Greenhorn Hero
Chapter 2: Project Cadmus
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters involved except for Guardian F Forest and Guardian N Nature.
Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, and Nature left the hall of justice and made their way toward the burning Cadmus building. As they arrived Kid Flash flipped his goggles down over his eyes and took off ahead leaving the other three in his dust. He dashed up the wall of the building, grabbing two scientists right as an explosion launched them out of a window. He continued up to the roof and set them down before slipping on the wet wall. He managed to grab hold of the window.
One of the firemen on the ground looked past the water coming out of his hose, "Hey, I know that guy, it's uh… Flash Kid!"
Kid flash grumbled to himself.
Robin, Aqualad, and Nature rounded a corner and stopped as they took in the scene.
"Alright, we need to come up with a plan… Robin," he looked down to see his friend had disappeared.
Laughter echoed through the alleyway and as the remaining pair looked back toward Cadmus they watched Robin leap onto the firetruck and use his grappling hook to attach to the building, slinging himself up into the window, he helped Kid Flash inside.
"Does he always run off like that?" Nature asked.
"I hope not," Aqualad ran across the street with Nature close behind, approaching the firemen he pulled the two handles off his back, "I need to borrow that," he said as aimed the two pieces at the water from the hose, it pulled away and began to spiral under his and Nature's feet, making a platform. It lifted them into the air and up to the roof, where Aqualad told the two scientists to jump on. They obeyed his order and were lowered down to the ground while he and Nature leapt into the building. Landing inside Aqualad looked to his two friends who were digging through files on the computer and physically.
"If we're going to accomplish our mission, we need to work as a team," Aqualad told Robin.
"It's fine, you worked it out," he replied without looking away from the monitor. Aqualad shook his head and wandered deeper into the building, with Nature following. As they rounded a corner Aqualad saw a figure standing in an elevator as the doors closed and it dinged. As soon as the doors shut Nature let out a pained gasp and collapsed.
"Nature! What's wrong?" Aquadlad asked leaning down.
"My head, it's killing me," Nature replied.
Robin and Kid Flash showed up a moment later, "What's wrong with him?"
"It's… fine now," Nature said as he put his hand to his head and a green glow began to emanate from it.
"What's that?" Robin asked pointing at his hand.
"Healing magic, we Guardians of Nature work with more than just plantlife," He explained.
"We heard the elevator," Kid Flash asked Aqualad.
"Yes, there was a creature in it, what I saw… it didn't belong here,"
Robin ran over to the doors and tried the button, nothing.
"Here, let me," Aqualad said as he forced his hands through the doorjams, ripping them open it revealed a large hole into the ground.
"High speed elevator, doesn't make sense in a two story building, guess that explains it," Robin said as he looked at a monitor displayed from his glove.
"Going down?" Nature asked coyly.
"You know it," Robin produced his grappling hook again and shot it into the main support beam of the elevator before leaping down into the hold, the rope slowly allowing him down. The other three jumped onto the rope and slid down behind him.
"Y'know, it just occurred to me, your name is Nature right?" Kid Flash asked as they slid down.
"Yes… why?"
"It's just… if you're going to become a member of the justice league, don't you need a secret identity?"
"A secret identity?"
"Yeah, like I'm not always Kid Flash, just when I put on the suit,"
Nature considered his suggestion, "I suppose, in that case, when I'm working with you or the league, my name shall be Root,"
"Root?"
He nodded, "As in the things that run through the ground, they provide life and-"
"I know what roots are!" Kid Flash cut him off.
"Alright you two, that's enough, we'll need to be careful from here on," Aqualad told them.
The pair nodded as they reached the bottom of the rope, Robin had already abandoned his equipment and was working on hacking the door.
"Security systems down… go for it," He said nodding toward the door.
Aqualad jumped forward and slammed his hands between the doors again before forcing them open. What the group saw was a large, elaborate pathway of tubes, pipes, and red metal.
"Whoa… this is way more than just a genetics lab," Robin said as the group entered. Kid Flash grinned before taking off down a hallway. He slid to a stop before he heard a pounding sound on the metal, turning around he saw a group of large figures, he stumbled back away from them but tripped, and was about to be crushed by one of their large hands if he hadn't rolled away. He ran back across the hallway to his friends as they approached.
"What are these things?" Robin asked.
Nature closed his eyes and began to focus, his hands glowing with a pale-yellow light,
"What are you doing?" Aqualad asked.
"I can detect when a creature is near, and what kind of creature it is when I can see it," Nature responded, "But it seems… these creatures… they're not natural,"
"What do you mean?" Robin asked.
"Somebody made these things,"
"Like the legend most likely, how Cadmus made a new race by sowing dragon's teeth into the earth," Aqualad responded.
"C'mon, let's see what else Cadmus is up to," Robin led the way down the hall and eventually the group arrived in a large room, with row upon row of glowing-blue insect like creatures.
"What are these?" Kid Flash asked.
"Root?"
He nodded as he began his process once again, "Again, not natural, but they give off the same kind of life-signs as the previous ones… so they're related in some way,"
"Yeah they are, Cadmus made them, Genetically engineered weapons: Razor claws, telepathy, super strength,"
"Hey!" A voice shouted startling all of them, "You kids aren't supposed to be here,"
They turned to see a man in a blue suit with a yellow helmet and shield.
"Busted," Robin responded.
"Wait, I know you," Aqualad stepped forward, "Guardian, a hero,"
"I try, but what are you kids doing here?"
"The same could be asked of you," Root said stepping forward.
"I'm chief of security here at Cadmus, you kids are trespassing, but a call to the Justice League should set things straight,"
At this point Root noticed the creature sitting on Guardian's shoulder, a red light began to emanate from its horns, and a second later Root was on the ground groaning in pain again.
"Wait, no, what have I-" Guardian held his head as well, but then he recovered and glared at the sidekicks, "Take 'em down, hard!" A few of the creatures he was with charged forward but Robin was ready, he threw down a smoke bomb and blocked their line of sight before launching another grappling hook up into the ceiling and escaping. Root had started healing his head again, and was recovered as he stood and the smoke cleared.
"Seems we'll need to fight,"