Young Justice: If we Die Young
Bludhaven, New Jersey
January 5, 2017, 7:20 PM ET
Rain pitter pattered on the roof of the Warehouse, Dick sat in his desk chair in his makeshift office as the others cleared out the boxes and wiped the base's hard drive. The League was finally able to dig out a new cave in San Francisco. It took months to build, but the wait was finally over, he smiled as he heard Bart and Garfield argue over which STAR WARS film was the best as they lugged huge crates out of the lower levels.
In his opinion it had to be The Empire Strikes Back. Bart was on the side of Attack of the Clones, which Dick was truly disappointed in the boy for his choice. Gar was all for A New Hope, at least Beast Boy had better taste in film then Kid Flash. He was so immersed in eavesdropping on the boys that he nearly didn't hear Robin approach him.
"We just cleared the rest of the stuff," Tim said, Dick turned around to the fifteen year old. He recently turned fifteen back in September, that explained a lot of things about the boy to Jaime, who was suspecting that he was a Virgo only to be proven right.
"Good, I think we can call it a day then," Dick said, shooting up out of the chair, standing a few inches taller than Tim, who had also gone through a growth spurt. Dick was nearly six feet tall where Tim was about 5' 8''. Dick started down the stair when Tim spoke back up.
"Can I ask you something?" Tim questioned, Dick turned back around and held the railing with his hands overlapping behind him. He nodded then Tim spoke again, "When did you quit being Robin?"
Dick thought back a few years to his time as Robin, he looked at Tim curriously. Wondering why Tim wanted to know this.
"When I was about sixteen, why do you ask?" Dick said, asking a question in return. Tim shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed.
"No reason," He said, "Just curious." Dick nodded in disbelief. He smiled at his younger brother as he walked down to his friends, Dick followed seconds later, and met up with Mal.
"See I told you it'd be temporary," Dick said, slapping a hand on Mal's back. Mal shrugged him off, and laughed. As the walked out of the warehouse, the door came down after they exited, then Dick watched as Bart put a lock on the door and chains around that, with another padlock. Bart gave Dick a thumbs up, in turn Dick nodded to the team's scout, as they all loaded onto the bioship.
Cave Justice, San Francisco, California
January 6, 4:02 AM EST
Hours later the team was settling into the new cave. It was an underground bunker, recently dug out by Green Lantern, which one nobody asked. It was large, Cave Justice spanned over a couple miles, while being miles under the city. The hangar was under the shoreline where M'gann parked the Bioship, other than that it had a very similar layout to the old cave.
In the living room the team, well Beast Boy, Kid Flash, Spoiler and Robin were hanging out. They were arranging the furniture they way the wanted. Actually Tim and Bart were, Garfield and Stephanie were discussing which was better. Pancakes or Waffles. It was a very intense debate.
"You know, it would be nice if you two helped move this crap," Tim said, as he and Bart hung the TV to the wall mount. Bart then dropped the drill and box of screws and the TV fell down to the floor with a loud bang.
"You seem to be doing just fine," Stephanie laughed, she tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and smirked at Tim who glared at her. Almost like he was silently cursing her name. She turned back to Gar and explained why waffles were the superior breakfast.
Jaime and Cassie walked in, they were awkwardly close to each other, well Cassie was close to him, Jaime kept stepping away. See, Cassie and Tim broke up when Cassie finally got fed up with Tim being emotionally distant. Tim wasn't too phased by it, or well kept his emotions very much in check. So, Cassie did everything to try to get Tim to come back.
Jaime didn't like that she was using him, he didn't like her like that. Not to say he didn't like her at all, of course he did she was one of his closest friends, but she wasn't his type. He pretty much tried to avoid her at all costs, which didn't work today.
Steph glared at Cassie as she entered the room. For obvious reasons she didn't like her. They liked the same boy, one Timothy Jackson Drake. Cassie got him, then let him go, one thing that Stephanie totally liked that happened, but ultimately disrespected Cas for. Like who would let that boy go? A fool.
"Hey Bart," Cassie said, drawing her attention to the Kid Flash. Who ignored her as he was trying to get the drill to work again. The fall broke it and since it was Barry's, he wanted to fix it before his grandpa found out he stole, then broke his tools. Cassie sighed, she sat down on the floor next to Bart and laid her head on his shoulder. Again, he ignored her. Steph mouthed something at Cassie, which was very derogatory and should not be repeated.
"Bart is the drill working again?" Tim asked the speedster who stood up off of the floor, sending Cassie crashing to the floor. Stephanie of course laughed at her.
Bart pulled the trigger on the drill and with a whirl the drillbit spun around. He smirked at Tim playfully.
"Doesn't seem to be working huh," Bart said, Tim smiled and shook his head at the fourteen year old. With Jaime's help the put the TV up on the wall, and moved the couch in front of it.
Watchtower
January 6, 2017, 6:05 AM EST
Dick sat in the Justice League conference room. He tapped a pen on the edge of the table waiting for Green Lantern to finish reporting on the Reach's trial. Apparently a few months earlier a new scarab attached to Black Beetle and he killed two of the guardians. The bastard.
Damn it John, Dick thought to himself. Report if Black gets a death sentence! Sadly the guardians were just, they haven't come up with a verdict.
"Well, that's all I have, Nightwing," John said, sitting back into his chair. Dick stood up and projected a powerpoint, he liked giving visuals. Made it easier to understand him.
"Okay, on August seventh, The Gordanians attacked New York," Nightwing said, pointing to a slide showing a video of the Gordainian Invasion, that literally lasted one day! "A few days later on the thirteenth, Trigon attacked Belgium. " Nightwing proceeding to the next slide.
"I've spent months looking for a connection ,Trigon was an isolated accident, but the event that gave us Starfire, was not." Dick said.
"What does this mean Nightwing?" Wonder Woman inquired, folding her hands on the table skeptical. Dick smirked, sliding to the next screen. It showed a mugshot of an alien girl, orange skin, jet black hair and purple eyes.
"See, this is the leader of the assault, Komand'r, Koriand'r's big sister," He said, "she was not fit to rule over their homeworld so Kori was elected princess, long story short she makes it to earth, with an alien army, joins The Light, then attacked New York to get Star's attention, and try to assassinate her," Dick said, "we have confirmation that a deal with The Light was made made at one point."
"And this adds up to?" Atom asked disinterestedly. Dick went to slide number three with a grin.
"I believe Komand'r willingly gave Vandal and entire army, in exchange for Starfire's life," Nightwing said, "Which would explain why The Light, namely Black Spider, and Deadshot, have been hunting her."
"Nightwing, if you suspect this, why don't we have J'onn interrogate her?" Hal Jordan, Green Lantern, asked. Nightwing nodded, he opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted.
"Hal, M'gann has been grinding her for days, she has a mental block that is impossible to breach." Flash explained, Dick smiled and nodded.
"I say we open investigation, and keep Starfire under close watch," Superman said, mostly everyone nodded in agreement.
"I'll see to it, and one last thing," Dick said, "This Red Hood, in Gotham, I fear that his crime spree may get the attention of Vandal Savage and'
"Nightwing, Red Hood is my issue and mine alone," Batman said, standing up out of his seat. Dick glared at him for a moment.
"Very well, I guess that's about all I have to report," He said. Superman glanced at Batman and rolled his eyes.
"Meeting adjourned." Kal said, and with that everyone filed out of the room to the rest of their lives.
Baltimore, Maryland
January 14, 2017, 8:09 PM
"Remember, in and out." Robin commanded as the bioship landed on a Lexcorp building in Baltimore. Once the ship was on the roof it decloaked. Robin then pulled out a datapad and displayed it to the team.
It showed a blueprint of the building, more specifically the lower building. Which according to the stolen blueprint, had a secret bunker.
"Okay, KF, you run to the lowermost level, we were tipped off to a metahuman testing chamber down there," He said, "if you find any civilians free them." Kid Flash nodded and strapped his goggles to his face.
"The building is heavily guarded, you'll have to take the service halls down." Robin explained, "then me, Blue Beetle, and Miss Martian will be up in the main building giving you the distraction you need."
"Tim, you talk like you don't trust me," Bart said, he started for the door then Beetle's hand was on his shoulder.
"Good luck hermano," Jamie said, Bart snorted and shook his head. 'As if I need it' he thought as he ran out of the ship.
The good thing about being able to vibrate his molecules was that he never had to pick a lock, made it easy to sneak out. But Barry always knew when he did, just didn't care enough to stop him.
So he ran through the door and then to the service hall, simple. He dashed down to the stairwell at the end of the hall. He stared down the deep casem that seemed bottomless. Like Jaime. No Jaime was usually topless now that Bart thought about it. Damn, and he thought he was clever.
He sighed and then ran down, what, twenty, thirty flights in a minute. Perks of Superspeed! You don't waste time on the stairs.
He got down to level one, he looked back down the stair well. There were at least six more levels! Jesus fuck! He cursed in his head.
"Okay Bart, Tim said lowermost," He whispered to himself, then he ran down the the well into the depths.
He got down to sub level six. He opened the only door at the end of a long hall. Inside there was a cell. In there lay a Kid Flash action figure. It had appeared to have fallen as there was a string on its head. He looked up to the ceiling and saw dolls of every member of the team.
He looked back at the floor and saw near the KF toy, a Robin, and a Tula. His eyes widened in awe or was it horror as he realized they were all dead. Wall, Jason, and Tula. Deceased.
"Oh my god," He said, the thoughts ran through his mind so loud he didn't hear someone else enter.
"Bart we both know that there is no god," A familiar voice sounded, Bart's heart almost stopped in fear. He trembled, his hands shook and his suit clung to his now wet skin as he sweated. He slowly turned his head then his whole body to stare down the boy.
He looked like Bart, exactly like him. He wore a black and green Impulse suit and had long blonde hair.
"No, you can't be here," Bart said, his voice weak and fail, the boy giggled.
"You messed with the timeline," He said, Bart clenched a fist. There was nothing here. Tim got the wrong place.
"I saved the world from the reach." Bart said, the boy rolled his green eyes in amusement.
"You mean he did," He said pointing at the Kid Flash doll. Bart simmered in rage glaring at the boy. The boy smirked at Bart's seething anger.
"What do you want Tad?" Bart asked after moment. The boy he identified as Tad, or Thaddeus Thawne, grinned. Then suddenly the grin morphed into a grim scowl.
"To watch you and the League burn," He said, then he disappeared in a flash of green and black, red lightning trailing where he once stood. For a minute, that seemed like an eternity Bart stood there in a daze. He snapped back into reality. Shit, he thought. He put a finger up to his earpiece and spoke fastly.
"Robin, get out of the building!" He said, as he started running then disappearing in a gold and crimson blur. He ran up the stairwell, trying to find the others before Thaddeus could. Which was easier said than done. As when he reached the thirteenth level, well technically it would be level fourteen because architects are retarded, he saw a green flash in one of the many rooms.
He detoured to towards the room and burst through the door and ran in just as Thaddeus was pinning Miss Martian to a wall and was about to run a hand through her chest. Bart growled and ran over to him, slamming a fist into his jaw. Tad fell to the floor, Bart grabbed M'gann and checked on her as Tad recovered from the blow.
"I was waiting," Tad said mockingly, Bart rolled his hazel eyes and balled his fists to his sides. Tad grinned and put up a hand, he shook one finger and winked at Bart. He vibrated through the window and ran deep into the city, Bart ran over to the window and stared at the streak of green, hate filled his eyes as he saw it disappear over the horizon.
"Bart, who was that?" Tim asked, picking himself up off of the floor. Bart ignored him, he also ignored the comforting touch of Jaime's hand on his shoulder.
Even though it was their future it was his past. A past even Kid Flash cannot outrun.
Shanghai, China
January 15, 2017, 9:09 PM
"Who is this child?" Vandal asked Reverse Flash, the newest operative of the Light. The yellow suited counterpart to The Flash, otherwise known as Professor Zoom shrugged. He glared at the boy wearing a black and green Impulse suit.
"I do not know him personally, but as I come from the future I know of him," Eobard explained, "Thaddeus Thawne, one of my ancestors, a clone of the current Kid Flash and," Zoom was interrupted by Thaddeus.
"And, sent here by your future self Vandal, we are losing this war in the future due to my genetic template's tampering with the timeline," He said, Vandal raised an eyebrow.
"And I assigned you to?" He asked, Tad smiled oily.
"To kill him, or at the very least that wouldn't result in my own destruction, aid in the war effort in 2017, which is why I'm here."
Vandal grinned at the boy standing before him, all the pieces were together now.
"Slade, call in you daughter and her pathetic excuse for a team, we found the missing piece."
Gotham City, New Jersey
January 16, 2017, 12:30 AM
Snow fell quietly on the paved streets of Gotham. Painting the usually black and bleak roads and pavement a white that embodied slight hope in the night. As to be expected, sirens were the background music to nightly life in the city.
A man sat on the hood of a 2003 Chevy Impala, parked discreetly in an alley. He held a vape in one hand, holding it to his mouth sucking in the nicotine. In the other hand was a bottle of Jack Daniel's, half empty, beside him was a duffel bag. He grimaced as a teenaged boy walked up.
The boy was small and lanky. His hair was dyed blue, and his eyes were of brown. He bit his lip as he approached the man.
"Don't seem like you wanted this much kid," The man snarled, the boy shuddered in fear and shook his head.
"No sir, I just got held up," He said, "Sorry for being late." The rolled his large dark eyes, he put his beer down and grabbed the duffel bag, he tossed it at the boy. Who barley caught it, then ran off. The man took another huff out of his electronic cigarette.
All the while on the rooftop above a man clad in a black spandex suit, with silver armor over his chest, shins and gloves stood glaring at him. A red logo was painted on the silver of his chest, and he wore a red mask, and held a crimson helmet in his hands. His black hair flowed rhythmically in the wind, a streak of white centered in the middle of his locks blended to the snow falling on his head.
He then put the helmet on his head and fingered a gun on his belt, and like a shadow he jumped down and swallowed his prey.