I don't own anything but original characters and my original plot.
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Chapter 13 - Horror Movie
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NOVEMBER 17, TWO DAYS TO (Y/N)'S 'BIRTHDAY'
Most people would be thrilled two days before their birthday. Thrill was only one among the many emotions running through my mind on the seventeenth. Along with fear, sorrow, nervousness, and happiness.
It would have been my first birthday ever without the villains there to celebrate with me. But, they weren't there with me anymore. I didn't want them with me anymore. After the mall, Black Canary offered a few therapy sessions. I took them. She explained Stockholm Syndrome through psychoeducation. She appealed to me in a way that didn't make me defensive for the villains, or wary of the heroes.
I would always love the villains as my family, that would never go away. But I understood that they were drilling fear into me to take away my want to leave and raise my determination to hone my powers. I slipped up and doubted I would ever fully recover from my life with them, but I was out, and that was what mattered.
"Hey, you okay?" Wally nudged my arm to pull me out of my stupor.
I shook my head, dismissing his worry, "Yeah, just nervous about the party."
A grin spread across Wally's face at the mention of the upcoming celebration. He and the team had excitedly planned my 'first real birthday' the day after Wally's party. It was at my party that we would tell the team we were officially together.
We wanted a few days to see if we could work without the pressure of other people on top of us, which led to another date, and more kisses. May I just say, I enjoyed every one. So, after discussing it, we concluded we could deal with the teams- more specifically Artemis, M'gann's, and Robin's- teasing so we didn't have to sneak around anymore.
"We should go meet the team," I whispered, not wanting to ruin the moment with a loud tone. It was stupid, considering I was breaking the moment by suggesting leaving, but I wanted to keep something of our situation.
"But I like training," Waly whined childishly, falling back on the gym mat beneath us.
We were tucked away in one of the three private training rooms since it was a free training day for the team. I covered the camera in the corner with a shadow when we entered and we didn't train at all. That half hour was spent talking and exchanging light kisses.
"Team, report to the debriefing room, in uniform," Batman's voice broke through the intercom, "You have a new mission."
"Looks like we have no choice," I teased. I pointed my hand at the camera in the room's corner, rolling my fingers into a fist to move the shadow into its original position.
"Wait!" Wally stopped me from leaving the room and flicked his fingers at me, water hitting my face and shirt. I jerked back in surprise, glaring at him when I processed what he did.
"What was that for?" I hissed, wiping my face off with the edge of my shirt.
"We have to make it look like we were training," he defended. I shrugged, taking the cap off my water bottle. I flicked it and tossed some water back at Wally. He shrugged in acceptance.
Leaving the training room we speed-walked to the suit room and changed. I noticed that the holster on my belt now had billy sticks in it. I was trusted with a weapon or given a weapon to protect myself without my powers at least.
I threw my clothes into the case and ran away before the curtain could close. Wally came up behind me, cradling my head as he ran us to the debriefing room. There, the rest of the team was waiting for us. A small taste of what it felt like to be Wally.
"We have reason to believe Klarion is planning something in an abandoned warehouse. The security was recently shut down, images sent in before showed Klarion. I have sent the coordinates to you. This mission is covert. Go in and take Klarion out."
"Batman, why would Klarion be planning something in a warehouse? That isn't his style," Artemis spoke up, "He's more direct in his plans."
"That's what we're trying to find out. While you're fighting, you either capture him or get as much information as possible from him. Dismissed."
The team nodded and headed to the bio-ship. Walking just behind them, I was held back by Batman. His eye lenses narrowed, scrutinizing before I could do anything wrong.
"This is your first mission. I know you've told us where your loyalties lie, and you've done well with Black Canary, but-"
"I've never met Klarion," I interrupted, finishing his thought, "There wouldn't be any hesitation from me for someone I've never met."
Batman nodded, and I ran off to catch up with the team. When I ran up the ship's ramp it closed. It took off when I was sitting in my chair, buckling my seatbelt.
"Why did Batman hold you back?" Kaldur looked back at me, concerned.
"He wanted to make sure I wouldn't hesitate or switch sides again if something happened. But Klarion is one of the few villains I've never met before, so there's no reason to worry."
~*~
After sitting through a ride where the main topic of conversation was my upcoming birthday, we landed in a well-kept field, the warehouse just head. We exited the bio-ship, those with bright uniforms entered stealth mode.
"Remember this is covert, let's not make this another mission like Cadmus or Bane. We go in through one of the windows of the upper levels and split into two groups. We find Klarion and get out." Aqualad laid out the plan via telepathy. We all nodded obediently, running through the short grass to the warehouse.
A partially open window was positioned on the third floor. Nodding at each other we made our way up. I helped Wally with some shadows, M'gann carried Artemis up, Superboy jumped, Robin grappled, and Aqualad used water.
The warehouse hallway we landed in was dark, the only light being cast by the moon from the windows every few feet. Everything was silent as far as we could hear, and Superboy didn't seem set off by anything.
"Superboy, M'gann, and I will survey the upper levels. The rest of you look through the lower."
We split into our groups, taking the stairs to the second floor. We looked through the few offices that were there, the majority of the floor dominated by medical equipment. I was searching around the rows of equipment when a rattling caught my attention.
Cautiously walking out of the office I met with the others in the hallway, they heard it too. All of us moved on and searched rooms next to each other. The rattling was coming from the main section of the warehouse. The closer we got, the more mechanical it sounded. I slid my billy sticks out of their holster, gripping them tightly.
"Is it always like a horror movie?" I asked as Artemis nocked an arrow and led the way, "Because if we walk in there and I see twins asking us to play with them this place is going to be destroyed by shadows."
I didn't get an answer as the rattling suddenly stopped. The lights in the room turned on one by one. The last one that turned on was the light above us, flickering before evening out. I gripped my sticks tighter, looking to Wally and Robin. They were calm as if it was normal for this to happen.
"How nice to see the team of brats again," a sickly high, malicious voice cut through the silence. Before any of us could react, even before Artemis could shift her fingers and release her arrow, everything was red.
"Wake up (Y/n), I have to talk to you. We don't have a lot of time."
My head snapped up, and I moved my arms in a panic. Body suspended in the air by a glowing red light. The team was still unconscious around me, M'gann, Aqualad, and Superboy in the air with us. Moving my hands, I whimpered when none of the darkness in the room moved. I couldn't use my powers.
"Well look at you," the same childish voice cooed. Squinting, I made out the outline of a young teen. Short, with two horns, or was it his hair? Either way, it made for a devilish outline.
"Who are you?" I slurred out, still shaking off my exhaustion. My blurred sight came together and cleared.
"Klarion," the teen stepped into the dim light. Klarion, grin reaching his ears, "I don't need to ask to know who you are. (Y/n) (L/n), that's your Mother's surname. Working with heroes, after the villains did so much to raise you. I bet they're disappointed."
"How do you know that?" I asked, body jerking forward in a vain attempt to jump him. He chuckled at my suffering, taking a step even closer to stoke the flames of fury licking my insides, "You don't talk to the villains."
"I know you. Everything about you," Klarion was nearly nose to nose, observing me like a lioness does her prey, "Two days, (Y/n). Be prepared. I'm coming for you."
A red portal opened up and he stepped through. The red energy holding us up disappeared. I fell to the ground harshly, wincing when the concrete scraped my knees.
"Guys," I called out weakly, shaking Wally. He groaned, eyes opening slowly. The team began to wake as well.
We were in the same room as before, the main storage unit of the warehouse. Most of the lights were out, making the room darker. I stood up, rushing through the rows of machinery in search of something. I didn't know what, my body was acting without my mind ordering it to.
Sitting on top of a short machine was my billy sticks, on top of them was a note written on old parchment, yellowed with age.
Two days. That's when you'll get your biggest present. Look forward to it (Y/n)~
The handwriting was neat and precise, written in ink. Turning the note over, nothing was on the back. A small slip of yellowed paper and my weapons back. That was it.
"Shadow!" Robin shouted, calling me back to the group.
"Coming," I called back, crumpling the note and tossing it to the ground.
The team was recuperating, standing up, brushing off their uniforms, looking over their uniforms. I re-sheathed my billy sticks, looking over each of them. They were shaken but fine. Klarion passed up the chance to kill us all only to tell me he would be back in two days. For what?
"What happened?" M'gann asked what everyone was thinking.
"He knocked all of you out," I crossed my arms, "Don't know what he did while we were out but I woke up first and he told me-"
Pain bloomed in my chest. I coughed, clenching my eyes shut. Wally was next to me in a heartbeat, holding my shoulders to keep me standing. I opened my mouth in an attempt to speak again, and the pain intensified.
"He told me he got what he needed," I gasped out the lie, breathing for the first time when the pain dissipated, "Then he left. Oh God, that wasn't okay."
"Are you okay, what was that?" Robin was by my side as well, checking my temperature, "You're running a fever, a high one by the looks of it. We should get you back and get you some meds."
"I don't get sick," I mumbled, a flare of red in the corner catching my eye. Magic, Klarion's magic. He didn't want me to tell the team, "I'm fine I just need a cold shower."
"We'll check you out further when we get home," Aqualad ignored my dismissal, "Klarion's gone, which leaves us with an open objective. Prepare for a lecture."
Everyone collectively groaned.