Everyone said that their "covert" missions always turned into some sort of fiasco. That wasn't true. They had missions that actually went according to plan… Those just didn't occur a lot. This mission they were on now was definitely not one of the well-going ones.
Robin groaned in exhaustion as he hoisted Kaldur higher over his shoulder. The older boy kept slipping, and it was all Robin could do to keep a hold on him. Both of them were hot and dripping with sweat, thanks to the scorching sun of the desert. Kaldur, being an Atlantean, was affected worse than the rest of them. He had not lasted long in the intense heat, and was severely dehydrated. Unfortunately, he and Robin were far from any help.
"Hang in there, buddy," Robin told Kaldur. "I just gotta find a safe spot to lay low for a few minutes."
Kaldur only shifted his head slightly in response. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness, and occasionally mumbled a few words in Atlantean. Robin didn't know the language well, but knew enough from studying it that Kaldur was asking if the rest of the team was okay. Robin kept telling him the same thing every time he asked: The others were fine, as far as he could tell. They were making their way towards the two of them, with KF running ahead for assistance.
"They're gonna get here soon, and I'm gonna help you, okay?" Robin reassured him as Kaldur emitted a dry, heaving cough. "Look, there's a rock formation up ahead. We can shelter in the shade."
Robin hauled Kaldur over to the rocks, dragging his feet through the dense sand. It was tough going, especially having Kaldur as extra weight, and his feet kept sinking inches into the sand. As they approached the rocks though, the ground became slightly more solid.
Just as he passed the line into the shadow the rocks cast on the ground, Robin heard someone skidding to a stop behind him, spraying up sand.
"Help me set him down, KF," Robin said as his best friend, Kid Flash, came up beside him. Wally nodded and took some of Kaldur's weight off of Robin, and they laid him against the smooth wall of rock. Kaldur grunted and coughed again, slumping down. Robin reached out and helped to steady him into a sitting position. "Kal, stay awake, okay? Stay with us."
"Is he gonna be okay?" Wally asked, crouching next to Robin, his face scrunched in worry. He too was sweating, especially from his run just now.
Robin nodded. "He just needs water, and soon."
"Well we're in the middle of a desert. What do we do? Will he die?"
"No. I won't let him." Robin began to dig around for something in his utility belt, mumbling that he "was sure he had left it in this pocket right here."
While he searched, the rest of the team arrived. Well, Superboy arrived first, landing with a great crash that sent up a wave of sand and left a large crater in the ground.
"You have got to work on your landing," Artemis said as Superboy set her down. They figured it would've been faster for him to carry her, with Megan flying behind them. The Martian girl floated down beside them, smiling at Artemis's comment.
"Over here, guys." Wally motioned them over to the rocks, where Robin had found what he was looking for, and was unscrewing the lid now.
"Is that a canteen?" Superboy asked as he looked over Robin's shoulder at the metal bottle he was holding.
Robin nodded. "It's for Kaldur." He held the lip of the bottle to Kaldur's mouth and tilted his chin up. "Come on, man, drink it."
Kaldur's eyes fluttered weakly, and he lifted his head up enough to swallow the first mouthful of liquid. As it passed down his throat, his eyes shot open. He grabbed the bottle from Robin and began gulping down the water.
"Careful, not too fast." Robin warned him. "Gotta make it last a while."
Kaldur nodded and pulled the bottle away from his lips, swallowing one last gulp. He coughed, but it wasn't the same dry cough that he had had earlier. "This water… It tastes like…"
"It's from the springs of Atlantis," Robin told him. "I figured it would be the best you could ask for."
"Did my King give this to you?"
"I asked him for it. Figured it might come in handy at some point. The bottle is temperature sealed, so the water stays fresh and cold."
"I… Thank you, Robin."
"Of course. I always have something to help my friends out." Robin grinned, placing a hand on Kaldur's shoulder comfortingly.
"You sure come prepared," Megan said from behind them.
"I have something for every situation," Robin said. "Look, this is for KF." He reached into a pocket on his belt and pulled out a protein bar. "You know about his metabolism. If he doesn't eat a certain amount in a certain time, he gets weak pretty fast."
"But I keep a spare candy bar in my wrist compartment," Wally pointed out, popping open said compartment to show them.
Robin shrugged. "But what if you needed it?" He asked, placing the protein bar back in its pocket. "I keep it just in case something bad was to happen."
"What's my back-up item?" Artemis asked. She meant it as a joke, but Robin had already pulled out something else. It looked like a tiny metal stick, with a pointed spearhead and fletched end. He pulled on it, and it slid out to a full-length arrow, similar to the ones she used.
"I always keep an extra arrow for you. Never know when you might need just one more." Robin grinned. "It's collapsible, but pretty sturdy. Cool, huh?" He held it out for her to inspect, and she took in with an expression of wonder, turning it over in her hands.
"This," Robin said, "Is Miss M's." He held out a small silver pellet to the Martian, who held it up between her fingers.
"Um… What is it?" she asked after a few seconds of studying it. "It feels… Cold?"
"Martians like cold, right? You're sensitive to heat. Whenever you get overheated, you take that pill and it lowers your body temperature and reduces the effects of the heat. It keeps you cooled down." Robin explained. "I probably should've given it to you earlier, but I didn't know if it was going to get worse, where you might've needed it more."
"That's amazing! Where did you get it?" Megan asked, her face beaming as she returned the pill to him. He placed it in a small container and slid it back into his belt.
"Batman and Manhunter helped me make it."
"Does my uncle have one?"
"Well, he didn't really ask for one. But I have more," Robin said. "I suppose it'd be safer for him to carry one around too. Now, I bet Supey's wondering what his item is." He grinned again and turned to face his Kryptonian friend.
Superboy raised an eyebrow, wondering what Robin had in store for him.
"Well, seeing as you're pretty much indestructible, I don't really have something for you. Not yet, anyways." Robin laughed. "I guess I could pack an extra T-shirt. You seem to rip them up pretty fast."
The rest of the team had to laugh at this, even Kaldur, whose throat was still a little sore.
"Robin, what is your back-up item?" Kaldur asked.
"I'm a bat." Robin cackled. "I don't need one."
They all laughed again, beaming at their youngest team member. It was funny, they all thought. They spent so much time worrying about their little bird, trying to look out for him, when it seemed that he was actually the one looking out for them.