Disclaimer—I make absolutely nothing from writing/posting this. I do it 'cause it's fun and to get feedback.
A.N. This is a bit of an experiment. See what you think.
Lady
The colors are the first thing he notices. The colors are wrong. (grey instead of black, muted red in place of blue) And the people. Their faces are like plastic, stiff, unyielding (unfeeling), fake somehow…like carnival masks. And that makes him (oddly) feel a little bit better, like maybe this isn't real, maybe none of this is real. But it (isn't) is. Because this is a (dream) projection. Or something. He was fighting a (witch) spell caster with his (friends) team. And then…and then Ms. Martian was in the line of fire, and she was (helping them, helping him) concentrating so fiercely, eyes shut, and there wasn't time, she didn't hear them, and so he let go of the rope and fell, spun and twisted right into the way of the (dark magic) blast—
And now he is here. And it's like (home) Gotham, and it's like (home) the circus, and the best he can figure is he is (trapped) locked inside his own mind. But everything is (distorted) shifting, and he doesn't feel in control here, he feels (caught) trapped. And time seems to skip and jump, so that he watches Riddler laugh and (stumble) step back towards his (escape) helicopter, and jerk, and laugh and (stumble) step back towards his (escape) helicopter, and—
Robin realizes that he can move, isn't (static) repeating like everyone else, the police spilling out onto the roof, and then back, and then on the roof again, not like (Edward Nigma, genius criminal, narcissist) the Riddler, not like the henchmen lifting their guns and lifting their guns and lifting their guns to cover (Edward's) the Riddler's escape. He stands up, warily, and his cape falls soft around his shoulders, and a cold breeze blows past (like it's trying to warn him—), and suddenly he's afraid that he's not wearing his (protection, cover, shield) mask, because the winds dances light on his (bare?) face, and he can feel it so clearly, but when he lifts his fingers up he can feel the cloth across his eyes.
A sudden (itching) burning erupts, all through his arm and head and chest and legs, and he (slips) falls sideways, but catches himself and steps away carefully. It builds into something (terrible) unbearable, but he doesn't move, and then it dies and he opens his eyes (when did he close them?) to see Batman swooping down towards the rooftop, and for a (traitorous) moment, he can't stop the (pain) smile that comes (naturally) naturally, and then everything blurs (slightly) and skips, and Batman is a foot higher and further away, and falling towards the (rooftop) Riddler, and then it blurs and skips, and Robin (breaks) understands. Batman is no more (reachable) real than the rest of them.
In a world of (madness) magic, or at least (born of) created by (dark) magic, how does he (break free) escape? Robin steps completely out of the (living) shadows, and watches (desperately) carefully, but the cycle continues (like he expected) uninterrupted. Looking at them gives him a headache, so he turns away and moves (delicately) with slow, deliberate steps to the edge of the building. He (thinks) wonders if it's a dream, and stares at the street so (close) far below. Should he (linger uselessly) wait? Should he (run free but not free through a city that wasn't his) explore and look for (something, anything) a way out? Or, if it was like a (no) dream (yes), then if he fell and (just let go) didn't catch himself, would he wake (was he asleep?) before he (broke) died on the hard concrete (waiting) below?
He steps away from the edge. It is (too much, too fast) premature to go to such (necessary) extremes mere minutes after (being thrown) arriving in this (mindscape)…wherever he was. And everything was giving him a headache. He felt (awkward) disjointed [like two voices, two channels, two reasons overlapping like they were (always) never meant to]. And still…he looks (back) at Batman, swinging endlessly through (space) the air, just a little (wrong) different from (when it's right) the way he looks in real life. (When it's right.)
And then suddenly (predictably), he is (not different, not anymore) not in control of himself, and he is moving, and he can feel his heart beat (slow) fast, and he (jumps) is hurled off the building into (exhilaration) thin air, and he can't feel (the wind) anything, he is (dead) numb and falling (endlessly) and the choice is gone, and he is (relieved) resigned, because he (knows) doubts now that this will do anything besides (free) kill him.
Batman, he (whispers) thinks silently. I'm sorry. Only suddenly he's not falling anymore (never was), he's lying down and (they—he and—she) people are saying things he (can barely) can't understand. But he still can't move, and he (knows) wonders why.
"Call Batman!"
"I can't—we're in too deep. We need—"
"What did she do?"
"He's breathing—a little fast, but nothing too—"
"Is she out?"
"Oh, yes. Very, very much so."
"Artemisnokilling!"
"Relax Kid, she's not dead. Not that anyone would care if she was…"
"Robin. Is he okay?"
"We don't know yet, Supey. Witch-lady over there hit him with something—"
"She was aiming for me! I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention, I was busy trying to—"
"It's not your fault!"
"Rob knew what he was doing, he wouldn't want you to feel—"
"Look, we gotta go. I don't know what that last spell was, but it was effective—this place is on the verge of collapse—"
"Okay, out, out, OUT!"
"Give him to me!"
"I can carry him!"
"I'm the strongest! Go!"
One, two, three…Aqualad counts his teammates as they pass him. Four and…five! With a grunt, he turns and follows, slipping out just as the room starts to cave in. He's half-carrying half-dragging the witch, but is much more focused on the small, limp figure in Superboy's arms.
…making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman! The memory of Robin's laugh rings out bright and cheerful in his head, startling him into half-dropping the spell weaver. His eyes widen as he realizes that yes, he will have to be the one to explain to Batman how it was that his protégé, his son (?) had come to be hit with whatever spell he had been—and they don't even know, oh geez, he really is doomed—and is now unconscious and thus far unresponsive to anything they've said or done…
Well, shit.
It is as those eloquent words go through his mind that Robin suddenly tenses in Superboy's arms and flings out an arm blindly to smack against the clone's chest. His back arches up and his mouth opens in a silent scream, and then he is kicking, once, twice, three times, ineffectively, and Connor pauses, uncertain, but Aqualad snarls wordlessly and shoves at him 'cause they don't have time, they have to get out—
Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds later, Young Justice plus one unconscious witch burst out onto the street. Barely thirty seconds later the entire complex falls down behind them and Aqualad is forcibly reminded of Cadmus, their first mission—if it could be called a mission—and the start of something none of them could have anticipated. This mission, though similar in setting, was different in many other ways. For one thing, in Cadmus they had gained a teammate. Here, they may have lost—no. Not happening. He takes a deep, steadying breath and surveys his team.
Artemis has a long scrape down the side of her face and what looks like a burn on her left bicep, but otherwise seems fine. Kid Flash is bruised but already healing, Superboy is fine, Ms. Martian is shaken up but basically okay, and Robin…well, he looks fine. Now if only he'll wake up…
"Should we call the League?" Aqualad turns slightly to face Ms. Martian. She seems anxious and nervous, and he can see tears in the corners of her eyes. He considers her question, and she waits timidly. Finally, he sighs.
"No. They will know soon enough. Call the bioship."
Her eyes brighten, just a little, now that she's been given something to do. Aqualad is turning towards Robin when Artemis brushes past him without comment, scowling fiercely. The rage in her expression makes him hesitate, but she just takes five more steps and stops, crossing her arms and staring off into space aggressively. He glances to where Kid Flash and Superboy are bending over the prone body of their youngest teammate, and back to her. He guesses she was sent away, and with that in mind keeps his own distance and merely watches as Kid yanks off Robin's glove to check for a pulse. Aqualad can't speak, can't move, as the seconds tick by and still K.F. does not move or relinquish his hold on Robin's wrist. Finally, as the bioship shimmers into sight Kid Flash sighs and lets go.
"His heartbeat is still too fast, but there's not much we can do about that. Otherwise, he's in perfect shape. Only, you know, asleep."
"Unconscious," Artemis corrects him automatically.
"Whatever." He waves her off.
"Right." Aqualad rubbed his temples. "Get him in the bioship. Watch him carefully, we don't know what she hit him with."
"Um…" Ms. Martian steps forward timidly. "I think I might have an idea…"
"Well, let's hear it," Artemis says before anyone can.
"First," Aqualad interjects. "We need to get on the ship. Superboy—"
"On it," Connor grunts, and lifts Robin like he weighs nothing; which, to Superboy, he probably does.
Inside the bio-ship, Aqualad makes sure that everyone is settled and they are on their way back to the cave before he gestures to Ms. Martian.
"Well," she starts, hesitantly, "She was aiming for me, right? And, I did sort of feel it through the mind-link, when it hit Robin—it's hard to describe, but it was…not so much an attack as a paralyzing drug designed to target the mind. At least, that's what it felt like…but I'm pretty sure that Robin's unharmed, just trapped."
"Can you get him out?"
M'gann glances at Artemis carefully before responding. "I'm not sure. I've never dealt with anything like this before and I don't want to accidentally end up sending him deeper into his mind, or into a coma. I think our best option is to just wait and see if he wakes up on his own."
"Great," Kid Flash cuts in. "And how long will that take?"
M'gann turns away slightly as she answers, "I don't know."
"Well, okay—do you have any idea? Like, at all? Days, hours, months…?" Artemis knows her tone is a little harsh, but something inside of her is aching from seeing Robin so lifeless.
"No…I'm sorry."
Superboy gets up quickly and crosses over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder protectively. She smiles at him briefly and covers his hand with her own.
In silence, the team returns to the mountain.
A.N. This shouldn't be much more than a two-or three-shot. Updates depend on how many people review…not 'cause I enjoy withholding chapters until I get the reviews I want, but because reviews remind me to find time to write.
Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful New Year. :)