"Now, as we have seen from yesterday, you all are capable of handling yourselves in combat, but some of you are focusing more on running around your opponent, lifting them up or simply overpowering them with brute force," Black Canary began as she looked to Wally, M'gann and I respectively, Richard and Kaldur looking amused as they were not mentioned during that.
'Damn martial-artists and their awesome martial arts,' I thought with a grumble, M'gann trying her best not to giggle while I felt amusement from Connor.
"Therefore, we will be training hand-to-hand combat for today. Chris, you're up first."
"Good luck~", Wally whispered with a teasing grin and I rolled my eyes as Connor simply hopped from my shoulder to M'gann's, walking over to where Canary was waiting inside of the glowing circle on the floor.
"Now, we're going to take it easy and let's say…first one to fall onto their back loses. No flying, of course," She said with a knowing smirk, to which I smirked and nodded.
"Got it. Ready?", I asked, making her raise an eyebrow in amusement before she nodded and shifted into some kind of Karate stance.
"I should be asking you that. Begin when you're ready," As she said that, I didn't move forward and instead began to slowly circle her, Canary looking slightly impressed as she did the same and the two of us began to walk in a circle.
A quick feint to the left made her look before I rushed in low, aiming a sweeping kick towards her front leg that she stepped over like it was nothing.
Turning with a graceful spin, she countered with a palm strike to my chest and I blocked the strike, hitting my arm with more force than I was expecting.
"Not bad. You're not using your superhuman capabilities and yet you still have the speed to keep up. Now, let's step this up a bit," I didn't get a chance to respond as she pulled her hand back and responded with a quick jab at my head.
The next barrage of blows was like lightning as I blocked him as best as I could. A palm strike to my abdomen was slapped to the side only for her to spin with the parry and lash out with a spin kick.
Leaning back, I kicked out at her chest only for her to slip under the kick, aiming a sweeping kick at my leg and knocking me onto my back as she stood up with a smirk.
"Not bad. You've got good instincts, but you get too eager to land a heavy blow and take control of the fight. Learn to feel the rhythm and flow with it."
"Almost a minute, Chris. That's a new record for you, ain't it?", Wally asked with a grin and I rolled my eyes before kip-upping to my feet with a smirk as Canary looked at him.
"It is. I've seen your stomach get messed up by a cheesecake faster than that."
"I'm lactose-intolerant and you know it," He spoke with a huff and I chuckled before turning to Canary as she looked at Wally.
"Since you believe you can do better, come on up and try, Wally."
"Good luck~", I teased him back with a grin as I patted his shoulder, the speedster just grumbling as he walked forward while Connor hopped back to my shoulder.
"I like the bit you did with the kick," M'gann spoke and I blinked as I heard her voice in my mind before turning back to where Wally was hopping from foot to foot.
"I'm glad you did because I got punished really fast for that one."
"I wouldn't worry about it. You're more of the punching-grappling type than a kicker," M'gann teased and I rolled my eyes before looking forward as Wally rushed forward.
It wasn't speedster-levels of fast, but it was still fast enough that the average person would miss it.
Unfortunately for him, Canary wasn't average and we watched as she deflected the jab, grabbed his wrist and slammed him hard onto the padded floor with a grunt.
"Oof~! That's gonna hurt," Dick spoke up and I nodded while M'gann looked a bit concerned as Wally wheezed before giving a shaky thumbs-up.
"I'm okay…Just urhg~! A bit winded over here."
"Speed is a weapon, but only if it's used with some skill. If you try and attack recklessly like that without thinking, you just become a faster target."
"G-Got it."
"At least look at it like this, Wal. She took you down faster than your lactose intolerance does," I joked and M'gann stifled her giggles as the speedster stood up with a grumble.
"That joke is gonna get real old, real fast."
"And yet, it still has layers like a cheesecake but we understand if you can't get them," Dick spoke up and I smirked as Wally just groaned before M'gann squeaked as Canary spoke.
"Alright, enough with the teasing, children. M'gann, it's your turn."
"Good luck," I spoke and she gave a nervous smile before walking over to the circle, Connor sending a word of encouragement as well as the martian readied herself.
"Ten bucks says she surprises everyone."
"That would be a foolish bet," Connor answered back and I smirked before narrowing my eyes as I saw her shaky stance.
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm just not used to fighting with my hands, you know?", She said and I smiled before sending over a burst of encouragement and calm.
"Hey, it's Canary. She'll take it easy on you. All you need to do is just keep it up for thirty seconds and you're better than both Wally and I. Think you can do that?"
"Not really, no," She answered, but I smiled as I saw her steadying herself before she began circling Canary.
"You guys never fought like this on Mars?"
"No, we mostly learned to resist mental attacks, how to use our shapeshifting and how to stay hidden. It was more about will and psychic than it was about physical strength,' She said as she parried a blow from Canary, to which I nodded as I saw her simply moving back instead of countering.
"You're doing quite well for someone who isn't used to this," I spoke as she threw a punch, Black Canary pushing it to the side and countering with a high kick that M'gann blocked with some struggle.
"Really? You're just saying to distract me, aren't you?"
"Nope. I'm saying it because if I said it out loud, you'd blush and phase through the floor," I said, grinning as her soft laughter echoed in my mind even as her cheeks were stained with a light blush.
That proved to be too much of a distraction, though, and I winced as Canary rushed in, delivering a quick barrage of punches and elbows that forced M'gann to block only for the older woman to get her with another leg sweep and fall onto her back.
"Chris?"
"Yeah, I know. I'm quite distracting."
"That too…but thanks for the pep talk. It…it means a lot."
"Like I said, I'm always here if you need someone to talk to. Us outsiders need to stick together, after all," I joked and she gave an audible giggle, making Black Canary raise an eyebrow before the woman gave me a knowing glance.
"Nice job, but next time, focus more on the fight."
"I will," M'gann nodded as she walked back, Kaldur taking his spot in the circle as the Martian's hand brushed lightly against mine before she stood besides me with a happy smile.
"You two really are quite the mess," Connor spoke and I noticed it was a private link before nodding with a smirk.
"I know, Connor. I know."
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"And so, with no further witnesses or evidence to be submitted, Captain Nathaniel Adams was court-martialed under the direct authority of General Lemar and sentenced to life in prison. Any questions?", He asked and I looked only to shake my head at the looks of disinterest of the others' faces.
Kaldur and M'gann looked like they were trying to pay attention, but I could see the former caught up in his own train of thought while the latter's idle thoughts brushed against mine like background noise. Dick was tapping absently at his gauntlet computer with something he most likely deemed more important and Wally?
"Come on, Cap. I thought this was supposed to be espionage class, not civics class," Wally asked with a yawn that he tried to catch, a half-filled cup of Soda in hand as I shook my head and raised a hand.
"Yes, Chris?"
"Captain, why was the trial classified? Seems a bit strange given how public court-martials are usually," I asked and the man gave an appreciative nod as he looked back at the black-and-white photos floating above the holo-table.
"Good question. The reasoning was national security. Adams had volunteered for a weapons program that was later scrubbed from any official records, but the experiment was a failure of sorts. All details related was then sealed…except for a few files that recently resurfaced."
"Recently? As in…?", Robin trailed off as he was now interested, Captain Atom smirking while I shook my head as everyone was now interested in hearing about this.
"As in six days ago. The information is buried in the Pentagon's system and tagged for deletion, but someone flagged it and sent it up the chain to me," Captain Atom spoke as he tapped the table again, bringing up a symbol of an old military insignia with a crimson sunburst."
"We have also found out that there might have been foul play in the experimental weapons test for Captain Adams to ensure that he died during the experiment."
"So, someone staged the trial just to get him killed?", M'gann asked her voice uncertain as Captain Atom nodded.
"It's one theory and that is why we're turning this into a live investigation. A chance to learn on the job itself."
"Urgh~ From history class to detective work?"
"In case you forgot, Wally, we are still a covert ops unit. That means we do more than just hero work and saving the day in broad daylight. We need to learn how to survey our surroundings, do investigations, know how to put clues together and most importantly, catch the villain without alerting the entire city of their presence. So, I'm going to need everyone to do their best here, understood?", I spoke from where I was seated and Wally looked at me before crossing his arms with a huff.
"I liked you more when you weren't team leader."
"You had your chance to not have me as leader," I answered with a shrug and he rolled his eyes while the others looked amused before we turned back to Captain Atom as he continued.
"Well said there, but this is not just a case study. Someone tried to get rid of Adams from every record and I want to know who and why. You'll break up into three teams and investigate different parts of the case, which means you'll need civilian names."
'Oh, we're going full spy, huh?', I thought with a smirk as Captain Atom looked at me and spoke.
"Chris, you're Christopher Pine. You'll be speaking personally to General Wade Eiling, who was the judge at Adams' trial."
"You think he'll talk to me?"
"If anyone can keep a level head when face-to-face with that bulldog, it's you. The man respects mental strength and you're the most level-headed of the group when you need to be."
"Got it," I nodded once, feeling the anticipation setting in as the man nodded.
"M'gann and Dick, you'll go to Las Vegas, There, you'll interview a man called Henry Yarrow who was the defence attorney who represented Adams during his trial."
"We're on it, sir," M'gann nodded, Robin nodding as well as Captain Atom simply turned to Kaldur and Wally.
"Kaldur, Wally, you two will be going to Honolulu. Adams has two kids, a daughter named Peggy and a son named Randy."
"We're interviewing…kids?"
"They're adults now and they could potentially be holding onto pieces the rest of us do not know of."
"Understood," Kaldur nodded and Captain Atom looked at us before crossing his arms.
"This is a cold case so no meta powers unless necessary and no hero suits. Use your heads, your instincts and your wit. Find the truth and do not let anyone silence it. Dismissed," He spoke as he walked towards the Zeta Tubes, the guys standing up to get ready while I raised an eyebrow as I felt M'gann's presence brushing against my mind.
"You okay? You were really focused during the class, which is something you usually do not do."
"Yeah, it's just…I think this case might be closer to being solved than we're seeing."
"You think there's more to it than Captain Atom's letting on?", She asked and I hummed before nodding.
"I think there's more to it all. The General marrying the widow after being the reason why her husband died…the attorney that didn't even try to fight for a shorter sentence and instead fought to get everything gone…They're just something not right here."
"Well, just be careful, okay? Last I checked, your telekinesis doesn't stop bullets," She said with a smirk before rolling her eyes as I shrugged.
"They'll shatter on my skin, but I'm fairly sure I can stop them with my telekinesis."
"Just promise me you'll be careful."
"…Okay, I promise."
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"The general will be with you shortly," The assistant standing near the door spoke and I gave a thankful smile before taking a deep breath as they closed the door.
'I really hate this uniform. Feels so restrictive,' I grumbled as I adjusted the tie for the umpteenth time to try and make it more comfortable.
"You could simply just have left it out," Connor spoke and I snorted as I interlocked my fingers back on my lap.
"And risk having him tell me that my uniform is sloppy? Not a chance. Anyway, you feel anyone coming close?", I asked and could hear the G-Gnome floating in the vents before he spoke.
"Here he comes. Remember, ask only the questions I give you."
"Got it," As I finished speaking, I stood up as the door opened, the imposing sight of the man known as General Eiling walking in like he was stepping onto a battlefield.
The man's eyes scanned me once over while I did the same before shaking the hand he stretched out.
"You're early."
"Didn't want to waste your time, sir."
"A man with manners? Good. Please, be seated," The man was blunt as he gestured for me to sit down while taking his own seat.
"So, you're with the Department?"
"That's right, sir. Oversight division, digging into archival inconsistencies."
"Ah, so this is an audit, then," Despite his stoic tone, I couldn't help but notice the slight flash of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Just clarification, sir. Specifically about the Adams court-martial. 1968, if I recall correctly," I spoke and just like that, the amusement in his eyes was completely gone.
"The records for Captain Nathaniel Adams show that it was sealed under your authority?"
"Let me save you some time, son. Adams was a soldier and a damn good one at that, but he made a bad call. The man went rogue during a mission in the Vietnam War and got some of the finest soldiers I have ever worked with killed. The trial was real and the sentence was justified."
'The moment I asked about the trial, his heart spiked, but now it's beating perfectly normal. Usually, if a person was nervous, their heart would speed up. Thank you, Hunter x Hunter for teaching me that one,' I thought as I flexed my fingers subtly in my lap before continuing.
"Some of the documents suggest otherwise. The mission he was on does not exist in our records when it did before.
"You're young. You don't understand the cost of maintaining a nation's security and some sacrifices aren't pretty. Some records are sealed for a reason."
"Was that Adams' choice, sir? To be the sacrifice?", I asked and the man narrowed his eyes.
"You're stepping out of line there, Pine."
"Apologies, sir. Alow me to ask in another way so you don't ignore the question. Did Adams volunteer for the position?", I asked and a tense silence hung as we held each other's gaze before he nodded.
"Adams did volunteer."
"Why, though?", I continued pressing and the man looked at me before standing up, surprising me slightly as he walked over to a cabinet with a fingerprint scanner that he unlocked and took out a thin file.
"Read it fast. You'll never see it again," He spoke as he sat back down and I frowned before opening to the first file, reading it as fast as I could even as my eyes widened.
'Adams was pressured to join because he was promised a clean slate and a future with his wife and children. All he had to do was survive a weapons test designed to bond…alien metal to human…Captain Atom is Captain Adams, isn't he? Fuck, it was right there.'
"Why cover it up?", I asked as I closed the vial and the general frowned as he shook his head.
"Because the test worked and the results scared people. The man became a weapon with no off-switch so we took him from the books to control the narrative. Now, someone wants to dig up the past and shine a light where shadows should stay."
"You're trying to protect a legacy here. Yours," I spoke as the dots connected and the man's eyes flashed with something as he nodded.
"I'm protecting stability. Men like you who walk in with questions and no understanding of what consequences are jeopardize that stability so you need to watch yourself, son."
"I always do, sir," I spoke as I stood up, the man rising as well as I simply nodded and walked out of his office.
"Connor, get to the right side. I'll catch you there."
"Got it," Connor answered and I took a deep breath to calm my frustration as I continued walking.
'There's something going on here and I'm going to figure out what it is…I can see why Batman likes detective work now.'
A/N: And we are in a new arc. This is actually from the comics so if you wanna go read it, it starts at Issue #9: Cold Case of the Young Justice Comics. It's a pretty fun one.
This actually happens between the Fog episode and the Dr. Fate episode of season 1, but I decided to do this first and then do those after.
Next chapter: Unveiling Secrets and…More Kryptonite?! Lex, stop selling weapons that can kill me!
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until next week...
Ba-Bye~!