I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review!
APG66 said this:
"I'm a bit confused as to the locations of the various cities in your universe, could you help clarify cause in other sources I think Gotham is in New York, Blüdhaven is in New Jersey, Metropolis is in Delaware and Jump City is in California."
The following information I've used came from Young Justice itself, Wikipedia, and other DC sources. I think these are all the key cities you need to know about. I hope this clears up the confusion.
In the YJ/Universe Gotham City is located in Connecticut and is relatively close to New York City. Supposedly Blüdhaven is a suburb of Gotham, but the show never confirmed this detail so I've situated Blüdhaven in New Jersey, roughly an hour away from Gotham. Central City is located in Missouri. Happy Harbor is in Rhode Island.
Metropolis is stated to being on the east coast of America, but wasn't specified where. I decided to place it in Delaware. Star City has no determined location in Young Justice, but has been cited in numerous renditions to be located near the San Francisco Bay, so I've settled it in California. According to a map the Brain had in the TT/Universe, Jump City is in California as well, so I've put it about a few hours north of Star City. Starting in the 1990s, Keystone City has been treated as being located in Kansas, near the Kansas/Missouri border, adjacent to Central City.
Now with that aside, let's finally delve into the Young Justice storyline.
~Young Justice: Red X~
Chapter 8: Independence Day
|BLüDHAVEN
|2010 July 4, 14:12 EDT
In his base located on the outskirts of Blüdhaven, Red X watched the recorded video feed of Robin fighting Mr. Freeze in Gotham's garden square, Robinson Park. It was still an odd, displacing feeling to see a younger version of himself fighting criminals. To hear the media, address the younger boy as Robin and not him, to see the young teen fight by Batman's side. X couldn't deny that there was something inside of him that felt jealous of this Robin. Things were clearly different, 'better' a bitter thought hissed, in this dimension.
The video he was watching had been posted two hours ago by a Gotham citizen who hadn't been frozen by Mr. Freeze. Simultaneously, on another screen, there was a clip that had been posted five hours ago of Speedy and Green Arrow taking down Icicle Jr. Earlier that morning Aquaman had sent a message to the rest of the League saying he and Aqualad had defeated Killer Frost at Pearl Harbor. Red X narrowed his eyes in suspicion as a Central City news channel reported that the Flash and Kid Flash had just stopped a heist committed by Captain Cold.
Four supervillain ice based criminals all attacking on the same day? Something big was defiantly going down. As X began going over the four different attacks to try to discover any possible collaboration, his mind kept wandering to the sidekicks.
He known of what was to happen today long before the sidekicks had, and X knew that they were going to be sorely disappointed. About a week ago, after the auction incident, the mentors had setup a meeting with the rest of the League. The topic had been whether they should induct the sidekicks into the League. Red X had listened in on the meeting by hijacking the comlink in Batman's suit, which he accomplished by hacking into its link with the Bat Computer.
Many League members had been against the idea of the sidekicks joining, to a point. They were willing to make exceptions, include the teenagers in limited matters, but that was about it. The Leagues' idea of bringing the sidekicks into their fold was really just a glorified reason to keep better track of their charges. It would not take the sidekicks long to figure out that the Hall of Justice wasn't the real Justice League headquarters, and that their so called acceptance into the League was nothing but a sham.
Red X leaned back in his seat in thought. At least this Justice League was more interested in the next generation than the one from his own world had been. He remembered how most of the Teen Titans, both honorary and otherwise, hadn't even had mentors. Unless the world was in danger, there'd been an unsaid agreement between the Justice League and Teen Titans to stay out of each other's business. He'd been more than happy with that arrangement. It wouldn't surprise him if the League had viewed the Titans as little more than a ragtag group of rebellious teens that wouldn't last.
Red X had known otherwise.
By the time his generation would be ready to take over, he'd planned to disband whatever remained of the Justice League. When the Teen Titans were needed to step up and take the mantle, they would simply be called the Titans. He would not let anyone take away the name they had made for themselves. The Teen Titans themselves would not be disbanded, but recruit the next generations of heroes. As the Titans, he and the other members would train the new heroes and teach them how to defend the innocent. He had planned for the original Titans to be what the Justice League had never been: mentors.
Alas, he would likely never see that day come and his goal to being accepted as a standalone hero seemed to be even more distant than ever. He had to start all over to get the respect that he'd worked so hard for. Already he had gotten off on the wrong foot, being considered an assassin by everyone but the League. His attention was recaptured by the video, his eyes narrowing as Batman arrived and beat Freeze with a well-thrown punch.
This Batman was so different from the one he was raised by. It wasn't like he lacked the same presence his Batman had and X knew that this Batman's glare was just as intense as his counterpart. It was the way he acted towards Red X personally that was different.
Batman would never point out his injuries until they were back in the Bat Cave. Batman hated it whenever his weaknesses were displayed, and that emotion had eventually been extended to Red X. The Dark Knight would've never alerted his wounds to the League like this man had. Over the years X had formed the same sentiment, hiding his weaknesses from other. Even from his own team.
This Batman though, his prime concern had been to tend to his wounds. Red X doubted that he would've been treated in front of the League, but in the Bat Cave itself. Getting that close to his home might've been too much for his already exhausted mind and Batman would've taken advantage of his tired state. He might've let something slip. The teenager was determined to be known only as Red X, he didn't want to be seen as Robin the Boy Wonder in this universe. Who knew how the others might treat him if they found out his real identity?
An alarm on his computer interrupted Red X's thoughts, letting him know that someone was trying to hack into the Justice League's data base. X quickly set off to find where the hacker was and backtracked it to the Hall of Justice. Confused, he brought up a live video feed from the security camera located in the library. On the screen he could see Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad hovering over a computer terminal, clearly Robin had hacked the system. He was surprised to see that Speedy wasn't there, but from the looks of things, it seemed like the sidekicks had found out what their initiation into the League really was. Curious, X hacked Robin's comlink, similar to what he'd done to Batman, to hear the sidekicks' conversation.
"Alright, Project Cadmus, genetics lab here in DC. That's all there is, but if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate." Robin said and Red X felt his interest in the situation increase. He brought up another window and ran his own search on Cadmus, like Robin he didn't get much more information.
"Solve their case before they do, it would be poetic justice." Aqualad muttered and the tattered caped teen felt his lips quirk a little.
"Hey, they're all about justice." Robin chuckled and X had a feeling he already knew where this was going, especially if the sidekicks felt like they had to prove themselves. Aqualad sighed before continuing.
"But they told us to stay put." The Atlantian pointed out.
"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this." Robin replied slyly. Well that answered Red X's question as to where the mentors were.
"W-wait, are you going to Cadmus? Because if you're going, I'm going." Kid Flash said excitedly as he turned Robin towards him. Both he and the Boy Wonder shared a look before turning back to Aqualad with conspiring smiles on their faces.
"Just like that, we're a team on a mission?" Aqualad asked and Red X shook his head knowingly. The three sidekicks may be on the same mission, but they were not a team. A team took time to build, to work together well, and those sidekicks were far from that point. It had taken the Titans weeks before they'd been able to work well with each other, and even then they'd hit more than a few roadblocks along the way. He could still remember when he and Cyborg had screwed up their Sonic Boom attack that one time against Cinderblock. Their resulting argument had led to Cyborg quitting the team for a day.
"We didn't come here for a play date." Robin countered and Red X knew that the three sidekicks had already made up their minds. Slowly, he turned off the streaming video and erased his presence from the Justice League's system. If the League ever found out he was hacking their system, he knew whatever little faith they had in him would be destroyed.
For a brief moment Red X toyed with just minding his own business or to call Batman to let him know what the sidekicks were up to, but just as soon as those thoughts came forth he banished them. He couldn't leave the sidekicks on their own, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into, not that he had any clue either. The entire League was busy trying to save the Earth. Alerting them to their sidekicks' possible danger would only distract them from stopping whoever was trying to end humanity this time.
Making up his mind, the teenager checked over his utility belt, making sure he had his weapons and gadgets on him, and ran a diagnostic on his Xenothium Core power levels. He was running at 100% capacity and his multi-compartment belt was filled with all kinds of items. Gas and smoke pellets, lockpicks, grappling cables, his collapsible Bo Staff, Disc Grenades with a variety of payloads (high explosives, electrical surges, ice bombs), and two collapsible X-Swords. All weapons that he'd used in his previous fights as Robin.
The problem with being Red X was that he wasn't sure if he could use his more signature style of fighting. He knew as Robin, his skills as an acrobatic were unparalleled, but the problem was that there was someone who could match those abilities exactly in this dimension. So he tried to avoid using the techniques Batman had taught him or the aerial moves he'd learned while in the circus. That unfortunately mainly left X with the few skills Slade had drilled into him. However, he couldn't stomach relying solely on Slade's teachings, so he tried fighting with a mesh of all three styles.
The agility and reflexes of Robin, the strength and stealth of Batman, the brutality and precision of Slade.
Hopping onto his motorcycle, Red X calculated how long it would take him to reach Cadmus. Hopefully the sidekicks wouldn't get into too much trouble before he showed up.
~Young Justice: Red X~
|WASHINGTON D.C
|2010 July 4, 20:27 EDT
As the fireworks went off in the distance, tattered caped teen pulled up a street away from the Cadmus building. Whatever fire that had been ravaging the building before was now long gone, as were the firemen who had put it out. Searching for the best entrance, he spotted an open window on one of the higher floors and grappled to it after activating his cloaking technology. Once inside the building Red X found himself in a room that already looked rifled through. Filing cabinet doors were left open and papers were scattered around in a disheveled manner. X activated his comlink to connect to Robin's, hoping to find their location rather than searching randomly.
"Robin can you hear me? It's me, Red X… Robin, respond." He sighed at the static crackling in his ear. Robin was either out of range, unconscious, or dead. Red X doubted that it was that last possibility; he had confidence in his counterpart. Heading out of the room, X spotted an opened elevator shaft at the end of the hallway with no lift visible.
Warily he approached the elevator shaft and let out a low whistle as he looked down the tunnel of metal that was very deep. The sidekicks were definitely in over their heads. This whole situation reeked of conspiracies and serious funding. Red X could practically feel the migraine beginning to build in-between his eyes. Seeing a free cable line hanging from the ceiling, Red X recognized that it had to belong to Robin. Knowing that he was heading in the right direction, he jumped for the lone cable and slid down it until he reached the end of the rope.
He found a door that had been forcefully opened and made his way onto the twenty-fifth floor. From there he wasn't sure which direction to take. His best bet was to find a networking system and see if Robin might've left behind any clues. Of course that plan would only work if his counterpart had indeed hacked the system.
Red X quietly made his way down the largest hall, pausing when he heard, as well as felt, the approach of something very large. A massive behemoth-like monster entered the hallway, its' body structure telling X that the creature definitely wasn't a part of the animal kingdom. He backed up against the wall to avoid being stepped on as the monstrous thing shuffled by. Being invisible wasn't the same as being intangible. Minutes trudged by before the behemoth finally left the hallway.
'You are going the wrong way.' A voice said suddenly from inside of Red X's mind. He cringed at the other's unexpected presence, but did not move from his spot against the wall. Had he been discovered already? His eyes traveled over the hallway, seeing that he was the only one there. 'I am not near you Void Walker, but on another floor. The ones you seek, the intruders, are on the bottom floor with Project Kr.'
Telepathic communications were not unfamiliar to Red X. Raven had often conversed with him telepathically after the incident with Slade's mask. However, she was the only person to ever enter his mind in such depth. X detested the fact that someone else could send their thoughts into his mind with such ease. It left him feeling very vulnerable. Fortunately, Raven had taught him some mind techniques to shield himself from unwanted intrusions. He hesitated for a moment, never having actually put her lessons to use. Plus, this person did have information on the sidekicks.
'You don't expect me to actually believe you right? And my name is Red X.' He countered mentally as he tried to instill some sense of calm to replace his sudden anxiety. The name Void Walker made him feel apprehensive for some reason.
'You have good reasons to be suspicious. The only proof I can show you of my honesty would be the images of your captured friends. Though I doubt such visuals would convince you. You are a very cautious and secretive person; your trust is hard to earn. I call you Void Walker because that is what you are. You have crossed through dimensions. I did not know it to be possible, but I can see the reality in your mind.' The voice answered, once again leaving Red X feeling even more concerned than before.
'A secretive person, huh? How fitting.' After all, his persona was built upon secrets. However, he had more important things to worry about than someone knowing he wasn't from this Earth. The sidekicks needed his help apparently. Of course X knew that he could be walking into a trap, but it was a risk he had to take. He didn't like the idea of leaving Robin and the others alone with this Project Kr any longer than he had to.
Making his decision, Red X turned around and headed back for the elevator to get to the lowest level. Using his teleportation, he managed to reach the fifty-second floor in a matter of minutes. He silently traveled through the hallways, courtesy of the voice in his head, and arrived at a metal door which the voice opened. His entrance into the room lacked subtlety and he was met with four different sets of eyes. Or at least they would've spotted him had he not been invisible. Still, even though no one could physically see him, X knew this did little to hide his presence.
In front of Red X was a teenage boy, who was only slightly taller than him, wearing a white full-body suit with Superman's symbol on it. It didn't take him long to put two and two together before he realized that the teen in front of him was likely Superman's clone. Cadmus was a genetics lab after all. Behind Superman's clone were Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, all trapped inside glass pods. They seemed to be fine, besides being trapped, but Red X spotted Robin discreetly trying to pick the locks of his cuffs.
"Who's there?" The clone demanded rather aggressively from his position, already cracking his knuckles in anticipation. As quickly and soundlessly as he could, Red X moved from his position in the doorway and launched himself up to the ceiling. The doors shut behind him with the sound of a heavy lock clicking into place. Red X mentally cursed the person who'd brought him down there and focused his attention on the angry clone.
"I'm here for the heroes." From above, his metallic voice echoed throughout the small chamber. He saw the sidekicks visibly slump with relief, obviously glad to have some backup instead of more enemies. He saw the clone's face shift from anger to confusion.
"Are they your friends?" The clone asked while looking towards Robin and the others. X hesitated. Were they his friends?
"…Yes, they're in danger here so I came to help." Red X paused, letting that sentence settle before continuing. "Do you have friends like that?" He saw the clone's facial expressions shift into deeper confusion. "Do you know what I am?" X asked, masked eyes both tracking the perplexed clone and Robin's slow progress in escaping.
"You're an intruder!" The clone growled.
"Well, yes, I suppose so, but that's not what I meant." The tattered caped teenager chuckled lightly before continuing in a more serious tone. "I am a hero."
"A hero?" The clone asked in a softer tone, confusion evident in his voice. "Like them? Like Superman?"
"Yes, and a hero's purpose is to help those in danger, be they civilian, friend, or enemy." Red X grimaced at the words he'd chosen. 'What a black and white explanation. If only things truly were that simple.' He decided to try a different approach. "What's your name?"
"I am the Superboy, a Genomorph, a clone made from the DNA of the Superman. Created to replace him should he perish; to destroy him should he turn from the Light." Superboy stated with complete confidence. Red X eyes narrowed in anger. A weapon, they created the clone to be a weapon.
"To be like Superman is… a worthy aspiration, but like Superman you deserve a life of your own, beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond Cadmus." Aqualad said and X eyed Robin's progress with a frown.
"I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!" Superboy shouted back.
"Then I pity your existence. I've seen your home, I've talked to you, and yet concepts such as comradery are things you don't understand because they're foreign to you. A home is where you're welcomed and cherished by others. Can you honestly tell me that you've experienced those things here?" Red X broke in, interrupting Aqualad. He tried to keep his tone as emotionless as possible, but memories of Haley's Circus, Wayne Manor, and the Tower rose to the front of his mind. "As I said before Superboy, I'm a hero, I save people. I don't think Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad are the only ones who need my help. We can show you so much more than Cadmus ever could."
"Red X is right. We can show you the sun, the real thing!" Robin excitedly added from his pod.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure it's after midnight, but we can show you the moon." Kid Flash commented from his own prison.
"We can show you, introduce you, to Superman." Aqualad offered and a look of awe made its' way onto the young clone's face.
"No, they can't." A man in a white lab coat argued as he entered the room along with two other people. Another nondescript scientist and a muscular man wearing a dark blue jump suit with a golden helmet, gold shoulder guards, and gold wrist pads. Red X recognized the man as the Guardian, a hero unaffiliated with the League. Each person had a tiny creature on their shoulders that bore some resemblance to the behemoths X had seen earlier. "They'll be otherwise occupied." The man in the lab coat continued before turning to the other scientist. "Activate the cloning process."
"Pass, the Bat Cave's crowded enough." Robin remarked, earning an annoyed glare from the man. Red X readied himself to attack, but waited to see what Superboy would do first.
"And get the weapon back into its' cage!" The man shouted as the Guardian moved towards Superboy. The tattered caped teenager barely stopped himself from growling.
"Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an 'it'?" Kid Flash called out. As the Guardian placed his hand onto Superboy's shoulder, the clone looked towards Aqualad.
"Help us." The Atlantian pleaded. Superboy brushed off the Guardian's hand and for a second, Red X thought he was going to fight back.
"Don't start thinking for yourself now." The man sneered as the small creature jumped off his shoulder and onto Superboy's. Its' horns glowed red for a second and the angry look on Superboy's face was replaced with a blank expression. "See you're not a real boy, you're a weapon and you belong to me… Well, to Cadmus, same thing. Now get back to your pod!" The man shouted and Superboy turned away obediently.
'Mind control.' Red X realized, feeling horrified and enraged as Superboy march out of the room like a robot. 'I bet that's how they're controlling the Guardian as well.' He deduced darkly while he prepared to launch an attack.
'You are correct, that is indeed how Brother Superboy and the Guardian are being controlled. I must ask that you wait to save your friends though. There is still a chance for Brother Superboy to make his choice.' The same voice from before said, speaking directly into his mind once more. He his body froze, though not by his own choice.
X felt as if something was constricting his movements, stopping his limbs from reacting to the signals his brain was sending them. As he fought back, he heard the man in the lab coat say something before the sidekicks started screaming. Red X struggled more vigorously than before, cursing the person holding him still. Curiously he spotted another being down below, only this one was not human looking.
'Are you the one who's stopping me from saving the sidekicks?' Red X growled and the creature nodded.
'I am Dubbilex, I am the one who has guided you through Cadmus. I do not wish you or the others harm, I only want you to help Brother Superboy. Please, just wait a little bit longer, I sense that he is already on his way.' The Genomorph said imploringly and reluctantly, X agreed to wait a little longer. Less than five seconds later Superboy tore off the door to the room and knocked the others out of his way before deactivating the cloning process.
"Don't give me orders." Superboy growled to the unconscious man in the lab coat and Red X dropped down from the ceiling, turning visible halfway through the fall. "You're the one from before?" He asked suspiciously and X nodded, offering his hand out in greeting. Superboy looked at it with distrust before briefly shaking it.
"The name's Red X. I'm glad you came back." He admitted as he moved over to the control panel, trying to find the release button. Superboy simply nodded and turned to look up at Kid Flash.
"Well, you gonna help us or fry us?" Kid asked, eliciting a scoff from Red X. There was a pause.
"Huh, I don't seem to have heat vision so I suppose helping you is my only option." Superboy answered before Robin freed himself from his own pod. 'About time.' X thought critically as he freed the others.
"Argh, finally, lucky Batman isn't here, he'd have my head for taking so long." The Boy Wonder remarked as he rubbed his sore wrists.
"Seriously, that's what you're worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight." Kid Flash exclaimed as he too rubbed his wrists. Red X shot a look over at a tired looking Aqualad. Superboy noticed the Atlantian's poor state as well and offered a hand to help the other teen up. Aqualad accepted, quickly shook himself, and straightened his posture before he turned to Superboy.
"Thank you for your help. And you too Red X, though I am surprised to find you here." Aqualad said as the others turned towards the tattered capped teen in interest.
"We can swap stories and explanations later, right now I think its best that we get as far away from this building as possible." X replied as he moved over to the unconscious Guardian.
"What are you doing, he's one of the bad guys!" Kid Flash argued as he moved to stop X, who shook his head in response.
"No, he's as innocent as Superboy. He's been controlled by these creatures the entire time and I will not allow him to be used any longer." Red X refuted firmly as he picked up the Guardian, brushing off the Genomorph that tried to stay on his shoulder. Once he tossed Guardian over his shoulder fireman style, he nodded towards the others and they headed out while Robin destroyed the tanks that had managed to gather some of their DNA.
They ran back for the elevator shaft, only to be attacked by more creatures. Red X barely dodged the fist that had been sent his way and threw three Explosive Disks at the three behemoths. The sudden impact caused them to pause long enough for Superboy to take two of them out before he was hit by the third. As he moved ahead with the others, X turned back to find that Superboy still fighting the giant Genomorph.
"Superboy we are trying to escape, not bring the building down on us." Aqualad warned.
"You want escape!" The clone shouted back before he threw the last behemoth into the other two that were just starting to get up. Red X ran up beside Kid Flash as Aqualad forced open the doors to the elevator shaft. Robin grabbed the speedster, using a grappling gun to shoot up into the shaft and Superboy grabbed Aqualad before he too flew upwards. Using his teleportation, X climbed up the wall by leaps and bounds while still carrying the Guardian. From below him he heard Superboy say something about falling and he quickly shot off a large Constrictive X for him and Aqualad to grab onto. "Superman can fly; why can't I fly?" He asked dejectedly.
"Don't know, but it looks like you can leap over giant building with a single bound, still pretty cool." Kid Flash praised and Superboy quietly thanked Red X. About to respond, X heard the rushing sound of metal and he looked to see that the elevator was heading right towards them.
"We need to get out of here, now." He alerted everyone and Superboy opened the door to the nearest floor level. They all quickly jumped through, just narrowly avoiding getting squashed by the speeding elevator. Again a group of Genomorphs spotted them and quickly gave chase.
"Turn left, left!" Superboy shouted suddenly. "Now right." He said once again only to lead them to a seemingly dead-end.
"Great directions Supey, are you trying to get us re-podded?" Kid Flash yelled out and Superboy lowered his head in confusion.
"Chill Kid Flash, this is exactly what we needed. Everyone, get into the ventilation shaft." X ordered as he shifted the Guardian on his shoulder. The man's weight was starting to slow him down, but he refused to let the Genomorphs turn him against them again.
"Ugh, at this rate we'll never get out." The speedster complained only to be shushed by Superboy.
"Listen." The clone advised and Red X could hear the sound of something rapidly tapping against the metal ventilation interior.
"We need to move." X whispered as he kicked off the nearest grate. Once the others climbed out, he realized that it wouldn't take long before they were found again. "Robin can you hack the motion sensors?" He asked the boy who nodded with a knowing grin. Once Robin was finished, they made a break for the stairwell with Kid Flash running ahead of the group. "Superboy, cut them off!" The clone growled in acknowledgment before destroying the staircase. Once they left the stairwell, the hallway flashed with red lights and an alarm rang throughout the building. 'I wondered when they were going to put this place into lockdown.' The tattered caped teen thought sardonically as Kid Flash ran into a door. From behind them more Genomorphs began to show up as both Aqualad and Superboy tried to force their way through the door.
"I can't hack this fast enough." Robin said under his breath as he dismissed his holo-computer. Red X spotted a less secured side door, as did Robin, and they nodded towards each other. "This way guys!" Robin called as he kicked the door open. X followed him into another hallway, only to find that they were surrounded by all types Genomorphs. The others readied themselves and He set the Guardian against the wall, standing in front of the man protectively. The horns on the G-Gnomes suddenly began to glow and Red X felt an almost unbearable pressure on his mind, trying to knock him out. As he collapsed to his knees, he saw that the others, save Superboy, had been knocked out by the mental attack.
'Perhaps for the sake of all Genomorphs, Brother Superboy should make up his own mind.' Dubbilex stated as he entered Red X's peripheral.
'It was you.' Superboy spoke out telepathically and X cringed as a new person's thoughts entered his mind unbidden.
'Yes Brother, I set the fire and lured your new friends down into Cadmus. Woke them when they were in danger, brought the Void Walker to you–'
'And guided me, why?' Superboy asked Dubbilex and the tattered caped teenager was just glad that he hadn't asked the Genomorph what Void Walker meant.
'Because you are our hope, the Genomorph hero. You will blaze a trail for all of our Brothers, showing us the way to freedom.' Dubbilex answered as the Guardian shifted from his position against the wall.
"W-what happened, it feels as if a fog is lifting…" The adult muttered from beside Red X. From the other side, he could see the others starting to awaken too.
'What is your choice, Brother?' Dubbilex questioned.
"I choose freedom." Superboy responded as the others started to get up onto their feet.
"Guardian?" Aqualad probed warily from beside Superboy. Guardian looked around, confused for a second, before his face hardened and he turned towards the others.
"Go, I'll deal with Desmond." Guardian barked before he hesitantly placed a hand onto Red X's shoulder. "Thank you, for helping me." He continued in a quieter tone and the teen nodded.
"I think not." The man in the lab coat, Desmond, X silently concluded, called from behind the Genomorphs as they shifted away from him. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus." Desmond announced before he drank the glowing contents of the vial visible in his hand. Instantly Desmond collapsed onto the ground and X shifted into a fighting stance, knowing from experience that nothing good ever came from someone drinking a mysterious liquid from a test tube. As Desmond's body rapidly increased in size, he grimaced at the remains of torn flesh that clung to the man's hideous new form.
"Everyone get back!" Guardian instructed as he charged at the deformed man before Red X could shout out a warning. A punch from the deformed human launched the Guardian across the hallway and into a wall, rendering him unconscious. Superboy charged at hulking scientist, fists swinging, and the tattered caped teen turned to Dubbilex.
'Take care of the Guardian.' He ordered telepathically and saw Dubbilex nod before levitating the Guardian out of the way and hopefully to a safer place. As he turned back to the fight, X saw Superboy and Desmond smash through the ceiling. Without wasting time, he teleported to the room above and shot an Ice Disk at man turned monster. Red ice quickly started to incase the misshapen scientist, giving Superboy the opportunity to break free of Desmond's hold.
"Ti– Team! Go!" Red X shouted reflexively before launching himself towards Desmond. He shot off an Adhesive X at the man's eyes while Kid Flash ran behind the blinded monster. Aqualad and Superboy launched two powerful punches into Desmond's face as Kid Flash bent down behind the mutated man, causing him to crash into the ground. X launched a handful of X Shuriken at Desmond, joining up with Robin's Birdarangs, which were easily deflected by the no longer blinded giant. As Desmond recovered, he spotted Superboy and charged at the clone, slamming him into a pillar.
Together, Red X and Aqualad came up from behind Desmond and pulled out their respective weapons. Desmond was able to grab Aqualad before he his attack could connect and slammed the Atlantian into the ground while X smashed his Bo Staff into the hand still holding a dizzy looking Superboy. Desmond cried out in pain as he released Superboy and aimed an oversized fist at Red X, who teleported to dodge at the last possible second. Undeterred, Desmond chased after the teen, while Kid Flash charged at him, only to be caught and thrown at a recovering Aqualad.
Red X suddenly found himself trapped in Desmond's grasp as he was slammed down into the floor. The sudden pain his ribs felt was terrible and it took all his willpower not to scream. Placing his hands onto Desmond's gigantic one, he sent out a surge of electricity that raced through the scientist's massive frame. It wasn't enough to knock the monster out, but it was enough to get him to let go. Using his teleportation, Red X dropped down beside Robin as he gingerly rubbed his aching ribs. At least nothing had happened to his still healing arm. Yet. Aqualad was slammed against another pillar, causing parts of the ceiling to rocks cascade downwards, inspiring the hero with a crazy idea.
"Robin, we need to attack the pillars." He said to his counterpart. Robin sent him a puzzled look before gazing up at the ceiling, his masked eyes widening in understanding.
"Of course!" Robin breathed, giving Red X a nod while bringing up a holo-map of the building, determining which pillars to hit. "KF, get over here!" He shouted from across the room, while X started heading towards one of the pillars that needed to be taken down. "X, aim here!" Robin called as he gestured at an area on the floor. He nodded as he shot a giant Adhesive X that attached itself to the floor where his counterpoint had pointed out.
"X marks the spot team!" Red X shouted as he moved out of the way. Aqualad sent a wave of water out over the Adhesive X as Kid Flash baited Desmond into the area for Superboy to knock down. Desmond struggled to pull himself free of the Adhesive X. Together, Red X and Aqualad each shot a powerful surge of electricity through the water, paralyzing Desmond even further. "Move!" Robin yelled just before his delayed bombs went off. As they ran for the exit, the building came down onto them too fast.
"Get down!" Red X ordered and Aqualad went to shield Robin from the rubble while Superboy did the same for Kid Flash. Red X brought his palms upward creating two large Constrictive X's, making a protective dome around them, hoping it would be enough to shield him and the others. Once the rocks had stopped pounding into the X's, Superboy and Aqualad used their combined strength to break the already damaged barrier. Looking at the others, he was pleased to see that besides a couple of torn costumes and some bruises, everyone seemed to be okay.
"We… did… it." Aqualad panted in-between his words. Like Robin and Kid Flash, they all seemed a little out of breath.
"Was… there ever… any doubt?" Robin asked before he high-fived Kid Flash.
"See, the moon." The speedster pointed above as Red X leaned against one of the pieces of rubble, his arms crossed over his chest. His uniform was in much better shape than the others', though his torn cape seemed a little more frayed than was usual. "Whoa and Superman, do we keep our promises or what?" Kid Flash boasted as Superman flew down to them. 'And now the League shows up to give us a talking too, conveniently arriving after all the fighting is done.' X thought bitterly as the members of the Justice League fell into place, surrounding him and the others.
As Red X watched Superboy approach Superman, agitation clenched up his stomach at the hopeful gaze on the clone's face. The teenager was sure there had been many times where he'd given a similar expression to Batman, hoping he'd finally pleased his mentor. He had never received that air of approval and now, more than anything, he wanted to at least see someone else get that look. The shocked expression that Superman was displaying finally shifted, but not into a welcoming one, or even a considering one. No, he simply looked mad, indignant, and Red X felt something inside of himself shatter at that look. He knew his Clark would've accepted Superboy in a heartbeat, but it seemed that this Superman was different, just like this Batman.
"Is that what I think it is?" Batman questioned and X was only slightly surprised that Superboy hadn't bristled at the man's words. Then again, being rejected by the closest thing you had to a father was a harsh blow to recover from.
"He doesn't like being called an it." Kid Flash said in a sing-song tone.
"I'm Superman's clone!" Superboy announced with a yell. 'Ah, they're going to have to do something about that temper.' X thought, silently admiring the stunned expressions that varied throughout the League members.
"Start talking." Batman ordered and the sidekicks were quick to obey. Red X listened to the others explain their side of the story, as he quickly came up with his own excuse. He wasn't going to tell the League that he'd been hacking their systems any time soon.
"So we were able to start talking to Superboy once the Genomorphs were gone and then Red X showed up. Hey, come to think of it, how did you know that we were in trouble?" Kid Flash asked and he pushed himself off of the rubble he'd been leaning against. Some of the League members shot him curious looks, while others glared mildly. Only a few greeted him somewhat warmly, mainly Flash and Aquaman.
"I was watching the news report earlier that stated you three went to go put out the fire Cadmus had. The fact that you three were there for a simple fire was more than enough to gain my attention. After the firemen reported that you'd gone into the building and hadn't come out, I realized there had to be more to the situation. After a few hours passed, I tried your comlink Robin, but it didn't work, so I decided to see what kind of trouble you three had gotten yourselves into. Once I found the elevator shaft, I gathered things were much more serious than I'd originally thought and set off to find you." The tattered caped teen explained coolly, earning him some nods and appreciated looks.
The story was picked up again by the speedster, who was lapping up being the center of attention, ending with how they'd defeated Desmond. The Guardian soon stumbled his way onto the group and the League broke away to question the man, trying to find out whatever they could about Cadmus. Red X stood nearby the others, who each looked rather worn and tired. X observed Superboy shoot a curious glance at Superman that didn't go unnoticed. As Superman approached his clone, X took a step back to give them some privacy.
"We'll, um, we'll figure something out for you, the League will I mean. For now, I… better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." Superman said awkwardly before he flew off. Red X placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder and shot him an understanding look that couldn't be seen behind his mask.
"It'll take him some time." He offered and Superboy nodded while still looking slightly dejected. He reluctantly turned as the Dark Knight approached their group and he bit back the urge to turn invisible. He could tell by the Batman held himself that the man was angry.
"Cadmus will be investigated, all fifty-two levels, but let's make one thing clear–" The caped crusader began but was interrupted by the Flash.
"You should have called." The speedster said indignantly, missing the glare Batman sent his way.
"And results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again." Batman stated towards the group of teenagers, though X did his best to ignore him. He was not Robin here; this Batman had no claim over him. Aqualad stepped forward from the group.
"I'm sorry, but we will." Red X's masked eyes widen in surprise. Was he witnessing the birth of the Teen Titans in this world?
"Aqualad, stand down." Aquaman ordered and X waited anxiously to hear Aqualad's response.
"Apologies my king, but no. We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us for. Together, on our own, we forged something powerful, important." Aqualad countered, making Red X smile wistfully. Indeed, the team up had felt much like the one he'd experienced when he'd first met the Titans and fought against the Gordanian Invasion.
"If this is about your treatment back at the Hall, the three of you–" Flash began before his protégé cut him off.
"The five of us, and it's not." Kid Flash denied making X jerk in surprise. Sure he had helped them, but he hadn't expected to be accepted into their group so soon, so easily. From behind the others he shifted uncomfortably, causing Batman to shoot him a look before he settled down again.
"Batman we're ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all?" Robin asked as he took a couple steps toward his mentor. His tone was obviously asking for agreement, for an answer from his mentor to told that what he was doing was right. Red X felt something inside him stir, an echo of that feeling. He could practically hear the silent question his younger counterpart was silently asking.
'You'll support me no matter what, right?'
"You can't expect them to stay under your wings forever, Justice League. The only thing you can do is accept that things change and help them as best you can." X offered as he moved forward to lay a hand on Robin's shoulder. He wasn't sure if he wanted to join this new team, but he would try to prevent a major fallout if at all possible.
"Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple, get on board or get out of the way." Superboy growled firmly, causing the other sidekicks to straighten their stances. As Batman narrowed his eyes, Red X made gestured for the Dark Knight to follow him. Confused, the others exchanged clueless looks while the two caped heroes moved to have a private talk.
"I might have a suggestion Batman; make them into a team." The Dark Knight wordlessly motioned for him to explain. "Have them become a team that works with the Justice League, a side branch to the League. That way you and the others can still keep a close eye on them, but the team gets more dangerous missions, more independence. It would be good training for when they're finally ready to join the League." X finished and he saw Batman tilt his head in consideration.
"It's a compromise." He stated and the teenager nodded his head.
"True, but they're not giving you much of a choice here. Either you help them or they'll go ahead and make this team on their own." Red X pointed out and Batman closed his eyes, obviously thinking.
"And if this team was formed, would you be on it as well?" He asked and the you man shifted awkwardly before answering.
"I'm not sure. If they want me to I really don't see why not, but I've worked on a team before…" X trailed off, unable to look Batman in the eyes.
"You feel like you're replacing them?" The detective probed, not wanting to ask what happened to the teen's old team outright. Slowly, Red X nodded. He did somewhat feel like he was replacing his old teammates with new ones. "Whatever bonds you formed with your team will not be erased by making new ones. Do you think they would want you to stay isolated for the rest of your life or would they want you to be surrounded by friends again?" Batman asked as he placed his hand on Red X's stiff shoulder. Slowly, the relaxed into Batman's soft, but strong touch, thinking over what his mentor's counterpart had said.
The Titans would've wanted him to make a new team, to find happiness in the company of others. To not close himself off again.
"If you form a team, I'd like to join." He answered lowly and his eyes widened at the small smile Batman sent him. Happiness welled up inside of his chest before he quickly stomped it out and turned around, teleporting as far away as he could from the man who was acting more of a father to him than his own Batman had.
As happy as that smile made him feel, it also tortured him greatly.
~Young Justice: Red X~
|MOUNT JUSTICE
|2011 July 8, 08:04 EDT
Red X stood with the others in the cave of Mount Justice, the first base of the original Justice League. He stood in his costume, like the other League members, while his new teammates wore their civilian clothes. Even with his identity as John Strike, he felt more comfortable in uniform. It would take a while for him to get used to civilian clothes.
"This cave is the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We're calling it into service again since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight. You'll do it on League terms. Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor, Black Canary's in charge of your training. I will deploy you on missions." Batman said as stoically as ever.
"Real missions?" Robin asked suspiciously.
"Yes, but covert." Batman responded.
"The League will still handle the obvious stuff, there's a reason we have these big targets on our chests." Flash supplied as he pointed at his symbol.
"But Cadmus proves that the bad guys are getting smarter, Batman needs a team that will operate on the side." Aquaman added as he nodded to them.
"The six of you will be that team." Batman concluded, causing Red X to raise an eyebrow at the extra number.
"Cool, wait, six?" Robin asked and Batman gestured to someone behind them. Glancing behind him, the tattered caped teen spotted a green girl walking besides the Martian Manhunter. She had long red hair, a blue cape that matched her blue skirt, gloves and boots, and a white t-shirt with a red x on it.
"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian." Batman revealed, introducing her to the newly formed team.
"Hi." She said rather shyly and X was struck by the similarity she bore to Starfire.
"Liking this gig more every minute." Kid mumbled to Robin as he nudged the younger teen. "Ah, welcome aboard. I'm Kid Flash that's Robin, Aqualad, its cool if you forget their names." The speedster greeted as he moved towards Miss Martian, already trying to make an impression on their female teammate. 'Some things never change.' Red X thought somewhat fondly. As the others moved forward to meet their new teammate, he stayed beside Superboy, who seemed a little bit unsure of himself.
"Come on, let's go meet Miss Martian." He said casually as he walked up towards the alien girl beside his cloned friend. Once they reached her, her shirt changed from white to pure black, the red x changing into the red Superman symbol as her cape disappeared. She smiled shyly up at Superboy before she spoke.
"I like your t-shirt." The clone gave her a rare smile and X stepped over next to Aqualad.
"Today is the day." He said somewhat mysteriously. X nodded slightly, but in the back of his mind a voice ominously whispered 'Five more days.'
~Young Justice: Red X~
Okay so I got the first two episodes done and I feel like I integrated Red X into the story pretty well. I wasn't exactly sure how to go about bringing him to Cadmus and while a lot of you guys suggested that he try to steal something from Cadmus, I just couldn't see what he'd possibly want from a fucked up genetics lab.
In the end I thought it would be more believable that he would catch Robin hacking into the Justice League systems, thus leading him to investigate Cadmus as well. It took Red X a few hours to get to DC, because just coincidentally being in DC to storm Cadmus right at the beginning seemed to be pushing it to me.
I want Red X to have a strong friendship with Superboy, like they're best friends. They're both new to this world and seemingly shouldn't exist in it. Through that kinship they're going to be able to understand each other better than most people. As for the parts about Guardian, it always made me kind of mad that no one bothered to help the guy out. I mean, during both episodes he gets mind controlled and tossed around like a sack of potatoes. I felt sorry for the guy.
Superman and Batman, in this dimension they react differently than their counterparts and it's really starting to mess with Red X's mind. As well as the affection Batman is blatantly showing him, it's just too much for an emotionally stunted person like Red X to handle.
–Hexalys