Okay this is starting to flow out of me. Guess I can get about 3 more chapters in.


Chapter 7

Cardinal was on her own while trying to locate Ubu. She knew a bit about him, hearing it from Batman. Other things she figured out from her earlier encounter. She was heading away from the factory and as she came to her original starting point when she first arrived. She looked around, and spotted her target. Ubu was walking around and heading toward one of the few doors that lead to the inner more area of the fortress. She knew she had to act fast so he couldn't warn Ra's. She reached down to her utility belt and grabbed a smoke pellet with her right hand, and readied a small fireball with her left.

She threw the smoke pellet and it landed right behind the bodyguard. When it expelled the smoke, Ubu turned around and was surprised to get hit in the chest with a fireball. He then figured out who was attacking him.

"So little fire bug, you got free." Ubu said as he started to look around in the smoke for his assailant.

"Was there ever any doubt, Ubu." Cardinal remarked as she stayed hidden while her voice was carried by the stone so her position was undeterminable. The young heroine then went for the first strike, attacking at the legs with a simple leg sweep.

That took Ubu down, but he wasn't down for long. The smoke was starting to clear and he saw Cardinal. The large built man got up after a moment, and began to pull his sword. Cardinal anticipated that he would go for a weapon, so she used her fire power to create two thin swords.

"Very impressive, child. I'm afraid that won't help you though." Ubu said as his metal sword made contact with his opponent's fire ones. The two then started into a heated sword fight.

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Robin was getting agitated that he was unable to find a computer so he could locate the formula for the antidote to the bio poison Ra's had distributed. Finally, the Boy Wonder entered a large room, and found what he was looking for, the main computer to the entire fortress. He pulled out the USB cord from his left glove and plugged it into the computer's open port. His hologram computer then came up and he began typing on it.

"Come on, it has to be here." Robin said quietly to himself. Just then he saw what he was looking for. "Yes, jackpot."

The file was hidden inside the trash bin, but Robin would not have stopped until he found it.

"Okay, looks like we'd have everything except… oh great, a deathstalker scorpion. That shouldn't be hard." Robin remarked as he started downloading the file for the antidote. The download of the file was done in about 2 minutes. When his computer indicated the download was complete, he removed the USB cord and tucked it back into his glove. He was about to leave out, when he was met by a woman's figure.

"Going somewhere, Robin. Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson about hacking someone else's computer." The figure said as she came into the light, it was Talia.

"As a matter of fact, Talia, I was going somewhere, but I think I'll detour and fight you first." Robin sarcastically said to the woman as he got into a defensive post. Talia also got into a stance and lunged for the young hero, ready to kick him. Robin was able to block the kick with his hands. He then jumped back and got some leverage, then leapt forward and punched his opponent right in the left shoulder. Talia stumbled backward and clutched her shoulder.

"The Dark Knight has trained you well, young hero." Talia said as she still held her shoulder.

"Of course, did you expect anything less?" Robin taunted as he got a smile on his face.

Talia was getting angry, seeing how she was getting beat by a 13-year-old. She lunged toward Robin and tried punching him, but as she was about to actually land the hit, the boy wonder jumped backward and as soon as his feet hit the floor, he pushed off and was able to kick Talia in the stomach.

That kick threw Talia back about 2 feet, and she fell to her knees with the wind knocked out of her. When she was able to breathe, she looked up at her assailant and he could see the anger building in her eyes.

"Come on Talia, this is all turbing for me, but I thought your father trained you better that this." Robin taunted as he watched her.

"You haven't seen even half of what I've learned." Talia angrily said, and with that, she got up and ran toward the boy and kicked at him. Robin dodged the kick, but what he didn't see coming was that she punched very hard up high and when he jumped to avoid the kick, he took the punch to his stomach.

The boy wonder went down, the wind knocked out of him, and fell unconscious.

"I told you that you hadn't seen half of what I know." The woman said as she stood over her captive. She then picked him up and flung him over her shoulder, after which she walked out of the room.

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Kid Flash and Artemis arrived near the factory part and as the two got there, they saw some workers.

"This doesn't look too hard." Kid Flash stated as he saw about twenty people.

"There will be more to come once we take them out. Just don't screw up and get hurt." Artemis responded.

"You should take your own advice." Kid Flash rebuttaled (1) as he gave the archer his signature 'I don't like you' look.

"I mean it, Kid Flash, if you get hurt, I'm not saving you." Artemis shot back at the speedster.

"Whatever." Kid Flash said as he stood up just a bit from his crouching position. "Let's go."

"You are so not the boss of me." Artemis shouted in her mind.

"Just do it." Kid Flash 'ordered' back at her. With that, they both jumped out of hiding. When Kid Flash's feet hit the floor, he took off and jump kicked the first guy that came toward him.

Artemis landed and shot an arrow that she had quickly pulled from her quiver and it hit its mark, causing a knockout gas to emerge from the special tip. The victim of the arrow's gas fell to the floor unconscious. Artemis then got another arrow ready and launched it at a man that came out of nowhere and he was zapped with 50,000 volts.

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Aqualad's team finished with the trucks and the workers at them.

"That should be the last of them here; let us go help Kid and Artemis." Aqualad stated as he looked back toward the building not far from them.

"Let's go." Miss Martian said as she came down beside the Atlantean.

"Yea." Superboy said as he was right behind the Martian. "Why don't I handle that candy machine while you guys take care of any more workers?"

"Good idea, and once Cardinal joins up with us, she can heat the metal enough so the machine can't be put back together." Aqualad commented.

"While Cardinal's handling that, Robin will join us in our fight." Miss Martian added.

The three teens then went to help their friends.

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Cardinal was really holding her own against Ubu, and the bodyguard was getting angry. He started fighting dirty, and got a kick in while sword fighting. The kick hit the young heroine in the solar plexus and she fell to her knees.

"How does that feel little one." Ubu questioned as he picked her up and held her, back to him, against his chest. He started to squeeze her, and she felt like her ribs were about to snap.

"I'm going to make you sing (2), Ubu, and you won't like it." Cardinal remarked as she was able to lift her right arm and got the bodyguard right in the solar plexus. Then she stomped on his instep. When he released her left arm after that second hit, Cardinal reached up and got him right in the nose. Once his right hand was off her body, she shot right for the groin.

Ubu then fell to his knees holding his groin. He was able to open his eyes long enough to see Cardinal reach into her utility belt and pull out a small pellet, and a gas mask. She put on the mask and threw the pellet. Ubu took a breath, and began coughing. About thirty seconds later, her opponent fell forward and was not trying to get up.

"Well that takes care of you for now." Cardinal said as the knockout gas disappeared and she removed her gas mask. "Guys, I'm on my way, did Robin find you first?"

"No, and he has not reported in that he got the formula for the antidote." Aqualad's voice rang in her mind.

"I can't find him; he must be out of my telepathic range, or unconscious. I hope nothing's happened to him." Miss Martian's voice said.

"I'll have to go look for him. Can you guys handle your situation without me?" Cardinal asked as fear started to fill her body.

"Go ahead, Cardinal, we can handle the worker, and Superboy is destroying the candy machine. Be careful, and let us know when you find him." Aqualad stated.

"Alright, as soon as I find him, I'll let you guys know." Cardinal answered.

"I'm sure he's fine, Cardinal." Artemis added.

"I hope you're right, Artemis." Cardinal said back as she took off to locate her brother.


(1) not sure if I used it right, but that's what sounded good to me.

(2) SING = Solar Plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin I got the idea to use it from the movie Miss Congeniality.