I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters.
Placement
Batman glared at Cassius as he finished his story, the entirety of the Justice League and the team present. None were pleased. Aqualad and Megan weren't surprised, and Cassius would guess that Megan was probably happy he'd gotten them out alive, albeit not in one piece, in Rose's case, but they were both keeping their faces neutral.
"Let me see if I've got all of this right," the Flash finally said. "You've been giving the League of Shadows reports on every mission you all go on, you've been lying to the team, and you've repeatedly snuck off and left a fake in your place in order to train two, at the time, members of the League of Shadows. Now, you killed one of the League of Shadows' top assassins, blew up another's house, and stole both of their daughters away from the Shadows, and you expect us to just accept them? You expect us to just forgive you?"
"Not at all," Cassius said. "Do whatever you need to me. Send me back to the Shadows for punishment if you need to. But these two are both children. Neither of them was ever given a choice. These are the children Martian Manhunter mentioned before you allowed me to join the team. I told you when I joined that I would do whatever it took to protect them, and due to recent events, that meant bringing them here, where they can be protected from the Shadows. if you need to punish me, that's fine. But give them a chance."
The others all looked around at one another in silence. Finally, Batman spoke.
"We will not harbor any members of the League of Shadows, former or otherwise," Batman said.
"Batman, they're children," Wonder Woman said.
"They're trained assassins," Batman said. "They're dangerous."
"So isn't Superman!" Hal Jordan argued.
"We are not having this discussion here," Batman said. "The three of you are leaving. Now."
Cassius snorted, shaking his head.
"Something funny?" Batman asked.
"Yeah," Cassius said. "You call yourself a hero? You? Arrogant, self-glorifying, hypocritical asshole that you are? A hero? That's one of the best jokes I've heard in a long time. So I suppose it's heroic in your eyes to throw a pair of nine-year-old girls out on the street and let the League of Shadows kill them? I suppose in your eyes it's heroic to stand by and do nothing while they're both brutally beaten and tortured their entire childhoods? Just leave them to suffer and grow up to be assassins? I suppose it was wrong of me to rescue them from that fate, right? Yeah, you're not a hero, Batman. You're just playing mob boss, with your powerful gang," he gestured around at the rest of the League, "enforcing your opinion of what's right and wrong. Screw what anyone else's moral compass says!
"A former assassin decides to try and make things right and wants to save two children from being tortured and turned into the same kind of monster as him, so in exchange, you fill the entirety of the Cave with hundreds of cameras and listening devices in order to monitor him at all times, to include a half-mile radius outside! Then the one time I'm too badly injured to go on a mission and I go to sleep while the rest of the team goes on it, you station Red Tornado in my room to watch me, just to make sure I don't do anything you don't like! You talk about how you trust this team, and how we're always supposed to trust that everything the Justice League does is correct, and you all never make mistakes, and yet when I'm trying to correct my own mistakes, you won't even trust me enough to let me sleep off a near-death experience without a fucking babysitter waiting to kill me if I decide to stretch my legs!? And yet you're a fucking hero!? Are you fucking kidding me!?"
"You've been spying on us?" Robin asked. "This whole time?"
"Specifically, they've been spying on me, but I doubt they turned the cameras off if I wasn't in the room," Cassius said.
"After all this time, you still do not trust us," Aqualad said.
"It's not you we don't trust," Flash said. "It's Cassius."
"Cassius has given more for this team than any of us," Aqualad said.
"He gave up his entire life to join this team!" Megan said.
"Not his entire life, it seems," Batman said.
"Oh, and what, you actually do think it was wrong for him to rescue these kids from the League of Shadows?" Kid Flash asked. "What, are we only supposed to be allowed to rescue the people that the Justice League deems worthy?"
"I thought heroes were supposed to help everyone they could, not just everything they approved of!" Superboy said.
"This is not the Justice League I wished to be a part of," Aqualad said. "I am out."
"Speedy was right about all of you," Robin said. "I'm done."
"Right behind you," Kid Flash said.
All of the members of the Team except for Artemis turned to leave, Cassandra and Rose walking alongside Cassius.
"You coming, Artemis?" Kid Flash asked, looking back at her.
She hesitated, looking between him and the League before nodding, following. However, as they reached the Zeta Tube, it did nothing.
"What gives!?" Robin demanded.
"Look at that," Cassius said. "House arrest."
"We weren't done speaking," Batman said.
"You can save your ass chewing for someone who cares," Cassius said. "And you can shove your speech up your ass."
Batman glared at him for a moment before continuing. "The Justice League will discuss the matter further in private. Right now, the three of you will be leaving to find a more secure location to keep the girls while her eye heals. Once the League reaches a decision, we will tell you."
"You will reach a decision now," Aqualad said. "Here. With us. Cassius is a member of our team, and we will not sit by and allow you to make a decision regarding his place on this team that we are not a part of."
"Forget it," Cassius said. "They still won't trust me, so nothing's going to change anyway. I'm not going to deal with it, and I'm not going to have them constantly spying on everything Cassandra and Rose do because they refuse to trust them either."
"We'll put it to a vote," Superman said. "You all included, even you, Cassius. Those in favor of taking the children in?"
The entire team raised their hands, as did Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, both Green Lanterns, Black Canary, Shazam, Zatara, all raised their hands. The rest, did not.
"The majority has it," Superman said. "They stay."
The Justice League members who had voted in favor almost all nodded approvingly, Black Canary smiling at Cassius, who nodded a thanks, but the rest of the Team, aside from Megan and Aqualad, were all glaring at their personal mentors, who had voted against it.
"Well, I suppose if they're going to stay, they should be assigned to a mentor," Batman said. "I'll do it."
"No," Cassius said. "I'm taking care of them."
"I was including you," Batman said. "I still don't trust any of you three, and I believe it's a mistake to take them in, but this will give you the chance to change my mind."
Cassius glared at him for a moment before nodding. "Fine."
"Very well," Superman nodded. "Then I guess this meeting is finished."
The rest of the League agreed, and the mentors, minus Batman, tried to assure their sidekicks that they trusted them, only for all of them to brush off their attempts and storm out of the room, including Aqualad, only Megan not being angry when she left, or needing Martian Manhunter to explain anything. Batman walked over to Cassius and the other two, both of whom stepped behind Cassius slightly.
"They trust you a great deal," Batman said.
"Yeah," Cassius said. "Funny how people are normally grateful when you do the right thing."
"I'm not going to act like I think differently than I do," Batman said. "You're going to come back to the Batcave with me. I'll have a suit made for them both, and I'll test all three of your capabilities. Each of you will choose a new code name, and then you will train."
"And when the Team has a mission?" Cassius asked.
"You will go," Batman said. "And then you will return."
Cassius narrowed his eyes for a moment before nodding. "Fine. Not like I'd have any more privacy here than I would at your mansion, right Batman?"
Batman's eyes narrowed dangerously. "How?"
"Easy," Cassius said. "Trade secret, though. Can't tell you. Oh, but, speaking of telling you things." He fished a thumb drive out of his pocket. "This will come in handy for the Justice League."
"What is it?" Batman asked.
"Everything I know about the League of Shadows," Cassius said. "Bases, houses, a hidden tunnel to be used when breaking people out of Belle Reve prison, identities of Shadows and their top agents, as well as a list of capabilities, both superpowers and otherwise, the people I believe are the identities of the organization the Shadows serve, called the Light."
Batman stared at him, before turning and crossing the room in four strides, catching Superman by the shoulder as he was about to enter the Zeta tube. "Get this to the Watchtower and see what's on it. Scrub it for viruses and tracking devices first. If it's what I think it is, and you'll know if it is, call the League in."
Superman nodded and used the Zeta tube to go to the Watchtower before Batman, Cassius, Cassandra, and Rose all headed to the Bat Cave. As they arrived, there was a butler in his seventies waiting. Once the tube had powered down, Batman turned to them, pulling off his cowl. None of them reacted in surprise.
"Do you two recognize me?" Batman asked.
"No," Rose said, though Cassandra nodded.
"How?" Batman asked.
"I read your body language when I saw you on TV as Bruce Wayne and recognized the same body language from Batman," Cassandra signed.
"Wow," Cassius smiled. "Now impressive."
Cassandra smiled proudly.
"She's mute?" Batman asked.
"No," Cassius said. "Cain beat her anytime she made any noise that sounded like speech until the only language she spoke was body language, literally, so I taught her sign language. I'm teaching her to read and write too, slowly, and we're working on getting her speaking and understanding English."
"I could help with reading and writing, if you would like," Alfred offered.
Cassandra shook her head, gripping Cassius's arm.
"That's alright," Cassius said. "I can manage."
"As you wish," Alfred nodded.
Just then, the massive computer filling a huge alcove off to one side switched on with Superman's face.
"Batman, you'd better get to the Watchtower," Superman said. "I'm pretty sure it's exactly what you thought."
Batman nodded. "On my way. Alfred, these three will be staying here for a while and working under me. Would you mind helping them get started?"
Alfred nodded just as Robin appeared. Batman asked him to help Alfred, then left to the Watchtower.
"Where's he going?" Robin asked.
"I gave the Justice League a thumb drive with every bit of information I had on the League of Shadows," Cassius said. "So, where do we start?"
"Testing your abilities, Cassius Bat man will want to test you himself, then costumes and codenames," Robin said. "Come on. I'll spar with Cassandra first. Rose, are you good to spar?"
"I'm still high as a kite off of morphine," Rose said. "So no."
Robin nodded. "We'll skip yours for now, then."
Rose nodded and Robin led Cassandra to a circle of lights in the middle of the Batcave. Then he turned to her, preparing himself. A moment later, he was lying on his back with Cassandra holding a foot on his neck.
"Wha...How'd you do that!?" Robin asked as she let him up.
"Her primary literal language is body language," Cassius said. "She can read everything, even a twitch in your muscles, and instantly know what you're going to do next. Even before you do, since most of fighting is muscle memory. She's so good she's able to read people almost as well as a telepath."
Robin stood, shaking his head. "Alright. Let's try that again, then."
Cassandra nodded and he stepped forward, throwing fast jab at her, however, it had been a feint, and she knew it, so rather than bothering to try to block it, she swept his feet out from under him and pinned him to the ground, this time with a knife to his throat.
"Okay," Robin said. "Batman's going to have to test you too."
"If it helps, she and Rose fought Deathstroke to keep me alive," Cassius said.
"They'd have to both be good at fighting, then," Robin said. "Alright. For right now, we'll move on to the basic tests like reflexes, senses, and strength of different muscle groups."
The three newest Batman sidekicks nodded and followed him. The tests lasted hours, and by the end of it, Cassius's body was in agony. However, they were finally finished.
"Okay," Robin said. "You all did good. Next, we'll take your measurements for your uniforms. So, you'll have to take your shirts and pants off.
"I'll be making my own uniform, thanks," Cassius said.
"And we're not giving you a strip show, pervert," Rose said, glaring at Robin.
"What?" Robin asked, face darkening. "No! It's not like that! Jeez! What kind of nine year old even thinks to say something like that?"
"One raised by Deathstroke," Cassius said.
"C...Cassius," Cassandra said.
He looked over at her, seeing her looking at Robin. "You want me to do it?"
Cassandra nodded, smiling.
Robin shrugged and nodded. "Alright. I'll make a list of what measurements we need. Come on. Let's head up to the house so you can have some privacy."
They all nodded and headed up into the house. Once there, he led them to a library they could use for measuring and handed Cassius the list. Once Cassius had their measurements written down, he gave it to Alfred and he headed to the cave to start designing them suits, everyone thanking him. Then, Robin began to give them a tour.
Leave a review.
