Wally West
S.T.A.R. Labs
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
"I believe you. It wasn't personal. And in return… neither is this."
That was the only warning Wally got before Deathstroke fired.
"No!" he screamed as the gunshot cracked through the room. The sound reached him first as he sped towards his friend. The bullet reached him only a picosecond after he realized where Deathstroke was aiming.
The bullet slammed through his ankle, ripping through his uniform and shattering bones and tearing muscle and spraying blood as it burst out the other side. Wally screamed as his leg gave out and the pain exploded through him in waves of agony. It was pain like he'd never felt in his life. He didn't even know if his foot was still attached to his leg.
Deathstroke moved towards him and Wally desperately tried to pull himself away, but the mercenary put a firm boot on his good leg. A new wave of pain ripped another scream from Wally's throat.
"Ah-ah-ah. With your healing factor, the bones will be healed to a clean fracture within the week. Give it a month or so of rest, you'll be back to normal. Provided, of course, you don't put any undue stress on it," Deathstroke pressed harder on Wally's good leg and through the haze of agony, he realized how royally screwed he was, "Your teammates will be here soon and I'll give them their own parting gifts, but until then I need your undivided attention. Can you do that?"
Wally gritted his teeth as hard as he could and nodded once, eyes squeezed shut in pain.
"Good boy," the boot lifted off his leg and there were footsteps as Deathstroke approached him. Wally pried his eyes open to see the black and orange mask inches away from his face like a creature straight out of his worst nightmares, "You're going to stay out of my way. Do you understand?"
"Screw you," he ground out, tears leaking down his face from the sheer fire pouring out of his bleeding leg. He braced himself for a new wave of pain, but instead, Deathstroke just laughed. The sound sunk through the layers of pain, terror and dread pooling in his stomach.
"Putting on a brave face, aren't you, Wally?" Deathstroke's voice was quiet but his face was inches from Wally's ear, making it impossible not to hear. The words hit him like a punch in the stomach. His mouth opened and closed but no sound came out, "That's what I thought. After everything Robin has given up to protect you all, it would be a shame to put that sacrifice to waste. No matter how subtle or secretive you think you're being, I promise you that I will find out. And when I do, you won't get away with such a clean injury. In fact, you won't get away at all."
Wally's breath hitched in his chest and the surging heartbeat made the gunshot wound pulse with agony. He groaned, grabbing Deathstroke's arm defensively as the mercenary pulled him up by the front of his uniform.
"Maybe we'll cross paths again. That's fair game for our line of work. But just remember; you don't have what it takes to really come after me. I prefer not to hurt children, but you'll find that I am more than capable of doing so if necessary. Do you understand?"
Wally tried to answer, but the world was getting fuzzier while the pain just kept getting worse and worse.
"I asked you a question," Deathstroke repeated coldly. There was a click and something cold pressed against his temple.
"-yes! Please, yes, I won't- I" Wally forced out desperately, the surge of terrified adrenaline giving him the strength to answer. Deathstroke dropped him suddenly and his head slammed into the floor. Stars erupted in front of his eyes. The ground spun beneath him. And the whole time, his leg burned like it was being bitten by ten-million fire ants.
"Just remember, I am always watching," Deathstroke's voice sounded a million miles away, "But for now, your teammates should be here any second. I'll leave you to them."
"Don't hurt them, please, please I won't—please…"
Deathstroke was gone, leaving behind no answer. Wally forced his eyes to focus on the spot he'd last seen the black and orange mask, but by the time he could see straight, the room was empty. Deathstroke was gone.
No. Not gone.
Hiding.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Superboy
S.T.A.R. Labs
Superboy heard the gunshot first. But everyone felt Kid Flash scream over the mindlink.
"No!" Artemis shouted, sprinting down the hall.
"Artemis, wait!" Miss Martian held a hand out.
"There's no time! Find them!" Aqualad thundered, "I'm alerting the League!"
Superboy made it to the server room on Artemis' heels, bursting through the door to see scene straight out of the Failsafe. He froze at the sight of Zatanna hovering over Kid Flash's body, frantically casting spells to stop the blood spilling out of his leg. He'd been wrong before. This wasn't anything like the Failsafe; there was so much more blood than there'd been then. Kid Flash was a pale body in a pool of crimson, the bone sticking out of his leg was stark white against the deep red. Nausea built in Superboy's stomach and he had to look away. Robin was on the ground too, slumped against the wall but he didn't look hurt. Just unconscious. There was no sign of their attacker.
"Laeh mih‼‼‼‼‼‼ Pots eht gnideelb! Come on, work faster please! Pots eht gnideelb!" Zatanna chanted, all frantic desperation and terror.
"Aqualad to the Justice League. Kid Flash is hurt. The team is evacuating now but we may need assistance," Aqualad's voice didn't shake. Superboy couldn't even get a sound out.
"Acknowledged," Red Tornado answered over the com, "Backup is on the way. I recommend extreme caution."
"Where's the intruder?" Aqualad asked Artemis.
"Who cares?! Aqualad, we have to get him to a hospital NOW!"
"Artemis, you must remain calm. The League is on their way."
"It's working!" Zatanna cried.
Miss Martian knelt down next to Robin, placing two fingers on his throat.
"Robin's breathing is normal. No sign of any injuries. He's okay," she breathed. Even with his super hearing, Superboy could barely hear her.
"Trap… it's a trap… you have to… trap…" Wally muttered weakly. Superboy's head snapped up, finally breaking out of his trance as he whirled around, scanning the empty room for any signs of danger. Kid Flash's heartbeat was much slower than it should have been but he was alive. Robin's heartbeat was normal. Artemis, Miss Martian, Zatanna, Aqualad, all accounted for. Eight heartbeats.
Except there were only seven of them.
"We have to get them out of here," Over the mind-link he added, 'It's a trap. The intruder's watching us.'
'Where?' Aqualad asked.
'I don't know.'
'Be on your guard, everyone.' Out loud, Aqualad asked, "Zatanna, how is he?"
"I stopped the bleeding, but he's going into shock. He needs a doctor," Zatanna's voice trembled, held together by a sheer force of will.
"Can he be moved?"
"Carefully."
Aqualad nodded solemnly.
"Superboy, you carry Kid Flash. I will take Robin."
"I've got him," Miss Martian protested, wrapping Robin's arm around her shoulder before easily picking him up and climbing to her feet, "I can still use my telekinesis while carrying him, and you can give us better cover."
"Very well."
Being careful to support Kid Flash's injured leg without putting pressure on it, Superboy picked up his teammate. The speedster was pale to begin with but now his face was ashen and his freckles stood out against the stark white skin. His chest was rising and falling in shallow motions.
"Artemis, Zatanna, take the front. I'll cover from behind. Everyone, stay alert," Aqualad ordered, igniting his water-bearers into matching blades. Zatanna stepped in front of Superboy as Artemis notched an arrow. Before they could take a step, Superboy heard movement.
'There!'
The team followed his gaze, looking down the long corridor of servers, cables and blinking lights.
"Not a bad formation at all," a low voice emerged from the darkness and echoed off the walls, bouncing back at them until Superboy couldn't tell where it was coming from, "The most vulnerable protected on all sides, an archer for range, a shield for defense against a frontal assault. It's well-planned."
A man stepped out from a row of servers in unhurried steps. He wore a black and orange uniform and matching mask, with swords on his back and guns in at least two pairs of holsters that Superboy could see. Miss Martian gasped, fear written across her face for a second before her eyes narrowed into steel. Superboy readjusted his hold on Kid Flash to angle him away from the villain.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't cover you being outmatched."
"Deathstroke," Artemis glared, tightening her grip on her bow.
"I've heard a lot about you brats and how you keep getting in the way. I'd hoped you'd be more of a challenge but I must say, I'm not impressed. At least the bird boy put up a fight."
The team bristled.
"What do you want?!" Artemis snapped, aiming her bow at the center of the mercenary's chest. Next to her, Zatanna's hands tightened into fists.
"To get paid. I appreciate you stabilizing him, it makes my job much easier."
"We do not have time for your monologuing," Aqualad cut off whatever Artemis was about to retort. His tattoos glowed as his water-bearers reformed into a sword and shield, "I believe we will be better suited by taking you down."
'Artemis, Zatanna, with me. We will hold him off. Miss Martian, Superboy, get them out of here!' Aqualad ordered over the mind-link and he charged Deathstroke.
'This way!' Miss Martian said, shifting her grip on Robin. Superboy didn't waste a second following her, not even as the sounds of battle erupted behind them. Zatanna's shouts, arrows whistling through the air, and Aqualad's water-bearers swinging. On top of the chaos, all three of their teammates were breathing heavily and fighting as hard as they could. Trying his best not to jostle Kid Flash, Superboy followed Miss Martian. As they reached the door, it slid open on its own. For about a second, Superboy thought she had opened it with telekinesis. But on the other side were a half-dozen thugs wearing gas masks. All of them were carrying cannisters.
'Six hostiles incoming! Don't breathe the gas!' Superboy warned. Miss Martian held out a hand and a telekinetic wave blasted the row of henchmen back, giving her and Superboy enough time to run by. She turned back towards the where Deathstroke was easily fending off their three teammates and stopped. 'M'gann, come on!'
'We can't just leave them there!'
'We have to get Kid Flash to a hospital NOW! We'll come back for them.'
They didn't have a choice. Kid Flash didn't have the luxury of wasting any time.
'You're right.'
The two of them ran down the halls, heading for the exit. Kid Flash's heartbeat was still slowing, even with the healing Zatanna had done. He was going into shock. They didn't have time to go back for the rest of their teammates. Superboy picked up the pace, grimly deciding Miss Martian didn't need to know that the sounds of battle were fading behind them. There was nothing they could do now. Their teammates would be fine. They had to be.
The night air was cool and damp on Superboy's face, and the faint glimmer of the disguised bioship was the most beautiful thing he could almost see. They could give Kid Flash a transfusion, get him to a hospital, alert the League, and come back for their teammates. Everything was going to be okay.
At least, it was going to be okay until a fireball erupted in the grass less than a foot from Miss Martian. Wet grass shouldn't have been flammable, but the accelerant turned the field into an inferno. Miss Martian cried out as the flames consumed her. She staggered, fighting to stay on her feet but it was a losing battle. Robin hit the ground hard, unaware of the ring of fire surrounding them.
"M'gann‼" Superboy roared.
Barely pausing long enough to gently lay Kid Flash down on the grass, Superboy charged forwards. The seconds it took to reach her felt like an eternity. He slung Robin over his shoulder and dragged M'gann back out of the blaze. This had to be another nightmare scenario. A Failsafe. A simulation. This couldn't be real. Kid Flash had been shot, Robin was unconscious, M'gann could've died, and their other teammates had been captured already. A wall of fire stood between them and the bioship. Superboy would have been able to jump it alone, but carrying three people? One of which had been shot?
"You can make this a lot easier for both of us," Deathstroke appeared out of the darkness. The inferno illuminated his mask, making the metal glitter in the darkness like a demon from the depths of hell. Superboy risked the time to look behind him and check the distance between them, the bioship, and the still-raging fire separating them. M'gann reached up weakly.
'Help me… up, I'm… I'm okay, I can… sti…' she managed to say before passing out mid-word. Superboy laid her down gently on the grass next to Kid Flash and turned back to Deathstroke, keeping himself firmly between his friends and the mercenary.
"No chance."
"I hoped you'd say that. You know, I was told to bring you brats in alive…" Deathstroke drew his sword. The metal scraped against its holder, echoing over the sound of the crackling fire behind them, "…but they never said how many pieces."
Deathstroke charged. With a scream, Superboy ran forward to meet him. Deathstroke swung the sword out and Superboy raised his arm to block the harmless steel. But before the blade even touched him, he knew he'd made a mistake. The sword felt wrong. It felt sick. Or maybe Superboy was the one who felt sick. As the blade got closer, he was burning up and freezing at the same time, and cramps erupted through his whole body, like every cell of his being was trying to curl in on itself.
The sword was dangerous. It was hurting him. It was…
"…kryptonite."
Superboy tried to pull back, but it was too late. The blade connected with his arm, slicing through skin with a fiery pain unlike anything he had ever known. Deathstroke somehow pulled the blade back, slicing fast so the cut was long and shallow and burned like hell. Superboy shouted in pain, but it was too late to get out of the way. The next cut was across his side, catching him even as he tried to stumble back. His arm burned, then his chest, and then it was a fight for survival. Superboy struck out, blinded by the pain, trying to defend against an attacker who could exploit his biggest weakness.
Before he knew what happened, Superboy hit the ground, back flat against the grass. Deathstroke's boot landed on the center of his chest, pinning him down with the tip of the sword under his throat. Superboy's body shook from the pain and every way he moved made the burn from the sword even worse. This couldn't be happening. He had to keep fighting.
"Take them to the ship. Get the Flash brat to medical. If you cost me his bounty, I will take every single cent out on you and your men," Deathstroke ordered, "And as for you…"
The boot was replaced with a knee on his diaphragm and the tip of the sword turned away. Before he could move, the flat side of the blade was pressed firmly against his neck. Superboy screamed. The edges of his vision were fading to gray as the color leeched out of the world. He was bleeding and his heart was racing and it was impossible to breathe. He'd seen what fire could do; a burned-out shell of a building, the scorched, dead earth that had once been vibrant green, or the smell of smoke as flakes of ash drifted down from the sky.
But for the first time, with the length of Kryptonite digging into the skin under his chin, Superboy understood what it felt like to burn.
"Go to sleep."
Darkness took over.
Dick Grayson
Monday, December 3rd, 2012
I wake up to the smell of ammonia shoved right in my face. The second thing that hits me after the smell is the way my throat aches, but not like a sore throat. Like I was strangled until I passed out. The third thing I notice is the man talking to me.
"Robin, wake up."
I blink stupidly as Slade pulls the vial of smelling salts back. Why's Slade here? We were in the server room and he knocked me out, and then…
Right. Strangled.
Where am I? Where are my friends?!
I try to look around, but I can't move. My arms and legs are locked together in the restraining cuffs they usually use on metahumans, and I'm lying on the floor somewhere dark. My fingers are freezing, which isn't a fun way to figure out that my gloves, lockpicks and holocomputer are missing. The only thing keeping me from panicking is that Slade has his mask pushed up and he looks calm. If he kidnapped me as punishment for telling Wally the truth, he'd look at least a little pissed off… right?
"Where… what's going on? Where are my friends?"
"Your team lost," Slade answers smoothly, "You're in a holding cell in one of the Light's bases. Everyone in the building was hand-picked by Vandal Savage and they're all prepared to use lethal force."
"Where are my friends?! What did you do them?!"
"Listen carefully—"
"No! What's going on?!"
"You don't have time to argue with me, Robin. You'll need this," he pushes a key, a communicator and a pocket knife into my hands, "You picked these off the guard when he dumped you in here. Superboy is in here with you and the girls are in the cell across the hall. The rest of your teammates are in the next cell block. As soon as I'm gone, call the League. Get your teammates free and be ready to evacuate. Understood?"
"Slade, why… why are you doing this?"
He knocked me out and helped the Light abduct us. Why's he helping me… helping us escape? Can I trust him at all? He's calling me Robin, not Renegade. Do I still have to listen to him?
"If the Light can't bend you to their will, they'll kill you. Despite what you might think, I have no desire to see that happen to you or your friends. Hold still," Slade unlocks the restraints on my arms and legs, but puts his hand on my shoulder to stop me from getting up, "Wait until I leave."
"And if I don't?"
"Then I'll take you with me and leave your friends behind."
A shiver runs all the way down my spine. He means it. All of it. He's really helping us escape, and he really will change his mind if I don't do what he says.
"Fine."
"Good luck," Slade stands up and disappears into the darkness.
I force myself to wait for the footsteps to recede and the door to open and close again. Then I count to twenty for good measure. When I'm reasonably sure the coast is clear, I push myself off the floor. The communicator is an older model, but I know all the League's frequencies by heart.
"This is Robin, come in. We need help. I repeat, this is Robin. Confirm message! We've been captured and we need extraction. Justice League, do you copy?!"
The wait is excruciating, but I keep sending until I hear a crackle on the other end.
"Co…in. Robin, can you hear me?"
"Yes! Yes, Canary, I hear you!"
"Where are you?"
"I don't know! I got knocked out and woke up in a holding cell. Superboy's here too. They took all our gear, but I grabbed a comm off one of the guards."
"Robin!" Aqualad shouts over the comm, his usually calm voice absolutely frantic, "Are you alright?"
"Aqualad? I'm okay, but how are you there?!"
"Deathstroke distracted us while his minions filled the room with gas. When I awoke in S.T.A.R. labs, you were all gone."
"They didn't take you? Why?"
"I don't know. But I promise, I am coming for you all. We will find you."
"We're tracking your signal now. Are you hurt?" Canary asks.
"I'm okay. Superboy is still out, and I don't know about the others. I think they're here too, though."
"Do you have any idea where you are?"
Fuck. Slade said this is Savage's base, but can I trust him? And even if he was telling the truth, how can I justify knowing that?
"I'm not sure but I did recognize one of the guards. He works for Vandal Savage. I think this base belongs to him."
"That's good, Robin, that's really helpful. Tornado got your earlier message but we were too late. The signal on this call is bad but he thinks he's almost found your location, especially if we can narrow it to Savage's known bases. Keep the communicator on and we'll find you as fast as we can."
"Alright. I'm going to wake up Superboy and try to find a way out of here."
"Be careful. We're coming for you as fast as we can, I promise."
I swallow. Slade wouldn't have left me here if he didn't trust me to find my way out. Even though it's his fault we're here… that kind of counts for something. I stand up and look around the cell. There's something on the floor by the door that I can barely make out in the dim lighting. Superboy is lying on the ground behind me. He's got the same restraints that I had, plus a glowing red inhibitor collar around his neck.
"Superboy!" I push his shoulder hard and he winces. I look down and in the dim lighting, I can see that his shirt is ripped to shreds and shallow cuts cover his chest and torso. There's a nasty looking burn on his neck, a long strip of shiny red skin peeking out over the top of the collar, "What the hell? Superboy!"
He grunts in pain, and as horrible as I feel, I have to wake him up if we're going to escape.
"SB, come on! You have to get up!" I press on his shoulder, apologizing silently when another cut starts oozing blood, but he groans and slowly opens his eyes.
"Wha… Robin? What happened?" he tries to sit up and grunts in pain.
"We got captured. We have to get out of here," I hold up the pocket knife, "Hold still."
It's a little risky, but the knife is the best way to short-circuit the collar and get it off without setting off the shocks strong enough to knock out an elephant. Or a Superboy.
"Where did you get that?" Superboy asks while I dig the knife in between the collar's seam. He winces when I accidentally press the metal deeper into a cut on his chest.
"Sorry. Picked it off a guard when he threw us in here," I answer. Almost got it… "There!"
There's a quiet hiss and the collar pops open as the light turns off. I grab the key and unlock the restraints on his arms and legs. He falls, catching himself with one hand before he face-plants into the ground. I jump forward to catch him but he waves me off.
"Thanks. I'm good, don't worry."
"We have to find everyone else and get out. I called Canary, the League is on their way but they still have to find us. Aqualad is with them and he's okay."
"Are you?" Superboy asks.
"A little dizzy and my throat hurts," I admit, "What happened to you?"
"Kryptonite-laced sword."
I stare.
"What?"
"Deathstroke had a kryptonite-laced sword. Didn't realize until he'd already hit me with it. And then…" Superboy looks frustrated, "I couldn't exactly save the day."
I stare at him. The cuts on his chest have started bleeding again from the motion and even in the terrible light, he looks pale and a little sick. Does he have Kryptonite poisoning?
"Deathstroke did that to you?"
"He was going to kill M'gann, I had to get in the way."
What?!
My heart pounds.
"Is she okay?!"
"The fire scared her pretty badly but she was okay. Deathstroke wanted us alive, so she has to be okay."
Slade almost killed M'gann. He hurt Conner. He captured us and brought us straight to the Light. He hurt my friends.
And then he told me he was doing me a favor by helping me escape.
That motherfucking—
"We have to go," Superboy says urgently, knocking me out of my thoughts, "We need to find Kid Flash."
"What happened to him?!"
"He was shot. Robin, we don't have time, we have to find them."
"He was what?! Is he okay?!"
"Zatanna stabilized him before we got ambushed, and I heard Deathstroke say he wanted him alive. I'm sure he's okay for right now, but we have to find him."
"Right. You're right," I take a breath. I have to keep it together. I've been in worse situations than this and everyone's counting on me. Get traught because there's no other option, "Can you see anything?"
Superboy is quiet for a second as he switches to his thermal vision.
"Artemis, M'gann and Zatanna are across the hall. There's three guards in the way, but they sound distracted."
"Do you see Wally?"
"I'm not sure. I can only see heat signatures."
"How far can you see?"
"Not very. There's nothing that way, so either left or straight is the way out," Superboy points.
"Alright. We'll find him. But first, we have to get out of here."
I pound on the door. It stays locked. I pound again, shouting "Let us out! Let us out! We know you're there, let us out!"
SLAM!
I jump back as the guards kick the door in response and the bang is shocking even though I'm expecting it. Superboy shakes his head. I pound on the door again, trying to annoy the guards on the other side. Superboy's eyes narrow and he waves his hand for me to move out of the way.
"Shut up!" a voice yells, and one of the guards slams something metallic into the door with a crash. Superboy grins and slams his shoulder into the door, breaking it off the hinges and sending two inches of reinforced steel flying into the three guards. They don't even have time to shout.
I make a point of stepping on the door on my way out and listening to the soft groans. They'll all be fine but I don't have any problem putting them through a little pain. Superboy wastes no time marching over to the door across the hall and pulling it open. The metal warps as the lock tries to do its job but it doesn't have a chance next to super strength.
"Superboy!" M'gann exclaims. Their cell is even darker than ours was, so it's hard to make anything out.
"Robin! Where's Kid Flash?!" Artemis demands. She, M'gann and Zatanna are locked in the same cuffs Superboy and I were, and M'gann and Zatanna both have inhibitor collars. Zatanna also has some kind of muzzle over her mouth.
"We're not sure, but the League got my distress call and they're on the way. Aqualad's with them. Are you guys hurt?"
"We're okay."
"Here. I grabbed this off a guard, see if it helps," I pass Superboy the key to the cuffs and kneel down next to Zatanna, carefully forcing the knife into a seam on the muzzle and working it into the locking mechanism until it pops off.
"Bleh!" Zatanna spits, trying to clear the taste, "Assholes! I'm gonna kick their asses!"
"That's the plan," tossing the muzzle to the side, I start on the inhibitor collar. Meanwhile, Superboy unlocks Miss Martian and Artemis' cuffs, freeing their wrists and ankles.
"Robin, can you get the collars off?" Superboy asks, "Crushing them triggers the defense mechanism and I don't want to zap them."
"Yeah. Give me a second," I twist the knife and push, deactivating the lock. The red lights turn off with a click and Zatanna's collar falls off.
"I got this," Zatanna says, "Kcolnu gnihtyreve!"
A loud click follows her spell and M'gann's collar falls off, along with Zatanna's cuffs. I offer my hand to pull Zatanna to her feet and we take a second to get everyone up.
"Are you okay?" Superboy asks M'gann.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Are you? You look…"
"I'll be fine. It looks worse than it is," Superboy lies. He looks even greener than he did before and at least three of the cuts have started bleeding again.
"We need to find Kid Flash," Artemis says insistently, "And if we can find them, I want my gear back."
"Same," I agree. The pocket knife is better than nothing but I want my utility belt. I point to the trio of fallen guards in the hallway, "We don't know how long it'll be before someone comes to check on those three, so we have to move. Superboy, can you see anything?"
Superboy scans the walls but shakes his head no. Miss Martian closes her eyes and touches her hands to her forehead.
"I can sense that he's nearby, but I have no idea where. He's alive, though."
Artemis looks relieved.
"I can try to do a locator spell?" Zatanna offers.
"No. It'll be faster to start looking. If they kept all of us so close, chances are good that Kid Flash is also nearby. We'll check the next cell blocks first," I say.
"Right," Everyone nods.
"Let's go."
'Mind-link established,' Miss Martian says.
'Good. Miss Martian, go invisible see what's around the corner.'
Miss Martian nods and disappears. We wait in silence.
'Five guards outside the door. They're all armed and they've got big guns.'
'Inside the room?'
'Ten more.'
'Is Wally in there?' Artemis demands.
'I don't think so. None of them feel like him.'
'It's a break room,' Superboy adds suddenly, 'I can hear them talking. They're trying to get your utility belt open.'
'If those creeps touch our stuff…' Artemis glares.
'We each take one. Whoever you get to first is yours. On my mark…' my teammates nod and I hold up my hand, 'Go!'
We all charge around the corner. Superboy moves so quickly he looks like a blur, slamming the farthest guard into the ground. Zatanna's enchanted ropes appear from nowhere and take down the next. Artemis tackles the closest guard, wrapping her arms around him in a lock with her hand over his mouth. He fights back, trying to get some leverage, but she holds tight until he slumps over. Before the guard next to him can raise his gun, I slam my foot into his spleen hard enough to throw him off his feet. He hits the wall, doubled over in pain. A fist to the temple and he goes down. The last guard launches himself at the ceiling with a crunch and hits the ground like a brick. Miss Martian appears behind him, face set in hard lines and eyes glowing bright green. He's still breathing, so none of us say anything.
Superboy kicks the door in, crumpling the metal like paper. Miss Martian throws out her hand and all the guards inside hit the wall with a set of matching thumps.
I follow Artemis through the door and Superboy tosses me my utility belt and gloves. A quick check shows that they didn't get past the safeguards so all my stuff is still there. Batman gets a ton of points for that. I clip the belt around my waist and pull on my gloves. Artemis slings her quiver over her back and notches an arrow on her bow.
We make eye contact and share a relieved grin. It really sucks being naked.
Artemis marches over to the one guard who's still conscious, but dazed. She plants her boot on his chest to push him against the wall and aims the arrow at his face once she has his attention.
"Where's Kid Flash?!" she demands. The fury in her voice is enough to scare anyone. Besides, Savage's followers are all hoping for eternal life; none of them want to die and everyone remembers that Green Arrow crossed that line once upon a time. Who knows what his assassin-born sidekick is capable of?
"D…down the hall!"
I burst into the room, throwing birdarangs before Savage's men have time to look up. Three of them fall down, and the fourth gets taken out by Artemis' fist. Wally is lying on a bed, an IV line coming out of his arm and tubes running down his nose and throat. His leg is bandaged and casted. He still looks pale but he's okay. Together, Artemis and Miss Martian pull out the tubing and IV lines.
Slade words ring through my ears again. If the Light can't bend you to their will, they'll kill you. The Light wants us alive so they can brainwash and manipulate us. They didn't want Wally dead. They wanted to use him to hurt the League and steal secrets and that makes me angrier than anything else.
But Slade hurt my friends. He hurt Conner, shot Wally and almost killed M'gann.
And then he lied to me.
"Robin," Superboy puts a hand on my shoulder, "We're going to get out of here. You taught me that there's always a way out. He's okay and that's what matters, right?"
"You're right," I look over to see that Artemis, Miss Martian and Zatanna getting ready to lift Kid Flash out of the bed, "Wait! We need a plan. Savage is going to figure out we escaped soon if he doesn't know already. We might only get one chance. Miss Martian, can you call the bioship?"
"It's out of range," Miss Martian twists her hands together, "I don't have a way to get us out of here."
I march over to the computer terminal against the wall, nested between the heartrate monitor and the folded x-ray machine. Plugging in my holocomputer, it only takes a minute for me to pull up the building's blueprints. I frown.
"What?"
"Good news? The base is pretty small, so if we can make it upstairs, we're out."
"And the bad news?"
"There's no ships to steal, no cars or vans, nothing to hotwire and make an escape. We'll have to leave on foot."
Everyone looks at Kid Flash and frowns.
"How far is the League?"
I pull a backup comm link out of my utility belt and turn it on.
"Robin to the Justice League."
"We've locked onto your location and are coming for you," Batman answers. The knot in the pit of my stomach loosens at the words; it's not a question. The League is coming to get us out.
"ETA?"
"Superman and Flash will be there in less than five minutes."
"Flash and Superman are on the way, the rest of the League is behind them," I relay the information. Relief flashes across my teammates faces and it hits me how exhausted they are. Artemis is leaning all her weight on her left foot, fingers clenched around Kid Flash's hand. KF is still unconscious and he's going to have to be carried. Superboy looks greener by the second. The kryptonite sword took a lot out of him. Miss Martian is doing a great impression of being able to stand by herself if you pretend not to notice Zatanna supporting most of her weight. And if I stop to think about it, it really hurts to be strangled. The bruise on my neck is going to be nasty.
"Someone needs to carry Kid Flash."
"I'll do it," Superboy says.
"Are you sure?"
"Like you said, the League is coming. Least we can do is meet them at the door."
Superboy picks up Kid Flash and I try not to think about how my best friend looks half-dead. I download the blueprints onto my holocomputer and nod.
"Let's go."
We make it about halfway down the hallway before Superboy stiffens.
"They know."
About a second later, alarms start blaring. We look at each other and start running.
"Left!" I shout, pointing to the door that leads to the stairwell. Zatanna throws the door open, holding it for Superboy, "First one at the landing."
I wrench the door shut behind me and twist the handle as hard as I can. There's a screech as the metal warps and rips off. There's a clatter as the handle and lock mechanism fall out on the other side. That should stall anyone following us, at least for a few seconds.
"Robin, come on!" Miss Martian calls. I charge up the stairs and follow them into the hallway. Artemis is taking the lead, bow aimed and ready in case anyone jumps out at us.
"There's a hangar at the end of the hallway! Straight through the doors!" I read off the blueprints. We run through the doorway and into a gigantic, empty hangar. Well… it's empty as in there's no vehicles. If you count people, then it's not empty at all. In fact, it would be safe to say we ran right into an ambush.
There might be fifty armed guards, each with their machine guns trained on us. I turn, but the doors we just came through are already open and waves of Savage's men pour out. We're surrounded, badly outnumbered, and maybe just a little bit fucked. I look around desperately but I can't find a way out of this. Not with everyone half-dead and falling over from exhaustion.
Surrender is the safest option.
'What do we do?' Miss Martian asks.
'We go down fighting,' Artemis says.
'It's been fun,' Zatanna nods.
I pull a smoke pellet out of my belt, trying to come up with a plan. If we scatter, we might be able to take out a few of them and get outside. Of course, we might get shot.
"Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" the guard in the front shouts.
"Not a chance," Artemis retorts. The guards click off the safeties of their guns and the echo is loud and ominous. My grip on the smoke pellet tightens.
This is it.
'See you on the other side,' I brace myself for all hell to break loose. Instead, a red blur shoots through the room, followed by a very familiar, very very very welcome voice.
"Incoming!" Red Arrow shouts as a wall of foam explodes out of the tip of an arrow. A wave appears out of nowhere and knocks a quarter of Savage's men off their feet. It's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. Aqualad and Red Arrow are standing stide-to-side, weapons raised and furious glares on their faces. Behind them, Flash drops an armful of stolen machine guns and Superman hovers a foot off the ground.
A jet engine roars overhead and a few seconds later, Wonder Woman crashes through the ceiling. Batman drops through the hole behind her.
The Justice League is here. We're saved.
Vandal Savage
Location: Unknown
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
"I did warn you that your security was insufficient."
Vandal Savage chuckled. Without turning to face his guest, he scanned across the shelf of bottles. After a moment's consideration, he selected a dark bourbon that had once been a part of Archduke Ferdinand's personal liquor collection. Franz had been a good friend. Arranging his assassination had been an unfortunate but necessary task.
"You did. I admit, despite watching my underlings make such an error time and time again, I too underestimated the children. I didn't believe added security would be necessary, especially considering the state you left them in," Savage poured two fingers into a pair of short glasses and replaced the crystal stopper on the bottle, "Your marksmanship is impressive. A less precise shot would have taken the Flash boy's foot off entirely. Even so, I imagine it will be a difficult recovery."
"Your information is out of date, Savage," Deathstroke accepted the glass and swirled the liquid inside.
"Is it?"
"Kid Flash has a much more powerful healing factor than previously believed. He spent several weeks in a cast to distract from the fact that it healed fully after three days. Given how quickly the magician stopped the bleeding, he'll be back on his feet much sooner than any of us would like."
"That is fascinating. Forgive my curiosity but how did you discover this information? I didn't believe you… worked with any associates."
Deathstroke snorted, "I don't need a spy to stay informed. The Light might wish to reconsider their own approach. How many moles have you planted? Four? Five? And yet, your information and influence are both lacking."
"I'm beginning to understand why Luthor is hesitant to trust you," Savage returned, letting the insult pass him, "For someone who claims to have no affiliation to either side, you are impressively knowledgeable."
"I would be a fool not to keep tabs on such a powerful alliance."
Savage let his lips rise at the complement.
"While I still believe your methods were a bit… drastic, I cannot deny that they were effective. That being said, I do find it interesting that their escape occurred shortly after you made you collected your payment. Surely a man of your abilities could have prevented such a thing."
"Luthor paid me to bring them here. Whatever happened after I brought them was none of my concern."
"Yet you delivered them to their cells personally," Savage stated, watching the mercenary's complete lack of a reaction with satisfaction. Deathstroke was, if nothing else, a professional. He was the best in the business for a reason.
"As amusing as I find your implications that I would help them escape, I can assure you there was a different reason," Deathstroke took a slow sip, carefully holding Savage's gaze. Savage found it refreshing to find an opponent so utterly unintimidated by him. He could reveal a hundred hired guns with Deathstroke in their sight and the mercenary wouldn't so much as blink. Deathstroke set down the glass and smirked, "I wanted to see your facilities. Your followers are notoriously tight-lipped and I do find there's nothing quite like seeing it in person."
"That, I understand. I firmly believe business should be conducted face-to-face. It makes it easier to bring certain topics to light."
"Oh yes, I've heard quite a bit about the Light. I suppose I should be insulted that I haven't been invited to join the party."
"Common thugs, short-sighted fools, the ones easily controlled by promises of money, chaos or revenge. The Light was created for a purpose; to bring about humanity's rightful evolution. The individuals we have brought into the fold have each served a purpose. But you… empty promises and a steady stream of income won't be enough, will they?"
"If I wanted either, I'd work in private security," Deathstroke said mockingly. Savage raised his glass in acknowledgment.
"I ask you this because I would be a fool not to recognize your ambition or abilities. What is it that you hope to gain by taking a seat at our humble table?"
"Power. Influence. Resources beyond any I could accrue on my own. The Justice League is full of idealistic fools and they're blind to the machinations happening under their noses. They've been aware of an information leak for months, yet they continue to do nothing. I am not so foolish. I enjoy my particular line of work and in the future, I intend to continue as I am. That requires politics."
"Hm. What can you offer us?"
"Strategy. Luthor prides himself on his business dealings but he's always been greedy. He's become accustomed to his personal brand of political maneuvering and throwing his money around whenever people start asking questions. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you the American government is not pleased by the weapons contract with the Russians, to say nothing of his recent armament of the North Rhelasians. True, LexCorp supplies weapons to the U.S. military, but they're not picky about selling to our enemies either. I have extensive contacts within the military. With the right motivation, I could… smooth over certain misunderstandings."
"The American government is as corrupt as any other. With the amount of capital LexCorp invests, they would never be foolish enough to try anything against Luthor."
"They already have. I've been approached to investigate Luthor's business dealings in exchange for a near-complete pardon for any crimes I might be charged with in the process."
It wasn't often that Savage was shocked, but Luthor's influence was essential to the Light's plans. And that influence depended on the corrupt government being bribed out of looking at anything too carefully. Obviously, anything Deathstroke said was suspect but as Savage himself knew, the truth was a much more useful tool. Of course, if he was telling the truth, a full pardon was quite an offer.
"What do you want?
"What I want is to secure my legacy. To do that, I'll need a seat at the table."
"I can't offer you the place among the Light that you desire. The nature of such an alliance is to relinquish complete authority in the name of cooperation. However… there may be an opening soon, one which presents a prime opportunity if you play your cards correctly."
"And that would be?"
"Ocean Master is a fool. His power grab was a disaster and he cost us our control over Atlantis. The other members have agreed to give him a chance at redemption, one borne out of their own fears of being replaced. None of them wish to establish that precedent."
Deathstroke huffed, his amusement clear.
"I have decided to allow him another chance, but he will fail. That much is obvious," Savage added disdainfully, "Luthor will oppose your appointment the most vehemently. Even without what you've told me, you represent a major threat to his power. Klarion's reaction cannot be predicted. Queen Bee has the most to gain from our alliance. Bialya is a small country with few allies and hostile neighbors. She will support you for your strategic prowess. Similarly, the Brain will appreciate a fellow tactician."
"And Ra's?" Deathstroke asked.
"That is difficult to say. The Light depends deeply on the League of Shadow's involvement. Ocean Master had a large following and plenty of his own men. Losing him will mean drawing on the Shadows' resources even further and Ra's will not want to overextend his reach. He has suggested Kobra as a possible replacement, which comes with a powerful, uniquely loyal following. Without knowing Klarion's position, it could go either way. A membership vote requires a majority."
"I don't play games without a guarantee that I'll win," Deathstroke set down his glass, "Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now to devote to this one. However, that may change soon."
Sensing an intriguing change in the direction of the conversation, Savage set down his empty glass next to a relic recovered from the ruins of the Sumerian Empire.
"May I ask?"
"I trust you'll remain discreet," Savage inclined his head and Deathstroke continued, "I have…acquired a student. He's a bright young man; talented and intelligent but phenomenally stubborn. Breaking his spirit has required all of my attention for quite some time now. However, the lessons are beginning to… sink in."
Savage considered the idea of an assassin hand-trained by Deathstroke the Terminator. The silence between the mercenary's words implied a fair amount of brutality for which Savage pitied the boy, but there was no denying that he would make an invaluable asset. A talented, loyal mercenary in addition to a brilliant strategist joining the Light. Even Ra's understood that one capable agent was better than a battalion of cannon fodder.
"You understand I have my reservations. Should something go awry, child abuse is a difficult charge to shake. Even with our resources."
Deathstroke inclined his head but said nothing. That gave Savage more information than a direct answer would have; for one, this student was truly a child, and Deathstroke had resorted to unsavory tactics. Unfortunate, but Savage appreciated those who could do what was necessary. Deathstroke was clearly aware of the risks and had accepted that the payoff was worthwhile.
That alone made Savage curious.
His decision cemented, Savage held out his hand and said, "So long as our goals align, you have my support."
Deathstroke took the outstretched hand in a firm grip.
"I look forward to it."
AN: Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter, but I couldn't resist. Don't worry, Wally's fine. More or less. The next chapter will slow down a little, this one was definitely intense. Get ready for a little bit of fluff and angst for good measure.