Fate or Chance

Chapter IV

Mia Mizoguchi walked the streets of Gotham City. Alone.

 She sighed thinking about how well the day had started. She and her friends had gone to hang out at the Gotham City mall. They had laughed at Damian's expressions of disgust at having to be kind to order food. She and Lucy had gone to buy clothes while the boys complained (Mia suspected that Lucy did it on purpose to annoy the boys), they were going to the pet store when the four had received the call.

 The four young heroes had been summoned by the Young Justice team for a mission.

 Mia was happy for her friends, seriously.

 Particularly for Lucy, it had taken time but, at last, the Justice League and the Young Justice team had stopped seeing her as the Joker's daughter. Now, they saw her as Zinger, the only one who could endure Nightwing's acrobat training.

 Collin was happy to be part of something bigger, and Damian and John could find their way as heroes without having to stick to their parents and their methods.

 Mia was happy for her friends, but still...

 It hurt to not be there with them.

 When they had missions in Gotham City, as Maps, she could help them by providing information and hacking enemy systems. Her cartography skills were always useful but, when her friends worked with Young Justice, they didn't need her… and that felt horrible.

 She knew that Damian had tried to convince Batman to let her in, but he had refused. Mia was, after all, a civilian without training for battles. Although Batman approved the inclusion of Maps in Damian's team, Young Justice was out of the question. It hurt, but she understood and accepted.

 Batman had already made many exceptions with her; letting her be part of Damian's team, letting her into the batcave, not kicking her out when she got excited like a girl at a carnival and began to grab batarangs as if they were candy, etc.

She only hoped one day to be able to be with her friends while they fought crime.

 Smiling with determination, she shook her head and took out her phone. After all, she wouldn't become a hero if she just sat.

"Very good Lucy, Damian. What do you have for me?"

 Meanwhile, in Mount Justice, Damian's team was preparing for their mission.

 "Poor Mia." mentioned Collin. "We left her hanging."

 "Mizoguchi already knew that this was likely to happen."

 "Don't be insensitive, Damian!" Jon complained. "Collin is right, poor Mia."

 "Bringing Mizoguchi to a serious mission would be counterproductive and she would only get hurt."

 "Translation: Damian is worried that Mia might get hurt."

 "I didn't ask you to 'translate', Quinzel."

 "Certainly, it was a community service."

 "Anyway, I don't like Mia not being here." Jon complained. "She's our Maps."

 "Neither the League nor the team would allow a civilian, even a capable one, to enter here as if it were nothing." Damian said while taking out his katana. "It would be dangerous to have someone without the proper training included in our missions."

 Everyone was silent while Lucy glanced at Damian.

 "What are you hiding from us?"

 "What are you talking about Kent?"