N2; YO! OMW It's finally up! SEQUEL FOR ROBIN"S NAME IS HERE! I hope you absolutely LOOOVE it! This first chapter is kindda short, but I just wanna see if people still care. A most heartfelt apology to lovinglolipop402. I am so very sorry for putting this up a week late, but last Sunday just flew right over my head! I am SOOO sorry, please forgive me! The reason I got motivated for this again is I looked on stats and saw over 3,140 hits and 910 visitors for october alone! SQUEEE! Anyway, please everyone give lovinglolipop402 and Skylark Evanson round of applause for reminding me of this story and getting me back on track. I had absolutely nothing until I read until I read Like a Jigsaw Puzzle by Skylark Evanson. I was thinking about it and boom! inspiration hits at 1 o'clock in the morning! OS this chapter is dedicated the lovinglolipop402 and Skylark Evanson. Disclaimer: I don't own JY, if I did i would honestly fear for my life! All those fans *shudder*
Legend- "Talking" /Mind Link/ "Thoughts"
Deliverance in the Labyrinth
Chapter 1: Activation
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Touchdown in the outskirts of Gotham was smooth and uninterrupted.
/No sign of any enemies, Aqualad. / Dick told his team's leader, /I'm going to find out what I can from the computer. /
/Good. / Replied the Atlantean leader, /See if you can find out where he's hiding, perhaps we can set up an ambush. /
/On it. / The thirteen-year-old replied and after a pause suddenly spoke, /Hey in disappear and appear are opposites. Then is escaping the opposite of caping? I mean instead of getting out of a placed you get in? / The team laughed out loud. Little did they know they were entering hell and that laugh would be their lifeline.
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Robin, Dick Grayson, The Boy Wonder was unsure. It was not a feeling he was not used to. Batman his savior, his mentor, his Father, kept him from feeling unsure. Sure, Bruce may not be perfect, after all he is only human, but he tried, he tried so hard for his adoptive son. Now, with Bruce's reassuring presence no longer beside him he was left with the feelings of uncertainty and doubt. His team knew. They knew his history with the circus, his biological parent's murder, and his adoptee status. That had thrown him for a loop when he learned of it upon waking two days ago. He had spent less than 24 hours in recovery, then immediately set out with the other Young Justice to capture his parent's murderer, Antony Zucco. For all of Young Justice's newfound knowledge about him, they still didn't know his name. Bruce had left that decision to him, and for that he was grateful to the Dark Knight, but at the same time, felt bitter at his surrogate father for making him chose between heroism and his friends. He looked over at Aqualad, who was running ahead of him to the left. Kaldur was tense, he could tell by the way his shoulders were tight and his run almost stiff. He grinned and sped up so he was running beside his leader, using their "mind link" the Me'gann had set up to communicate with the Atlantean.
/Yo, Kaldur, ease up a little. You'll give you're self a heart attack worrying so much! This mission'll be a piece of cake! / As if to illustrate his point, Robin jumped up and performed three handsprings, one after the other so he was several feet ahead of the others. He glanced over his shoulder to see Kaldur's shoulders relax and the dark-skinned Atlantean gave a small smile as he rolled his eyes. Inside the mind link, Robin cackled. "Mission accomplished," he thought. When the team was formed he had made it his mission to make the team laugh and relax, "I swear, these people have no idea how to relax on a mission, 'cept maybe KF." He was glad he had paid attention to Batman's lessons on telepathy, he now knew how to shield himself from most of Megan's telepathic influence, only keeping enough open so they could communicate. Wally West sped up and started running beside him, if only just slightly ahead.
/Up for a little friendly competition, Rob? / The teen speedster asked. Robin grinned at him.
/Any time, Flash Junior. / Kid Flash paused for a second to reprimand the Boy Wonder, but realized a second to late that Rob had tricked him, he chased after his younger friend with a grin on his face. Artemis shook her head but smiled anyway; Megan gave a small grin, and the ever-zealous Superboy chased after the two. Suddenly, Conner stopped and held up a hand. Robin and Kid Flash stopped as well and headed back toward the team.
/What is it Superboy? / Aqualad asked. The clone pointed into the forest.
/I can hear circus music, /He replied, /we're here. / The team nodded and fell into formation. Kaldur spared Robin a brief glance, worried about his younger teammate. Robin seemed to feel his friend's gaze and shot him a reassuring smile.
/I won't let him get to me, Kaldur, / The Boy Wonder assured him, /Not this time. / Kaldur nodded and looked ahead, he could see the trees gradually thinning out to reveal the outline and bright yellow and red strips of Haley's Circus.
/Robin, is there a subtler means of entrance than the main doors? /Kaldur asked. Robin shook his head.
/If memory serves the main entrance is the only one, /Rob paused and grinned, /Well the only entrance, right now. / The Boy Wonder broke off and disappeared into the shadows. The team froze, knowing that they would not be able to follow him if he did not want to be found. Seconds later, Robin appeared next to Artemis, who jumped slightly at his sudden reappearance, and motioned for the to follow. They followed their youngest teammate to a small opening in the side of the tent, obviously freshly made.
/Won't they notice us? /Asked Artemis, /won't they have motion sensors or something? / Robin shook his head.
/ I set the motion sensors so they're on a continuous loop. Plus it's impossible to set something like an alarm system up on tent wall. Trust me, I've tried. / The team nodded and passed silently threw the slit in the side. Once inside they all looked around in hope of finding a clue, instead all they saw was darkness. All lights were out, and the only noise was the faint noise of circus music playing in the background.
/What is going on here? / Asked Kaldur.
/No clue, / Replied Robin, /Lemme try to get the lights back on. /
/Do you think that this is a trap? / Asked Megan, Wally turned to her and answered.
/ Most likely, Green Cheeks, / the speedster flashed her a grin as he answered, but immediately became sober again concentrating on Robin, who was tapping away at his holographic computer, /what cha' got Rob? /
/Nothing so far, / The raven haired boy said, /Just- / He was cut off at the sound of the circus music, which until that point had just been a faint noise in the back ground, but was suddenly turned up to an almost painful volume. A voice laughed as the music died down.
"Little Robin," the voice cooed, "Won't you come and play?" The team recognized the voice as that of their target, Antony Zucco. They all fell into battle stance, with Robin holding to Escrima sticks and Aqualad forming two chain-scythes as their weapons.
"Depends on the game!" Robin yelled the hatred in his voice was obvious but well contained. The voice laughed again.
"You see I've heard the Boy Wonder is some kind of genius, a child prodigy." Zucco's voice was laced with sarcasm and they were certain that he'd be using air quotes if they could see him, "To test that theory, I've devised a little game. I call it, Maze of Death!" The voiced laughed again.
"Maze of Death?" Artemis asked, "Cliché much." Robin nodded in agreement; he looked over the female archer and grinned,
"Seriously tonous title,"(1) He replied, Artemis grinned back at the Boy Wonder.
"Cliché!" The Zucco roared. KF turned to Artemis and scowled.
"Way to go, Arty! I think you made him mad!" He accused.
"Thanks a lot, Modo!"(2) She snapped back.
"What does "Modo" mean?" Asked Megan. Robin grinned at her and replied.
"Master of da' obvious." The others chuckled, but were abruptly silenced by a rumbling around them. The lights turned back on and they blinked to readjust to the suddenly brightness. They all looked around and gasped. All around they was were walls, 10 feet high at least and looked as though they were made of steal or some other type of metal.
"In this game," Zucco began, "You will be forced inside my maze and will have 6 hours to get out or I will blow this place sky high. It is also riddled with traps and other such nefarious devices. Oh, and don't even think of calling for help or using Superman junior. The walls are laced with Kryptonite and all communications are being blocked," A walled appeared behind them a began to force them into the labyrinth, "Well, Boy Wonder? Prove to me you are the genius I've heard you to be. You're time begins…NOW!" Suddenly bursts of fire came from every direction until a wall of fire was behind them and slowly advancing.
"Run!" Kaldur yelled, the team needed to further prodding. They took off down the long corridor until they came to an intersection.
"Which way!" Yelled Superboy. Robin looked at both for a minute they seemed to come to a decision.
"Left!" He yelled and sure enough the fire caught up and went right before extinguishing at the end of the short hall. The team looked around to see they were at another intersection, this one with three paths.
"Which one?" Asked Megan, slightly shaken from all the fire, "Robin?" The team turned to their youngest member who looked at them for a moment before shaking his head in defeat. He walked over the closest wall (the left wall) and slid down until he was sitting with his knees up and his hand stretched out over them, clasped as if in prayer. He rested his head on the wall and closed his eyes. The other just stared at him, until finally they to sat down or slumped in defeat.
"What do we do?" Asked Artemis, "We have to find a way out but how?" The other just looked around in despair.
"Hey, Rob," KF called, the raven hero looked up at his best friend, "How'd you know we needed to go left?" Robin leaned back and closed his eyes once again before he answered.
"There were no jets going left."
"What do you mean no jets?" Asked Kaldur, the other listened closer as well.
"No jets to produce flame or water, no electrical panels for generating electricity, nothing. I figured left must be right," Wally chuckled at his best fiend weak attempt at a joke before Robin continued, "Batman and I got stuck in a maze like this once. It was just a couple of months after I became Robin. I was 9 or so I think. We were in one of Joker's "palaces" and a giant maze suddenly came up from the ground. Luckily, Batman and I weren't separated and along the way out he told me how to find your way out of a maze. That was one of the few times I was genuinely scared for my life while being Robin. Everywhere we turned there was joker gas, force fields, electric floors, fire jets, water spilling out of cracks, rocks falling. It was a nightmare."
"How'd you manage to…I dunno stay sane." Asked Artemis, Robin gave a small smile.
"It's gonna sound corny and if you laugh I'll hurt you (3), but it was because Batman was there. Ever since my parents died, Batman's always been there for me, whether as Batman or as my father." The team was silent until a loud rumbling shook them to their feet.
"What's going on?" screamed Miss Martian, suddenly a large boulder rolled around the corner. Everyone cried out and began to run toward the tunnels.
"Everyone!" yelled Rob, "This way!" as he disappeared down the left tunnel. There was no hesitation as they all followed.
"It's still coming!" cried Wally; suddenly he felt his feet slip on the floor, which he realized as he was coated in a slippery substance, but it wasn't water. He turned around to see the boulder coming. There was no way he could run on this substance. The boulder rolled closer and was almost on him when…
N2: AHHH Cliffie! What's gonna happen to Wally! Well I hope you like chapter 1.
(1) Tonous and in monotonous
(2) I can't help it it's just how I talk!
(3) this line is slightly modified from Homesweethomicide13's Child Of War. Which I'm begging him to update by the way. :D Hope you like this chappie, I can't give any promises and to when the next one is coming out but I can tell you that I need motivation. PM ME, REVIEW, E-MAIL IFYOU CAN! DO SOMETHING TO MOTIVATE ME! 10 reviews=Faster updates Please! review and I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1 of Deliverance in the Labyrinth! Thanks a bunch ~Noa Nee