I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters.


Bedlam

"I'm in, status?" Dick asked, immediately after Barbara had jumped him using the beetle drone and made him bump his head.

"We're two minutes out," Artemis reported.

"Roger," Dick said. "S.B.?"

Cassius, now formed into a secondary layer for his armor, which he'd changed into in seconds, tugged at Dick's torso lightly, getting him moving.

"Follow," Dick instructed the beetle drone, which beeped twice in response and drifted along behind them.

After a few seconds, they stopped behind a wall, listening in on what was going on inside.

"We're shutting this place down," Vertigo was saying. "Hurry up with the shipment."

"On it boss!" Vertigo's top henchman, apparently named Henchy, said. "Go!"

He and the other henchmen began to load up four pods as Dick moved the drone out where it could see, sending the video feed to Artemis and the others.

"Receiving video," Artemis said.

"Nightwing, stop this before they finish loading those kids," Jeff said.

Dick moved to a door off to the side. "Negative, those pods aren't going anywhere fast on rails. I need to locate S.B. and the prince first."

"Activate the spy gear we planted," Jeff suggested. "Might help you find them."

"Might, if they weren't in a thousand pieces," Dick said, stopping beside a window and peeking through. "Got eyes on Ecks and...huh. Dr. Helga Jace. Good call. They've got S.B. Unconscious. In a pod."

"Oh, he is not going to like that," Artemis said.

"Nope," Dick agreed.

"I'll get the kids, you get S.B.," Cassius said. "And don't blow up my Tar."

Dick nodded and Cassius separated from him, travelling as a puddle in the shadows back to the first room, then to the Tar storage tank, seeping in through the cracks before assimilating all of it.

The pods containing Connor and Brion had their own Tar tank, but Cassius would get it later. He still had four pods to take the Tar out of and kids to free.

"Ready to move in," Artemis said.

"Ready," Cassius said.

"Hold up," Dick said. "Something's happening."

Cassius watched the feed Dick sent, Vertigo shouting at the two doctors.

"I just got off the phone with His Highness," Vertigo snarled. "He gave no orders for the podding and Tarring of a prince of the realm!"

"His Highness?" Dick said. "Gregor?"

"DeLamb," Cassius said. "As Regent, he'd have the title too."

"Right," Dick said.

"You lied to me!" Ecks shouted, pointing at Jace. "You said this was all done by the boss's command!"

"I had to!" Jace said. "His so-called Highness is out of control! The things he has made us do..." she shook her head. "Now we have someone with the power to stop him! To stop Bedlam!"

"You ignorant peasant," Vertigo said before beginning to blast Jace with his power.

"Dick, if we wait much longer, these kids are gone," Cassius said. "Now or never."

"The plan set in motion here far exceeds your shortsighted morality," Vertigo was saying. "To get what I need, I will deliver control of Markovia to him! And you will do nothing to interfere!"

"If Vertigo's helping DeLamb take Markovia..." Jeff began.

"It's a good bet DeLamb will help Vertigo take neighboring Vlatava in return," Artemis said. "Finally giving the count the kingdom he's always wanted."

"And both countries will wind up under the Light's dominion," Dick said.

"Nightwing, now or never!" Cassius hissed as the last pod was loaded.

"His Highness will be here any second to decide what to do with...all of you," Vertigo said.

"Dick!" Cassius hissed.

"Wait for my signal!" Dick hissed back.

"Nightwing, new arrival!" Artemis warned.

Cassius waited, his teeth clenched tightly. Finally, DeLamb walked through the door into the room with Brion and Connor.

"Well, if it isn't Baron Bedlam himself," Jace spat.

"Cassius, go!" Dick said. "Quiet as long as you can!"

Cassius slipped out of the Tar storage tank instantly, reforming his body and armor and launched himself across the room to the three henchmen present, drilling a punch into each of their faces, dropping them all instantly before sticking them to the ceiling with his goo and covering their mouths with more. Then, he turned, sprinting to the four tanks and scanning them with his contacts. No alarms. He extended a goo arm for each pod, pressing them to the seal in front of the tank and forcing a bit of his goo through into the Tar, absorbing it before forcing the pods open and catching the four students. Then he shot into the shadows, sitting them against the wall and leaving a clone with them.

"The kids are safe," Cassius said. "En route back to you."

"Look out!" Artemis shouted suddenly.

"What's going on?" Cassius asked.

"Plasmus is here!" Rose said. "We'll handle it! Deal with Vertigo and DeLamb!"

"Be careful," Cassius said, slipping silently under the door to the room Dick was in, reforming beside him. "Ready on you."

"Helga, this betrayal will cost you more than-" DeLamb was cut off by an explosion rocking the ground.

"What was that?" Cassius asked.

"Supercycle's clearing us a path out of the sewer so that we have room to fight," Rose said.

"Shall we?" Cassius asked.

"Let's," Dick nodded.

A moment later, an explosion went off behind them and DeLamb and Vertigo both ran to investigate, Cassius sensing his clone taking the four children toward the exit, away from the fight. He and Dick moved into the room where Ecks had been left to hold Jace at gunpoint and Dick knocked her out while Cassius set a hand on the Tar container. A moment later, several hole store open, the tar flowing out in several streams, winding around his arm up to his shoulder before sinking into his body.

"You are a meta-human!" Jace gasped.

"Sure am," Cassius nodded, looking toward the other room as he absorbed the last of the goo. "Wake S.B. up for me, will you? The others will need him to fight Plasmus."

Dick nodded and Cassius sprinted into the other room, As he arrived, Vertigo was running toward the exit, only for Cassius to catch his legs with a strand of goo, swinging him around into a wall and knocking him out. As he retracted it, DeLamb opened fire at him, only for Plasmus to roar, leaping at Cassius. Cassius launched himself out of the way, flipping onto Supercycle with the others just before it took off, flying back through the hole it had entered through, then dropping into the sewer. After a ways, they escaped the sewer and landed at the beach nearby where Cassius's clone was waiting with the eight children he'd rescued. He reabsorbed his clone and knelt beside the children, picking up a stack of round control chips the clone had found that looked a lot like Starro Tech, except that it didn't sink into the children's flesh.

"We've got the evidence we need to bring down DeLamb and all of Bedlam," Dick said. "Doctor Jace's testimony will seal the deal."

"We need to get these kids somewhere safe!" Jeff said.

"I agree," Cassius said. "Jeff, take Superbike and get them to Taos."

Jeff nodded just as Brion began to stir. The moment he saw Jace, he shouted in surprise and fear.

"You get away from me!" he snapped.

"Brion, please!" Jace said, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Calm-AH!"

She shouted in pain and yanked her now burned hand back as Brion moved to run. He dropped off of Superbike and looked around at them all.

"Who are you people!?" he demanded, just as his feet began to melt through the ground.

"You'll need to calm down," Cassius said. "Fear and anger make it harder to control your meta-human powers."

"What!?" Brion asked, trying to step forward, only to rapidly sink into the ground. "What is happening!?"

And then, he was gone.

"Brion!" Jace called out, dropping to the ground as the trail of raised, melted ground continued to move before Brion broke free, gasping for breath.

"Palidzi man!" Brion shouted. "Help me! Help me!"

"You must calm down!" Jace said, running over to him. "Your meta-gene has been activated! Your body is now manipulating geologic forces!"

"Make it stop!" Brion pleaded. "Make it stop!"

"The more you panic, the less control you'll have," Connor said, kneeling in front of him. "Focus on your breathing. Just focus on controlling your breath."

Slowly, Brion began to calm, though his breath still stuttered and staggered out of him and every inhale was a panicked gasp, and the trail of melted rock he'd left behind began to cool.

"Guys!" Dick said suddenly, his wrist computer's screen lighting up, displaying DeLamb beside a screen, which was currently displaying a podded Brion.

"This footage shows Prince Brion undergoing an illegal meta-gene activation!" DeLamb was saying. "This evidence irrefutably links Prince Markov to meta-human trafficking in Markovia! And, quite possibly, to the abduction of his own sister, Princess Tara!"

"Oh shit," Cassius sighed.

"And, given their stance against trafficking, Brion is most likely responsible for the assassinations of his own parents, King Viktor and Queen Ilona!"

"Lies!" Brion shrieked before turning to run back to the palace, only to melt into the ground again.

Cassius sighed. "Now he's done it. Well, time to go beat the shit out of Bedlam and expose him to the world."

"How?" Dick asked.

"Simple," Cassius said, holding up a thumb drive. "This recording I have of DeLamb walking into the facility and talking about not giving the order to pod Brion, and of Jace identifying him as Baron Bedlam."

"What...how?" Dick asked.

"I just downloaded the video feed from your contacts, then uploaded it to a thumb drive I made out of my goo," Cassius shrugged. "Haven't you figured out you can do that yet?"

Dick stared at him before shaking his head. "We'll have an in-depth talk about exactly what these contacts can and can't do later. Let's go!"

Just then, a Boom Tube opened off to the side, Vertigo, Plasmus, and Vertigo's three Apokolyptan-weapon-wielding henchmen all walking out of it.

"And he used a Fatherbox to track Supercycle," Artemis said.

"S.B., Void, Orphan, we'll protect the Doctor and the kids," Dick said. "You three go after Brion."

"Got it," Cassius said, ejecting Rose's second liquid metal sword from his back, Rose catching it and smiling as she drew the one she had as well, activating both.

"See you soon," Cassius said, sweeping Cassandra off her feet and forming his wings, flying away as Superboy leapt after them.

"Want your sword?" Cassius asked.

Cassandra shook her head. "Other."

Cassius extended Cassandra's utility belt from his chest and she took it, clipping it around her waist before tugging her mask down. Cassius retracted his own, kissing her for a moment before pulling away and reforming his mask, Cassandra doing the same. Then, he stopped to hover as they reached DeLamb, finding Brion already present. DeLamb's entire body was solid stone, and Brion was now entirely encased in lava with some rocks sticking out of it on his head and shoulders. Cassius and Cassandra landed in front of Brion, Cassius folding his now scaled, draconic wings up behind himself and ignoring the surprised and fearful gasps of those around him. Cassandra turned to DeLamb as Cassius turned to the prince, glancing at the massive obsidian formation behind him where he'd erupted from the ground, Cassius would guess.

"Brion, listen to me," Cassius said. "We need to leave. There's no good way out of this situation if you fight him, but there's a better way to handle this if we leave now. As a fellow meta, please, trust me. I know how you feel."

"And so our worst fears are confirmed!" DeLamb shouted as Superboy landed beside them, glancing at Cassius's wings and nodding once. "Prince Brion Markov, in league with Meta-Human assassins!"

"You're a meta-human as well!" Gregor shouted.

"I had to become one!" DeLamb said. "To defend us against them!"

"Liar!" Brion shouted. "That's why I did it! To defend my country from you!"

"Brion wait!" Cassius said, Connor catching the prince the moment he tried to charge. "If you can keep calm for a moment, I can prove you're innocent."

"I've already given proof!" DeLamb said. "Your lies will not help you!"

"You showed a video of Prince Brion in a pod," Cassius said. "I think this one will be more enlightening."

He hurled the thumb drive to the bodyguard beside Gregor and Gregor nodded. The bodyguard plugged it in and everyone watched the screen, including several news cameras, as Vertigo scolded Jace and Ecks for podding and tarring Brion, and Jace talked about trying to stop Bedlam. DeLamb shouted about lies instantly, but when he moved to try and stop the video, Cassius shot forward, slamming a wing into his gut and hurling him away.

"Shut up," Cassius said. "Enjoy the movie."

All attention returned to the screen as Vertigo said he'd be delivering Markovia to "His Highness." Then as he said His Highness would arrive any second. Finally, DeLamb arrived and Jace identified him as Bedlam, and DeLamb, in no uncertain terms, stated that he was in charge and had been planning to play Regent just long enough to take control of Markovia. The video ended and Gregor stared at DeLamb in fury, DeLamb breathing heavily from his own rage.

"You are a traitor!" Gregor shouted. "You killed my parents! Guards, arrest my uncle for treason!"

"You won't be able to," Cassius said, flexing his wings behind himself as he, Cassandra, and Connor stepped forward. "He's a meta-human with a body made of stone. Allow us."

"Do it," Gregor nodded.

Before they could, however, Brion shrieked in rage, launching himself at DeLamb on a wave of lava, DeLamb diving out of the way. As he stood, Brion threw several punches, only for DeLamb to avoid them, beating Brion mercilessly before finally hurling him into a statue off to the side. Then, Cassius and Connor shot forward. Connor reached him first, drilling a fist into his gut before Cassius slammed a knee into his face as he doubled over. DeLamb staggered backward and Cassandra drilled a fist into the side of his head, now wearing a pair of promethium-titanium alloy knuckles he'd made for her and Rose both incase of a fight against something more solid than a person, like a Kryptonian, or a solid stone enemy. DeLamb staggered away just as Cassius reached him, spinning and throwing a feint punch. DeLamb leaned out of the way, only for Cassius's right wing to hit him, beginning to sweep across his face, blinding him. Then, his left foot swung up in a hook kick, connecting with DeLamb's jaw and throwing him aside, only for Connor to clothesline him, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You little pests!" DeLamb seethed. "I am the rightful ruler of this nation!"

"Sorry, Bedlam," Cassius said. "That's not how the royal bloodline works." He shot forward, leaping over a punch and slammed a dropkick into DeLamb's face, sending him crashing to the ground hard.

He began to stand, only for Connor's clasped fists to crash down on his head, shattering the ground but rendering DeLamb unconscious. Cassius looked around, grimacing as he saw the extend of the damage they'd done.

"Sorry about the damages," Cassius said.

"It is alright," Gregor said. "It can be repaired. Thank you for helping us apprehend my uncle."

"Your Highness, I feel I should warn you that your prisons do not have the ability to keep him detained," Cassius said. "If you would allow it, we may be able to help. We know a location that could keep him secured."

"I am glad you are safe, Brother," Brion said, the lava having cooled over his body, leaving a stone layer like a bodysuit, though with several gaps. As he took a step forward, however, the guards around the courtyard all aimed their guns at him. "What are you doing? DeLamb is the criminal, not me!"

"Your Highness!" Markovia's UN ambassador said, stepping up beside him. "Whatever the Baron's crimes, your brother also has much to answer for here. And if I may say, Markovia has suffered enough at the hands of meta-humans!"

"Ambassador..." Gregor said.

"Please, listen to me, my prince," the ambassador said, setting a hand on Gregor's shoulder. "Your country needs a new beginning. A new king. A new leader. Now more than ever." He turned to glare at Brion, Gregor staring at the ground in silence.

Finally, Gregor sighed, walking over to Brion. "Brother, is what you said true? You went to the traffickers willingly in order to have your meta-gene activated."

"I...Yes, Brother, I did," Brion said. "I wished to acquire the power to defend my country, so that no one else would be taken as my sister was."

Gregor nodded. "I am sorry, Brother. I understand your reasoning, and I can sympathize, but you must leave Markovia."

Brion's head fell, but he nodded. "May I collect a few of my things?"

Gregor nodded and Brion walked into the palace. "Take care of him, please."

"We will," Connor said.

"Have you got him?" Cassius asked quietly. "I'm going to head back."

Connor nodded and Cassius turned, picking up Cassandra and taking off, flying back to the beach. Just as he arrived, he saw Jeff electrocuting Plasmus weakly, just enough to hurt it, but not enough to risk killing it. He dropped, landing beside Jeff.

"There should be a control chip on the back of its neck," he said.

Jeff nodded and blasted Plasmus again before running around behind it and blasting the chip.

"Ana," Plasmus said weakly, standing motionless for a moment before turning to Jeff.

"It's okay," Jeff said. "You're going to be okay."

Just then, one of the Ecks copies burst out of the smoke, moving to punch Jeff, only for Cassandra to deflect the punch. Cassius's goo wrapped around Cassandra, yanking her back just as a glob of lava hit Ecks in the side, narrowly missing Cassandra, and the copy disappeared in seconds. Plasmus walked over to them and grunted something and Jeff sighed.

"Man, I like it better when you're on our side," Jeff said.

Plasmus turned to look around just as the smoke cleared, all of the Ecks copies fading and Vertigo and Henchy leaving through a Boom Tube. Cassius sighed as Dick dragged the real Ecks over. Cassius walked over to stand in front of Plasmus and Plasmus looked down at his hands, roaring something in despair. Just as he did, however, Rose leapt into the air behind Plasmus just as a gunshot rang out, a bullet punching through Rose's abdomen and missing Plasmus by an inch. Jeff shocked the shotgun the farmer was holding instantly, knocking it out of the farmer's hands as Cassius caught Rose, using his goo to slow her bleeding.

"Dammit, Rose!" Cassius grumbled. "You just love to scare the shit out of me, don't you?"

"Just...making sure...you don't...leave," Rose said weakly, face contorted in pain as his goo filled the bullet wound, packing it and stopping her from bleeding internally.

"I swear," Cassius sighed. "Between the two of you, it's a wonder I don't have a dozen ulcers already."

He sighed as he finished ensuring her survival, then stood, looking to the farmer, who Jeff was shouting at, then turned to Plasmus, whose face, formed from breaks in a patch of molten rock, was curled into a look of fear.

"It's going to be okay," Cassius said, leaving Rose with Cassandra. "You'll be alright. Can you tell me your name?"

"Ot...to," Plasmus said.

"Otto," Cassius said. "Alright Otto. I'm going to tell you the secret of controlling your powers. You ready?"

Otto nodded.

"All you have to do is remain calm, and picture what you want them to do," Cassius said. "So if you want to be yourself again, just picture yourself as your normal body, focus hard on it, and keep yourself calm."

Otto nodded and his eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, slowly, the lava began to retract and cool, turning into black stone in the silhouette of a young boy before transforming back into a boy. Cassius formed his goo into a blanket for the boy to cover himself with, since his transformation had burned his clothes away, and Otto thanked him in Latvian. Cassius smiled and nodded, then looked to the Farmer, who was staring at Otto with wide eyes.

"I...I'm sorry!" the farmer said. "I didn't know! I...I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't mean to shoot a kid. I thought-"

"We know," Cassius said. "Go home and don't tell anyone about this. She'll be just fine, so you didn't kill anyone."

The farmer nodded and turned, running away, and Cassius sighed.

"I'll tend to your wound properly once we get home," Cassius said.

Rose nodded and allowed Cassius to lift her into his arms just as Connor landed with Brion, one of Brion's arms over his shoulders and a large luggage case under Connor's other arm.

"Brion!" Jace gasped, running over to the crying prince.

"What happened?" Connor asked, staring at the blood coating Rose.

"Long story," Cassius said. "It's fine now."

"Nightwing," Artemis said softly. "What do we do now?"

"We'll take them back home," Cassius said. "For the moment, the kids should all go to Taos."

"You go, too?" Halo asked.

"Uh, no, I have a house somewhere else," Artemis said.

"I go?" Halo asked.

"Uh...sure," Artemis said. "Why not. I'm sure Wally won't mind. Much."

"And I'll take the prince with me," Connor said. "If he loses control, I think I can help him."

Dick nodded. "What about Otto? Taos?"

Otto's hand took Cassius's instantly, and Cassius grimaced.

"Otto, you can't come home with me," Cassius said, kneeling in front of him. "I'm not allowed to bring anyone home. But I promise to visit you at Taos."

"Actually, maybe he should come with me too," Connor said. "I'm the only one here who won't get hurt if he loses control of his powers."

"You sure Megan won't mind?" Cassius asked.

"Well, no, but I'm sure she'll agree," Connor said.

"Alright then," Dick said. "Sounds like we've reached an agreement."

"I'll fly the eight kids, and my girls," Cassius said. "Meet you at home?"

"Yeah," Dick said.

Cassius nodded and formed a long stretch of goo, forming five benches. Cassandra and Rose both sat in the first, Cassandra holding Rose against her, and the other eight he'd rescued all took the other seats.

"See you tomorrow Otto," Cassius said in Latvian, Otto nodding.

Then, Cassius formed goo around the kids, reassuring them it was to keep them warm, and took off, a couple of the kids screaming, and a couple of them cheering.


Leave a review.