Young Injustice *on hold*

Campfire Stories pt. 2

We were all quiet as our eyes were trained on Asher waiting for him to speak some more. "He chose a clone over me and my mom and I want to know why, even if I have to beat it out of him. So that's why I'm staying here, I'll help you with whatever you guys are doing and it will help me get close to Superman." he finished and Hailey kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair.

Everybody turned their gaze to me now, and I took a deep breath. "My mom died two weeks ago, and since they couldn't track my other relatives down they put me in a boy's group home or wherever. I'm just sitting in my room, minding my business when Captain freakin' Cold bursts through the barred window. He looked at me and then my roommate, who was very shaken up. I didn't care if he killed me, in fact that would have been a much more welcomed outcome than him abducting me and admitting that he was my dad!" I didn't realize my voice was raising with every word. I closed my eyes and tried to compose myself.

"So yeah, he kidnapped me and told me to follow in his footsteps." I finished sitting back and looking to Elizabeth, she looked at me sympathetically.

She looked at all of us before she spoke. "I was an orphan, all of my life. I only discovered my powers at the age of seven. When I told people to go away, they did, when I told people to shut up, they did. I was scared and I was afraid to trust anyone, everyone I met had abused me in someway. I met a woman once, I thought she was different; she told me she loved me, I didn't know what love was because I let her use me." she was frowning and I put my hand on hers she looked up at me and started smiling. "But then Penguin found me, he saved me from that horrible woman. He never forced me to use my powers, he actually helped me hone them. Now with some concentration I can move objects."

"Then why are you here?" I didn't notice I said it out loud at first. Elizabeth's eyebrow was raised so I decided to explain. "You could literally be anywhere you want doing anything you want, why stay here? Why stay with him?"

"Wait a minute, Vanilla Ice." Asher spoke up. "How do we know she's just not manipulating him and stealing his money or whatever right from under his pointy nose?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath when she opened them she glared at Asher. "Because. My powers only last twenty minutes at the most, don't you think if I was manipulating him he would have snapped out of it and doubled back to kill me by now?" she grimaced and looked at me. "Griffin, he's the only person who ever cared about me in my entire life, there's no place I'd rather be."

I wanted to say I cared about her too but I kept my mouth shut.

Asher crossed his arms. "I still don't believe it."

"Want to test it?" she snapped at him and he was quiet then. He was quiet and we all were really. Hailey was the first to look to Jacobo and we followed her gaze to the youngest person in the room.

He fixed his already straight posture and smoothed his tie. "My uncle is in fact the Riddler. Though I didn't know this growing up and his brother, my father never cared to tell me. My parents were very conservative people. Christians. Traditional. I was born with a gift, like Elizabeth; though not as powerful, still my parents couldn't understand this. They prayed for me to be normal, they put me through hell to make me an angel. I wasn't allowed simple things, video games, most tv, movies, I wasn't allowed to grow my hair out past my ears. If I got anything less than an 'A' in school, grounded for two months, no social interaction, no entertainment, just me locked in my room with a bible."

"Carrie much?" Asher rolled his eyes.

"That's on my list to watch." Jacobo sighed.

"Just don't go to prom okay?" he told the kid and I grimaced. "But what happened next?" he asked.

"Well," he started again. "One day I was looking into my family history, you know, trying to figure out where I came from. And when I found out about my uncle and his vivid... History.. I went to ask my parents about him and they punished me. For being curious. And I didn't think that was fair so I decided to punish them. And well I guess I kinda went overboard 'cause they died." he said sheepishly. I raised my eyebrows and I heard Asher curse under his breath. Elizabeth shrugged and Hailey smiled. "So yeah, after a few days in court crying for a judge, the neighbor who always saw me suffering but never helped went away for double homicide and I was legalized, I was almost in college anyway. But with my new freedom and the generous amount of money my parents left for me- funny how they became good parents after their death- I went out and found my uncle and now I can finally be me."

"Okay okay, so, but what's your power?" Asher asked.

"People have to answer me truthfully." he said simply.

Asher gave him a sideways look. "Like what?"

"If I ask someone a question they can't lie." he explained.

I tilted my head and Asher nodded. "That's a great power, I wish I had that."

The little guy smirked. "The truth can be a burden, sometimes, if you're not ready for it."

"Well I'm ready for Superman to confess to leaving my mom, so when we meet the guy I want you right there with me."

Jacobo nodded. "We all have our personal reasons for being here but we're a team now, no matter if you want to be here or not," he glanced at me. "We have to work together."

"Jake is right!" Hailey exclaimed. "I believe we're gonna work together great, too, we all bring something different to the table. Brains, brawn, weapons, and powers." She looked at all of us. "I can tell all of you are really cool people and I want to get to know you guys better. If nothing else I want us to be friends, I don't know about you guys but I've never had any good friends before." she shrugged and everyone shifted.

Elizabeth was running her whole life, she would have never made friends. Jacobo was severely sheltered and he probably was surrounded by people way below his intellectual level who would never understand him enough to be his friend. Asher, well he was most likely in and out of a new home every month so he learned not to make friends, not to get attached. Hailey, I don't know much about her aunt but by the way she takes hits I would probably guess she was bullied wherever she was. Me? I had a couple friends from school, but thats it, I didn't talk to them outside of class. I never dated anyone. No best friends. My mom was my best friend. I would do anything for her, but shes gone now.

I looked around at the people in the circle. Excluding Elizabeth, these were bad people, but then again, Elizabeth would do anything for penguin and he wants her to do bad things. My father wants me to follow in his footsteps. I want to keep my moms legacy but it seems it died with her. Now that she's gone, what do I have to lose?

"We can make this work guys, someone's weakness is another's super strength with us." she grinned. "We're going to crush that young ju-" she was cut off by red lights flashing and an alarm sounding throughout the base.