So, a little idea that's been floating around for a while. Inspired by some amazing artworks I saw of DC characters back in the Renaissance Era. Please review, and tell me what you think! ^^ Oh, and I apologize for any mistakes you find.
It was just another day for the Team. M'gann was cooking up some lunch, the delicious aroma making everyone's stomach growl. Conner was sitting on the green couch, staring at the TV screen, which was blank. Kaldur and Robin were conversing quietly, their heads bent close to each other. A crash filled the air, followed by a scream from Artemis. The wind picked up as Wally ran into the room, panic showing plainly on his features.
"RUN! THERE'S A BEAST ON THE LOOSE!" He yelled, running circles around the common room.
"What?" M'gann asked from her place in the kitchen.
A voice answered her, "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Robin looked at his best friend, "What did you do?"
"Just a harmless prank," The speedster shrugged.
"Your pranks are usually not harmless," Kaldur pointed out.
Just then, Artemis stalked into the room, drenched in grape soda from head to toe, staining her green uniform. Even her long ponytail was covered in the stuff.
"YOU!" She pointed, "ARE SO DEAD!"
"Artemis, I'll help you get cleaned up," M'gann floated over to the archer, leading her towards the showers. Artemis went willingly, but not before she cast a death glare at Wally.
"I promise I'll read at your funeral," Robin joked.
"Dude, not funny!"
Kaldur suggested, "Maybe you should apologize."
"As soon as she calms down," Wally promised.
"That might be never."
The green eyed boy grinned at the bird, "Exactly."
Team, report to the mission room," Batman's voice sounded above the Team's head, just as Artemis and M'gann walked back in. They managed to get most of the soda off, but it left Artemis feeling sticky and gross.
"Woohoo! Another mission!" Wally said with a grin, taking off and leaving the rest in his dust, most likely to get away from the fire-breathing Artemis
"I swear if he pranks me one more time…." The blonde muttered.
"Artemis, you can't stop Wally from pranking. It's like trying to stop the sun from shining. You just can't do it," Robin told her. Artemis crossed her arms and snorted, but still followed her team into the mission room.
"Team, I have important mission for you," Batman said as soon as everyone assembled.
"Lemme guess, another drug deal?" Conner said gruffly.
Batman didn't even flinch, "Yes. In Gotham Warehouses, Garage Seventeen, intelligence has found out that Sportsmaster will be completing another Kobra Venom transition. I want you to go over there and stop it."
Artemis narrowed her eyes, "It would be our pleasure."
"C'mon, Arty!" She turned to see Wally waving at her, her friends already on board the Bio-ship.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, Baywatch. Just watch your mouth," She rolled her eyes at the ginger, still angry, but jogged to catch up with him.
"So, Robin, it must be nice to go back to Gotham," Miss Martian said kindly as the ship took off towards the bird's home city.
Robin shrugged, "I guess. I mean, I see it everyday, so I don't get homesick. But it does feel nice to protect my people again."
"That must feel good," The green girl said quietly.
"Are you missing Mars?" Kid Flash asked, not unkindly.
"Sometimes, but then I tell myself that Earth is a much better place, and that I have so many friends and that I save people."
"That is good to hear. It keeps your head clear, yes?" Aqualad asked.
"Yeah."
"So, Sportsmaster? Again?" Robin switched the topic. The whole Team was oblivious to the way Artemis tensed with the mention of his name.
"He never stops," Artemis said.
"Yeah, it's like, we just cleaned up the place! Can't they keep it clean for a while?" Kid Flash threw his hands up.
"Be glad they don't clean it up, because we'd have nothing to do," Robin retorted.
"Touché, Rob, Touché."
"Approaching destination," Miss Martian announced, while Robin, Kid Flash, and Artemis looked out the windows to see the hazy skylines of Gotham City.
"Everyone, switch to stealth," Aqualad instructed, touching the symbol on his waist. The red of his shirt faded into black, just as Kid Flash's yellow turned gray. Miss Martian shape-shifted her clothes into her full-length body suit, and the green on Artemis turned a bit darker.
"You're all crazy," Superboy muttered, crossing his arms at his Kevlar-clad friends.
"We're not all indestructible, Supey," Robin laughed, while Miss Martian camouflaged herself and the Bio-ship.
"Let's go," Artemis said, and the Bio-ship landed, opening to the Team. They all hid behind two buildings, both facing their target garage. Three of them were behind one building, the others on the second building. It was so calm, so unlike the chaotic, crime-filled city that Robin patrolled.
"Kid, what can you see?" Aqualad asked.
The ruby goggles glinted over the green eyes, "Nothing. It's really odd, no movement, no nothing."
"Is it a ruse?" Miss Martian asked, "A red herring?"
"No. Batman is never wrong," Robin growled.
"Miss Martian, try to find life forms inside." Aqualad said after a moment of silence.
Her auburn eyes glowed for a second, "There's people inside. That's for sure."
"How many?"
"About four? Five? They were faint so I couldn't really tell…."
"You did alright," Superboy told her with a slight smile, making the Martian blush.
"So what's the plan? Storming the place?" Kid Flash asked.
"That's probably the worst plan," Artemis said.
"He retorted, "You have anything better?"
"I'm not the leader."
"I am," Aqualad cut the argument short, "And I say we wait for an opening."
"That may never come, or it could be in a flash," Robin pointed out.
"Hey, that's what I do. It's in the name," Kid Flash said.
The dark skinned teen heaved a sigh, "Ok. Kid, you ready yourself for an opening. As soon as it comes, I want you to try and keep the door opened for the rest of us. All of you, be ready to run, and fight."
His order was met with Kid Flash shifting his weight into a running position, and the tightening of Artemis' bow. For a few long, agonizing minutes, everything was still. The air, the building, the people. But, the silence was short lived, as the opening of the giant door made the teens snap out of their reverie.
Kid Flash didn't wait for an order, nor did he need to. When the slightest crack showed in the garage door, he took off running. He got there in no time, sticking his arm under the door. Using all his strength, he pulled it up enough to fit his shoulder in, then two shoulders, until finally he could stand up and push the thing so that his friends can fit under it.
The others wasted no time, as they sprung out of their hiding places, all running towards the garage.
"Come on!" Kid Flash gestured frantically, and they all put on an extra burst of speed. The strange thing was, they weren't met with any resistance. No guards charged, no guns were fired. They walked in without a challenge.
"This is so weird," Robin sated, as he slid under the door. Superboy took over Kid Flash's job of keeping the garage open, as he was more suited for the job. As soon as the last blonde strand of Artemis' ponytail was inside, Superboy let go of the door, which it crashed to ground with a bang.
"Robin is right; this is certainly strange. No one has shown up to fight us," Aqualad looked around.
"While there is evidence a drug deal went on here," Robin gestured to the carts and secret files, "No one is here to clean up, or start the deal."
Artemis asked, "Is that a good thing?"
Her question was answered by a creepy laugh, echoing through every corner of the garage.
"It wasn't me!" Robin exclaimed as all eyes went to him.
"No, pesky children. It was me!" A blaze of red light, and Klarion was standing in the middle of the large building, nonchalantly petting his cat.
"Aren't you a kid yourself?" Miss Martian asked curiously.
"Besides! We're teenagers, not kids!" Artemis added.
"I'll leave that up to you. I have orders to follow," Klarion sighed, and the cat jumped onto the floor.
"Teekel, keep them busy," The cat morphed into a giant saber-tooth tiger at the command.
"I have a feeling that's not a real cat!" Kid Flash exclaimed as he zoomed out of the way of a giant paw.
"What was your first clue?" Artemis snarled back, the twang of her bow sounding when she shot arrow after arrow, accompanied by Robin's batarangs.
The tiger curled his lip, and seemed to laugh at the Team's meager attacks. It swiped a massive paw, lifting Superboy off his feet. The clone smashed into Aqualad, and both hit the concrete wall, creating a huge dent. Both teens fell to the ground, dazed.
Miss Martian flew up behind the animal, one hand raised. She concentrated her powers on lifting the giant beast, when a flash caught her eye. Reluctantly, she tore her gaze from the attacking cat, to Klarion, who was creating a hing. The Martian had no idea what it was, but Klarion had his back to her, so she floated over.
"You should stop what you're doing," To prove her point, Miss Martian picked Klarion, leaving him suspended in the air.
The boy smirked, "I can't do that," One flick of his pale hand, and red beams were summoned. They hit Miss Martian straight on, and she went tumbling to the ground, just to be saved by Kid Flash.
"You ok, babe?" He purred, and she nodded, detaching herself from the speedster's arms.
"You all annoy me," Klarion huffed, creating a shield to deflect Aqualad's water whip, "But, orders are orders."
"What orders?" Aqualad challenged, but Klarion didn't answer. He only turned to the thing he was making, and continued with his work. A large dome of his energy surrounded the witch boy, so no attacks could harm him. Klarion kept mumbling to himself, every word made the torrent of magic grow stronger.
"Ahah! Finished!" He sang, then made the energy dome fade. Almost instantly, the wind picked up in the room, sending papers and glass into the mass of magic in the center.
"Help!" Miss Martian cried, as her cape dragged her towards the magical abyss.
"M'GANN!" Superboy shouted, clutching her outstretched hand with his. The clone's free hand gripped a fallen timber, which crushed under his strength.
The others didn't have better luck. Robin, being a fellow cape wearer, was being pulled towards the red thing at an alarming rate. Artemis shot an arrow at the garage door, and held the cable in both of her hands. Robin just had enough time to grab the tip of her boot, then caught Kid Flash as he tumbled past.
"KF!" He shouted at the disoriented ginger.
"I'm ok, I think…." Kid Flash glanced up at Aqualad, who was holding on a cart for dear life.
"You stubborn heroes!" Klarion shouted in frustration, and the suction grew stronger.
"Hold on, Rob!" Kid Flash cried in panic as Robin's fingers slipped from Artemis' boot.
"Thanks for the advice!" Robin replied sarcastically.
"Can't….hold….on!" Artemis gasped as her hands let go of the line, then screamed as she tumbled into the magic hole, right after Kid Flash and Robin. The other three followed suit, as they couldn't hold onto the objects that were their saviors.
The last thing the Team saw was the grinning face of Klarion, then the black as the magic took hold.
