11. On the tail

The Watchtower buzzed with activity as members of Young Justice gathered in the central briefing room. A recent intel report had everyone on edge, and Aqualad—Kaldur'ahm, now the seasoned leader of the team—stood at the head of the table, preparing to brief the team.

"Listen up, everyone," Aqualad began, his tone serious. "We've received credible information about a highly skilled operative attempting to steal classified data from several high-profile targets. Her codename is Nøkk."

Kid Flash, leaning against the wall, crossed his arms. "Nøkk? Sounds like some kind of ghost story."

Aqualad nodded. "In a way, she is. She's known for her exceptional stealth and infiltration skills. The intel suggests she's been targeting major corporations and government facilities, including some with ties to the Justice League."

"Do we have a picture or anything more concrete on her?" asked Superboy, his deep voice echoing in the room.

Aqualad tapped a few keys on the console, and a holographic image of Nøkk appeared. It was a blurry, infrared capture showing a figure in tactical gear, her face obscured by a mask.

"Not much, I'm afraid," Aqualad admitted. "She's a ghost—hardly leaves a trace. But we do know she's been in Gotham recently. And if she's targeting us, we need to find out why."

Miss Martian, her green skin glinting under the room's lights, spoke up. "Do we know her next target?"

Aqualad nodded. "That's where things get interesting. According to our sources, she might be after information stored in one of our auxiliary data centers. It's not directly tied to the Watchtower but still holds sensitive information."

Kid Flash, always eager for action, grinned. "So, we set a trap and catch this ghost, right?"

Aqualad smiled slightly. "Something like that. We need to approach this carefully. Nøkk is not an ordinary opponent. We'll need to use all our resources to catch her."

---

Later that night, the team assembled near the auxiliary data center. The facility was hidden in a nondescript building on the outskirts of Metropolis, protected by state-of-the-art security systems.

"Alright, team," Aqualad whispered through their comms. "Stay sharp. Nøkk could be anywhere."

Superboy and Miss Martian took positions at the entrance, while Kid Flash patrolled the perimeter. Aqualad and Robin moved inside, scanning for any signs of intrusion.

The building was eerily quiet, the only sounds the soft hum of electronics and their own footsteps. As they moved through the corridors, Aqualad's keen eyes caught a faint disturbance—a barely noticeable tampering with the security panel.

"She's here," he whispered. "Be ready."

---

Nøkk, clad in her black tactical suit and utilizing her custom gadget that rendered her invisible to most surveillance systems, moved silently through the data center. She was almost at the server room when she heard footsteps approaching. She froze, her training kicking in as she melted into the shadows.

Aqualad and Robin entered the room, their eyes scanning for any sign of the intruder. Robin moved to the security panel and quickly accessed the system.

"She's already disabled some of the cameras," he said. "But not all of them."

Aqualad nodded. "We'll need to split up. Cover more ground."

As they moved, Nøkk saw her chance. She slipped through a side door, her movements silent and precise. She made her way to the server room and quickly began extracting the data she needed.

---

Outside, Kid Flash was on high alert. His super speed allowed him to cover large areas quickly, but he still hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary.

"Anything?" he asked through the comms.

"Not yet," Miss Martian replied, her eyes scanning the shadows. "But I have a feeling she's close."

---

Inside, Aqualad caught a glimpse of a flicker in the corner of his eye—barely perceptible, but enough to alert him. He signaled to Robin, and they moved towards the server room.

Nøkk, aware of their approach, worked quickly. She knew her window was closing. She activated a small device that began copying the data at an accelerated rate.

Just as the download completed, Aqualad and Robin burst into the room. "Stop right there!" Aqualad shouted.

Nøkk turned, her face still hidden by her mask. "Too late," she replied, her voice modulated to prevent recognition. She threw a smoke grenade to the ground, filling the room with thick, obscuring smoke.

Aqualad activated his mask's thermal vision, but Nøkk was already gone, slipping through a ventilation shaft and disappearing into the night.

---

The team regrouped outside the data center, frustration evident on their faces. "We lost her," Superboy growled.

Aqualad nodded, though he seemed more contemplative than angry. "For now. But we have a starting point. We know she's after something specific. We need to figure out what and why."

Miss Martian touched his arm gently. "We'll get her next time, Aqualad."

Aqualad nodded, determination hardening his features. "This isn't over. We'll find out what Nøkk is after, and we'll stop her."

---

Back at her safe house, Nøkk reviewed the data she had acquired. It was a piece of a much larger puzzle—one that involved not just Wayne Enterprises, but potentially the Justice League itself. She knew her actions would draw their attention, but she had no choice. The mission was too important.

Her encrypted phone buzzed, and she answered it. Deimos's voice came through, tense but supportive. "Did you get it?"

"Yes," Nøkk replied. "But the Young Justice team was there. They know I'm after something."

Deimos sighed. "That's a complication. But not unexpected. You're next and last mission here will be get all information about nanobots. The codename of nanobots is Fog. Are we clear?"

Nøkk looked at the data on her screen, her mind already calculating her next steps. 

Deimos's voice as cold as ice. "Be careful, Nøkk. They're not to be underestimated."

"I know," she replied, her voice resolute. "I will not let my guard down."

(End of a chapter)