A/N

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Chapter 16: The Price Of Life

Robin's POV

Phase one- a combination of pure genius from me and the careful planning of Aqualad. Firstly, we need someone on the inside; someone who can help the others to infiltrate the fortress undetected. And of course, they picked me. Robin- the Boy Wonder- can do everything, apparently. Do the near impossible here and study for exams whilst battling villains, there. Sometimes, I wish my life wasn't always centered around what people expect of me, Batman included.

So, I am not surprised that I am being dragged in front of Ra's al Ghul by two heavily muscled (compared to me) men. The practical odds of me actually achieving what I set out to do, is at an all-time low. I might as well tell the assassins where to find the others.

Being forcefully brought to my knees, I push out the powerlessness creeping into my head. Sure, the assassins are fully grown human males with expert training, and I am a scrawny teenager with family issues, but I'm sure I can find a way to escape this particular predicament. All I need is a bit of luck, and skill.

"Far away from your nest are you not, little bird?"

Al Ghul's question was laced in spite and the rest was amusement. Yet, whenever I'm caught, the bad guys always have to comment on the whole 'Robin' thing. Can't they just act as if I was any other member of the Justice League? Because I am... sorta.

"I've finally took flight, so the nest is irrelevant." I wittily shoot back. Then, I come up with an insult for the ages. "Don't toads always stay close to their ponds?" I make a jab at the Lazarus Pit and Ra's having constant contact which other. It's fair to say that Ra's wasn't all too happy about me implying he's a toad.

Instead of glaring or killing me where I stand, he actually sighs. "There is no need for animosity between us, boy wonder. After all, I did train your master in his ways."

"A bit late for that, don't you think?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Join me, and together we shall give the world the justice it deserves." Ra's suggests, extends his hand for me to take.Does this madman really think that I would dump Bruce for him?

"I'm overwhelmed by your offer," I say, watching as twinkle of victory sparks in Ra's eyes. It's going to be fun seeing the hope fade from his eyes. "but... not a chance in any sort of the twisted hell you would bring upon the world!"

Kyle's POV

When Robin said for us to wait for him around the back, I am pretty sure he didn't mean for us to wait like imbeciles at the front gate. We did try to find a back, but it's backed up against- and built around- a mountain. Where did he expect us to find a back entrance? This isn't some fantasy story where everyone has an escape hatch. "Is he done yet?" I exhaustedly ask the gang, for around the third time.

"I swear, if you say that again, I will rip your head off." Superboy snaps with an empty threat. Of all the times he has threatened my life, he has only attempted to carry it out once. Which was when I asked if I could borrow his shirt, as AC/DC wants it back. Oddly, it took him a moment to realise what I said, and then he put me through a wall.

"I second that." Artemis speaks up.

"You wouldn't let them do that to me, would you, M'gann?" I ask.

"Of course not!" she exclaims, as though I just cursed out her entire family in on sentence. Maybe it's a Martian thing. "They won't hurt you, Kyle. Will they?" she directs at the two assaulters, to which Conner blushes and Artemis rolls her eyes.

"Somebody's in looovvveee." I tease Superboy.

His eyes go wide for a second, but next his face turns a bright crimson. "Thats it!" he lunges for me.

However, he didn't seem to realise that he is at a major disadvantage. At this specific moment in time, Conner is at an extremely high level of rage. Considering that my red ring is charged with rage, he is only adding more power to me. One constructed wall later, and he goes headfirst into the red hard light. Ouch, that has got to hurt.

Aqualad apparently hears the brief scuffle and zooms over with Wally. "What is going on!?" he demands in a serious tone, but without yelling it at us. "Do you want to jeopordise the mission and Robin's safety by alerting the entire league to our presence!?" he rhetorically asks.

"Not cool, guys; not cool." Wally supports Kaldur's correct accusations.

By now, Conner has picked himself up from the floor and is glaring kryptonian daggers at me. "Nothing is going on."Superboy unexpectantly lies, though I'm assuming he doesn't want to provoke any further shouting and violence. See you in the next one, Kon-El, I wink at him, although he doesn't react. That's a shame, as I was really starting to enjoy the whole dance.

"If you are done squabbling, I have received no signal from Robin. M'gann, if you please." Aqualad reveals, hinting for the Martian to probe for him.

Miss Martian closes her eyes and concentrates for a few moments, letting out the occasional huff and humm in annoyance. So far, it's not looking too good for the Bat-brat. "Nothing." M'gann informs us.

"Where is he?" Superboy asks the most obvious question that humanity or otherwise could come up with. Apart from that, if the Martian can't find him, how could we possibly know. "Are we going in? If Robin has been caught, we have to rescue him."

I sigh. "I must say, your bravery is so inspiring and all, but we sorta need a better plan than that. Maybe... me, Conner and Aqualad take the brunt of the heavy fighter, Miss M and Wally can search for our unfortunate setback, whilst Artemis carries on with the original plan, and blackmail Ra's. Questions?"

Usually, I tend to stay back and let the others plan out the missions and that's normally because we have Robin to plan. Since he's gone, the duty falls to the next intelligent- ergo me. Seems solid- a little basic, but straightforward is easy, right? I review my own plan, pleasantly satisfied.

"Guys... did he just tell us what to do?" Wally asks, confused.

"I think he did." Artemis affirms.

"Okay, listen up!" I snap. "Lives- particularly Robin- are at stake, and you are stood bickering about me taking charge. For once since I joined this team, can you just TRUST ME !?" I end up yelling, breaking the silence rule that Aqualad implemented. That was too loud.

"Someone forgot to take their pills this morning." Artemis taunts. I'm so done, it's not even funny anymore.

Our conversation was finally interrupted by the droning blare of an alarm siren, signalling that the headquarters is under attack... by us. It's call beckons the assassins to guard the perimeter and places them on automatic alert, meaning that we have our job made tem times more difficult. All thanks to me and my stupidly loud mouth, causing the day to turn sour again. Well, at least this time we have the chance of Robin escaping and destroying the insides like a colourfully dressed virus.

Thankfully, the sudden change in complexity sparked them to follow my orders, with us smoothly organising into the groups I commanded. At the forefront of the assault are the 'big boys' - the lucid lantern, the amicable Atlantean, and the clone crusher. Me and Aqua look like roses compared to him.

The thought brings me a hearty smile as we literally smash through the walls surrounding the League of Assasin's hideout, ready for a battle of the ages. Under our combined mights, not many people could stand up against us. Just ask the weirdo kid, sprouting horns out of his head. "Split off, we'll handle this." Conner orders to the support teams, seeing the amassed soldiers in the first courtyard.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see them obey and respectively head to their tasks. As for the three of us, it's about time we get a taste of revenge. And due justice, of course. "You ready, guys?" I ask my allies, just as the mass swarm- around one hundred men- start to charge at us.

"Don't grow overconfident, Kyle; underestimation is the downfall of the majority of combatants." Kaldur predictably answers.

As for Conner, his response was a standard grunt, followed closely by him leaping into the air. Always the aggressor, aren't you?

Solid ground quakes as he smashes into the ground, viciously throwing the human men and women into the air. "Calm down Conner, they are normal!" I tell him, using a bugswatter to knock out a group of assassins with ease. "They are easily breakable." I wince as Conner picks a woman up by the neck and launches her into a wall.

For me, the battle is turning out to be relatively easy and boring. Whatever they throw at me- arrows, punches, kicks, and blades- they can't penetrate the protective aura surrounding me. "Sticks and stones cannot break my bones." I say, observing as arrows clatter off my chest. "But obscene language can." I remark at the very hearable cursing that Conner is letting out. Who taught a one-year-old those words? I haven't seen classes which say censorship galore.

Unexpectadly, the back of my head rings and I spin around in pain. Woe and behold, a scared assassin, holding a bent longsword in his hands. Without my armour, that things would have split open my head like a watermelon. Still, I shake my head. "You brought a sword to a superpower fight?" then, I shot a lowered-power energy blast into his chest, sending him to the ground, comparable to a bowling pin. Oh gosh, great idea!

Due to the cognitive powers of the lantern rings, I was able to construct a massive bowling ball with a single thought. The joys of being an emotional wreck.

Cheerily directing it into the main body of troops, I watch as my masterpiece unfolds. Causing untold hysteria and panic, the ball runs over several people, harming but not severely damaging them. I'm so grateful these things have safety functions.

"How are you peeps holding up!?" I shout across the playground. "Especially you Conner, I know you sometimes have problems with controlling your anger! Like now!"

"Just... you... wait!" he shoots back with another of his mildly annoying threats that he never seeks to carry out. Once, I swear that he has some kind of verbal problems. You never know, he could be meaning to say 'I love you!', or 'have a happy day!', however that's unlikely.

"That's the third threat today, man; you really need to sort that out! You're constantly hurting my feelings!"

"Shut... UP!"

Meanwhile- Wally West's POV

Sprinting around the second level- stopping occasionally to deal with rare guard- I still haven't found any signs of my homie. According to Miss M, her searches have also come up negative and fruitless. So much for the whole point of running around and getting Robin back. How are we supposed to find him? By constantly checking every room? Because that sucks; my energy really needs a boost.

"Found him."

Miss Martian makes me skid to an abrupt halt, almost hitting a wall in the process. It takes me a moment to process what was said.

"Okay... I just heard something that suspiciously sounded like 'found him' and if that's true, I'm going to kiss you. And I'm not joking, I will seriously kiss you until I die from asphyxiation." I mentally speak, which keeps on mildly creeping me out. Having another person in your head is really awkward.

"He's on the third floor... in the throne room. He must have just regained consciousness. I'll tell him we are on the way ." M'gann completely ignores me. Or she wants to play the ignorance card, because she's into me. That's right Wally, she's into you. "Get there as quick as you can."

Crouching into a ready position, I prepare to sprint. "Baby... I was born to be fast." with that I speed off down the vast, open corridors, gaining more speed as I go along. "I'm on my way, Rob."

Whilst running at my hindered speed capacity, I get a few seconds to mull recent events over. First of all, it really went down on Mount Justice. At the moment Batman returns to MJ, he will realise with escaped and will go bat-crazy. Secondly, aren't we technically dissenters now? Disobeying the league, going off on our own missions, and purposely deceiving three senior members; all of which we are guilty of. My only hope is that Uncle Barry can find a way to forgive me. Although, I'm sure he will eventually understand, once I tell him the full details of our little adventures/quest-thingy.

Apart from the obvious fractures in our small team- mainly Kyle vs Conner- I would say that we in the Young Justice are good friends that know each other very well. Too well, in Kyle's case. Does my bro ever stop talking? Yeah, I talk the talk, but not all the time. Compared to him, who sees everything as one big joke. He is very funny, I'll give him that much.

Finally reaching the designated target, I screech to a stop in front of a tied boy wonder. "I got you, Rob." I assure my best friend and cut off his arm binds with a sword I found on the wall, and he could easily undo the rest.

"Thanks, KF. I owe you one. Those ropes were tied up pretty complex." Robin winces as he soothingly rubs his wrists.

"I caught this one snooping around my pit." Ra's al Ghul calmly strolls into the room, dragging in a limp Artemis. "This is the second time I have defeated her, but there won't be a third."

"Artemis!" Robin restrains me from charging the evil, sadistic ughhh. "M'gann, we need your help. Ra's has Artemis and we can't get to the pit." I look over to the pool in the other end of the large room. "But... you can."

"I can't! I don't have anything to poison it with!"

Staring defiantly into Ra's al Ghul's cold eyes, I make a choice that could destroy our whole plan. "He doesn't know that. We'll distract him."

"Are you listening to me? Ignorant fools." Ra's asks, infuriated. "The nerves you must have- coming here and invading my home, whilst ignoring me."

Robin glances at me. "Yeah, KF. You never listen to other people's problems." his eyes flicker slightly, begging me to play along.

So, I do. "Me!? You are always so obsessed with being like Batman, you never spend time with me! I seriously thought we had some sort of bromance going on! And you always go 'shut up, KF', or 'stop being immature, KF' and you never say 'well done, KF'!"

"That's because you are immature! Just yesterday, you sat there singing Justin Bieber. You're such a... belieber." Robin insults, although I actually take it deeply.

"Fine, you want this to be personal; let's be personal. I spend a whole ten minutes of my life watching you look at yourself in the mirror, and I have to say it bro: you look like a blind man had a kid, when you have those stupid glasses on." I riposte.

"Really?" Robin breaks the act with a genuine question.

"Enough!" Ra's slams his foot down on the floor. "How dare you waste your time squabbling in my presence! Do you not have respect!?"

Both me and Rob look to each other and then to Ra's. "No." we both say at the same time.

"And I certainly don't!"

Our collective attentions are forced to the sight of M'gann dominantly floating over the pit, holding a... test tube. "Smart."I compliment the quick thinking of our resident alien.

"Let them go, or I poison your pit for... however long this lasts." M'gann threatens, however with less conviction than her words betrayed. Ra's glares at M'gann, discerning her intentions and whether she would do it or not. I am certain that he would see through her bravado.

But, he doesn't.

"Very well." he steps away from Artemis and allows Robin to drag her to us.

"Tell us about the light?" was her next demand.

A quiver of Ra's' lips tells me he wasn't expecting that. Yet, it quickly shapes into a foreboding smile. "I usually wouldn't, but I have no doubt that you will fail to find in your misguided quest to destroy it. Grodd is the gorilla to ask." he answers, but soon keels over theatrically.

Kyle appears as he drops, grimacing at the fall. "Ouch." he comments. "Well creep, you're coming with us."

Superboy and Aqualad bring up the rear of the lantern, sharing a content expression.

A/N

I hope you enjoyed, and prepare for some Kyle background stories and etc in the next chapter.