Chapter 2:
Gotham City:
Wally shook his head. It felt like a drum, it hurt and ached and it felt heavy. What had happened? He tried to move his arms, but he realized they were tied down to something. He tried to move his feet, but they were tied too. Finally, he opened his eyes and realized he was chained to a large tube. How did he get there? At the sight of at least a hundred robot children standing in front of him, it all came back. He and Superboy were just about to leave, when all the children awoke, knocked them out with incredible force and apparently tied them up. But why? Could it all have been a trap from the beginning? Maybe... All of a sudden, he noticed something strange. On the heads of the robots, there were some numbers... A countdown of some sort...
Wally was horrified when he realized what they were doing. They were bombs.
"Okay okay! Don't panic! Superboy is strong! He'll get out and save me before the bombs go off! I hope..."
It was all a trap, but there was still hope.
In the meantime, Superboy was waking. But he felt weak and sick. He had never had such terrible feelings. He had never felt so... Powerless... Never in his short existence. Then why was that happening all of a sudden? He hardly even had the strength to open his eyes or to move his arms and legs. He soon came to the desperate conclusion that he was tied up and that he must be dying. He then slowly opened his eyes and saw the blurry image of one of the robot children holding out a green glowing stone in front of him.
"Krypto...nite... No..."
He even noticed more robot children and some numbers on their foreheads. So they were time bombs. He wondered where Wally was and secretly asked him to forgive him for losing his strength, he could not save him. Then he closed his eyes once more, abandoning himself to his fate.
Philadelphia:
Artemis stirred. She felt the cold touch of something wet near her ankle. She instantly opened her eyes and found herself face to face with the robot children. For some reason, they were all ankle deep in water and it seemed to be rising. She then saw numbers on their heads. Every minute that passed, the water got higher. Desperate and horrified by the truth, Artemis tried to escape, but found herself chained up. She started to lose herself. She was so afraid now. Where were they? Why had they brought them there? Who wanted them dead? But there was no time to think. The water was rising fast. She had to get in contact with M'gann.
"M'gann! Can you hear me? M'gann!"
But the martian would never hear her calls. As Artemis was trapped in water, she was surrounded by flames, her great weakness. She had passed out and hadn't woken since.
Meanwhile, the countdown was reaching it's end.
Gotham:
Robin arrived in Gotham two hours later. Using his great hacking skills, he tracked down his friends and found that they were infact still in Gotham.
"But that's not possible! Why didn't they leave when we told them to?"
He pressed on his intercom.
"Wally, Superboy?"
"R-robin?"
"Wally! Where are you?"
"It-it's too late..."
"What are you talking about? What happened?"
"I don't know... The countdown... The smoke..."
"Wally what smoke? Where's Superboy?"
"I don't know... I..."
There was no answer. The room had filled with smoke and was choking him. They weren't bombs. They were programmed to kill each and every one of them based on their weaknesses.
"Wally! Wally! No! I have to follow the tracker!"
All of a sudden, Robin felt cold chills all down his back. But he didn't know if it was due to his shock for Wally or the fact that he felt watched. He was right in both ways.
In the shadows, a figure stirred. It examined the young boy at a distance and when he left, it followed.
When Robin finally reached the lab, he found it empty.
"No... No that's not possible! They're supposed to be here! Wally! Superboy!"
"Stay still or they shall hear you..." Whispered then a sweet female voice in his ear.
Robin turned quickly but nothing was there, no one was there.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!"
"It's too late. They are coming."
He turned once more, but again, nothing. He didn't have time for games, he needed to find his friends. But who was coming?
He ran away from that place and found a long corridor with a door at the end of it. He broke it open and found himself in a green glowing room.
"It's... It's Kryptonite!"
The room was full of children holding strange glowing stones. The countdown had almost hit zero. Each second that passed, one more child would open their hand, unleashing the power of the stone.
"Superboy must be here! And I don't wan to find out what happens when it hits zero..."
Robin ran through the whole room until he finally found Superboy. He examined his friend. He was holding on by a thread.
"Superboy..."
"He cannot head your words. He has been incapacitated."
Robin didn't even pay attention this time, but he quickly untied his friend and dragged him out of the room. Fortunately, the children didn't even seem to notice. Once they were out, Robin shut the door and stared at his friend, terrified.
"He is safe, but you need not terry here. Your other companion is in grave danger and I fear that your coming has not passed unnoticed. They are coming."
"Who's coming? Who are you?"
But no answer came. Suddenly, though, the boy wonder felt a wisp of wind pass by him and a very subtle "come with me" follow it. So he did what he was told and ran in the direction of the wisp of air. It guided him to another door. He opened it and a cloud of smoke came out.
"No... Wally!"
"He still lives!"
"Then please untie him! I can't... I can't... Breath!"
Robin had entered the room and couldn't see anything.
"I have freed him! But make haste young one! For they have come for you! Fly!"
Robin tried to find the exit, but his sight was blurry and air was growing scarce. He then heard a door slamming behind him.
"No... Wait... Help..."
He fell flat on the floor. He couldn't move anymore. He could only hope that the voice would come back to save him too.
Suddenly he saw a tall slender figure in the smoke. It was definitely a woman, but he couldn't see her very well. He stopped breathing and passed out.
The girl kneeled down and picked up the boy and without hesitation, made for the exit. Once they were out, she closed the door and checked to see if the young boy was breathing. Once she had determined that he was still alive, she felt relieved. But she could not rejoice long. They were followed. Someone wanted the boy. But she would not let them take him or any of his friends. She lifted the red haired boy and put his arms around her shoulders and tied his hands together so that he would stay. Then she picked up the little black haired boy and held him in her arms. The older lad would have to wait. Quietly she left the terrible place and set the two boys upon her horse that awaited her outside the lab. Then she ran to retrieve the other one. It didn't take her long and soon they were all three on the horse.
"Return them to their home, Lyall."
She then spoke in a strange language and the horse ran away, the three boys strapped on him.