Bait

Sabrina stood in the middle of the square. She glanced around at the operatives hidden in the crowd and then up at the huge video screens that lined the buildings surrounding the square. She fought down the nervousness. This was the most reckless thing she'd ever done in her entire twelve years of life.

She was sure that Jebediah wouldn't approve. Her container-mate was very standoffish, but he always made sure that she was as safe as he could make her. Sabrina was also sure that Lucy would have words for her. Still, if she didn't contact Lucy, then Lucy couldn't issue orders, so she should still be in the clear.

Sabrina casually strolled around, examining the carts set up around the perimeter of the plaza. They sold a variety of foods, from hot dogs to pretzels. It fascinated her immensely. Her bioparents hadn't let her eat such things, saying that it might pollute her body. Sabrina found that very amusing. For people who hadn't even been aware that their genetic material had been stolen in the first place, they were very protective of the end result.

Getting away from them hadn't even been difficult. She was sure that her influence had worn off by now, and recriminations were flying back and forth as well as accusations. She sighed. Her bioparents were so dramatic.

She felt a fluctuation nearby. Turning, she spotted Leilani looking at her with curious alarm. Sabrina's eyes widened. She'd no idea that Leilani was anywhere near Gotham.

She glanced around. The operatives were also looking around, clearly not paying Leilani any attention. From what Sabrina remembered, Leilani's profile hadn't been released, much like hers. No one mentioned Leilani if they could help it, trying to hide her in plain sight. Sabrina knew that if certain people found out about her, they'd be far more interested than they were in Sabrina's powers.

Sabrina pasted a smile on her face and strode forward, walking past Leilani and to a hot dog cart. She felt that fleeting pressure that Leilani always generated, though it was lighter than it had been in the past.

'Are you okay?' was the thought that popped into her brain.

Sabrina stilled. That was new.

'I'm okay. Bait. Go away.' She thought back as hard as she could.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Leilani pull out a string of red licorice and ferociously take a bite. Then Dawnie was there, frowning at her. When Sabrina turned, her freshly bought hot dog in her hand, the pair was gone.

Sabrina took a bite of the hot dog, savoring the taste of mustard and sauerkraut. The sourness made her wince, helping her hide her dismay. If Dawnie was here, then Lucy was somewhere nearby. Those two were friends and never that far from each other. She could almost see Dawnie telling Lucy something.

Sure enough, her communicator started vibrating on her wrist when she took the final bite of the hot dog. She'd managed to convince hers to mimic a cheap plastic friendship bracelet, but that didn't stop it from behaving as it should, especially since it was Lucy who was calling.

She eyed the vibrating plastic bracelet with a jaundiced eye. She'd managed to stay off of Lucy's radar for years. Sabrina thought furiously even as it stopped vibrating and started flashing lights at her. That meant that Court had gotten involved. He could make the communicators do everything except come off. Sabrina could still remember his crestfallen face when he'd failed that time right before the Liberation.

"Sabrina? Is everything okay?" Diana's voice came from the earbud in her ear. It had only been when they'd managed to talk her into the earbud that they'd okayed this mission. "Should we abort?"

Sabrina shook her head and tucked a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. She glanced around and drifted towards the edges of the plaza. It was full of happy families and people going about their day. What she envisioned happening would thoroughly ruin this day's outing for these people.

Contrary to what the others might think, she'd been keeping track of people she cared about. Sabrina knew she couldn't do anything for Ella other than winding up in a little cell next to hers, so she'd left that alone. She'd still heard about the mysterious break-in and kidnappings due to her bioparents. They were highly interested in such things and had wondered just who had done it.

Sabrina had had an inkling the moment she overheard. Then there had been the spate of disappearances, and she'd known that the overlords weren't vanquished and exterminated after all. That had been disappointing.

She caught a flash of blue light out of the corner of her eye. She felt her muscles tighten and made them loosen up. She had heard about the mysterious blue flash and read all sorts of mocking articles about it on the internet. Sabrina started walking again, leisurely as if she wasn't spooked.

She heard the familiar scrape-thump-tap of the guards' boots against the concrete. Sabrina gritted her teeth and forced her expression into one of curious discovery. She'd been practicing it for a few months to perfect it. Sabrina didn't really need curiosity. People would tell her whatever she wanted to know.

She wasn't surprised by the hand that landed on her shoulder. What did surprise her were the words spoken afterwards.

"There you are! Your mom is worried sick, young lady," the guard whose hand was on her shoulder said, even as his fingers dug into her flesh.

Sabrina was shocked for a second, and that was all it took. She felt the prick of a needle near her nape. He must have had it hidden by his thumb when his hand came down.

She turned to refute his statement and felt the world go blurry. She could hear Diana in her ear, asking if she was okay and vaguely sense the operatives in the crowd turning to converge.

Then there was nothing but blessed black silence.