chapter eight.
( gotham academy grackles. )

"I win again!" Yue's triumphant laugh echoes through the West family's living room as she carefully drops the white Wii controller onto the wooden coffee table.

Wally sinks into the couch, his arms crossed over his chest as he dramatically rolls his eyes. "Oh, come on!" He complains loudly. "That was cheating and you know it." He glances at the girl sitting beside him.

She was still wearing the baby-pink pyjama shirt she had arrived in last night, her black hair pulled back into two low-buns. She sits there with a bright grin tugging at her lips, her brown eyes staring across at the television; the scoreboard of their latest round was painted across the screen, Toadette ranked first, with Waluigi – Wally-uigi, he had joked on numerous occasions since choosing to play him – in second place.

"Right." Yue playfully rolls her eyes at his complaints, then turns around to glance at him and the boy sitting on the armchair off to the side. "Or, maybe, you and Dick can finally admit I'm the reigning champ of Mario Kart."

Bruce had gone to another high-society gala the night prior. Any other day, Dick and Yue would've stayed back at the manor knowing Bruce would find any chance to come home early from the extravagant Gotham event. But, when the opportunity arose to get out of the grim city for a night, they jumped at the chance.

The second Yue's gaze meets his, Wally finds himself looking over to Dick. The youngest of the trio sits cross-legged on the red armchair, a teasing grin on his face as he speaks, "Hey, don't bring me into your lover's quarrel." A playful look crosses the Gothamite's eyes. "I didn't ask to be a third-wheel."

While Wally awkwardly clears his throat, Yue scoots across the couch and away from the speedster. From the arm-chair, Dick observes his red-faced friends as they look anywhere but each other, until Wally finally glances his way. "It's- It's not like that," he coughs.

"Yeah!" Yue agrees with a nod of her head. Sure, she felt her heart sink into her chest whenever Wally would look at M'gann like she was everything good the world had to offer; and sure, maybe she wished sometimes he'd look at her that way, too.

But it wasn't like that.

It would never be like that.

Yue had learned long ago that she had no choice but to watch from the sidelines as other girls gained the love and affection she craved from her best friend. There were those destined to be lovers; and those destined to be best friends.

She believed they were the latter.

It had been almost a month since the team was assigned to operate out of the former secret sanctum of the Justice League: Mount Justice. With three of their six team-members living full-time in the Cave, the halls of Mount Justice had been customised to fit the needs of a group of super-powered teenagers.

The table that once occupied the side of the Cave's living room had been dragged into a storage space just over a week ago, replaced by an air-hockey table to keep them occupied while on break from their assigned missions. Wally and Kaldur, dressed in their respective suits, stand on either side of the table with paddles in their hands as they knock the puck back and forth between them. Dick stands at the edge of the table, half-heartedly watching the game.

Yue and M'gann sit on the large green couch, in front of them the television plays the latest CBS news report that covers an accident in Metropolis earlier that morning– but neither girl pays much attention. The martian anxiously picks at her fingernails, her eyes occasionally flickering to the doorway leading into the Cave's main-hall. "I wonder if Superboy is okay," she sighs quietly.

"He's meant to visit Superman today, right?" Yue questions, curiously lifting her gaze from the book in her hands. In the excitement of juggling both summer activities and missions as Flamebird, she had forgotten all about the holiday homework from her English teacher.

School was picking back up in less than a week. Bruce would surely ground her if she let her grades slip because of the team.

M'gann nods her head, still unable to tear her eyes away from the doorway in hopes the half-Kryptonian would walk in at any second. "That's what he said," she comments. "But he's been gone awhile... Should we be worried?"

"What?" Closing her book, Yue's lips quirk upward and she finds herself leaning closer to the martian, her voice quieting into a whisper, "Megs, do you... do you like Superboy?"

"Huh?!" M'gann spins to face the Gothamite, her high-pitched squeal drawing the attention of the boys– though they were quick to return to their game as M'gann covers her mouth in surprise. "Of... Of course, I- Why would I-?" She stammers, her voice wavering until she huffs out a sigh. "I don't!"

Yue snickers. "Right... And I don't like-" Wally. His is the first name that comes to mind. She awkwardly clears her throat and changes the topic before M'gann could pick up on her thoughts. "If you do, I won't tell anyone," she reassures, "It's actually pretty cute."

M'gann parts her lips to speak, then falls silent as a figure enters the living-room from the entrance she had been watching. She perks up in her seat, then jumps off the couch and hovers toward the boy with a bright grin. "Hi, Superboy!" She greets him enthusiastically. "How was Metropolis?"

Superboy silently pushes past the girl, his brows pinched together angrily.

"Geez..." Yue drops her homework onto the coffee table as she stands up, her arms crossing over her suit. His mood seemed fouler than usual, which certainly said something about the constantly angry half-Kryptonian she knows as her teammate. "I wonder what got into him."

M'gann frowns, her amber eyes flickering from Yue back to Superboy. "What if something happened with Superman?"

Superboy, with the superhuman hearing of his predecessor, glances over his shoulder to glare at both of the girls. He parts his lips to speak, then closes them and continues in the direction of the Cave's living quarters.

Each member of the team cautiously watches him, until someone clears their throat from behind them. Yue is the first to turn around, her dark eyes happily lighting up. "Canary!" She smiles.

Black Canary stands at the kitchen entrance, behind the group of teenagers, with Martian Manhunter at her side. M'gann beams at the sight of her uncle, and rushes forward to wrap her arms around him. "Uncle J'onn!" The grin Superboy wiped off her face returns for a moment.

"M'gann." Martian Manhunter stoically greets his niece. "I was... in the neighbourhood, so I thought I'd see how you were adjusting."

"A few bumps," she tells him truthfully, "But I'm learning."

Martian Manhunter nods. "That is all I can ask."

Black Canary's eyes flicker from her teammate and his niece, and toward Superboy; with the conversation going quiet, Superboy attempts to take his one and only chance to angrily storm off to his room. Though, unfortunately for him, Canary noticed before he could escape. "Stick around," she calls out to the clone. "Class is in session."

The Leaguer leads them out of the living-room and into the training-room across the Cave. She moves to the centre of the room, then taps her foot against the ground. The lights dim, all except for the one above the designated sparring zone. "I consider it an honour to be your teacher," Canary tells the team with a smile. "I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I learned from my own mentor–" She pulls off her leather-jacket, revealing the bandages around her shoulder as she groans painfully. "--And my own bruises."

M'gann gasps, "What happened?"

"The job." Canary answers curtly, then tosses her jacket to the side. "Now, combat is all about controlling conflict, putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, never re acting." Her eyes scan over the faces of the teens gathered around her. "I'll need a sparring partner."

Wally's right hand shoots into the air, while the other holds onto a half-eaten banana. "Right here, yeah!" Taking another large bite of his snack, he tosses the banana towards the small trash-can at the edge of the room and steps into the training circle. "After this, I'll show you my moves."

Standing at the side of the training-ring, Yue presses her lips together to stifle the laugh that threatens to fall as Wally flirts with the much older – and very happily taken – League hero.

Canary smirks, then throws a punch. The boy blocks the hit rather easily, only for Canary to drop down and swipe her leg across the floor, sending the red-haired boy onto his back. A red circle appears beneath him on the floor, followed by his alias and the word "failed".

"Oh," Wally groans, "Hurts so good."

"Good block." Canary holds her hand out for the speedster, helping him up off the ground before she glances at the other teens. "But did anyone else see what he did wrong?"

"Oh! Oh!" Dick's hand shoots into the air, a giant grin tugging at his lips as he takes the first chance to tease his friend, "He hit on the teacher and got served?"

Wally spins around on his heel, his narrowed gaze meeting the boy's. "Dude!" He hisses.

Canary shakes her head. "He allowed me to dictate the terms of-"

"Oh, please." Superboy cuts the hero off with a loud scoff. "With my powers, the battle's always on my terms. I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time."

"Prove it." Canary challenges the half-Kryptonian.

Wally takes a few steps back to Yue's side, while Superboy enters the training circle with a determined look in his eyes. He raises his fists, mimicking the actions of the woman in front of them, then throws a punch. Canary wraps her hands around his held-out arm, then, using his momentum, tosses the boy over her shoulder and onto the ground.

From the sidelines, Dick bursts into laughter; Kaldur gently elbows the boy, and though his giggles echo through the room, Dick covers his mouth with both hands. Even Yue herself couldn't help but snicker– after all, Superboy was talking big-game for somebody who failed in five seconds flat.

Superboy pushes himself back onto his feet with a snarl.

"You're angry. Good," Canary addresses him. "But don't react. Challenge that anger into-" The clone charges at her, Canary vaults over his aggressive figure and – just as she had done to Wally – crouches and swipes her leg across the ground, knocking Superboy off his feet for the second time.

"That's it!" Superboy snaps, ignoring Canary's hand as he helps himself off the floor. His shout causes Dick to fall silent, his laughter quieting as the room fills with silence. "I'm done!"

With a frown on her face, Canary reminds him, "Training is mandatory."

A beep echoes through the room, silencing Superboy's next complaint. Batman's face appears on the large holo-screen as the projector switches on. "Batman to the Cave." He starts. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary–" The image of an orange-haired man appears in the corner of the screen. "--The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which proved nearly disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each combatant."

Wally's eyes – focused on the screen as it portrays the battle between the League and its foe – widen with a mixture of confusion and fear. "Whoa," he breathes out, "One guy with the power of the entire League?"

Superman flies into frame, very clearly not in Metropolis with their teammate like the plans of the day suggested. Yue's brows furrow and she leans closer to the boy beside her, "Think that's why Supey's in a bad mood?"

Wally's eyes flicker from the screen to Yue, then over to Superboy. The half-Kryptonian watches the footage with his arms crossed and a frown etched across his face. "When isn't he?" The speedster shrugs his shoulders.

"In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android." Batman's statement causes Dick's brows to furrow.

"An android?" The youngest of the six teammates questions. "Who made it, T.O Morrow?"

"Good guess, Robin, but Red Tornado doesn't think so." The Dark Knight shakes his head.

"The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo," Martian Manhunter observes from behind the team.

"Wait, Professor Ivo?" Yue glances over her shoulder to meet the gazes of both the Martian and Black Canary. "But he's dead, isn't he?"

"So we all thought," Canary crosses her arms and lets out a sigh, "Or hoped."

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralised we're sending two trucks carrying the android parts to two separate S.T.A.R. Lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation." Batman explains. "Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks."

"Yes!" With a grin on his face, Wally pumps his fist into the air. "Road trip."

Superboy, on the other hand, seemed less enthusiastic. "So now we take out your trash..."

"You had something better to do?" Batman's masked-eyes narrow ever-so-slightly.

"Coordinates received." Kaldur informs the Dark Knight as he pulls a beeping device from the belt of his uniform. "On our way."

They were in the middle of nowhere; that's the first thing Flamebird notices from her spot hidden in the trees. Litchfield Country, surrounded with fields and farmland on all sides with a lone high-way in the centre, seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, which made it the perfect place to depart with the android parts.

A heavy sigh escapes her lips as she pulls her red and black helmet over her head. The leather motorcycle jacket she wears is anything but comfortable paired with the kevlar of her Flamebird suit, but it was a necessary precaution. There was no guarantee the trucks would make it safely to their destinations.

"S.T.A.R. Boston is a go." Atom's voice announces through the comms.

"S.T.A.R. Manhattan is a go." Green Arrow follows.

One by one, the trucks roll out from the site of Amazo's final battle. The team follow shortly behind; Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Aqualad ride off in one direction, while Superboy, Robin and Flamebird drive in the other.

The red and black League-issued motorcycle beneath her felt like second-nature to the Gothamite girl as she trails behind the truck. This was certainly more natural than flying in the Martian bioship; a motorcycle was how Yue travelled Gotham as Flamebird, rare were the times she was permitted to use the Bat-plane, let alone the bat-mobile – after she and Dick had stolen it for a joy-ride, they had been banned from even stepping foot near the vehicle without Bruce.

Robin drives forward, only to slow his motorcycle as he falls into line with both Superboy and Flamebird . "If like is the opposite of dislike, is disaster the opposite of aster?" He asks. "See, instead of things going wrong, they go right."

Flamebird's brows furrow, her eyes flicking over to the boy for just a moment before she looks back to the road. Taking note of her silence, Robin glances at Superboy. Even with the visor of his helmet pulled over his face, it wasn't hard to sense the anger and frustration radiating off the boy. "Uh, clearly you're not feeling the aster." He points out. "What's wrong?"

"Canary." Superboy answers. "And what business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with superstrength?"

A frown tugs at Flamebird's lips, her head tilting to the left so she could meet Superboy's troubled gaze. Though before she can speak, Robin chimes in. "Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig," he explains. "Canary learned that the hard way. Same with Batman, Flamebird and well, me."

Flamebird nods her head. "It doesn't matter how strong you are, Supes," she points out. "We all have our weaknesses."

Her words fall on deaf ears. Superboy revs the engine of his own bike, speeding ahead of the two Gotham teens. As he nears the truck, over a dozen small robotic monkeys begin to fly out from the cornfields around them.

"Robin, Flamebird, our truck is under attack!" Aqualad shouts through the comms. With the trucks headed in opposite directions, the team was forced to use the radio rather than Miss Martian's crystal-clear mind-link for the mission.

"We're in the same boat, Aqualad!" Flamebird responds to their leader as she watches the robots fly toward the truck. "Are those what I think they are?"

The truck swerves as the robots attach themselves to the vehicle. "Robot monkeys!" Robin laughs loudly over the sounds of the motorcycle engines. "Totally Ivo's tweaked style!"

With the touch of a button on the console, the back of Flamebird's motorcycle broke off and the front-wheel shifted to adjust.

"Hey! Hey, switch your ride to battle mode!" Robin calls out to Superboy.

With a smirk on his face, Superboy leans forward on his bike. "No point!" He shouts back to the younger boy, then leaps from his motorcycle onto the back of the truck. Driving behind the now person-less motorcycle, Flamebird's quick to shoot her grapple-hook onto the swerving vehicle ahead of them– she leaps onto the truck, narrowly avoiding Superboy's bike as it crashes into her own.

She winces, tightly holding onto the backdoors of the truck as it swerves harshly. She reaches her gloved hand toward the roof, grabs one of the robots and tosses it back onto the road without a second thought. The robotic monkey breaks apart as it slams against the gravel.

Following the group's lead, Robin ditches his bike and joins Flamebird at the back of the truck. "Help the driver." He instructs her. "I'll watch your back."

She pulls herself onto the roof of the still swerving vehicle, slowly rising to her feet as she tries to steady her balance. Slowly making her way across the vehicle, she uses her bo-staff to bat one of the screeching robots away from the truck.

Two monkeys fly toward the bottom of the truck, attaching themselves to the side of the vehicle while they destroy one of the tires. The truck swerves harshly as the wheel gives way. Flamebird, with one hand tightly holding onto the roof, drops to the side of the moving vehicle and forces the driver's door open. "Get out!" She shouts at the man.

With a sharp nod, the driver lunges out the open door and into the cornfield running alongside the road. Flamebird and Robin follow shortly behind him, leaping from the truck as it flips and skids down the empty highway.

A few seconds later, the duo emerge from the field, aiding the driver as he limps back to the main road. Robin glances over at Flamebird, his brows furrowing, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she breathes out and meets his gaze. "You?"

"Just fine." He nods.

While the driver moves to sit at the edge of the road, Flamebird pulls her helmet off her head with a sigh– beneath the visor, she has already donned her golden mask. "We should-" A loud shout cuts her off. Her head turns in the direction of the wreckage, just as Superboy emerges. He tosses the truck aside and leaps into the air after the robot monkeys.

Robin takes a step forward. "Superboy!" He shouts, only for Superboy to continue his pursuit as if he never heard him.

"Aqualad to Robin, we've lost our cargo, did you-?"

"-It's gone." Robin answers into his communication device. "And so is our partner."

"Aqualad to Superboy, radio your position." Aqualad addresses their rogue teammate. "We'll help you."

"I don't need help. Don't want any!" Superboy growls into the radio. The sound of a penny dropping echoes through the device in Flamebird's ear as she walks toward the wreckage, her brows furrow and she turns back to glance at Robin

He shares the same confused look on his face, before he places his hands on his hips in frustration. "I think he dropped his comm," he tells everyone.

"Super." Kid Flash chimes in with a sarcastic tone. "Now we can't even track him."

"He's out of my telepathic range," Miss Martian adds sadly. "And this Professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us... Maybe we should contact Red Tornado."

"Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves." Aqualad reminds the girl. "And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they are reassembled."

"Well, that's a great plan, except for the part about us not knowing where to look!" Flamebird can practically hear the eye-roll in Kid's voice.

"Maybe we do." Robin crouches on the road, then attaches a wire from his gauntlet into the port of the destroyed robot-monkey in front of him. Flamebird steps to his side, her arms crossing over her leather jacket as she stares down at the half-destroyed green monkey. "We'd have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked. So, how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?"

"You think there was a tracker?" She asks and kneels beside him.

Silence washes over the highway as Robin hacks into the robot-monkey. His eyes widen, a grin spreading across his lips. "The parts have GPS!" He announces to the team. "The monkeys can track the signal which means I can track them with the one we captured."

She glances over her shoulders at the small map emitting from his gauntlet. "Looks like they're headed for-" A gasp falls from her lips, her wide eyes meeting Robin's gaze. "-Gotham!"

"That far south?" Aqualad snaps the two teens out of their thoughts. "M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out."

Robin rolls his eyes as he stands up. "Of all places, it just has to be Gotham," he murmurs, tapping a button on his gauntlet that calls his bike back toward them.

Flamebird peels her leather jacket off to reveal the maroon kevlar of her suit underneath. "Well, Gotham is the nearest big city," she points out. "Easier to hide in plain sight when there's over a dozen crazier villains than you taking up the spotlight."

"This is definitely a disaster," he sighs. "Heavy on the dis."

The sun had set over Gotham, heavy clouds painting across the starless sky, by the time they reached the outskirts of their home-city. With Flamebird's bike destroyed by Superboy's recklessness, the bird-themed hero sits at the back of Robin's. Her eyes flicker to a yellow and red figure as it slows to the speed of the motorcycle.

"So," Robin's eyes flicker off the road for only a second as he grins at their speedster friend. "You changed, too?"

"You kidding? I feel naked in civvies." Kid Flash, having found the time to change out of the disguise and back into his suit, chuckles. "You still tracking the parts?"

"They were heading through Gotham, but they veered." Robin explains, looking back toward the small map on the dashboard of his motorcycle. Silence washes over the trio as the boy lets out a surprised gasp, "Wait, Yue... They're at our school."

Flamebird glances over the shorter boy's shoulder, her eyes widening as the small red-dots marking the monkeys' location come to a stop at the location of the prestigious Gotham Academy. "You've gotta be kidding me," she breathes out. "Is it bad to hope, just a little, that they wreck the school tonight?"

Gotham Academy – the elite private school Bruce Wayne had hand-picked for both Yue and Dick upon taking them under his wing – was located in the Upper-East Side. It was far from the usual spot criminals chose to go into hiding, far enough to draw suspicion in Flamebird's mind as she follows Robin and Kid Flash into the school's gymnasium.

Kid Flash races ahead of the Gotham heroes. He plucks Superboy off the ground with a loud "Yoink!", then slows to a stop by the gymnasium's entrance where Flamebird and Robin stand. Robin takes a step forward and tosses two birderangs toward the rebuilt Amazo, only for the weapons to phase directly through the android as it activates the powers of Martian Manhunter.

"Access: Red Tornado." A swirling tornado lifts Amazo off the ground, similarly to the way Red Tornado fights, and moves the android closer to the teen heroes who were thrown back by the strong red wind.

Flamebird and Kid Flash land beside the bleachers, across from where Robin and Superboy had been thrown. Amazo menacingly blocks their exit, staring down at the duo as Kid Flash warily rises to his feet while Flamebird remains crouched. "Access Captain Atom." The android raises its hand toward the two teens. With wide eyes, Kid Flash gathers Flamebird into his arms and takes off into a sprint behind the bleachers to dodge the blast.

With her smaller figure in his arms, Kid Flash rounds the other side of the bleachers, and though Amazo hadn't moved an inch from where he was originally standing, the android's canary cry sends both teens rolling across the gymnasium floor. Flamebird's back hits the wall, her ears ringing as she shakily picks herself up.

"Martian Manhunter." The android's arms elongate and he slams his arm against the bleachers, Superboy and Robin narrowly dodge the attack. With her bo-staff in her hands, Flamebird takes off into a sprint. Amazo barely flinches when the weapon hits the metal surface of his back, instead he grabs hold of the girl's arm and tosses her back onto the ground.

She gasps in pain as her back slams against the cold, hard floor. "Access: Superman." The android raises its fist into the air, only to, at the last second, reach his arms out to grab the yellow and red speedster as the boy runs at him.

Kid Flash cries out as Amazo, with the strength of Superman, tightens his hold and begins to crush the boy. The android's head tilts to the left. "Martian Manhunter." From where she kneels on the ground, Flamebird watches Kid Flash phase through the android's grip while an arrow shoots through it.

With the android distracted, Flamebird takes off running. She falls to her knees behind the bleachers and closes her eyes, only to wince as a sharp pain shoots through her back. "Superman." She can hear the android speak again, followed by the sound of a small explosion as Robin and Kid Flash are thrown towards her hiding place.

Flamebird, wincing with every movement, sprints toward her two friends. "Come on." She leans down to help both of the boys back to their feet, her eyes flickering toward Amazo who simply stands there as Ivo's voice echoes through the gymnasium.

"Yawn. Normally, Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what's the point?" Ivo mocks them from his seat in the bleachers. "You're all such poor copies of the originals."

"So everyone keeps saying, it makes me angry!" Superboy leaps forward and crashes into the bleachers where Ivo had been sitting just seconds prior. "Want to see me channel that anger?!"

Kid Flash, with his hand wrapped around Flamebird's as she pulls him up off the ground, stares in Superboy's direction with wide eyes. "Great, he's gone ballistic again."

Robin looks between Flamebird and Kid Flash, then toward Ivo. "Maybe not."

"Amazo, protect your master." Ivo jumps from the bleachers when Superboy lunges at him again, his voice shaky and desperate as he calls out to the android, "Priority alpha!"

"Captain Atom." A blast of light emits from the palm of Amazo's hand, it hits Superboy and knocks him to the very top of the bleachers. Behind the android, two robot monkeys begin to carefully lift Ivo from the ground, only for Robin to kick the mad-man forward at the last second.

"Anyone wanna play keep-away?" He calls out with a laugh.

"Oh! Me, me!" Kid Flash sprints toward Ivo's position.

Amazo watches the boy. "Superman." He slams his foot in the ground, the pressure rips up the floorboards and shoots Kid Flash into the air. Flamebird tosses two birderangs at the android, watching as they phase through him when he speaks, "Martian Manhunter."

Superboy leaps down from the bleachers, his hands curled into a fist as he throws a punch at Amazo. "Superman-" The android's face turns solid, trapping Superboy's fist inside. The head of the android explodes from the impact, blasting Superboy back as its body crumples to the floor.

"Help me disassemble him!" Robin shouts as he runs toward the destroyed android, frantically pulling apart the pieces.

"Dude." Kid Flash, holding his side, limps toward the group. "The guy has no head." He stops beside Flamebird, carefully leaning against the girl to take the pressure off his injuries.

She gently wraps an arm around his waist to keep him on his feet, her eyes laced with concern as they meet his gaze. "You okay?"

"Better than ever, birdy." He grins.

The doors of the gymnasium swing open to reveal Aqualad sprinting into the room, Miss Martian flying just behind him. "Don't take any chances!" Their leader calls out.

Miss Martian drops down at Superboy's side, immediately moving to help the boy stand up. "Superboy, are you alright?"

"Fine," he replies softly, then glances toward Robin. "Feeling the aster."

The two boys share a grin.

"Hey." Kid Flash's voice gains the team's attention. Standing at Flamebird's side, his eyes frantically scan over the destroyed gymnasium. "Where's Ivo?"

By the time the team arrived back at the Cave and received treatment for their countless wounds, it was already one a.m. Yet, despite the exhaustion and ache they all felt, they gather together in front of the League to give their mission report.

It had become less and less daunting over time– standing in front of the League, that is. When Yue was new to it all, one of the two first sidekicks in the world, she had trouble standing in front of the famous Justice League. The pressure to be just as strong as them, if not more, had been overwhelming. Now with the team at her side, she had no problem facing her mentors.

"The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analysed at the two separate S.T.A.R. Labs." Kaldur informs the League. "But Ivo escaped and since he originated the tech, he's arguably more dangerous than the android."

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority." Canary tells them.

Martian Manhunter crosses his arms beside her, his amber eyes flickering toward the team. "But we understand your mission encountered... other complications."

Each member of the team glances over at Superboy, who holds a look of guilt in his eyes as he averts his gaze. "Complications come with the job." Batman's voice echoes as he, followed by Green Arrow, enters the meeting room. "Your ability to handle them has impressed the League."

Superboy perks up. "The whole League?"

Batman glances down at him. "Given time, yes." He answers. "Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads." He then turns back to the team. "Of course, there is no shame in asking for help. That's why the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually."

"Please. If we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask." Dick scoffs and holds out the arrow that had saved Wally's life during the battle. "Look familiar?" He watches as the League moves closer for a better look. "You were following us. Babysitting. You still don't trust us!"

Green Arrow reaches out to take the arrow, twisting it in his hands as he observes the sharp weapon. Then, he pulls out one of his own, comparing the two ends. While Green Arrow's had four protruding ends, the one Dick found only had two.

"And that's not your arrow..." Dick mutters as he looks between the weapons, before he lets out a laugh. "But that means-"

"Speedy!" Wally chimes in excitedly.

Kaldur grins. "He has our backs."

Wally races forward, snatching the arrow out of the Leaguer's hand. "Souvenir!"

author's note.

I just want to say quickly that "Wallyuigi" was a joke bayports made awhile ago when I asked who Wally would main in Mario Kart, so of course I had to add it to the actual chapter.