I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters.
Malina
"Remember, this is primarily a recon mission," Batman said as Nightwing flew the Bio-Ship, the cockpit currently occupied exclusively by Batman Inc., toward Malina Island, the Kroloteans' main headquarters. "We want to find out as much as we can about the Kroloteans' invasion strategy before we shut them down and deliver them to the Green Lantern Corps."
According to information Megan had ripped from the mind of a Krolotean Tim and his squad had captured during the raids, the Kroloteans had a base inside of Malina Island's volcano, and had all had standing orders to evacuate to the island if they were discovered anywhere. Even on Rann. Of course, in retrieving the information, she'd also left the Krolotean comatose, as she had the general on Rann.
Cassius glanced at the door leading to the back half of the Bio-Ship. Standing in back should be Aquaman and La'gaan as Beta squad.
"Approaching Drop Zone Beta," Nightwing announced.
La'gaan and Aquaman deployed into the water instantly, and Nightwing flew up higher into the air, up over the island.
"Drop Zone Gamma," Nightwing reported.
He flew the ship into the air and opened the bottom, all of them deploying and taking out a group of four guards, all four of them Black Manta's troops.
"Move in," Batman said.
"Wait," Cassius said, pulling their helmets off one at a time before he found a communicator and took it out, sticking it into the side of his head where he could use it. "Okay, now go."
He used his goo to force the door they were guarding open quietly and they all slipped through, then into a vent, except for Batman, who was just gone.
"All sectors, report," a familiar voice said.
"Sector one, secure," a voice said.
"Sector two, secure," another said.
Cassius waited, and no one spoke, so he took a chance. He altered his vocal cords to change his voice and raised a hand to his communicator. "Sector three, secure."
"Sector four, secure," another said.
Nightwing looked back to Cassius, who nodded. Nightwing returned it and they dropped silently onto a catwalk overlooking a massive, open chamber where a ship was being built. To Cassius, it looked kind of like a gigantic green version of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki at the end of World War II. However, as Batman Inc. scattered, Cassius looked toward Black Manta's sub, which was floating in the water off to one side, seeing Black Manta standing on a walkway leading to it. Apparently, Cassius hadn't responded fast enough.
He began to move more carefully, sticking to the shadows. However, just as he did, that same voice, one which he recognized instantly, spoke through the communicators again.
"Intruders," the voice said. "Upper level, and in the water."
Cassius tapped his own communicator twice, signaling that they'd been spotted, and a second later, Black Manta, or at least, the person wearing armor identical to Black Manta's spun, his helmet's eyes firing a pair of red laser beams into the water. A moment later, a pair of Black Manta's troops opened fire at Tim, only for Cassandra to suddenly be behind them, dropping both before Cassius blinked and she was gone again. Three more sprinted out of a door nearby and Batman dropped on one before Nightwing flipped over the railing and slammed a kick into another, then Batgirl leapt out of the door the last had just come from, dropping him as well. Tim used his collapsible bo staff to pole vault up to a catwalk above them, kicking one into the wall before his pole was suddenly electrified and he slammed it into the other troop, dropping him. Troops began to fire into the water, only for Aquaman and La'gaan to burst out of it, dropping both. Several troops stepped out of a door in front of Cassius and he dropped two instantly before Rose dropped from above the third, slamming her blunted swords into his shoulders and dropping him. Both took off again, Cassius dropping another troop as he passed before disappearing into the shadows again. He looked over at the others, seeing them all doing well. Just as he looked, a soldier stepped out behind Tim, only for Cassandra to drop into the shot's path, getting hit in the right side before using her blunt wakizashi to drop the soldier.
Cassius turned back to the front in time to lean out of the way, then shot forward, drilling a punch into the soldier's gut, his new strength, which he was still getting used to, sending him flying backward into two more, knocking both off of the edge of the catwalk to another, where they were knocked out on the landing. Cassius looked down at Manta as he blasted Aquaman. He sighed, then leapt off the catwalk he was on, falling toward him and forming goo over his arms and legs before punching down at him, missing by an inch and cratering the ground.
"Manta to Partner, the base has been infiltrated, abort operation!" Manta whispered urgently.
"Partner to Manta," a heavily distorted voice responded. "The device is already primed, you have five minutes. Get your men out. The bomb will take care of the rest."
"Perfect," manta said.
"I heard that," Cassius said, finally tossing the stolen communicator away and raising a hand to his own. "Bomb. Five minutes. Leave Black Manta to me."
"Copy," Batman said. "Make sure you get out on time."
"Oh, trust me, I will," Cassius said, looking around.
The same kind of tanks as the Kroloteans had used on Rann, apparently called Mechs, were trying to fight La'gaan and Batman Inc. with limited success. The remaining troopers were also trying but were being beaten quickly.
"Manta to all troopers," Manta said. "Endgame enabled. Strategic retreat to Manta Flier. You have four minutes."
"You're going nowhere," Cassius said. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Kaldur'ahm."
Kaldur's helmet fired its lasers at him and he spun around them, launching himself forward, and drilled a punch into his helmet, sending him bouncing away. Kaldur flipped, landing on his feet and skidded to a stop, the left lense of his helmet's eyes cracked. Then, he charged. Cassius moved to meet his charge, and when Kaldur threw a punch, Cassius spun around it, only for Kaldur to instantly meet him with a windmill kick to the head. Cassius staggered away, grinning.
"You've improved," Cassius said.
"You are not the only one trained by Shadows, now," Kaldur said.
"Oh, trust me, you weren't trained by Shadows until you were trained by Deathstroke, Lady Shiva, and David Cain all at once," Cassius said, readying himself and growing two extra sets of arms from his goo. "Allow me to show you the difference."
"Nightwing to Delta Squad, enemy is attempting escape," Nightwing reported. "Requesting backup."
Then, Superman exploded through the wall with his Heat Vision, blasting a Mech before dropping Connor, Wonder Woman, and Wonder Girl both following. Cassius smirked at Kaldur. Then, both charged. This time, Cassius didn't hold back as much. Kaldur managed to block three punches before Cassius slammed his other three arms into him from three different angles, sending him staggering backward. He drilled three left hooks into him, one to the helmet and two to the torso, then dropped, spinning and sweeping his legs out from under him before finishing his spin and slamming three right crosses into his chest, sending him bouncing away. Kaldur flipped, firing his laser but only the right laser fired properly, the left simply exploded and shattered the helmet around it. Cassius ducked out of the way of the laser that actually fired, then swiped his arms, several basketball-sized goo projectiles streaking across the gap and exploding into Kaldur's chest and abdomen, launching him backward before stretching back to Cassius and being reabsorbed.
"Three minutes to departure," Kaldur said as he was standing, just in time for Aquaman's fist to explode into the right side of his helmet, sending him crashing to the ground, his helmet bouncing away.
Cassius stepped up beside Aquaman at the same time as La'gaan did, La'gaan currently using his Atlantean Sorcery to massively enhance his upper body's muscles, giving him a freakishly ballooned appearance.
"Allow me to handle this, your majesty," Cassius said, walking forward.
Kaldur stood, turning toward them all, glaring at Aquaman.
"I had not believed Nightwing until this moment," Aquaman said.
"You did not want to believe it!" Kaldur seethed.
"None of us wanted to believe this!" Connor said, walking over. "How could you betray us!?"
"You dare question me!?" Kaldur seethed, ripping his new, black Water Bearers from the back of his waist, forming a pair of blades. "After all of you let Tula die!?"
Cassius retracted his extra arms, forming a pair of wakizashi instead. "We didn't let anyone die!"
"Kaldur, that was a mission!" Nightwing said, landing beside Cassius. "Aquagirl knew the risks! No one wanted her-"
"Neptune's beard!" La'gaan shouted, storming forward. "Don't coddle this traitor! He has joined forces with our king's greatest enemy!"
"Do you mean the king who hid from me the true identity of my father?" Kaldur growled.
"That was my error in judgement Kaldur'ahm," Aquaman said. "No one else need suffer for it."
"All will suffer if Black Manta demands it," Kaldur snarled. "Blood is thicker than sea water."
A small box rose from his shoulder, firing a rocket at Cassius, only for Cassandra's grappling gun to impale him and yank him backward just as Superman intercepted the rocket, the explosion wrapping around him but not reaching Cassius, who pulled the grappling hook out of his abdomen and gave Cassandra an unimpressed look.
"There were less painful ways of doing that," Cassius said.
"You're welcome," Cassandra signed.
Cassius rolled his eyes and looked around, seeing Nightwing and Connor were both gone. "Superman, time to go. We have two minutes before the bomb goes."
"Right," Superman nodded. "Everyone, pull out!"
"What about Nightwing and Superboy?" Rose asked.
"I'll go after them," Cassius said, retracting his wakizashi and walking to a tube off to the side that led down under the facility. "See you all outside."
They all scattered and Cassius dropped, sliding down the tube, arriving just as Kaldur electrocuted Connor to knock him out.
"You have two minutes," Kaldur said, then turned, diving into the water. Cassius walked over to the bomb, which was flat and roughly rectangular with two thin yellow triangles reaching inward from the sides like spikes, and a gold diamond-shaped spot in the middle with a red light in the center, like a vertical eye, the red light blinking.
"He's getting away!" Wonder Girl shouted suddenly.
"We'll stop him!" La'gaan said.
"Negative!" Nightwing said.
"For the last fucking time, get off of this god damned island!" Cassius said. "The bomb is alien tech! We cannot disarm it! It is going to explode!"
"I'll get it out," Connor said.
"No!" Nightwing said. "It might have pressure or motion sensors. All squads, evacuate to Bio-Ship!"
"We're out," Batman said. "You three and Superman are the only ones left."
"You heard the man," Nightwing said. "Let's move!"
They all sprinted to one of the tunnels, Cassius using his goo to rapidly ascend it, carrying them behind him. Then, they all sprinted out of the facility and onto the Bio-Ship, which took off instantly. A few moments later, just as they hit what they assumed was the minimum safe distance, the island suddenly erupted into a fireball that dwarfed what the island had been. The explosion was blinding, and within seconds, it caught the Bio-Ship, sending it careening forward and tilting it almost vertical. Then, finally, Megan regained control and they left the explosion, which finally faded and left behind a pillar of glowing red and black smoke that stretched miles across and reached past the clouds. Once the blast had cleared, they turned and flew back for Superman, who had stayed to try and convince the Kroloteans to let him save them.
"What just happened?" Wonder Girl asked.
"The Kroloteans were trying to build a new ship," Megan said.
"They had to, Angel Fish," La'gaan said. "It was the only way they could leave Earth without their Zeta platforms or their original ship."
"But was Aqualad helping them, or luring them into a trap?" Wonder Girl asked.
"The bomb was of alien origin, but the Kroloteans clearly knew nothing about it," Nightwing said. "So where did it come from?"
"I have a feeling it may be up to you and your team to find out," Batman said.
"Black Manta is a part of the Light," Cassius said. "I have a feeling they were using the Kroloteans, and either decided to cut their losses, or didn't need them anymore, so they removed them. The bomb may have come from another alien group the Light is working with."
"That's a good theory," Batman said. "But we can't prove anything, yet."
Cassius nodded and looked to Cassandra, eyes dropping to the burn in her side.
"Are you okay?" Tim was asking her. "That looks like it hurts."
"It's fine," Cassandra signed.
"I can patch you up after we get back," Cassius said, Cassandra smiling brightly and nodding.
"Whoa, hold on!" Wonder Girl said. "What do you mean you'll patch her up?"
"What?" Cassius asked. "I always help her with her injuries. Always have."
Cassandra nodded in agreement.
"What?" Wonder Girl asked. "I've never seen you tending to her injuries!"
"That's because we do it in one of our rooms where she has privacy," Cassius said.
Everyone who wasn't in Batman Inc. or an original Team member stared at him like he'd spoken gibberish.
"What?" Cassius asked.
"You're just joking, right?" Wonder Girl asked.
"No, he's serious," Nightwing said. "He's been tending to her wounds since she was eight."
"That's sick!" La'gaan spat.
"How?" Cassius asked. "I'm cleaning and bandaging her wounds, not molesting her."
"Why do you have to do it at all?" Wonder Woman asked.
"I probably don't," Cassius shrugged. "I just sort of do. If she wants me to stop because she's uncomfortable with it, she's perfectly capable of saying so."
"Is she, though?" La'gaan asked.
"Okay, fine, she's perfectly capable of signing it, happy, Fish-face?" Cassius asked.
"What'd you just say!?" La'gaan demanded.
"Relax, La'gaan," Rose said. "None of the three of us has any problem with it."
"Three!?" Wonder Girl gaped. "You too!?"
"Once in a while," Rose shrugged. "If it's my back and I can't reach it or I can't bandage it well enough. It's really not that big a deal. Like he said, he's not doing anything inappropriate. He's just bandaging our wounds."
"It's inappropriate for you two to be naked around him!" La'gaan said.
"If you think that's bad..." Tim muttered.
"What, there's more!?" La'gaan asked.
"Not really worse," Tim said. "Just in the same general category. Cassandra walks around naked all the time."
Everyone stared at him, then Cassandra, who shrugged.
"Is he serious?" La'gaan asked.
"Cassius usually manages to stop her at the Cave," Rose said. "At home, not so much."
"Who raised her?" La'gaan asked.
"Assassins," Cassius said. "Then me after se was nine."
"And you taught her that it was okay to walk around naked?" La'gaan asked.
"No," Cassius said. "I was too busy keeping the League of Shadows from finding her and Rose. Why are you even making a big deal about this?"
"Because it's wrong!" La'gaan snapped.
"That's enough!" Batman finally said. "Who Orphan wants to tend to her injuries or what she wants to wear at night is entirely her choice and does not need to be a topic of discussion."
"We're here," Megan said suddenly.
She landed the Bio-Ship in the hangar and everybody piled out, the League members all heading for the Watch Tower.
"Alright," Cassius said. "Now, let's go see about that burn."
Cassandra nodded, smiling, and they walked out of the hangar with Rose as Tim walked over.
"You know, if you ever need someone else to help with an injury, I'd be happy to lend a hand," Tim offered.
Cassius raised an eyebrow at him and his face turned scarlet.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" he said hurriedly. "I-I just meant...I-I'd be...willing to help!"
Cassandra smiled appreciatively but shook her head. "Cassius. Rose."
Tim nodded. "Uh, okay. Um...so, I was thinking. Uh...there's this new scary movie coming out in a couple days. Assuming we're not on a mission, would you want to go?"
Cassandra pursed her lips for a moment, remaining unresponsive for several seconds before nodding. "Yes."
Tim grinned, nodding. "Okay, cool!"
They reached the door to Cassius's room and Tim stopped, looking around before realizing where they were.
"Uh...I'm going to...uh...get a snack before bed," Tim said, walking away.
"The kitchen's the other way," Cassius smirked.
"Uh...right," Tim said. "Um...I must really be tired. "Think I'll skip the snack."
"Your bedroom's also the other way," Rose chimed in, also smirking.
Tim's face flushed scarlet as he turned and walked back past them, muttering an embarrassed, "Right."
The three of them walked into Cassius's room and he closed and sealed the door as both girls began to take off their costumes.
"Rose, what are you..." he stopped as he saw a slit a burn on her upper back. "Oh. You got sloppy, huh?"
"A little," Rose said, tossing her costume's armor suit and under shirt aside, walking over and sitting on the bed, facing away from him, beside where Cassandra was seated facing him, though Cassandra had taken everything off since her burn extended down below her waist.
Cassius sighed, grabbing the bandages, some burn gel, and gauze wrap. He started with Rose's, since it would be faster, and after a few minutes, he was finished, Rose pulling her shirt back on. Then, Cassius turned to Cassandra, inspecting the burn. It was clean, except for one bit of fabric from her shirt, which was caught against it. The burn itself stretched from just below her breasts to cover most of the left side of her abdomen, stopping just above the middle of her waist, then reaching down in a rounded line to the front of her left hip. It reached around to just barely reach onto her back about level with the front. Cassius let out a slow breath, glancing at her as she watched him.
"This is going to hurt quite a lot," Cassius said.
She nodded and he began to spread burn gel over it as gently as he could. She didn't react any, as usual, and simply sat there calmly. He worked from front to back as he worked his way down the burn, and as he neared her waist, she lay back so that her leg wasn't folding part of the burn on itself from her position, allowing him to finish the burn unhindered. Once he was done, he held his hands out, Cassandra setting her hands in his and allowing him to pull her to her feet before he used several goo strands to hold bandage pads to her burn, covering it all at once before his arms began to wrap her left upper leg and her torso in gauze to hold the bandages on. Finally, he finished and Cassandra hugged him, Cassius sighing and hugging her back.
"You did good saving him," Cassius said.
She smiled, squeezing him for a moment before stepping back and beginning to get dressed again.
"How long until we're healed?" Rose asked before swallowing a single pill of one painkiller or another.
"You shouldn't self-medicate," Cassius said.
"Oh, like it's the first time I've done that," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "So?"
"A couple days," Cassius said.
Both girls frowned in confusion, Cassandra pointing at her burn.
"You two never noticed, did you?" Cassius asked, grinning. "I had Zatanna apply the same healing spell as she used on Cassandra when she was hurt defending the bank robber to your necklaces. Rose, you may have noticed you healed from your own gunshot wounds faster than normal?"
Rose thought for a moment before nodding. "So, what, we constantly heal faster?"
"Yes," Cassius nodded. "Both of your burns should be gone within four days at most."
They nodded.
"Bed time?" Rose asked.
Cassius sighed, rolling his eyes. "I have to go to the bathroom. Whoever's sleeping in here, go change into pajamas and do whatever you need to. Cassandra, no walking around naked, you little troublemaker."
Cassandra stuck her tongue out at him before leaving with Rose. Cassius headed to his room's bathroom and relieved himself, then headed back into the room. Just as he sat on the bed and shifted his clothes into a loose pair of dark grey pants and a loose dark grey button-up shirt, the door opened and both girls walked in, both instantly climbing in bed with him. He sighed, wrapping and arm around them both.
"Why do I let you sleep with me, Rose?" Cassius asked again.
"Because you know you can't say know when I beg," Rose smirked.
"Oh yeah," Cassius said. "Manipulative little brat."
"Little?" Rose scoffed. "I'm not exactly nine years old anymore."
"Rose, you're fourteen," Cassius said. "You're still a kid."
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, yes, I am. But that doesn't make me little."
Cassius sighed. "Keep telling yourself that Rose. Good night girls."
"Good night," Rose smiled, cuddling into his side.
"Yes," Cassandra said, also cuddling into his side.
Cassius raised a hand, smiling convincingly for Cassandra, who was waving goodbye before she and Tim headed to Star City to go watch the movie Tim had chosen. Once they'd teleported away, Cassius's smile fell along with his hand and he took a long, slow breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling just as slowly. He turned, looking around, and finally stopped, seeing Connor leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a slight smirk on his face, and one eyebrow raised, Rose standing beside him, grinning.
"Yup," Connor said. "I'm wiping those smiles off both of your faces."
Both of their smirks grew and the three of them headed outside, a few of the others coming out to watch, Nightwing, Wonder Girl, and Beast Boy taking bets on the winner. La'gaan was simply of the mind that Cassius needed to lose, still being mad for unknowable reasons that Cassius tended to Cassandra's wounds, even though the argument was about three days ago. No one understood what he was so upset about, either.
"You sure you want to fight us both?" Connor asked, smirking as he and Rose readied themselves.
"Well, it wouldn't be worthwhile training if I didn't put someone decent at fighting on your side, Connor," Cassius smirked.
"Oh, we'll see about that," Connor smirked.
All three took off instantly, Cassius putting his brutal training to work fully, feeling the knots in his stomach slowly unwind as they fought, and his chest feeling less and less tight.
Cassius stirred as Cassandra sat on the side of his bed. It was a little after midnight, and as soon as he was awake, he knew something was wrong. He sat up, turning to her and pulled her into a hug.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nice," Cassandra said, then shook her head, pulling back so she could use sign language. "It was nice. The movie was good, the dinner we went to was good, and it was really fun."
"Then what's wrong?" he asked.
"Tim tried to kiss me when we got back," Cassandra signed. "I didn't let him, and he seemed okay with it. You don't have to yell at him or anything. I just...i didn't mean to make him think I like him like that."
"I know you didn't," Cassius said, pulling her into another hug. "It'll be alright. He won't hold it against you. He'll understand. Did he apologize?"
Cassandra nodded against him.
"Alright," Cassius said. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."
Cassandra nodded. "Can I stay here tonight?"
"Of course," Cassius said, giving her a light squeeze. "Whenever you need to."
She nodded and he lifted the sheets for her. Before she got in, she dropped her pants and shirt on the floor, leaving herself in her underwear and bra, plus the few bandages that remained over the last of her burn, and climbed in beside him. The burn hadn't scarred, fortunately. Neither had Rose's. Cassius was glad. They both had enough scars. Enough proof that he couldn't protect them well enough. He forced those thoughts away before his mood could slip and Cassandra squeezed him lightly. He smiled, closing his eyes and holding her a little tighter, drifting off quickly.
Cassius walked out onto the beach with the rest of the group. It had been twenty days since Malina Island, and things had been quiet. So, the League had decided to send the six Leaguers who had been sent to Rimbor by Vandal Savage to be tried by an alien court for their actions. Aside from those six, the rest of the group consisted of Hawkman, Icon, Captain Atom, and any protégés they had. Icon would be going with the other six to represent the League during the trial, and Hawkman would be going to be with his wife.
"Dick, you are in charge of the others while I'm gone," Batman said. "Cassius will be your second-in-command, followed by Barbara."
"Understood," Nightwing nodded, then hesitated. "Be careful, alright?"
"I was about to say the same to you," Batman said. "I fear we leave the more dangerous task here on Earth."
"We'll manage," Nightwing smiled.
"Time to go," John Stewart called out.
"Good luck," Cassius said, Batman nodding.
The Leaguers who were going all gathered together and Stewart raised his hand, his ring shining before a shining green bubble began to form around them.
"May the gods be with you all," Wonder Woman said.
Then, the bubble transformed into a jet-like space ship and it took off. Then, the others began to disperse and head inside.
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