Softly I, Softly I, am sleeping
Like an unborn child, with a lullaby
Safe and sound, human hearts are beating
But it's an hourglass, breaking with the time
When the sky falls down
When the birds call out
In the crimson light
∞
"Hey there."
Nightwing has a nice smile.
It's one I only observe for a half second however, as the rest of the 'room' catches my eye and does not let go.
A cave.
At least, the walls and a part of the roof are made of an orange-brown rock. It smells Earthy, but it's not unpleasant. The floor is made of panelling and there is tech sprouting from the side of it where Nightwing stands. A metal hatch hangs from the ceiling like a hive. A large thresh hold on the other side of the room from me seems to lead to a dark hallway.
When I step away from the 'Zeta', I turn around nearly jump at how huge it is. I can't even think of anything to compare it to, really. A cornucopia mouth? That seems best. A gigantic, metal cornucopia opening.
"Recognised, Illusion, A17."
"Tingly-... Hot dog!"
I roll my eyes at Ellery's choice of words after the bright light from her arrival dulls.
"Impressed?" Nightwing asks. It's a stupid question, because obviously we both are as we slowly move towards him, staring wide-eyed at every single thing in the room. I may even pay too much attention to the sound my shoes make against the panels.
"Mount Justice, correct?" I ask, stopping in front of him.
"Yep," he nods firmly, "the team's base and for some of them, their home."
"They live in a cave?" I ask. It was for clarification, but Ellery still nudges me like I'm being rude. "I meant that generally," I say.
"Team members who do not have homes live here," Nightwing says. He gestures to the air around us, "This is the missions room. The team meets here for briefings and training with Black Canary. When you're initiated, you'll begin training with the team." He waves us through to the dark hallway.
Lights switch on upon our entrance and surprisingly, there is a living room, kitchen and dining room off to the side. Another hallway leads somewhere else dark.
"No one's home at the moment," Nightwing says.
"Who lives here?" I ask.
He leads us down the hallway towards a series of doors, "Miss Martian, Beast Boy, Superboy, Lagoon Boy and a team associate. This is Black Canary's office," he points to a room walled with glass, "That's the infirmary, the gym, the showers, the library... And down there," he stops at the corner of the hallway and points to the next one. Ellery and I peak around the wall, "are the bedrooms."
After that part of the tour he leads us back to the living-room.
"So this place used to be a hideout for the Justice League?" Ellery asks. I assume it's something Batman told her while I wasn't around.
"Correct."
"But villains know about it?"
"Correct."
"Aren't you worried that one day someone might...investigate?"
Nightwing shrugs, "We've been here almost five years and had little issue." Little issue, not no issue. "The mountain has defences and there is always someone here. Plus, if there was ever any serious trouble, we can Zeta out."
"What if the attack cuts out the power?" I press.
"Then we exit through here," he responds without missing a beat as we come to the end of the other hallway from the livingroom.
A gargantuan hangar, equipped with tall walls that could fit all of Gotham Academy inside is presented to us. Part water, part ground with a red jet and a mechanical looking mega ball sitting idle.
"Is that a spaceship?" Ellery gawks.
Everything is getting a little bit...crazy.
"A spaceship," Ellery nudges me.
I give her a small smile before I notice Nightwing observing me quietly. I'm about to call him out on it, but an electronic chirping sound echoes through the hangar.
"That thing's coming this way!"
"That thing is called Sphere, or the Super Cycle," Nightwing says.
Sure enough when I turn around that 'mega ball' or Sphere, I suppose, is barreling right towards me.
"Aww, like a little dog," Illusion says.
When Sphere stops in front of me, the impulse is too overwhelming and I find myself reaching out and gently placing one hand on her surface.
"She's been here as long as any of us," Nightwing explains, "We found her on a mission."
The only description I can give to the noises she makes are chirps. Perhaps she is more like a bird than a dog.
"What does she do?" I ask. Before Nightwing can answer, Sphere takes it upon herself to display her abilities. Her round form shifts with a series of clicks and whirs. Her parts seperate as she transforms into some sort of space bike.
"Cool," I whisper, and I know Ellery smirks sideways at me.
"She likes you," an unfamiliar voice calls out from the entrance. The three of us turn around to see Superboy standing there. Sphere dashes to him.
"You guys are back already?" Nightwing asks.
Superboy nods, "It was a minor situation."
Ellery and I share a glance. I think we're both thinking the same thing; this guy looks as young as, well, Ellery. Is he not an original of the team? If he's like, sixteen, he would have been ten all those years ago when the world of adults and children split apart, or when those plant monsters attacked.
"This is Conner," Nightwing says, gesturing to Superboy.
"Sup," Ell says.
"Hello," I echo, wondering if I can pet the Super Cycle again.
"I have one more thing to show you," Nightwing says. As he passes Superboy they seem to give each other weary looks.
"Somewhere serious?" Ellery asks, her voice mocking. Nightwing doesn't react and I think that answers the question.
On the way we pass the living-room/kitchen. Again, we are stopped, because Miss Martian and Beast Boy are standing there preparing food.
"Hi!" Beast Boy says. He shifts into a cat and primly leaps off of the counter towards me. "Dog or cat person?" He asks. Ellery snorts.
"Dog," I answer, turning away from him because I sense the flirting. The action makes Miss Martian laugh and Nightwing looks away as if to hide a smile.
"I can do dog," he grins, before the cat grows in size and fur turns to hair. He transforms into a green labrador. In an annoyingly cute gesture, he raises his paw, "Garfield," he grins.
At first I am apprehensive to return the gesture. But like math, the answer comes to me; Nightwing wants to see how we interact with the team. So far, I haven't given over much to work with.
"Adelaide," I say, bending down to take his paw and shake it.
"Groovy name," he says, before inching around to face Illusion.
She smiles at me, then him, "Ellery."
"I'm M'gann," Miss Martian waves from the kitchen. There is a tray of cookies laid out in front of her. Ellery and I wave half-heartedly.
"This way," Nightwing says. It sounds kind of ominous. He takes a turn into a place I hadn't noticed before. Yet another dark hallway.
Miss Martian gives us an encouraging nod, so Ellery and I follow. On the way a figure catches my eye in the Mission Room; Robin, tending to some holographic screens.
"Well, this is...haunting," Ellery says as we descend a ramp-like path towards what looks like a darker cave.
{In the crimson light / The light / The day has come}
"This is the Grotto," Nightwing says. His voice somehow echoes even more from down there, like there is something making the very sound hollow.
When we reach the ground that much is proven.
Lining the walls are three holograms. One for Blue Beetle, one for a pretty girl wearing a yellow and blue costume and one for...Robin?
Is this a memorial?
"Blue Beetle, Aquagirl, and-" Nightwing cuts himself off when he glances back at us. Not because of me, but because of whatever face my sister is pulling. I can't see.
I move to step around her, but she slowly begins stalking towards the Robin hologram.
"How long ago was that?" I ask curiously, gesturing to him.
Nightwing seems torn between answering me and talking to my sister. I don't know what her problem is.
"About two years," he says softly.
Ellery continues to stare at the hologram like it is going to move.
His costume is only a little different to the one outside, and to the one from before. Instead of shirt-like sleeves his are long and black. There is something mean feeling about him.
Something familiar.
"Ellery-"
"Am I right?" She says immediately, turning to Nightwing. I finally see the distressed expression she wears, composure reading the same. Her eyes glow white; she's reading Nightwing. When she steps closer to him he flinches, as she searches his brain.
Illusion rarely does such a thing with her powers because it's hard for her.
"You knew!" She accuses, jumping back from him, "You knew I would recognise him!" She promptly dashes around him and storms out. Nightwing follows hurriedly.
What just happened?
Seeing no other option I jog up closer to the Robin. Yeah he looks familiar, but it's no one I can recognise straight away.
"Who are you?" I murmur.
At the moment I suppose it doesn't matter. I don't want to go this alone, so I quickly turn around and run after the two.
Nightwing has managed to stop her in the hallway. He's speaking in a rushed, hushed tone that does nothing to qualm Ellery. Behind them standing in that intersection of hallway-mission-room-living-space are some new faces.
Wondergirl and Bumblebee.
Ellery responds to Nightwing in the same whisper before turning her back on him and marching away. Confused, I try to catch up, as does he.
We end up in the mission room and I realise that not only have those two girls just got here, but everyone. Blue Beetle, fish head, some civilian and Batgirl.
"Illusion!" Nightwing shouts, and Ellery stops a few feet away from the Zeta. I come to a halt between them as the Team gather at the intersection, watching like a bated audience.
Ellery remains frozen for just a few seconds of anticipation, before she calmly, collectively, turns around. There are no tears or signs of devastation, bar the slight crease in her eyebrows.
Very softly she asks, "Did he die for this? Did he die doing this? Is that really what happened? It wasn't some random bombing like you lied?"
He. Die. Bombing.
Jason Todd died in a bombing.
"Oh," I accidentally let out, making everyone look at me.
Ellery takes a deep breath, before her eyes snap to Nightwing.
"Thank you," she begins, "for the opportunity, but I wish you'd told me. I didn't need to see that."
Nightwing drops his head as she turns around and walks through the Zeta which announces her leave as she goes with a bright, blinding light.
Which unfortunately leaves me on my own.
The new and stunning information blocks any sort of feeling of awkwardness however. My eyes are locked onto where my sister was standing.
Jason Todd was Robin. Nightwing knew she would figure it out. Which means Nightwing knew they had dated. Which means Nightwing it someone with black hair who also knows our family. Who knows Halo. And Ellery. And me.
Halo as Angel was very close to Nightwing.
Halo as Halo is very close to Dick Grayson.
Once that connection is made I compare the two in my mind and the resemblance is completely and utterly uncanny.
If Dick Grayson is Nightwing and Jason Todd was Robin and my suspicious boyfriend leaves the room at any sign of trouble in Downtown Gotham then by rule of thumb...
I raise my turned head. Then like something out of a horror movie, my body entirely still, I very slowly and very smoothly rotate my head to face the opposite direction.
At Robin, AKA my boyfriend, AKA Timothy Drake.
The moment my eyes set on him he begins to squirm. I am as dumb as a bag of pebbles. He literally could not look any more like Tim. He is literally wearing a piece of titanium over his face and I failed to identity him. The one person I've spent the most time staring at over myself.
"Well," I state, "that certainly makes sense."
All the late starts, the sudden disappearances, the tired eyes, the secrecy.
All this time he has been a vigilante.
"Adelaide-"
"It's fine," I lie, holding my hand up to him, "I'm just...trying to wrap my head around it." I bring my hand up to my forehead to press against my temples. "Did he really die doing this?" I ask.
"He did."
"Then she is not coming back," I say, gesturing to the Zeta. I meet Nightwing's eyes-...mask, "She can't even say his name anymore."
"I know," he agrees, "Besides, she wasn't planning on joining, so much as helping when we need it. She only came to get you here."
Son of a-
"Of course," I say primly, joining my fingers together in front of me.
Perfect, be perfect, especially in front of these new people.
Perfect girls don't have outbursts.
"Is it okay if I tend to my sister first?" I ask, gesturing again to the Zeta but with a more dainty movement.
Nightwing shakes his head, "Of course, go ahead."
I nod, minutely, turning on my heels and heading for the tube. Before the light swallows me up I glance over my shoulder at Tim- Robin again.
How did I not see?
This isn't perfect at all.
∞
Heavy breath, heavy feet, we're running
Feel the time and sand's, forming in our eyes
Silver clouds, silver clouds, are burning
Every river shines, love is crystallized
When the sky falls down