8 Chapter 8. New Beginnings

(Aiden's POV)

My toes dug into the sand with a heaviness that matched that of my heart. The darkness of the night weighed heavily upon me, the waves crashing against the shore providing little solace.

"I don't feel like being in DC anymore," I complained, blinking sleepily as exhaustion clouded my senses.

The voice that shattered the silence belonged to Wonder Woman. "Again!" she commanded, her tone firm and unwavering, demanding another round of dueling.

I felt too drained to muster any enthusiasm for her early morning antics. I had barely slept, having only settled in at midnight before being rudely awakened two hours later.

My resentment toward my mentor grew as she seemed inexplicably energized at such an ungodly hour. She claimed she was assessing my resilience, but it felt more like being battered into submission.

"Battering me at such an ungodly hour," I muttered, unable to contain my frustration.

"Your resolve should never waver," she lectured, her words echoing in my mind. But who said my resolve was wavering? In my heart and mind, I had resolved to sleep, and that's where my determination lay.

"Again!" Her command cut through the air, filling me with a sense of dread. How long would she continue to push me? When would it be enough?

Despite my exhaustion, I forced myself to stand firm, readying myself for another round. The sand felt cold beneath my feet. Showing her any signs of weakness would only make her push me harder. Thus, I refused to let her see any weakness, even though every fiber of my being longed for rest.

With a heavy sigh, I squared my shoulders and braced myself for the inevitable onslaught. Wonder Woman commanded for me to approach her and attack, her presence commanding the battlefield.

"This time, use your magic to the fullest." She ordered, relinquishing the limitation she had put upon me and unleashing a burning furnace within me.

"I thought we'd never get there." The fire within me yearned to complete the assessment and go back to sleep.

---

Pam! Pam! Pam!

"Not again," I muttered, dreading the presence of Wonder Woman after hearing a loud knock on the door to my room.

With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself out of bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion pulling at my limbs. Wonder Woman's early morning antics had left an indelible mark on me.

All I wanted was to do was sleep through the entire day, claiming that I had done enough exercise for an entire month, but I knew the knocking would only worsen.

As I opened the door, I was met with the exuberant expression of Wally West.

"You look like hell, bro!" he exclaimed. "Wonder what adventures you've been having in the night."

"Especially with your magic," he added with a low tone and a quick wink, but I ignored his implication with a lazy look on my face. I was exhausted and sleepy and wasn't in the mood for his excitement.

"Anyway, Black Canary sent me to get you," he stated the reason for banging on the door this "early" in the morning. "She has a job for you. Well, a job for everyone."

"Is that it?" I asked lazily. "Is it an emergency?"

"Not exactly," he said.

"Tell her I'll be there in a minute," I said while attempting to close the door, but Wally intercepted. The only thought that was in my mind was just how cozy and warm my sheets were.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Wally said. "You don't want Black Canary to wake you up."

"Besides, you've kind of overslept," he added, showing me the time on his phone.

I didn't give a damn about what time it was. In fact, the only time I wanted to see was any number showing that it was evening. But recalling how rough Wonder Woman had been with waking me up, I couldn't bear losing my crush on Black Canary too. A surge of adrenaline gave me the energy I needed to desire to follow Wally.

"Okay. Fine," I grumbled, dragging myself away from the comfort of my room. I couldn't help but think that I would have the chance to return to that awesome dream later – a dream in which Wonder Woman wasn't my villain.

Reluctantly, I followed Wally down the corridor, each step heavier than the last under the weight of exhaustion. Despite my reluctance, a sense of duty nagged at me. If Black Canary needed our help, then it was my responsibility to lend a hand, no matter how drained I felt.

As we navigated the cavernous halls of the Team headquarters, I couldn't help but marvel at the bustling transformation taking place around us. The once-deserted space now hummed with activity, the air alive with the sounds of my teammates working together to create a home for themselves.

"We've got quite a task ahead of us," Wally remarked, breaking the silence as we approached the storage area where Black Canary and Red Tornado awaited. Wonder Woman was conspicuously absent, a fact that brought a wave of relief as I recalled my futile attempts to match her during our early morning training.

"Yeah, it looks like it," I replied, summoning what little energy I had left.

Black Canary greeted us with a warm smile, her presence instantly lifting my spirits despite my fatigue. Her captivating charm not only made me feel at ease but also reminded me why being in DC was something special.

Without delay, Black Canary briefed us on the task at hand – transporting supplies from the Zeta tube to their designated locations within the Cave.

"Kid Flash, I appreciate your offer to handle this alone," Black Canary said, her tone firm yet understanding. "But as members of the Team, it's important for everyone to pitch in and take responsibility for the new headquarters."

With a nod of understanding, Kid Flash accepted the challenge, his enthusiasm undeterred by the daunting task ahead. Together, we joined the workforce, loading boxes of furniture, food stock, clothing, and tech onto carts and transporting them to their designated areas within the Cave.

Robin and Kaldur diligently worked on installing the tech equipment, ensuring that each piece was set up correctly and ready for use. Meanwhile, Megan took charge of all matters concerning the kitchen, organizing foodstuffs and ensuring that everything was in order.

Utilizing his super-strength, Superboy effortlessly lifted and moved furniture, rearranging it as needed within the Cave. Megan couldn't help but steal glances at Superboy's impressive physique, her cheeks flushing with a faint blush as she admired his strength and muscular build.

As Wally West transported supplies to various areas of the Cave with his speed, he couldn't resist tapping into his speed force to occasionally sample the delicacies being packed in the kitchen shelves. His antics disrupted Megan's admiring glances at Superboy, much to her amusement.

Meanwhile, I found myself gravitating towards Black Canary, doing my best to stay close to her. I couldn't help but feast on her beauty, imagining the glory of feeling the fullness of her lips and the warmth of her embrace (you feel me?).

As the hours passed, the Cave slowly transformed from an empty space into a home filled with the warmth and energy of my teammates. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavily on my body, my heart swelled with a sense of belonging unlike anything I had ever known before.

Finishing his last installation, Robin wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and glanced up at Kaldur, who had also completed his tasks.

"There's something mysterious about this Cave," Robin remarked, his gaze fixed on the central console as he inspected it.

Curious, I moved closer to hear Robin's observation, intrigued by the enigmatic nature of our new base. The existence of the Cave as a separate facility from Mount Justice and seemingly abandoned, raised questions about its purpose and significance.

"Why? What did you find?" I inquired.

"It's not what I found, it's what I didn't find," Robin explained in response, his tone thoughtful. "There were no weapons, no tech equipment, neither sufficient supplies. It's unusual for Batman to have a secret base without any resources. It leaves me wondering about the true purpose of the Cave."

Kaldur nodded in agreement, expressing his own curiosity about the mysterious location. "Indeed, it's quite perplexing."

"I even tried to locate it using satellite imagery, but I couldn't find it on any map or obtain its coordinates," Robin continued, further emphasizing the covert nature of the Cave.

"And there are no signals outside the Cave either," I added, recalling my observations from earlier when I had trained outside.

Robin looked at me with interest. "How did you know?"

"I was outside this morning... training," I replied, feeling a pang of exhaustion at the memory of the rigorous session.

"Initiative, huh?" Robin's tone held a hint of admiration. "Mind sparing me a spar?"

"Yeah, but not today," I admitted, feeling too drained to entertain the idea of sparring with Robin, especially knowing his formidable skills honed by Batman himself.

Kid Flash entered the conversation with his characteristic enthusiasm, suggesting a trip to the beach now that most of the work was done.

"And most importantly, we've earned it," Robin added, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.

A mischievous grin spread across Kid Flash's face as he turned to the rest of us. "Are you thinking what we're thinking?"

~Prime

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