A/N: This chapter is dedicated to YoungJustice101, who a) Likes Young Justice (YESSSSSS, DUDE!) and b) Not only wouldn't stop pestering me to update this, but also reccomended this story (and Big Time Hold Up?) to a friend of hers. Who I suspect also likes Young Justice. Dude, I cannot tell you how flattering that is! ^_^ Thank you so much!

Enjoy!

"This just in—an earthquake measuring 8.65 on the Richter Scale has struck California—the Los Angeles city in particular."

Jo looked up from her cereal to stare at the TV. The New Zealand accent had taken a while to get used to, but that wasn't what caught her attention. She gasped as the picture flashed on the screen—her LA, in tattered rubble, smoke, and dust. The skyscrapers seemed to be the only things intact. Everything else was destroyed—completely and utterly.

Her next thought was Kendall. And then panic set in. The bowl she was holding clattered to the table as she stood abruptly, almost knocking her chair down.

"Dad!"

…

"You're okay, you're okay."

Aaron held the shaking girl in his arms as she was finally released from the crumpled vending machine that had fallen on her when the earthquake hit. The EMTs carefully extracted her from his grasp and helped her outside to the ambulance. Aaron watched her go, meeting up with two of her friends who'd made it out without a scratch. He wiped his brow, exhausted, when he heard a frantic voice reach his ears.

"You're here!"

He looked up at the kid scrambling down the steps towards him. His arm was very obviously dislocated and he had dried blood on the side of his face, but he barely noticed. His chocolate eyes were alight with excitement and relief.

Aaron caught him as his foot caught on the last step and he fell face forward. "I'm okay," the teenager gasped, steadying himself. He turned his large eyes towards Aaron. "But how are you here? I wasn't able to get through to you before."

"The person who called us was a young girl named Katie Knight," Aaron supplied.

"Katie." His voice sounded odd—like he wanted to be happy that she was safe, but something was holding him back.

Aaron figured it was the dislocated shoulder. "Come on, why don't we go out to—"

"No," the kid said, wide-eyed, as he stumbled back a couple of feet. "No, no, you need to help my friends first."

He turned tail and took off back up the stairs. Aaron swore after a beat, realizing what had happened. Obviously the limp and dislocated shoulder did nothing to quell the kid's determination.

"Ron," he called to one of his teammates. "Follow me."

He took the stairs three at a time to try to catch up to the kid, and still only managed to stay half a flight behind him. Was it adrenaline that was making the teen so fast? Or was he always that energetic?

Finally the kid slipped through the door out of the staircase, pausing only to make sure Aaron and Ron were still with him before all but sprinting down the hallway. Aaron followed, struggling to keep up. The kid stopped in front of apartment 2J and dashed inside before Aaron could tell him no.

Aaron peered into the room and watched as the kid carefully stepped over fallen debris and furniture. His face was slack with shock and surprise.

"Logan?" he whispered.

Aaron looked at Ron. Ron looked at Aaron. "Come on," Aaron said, stepping into the room. He tried to remember where the kid had stepped as he went, but the floor seemed sturdy enough. He and Ron maneuvered their way through the debris and knelt by the kid.

He looked up, fresh tears trailing down his cheeks. "I said I'd be right back," he muttered.

That didn't make much sense to Aaron until he looked down. The kid had pulled another boy's head into his lap—an unconscious boy, with a head wound that was still bleeding at the back of his head. His pale face seemed almost ashen.

Aaron didn't waste time with words, leaning forward and pressing two fingers to the boy's wrist, and then under his neck. "He's alive," he muttered. "Barely."

"Kendall," the kid muttered. He redirected Aaron's attention with a jerk of his chin at the giant pile of rubble in the center of the room.

It was then Aaron noticed another boy—blonde, the same age as the others—lying beneath the slab of ceiling. His breath caught at the blood on his slack face, the only part visible from here.

Ron swore behind him, and the kid flinched.

"We've got a crush victim," Aaron said grimly. "Ron, get Angie and an EMT. We're going to need a drip line and something to pry this thing off of him."

"What are you gonna do?" the kid asked, looking up at him.

Aaron knelt so they were eye level. "What's your name?"

"Carlos."

"Carlos," Aaron echoed, nodding. "You did good getting us up here. We're going to take good care of your friends now."

Carlos tensed, like he knew what was coming. Aaron sighed. "You need to go downstairs now—"

The kid was already shaking his head. "I'm not leaving them here."

"You need medical attention," Aaron argued. "You have a dislocated shoulder and I'm pretty sure you have a concussion, too—"

"They wouldn't leave me," Carlos interrupted. "I'm not leaving them. You might need my help or something. Logan wants to be a doctor someday and he always let me help him, because I might get hurt someday and need his advice so I'd know what to do. I'm not leaving them."

His eyes had narrowed in defiance and determination. Aaron frowned. He really wasn't going to leave his friends.

"Alright," he said finally. "Then help me get—Logan?—help me get Logan downstairs."

Carlos obviously didn't like leaving Kendall there either, but he used his good arm to help Aaron lift Logan and start to slowly take him down the stairs. On the way down they passed the crush victim specialists.

"Who're they?" Carlos wanted to know.

"They're the people who are going to get Kendall out," Aaron said.

They got downstairs quickly enough. Once the EMTs saw Logan they went into overdrive, asking Carlos questions so fast the Latino boy looked like he had a hard time keeping up.

Aaron took the kid by the shoulders. "Go with them to the hospital," he insisted. Carlos started to shake his head, but Aaron gripped them tighter and looked him in the eyes. "You're not abandoning Kendall by leaving," he said firmly. "You're making sure Logan stays alive, by giving the paramedics the information they need to save his life."

Carlos looked so torn it looked physically painful. But after a brief second, he nodded. Aaron returned the nod and started to turn back to finish his job when Carlos caught his arm. Much to Aaron's surprise, the kid hugged him tightly, dislocated shoulder and all.

"Please," he whispered. "Please, please save Kendall."

Aaron bit his lip, hating to promise anything he couldn't keep. "I'll do my best."

Apparently that answer was satisfactory. Carlos nodded and left with the paramedics, riding in the back of the ambulance with his unconscious friend.

Aaron shook his head. He had work to do.

…

"Carlos!"

Carlos looked up and nearly burst into tears again as Katie and Ms. Knight rushed towards him. He'd been sitting in the same chair for what felt like hours but could've only been fifteen minutes, waiting for news on Logan. The doctors took one look at him and their faces told Carlos everything.

Katie, careful of Carlos' new sling, gave Carlos a crushing hug before stepping back to look him over. "You're okay?" she demanded. "No broken bones?"

"It's just dislocated," Carlos said, smiling tiredly at her concern. He looked at Ms. Knight. "When did you get here? You weren't hurt?"

"I was in the car," she said. "I'm more worried about you." She hesitated. "Katie told me about Kendall. Is he…?"

"I haven't seen him come in," Carlos admitted. "Logan's getting his brain x-rayed… or something. The doctors called it a "Memor-ai"… or something like that."

"An MRI?" Carlos nodded, and Katie frowned. "That's… not good. What happened?"

Carlos told them, start to finish. He'd retold the story so many times it was starting to get old. But the two Knights listened with rapt attention, and when he was finished they hugged him again and told him how brave he was.

He didn't feel very brave. In the elevator he'd freaked out more than once. He dislocated the shoulder Logan had popped back in again and left his best friend unconscious in an elevator that could've plummeted further. And he left Kendall back at the apartment.

Katie told her story. When she finished she said, "James and Camille are here in the hospital, too. Doctor said they both have pneumonia."

Carlos frowned. "Is that bad?"

Ms. Knight rubbed his good shoulder. "It's a nasty illness, but they'll survive," she said soothingly. "Would you like to see them?"

Carlos looked reluctantly at the doors where the doctor treating Logan would come out of. He didn't want to leave his post if the doctor came out. But he also didn't want to miss out on seeing James—and Camille—alive.

Thankfully he didn't have to. The doors opened and a man stepped forward, eyes on his clipboard. Even before he spoke Carlos knew he was there for Logan.

"Logan Mitchell?" the doctor called.

Carlos was in front of him in an instant, so fast that the doctor took a step back. "Energetic, are we?" He looked around. "Um, is there an adult here?"

"I am Logan's guardian," Ms. Knight spoke, stepping forward with Katie. "Jennifer Knight."

The doctor cleared his throat. "My name is Dr. Wallace Pearson. May we speak in private?"

Katie crossed her arms defiantly. "Anything you say in front of her can be said in front of us."

Dr. Pearson looked up at Ms. Knight for permission, and she nodded. "How is he, doctor?"

"His injuries were minimal," the doctor said with a sigh. "But we were most concerned with the massive brain swelling. He'd been hit in the head—almost in the same spot—more than once. When he was found, he was unconscious and he hasn't woken up since." Dr. Pearson paused, as if he didn't want to say the words. "I'm sorry, but Logan Mitchell is in a coma."

Ms. Knight's hand flew to her mouth. Katie buried her head in her hands and Carlos hugged her. He looked up at the doctor. "When will he wake up?" he asked, voice breaking.

"There's no way to tell," Dr. Pearson admitted. "It could be hours, it could be months, or even years."

Carlos choked on that. "Years?"

Dr. Pearson nodded. "I'm sorry. My niece is a big fan. We're all rooting for him, but it's up to him now. Visiting hours are still open if you want to see him. Room 314."

Ms. Knight thanked him and the doctor left, but Carlos barely heard the exchange. He numbly sat in his chair and stared at the wall, Katie shuddering in his arms. Logan might not wake up for years. He couldn't fathom that. Logan might not wake up at all.

"Carlos."

He looked up at Ms. Knight. She touched his elbow and helped him stand, Katie clutching Carlos' hand for dear life. "Let's go see him," she said.

Carlos nodded, not trusting himself to speak. All he could think as they walked down the hall was how this day could not possibly get any worse.