Young Justice: We Are Not Special

InfiniteWriter

Chapter One: In A Place That Time Can't Change

Mt. Justice

Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

March 3, 2016

09:01 A.M.

"Good morning, Young Justice," the computer voice sounded off. Mount Justice was silent. Inside the cave walls, it appeared to be uninhabited. But it wasn't. Like the computer said, the team known as Young Justice lived here. What's left of them that is. The six of them were nothing but broken hearts and ghosts. Each one of them were stuck in a place that time couldn't touch or change.

These thoughts were going through Bruce Wayne's head. Yes, just the former billionaire playboy of Gotham City: Bruce Wayne. The Dark Knight, Batman, was no more. He was erased from history, wiped out; just like the rest of the supposed evil in the world. Bruce, the one wheeling down these cold, lifeless halls of the mountain, was a shell of the former hero that existed five years ago.

Now, he is a man cursed to live forever bound to a wheel chair; never to walk again. His once bright blue eyes were now dull. His sharpen features now rounded and soft. His body was now composed of scars and unhealable wounds.

He knocked on six doors to rooms he wasn't allowed to enter. They were the sanctuaries to the broken. He rolled past each labeled door: Kaldur, Conner, Megan, Wally, Dick, and Arty. He didn't knock on the next two doors. There was no reason to. The two teens the rooms belonged to were no longer here.

He then wheeled himself into the kitchen to prepare today's breakfast. When he opened the door to the storage room, he frowned. They were running out of supplies. They had, at least, two weeks worth of food left. They would soon have to open the doors of the cave to restock. The kids wouldn't like that. They basically lived in the four walls of darkness they called their rooms.

It was mandatory to come out to train and eat. Besides that, the young adults only left their rooms for special reasons. Conner would watch static on the TV in the living room. Megan would go down to memorial to tend to it. Wallace would go to his self-proclaimed, Souvenir Room, to relive the glory days. Dick, missing the Bat Cave, would flip and swing in the rafters in the Mission Room. Kaldur would go to the 'spool. He would swim back-n-forth multiple times. Bruce said it was alright to swim out to sea, but Kaldur just refused. Arty, no longer going by Artemis, would go to the target range to practice. She would use her mentor's, Green Arrow's, bow and quiver.

Bruce sighed. "Nobody should have to go through what they went through," he whispered. "They would have to live with those memories for the rest of their lives." He tried to help them through the tragedy of The Purge, but he was no Black Canary. Besides, he had to see to his own demons. He wasn't helpful at all.

As soon as he finished preparing a simple breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon, he buzzed their rooms. "Breakfast is ready."

One by one, they entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. The temperature in the room dropped; you could cut the depression and tension with a knife. There was no conversation at all. There was nothing to talk about. With that, Bruce toke the chance to study his charges.

First up was Dick. Richard, from a very young age, experienced tragedy. That tragedy was his family's death. He had to watch them fall to their deaths. He couldn't do anything. He relived that moment when he saw Bruce go down. He saw the Batman's curse to never walk again be created. Just like his family, he couldn't do anything. During the past five years, his has grown into a man. He is now six feet even with a lean body of an acrobat.

Next in line was the Boy of Steel. Conner was the clone of Superman, the world's greatest hero. He faced many challenges and tragedies in his six, short years of life. Like Dick, he also saw his mentor's death. Superman, along with what was left of the Justice League, was executed in Washington D.C. by Lex Luthor, the United Nations Secretary-General. Conner still had the body of a sixteen-year-old teen. But his expressions and the lifelessness of his eyes said he was for older. He has been denied the right to age properly by his unstable DNA. He will also never have full Kruptonian powers either. He could never be the Superman he desperately wanted to be.

Bruce glanced at the silent Wally West. Out of all the others, Wally changed the most. He was no longer carefree and full of life and innocence. He became serious and tough. Sometimes his old self would shine through his new demeanor. The group deemed this change in Wally as 'Wally's Episodes'. In the past five years, Bruce has come to realize the 'Wally's Episodes' was just Wally being in denial. Wally wants to deny The Purge never happening, even going as far to say it was all a training exercise and that they would all wake up soon. He also wants to deny that his Uncle, his mentor, never died because he was too slow.

Next was the Team's leader, Kaldur. He didn't seem to change, but the others knew better. They didn't know what exactly happened in Atlantis, but they know it was bad. They each thought that Atlantis was untouchable. But you had to expect the unexpected when the whole world was determined to kill you. When asked about it in one of their group counseling sessions, he would shut down and politely ask to leave the room. His outward appearance changed though. He grew his hair out and styled it into dreads. His hair went past his shoulders now. He even let himself grow a beard. It was a surprise to everyone because he was known to always look proper.

Bruce then studied Megan. The kind and sweet teen they grew to love was gone. Some days, she would come off as cold and unapproachable. She still helped in the kitchen, but that bubbly personality never appeared. She had a new appearance now. Her long red hair was chop close to her head, only a few inches long. Her regular clothes were now plain t-shirts and blue jeans.

Lastly, Bruce toke a look at the most damaged person in the Cave. Now going by Arty, as she strongly suggested, she was the most unapproachable and closed person. During The Purge, she was taken by the Light. Nobody knew what she endured, but it most have been hell if it granted her three long scars down the left side of her face. She was the most scarred with wounds all over her body. When asked what happened, she would only say, "I survived." Though the group saw many of their friends and family die, Arty saw the most death. Her mother, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Red Arrow, and her sister, Cheshire, all died right in front of her in a span of two months.

Everyone ate slowly. They weren't in any rush. Their lives were spent in the mountain. Nothing new or surprising to come. Wally didn't even stuff down his food. That had to be the most saddest thing of all: Wally West, the former Kid Flash, not using his super speed. He didn't even use the track to run anymore. He says that didn't want to be reminded of his uncle and has failure to save his life.

Bruce looked at the group all at once. So many tragedies, pasts, and demons. They all had the same future: to wait for the world to need them again like Clark had said. But that hope slowly died with each passing day. Dick said that they were trapped in time without a key. Bruce couldn't agree more.

But in time, things can change.

"I have something to tell you," Bruce said, bringing them all to attention. It was not everyday they heard new developments from the outside. They only go out every other month or so get new supplies. "There is a new resistant movement."

"So," Conner said with a glare directed at Bruce. "It's always the same. Someone gets pissed at the way the Light is treating them and in the next month, they disappear."

There was silence. Con had spoken what was all on their minds. New movements were always the same. The first couple had gotten them excited. They were finally needed again. Each time they faced disappointment. Even though some people were ready to take a stand against the Light, they were not ready to trust heroes again.

"I sense this movement is different," Kaldur suggested. "You wouldn't have shared this information otherwise or without a good reason."

Bruce nodded. "You are correct Kaldur. This movement is different."

"How," questioned Wally. "Like Supey said, same old, same old."

The others started to agree.

Bruce sent a glare to silence the all. In that one moment, he looked like the Dark Knight. "This group calls themselves the New Justice League."

Dick glared back at him. "This is a really bad joke, Bruce."

Bruce turned to look specifically at Dick. "Have you ever known me to joke?"

"So if they are asking for us," questioned Conner, "What are we waiting for? A theme song." I have to be Superman, he thought. That is what Clark wanted.

"We need a plan," said Kaldur. He was easily stepping back into his leadership role.

"And that plan is to wait," Bruce said. "We need more information. Also, we can't just step back into our old identities. We are still convected criminals and the enemy in the eyes of the people. We will all need new identities."

"So we wait," said M'gann.

"Exactly."

"Is that all," asked Kaldur.

"No. We need new supplies. We are running out." He stopped to pull out a credit card. Even with all his money under the name Bruce Wayne was taken, he still had secret accounts. "You will all go. You guys need the fresh air."

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the mentioned characters or published materials. If I did, I would have made a whole in show for the Team based off the plot line for Failsafe.

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