A/N
Please feel free to review with any criticisms or to ask anthing you want answered.
The story is doing suprisingly well so far, so please take my undying gratitude!
Review
stormrunner74: Defintely, I'm excited to see where they are taking the DCEU. Also, I'm incredibly glad to see you enjoy my stories, as I much enjoy your constant presence and comments. Thank you for sticking with me.
Episode II: Venomous, Part I
An awkward silence prevails over the team as they make the long but quick journey to Madagascar using their coveted ship, M'gann calmly at the helm. No-one expected for them to be using it so soon, but none among them questioned the feeling of nostalgia when they stepped onto their ship.
Maybe it was that it isn't the property of the Justice League. It was theirs, and for them only. The ship heeded only their commands, and after everything they've been through, it's a small pleasure.
When Batman had called them to briefing, they couldn't have known the Dark Knight would hand them such a crucial mission so soon.
Batman's mortal enemy, Bane is supposedly using the island to import his toxic venom drug into the United States. How he got ahold of such information, not even Robin knows; the list of things Batman talks to him about grows thinner by the day. Even Alfred seems to be in the dark about the majority of Batman's activities.
Of course, their primary goal is to halt the transport of venom from the massive island, and their secondary is to capture Bane if possible; harder said than done according to Robin.
Still, a mission is a mission, and it's too late for them to go back now.
For Kid Flash, just sitting inside of the ship with his nighttime camouflage engaged seems surreal; a few short weeks ago, he was being lectured by his parents for his behaviour at school, and now school is the absolute least of his worries.
Though he's optimistic about how they can grow as a team again, there's a deep feeling within his chest that it won't be as easy as going on one mission.
On the other hand, relaxed into his chair- unusually- Superboy sits with his arms folded and eyes focused forwards.
He doesn't want them to know he's on the verge of collapse- heroes shouldn't show their weakness, to anyone.
Teetering on the edge of despair, he can't shake the feeling he's somehow to blame. That somehow, if he was stronger, faster, or simply more heroic, Kyle wouldn't have died.
Superman doesn't let anyone die.
But he did- that's on him, no matter what anyone tells him.
The others won't understand, and he doesn't believe he ever wants them to, because it's better for him this way. They'll try and convince him the blame falls upon someone else's shoulders, but that'll just make it worse for him.
From the moment he woke up inside of Cadmus, he's struggled for control of himself, and his surroundings. With all the power he has, Superman always seems to be in control and knows what to do in every possible situation.
But he's not Superman. He's nowhere near good enough as a hero or a person to be on the same level as Superman. Chances are, Superman will never see him as more than a defective clone who should never have existed.
But he needs to keep on going. It's what he owes to the memory of Kyle.
Artemis is anxious to say the least, playing around with one of her arrows nervously.
It's the first time she's worn the costume since Kyle gave his life for the team, for her. A part of her doesn't yet forgive him for it, simply because it would mean he's truly gone forever if she didn't.
It's childish, but at the end of the day, all of them are children, meddling in a game where the rules aren't made for children.
Even if it's just a little with every day, she's satisfied with the notion she will one day become an adult, and then... the rules of the game are hers to break.
"Okay guys, we need to get inside without being detected, and that means no-"
"Yeah, yeah- we know," Superboy cuts off Robin as he's briefing the team, giving the boy wonder an unapologetic look.
Superboy has never been one to sugarcoat words when he's focused, but Robin is taken aback by the indifference in his tone and the blank expression on the Conner's face, his blue eyes almost icy against his dark hair.
Since there's no time to stop and lecture Conner about the chain of command and being respectful, Robin lets the misdemeanour slide for the time being; Batman would do the same with him on missions: keep his mouth shut until they were away from harm and then scold his apprentice.
M'gann gives Robin an sorry glance as she follows Conner towards the airbase they've located on the island.
Though there's nothing overtly suspicious about airports, what's interesting is that it's not officially registered under any database on Earth, which usually signals its criminal.
Only one way to find out for sure, but this time he has to lead a team of struggling teenage heroes alongside him.
"Don't mind him, bud," Wally nudges Robin in a friendly manner. "He's just a little moody, that's all."
"You seem awfully chipper," Dick cordially responds, somewhat glad to see a glimpse of the Wally West they know and love.
"You two done?" Artemis chimes in from behind them, her hands placed readily on her powerful bow and eyes scanning the distance watchfully.
"We'd better catch up to M'gann and Conner," Robin nods, feet beginning to move towards the direction Superboy and Miss Martian headed off too.
With Kid Flash and Artemis in tow, it doesn't take them long to find their comrades kneeling behind a cargo truck, peeking around the corner.
Kneeling beside them, Robin asks, "How many guards are there?"
"Not enough to stop me," Superboy replies bluntly, and M'gann places a hand on his shoulder and shakes her head at him.
Her disapproval seems to calm him down slightly, but Robin can still see the agitation in his body as he continues to peek at the guards. His body is taught and full of energy, like a snake coiled and ready to spring. If history has taught Robin anything, it's Conner needs to unload the energy every so often, but he can't allow that to happen on a mission.
Mentally making a note to keep a close eye on Conner, he motions for M'gann to establish a mental link between them.
"Superboy, you're with me," Robin begins, "M'gann, help KF and Artemis find the venom containers, and mark them with these."
Passing over several of his tracking devices, he quickly shows them how to activate the trackers before carrying on, "Once you've done that, meet me and Supeboy inside of the hanger. If we're quick and quiet, we might be able to catch Bane before he injects himself with venom."
"That's stupid. Why don't we take him right now, he's just a human," Conner impatiently inputs, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
"Don't underestimate him, Conner, he's smart," Robin retorts, trying his best not to sound patronising; the last thing they need right now is for Conner to be angry at him.
Wally agrees, "He's right."
"Of course you take his side!" Conner growls, threatening to ignite at any moment as per usual.
Conner is in general a short-fused nuclear bomb, and once he goes off, there's little to nothing which can calm him down apart from himself or M'gann.
With Kyle passing away, that fiery streak within him has only intensified. What better way to get rid of the emotions he feels than exploding them outwards into everything around him, both metaphorically and literally.
"Oh come on," KF groans.
"Stop it! Or I swear, the only thing that any of you are going to be thinking is that you wished you were never born!" Artemis mentally yells at him through the link, cutting into them as if her pure irritation overpowers their frustration.
Quickly, he moves her face directly in front of Conner's so that their noses are almost touching.
"Do you understand?"
Although Conner doesn't reply, the defeated look on his face speaks louder than words, the fire behind his eyes reduced to a failing plume of smoke.
"Let's go," Robin commands, gently pushing Conner away from the situation.
Taking a look back, he sees Wally give him a nod, the speedster's eyes filled with something he can't quite place.
"Good luck," Robin adds on, taking the lead from Superboy and rushing forwards silently, his feet barely touching the ground as he glides across towards the entrance to the hangar.
Conner's noisy grunts and groans are the only thing which could possibly lead to them being detected- Conner has never been known for his ability to remain quiet- but he can't risk scolding the clone, or it would undoubtedly lead to him causing more commotion as a result of being angered.
"Do you think... I don't care?" Conner whispers, continuing to follow Robin as best as he can.
Despite Conner being sometimes distant and frustrated with the team, it never crossed Robin's mind to doubt his commitment to the group, considering the sheer loyalty and protective nature he's shown towards them so far. "What? Of course we know you do."
"You guys are all I have, and after Kal-"
"He's not worth your breath, Conner," Robin interrupts. "There's a few things in this world even the most powerful of heroes can't face alone, and that's why the Justice League was founded. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman- they need each other both as friends and allies."
"There's something you just have to do alone, too," Conner thoughtfully mumbles, giving Robin the impression Conner has thought about this plenty of times before by himself. "In order to protect the ones you care about."
"First, you have to answer yourself the question of whether they have the right to protect themselves too," he responds. "According to many people, I shouldn't be in this costume right now. But, I don't want people to fight my battles for me; I can fight, and as long as I can, I'll try and defend those who can't or won't."
"Not everything is black and white, Conner. Once, I often thought that I could change the world by myself, but when I grew up a bit, I found it's better to have people at your back."
"So you think I'm still a child?" Conner grunts with a hint of annoyance, taking Robin's words the once way as per usual.
"No, of course not," Robin attempts to triage the situation, but Conner ignores him and powers away of him, making more noise than ever as he heads towards the entrance.
"Great job," the boy Wonder mumbles to himself as he rushes after he Boy of Steel whilst remaining as incognito as he can.
Thankfully, he's had plenty of experience with catching up to Batman quietly, as the Dark Knight used to leave him in the dust when he was younger.
He can't fault Superboy for being too quick to become angry, because anyone can see a good amount of the fault lies with Superman himself. If the Man of Steel would just gain some courage and approach Conner, it would mean a lot to his clone.
It sure meant a lot to Robin when Bruce first entered the orphanage to adopt him after both his parents met their untimely demise at the circus. Back then, he was desperate for someone to comfort him and tell him everything was okay, so perhaps Conner just wants the same from Superman; he's spent far too long admiring Superman without any of it being reciprocated.
Robin needs to remind Batman to get back on Superman's back about meeting Superboy, otherwise, the boy's temper could become even more of a problem.
Speaking of the ill-tempered clone, Robin finds his comrade crouching behind the hangar door peering inwards, an unnerving silence coming from Superboy.
Usually, even when supposed to be remaining quiet, he'll make audible grunts and loud breaths frequently, as though the notion of being undetected was completely insane. Now, he's crouched with the tense focus of a lioness hunting a gazelle from behind the tall grass.
Taking a position by the side of the clone, Robin attempts to communicate with the rest of the team.
"Me and Conner are in position. No sign of Bane yet, but there's a lot of goons," he informs them through M'gann's telepathic link.
"We've just finished up tagging the containers," M'gann responds back, and Robin takes note of how Conner's body tightens even further.
If Conner was a gun, Robin would make the remark that the safety has been switched off. He's locked and loaded, and from the looks of him, he's more than ready to pull the trigger.
"Rob, there's way more here than Batman said there would be," Wally comments, his nerves channeling through the link.
"That's good, KF- Bane wouldn't miss such a large shipment," Robin pretends to hide the nagging feeling of anxiety creeping up his spine. Then, he signals to Batman that they have secured the containers.
"When Bane comes, we need to be quick before he pumps venom into himself. Bane without venom is skilled and smart enough," Robin plans out their part of the mission with Conner.
"Why don't I just take him out?" Conner questions.
"See this?" Robin says, pulling out a large needle filled with a clear liquid, "I need to stab Bane with this to help clear the venom from his system. Bane's an addict, and if we take his vice away from him, there's a good chance we can keep him locked up for good."
"You think he's just going to let you inject him?"
"Of course not, but, I think I'm up for the challenge. He's big, I'm fast, we'll see which one wins."
"That's what Wally says when I'm throwing him around in sparring."
"True," Robin snorts, allowing himself a brief moment of reprieve.
Just as Robin was about to ask Conner if he's seen anything, the teenager grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him in front.
"Look," the clone points out the approaching figure of Bane.
Without the venom he's addicted to, Bane is still an impressively well muscled man who clearly could overpower any human member of the team with ease. Plus, there's something off putting about the way he's striding into the hangar.
Confident and imposing, Bane is clearly in a happy mood, with the way a huge smile can be seen on the masked face of the super villain from where Robin and Superboy reside.
Stopping next to the large cargo plane stored inside the hangar, Bane casually folds his arms.
"You can come out now, children," Bane chuckles, the malice strongly present in his tone.
"How does he know?" Superboy mentally asks, sharing a puzzled look with Dick, who shrugs and returns his eyes towards the confident villain.
"Guys, you need to be careful, he knows we're here," he warns the rest of the team.
"That's a bumme-"
Wally's remark is cut abruptly short as his ginger form comes crashes through the door at the opposite end of the hangar from where Conner and Robin are located, following shifty by M'gann and Artemis, who are battling three huge thugs.
The men's veins are pulsating green, popping from their arms as though they were inflated balloons. All signs they have injected themselves with venom before taking on Artemis, KF, and M'gann.
"I've got Bane, keep the guards off me!" Robin yells to Superboy, charging towards the villain.
Heading straight for the villain, Bane stands straight with an amused smile, obviously enjoying the thought of hurting Batman's partner.
Launching forwards with a flying side kick, Bane easily dodges, grabbing his foot and throwing him hard to the ground.
"Batman has not trained you well," Bane sighs, "I expected more of a challenge. But, you shall do."
Before Robin could stop him, Bane slams down on a button positioned on his chest, and bright green liquid pours down from tubes on his back into his body.
The growth is shocking and speedy, taking only a few seconds before Bane is at maximum strength, his muscles bulging and deadly.
Cracking his knuckles together, the super villain marches towards Robin, who's still lying on the ground, formulating a plan.
Leaping up, Robin takes a battle stance and quickly observes around him. Artemis and M'gann are dealing with the envenomed thugs whilst KF is blitzing around helping Conner take out the guards at a rapid pace. Soon, they'll be able to assist him in taking down Bane.
"Forget about them, they'll be dealt with soon enough," Bane snaps, bringing Robin's attention back just in time and to bound out of the way of a large fist headed for his face.
"I can say the same about you," Robin retorts, taking the opportunity to deftly take out the needle without Bane noticing by doing extreme acrobatics to distract his attention.
"You have a fire in you, I can respect that," Bane acknowledges, attacking Robin.
Bane'a movements are paradoxical. His fists are slow but seemingly quick as they come in at the right place and the right time, keeping Robin on the constant back foot. From the beginning, it's clear Bane is accustomed to Batman's fighting style by now.
If he's going to beat Bane, he needs to switch his movements and try something he won't expect. Though, there's a chance that even taking one hit from the envenomed villain would be enough to seriously hurt him.
As Bane swings in, Robin grabs ahold of his arm, using it as leap to swing into the air, bringing his foot down onto Bane's head as he lands, taking the villain of guard slightly.
Robin lands perfectly, retaining his stance. On the other hand, Bane takes a much more aggressive and primal approach, getting increasingly more furious and irritated, charging straight at Robin headfirst.
The Boy Wonder manages to sidestep it, but receives a grazing hit on the chin for his trouble, which stumbles him backwards.
Clearly empowered by his slight success, Bane continues his advance, swinging at Robin wildly. The unpredictability of the attacks make it difficult for Robin to evade and counter, but slowly and surely, he's landing a few solid hits in between defensive manoeuvres. Although, it only caused Bane to become more agitated, roaring like an uncaged and hungry beast.
Desperately trying to uncover a vulnerable vein to stab him with the needle, Robin strikes gold as his eyes lock on to Bane's neck.
Whenever he attacks, he leaves his neck wide open for a split second, but when trained by the Batman, that's all a hero needs to seize the opportunity.
Ducking underneath the next set of blows, Robin swiftly clambers up Bane's chest before he can react.
Just as Robin's hand launches towards Bane's neck, needle prepared and ready, an arrow comes out of nowhere and knocks the needle out of his hand, clattering it on the floor.
Chuckling, Bane grabs Robin's cape and catapults him harshly at the ground, the teenagers body screaming in pain at the impact.
Artemis is stood there with a horrified expression on her masked face, bow falling to the ground in shock.
"Artemis! Look out!" Robin screams, trying to warn her just as a massive thug punches her to the temple, and she falls unconscious.
A/N
Question Time!
1) Rating out of ten, and why, if you can.
2) Any criticisms?
3) Everyone doing well?