Cygnus (Young Justice Fanfiction)

Riddle Me This

//S

"I have never seen her unique fighting style before." God, is that you? My left thigh and right arm were throbbing. I had a huge headache and my throat was dry, but I ignored the pain. The memories of the previous battle started to flood into my mind. I groaned, Penguin was going to kill me for this. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in an empty white room. There was a black camera in two corners of the room. I was lying on a metal table with metal restraints on my wrists and ankles. They had removed all my weapons, but I was still in my battle gear.

My mask! Oh, thank goodness it is still on, but why? They should have taken my mask off by now. What was going on? A better question was, how was I going to escape? I looked at the four pockets on each side of my leg. I had sewed them on my training uniform so that I didn't have to carry around a bag. They each looked empty, the team of superheroes must have taken everything. I was wearing the necklace I stole from the museum that matched the bracelet the Riddler gave me.

My bracelet! I closed my eyes trying to remember the exact words the Riddler had told me.

***

"This is for you, Silver Swan, a diamond in the rough. Always remember things are not as black and white as they seem," he advised wisely. He gave me the bracelet at the last training session we had together. Those were his last words of advice as he left my training room at the Iceberg Lounge.

***

I knew there was something fishy about that piece of advice! I looked back at the bracelet that had a huge diamond with black, gray, and white beads. "Diamond in the rough" must mean I have to use it during rough times! I closed my eyes again breathing slowly; I could see it all coming together. It's what the Riddler taught me in order to clear my mind. Concentrate, "Things aren't as black and white as they seem," what does that mean? I looked back at the bracelet's black, gray, and white beads. I studied it hard and saw a little bump about the size of a pinhead on each bead. I pushed the bumps questioningly while coming to the conclusion that they are buttons. I quickly pressed all the gray beads because they weren't black or white. A small knife and lock pick, each about the size of a needle, poked out of the huge, fake diamond.

Noted.

I quickly picked the lock tot he restraint that was holding my right wrist down. Then I moved on to the other hand and then my feet. I slowly scooted off the table just as a walrus would move on a dry rock. Pain shot up my left leg; I looked down at the wrapped wound and untied the bloody gauze. I ripped the bottom part of my shirt off and wrapped the area tightly to apply pressure in order to stop the bleeding. I used to watch the police officers at the station practice first aid at the station; those were much simpler times. I only watch the policemen work, but I got my own practice in when was on the streets, alone. I limped to the door slowly laying my head against it to stop the world from spinning. My head was killing me, but I pushed the pain back down.

"Ugh, why does Batman have to make things so difficult!" I heard someone slam his fist on a table in frustration.

"Batman has his reasons, this must be a test of some sort." a deeper male voice assured. This test must be the reason why they didn't take my mask off. I picked the lock as quietly as I could; the voices sounded very distant. I was hoping they were in a different room and not watching the camera monitors when I opened the door. All of a sudden an alarm blared in my ear.

Wishful thinking.

I ran away from the voices and running feet. I turned the corner and pressed against the wall. My heart was going to pop out of my chest if it beat any faster. All my senses were on high alert when I heard the voices.

"We weren't watching the camera feed. Rookie mistake, Batman would have my head for that if he were here." 

"Search the area, we can't let her escape!" yelled a female voice.

That was my cue; I ran as fast as I could, pain coursing through my body with every step. A streak of lightning flew right past me. A boy with red hair in a yellow and red suit skidded to a stop in my line of way. 

Kid Flash, just what I needed.

I turned around to find the rest of the junior team blocking my other way out; there was no running from this one. I put both my fist up and looked for a weapon, but there was nothing in the hallway except for a rug. Kid Flash came running at me, but I was already grabbing the rug and pulled it over the streak. Success! I ran from the rest of the team but didn't get very far. Aqualad quickly formed a box made of water around me. Before I could protest, a smoke bomb went off in my water cage. I wish they would quit with the sedatives.

E