Young Justice: Everymen

Knight Sky

Disclaimer: Young Justice belongs to Greg Weisman, Brandon Vietti, Cartoon Network, and DC Comics.

The Oxford Comma belongs to Oxford (clearly) but I rather like to use it.

Cassie saw the energy blast before he did. His robot had stood up alarmingly quickly for such a huge chunk of metal.

"Draper!" She shouted, as she saw the robot's palm lighting up. Even she had played enough video games and watch enough superhero movies to know that glowing palm weren't good signs.

She launched herself at Alvin and knocked him and herself to the floor as the blast soared over their heads and hit the other robot in the foot.

Tim groaned at the impact. Did she have to be as powerful as a semi-truck? She was certainly as subtle as one.

There was a creak of gears and metal from the robot that had crashed through the wall as it too lifted itself up. Its hand started to glow as well.

"Not good," Cassie muttered, and snatched Draper up from under his shoulders. She did not want to be surrounded by giant, laser-shooting robots.

She pushed off the ground (leaving a small crate in the ground) and soared upward and as the energy blast nearly missed Draper's feet. With a clank and flying sparks the blast hit the other robot square in the cheast plate. It creaked and leaned backward from the impact.

Cassie stared as Alvin dangled beneath her. At least it wasn't them geting clobbered. Then she had an idea.

"Hey, Alvin," she shouted down to him. "ready to get thrown? Maybe you can rip out the wiring or something." He didn't respond immediately.

Tim had noticed something was wrong. The walls were thin- way too thin- for Lexcorp, a company that prided itself on producing high grade materials. While that didn't mean much by itself, his robot had then fired towards him and Cassie at a ridiculously close range and missed them hitting them all together. The blast had instead hit Cassie's robot...

"Hey, Alvin..." He didn't answer.

"Hey, Small Fry," she said nudging him awkwardly with her foot in midair.

"...what?"

She paused and looked at him. "You do have powers right?"

He gave her a look.

Not waiting for an answer, she started swinging him, ready to launch him at her robot.

"Wait-No!" Tim shouted over the energy blasts. He had cringed, preparing to crash into the robot, only to find that she was still holding onto him.

"Wait a moment," he repeated, frowning at her. "I want to see something. Set us down in the corner."

Cassie frowned back. "So we get cornered and blasted point blank?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just do it."

She complied (albeit rather grudgingly).

That was when Cassie's robot punched Tim's. Bingo.

Tim almost smiled. This test wasn't just testing strength. That was why the walls were designed to be so thin that they could be knocked down. So that the rooms could be connected. So that the robots could be in the same room together.

They weren't the ones that were supposed to be fighting the robots. The robots were fighting each other.

Crouching in the corner, he watched. Tim's robot ripped an arm off of Cassie's robot. In retaliation, Cassie's robot sent a energy blast at Tim's and Tim's robot sparked madly as it powered down. It fell to the floor with a thunderous crash.

"Yeah! Rock 'em, sick 'em robots," Cassie shouted. And then paused. She blinked.

"So when they said 'fight!'," Cassie whispered to Tim, "they weren't talking to us? They were talking to the robots?"

"Apparently."

She looked at the giant hole in the wall and crater in the ground and pursed her lips. "How the hell were supposed to figure that out!?"

Tim shrugged and noticed something metallic flash out of the corner of his eye. He turned. Eyes glowing, Cassie's robot had turned its head towards them and raised its energy blasting arm out to them. They were its new opponents. Cassie saw it too.

"Care to do the honors?" Tim asked, nodding towards the already partially destroyed robot.

"Don't mind if I do." In one superhuman jump and in a fell punch, the robot was decapitated and crashed to the floor where it moved no more.

Tim dusted off his clothes. Not too bad for his first time against a giant robot. He'd have to tell Dick about it when he got home.

Looking around the room, he saw the small security camera in the corner. He nodded ever-so-slightly. That's where they had been observing. The camera had been nearly impossible to see when the room was half darkened but now it glittered like a beetle's eyeball from the incoming light through the hole in the wall.

CLANK!

Giving the robot one good kick in the midsection (just be sure and definitely not for her pleasure), Cassie started to head to the door. She paused right in front of the doorway so that Tim could catch up.

Giving one last look at the camera, he called over to her. "You go ahead. I need a second."

She shook her head. "That means I win."

"What?"

"I'll finish first."

"Oh." He glanced back at the security camera warily then down a the still unmoving robots. His eyes went back to Cassie. He wouldn't get any info if they were so many eyes on him. "Right. Let's go."

Walking slightly behind Cassie, he covertly pulled his rubber-tipped gloves out of his pocket and put them on again. As the robots had been neutralized he did not have the need to use his powers.

It just wasn't right. He had felt the lightning in his palms almost begging to come out and stream into the automatons. He shivered. The sensation was so raw and powerful. He didn't want to take the gloves off again anytime soon.

They left the robots as they were and exited, leaving the disaster zone behind them. The door shut.

As soon as the lock clicked, the robots' eyes glowed again as they picked themselves up off the ground. With a few creaks and sparks, they began reattaching their limbs and heads and started repairing the wall that divided the two rooms.

There was a burst of sound as the chattering metas turned to see two very dusty teens exit their room.

"No way," Cassie moaned. "We're the last ones out?"

Tim looked around the room, counting heads. "...twenty two. Looks like it."

"...and then the robot walked through the wall and I was like, 'Shit! Not another!' 'Cos, you know, I had already fried mine and I didn't want to show off too much, you know," Hotshot bragged in the midst of the chaos, flames dancing from fingertip to fingertip. "But then the Challenger just came out from behind the robot and ripped out the wires in its legs. And we were done."

The Challenger nodded awkwardly, hopping from foot to foot self-consciously. It looked like Hotshot had left out some of the messier details of the assessment. In addition to the Challenger's already incinerated shirt (courtesy of Hotshot), his jeans had also mysteriously turned into cut-offs. His shoes were nowhere to be seen.

Cassie grinned and turned around to share her finding with Alvin (she could notice things too), but he was nowhere to be found.

She saw Len off to the side of the hall, sneaking a cigarette and looking very pleased with himself. He saw her looking around and beckoned for her to come over.

"How'd it go, kid?" he asked her, taking a long drag on the cigarette. He coughed and a cloud of smoke escaped his mouth. Cassie crinkled her nose. Len took another drag ignoring her face.

"Friend got me into this," he said nodding to the cigarette. "He just liked to watch the flame."

With a flick of his hand, he covered the burning tip and extinguished the cigarette, leaving the tip with a small coating of frost.

"Tried to quit. And that's why you don't do drugs, kiddo." He grimaced (an almost-smile) and flashed his yellowing teeth at her. He glanced around the hall where the metas where.

"So, where's Small Fry?" Len asked, changing the subject. "Saw you two leave the room together."

Cassie shrugged. "I have no idea. He snuck off when I wasn't looking."

He nodded, deep in thought. "How'd you fight? Heard all the walls got knocked down."

Cassie nodded. "It was fine. Not a scratch on me or Draper...Small Fry," she added at his questioning look.

"Sneaky, isn't he?" Len asked.

"I guess."

"What's his deal?"

"His deal?"

"Enhanced senses? Shadow manipulation? He's not a speedster, anyway."

Cassie bit her lip. The man seemed rather interested in him. Too much maybe.

"I don't know. I didn't get to see him go at it. Yeah, he's not a speedster," she added. "No collar. I don't think he's got enhanced senses or reflexes either."

"So those flips he did earlier were just skill?" He gave a low whistle. Cassie frowned.

"Maybe he's telepathic and throws himself around."

"...maybe." Cassie didn't like how he was looking at Alvin. "Listen, I've gotta go..."

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead." He waved her away.

Cassie shoved herself into the crowd and disappeared into the noise.

The intercom crackled to life again. "Congratulations on completing the assessment. Please exit the double doors at the end of the hallway for initiation debriefing..."

Tim's suitcase bounced slightly as it landed on the bed. He had managed to score one of the single-bed dorm rooms. Though, "dorm room" was maybe pushing it. All the rooms were placed on the top floor (above ground) of the Institute. He had gotten the tiny corner room, which was a glorified closet, with a desk and bed stuffed into it. But he had gotten what he had wanted the most: privacy.

Unzipping the small suitcase (the Institute assured the applicants that they could provide everything), Tim made sure his gloves were securely on before taking out the laptop.

Completely ignoring the desk, he settled into the tiny patch of floor and booted up his computer. Cracking his neck and stretching out his fingers, he began to type in his

findings:

"Twenty two metas. 14 male. 8 female.

"Known meta-abilities: pyrokenisis, enhanced healing, size control (x2), flight, super strength..."

After he was done with his initial notes he started up profiles on Janice Morgan the assistant-director, Captain Cold and Cassandra Sandsmark.

He started mapping a lay out of the building. It was way deeper than the building plans had recorded, he noticed, frowning. How deep did it go?

Tim bit his lip. More importantly was Captain Cold doing here? The Rogues of Central City were almost completely anti-meta and since when did they hang around DC?. How was Cold even let it?

Tim sighed, and tapped away at his files before running them through the encryption program and saving. He snapped his laptop shut.

Besides the minor setbacks of the deep building and Captain Cold, the Everyman project seemed legitimate. They even gave free handouts to the applicants that couldn't afford it, according to the Giant.

Well played, Lex, Robin thought darkly. It couldn't be that simple or that honest, could it?

He stretched and yawned and decided it was best to go to bed without a shower (he had been avoiding them as much as he could after the Everyman procedure). He needed to get some rest. Dealing with untrained metas was troublesome enough without sleep deprivation too.

He glanced at the clock. "02:00," it read.

Tim smiled slightly. Dick would still be up for a few more hours.

Batman crouched atop a roof staring down into the dark alleyway beneath him. A cold, winter wind ruffled his cape and made it fly out into the black Gotham sky.

The full-length cape had made Dick's costume significantly heavier when he had first taken over as the Dark Knight. Not that it had been any of his choice to become Batman in the first place. Tim had been half way to Arkuam Asylum in Bruce's old suit before Dick had stopped him. No seventeen-year-old kid should have take over all of Gotham.

It was the weight on Bruce's shoulders and he had hardly been able to handle it. The cape was just extra weight on Dick's shoulders. It was the extra weight that had been shed when he was Nightwing.

The cold wind ate right through his costume, however and, for tonight at least, he was happy that he was wearing Batman's heavy cape.

Dick watched his breath come out in puffs of smoke and he looked downward into the alley. It was deserted now, at least, but he knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

Pressing his fingers into his earpiece, he whispered into it. "Oracle. Do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, B-man," came Barbara's voice crackling out of it. There was clacking at the keyboard. "I'm getting eyes on the perimeter as we speak."

There was a pause and a muttered curse from Oracle.

"Shit."

"What?"

"Smart," she said, "alley's in a blind spot. Apparently the cameras surrounding it got ruined in the snow fall last week."

"Sabotage?"

"Probably...look Dick, I don't think that you should do this alone. I could call Huntress..."

"Babs, I'll be fine. I've been doing this since I was nine. Trust me. I won't be whelmed-"

Dick stopped talking. He had heard a small creak on the roof from where he was crouched.

WHAM! Dick was knocked off his feet and landed ten feet away, winded. He gasped for air.

"Batman!" Barbara's voice shouted out of the com-link. "You okay? What happened?"

"Looks like the Bat wanted to drop in for a visit." Bane said, massaging his wrist menacingly. "I don't like it when my guests come uninvited."

Dick groaned and awkwardly reached into his utility belt for a batarang. Bane was easily enough defeated if you knew which chords to cut.

He let the batarang fly and twist back around to where the strength inducing serum was pumped into Bane's body. He heard a thunk come from Bane's back. He waited for Bane's muscles to deflate.

Nothing happened.

Bane laughed, pulling the batarang out of his back before throwing it to the side. "No serum anymore. I've upgraded," he growled.

He ran across to where Dick was trying to pick himself up, his fist clenched, his eyes livid. The fist connected with Dick's chest again and he let out a grunt. Another ouch and Dick was down on his knees again. Another punch... desperately, Dick reached into his utility belt. Maybe a flash-bomb would-

"Stop right there," came a voice from behind them.

Bane punched Dick again. Dick coughed hoarsely.

Then there was a gust of wind so strong that it knocked Bane off of Dick. Bane tumbled like falling leaves and landed away from Batman.

There was a rumble in the sky and the winds picked up, centering over the apartment complex they were currently standing on.

"I said, stop right there." Dick turned and saw a small, old woman with curlers in her hair standing near the access stairs.

Bane groaned and lifted himself to his feet, staggering and growling.

"Get off of my building," the old lady hissed.

"Dick!" Barbara's voice cried through the com-link.

The old lady swept her arms and more wind sent Bane flying off the roof. The thunder rumbled again as another crash was heard as Bane hit the pavement below.

In an instant, the woman dropped her hands and the night sky cleared, revealing a few fuzzy, far away stars. She looked concerned as she walked up to Dick.

"So, you're the Batman? Why don't you come in and I patch you up?"

The image was gone. At least for this woman. No one was supposed to save the Batman. No one was supposed to see the Batman as human. The Batman was no longer demon of the night.

"Don't you dare be hurt, Richard Grayson!" Barbara's voice was shrill and Dick realized that she had feared the worst from his silence.

"I'm okay, Oracle," he said, talking into his communicator as the winds whistled around him as he clumsily swang from rooftop to rooftop. "Tonight's off and I'm headed back to base."

"That's good." She sounded relived. There was a pause.

"Hey, pick me up some of that Thai food on fourth street? I hear it's killer." Dick frowned.

"As Batman?" he chuckled (for her), sitting down on a roof top several blocks away.

"Why not? Just imagine it okay?" He could tell from her voice she was trying to smile. "You let off a smoke bomb, waltz in there and be all like: "I need the number four entree NOW. It's for JUSTICE."

"And be quick! The fate of the world rests in your hands!" Dick answered, chuckling too. Barbara joined in.

He could feel the soreness of his ribcage as he sat there, breathing in and out. And old woman had saved his life tonight. She had beaten Bane, for God's sake.

Maybe Gotham didn't need the Batman anymore.

There was a silence.

"I'll come over tomorrow okay?" Dicknsooke first. "I'll get Alfred to make some pad thai for you."

"Lazy," she said, still smiling. "I'm glad you're okay. Oracle out."

Dick flopped down onto his back on the rooftop and looked at the sky. The watchtower should still be up there, Dick thought, although he couldn't see it. A few stars twinkled past the smog Gotham was perpetually surrounded in.

It was his first winter as the Batman.

It felt like yesterday that I had met him as Robin.

Not feeling the cold, nor anything else, really, I stared through his eyes to the night sky above. There was one really bright star in the sky.

Not a star, I realized. Mars. It was bright and glared through the smog down to the rooftop where Dick was lying.

A shadow passed over Mars and then just as quickly disappeared.

The display reflected off of Janice Morgan's glasses as they assessments played on her computer monitor.

There was a slight creak as the door to her office opened and closed.

"You called for me. This had better be important." Lex Luther strode into the office.

Janice jumped and looked over her shoulder to her superior.

"Yes, I believe that there's an assessment you'd better see."

"You know I don't like my time to be wasted, Ms. Morgan."

"And it won't be. It's about the Wonder-kid," she added.

"Ms. Sandsmark? Do tell."

"Well, her assessment went quite well. Her strength is well developed and her flight is certainly one of the faster," she said, holding out her tablet so that Luthor could watch the assessment as she spoke.

"But I'd also like to point out her wall-partner."

"Oh?"

Luthor watched as the boy and Ms. Sandsmark set down in the corner as the robots continued to fight.

"Oh..." He raised his eyebrows. "What's that boy's name?"

"Alvin Draper. His papers say he's from Blüdhaven."

Luthor nodded, a grin tugging at his lips. It worried her. The smile wouldn't have bothered Janice do much if it was his smile he used to charm potential clients. But this smile was the real deal. It was honest and genuine. And it terrified her.

"Ms. Morgan, if you may, I'd like to make some changes to the curriculum. I need the metas in training pairs starting tomorrow. And I need Ms. Sandsmark and Mr. Draper together.

"I believe they will make a very good addition to the Everyman Institute."

Next on Everymen: First day of real training.

AN: Whew. Finals just finished this week so I didn't have time to write then. But now it's winter break. Anyone else excited?

Thanks for reading!