Author's Note (edit):
Hey all! This is my first real upload, so please forgive any newbie mistakes :) I'm still figuring out the system here. I still don't understand everything, but thanks for the favs!
So, with no further ado, I give you chapter 2! (I also revised chp. 1 slightly)
Chapter 2 - Interdimensional Crises
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Robin couldn't see anything. His surroundings were dark, and pleasantly so; it was soothing and peaceful. He felt warm and comfortable, snugly wrapped in the darkness. Was this what death was like? It wasn't exactly what he had expected, and he was fine with that - but he had wished to meet his parents somehow - he had so many stories to tell them. Stories of him and KF trolling other Leaguers, of days at the manor, and of nights on patrol... Of course, his mom would probably be appalled at the daily peril he was (had been?) in, and she would probably be mad at Batman for allowing a child to -
Batman! At that thought Robin stirred, worry flooding his thoughts. If he was really dead, then that meant Batman - no, Bruce - was alone, and that wouldn't do - he had to go back! He had to return and make sure Bruce didn't go crazy with grief and start beating up thugs into a bloody pulp; Robin was the light in the darkness that was Batman, and he had to go back! The Boy Wonder began to struggle against the darkness he was in - it was too constrictive now, and he wanted out - beating against the bonds around him.
He wrestled for a few more minutes before he was out, free. Robin stood (floated?) upright, and looked around. There had to be some way out, right?
As if triggered by that thought, his surroundings grew lighter, the light condensing into the shape of a door. Robin drifted closer to it, pace quickening as the light intensified. Outstretching an arm, he tentatively slid his hand in. The consistency was gelatinous, like jelly, and felt slightly cool through his glove. Taking a deep breath, Robin stepped forward, pushing his way through the mass. With each step he took the glow grew brighter; soon it was so bright that he squeezed his eyes shut behind his mask and proceeded blindly. Another step forward, and the floor (air?) under his feet dropped, and his eyes jerked open. He was falling - down, down, down...
The darkness drew over his eyes, blurring his vision (again), and Robin couldn't help but wish he had just stayed in bed that morning.
ARKHAM ASYLUM, GOTHAM CITY
May 23, 23:32 PM, EDT
To be blunt, Batman was ticked.
There had been a breakout at Arkham Asylum that month, and Batman had spent entire weeks chasing after each criminal, getting stabbed (Joker), bit (Killer Croc), beaten (Bane), and vined (Poison Ivy) in the process. He had just finished stowing the Scarecrow back into his cell at Arkham (miraculously, without getting gassed), and was driving back down an alley when his comm beeped.
Growling, he answered it. "Yes, Clark?"
"..." There was a short pause, followed by a sigh. "Hello to you, too, Bruce. Long day?"
"What do you want." stated Batman, not even bothering to make it sound like a question.
"There's a... situation."
Batman suppressed the urge to rub his eyes. "What kind of situation."
There was a rustling sound over the comm, indicating that the Man of Steel was fidgeting. "You... better come and see for yourself. I have a feeling I'll either over-exaggerate the problem or understate it." More rustling. "Signal me when you're ready to be beamed up."
"Fine," Batman grunted, temper shimmering. "Batman out." He ended the transmission, not bothering to wait for Superman's reply.
The road ahead banked sharply, headed towards a bricked-up garage. Batman accelerated towards it, barely blinking as the wall slid up just in time for the vehicle to pass under. It slid back down in place as he flew down the tunnel, taking lefts and rights with a speed born of countless hours of practice. After passing under a stone arch the car skidded to a stop, engine going from roaring to silent instantaneously.
The Dark Knight unbuckled his seat belt and disabled the door lock, rolling his aching shoulders as the roof slid back with a pneumatic hiss. He vaulted out of the car, cursing internally as his side twinged.
"I take that you were successful, Master Bruce?" came a familiar British voice. Alfred stepped up to the Batmobile, first aid kit and a cup of water at the ready.
Sighing tiredly, Batman accepted the glass from the butler. "Joker, Killer Croc, Bane, Poison Ivy, and Scarecrow are all back in their cells at Arkham. Hopefully they'll be there for another month at most." He handed back the now empty glass, gently shooing the grandfatherly figure away from re-wrapping his cracked ribs. "It's alright, Alfred. I'm needed at the Watchtower; I'll get treated there."
"Very well, Master Bruce." replied Alfred, stepping back as Batman signaled Superman, indicating he was ready. "Do say hello to Master Clark for me, sir."
"I will," answered Batman as he felt the familiar pins-and-needles racing up his arms at being transported onto the Watchtower. The sight of his butler blurred and faded, refocusing into the red-and-blue figure of the Man of Steel. "Took you long enough," he grumbled, walking past Superman and towards the computer. "Agent A says hello. Report."
Superman followed quickly after the Dark Knight, standing behind the chair as Batman seated himself. "It isn't any of our normal problems," Superman started, reaching over and accessing the security feed. "I called you immediately after the occurrence." He skimmed through the data, stopping at the camera feed from the common room. The video started playing at once, displaying the Flash and Superman talking animatedly while Martian Manhunter floated nearby in a meditative state.
The feed went on for several minutes without pause, greatly irritating Batman. The vigilante had just opened his mouth to demand that Superman just tell him what the problem was when something on the screen caught his eye, and he paused the security feed. Narrowing his eyes, Batman tapped a command into the keyboard, focusing on that particular spot. "What is that."
"We didn't notice it at first," said Superman, slightly sheepish. "But later... well, you can see for yourself." He resumed the video, and Batman watched as the red dot (?) on the screen rapidly increased in size. It swirled with red energy, sparking in a way that was unnervingly similar to a boom tube.
By then the Leaguers had noticed, and had formed a ring around the rift, arms raised in defensive positions. They tensed as the wormhole contracted, shielding their faces as it shone blindly before spitting out six black... blobs. Afterwards the portal collapsed into itself, the bright light fading away, and the blobs grew focused, revealing the figures of six teenagers.
Forgetting himself for a moment, Batman leaned closer, eyes flickering from one prone body to the next, assessing and categorizing each figure. The youngest couldn't have been older than fourteen, with the oldest around sixteen or seventeen years of age. They were all dressed in outfits with haunting similarities to those of the League - there was a female Martian, a blond Atlantean (with long black eel tattoos snaking up his arms and water bearers sheathed on his back), a large, buff male with Superman's shield (red on a black shirt), a junior Flash (in red and yellow, Flash's bolt displayed proudly on his chest), a female Green Arrow (her long, blond hair in a ponytail), and a red-vested boy with armor that mirrored Batman's own (lithe, with a small yellow R over his heart).
The Dark Knight's hope rose at the sight of the youngest. That vest... It had been brighter, and made of fabric, not Kevlar, but he had seen it, and the R, before... Perhaps, just maybe - He squashed the small hope down brutally before giving himself a mental shake.
No false hopes, he chided himself. He's dead. Get that into your head! With that Batman turned his attention back to the video.
The Leaguers had frozen in place, obviously in shock (Batman silently grumbled at their inattention). The heroes would have stayed there for a while if it hadn't been for the blood pooling under the youngest - the red-vested boy had clipped his head on entry, and head wounds always bled the most. So much blood...The Flash was by his side in the blink of an eye, firmly stemming the blood flow with his hand as he gently raised the boy up. He looked up at Superman, waiting for his verdict. There seemed to be a consensus, and the speedster sped out of the camera's frame, most likely taking the boy to the infirmary. He whipped past Wonder Woman, who had a bemused expression on her face. "Great Hera! What happened?"
To explain, Superman gestured towards the unconscious teenagers, mumbling a reply to the Amazon that was too soft to be caught on the camera's microphone, while Martian Manhunter telepathically removed all the weapons he could see. Keeping them in the air, the Martian turned to look at Superman and Wonder Woman questionably.
This time the camera caught his words: "What should we do with them?" the alien inquired, face smooth and untroubled. Superman seemed conflicted, several emotions running across his face before he shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
"Take them to a holding cell," he said, rubbing his eyes. He winced, then said, with obvious displeasure: "I'll... tell Batman."
Nodding, Martian Manhunter floated out, the teens drifting weightlessly behind him. Wonder Woman, sending a sympathetic glance towards Superman, followed after, their weapons in her arms. As the two walked out of frame Superman raised his fingers to his comm, wincing as he heard Batman respond. He hesitated, then said, "Hello to you, too, Bruce. Long day?"
At that Batman stopped the video and turned the chair around. "Have you analyzed what they fell through?"
Superman nodded. "We got Dr. Fate to scan the residue on the children's bodies. He said that it was a portal created by Klarion."
Batman's heart fell further. So it can't be him. Acting unaffected, he stated, "The Lord of Chaos," internally groaning. This really isn't my week, is it? "Interdimensional, I presume."
"Yeah. He's teamed up with Dr. Midnite to try and create a portal to send them back."
"Good. I want them gone as soon as possible. We don't know the extent of the effects they might have on our dimension." I don't want him here. Not while he's wearing that.
Superman agreed silently. Interdimensional crises were always... damaging.
The Dark Knight stood up, his cape falling over his arms."Which cells are they in."
"Each metahuman is in a cell equipped to handle each of their abilities. J'onn wasn't sure if the muscular one had metapowers, and put him in the one to handle Kryptonians. The boy's shirt made him wary." Superman paused, a worried expression coming over his face. "Flash took the small one to the infirmary. He told me that the kid needed at least five stitches." Shaking his head, Superman ran his hand over his hair. "Who lets a kid that young into a suit?"
["- reports of a small child fighting crime - Batman's Sidekick? - dropped crime rates - "]
Ignoring the man's mumbling, Batman stalked out of the room, heading towards the infirmary. The Kryptonian glided after him, unconsciously hovering as he worried and muttered over the boy. They soon arrived, and entered into the infirmary; they made their way to the furthest bed from the door. The boy was sprawled across it, with a blanket over him and a bandage wrapped around his head. His boots were arranged neatly on the floor beside the bed. Martian Manhunter floated nearby, eyes aglow. At the others' arrival he turned his head, eyes back to their regular red. "Batman, Superman," he greeted, pivoting to face the two heroes.
"J'onn," replied Superman. "How is he?" He drifted back down to the floor, hesitantly straightening the covers over the boy.
"He is well," stated the Martian. "I was in the process of scanning his mind, but it is guarded vigilantly, and I could not bypass his shields."
Batman raised an eyebrow at that. "So he's trained." He looks just like him...
Martian Manhunter dipped his head sharply. "That is the most likely possibility." The martian elevated the medical chart set on the bedside table and sent it toward the Dark Knight. "His DNA scans show that he does not possess a meta-gene, eliminating the chance of him being telepathic."
Flipping through the chart, Batman skimmed over the information. "Did you get any DNA matches?"
"None so far. I am assuming that his counterpart is either dead or does not exist. Do you wish for me to check with the deceased?"
"No," said Batman. "That won't be necessary." He noticed the outline of the boy's belt from under the blanket. "Why didn't you remove his equipment?"
"I was not able to. I was waiting for you to come and remove it." Martian Manhunter elevated the blanket. "It seems remarkably like yours."
"I see." The Dark Knight placed his fingers on the belt, only to have the boy stir as the chill of the infirmary settled over him. Batman gestured at Martian Manhunter to lower the blanket. "We can do that later - he's coming back into consciousness. Keep quiet and let me do the talking." Stepping back slightly, he watched the boy come to and slowly sit up.
"Blurgh... Wha - what happened?" Wincing, the boy placed a hand to his head, tentatively fingering the bandage there. "There was a red funnel, and then it was... dark... Ugh. So not asterous." He turned his face and squinted at the figures around his bed. "...Batman?"
Batman took a hesitant step closer, drawing nearer to the bed. "How's your head?" Don't show concern. He's not the same one. He's not.
"Other than the headache, 'm fine," answered the boy, lowering his hand in favor of rubbing his eyes through his mask. "So I take that GL got us out after we blacked out? Or was the portal harmless?" When the man didn't answer the boy looked back up. Seeing Batman's tense position, the boy tilted his head to the side, expression quizzical. "What's wrong, B? Why'm I at the Watchtower?"
Even the head tilt is exactly the same -
[A quizzical tilt of the head. "You're Batman? Huh. You're not as scary as they say you are."]
The man jerked back into reality, forcefully shoving the memory back into the recesses of his mind. Don't. He's not who you're hoping he is. He refocused on the confused boy in front of him. Focus. He could be dangerous. Use his familiarity. Lull him into feeling safe.
"It's nothing," he answered, hiding his body under the shapelessness of his cape. A batarang slid down into his cupped hand. Just in case. "Klarion transported you to the common room. You hit your head when you landed; the cut needed to be sewn. You've been unconscious until now."
"Oh," yawned the boy, scratching his head. "But why'd you treat me here instead of at home or at the Mountain?"
Batman panicked internally. 'Home', he says. "Necessity. It would have aggravated the wound if you'd been beamed back down." He hesitated slightly before saying, "There was a lot of blood." Too much.
"That explains the headache," the boy groaned. "How're the others?"
He must mean the other five. "They're still unconscious. You were the first to wake."
The boy sighed in relief. "No one's hurt, then."
Nodding, the Dark Knight hesitated again before saying, "CAT scans showed no injuries, but we still have to check. Name."
Giving him a "Really?" look, the boy asked, "Real name or mask?"
"Mask." The Batman the boy knew probably had not revealed his identity to the others. I don't think I could bear to see his real face now, either.
"Robin."
Batman's heart skipped a beat, and his fists clenched under his cape. "Age."
"Fifteen."
Still so young. "Country."
"United States of America." The boy's brow furrowed. "But since we're at the Watchtower, space."
The man grinned internally despite himself. Clever. "Time and date."
"Not sure about the time, but I think it's still May 23."
Satisfied, Batman said, "It's close to midnight in Gotham, but other than that, you're clear."
"Great!" exclaimed the boy, pulling back his covers. "'Cause I really need to go to the bathroom."
He swung his feet out of the bed and slid them into his boots. Brushing his hair out of his face, the boy said, "Be right back!" and made his way toward the Infirmary bathroom.
As soon as the door closed, Batman turned to Superman and muttered, "After he's sedated, put him in a cell, like the others."
Superman looked uneasy. "So he's a threat?"
"He knows things that a normal child wouldn't. He's been trained. Pretend he's me and act accordingly."
At that tidbit of information, Superman gulped nervously. "And how exactly do I act around you?"
The Dark Knight scowled and said, "Just keep an eye on him." Batman turned to Martian Manhunter and continued, saying, "We'll have to get his equipment off him while he's sedated. That means gloves, boots, belt, and a check along the suit to make sure there aren't any hidden pockets."
"I'll help you," said Superman.
"You'll help Martian Manhunter," Batman corrected. "I have to make sure the others don't have tricks up their sleeves, either." He frowned thoughtfully. "We'll have to keep them separated for as long as -"
"Batman," interrupted Martian Manhunter. "I am sensing a telepathic conversation between Robin and the others."
Both Batman and Superman turned to Martian Manhunter. "Can you hear what they're discussing."
"Negative. I can sense the connection, but I cannot hear their thoughts. Bonds that are present for a long time are harder to break. It seems they have done this several times."
Cursing internally, Batman made his way towards the bathroom. "If they communicate, they'll tell him that they've been captured - "
As if on cue, the bathroom door burst open, a blurred red-yellow-and-black form moving quickly towards the door.
"Superman!" yelled Batman. "Cut him off!"
The Man of Steel complied, coming between the boy and the door in a split second. "Whoa, there, kid," he said. "Slow down. We're not going to hurt you."
The boy's eye slits narrowed, and he said to no one in particular, "Red Alert; Access Code RJG24." There was no reaction, and at that the boy's expression grew darker. "Crap," Superman heard him breathe out. Before the Kryptonian could react, the boy reacted into his belt and pulled out a capsule, throwing it onto the ground and simultaneously fixing his breathing mask over his face. The capsule exploded, sending up a plume of gray, green-tinted smoke.
Realizing what was in the smoke, Batman opened his mouth to say, "Don't breathe that!" but his shout died in his throat as he watched Superman inhale the smoke to clear it. Clumsy idiot, Batman mused as he ran over to catch the Kryptonian before he fell over.
"The gas was laced with Kryptonite dust," he growled, annoyed that Superman hadn't been expecting it. "Didn't I tell you to act like he was me?"
"B-but.. you n-never use K-kryptoni..." Superman trailed off, slowly sucumbing into unconsciousness.
Lips set in a grim line, Batman nodded at the Martian. "Make sure he wakes up. I've got a bird to catch." With that the Dark Knight swept out of the Infirmary, hurriedly scanning for signs of the boy... of Robin.
-End of Chapter 2-
Edit: I don't own Young Justice (or DC Comics, or Robin, or etc...)
