I don't own Young Justice.
A/N: Thank you BubbleEwa and Spirael for your helpful and encouraging reviews. Hopefully any following chapters do not disappoint.
Read. Enjoy. Review.
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The Team had boarded the Bioship and were off to Central City. Wally was rambling on about his city, and had not gotten one shut up from Artemis. In fact, she, Robin, and Aqualad had all been quieter than normal.
"What's the matter with you three? It looks like your dogs's died," Kid Flash said.
They all looked at each other. Aqualad spoke first.
"We are just focused on the mission."
"I believe that from you and Robin, but Arrowette over there would have tried to shut me up by now."
"I've just learned to ignore you Alex- I mean Wally," Artemis quickly corrected herself.
"So what was that noise last night?" Superboy asked, pushing.
"It was nothing," said Robin.
"Yeah, I just a taste for junk in the middle of the night," said Artemis.
"Then where did all the screaming come from?" Kid Flash asked.
"Doesn't seem like you to yell at your food Artemis," Superboy commented.
Artemis glared at him and Superboy did the same to her. Neither liked to back down from a fight.
They all sat in silence, quietly pondering their thoughts.
"It was the kids wasn't it?" the yellow speedster deduced.
"Of course it was. You didn't hear her slip up; she called you Alex. You can't help yourself can you Artemis. Sticking up for this destructive parasites," Superboy nearly shouted.
"No, I just felt like watching a late-" Artemis began before Aqualad raised a hand to stop her lie.
"Yes Kid Flash, it was the children. Something has traumatized them more than we know and often comes out in their strange behavior. However, the situation was handled and should be pushed to the past as we focus on the mission at hand."
They all sat in silence again, but no one was focused on the mission.
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They arrived in Central City quickly. The scene was in chaos as reporters gathered around the burning building. Civilians ran to see what the commotion was about, others running around hysterically. All the while, the building grew increasingly more dangerous as explosions rang through its various floors. With each eruption the structure weakened dramatically, causing debris and rubble to fall, putting those near it in harm's way.
The teen heroes immediately moved to action to avoid any casualties as a result. Aqualad gave instructions to his comrades.
"Kid Flash, move the crowd out of danger. We don't want any casualties. Superboy, support the building. Artemis and Robin, look for anyone stuck in the building. I will begin putting out the fire. MOVE!"
They all took to their assignments. Kid Flash began crowd control. Though stubborn at first, they soon began to dissipate quickly after another earth-shaking explosion. Soon it was just the heroes and the building.
The others were having less success. Superboy was holding the building up, but with every explosion it began to bear down on him exponentially more. And the fire wasn't getting any smaller. Aqualad was putting all his effort into it, but all he was doing was containing it, steam blurring his vision of his progress. Due to the lackof water nearby, this would prove to be a difficult process. And if nothing improved the heat sensitive chemicals inside were going to take them out. And because of the amount, the vapers in the air would take out anyone in a mile radius.
On the other side of the building, Robin and Artemis were similar results. They were unable to enter the building without being burned to crisps. And the smoke in the air was not only blinding, but it was making it difficult to breathe.
"I've got all the civilians out of the area," Kid Flash said over their comlinks.
"KF, we can't get into the building to get anyone in there out," Robin responded.
"On it," Kid Flash replied.
The two powerless heroes decided to check the ground level again to make sure they missed nothing. As they rounded the corner, they were met by a kid no younger than Robin.
"Hey," Artemis yelled, "Get out of here."
Then flames started coming toward her.
"What the heck?"
"I can't stop," the boy called back.
"He's the one who caused the building fire," Robin told Artemis.
They rushed over to him.
"I can't stop," he told them again.
Robin pulled something out of his utility belt.
"Artemis, stand back," he yelled over the roar of the fire.
A flash went off, blinding the arsonist. He quickly grabbed for his eyes, burning himself in the process.
"He's distracted. Concussion arrow, now," Robin ordered Artemis.
She fired before the kid had a chance to defend himself, though not without hesitation. The kid laid unconscious on the ground. Smoke rising from his still body, his clothes singed.
"A little more warning next time," Artemis yelled at Robin.
"Come on," he said, ignoring her, "we gotta take him up front. I have a feeling he might know our rugrats backat the cave."
But as they leaned down to grab him another explosion shook the ground causing more than just smoke to be released into the air.
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"How are you holding out Superboy?" Aqualad yelled over the flames.
"Don't ... know... how much longer I can hold it ... with all the ... explosions," he yelled back.
Though giving their best efforts, the building was burning rapidly. Superboy continued to struggle with the support, while Aqualad tried desperately to put it out.
A yellow blur streaked across and into the building. Superboy yelled out as Kid Flash caused added weight to the building. Soon however, he was back out carrying the only person found in the building.
"Wouldn't you know, the only person in the building is our old pal Dr. Lungstrum," he commented.
"Kid, run around the building. If you-"
"Create a maelstrom, it'll take away the oxygen. No oxygen, no fire," KF said, completing his leader's statement before zooming off to do as he was told.
The fire began to decrease. The more Kid Flash went around, the smaller the fire.
BOOM!
Superboy dived from under the building. This last explosion had been his breaking point. In fact, the explosion had been so powerful, it managed to blow Aqualad back as well, catching both by surprise.
As if part of some gymnastics routine, Superboy tumbled and pulled himself up in one swift motion. He ran over to Aqualad, trying to catch his footing.
"Are you alright?" Aqualad asked, already recovered and working double time to put out the flames.
"Fine, but the chemicals. They -"
"Kid Flash, abort. You're in a dangerous situation. Get out now!" Aqualad yelled over the comlink.
"The fire's almost out. Why would I abort now?"
"The chemicals Kid. Get out of there now!"
The chemicals began seeping into the air at a rate much quicker than expected. Though all the Team was in immediate danger, Kid Flash's human physiology made him more susceptible to the toxicity of the poisons leaking into the atmosphere than his Kryptonian and Atlantean friends.
Kid Flash came over, dragging more than usual, nearly falling on the debris.
"What do we do now?" he said, a slight slur in his speech.
"Find the others and leave. I will stay and finish what we have started. The situation has become too dangerous, and I do not wish to lose any teammates. Now go. Kid Flash contact Robin and Artemis."
There was no response.
"Aqualad, you're gonna need a new plan."
The chemicals had overcome Kid Flash. He laid in a heap on the ground.
"Superboy go, quickly. Find the others and leave."
He departed quickly, leaving Aqualad to douse the flames.
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The explosion knocked them both back. Then the building fell.
"That definitely can't be good," said Robin.
He heaved the unconscious pyro on his shoulder as he and Artemis trudged to the other side of the building.
"He's a little heavy for his size," Robin commented.
"We need to ... tell the others ... about him. He might be more valuable ... than we think." Artemis sputtered through coughs.
"You alright, sounds like you're coughing up a lung. Does it smell funny to you?"
There was no response. Just like the kid speedster, Artemis had taken one too many breaths of poison.
Robin turned to find his partner heaped on the ground.
"Artemis! Stupid! The chemicals must've gone off in the last explosion. The funny smell, oh Batman's gonna kill me if he finds out."
He dropped the kid, rushed over to Artemis. Her breathing was shallow. He reached into his utility belt and brought out a small object. It was a rebreather. He quickly fastened it to her face hoping it would be
enough.
He knew he had to get out of there too, otherwise he would suffer the same fate. But he couldn't leave his teammate. As he contemplated on what to do next, Superboy came rushing around the corner.
No explanation was needed for the next course of action. Superboy threw Artemis over his shoulder, and Robin did the same with the kid.
"No. No. We are not bringing another one home with us," Superboy growled.
"Fine."
He knew Superboy was right, but this kid was tied in with the two at the cave, a fact that couldn't be ignored. Robin decided that he would move him out of harm's way.
"Aqualad, there's a kid back here that you need to take a look at once this is over. He's got more to do withthis fire and destruction than we might think."
"Understood."
Superboy came back with Kid Flash on his other shoulder. He and Robin moved to the Bioship and took off.
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Aqualad was sweating. This fire shouldn't have been this difficult to put out even with his limited water supply. He figured the reactions of all the toxins inside had made his task more arduous, but regardless, this should be finished by now.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice the increased force of wind in the air.
"PERHAPS I CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE."
The fire began to rapidly disintegrate. Soon Aqualad was on his knees, exhausted from what should have been a simple mission.
"The help is much appreciated, Red Tornado."
"WHILE I DO NOT MIND HELPING, IT SEEMS THIS
MISSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN EASILY COMPLETED. WERE THERE COMPLICATIONS?"
"Yes." He thought back to the kid Robin had mentioned to him earlier. He ran to the spot he was lying and brought him back to Red Tornado.
"Robin believes he had much more to do with the grand scheme than we realize."
Red Tornado took the kid from Aqualad's hands and immediately began to scan government files for information. Seconds passed and he seemed to have all the answers.
"NAME: JONATHAN WARSAW. AGE: 11. RESIDENCE: CENTRAL CITY. RELATIVES: JAMES AND MARTHA WARSAW. BACKGROUND: MISSING FOR TWO YEARS. ABILITY TO FABRICATE AND MANIPULATE FIRE. TAKEN FOR GOVERNMENT TESTING."
"He must have been the one that started this fire in the beginning."
"ALL THE EVIDENCE SEEMS TO POINT IN THAT DIRECTION. I WILL TAKE MR. WARSAW TO HIS PARENTS AS WELL AS ATTEND TO DR. LUNGSTRUM. YOU SHOULD REPORT BACK TO THE CAVE. BATMAN REQUIRES A THOROUGH DEBRIEFING. I WILL ESCORT YOU TO THE NEAREST ZETA TUBE."
"Thank you again Red Tornado."
Aqualad followed close behind Red Tornado. He dreaded the debriefing, but was glad this assignment had finally seen an end. He walked through the zeta tube.
As he walked through to the other side, he was greeted by a energy blast rivaling any he had ever encountered.
From the ground, looking up at the state of the cave, all he could utter was "Oh No."