and move on. I hope you guys have had a good summer! Let me know your thoughts about this chapter! Any specific scene ideas you would like to see before the books comes to a close??