April 5, 2016. 22:10.
Santa Fe.
~~Emma~~
Reacting on instinct, I grabbed Willow and flew her up out of the way. It was enough that we missed the brunt of the blast, but we still got soaked.
I landed, and Willow collapsed on the ground, shuddering and coughing up water. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.
Turning back to the two girls, I saw Terra attempting to climb up the trash bags piled against the wall and Tammy lowered her palm.
Willow shivered, "Well, at least we know what Tammy's power is." She muttered bitterly.
I nodded absentmindedly, searching for a tactic. But Tammy raised her hands again and I didn't have time to think. Any more water and Willow could get sick.
"No!" I cried. Wings pumping me, I threw myself at Tammy and knocked her off-balance, causing her to loose concentration, and I heard the water she'd been gathering trickle away down the grate below.
There was a sharp pain in my shoulder, and a half-rotten apple core bounced off to the ground
"Let her go!" Terra screamed, raising a squishy tomato to launch.
First, I didn't want red rotten tomatoes all over my mostly clean uniform, but I also didn't want to fight these two. I stood up, off of Tammy, which Terra didn't seem to be expecting.
Both girls looked at me mysteriously. I held out a hand to help Tammy up. Tammy glared at my hand, studying my face. Hesitantly, she took it. Before she could judo-flip me, I let go and took a step back.
Willow gasped, hugging herself. "We're not going to take you back to S.T.A.R. Labs." She said, hoping it would set them at ease.
"You're not?" Terra asked, sounding far too trusting.
"Terra, wait," Tammy put her hand out in front of her friend, "Why not?"
Aha, this one was smart.
I looked her in the eyes, "We saw what they were doing to you and the other runaways."
Tammy's arms, crossed rigidly over her chest, fell to her sides.
I walked over to Terra, helping her climb down while Willow explained her story.
"I know how it feels. It's a long story, but...I was once treated like that. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"Will you help us rescue the others?" Terra asked, running over to stand by Tammy.
Willow looked at me. I looked at her, then at the runaways.
"We'll try. We will try."
-------
"What were you thinking!?" Nightwing hissed, this close to yelling.
I glared at my younger twin. "You didn't see how they were being treated there."
"No one deserves to be treated like that!" Willow burst in. "I can't believe I work with those monsters." She muttered, clutching a towel around her shoulders.
We stood in the warehouse at Blüdhaven. Tammy, Terra, Willow, and I stood in a row in front of Nightwing. All the team members who stayed this late were beginning to circle around us. This included Red Arrow, who had stopped by for some reason and was helping Willow warm up and get dry again.
Finch and Beast Girl gave tentative waves to the two girls, which Terra returned. Tammy kept staring at the floor. Sarah and Jaime, hand-in-hand, studied her intently, while Beast Boy seemed to be more focused on Terra.
"Nightingale." Nightwing gritted his teeth and held both sides of his head. "You know the runways are supposed to be kept at S.T.A.R. Labs for the protection of themselves and others!"
I calmly walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What runaways?" I whispered in his ear. "All I see are a couple of new heroes."
Nightwing looked at me, shocked. Then slowly, his slack jaw morphed into a mischievous grin.
I nodded, "Theyre more advanced and more in control of their powers than their friends. I think we could use them on the team."
"Get their measurements." He told Batgirl, Robin, and Finch. "Our three new team members will need uniforms."
I smiled at Willow, proud of anything. Then something Richard had said hit me.
"Wait, three?" Willow and I asked in unison.
Nightwing jerked his chin at Roy, still grinning.
Roy held Willow in a one-armed hug, giving her a meaningful look. "I think it's time to bring in Arsenal."
April 8, 2016. 9:02
Blüdhaven
Tammy and Terra dissolved into the team like Kool-aid mix in water. Good thing too, with the Reach and the Light pressing forward with their plans for conquering the world, We needed all the help we could get.
Terra was thrilled to be accepted, and Tammy was just glad that we didn't force her to go back to her home. M'gann had graciously offered a place for the two of them to stay in J'onn's apartment with her and Rachel for the time being. We really needed to get better living quarters fixed up. Or better yet, a whole new headquarters!
Terra's uniform was a brown jumpsuit with short sleeves and shorts, like the Beast Twins'. She had yellow boots with a yellow "T" on her jumpsuit chest, and took after Willow, using a pair of simple goggles to keep the dust from her powers out of her eyes. She kept her hero name "Terra."
"Because," she said, "My name is Latin for 'Earth'."
Tammy had a blue jumpsuit looking more like Finch's, but without the cape. It was full-length, covering almost her entire body, with gray gloves and boots. She chose a blue headband to keep her hair back, and opted out when suggested a mask. For her hero name, she chose 'Waterfall,' for "No reason, it's water, and it's cool."
Soon enough, Tammy and Terra had their first mission.
Reach and Lexcorp, working hand-in-hand. Both Richard and I thought it wise to do this mission briefing while Willow was "otherwise occupied" (Aka, on a date with Connor).
We showed the young team members G. Gordon Godfrey's weekly bashing of the League, in which he commended Lexcorp farms for partnering with the Reach to eradicate hunger worldwide, adding a "Why didn't the almighty Justice League think of that?"
Rachel and Garfield were jealous of being left behind, but both Terra and Cassie insisted that they were not made for the stealth that this mission required. That made it even; four boys, and four girls.
"Obviously any partnership between the Reach and Lex Luthor is bad news." Nightwing started.
"Bad news?" La'gaan snorted. "Try catastrophic."
I glared at him, "Thank you, La'gaan." I strained through gritted teeth.
Richard continued, unperturbed, "So Alpha, Beta, you'll be going under cover to re-con Lexcorp farms. Robin, you'll be running Alpha."
Tim looked up, surprised, remembering his last mission as a team leader. "Me run alpha?"
I smiled at him promisingly. I knew he could do it, and deep down, so did he.
"Um..right!" Robin quickly composed himself. "Who's on the squad?"
"Blue Beetle-"
"Whoa!, I should not be on the field, ese, what if the scarab goes all "Reach Apocalypse" on us!" Jaime immediately protested.
"Or mine?" Sarah added nervously.
I walked forward, placing a hand on Sarah and Jaime comforting. "Your scarabs have both had the chances to betray us multiple times. They haven't."
"And right now, their connection to the Reach may be our only shot at identifying what they're up to." Nightwing nodded.
A gust of sudden wind blew my ponytail back.
"Well if the beetles are going, so are we!" Bart proudly gestured to himself and Bridget. Blur was certainly looking better than she had in days. Maybe it was the mission after days of cabin fever. Maybe she was hiding it.
Nevertheless, I smiled at the speedster twins. "I Suspected as much."
"Last but not least, Arsenal." Nightwing looked to our third new team member. "But you'll have to travel lighter for your first mission, nothing that won't fit under civilian clothing."
"Any questions?" I asked everyone else.
"Yeah." Arsenal said sourly. "Why are we meeting in this dump?"
"With the cave and the Hall of Justice destroyed, We don't have many other options." Nightwing said, his voice straining with impatience. This kid was almost impossible to deal with!
"Except the Watchtower! It's national news now, you can't pretend it doesn't exist."
I sighed, rubbing my eyes under my mask. For a moment, I wished we did have Willow. Maybe she could keep "original" Roy under control when we couldn't.
"Only Justice Leaguers and senior team members are authorized for the tower. You don't qualify." But for now, I was content to let Richard deal with him.
"Good to know where we stand." The original growled.
"Now beta squad." I turned to the girls on the other half if the room.
"Brass Beetle, you'll run beta."
Sarah was shocked, to say the least, and I saw her grip on Jaime's hand tighten.
I continued, "Blur, of course, Finch, and Waterfall. Any more questions?" I shot a look at Arsenal, letting him know he'd be in big trouble if he opened his mouth again.
Tammy gave me a pleading look, asking if I really thought that she was ready. I nodded. Tammy relaxed, but barely. She eyed Rachel, Cassie, and Terra jealously, wishing to stay behind but yearning to prove herself.
"Good. You leave at 1600 hours."