Next chapter = a bit more action. Sorry for the wait but hopefully you all enjoy the next chapter for the young heroes.

Have a good read and will be back next time. Catch ya's


"YOU HAVE TO WAIT!"

"BUT I'M HUNGRY NOW."

This argument had been carrying on for about 20 minutes now. Megan was trying to cook and Wally was trying to eat, of course.

"Wally, you have to be patient when it comes to this kind of thing."

"Ahh." Wally was flailing around the kitchen. "It's not my fault that I have a heightened metabolism. I need to eat or… or… or I might just fade away."

Artemis entered into the room where the rest of the team were listening in on the two fight. Not two seconds before sitting down it was already too much.

"Will you two please, for the love of God, work it out. You boys need to learn to let women do their thing."

Two opposite reactions followed. The girls, full of pride and satisfaction, and the boys, hurt and offended. Or at least pretending to be.

"Hey…" Robin sat up straight on the couch. "We aren't all that bad."

Wally rallied behind his best friend. Conner and Kaldur seemed to want nothing to do with this situation.

"You have your moments."

Robin gulped at Zatanna's voice before disappearing back into the couch. Zatanna simply huffed to herself. Eventually it went back to how it started, Megan versus Wally.

Robin soon felt a buzz in his pocket that quickly brought him to attention. Without hesitation he looked down at the caller and opened a private communication.

"I'll be back in a sec."

The others didn't seem to realise that the boy wonder had left. Although, they would have because it is their job to be aware at all times.

"Hey Batman." Robin said once he was comfortably in private.

"You're joking?"

"I can be there in ten. Do you know much on the situation?"

"It sounds like an inside job. There's no way someone can cause that much damage from the inside alone."

"Ok, I'll be there."

Robin composed himself after the call from his mentor. His eyebrows were furrowed as he thought on his next move. Normally Kaldur would make the calls for the team but this one seemed to fall on him. He had to get ready.

"Where are you off to?"

Conner watched Robin moving around the base, grabbing his equipment in the process. Robin came to a slow stop as he was searching for his smoke bombs.

"You know, the usual."

Conner's face remained expressionless.

"I don't know."

"Oh. Umm..." Robin paused for only the slightest moment looking at his team. "The same place we are all about to go. Gotham."


"Coming up over Gotham now."

"Thank you, Megan. Robin, run us over the briefing one more time." Kaldur said from his seat on the bio-ship.

"Ok." Robin turned around in his chair. "There is a mass riot at Arkham Asylum, the home to some of the world's worst criminals. Communications were lost to the inside a little over an hour ago and, due to the ego of some of the inmates, there are multiple confirmed deaths of both guards and other prisoners."

"Aqualad remained facing the front of the ship. "Remember, we must stay focused once inside. It will close quarters and we will be outnumbered greatly."

The asylum eventually came into view, smoke pouring out of the windows indicating a fire, with the screams of the insane piercing the air. A perimeter had been set by the police, still trying to work out the best way to enter. That or a certain Batman had told them to wait for his instructions.

"Where should I land?" Megan looked around the building for a point of entry.

Kaldur studied the computers in front of him. "Schematics show the largest holding area can be accessed from the roof if we go through. We will be able to set up in there with enough room to keep an eye on our surroundings."

"We can't go straight in." Robin intervened. "We will be swarmed in seconds. We should keep silent and use the element of surprise to take out the larger criminals."

"So you want to split up?" Zatanna questioned from the corner.

"No, but the smaller goons know there place. They will back down once there boss is caught rather than risk looking like they are competing for power."

Superboy stood up. "They won't beat us in a fight. Let's go."

Not even the speed of Kid Flash could stop the clone before he had left the ship and landed in the asylum through the roof.

"I am not going through this rebellious phase again. He needs to listen." Artemis was furious.

"I guess our choice has been made for us. We will protect Superboy. Megan, link us up." Kaldur led the way for the rest of the team, following the same method of entry that Superboy did.

There was already too many people for Superboy alone, but not enough for the whole team. The fight was simple but the numbers kept it even as more and more inmates flowed through into the large hall. Their stamina would not be able to last for the whole riot, except Superboy of course.

"Aqualad." Robin thought. "I am going to go for the control room to section of this area so we can take out smaller groups at a time."

"I'll go with you." Artemis stated before disappearing with Robin.

The two moved silently as they moved deeper within the facility. Thanks to the man times Robin had been here, they found the control room easily. Robin plugged into the computer only to find evidence to support his previous idea.

"Someone hacked in to let everyone out, from here."

Artemis scowled at the news. "How many are out?"

Robin gulped. "All of them. This isn't a riot. It's a breakout."

An explosion shook the foundations of the building. Someone was making their move right now. Artemis began explaining the situation to the team while Robin explained to Batman. The dark knight was currently preoccupied by Joker, who was trying to claim the cafeteria as his own.

Wally's voice soon entered everyone's head. "Guys, I'm going to have a quick run around and try find the source of the explosion."

"Okay, but do not stop moving. Megan, head to the ship and find out if there are any escapees due to that explosion."

Wally nodded at Kaldur before he was gone in a flash. Megan flew back up through the hole in the roof and began circling the building.

Robin continued searching the computers for signs of what the hacker was after but knew he had to get back to his team. Copying over the data, he joined Artemis on their journey back through the long hallways.

"Help. Please, NO! STAY AWAY!"

Prisoners began running towards the two from the end of the hall. Robin and Artemis instinctively entered a battle pose but found it useless as they kept running in fear.

"What are they so afraid of?" Artemis looked down to where they ran from.

"Their own minds. Scarecrow must be out. We haven't got much time. Let's go."

Artemis used the link to call the others. "We need some help. We are heading to the East wing."

Conner could be heard puffing in his thoughts. "Won't be… too long."

Grown men were cowering in fear. The closer they assumed they were getting to Scarecrow, the worst it got. It seemed as if the air itself was becoming darker as the nightmares become more tangible.

"No way." Artemis stopped moving.

Following her gaze, Robin found her staring at Sportsmaster, her dad, in a cell.

"Look who it is. My daughter and her little friend."

Robin ignored the man. "We have to go, like now."

"Yes. Go." Sportsmaster was so calm in his voice it was unsettling. "Like what I've done to the place?"

Around him lay what used to be his cellmate. It was clear that it was too late to do anything to save the man.

"Artemis finally broke from his gaze. "You deserve this place."

"Artemis, let's go." Robin finally got his wish as they entered the next holding area.

Fire engulfed the walls while everyone in the room was running from their own demons, unaware of their entry. Everyone except for the one that mattered. Scarecrow stood tall over those around him. His face twisted to resemble that which he is named after.

"Don't move, Crane."

Scarecrow stared almost straight through the two. "The sidekick. How free you must feel without your master."

Robin stood firm. "There is only one way this is ending. And everyone knows scarecrows don't have a brain."

Artemis slowly moved to gain a better position, surrounding their enemy.

"Ahh, you think you can joke your way out of this. You are a puppet without his strings."

Artemis readied herself for the takedown before she felt a sudden shock on the back of her head. Robin jolted into action as Artemis was knocked down but his path towards Scarecrow was blocked by a man wearing orange and black.

Quickly diving back defensively, Robin balanced himself. "Deathstroke. Most people don't choose to come here for a holiday."

Deathstroke tutted and looked to see Artemis return to her feet.

"Who are you working for now? And why are you here?"

Deathstroke spoke in monotone, his body as still as a statue. "Do you really think I will answer any of those questions?"

Robin, surveying the room, noticed that Scarecrow was slowly creeping away during the confusion. Robin used the mental link to call out for his team but they were too far away. If they didn't act now, the problem was going to get worse.

It was moments like this that a mental connection to each other was a clear advantage. Robin was able to give Artemis the instruction to catch Scarecrow without Deathstroke being aware.

With a quick release of a smoke bomb, Robin flew forward at Deathstroke only to find every punch being deflected. The two were evenly matched, taking their fight all over the room while Artemis made for her target. With Scarecrow, you could never get in too close due to the danger of his toxins, but Artemis didn't need to, not with her bow in hand.

Artemis had him pinned behind a small wall when Deathstroke began to play unfair. He started throwing bombs at other prisoners, knowing that the heroes would not be able to let them die. Robin was unable to handle all of the bombs plus the man himself. He could sense a cold, arrogant smile under the orange and black mask.

The others were still nowhere to be found and it forced Artemis to leave her position briefly, using non-lethal blast arrows to push some of the still frightened inmates out of harm's way.

Deathstroke's voice was heard after the explosions went off but his body was unseen. "I'm done playing these games, for now. Goodbye, Robin."

Robin quickly span his head around to find what he feared would be the case. Scarecrow had escaped. Furiously he screamed into the darkness. "Slade, I will find you."

Artemis walked up to her teammate. "We still have lots of work to do. They weren't the only ones on the loose and I think Superboy is fighting Killer Croc."

Robin could only sigh with how the fight had just turned out. "At least you won't have to explain this to Batman."

"We couldn't have stopped this. This was a planned break out and we were ambushed."

Robin was at a loss. "Why would Deathstroke come here just to break a few people out, it's beneath him… hold on."

Pulling out his pocket sized technology, Robin began searching through some of the information that he pulled from the asylum control system.

"It looks like he didn't copy anything directly but… he deleted something from the system."

Artemis watched as Robin typed intensely on his keyboard. "If only you worked this hard at school. How are we going to figure out what he was hiding?"

Robin laughed, not at Artemis' joke though. "I while back I built the asylum's computer system. I have the original data so I can compare it to what it is now and see what is missing."

Artemis gave a small nod to show she was impressed. "Nice. What have we got?"

Robin stared at the name on his screen.

"Tony Zucco. He erased Tony Zucco's file, like he never existed."

Artemis stepped back slightly. "Why would erase the file of a dead man?"

Robin looked up. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

Artemis pulled out an arrow. "Let's clean this place up first."

Robin nodded and followed her back deeper into the asylum, there was work to do.