Chapter VI
It was late. The day that had shone with such promise was now night. An uncertainty befell the sky as if offspring of the stars. Upon receiving news of the gargantuan explosion outside the city, Young Justice dropped their argument for the time being and raced to the woodland area. The startling description of a towering inferno kindling from within the outland forest immediately spurred the team to decipher the true cause of the disturbance, Harm.
Boarding their loyal Supercycle, the team traveled at shredding velocity as they soared through the clouded evening sky. Difficult to see, Robin struggled to navigate the cycle to the target location. While present, it was not the clouds of the sky that blocked his vision, but rather clouds of a different nature inhibited his vision as well as that of his branching team. The duration of the trip did nothing to suture the wounds of their verbal joust. Instead, the festering sores of bruised egos and unheard voices swelled. Unlike the superficial scars they had grown accustomed to and understood, these scars, while equally agonizing, were carved deep within.
While the miles ventured by the cycle were few, the journey itself was long and unbearable for each of its young passengers. Absent was the signature lightheartedness they normally entered battle with. Smiles and laughter had long given way to unease. Their unbreakable bond had been shaken by their conflicting points of view, and as they sat, they watched as its atomized remnants drifted into the wind much the same as the faint exhaust of the cycle as it hovered above the forest.
Overhead from ground level, the team observed the entire perimeter of the forest surrounded by police line. However, as they attempted to peer into the forest itself, they found it a bizarre impossibility. Emitting from deep inside the forest, an opaque fog sheltered every tree and blade of grass. The fog, drafted by Harm as his first line of defense, draped the whole forest in a cryptic grey vacuum of shapes and colors.
From her seat in the Supercycle, XS, mesmerized by the fog, a phenomena she rarely experienced in her life, uttered, "…I can't see anything." In line with her comment, Wondergirl, taking notice of the police line, added, "Neither can the police. Look, they can't move into the forest because the fog is so thick. I guess they can't risk going blindly in until they can cut through the fog."
For a time, the unthreatening conversation piece provided a much needed outlet for the team to slowly pull together again. As did her lavender cape sway ever so gently in the breeze, Spoiler delicately asked aloud, "…What could possibly be causing this fog?" Then, to further lighten everyone's already improving mood, she jokingly added, "It's not like I wouldn't have noticed us moving to London or something."
Both Impulse and Wondergirl giggled at Stephanie's whimsical comment. Also finding it funny, Robin responded in the way he felt it appropriate. "It's Harm," he stated, his voice noticeably straining to sound assertive, "he's down there, waiting for us."
Clashing with Robin's stern approach, Superboy, very laid back, insinuated, "Well then let's go down there and greet him!" As he spoke, Superboy floated out of his seat in the Supercycle and prepared to swoop down into the forest. Convinced, Impulse remarked, "'Bout time," as he shifted his weight in his seat to prepare to jump out.
Stopping him and Superboy, Robin yelled, "Wait! We can't just blindly rush in there, that's what he wants us to do!" Things had just started to take a turn for the better, Secret thought as she silently clung to the back of the cycle. Now Robin and Superboy were starting up all over again, if only there was something she could do, something she could say to get them to just calm down. Alas, as she knew all too well, neither of those acts would ever occur so long as she was what she is.
Nevertheless, to her tremendous surprise, as Robin spoke, the other members, Superboy included, yielded to his decision. Robin himself was a bit relieved to see that everyone sat in locked attention to his plan, which he calmly explained, "Wondergirl's right, the police can't get in, but Harm also knows that he can't get out. He's waiting for someone to make a mistake, he's waiting for someone to play right into his hands and give him an avenue of escape. He's lured us out here because he wants a showdown with all of us on his home turf. Our best chance to get him is to turn the tables on him for once and get him to play into our hands!"
Undeniably intrigued by his leader's blossoming scheme, Impulse slyly asked, "So what do you have in mind?" It was not in Robin's nature to reveal his inner feelings, but was he to be so inclined he would be quite satisfied to know that something he had said was able to engage the ever fickle attention span of Impulse. In response, Robin elaborated, "I think…" and abruptly paused.
Mentally, he reminded himself of his position as leader and resumed, "We will break up into three teams. The first team, Wondergirl, Secret, and I will enter the forest from the outer rim. We will search for Harm, and once we find him, we will lure him towards the heart of the forest. Secret," Robin began, turning his head to address her, "do you think you will be able to use your powers to lift some of the fog once we get to ground level?"
Secret was rather surprised and taken off guard that Robin would directly speak to her of all people. In a million different fantasies, she had dreamed about Robin noticing her and talking to her. Of those million, not one included her being seen by Robin as a tool to be used. She answered uncomfortably, "…I think so, um, yeah, definitely I can."
Resuming his train of thought, Robin went on, "Great. Then, team two, Superboy and Spoiler, will be waiting overhead, and once Harm appears, you two will attack him by surprise. Meanwhile, team three, XS and Impulse, will be circling around the perimeter at super-speed to try and redirect the current of the fog towards the back trail of the forest apex. If Harm tries to retreat after team two pummels him, then he will be completely cornered as team one will seal off one path and team three will use the fog to block the reverse direction."
Once he had finished speaking, everyone sat in excited approval of his devious plan. XS eagerly spoke, "I like it! Really cool plan Robin!" Equally committed, Wondergirl sarcastically commented, "It sure feels nice to be the ones setting traps instead of falling into them."
Conscientious of the fact that this was not the time to rattle the frail healing period of the group, Superboy appeased the rest of his friends, "Sounds good just so long as I get a piece of ol' Harmless. This whole falling into traps thing is seriously damaging my rep. It would be the crime of the century for this face to be seen as the Plastic Man of Young Justice."
To everyone's equal surprise and relief, Robin dryly lamented, "I think one Plastic Man is all the world can handle." Although everyone else laughed, Impulse contemplated what in the world was wrong with Plastic Man. In his mind, Plastic Man had the most awesome power of anyone, especially anyone on this team. He could stretch himself into any shape, any length, anytime he wanted, what could be cooler than that? And, if that were not enough, the dude has the most pimped out sunglasses he had ever seen!
Almost appalled at Superboy and Robin's jest, Impulse questioned, "What's wrong with Plastic Man? Why should Superboy get to be Plastic Man, if anyone should be Plastic Man, it's me…" and recalling his own goggles, he declared, "I am the Plastic Man of Young Justice!"
This was too good to be true for Wondergirl, and as everyone else uncontrollably laughed at Impulse's unintentional hilarity, she attached, "I don't think anyone will argue with that, Impulse."
Still confused as to why everyone was laughing, he, simply thinking they did not believe him, pleaded, "Hey, I really am! If only I could get my hair to be as cool as his…"
Impulse's latest self inflicted insult sent everyone over the edge as they all howled in laughter. Even Jenni Ognatz, who felt bad for laughing at her well meaning cousin, could not help but explode with cackling laughter. Perhaps it was not so much Impulse that triggered the response. As Robin began to notice as he himself chuckled, the shared laughter among friends was rather curative.
Despite the joyous fun they were having, in the back of each of their minds was the gnawing fact that much of their earlier internal conflict had remained unresolved. No one, for fear of disrupting the harmony, brought up the argument that had so easily divided them an hour ago. They knew that should they fail to solve the issue, it would, in one form or another, return eventually.
Akin to the hidden, but nonetheless present plants and animals below, the inevitable future was invisible.
Gliding the cycle into proper position, Robin edged close to his intended spot near the outer rim of the forest canopy. There, Robin, Wondergirl, and Secret prepared to descend, with XS and Impulse getting ready as well. "Okay, this is it everyone," Robin called out as the five exited the Supercycle.
From her seat in the cycle, Spoiler concernedly replied, "Be careful…" She had meant it for each of her friends, but in truth, a part of her thought only of Robin. To her chagrin, the sole response came from her most loathed of sources, Superboy. In his obnoxious tone, he commented, "Give them some credit, Pinky. If you should be worried about anyone, be worried about Harmless." Like his words, the five superheroes drifted into the staunch clouds of the fog below, and suddenly, as they slipped inside the atmospheric marsh, many things became unclear.