Long Past Dawn

Mount Justice; July 22nd, 3:08 ECT

"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman says, showing us the map of the island, as Wally eats ch.i.p.s. "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neurosteroid a strength-enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom." the display changes to show the shots of the warehouse. "The infrared heat signatures indicate that their factory operating at full capacity but all shipments of Venom have inexplicably cut off. That's where this Team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will." Once again the profile changes back to the island map. "The plan requires two drop zones." said drop zones appear on the map.

"Is it a hold-up?" I ask as I think over the brief. There must be a reason something like this is being cut off. I hold back a shiver as I think about what something like that could do in the wrong hands, especially if it was enhanced.

"That's for you to find out," Batman replies to my question.

"So who's in charge?" Robin asks getting Batman and Red Tornado to whip around and face him before they exchange glances.

"Work that out between you," Batman commands, Robin nods a smile forming on his face.

***

Caribbean Sea; July 22nd, 20:08 ECT

I sit in the bioship and look out at the dark night sky. "We're approaching Santa Prisca." Miss Martian tells them.

'Venom huh?' I say in my head, 'What do we think about that?'

'Nothing of a drug like that will come to any good,' She says darkly and I nod softly.

"Drop Zone A in 30." M'gann announces, startling me out of my own world. I look over at her, and Kaldur. Who stands as the straps remove themselves. Even his chair disappears as he stands up.

He hits his symbol and his suit turns from navy blue and red with black accents to black, and grey along with black accents. "Ready," he says, looking to M'gann.

"Putting Bioship in camouflage mode," she says as we come within eyesight of the island. We come over the water and a hole in the base of the Bioship forms, Kaldur dropping out and diving into the water below.

We hover in silence for a while, waiting for confirmation from him. "Heat and motion sensors are patched." his voice comes through. "Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."

I nod to no one in particular as the bioship starts to move again. "Drop Zone B." M'gann says as we stop over a break in the canopy. We stand as the straps and chairs fade into the ship's floor. M'gann raises a hand and lines fall from the ceiling which Robin and Kid Flash don't hesitate to attach to.

I let mine line there in the air. I won't need it anyway, whether I fly or take Iferis down.

Once attached, Wally raises his hand to his lightning bolt emblem. The white turning light grey as the yellow turns to a darker grey and his goggles turn almost black, his red accents remaining as he looks it over with a smile. "How cool is this?" he asks, turning towards M'gann.

"Very impressive." Miss Martian says, before her own clothes change, her blue boots and skirt become a skin-tight full-body suit, all black and accented with the same red X and edging like on Martian Manhunter. Only her cape remains blue.

"Uh, that works too." Wally admits, stunned, then turns towards Superboy who kept the black t-shirt with the Superman S on it, black pants and boots and me with my dark crimson hooded jacket, black pants, combat boots, and the dark gray shirt. "Hey, Supey, Scar not too late to put on the new stealth tech."

"No capes, no tights. No offense," he says crossing his arms.

"It totally works for you." M'gann says as Superboy glances over at her, and she stands up straighter and stops leaning her head on her hand. "In that, you can totally do good work in those clothes, same with Scarlet." she covers, badly.

Superboy looks away, and M'gann brings her hood over her head and disappears from sight before dropping out of the ship.

Her, Wally, and Robin drop out first as they hit the ground with small thuds. Realizing Superboy and I are still in the ship not beside them, they glance up and yelp before diving to the side. Just narrowly avoid Superboy as he hits the ground hard enough to create a boom and a two-foot-deep crater. "Knew I didn't need a line," he says confidently.

I open my wings and land down next to them before tucking them back away after I land, I don't need the flashiest entrance.

"Aqualad, Drop B is a go." M'gann says after a moment.

"Head to the factory. I'll track your GPS and meet you ASAP." Kaldur's voice comes through.

"Roger that," Robin says, looking down at his hologlove which has a map of the island, as Superboy and M'gann stand and look over his head on his right and Wally is crouched over his left shoulder.

Then we all take off to the factory. Passing through the forest, under a waterfall, before ending up back in the forest.

Something catches Superboy's full attention and he stops short. "Did you hear that?"

"Uh, no…" Wally snarks. "Wait." clearly he realized how rude that was. "Is this a super-hearing thing?"

"You do have great ears." Miss Martian comments.

"Really not the time M'gann," I say before I shift my attention to the forest around us.

"We might be being tracked," I comment after a moment.

"Okay, Rob, now what?" Wally asks, but Robin is once again gone. "Man, I hate it when he does that."

"Everyone does," I say with a sigh and wonder how he gets away so fast.

"Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared, see if you're being tracked," Kaldur commands through the comms.

Wally smirks and drops his goggles down over his eyes. Immediately picking up on heat signatures further down the trail. "Got a squad of armed bozos incoming."

We run further forward, but only because we can duck behind a rock and fallen tree to avoid being seen. Superboy looks in the opposite direction of Wally. "Two squads." he corrects. Then expands his focus. "But they'll meet each other before they find us."

Gunfire commences. "Clearly, they aren't on the same side," I comment, which is good news for us.

"No super-hearing required now," Wally mutters at the sudden burst of sound.

"Swing wide, steer clear," Kaldur commands as Wally steps forward to be next to Superboy.

"Yeah-yeah, just as soon as I find Rob," Wally tells him, then vaults over the tree, running down the trail. But the trail is wet, and he loses his footing, falling down the hill and right into the crossfire. As he falls, he looks up to find the surprised leader in front of him to confirm that he's seeing things right he even lifts his goggles off his eyes. "So much for the stealthy."

"That idiot," I hiss slightly, "Covers broken." I hiss as I charge down to save him. My armor starts to shift to a dark metal that secures me in a way that is silent as I move, the helmet forms on my head with its twisting devil horns and I feel two twin pistols form into my hands.

His surprise only lasts a moment before he starts firing rapidly at Wally, running away doesn't help him much as it gains the attention of the soldiers as well.

Superboy charges ahead, taking the leader's blind spot and tackling him to the ground. Or at least attempting to, he gets himself over Superboy and slams him into the soft ground. He goes for a wristlock on his captive right arm but finds Superboy overpowering him. Grabbing his shirt and throwing him into a tree.

Jumping, I land right behind him and use the b.u.t.t of a pistol to hit him on the back of his head. A bullet hits my shoulder and it flies back off with a whizz.

Kid Flash continues to evade the bullets, and two of the men see a shadow pass over them, looking up Robin drops right on top of one of them. "What is wrong with you guys?" he questions, uppercutting the other and following up with a side kick. "Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?"

"Not all of us are literal shadows, plus kid run first questions later didn't think a plan was needed," I reply slightly annoyed as I work to dodge bullets until I can get close enough to knock the gun men out.

Kid Flash hits another assailant, backing him up into the clearing. "Wow, thanks for the compliment Scar," then hitting him with a front kick to the chin then completing a full flip before landing on the ground again. "And way to fill us in Rob, we're not all mind readers you know."

Miss Martian throws another two assailants into the tree behind him telekinetically.

"Er, I'm not anyway." he corrects as she drops to the ground.

"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds." she reminds him.

As the gunfire continues I get tired of having to dodge bullet after bullet, "Anyone else done with this?"

As I speak I let my power spread out, stopping all bullets in mid-air and jamming their guns. "That works too..." Wally says as Superboy and Robin charge at the last of the soldiers and knock them out.

Right as we're finishing up Kaldur joins us as helps gather them all up and tie them to a nearby tree.

"I recognize those uniforms," Robin says, looking at the soldiers. "They belong to the Cult of The Kobra."

"I'm certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Wally tells Robin, not letting him leave his sight in fear that he will disappear again.

"Agreed," Robin says, putting no fault on Batman. "And since there's no love lost between the cultists and those goons," he puts his hand on his chin as it all suddenly becomes clear. "I'm betting they came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

"We get it. Kobra wanted super cultists." Wally says confidently. "Radio Bats and we'll be home in time for-"

"These cultists aren't on venom." Robin cuts him off. "Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why."

"Until you know why?" Wally questions, leaning forward to get level with Robin's eyes.

"This team needs a leader," Robin says strongly, standing up straighter.

"And it's you?!" Wally flares, annoyance clear as he steps into Robin's personal space. "Dude, you're a thirteen-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word."

Robin laughs for a few seconds. "And you're a m.a.t.u.r.e fifteen? You blew our cover first chance you got."

To the side, M'gann and Superboy can only look on in silence. Until M'gann speaks up to Superboy. "Don't you want to lead?"

Superboy shakes his head and scoffs, then turns to look at M'gann out of the corner of his eye. "You?"

M'gann nearly leans back and puts her hand up as if to shove the idea away from her physically. "After the Mister Twister fiasco?"

Superboy smiles, looking at her directly. "You did alright." M'gann's cheeks turn bright red as she looks away and tucks her hair behind her ear. I chuckle to myself, talk about young love huh?

I notice that the leader, Bane I think, and the others are now awake and muttering to each other in Spanish. I try to understand without them noticing my eavesdropping but I was never amazing at Spanish, not even after the Amazon's taught me some along with other languages. Something about us fighting? I sigh as I can't get anything else.

I glance to see if anyone else noticed their conversation and with the slight smirk on Superboy's lips I think he did but everyone else seems not to have noticed.

Just as I'm about to go over and ask him without anyone noticing, Wally shouts again. "Yeah? You don't even have superpowers!"

Why can't we just do rock paper scissors or some shit like that?

"Neither does Batman!" Robin retorts as he crosses his arms.

Wally stops "Duh," he snaps, then rounds to Robin again. "you're not Batman."

"Duh, closest thing we've got." Robin retorts, he jabs his thumb at himself to prove his point.

"Then what about Scarlet?" M'gann offers after a moment and they all stop to look at me.

"What?!" I say at the same time as Robin and Wally.

"Such clever niños. But you only know half the story." Bane baits us as he finally shows us that he's awake. Wally is still annoyed, but Robin's eyes go wide. "Let me show you the rest get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

Miss Martian steps up. "There is a secret entrance" then she kneels down and places her hand on her temple to further concentrate. "but he's also hiding something." her tone goes sour and her eyes glow white.

"No shit," I mutter before continuing on a bit louder, "He's probably planning to turn us over so he can save his own hid or maybe just escape the first chance he gets."

The team nod along with my logic. "Ah, ah, ah chica. Bane is not that easy," he says smugly.

"Chica my a.s.s," I growl as I step forward and Kaldur, who's been silent so far, stops me.

M'gann's eyes still glow but she loses her intensity. "Ohh." she groans, pulling out of his mind. "He's mentally reciting soccer scores en Español." she looks over her shoulder at the boys. "This could take a while."

Bane speaks up before anyone else does. "It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." behind M'gann the boys exchange looks, then eventually nod.

I look over at them, "This is such a bad idea." I sigh as I run my fingers through my hair and wonder how they come up with such stupid plans, "The second this goes South, and I have a feeling it will, I'm calling the league."

The others agree and we cute Bane free while we leave the others died up and as a final precaution before we leave I make sure to knock them all out one more time.

After that Bane leads us towards a cliff and the whole time I make sure to keep a good eye on him. I really don't trust him here.

But on top of a cliff, we finally get a clear view of the factory. Bane stops about three feet from the edge, pointing. Both Robin and Wally both step up to get a closer look while the rest of us stand back.

"Look at all that product," Robin mutters, shocked. "A buy is going down." Bane walks away but I make sure to follow him with my eyes as the rest of the team remains. "But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-"

"We need to identify that buyer." Kaldur states with conviction.

"Just what I was thinking." Wally agrees, lifting his goggles as he stands up straighter.

"Yeah. You're the thinker." Robin says with a smirk as he stands up.

"Sarcasm?" Wally questions, annoyed. "Dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers." While those two argue I observe Bane as he lifts a giant rock away from the entrance to an old mine. The only point of his efforts is a few grunts. While M'gann and Superboy exchange a slight look of confusion.

I narrow my eyes slightly. He might be ripped but there's no way a normal man could lift that... There's little doubt in my mind when I start to suspect he's had this 'venom' before.

"Answers are this way," Bane says simply, gesturing down the mine tunnel. We all join him to look down the tunnel. But Bane says nothing as he heads towards the tunnel.

"So. Now El Luchador is our leader." Wally comments angrily and slightly sarcastic. Robin stalks past him, using the back of his hand to smack Wally's cheek. Wally turns to Superboy, M'gann, Kaldur, and me with a shrug.

There's the sound of water dripping in the background as we walk down the mine until we come to a metal door, which Bane uses his fingerprint to unlock. Which leads them right to a door on the factory floor.

Bane props the door open slightly, giving Robin just enough room to get a full look around the- now confirmed to be- empty floor. "All clear." he vocalizes before running out of the doorway. We follow but, once we get to another hidden location Robin is nowhere in sight.

"Has that little fool already been captured?" Bane questions, annoyance at the possibility of their infiltration being compromised rising.

"No," I reply to Bane, but my tone gives away my own annoyance. "he just does that."

Wally slides his goggles over his eyes with ease. "Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before Boy Wonder."

"What like you did last time?" I say sarcastically but by the time I finish the sentence he's already running.

Kaldur reaches out as he sees Kaldur's movement, but doesn't get hold. "Wait, Kid!"

Bane watches as the grey and red streak disappears, looking to Kaldur with a smug smile. "Great chain of command." he continues his jabs at Kaldur with the sarcasm and the continued smugness in those four simple words.

"At least we didn't lose command of our own factory..." I mutter under my breath just loud enough for him to hear as the rest of us share a look.

We move to crouch behind an unused assembly line, while Bane hides in the shadows of a crate stack.

"It's a massive shipment," Kaldur observes with shock.

"Yeah, but they're only taking the new product off the line." Superboy observes."They're not touching this Venom."

As a forklift drives away they turn towards each other. "Maybe freshness counts?" M'gann offers, unsure, but figuring a one-off guess is better than nothing.

I hmmm slightly, "Maybe, but if so do you really think the factory wouldn't have made shipments during the week? Do you know the money this type of thing can bring in?"

They nod at my point right as Superboy's focus changes to the opposite direction where we just were. "Helicopter's coming," he says, out of instinct I follow his gaze.

It takes a few moments, but then I start to be able to hear the helicopter's blades as it approaches. "Seems like we'll be meeting the buyer soon," I mutter to no one in particular.

From where we are I can't see the outside but I can strain my ears enough to be able to hear their conversation.

"Lord Kobra." a man greets.

"Sportsmaster." Another man replies and I assume it's 'Lord Kobra'. "The shipment is ready."

"The new Kobra-Venom?" Sportsmaster questions.

"A complete success. Our friends will not be disappointed." Kobra answers.

"This is a game-changer." Sportsmaster proudly states, and I narrow my eyes as I try to decide what they're plan might be. "Finally, we can go mano-a-mano with the Justice League."

Above us, M'gann uses her camouflage as she flies over to the door. "Aqualad, sending you a telepathic image of the buyer now." even though she basically invisible her eyes begin to glow.

The remaining three of us keep watch while Kaldur has his eyes closed to see M'gann's telepathic image.

"Sportsmaster," he says, opening his eyes. "He is the buyer?" he questions, looking to Superboy shocked. Then brings his hand up to his ear. "Aqualad to Red Tornado. Do you read?" he just gets static. He huffs in annoyance. "Can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid. Comm's jammed. We need a plan now."

Bane is all too pleased with his opening. "I have a suggestion." then jumps over the rail with a battle cry.

"Why is everything going to hell..." I mutter as Superboy, Kaldur and I all share an alarmed look.

Two Kobra agents look to the source, shocked to see Bane. He lands just before them, shoving one to the side with ease and pushing the other's arm to ensure his aim is only to the ceiling.

And just as suddenly the sound of gunfire suddenly starts up from outside.

"What is he-" Kaldur begins, only to be cut off by a monster that looks an awful lot like Blockbuster as it gives a battle cry and charges at the window behind us. Shattering it and taking down the catwalk. The three of us land away from the rubble, but so does Blockbuster. Who roars to catch everyone's full attention.

"Destroy them," Kobra commands. In an instant Blockbuster charges at us.

Superboy meets him halfway, in comparison to Blockbuster, he's plenty small enough to get under his arms and catch his torso. However, due to the size difference Blockbuster grabs Superboy's waist from behind with efficiency.

Kaldur's tattoos begin to glow as he reaches behind his shoulders to take out his water-bearers. The Kobra agents start firing on him, but can't land a hit as he crouches behind a shield and uses his other water-bearer to fire non-lethal projectiles at their c.h.e.s.ts and knock them out.

Meanwhile, Bane hides, away from the action, chuckling to himself.

M'gann flies in and starts throwing agents around, but Sportsmaster can clearly see her despite the camouflage.

Kaldur continues to shoot projectiles while Superboy gets launched into a large container by Blockbuster behind him. Getting a massive uppercut that pins him back to the container, he punches Blockbuster in the face from his pinned position. Knocking his assailant back and giving him plenty of room to land back on his feet. Then charge at Blockbuster once more.

Sportsmaster eyes continue to narrow as he brings out a rod. Which then extends to form a sharp point that he throws at M'gann. She just barely manages to dodge, but it blows up right beside her. Knocking her away and hitting her hard enough to turn off her camouflage.

Superboy and Blockbuster continue to exchange punches as Robin runs along the catwalk over their head. Wally runs behind him and both come to a stop to watch over the chaos.

Wally runs off, while Robin remains and he gains a mischievous look before he runs back the way he came.

Kaldur is now standing upright but is being backed up despite his shield and projectiles. Ducking behind some piping he can put down his water-bearers, but then finds two more Kobra agents on his other side.

As I watch what's happening bullets shower the crate I'm hiding behind. I can already imagine the scolding I'll get after this.

I look around wildly for anything that might help. That's when I notice the open sprinkler system on the ceiling. I weigh the pros and cons before I make up my mind and the pistols form back into my hands. I aim up and thankfully the gunfire covers the sound as I shoot into the pipes.

Water starts pouring from above and the shooters pause to look around to see what happens. This gives Kaldur enough time to use the pooling water on the floor and the lack of gunfire to throw enough projectiles to knock the last of the shooters out.

Kaldur reaches for his comm, but then remembers it's jammed. "Miss Martian, radio is jammed," he tells her since at this point she's the only one that doesn't know. "Link us up!"

M'gann slowly comes to. Her eyes widen as she processes what she heard, bringing her hand to her head. "Everyone online?" she asks.

Superboy growls through the punch that hits him in the face. "Yeah," he replies, his dislike all-too-obvious.

"I'm here," I say as I look around to get a better grip on the ground.

"You know it, beautiful." Kid Flash says with a smile.

We all ignore that. "Good. We need to regroup." Kaldur says

"Busy now." Robin's voice cuts in. And I jump into the air as silently as I can to get a better vantage point.

As I do so Robin lands at the Helicopter pad, Kobra stepping up right behind him, a girl by his side. Robin stands and turns instantly picking up on the movement. "Batman must be desperate if he sends the whelp to task me."

Robin ignores the insult as he decides to banter with the villain instead. "What's wrong, Koby? You look disconcerted."

"This is beneath me. Shimmer, take him." Kobra commands. Shimmer runs at the Boy Wonder, whose only response is a smirk.

Flipping over her as she gets close enough, then lands behind her. He stands back into a fighting stance. "Robin, now." Kaldur's voice commands through the link. He grits his teeth, just barely losing concentration in time for Shimmer to come in with a punch ready.

However, Robin drops a flash grenade, giving him time to get away and leave the two alone.

Through the confusion, I notice an open barrel of the new product that must have been left to the side before they could load it. I glance around at the team before making my way over silently and dropping down behind it so I'm just out of sight.

"Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path." Kaldur's voice comes through just as I sneak a hand into the crate and pull out a vile of the stuff. I quickly stash it on me and look around to make sure I wasn't spotted.

I notice a small team of Kobra agents to my left and curse under my breath when I notice the heat censor googles. "Don't wait up for me," I say into the link.

As I speak I slip under the conveyor belt and hatch a plan. The team comes closer and closer to my spot and I use my crystals to freeze their feet to the ground, using their confusion as a distraction I freeze them all in place.

From where we are the large metal vats and crates all hide us from the view of the main floor. I look over the Kobra agents until I find one close in height and build to me. Then I let my armor revert and quickly slip the Kobra outfit over my clothes. As I slip the mask in place and grab the gun I look down at myself and compare me to the other agents, the long black shirt and pants don't fit perfectly but the sleeveless red cloak helps to hide it and my hair, not to mention the mask covering my face. I think it'll be a pass for me.

I hear gunshots from the direction of the tunnel as I turn my attention that way. I make sure the venom sample is secured on me before I decide it's time to test how good this disguise is.

"Thanks for the disguise," I smirk at the frozen agents as I run towards the tunnel and the end of the mission.