Fire Lord Azula
Banned
You know that feeling you get when you're about to do something exciting? How you cannot think of anything else, not even for a moment? Even your most hated thing, be it broccoli or algebra, somehow takes you back to the fact that you're about to do something new, something different. You mark it on your calendar months beforehand, circling it in red pen to make sure you see it. Your mind is set on it for weeks beforehand, and your stomach is filled with butterflies as the date approaches. Somehow it ends up in every conversation, even if only for a moment. The day before you cannot sleep, your mind too busy thinking of the wonderful events that are to come the next day. That was - is – me right now.
One month ago my mentor, and adoptive 'father', Clairvoyance, told me that we were going to meet up with other members of the Justice League and their sidekicks. Sure, I had met Batman a few years before, a few months prior to his acquiring of a partner, but not like this. Not as an official member of the Justice League.
That's right. Me, Danielle Wright, er, Black Ice, was going to be a member of the Justice League, today, in just a matter of hours. Arthur, also known as Clairvoyance, was at real work right now, crunching numbers and selling crappy goods to anyone willing to buy them. When he told me that he would be working today, July 4th, Independence Day, I was a bit wary, but he assured me that the Flash and his partner, KidFlash, were known for being late. A bit ironic if you ask me, but if it meant that I would still be able to meet up with the others I didn't care. I was too excited to care.
So that leaves me here at four in the afternoon, sitting on the comfortable dining room chair in front of the door. I had moved it here at noon, just after choking down cheese pizza too quickly. The night beforehand I had packed my suit, goggles, gloves, and all, into my teal bag that is now lying beside my ankle limply. I had even checked it three times to make sure I had not missed anything, only to find that after the second check I had forgotten to put my goggles back inside the thick cloth, causing my heart to skip a beat when I had rechecked for the third time.
I chuckled at the recent memory and how foolish I had been, knowing somewhere inside of me that I was still that careless and concerned. Today had to be perfect, I convinced myself. And so I sat.
At one point my cat, Alley, jumped onto my lap, batting at the longest tuft of my short black hair in an attempt to get attention. Willingly I gave it to him, for the waiting was beginning to become torture. However, after my arm became sore from petting him so long, Alley jumped down and proceeded to find another source of entertainment leaving me alone in the golden light that bathed the room.
Eventually I could take the tension no longer, and snuck a look at the electric clock hanging on the wall. 7:39, I read through the hums it emits. The meeting had been for much earlier, at two. Even if the Flash was known to be late, there was no way they were still there waiting. There was still the matter of getting there, to the Hall of Justice, which in itself would take a considerable amount of time. And then there was my mentor, who was getting me there. Finally I gave up, getting up off of the white chair and stumbling to the adjoining living room, having difficulties due to my legs being numb.
I threw myself onto the couch, not bothering to turn on the lights beforehand. I lay there in the dark, staring at the television angrily. How could he be late today? Gnashing my teeth together, I snatched up the remote and turned on the blank box that immediately covered me in a pale white glow.
"…. Stella, how could you? I thought you loved….."
"…. Oh! He's down for the count! One…."
"…. Heroes came together today at the Hall of Justice. Green Arrow's sidekick, Speedy, was seen arguing with the group and leaving soon after arrival, though the cause of the spat is unknown. The adult heroes left to…."
I stared blankly at the television, seeing the anchorwoman speaking of the meeting I should have been at. Seeing the footage of the others, the teen boys that I should have met today, looking confident and happy filled my stomach with a feeling of emptiness. I could not be angry at them; it was not their fault my mentor was unreliable. Instead I sat there staring emptily into the television, waiting for my mentor to show up so I could take my disappointment and anger out on someone.
…
Somewhere along the way I dozed off, not knowing when or how. I awoke to the sound of the door opening, and closing with a 'chak'. My body didn't bother getting up to see who it was; I already knew.
A dark figure came to the doorway, looking down on my form strewn across the couch as if it was a makeshift bed. My icy blue eyes were open, looking towards the television, the light from it dancing over the glaze. Watching from the corner of my eye, I saw the figure reach over for the wall, my ears hearing a click.
Suddenly the room was filled with a blinding light, causing my eyes to snap shut with a combination of pain and surprise. Even with my vision blocked by my skin I could still see the bright light looking pink behind the flesh. Slowly, I allowed myself to open my eyes and let them adjust.
"Why didn't you turn the lights on? I paid the electricity this month," an older, yet innocent sounding voice asked. Ignoring it I continued to watch the news, seeing the balding weatherman describe a storm that was about to come through. Oh, there was about to be a storm, alright.
"Hello," the man in the corner spoke, a bit childish. "I'm talking to you." He waved a boney hand in front of my face. Angrily I glared up at him and sat up quickly.
"You remember what today is," I growled at him, my cheeks getting hot. The man before me ran a hand through his wavy brown hair, his chocolate eyes looking up as he thought.
"July fourth?" His voice told me he didn't get it.
"Is there anything special happening on July fourth," I asked, ice slipping into my voice as I spoke. He gave me an odd look.
"Um, fireworks?" He said it so stupidly that I literally face palmed in annoyance. It didn't take me long to recover.
I stared up at him giving my patented 'I'm gonna kill you' look that was reserved just for him only to be returned with his own 'What's going on' look.
Still glaring at him I said, "Today was the day we were supposed to meet up with the other members of the Justice League. You know, when I was going to finally be able to go into the Hall?" Suddenly there seemed to be some recognition in those childish eyes.
"Oh yeah," he said a bit too idiotically. I turned away, realizing that I was moving from the anger stage to the next one filled with tears. Noticing, the man sat down, putting an arm around my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Danielle. I forgot." I rolled my eyes, causing them to sting with the tears welling up behind them. He pulled me closer.
"You know what? I'll talk to Batman, see if we can schedule another get together. How would that be?" I sniffled, turning to see him.
"Sur-"
"Breaking news! Three sidekicks were seen entering Cadmus labs, now emerging with someone who claims to be Superman's clone," the television blared. Slowly turning, I faced the news broadcast to see a picture of Robin, KidFlash, and Aqualad standing with what looked like a younger Superman. The three sidekicks looked proud while the elders standing around them seemed upset and angry.
"Get off me, Arthur," I growled at him, the flame of my hatred rekindled. My foster father pulled his arm away, knowing not to mess with me right now.
"Hey, you want to go on patrol? I'm sure there's a bank robber you could beat up somewhere," he began rather quickly, but I had already started for my bag putting on my goggles. I turned back, staring at him behind my black shades.
"I'm way ahead of you," Black Ice responded in my place.
…..
It's been exactly two weeks since then. Arthur, after seeing me lounge around depressed for just two hours, called up the Dark Knight and informed him of the predicament. Batman, not being at all surprised by the man's actions, informed him that the heroes that infiltrated Cadmus had formed a secret group. Young Justice.
This team, comprised of Robin, KidFlash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, and the newly found Superboy, was set up in Mount Justice, the former headquarters of the Justice League. They were to be trained by Black Canary, watched by Red Tornado, and sent off on missions by the Big Man himself. Real missions, not those crappy 'a cat's stuck in a tree' ones that we're usually set out on. Why am I saying all this? Because I'm going to be a part of the magic, baby. Black Ice and her mentor, Clairvoyance, are on their way to Mount Justice now.
We took a commercial plane since Clairvoyance isn't known for his awesome jets or cars like some heroes, and he doesn't have super speed, either. Instead, Arthur bought tickets for today, the eighteenth, and gave me permission to leave without him if he was late again. He wasn't, of course, but it was still a good call on his part. After that last let-down I wasn't going to let him stand in my way again.
I sat in the small, somewhat uncomfortable, chair, dreaming of the meeting that was taking place in a little less than an hour. Glancing out the thick glass beside me I saw the clouds getting a faint pink hue while the sun began to set for the evening. Sitting back, I closed my eyes to concentrate on daydreaming for the remainder of the trip.
A faint bump awoke me as the plane hit the landings strip lightly, causing my body to jump slightly. Yawning lightly I stood up, Arthur to my right, and picked up my carry-on bag that somehow fit my suit. Filing off of the crowded plane, people chatted silently about how they were about to meet with their loved ones or their long awaited vacations. A slight smile hit my lips as I listened in, knowing that my future was a bit more… interesting.
Arthur and I made it off of the plane, grabbing my bags at the designated location. It had been decided that I would live in the Mountain for at least a few weeks; the teleportation system was not yet operating for me. The Bat was going to get it set up so I could go freely between the Mount and my apartment in Maverick, New York, but it would take a while. Even then I was planning to live with the others during the week, coming home for only the weekend. I had even taken care of any issues that I would have by quitting my job and enrolling in cyber-school. I must say, I'm quite proud of myself right now.
Seeing my teal suitcase in the group I hurried to pick it up, moving through a group of tourists to do so. One, a man with balding grey hair, scowled at me as I pushed past him. It was returned with a coy smile, and he turned away leaving me to my business. Grabbing my bag, I strained a bit, it being full with the heavier 'roomy' things, such as books, my laptop, and a few games. Still, I stood a bit proud as I walked back to my mentor, a look of happiness crossing his face.
Arthur directed me towards a large black car and a suited man holding a sign with our names on it. We approached him, and the man greeted my mentor as if he had known him forever. He then turned towards me, giving a slight bow, and introducing himself, but I was a too overwhelmed to hear the name. Instead I bowed back, grinning and showing my pearly whites as he opened the door to the car and allowing me to climb in. The suited man took my suitcase, knowing to keep my bag on me, and took the driver's seat just as Arthur was climbing in.
Immediately I took off the pale jacket I was wearing, revealing my spandex 'super suit'. Then, after taking off my long skirt, I put on my heavy parka. Arthur, on my other side, was doing the same. We had both had two sets of our suits made, in case one was damaged or lost. My second set was in my bag, along with my goggles and gloves.
The windows had been tinted, and the separator for the front and back of the car had been blocked off, but I still slipped on my goggles quickly as if I were afraid to be caught. As I finished slipping on the pale blue gloves, Black Ice had finally arrived, replacing Danielle. Arthur had also been replaced, Clairvoyance in his place. The two of us were silent for the rest of the ride, for I could not keep up a conversation. There were too many thoughts conflicting with others in my mind, and I could not concentrate on one thing. Instead I allowed my green eyes to stare out the tinted glass and stare at the other cars that had no idea that two heroes were in their presence.
The car veered off of the road at one point, going onto a dirt road that looked unused. It was unsettling, putting a feeling of dread into my gut. Clairvoyance looked fine, though, under his mask, so I didn't worry too much. Before I had known it, we had arrived at the side of a mountain that opened up to reveal its contents. The car went into the downward slide to make it inside the rocky shell.
Slowly stopping, the car halted inside of a large metal room. The driver had gotten out to open the door for the two of us, but I had already gotten out and ran to the center of the premises. Staring up, I realized how large the 'building' was and laughed while inspecting every corner of it with my eyes. Clairvoyance came up beside me looking proud of himself.
"Impressive, ain't it?" I laughed at how his voice sounded so old when he said that, and he gave me a strange look.
"C'mon. I'll show you to the main hall. That's where you and the others are supposed to meet up," he said after the black vehicle had left, already on his way towards a lighted hallway. My legs followed immediately, my brain too busy to think to insult him.
Our footsteps made odd 'clunk' sounds as our feet dropped onto the floor; mine a bit less due to my fitted flats. The sounds echoed throughout the building making it seem even larger than it had just moments ago. My ears looked for a trace of voices, searching for the teammates I would soon be working with. So far I had heard nothing, making me wonder if they were here, or if the mountain was even larger than I thought now.
Arthur, or Clairvoyance, ahead seemed to know where he was going, moving confidently through the halls. I, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up while looking around in wonder. I'm sure I looked quite pathetic from a distance.
Fwwwwwssss. I hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what that could have been. After a few seconds I determined it must be a ship of some sort. That has to happen all the time here, I thought to myself. After the sounds had stopped there was silence for a few moments, and then the sound of some people bickering. Or at least what I thought was bickering. The voices were too far away to be certain, but as we grew closer it seemed to be that way.
The metal halls seemed to become brighter and I began to see an adjoining room in the distance. Quickening my pace I approached Arthur's side and eventually passed him in my excitement. I was finally going to have my moment!
"Aha, right. Sorry. I'll strive to be more…. Accurate.," I heard a younger male voice say a bit uncomfortably. A deeper, more mature voice answered him, saying:
"And more respectful."
A red figure appeared over a small incline, walking in my direction. A closer inspection revealed Red Tornado, the man, er, robot, that was to be like, well, a babysitter. He noticed me, and then spotted Clairvoyance who was a few steps behind. Turning back around, he started back towards the room he had left as if motioning for me to follow. Again I sped up, the butterflies returning as I realized my new teammates were just a few steps away.
In the middle of the room was a group of teens, and an unusual one at that. The taller ones were both male, while there were two other males and a… green female. I stared at the bunch, a bit overwhelmed seeing them face to face for the first time. It seemed that they were all in their civilian clothes, making me a bit self-conscious over my suit. I felt my cheeks get a bit warm, but I tried to keep a calm appearance.
Red Tornado, his armor gleaming under the lighting, addressed the group, saying, "Children, you have a new teammate" in his deep, monotone voice. Gesturing a metal hand towards me, he introduced me.
"This is Black Ice; she will be working with you from now on." With that I nodded and took off my goggles, smiling.
"Call me Danielle," I told them, managing to keep my voice calm. Clairvoyance came up behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder as he had just a few weeks before.
"She's my daughter, so you better be good to her," He asserted rather proudly. Blushing, I quickly recovered by punching him in the gut. My mentor stepped back with the force of the blow, the wind knocked out of him.
Laughing, Clairvoyance managed a, "Or should I tell you to be good to them?"
I responded with a cold, "Shut up, Arthur. You're such a moron", rolling my eyes as I said it. Though my stomach felt a bit empty with the knowledge that I wasn't going to see him for a while, I tried to keep face while in front of the group of teens before me. Glancing over, I saw the girl look a bit concerned for my mentor's well-being, but the two boys to her right seemed amused.
"You okay there, Claire?" The boy I took for Robin stood a few inches shorter than me, a smile across his young, yet mysterious face. He put his hands on his hips in a pompous fashion. "I didn't know you could get beaten up by your own kid." And with that he frowned, seeming puzzled. "I didn't even know you had a kid, Claire."
The tall red-head beside him blurted out, "Dude, I didn't even know you had a villain for a sidekick."
And with that one line, I felt my stomach drop to my feet.
One month ago my mentor, and adoptive 'father', Clairvoyance, told me that we were going to meet up with other members of the Justice League and their sidekicks. Sure, I had met Batman a few years before, a few months prior to his acquiring of a partner, but not like this. Not as an official member of the Justice League.
That's right. Me, Danielle Wright, er, Black Ice, was going to be a member of the Justice League, today, in just a matter of hours. Arthur, also known as Clairvoyance, was at real work right now, crunching numbers and selling crappy goods to anyone willing to buy them. When he told me that he would be working today, July 4th, Independence Day, I was a bit wary, but he assured me that the Flash and his partner, KidFlash, were known for being late. A bit ironic if you ask me, but if it meant that I would still be able to meet up with the others I didn't care. I was too excited to care.
So that leaves me here at four in the afternoon, sitting on the comfortable dining room chair in front of the door. I had moved it here at noon, just after choking down cheese pizza too quickly. The night beforehand I had packed my suit, goggles, gloves, and all, into my teal bag that is now lying beside my ankle limply. I had even checked it three times to make sure I had not missed anything, only to find that after the second check I had forgotten to put my goggles back inside the thick cloth, causing my heart to skip a beat when I had rechecked for the third time.
I chuckled at the recent memory and how foolish I had been, knowing somewhere inside of me that I was still that careless and concerned. Today had to be perfect, I convinced myself. And so I sat.
At one point my cat, Alley, jumped onto my lap, batting at the longest tuft of my short black hair in an attempt to get attention. Willingly I gave it to him, for the waiting was beginning to become torture. However, after my arm became sore from petting him so long, Alley jumped down and proceeded to find another source of entertainment leaving me alone in the golden light that bathed the room.
Eventually I could take the tension no longer, and snuck a look at the electric clock hanging on the wall. 7:39, I read through the hums it emits. The meeting had been for much earlier, at two. Even if the Flash was known to be late, there was no way they were still there waiting. There was still the matter of getting there, to the Hall of Justice, which in itself would take a considerable amount of time. And then there was my mentor, who was getting me there. Finally I gave up, getting up off of the white chair and stumbling to the adjoining living room, having difficulties due to my legs being numb.
I threw myself onto the couch, not bothering to turn on the lights beforehand. I lay there in the dark, staring at the television angrily. How could he be late today? Gnashing my teeth together, I snatched up the remote and turned on the blank box that immediately covered me in a pale white glow.
"…. Stella, how could you? I thought you loved….."
"…. Oh! He's down for the count! One…."
"…. Heroes came together today at the Hall of Justice. Green Arrow's sidekick, Speedy, was seen arguing with the group and leaving soon after arrival, though the cause of the spat is unknown. The adult heroes left to…."
I stared blankly at the television, seeing the anchorwoman speaking of the meeting I should have been at. Seeing the footage of the others, the teen boys that I should have met today, looking confident and happy filled my stomach with a feeling of emptiness. I could not be angry at them; it was not their fault my mentor was unreliable. Instead I sat there staring emptily into the television, waiting for my mentor to show up so I could take my disappointment and anger out on someone.
…
Somewhere along the way I dozed off, not knowing when or how. I awoke to the sound of the door opening, and closing with a 'chak'. My body didn't bother getting up to see who it was; I already knew.
A dark figure came to the doorway, looking down on my form strewn across the couch as if it was a makeshift bed. My icy blue eyes were open, looking towards the television, the light from it dancing over the glaze. Watching from the corner of my eye, I saw the figure reach over for the wall, my ears hearing a click.
Suddenly the room was filled with a blinding light, causing my eyes to snap shut with a combination of pain and surprise. Even with my vision blocked by my skin I could still see the bright light looking pink behind the flesh. Slowly, I allowed myself to open my eyes and let them adjust.
"Why didn't you turn the lights on? I paid the electricity this month," an older, yet innocent sounding voice asked. Ignoring it I continued to watch the news, seeing the balding weatherman describe a storm that was about to come through. Oh, there was about to be a storm, alright.
"Hello," the man in the corner spoke, a bit childish. "I'm talking to you." He waved a boney hand in front of my face. Angrily I glared up at him and sat up quickly.
"You remember what today is," I growled at him, my cheeks getting hot. The man before me ran a hand through his wavy brown hair, his chocolate eyes looking up as he thought.
"July fourth?" His voice told me he didn't get it.
"Is there anything special happening on July fourth," I asked, ice slipping into my voice as I spoke. He gave me an odd look.
"Um, fireworks?" He said it so stupidly that I literally face palmed in annoyance. It didn't take me long to recover.
I stared up at him giving my patented 'I'm gonna kill you' look that was reserved just for him only to be returned with his own 'What's going on' look.
Still glaring at him I said, "Today was the day we were supposed to meet up with the other members of the Justice League. You know, when I was going to finally be able to go into the Hall?" Suddenly there seemed to be some recognition in those childish eyes.
"Oh yeah," he said a bit too idiotically. I turned away, realizing that I was moving from the anger stage to the next one filled with tears. Noticing, the man sat down, putting an arm around my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Danielle. I forgot." I rolled my eyes, causing them to sting with the tears welling up behind them. He pulled me closer.
"You know what? I'll talk to Batman, see if we can schedule another get together. How would that be?" I sniffled, turning to see him.
"Sur-"
"Breaking news! Three sidekicks were seen entering Cadmus labs, now emerging with someone who claims to be Superman's clone," the television blared. Slowly turning, I faced the news broadcast to see a picture of Robin, KidFlash, and Aqualad standing with what looked like a younger Superman. The three sidekicks looked proud while the elders standing around them seemed upset and angry.
"Get off me, Arthur," I growled at him, the flame of my hatred rekindled. My foster father pulled his arm away, knowing not to mess with me right now.
"Hey, you want to go on patrol? I'm sure there's a bank robber you could beat up somewhere," he began rather quickly, but I had already started for my bag putting on my goggles. I turned back, staring at him behind my black shades.
"I'm way ahead of you," Black Ice responded in my place.
…..
It's been exactly two weeks since then. Arthur, after seeing me lounge around depressed for just two hours, called up the Dark Knight and informed him of the predicament. Batman, not being at all surprised by the man's actions, informed him that the heroes that infiltrated Cadmus had formed a secret group. Young Justice.
This team, comprised of Robin, KidFlash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, and the newly found Superboy, was set up in Mount Justice, the former headquarters of the Justice League. They were to be trained by Black Canary, watched by Red Tornado, and sent off on missions by the Big Man himself. Real missions, not those crappy 'a cat's stuck in a tree' ones that we're usually set out on. Why am I saying all this? Because I'm going to be a part of the magic, baby. Black Ice and her mentor, Clairvoyance, are on their way to Mount Justice now.
We took a commercial plane since Clairvoyance isn't known for his awesome jets or cars like some heroes, and he doesn't have super speed, either. Instead, Arthur bought tickets for today, the eighteenth, and gave me permission to leave without him if he was late again. He wasn't, of course, but it was still a good call on his part. After that last let-down I wasn't going to let him stand in my way again.
I sat in the small, somewhat uncomfortable, chair, dreaming of the meeting that was taking place in a little less than an hour. Glancing out the thick glass beside me I saw the clouds getting a faint pink hue while the sun began to set for the evening. Sitting back, I closed my eyes to concentrate on daydreaming for the remainder of the trip.
A faint bump awoke me as the plane hit the landings strip lightly, causing my body to jump slightly. Yawning lightly I stood up, Arthur to my right, and picked up my carry-on bag that somehow fit my suit. Filing off of the crowded plane, people chatted silently about how they were about to meet with their loved ones or their long awaited vacations. A slight smile hit my lips as I listened in, knowing that my future was a bit more… interesting.
Arthur and I made it off of the plane, grabbing my bags at the designated location. It had been decided that I would live in the Mountain for at least a few weeks; the teleportation system was not yet operating for me. The Bat was going to get it set up so I could go freely between the Mount and my apartment in Maverick, New York, but it would take a while. Even then I was planning to live with the others during the week, coming home for only the weekend. I had even taken care of any issues that I would have by quitting my job and enrolling in cyber-school. I must say, I'm quite proud of myself right now.
Seeing my teal suitcase in the group I hurried to pick it up, moving through a group of tourists to do so. One, a man with balding grey hair, scowled at me as I pushed past him. It was returned with a coy smile, and he turned away leaving me to my business. Grabbing my bag, I strained a bit, it being full with the heavier 'roomy' things, such as books, my laptop, and a few games. Still, I stood a bit proud as I walked back to my mentor, a look of happiness crossing his face.
Arthur directed me towards a large black car and a suited man holding a sign with our names on it. We approached him, and the man greeted my mentor as if he had known him forever. He then turned towards me, giving a slight bow, and introducing himself, but I was a too overwhelmed to hear the name. Instead I bowed back, grinning and showing my pearly whites as he opened the door to the car and allowing me to climb in. The suited man took my suitcase, knowing to keep my bag on me, and took the driver's seat just as Arthur was climbing in.
Immediately I took off the pale jacket I was wearing, revealing my spandex 'super suit'. Then, after taking off my long skirt, I put on my heavy parka. Arthur, on my other side, was doing the same. We had both had two sets of our suits made, in case one was damaged or lost. My second set was in my bag, along with my goggles and gloves.
The windows had been tinted, and the separator for the front and back of the car had been blocked off, but I still slipped on my goggles quickly as if I were afraid to be caught. As I finished slipping on the pale blue gloves, Black Ice had finally arrived, replacing Danielle. Arthur had also been replaced, Clairvoyance in his place. The two of us were silent for the rest of the ride, for I could not keep up a conversation. There were too many thoughts conflicting with others in my mind, and I could not concentrate on one thing. Instead I allowed my green eyes to stare out the tinted glass and stare at the other cars that had no idea that two heroes were in their presence.
The car veered off of the road at one point, going onto a dirt road that looked unused. It was unsettling, putting a feeling of dread into my gut. Clairvoyance looked fine, though, under his mask, so I didn't worry too much. Before I had known it, we had arrived at the side of a mountain that opened up to reveal its contents. The car went into the downward slide to make it inside the rocky shell.
Slowly stopping, the car halted inside of a large metal room. The driver had gotten out to open the door for the two of us, but I had already gotten out and ran to the center of the premises. Staring up, I realized how large the 'building' was and laughed while inspecting every corner of it with my eyes. Clairvoyance came up beside me looking proud of himself.
"Impressive, ain't it?" I laughed at how his voice sounded so old when he said that, and he gave me a strange look.
"C'mon. I'll show you to the main hall. That's where you and the others are supposed to meet up," he said after the black vehicle had left, already on his way towards a lighted hallway. My legs followed immediately, my brain too busy to think to insult him.
Our footsteps made odd 'clunk' sounds as our feet dropped onto the floor; mine a bit less due to my fitted flats. The sounds echoed throughout the building making it seem even larger than it had just moments ago. My ears looked for a trace of voices, searching for the teammates I would soon be working with. So far I had heard nothing, making me wonder if they were here, or if the mountain was even larger than I thought now.
Arthur, or Clairvoyance, ahead seemed to know where he was going, moving confidently through the halls. I, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up while looking around in wonder. I'm sure I looked quite pathetic from a distance.
Fwwwwwssss. I hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what that could have been. After a few seconds I determined it must be a ship of some sort. That has to happen all the time here, I thought to myself. After the sounds had stopped there was silence for a few moments, and then the sound of some people bickering. Or at least what I thought was bickering. The voices were too far away to be certain, but as we grew closer it seemed to be that way.
The metal halls seemed to become brighter and I began to see an adjoining room in the distance. Quickening my pace I approached Arthur's side and eventually passed him in my excitement. I was finally going to have my moment!
"Aha, right. Sorry. I'll strive to be more…. Accurate.," I heard a younger male voice say a bit uncomfortably. A deeper, more mature voice answered him, saying:
"And more respectful."
A red figure appeared over a small incline, walking in my direction. A closer inspection revealed Red Tornado, the man, er, robot, that was to be like, well, a babysitter. He noticed me, and then spotted Clairvoyance who was a few steps behind. Turning back around, he started back towards the room he had left as if motioning for me to follow. Again I sped up, the butterflies returning as I realized my new teammates were just a few steps away.
In the middle of the room was a group of teens, and an unusual one at that. The taller ones were both male, while there were two other males and a… green female. I stared at the bunch, a bit overwhelmed seeing them face to face for the first time. It seemed that they were all in their civilian clothes, making me a bit self-conscious over my suit. I felt my cheeks get a bit warm, but I tried to keep a calm appearance.
Red Tornado, his armor gleaming under the lighting, addressed the group, saying, "Children, you have a new teammate" in his deep, monotone voice. Gesturing a metal hand towards me, he introduced me.
"This is Black Ice; she will be working with you from now on." With that I nodded and took off my goggles, smiling.
"Call me Danielle," I told them, managing to keep my voice calm. Clairvoyance came up behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder as he had just a few weeks before.
"She's my daughter, so you better be good to her," He asserted rather proudly. Blushing, I quickly recovered by punching him in the gut. My mentor stepped back with the force of the blow, the wind knocked out of him.
Laughing, Clairvoyance managed a, "Or should I tell you to be good to them?"
I responded with a cold, "Shut up, Arthur. You're such a moron", rolling my eyes as I said it. Though my stomach felt a bit empty with the knowledge that I wasn't going to see him for a while, I tried to keep face while in front of the group of teens before me. Glancing over, I saw the girl look a bit concerned for my mentor's well-being, but the two boys to her right seemed amused.
"You okay there, Claire?" The boy I took for Robin stood a few inches shorter than me, a smile across his young, yet mysterious face. He put his hands on his hips in a pompous fashion. "I didn't know you could get beaten up by your own kid." And with that he frowned, seeming puzzled. "I didn't even know you had a kid, Claire."
The tall red-head beside him blurted out, "Dude, I didn't even know you had a villain for a sidekick."
And with that one line, I felt my stomach drop to my feet.
