A.N. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE AMAZING REVIEWS! :D I read them all and I love them and you guys/girls are my motivation and ohmyword nine reviews already, are you kidding me? X3 Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Chapter Four: Dimensional Theories

The next morning, Tony strolled into the Tower, humming. The previous day's mission (convince Pepper to let a total stranger into one of the most secure buildings in existence) had been a success. Furthermore, he had stolen two kisses before his departure, and was feeling quite pleased with himself.

He strode into the kitchen, plucking an apple from the fruit bowl as he passed. Bruce was already there, starting on his toast.

"So," Tony grinned, "Where's our new teammate?"

"Team—?" Bruce almost choked on his bread. Tony pounded his back, laughing.

"Nah, just messing with you. Where's our little—what should I call him? Our ward? Whatever. Where is he?"

"Not up yet," Steve said from behind them as he entered the kitchen. "We got in pretty late last night."

"Ah," Tony nodded. "Right."

"Sir?" J.A.R.V.I.S.' voice clicked on. Tony spun casually to face the nearest voice box.

"Yeah?"

"Director Fury wishes to speak with the Avengers. He says it is quite urgent and requests your immediate presence in the Helicarrier."

Tony snorted. "Figures. 'Urgent,' yeah, okay. What do you think?" This last part he directed to his two teammates, who were watching him silently.

"I'll get Thor, and the others," Steve offered. "We can meet downstairs."

"Nah, no need," Tony waved it off. "J.A.R.V.I.S. can tell them. But, what should we do with the kid? He's, what, twelve? Way too young to be left alone."

Bruce looked at Tony askance, surprised by this uncharacteristic show of thoughtfulness. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had known that Tony's sole concern was not for Jonathon but for his own unattended projects. Most children Tony had had contact with didn't know when to keep their hands to themselves.

"Call Pepper," Steve suggested. "He shouldn't give her any trouble."

"I knew there was a reason we're friends," Tony beamed, sliding his phone out of his jeans. "Now let's get going before Mr. Grumpy-Pants Fury decides to come looking for us."

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In the semi-darkness of her room, Natasha studied the backpack critically. It was worn but sturdy, of a generic brown color. The straps were interesting; initially appearing strong yet simplistic, they had hard-to-see alterations made so that they could be adjusted to fit a toddler or a mammoth. Clever design, she thought, fingering the material. It took her a moment to figure out how to open it, and she noted several places where the thickness of the fabric seemed inconsistent with the rest. Hidden compartments…? Carefully, she lifted out a pair of neatly folded pants. They looked to be form-fitting and, she immediately noticed, reinforced with Kevlar. She held them up contemplatively and conjured up a picture of John in her mind's eye. Yes…these would fit him perfectly. Had to be tailor-made.

But for what purpose?

The coloring…black with the red portions on his outer thighs…was very deliberate. Steve had mentioned a Kevlar shirt, she remembered. A whole outfit…? Why?

Reaching deeper, she procured next a long, flowing rectangle of cloth—also weighted with Kevlar—colored black on one side and a deep yellow on the other. She examined it, curiously, trying to work out what it was. Her hand slid down slowly and caught on a clasp. She tilted her head and rearranged the thing in her hands until she could see what it was; a cape.

Rich kid playing at…what? Being a hero? But the Kevlar….The most famous heroes either didn't use Kevlar, or it wasn't ever talked about. Not because it was a secret, just because…she didn't know. It was one of those things that, when pointed out, seemed perfectly obvious, but people didn't really consider it on their own.

Somebody had put a lot of thought into this. Practical thought.

Could they—he—be serious? But, this sort of thing took money; Steve said this kid had no records.

But then, Steve didn't have the resources she did.

Before she could continue her inspection, there was a slight crackle of static, and J.A.R.V.I.S.' voice came online.

"Ms. Black Widow, your presence is requested by Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. Please rendezvous downstairs with your teammates and then proceed to the helicarrier."

She'd have to finish this later. She really should have done it earlier, but instead she had gone to visit Clint (he was doing much better) first. And then she'd received some files to look over, and then she had to sleep and…

Anyway. She could finish this later.

Natasha replaced everything with meticulous care, making sure that it was exactly as before, then closed and fastened the backpack. She was already in her Black Widow outfit, so she just needed to put the bag back where she found it without the kid waking up.

Though seeing the kind of gas she'd flooded his room with earlier, she was fairly certain he wouldn't wake up for several more hours yet.

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"I can't believe he wasn't going to tell us."

"Well, technically it is our fault to begin with…"

"No it wasn't! We had—we didn't—we didn't know."

Superboy watched Kid's head drop as he curved in on himself in misery. Not that he was the only one. A heavy gloom had settled over them all after Batman's dismissal. Everyone blamed themselves and each other (mostly themselves), and everyone was miserable. Aqualad must have really been upset, because he didn't seem to have the energy to argue.

The only reason they knew what the League had surmised about Robin's disappearance was because Ms. Martian skimmed the mind of Zatara when he dropped in to talk to Canary. Normally, somebody might have said something about privacy, but they were all too depressed to care.

"Kid's right," Artemis muttered. "We didn't know. We were all being controlled. But another dimension…dang." She exhaled in an irritated huff, but her lips were trembling. "He's our teammate. He's our friend. We have the right to know if he's not even in this universe anymore."

She fell silent when they heard footsteps. Zatara and Red Tornado walked past serenely, seemingly without even noticing the team staring at them. The moment they were out of earshot, Aqualad leaned in.

"Look," he said quietly. There was a steady, dangerous light in his eyes. "What exactly happened, I'm not sure. But here's what we know.

"The fight in Gotham was staged, presumably to distract and immobilize us until the spell was complete.

"Robin was not meant to go through that portal when he did. He upset the enchantment and now no one knows where he is, except that he's in a different dimension.

"And we know the names of a few of the spell casters. Such as Klarion. We can find him, and the others. And then—"

"And then we take them down!" Kid Flash's eyes were shining. The others, too, were looking much more hopeful than before.

"Precisely." Aqualad's smile was grim.

Superboy grinned and started to ask what they were waiting for, but stopped when he felt something shift in the air around him. He raised his head curiously. He felt strange, like he was being coated in rubber. Everything was blurred. Then there was a sudden pressure—he couldn't move—something gave way—and then the warmth of the cave was abruptly gone.

Superboy blinked.

He was in the middle of a rooftop. Cold wind buffeted him from all directions, and he could hear voices and cars below. He was in an unfamiliar city approximately the size of Metropolis, but louder and with more pollution.

Bemused and a little bit in shock, he moved to the edge and looked down.

The link—what faint, automatic trace of it that usually lingered in his mind—was gone. He couldn't feel M'gann's presence inside his head anymore.

He studied the ground.

The layout of the street reminded him of Metropolis, or maybe Star City. The people hurried from building to building or into their cars. No one looked at anyone else. Nobody looked up, either.

He stepped back, bemused. How had this happened? He'd been with his team…and then…he hadn't. Superboy shivered, then frowned. He was…cold? But he never got cold.

Connor stood in puzzled confusion for a few more seconds, then fisted his hands and growled softly. He hated not knowing what was going on. He hated being lost. And he hated not knowing what to do about it.

Something hit his arm lightly. Then the back of his neck. His shoulder. He touched the fabric; it was wet.

Superboy tilted his face back. Thunder rumbled distantly. More raindrops landed on his upraised face. He closed his eyes out of reflex.

A storm. Normally he would ignore it. But then, normally it wouldn't bother him.

In a strange way, he was sort of glad, because now he had something to do; get inside. Preferably someplace warm.

It was then, as he was looking around for a way down, that something clicked. We have the right to know if he's not even in this universe anymore…Artemis' words drifted across his memory, and he started. No way. But why not?

He looked around again, this time with more urgency. The buildings…the symbols…he hadn't been everywhere in the world, not even close, but he wasn't exactly a country bumpkin, either. And he had never seen those designs before. Granted, that didn't necessarily mean anything, but coupled with his rather odd arrival and what had happened to Robin less than a day ago…

Connor exhaled. He felt stunned. But now there was only one question; was he in the same dimension as Robin, or somewhere different? He closed his eyes again on an impulse and listened as intently as he could for Robin's heartbeat. It was insanity, in a city as large as this…maybe Superman could manage, but he…

His eyes flew open. There! It was gone now, but just for a second he could have sworn….He tried again, his own heart thudding in excitement. But the rain was coming down harder, and there were too many people, and no…he couldn't find it. But, he thought, maybe if I go somewhere a little quieter (and warmer) and try again…?

There was no way off the rooftop that he could see but one. It would be a bit loud, of course, but it wasn't like he would die. With his invulnerability, he could have been twice as high and he still wouldn't die.

Connor braced himself, and jumped.

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"Good morning, Ms. Watson! What can I do for you?"

"Good morning, Steve. Love your hat. Let's see…I think I would like hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and a blueberry muffin if you have any."

"Saved one just for you, Ms. Watson. Just a minute…"

Mary Jane smiled as he turned away. Her long auburn hair was done up with pins today and shone softly in the lighting of the café. She moved her umbrella so it wouldn't drip on her purse and glanced outside. She had always rather liked the rain, and she was looking forward to listening to the steady rhythm while she ate her favorite breakfast. According to her watch, she had an hour until her date with Peter at the museum…her smile grew at the thought and she blushed faintly.

"Here you are, Miss!"

Mary Jane looked up at Steve in gratitude, but before she could say anything the whole building shook and the hot chocolate tipped over into her lap.

Her screams were echoed the next street over—the source of the boom.

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"What was that?" Tony slowed, frowning. He'd thought he heard…

"What?" Bruce asked, hazel eyes curious.

"…nothing." Tony decided, after a pause. "Must have imagined it."

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Superboy grinned. Perfect landing. He noticed a bystander gaping at him, and his eyes narrowed. "What are you looking at?" he asked rudely.

The staring, quivering man he'd addressed didn't answer, only slid down silently until he sat down with a thump on the pavement.

Eh. Whatever. Superboy shrugged mentally and strode off, unconcerned.

By the time the first police car showed up at the edge of the crater, he was already gone. "Erm…sir," A puzzled cop studied the ground. His superior officer glanced over and gestured at him to go on. "The hulk is still with the Avengers, right?"

The captain considered this. His hand drifted to his radio. "No harm in asking, anyway."

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"But here's what we know."

Aqualad worked hard at making eye contact as he talked, drawing his teammates in and connecting with them. He hated seeing that empty, lost look to them, and the hopelessness in their gazes. Action was better. Just so long as they had something to do—a goal, a purpose—he figured that they'd be fine. As team leader, it was his responsibility to make sure they were alright.

"We can find him, and the others. And then—"

"And then we take them down!" Kid Flash's interruption was welcome. Aqualad could see his normal spirit returning to him, and had to restrain his relief.

"Precisely."

Superboy, who had been listening quietly, stirred and looked up. Something odd happened, then; a breath of freezing cold air swirled through the air like fog, obscuring their vision for two long heartbeats. Aqualad heard Zatara cry out in the distance, then—so fast he felt dazed—everything snapped back into definition. And Superboy was gone.

M'gann was the first to react.

"Connor!" she lunged for the space he had just occupied, looking around frantically as if to catch sight of him. "Connor!"

Aqualad was in shock. From the expressions on Wally and Artemis' faces, so were they. He realized his mouth was open, and closed it. He tried to say M'gann's name, but it stuck in his throat. He swallowed, and tried again.

"M'ga—"

Zatara burst into the room, followed closely by Red Tornado and Black Canary. "What just happened in here?" he demanded, scanning the room in much the same way M'gann had scant seconds before. "I felt magic—a strong surge of magic!"

Red Tornado surveyed them all slowly, his mechanical eyes missing nothing. "Where is the Superboy?"

The team exchanged glances. Aqualad thought he should answer, but before he could, Artemis did.

"Gone," she told them. "He just vanished." She pointed to where Ms. Martian was. "He was right there, and then this fog filled the room…" she related what had happened as Red Tornado and Black Canary listened attentively. Zatara, on the other hand, hardly seemed to hear her. He was pacing, muttering rapidly to himself.

"And then everything just stopped," Artemis concluded. Zatara, looking more excited than any of them had ever seen him, snapped open his commlink and spoke quickly into it.

"Batman. Batman, are you there? This is Zatara. Batman? Yes—it's important—listen! If I'm right, and I believe I am, then I have wonderful news. I still need to do a few things to be absolutely certain, but I think we have a way to track Robin!"

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Pepper entered Avengers Tower completely soaked. She cursed under her breath as she wrung out her skirt and peeled off her sweater.

"Ms. Potts,"

"Hey J.A.R.V.I.S.," Pepper cut him off. "Could you raise the temperature in here about ten degrees? Please?"

A pause. Then hot air began issuing from the vents. Pepper smiled.

"Thanks a ton."

"You are welcome, Ms. Potts." J.A.R.V.I.S. said calmly. "How else may I be of assistance at this time?"

Pepper considered. "Well, Tony asked me to come babysit some kid. John, I think his name is? Anyway, I think he told me the kid's room number, but I can't remember if it's twenty-three B, or twenty-four B."

"I believe Mr. Wayne is residing in room twenty-four B. His vitals are steady. Air is safe to breathe. Besides you, he is the only other person currently in the tower. Anything else?"

Pepper had mostly stopped listening after the first part, but for a moment she hesitated. Did J.A.R.V.I.S. just say something about the air…? She hesitated, than mentally shrugged, dismissing it.

"Nope, thank you J.A.R.V.I.S.!" she said, dropping her purse on the kitchen table as she passed through. She rather liked children, and was looking forward to meeting this one.

A.N. So I debated ending it here or adding something else, but I decided to be evil and save it for the next chapter. ^.^ Now, mostly I prefer letting the story speak for itself, but I do want to clarify a few things. No, this will not all lead to a lame reveal of Robin's identity. That is not the purpose of this fic. And no, I do not intend to make either the Avengers or the Young Justice team unrealistically amazing 'n stuff. I hate it when authors do that—I mean, they're cool characters, but they have their limits. Nobody on either team is going to be rendered completely inept and useless because, well…they're not.

And for CYBER ORTECK…really hope you see this…the K.F.-centric chapter is coming. Be patient. ;) I have no problem with you asking, because he really is such a fun character and I like him a lot. :D Actually, unless you have any objections, I'm thinking of dedicating that chapter to you. Let me know~!

NEXT CHAPTER: The Avengers meet with Nick Fury, things are discovered and discussed, and then they are all unceremoniously interrupted when reports of a strange boy with incredible strength start coming in…