Happy Harbor, August 8, 2010, 9:53 p.m.
The team had arrived at the high school minutes after Red Arrow left the cave and were in position in patrols. Up on the roof of the building were Miss Martian and Superboy.
The other half of the team were inside the school. Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis, and Aqualad were watching Doctor Roquette as she worked on one of the lab's computers.
Hidden under the Meisagakure no Jutsu (Camouflage Technique), Toneri was levitating slightly above the school with his arms crossed.
"Miss Martian, link us up. We can't risk the Shadows intercepting our comms," Kaldur said mentally for the Martian to hear him. She set up the telepathic link.
Miss Martian looked up for a moment and heard Lunaris' voice in her mind. 'It's fine, you have my permission.'
She smiled before concentrating to connect everyone. As she connected everyone, including Lunaris, she felt a massive pressure in her mind that quickly reduced, making her groan.
'Are you okay?' Superboy asked.
'Yeah, just a bit disoriented from touching Lunaris' mind,' she replied.
'Everyone online?' Miss Martian asked.
'Yeah,' the team confirmed.
'Ohh, this feels weird,' Artemis said, not used to the link her teammates used.
'And distracting,' Doctor Roquette said as she typed away on the computer. 'Coding distributed algorithm virus on a kiddie computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen think in my skull?!'
'Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?' Kid Flash asked, his mouth full as he chewed on what appeared to be an energy bar.
'Pot, kettle, have you met?' Artemis said sarcastically as she gestured from Roquette to Kid Flash.
'Hey, hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the Team,' Kid Flash glared back at her.
'That is so not on me!' Artemis said back, crossing her arms.
Toneri, afloat on the roof, sighed in exasperation as he massaged his temple. 'That's enough.'
'Fate of the world at stake!' Roquette said, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.
Toneri thought to himself separate the mental the mental connection from his personal thoughts so they couldn't here it, 'Her exaggeration is astounding.'
'She started it!' Kid Flash said.
Toneri sighed. 'Knock it off, you two. Your mental confrontation is distracting the doctor.'
'How about I help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter?' Artemis suggested.
Kaldur crossed his arms and nodded. 'Good idea.'
Suddenly, they heard Lunaris' voice speaking. 'Kid Flash, I understand Red Arrow is your friend and you'd want him to be here instead of Artemis.'
'Damn right,' Kid Flash said, staring.
'Heyyy,' Artemis said.
'But he isn't here, and quite frankly, I don't think he should be,' Lunaris continued.
'What? Why?' Robin asked.
'He left on his own, and he is too volatile from what I have seen. So put your dislike aside and focus on your mission,' Lunaris said.
Aqualad nodded, and Artemis, who had stepped outside, smiled a bit.
'Cut her some slack. It was her arrow that saved your butt from Amazo,' Robin said to the stubborn speedster, whose eyes widened.
'What?! No, it was Speedy's—I mean Red Arrow's arrow, right?' Kid Flash said.
'No, it was Artemis,' Lunaris clarified.
'Well, still not giving her the satisfaction,' Kid Flash said with a huff.
'You do realize I can still hear you?' Artemis said.
'AAH!' Kid Flash shouted in frustration while Robin couldn't help but snicker a little. Kid Flash and Robin then left the room to patrol the inside of the building, leaving Aqualad to guard Doctor Roquette in the lab.
The doctor complained, 'Why couldn't they have brought the Justice League instead?'
Aqualad walked up to her as she continued working. 'The virus wouldn't be of any use if you cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?' he asked.
She nodded. 'The utility fog is not a weapon; it's science. Of course, I can track it, but I have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address that says "assassinate me" written in neon,' she said in frustration. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Aqualad trying to be reassuring.
'We will protect you,' Aqualad said.
Doctor Roquette nodded and began to search for The Fog. Up above, Toneri, with his Byakugan activated, suddenly deactivated it with a personal thought. 'Huh, they chose the right leader after all.'
'Tracking The Fog now,' Doctor Roquette said.
Philadelphia, August 8, 2010, 9:57 p.m.
In a plane over Philadelphia, an operative of the League of Shadows noticed a ping from his hologram computer and pinpointed Doctor Roquette's location. He quickly called Ojo to inform him.
"Sir, we've located the doctor," the operative reported.
"Hmm," Ojo responded thoughtfully. "Who do we have in that area?"
"Cheshire is nearby," the operative replied.
Ojo smirked. "I wonder if she's up for a little task."
Back at the School
Superboy heard rustling in the bushes but saw nothing. He then jumped almost 60 feet high onto the roof of the building, then leapt down to where Artemis and Miss Martian were standing. He then walked towards another section for patrol.
"Mmm, that boy," Artemis said, watching Superboy leave.
Superboy turned around and looked at her in question briefly, raising an eyebrow, before moving on.
"He can hear you," Miss Martian said in an annoyed tone. "We can all hear you."
"Oh, I know," Artemis replied, much to the Martian's irritation.
'Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located The Fog. I need you to reconfigure the bio-ship so Superboy and Robin can pursue,' Aqualad informed her. Miss Martian uncloaked the bio-ship and lowered it next to the school.
After they got their orders and the bio-ship was lowered, Robin and Superboy got inside the ship, and it took off towards the location of The Fog. In the meantime, Miss Martian and Artemis returned to their posts back at the school. Unknown to them, they were being watched by assassins from the League of Shadows.
The two assassins weren't worried about the Martian finding them; they had training to hide their thoughts to avoid detection from telepaths. High above the school, Toneri raised an eyebrow, seeing a woman in a short green kimono, twin sais and a white cat-like mask with shaggy hair moving towards the school. He looked at her movements and thought, 'Impressive. She appears to be skilled, but who is that other one? She appears to be much better.'
'You embarrassed Superboy,' Miss Martian said in an annoyed tone to her new teammate through the mental link.
Artemis shrugged. 'Didn't hear him say that.'
'Must you challenge everybody?' Miss Martian demanded.
'Where I come from, that's how you survive,' Artemis replied in a serious tone.
Neither of them knew that two assassins and the one hiding before had flipped over the fence next to them and entered the school. They didn't know it, but the enemy had made their move.
Toneri just watched, not lifting a finger, thinking, 'They bicker when they are supposed to be focused on the task at hand.'
One of the two assassins, a lone, deft figure, snuck past them, twin sais held tightly in her hands and a Cheshire mask over her face.
Once inside the building, she saw Kid Flash patrolling the hallway. Leaning against a wall, he noticed a shadow moving and decided to follow it in case it was the enemy. Using his speed, Kid Flash followed the shadow to the school pool but failed to see the black marbles on the floor. He tripped and fell on his back.
Before he got the chance to get up, a black boot kicked him in the face, knocking him out. Satisfied that the hero was unconscious, the assassin rolled him into the pool with her foot, certain that he'd drown, and immediately ran to the computer lab, where she only had Aqualad to deal with.
Roquette continued working on the virus to shut down the fog, with Aqualad standing by to protect her.
Opening the door slightly, the assassin threw a lone shuriken toward the doctor, only for it to be blocked by Aqualad, who had heard the sound just before it struck the Doctor.
"Doctor, get down!" he urged the woman, only to have to force her down himself when she hesitated. In doing so, he took three additional shurikens to the forearm and immediately had to defend himself against the figure with his water bearers as she attacked him with her sais.
"Mmm, that had to have hurt," she commented lightly.
"Atlantean skin is quite dense," he replied tersely while defending and attacking the Shadow.
"And my shuriken are quite poisonous."
'Megan, Kid, Artemis! We are under attack in the Computer Lab!' Kaldur said through the telepathic link, needing backup against Cheshire.
'On our way!' Artemis said, readying her bow as she ran to the Computer Lab. Megan was right behind her until she stopped short, feeling Kid Flash's life draining away.
Toneri saw all of this and thought, 'Well, they have that handled. Now then...'
Suddenly, someone intercepted Miss Martian, a dao broadsword moving to cut her legs off. There was a clanging sound, and the assassin said, "What?" before Lunaris's figure became visible, showing him blocking the female assassin's sword with a grey bo staff.
"Go get Kid Flash, Miss Martian, before he drowns," Toneri instructed the shocked Martian. She quickly left to save Kid Flash.
Toneri looked at the woman in front of him. She had short raven-colored hair, black lipstick, and brown eyes. She wore a red skin-tight long-sleeved bodysuit with shoulder pads, a Mandarin collar, and a diamond-shaped keyhole exposing her sternum.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Toneri looked at her impassively. "Ladies first."
"I am Shiva."
"Lunaris."
Toneri stood facing Shiva, his grey bo staff in hand, as she launched herself at him with a swift, calculated strike of her sword. He moved effortlessly, his body flowing like water, twisting just enough to let the blade slice through the air beside him.
Shiva quickly pivoted, her movements fluid and precise, aiming another slash at his midsection. Toneri brought his bo staff up in a smooth arc, the chakra Bo clashing against the steel of her sword with a resonant clang. Sparks flew as their weapons met, the force of her blow reverberating through his staff.
"Impressive," Toneri muttered, his voice calm and unhurried.
Shiva's eyes narrowed, a flicker of defiance crossing her features. She spun, her foot lashing out in a roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Toneri leaned back, the heel of her boot missing his face by mere inches. Using the momentum of his lean, he swung his staff low, aiming for her legs. Shiva jumped, flipping gracefully over the staff and landing lightly on her feet.
As soon as she landed, she was on the offensive again, her sword a blur of motion. She attacked with a series of rapid thrusts and slashes, each one aimed at a vital point. Toneri's staff moved almost as if it had a mind of its own, blocking and deflecting each strike with precision. He sidestepped a particularly vicious lunge, his eyes never leaving hers.
Their dance continued, a blur of motion. Toneri swung his staff in a wide arc, aiming for her ribs. Shiva blocked with her sword, the force of the blow pushing her back slightly. She retaliated by launching a flurry of kicks, each one aimed with deadly accuracy. Toneri twisted and dodged, his movements almost lazy in their efficiency.
Shiva leapt back, her chest heaving with exertion, her eyes locked onto his. "You fight well," she acknowledged, a note of respect in her voice. "But who are you really?"
Toneri smiled faintly. "Just someone far from home."
With a growl of frustration, Shiva lunged again, this time throwing a handful of shurikens in a wide spread. Toneri's staff spun in his hands, deflecting the shurikens with pinpoint accuracy. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, his staff swinging towards her head. Shiva ducked and rolled to the side, her sword slicing upwards in a defensive maneuver.
Toneri moved with her, his staff coming down in a powerful overhead strike. Shiva brought her sword up to block, the impact sending vibrations through her arms. She pushed back, attempting to disarm him with a twist of her wrist, but Toneri was already moving. He spun, his staff sweeping low to take her legs out from under her. Shiva jumped, her body arching gracefully over the staff, and landed in a crouch, her sword held ready.
Their eyes met, a moment of mutual respect passing between them. Shiva lunged forward, her sword a blur of motion. Toneri met her attack head-on, his staff a whirlwind of defensive strikes. He parried her blows, his movements economical and precise. As she pressed her assault, he saw an opening and took it.
With a swift, almost casual motion, Toneri stepped inside her guard, his staff coming up to press against her throat. Shiva froze, her eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then she smiled, a slow, dangerous smile.
"You are impressive," she admitted, stepping back and lowering her sword. "Not only did you evade all my attempts to cut you down, but you made it look so easy. Who are you really?"
Toneri shrugged. "I told you, just someone far from home."
Shiva's smile widened, and without warning, she lashed out with her sword again. This time, she combined her strikes with a series of shurikens, hoping to catch him off guard. Toneri moved with the grace of a dancer, his staff a blur as he deflected the shurikens and stepped inside her guard once more. His staff came up, aiming to crack her skull.
Shiva bent backwards in an unnatural way, avoiding the blow by a hair's breadth. She jumped backwards, her breathing heavy, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow while thinking, 'That would have rendered me unconscious if it hit.'
She studied him, noting the relaxed stance, the lack of any formal guard. 'He attacks as if he already knows my moves,' she thought.
"I am impressed with your prowess as well," Toneri said, his voice calm. "The only one I have seen move almost as well as you is Canary."
Shiva frowned, then smiled strangely at him. "You're not done, are you?"
Toneri smiled back. "Are you?"
Back in the lab Aqualad had to move on the defensive, his movements becoming slightly more sluggish. Cheshire was taking advantage of the situation and brought Kaldur to the ground before she threw one of her sais toward the doctor, hoping to impale her head. Aqualad barely stopped the sai from reaching its target, redirecting it to impale the wall beside her head.
"Almost," Cheshire commented, taking out a kunai to replace the sai she threw. "Poison slowing you down?"
"Jellyfish toxins. I'm largely immune," he said, narrowing his gaze at the woman. With one headbutt, though, Kaldur was on the ground unconscious.
"Largely," she commented before raising her sai, readying it to throw and complete her mission. One arrow to her wrist caused her to drop the sai. Turning around, Cheshire noticed Artemis standing by the door, her bow ready with another arrow trained on her.
"Don't move," Artemis said.
"Hmmm," Cheshire began, noticing that Kaldur had regained consciousness and stood up, his water bearers in hand. "This gig's getting interesting." Bringing out her expandable tanto, she readied herself for another fight. When Artemis fired her arrows, she effectively cut them down in the air. When Kid Flash and Megan entered the room, she knew when a tactful retreat was necessary. "Maybe a little too interesting." Grabbing a smoke pellet, Cheshire cut down another arrow and made her hasty retreat when smoke filled the room.
"She's getting away!" Dr. Roquette screamed. "You're letting her get away!"
"This is all your fault!" Wally accused Artemis. "You were on perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in!?"
"That's not really fair..." Megan said to Wally. "I was outside too..."
"O-outside being distracted by her!" he said, still vehemently blaming Artemis. "Besides, I can't be mad at you...you gave me mouth-to-mouth."
'We heard that!' everyone said through the telepathic link.
"Dangit!"
"I didn't do half as well in my first battle," Megan admitted to the green-clad girl. "And I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long," she said, hoping to console her.
"Focus everyone," Kaldur said in a commanding voice. "The Shadows will be back."
Aqualad then asked Miss Martian, 'Where is Lunaris?'
'He's busy fighting someone in the hallway. Cheshire's partner,' she replied.
Shiva's comms blinked as she received a message from Cheshire, who had retreated. She sheathed her sword. "Till we meet again, Lunaris," she said, throwing a smoke bomb before vanishing. Unknown to her, Toneri could see her making her escape, with an amused expression while thinking, 'This just keeps getting interesting.'
Toneri then shunshined next to Aqualad, shocking the doctor and Artemis, who drew her bow, making Lunaris raise an eyebrow at her.
"Sheesh, you came outta nowhere like a ghost," Artemis said.
Aqualad asked about the other assassin, and Toneri said, "She got away."
"Robin to Aqualad!" came Robin's voice through the communicator. "We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadows' next target: Star Labs...we're too late. It's destroyed. Totally destroyed. The Fog decimated it... This is bad. Star Labs has cutting-edge science, and now its secrets are in the hands of the enemy. What's our next move?"
"We scan for that Fog," Aqualad said, looking to the doctor. "Find it. We're moving the doctor."