Robin was so angry. So full of rage he thought he'd just deck the guy right there. But he knew he was angrier with himself. How could he have possibly left his teammate and friend in the hands of the enemy? How could he have done that to her, even when he knew that something like that might have happened? This was going to involve quite a long chat with Bruce afterwards. Johnson cleared his throat.
"You see, I've been an Agent of the D.E.O for quite some time and I've…ob-observed several of these…these tests with the 'NW5' serum. I…I know how to use it…and the cure."
"Why should we trust you?" Robin snapped viciously. His eyes burned angrily through the opaque lenses. He felt the anger flare through his wearied veins. Agent Johnson adverted his brown eyes turning them to the ground.
"Well frankly…you don't have much of a choice." Johnson said. Robin's rage flared a little. I cannot trust this man again. Not after what he did to WonderGirl… what I let him do. The guilt settled thick on Robin as he recalled how he'd trusted his teammate's safety in the hands of the enemy. How stupid could I be? But now's not the time to kick myself.
"What do you mean? What about all the other scientists here? They could tell us just as easily as you could." Arrowette pointed out.
"What makes you think they're…they're anymore trustworthy…than me?" Agent Johnson managed to get out. He was right of course. "Anyway I…I want to help you." The team looked shocked.
"Is the word 'cliché' ringing in anybody else's ears?" Kon whispered to Bart.
"I can…just do this and you…you'll never have to see me again. I…I'll be…be better." Agent Johnson muttered. The man's weak will showing through. But there was determination in his eyes, almost a trust that could be felt.
Robin was skeptical but a low moan from Cassie tugged at Robin's heart. Secret looked towards Robin with a hand on WonderGirl's hand. She pleaded to him with her eyes.
"Robin," Secret began slowly, "this thing has been going on for a long time. There are too many people infected and too many people hurt. I hate the D.E.O as much as any of the subjects here, but look around you. Their building is destroyed, their leader has fallen, their friends and co-workers are falling to a sickness they know they soon will contract. They're tired and weak and fearing death." She looked deeply into Robin's eyes, "I know that they won't stop us. I feel it in my heart. Please Robin, this whole thing is a big mess. They want this whole thing to be over, just as much as we do. Please…please let's just let it end." Secret ended her speech sadly floating eye-level with the Boy Wonder. His eyes were cast down, though no one could see it through the mask.
"Agent Johnson." Robin stated sharply, making everyone jump, "start helping these people now." Secret smiled gratefully.
"OOOOOWWWWWW!"
"Oh quit being such a big baby." Arrowette giggled. Superboy held his joint crossly.
"It hurts okay!" He whined nursing a more minor of wounds he'd gotten that day.
"Well, you're the one that insisted on getting the injection instead of the Marina treatment." Arrowette nodded toward Marina. She was the first to be injected with the antidote. It seemed only logical that since NW5 was contracted via touch and through high contents of water, that the antidote would be the same. So, instead of the tedious process of injecting every individual soldier, subject, and superhero, Marina would simply pass through each body leaving part of her, and the cure behind. Marina insisted that she'd be fine and that her body naturally regenerated. Superboy grumbled some more.
"I just don't want her to have to expend any more energy than necessary. The poor kid's practically dead on her feet after curing all the infected." He mumbled. Cissie was stunned at the Kid's sudden compassion and undertaking of the situation.
"That's so sweet!" Arrowette gave him a warm hug. He smiled back.
"Well, when you're the coolest kid around it's hard not to be perfect."
"You just lost your sweetness, Kon." She rolled her eyes a bit playfully. Suddenly, Bart zwipped over blowing past the people.
"That's just about everyone!" He cried. It was relieving to see the previously ailed Impulse up and about again. As once stated, there is nothing sadder than a depressed Impulse. "Where's Rob? I'm ready to vamoose."
"Dunno," Superboy commented, "last saw him talking to that chick from the cave-in." Superboy jerked a thumb toward where Robin was standing. He seemed rather uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot. Impulse began to take off toward Robin when SB grabbed onto his shoulder.
"Hey! Whud ya do that for?!" Impulse cried, indignant.
"Let the kids have some time alone." Superboy gave a quick wink with a smile. Bart paused.
"Whud ya do that for?!" He cried again. SB slapped his forehead and Arrowette just giggled again at Impulse's childish nature. Finally the whole thing was ending. The terrible pain of watching her friends die in front of her and of knowing that she'd be the only one alive. She shuddered imagining it and then silently thanked God for helping them all be strong. Robin approached with an odd expression on his face.
"Hey Robin, we ready to jet?" SB asked.
"Uh…yeah." Robin answered still feeling a little sick, although he was cured, and extremely extremely tired. He rubbed his eyes for a second and was taken a bit aback by Kon next question.
"So…Rob, what did that girl want?"
"Actually…" Robin said looking back toward her, "my phone number…" The small troupe of superheroes guffawed at the thought. Robin gave a light chuckle letting his guise slip so his team would feel more relived. The gang had needed a stress reliever after all of what had happened that night. He put on a serious face "Where's Cass, Sec, Red Tornado, and Marina?" He questioned.
"Marina's finishing up with the last of the infected," Arrowette pointed in the direction of the aforementioned individual, "Cassie, Secret, and Reddy are just finishing up with the subjects."
Although Young Justice had broken subjects out of the D.E.O before, this time had to be different. Many had gotten hurt in the deconstruction of the certain sector in the D.E.O, and Young Justice couldn't have possibly taken care of all the harmed subjects. This time, they would have to leave the creatures in the hands of the D.E.O, even in the hands of the insane Lutwidge. Robin winced at the thought as he watched his two teammates assist the last of the injured subjects. His eyes suddenly gazed on another of his "teammates".
Teammates… Robin questioned to himself gazing upon Marina. She was watching Secret help a rather fuzzy young man into the hands of some agents. Marina had hate, but hopelessness in her turquoise eyes staring at the guard. Should we accept her as a new teammate? Robin had had little experience with her considering everything going on at the time. Marina seemed sweet, and nice with good intentions as well as an interesting and unusual ability. But, from what he had gathered, she was self-centered, impulsive, and often uninformed about the world around her. Robin smirked; she would fit right in.
Secret smiled at Cassie trying to keep her mind off of the subject she just turned over to a place she hated so much. Cassie gave a trying smile back as Red Tornado handed the subject over himself. The day, well more like the night, had been much too rough on WonderGirl. Being out like a light for the longest time REALLY didn't help either. The last thing she remembered was Cissie's worried face before she went down.
"That's the last of them." WonderGirl sighed, happy to be finally finished with this endless night. She felt as if she were trapped in some horrible never-ending story with way too many chapters. She shook her head from the thought. "Let's go home."
"Well said, WonderGirl." Red Tornado commented, equally as fatigued as all the others although he was merely an android and probably shouldn't have been able to feel weariness. It felt great.
The three headed back toward the small assembling group. While Marina finished up with the last of the people.
"Whew." Marina sighed wiping something that might possibly be considered sweat off her brow. "I believe that is the last of them." She called over toward the group. The young creature she had finished helping out leapt for joy as its strength returned. It gave Marina a giant hug in its monstrously large arms. Marina found herself squished up against the creature's chest. "Ack! Yeah…you're…welcome…Jaime…" She commented to the monster she'd known so well in her own incarceration. Jaime finished the hug and gave a large toothy grin.
"Come on guys," Robin called assembling his team, "we better get going." Robin's thoughts traveled back to his friend in the hospital and the shoot out that started it. "Hold on…" He whispered to his friend who could never hear those words.
"I'm finished." Marina gave an exasperated sigh. This whole curing process took a lot out of her (pun intended). Robin snapped out of his thoughts and gave a smile toward her. Through this tough time she had seemingly proven herself.
"Marina," Robin caught her attention, "do you have any idea where you're going after this?"
"You've just saved the D.E.O, what do you plan to do next?" Superboy questioned, quoting the ever-so-famous commercial. Marina stared blankly.
"She didn't save the D.E.O. She helped destroy it!" Impulse commented.
"Let it go, Impulse, let it go." Red Tornado stated slowly.
"Well, I was actually planning on joining a team…" She started slowly when she felt an almost crushing embrace from Impulse.
"WELCOME ABOARD MATEY!" He shouted, "Now a few things you gotta know is that we usually like to have clothes on our members so you'll have to work on that, the library is for geeks only Rob hangs out there, don't get TOO close to Superboy after he's had burritos…"
"No, no!" Marina cried slipping out from Bart's grip, "I meant them." She pointed towards a small diverse group of subjects standing away from the D.E.O. "We decided to leave the D.E.O and form our own group. To save the others who are being tortured and to…honor my brother's memory." She commented sadly looking toward them.
"Oh…" Bart utter a little depressed. Secret too looked a little disappointed.
"If you're sure, Marina." Robin said with a little bit of a cross look toward Impulse.
"I'm sure. I really liked hanging out with you guys. You were all so nice and I'll never forget you. You gave me a name, and a purpose. Thank you all so much. Maybe we'll meet again." She gave a weak grin and waved a watery hand as a goodbye and went off with the other escapees, into the concealing fog. Young Justice watched their newest friend become one with the gray blanket of mist surrounding everything. They would remember her too. A twinge of sadness stung their hearts as she disappeared.
"Whadda ya mean 'after he eats burritos'?" Superboy broke the silence yelling at Bart.
"Well you know what I mean. WHEW!" Impulse looked off the side comically.
"WHY YOU!" SB cried trying (in utter vain) to chase down the speedster. Robin just shook his head. There was no one who could wreck a moment like those two.
"Come on you guys…let's all go home."
