I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters.
Rescuing the Rescue
"A man named Jaqqar Marlo was killed this morning by a Meta-human who dropped a massive rock on his head," Dick told everyone, who had just been discussing whether Princess Tara was alive, and what her powers might be. "Black Spider, an assassin from the League of Shadows was also spotted in the area."
"Joy," Cassius said. "If the Shadows have Tara, she's a Shadow as well. Brainwashing or genuine, she'll be loyal."
"You do not know that!" Brion snapped. "What would you know about the League of Shadows!? What if this Black Spider has that power?"
"I know a lot," Ethan said. "Cassandra, Rose, and I were all raised by the Shadows. We know what we're talking about when it comes to them. And as for Black Spider, he doesn't drop boulders. He uses cables to swing around, then kills using them to strangle his victims or drops them off of buildings. If someone's throwing boulders, he's working with someone. Or, perhaps, testing them."
"Can she be saved?" Artemis asked.
"I don't know," Cassius said. "She'd have to want to be free of the Shadows. Rose and Cassandra were one thing, but I have no idea about Tara. I don't know her personality, the conditions of her training and life in the Shadows, or even which Shadow has her. I'd have to meet her and gain her trust to find out if it's even possible to save her, and to be frank, I doubt the Shadows are going to let me steal another of their number."
"Good point," Dick said.
"Princess Tara would never kill!" Dr. Jace said from Jeff's phone.
"You don't know what it's like to live with the Shadows," Cassius said. "They can turn anyone into a killer. Given enough time."
"No!" Jace said. "They must be using a control device upon her!"
"Like they did with Otto and his sister," Jeff said.
"Don't be so sure," Artemis said. "Cassius is right about the Shadows. I was also raised by one of them. Cassius is right about them being able to turn anyone into a killer. It's extremely likely that the Tara you used to know is gone."
"I don't believe you!" Brion said.
"And neither to I," Jace said. "The princess must be rescued from these Shadows!"
"That is an extremely tall order," Cassius said. "Even if we find her, getting to her, and then getting her away from them, would be insanely difficult, even assuming she goes willingly."
"What about Black Spider?" Brion asked. "Could we find him and force him to tell us where she is?"
"Force him, yes," Cassius said. "Finding him would be as hard as finding Tara. Even among the Shadows, there are very few who know his true identity, and even they don't know where he is between jobs."
"We must rescue Tara now!" Brion snapped, his hands starting to hiss and smoke.
"Brion, I need you to literally and figuratively chill out," Dick said. "We don't even know, conclusively, that this was someone with a Geo-force power that dropped the boulder."
"A telekinetic could have moved it," Megan pointed out.
"Or someone with super strength could have chucked it," Connor agreed.
"Do you know where the Shadows are or not?" Brion asked.
Dick sighed pulling up a map of Infinity Island. "They're based on Infinity Island, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Tara is with them."
"Only one way to find out," Brion said.
"The League of Shadows is run by Ra's al Ghul," Dick said, pulling up his picture. "The Demon's Head. A member of the Light, and one of the most dangerous men on the planet. We are not facing al Ghul and all his Shadows without more intel and a solid plan. Brion, don't make me sorry I told you about this."
"Brion, let me put this in perspective for you," Cassius said. "Every single Shadow there is an expert fighter. They would mop up the floor with you, powers and all. And Ra's al Ghul can fight me, Rose, and Cassandra all at the same time and hold his own."
Brion frowned and watched him for a moment before sighing and nodding. "Fine. For the moment we'll...play it your way. In the mean time I suppose I should explore my new living quarters."
He turned and walked toward the bioship's door, the bioship currently transformed into an RV for Otto, Brion, Halo, and the newest member of the prospective team, Forager, a sentient, four-armed insect from New Genesis. As soon as he had introduced himself to Halo and Brion and said he was from New Genesis, Halo had recited a long list of trivia facts about it like she was reading from a Thesaurus, but she didn't know how she knew any of it.
"He's going, isn't he?" Dick asked Cassius quietly.
"Yes, he is," Cassius nodded. "Whenever he leaves, I'll follow after him and try to get them out alive and peacefully."
"Me," Cassandra said.
"Cassandra..." Cassius sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. You should come, too."
"Wish I could go," Rose said bitterly, holding a hand to her wound.
"We don't know he's going tonight," Dick said.
"Is," Cassandra said.
The others all sighed and headed into the building. However, after about an hour, Cassius glanced outside in time to see Sphere flying away, already a tiny speck in the distance that he only identified thanks to his Darkwear contacts identifying it for him.
"Time to go, Cassandra," Cassius said.
Cassandra nodded and Cassius gave Rose a quick kiss before walking outside and forming himself wings before wrapping his goo around Cassandra and taking off. As they flew, Dick and the others all suited up, then followed in the bioship.
"He won't kill them right away," Cassandra messaged him.
"I know," Cassius messaged back. "But we still need to hurry."
Cassandra nodded and both of them remained silent as they flew. After a couple of hours, they finally reached the island. Cassius flew them low and silent, forming his goo into Cassandra's armor and mask as they neared Sensei's castle, then landed lightly beside the wall. He used his Darkwear's x-ray vision to make sure it was clear before using his goo to silently open a sewage pipe, allowing them both to sneak into the castle. After a few minutes, they reached the dungeon and Cassius unlocked the door with his goo before walking in, finding a shirtless Brion hugging Halo.
"I warned you you couldn't beat him," Cassius said, sending out a goo tendril to pull a control chip off of both Brion and Forager's necks, two more breaking the chains holding Sphere against the wall. "Was he alone?"
"He had two bodyguards," Brion said. "One large bald one with some kind of cannon on his torso, and one in red and a face mask like yours but with goggles."
"The big one is Ubu," Cassius said. "Probably using an Apokolyptan cannon. It fired electrified disks, right?"
"Yes," Brion nodded.
Cassius nodded. "Not sure who the other was."
"Time to go," Cassandra messaged.
"Come on," Cassius said. "Silently, all of you."
The three of them nodded and Sphere flashed her lights, and they all crept through the castle in silence, moving quickly. They didn't take the sewage pipe back out, since the pipe was too small for Forager or Sphere, so instead they made for the front door, Cassandra drawing her wakizashi and Cassius preparing himself for a fight. However, they stopped in the courtyard outside the front door of the castle as they found Sensei, Ubu, and the third person. Sensei was holding a sword with a katana hilt, then a jian blade with a second, thinner blade along the back edge of it, both blades glowing blue. Cassius recognized it. It used to be wielded by a man named Rako, who the Team had dealt with in 2010, and it was capable of cutting through even Kryptonian skin. Behind Sensei, Ubu had on an Apokolyptan cannon, as Cassius had guessed, but it wasn't deployed yet. The other Cassius stared at, however. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn't place it Aside from his red coat with the hood up and his mask, the only other thing he had was a katana. Cassius glanced up just as the bioship slowed to a stop above them, the others all joining them, including Artemis, Wally, and Jeff.
"Sensei, forgive our trespassing," Cassius said, stepping forward in front of the others. "We mean no offense. We only came here to get the children who disobeyed our orders. We don't want to fight, and we mean no disrespect. We simply wish to be allowed to leave peacefully."
"Your trespass must be punished!" Sensei said.
"So be it," Cassius nodded, exploding forward and forming a goo wakizashi as he did, focusing and turning the goo sword silver.
Sensei slashed at him, but he flipped over it, landing on his feet behind him before slashing. Sensei spun, smirking, and slashed at the blade, only for it to deflect off of Sensei's, also knocking his away.
"What!?" Sensei gasped.
"My goo breaks down so completely that there are no cells, which means that I can turn my goo into absolutely anything, including Inertron," Cassius said. "Even that sword of yours can't cut through it."
Sensei narrowed his eyes before lunging, beginning to slash at Cassius rapidly, Cassius fighting him for all he was worth. As he did, he glanced around, seeing Dick and Cassandra fighting the bodyguard in red and rapidly beating him back, though Cassandra seemed to be hesitating slightly. Off to the other side, Ubu was unconscious and the Apokolyptan cannon destroyed, and the others who had come to help Cassius rescue Brion and the others were watching the three of them fight Sensei and his bodyguard. Cassius's attention snapped back to Sensei as Sensei split him in half across the diaphragm.
"You let your attention slip," Sensei said.
"You're right," Cassius said, his airborne upper body spinning and slashing at Sensei, only for him to leap backward out of the way, allowing Cassius's upper body to land on his lower body again, reattaching. "Sorry about that. I'll do better this time."
"Enough!" Ra's al Ghul's voice called out, everyone fighting leaping away from each other and turning to where he was standing in the shadow of a tree off to the side. "You've come a very long way, Void. I'm impressed. Tell me, Void, Nightwing, are you proud of this little debacle? I believe the detective will be quite disappointed."
Nightwing growled in annoyance.
"We didn't come here looking for a fight, Ra's al Ghul," Cassius said. "We simply came to retrieve our wayward children and leave in peace."
"I thought as much," Ra's nodded. "Take them and go."
"Not without my sister!" Brion snarled, lava encasing him again. "Tara Markov! We know the League of Shadows has her!"
"Stay your tongue when addressing the Demon's Head!" Sensei snapped, pointing his sword at Brion.
"It is fine, Sensei," Ra's al Ghul said. "Boy, the Shadows may indeed have your sister, but I am no longer head of the Shadows."
"Wait, what?" Cassius asked. "Then who is? And was it a coup, or did you just retire?"
Ra's al Ghul smiled. "I left the Shadows and the Light on peaceful terms, and Deathstroke was selected to become the new leader of the League of Shadows."
Cassius sighed. "I was afraid of that."
"He lies!" Brion snarled.
"No," Cassandra said. "True."
"Hello Cassandra," Ra's smiled. "It's good to see you again. Better to see you when we're not trying to kill each other."
Cassandra glared at him.
"Ra's al Ghul is many things," Nightwing said. "But a liar isn't one of them."
Brion's glare turned into a look of defeat as the lava cooled.
"Thank you for allowing us to leave in peace," Cassius said, bowing out of respect. "And for telling me who took over for you."
Ra's al Ghul nodded. "It's the least I could do, given that you are what you are now in part because of me. And for having sent Nemesis after you so many times."
Cassius nodded and they all returned to the bioship and left. As they flew back, Brion and the others apologized, then asked for Nightwing and the others to continue to help them find Tara, Halo and Forager both turning down the option of joining the Team. Instead, Nightwing agreed to form a new team out of the three of them with Cassius, Rose, and Cassandra helping him run it. Artemis told Halo that they found out her name was Gabrielle Daou, but Halo denied it, stating that her name was Violet now. Then, they all fell silent for the rest of the flight.
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