Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or organizations from the Young Justice cartoon, comics, or expanded DC universe.
Something About Us
Chapter Eleven
The furniture that wasn't bolted down pressed against the right side of the room. Among the mess of chairs and general rubble slumped two assassins unfortunate enough to be caught in the pile up . Another lay unconscious to Lian's right, the knife she stole from him was pressed against the neck of another. Three and a half down. Nine to go. This would be easier if she had a bit more space.
Lian tightened her grip on her captive's wrist. He knelt in front of her with his hands pinned firmly behind his back. His fellows found their bearings. They wouldn't care that she held a captive, she knew, but she caught him anyway, far too used to dealing with henchmen and thugs to remember her mother's stories. In this world it was every individual for themselves. Cooperation was just a means to an end, and they wouldn't hesitate to work together in order to subdue her. Lucky for her thus far their teamwork was lacking.
Lian pushed the man forward and used his back to spring into the air. She spun and threw the knife, striking the hand of an assassin at the rear of the pack. The assassin dropped the case she held as she cradled her hand. The case popped open as it hit the ground revealing Lian's bow.
The archer landed in the middle of the group in a crouch, then swept the feet from under the man directly in front of her. Two assassins dove to grab her, crashing into each other as she rolled out of the way and regretfully further away from the case.
Damn she hated ground work... She was on her back now. Her stomach muscles screamed as she sat up fast enough to catch a katana between her palms. She pulled the blade closer in order to force the wielder off balance before kicking him in the stomach. She'd never neglect her studies again, and was grateful for the moves Aunt Dinah beat into her as a woman grasped her from behind. Lian tossed the woman before she could pin her to the ground and was finally able to stand. Two steps from her prize and the biggest block head in the room had to be in her way. The ship rocked, slamming her into him. Lian swore that she would find whatever idiot that steered the ship into this storm and finally get some practice for the torture techniques her mother taught her.
Roy winched as Jade let out an aggravated yelp. She slapped his hands away as he tried to help her stand, and straightened her posture. They were in the bowels of the ship and even he was getting tired of crashing into the metal walls whenever it rocked.
Jade growled as she looked back at the direction they came from. "I asked your fish for a diversion, not to break the damn ship."
Roy sighed and moved onward. "I'm sure it isn't intentional, and he is up there alone. We don't even know what he's up against." The ship shook as the sound of an explosion reached them. Roy stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"You're worried." Jade pushed past him and continued on towards Lian's location when Roy didn't answer. "Just go back. And tell him to stop rocking the damn ship."
"What? No." Roy shook his head and forced himself to keep moving. He grit his teeth as another explosion shook the ship. "I can't leave you to get Lian alone. Kal will be alright."
"I'll be fine," She looked over her shoulder at him. "We'll be fine, who's daughter do you think she is? If anything I'll be her back up. But you'd better hurry before your fish gets himself fried." Jade waved Roy off. "I'm serious get going."
Roy clenched his fists. "You'll radio me if it looks like more than you can handle right?"
"I've already had my fuck up for the day thank you very much," Jade bit back. She picked up her pace and moved farther into the ship. "Worry about yourself."
From Roy's position on the stairs that led to the lower parts of the ship, his concern was unneeded. Hell, he may as well had stayed at Kaldur's house. Suddenly Jade didn't need him. Kal was fine. Lian at least would be happy to know that he came here to rescue her….right?
He made a mental note to call the NHC when this was done. Get Ollie to donate to them or something. The next hurricane should be named Kaldur'ahm. Everything was soaked. Body parts from the zombie things were scattered around the deck. The contents of crates littered the floor. Railings and poles were damaged. The deck itself was dented and sported a few holes. Kaldur stood where Roy left him, marked only by the water that dampened his clothes. He controlled a tendril of water with his left hand, it wrapped around a large zombie that struggled to free itself. Tubes sprang from a metal apparatus connected to its back to ports on it's shoulders. A green liquid flowed through them.
A door opened and a small group of zombies rushed through it and towards Kaldur. Kaldur waved his right hand in their direction, a vortex of water formed and charged towards them. All but one was caught by the vortex. Kaldur side stepped the leftover zombies attack, then grabbed his attacker by its neck. He lifted it into the air before throwing it to the ground so hard that the body bounced. He stepped forward and onto the the zombie's neck, snapping the threads that held it onto its body.
Roy swallowed the warning that was on his lips and put down his bow. It was odd seeing Kaldur rely on his powers so much. Even more so seeing him be so brutal. Sure, they weren't really alive but it wasn't as if they were robots. Roy shook off his uneasiness and made his way to Kaldur's side.
"At least now we know why the boat's rocking." God he didn't even know what to say...Does he call Kaldur Kaldur? Would code names even apply? Its not like Kal ever had a true secret identity but Aqualad felt too diminutive for a man in his thirties.
"Apologies. This one," Kaldur said, as he looked to the monster still held by the tendril of water. His brows furrowed. "Has been giving me some difficulty."
"Venom enhanced?" Roy asked. "They look like Bane on a bad day."
"Or something like it. Why are you here?"
"I assumed that you needed help. I guess I was wrong."
"On the contrary. In his current state the most that I have been able to do is contain him. My electricity has had the opposite effect, and continual distractions from below prohibit me from making the fight close range."
The door opened again and a pair of assassins rolled out a zombie each. Their bodies, the size of normal men, were balanced and strapped to hand trucks, and had the same tubes sticking out of their back as the monster Kaldur held captive. The assassins activated the controls before scurrying back through the door. The bodies convulsed as the venom spread through their systems. They tripled in size, breaking the straps securing them. With a roar they charged towards Roy and Kaldur.
"Fuck." Roy fired two arrows, knocking the tubes loose from the zombie that Kaldur held.
The monster screamed and shook as its body deflated. Kaldur dropped it and the two of them separated, chased by a monster each.
Roy smiled to himself. "I thought of taking you dancing," Roy said as he dodged an attack. He risked looking behind him to check on Kaldur. "But I assumed I would be your partner."
Kaldur's eyebrows knit in frustration. He had created a pair of swords from water and was using them to keep the monster at bay. "Now is hardly the time for this." The monster snarled as Kaldur nicked it with one of his swords.
"You remember the last time we went dancing don't you?"
"I do." Kaldur caused the blade of one of his swords to extend and sliced through one of the monsters tubes. It screamed and fell on one knee. "You were drunk."
"I was amazingly drunk!" Roy rolled between the monsters legs. He released a foam arrow to encapsulate it from behind. "That's what made it fun. We should do that again."
Three assassins wielded machine guns from the upper deck and opened a continuous fire. Roy back flipped to dodge them then dashed to the right. He ducked behind a ruined crate in order to avoid becoming a pin cushion. The monster's hand burst through the foam with a load crack. It began bashing the rest of the foam with it's fist in a bid to free itself.
Once the torrent of bullets slowed Roy left his cover and fired, taking one of the gunmen down. The other two resumed their fire, forcing Roy back behind the crate. Ignoring the bullets that rained down, the monster that marked Kaldur picked up the crate Kaldur hid behind, and held it over its head. It dropped it on its self after Kaldur lashed out with a water whip to cut the second pipe.
Roy checked on the progress of the other monster. One of it's legs were still held captive by the foam, but they could do nothing about permanently disarming it so long as the bullets kept coming. Now he understood what Kaldur meant by distractions.
"Hey Kal,"Roy called out. "A little cover?"
A wall of water formed in front of Roy, allowing him to stand in the open. Roy picked his targets and then called to Kaldur to open a portion of the shield. As the two gunmen went down the monster broke free, and chose Roy as it's target. It tripped at the last second , its feet knocked out from under it by a small wave. Snarling, it picked itself back up and decided to try Kaldur instead.
The monster was faster than it's size suggested, although Roy figured that it's anger had something to do with that. It rammed Kaldur, sending him flying and off the ship. Roy didn't wait to hear a splash before he acted, knocking both tubes from the monster's back with his arrows in rapid succession.
Roy yelled Kaldur's name as he reached the was a strong swimmer. Kaldur was strong in general. That hit wouldn't have knocked him unconscious. The landing wouldn't leave him disoriented and easily swept away into the sea, or worse into the blades of the ships motor. He wouldn't...
"You are on my hand," came the subdued reply.
Down...He forgot to look down. Kaldur hung from the side of the ship. Roy hastily removed his foot to see the hand that Kaldur used to cling to the edge. He pulled Kaldur into a tight hug after helping him back aboard.
After a few moments of stunned silence Kaldur returned the hug. "Were you that worried?"
Roy inhaled deeply, stilling his heart before responding. "You're wet."
"You are not required to keep contact with me."
Roy only squeezed tighter, grateful that Kaldur hadn't pushed him off.
"Are we going to find Lian anytime soon?"
Roy sighed as he let go. "Yeah," he reached over and squeezed Kaldur's arm. "Let's go."