Like her whole world had just crashed down, the D.E.O walls tumbled to the ground. The fog swirling around her, mixing with her. Her eyes widened as she looked at the mass of concrete and metal. Twisted pieces curling up dimly in the mist. And under all that. Under the metal, under the concrete. Was Robin.


She sank to the ground for a minute, devastated. Her eyes still wide. Did this even happen? Did she…kill him? She closed her eyes. She thought she felt tears but…she couldn't be sure. Her tears weren't even really tears. Just an illusion. Secret shook out of it. No! He can't be dead! She thought getting up. She flew over to the rubble. Secret felt weak. She was pretty sure she looked like she was. She used what was left of her strength and began pulling the wreckage off. Struggling beneath the weight.


The people stood around staring at the once great D.E.O holding room. Completely destroyed. And in the midst of the wreckage, the smoke girl, the cause of their problems, lifting up the boulders. Dumbfounded, they watched her removing the hulking remains. It dawned on the subjects that they were free. That finally they were…were free. Arrowette shook out of the mesmerizing trance the destruction had left her in. She ran to Secret's side lifting the heavy boulders off. Searching for Robin.


Marina felt sore all over from holding the ceiling up. She hadn't been used to using her powers to such an extent for such a long time. Her whole body ached and she just wanted to sleep. She just wanted to curl up in the grass and rest. But, something in Marina's mind troubled her. She'd seen something right before everything crashed down. She thought she saw…she saw someone underneath all those flying rocks. It couldn't have been that. Robin had said everyone was out. But she thought she heard him say something else. Something right before she let go. She looked up slowly, her neck was even hurting. She saw two girls in the distance, in the fog busily removing the rocks. Now, why are they doing th- it hit her like a ton of bricks. That glimpse of something under the rocks. Someone must've been trapped under there! Her heart sunk. It was all her fault. She raced to the wreckage. Her whole body ached and it was hard for her to keep herself together. Literally. But she worked anyway. Washing away the damage. Hoping to find the person she'd crushed underneath.


Red Tornado rushed down lifting up the wreckage too. Then, one by one, everyone started joining in. Guards and subjects came together in an uneasy truce. They all began to lift the rubble off searching for the people crushed underneath. Secret hardly realized they were there. Her efforts and attention were fixed on getting Robin out of there.


* * * *


The rocks surrounded them like a coffin. Closing in on them from all sides. There was very little air. And the tight area began to feel hot and suffocating. It was dark. The only light was a slight aura surrounding the girl. It glowed a dim yellow. A large rock was sealing them in from the top. Pressing down on Robin's back.


Robin grit his teeth. The rock must've weighed at least 20 pounds more than him. Not that bad. But there were other rocks on top of that. Robin could feel himself struggling to keep the weight up. The girl he'd tried to save was under him. When all the rocks fell from the ceiling, Robin had to think quick. He couldn't get out of there in time if he tried. Not that he didn't try. He carried the girl and ran toward the exit. But, a huge piece of the ceiling's shadow covered over them. He skidded out of the way. Robin's feet hit another boulder that had previously fallen. He tried to get up and get out but more rocks fell down towards them. He quickly covered her making sure that the falling debris would hit him. The rocks piled on one another. At first everything was all right. It just trapped them inside. But, because of all the weight of the rescuers on top of it, the rocks shifted and, in order to protect the girl, Robin moved into a boulder's path. Now they were both trapped underneath the smashed ruin's hulking weight. Robin, trying hard not to let the weight crush them both.


I don't know if I can hold this for too long. He thought to himself. Robin began to calculate the weight of the boulders on top of him and his own strength. If only he could hold it up long enough for a rescue crew to get there in time. If they couldn't save him…at least they could save her. He began to wonder how much air they had in left in there. If the weight didn't crush them both, they would suffocate. How long did they have left?


"¿Estas de acquerdo?" A small voice came from beneath him. He didn't want her to talk, it would use up whatever air they had left. Wait a second…she's speaking Spanish. He tried to remember how to say "be quiet." in Spanish, but his mind was fuzzy cause of the pain he was feeling. The boulder was sinking down hard on top of him.


"There's not much air. Be quiet." He whispered hoping she'd understand. She obviously knew a little English considering she had called for him in English.


"¿Que?" She asked in the shadows. He heard her begin to panic. "¡No quiero muerte! ¡No quiero muerte!" She cried out trying to push against the walls. The bright yellow light intensified as she struggled. The exertion made it difficult for Robin to concentrate.


"Shhhhhh." He hissed out straining under the weight. "No…no muerte." He whispered simply. The girl calmed down a bit. She relaxed and her light aura turned blue. Tranquility.


* (* Translated from Spanish) She thought staring into his mask. His pain was written all over his face. Sweat dripped off of him. And she realized that he must've been holding up the rock above them. To keep from…crushing her. She crossed her self and begin to pray silently.


This isn't making me feel any better. Robin thought watching her whisper to her praying hands. His head throbbed and his back ached. Well, at least it took away from the pain in his foot. The girl was glowing a slight yellow again. Her aura was like a mood ring He thought. Blue is tranquil, yellow is fear, and red means anger…he began to drift of on the thought. The pain numbing in him. Robin's vision began to get fuzzy. I wonder what purple means… That thought was puzzling as he drifted off. It would be so easy to just…give up…and green…


She thought as he wavered. She had been able to sense aura since she was twelve. Everyone had one so she always knew what they were feeling. Everyone had one…except her Grandmother right before she died. Grandma had no aura…and then she was gone. Her eyes opened wide as she saw Robin's aura fade. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "Stop!" She knew that word from her days at the D.E.O. They said it often enough to her. "*¡Vamos a vivir!" (* "We're going to live!")


That was quite a wake up call, but it wouldn't last long enough. The slap still stung Robin's cheek but he could feel the boulder slowly crushing down. Becoming heavier at every passing second. The girl looked up at him shivering. Robin's arm stung and he knew he had pulled a muscle. He felt his back beginning to give out.


"Lo…lo ciento" He whispered softly. She looked surprised. She suddenly glowed white and she shed a tear. She closed her eyes knowing it was over. She looked up at him letting the tears fall off her cheeks.


"Thank you." She glowed a light pink. What is pink? Robin thought. She reached up behind his head, pulled him in, and kissed him. His eyes widened under the mask but then he closed them tight and kissed her back. I'm so sorry…


Suddenly the weight was lifted off his shoulders and he heard:


"Robin! You slut!" His eyes popped open and looked behind him. D.E.O agents and subjects peered over the side into the hole where wreckage had once been, hoping to find the people crushed underneath. Well…they found them.


Everybody burst out laughing like it was the funniest joke they ever heard in their lives. A roar of laughter spread over everyone infectiously. Laughing more out of relief. Robin felt his cheeks burn as he got off the girl. This made everyone laugh even harder. Especially seeing the big red hand-print on the side of his face. I am really sorry. At that point he just wanted to disappear, and then she did. The girl had not only an aura seeing power, but invisibility also. Robin looked at where she'd once been.


"Take me with you." He muttered truly embarrassed. The laughter lightened the tension filled fog and everyone was relived. Not only that the two were all right, but that everything was finally okay. Everything was finally better. That's what they were hoping for anyway.


A shot rang out cutting the laughter off. Stopping it with its noise. A few gasps were heard and all turned their eyes to see who had fired the shot. Lutwidge stood behind them a smoking gun in his hand, WonderGirl, and a cruel smile on his face.


"Now that I have your attention…"