Batman stood at the console and played the mission footage on the wall. The screen showed the Amazo unit fighting the Team while I watched from the back row. My strike hit the cooling vent, causing a thermal flare that brightened the monitor. Steam hissed from the robot's shoulder and its movements slowed to a crawl.
Batman paused the video and turned to face us. He addressed the others first and noted their tactical errors. Then he looked at me. "The strike on the chest-plate forced a meltdown, Vex. It was effective. But you failed to warn the others. You nearly caught Robin and Kid Flash in the blast."
I gave a short nod. Batman's disapproval mattered less than my access to the Cave's equipment. I waited for the dismissal and walked toward the barracks while the other sidekicks stayed behind to argue.
I entered the gym and took a second to marvel at how big it was. The show didn't do it justice. My Ring glowed. 7% power. I stopped the energy leak, but the charge remained low. That wouldn't remain a problem for much longer with my plans.
I dropped to the floor and began my push-ups. My chest hit the metal with every rep. One hundred. Two hundred. My muscles burned, yet I kept the pace steady. I moved to sit-ups and stayed there until core cramps forced me to stop. Sweat pooled on the floor. The Sharingan could copy moves but not allow me to do the physically impossible thing the people of this universe did on a daily. For now, there was a gap between my mind and body. I worked until my limbs failed and then lay on the floor to recover.
Three days of this routine passed before the mission alert for Gotham came in.
August 4th
Professional thieves stole High-tech weaponry and we were currently chasing them.
We were on a rooftop in the Industrial District. The air was thick with smog and the smell of the harbor. Robin was on his knees, checking a sensor array. Aqualad was on the ledge, scanning the street. He was doing his job—keeping watch—but I'm still confused why they didn't give me that job I guess I was still a bit of an outsider.
"Movement in the alley," Robin whispered.
I looked. The shadows were thick, but the Sharingan stripped them away. A figure in green moved through the crates. This wasn't one of the thieves. She wasn't clumsy, and she wasn't rushed. She pulled a bow, notched an arrow, and aimed at the warehouse's electronic lock.
"Another archer?" Kid Flash muttered. "Don't tell me Speedy followed us."
"It's not him," I said.
I activated the Sharingan. The world turned red and sharp. I watched her muscles tense as she drew the bowstring. Her hand remained still despite the wind. She aimed at the electronic lock and fired. The arrow sparked, killing the alarm and the lights in one hit. She slipped inside.
Aqualad gave the order to move. The Team jumped, using capes and speed to land. I took the fire escape, sliding down the metal rail to the first landing before dropping to the pavement. I rolled and reached the door first.
Walking in, I followed the Team but stayed in the rear. I recognized the archer from the Amazo fight. Her name is Artemis. She was auditioning for a spot on the team, but the others didn't know that yet. She was the one who fired the arrow during the Amazo fight and stopped Superboy from taking too much damage.
The others would see her as a hero. I just saw another reason for the league to continue ignoring me. I touched the smoke pellet on my belt and watched her move. Archery wasn't my thing, but I'd take whatever I could get.