Angel with a Shotgun
Chapter 3: Catalyst
mood music: The Catalyst by Linkin Park
He hadn't put on the suit in two years. It felt foreign and strange. He was so used to the Nighthawk suit. Jason clipped the belt around his waist. He stared down at the helmet and the red x on the face. He sighed and picked it up. There was a small smudge of dirt on the lens that he wiped off. He slowly, in an almost ceremonial way, put the helmet on and locked it.
There was a feel of raw power, like he could do anything. The suit had that effect on him. Jason hadn't felt that thrill in two years. He'd put the suit away and swore to become something new. He imagined that if he ever returned to this side of him, it'd be under extreme circumstances, a universal emergency.
He supposed it was one of those times.
Batman slammed his fist down on the hood of the Batmobile. He paced back and forth as Alfred stared at him. He held sympathy and great sadness in his eyes. He'd offered Bruce coffee, food, water, and everything he had was rejected.
"It's not your fault, sir," Alfred said.
"Like hell it's not!" Bruce snarled. He pulled his cowl down to reveal his piercing and furious eyes. "I was there, Alfred! I should've been able to handle Joker! Dick should be here right now!" He kicked the side of his car, scratching the paint job. "It's my fault." His head fell into his hands and he sunk down to the ground. "Jason should be here now, too." Alfred bent down to touch him, but Bruce stood and brushed his hand away. He marched to the Batcomputer and his fingers began typing away.
Alfred sighed. He knew Bruce wouldn't be going to bed that night. He walked off to make a pot of much-needed coffee.
The Team was scattered around the living room and kitchen. Barbara sat on the couch with Megan and Artemis on either side of her. She had tears in her eyes and her friends' arms around her shoulders. Kaldur and Conner were talking quietly in the corner. Wally stood behind the couch, his hands awkwardly resting on Artemis' shoulders. Zatanna stood off in another corner with Raquel nearby. They'd been devastated to find out Robin had been captured.
"Are we gonna go find him?" Conner asked in a hushed voice.
"I do not know," Kaldur said. "Batman has no leads on who captured Robin. Harley Quinn and The Joker have denied any such actions. We have no information."
Conner sighed. He looked back at Barbara and his frown softened. "We have to do something," he said, turning back.
"I know," Kaldur said. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.
Zatanna fiddled with her necklace. She sighed and looked up at Raquel. She nodded her head in Kaldur's direction and smiled slightly. Raquel shoved her halfheartedly and walked towards Kaldur. Zatanna smiled at them.
Barbara sniffled and wiped her nose.
"We'll find him," Megan promised her.
Barbara managed a small smile. "I know," she said.
"You know Batman won't give up until he finds Robin," Artemis said. Barbara nodded.
"Team," Red Tornado said over the intercom, "suit up and report to the mission room."
"Ugh," Artemis groaned grouchily. "Is he seriously going to give us a mission right now?"
Barbara stood from the couch and towards her room so she could change.
When the whole Team reported to the mission room, Red Tornado pulled up pictures of three different buildings. "There have been recent burglaries from STAR Labs, Queen Industries, and Lexcorp," he said. "Three items were stolen from each company in one night. Batman has deduced that this thief will strike Wayne Industries next."
Batgirl narrowed her eyes.
"The Team is to wait for this thief at Wayne Industries' main building in Gotham and take him down," Red Tornado continued. "Understood?"
"Understood," Aqualad said.
"Gotham again," Kid Flash said, cracking his knuckles. "Maybe while we're there, we can crack down on Joker, too."
They had everything planned out. After losing Robin, the Team planned to have a successful mission to have something gone right. They'd asked Red Arrow to help them out, to take up the one spot they were missing. He and Aqualad were positioned on the first floor. Superboy, Kid Flash, and Batgirl were watching from the rooftops. Artemis and Miss Martian were on the tenth floor. Zatanna and Rocket were on the fifteenth floor. Security guards were scattered on the other floors. No thief was going to get past them.
Batgirl's eyes scanned the dark horizon. She'd been silent all night.
Kid Flash glanced over at her. "You alright?" he asked hesitantly.
She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I just need some time to think."
Kid Flash got the message and backed off. He found himself at Superboy's side. They exchanged glances and nodded.
Red Arrow toyed with his bowstring. He looked up at Aqualad from across the lobby. "He's really gone, isn't he?" he asked.
"I'm afraid so, my friend," Aqualad said. "Batman is on the case, though I fear it may be…a while before we get our teammate back."
Red Arrow nodded. He held his bow a little higher and stood a little taller.
A dark, lithe shadow snuck along the perimeter of the building. He took out a small dart and a long tube. He held the tube to his mouth and shot the dart at a guard. He let out a strangled cry and his body went completely stiff. He couldn't move. The figure climbed into the window next to him and into the back room. He peered through the glass of the door and saw Aqualad and Red Arrow standing alert. The figure jumped up, grabbed an air vent, and yanked it off. He climbed inside and disappeared.
Superboy's ear twitched. He turned his head in alert.
"What is it, boy?" Kid Flash asked.
Superboy cast him an annoyed look. "I hear someone moving through the air vents," he said.
"I'm on it," Kid Flash said, pulling down his goggles. "What floor is he on?"
"Seventh, moving up to eighth," Superboy said quickly. Kid Flash zoomed off and down the building.
"I'll alert the others," Batgirl said. She pressed her finger to her comm. "Guys," she said, "the thief's in the building. Kid Flash went off to intercept him on the eighth floor."
"Lockdown!" Aqualad said. He ran to the lobby computer and typed a password into the keyboard. The doors slammed shut and suddenly became encased in metal. All the windows boarded up with titanium bars. He and Red Arrow ran off to the stairs.
Kid Flash zipped around the eighth floor and found no one. He repeated the routine with the next six floors and found nothing. "Zatanna, Rocket," he said into his comm., "the thief's heading your way through the air vents. I'm coming up."
Rocket powered up. The vent was kicked open and the figure jumped out. He ran past the two girls and down the hall.
Zatanna held her arm out. "Wodahs ot sdni—"
The figure jumped in midair, turned, and threw an adhesive rectangle. It slapped onto her mouth, stopping her spell. Zatanna desperately tried to pry the sticky substance from her mouth, but to no avail.
Rocket flew forward and trapped him in a bubble. The figure threw down a gas pellet at his feet. Rocket expanded the bubble and the smoke dispersed to reveal empty space. "He's getting away!"
The figure charged into the largest room down the hall. A metal case containing a weapon stood in the middle of the room under a spotlight. He ran forward and pointed his gauntlet at it. A red beam shot out and cut a hole in the invisible force field. He reached through and pulled the weapon out. The whole Team burst through the back doors with their weapons and fists drawn.
The figure threw his hood on to hide his face. He clipped the weapon to his gauntlet and aimed it at them. "Let me go free and no one gets hurt," he said in a mechanical sounding voice.
"The only person getting hurt is you!" Kid Flash said. He zoomed forward. The figure jumped into the air and kicked him in the face.
Superboy bounded forward, but the figure pulled out a piece of green Kryptonite. Superboy fell to his knees and nearly passed out.
Artemis shot an arrow that he dodged and aimed a kick at his head. He grabbed her leg and threw her backwards. He fired a grapple up at the ceiling and crashed through the metal plates.
"To the roof!" Aqualad said. The Team bolted out of the room.
The figure burst through the trapdoor on the ceiling and took off in a run. Batgirl climbed out of the trapdoor and threw a batarang. It whizzed through the air and sliced a strand of hair from his head. "Hey!"
He skidded to a stop and turned. "Don't make me hurt you," he said.
"Funny," Batgirl said, leaning on one leg, "I was just about to say the same to you."
The figure took out a pellet from his belt. Batgirl did the same. He hesitated. After a moment, he pulled the pellet back and Batgirl mirrored him. He charged at her. Batgirl dodged his punch and kick. He caught her leg and tried to throw her balance off. Batgirl spun around and kicked him in the face. The hood fell from his face and a metal face piece followed it. Batgirl gasped.
"Robin?"
The Boy Wonder stood and wiped some spit from his mouth. He surged forward and bombarded Batgirl with a volley of punches. She tried to block all of them.
"Robin, it's me, Batgirl!" she said. He growled and swept her legs out from under her. He pinned her to the ground and grabbed a taser from his belt.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. Batgirl screamed when she was shocked and everything went black.
He dumped the weapon on Deathstroke's table. "There," he said. "Happy?"
Deathstroke examined the weapon. He chuckled. "I am quite satisfied," he said. "Your performance was quite entertaining, Renegade."
He grimaced at the new name. "What do I have to do next?"
"Patience," Deathstroke said. "For now, you may relax. I have a mission for my other apprentice."
The door behind him opened and a dark figure walked out. Renegade gasped. "Red X?"
He removed his helmet. "Robin?"
Deathstroke smiled under his mask. "I see you two know each other," he mused. "Good."
Red X's eyes went wide. Renegade's did the same. Realization dawned on them that they were there for the same reasons.
"Red X," Deathstroke said, "Young Justice is scheduled for a stakeout mission at LexCorp. They know that's where we will strike next. Your job is to retrieve LexCorp's supply of Kryptonite. If you meet any trouble with the Team," he stood and locked the weapon onto X's gauntlet, "take them out."
"You're sure?"
"Positive." Barbara paced back and forth in the living room. She was holding back tears as Batman demanded she tell him exactly what happened. "The thief was Robin. I know that face when I see it." Artemis gently grabbed her shoulders and guided her down into the couch. Barbara sobbed into her shoulder.
Batman narrowed his eyes. "My information tells me that Deathstroke the Terminator has been seeking the items Robin stole," he said. "Robin must be working for him."
Wally glared. "It has to be more than that!" he said, standing. "Rob wouldn't just abandon us like that! He's not evil!"
"I'm not saying he is," Batman said. "But as long as he's committing crimes, he's a criminal that has to be stopped." Batgirl knew he was hiding his pain. He was good at that. "I understand that the Team had some trouble combating him."
"We failed to defeat him in combat," Kaldur said.
Zatanna slowly stood from the couch. "Maybe we should call in someone who can," she suggested hesitantly. Batman stared at her. He knew what she was hinting at. "Maybe…we should call in Jason." The whole Team looked expectantly up at Batman. Zatanna had never outright suggested bringing Jason back before.
Batman sighed. "There's something I need to tell you," he said, looking around at them all.
… …
Batman put the CD into the large TV and clicked it on. "Jason asked me to show this to you if…the situation called for it," he said. The TV sparked to life and Batman walked out of the room quickly. The Team exchanged confused and worried glances.
Jason's face appeared on the screen. His black hair was messy and his eyes looked tired. "Hey, guys," he said, smiling. He laughed slightly and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "If you're watching this, then…wow, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be." He sighed and looked away from the camera. "If you're watching this, then that means I've died in the war."
Zatanna sobbed and clamped her hand over her mouth. Her cyan eyes were brimmed with tears.
"I just wanted to make this video so I could say some things that I may never get the chance to," Jason continued. "Kaldur, you're the greatest warrior and soldier I've ever met. You are the most loyal person I know and I completely admire your ability to keep a calm head, even in that Team of yours." Kaldur chuckled a little and wiped a tear from his eye. "Just keep doing what you're doing and I know that the Justice League will have a new member soon."
"Wally, you're probably the best bro a guy could ask for. You're there when I need a long night of video games and junk food." Wally half smiled. "I'm glad to have met you. You're crazy, as any good speedster should be. Take care of Artemis, got it?" Artemis smiled and took Wally's hand.
Jason chuckled and wiped his wet eyes. He chuckled sadly before continuing. "Conner, you're the strongest person I know, physically and mentally. You're stubborn and hot-headed, but the person I'd want most at my side in any fight, not because of your super strength, but because of your strong fighting spirit. You're a warrior and a fighter and I know that you are a great hero." Conner cracked a smile as he squeezed M'gann's hand.
"Raquel, you're the spunkiest girl I've ever met. You amaze me with your adoration of 'sidekicks'." Raquel laughed as tears fell from her eyes. "I know that you'll be a great hero of the Justice League someday. Just hang on until then."
"M'gann, you're the most understanding, compassionate, and loving girl I've ever met." M'gann smiled. "I thought when I met you that you'd make a great mother and if I had one, I'd want my mother to be just like you. Make sure Conner doesn't get too crazy, alright?" Conner grunted and M'gann laughed.
"Artemis, I know that no matter what I say, you'll just want to kick my butt." Artemis managed a laughed as she watched from Wally's shoulder. "I almost wish that I could be there so could kick it. But, I'm not. You're the most kick-butt girl I know and that's why you're the best. I can't tell you how much you mean to me. Don't forget about me, okay? And don't let Wally do anything stupid, too. That's your job now."
"Barbara," Jason laughed nervously, "you're amazing. You've been like a sister to me and I'm honored to have worked beside you. You do the same job Batman and Robin do and you do just as good as they do it." Barbara's throat tightened up and she couldn't even laugh. "Keep an eye on Rob for me, 'kay?" She sobbed. "Oh, and I've got some files in the Batcave. I'm sure that you could hack them no problem, if you haven't already, but go ahead and delete those for me…unless you wanna keep them. Just do whatever you want with them." He looked like he wanted to say more, but shook his head and moved on.
"Robin, you've been the best brother ever. I'm sorry I haven't always been there for you when you needed me. I still don't know how you've put up with me. I'm your clone, Batman's clone. I was designed to be better than you and you still accepted me so easily. How did you do it? I don't get it." Jason shook his head in disbelief. "I could not be more honored to have been cloned from you. You're one of the greatest heroes I've ever met. Take care of Barbara, got it? Because if you don't my ghost will come back to haunt you." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't let her go, bro."
Jason sighed and looked seriously into the camera. "Zatanna, I'm sorry." Zatanna sobbed and fell to her knees at the foot of the couch. "I feel like I abandoned you and I'm so sorry. I hope that you won't curse my grave or put a spell on my corpse to make it dance or something like that." Jason grimaced and slapped his head to his forehead. "Sorry, this totally isn't the time to be joking around." He took a deep breath and gazed into the camera. "Promise to do something for me: move on. You promised that you'd wait for me before I left. It's okay to break that promise now." Zatanna shook her head as tears flowed freely from her eyes. "I want you to be happy. And if being happy means being with another guy, then I encourage it. Please…just don't forget about me. Find somebody else, be happy, but…remember me. And I know I should've said this a long time ago, but…I love you, Zatanna. And I feel really stupid for never saying this to your face."
Jason sighed. "That's it," he said simply. "Don't miss me too much, alright? Oh, and Rob…I want you to find someone else to be Nighthawk. Only if you can, of course. Just…if you ever find a little kid out there who has the potential, give him my old suit and teach him. I don't want the Nighthawk legacy to end with me. So, take the kid under your wing and make him a hero."
"So, I just wanted to say goodbye. Bye. Love you guys." Jason waved to the camera and shut it off. The screen went black.
The Team stared. Everyone had tears in their eyes.
Batman crept silently back into the room. "Jason died in an explosion," he said. "I'm having his body transferred back here. We'll have a memorial service and funeral soon." Without another word, Batman swept out of the room to leave the mourning Team to themselves.
Red X crouched low in the bushes lining the area around LexCorp Headquarters. Deathstroke had assigned him to steal the Kryptonite supply at Basement Level 1. Red X knew it would be a dangerous job getting out from there if he got caught. He'd expected Young Justice to be there, but there was no sign of them. Jason hoped that Batman had reported his death to them by then.
A rustle of a bush alerted him. Red X jumped.
Renegade jumped out of a nearby tree and landed next to him. "What's up?" he asked casually. He was sporting a new outfit that Deathstroke designed for him. It consisted of a deep, dark, blood red body suit, with padded body armor, and a matching dual spiked domino mask. A bright red wing stretched down his chest in a V from his shoulders, the pattern repeating on his back. He also wore flexible black gloves with two spiked scallops and matching combat boots. A bulky grey utility belt with a black center was clipped around his waist.
"Rob—Renegade?" Red X said, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here? Deathstroke said this was a solo mission."
"I convinced him to let me tag along," Renegade said, not taking his eyes off of the building. "Is the Team here?"
"No," Red X said. He zoomed in through his helmet lens and checked out the building through the windows. "There's hardly any security."
"It could be a trap," Renegade said grimly.
"I've considered that," Red X said. He latched a pack of knockout pellets onto his utility belt. He charged in, moving silently.
"X, wait!" Renegade sighed. "He hasn't changed at all in six months." He jumped over the bush and followed his partner in crime.
Red X crept along the shadows of the grand building and stuck close to the outer walls. He switched x-ray vision on in his helmet and spotted a secret cellar entrance. He pried the hatched open and hopped inside. Renegade caught the hatch before it closed and jumped down after him.
The basement was dark. It looked like some kind of long garage with cement floors and walls. Large bookshelves stacked with old and rare-looking items were placed around the room to make aisles.
Renegade looked around. "How are we gonna find Kryptonite in here?" he asked incredulously.
"Follow me," Red X said, looking down at his glove computer. He walked down an aisle and hung a left. Renegade followed him. He looked around at the shelves and mysterious items. "The Kryptonite is in the back, locked in a high security safe."
"You'd think Lex Luthor would have it all with him at all times," Renegade said. He looked back when he heard a small scuffling noise. He stopped in his tracks.
Red X looked back at him. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Renegade turned the night vision on in his mask. "You find the Kryptonite," he said. He crept down the aisles, glancing warily around, searching for some invisible being. "I'll be back here."
Red X raised an eyebrow underneath his mask. "Alright," he said slowly, turning back to his front. He looked down at his glove computer and walked towards the green dot on the map.
Another scuffle made Renegade jump to his left. He instinctively struck the air and was surprised to find his fist collide with someone's face.
"Ow!" Kid Flash yelped, falling to the floor. He cradled his bleeding nose in his hands. "Nithe hook, Rob," he said through the blood. Renegade's eyes went wide.
Red X smiled when he found the safe. He plugged his glove computer into it and began hacking. He heard a loud yelp that sounded like Kid Flash and a bead of sweat dripped down his face. He had really hoped to make it out of there without having to confront the Team. He examined the safe and tapped the surface lightly with his thumb. Lead. Figures.
Renegade took a fighting stance. He jabbed Kid Flash in the gut and kicked him in the side. "X!" he called. "We gotta go." He ran towards the blue glow of Red X's glove computer, but was blocked by Aqualad. Renegade jumped back and threw a heat bola at him. Aqualad fell weakly to his knees. Renegade kicked him in the face and jumped over him.
Batgirl jumped in front of him, but he quickly threw a flash bang down to blind her. Renegade ran off before she even had the chance to see him.
Red X pried the last layer of protection away and yanked the tube of Kryptonite out. "Here we go!" he said
triumphantly. He felt that painfully familiar thrill of stealing that he got back in his Cadmus days. He could almost feel Sonic and Cyclone's presences and see their exhilarated smiles.
An explosion drew his attention to his right. Renegade jumped over a fallen case and ran to his side. They both took off in a run towards the exit. Red X pulled a pellet out of his utility belt and tossed it over his shoulder. Artemis, Kid Flash, and Rocket raced around the corner and immediately got lost on the cloud of smoke.
"The escape hatch is over here!" Red X said, hanging a left. Renegade followed him as they neared the hidden exit. Zatanna and Miss Martian suddenly appeared in front of the exit. The two thieves skidded to a stop. Renegade immediately bolted down the aisle to his left. Red X was stuck in his tracks for a moment. His eyes met Zatanna's and his heart jumped into his throat. Regaining his ability to think, Red X followed Renegade.
"We'll have to get out through the lobby," Renegade said. He threw a birdarang at Rocket as she flew close to them. She protected herself with a bubble and lost them in the smoke of the explosion.
Red X saw the door to stairs that led up to the lobby. He fired a grapple and latched the hook onto the concrete above the door. It pulled him forward and he kicked the door open. Renegade closed the door behind him and dropped a small mine.
They flew up the stairs and the beeping of the mine sped up. It peaked and the explosion rocked the walls.
"Let's go!" Red X said, waving towards the door.
"You're not going anywhere!"
He and Renegade skidded to a stop as Kid Flash appeared in front of the exit.
"Yeah, that's right!" he gloated. "I can vibrate my molecules through solid objects! Whatcha gonna do about that?"
"This." Renegade whipped out his taser and latched the cords onto Kid Flash's chest. He cried out when the electric shock struck him. He groaned and crumpled to the ground. Renegade and Red X jumped over his body and through the exit. They made it maybe 10 yards from the exit when the familiar sound of an arrow whizzing through the air sounded. The two immediately ducked and a green arrow soared over their heads. They turned and faced the Team.
"Here," Red X said, tossing Renegade the tube of Kryptonite, "take it. I'll create a distraction." Renegade tucked the Kryptonite into his belt and ran off. Red X took out his electric brass knuckles and charged in for a fight.
Aqualad ran forward to meet him. He slashed at Red X and kicked. Red X deflected the blows and landed a sharp jab with the brass knuckles on his face. Aqualad bent backwards and Red X jump kicked him. "Superboy, Kid Flash, Batgirl," Aqualad said, "follow me!" He took off after Renegade and the three followed him.
Red X attempted to go after them, but Artemis fired an exploding arrow at his feet.
"I don't think so, buddy," she said menacingly.
Red X narrowed his eyes. He fired off a grapple in the opposite direction and landed on a rooftop. He began racing across the buildings and soon became aware that Artemis, Miss Martian, Rocket, and Zatanna were following him. He slowed to a stop and whipped around, throwing a batarang. Rocket created a bubble around them and the batarang exploded in a cloud of smoke. The bubble dissolved and Red X burst through the smoke. He punched Rocket in the face and kicked the base of her Inertia belt. He stuck his taser in her gut and she fell to the ground.
Artemis fired a net arrow at him. Red X slashed at it with a dagger into two pieces. He leapt forward and kicked. Artemis blocked with her bow and he twisted it out of her grasp. He punched her aside.
Miss Martian grabbed him in a telekinetic hold and lifted him into the air. Red X struggled and wriggled a heat bola into his hand. He threw it and it looped around Miss Martian's body. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground, dropping Red X. He landed on his feet and was immediately met with Artemis' foot to his face.
The helmet hit the ground. He whipped around and fixed his gun on Zatanna. She gasped.
"Jason?"
Green eyes stared emotionlessly through his domino mask. "Sorry we have to meet up this way."
… …
Renegade skirted into an alley and fired a grapple up to the roof. He landed safely and took off in a run. He heard the sound of another grapple being fired and footsteps following soon after. He heard another whooshing sound and ducked to the right.
Superboy crashed down on the spot where Renegade had been only seconds before. He looked around and aimed a punch at Renegade. The thief flipped backwards and flashed the tube of Kryptonite. Superboy cried out weakly and fell to his knees. He passed out and Renegade jumped over him.
Batgirl jumped in front of him as he tried to get away. "Robin, stop!" she said forcefully.
Renegade snarled. "I'm not Robin anymore!" he yelled. He viciously struck out and Batgirl blocked his fist. He whipped around and roundhouse kicked her. "I'm tired of living in Batman's shadow!"
Aqualad body slammed him to the ground. Renegade locked his fists together and punched him, resulting in a sickening crunch from his jaw. He jumped to his feet when a blur passed him and punched him in the face. Another blur passed and kicked him in the stomach. Renegade growled in frustration and wiped some spit from his mouth.
Kid Flash zoomed up to him and slammed him backwards. Renegade tumbled and fell over the edge. "Rob!" Kid Flash ran to the edge and looked down.
Renegade sprang up on a grapple and kicked him in the face. He punched Kid Flash in the face and threw his body to the side.
… …
Zatanna stared. "J-Jason," she stuttered, "…what?"
He smiled wickedly. "In the flesh," he said. "Miss me?"
"You're alive?" Artemis asked in disbelief.
Jason snickered. "No, Artemis, I'm obviously a ghost," he said. "What do you think?"
"Why are you working for Slade?" Rocket asked, unsteadily getting to her feet.
"I'm done playing hero," Red X spat. "That part of my life is over. It's time I get what I deserve." He charged forward at Artemis. She blocked his punch and kicked him in the gut. She whipped around and smacked him in the face with her bow.
"You're supposed to be dead!" Artemis yelled, tears forming in the brim of her eyes.
"It was a trick," Red X said. "I knew my death would throw you off, make you weaker. And I was right! You heroes are weak."
Artemis roared in rage and tackled him with all her might. Tears fell from her eyes and onto his face. Red X tucked his legs up and kicked her off. He flipped to his feet, took out his taser, and shocked her into unconsciousness.
Rocket ran up to him and punched him in the face. Red X stumbled back. He regained his balance and leapt forward. He punched her thrice with his electric brass knuckles and kicked her back.
"Eit mih pu—"
Red X whipped around and threw an adhesive X. It slapped over Zatanna's mouth. He threw a bola at her that wrapped around her legs. Red X ran to the edge of the building, grabbing his mask along the way, and began to climb over. He cast one last lingering look at Zatanna. She was on the ground, looking up at him through her long black hair. The pain in her eyes was evident and it pierced through him. Red X jumped over the side and hit the button on the middle of his belt, vanishing without a sound.
… …
Renegade grabbed Kid Flash and threw his body into Aqualad's. The two tumbled to the side and down the open stairway of the apartment building. Renegade turned and faced Batgirl. "Are we gonna do this the easy way," he asked, "or the hard way?"
Batgirl took out three batarangs.
Renegade narrowed his eyes. "The hard way, then," he said. He swept forward and threw a punch. Batgirl blocked and tripped him with her foot. Renegade fell to the ground and Batgirl pinned him there with her body.
"Wake up, Robin!" She slapped him across the face.
Renegade kicked her off and made a fun for it. Batgirl fired off a grapple and tied it around his body. She yanked him to the ground and kicked him in the face. Renegade ripped the grapple line from his body. He stood and rolled his jaw. Batgirl aimed a punch at his face. He grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and kicked her to the ground. He ran to the edge of the building and dove over the side.
Renegade tossed Deathstroke the tube of Kryptonite. The villain caught it easily. He smiled underneath his mask.
"Is that it?" Red X asked, folding his arms.
"Oh, no," Deathstroke said, chuckling. "We haven't even begun."
AN: There you have it. Sorry for the slightly late update. So, the Team knows now. What do you think will happen next?
Please read and review!
May the Force be with you
~Skylion425