Young Justice: Red Comet

Chapter 11 - Evaluation

—Nova

The stiches are healed, and most of my bruises are gone. There's only a faint trace of black around my left eye. I just don't glance at any mirrors.

I'm standing in the mission room, with Nightwing, Artemis, Kaldur, Bart, Remy and Jaime. Nightwing is currently is in a fighting stance. I mirror him, keeping my fists in front of me and my knees bent.

We begin circling each other, watching each other's motions. This human is skilled, dangerous. He comes after me with a few jabs, but I easily keep out of reach. He's testing me, and I'm just observing his motions.

Finally, he gives in and goes for a hard punch. I dodge to the side, grabbing his arm and using his motion to push him to the ground. He falls, but quickly gets back on his feet, facing me.

His eyes are narrowed behind his mask as he comes for me again. He kicks out with his legs, which I dodge. He lashes his foot next to my head, but I grab it and twist it. Forcing him to fall to the ground. I stand over him, offering out a hand.

"Your defense is pretty well rounded, but now I need to see your offense." He says, taking my hand and I haul him to his feet. "Also, you're very control. That's good." He gives me a smile.

"Most of my training was focus on defensive, but I can show you my offense." I say quietly. I take a moment to check my breathing. I'm still calm.

When they asked if I have any fighting experience, I told them I trained privately with an elder. She taught me everything I know. She knew how much I wanted to help, and I still do. But everything changed when Maska found out about me.

My breathing hitches, and I force my lungs to work. I look at the spectators and find Bart in the crowd. His green eyes are alive with happiness and he gives me a smile.

I smile back before returning to the sparring match.

Nightwing forces me to attack first. I don't like that, but I do it anyways. I finally get him to take a kick at me. I grab his foot, throwing him to the ground face down. Quickly, I sit on his legs, grabbing his left foot and bend it over my legs. I don't apply anymore force because I don't want to break his leg.

I get off of him, and he looks at me. "That's was a good technique. Do you know any others like that?"

"Yes, I'm very skilled in breaking the body." I say it softly. I hate that I know how to hurt a person so much. I hate violence, but I need to know this. Especially with me having this kind of unique power.

"Do you know how to use any weapons?" A female voice asks behind me. I turn around to face Artemis, who's looking at me intensely.

"No, not like yours. The only weapons I use is my body." I state simply. Artemis doesn't take her gaze of me.

"We must see your powers in action, Nova." Kaldur says calmly.

"No," I say quickly. Everyone focuses on me. "I mean, I would burn you. Humans are not resist to heat like Torrans."

"You can't burn me with my armor on." Remy says, smiling. "I can fight you easily with your powers."

I want to protest but the words are stuck in my throat. I can't let them know what I'm really capable of. They might turn on me, just like Maska did.

"Okay," I say weakly.

Jaime kisses her lips and whispers something in her ear, she smiles at him. Nightwing switches out for Remy, and she stands in front of me. I watch as red and black armor quickly covers her body. Now, she's Red Beetle.

We begin circling each other, and I observe Remy. She's intense, focus and driven. Emotion and reckless. She'll let herself get angry. She's confident, and with the power to back it up. Remy will be quite a challenge.

Her right arm forms into a sonic cannon and she fires it. I roll away to avoid the attack. I then am up and running circles around Remy. She aims the sonic cannons at me, but I barely keep ahead of them.

Finally, she gets impatience and flies straight at me. She envelopes me in a tackle and we roll to the floor. She shifts so she has me in a head lock and begins constricting her arm around my throat. It messes up my breathing, and in respond, my body begins heating up.

I let the heat pour of form my center. My heart pulsing out the fire within me. My skin goes from its tan state to yellow, then orange, then to a bright red. I hear Remy's take as sharp breath as I reach up and grab her head. I rip her off of me and throw her into the wall. She impacts and falls to the ground. She looks up at me, amazement in her eyes. I feel more stares on me.

I turn around to find everyone staring at me in awe. I suddenly feel self-conscious, but I keep my heat on. My body is glowing brightly, and my eyes and hair emit their own white light. The gray clothes I crashed in are unaffected by the heat, the main reason I put them on for the fight. Earth clothing isn't like Torran's.

"You look beautiful," I hear a voice speak. I find its owner, and Bart's green eyes are focus on me. I blink at his wonder.

"I don't understand, aren't you afraid of me?" I whisper. Why are the humans looking at me like I'm a work of art? I'm not beautiful, I'm different. Too much power. Ugly.

"Why would we be afraid of you?" Remy asks quietly, walking towards me. I'm glad she has her armor on, because the heat I'm emitting is very strong.

"Because I'm not like other Torran's. I'm not supposed to be actual heat, I'm not supposed to be this strong and powerful." My words are shaky as I whisper them. In the back of my mind I see my friends, my family look at me in disgust as they see me for what I am.

Different. Unknown. Alien.

"So? What's wrong with being unique?" Bart asks, he takes a few steps towards me and I take more steps backwards.

"Don't. Wait." I warn. I focus, allowing my heat to calm down. Slowly, my red glowing skin dulls down to an orange, then a yellow, then finally I'm back to tanned skin. Bart runs and stops in front of me. The wind of his movement blowing my hair backwards.

"You look amazing, like a goddess." Bart says, grinning.

I shake my head. Their idea of beauty is different from mine. Bart keeps grinning.

"Nova, you controlled yourself really well. You did amazing." Remy comes up to me, smiling.

"I hope I didn't injure you, Remy." I look over her worriedly. She's still grinning.

"Of course you didn't, but I started to feel the heat a little when you got all hot. It surprised me, but don't worry. Next time you won't get the jump on me."

I smile back, and Nightwing approaches me. I face him, looking him in his pale green eyes.

"Welcome to the Team, Nova."