We were following behind some of the alien ships, nearing the Hall of Justice. Before the white marble of the building, there were military units, open firing on the aliens to no effect.
Superboy leaped out of the bio-ship and onto one of the others, affectively sending it careening to the ground. The other two alien ships were quickly disposed of by the integrated laser.
Miss Martian landed the bio-ship and we walked out to the cheering soldiers. I couldn't stand it. They shouldn't be cheering for us.
"I'm not Superman," Superboy turned to the soldiers.
"I don't know who you are, son," the leader of the soldiers stepped forward. "And right now, I don't care. You wear the 'S' and you got the job done."
"I'm not Superman," the clone looked down.
"Tell that to the enemy. General Wade Eiling, U.S. Airforce," he saluted to Aqualad.
"Aqualad, Justice League," the Atlantian replied. "We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours."
****YOUNG JUSTICE****
The Hall of Justice was a wreck. Large pieces of stone had fallen from the walls and ceilings, windows were shattered, and the statues of the founders were crumbled.
"They're really gone," Robin whispered.
I grabbed his hand, for the both of us.
They just couldn't be gone. Not the League. Not the Kryptonian that had taken me flying through Metropolis, much to Batman's displeasure, or the Amazonian who would take me for a girls' night out with Hawkgirl and Black Canary, or the Green Lanterns who told me stories of aliens all over the galaxy and how the Core came to be, or Flash who used to play board games with me, or Martian Manhunter who would let me meditate with him. Not them.
I vaguely noticed Miss Martian floating up to her uncle's fallen statue and sobbing. Suddenly, she flew back and lifted up the statue.
"Uncle J'onn!" she called happily.
Glancing up, I realized that the Martian was still alive. Even though J'onn was part of my family, I couldn't help but wish that Batman had survived instead of him.
But Batman was dead.
The man that had taught me how to take down villains ten times my size, taught me how to ride a motorcycle at age eight, let me walk by his side when fighting crime. Batman, my mentor, and a lot of the time friend, was dead.
But it wasn't just Batman. Bruce was dead too.
The rich, billionaire, playboy that had taken me in, read me stories at night, made me soup when I was sick, gave me hugs when I needed them most, gave me a chance when the rest of the world despised me. Bruce Wayne, my dad, was dead.
It just couldn't be true!
I squeezed Robin's hand tighter as tears prickled at the back of my eyes. Batman, Bruce, whoever, wouldn't want me to cry. He never cried, probably not even as he saw that beam coming right at him. Batman never cried.
So I wouldn't either.
"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Robin suddenly exclaimed from beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"My mind is clouded," Martian Manhunter held his head. "I feel certain I have something important to tell you."
"Come on!" Kid Flash suddenly called.
Robin pulled on my arm and I quickly followed after him and the speedster, out to one of the fallen ships.
We climbed onto a jeep beside the ship and Robin brought up a holographic computer, looking up information on the laser.
'I knew it! Look! It's giving off zeta-beams!' Kid Flash exclaimed.
I shared an uncertain look with Robin. We both knew that those zeta-beams were different than the ones used by the League. I understood how much Kid Flash wanted Artemis and the others back, we all wanted them back. But it was no use getting my hopes up. The League, my family, was gone. That's that.
'It's the same stuff that powers the zeta-tubes!' he continued excitedly. 'This thing doesn't disintegrate! It teleports!' He slung his arm around my shoulder with his other arm around Robin's. 'Artemis is alive!'
'Maybe,' Robin replied skeptically.
'No maybes! They're all alive!' the speedster cheered.
Our conversation was cut short as a force of aliens flew in. And by force, I mean a big one. The ships immediately began to fire at Robin, Kid Flash, and I. We ducked behind the military vehicle next to some soldiers.
'We are on our way,' Aqualad informed.
'Negative,' Robin argued.
'We won't be able to win this battle,' I reasoned.
'Miss Martian, camo the bio-ship,' Robin instructed right before the ship was hit by a laser and was wiped out.
'We're falling back,' Robin called as the three of us made our way back into the Hall with the soldiers.
"We're trapped," General Wade remarked.
The door to the inner sanctum of the Hall opened up.
"Maybe not," Aqualad reasoned as we all made our way through the library. "We can all zeta to the Cave, if you grant us access," he continued to Martian Manhunter.
"I can only authorize one at a time," the Martian replied gravely.
"Send the soldiers first," Aqualad ordered.
"Belay that," General Wade interjected. "You seven are assets we cannot afford to lose."
Aqualad nodded and the scanner robot popped out.
"Over-ride. Martian Manhunter 07," he said as the beam scanned him.
"Recognized. Access granted."
The doors to the zeta-beam opened up.
"Miss Martian: B05." She flew into the beams and disappeared.
The Team wanted me to go next, but I turned to look at them before the beam scanned me.
"Go Sparrow," Robin said. "We'll be right behind you," he assured, placing his hand on my shoulder."
Nodding, I turned to walk through the zeta to the Cave. They would be right behind me. There always were.
As soon as I reached the Cave, I brought up the holographic computer and worried my bottom lip, a nervous habit I had previously gotten rid of…until today.
Just as promised, Robin and Kid Flash came through, quickly followed by a random soldier who was hurt, Superboy, and eventually Martian Manhunter. The zeta shut down and I closed my eyes to mourn Aqualad for a second.
"Aqualad?" Miss Martian asked fearfully.
"He did not make it," her uncle replied quietly.
We all went quiet for a few minutes, Martian Manhunter going to sit down while what was left of the Team gathered around.
"Our next mission is clear," Robin stated, taking charge. "If we believe everyone has been teleported-"
"Which we do," Kid Flash interrupted.
"Then the only logical place to put them all is here," I brought up a picture of one of the alien ships.
"Their mother-ship," Robin informed the others. "On top what used to be Smallville. Ring any bells?" he turned to Martian Manhunter.
"No," he replied. "I'm sorry."
"Superboy," Robin got right back to business. "You'll create a distraction."
"No!" Miss Martian argued. "He's offering you as a sacrifice," she turned to Superboy. "Aqualad would never do that!"
"You're right," Robin agreed in a quiet intensity that I had only seen from him on rare occasions. "He would have sacrificed himself."
"Except that left us leaderless," I reasoned. And dead. I was really beginning to wonder if I should have told them. They are my team, shouldn't they know that I was part of the League?
"Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat," Robin explained. "Motivating the aliens to deploy."
"Worst case scenario, you get teleported with the others and we bust you out," Kid Flash assured.
Superboy turned and nodded.
This is what the League would have wanted us to do…right?
****YOUNG JUSTICE****
Okay you guys, when I wrote this, I started sobbing! And then my dad came over and was all 'What's the matter?' and I was like 'Nothing! Just an onion!' even though I was on my computer…in my living room…and I have no onions in my house!
Anyway!
Shout out to Lady Ishtar12123 for favoriting me! And also to MapoTofu21 for adding me to their author alerts!
Synk: I'm excited for when she dies too!...wow…that does sound weird…But how many times do you get to write a death experience that you wake up from? Anyways! Thanks for reviewing! (and I hope this is good!)
SparkBomb'sFaith: I LOVED that episode soooooo fricken much! I can't wait for the relationship either, but I feel I can't just suddenly throw it in there…it would almost awkward if I pushed it too quickly…and ROBIN IS THE BESTEST SIDEKICK EVA! I'm only saying side-kick because that is what he has been classified as since the 1940s. And only Dick Grayson…all the others I dislike. Anyway, thank you for reviewing!
KilalaInara: I thought that at first too! I was like 'NO BATMAN! YOU CAN'T DIE!' and then at the end I was like '0.0'…'What?'…but it's a good episode! As soon as you post your story, you better tell me what it's called! Thanks for reviewing!
angel2u: That would certainly be interesting! Or if Robin died before Sparrow…hmm! Good idea! Thanks for the review!
dsi user: Still? Man, Joker is getting pretty persistent! And thanks for reviewing! (I'm starting to feel old because I made it to the 50s!)
MapoTofu21: No, the others don't have access. I'll explain all that later on in the story (it's a tad big in the plot so I can't reveal it now)! Thank you for reviewing!
Chickenchick: Everyone seems to look forward to this episode! Thanks for reviewing!
Please review everyone!
~AvenJackel
