AN: This is an update to this chapter with the final part added at the end to stop the story so I can move on to another project. Thanks to all those who reviewed.

Earla arrived home, trudged up the stairs, grabbed clothes, and headed to the shower. Her body was covered from tip to top in groudy with extra side of sweat-funky for good measure. It was a wonder that her friends didn't question why she was impersonating an excavator with the amount of dirt she wore. She peeled off her clothes and headed in to the spray of warm water. What would the others think of her performance?

As she cleaned herself, she let her mind wander to the fight. She froze like water in the winter. All of that training for what? What had she done? She stood there gaping like a mopey dope waiting on someone else to help her. She was useless and who was she kidding, definitely not ready for hero crap. Sure, she had two months of training, but really two month compared to lunatics like the Joker? This was not going to turn out well. She turned off the water dried off, dressed, and went to the kitchen.

"Auntie what are…?"Earla asked as a big bowl of red beans and rice was put into her hands as her aunt gestured to the table.

"I saw your escapade and thought that we needed to talk," Aunt Mari stated before joining her at the table with her own bowl and two bottles of water. Earla swallowed to engrossed in her eating to really care about the dressing down she was about to get.

"Not graceful but…"Earla ventured to look up mid-chew. "Not bad for your first real battle." Her aunt finished as she put in a spoonful of beans. Earla looked dumbstruck. She spluttered.

"Of course there are things that needed to be improved. Such as your attacks but with practice…"

"Scary," Earla counted attempting to find something to say that could describe it. That was eloquent nothing had come to mind.

"I'd worried if you said that you'd thought it was fun. Battle are very serious things that must be weighed and measured." Mari continued eating.

"Not a life for me maybe," Earla said voicing the fear that had been creeping in her mind.

"Maybe not but who's asking you to decided today?" Earla looked up at her aunt "Look, La-la, your life, your decisions. What did your I say at the beginning?" Earal thought back to her aunts words at the beginning of practice.

"Control," Earla said coming up with the word her aunt had told her it was about.

"You're not there fully so you can't quit, but when you do, it it's up to you."

"I don't wanna do that again."

"Look people leave the life of a super all the time some people find that its not for them. The hours long unpredictable and to top it off you still have personal life to maintain and no boss, believe me, is going to take I had to save the world as an valid excuse for being late. No one is asking you to be a hero forever."

"But why am…." Her aunt just looked at her.

"Best tutors in the world." Her aunt nodded at the answer that she gave. Earla took a long drink well that was her first battle. It was bound to get easier from here wasn't it.

Earla jerked awake eyes darted around the room for danger. Her heart thudded in her chest as she breathed in and out calming herself. She had only been asleep for an hour and dispute wanting to go back Morpheus was not coming to her rescue any time soon. She was wired like a jackrabbit meeting a snake. She threw the covers off and head over to the dvds to pick a distraction from the shelf. She needed her mind off of what had happened earlier. Pulling an old movie from her pile she put it into to the player. The plot was a familiar song that she knew the lyrics but the movie wasn't meant to be entertaining just a distraction. Before exhaustion became her sleep drug of choice, dvds had been one of her favorite ways to fall asleep. Training my insomnia cure of choice. She pressed play and let the familiar sound of the title and Del tha Funkee Homosapien take her to the land of big heists and casinos.

Her hand whacked the offending alarm clock with full furry. How dare it stop her lovely rem cycle after a fitful start full of replays with bad endings sleep had finally came. She arched her back and stretched the sleep out well there was no use crying over it. Sunday was here and in full. Sunday, Sunday was filled with no expectations just a day of church and relaxations. But nope not today. She had work to make up and she wanted to keep her grades up.

Most of the others were pulling As and Bs in their classes despite saving the world on a regular basis. Robin as a matter of fact was pulling As not that surprised anyone with someone like the Bat hovering over your shoulder. She gave a little mental shutter and was thankful that she didn't have a caretaker like the Batman looking after her. She could barely make it with a semi-normal aunt thank you very much. Earla didn't want to be left out as the only average kid on a super team.

Leaving her nice warm bed she pulled a sweatshirt on and plopped down at the desk and opened her books for English. She wrote about how the parable of the pearl was to teach people about how not to loose site of important things in the pursuit of money because money could turn from a dream into a nightmare. and as Summers called up the stair for them to get ready and come down she was finished with a rough outline of the essay.

"Cave today," came Mrs. Summers greeted as she gestured to the table where the cereal and bowls were.

"No, its…,"

"Mission debrief and standard psych-eval for all post battle combatants."

"Fine" Stuffing a spoonful of cereal. Earla didn't feel like talking to a shrink. Who'd do that job anyway? Did Superman and Batman have to submit to the same post battle evaluation. That brought a smile to her face. "So, Batman tell me about about your last battle with the Joker." Glare.

"Help me move equipment and we will get our evals," Kaldur stated as he pick up one of the boxes on the floor. Earla grabbed another one and followed after.

"Where are these going? What is it? What is a psych-eval anyway?" Early said walking fast to catch up.

"To the armory, power cells, and a test of your mental state?" Turned into the room that was the amour and set the box along a wall. He turned around and Earla gave him a blank stare.

"To help us cope with after mission doubts and fears. All members of the team get after mission evals." He explained as they walked back to the room.

"Like…," Earla paused unsure if she should continue, "nightmares?

"Yes, among other things…," replied and looked at here with a worried expression.

" Don't stress. It's no biggie right how bad can a few dreams be?" Earla replied hoping to sound confident and not the terrified she was feeling.

"Very big if they're underlying emotions you're not dealing with," stated Canary who she didn't know was listening. "Leave those to Kaldur let's you and I get started on your eval." Great Earla thought now she was going to get some psychologist in her head as she followed Canary into to a familiar room with couches.

"So, who's the team's shrink."

"Me"

"You"

"Well, I do have a degree and training in dealing with the human mind." No wonder she was so good a manipulating Earla into training.

"Now, tell me about the nightmares," Canary said as she sat down and gave a pointed look.

"Well…," Earla paused looked down the fears flowing. She didn't want to talk and considered making something up and just dealing with it later. She looked up and Canary arched an eyebrow. It was understood no lies. "It starts all with the build up to the museum…." Earla launched into a conversation about the dream and they both back and forth with Canary asking probing questions. Earla glanced at the clock and saw that the thirty minutes were up.

"Everyone has doubts, second guesses. Regrets are just past decisions. Nothing can be done about them except to learn and move on," Canary stated as a dismissal. Preoccupied Earla walked back out and motions for Kaldur to go back. Repression what that what this was? Should she talk to someone or hold it back?

Earla sat and thought about it. She hadn't really considered about the time before going to live with her aunt had she really been that angry at dad, mom? Truthfully she didn't know and all this thinking was giving her a headache. Kaldur was walking back to her. She'd deal with this later. Kaldur motion for her to follow and they walked towards where M'gann and Connor were talking with KF by the bike. Waving Earla walked next to M'gann and looked down. Kaldur had stopped next to Red Tornado and was talking.

"Why's KF fixing…?" Earla asked

"He claimed that he could," M'gann scoffed.

"Oh, I can babe. Torque Wrench," KF answered and M'gann floated the asked for tool towards him.

"Thanks green cheeks," he gave before disappeared back into the inner working of the bike.

Kaldur finished his talk and walked over as Tornado zetaed away as the computer called out the destination. The water lapped against the side of the cave creating ambient background for was happening.

"I have been meaning to ask any problems juggling school work with your responsibilities here?" Kaldur began as he stopped in front of the group.

"No," Superboy replied crossing his arms over his chest in an defiant that was all you were getting manner.

"Nah, I've adjusted," Jolt stated as she walked over to Kid Flash and knelt beside him at the bike.

"Juggling is just one of my many talents, socket wrench," Kid Flash held out his hand for the tool. Earla reached out and handed to him.

"Daily, cheerleader practice has presented a challenge. Oh, but my first loyalty is always to the team," M'gann rambled smiling, "This team not the Bumblebees."

"Artemis starts school today do you think that she will have trouble," Kaldur pondered. Where was he going with all these questions this was unlike him to ask about everyone personally. What was he up to exactly "Do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?"

"Nah," Earla came back making eyes at Kaldur and making sure that he understood that she would question this later. She was sure that her friend was able to maintain her loyalties and responsibilities. It was amazing to think about it but the only one person with super powers had outside lives outside of the team besides her. What must these three be like adjusting to a different culture? Sure her aunt was a bit of a bore but at least she had family. Connor was a clone. M'gann was one of the last of her people. Kaldur was an ward of the state of Atlantis.

"That's for sure. she'll manage all right." snarked KF standing and dusting himself off. "I mean how much more annoying and antisocial can ...ow." A well placed punch in the shoulders from Earla cut him off with a glare for good measure. "What?"

Before Earla could give him a replay a blast of water came over the wall they all were knocked back and hit the wall. The world faded to black.

Earla opened her eyes. It took a moment for the world to come into focus. KF was being treated by Batman and the others were being treated by their respective guardian. She looked down and noticed that there was a cast on her left foot. Great she thought just perfect.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Black Canary said as she walked over.

"How's …," Earla trailed off not quite sure that that this was happening and went to stand up.

"Nothing major just a few scrapes and broken bones. In fact, you will you're going to be out of commission for at least six weeks before were even going to attempt to test that bone." Earla nodded at her statement and caught the eye of Kaldur and he walked over.

Kaldur leaned in grabbed her hand and whispered. "The base was attacked by one of our own and we are going to find out why. They have asked us to allow them to investigate but…"

"Not sure of how much help I can be like this but count me in on finding out why Tornado did this," she whispered back he pressed hard into her hand and she noticed a flashdrive and nodded.

She was out of commission for a while but that didn't mean that she was off the team. Actually, this new routine would be good for a while she would get to be normal for a bit and see if she truly wanted to wear the tights.

AN: If you recognized it ,it probably wasn't mine. Have been working on finishing up this story and am grinding to the end.

AN: Just added a paragraph to end this story and finish. That is off my list.