Shadow watched as the flames reached for stars and enveloped them in their glow. She flashed back to Russia. She was shocked. Couldn't move as she saw shadows madly moving inside. At first she didn't cry and was deaf to the ear splitting shrieks, but soon the tears came like a waterfall and the sounds swarmed her. It finally hit her. She screamed and tried to race forward, but was grabbed from behind. "It's no use...it's no use..." She looked at the face who was sobbing the words. She buried her face in her shoulder. Identical tears, identical sobs, identical faces...
"SHADOW! Snap out of it!" She realized that Robin was shaking her shoulder and looking at her worriedly. "Are you alright?"
She blinked back the tears that had threaten to rise, and said shortly "I'm fine." and changed the subject. "So what was that all about?"
He looked towards the flames. "The Brain was apparently working some operation here, most likely for the Light. Wish I could radio Batman and have him come down."
"The Light...?" Shadow said confused.
"An organization of super-villains who believe that the Justice League prevents evolution and that only threw disaster humanity can evolve, basically." Robin replied. He opened up his blue square, but when he tried typing anything, it was just blank. "Perfect." Me muttered.
"I guess we continue to the Hall of Revenge or whatever?" Shadow asked with a smirk.
"Hall of Justice, and yes, but tomorrow. Right now," He said looking up and stretching his arms. "I think we should find a hotel so we can crash." He walked on.
Shadow was confused. "Why in the world would we want to crash a hotel?" She said as she followed him. "I thought you had money?"
He gave a some-what high pitched echoey laugh. "Not crash as in break in. Crash as in sleep!"
"How was I supposed to know the difference? And why couldn't you have just said sleep?
He shook his head. "Never mind."
They heard sirens wailing down the street and hid in a dark alley for a minute before continuing towards the nearest hotel.
"Oh, come on!" Black Canary said in frustration as she tried entering code after code into the computer. She pressed her finger to her communicator link and said. "Batman it just isn't working. Do have any other suggestions?"
Batman was up in air searching for the Team. It seemed that every electronic devise had stopped working. He spent two hours in order to get the Justice League communications going, and when he did he immediately called Superman who was up in the tower along with Black Canary, Wonder woman, Flash, and Aquaman who were stuck in there.
He responded offering some more advice, but it was looking pretty grim. Whoever has done this sure knows computers. He'd already made a mental list of who all had the power and knowledge to cause such a massive blackout. The number one suspect so far was The Light.
Canary's voice was in his ear, "It says error non-responsive." He growled slightly in frustration and heard her sigh. "Have you found anything regarding the Team?"
"No. I've checked the Cave and am tracking their last know coordinates before the black out."
"Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve about getting communication back online other than with just the Watchtower?"
"No, I'll see what I can do later after I find the Team."
"Well good luck, I'll see if I can help get the zeta-tubes back online. Canary out."
Batman secretly hoped that the Team would be okay but he pushed aside emotions for now and focused on the mission, the sooner he found them the better.
Robin had them stop at a Wall-Mart so they could get some fresh clothes and bandages for their wounds, the cashier's mouth was wide open for most of the time as if she didn't know what to think. They were out quick and into the nearest motel. At first the concierge was skeptical. "So your Robin, from Gotham City?"
"Yes, and I need to reserve a room-just for tonight."
"Riiiiiight, and who's your friend there?" She said peering past Robin and looking at Shadow, who was leaning against the wall looking at the dirty white tile.
"She's just...a partner." He said not coming up with anything better.
The woman gave a knowing look, and the corner of her mouth tilted up in humor.
"Not-not like that." Robin quickly tried to back track, but she just smiled and took his money. "Whatever Boy Wonder, just don't get me in trouble." Robin grudgingly took the key, his cheeks slightly red, as he walked to their room. Shadow followed and noticed the slight change in his face color. "Is everything okay?" She asked curiosity getting the better of her.
"Everything's fine." Robin snapped opening up their door. He dropped the sack of clothes on the closest bed. He figured if he showed up in his suit than that would increase their chances of getting a room with little suspicion. So much for that plan.
Shadow was already getting her clothes out. "You can take a shower first if you want." He offered a little awkwardly. She glanced up at him. "Spa-see-ba." then gathered her things and went inside the tiny restroom.
Robin sighed and sat at the edge of the bed. He opened up the pictures he took and tried to analyze them as best he could. What is The Light planning this time? Shadow was soon out, wearing the baggy jeans and dark blue three-quarter length shirt she got. He went in, it felt good to get clean, but it's not like he wasn't use to not bathing for long periods of time. He remembered missions back in deserts and jungles. Talk about times with bad B.O.
He got out and dried off. I really hope gossip doesn't go out about me staying in motel rooms with...female 'partners'. Especially with Shadow. He shuddered as he got dressed. I mean, I guess she can be nice...deep down, but...whatever. He folded his Robin uniform than took off his mask, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Okay, so I guess the plan so far is to continue to ride the subways until we get The Hall Of Justice. He didn't want to take Shadow to Gotham City or the Bat-cave. He could just see how angry Bruce would get at taking a stranger to their hide out. That made him shudder worse.
He slid on some dark sun-glasses, he was increasingly worrying about his team. He remembered the giant hole that was blown in the ship. I'm sure their fine...
When he stepped out, wearing skinny jeans, a solid red t-shirt, and a cheap green hoodie, Shadow had dumped her old clothes in a pile setting her tennis shoes next to it, and was sitting on the edge of the bed closest to the window, which was open. The cool night air drifted in, like a ghost. "Your going to let all the warm air out." He said, a little annoyed.
She huffed. "So." and still stared, they were by a gas station and a bright neon red light advertising Circle K was there, and above only a few stars shown.
"So, it's going to get cold." He put his clothes in the sack, and set his utility belt on, what he assumed, his bed.
"I like the cold." She barely turned her head towards him.
"Oh, so it's only about what you like then?" He turned on the T.V. To the news station.
"Fine if your going to complain about it." She said irritability, she stood up and nearly slammed the window down locking it. "Happy?"
"Very," He replied with a smirk and ignored her growl. He focused on the news. Cat Grant was reporting about the strange black out that was occurring. It was happening all across America as far as they could tell. Subways were stopping in and out, but most were still working fine, for now. Mid sentence the lights on set and in the motel room flashed in and out before the screen turned black and the lights came back on, only dimmer.
"The blackout is getting worse." He commented, luckily the subways are still going.
"So what are we going to do tomorrow?" Shadow asked leaning against the pillows and staring up at the ceiling.
"What we did today I guess, ride the subways until we get to the Hall of Justice." He sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed facing the blank T.V.
"And the subways travel are all over America?"
"Ya, the Justice League suggested it to the government. Easier transport, but also better to evacuate cities and move supplies in case we get invaded. When it was approved, they helped install it. Took a while but now the whole country is linked threw roadways, subway systems, and trains."
"Fascinating." She replied with blunt sarcasm.
"You asked." He said turning to give her a glare.
She barely looked at him threw the corner of her eye. "I asked if the subways traveled all over America, you could of answered with a simple, yes."
He frowned in aggravation. "Well sorry for trying to help teach you some things you'll need to know so you don't seem completely incompetent."
"Well I for one don't need to bother learning your trivia, because hopefully I won't be here much longer."
"Ya, hopefully." He said mostly under his breath than out loud. "How can you be so sure that your going to leave soon. It could take weeks or months for us to figure out how to get you back to wherever it is you came from.-"
"I will. Get. Back."
"But you don't know that." Robin said and the realization finally came to him. "I mean we're going to have to figure out how to re-build that machine for one and even when we manage to accomplish that, it's like a door there are two sides and we'll have no idea of knowing if your people on that side will of-"
"I will get back!" She had shouted the words and was no glaring fully at him. His inner detective noticed her slight heavy breathing and the somewhat dilated pupils, it read to desperation and fear. She turned over clawing the cover from out of the pillow and puling them up to her shoulder. "Goodnight."
He paused for a moment before turning off the light, setting his sunglasses on the dresser, and crawling into his bed, it was uncomfortable sleeping in jeans, but he didn't want to take them off just in case. She's really scared about not getting back home. He put himself in the other person's shoes as Batman taught him, (mostly for thinking like the criminal though.) and tried to imagine what it would be like to be suddenly zapped to another planet. No way to contact your friends, getting attacked a day after you arrived, having to face the possibility that you may never get back.
He suddenly felt very bad for Shadow. He remembered when she had mentioned the X-men, her voice had softened a little. I promise, I'll do whatever it takes to help get you back to your home. And with that he went to sleep.