A/N – Thank you everyone for your reviews. I only own Dark Justice.
Batman stood just outside the injured heroine's hospital door. The League had moved her to the medical bay of the Hall of Justice, despite her claims that they could have left her in the public hospital. She was stubborn, this one.
Batman and Aquaman were both standing outside her door because Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Arrow, and Superman were supposed to meet them there. They had all decided to discuss what to do about Young Justice – whether to keep them on suspension or to reinstate the team. Well, Superman didn't know this, but if he did he wouldn't show up and Bruce refused to allow Clark to avoid Conner if he could help it.
And being Batman, he could.
Flash zipped up beside Aquaman, a grin on his face. "Hey Aquaman, hey Bats. Ready for the meeting?"
"What meeting?" Superman asked as he and the other mentors arrived. Batman sent a glare to Flash who just shrugged, a grin still on his face. Batman looked at Superman.
"No getting out of this one Clark. We're having a meeting to discuss whether Young Justice should stay active while this kidnapper is out and about and you're joining." Batman said.
Superman shook his head looking uncomfortable. "I'd rather not Batman." Superman said, holding up his hands defensively and taking a step back.
Batman growled at him. "You're coming Superman."
Superman glared back, suddenly on the offensive. "No, I'm not."
The two heroes stared each other down. They seemed ready to spend hours like that, just staring the other down with their gazes, but they didn't get the chance as a special communicator that only the mentors had went off. Batman didn't hesitate a moment as he looked away and answered it along with the other mentors.
"Is there a problem?" Batman asked immediately into the earpiece.
"B-batman," a breathless voiced said. The mentors all recognized it as Kaldur, Aqualad. "My K-king, is he there?"
"Kaldur? What's wrong?" Aquaman asked immediately.
"The kidnappers came here. T-to Mount Justice." Aqualad whispered exhaustedly and the mentors all froze in horror. "We tried to hold them off, but they overwhelmed us before we could get to the monitor. Kid Flash, Robin, Artemis – we all got separated fighting. I found Miss Martian and Superboy. They're holding them off while I contact you." Aqualad explained. He sounded like he was ready to fall over any moment.
"We need help and fast, they need my help, no, Megan behind you!" Aqualad went from a breathily quiet to desperately loud quickly, and J'onn flinched at Aqualad's exclamation.
"We're on our way. Hold on Aqualad." Batman said quickly before cutting the link. He rushed towards the teleporter without a word, pushing other heroes out of his way as he ran through the halls. Flash shot off in a blur of red, worry for his nephew pushing him faster than he had ever gone before. The other mentors followed Batman and Superman followed after the rushing mentors, concern growing.
"What's wrong?" Superman asked as he ran behind Green Arrow and Aquaman.
"The kidnappers have attacked the team," Green Arrow called back. "Hopefully Barry is nearly there, if not already there. We need to hurry!"
Batman and J'onn were the first two in the teleporter and were gone in a flash of light. Green Arrow and Aquaman followed quickly. Superman got there just as a breathless Black Canary turned the corner and ran into the teleporter room, Red Tornado right behind her.
"What's wrong? I just got a mental message from Martian Manhunter to go to Mount Justice immediately." Black Canary said very quickly, blonde hair still swinging.
"Mount Justice has been attacked," Superman spat out very quickly before teleporting just outside Mount Justice. Black Canary gaped for a moment before entering the teleporter, Red Tornado right behind her once more.
Superman appeared outside Mount Justice's secret doors just as Flash ran to its doors. Superman had to jump out of the way so that Flash didn't run straight through him Barry was in such a rush to get inside Mount Justice.
Superman ran inside, barely noticing Black Canary and Red Tornado on his heels. He halted in the kitchen, where the other mentors had stopped.
"Where are they?" Superman asked immediately. Against his will he thought of Superboy being hurt, but fought down the worry. Superboy was not his problem and Superman still wasn't sure what to think of him as it was.
"There's no evidence of a fight here." Batman said, eyes scanning the perfect kitchen. "Nothing. There would have to be something, if not at the secret doorway than inside. But so far there's nothing here."
"Something's going on. Something's wrong." Green Arrow said quietly. He sent suspicious glances to the table and chairs, as if they were going to transform into the kidnappers and the injured Young Justice team.
"Spread out and cover the base," Superman suggested, and the other heroes nodded in agreement. They would search this place high and low to find their partners.
"I'll go alone." Flash said instantly before shooting off. He had been ready to hunt down Wally the moment Aqualad had said the base was attacked. He zoomed through the hallways, searching aimlessly for his nephew.
Green Arrow and Black Canary set off as well, Red Tornado going with Aquaman and Superman going with Martian Manhunter. Batman went on his own, knowing that if another hero went with him they would only slow him down.
Green Arrow and Black Canary ended up at the team's bedrooms. The Boy Wonder's was the first and the two heroes entered it carefully, examining their surroundings for any clues as to where the team itself had gone.
"Robin? Artemis?" Green Arrow called out to the perfectly clean room. No answer came and Green Arrow shook his head in frustration and disappointment.
"We'll find them," Black Canary said comfortingly, placing a hand on the archer's shoulder.
"It feels so sudden. One second we've got the kids under the best protection we can give, and the next they're missing and we're at a loss. I can't lose another kid Dinah." He whispered. They went into the next room, Wally's room. It was just as dark and empty looking.
Black Canary looked at him seriously. "We won't Ollie. We'll fight to the death to keep all of them and you know it. No kidnapper is gonna hurt them."
"We aren't the ones in danger. You are." A distorted voice said and both heroes turned around to see the door close, putting them in complete darkness. They went back to back but neither could see the speaker anywhere. There were no windows underground to let daylight in.
"That's why we're here. To help you." Several rapid punches hit Green Arrow in jaw and gut, sending him down and out. Black Canary felt Green Arrow let out a gasp before collapsing. She turned only to feel something hit her hard in the back of the head. She collapsed, unconscious.
"Visor Off," their attacker commanded.
The visor part of Flash's armor, meant to cover his eyes and let him see thermal images similar to how his goggles once did, lifted up and disappeared into the armor. He gazed down at the two mentors on the ground sadly. He wished they would have come quietly, that they would have just stayed put while Dark Justice took care of it, but both him and Nightwing had determined that their mentors and younger selves would do no such thing. They were against killing unlike Dark Justice and would only work to stop them, even if they sacrificed themselves by doing it. And neither Nightwing nor Flash could let that happen, not again.
Flash threw Green Arrow over his shoulder and lifted Black Canary bridal style, carefully as not to jostle them.
I have Green Arrow and Black Canary. Flash called out mentally to the minds connected to his. See you guys in the containment room.
The Crimson Speedster then sped off without waiting for any of his teammates and friends to reply back, knowing they all heard him.
Batman entered the cargo hold warily, expecting just about anything to jump out. He had found nothing on his way here but that didn't mean something wasn't waiting in the shadows. Ready to hurt Batman like they had hurt Dick.
Dick. He knew he didn't show it enough, but he loved the boy like a son and wouldn't have let a fly harm him if he could help it. But Dick wouldn't let Batman or Bruce hold him back, and neither had the heart to do it. Dick was a hero and would always be whether Batman approved or not.
Batman would strangle whoever had taken Dick when he got hands on them.
Batman looked sharply around the cargo hold, taking in every detail there was. There was no sign of anyone being here but that didn't mean there wasn't. Batman made his way to the silent bioship, making sure to check if anyone was inside. He felt eyes coming from somewhere and it put him on edge.
The bioship was dark and empty. Batman did a thorough sweep of it anyway and found little trace of Robin. Still missing. Batman's eyebrow twitched in irritation as his heart clenched in worry.
Batman walked cautiously out of the bioship only for something to fly at him the second he touched the ground. Batman dove out of the way, back into the bioship. He grabbed a batarang as whatever-it-was hit the bioship's hull, making a clang that said it had bounced off harmlessly.
Batman pressed his back against the wall of the bioship right next to the open door, adrenaline pumping. Whoever had Robin, had Dick, was right outside this door. Batman was instantly determined to obliterate them. He threw the batarang aimlessly, trusting his instincts and luck to help him.
It was then that something flew through the open door and into the bioship. Batman looked down and recognized it as one of those arrows that Green Arrow and Red Arrow used, ones that contained boxing glove or nets instead of sharp points. Batman had only a moment to dive behind a chair before the thing opened up and released a yellow gas.
Batman grabbed his breathalyzer and slipped it over his mask to secure clean oxygen. He stood, ready to get out of this Martian ship and confront whoever it was who kidnapped Young Justice. But when he took a step Batman realized his feet were getting wobbly and his focus off balance.
"The gas… is getting…past my breathalyzer!" Batman said in shock, gasping in-between words. The next thing the Dark Knight knew he had fallen to his hands and knees struggling to fight the gas. Batman could faintly hear the footsteps as a figure entered the bioship. The gas was still in the air and Batman wondered if they would drop as well.
The figure stopped before him. "Sorry Batman, but you don't stand much of a chance." They said and Batman was so dizzy that he couldn't tell if the voice was male or female.
But then Batman remembered that these people had his son and fought it. His hand grabbed the figure's ankle and pulled, bring the person to the ground. Batman wanted to tackle them and beat them to a bloody pulp until they gave Robin back, but it then that the gas finally took over.
Red Arrow pulled himself to his feet again, rubbing his now sore back – that fall had hurt and he had landed right on his unprotected back. He looked down at Batman.
"I forgot this one was full of surprises. I think I underestimated him; he fought that knock-out gas better than any of us ever could. I'll have to tell Nightwing." Red Arrow said to himself. He reached to pick the Dark Night up and threw him over his shoulder, making sure to be careful. Nightwing would kill him if Batman had a single scratch on him. It was the reason he chose to use an arrow filled with Nightwing's special knock-out gas – it wouldn't hurt the hero, just put him to sleep. No injuries to get him murdered over by one of his closest friends.
Red Arrow winched when Batman's cape fell over his injured arm. Damn. That batarang had scraped his arm, leaving a shallow yet stinging gash.
Batman may be uninjured, but didn't mean Red Arrow was. Just his luck.
Focusing a moment on his mental connection with his teammates, Red Arrow mentally called out, I got Batman. No worries Nightwing, he's safe and sound.
A black blur appeared stopped in front of Red Arrow and only years of experience kept him from starting. "Did you get your younger self?" the distorted voice of Flash asked.
Red Arrow shook his head. "My younger self is busy at the moment if my memory serves me correctly. I'm getting him next. Besides, Nightwing said I'd be of better use helping contain the mentors so Trident told me to wait. You here for Batman?" Red asked.
Flash nodded and Red Arrow, making sure to be careful, handed the unconscious Dark Knight over to him. Red Arrow was pretty sure his friend grinned and not smirked underneath the armored stealth suit, but he still had trouble predicting such things. His friends were no longer as predictable as they used to be, even the Flash.
"See you; oh, and Green Arrow's in the containment room already." With that the Flash left, not even waiting for Red Arrow's reaction. Red Arrow sighed. He wasn't sure how his old mentor was going to react, but he hoped that he would forgive Dark Justice.
But most importantly, Red Arrow hoped Green Arrow would forgive him.
Red Arrow set off for Star City, where he knew his younger self was currently fighting members of a particularly violent gang. Let's hope that his younger self, at least, was somewhat predictable.
Man he was a horrible psychic. Either that or his friends had changed and he was still stuck the same.
~Finally, the main event is coming. Also, if you think Dark Justice (their anagram is DJ, isn't that neat?) is taking down the Justice League or Young Justice too quickly, remember they have not only personal experience with both group's fighting styles but they know the past heroes very personally and have spent several months planning their attack. Young Justice and the League members have no advantages here and are caught by surprise. The past heroes don't even have home field advantage, so basically they're screwed.
The next few chappies will be the League members getting captured by Dark Justice. I will also be delving further into each Dark Justice member's past and how they have changed and became who they are in the future.
Red Arrow's biggest aftereffect of the Light's takeover was that he never got to accept Green Arrow's apologies and now never can. I personally think that Red Arrow has already forgiven Green Arrow somewhere inside himself in the actual series but won't admit it – he is very stubborn. This future Red Arrow is plagued by the fact that Ollie died thinking Red Arrow still hated him. I feel bad for the guy because how horrible would it be for your parents to die thinking you hated them and you can now never tell them that you don't?
This didn't dig deep much into Flash as much as it did the reasons they are capturing them. I'll get more into future Flash's head later – I got it all planned out.
I love my DaddyBats there. Don't you? It's so adorable I had to put it in. A bit of Green Arrow's fears for his kids as well. Chou! Review!
~For I Will Run You Over