Okay, a bit on angsty-ness and stuff. I may have to stop updating so quickly since I'm starting school tomorrow (ugg!), but we're getting wifi there so I might be able to proxy through the filter and get to my account here... Anyways, enjoy!
Less than a week later, Batman came to them with a mission.
"Several ambassadors have been kidnapped in countries near the Byalian boarder. They were negotiating an arms treaty that would stop a war- but with them kidnapped, allegations are flying- things are heating up, and if the ambassadors aren't found soon, there's going to be a war. Your mission- find the ambassadors. The Leaguers will take care of things on the diplomatic front, but one of the governments as already announced that if the ambassadors aren't returned alive in two days time, they'll launch a missile at the opposing country, making chemical warfare imminent."
Robin nodded. "Totally not whelming or anything..."
"Move out." Batman ordered.
"Why is it we always get sent to Bialya?" Robin asked, looking slightly annoyed.
"Just lucky, I guess." Wally said, flashing Robin a smile his friend didn't return. Wally knew Robin was still brooding about the last mission in Bialya, that had almost killed Sparrow. True, the girl's combat skills were good, but she definitely wasn't Robin.
"We must find the ambassadors. But in order to find them, we must know whose taken them. Anyone have any theories?" Kaldur asked.
Sparrow looked interested. "It could be a terrorist group who wants the countries to destroy each other."
Artemis scoffed. "Yeah, right. What about the obvious suspect here? Queen Bee. She wants mass control to help upgrade her status in the light, and what better way than to have two countries go to war, totally destroy each other, and then, while they're picking up the pieces, step in as ruler."
Megann nodded. "That does sound more likely."
"The question is, where is she keeping them?" Robin asked. They were all silent for a moment as they tried to ponder the question.
Wally sighed. "Let's face it- we have no idea where. Biylala is huge- no way we can cover that much terrain in two days,"
"Maybe we don't have to." Kaldur speculated. "We wouldn't have to search the entire country if we learned of the whereabouts..."
"There's only one person Queen Bee keeps fully informed about her plans. That's herself." Sparrow said, remembering the time she was held captive there. "Herself and her computer, where she keeps files..."
"So now we need to track down Queen Bee, and then the ambassadors, in two days time. Great." Megann said, sounding less than optimistic.
"Or not." Robin said, grinning. "I just picked up a Bialyan aircraft, low flying, camouflaged. But my wrist computer can pick up the radio waves it's emitting. It'll lead us right too her."
Megann grinned, taking Robin's wrist computer and putting it into the bioship so it was equipped to track the Bialyan aircraft as it headed back towards base...
"Alright, so the entrance is by those rocks over there..." Robin said, making mental note. The large half circle metal platforms retracted to reveal an underground base...
"When they come out again, prepare to infiltrate." Kaldur said calmly. Slowly, they landed and crept out of the bioship. Sparrow felt her heart rate quicken. No. She wasn't going to have a panic attack... But the memories came flooding back...
The sand, the hot, hot sand. She had numerous cuts and bruises and the sand stung them. Her skin was sunburned and peeling, her cheek forced to rest on the hot sand as the sun seemed to bake her... Her throat had cried for water, but she'd never tell Queen Bee anything about the justice league...
Sparrow was young, had been on less missions than Robin had, had been tortured less times. She still wasn't used to the haunting memories that remained...
"Relax. We'll be fine." Robin placed a hand on her shoulder, murmuring the words quietly...
She took a breath and nodded, and the doors to the place opened once again...
They all jumped in, landing several levels below. Sparrow and Robin landed soundlessly anyways, and Megann levitated the others as well as herself before their feet hit the ground, so they made no noise at all...
Sparrow looked around. This base looked similar to the last one, meaning it would have a throne room to the right... She still remembered the layout vaguely...
I remember the layout from the last one, Computer to the left, throne room third door on the right, I think. She said mentally, and Robin was already moving forward, hooking onto the computer and getting what files he could.
These are all triple encrypted... Robin said, sounding disappointed.
We can de-crypt them later. Sparrow said simply.
Queen Bee is approaching. Conner said, super hearing picking up the footsteps before they did. They all dove behind some crates, Robin hiding behind the console of the computer, back pressed flat against it, not moving an inch...
Everyone bit back an audible gasp. Queen Bee's male soldiers were now sporting ripped muscles and bodies, broad shoulders huge... It was obvious they'd been dosed with Venom...
"Give my thanks to Sports Master. This venom is key to our operation..." she drawled in her seductive voice.
"Now come out children, come out..." Kaldur, Robin, Wally and Conner all stood, approaching Queen Bee. Their normal expressions had totally disappeared, they'd just dropped off the mind link...
She's using her powers to control them! Artemis yelled mentally.
Of course! She can control men! And they've all gone through puberty... Megann said, feeling the dread wash over her.
How did they know we were here? Sparrow asked, but no one knew...
"Now, show me where your girlfriends are hiding." Queen Bee ordered. Wordlessly, the four boys turned, about to reveal the locations of them.
"Marco!" Sparrow yelled, thinking fast. If she could distract them all enough maybe they could get away...
"Pollo!" Artemis yelled, jumping up as well. The boys looked from one girl to the next, not sure who to capture first...
"Marco!" Sparrow yelled, and they started towards her.
"Pollo!" Artemis yelled immediately after, and they turned towards her instead.
"Oh for goodness sakes, capture the little one first!" Queen Bee yelled, and the boys started towards her. Sparrow stared, realizing her brother was at the mercy of Queen Bee and that she'd have to fight them...
She stooped and looked at Robin's wrist computer. Eighty percent of the files downloaded.
Robin drew a birdarang and activated it, sending it flying at her...
She ducked and it hit the crate behind her where her head had been. Okay. So the boys were playing for keeps.
"Exploit her weaknesses!" Queen Bee ordered. Sparrow gasped, slightly shocked. Robin wouldn't...
"You let them die!" Robin yelled, and she staggered back, the words hurting more than any physical blow could. "You let them fall! You should've said something, should've done something, to save them! You ruined my life!" Robin kept yelling, Kaldur summoning some water and sending it flying at her...
It froze her in it's icy grips, and she swallowed, hoping Artemis and Megann had at least gotten away...
"You killed them. You let them die! I never loved you!"" Robin yelled.
"I'm sorry... I tried, Rob, we both tried..." She admitted, tears streaming down her face. "But it wasn't good enough..."
"Liar! I did everything I could! You slacked off! Again! You never do your fair share! You killed them, you let them fall. It's a shame you didn't die with them. But at least you'll die." Robin said, pulling a birdarang from his belt.
"Robin, Dick- please- no- I... I loved them too!" she yelled. "I loved them too..." she whispered. Robin had frozen now. He knew what he should be doing, He should've been apologizing and hugging her and holding her and saving her, but for some reason he couldn't. He took a step forward and froze. All actions, all thoughts, just froze. He thought of absolutely nothing...
"Finish her!" Queen Bee yelled. And Robin felt his arm raise up. "N-no..." he choked out, before he passed out from the effort it'd taken to defy his mental master.
An exploding arrow landed in Sparrow's icy prison, beeping twice before exploding and sending her flying backwards... It was a worthwhile risk, considering she was free. She dropped some smoke bombs and a moment later Artemis grabbed her, shooting an arrow just above a ventilation shaft and climbing up the rope that was attached to it...
Tears still streamed down her face, she pointed down towards where the smoke was clearing, towards Robin. "No! I can't loose him! He's all I have left of them..." she said, meaning her parents.
"We have to go." Artemis shoved the crying girl into the ventilation shaft ahead of her. "But we'll come back for him. I promise." Sparrow crawled behind Megann along the shaft, away from Queen Bee...
_
This is stupid. Conner thought, enraged. I can lift a car but I can't even control myself...
It was true. He had control of his thoughts, but not his actions. All while he, Robin, Wally and Kaldur had been creeping towards Sparrow, he'd been thinking at himself to stop, to help her, to fight Queen Bee... Yet he could do... nothing. For the first time since he'd escaped Kadmus, Conner felt helpless.
Dude, what am I doing? Wally asked himself as he allowed Robin to step forward and pull a birdarang on Sparrow after blaming his parent's deaths on her. Get in there and help her! but he couldn't. His legs wouldn't obey him. He realized now he was just Queen Bee's toy, her weapon, and that it could be him up there ready to slit Sparrow's throat. And for the first time in a long time, he was scared.
What kind of a leader am I if I can not lead by example? Kaldur wondered. Come body... I must move! Must help! Must act! Before Robin does something he'll regret...
But as Kaldur watched, he saw the boy wonder stiffen at the words his sister whispered, and then fall to the ground, unconscious. The Atlantian was relieved. While it was clear he, Wally, and Conner had no control over their actions, at least Robin had somewhat managed to resist...
Robin felt stupid. Stupid and used. Stupid and used and lousy. He should've been prepared for the fact that Queen Bee would use her powers to gain control of their bodies, should've acted fast to put up a mental wall and block her out... But he hadn't acted fast enough, and Sparrow had almost died because of it. Even as he slowly regained consciousness, he felt lousy. He'd said horrible things to Sparrow- things that would leave more scars than any knife or crow bar would...
His vision stopped blurring and he opened his eyes to see Queen Bee standing ver him, looking amused. "This one has a strong will. Put him in the chamber, We'll have some fun with him yet." Before a syringe was inserted into his neck. He felt his blood seem to turn to ice as he slipped into the inky backness once again.
