Hi everyone! I hope you've had a good week. Okay in this chapter there are quite a few flashbacks, but they do have a sense of order to them. Now, I don't own Young Justice and I hope you enjoy the story. Thank you for reading.
The day was glorious, birds were singing, the sun was shining, and criminals were running in fear. Nothing can get better than that. After receiving an alert that some minor villain was robbing a jewelry shop nearby the heroes merely stood, rolled their eyes, and promptly decided to race each other. Flash won, with Superman a close second, and everyone else rushing in a little after that, complaining on how Flash always won, unless it was a race to be on time, in which, Flash always lost. It was a small consolation, but the sight of the man who decided to steal today to find himself facing the Original Seven, plus backup members, plus Young Justice, quaking in his boots fixed all the problems. Apparently they were Intimidating to him. Wonder how that happened.
After the thief returned the jewelry, apologized profusely to the storeowner, and turned himself in, they went back to the Cave, where Robin argued with Wally on the joys of camping, Wally's stance being it was the worst idea for modern times ever and Robin saying that it was the best and that camping was always based on the placement. Robin won.
. . . . .
"Dude, what did I ever do to you to deserve this?" Wally complained as he trudged up the hill, swatting at insects, and branches, and, well, everything that was not people and even then that was not a guarantee. Dick just snickered at him as walked along, seemingly untouched by bugs, branches, brambles, just ghosting along like none of it was there at all. It was infuriating.
"Aww, is the poor little speedster not able to handle the big, bad camping trip?" Artemis teased. KF flushed.
"I am perfectly able to handle this and better than you too!" he retorted.
"Oh really?"
"Yes, really,"
She leaned toward him, "Prove it,"
"I will!" He yelled, walking forward at a brisk pace and ignoring everyone else, including the older heroes, who were simply smirking at the two. Artemis turned back to Robin and high fived him in victory.
"Mission accomplished!" Robin crowed smugly.
"And the humans," Artemis began.
"Prove how whelming they are," Robin continued.
"Once more!" they finished together, grinning at Batman who was ghosting along near Robin. Batman, who promptly shocked Artemis as he rewarded them with a slight quirk of his lips. She gaped at him in reply and he merely said,
"Kid Flash, like all Flashes, is amazingly easy to bait, however it never loses its appeal." Then he walked ahead as Robin cackled in his wake.
. . . . .
They arrived a few hours later, to see a clearing surrounded by sugar maples with a small stream going down along the edge of it. Even Wally was impressed with the natural beauty of the place. They had climbed high enough to see the rest of the valley as well and it was gorgeous in the late afternoon sun. Robin and Batman began setting up tents and a large fire pit in the center. Everyone joined in and soon the campsite was complete and they were lounging around before being dragged off to someplace none of them knew.
"What is this place?" Kaldur asked quietly.
"It's called Greyson Highlands," Robin told him. (Once again I didn't see the irony until later, as in, two days later when I was telling my friend about it.) "My guardian/father figure person and I go camping here whenever we can. Come on, Bats and I have to show you something." He led them past a pair of trees that entwined near the top to a trail that lead through the forest to follow the stream that kept getting larger and larger. Eventually they reached a deep pond at the base of a waterfall. The sound was gorgeous, and the sight was even better. The clearing was filled with the emerald of grass, moss, and trees, the deep brown of bark and earth, and the deep cerulean and light aqua of the water. They all stopped, simply admiring the sight. Robin was the first to break it.
"This was always my favorite spot," He said. "The first time we came here, my guardian let me bask in the beauty and then did this," He stopped talking, but the huge splash resulting from Wally getting thrown into the water was answer enough. Wally surfaced and glared at the youngest of them.
"You are so going to pay for that," He threatened and scooped up some water to throw at him. Robin ducked and the water hit Roy in the face. He looked shocked for a moment and then it melted away to anger.
"You are going to regret that, West!" and then the fight was on. Roy jumped in, bystanders were hit, and they joined in. Small teams were formed and Wally was going to get his revenge when the bird smirked at him, turned and ran behind the waterfall. Wally gaped and then ran after him, followed by several others. Inside was a cave and a spring was in the center, surface smooth, sunlight shining down on it from a hole in the cave ceiling. Wally approached the center and stared down into it, trying to gauge its depth when he noticed his face changing, becoming more pointed, hair darkening, getting closer to black…
Too late Wally realized and Robin got him right in the face.
"Dude!" Robin gave his smirk-that-could-be-a-smile and swam back lazily. "Again, what did I do to you?" Wally asked completely frustrated, before he jumped in too and the water war continued.
. . . . .
They sat around the campfire that night looking up at the appearing moon and sunset as they roasted their hotdogs and marsh mellows. M'gann turned to the others, excitement clear in her expression as she asked,
"Who goes first?"
"What?" Conner asked his girlfriend, a confused expression on his face.
"Well, on the TV shows, whenever they go on a camping trip they tell stories around the fire. We are going to do that right?" She asked again, a hopeful look on. Those camping trips had always looked fun after all.
"Sure, Green Cheeks, I'll go first. Wouldn't want to break the tradition after all," Wally said, winking at her and beginning. "A few years ago…"
. . (Flashback) . .
"You don't think he'll catch us do you?" Wally asked nervously as he wielded his weapon of choice in this particular adventure. Running could only take you so far on these things after all.
"Of course not," Robin said easily as his added sparkle to their…idea. "Well at least not me."
"Dude!" Wally cried. "Not cool! You have to hide me. You know who he'll blame for this, he has too much of a weakness for you to do anything to you. And he has absolutely no reservations with me."
"Not my problem that you weren't born as me or with a decent pout. Good luck!" Robin finished, suddenly slipping out of the room and out of view.
"Robin?" Wally called after him, face crinkled in confusion. "Ro-, Roy." Wally corrected in a strangled sounding voice.
"Wally, what are you- what did you do to my uniform?" Roy shouted turning as red as his hair in fury as he looked toward his uniform.
"Umm, well, it wasn't just me I swear!" Wally said, taking the bedazzling gun away from the Speedy uniform. It was absolutely covered in hearts and glittering gemlike pieces of glass and crystal. It glittered like a diamond in the light and that wasn't all. Robin had found some way to replace the arrow tips with heart-shaped tips that were the same weight, same purpose and everything.
"Oh it wasn't just you," Roy said flatly, beginning to advance.
"ROBIN!"
. . (Flashback over) . .
"Roy almost killed me in the end and then he went and only glared at Robin. So not cool, man." Wally finished, glaring at both Roy and Robin. Both grinned unapologetically. Roy spoke up then,
"As more of a precursor to that story I can tell you who asked them to. And why."
. . (Flashback) . .
"Guys hurry." Wally urged, bouncing up and down from his 'guard' position. Both Roy and Robin wanted him nowhere near the tools for this prank. "Wait… I think he's coming. Guys, we've got to-" He turned to find empty air where Robin and Roy had once been. "Traitors," He muttered to himself as he pulled on his goggles and ran for it. After finally finding the other two, the three got comfortable, started a video game, paused it, and waited for the fireworks. And they did come.
"You three little- little- little… Nightmares!" Oliver screamed as he stormed into the room, steam appearing to come from his ears, and a scowl almost as bad as a… No, not as bad as a Batglare. But the whole effect was somewhat ruined by the uniform in his hand. The pink uniform in his hand.
And as the three culprits glanced at each other, then at the suit, and then Ollie, they couldn't help it. The three burst into laughter as a furious Oliver Queen looked on, until he began to melt and laugh as well.
. . (Flashback Over) . .
"It was amazing," Roy said, in a fond tone, remembering lovely memories of Oliver trying to explain to Dinah, why exactly he had a pink uniform and that, no, he very decidedly did not want to change names.
"Our turn," Babs and Bette said.
. . (Flashback) . .
Bette wondered why in the world she had gone along with this. Barbara had suggested it and Robin had said that it would be a very good bonding experience for the three as they had just recently met. But now this just seemed… suicidal.
"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" She asked.
"No," They both answered at the same time. She rolled her eyes but continued to paint the intricate lines.
"Wait," Robin whispered. "I think… he's coming!" Robin whisper-shouted. The three of them made the finishing brushes to their master piece and left right after Robin took pictures, dashing away and collapsing in a laughing heap what they deemed a safe distance away. But as a shadow loomed over them and shoved a holographic picture in front of them they realized that there was no safe distance for this atrocity.
"We're sorry…?" Robin offered cautiously as they looked at the merits of their efforts. For in front of them was the Bat mobile and it was painted with the Superman symbol.
. . (Flashback Over) . .
"Robin was right," Bette reflected. "It was an excellent bonding experience. Especially the water fights we had when we were cleaning it all those months afterwards."
"I can go next." Robin offered. After receiving nods he continued. "It was my idea really; Wally could never have the guts to do it."
. . (Flashback) . .
"Robin?" Wally asked cautiously.
"Yeah?" He replied distantly, focused on his task.
"Why do you always go for the uniforms?"
"Do really think anyone would care if I attacked one of their civvie shirts?"
"Good point. How much longer now?"
"Almost done," Wally sighed in relief. Babs could be scary when she wanted to be and she would want to be when she found out what they did.
"Done," Robin announced in a proud voice. "Just let me put it in the changing tube and… There!"
The next day the newspapers of Gotham displayed the headlines of 'New Batgirl Outfit?' and 'Special Someone to Impress for Batgirl?' and pictures of Batgirl in her uniform that had the initials 'RG' surrounded by a heart all done in sparkles, on the cape.
. . (Flashback Over) . .
"I had played completely innocent and mentioned something about that being what Wally had been talking about, then asked who 'RG' was. Babs promptly turned bright red and stormed off, muttering under her breath about getting vengeance. The next day Wally's hair was hot pink and he was tied in a tree. I told Babs a year or so later. She put cherries to shame she was so furious. It was whelming to say the least."
"And you, midget, are still not forgiven for that." Babs told him as Bette gave him a high five.
"I can tell one," Superman offered. They turned to him in expectation and he launched his tale.
. . (Flashback) . .
It had been a fairly normal day for Clark Kent and so far Superman had only just barely been needed. But as he flew to the ground after saving yet another school bus he noticed the strange looks he was receiving. And then the reporters arrived.
"Superman! Superman!" They all cried and he began to make his escape when he heard something that made him freeze, before looking in the reflective window of the school bus.
The question had been, 'Who is Superboy and why do you have his name on your cape?' and the window revealed it all. For sewn in bold gold was the words 'Superboy is Whelming'. Robin would pay. Oh yes, Robin would pay.
. . (Flashback Over) . .
They all broke out in laughter as Conner looked at Robin confusedly.
"Why would you do that?" He asked Robin. The boy merely shrugged and said,
"You're like a brother, Supey. Why wouldn't I?" and went back to talking to Babs like he hadn't just said something that had completely shocked the older boy into silence. And to him he probably hadn't. Conner was just glad that he had gotten the privilege to meet Robin, the Boy Wonder.
Okay there is the new chapter. This one felt rather silly, but I think at this point they are just trying to keep Robin happy and avoid thinking about it at all. But I had fun with it and I hope you had fun reading it. Thank you for reading and please review,
SMM
