Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice etc. etc. etc
Note: Slight ever so slight Superman and Wonder Woman Bashing…Not a fan.
Chapter 2.
Recognize Red Arrow B06.
Red Arrow stepped into the Zeta tube room internally glad for once that the female automated voice hadn't called him Speedy. That meant that Robin and KF weren't going to get pummeled when he set eyes on them. It was always nice to know that his little brothers could learn from a few arrows, being hung upside down, and in the case of the mini bat, wrapped in his own cape without his belt.
He had called ahead to Batman and the other lead league members he could get in contact with knowing that whatever it was he was handing them they all would want to know about. After Ollie had found out about him working for Luther a few months back he didn't want to hear his mentor's mouth about keeping anything from him. Like that mattered anymore now that he was working solo.
Whatever.
Walking into the meeting room Roy was met with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow. No Black Canary in site meaning that she was, at the moment, busy with the brats in training.
Great, the redhead sighed to himself in dismay, No one to play mediator today.
"Debrief."
Really? Roy was half ready to step into attention and salute the older male, thinking better of it. Batman was always so rigid. He didn't know how Rob did it.
"Ran into some punks in an alley and picked this up." Roy handed the black box to Wonder Woman's out stretched hand knowing the detective standing right next to her had picked up immediately on the lie. It wasn't like he was going to say anything on the matter. Something he was always grateful about when it came to the bat.
So far in the clear.
"So, Crimson's partner had nothing to do with it?"
Damn you. Roy, if he could, would have leveled Green Arrow in those few seconds he opened his mouth. Turning to the older man as to not see the disapproving faces of the other occupants of the room, Roy spoke. "Yeah he's the one who gave it to me. What of it?" No sense in lying now.
"You do know we can't really trust what those two are up to," Diana told Red Arrow sending him a look that said not to argue.
Like that ever worked. Crossing his arms, Roy tilted his head to get a better look at Wonder Woman and Superman. Those two would be the hardest to talk to about anything. Both could punch through walls and had skulls just as thick.
Right on cue the Boy Scout piped up with his unwanted two cents. "They steal and manipulate to get what they want, which for the most part, nobody knows." He glanced to the Dark Knight who remained silent before continuing. "Did he even give a reason for why he was in Star City?"
"Same reason why they visit any city," Roy answered easily.
"And he couldn't have given this," Wonder Woman held up the box, "to anyone of us? They know how to get in contact with the League if need be."
"And get received with such warmth?" Red scoffed. "You think so highly of them."
"Listen why don't we just see what it is?" Green Arrow knew that Diana and Clark would be hard to deal with, but not this hard. Maybe he should have kept what he had seen that night a secret.
"I agree." Green Arrow let out a sigh as Batman had finally spoke. Thank you. "Superman…"
Taking the box from Wonder Woman the man of steel stared at the box using his x-ray vision to see the contents without the risk of opening it. They had no clue what was inside, nor why Rokuro was so eager, in their opinion, to hand it over instead of returning it to where it belonged.
"It's lined with lead."
"Call Hal and Martian Manhunter," Turning to Red Arrow Batman regarded the young man with a knowing look before speaking. "If you see Rokuro again tell him I would like to speak with him."
Immediately catching the undertone of the sentence Roy nodded. "I'm pretty sure you'll see him before even Crimson does, but whatever." There was no way he was going to say no to the bats. Anyone else sure, but Batman…He'd pass. "On one condition."
"That being?"
Ignoring the Boy Scout, Roy spoke solely to Batman. "The minute you know what's in the box I want in the loop."
"Fine." Green Arrow glared at Batman, the dark knight clearly not caring.
"Good." With that Red Arrow turned away from the group and left the room; not before hearing the first few bits of Green Arrow blowing up on Batman. Oh how he'd like to be a fly on the wall for that one! He'd go tell Dinah to pick up her boyfriend off of the meeting room floor later.
"Again." Black Canary stood at the sidelines watching as Kaldur helped Robin back up to his feet in the middle of the room. So far it had been a tie with Robin winning the first match and Kaldur coming back in the second. This next round would be the last for the day as everyone else had already gone, M'gann coming up on top between her and Kid Flash while Superboy surprisingly had lost to Artemis. Zatanna was improving greatly in hand to hand giving her a run for her money.
Roy walked into the room standing off to the side with Black Canary watching as Robin and Kaldur walked to opposite sides of the mats.
"What's the score?"
"Tied right now," Canary answered before blowing her whistle. It was less of a hassle to have the whistle versus her using her powers to get the teens to start or stop fighting.
The fight seemed pretty intense with Aqualad and Robin only staring each other down for the first few seconds before the Boy Wonder quickly advanced on the older male. Running right at Aqualad the acrobat did a flying jump spin hook kick, only to come up empty, quickly ducking from a punch roundhouse kick combo. The mini bat flipped over the Atlantean's head making to sweep for the legs only to once again meet air as the older male jumped away.
Popping back up Robin advanced again, feigning a roundhouse with his left foot before switching at the last second and catching Aqualad in the ribs. As he was about to go in for another kick, his eyes widened behind his mask as he wasn't expecting for the other male to recover so quickly or for his leg to be grabbed. Before he was able to break out of the hold he found himself on his back, flipping up and away from the male who had come down with an axe kick.
Aqualad charged in, this time feigning a few punches if only to feeling the younger male out before distracting him with a low kick to create an opening in the boy wonder's defense, aiming a punch at his solar plexus. Roy was sure, had it been anyone else, they'd be on their back by now, but the little bat wasn't a bat for nothing. Returning the favor Robin side stepped the punch using Aqualad's momentum to send him over his shoulder and onto the ground.
Black Canary watched the fight for a while before directing some of her attention to the red head standing next to her. "So, did you talk with Oliver?"
Oh my G- seriously? "No."
Men. "Roy."
"…"
Fine. "How did the meeting go?"
"Good, with all considering." She had been the only one he told in partial detail about where he had gotten the item from. Black Canary was far less likely to judge and hadn't treated him like a kid or an outsider since his departure. It was certainly something that he was glad for.
Keeping his eyes on the fight the whole while, Roy winced when Aqualad's stomach made contact with the bottom of Robin's foot. The Atlantean recovered quickly, allowing him time to move into Robin's next kick and effectively stopping him once again; this time coming in with an elbow aimed at the space between his shoulder and neck. It would have been a very effective knockout had the little bird not seen it coming at the last moment and dodged, getting only half of the force that had been behind the blow.
That was going to hurt.
Dropping slightly and clearly not focused from the hit, Robin didn't register the darker skinned male move in until he was on his back with a fist inches from his face. The white holes on his domino mask narrowed after a few seconds; so not feeling the aster.
Aqualad stood up extending a hand out to his youngest friend who readily accepted.
"It was a good match Robin. You have greatly improved on your hand to hand these past few weeks."
"Thanks Aqua-"
"Eh, I've seen better from a cgi panda."
Blue eyes narrowed behind a black domino mask before a hand shot out, a bird-a-rang sent flying towards the voice. Turning around Robin gave a crocked grin to his oldest best friend whom was recovering from his slight dive out of death's way.
"Still mad about last week much?"
"Not at all."
"Yeah man, what would make you think that?" Roy was all too used to the younger red head popping up next to him unexpectedly. The extra weight on his shoulder and slight breeze that came after only solidified the fact.
"Greetings Red Arrow. I see you have witnessed the training."
"Yeah...Next time try not to go so easy on the pipsqueak." Robin's indignant look only made the older red head smirk. He knew he'd pay for that later, but it was so much fun to bust the kid's balls from time to time.
"I can assure you Robin's skill has put me on edge with every round. He was improved since the last time we sparred."
Shrugging at the Atlantean's words Roy shot a quick smirk at Robin. "If you say so." He turned slightly to Superboy who stood next to the entrance with M'gann. Nodding to the junior boy of steel he received one in return and a cheerful wave from the Martian.
Patting the older hero on the shoulder Aqualad made for the exit. "Good seeing you friend."
"Same."
"Will you be staying for a while Red Arrow? I baked some fresh cookies."
"Say no to drugs," Robin coughed out so that only he, Roy, and Wally could hear.
"Dude –!" Wally whispered back, elbowing his younger friend in the arm.
Holding back a snort, Roy shook his head. As politely as he could he told the young Martian that he was only down for a visit. "Maybe next time." That seemed to satisfy the bubble of smiles as she clapped her hands in glee and flew off, not before grabbing a hold of her boyfriend of course.
That left his two friends and his ex-partners new protégé in the room. One sweep told him that sometime before Black Canary had disappeared, probably to go find Green Arrow.
Roy matched glares with the Blonde who stalked away without a word flipping her pony tail over her shoulder on the way out. "Damn harpy."
"Thank you," KF said now snacking on a granola bar. "So seriously why are you really here?"
"I can't stop by and say hi?"
"You…stop by and say hi…and possibly run into the league let alone Green Arrow if you don't have to?" Robin shook his head patting Roy on the arm. "My son you have much to learn."
"Shut it Pippin."
"So like Kid Glutton here asked," Robin said wearing an I am so going to get you later for calling me a hobbit look, "…Why the visit? We haven't heard from you in weeks."
"It takes three to communicate."
Robin rolled his eyes, a motion that anyone could have missed had it not been KF and Red Arrow in the room with him. "Dude, you know where we live."
"And yet one of you can run across seven states in 5 minutes and the other knows where every Zeta is in America…Yet you two trolls gang up on me?"
"As twisted and lazy as his logic is," Wally said smirking at both his best friends, "Red numero dos has a point."
"I'm older than you kid…By three years…and you call me the second?"
"Seeing as the Flash and I both wear red? Then yes. There's a common theme there Christmas."
"Alright Ronald."
"Shut it Little John."
"…Got to hell!"
"Already been."
"Troll."
"Geezer."
"Nerd."
"Ornery old goat."
"Alright Wendy and Raggedy Ann," Robin received a glare from both red heads, but ignored it. "Plans for the weekend?"
"Raggedy Ann's place!"
"Oh hell no!"
"Sounds good to me."
"Now wait just a min –!"
"Eight o'clock sound good?"
"Good for me."
"No way in –"
"Good we'll be over at eight, Friday night. Stock up on lots of food Roy Boy."
"…I hate you both."
"Love you too," both boys said in unison, twin smirks running across their faces.
"But Red…"
"What?" Roy growled out from behind clenched teeth. How they managed to invite themselves over to his place every single time he'd never know. At least this time they planned it with him first instead of picking his lock.
"You still haven't said why you're here."
"You'll know when I know."
"What's that supposed to –?" The younger of the red heads was cut off by the retreating male. "Hey!"
Roy continued to walk waving his hand in the air as he made his way to the entrance. "Eight, Friday right."
"…I really can't stand him sometimes."
"Take a number and get in line," Robin said with a smirk. "Besides, I can hack the systems. We'll know why he was here."
"Dude…That is SWEET!"
Whelp that's all for this chapter. Will we find out what mysterious item is within this lead lined box? Will Roy ever get Robin and Wally to properly invite themselves over to his house? Will the Batman ever crack a smile? Stay tuned to find out!