FOUR.
A Will, A Way / 8 July, 2010
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                    Exactly three sunrises and two sunsets had come and gone since the day the Cadmus building had collapsed. All the teenagers present had been interrogated by the first of each and had ended up back at home, comfortable in their beds for the second. Ready for the third sunrise to greet them bright and early the next day.

All except for 'Superboy' and the little girl who hardly spoke a single word.

Dr. Genevieve Astor had chosen to take them in for a night, while she ran tests and every exam possible to analyse the clone's DNA. Batman was an impatient man, and the incessant phone calls she received could attest to that. Because Bruce Wayne was definitely the worst of the two.

So while the other Leaguers were readying the old base, dotting their i's and crossing their t's, she was doing her job. And babysitting.

She'd never been good with kids. It wasn't something she was gifted at. As noted when she once gave a wearable blood pressure monitor to Bruce's adopted ward his first Christmas at the manor. Now, her cookbook for picky eaters went down a treat with Alfred, Bruce's butler. But that was easy to anticipate.

However, kids were still a challenge. Especially because the five teenagers were now loitering around her living room while they awaited orders. Aqualad fortunately being old enough to not need supervision, but also being from a completely different world. But the ones she did have to deal with currently had a seventy-six per cent probability of staining her carpet.

   "Grayson, get your feet off of my couch!" She ordered from her desk, after noticing his reflection through her computer screen.

He quickly obliged, forcing his feet down. Plumping the cushions he'd been resting them against for extra good points.

   "Sorry, Gen," he mumbled, ignoring the jab to his side from his best friend. His usual sunglasses over his eyes when around others, and his short dark hair at all angles.

While the best friend currently raided her entire pantry of anything remotely edible. Running around like a hamster on a wheel.

   "Wally, you're gonna give me whiplash. Please sit down," she sighed, rubbing her temples as she leaned over her keyboard, "and stop eating me out of house and home. I'm not made of money."

Genevieve leaned over and grabbed the giant, oversized bag of Cheetos he'd been ready to tear open.

He went back to his friends, new and old, and all was peaceful once again. Well, for a house full of teenagers it was. Until a thud and subsequent shatter that foreboded something breaking caught her attention.

   "Were you lot cats in a past life? Because I think having six of them would be better than this." She said, glaring at the children who were currently destroying her work ethic. "Can you not just go to the park? Do kids not go to the park these days? What's wrong with a park?"

Wonder Girl, dressed in a pair of blue denim shorts and a pink daisy tank top that complimented her rich brown skin, was the one to answer her, as she worked on braiding the short red strands of Wally's hair. Her dark glossy hair tied in a long braid that rested against her back. "Most get attacked three times a week," she said, concentrating on tying off the end of a small braid, "Gotham's got attacked by Mr Freeze the other day, it just happens." She shrugged as she moved on to another section of hair, Wally sitting as still as he could while he watched the TV.

   "Of course it did," she groaned, from the sudden memory, as well as the fact that it was a typical scenario in the city she'd lived in since her college years. No matter what, Gotham was still a central point for criminal activity.

She just hoped they'd remain busy a while longer; until anyone from the League called, or even better came for them, so they'd be out of her very badly brushed hair. They'd been persistent about being an official team, so that's what they were going to get.

Although maybe a whole mountain in the hands of teenagers probably wasn't the best idea. It was just all they had at short notice.

So just when Genevieve was going to give up trying to work entirely and just call the man dubbed 'Mr. Ka-ching' on her phone's contact list, she was surprised to find the girl standing beside her. Looking at her through squinted eyes, like she was trying to scan her.

   "You okay, kid?" She asked, trying not to sound as creeped out as she was.

The girl just froze, snapping out of her imagination and returning to the atrocity that was reality. Before glancing at Genevieve's short hair.

   "Is that your natural hair colour?" She queried, tilting her head like an intrigued doe-eyed animal.

Subconsciously, Gen reached her dark-toned fingers to the ends of her platinum-white hair, rubbing some between her fingers. It was a surprise to hear the girl's voice, as it had been when she'd spoken to Superboy and the other kids the night of the wreckage.

   "It is now." She answered, unknowingly glancing her eyes over to where the kid's hair had barely grown from her scalp. "You?" She said, trying to be polite.

   "I think so." She replied, hands and fingers fidgeting with the zipper of the grey hoodie Robin had lent to her.

It was an old one. She recognised it as the one he'd worn when she'd first met him a week after he'd moved into the manor. Alfred had offered to wash it for him but he'd blatantly refused. A long time ago he would have never taken the thing off.

But that was then.

Deianira had also lent her a pair of leggings that had to be rolled up at the legs, with a pair of fuzzy socks that were quickly adopted by her small feet the day she arrived, tucked underneath. She looked well rested though. After all, the two new kids had slept in the only two bedrooms she had - her own and a fortunate spare - while she took the couch. Which she often slept on during more sleepless nights than what would be considered healthy.

When the kid didn't vacate the space next to her after a couple of minutes of awkward silence, she decided to bite the bullet and keep the conversation going. "I didn't get your name," she said, hoping not to unintentionally force the answer out of her, "mine's Genevieve. Genevieve Astor."

The kid didn't have a chance to answer before something leapt up onto her shoulder, rubbing their faces together. Gen shivered at the sight of the non-blinking creature but decided not to be rude. She'd already proven quite vocal about the little...guy, to Bruce when he'd told her to take them all home with her.

Apparently, she still suffered from the Astor family affliction; an incapability to say no. Especially when the word please is involved.

The girl reached her hand out to her tiny goblin-sized friend, letting it nuzzle closer against her. "This is Orion, Oni to friends," she said as she focused her attention back to Genevieve, "I...I don't have a name. Cadmus just called me C."

"Is it short for anything?" Trying desperately not to focus her mind on the small girl's stutter, and how she seemed to shrink into herself.

"Not for anything..." she paused, "happy."

Before she could apologise for bringing it up, and before Superboy could test himself once again for heat vision against Gen's seated frame, her cell phone vibrated on her desk. The vibration was loud and aggregated as it begged her to answer. So she silenced the incessant thing and intended to do the same to the man on the other line.

"What?" She growled into the phone, making sure he knew she wasn't exactly happy about being demoted to his live-in babysitter. While also giving a thumbs up to the kid to make sure she didn't misinterpret her.

"Are they ready?" Bruce asked in his usual gravelly, tough voice, deadpan as usual. So it was The Batman she was dealing with, not the billionaire.

She sighed into the phone, "It's seven in the morning, what do you think?" She retorted, looking back at the room of teenagers who had all paused what they were doing to watch her. Wally left with half a head of small pointed braids, and Dick with his hand clenching her TV remote which he'd used to pause the early morning cartoon they'd hardly been watching. Wonder Girl and Superboy probably listening in. "You've had them waiting for hours. Better send the jet."

"On it," he said, voice getting distant as he typed on the electric system built into his suit, then coming back clearer, "ATA is ten minutes."

"You hear that, rugrats, ten minutes." She said to the kids, looking directly at Superboy and then Wonder Girl. They all nodded, including the nameless girl, so she took that as her cue to end the call, "See you soon. And get me a coffee ready!"

Then in a second, the call was ended as her thumb released the hang-up button.

"Right, Rhode Island it is," she mumbled loud enough for them all to hear, "Aqualad should meet us there." She added before Wally could ask her the question. He and his mentor were fast with their feet, but she was fast with her mind.

Quickly they scrambled to clean the mess they'd made, after Gen had threatened to keep them locked inside until they did once they tried to escape the responsibility, and then grab their stuff. Wally pulled his hair out of the elastic ties, to the horror of Deianira, as he nearly fell to the floor trying to put his shoes back on.

Genevieve's house had been a shoe-trek-free zone for three years since the day she moved in. And it would stay that way.

The girl went to follow the others as they clambered out of the front door - at least Superboy had the decency to wait - while the slaughter that was Wally West running into Deianira's and Dick's backs as he tried to run ahead occurred. The boy failed miserably.

Before the girl could go ahead of her, Gen put a hand lightly on her shoulder, diverting her attention. Superboy waiting outside the open front door while the other three paced on her front porch.

   "Maybe we could come up with names for the two of you," she smiled, looking at both teenagers, "something you'd like."

The little girl nodded, while Superboy turned his attention over to the sky as he heard the jet hovering in the air. It was uncanny how much he looked like Superman, even for being only sixteen, but she couldn't help the unease she felt. His existence was a security risk, but he looked so lost.

He reminded her of someone she knew a long time ago. Someone she'd give anything to see again.

   "Shotgun!" Dick declared as he tried and failed to outrun his speedster best friend to the front seat, only to pinch the redhead until he yielded and moved to sit behind him. Deianira sitting beside Wally, while the girl and Superboy sat in the back two seats.

Genevieve sat beside Dick, fingers already pushing the buttons to activate autopilot. Watching and waiting as it began to follow the route it had made countless times in the past.

To Mount Justice.

          The journey to Rhode Island wasn't long, but the annoying teenagers and their endless yapping made it seem worse. Deianira and Wally were arguing over some petty squabble, and Dick was just endlessly listing things. Something he was still doing after they departed the jet.

"What about Alison?" He asked, looking down at his phone; specifically the baby name website he'd clicked on. He nearly tripped over a rock because of his attention being diverted. "Or Chloe?"

He and Gen had been working on finding the girl a name since they ascended over her house and started their journey, but the latter was quickly losing her mind. "How can there still be so many different names?" She groaned, mentally slapping herself for suggesting the idea.

"It's America, Gen," Dick replied, "things would be a bit difficult if three hundred million people all had the same name."

"No one would get it wrong though." She grumbled back.

"They'd find a way." Wally shrugged. He swatted Deianira's hand away as she tried to salvage her braiding work; just about managing to retie one at the back before it completely fell out.

   "Nina? Kelly? Summer?" Dick continued down the list, while they reached the now open hanger door.

The girl in question was pondering them, while Superboy just shook his head. Not leaving any room for argument.

   "How about we have another think on it after the meeting?" Gen brought up, hoping not to be scraping anyone off of the floor before they'd even had the chance to see the place they'd soon call their second home.

Just like she'd once done all those years ago.

And before they all knew it, they stood before Batman and their respective mentors. Flash standing near Wally, while Aquaman and Wonder Woman stood between Bats and Black Canary. Aqualad had been waiting patiently for their arrival - ever the gentle Atlantean - in his casual clothes.

Hawkman and Red Tornado were stood off to the side, with Captain Marvel hanging around at the back. All while Green Lantern - aka the annoying pilot Hal Jordan - was using his ring's power to move heavy objects around.

There was no Superman, or his wife; whom Gen had grown to know pretty well over the years. Her, Jude, Dinah and Diana all sharing a female camaraderie since their early days in the League. Gen tried not to look too long at Superboy, hoping he wouldn't notice the apologetic look on her face. The last thing he'd want was pity.

So she focused on the man she'd known for way too long, and yet still hardly knew at all, and paid attention like the others. As if she hadn't been a part of the long debate about this entire situation.

"This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League," Bats declared, "We're calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms."

"Six." A small, determined voice spoke up from behind Superboy and Deianira, the two parting so the girl could move forward.

"There are six of us." Robin reminded his mentor, and Gen felt a wave of pride wash over her.

But Bats just let it go without another word and continued his speech. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. Cosima will be your doctor." He said, Gen, being glad he didn't add the words 'live in' before her temporary role, "I will deploy you on missions."

"Real missions?" Robin queried apprehensively.

"Yes, but covert." His mentor responded.

Flash spoke up next, acting more mature than she'd seen of him for a while. The idea of remaining calm and collected in front of your work buddies is a little too important. "The League will still handle the obvious stuff," he said, before pointing to his chest and the symbol he wore over it, "there's a reason we have these big targets on our chests."

He knew his wife would never forgive him if anything happened to her nephew, and Gen was sure the feeling was mutual for himself. The idea of being The Flash without Wally scared him, and rightfully so.

A superhero losing a sidekick was a tragedy. No matter how well you suture up the wound, it always comes apart over and over again. The pain never lessens, it just turns to festering rot. Gen swore to never have a sidekick, not after seeing how many times Bruce nearly lost Dick just out on patrol - what it did to him.

"Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter." Aquaman says to the group of teenagers, "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

   "The seven of you will be that team." Bats finished, enunciating how many members of the team there were after getting it wrong earlier.

Immediately, Dick was the happiest of them all. While being the second shortest of the six of them, he packed away a lot of excitement. "Cool!" He says before realising what his mentor said, "Wait, seven?"

In response his mentor looked straight behind him, making the teenagers follow suit, as a young woman walks towards them. Her skin was a bright shade of green, and her hair a vibrant red. She wore a red 'x' over her chest that blended into the rest of her costume; the symbol of Martian Manhunter.

   "This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian," Bats said, while Gen smiled at the girl. This was her first time meeting her, but she'd heard all about Manhunter's niece when they had corroborated who should be a part of this new team. He obviously wanted to throw her hat in the ring.

The girl in question raised her hand, offering a quick nervous greeting, as she saw all eyes suddenly on her. Even Deianira and the girl beside her stared a little too long.

   "Liking this gig more every minute," Wally mumbles not quite quiet enough to his best friend - forgetting he was in other company - then approaches their newest team member. "Um, welcome aboard. I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin, Aqualad, Wonder Girl," he said pointing to each member he's listed, "it's cool if you forget their names," he added through a whisper.

   "I'm honoured to be included." She replied.

All while the girl was gently pulling on Superboy's shirt; the two silently communicating. Gen didn't notice the creature clinging to her leg until that second when its small horns lit up. Because they were talking telepathically. Neither seemed exactly comfortable with it, but whatever they were saying to each other was making the sudden crease between Superboy's brows ease slightly.

He was strangely different with her, more calm and collected, patient even. Gen chalked it up to them both having a shared upbringing, a shared suffering. And even though Superboy was years younger than the girl, he was protective of her.

She looked so fragile, so breakable. It hurt Genevieve's heart to see.

Especially when the four sidekicks approached the new member of the team and left the other two to watch from a distance. Robin saw and called to the Kryptonian clone, "Hey, Superboy. Come meet Miss M." He said, waving over.

So he did. Leaving the girl alone yet again, with only her pet for company; who was now climbing to rest at her hip. She nuzzled his head against her hand, as she got ready to walk in the other direction. Ignoring what the team said as she planned to walk back out towards the aircraft that waited outside.

   "Hey! Where are you going?" Robin called after her. She turned around to see his brows furrowed over his sunglasses. "We still need to come up with your name." He said, waving her over just as he'd done with Superboy. Inviting her into their conversation.

The girl looked over at Gen as if asking for advice. But the woman in question just shrugged, not being well known for good conversation herself. So it warmed her cold heart just a little when she saw the girl fight her instincts to run and take the invitation. Joining the others.

   "Today is the day," Aqualad said to his friends, his new team. Because it truly was. It was the day that would change everything.

Genevieve included as she walked away from her female comrades towards her old partner in crime. She had a question that needed answering.

   "How do you...I mean how did you, go about adopting Dick?" She hesitantly asked him. Not sure how to approach the subject.

   "What do you mean?" He asked in reply.

   "I want to help her, give her a home. Like you did for him," she elaborates, pointing to the group across the large room, specifically at Robin, "I want to give her a life worth living, I want her to have someone she can turn to if she's in trouble, or when she wants to talk about boys," she rambles on, "or girls!"

She takes a deep breath, collecting herself. Because she'd never felt like this, never had a motherly instinct. But this wasn't about that, it was about doing the right thing when the world tells you it's impossible, or pointless.

That's what she'd always believed. That it was pointless for her to become anything else but what she was designed to be. Which was not a mother.

So she simplified it all into words that he could understand. A version of the words he'd said to her and Alfred four years ago when he brought a random kid to the manor and told them who he was.

   "I want to give her what I didn't have." She says, looking into the concealed eyes of The Batman, and hoping to see the man that was buried beneath.

          Training for days on end could be brutal if your body wasn't used to it. It could break you, paralyse you, or defeat you.

The day Mi-rae Noe broke, would not be a day forgotten; the world would know about it. She'd make sure they knew. Make sure it never forgot the girl it had barely known.

The girl left on the street, waiting to die, was gone. Mi-rae had buried her a long time ago. Burned and salted the ground where she rested, so no life could grow. So she could not grow, and sprout from the mulched weeds that remained at her roots.

Training helped silence her frustrated mind and ease her aching bones. The snap of them twisting and breaking while reforming in new positions was music to her ears. As it was every day for the past four years, since the day that cursed date was carved on the tombstone.

Once she'd finally beaten the standing dummy hard enough to knock it over - for the twelfth time - she'd decided to replace the wrappings over her hands. Walking over to the table in the corner, she could feel a shift in her walking stance, resting her hand on her side she realised why.

   "It won't heal properly if you don't stop," a voice came from the shadows of the large empty training room, a pale woman with brown, almost black, hair stepped forward, presenting herself. "The dummy isn't going anywhere."

She's always looked superior, with her red stained lips and dark eyes, clothed in all black like a sorrowful widow. Except, Sicarius probably didn't know the meaning of sorrow, for she'd never once shown it. Even now with that smirk on her face, Mi-rae knew the hidden meaning behind her words.

She was the dummy. She wasn't going anywhere.

   "I'm fine." She snipped back, not in the mood for her taunting. Getting herself back into a fighting stance and resuming her training; punching and kicking the dummy. Ignoring the red hot searing pain her side was in.

   "You're slow," the older woman said, coming closer to Mi-rae until they were a hand's length apart, "and being slow leads to bad results." Without warning she reached an arm around from behind her back and jabbed it into her side, forcing her to the ground.

Mi-rae sat there on her knees, almost bowing before this demon of a woman, looking at the floor she'd been easily forced down to. Until she finally looked up and faced down the creature before her. Glaring so hard she hoped it burned a hole in her skull.

Although, there was only one creature under Zephyr's command. She was the feral dog he'd been trying to tame for years, and she knew the rusted metallic taste of the chains he bound her to.

"She's right, Miri," his voice filled the room as if just thinking about him summoned the Devil himself. There was no myth when it came to him, he just was. He walked in, wearing a casual grey suit she'd only seen him wear for his most secretive meetings, and his greying dark hair gelled back against his pale skin. "Take a break, we can't have our best keeling over on a mission."

Mi-rae sneered back, trying to hide how much she hated that childish nickname he still used for her. It wasn't advice, it was an order, and she hated it.

He was looking at himself in one of the wall-length mirrors that surrounded them, fixing a stray hair that was out of place, reminding Mi-rae of how many versions of herself were looking back at her. Somehow all of them being different versions. All with eyes reflecting how they wanted to pounce on her, drown her.

"I'm fine." She repeated, grinding her teeth hard.

"Of course you are," he replied, coming up to stand next to her, watching her as she watched her reflections. As his came beside hers, wrapping an arm around her reflection's shoulder. Perfect symmetry. "But you should remember what happens to those who break too easily," he whispered in her ear.

It took all of her willpower not to shiver as the unmasked man stood close to her. Especially when the only two people who'd seen him without the mask who worked for him under this roof, were both in that room. Had seen the flaws and imperfections up close, that his face wore like a secondary disguise.

"Don't forget everything I've done for you," he continued whispering in her ear, directing his words to her, and her alone. Their private conversation without the need for privacy, "what I've sacrificed for you to be here, by my side." He turned his head to the side, reaching down to leave a shadow of a kiss on top of hers.

The weight of it nearly dragged her head to the floor.

"Rest up," he smiled, squeezing her arm lightly before walking away to leave the room, Sicarius waiting to follow him. Just like a lap dog. "I'm going to need you in Santa Prisca next week," he said louder this time.

"Why?" Mi-rae dared to ask.

He turned to look back at her, and any smile or niceties were replaced with the true stone-cold man that lurked beneath warm skin and a poisoned heart. "Not all questions, get answers," he said, "you know that Miri."

A few seconds went by, and he stood there. Unmoving. Waiting for her to speak up, maybe even waiting for her to argue against it. But she knew better than that. Instead, she knew he was waiting for her to agree. That was all he wanted from her.

Not a temperamental teenager. An obedient soldier.

"Yes," she said, bowing her head slightly to show her respect. As she spoke up the word that wanted to choke her every time she said it. "Uncle."

And just like that, she was alone again.

𖤍               Damn! That took a long time to finish writing. How is it I find it easier to write Conner and the others but I can't for the life of me, write Mi-rae. I love her, she's my favourite child, but I hate writing her. Fortunately, I decided to have a look at the draft this morning and just said "Fuck it! I'll finish it!". AND THEN I DID!! So here's Chapter Four, it's done and I am going to take a long ass break before I start writing the Santa Prisca episode, I will write something for Happy Harbour before that, but the main like fight scenes and stuff I'm not gonna do because I value my sanity.
     Anyway, big shock whoo! I love Genevieve, and her being Cass's foster mom in every universe is everything to me. Okay, bye, see you in a few months when I next publish an update. / word count. 4582

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Thanks for reading <3