A Siren's Echo [Young Justice]

True Colors

Idk why but this chapter was so hard to write lmao. But I managed! So enjoy and be sure to read the end note because there's a bit of info regarding upcoming chapters!

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Blüdhaven

April 8, 09:02 EDT

Banshee was in a relatively good mood since Siren had cleared him to return to duty after recovering from his concussion. That was until he saw the news broadcast that several members of the team were watching when he walked into the team's new-new HQ.

He groaned as he moved up next to Blue Beetle. "This guy? Really?" he said quietly.

"-Earth's true benefactors, the Reach, have been working openly and without fanfare for the betterment of all mankind," G. Gordon Godfrey declared on the GBS channel. "Exhibit A: Lexcorp Farms, where the Reach has partnered with noted philanthropist Lex Luthor to increase food production. Lexcorp and the Reach are even allowing public tours! Just openness and an end to world hunger. Now, why didn't the Justice League think of that?"

Nightwing paused the video.

"Oh thank you," Banshee said in relief. If he had to listen to that man's voice any longer...

"Obviously, any partnership between the Reach and Lex Luthor is bad news," the team's co-leader pointed out. "So Alpha Squad is going undercover to recon Lexcorp Farms."

He turned to his second successor. "Robin, you'll be running Alpha."

Robin was surprised. "Me? Run Alpha?" he questioned before collecting himself. "Uh, right. Who's on the squad?"

"Banshee, Blue Beetle-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I should not be in the field, ése," Blue countered. "What if the scarab goes all 'Reach Apocalypse' on us?"

While he had been recovering, Siren had been keeping Banshee up to date on new information given to the team. The most recent major discovery was some intel from Impulse who first told Blue. About how in the future, Blue Beetle, their Blue Beetle, would become a bad guy. An extremely bad guy.

Of course, Blue didn't want there to even be a possibility of that happening so he told the team's and League's leaders that he wanted the scarab fused to his spine to be taken off...for good.

Banshee had just wished that he had known what was going on before it did so he could have been there in support of his friend. But Impulse was, worriedly looking on as The Atom and Bumblebee had tried to remove the scarab. Keyword: tried.

So it was back to square one.

"Your scarab has had multiple opportunities to betray us," Nightwing said, approaching Blue. "It hasn't."

He placed a hand on the kid's shoulder. "And right now, its connection to the Reach may be our best shot at identifying what they're up to."

Banshee elbowed Blue. "Dude, you'd be our trump card."

Impulse ran over to stand between Blue Beetle and Nightwing. "Well, if Blue's goin', I'm goin'," he declared.

Nightwing just smiled. "I assumed as much. And last but not least, Arsenal."

Banshee looked off to the side where the guy in question had been standing in the shadows. It was only the second time he'd actually seen the former Speedy after Siren recruited him to the team. It certainly wasn't long enough to really get an idea of what he was like.

"But you'll have to travel lighter for your first mission," Nightwing added, noticing the several guns on the newbie's back. "Nothing that won't fit under civilian clothes."