Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, the comic or the show, or any of the characters associated with it. I make no profit from this work of fiction; it is purely for entertainment purposes.
A/N: This fic is a fill for the Cobra challenge by MyHero, located in the Young Justice Fanfiction Challenges forum. A link can be found on my profile.
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Ignorance.
It was a disease that ran rampant amongst mortals, more crippling on their youth than the rest of their population. The defiant snarl made the deity sick to his stomach, and he chose not to resist the urge to deal a particularly strong blow, one that sent his unlettered opponent to the ground with a cry. It was too much a privilege to even spare the pathetic creature squirming beneath his boot a glance. Bored red eyes glazed over the surrounding area, watching the warehouse he'd been using to consolidate his transactions with Sportsmaster burn to the ground.
Muscle rippled beneath pale skin as the man heaved a sigh; he could feel the pitiful things' hands around his ankle, trying desperately to force him off. How cute.
"I am plagued by mosquitoes."
The remark was concise, the perfect arrangement of words to portray his mood at that very moment. He thought it only fair to warn the boy that his actions were beginning to become a nuisance though the effort was for naught; Robins' sneer returned as soon as he gained his breath.
"Good, cause this mosquitoes' mighty concerted over your pain." The quip failed to amuse the man. When the slim body bucked, the hands jerking simultaneously to make a let for his escape, Kobra denied his attempt and pressed his boot further into the tender flesh of his stomach. The breathless gasp was severely lacking and did nothing to better the mans' mood.
"You would do well not to speak boy, the wrath of a god is not easily mitigated."
The Boy Wonder continued his struggles, the words of his enemy flowing in one ear and out the other. Who was he to tell him what to do? Like he enjoyed being stepped on like a bug. Frustration drove a growl from his throat and he snatched a blade from his belt, aiming to drive it into his attackers' thigh. The retaliation, however, was unneeded as the weight compressing his torso from belt to chest suddenly lifted.
Sucking down air was a priority left on the back burners as he quickly somersaulted and gained his feet, retreating a distance that he knew would place him outside the cult leaders' range. Kobras' eyes were no longer on him, narrowed into fierce slits as they focused on what he assumed to be his team. The mans' doped up pet was raging somewhere behind him, having recovered from Aqualads' electrical attack. It was sickening to hear what was once a human being in such a state, glistening corded muscle peeking through discolored skin, every movement no doubt agony as he roared in anger.
Keeping his mind on the battle at hand he whistled low, trying to bait the man with a snap of his fingers. "Hey snakey, the fights over here. Or did you forge- hey!"
Crimson boots shifted, an even pace carrying the man back toward the cover of the trees. Chemicals laced the smoke that was thick in the air and it was obvious by the sudden flare up on the east end of the inferno that they had very little time left before the blaze erupted further.
"Another time then."
He was half concealed by shadows when the resounding boom sounded. The air thrummed with the explosion and the young hero that had given chase was propelled forward, nearly off his feet. In a demonstration of his acrobatic prowess he tucked and rolled, narrowly missing the thick trunk of a moss laced tree. He failed to hear the soft rustling of leaves as a high pitched whine shrilled in his ears. Just ahead a gleam of white disappeared into the blackness.
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It was no easy feat getting the blaze under control. With team effort it had been simple to dispatch the monstrosity once again though it was quickly made apparent that the threat the fire posed to the island was far more serious than it had initially been. Birds scattered in waves, their panicked chirps and squawks only adding to the ruckus of the roaring flames.
"Superboy, Kid Flash, the two of you work together and get as much dirt as you can onto this thing. Miss Martian, do you think you can contain flares?"
The extraterrestrial gave a curt nod, levitating above the churning pit of flames, snaring wayward sparks and pushing back sudden bursts of heat. Aqualad channeled water from the nearby water tower. While the somber Atlantean worked in silence, every grunt and yell Superboy gave was projected well over the clamor. He launched himself into the air, returning to earth with enough force to pummel the ground around him for several meters to dust. In an instant, Kid Flash whipped the soil into the air. The man-made tornado sent a massive downpour of dirt turned mud onto the factory as it passed through Kaldurs' torrent of water.
By the time they were done it was nearly morning. The horizon was tinged with signs of the coming sun and Wally cringed as he plopped back into the dirt, wiping a smudge of grime from his cheek. His feet were throbbing and he was slightly dizzy. It wasn't an easy feat to run in circles for nearly thirty minutes straight, even for someone with his stamina. Miss Martian settled beside him with a sigh. There was a light dusting of ash on her oddly hued skin that made him smirk. She would have resembled a toasted marshmallow if she weren't so green.
A click sounded as Aqualad put his channelers away. He was giving Superboy an odd look, the boy in question glancing about the area in confusion.
"Uh...anybody seen Robin?"
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"Your persistence is admirable...perhaps you would prove more useful after a trip through one of my Lazarus pits."
A tunnel. Of all the places for them to end up in, it just had to be another tunnel. Robins' eyes slid over the dank walls quickly, processing the space with a critical eye. A fairly low ceiling, close walls, and low light provided by sputtering flares embedded in the ground every few feet. A triumphant smirk twisted his lips; he was smaller, he had the advantage.
"Of course you know...that would require I kill you first."
"Tch, as if."
Robin lunged, a quick leap eliminating their height difference as he delivered two swift kicks that immediately met the palm of Kobras' hand. Another zeroed in on the mans' shoulder, impacting with a gauntlet plated wrist. The solidity of the parry numbed his toes but he grit his teeth and spun away, attempting a backfist only to have his forearm grasped and almost immediately released when a second hand dealt a painful jab between his ribs. Naked brows lowered at the startled yelp that escaped the boys' mouth. The fingers had been straight as sticks and the teen could have sworn he'd been stabbed...or bitten.
Still, when he recovered, taking a moment to ghost fingers over his aching side, he laughed. It'd been a while since anyone had been able to give him a proper fight. He couldn't remember the last time he and Batman had sparred.
"That all you got? You hit like Kid Flash."
Kobra was still and silent as the idols his servants no doubt built in his honor. The blank mask of his face did nothing to give Robin the indication that he'd even heard him. Brief smile diminishing he charged again, aiming now to knock the egoist from his pedestal.
An elbow aimed for the solar plexus; blocked. Both hands were needed to deflect a sudden swipe at his face by the muscular forearm, though the impact was light for the gods' standards. The growl in Robins' throat escalated to a cry of frustration. He was toying with him.
"Come on!" A bout of recklessness overtook him and he struck upward with two open palms, one aimed for the elbow of the arm extended past his head, the other for the mans' chin.
Either he'd gone wide or the man was simply faster than he remembered, but both arms were extended past his head now, within the space of the two he had raised in the air. With any other person it would have been the beginnings of a hug. The sudden downward movement, however, broke the illusion, and he found both his arms locked beneath his opponents'. The clean-shaven head came down hard and fast and spots danced across his vision.
There was warmth on his lip. Blearily he lifted his head, only for it to snap back again, the second blow to his forehead instead of his nose. His nose...it was bleeding. Was it broken? A low groan rattled in his throat and he listened to the urge to struggle, trying unsuccessfully to pry his arms out of the hold.
The pristine skin of the living gods' brow was stained red as he delivered a third and final headbutt. Tension melted gradually from the smaller form. When he loosed his grip the youth sank, the only thing saving him from crumpling completely being a single hand encasing his slim wrist.
Robin came to with the feel of rocks digging into his front. He'd blacked out for only a couple seconds but it'd been more than enough time for the snake. Pushing away from the wall of the tunnel was out of the question; Kobra was behind him and had tugged his arm around with him. He swore; how the hell had he allowed this to happen? His finger tips were already brushing his shoulder blades for christ's sake!
The boy's arm was wrenched back and up, the hand around his wrist clenched tight and forcing the limb into a dangerously awkward position. He arched to alleviate the pain though Kobra easily followed, maintaining the hold and increasing it slowly.
"Stop!" Robins' voice rose, nearly cracking, further betraying his inferiority. The tyrant smirked.
"Your mentor is a cruel man, sending children to fight his battles. No matter, with time you will grow to your full potential under my guidance. Until then..."
Kobra increased his grip, twisting sharply and then yanking as if to rend the arm loose. The resulting snap and then pop was easily drowned by the echo of Robins' agonized wail. His free hand flew to his injured shoulder, desperate to reclaim it as if it would somehow stop the excruciating pain that was quickly spreading.
Humoring the weak, jerky tugging he finally released the dead wrist. The small form before him seemed to grow even weaker, if that were at all possible, and he watched him stumble and fall heavily against the wall. Robins' eyes were wrenched shut tight behind his domino mask, jaw locked as each breath came as a hiss. He'd suffered a broken wrist and dislocated shoulder before but never at the same time. The toll on his body was far worse than he would have liked to admit and he couldn't help but hope that someone would come help him out of the mess he'd gotten himself into.
"Kneel."
Through the haze of pain he could feel the contact at the top of his head. The size of the mans' hand in comparison to his skull only proved to make him seem even smaller, even more insignificant. If Kobra wanted to he could easily poke him in the eyes, even with the palm centered in the inky mass of his hair. Angrily he shook him off, turning as quickly as he dared to slap the offending appendage away.
"Y-you think you're so much better than everyone else, going around and calling yourself god with your little cheerleaders," Robin gave a hoarse laugh, wincing as his entire right arm gave a painful throb. "You're not special, you're just crazy."
A dark look crossed Kobras' face though he said nothing. All at once his posture seemed to become even more rigid, arms folding behind his back, eyes boring into the younger males' worn countenance. He could see sweat dripping down the rounded cheeks, the jaw not yet defined by age slack as barely concealed pants escaped. A slight movement snapped that jaw shut however and Kobra felt an odd twinge of pride as he watched his future protege draw into himself in an admittedly valiant, though feeble, defensive stance. He hummed and the sound was of affirmation. Of acceptance.
Though humans were beneath him Kobra would not be ashamed to say that the boy was quite the fighter. He actually managed to block the first two blows, one to his new weak point on his right and another directed toward his chest, though he hadn't been able to avoid the deadly swift kick that crushed his right ankle. To say that the boy simply collapsed would be a distortion of the truth. This time his voice simply couldn't hold out against the strain, his scream cracking as he landed on his abused arm. He could have popped his shoulder back into place had he not thrashed on impact, rolling to save himself the torture of having the splintered bones pressed down on.
The punishment, however, was insufficient for his level of insolence. He had no respect whatsoever for the god, talking back as if he had the right. The order to kneel had to be enforced and even then he lay in the dirt, whimpering like a dog over his mangled body parts instead of rising to his knees as his superior commanded.
Robins' breath caught in his throat as he unsuccessfully attempted to fight back tears. There was dirt in his mouth, grit on his tongue, but he could barely bring himself to care. It hurt so badly, his ankle felt as if it had swollen to the size of a grapefruit, every inch of it covered in lacerated nerve endings that sent signals to his brain almost faster than he could cope. The same could be said for his shoulder and wrist though his ankle kept his attention by far; the break hadn't been a clean one and he could feel the tiny shards of bone threatening to peek through the skin.
Splotches of wetness dotted the ground beneath him, sweat, blood, saliva...and tears. The salty droplets soaked the thin fabric of his mask, threatening to completely blind him. In too much pain to be embarrassed by his own muted snivelling he crawled a short distance, away from the prowling snake that was stalking his every move. Attempting to stand only brought more pain, but to the boy who was so used to being in control it was better than lying back and letting his opponent beat him into the dust. He wasn't some helpless kid, he was a trained fighter, a boy genius...so why was it so hard not to just crumple to the floor and pray for help?
"Tears of joy I presume. After all, it is an honor to die by my hand."
He'd seen the telltale tracks on the pale cheeks and before Robin could gather the strength to fully stand he was lifted clear of the dirt, feet dangling a good foot or so from the ground. One arm hung useless, the other scrabbling at the vice locked about his neck that seemed, to his panicking mind, that it was gradually taking on the density of steel.
Kobra wouldn't grant him something quick and merciful, he'd been too much of a hindrance for that. What would have been a quick snap of the neck turned to a crushing embrace that would slowly strangle the life out of his mortal body. The god smiled at that thought. Flawed as he was the boy had actually proved to be mildly entertaining.
The arm only tightened at Robins' broken wheezing and his vision swam, blurred and frayed. So this was it, he'd just be strangled and made into Kobras' new zombified lackey? Lead heavy legs kicked out, a punishing throb from his ankle making him tense and cease his squirming. And with his gloves keeping his nails from digging into the flesh of the arm around his throat his clawing was all but useless.
'No...nononono...' Robin was trembling, he couldn't help it. He was afraid. No one was coming to save him this time. He was hurt, and he was helpless, and he was alone... The realization was at once crushing and terrifying.
In all his life he'd never quite imagined dying to be like this. Everything was starting to feel so far away, the blistering agony reducing to pinpricks. And then there was the noise. It seemed like he'd been caught in the midst of a storm, the low rumble of what sounded like thunder meeting his ears as the body pressed to his tensed significantly.
Hidden eyes rolled back; all he had was the heat at his back and the pain in his limbs to comfort him as he slipped into unconsciousness.
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Bruces' eyes narrowed beneath the cover of his cowl. Not far off from where he was standing, four members of Young Justice waited with heads bowed. Through the pane of a window he could see his charge lying asleep, oblivious to the outside world thanks to a cocktail of pain killers.
According to Kaldur their mission had been going fine until the unexpected second explosion of the warehouse once owned by Bane. After stamping out the blaze they'd gone in search of Robin who'd run off in pursuit of the cult leader Kobra. The man had vanished into a network of tunnels webbing the depths of the island, and they'd spent nearly twenty minutes looking above ground before Superboy had been alerted to the birds' plight by the faint echo of his screams. The image of their youngest hanging lifeless in the villains' grasp had sent the Kryptonian clone into an implacable rage.
Conner would have buried them all had Kobra not retreated, escaping and leaving Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian with the job of calming the boy long enough to take their fallen comrade to safety.
A gloved fist clenched tight, the leather squeaking under the strain. The wrath of a god might not have been easily mitigated, but the wrath of the Bat was unstoppable.