I don't own anything except my original/own characters and my original plot. Hero costume in the picture above. It was made using Dolldivine.com, the design is mine but the website used to make it is not and I'm not claiming I own Dolldivine.

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Chapter 7-Retrieval

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WAKING UP THE NEXT MORNING I DIDN'T PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER. I woke up slowly, blinking time and time again to clear my vision. Pushing my covers down I rolled out of bed, rubbing my eyes. Still locked in my haze, I robotically walked towards my door. Only, when I reached out for the doorknob, there was nothing.

"Oh," it was a plain wall in front of me. Finally, taking in my surroundings, I remembered where I was. I wasn't home, in my own bed. I was stuck with the heroes, who stole me from my abode.

"Knockity knock knock," M'gann chirped from the real door, the early time not affecting her usual mood.

"It's open," I called, still recovering from my realization.

M'gann stepped inside with a pile of clothes in her arms. She was wearing civvies as well. Quickly approaching, she held out the outfit. I took it from her arms, waiting for her to say something else.

"I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast, Conner will be there too, obviously. Go ahead and change and meet us out there. Do you prefer pancakes or french toast? Are there any allergies I should know about? Actually, nevermind, I can just find it in your mind. See you out there!"

M'gann levitated out the door before I could open my mouth to speak. Staring at the closed door in shock, it took ALICE speaking to pull me from my trance.

"Is everything alright, Miss (Y/n)?"

"Fine, everything's fine," I muttered, hands going to my pajama shirt to take it off.

Changing into the jeans and bright t-shirt, I stepped into the bathroom connected to my room. A quick search through the drawers revealed everything the average teenage girl would have. When and how they got those things I didn't know.

When I finished in the bathroom, I walked to the kitchen. Conner was sitting the counter, watching M'gann fly around to grab different ingredients.

"Oh good, you're here! Would you like to help me make breakfast?"

"Sure," I answered hesitantly.

Stepping up to the stove, I couldn't help but wonder how M'gann managed to be so happy surrounded by hypocritical heroes. Faintly, I thought her happiness could contribute to the hypocrisy of the hero world.

~*~

Later that night, the rest of the team arrived to train and discuss a new mission Batman had given them.

"This is where we keep our suits when we aren't using them." A double door swung open in front of us. Inside, was a moderately sized room with seven glass cases lined up inside, "M'gann and Conner don't really need a case but it's symbolic."

"You heroes like your flair," I stared at the showing cases, "The villains keep their uniforms in their closets."

Wally chuckled, zooming over to a case holding a costume I had never seen before.

"This is yours. The heroes finished designing it last night. Do you like it?"

"I love it."

It was grey, with two black stripes climbing up the side. The zipper was on the front, different, but not unwelcome. Elbow high gloves were under a pair of shorter wrist guards. A black belt with several pockets was on the waist, and a thigh holster held a few, smaller items such as a lock pick.

"We're showing you this now because Batman has instructed you to come with us on our mission," Kaldur announced.

"How do you change?" My question was answered when Wally tapped his suits' case twice. A curtain fell from the ceiling around it. The team stepped up to their cases and did the same.

Looking at my case, I tapped it twice. Once the curtain fells the case opened. I reached for the suit only to have the mannequin move upwards; the suit hanging by metal strands. When I touched the suit, the strands shot up to the ceiling, dropping the suit.

"I'm so confused," I whispered to myself, pulling my borrowed clothes off. When I clipped the belt in the back, then stared at my pile of clothes on the ground. Not knowing what to do with them, I folded them and stepped out, letting out a sigh of relief when the metal strands picked them up and put them on the mannequin, "That's so weird."

"You'll get used to it," Artemis assured, stepping out of her case as well.

The rest of the team soon stepped out. After a small discussion about the 'bio-ship', we were on our way.

"Do you know the codes for Lex Corp?" Aqualad asked me as the doors slid shut behind us.

"Yeah, but I'm not telling you. No offense."

A red ship was waiting in the bay. I assumed it was the bio-ship they were talking about earlier. A ramp lowered from the entrance, allowing us to enter. I was the last one on, just catching the shifting of the chairs as another one appeared.

Automatically sitting down in the new one, I looked out the window as the ship left the cave. Although they hadn't told me directly, it was easy to assume this mission was the one Batman mentioned yesterday.

"Coordinates locked."

The bio-ship's autopilot took over, taking me to my old home. Throughout the fast flight, I switched between looking out the window and talking to the team about their past missions. They were nice, and it upset me. The heroes had done so much to hurt the people I called family, and yet they had dedicated their lives to helping the innocent.

All in all, my mind was tearing itself in two.

When we reached Metropolis, the bio-ship camouflage. M'gann landed it in the nearest, widest alley. Silently, everyone lined up and hurried out of the ship.

"What's the plan?" A voice asked in my mind.

"Whoa," I whispered, looking around for the source. It sounded like Conner.

"Talk in your head Shadow, it's more secure than coms," Aqualad explained.

"Right. Oh, this is so weird," I peeked out from the corner of the alley. Lex Corp, my home, was right in front of me, "I'll distract the guards. We go in, grab what I need, and get out. Simple."

Silently, I moved around the corner and sprinted across the street. Moving around the secure building, I found a window leading to a workers office.

"Get ready to run," I instructed, glancing at the others to make sure they had followed, "Superboy, I need you to smash the glass."

"What?"

"Break the window, Super Jr.!"

Superboy swung at the window, successfully shattering it. All of us covered our heads as glass rained down. As soon as his knuckles touched alarms went off.

"Go, go, go!" I led the group back around the building to the main entrance. For the janitorial staff, they remained open until they all left for the night. That allowed us easy access.

The guards had moved away from the main lobby to the office whose window was broken. Looking around the lobby, I hummed, nearly inaudibly. This was what Lex Corp. looked like. I always had an idea, but this was it.

"This mission was supposed to be covert," Artemis groaned, her face twisting in frustration.

"Do you want to be secretive or effective?" I hissed back. Lifting my hands, shadows slithered up the walls and covered the cameras hidden around the area, "Cameras are covered here."

"Robin, hack the other cameras," Aqualad ordered, tone shifting as if to hint something. The team ran to the elevator, cramming the seven of us inside. I pressed the top floor button and the basement floor button at the same time.

"Password."

I pressed the floor buttons in order 1-1-1-9-1-6. How Wally managed to get down I never asked. I was sure Robin had somehow hacked the system and sent Wally down. As the elevator descended, the only sound was Robin typing on his holo-computer.

"If you never left your room how do you know so much about the building?" M'gann spoke up.

"Lex was training me to take over the company. I was going to leave when I was eighteen. Before that, he wanted me to know everything. Obviously, the plans have changed." The elevator fell into a tense silence.

The doors opened. Four of us stepped out. Robin, Kaldur, and M'gann stayed in the elevator.

"You guys go ahead, we'll keep watch above," Robin assured as the doors closed.

Taking in a deep breath, I entered the large floor dedicated to my home. Beelining through the open space, I reached my door.

"You can do this," Wally whispered to me, speeding over and typing the password into the door.

I stepped into the living room slowly, taking in my surroundings. Everything was the same, nothing changed from my fight. It had only been two days, but it was nostalgic.

"Miss (Y/n)!" SASS's voice came through the speakers, frantic almost, "I have just contacted everyone, don't worry, they'll save you. Are you okay Miss?"

"What? No, SASS! Send the villains another message! I'm not here, they can't know!" I panicked, remembering that if I tried to escape, I'd be sent to Belle Reve. The team had handled many of the villains before, they'd do it again.

"But you are here. I have just been notified that Mr. Luthor will be here in five minutes. Remain calm, and remain in here."

I groaned, running towards my room as the team looked around other areas. My music box was sitting on my nightstand. Snatching it up, I held it close to my chest. A nearby shine caught my attention. My phone. Looking around, I made sure no one could see as I shoved my phone and charger into my boot.

Jogging out casually, Superboy's eyes widened at the sight of my music box. His brows furrowed in anger.

"Our cover was blown for a box?" He yelled, throwing his hands up.

"It's sentimental," I defended, holding it even closer, "Let's go."

I took a step towards the door. Fwoom! The metal door clicked shut, locked.

"I can not allow you to leave."

"Override code 3-9-7-8-A-B-3!" I yelled in a panic. The door slid open after a small silence. A beep from the speakers told all of us that SASS had shut down.

Sprinting from the room, passing by the opening and into the elevator. That was the definition of cutting it close. I practically punched the ground floor button multiple times until the doors closed.

When the doors opened, we ran into the other three. Robin tucked something into one of his belt pockets. I was too distracted and panicked to question it at the time.

"Go!" Wally ordered for me, pointing at the front doors.

We sprinted out the front doors, narrowly avoiding an approaching group of guards. Moving across the street we stumbled over each other and into the bio-ship. M'gann enacted autopilot and took off.

In the air, I looked out the window at the building. A sleek car pulled up, and Lex got out. He ran into Lex Corp. meeting the guards halfway in. Placing my hand on the window, I blinked back tears. Not in front of the team.

All I wanted to do was jump out of the ship and give him a hug. Tell him I loved him and that he was the best dad I could have asked for. Sucking in a deep breath, I pulled my hand away, placing it on my music box instead. I couldn't do that.

We were enemies.

Continuously, I ran my hand over the smooth wood in front of me. It wasn't the box I was focusing on, it was the pressure against my calf. My phone. I stole it. I wasn't entirely sure what I would do with it yet. Contact the villains obviously, but ask them to save me? Risk being sent to Belle Reve? Be sent to another, more secure home with no chance of ever leaving?

The disdain I held for the heroes and their methods may have been unrivaled, but my freedom was more important to me.

That being said, I could easily just message the villains telling them I was safe and move on from there. Using my phone to have some more freedom than what the league was giving me would be a bonus as well.

"What was on that drive you put in your pocket?" I remembered to ask Robin. His eyes flitted to M'gann and Kaldur, their facial expressions shifting.

"It's a hacking software. The guards were getting too close for comfort so I had to set off another alarm in a different area."

Letting out a small 'huh' I left it there. But there were no other alarms going off when we reached the top level, no added security in a separate area. Robin was lying. Something else was on that drive.