I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters.
Salvaged Operation
Cassius smirked as Kid Flash shot past Bane, swiping the detonator for the bombs he'd placed around the mouth of the tunnel to kill them with. He'd meant to have them either stop Kobra or die so that the League would stop Kobra instead. As both plans had failed, he'd planned to kill them himself, including having injected himself with Venom. However, just as he turned to try and punch Kid Flash, Megan lifted him into the air with her telekinesis, Super Boy stepping forward.
"Finally," Superboy grinned. "Drop him."
Megan complied and Superboy drilled a punch into his face, knocking him out. Cade held out a hand, the goo still attached to Bane's back, which he'd used the Venom strength to break free of, reaching up to rejoin with his hand.
"Alright," Cassius said. "I'll handle Sportsmaster when we get back to the helicopter."
"Alright," Aqualad nodded. "Kid Flash, you'll go first to distract the cultists and cause chaos. Cassius will deal with Sportsmaster. The rest of us will reinforce Kid Flash when we arrive."
Everyone nodded and Cassius transformed himself into goo, coating Kid Flash's torso.
"Okay, that's gross," Kid Flash said.
"Bulletproof, though," Cassius said. "And light. Drop me off by the helicopter."
"Gotcha," Kid Flash nodded, pulling his goggles down.
Then, he took off. As soon as he was close enough, Cassius released him and shifted back, landing on his feet in a low crouch, leaning in the direction he came from and skidding sideways to a stop in front of Sportsmaster.
"Sorry, Sportsmaster," Cassius said. "Gonna have to stop you. Nothing personal, to you or your bosses."
"Do you know who I work for?" Sportsmaster asked.
"I do," Cassius nodded. "Do you know who I work for?"
"I do," Sportsmaster said, crouching and readying himself. "I have to get a sample off of this island, and you will not stop me."
"We'll see about that," Cassius smirked, then reformed his mask.
Then, Sportsmaster grabbed an energy rifle designed to look like a crossbow from the ground, opening fire at Cassius, only for Cassius's training with both Deadshot and Cain to kick in, allowing him to evade the shots and close in. Finally, Sportsmaster flipped over a punch, kicking him in the back before blasting him several times. Just as he did, Superboy crashed down off tot he side, challenging the behemoth, only for Aqualad to begin using water from a stream nearby to blast the behemoth, forcing him away from Superboy and keeping him from fighting. Then, Superboy turned to deal with Sportsmaster alongside Cassius, only for Sportsmaster to begin spraying him with smaller energy blasts. Cassius spun, stretching a goo hand up into the air and swiped downward at Sportsmaster, the hand cracking the ground but missing as Sportsmaster dove aside. As he stood, he flipped backward, throwing an explosive into the ground to stun Megan, then caught her around the neck from behind. Superboy moved to rescue her, only to again be sprayed. Cassius shot forward, but Sportsmaster hurled Megan into him, running for the helicopter, still spraying Superboy. Then, just as he was stepping onto it, Cassius tackled him to the floor.
"Take out out, then blast me off the helicopter with the case," Cassius said.
Sportsmaster complied, and as Cassius bounced back down the ramp, case in-hand, Sportsmaster lifted off, flying away quickly.
"He's getting away!" Superboy said.
"It's fine," Cassius said. "I got this." He held up the case of Kobra-Venom.
"He's also not getting away," Megan said. "I got the bomb in place."
"Good," Cassius said, just as she detonated it, blasting the side of the chopper open.
A moment later, Sportsmaster bailed out, deploying a parachute and falling toward the trees. As he did, Aqualad electrocuted the behemoth to knock him out, and they all turned to Kobra just as he pinned Robin to the ground with his foot.
"I am plagued by mosquitos," Kobra said as they all turned toward him.
"Good!" Robin snapped. "Cause this mosquito is very concerted over your pain!"
Cassius rolled his eyes just as Robin threw Kobra's foot off and flipped backward to his feet, retreating back to them. Robin's habit was annoying. Case and point, he had accused Kobra of looking disconcerted about them being there earlier when he was sabotaging the helicopter to delay Sportsmaster, then when Kobra had initially begun to beat Robin in a fight easily, he had accused Robin of the same. So, in keeping with Robin's habit, he had found a way to use the word concerted as an insult. Another example from earlier in the month was when he had said he and Kid Flash were going to completely overwhelm Cassius during a two-on-one sparring match, then Cassius had made the mistake of correcting them after taking them down the first time, and saying he had meant underwhelm. So, later on, Robin for the rest of their failed attempt to beat Cassius, Robin had repeatedly asked Cassius if he was whelmed yet.
"Another time, then," Kobra said, stepping backward into the trees as they all prepared to fight.
Robin darted forward, but after a moment of looking around, he sighed, stepping back and shaking his head, then he smiled. "We picked the right guy to lead. Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman." He gestured at the burning Venom factory behind them.
"That's easy," Cassius said. "Robin and Kid Flash bickering about wanting to be the leader screwed the mission and compromised us. Aqualad took command, adapted, and we competed the mission according to the situation with admirable success."
Robin's laugh stopped and he grumbled, glaring at Cassius for a moment before sighing. "Let's just go home."
Megan nodded and flew the Bio-Ship over, everyone climbing on and flying back to the cave. A few days later, once Batman had arrived, they were all gathered in the briefing room for the ass chewing.
"A simple recon mission!" Batman snapped. "Observe and report!" He began to walk down the line, of which only Cassius looked anything other than ashamed, in this case bored. "You're each received a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes! Until then..." his tone and bearing went from furious to cold stoic like someone had flipped a switch, "good job."
Everyone stared at him in surprise, though Cassius bordered more on incredulous.
"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," Batman said, turning and walking away. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is how you determine success, and how you choose who leads determines character."
Aqualad and Robin both smirked, though Cassius's eye twitched at the memory of Robin and Kid Flash's behavior. Then, Batman left and Kid Flash and Megan both breathed a sigh of relief. Cassius shook his head, turning and walking away.
"Miss Martian," Cassius said, pausing by the door. "If you have some time, I have something I need to take care of, and I still have to be escorted."
Megan nodded. "Sure."
They headed to the Bio-Ship. Cassius directed her to the town where his former family were buried, Megan instantly recognizing it from his memories. As they walked, he pulled his phone out.
"I also have to call in," Cassius said, dialing Deathstroke. "You're sure you don't mind me doing this?"
Megan nodded. "You're not telling them anything they don't know, and it's for a good cause."
"That's true," Cassius said, finger hovering over the call button. "More accurately, you're sure you don't mind hiding it from the Justice League?"
"I don't mind as long as it doesn't cause trouble," Megan said.
Cassius nodded and pressed call, holding the phone to his ear.
"Your report had better be damn good," Deathstroke said. "The Light is not pleased."
"I had to fight against Sportsmaster to avoid any suspicion," Cassius said. "But I also made sure he got the sample he needed for the Light." He held a hand up to tell Megan to wait. "The Justice League believes their mission was a success, and that Sportsmaster went away empty-handed."
"I see," Deathstroke said. "Do they trust you?"
"The team does," Cassius said. "I doubt the Justice League does, but I'm making progress."
"Very well," Deathstroke said. "I'll pass your report along. Tread carefully in matters related to the Light and the Shadows from now on."
"As carefully as I can," Cassius said, then hung up, putting his phone away. "The sample he took back was a single dose, and I gat Batman the rest of the samples I kept from Santa Prisca in order for the Justice League to create an antidote to it."
Megan nodded. "Any updates on Cassandra and Rose?"
"Nothing," Cassius said. "Not yet, at least. Cassandra's going to be sent on her first job soon. I may have to move up my plans when she does. She doesn't have the heart of a killer."
Megan nodded as Cassius turned into the usual flower shop, having adopted his old life's body on the flight.
"Hello again," the girl behind the counter smiled. "You never miss a day, do you?"
"I try not to," Cassius said, grabbing a particularly colorful bouquet and paying on the way out, having memorized the price.
She thank him, and he waved before he and Megan continued down the road, Cassius knowing full well that girl at the counter was staring at Megan in confusion.
"What will you done if the League won't accept them?" Megan asked. "Or if they don't want to join the team?"
"Assuming they're both willing to leave with me, I can get them to agree to join the team," Cassius said. "As for the League accepting them, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
"And when the Shadows send assassins after you?" Megan asked. "You know an awful lot for them to just let you go."
"They won't let me go," Cassius said. "But I don't care about that. I'm only concerned with getting Cassandra and Rose to safety. Once that's done, the Shadows can have me for all I care. I'm just a living pile of goo anyway."
"That's not true!" Megan said. "You're our friend! And you're important to Cassandra!"
Cassius sighed, kneeling in front of his wife's grave and setting the flowers down. "You wouldn't understand. You know who you are. You may be able to shapeshift, but you still have your own identity. I have a fake name given to me, my true form is black snot, and when I change my form, I'm not just changing my appearance. My goo has no cells. I've checked. My powers completely erase me, then recreate me as something else. I'm literally a different person every time I shapeshift. If I turned into someone to give them a blood transplant, it would actually be their blood. I don't exist. Even my name is proof. Do you know what the name Cassius means?"
"No," Megan said, shaking her head.
"Hollow," Cassius said. "Empty. Nothing."
"That's not true," Megan said. "Even if that was true when they gave you that name, it's not true anymore. You're not hollow anymore. You have years of memories, relationships, and emotions now. That's who you are."
Cassius was silent for a long while before sighing and standing. "Come on. We should get back before we're missed."
Megan sighed and nodded and they turned, beginning to head back to the ship.
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