Venomous

Lost and Found

It was my first time in a city. My first time outside the ship. I felt like a fish out of water but it was a hell lot better out here then it was coped up in that small fish bowl of a ship. I had been planning to escape that dreadful place once I learned how to use my shape shifting abilities. My parents don't know that I could change myself to look like a human. And they'll never know because I'm not coming back. Ever.
It took me a while to find where I was going or what I was even going to do. I didn't have money so I just had to pickpocket some people to get rides further and further away from Manta's hideout. For my first time pick-pocketing, I think I was pretty good. Only one person noticed me, but they were fat and I ran pretty fast. They didn't stand a chance.
I ended up running to a place called Gotham. I needed to find a place with internet so I could find out some things about my parents. Almost every business I saw had signed that read free WiFi. Yet when I asked for a computer to use, the employees just laughed at me. I walked from store to store until I ended up at a place called the Gotham library. I asked the lady at the front desk if she had a computer. She referred to the computers in the back of the store. I thanked her and then went on my way. I imagined that it would take me awhile to find the search engine. But seeing as it was one of two icons on the page, I could guess which one it was.
I started my search by looking up old superheroes groups. As I search, I tried thinking about what name Midnight called that one group that she's constantly fighting. Come to think of it, both Manta and Midnight seem to have some kind of past with them. I kept scrolling until I found a group called Young Justice. It sounded familiar so I clicked on the link.It sent me to some site called YouTube.
Both Manta and Midnight seem to have some kind of past with them.
A man greeted me and asked how I was going.
"I'm doin-"
"I'm Arris Quinones from Variant Comics!"
"Hi? My name is Astrid-."
"I have another exciting video for you!"
"Thanks, I-"
"Today it's all about a blast from the past!"
I kinda feel dumb because I realized he wasn't actually talking to me.
He talked about the young heroes of a group called Young Justice. They were all protégés of top Justice Leaguers like Batman and Superman. He showed a photo of the group, named them all and who their mentors were. Robin was Batman's, Superman had Superboy, Aquaman had Aqualad-

I paused the video on the tall dark skinned man. He had a serious face and you could tell he meant business. He had blonde hair and gray eyes...and gills. I touched my neck. I had gills, and so did Manta.
The man went on to talk about others,"-and Miss Martian is Martian Manhunter's protégé. But these members are only when the team first started out. They shortly added two new members. They came in a pair, both as Black Canary's protégés;Sian and Amethyst."
I paused on the purple woman. 3 dark blue dots under her eyes, one eye was bigger than the other. They were both green. She had wild light blue hair. She was short with wide hips and X's that covered hers knees and elbows.
Could this be them? Are the true identities of Manta and Midnight, Aqualad and Amethyst? Are Aqualad and Amethyst...my parents?
I had so many questions. I unpaused the video.
"I bet you have a lot of questions?"
"Yes! How did you-"
"Well let's try and answer some."
I keep forgetting he's not actually talking to me.
--------
I spent the rest of the night doing research on Amethyst and Aqualad. It turns out that they were killed by a villain named Manta. But my dad is manta... Unless, Amethyst and Aqualad faked their deaths. But what happened to the original Manta. I did some research on him and apparently, he's my dad's dad. So he's my grandpa. My mind was confused as ever. I felt like I still didn't know anything about them.
But I did know that Amethyst had a partner before she joined Young Justice. Her partner was named Sian, last seen protecting Gotham City. I'm in Gotham. I highly doubt that he would still be here but it was worth a try. I started to shut down the computer and leave when a woman in a wheelchair stopped me. She had medium length auburn hair and glasses that covered her big green eyes,"It's a sad thing that happened to them."
"Who?"
"I saw you doing some research on the Young Justice team but then you started to get more interested in Aqualad and Amethyst."
"Oh, yeah...Its for a-um-school project."
"Maybe you shouldn't do it on such a sad story."
"That's what I was assigned..."The way the lady looked at me, told me that she knew more than Arris,"They died. It's a sad story but heroes die everyday right?"
"That's a morbid thought but it's true. But they were retired when they were snatched from this world. They were good people just trying to have a normal life. And their kids-"
"They had kids?!"
"Well-"
"Are their names, Opal, Alexandria and Tulio?"
Her eyes widened in shock,"How did you-? Wait, you look like-"
"I've gotta go! Thanks lady!" I ran out the store.
Who did I look like? And why did she know so much about my parents? She seemed to know them on a personal level.
After rushing out the library, I frantically thought of what to do next. I had no place to stay. I can't ask that lady because she's suspicious of me. If I get picked up by police, mom will surely find me, if she's even looking for me. I know Manta's not, he wanted me gone. But Midnight was worried about me being found by someone. I wondered who.
---
I have no more money but that's ok. I'll pick pocket. I walked down the streets and picked pockets of almost everyone I passed. I didn't know how long I'd be on the streets so I had to have a lot of money. I ran into an ally once I had enough wallets, looking through what I had, when a shadow appeared behind me.
"That's a dangerous game you're playing kid."
I didn't turn and the strong voice continued to talk,"Can get you hurt."
"You're about to be the one who's hurt!" I turned and went to kick him. He dodged and when I went to punch him, he ducked. His arm glowed under the long sleeves. I felt my leg get cold before I felt a hard punch to the face. I fell to the ground but immediately got up as I heard Midnight yell in my ear, get up! I did what I was told and continued to fight.
"You're not a normal kid," the man had on a hood and I couldn't see his face,"if you were, you would've been knocked cold."
I felt cut on my cheek from where he punched me. I quickly began to heal. I looked at my foot, the one that turned cold. There was ice....I looked at him as the wind removed his hood as he went for another hit to my face.
"Sian?"
He stopped in his tracks and didn't say anything. We just sat there staring at each other in silence.