Jazz lead the way through the vent, looking for a way to get to the floor below. Spotting a dropping point, she turned back to Damian, who was paused a ways down.
She furrowed her brows confused, "I found a drop."
Damian didn't respond outside of a grunt of acknowledgment. He was stuck on the commotion on the comms. There was no way he could get out and down there in time.
He should have ended Plasmius while he had a chance. Idiots, how could they let the enemy get the upper hand? He should have waited to rescue Jazz and focused on taking down Plasmius first. He should have-
Damian jolted back then hissed hitting his head on the top of the vent when he felt a light touch on his shoulder. He glared at the culprit, as Jazz just gave him a weak smile back.
"It'll be ok. Luck tends to favor those always living dangerously close to death..." She tried to comfort, but she had no idea what was happening. It scared her.
"I don't need to be comforted like a child." Damian hissed.
"Adults need comfort too." Jazz hummed, with a slightly warmer smile.
"Tt." Damian pushed past Jazz despite the cramp space, to lead the way down. He wasn't worried...
– w
"Dammit, Dickie! What floor!?" Jason cursed kicking the wall of the elevator. Even if he knew, there was no guarantee they would make it on time. If anything happened to them, he swore-
"I.. have an idea.." Danny panted from his corner.
Jason whipped his head over, remembering Danny was still with him. Danny waving a thermos in his hand.
–ewe
Dick pulled Tim and Cass close, trying to cover them as much as he could with his body. All of them trying to find an exit point, but there were only flat walls. Plasmius's duplicates had them completely surrounded.
They wouldn't be able to take enough of them out in time. Dick could only hope his body would protect them enough.
What Dick didn't expect was a giant moose coming through the walls and ramming down the duplicates turning them into goo on the spot. Nor did he expect to see Jason riding on its back.
Jason vaulted off of the moose-wolf, flipping bazooka off his back and aiming it at the duplicates behind Dick, Tim and Cass. He fired before the duplicates could continue their attack.
A large beam of green shot out of the bazooka, knocking Jason back, as it took out all of the duplicates in front of him. Jason took in a moment to admire how powerful this weapon is, grinning, as he stood back up to face any remainder duplicates.
Jason aimed the bazooka again, "Bullwinkle! Get going!"
Jason's voice having a bit of static near the end of his speech. The Moose-wolf phased through the wall, as Jason fired the weapon again. Clearing out the halls. He hissed at the pain of his shoulder. The Fentons made powerful weapons, that's for sure.
Dick stood there stunned for a moment, then smiled in relief. "I never took you for a white knight kind of type. Though riding on an undead steed seems oddly fitting."
"White horses are cliché." Jason huffed.
Tim looked at Jason, plainly stating, "Danny's idea."
Jason nodded, as he swung the bazooka onto his back. He rolled his shoulders, trying to work through the pain of using it. Didn't help one shoulder was still shot from an earlier blast.
"Yeah, he's on the elevator. Speaking of, tell him its floor 4. I handed him my comm." Jason waved.
Dick was going to do just that when Danny's voice came on.
"For the record, rodeo-ing animals is not how I usually handle these situations. It just seemed like the best solution... tonight-day... …wait, four? Gotta go back down.. We could have made it.." Danny spoke on the comm, breathing heavy.
"Still made it just in time." Dick was just grateful it worked. Though Danny was sounding worse.
"Come on." Jason gesturing down the hall as the others got to their feet. "The elevator should be this way. Can't let that rejected theater disaster of a cunt to catch up with us."
"Dramatic, but he does hit pretty hard." Tim rubbing his cheek.
"Tt. Imbeciles, allowing the enemy to get the upper hand like that." Damian cut in on the comm.
"Awww, was the Demon brat worried?" Jason teased.
"To be killed by a man that replaces swears with bakery goods, would be a dishonor to us all." Yes he was worried.
"That's Vlad, for ya. Its really funny when you do get him to curse. Done it, once. And I think we're going to get him to do it again," Danny snickered in his mumbled tone. "Though.. you think for a billionaire, he would have something better to do then try to forcibly adopt a teen with a laundry list of issues."
Everyone suppressed the chuckle at that statement, trying not to laugh. It didn't help as they could hear Bruce clear his throat over the comm.
"Is everyone alright?" Batman asked. He had been holding his breath while listening to their fight.
"Fine B. Thanks to Jaybird and Danny." Dick stated.
"Those ecto-blasts are rough, though." Tim rubbed his wrist. Cass trying to rub the spot on her back too. Jason rubbing his own shoulder in agreement.
"You get use to it..." Danny muttered. "Luckily Plasmius's blasts are weakening. He never was much of a fighter."
Everyone felt a chill, as that sunk in. They were taking the brunt of his weaker blasts. Talk about a shot to their egos. How strong was Danny at his full strength then?
Ding. They heard the elevator chime in the hall, hurrying to move towards it as the door opened. Revealing Danny leaning against the wall with a light trail of slime from where he originally sat to where he stood now.
"What floor-hey."
"Sit." Jason told Danny, as he lightly pushed on the boy's shoulder to make him sit back down.
Danny huffed, letting himself slid to the floor.
Tim grimaced getting to see how Danny was doing in person. Cass moved to crouch near Danny, tempted to touch the oozing teen. Dick pressed his lips, glancing at Jason, who was already pressing the button for the 7th floor. Jason not returning Dick's look.
"I'm guessing Damian and Jazz are on 7?" Jason asked turning to the others.
Dick nodded, as Damian confirmed it over the com.
"We found where the Fenton parents are located. They're in pods, from where we can see."
"Plasmius will strike there next. We can't let him get the upper hand again." Dick stated.
"Yeah, because I'm all out of free rides." Danny muttered.
"How do we keep from being thrown through floors?" Tim asked.
"Don't suck?" Jason answered, as Tim frowned.
"We'll have to cover each other's backs, or feet in this regard." said Dick as he crossed his arms, leaning against one of the walls.
"Or get my parents out first..." Danny sighed, "Vlad.. kind of falls apart.. when his plans and back up plans start to crumble.. Plus.. he's running out of steam.. or should be."
"So that was a final attack type of strategy." Tim put a finger to his chin in thought. So that means the chances of him doing it again, was low. If he did, he could only do it once.
As the just reached floor six, they felt the elevator jerk to a stop as the lights flickered off.
"FUCK!"
–(0u0)
Jazz and Damian peaked through the window of the door, watching the three vultures casually flying around the room. Jazz could clearly see her parents shapes in pods behind them.
"They're stuck. Again." Damian's eye twitched in annoyance.
Jasmine nodded, as she stared at the room. She took a deep breath, "Ok, Do you think you can sneak in over to that table? In the large cage under it, it looks to be the weapons our parents had on hand."
Damian only needed to take a glance, "Easy."
He slipped through the doors, not waiting for Jazz's reaction, keeping his eyes trained on the vultures as he slipped into the shadows. He paused in his movements to keep track of the vultures, every time he needed to slip behind another piece of furniture.
Jazz watching with baited breath, glancing back and fourth from the room to the device in her hands. She was trying to keep a look out for Plasmius. If he showed up, it would be a problem.
Damian made it to the table, relatively easy as two out of the three vultures had fallen asleep, the third one on its way. Its head kept drooping, as it flew to sit on a piece of furniture by the others. Damian snorted at how terrible they were at their jobs.
He glanced down at the lock on the cage, it was a pin pad. Damian frowned as he tried to hack into it.
Jazz drummed her fingers on the Fenton Finder. Her parents were right there, but she couldn't run to them. That would put Robin in harms way. She didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. So she just had to wait a little bit long-
Damian cursed as the pinpad denied access with a loud distorted beep, causing the Vultures to startle awake.
"AH! What-"
"Hey, what that kid doing there?"
"That's the one that stabbed me!"
"Like a swish kabob?"
"Very one."
"And I'll do it again." Damian threatened as he pulled out the roasting stick pointing it at the birds.
The vultures flew up, ready to attack. "We're not going to be so easy this time."
"You'll see the full extent of our power-"
"Wait!" Jazz rushed in, door swishing behind her. "Can we.. talk this out?"
"...eh?" The vultures paused and so did Damian to give Jazz a questionable look.
"Y-yeah! I mean, you three have been working with Vlad for like two years, right? A-and after all the work you've done, have you ever felt.. rewarded for your time?" Jazz's face carried a nervous smile, as she side glanced at Damian. Hoping that give him the signal not to attack.
Damian was just too dumbstruck to act. Even more as it worked.
"He did threatened to turn us to goo."
"That carrion was good."
"Not enough for a balding tail! I will never be popular with the ladies at the bird sanctuary."
"You never would have even if you had tail like a peacock!"
"I could dream!"
"Y-yes! Right, what about your dreams? What are your aspirations?" Jazz pulling a chair, sitting in her therapist pose. "And how is this path in life preventing you from it?"
The Vultures all took a moment to look at each other, before landing. They started talking, all at once. Jazz just nodding as she listened, taking a moment to glance at Damian. She shifted a nod towards her parents, before focusing back on the vultures.
Damian lowered his roasting stick in confusion. He was now convinced that Jazz must have some meta abilities of her own. There was no way that should have worked.
Snapping out of his shock, he broke the pinpad lock as being quiet no longer was necessary. Then he turned his focus on the Fenton Parents. It shouldn't be too hard to free them. Though many machines and wires were hooked to the pods, making it a bit difficult to get to.. or find how to open them.
–ouo
Jason and Dick managed to open the door to the elevator, allowing them all to slip out. They let Cass and Tim out first, then Dick climbed out so he could help catch Danny.
There wasn't any obvious sign of Plasmius, meaning the power to the elevator was probably cut. Actually looking at some of the blinking lights, half being turned off, it made it even more true.
"He.. probably had a hissy fit." Danny explained, as he was supported by Tim.
Tim was trying not to get grossed out by the slime coming off of the teen. Or think about it soaking through his suit.
"Great, on foot we go." Jason sighed, scratching at his skin.
"Probably safer that way, we might find another source of water down here too." Dick chimed, patting Jason's back as he lead the way forward.
"He might be guarding the stairway. That's what I would do, if I wanted easy shots." Tim shifting Danny, so he can walk.
"Should we go ahead, then?" Cass asked.
"You three almost got obliterated and you're wanting to face him head on?" Jason inquired.
"I didn't say I wanted to-" Tim muttered.
"Its probably the best idea we have," Dick stretching his arms as they walked, "Jazz and Damian are dealing with the vultures."
"She's giving them a therapy session." Tim pointed out.
"Jazz's specialty." Danny smirked, though he was growing more and more silent. He was getting really sleepy again.
"Vultures are insufferable... and though I do not need assistance." Damian was definitely not frustrated with the machines that bound the Fentons to their pods. "...I have a better chance of not falling for Plasmius cheap tactics unlike Drake."
"Brat. You wouldn't last a hit."
"Perhaps not, but that assumes I would allow myself to be hit. Unlike you, I am much better at dodging."
"Robin, stay there until we reach stairway, then you and Red Robin can switch out." Dick was trying to reign them in a bit.
"Sword." Danny shifted, trying to gesture it.
"Right, can give it to Robin when we switch."
"Here, I'll take Danny, you take the sword." Jason picking up Danny, as Tim took the sword off his back.
"Can walk.." Danny fussed.
"Faster if you don't." Jason huffed, then shifted to take off the bazooka handing it to Cass.
Danny sticking his tongue out at Jason. Jason ignored it as he looked at the others, "Don't lose it."
"We'll be better prepared." Dick stated, as he motioned Cass and Tim to follow, going up ahead.
Jason frowned watching them leave, he hated not being there by them after the stunt Plasmius pulled. But he was starting to stumble a little himself from his head, and Danny was close to passing out.
Hopefully, this floor had access to water, somewhere. If not, he was tempted to bust a hole and flood the place. Though that would not be ideal for any of them.. it was still an option. It just put them on a stronger time constraint.
"...Stars are prettier.. when they're in the sky."
Flooding was starting to sound more like a good idea.
