"Recognized, Nightingale B08." I walked into the training area after putting in my contacts just as my leader and Aquaman came in from the other room.
"King Orin, Kald'r. What's this mission I'm needed for?"
"Nightingale, we have intel that Klairon the Witch Boy is working on a scheme. We need you to tail Klairon and find out who he's working with and what he's working on. Red arrow, Kid, Artemis, and I will be tailing Sportsmaster. If they rendezvous, we'll join you." I nodded, the steely cold glare returning to my eyes. And just like that, Nightingale was back at it.
"Where can I find him?"
Klairon and I went way back. He was one of the first foes I faced on my own. Just before everything happened. And like the first time I faced him, Witch Boy was going down.
"His last known location is already in your bike's GPS." I gave a quick nod.
"Then I'm already on it."
"Be careful young one. Klairon isn't an easy track." I nodded as the three of us headed to my room so I could grab my suit.
"I will be. But don't worry too much you two. I'm not such a little bird anymore." I waved and headed in to get suited up, leaving the two behind me.
"There's my favorite kickass. " I smirked as I saw Red Arrow standing by my bike when I came to grab it a few minutes later, my hair still a mess and my eyes still adjusting to the mask I had slapped on.
"You know it." I got up on my tiptoes to muss up his hair. "Nice to see someone finally came to his senses."
"Hey I-" I cut him off with a chuckle and a playful punch to the arm, letting him know I was screwing around.
"Kidding Red. Rob told me what happened. Had I been there, I probably would have gone with you." I looked up at the security cameras with a playful smirk. "But no offense Bats!" Roy chuckled and put his arm around me.
"Still don't really give a damn about if Batman hates you or not, do you Alli?"
"Never have never will. I'm not his sidekick anymore. Just like someone else I know. But why are you here? I know you don't care about pleasing Oliver. If this is about the mole-" I could feel his glare through the mask as his arm slid away from my waist and crossed over the other at his chest.
"You know that's what it is. You have a Martian, the daughter of two wanted criminals, and a Cadmus experiment wandering through Mt. Justice!" I growled. Did he forget already?
"Hey, Superboy didn't ask to be created! And I was an experiment too! And trust me if there was ever a branch of Cadmus left, Connor and I'd be first in line to destroy everything. And Miss M's too naive to be a spy. "
"So you think it's Artemis." I crossed my arms, getting more and more frustrated now.
"I think someone is pissed he got replaced and is taking it out on the rookie. Information gets leaked on accident once in a while. You and I have both seen it. "
"We both know there's something not right about this time Alli! Why can't you just believe me!" He screamed and my voice rose to match his, anger bubbling up in me.
"Because you're wrong and you're putting doubts in the team's heads and making everyone question each other! We're a team. Don't make us enemies. We have enough of those as it is. Just..." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair as I braided it. "Try to get along with them. They've been on this team longer than you. And at the rate you're going, longer than you'll ever be. If you can't do it for me, do it for Rob, Kaldur, and Wally. They all look up to you. And once upon a time, you were friends."
I threw on my helmet and started driving, heading to hunt down my target. This was my mission. Nothing, not even Roy would make me lose my focus.
"Babe!" And there went my focus. I tapped the side of my helmet so my intercom would turn on.
"Kind busy here KF. Whatcha need?"
"Where are you!? There's a meeting at the cave! And Red Arrow's here!" I sighed. Wally adored his former teammate. Looks like someone's no longer jealous. I thought as I answered quickly,
"I know Babe, but I've already gotten my assignment. And yeah I..." I bit my lower lip. Do I tell him and crush his dreams, or do I keep my mouth shut and potentially be called a liar by my own boyfriend? I sighed. "Yeah, I saw Red. I gotta go Kid. I'll see you when this is over. " Nothing but static on the line for a while then,
"Oh. Okay. We still on for dinner and a movie later?" He voice was softer, and it was clear he was disappointed.
"Yeah. Seven right?"
"Yep. Ill let you get back to it. See you later Alli cat." I sighed and turned my com off. I knew I had made him upset by being so aloof, but I couldn't deal with that at or Roy the moment. I had bigger fish to fry.
I found Klairon a few hours later, hidden out in a wearhouse. I had just gotten up into the rafters when two more sillouettes entered, one looking way too much like Black Manta to be anyone else, and a shorter looking man I couldn't make out.
"Nightingale, report." Roy's voice came over my intercom. I growled thinking oh hell no Speedy. I am not taking orders from you.
"I don't report to you. And ever learn what convert operation means?" I hissed, keeping my voice down. "I'll call you when I need back up. Now leave me alone before you blow my cover." I turned my com off for a bit so I didn't have to listen to Roy's response and refocused on my mission. Klarion was now firing some kind of dark energy into the container. I flipped open my wrist pad and started taking as many pictures as I could. Manta, the cylinder and what was inside it, Klarion and the dark magic, and the other figure who turned, and I was shocked by what I saw. It was Ivo, who was supposed to be locked up in Bel Rev. But just as I was about to apprehend the criminals, I heard a voice hiss,
"What's that Tikel? An intruder?" A blast of Dark Energy was shot my way and I barely had time to jump out of the way, landing on the table in front of the three men.
"Hi boys. Ya miss me?" I giggled and threw a smoke bomb, then reached for the cylinder. I was just a second too slow as Klarion grabbed it. I was dodging attacks left and right. between tikel, mantas fire Ivo's monkey, and Klarion's dark energy, I barely had time to breathe much less be ready for the sudden explosion and red arrow bursting in. Sportsmaster was already after him, so I focus my attention on the three others, but was unable to obtain the object of importance, the cylinder.
By the time we got back to the cave, it was obvious we have been beaten. I glared at Red Arrow as he walked in almost twenty minutes after the rest of us.
"Nice of you to show up!" I growled. "Thought I told you I had things under control back there."
"I didn't plan on being here. Sportsmaster led me to the Warehouse." His calm tone only made me more furious.
"And almost killed you! Why didn't you request back up? I thought you said Artemis was on standby in the bioship. " With those words, I unwittingly opened up a whole other can of worms. I groaned and tuned out until Aqualad dismissed the rest of the team. I joined him at his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked as frustrated and upset as I felt.
"Kald'r, you know it wasn't your fault. Red-" My leader cut me off before I could finish.
"-Is obsessed with proving that one of the team is a traitor. And all his focus is on Artemis because of her background." I nodded and sighed.
"I know. Robin got me caught up to speed. What do you think, Kald'r? Should we look a little further?"
"Not yet. Fill in your report to Batman and then you're dismissed. Wally will be waiting." He gave me a slight smile and I nodded. I hadn't really told anyone yet, but after Ricky's freak out and my training incident and our general state of being cute it was almost obvious something was going on.
I left Batman's rooms an hour later, feeling even more tension between us then before. After months of hard work, it still wasn't good enough for him. I wondered how Ricky could stand to be in the same room as him sometimes. Nothing was ever good enough for him.
"Get another harsh talking to from bat's sis?" I sighed and smiled. My twin was hanging from the rafters yet again.
"You have no idea. Whatcha need? The text you sent me sounded pretty important. Haly in trouble?" He shook his head and whispered,
"Not here. My room." I nodded and followed. Wally walked out of my room just I as was about to head into my twins.
"There you are babe. Why aren't you out of uniform ye-" I sighed and cut him off with a quick kiss.
"Hi handsome. Was reporting to the bat. Give me five minutes okay? Then I'll be ready, I promise. I'm all yours tonight." Ricky gave my boyfriend a playful glare but I let it slide as I was dragged inside.
"Okay okay Ricky I get you're worried. What's this about?" He seemed worried and in a rush.
"So like I said, haly's in trouble." He pulled up his computer and opened it showing articles about the circus. I scanned the pages.
"Woah. But what are we supposed to do? Bat's won't let us go even if he does send the team out."
"Which is why we're not going through bats." I smirked and placed a hand on my hip.
"My big brother finally out of the bat's wing. Took you long enough. " He grinned.
"Alright alright. Okay we'll talk about it tomorrow when you're at the manor. That is if you're in?" I smirked.
"We still got the old flying Grayson numbers?"
Sorry it took me an extra day!