Jaime jumps as his phone begins ringing in his back pocket. He take it out and sees Daphne’s ID. The four runaways he and Red Butterfly accompany stop to listen.
‘Don’t answer it! Daphne will go crazy if she knows Red’s here!’ Jaime yells to the Scarab.
‘I do not care of the hostility your girlfriend will experience at the notification of the Red Butterfly’s presence,’ Scarab replies.
Yet, Scarab knows that Viper will become suspicious if he -Jaime- does not answer. Jaime always answers. He signals Hazel to stay quiet.
“Hey babe,” he begins. Is that not what he calls her?
‘Don’t call my girlfriend babe!’
“Hey…um, Jaime? Can you repeat to me the exact promise you made to me a few days ago?” She begins. This was a rare tone she used.
‘I sense hostile intent in the Viper’s voice…’ Scarab notes.
“I promised you Red Butterfly and I would not go on missions alone together anymore,” Scarab recalls.
“So, you promise you two haven’t been on any missions together?” Now there is sadness in her voice. Jaime knows something is up.
“I promise she’s not with me now and hasn’t been for the past few missions,” Scarab grinned at his confidence. He had her now.
“Oh really?” Her tone turns patriotic, only this time not only does it come through the phone, but from behind him as well.
Turning around, the group discover Viper standing on the back of Phoenix, who is disguised as a giant bat. Swiftchick and Laurel Destiny peek out from behind her.
She then steps off of Phoenix and stalks towards Jaime, glaring through her mask.
“So you broke your promise and then lied about it!” She yells. Her glare turns on Red Butterfly, who backs away in fear, knowing Viper can easily cast poison in-between her skin and suit.
“I-I swear Viper, Nightwing made me go wi-“
“No, he didn’t,” Laurel Destiny interrupts Red Butterfly. “Emerald Star told Blue to go. She knows about Blue’s promise to Viper. Says here you’re off duty, Red.”
That is when Red Butterfly drops the act. “Jaime asked me to go with him, Viper. It’s not my fault he’d rather have my company than you-AHH!”
The girl’s snide comment turns into a scream as she grabs her hand. The red armour disappears to reveal her skin, red and covered in boils.
“Viper!” Swiftchick shrills, speeding to her friend’s side and taking her arm forcefully.
“We’re all on the same team here guys,” Laurel Destiny reasons. “We have to go. Nightwing thinks we’re investigating.”
Swiftchick walks back onto Phoenix's back. Instead of glaring, Daphne gives Jaime a brief look of disappointment that strikes him like a bolt of lightning.
"I like you better with the Scarab talking," she says quietly, before turning away.
“Daphne wait!” He yells, only this time, Scarab says it too, out loud.
“Woah man. Viper Violet is your girlfriend?” Ed finally deciphers. Daphne glares at him.
“Not anymore,” she concludes. Jaime goes wide-eyed.
Phoenix flaps his wings and grabs Daphne, before lifting off the ground and darting away.
~
The Watcher can see the Emerald Star's protege. A rather small girl with red hair, freckles and green eyes. A pretty thing.
This one is important to Emerald Star. A child she has been teaching and mentoring for six years now. Surely she would be a major weakness.
The Watcher returns to speak to Eleness.
"Did you find her?"
"Took a while, but the source was correct."
"Good. Investing her in the Sparkling One's life was a good choice."
"It was. Hana has no idea she's handing every detail we need to someone she trusts."
"Indeed. And what of the Reach?"
"They should not be a problem. I believe they, themselves have their own bug in the team. Quite literally a bug. The Blue Beetle."
"Good."
Moments before, Hana had been sitting at the computer with Conner and Karen. The three were attempting to track M'gann once again.
"So I don't get it," Daphne says, sitting with Tim, Misty, Garfield, Bart and Lily on the sofa. She looks at Misty and Tim. "Are you two a couple? Is Tisty real?"
Both kids blush. "Um..." Misty says, looking away.
"Not as serious as Jaiphne," Tim says.
Before Misty or Lily can whack him, Daphne laughs loudly.
"No such thing little bro," she says, before standing up and joining Barbara and Alice.
"Is it beautiful?" Karen asks excitedly. Hana grins and begins explaining the ring she is sure Nightwing bougt in Paris.
"Aren't you guys kind of you to be getting married?" Conner asks.
"Hey, Raquel and her man are getting married. Dick and I are older than both of them."
Karens squeals. "Imagine your dress," she gushes.
"It will be Disney theme," Hana decides. Superboy frowns.
That's when Hana suddenly passes out, falling to Superboy.
"Hana?" Daphne panics, attracting the rest of the team.
Superboy scoops the girl up and carries her to the lounge, placing her down. Nightwing kneels down to her side. "She might be conscious but immobile," he mumbles.
"How do you know?" Misty asks.
"It happened a few weeks ago. She said she was conscious and she could hear and feel everything, but she couldn't move," Nightwing says, scanning her. "It's almost like her reaction abilities shut off..."
The boy stops for a minute.
"So this might be a good time to tell you. Remember those pink Lady Peep Loubitin's you got in paris? I was looking for my jacket and put them on the bed, then Sunshine found them and tore them up. I didn't do anything because he looked so happy."
Everyone stares at him for a while. "Wow," someone says.
"Recognized; Atom; 18."
Atom is immediately confused at what he finds. "I uh- came to find out why she wasn't answering her com." He walks over and scans her with his much more advanced tech.
"That's weird. More than active in her frontal cortex," he mumbles, only two or three of the group understanding. "She's non-responsive, but-"
"You let Sunshine chew on my Loubitins."
Hana's eyes snap open. "Ow...ow ow!" She sits up abruptly, revealing Garfield's shoe which had been digging into her back. The little green boy apologizes.
"You asked to be notified when she is well enough," Atom says. Realizing what he meant, Hana sprints into the Zeta-tubes.
~
She looked as bad as the day I rescued her from Mount Justice before it blew up.
In a hospital bed at STAR Labs sits Raven Blight. Her under-eyes are dark from sleepiness, her skin is scarred and grey, her lips are dry and cracked and she is as skinny as anything.
"I can't," I whisper, tears coming to my eyes.
"You saved her Han," Nightwing says, pulling me towards him.
"But I...I can't help but think-"
"It's not your fault," he says immediately.
I sniff heavily.
"Hey hey, no," he turns me around and holds my face. "This is anything but your fault, understand? This is his fault- that little brat did this to hurt. not you."
"B-But-"
"No." He puts a finger to my lips, then hugs me to his chest. His Nightwing get up is warm.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door.
~
Who's this Watcher?
Why does Hana pass out when the Watcher and Eleness talk?
Who is Eleness?
:3
Love Kaido!
Stay magical xX