Well, a week and some days later, here is the update.
Warnings: Nothing too bad. Enjoy~
The day after the games, the League was going crazy trying to find Aqualad, Superboy, Nightwing, Green Arrow, and the other three men that dissappeared along with the archer. After they had left the games, the heroes were hoping to find Superboy and Aqualad safe and sound; worried because of the stunt Red Hood pulled last time; and were greeted by complete silence in the cave. Batman and Superman were angry with Flash; along with the rest of the mentors; partly because he helped the group escape, and partly because he was nowhere to be found. The League couldn't find him at all.
The whole team was stuck in the cave, nursing their wounds and doing their best to stay out of trouble. Zatanna, Robin, Artemis, and M'gann were moping about the cave, wanting to find their teammates, but they couldn't because Batman was too worried. The team didn't know, but his second son; who had turned evil; had kidnapped his first son, while being backed up by a group of kids that knew how to fight and exploit weaknesses. Maybe that should have been enough for the kids to not want to go out and find their friends, but they were teenagers. Of course they didn't want to stay still and not help their friends.
Artemis was thinking up of ways to escape the watchful eyes of Red Tornado and Black Canary, while also thinking that if the team was miserable, then the people that were 'kidnapped' were going through hell. With that though, as pitiful as it was, Artemis managed to fake a smile and ask Black Canary to train with her. Too bad she didn't know that her missing teammates were having the time of their lives.
"Wally, get down from there!"
Dany yelled while riding piggy back on Superboy's back. Superboy rolled his eyes but let a small smile graze his lips.
They were now throwing an adult-free party in one of Red Hood's many hideouts. But, they contradicted themselves by letting Jason and the Soldiers stay. Wally had somehow gotten his hands on sugar, and was now, as Dany pointed out, somehow walking upside down on the roof. He gave his younger sister a crazy smile and shook his head wildly.
"Never!" He yelled, then yelped in surprise when a block hit him on the head.
Liam giggled evilly at Wally's inconvenience making Greg smile and jump him up and down. The cowboy had taken an immediate liking to Roy's child, and was now his unofficial god father. Travis Lee; the Crimson Avenger; and Jason were talking about guns and who was the person they should buy from . Sir Justin; the Shining Knight; and Roy were talking about anything and everything that could come to mind, while also making sure a fight didn't break out. Kids now a days were very unpredictable. Ollie was recovering with Kaldur and Raquel watching over and talking, while Nightwing was tied up next to the bed. The rest of the kids were spread around the floor, having fun and generally being kids.
"Hey, Supes!" Wally called after jumping up from the ground and recovering.
Conner sighed as Dany drummed his head and Wally sped over to them. These two are the most hyper and dangerous kids ever to be born, Conner swore.
"You got any more chocolate?" Wally asked, ignoring the glare he got from Dany.
"My Con Con." She said in a childish voice, tightening her arms around his neck and glaring even more intensely at Wally.
Then, before Wally could say anything to insult his sister, Jason walked up to him and smacked him under the head. Wally yelped in surprise, then glared up at him while rubbing his sore spot, only to get a glare back from Jason.
"You never learn, do you Walls?" He asked, then smirked. "Or should I call you Bolt?" He taunted.
Wally playfully shoved him, then said, "Still better than a girl's name." He taunted.
Jason glared at him, then smile leaving his features, and Wally knew he was in trouble. So, he did the sensible thing and took off running to hide behind Greg. The man jumped in surprise because of the teenager, almost losing his grip on Liam. When he had regained his composure, he glared at Wally, who was cowering from a glaring Jason on the other side of the room.
"What in tarnation?" Greg growled, getting ready to give him a tongue lashing.
Waly yelped in surprise, then said, "Jailbird wants to kill me!"
Greg rolled his eyes, then turned back to Liam. "Now never listen ta Wally. That boy's wrong in the head." He told the baby.
Wally scoffed with indignation, then huffed and crossed his arms. But, he had to admit it to himself. There must be something wrong with him. He narrowed his eyes at those thoughts, then sped over to the bathroom. He needed some time alone.
While the people continued partying, Nightwing came into consciousness. Someone had changed his clothes and take off his mask, putting on sunglasses instead. His eyes widened when he remembered who had taken him, then he heard the music. Soft and relaxing, as in nothing like the music one would associate with Jason Todd. He slowly turned around, to find Kaldur'ahm giving him a sad smile from above.
Nightwing yelped in surprise, and hit his head against the side of the bed. Kaldur chuckled silently at the older man's actions, then said, "My friend, I will not hurt you."
Nightwing only gave a surpressed groaned because of the pain and the tape on his mouth. "Here, let me help." Kaldur said, then slowly peeled off the tape.
Nightwing's eyes were ground tight as Kaldur peeled it off gingerly, then glared once the tape was gone. "What do you think you are doing, Aqualad?" He whispered, not wanting to alert anyone else who was there.
Kaldur chuckled a little, and shook his head. "My friend, you are among friends. Well, if you count Jason and Wade as friends," He continued, thinking about the relationship he had with the crazy men, but decided to forget it and continue, "But you are okay." He finished.
Nightwing glared even more intensely. "Kaldur, I was kidnapped. By the Red Hood." He hissed.
Kaldur smiled, "And, if you remember, both Conner and myself were kidnapped by him. He will not hurt you." He told him.
The older man's eyes widened at what he said, then shook his head. "Kal, you don't know him like I do. He tried to kill Robin. He has made so many attempts at Batman's, Robin's, and myself's life that I lost count after fifty." He told him in a clipped tone. He did not like this at all. To him it seems that Kaldur, Conner, and Wally have Stockholm Syndrome. He would have to tell Batman this.
Kaldur seemed to think on what Nightwing told him, let his smile drop, and told him seriously. "I do not know about you, but I was not very happy with the team." He told him, making Nightwing's eyes widen. "The first time me and Conner were kidnapped, I was able to be myself and not worry at all about being judged. Even with how that turned out, I do not regret anything I did then. And I do not regret what I am doing now. Jason and these strangers have treated me with more respect than any of the team. Now, Jason will most probably let you go as soon as he tells Batman whatever it is he wants to, so please," He sighed, letting his worries show. Nightwing noted that he looked much older now. "Try to enjoy yourself here. Nobody here will hurt you, I promise." He told him, then started working on untying his bonds.
"Kal?" Nightwing asked as Kaldur worked on the bonds on his feet.
Kaldur only grunted in response.
"W-what do you mean? The team not respecting you?" He asked, then continued babbling, like he did when he was stressed. "I mean, I've seen how they sometimes act, but disrespect? You never put this in any of your reports."
Kaldur chuckled at him, then looked up at his masked face. "Do you think I would badmouth my teammates like that? To someone as scary as Batman?" He asked. "I may have told you right now they do not respect me, but I would never say somethink like that to the Bat. They have their own problems, if anything, I should be more understanding." He talked, more to himself. He still doubted himself. Did he do the right thing?
Nightwing now gave him a strange look. This boy was pretty weird. "But why did you leave? I'm pretty sure the whole League is going crazy searching for you two." He pressed.
Kaldur shook his head, and said, "Why did Wally leave? He was waist deep in trouble, yet none of us, his so called 'friends' helped him. He found sanctuary with this odd group of people." Kaldur explained, working on the ropes on Nightwing's hands as the man turned around. "Every single one of us has problems, but how we react to them is what makes us different. All of us decided to ignore Wally's problems and focus on our own. Now he is gone, and me and Conner are thinking of it." He admitted.
Well this is not how he wanted the conversation to go, but Kaldur had to talk to someone. It's better that he was talking to his old friend rather than someone he barely knew. Nightwing's eyes widened at the confession, and before Kaldur could register, he was giving the Atlantean a bear hug. "Please don't leave, Kal. I already lost two brothers." He whispered, sounding more like Dick than Nightwing. "I don't want to lose my last one."
Kaldur uncertainly patted the man's back, unsure of what to say, then decided on the truth. "I do not wish to leave, Nightwing. I wish to stay, actually, but I cannot. I am slowly losing my sanity in the cave, and it is only a matter of time before I do something I regret."
Nightwing pushed his head against Kaldur's chest, reminding him of the times he had comforted him when he was younger and had his nightmares. "Please don't Kal."
Kaldur sighed, and was about to continue to explain why, but Jason walked in, to tell them it was time to go. The League was searching through every single warehouse that was known to house criminal activities, especially his own activities, and he had to move everybody. From what he was told, already four of his fifteen warehouses had been found, and the people inside questioned. He stopped when he saw the position both males were in, and said, "Thought you liked Raq, Fishsticks."
Kaldur glared at him, while Nightwing regained his bearings and also glared from behind the glasses. Jason allowed himself a little smirk, then turned serious, getting their attention. "Okay, your little Loser League is going crazy trying to find all of the people we supposedly 'kidnapped'," He informed, the word in between air quotations, "So we have to get moving." He finished.
Nightwing continued to glare at him while Kaldur got up and offered the man his hand. "Where are we going, Jason?" He asked.
"Well, there's no way we can go to Benny's," He said, already knowing of the feud between Vigilante and the gang leader, "And Dakota is out of the question because of Icon... So... I got nothing." He finished.
Kaldur's and Nightwing's eyes widened at this, then Kaldur sighed in exasperation at him. Oh, how Jason seemed to be the only person in the world he could trust with his life yet want to get rid off at the same time. "Well, if all of your warehouses are being searched, why do we not do the thing they least expect?" Kaldur asked, making both Bats wonder what he meant.
"What do you mean, Barnacle Boy?" Jason asked, using the newest nickname for him. He never liked Spongebob, but he loved the stupid names he could use to insult other people.
Kaldur only rolled his eyes at the name, then explained. "The League should be thinking that we will be in hiding. But why should we when we have the upperhand? I say we hide in plain sight."
Jason quirked an eyebrow, silently telling him to continue. "Go to a public place and stay there until the heat is off. And if they continue with the search for some time, we just check into a hotel. They do not know the identity that any of us has adopted, so we should be safe." He explained.
Jason smirked then placed a hand on Kaldur's head. "I had no idea you could be so devious, Fishsticks. I'm so proud of you." He said in a fake cracking voice, wiping an imaginary tear with his other hand.
Kaldur only shook his head, but let a smile graze his lips. "And I had no idea you could be so sentimental. I thought you were the one of us that said you never felt an emotion except for anger."
Jason glared at him, but before he could say anything else, Kaldur walked away to adress everybody else there. "My companions," He spoke, getting the attention from all the kids and the adults. "It seems that the League is looking for us. I have consulted with Jason, and it has been decided that we will be going to see a movie." He continued, deciding for Jason where they would go.
Everybody seemed surprised and quiet, and it just so happens that Dany was the one to break the silence. "What movie?" She asked.
Kaldur had to smile at her. Of course she wouldn't be worried about the League searching for her. Or even for how the plan seemed to be asking for the League to find them. She cared for what movie, and for that, Kaldur was grateful.
"Which one would you like to see?" He asked.
"Taken 2!" Wally yelled, speeding over to stand beside his sister.
"No, Hotel Transylvania!" She exclaimed, glaring at her brother once more.
And the argument between the siblings started. The rest of the kids entered the argument, some agreeing with Wally or Dany, or like Deshawn, wanting to see another movie. Even Conner contributed to it. After ten minutes of the arguing, Jason got a call from one of his associates who said that the League had already hit fourteen of the warehouses. This was the last one.
"Okay, let's argue when we get there!" He yelled over the screaming of the kids. "The League's getting close." He explained, making all the kids freeze, then run around to pack everything up.
Once they had everything, Deadpool popped in and popped out with everyone. They had decided to go to somewhere far away, Puerto Rico. Where nobody knew them. Perfect way to evade the League. When they arrived, Wally and Dany ran over to the booth in front of the building, asking for the tickets to Hotel Transylvania. Dany had somehow found a way to make Wally understand that was the best movie, and now both of them were going crazy to be able to see the movie. As the rest of the group walked to the booth, Kaldur, Jason, and Nightwing stayed behind.
"They're such an odd bunch." Nightwing allowed himself to smile. From what he had seen, it must be a bit worth it to see how this group was. They deserved it.
"You have no idea, Golden Boy." Jason told him, smirking at the frown that Nightwing gave him.
"Come on. They may end up giving someone a heart attack." Kaldur told them, even though he was smiling. And so, the trio walked towards the group, with Dany and Wally arguing over if they were kids or adults.
Just so you know, I made Wally and Dany argue over what age they were, because up until last year, whenever my uncle went with us to the movies, he bought us tickets for minors. Those were the days.
Five reviews and Ii will update tomorrow.