Breaking Light: Chapter 14:
~Kaldur's POV~

"It's easy to get rid of people, Christophe. All you have to do is rely on them." ― Lili St. Crow, Jealousy

I arrived back from Atlantis to an empty Cave, save one very angry-looking Zatanna.

"Zatanna, where are the others?" I asked, walking towards the dark-haired girl.

"Off saving Renee again." She scoffed. My eyes widened with concern.

"What happened?"

"Her house got broken into. Or something. I dunno." Zatanna supplied, inspecting her nails. I had come under the impression that, over the past few days, the magician had been conducting a silent protest against all of us. Her chilly behavior confirmed my suspicions.

"And you did not go with them?" I said as calmly as I could.

"Of course not." She scoffed, and flung herself down onto the couch. I heard the patter of multiple footsteps from down the hall moments before the team appeared, sullen and silent. Renee stood in the middle of them, held onto by Robin probably more tightly than was comfortable. The entire group seemed to be surrounding her, protecting her.

"Hello." I make my presence known to the oblivious team. Seven heads whipped to the left, six pairs of eyes suddenly trained on me. Renee was looking at the floor.

"Someone is going after Nightshadow because of her brother…again." Wally announced into air thick with tension.

"Which is why you are going to go recon an abandoned warehouse in Happy Harbor. Citizens have been reporting strange lights and sounds. It could potentially be something." The intimidating form of Batman seemed to materialize from the shadows.

I watched as Robin's face twisted into a scowl, "How does this have to do with Nightshadow?"

"It doesn't." Batman responded, and I would have sworn on Atlantis that the corner of his mouth quirked upwards before he turned and left. We all stood in silence for a minute, staring at the place where Batman had been standing.

"Well, let's go then." Zatanna broke the silence, standing up from the couch and brushing past the group still surrounding Renee on her way to the bio-ship.

"Zatanna's right." Renee agreed quietly, trailing after the magician. As if her voice had lifted a spell, we all moved to follow the small girl.

"I'll link us up now." M'gann said cheerfully once we were in the bio-ship. The plan was simple – park on the roof, and inspect the building in stealth-mode. Don't attack unless attacked. I was charged with the watching of Zatanna. Not officially, but I felt that it was my responsibility as leader to keep tabs on the most reckless member of the team. We landed on the roof of the warehouse. Everything creaked – the doors, the floor, even the walls. This was going to be a bit more difficult than we had originally thought.

"Let's split up." I suggested, to which I got various forms of agreement. I pulled out my water-bearers and began inspecting the top floor, keeping as best I could to the shadows without touching anything. The floor was littered with trash and scrap – leftovers from previous owners and the graffiti of rebellious teenagers.

"Guys this is pointless. Nothing's here." Zatanna thought angrily twenty minutes later.

"Yeah, it was a total red herring. A distraction, even." Roy agreed.

I sighed to myself, rubbing at the space between my eyes.

"Let's just get out of here. We'll tell stupid Batman we can't find anything." Zatanna suggested. Roy, Wally, and Artemis suggested their agreement. I waited for a moment, sure that the Boy Wonder would come to his mentor's defense. When no snide defensive remark came, I felt unease settling in my stomach.

"Robin? Nightshadow? What are your thoughts?" I projected the thought as calmly as I could. No response.

"Rob?" Kid Flash echoed, "Rob where are you guys? If you're making out in a corner, gross dude." I could practically feel the speedster's mounting worry.

"Conner!?" Miss Martian, previously quiet, mentally exclaimed with such force that I felt the beginnings of a headache.

"What happened?" I asked urgently.

"He was just in the room next to mine – and now he's gone! And there was only one exit! I was looking right at it! Something's happened to Conner!"

"Oh, crap. Great. So Batman led us into a trap. Just peachy. Superboy, Robin, and Nightshadow are probably dead." Zatanna said, words laced with venom.

"Now is not the time to be pessimistic, Zatanna. I am sure that the others are fine." I said immediately, trying to diffuse her anger and calm my team.

"Wally!" I heard Artemis' shriek of terror from floors away.

This was most definitely not good.

"What happened? Is he gone?" I asked. No response.

"Guys? Anyone? Is the link down?"

The link was down.

That meant that Miss Martian had been compromised somehow. Somewhere in the building were Artemis, Zatanna, and Red Arrow, assuming that they have not been taken already.

I swept my gaze around the room I was in. Should I stay here, where it was clear? Or should I go find the others?

…Was I even contemplating that choice?

I started for the door into the next room. This floor seemed to have been offices, which did not work to my advantage. It was easier for the unknown assailant to hide when there were so many half-walls and an abundance of sheet-covered furniture.

Artemis' scream seemed to have come from below me. The stairs aren't that far away.

That was the last thought I had before I felt something heavy and solid collide with the back of my skull and I hit the floor, my vision fading to black.

Important filler. Huzzah. I apologize to the probably like, two of you still aware that this story exists.

Word Counts:
This Chapter: 944
Total: 26,406

SAHW,
Vid.