Okay, for all you "Derailment" fans - Did you know that I wrote several chapters for this story in which Kaldur was the fourth member of the team rather than Roy. The idea of Roy came later. And while this is cute and kind of funny with Kaldur teamed up as Artemis' significant other, it just couldn't compare with the sharp and witty dialogue that came from Artie and Roy's bickering. One made me smile and chuckle while the new version made me laugh out loud.

This is the full first chapter with Kaldur in place of Roy. This, the original version, is pretty similar to the one in the actual story, so, if you like, read this and then compare the two.

Derailment - "By Rail" version 1

No Warnings . . . Rating "K+"


The couple stumbled onto the train, grinning and laughing; holding hands. A few heads turned and smiled in their direction. They were a handsome couple, after all. She, a pretty brunette with a brilliant smile, and he, a young black man. She is tugging on his hand and teasing him. He is following along gamely, if a bit more reserved. People resumed settling into their seats as the two disappear from the one car into the next; amusement fading as their thoughts returned to their own lives and the trip through the Rocky Mountains into British Columbia in which they were about to embark.

The couple moved through train car after train car until they reach one that has private cabins. The young woman leaned against the wall and glanced around as her boyfriend quickly unlocked the door, but no one is around. Either they had all already entered their cabins, or were settling into seats near the front of the train, or perhaps into one of the two dining cars that brought up the rear.

"We made it without anyone being the wiser," the young man said, waving his companion into the private room ahead of him.

She tugged off the wig and released her blonde hair as soon as she entered. "I didn't recognize anyone, did you?"

"No," he closed and locked the door behind them. "But it can be safely concluded that no one recognized us either."

"And that would be a good thing," she said as she looked out the window. A sudden jerk announced that the journey had begun as the train slowly pulled out of the station.

"Indeed." He set down the duffel bag that he had carried on. It was long and bulky, but then again, it carried both of their belongings.

She turned and moved toward one of the two doors that their cabin boasted. One led to the tiny bathroom, the other opened to reveal a second with no handle that led into an adjoining cabin. She raised her hand to knock when the door to the other cabin swung open.

"It's about time you two showed up," Robin complained. His ever-present smirk assuring the couple that he was only joking.

Conner appeared behind him. "Did you run into any trouble getting here?"

"No," Artemis shook her head opening the door up all the way so that their teammates could enter.

There was barely enough room for two of them, let alone four; especially when the fourth was as large as Conner was. Superboy tended to take up a lot of room. Robin decided to forego the chairs and sat on the tiny table instead. He could swing his feet that way. Conner sat in one of the chairs as Artemis moved to sit on the small couch that hid the bottom bunk with Kaldur.

"Nice color," Robin commented to his teammate.

Kaldur ran a hand over his black hair. "It is a rinse," he explained. "Artemis felt my own hair color was too distinctive if we happened to run into people we have dealt with before."

She picked up her own wig. "I'm incognito, as well. It only seemed fair after making Kaldur change his."

"We still recognized you," Conner pointed out, "but it did take us a moment first."

"At least you got on the correct train," Robin grinned. "I wasn't sure you two noticed which one you were getting on, what with the way you were ogling one another out there."

Artemis threw a decorative pillow at his head. Robin ducked, but needn't have bothered as Conner snatched the fluffy bundle out of the air. Kaldur blushed hard enough that the pink showed plainly on his face.

"It was an act, Boy Blunder," Artemis snapped defensively, but she was blushing as well.

"We were supposed to resemble a couple in love," Kaldur reminded him, "according to the mission plan that Batman gave us."

"Well, you were almost convincing," Robin teased. He looked pointedly at Kaldur. "You need to loosen up. Artie was doing all the acting. You looked like you had swallowed something bitter."

Kaldur frowned. "I was smiling and laughing with Artemis. I held her hand. What more was I supposed to do in the way of convincing the general public and our marks that we were a couple in love."

Robin slapped his forehead, groaning. "Seriously? Even KF could have been more romantic, bro!"

Kaldur straightened up, offended. "I would have you know . . ."

Artemis laughed and put her hand on his shoulder. "Robin's teasing you, Kaldur. You did fine."

Robin leaned forward and said in a stage whisper, "I could give you advice, if you wanted."

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "And what would a thirteen year old know about being romantic?"

"I've had the best of examples to learn from," he said confidently.

Conner glanced at him, confused. "Batman?"

Robin hesitated and then laughed. "No, not Batman," he told them. "My . . . Uh, my dad is a bit of a . . ." he faltered again.

"A playboy?" Artemis supplied. "Seriously? Who's your dad anyway? Bruce Wayne?"

Robin blanched. "No! He's nobody, really. But he's good with the ladies."

Artemis looked at him funny. "What's your mom think about that?"

Robin's smirk fell away. "She . . . She's gone."

"She's dead?" Conner asked bluntly.

Robin turned his head and watch as the Canadian town finally disappeared and farmland now swept by the window. "Just . . . She's just gone." He couldn't say more than that without giving away more than was safe to reveal.

"My dad left," Artemis volunteered in a whisper. She leaned forward to lay a hand over the younger boy's briefly. "It's just my mom and me now."

Robin glanced at her gratefully. He would take that excuse. He almost blew it. Time to change the subject. "We should go back over our mission. You know, make sure we have everything down the way Batman laid it out."

Kaldur agreed. "Excellent idea."

"We are to intercept an agent for the Light, and relieve him of whatever merchandise he is supposed to be transporting and return to Happy Harbor," Conner stated succinctly.

"Except that we don't know who the agent is or how many of them will be required for the transport," Artemis added.

"Or what the merchandise is exactly," Robin put in. "Have you guys come up with any ideas for that?"

Kaldur spoke, "It would need to be something relatively small as this is a passenger train."

"It could be a person," Conner said. Everyone looked at him in silence. Uncomfortable, he spoke, glaring at each of them defensively. "What? It's a viable option!"

Robin chimed in quickly. "No, you're right! It's a really good suggestion! I don't think any of us considered that the merchandise could be a person, but it makes sense. Why else would they choose a civilian passenger train?"

"I concur," Kaldur leaned forward; resting his elbows on his knees. "Why not choose a freight train if the merchandise is bulky unless one was concerned with its comfort?"

"Why wouldn't they just fly it, then? Why go to the trouble of taking a five-day train trip and leave the merchandise exposed when they could have just hopped a plane and been there in two or three hours," Artemis argued.

"Because security is much tighter at airports," Robin told her, "even in Canada. But security for trains is lighter; much easier to smuggle something or someone who might be recognized."

"Again," Artemis shrugged. "There are roads, too. If you can afford a few days, why not just take a car or a truck? Why a train?"

"Driving a car through a pass in the Canadian Rockies during winter? These guys are bad, but I don't think they're crazy!" Robin countered.

"Actually, those areas are already being investigated by Kid Flash and Miss Martian," Kaldur announced. "They are checking out the airports nearby and flying to our destination city. If they cannot locate the Light's agents, they will search the highways via the bioship."

"But it takes four of us to check out a train," Artemis muttered.

"According to the intel that Batman received, the train is the most likely scenario. Batman wanted to make sure our bases were covered in the event that more than one agent is involved in the transfer," Kaldur told her.

Artemis eyed Conner and Robin curiously. "So, what's your cover stories? Did Batman send you in together?"

"Supey and I are supposed to be brothers," Robin grinned, pointing his thumb at Conner.

She tilts her head. "Other than the hair color; you guys don't look that much alike."

Conner shrugged. "More so than any other two team members."

"M'gann could have made herself to look like someone's sister," Artie commented.

"Maybe," Robin said, "but she's busy checking out airports and piloting the bioship."

Kaldur smiled. "The brother story should easily pass muster."

"It'll work. I've been teaching Conner how to act more like a big brother," Robin assured them.

"Really?" Artemis looked skeptical.

She doubted that Conner's acting skills were any better than Kaldur's, which were pretty dismal, she had to admit. Robin had been right about that.

Conner suddenly reached up to ruffle Robin's hair. He then pulled the smaller boy off of the table; putting his arm around the smaller boy's neck and giving him a noogie on the top of his head.

"Cut it out, you jerk," Robin yelped; pushing his way out of the hold. "I'm telling Mom!"

"Mom not here to save you, shrimp," Conner replied smugly.

Artemis laughed at their antics; impressed. "Not bad!"

Kaldur glanced out the window. "We are well on our way. I suggest we make out way to one of the dining cars and begin searching for the Light agents."

"Are we going to know each other," Conner asked.

Kaldur shook his head. "No, that might garner too much attention. We've disrupted enough of the Light's business that they could be suspicious of too large a gathering of teenagers, even if we travel in disguise."

"There are two dining cars on the train," Robin said. "Which one will you go to?"

"Artemis and I have already been through the front cars," Kaldur said. "We'll head to the rear dining car and see what we can find."

Robin hopped to his feet, punching Conner in the arm playfully. "Ow," he yelped; shaking his hand out. "Come on, Conner. We'll head to the dining car near the front."

Conner smirked. "Did you hurt your hand?"

"I'm telling Mom," Robin threatened yet again.

"Hey! You punch me, remember?" Conner shoved Robin back into their cabin gently, but the smaller boy still went through the doorway, stumbling. Conner turned back to wave at his teammates. "We can meet back here after din- . . ."

A pillow flew through the doorway to slap him in the side of his face. He turned and growled as Robin's distinctive cackle was heard.

"You're not going to be laughing when I feed you this pillow, squirt," he hollered, moving into the cabin and closing the door.

Artemis laughed. "I think Conner's getting the hang of this," she told Kaldur, smiling.

"Apparently so," he said dryly, but he, too, was impressed by the clone's ability to adopt a character. "I begin to wonder if I should not have taken Robin up on his acting suggestions."

She finished tucking the last of the blonde strands out of sight, and fingered the wig's brown locks into place. "How do I look?"

Kaldur eyed her critically. "At first glance, I wouldn't have recognized you. I think you have achieved your purpose."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You do need help," she teased. "You were supposed to tell me that I look beautiful."

Kaldur blushed. "Oh. Well, you are, of course, a very attractive female."

Artemis shook her head, sadly. "I think there are some videos that we can check out. We can grab a romance to watch when we get back. Maybe you can pick up some pointers from it," she suggested, then added with a grin. "Or you can always ask Robin for some advice."

"Surface mating rituals are confusing," he admitted with a sigh. "I'll let you pick out a video after dinner. Can we not mention this to Robin and Conner?"

"Sure," she laughed. "That sounds like a plan. Okay, Kal, I'm ready. Let's go!"

"After you," Kaldur smiled charmingly as he opened the door for her.

Artemis sauntered into the corridor; winking as she walked by him. "That's better," she told him. "There may be hope for you yet."


REACTIONS? I ask because I really want to know how this compares in your view. I think I made the right choice in replacing Kaldur (sorry, Kal) with Roy.