The Hunt ⋆ Young Justice (o.h.)

fifteen : shadows in the dark

( CHAPTER FIFTEEN : SHADOWS IN THE DARK )

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HEARNE HAD DECIDED THAT KALDUR WAS A BASTARD. He clearly was, since when they raced back to the Cave after a morning swim and he sent a wave towards her, nearly water-boarding her in the process. She'd kicked his knee from behind and made it first, but still, Kaldur playing dirty? She didn't see that coming.

She shivered slightly as she wrapped a towel around her head. She was dry, in fresh clothes, but still--it was November, and they had gone for a swim in Rhode Island. Freezing water temperatures weren't something she couldn't handle, but she certainly didn't welcome it.

M'gann had arrived back with Connor, both of whom had gone to pick up a shipment for Batman, as well as groceries at the local shop. Hearne was helping them unload, taking several crates at a time alongside Kaldur, who could only carry two, versus her three. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from doing more than a small smile, because something about competing to see who could carry more crates was so . . . unusual. And strangely, Hearne didn't mind it, no matter how hard she tried to squash that feeling, it always came back.

Friends, that was what Black Canary had told her the morning before. That whether she wanted to admit it, the Team were her friends, and she was apart of it. At first, she'd denied it, and said that, no, they weren't friends, that she wasn't "attached" to them. But then Black Canary brought up Failsafe, and how she'd practically shut down after Artemis and Kaldur's deaths, and against every instinct, Hearne became misty-eyed.

After a long talk--well over their agreed one-hour session--Hearne had agreed that she'd try to see them as such, and give having "friends" a chance. She wasn't keen on the idea, and it made her feel like someone had sucked air out of her lungs, but a small part of her liked it. Because she'd have friends. She wouldn't have to stomp that feeling she got whenever Kaldur looked over at her with that smile on his face, the one that made him seem like an entirely different person.

So, maybe she could have friends. And maybe that would make her feelings make sense. Because this awful feeling of warmth of her cheeks--which Athena kept trying to convince her was perfectly normal--was not right. She'd rather get impaled for the second time than blush at another comment.

Artemis and Zatanna entered the room as Hearne helped Kaldur and Connor untie the restraints from a few of the crates.

"Do not tear them," Kaldur reprimanded, "it might damage what's inside."

She frowned, but nonetheless did what he said and took the hunting knife from her boot to cut the thick restraints. Connor blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance of the weapon from her shoe, but eventually shrugged at Kaldur and went back to work.

Hearne dropped into a defensive position, her knife poised between her fingertips as something crashed to the floor. Loud, like glass shattering.

"Dad!"

Zatara, Batman, and Red Tornado were gone. Rationally, she knew it was impossible for them to disappear that quickly, and it was impossible for them to have Zeta'd anywhere from where they were standing.

"Oh, shit." Hearne looked to Kaldur, whose eyes were wide. "This is witchcraft, or something of the sort-- it has to be, I can't imagine anything with this level of power. Or mythical arts, something like that, it isn't self-generated."

"But where did they go?" Zatanna asked, starting to panic. "Why them? Why not everyone else--oh my god, what if they have the other Leaguers?"

"Check." Hearne stood up with a straightened posture, knife still in hand. "I doubt they are the only ones missing . . . to have something powerful enough to make them vanish, they wouldn't waste it on only these three."