Chapter 10: Red Revelation
Bailyan Desert
00:16 | September 4
Bailya
Sound, head pounding, chest burning, gasp for breaths, and then a dark night illuminated by twinkling lights. Eyes, sight, body self, me. Thomas, he was Thomas, and he was alive. Thomas blinked at the starry night sky; he looked left, seeing endless dunes far into the night. Thomas noticed his arm was clad in black armor. He lifted his head to see his body covered in armor. A stylized Red X was across his chest, and Thomas dropped his head back onto the soft sand. Red X, I am Red X. Red sat up and looked around; he grabbed a handful of sand and lifted his hand up, watching the grains seep through his fingers. Red flopped back onto the sand and looked at the stars. He took stock of the positions, and his eyes widened. Red Sat up with a start, "I'm in the Middle East?"
Red scrambled to his feet and looked around, double-checking the stars, and sure enough, this was the Middle East. He closed his eyes, straining to remember anything. When nothing came to mind, he checked his wrist console for a date. "September 4!" Red grabbed his head, feeling it thumping. "No, that's impossible; the assault on the Weapon." Red X began pacing back and forth. He wracked his brain to format a coherent thought, but nothing made sense. "This place should be down with Davy Jones; I should be on a ship heading to France's remains."
Red X stopped, gasped, "Olympus Protocol," and touched his ear. Red was greeted by static. "Nothing," he sighed and rubbed his temples. Olympus Fallen was to be Task Force X and Waller to travel back in time and prevent the loss of Captain Atom. It was dubbed the best way to fix their doomed situation without creating a worse scenario than the one they'd left. Granted, the Weapon had to have been completed if Olympus was used. Red X balled his hands into fists and put his finger to his ear. "This is Red X, transmitting on a short range. Colonel Flag, Waller, please respond." Red pursed his lips, "Supergirl, come in; this is Red X."
Red X gritted his teeth, "Task Force X, respond."
Red felt his heart tighten, "Harley, you've never been quiet a damn day in your life."
Red gritted his teeth, "Boomer, you drunk bastard, respond!"
Red fell to his knees, "Old man…Slade, come in." Nothing, just more static; maybe he was out of range?
"Deadshot, I swear to Hades, I will activate that bomb in your brain if you don't answer me right now!" Red practically shouted. Nothing; he was alone again. "Supergirl," Red choked back tears, "Darlin, please talk to me." Sorrow forced him onto his knees, but as Red X stared at the sand, black rage gripped his heart. He cooled his emotions, hatred smothering the sadness. "This is Red X; speaking for the record, I will accomplish my mission. Once I gain my bearings, I will find transportation and locate Captain Atom. I will explain the situation and complete Godfall Protocol." Red X cracked his knuckles, "we will turn Atlantist into a goddamn new trench."
Bialyan Desert
12:02 | September 4
Bialya
Robin groaned and walked by a rock formation. He rubbed his head and leaned on the formation for a moment. Before he could ask himself where he was, the sound of an engine caught his ear. Robin deftly climbed up the rock formation, hiding in a crevice. A military humvee with soldiers drove near the formation, heading north. Robin narrowed his eyes, "what are Bialyan soldiers doing in," Robin turned his holo terminal on and gasped. "Bialya?" Robin shook his head, "What am I doing in Bialya?" Robin looked around, then back at his terminal, "Wait, September 4!? What happened to March?" Robin rubbed his temples; his head was killing him. "I better contact Batman," Robin put his finger to his ear.
"Maintain Radio silence," Batman stood before a holographic display, staring at Robin.
"Or not," Robin put his hand down. He hopped back down and decided to head south. Barely a few feet from the formation, he found a rock with a piece of cloth. He picked it up; it was a torn T-shirt with Superman's shield on it. "What is going on right now?" Robin sighed and resumed his trek south, stashing the cloth in his belt.
Somewhere else, Wally gained consciousness inside a shack. "What the," Wally looked down and saw he was in costume, or one like it; this one was black. "Where the heck am I?" Wally looked around the shack and saw the hottest blonde passed out beside him. "Alright, that makes this better," Wally grinned and sat up. He gently patted the girl's cheek, "Hey beautiful, wake up, come on."
Artemis groaned and opened her eyes; a redhead in black smiled at her, and she yelped, crawling back. Her hand landed on a bow, and she picked it up on instinct.
"whoa, whoa, hey, easy angel, I'm one of the good guys, Kid Flash!" KF struck the Flash's signature pose, fist against his hips, chest puffed out.
"I've seen Kid Flash on the news; he doesn't wear black." Artemis glared at the stranger, gripping the bow, ready to act.
"Yeah, still trying to figure that one out," KF scratched his head. "What about you? Kind of a Green Arrow fixation I see."
"What?" Artemis looked down at herself and jumped. "Why am I wearing this? Who put me in this?" Artemis glared at Kid Flash.
"Uh," KF threw his hands up in self-defense, "I'm not touching that with a ten foot," Wally paused and shook his head. "Anyway, you know how to use that thing, angel?"
"Yeah," Artemis brought the bow up, "my dad taught me." Artemis's eyes lit up with realization, "Dad!" Artemis groaned, "he did this, probably one of his stupid tests."
"What kind of test?" Wally raised a brow at Artemis.
"He probably wants me to kill you," Artemis gave him a deadpan look.
Before Wally could answer, a low whistling caught his ear. His eyes widened, "sorry about this!" Wally picked up Artemis and sprinted out of the shack. The shack exploded behind them, knocking them to the ground! Artemis and KF sat up, taking stock of their surroundings. They were in a valley; south of them, three tanks and a military humvee were making a beeline for them.
"Let's go!" KF grabbed Artemis's hand and led her along the winding valley. Heavy caliber fire echoed on the valley walls and kicked up the dirt behind them. Artemis let go of KF's hand and did a combat roll, grabbing an arrow from her quiver. She rolled onto a knee, knocked the arrow, and fired it at the humvee. The arrow exploded below the humvee, sending it flipping over their heads, crashing not far ahead.
Kid Flash watched her knock a second arrow as the tanks turned their cannons on her. He lowered his goggles and kicked on the Super Speed. He scooped her up, and mere seconds later, the ground exploded into a firey ball. "Sorry, but they got bigger arrows!" KF zigged-zagged through the winding valley, dodging shells bursting all around them.
"Thanks," Artemis gripped his shoulders, giving KF a small smile.
"You're welcome," KF smiled back, "see, good guy." He turned right, losing the tanks. "Now mind if I ask you your name? Oh, and what's this about killing me?"
M'gann flew across the desert dunes, feeling happiness and confusion. "I'm on Earth, I can't believe I'm actually here!" M'gann grinned ear to ear and twirled around a dead tree. "Sandier than the TV show, but at least I'm here." M'gann stopped by a dried-up Oasis with barren trees and cracked ground. "Why can't I remember how I got here?" M'gann took a deep breath and floated in place with her legs crossed. "Concentrate, like you learned, breathe, turn your mind's eye inward." Her eyes glowed, and where her mind was cloaked in a black shroud, she peeled it away, illuminating the memories.
First, the angry boy who ripped his shirt off and attacked earlier. He appeared before some kind of device and looked at her. "Be careful," he said, smiling at M'gann. Then, she was in a kitchen offering cookies to the angry boy. "Careful, Superboy, they're hot."
A yellow blur snatched the cookie right out of Superboy's hand. "Not as hot as you, babe," Kid Flash said. She recognized the symbol and red hair!
"Uh, thanks Wally, that's, uhm, sweet." M'gann felt herself smiling awkwardly.
"Not as sweet as you, sugar," Wally winked at her.
"Oh, grow up," said a blonde girl, Artemis! Yes, it was all coming back to her now. Artemis smacked Wally upside the head. Behind her was Robin, grinning at Wally's pain.
"Team, report to the mission room," a dark voice came over the intercom. With that call, it all snapped back into place for M'gann.
"I have a team and friends! Wait, but someone's missing," M'gann racked her brain, but before she could peer within herself again, she caught sight of two drones flying southwest.
Kid Flash slid to a stop and placed Artemis down. He immediately doubled over, panting, and wiped his brow. "Sorry," KF uprighted himself, grimacing with a smile. "Running on empty," he opened a compartment on his costume's wrist. "Whoa, I must have been here for more than twenty-four hours; my cupboards are empty."
Artemis opened her mouth to speak, but something slammed into the ground between them. It kicked up, disorienting the two. "RRRAAAH!" a shirtless, muscled teen with black hair and wild blue eyes roared and backhanded KF.
"Augh!" KF slammed against the nearby ridge. Artemis backflipped twice, gaining some distance. She fired an arrow at the feral Teen, which exploded against him to no visible effect. She knocked another arrow, and the Teen charged. Arrow after arrow, the Teen walked through the explosions before throwing a two-fisted hammer strike at Artemis. Artemis leaped out of the way, but before she could recover, the familiar whistle of artillery reached her ears. The shell struck the feral Teen dead in a fiery explosion, knocking Artemis away. She rolled on the ground, hitting a rock before stopping. The feral stranger crawled out of the crater made by the blast. His eyes locked on the tanks and went ballistic.
"RAAHH!" The feral Teen leaped for the tanks. He landed atop the first tank, grappling its turret. "Roaah!" The angry Teen ripped the turret off the tank! Bullets plinked off his body as one of the crew opened the hatch and fired his rifle. The boy grabbed the Soldier by his rig and threw him meters away. "RRAAAH!" The Teen dug his fingers into the turret's armor and ripped it clean off! The second tank swiveled its turret around and fired! "AAAAGH!" the shell exploded against the Teen, sending him flying into a sand dune.
"GRRAAH!" The Teen pushed off the dune, flying through the air, and landed on the second tank, rocking it. "RAH!" He punched a chunk of armor off the tank! "RRAAHHH!" the Teen ripped the turret off, and the crew scrambled away.
"Whose side is he on?" Artemis rubbed her head, regaining consciousness.
"Wanna stay here and find out?" Wally zipped next to her. The Teen grabbed the tank frame and tossed it into the horizon.
"Nope," Artemis lifted her arms, and KF picked her up. He sped away over the ridge and down a dune.
"Whoa!" KF's foot caught a rock, and they tumbled down before rolling to a stop. The two sat up, but before they could recover, two drones screamed overhead! They turned and flew towards the two heroes, strafing them with machinegun fire.
"Get down!" KF covered Artemis with his body and dove to the ground. The sand around them burst with gunfire, and the drones flew past, preparing for another run. Artemis rose to a knee and knocked an arrow!
Don't worry, I'm almost there!
Artemis gasped and released the arrow, utterly missing her shot. "Did you hear a girl talk in your head?" Artemis looked at KF, wondering if she just lost her mind.
"Girls are always in my mind," KF grinned. "But they're not usually talking."
Overhead, Artemis watched a green girl fly behind the drones. The girl clapped her hands, and the drones suddenly jerked, slamming into each other and exploding. "Yeah, I think I lost my mind."
M'gann flew down to meet her friends, relieved to have made it in time. KF smirked ruefully at her, "Well, J'onn, the new costume looks familiar, but the new bod doesn't really scream Manhunter."
"Oh!" M'gann smiled, "You know my uncle J'onn!" M'gann thumped her head with her palm. "Hello Megan! You're Kid Flash, Wally!" M'gann pointed at Artemis, "you're Artemis, we're all friends!"
"Wait wait!" KF raised his hand, stopping M'gann. "You're Martian Manhunter's niece? How do you know my name?" Wally crossed his arms, brows raised, feeling more confused than when he first woke up.
"Your real name is Wally?" Artemis raised a brow.
Wally flinched before sagging his shoulders, "Aw, man."
"It's okay, we're friends, teammates!" M'gann perked up visibly, "I made you cookies!"
"You know her?" Artemis narrowed her eyes suspiciously at KF.
"No, I swear I never met her in my life, beautiful!" Wally threw his hands out, exasperated. "At least, I don't," Wally trailed off.
M'gann sighed, "You both lost your memory," she turned, hearing distant explosions. Far across the dunes, smoke plums rose into the sky, and several armored vehicles rolled towards the smoke. "Come on," M'gann gestured and began walking to the smoke. "I'll fill you in; we have to find Robin and Superboy."
"Of course, Robin and Superboy," Wally rolled his eyes and shrugged, following M'gann and Artemis.
North of the group, surrounded by several destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers, the Bialyan soldiers captured the raging Superboy. Well, captured was pushing it, as two dozen men restrained the super teenager as best they could. They had his wrist tied with industrial cables used for towing tanks. Superboy's eyes were wild, his teeth bared, and his nose flared like a raging beast. "Rah!" he pulled his right hand and threw six men to the ground. The rest dug their boots into the sand and pulled, restraining the half-Kryptonian.
"Restrain his mind!" A Bialyan sergeant glared at Superboy.
A hooded figure stepped up, and he tilted his head, revealing himself as the grotesque meta-human Simon. He had sickly pale skin with his brain inside a clear case as if on display. A powerful criminal psychic, he raised his hand towards Superboy. "There doesn't seem to be much mind left to control," Simon commented, reaching into Superboy's fractured psyche. "But," Simon ceased control of Superboy's mind. "Be still," Simon forced Superboy into unconsciousness. "There," Simon smirked, watching the boy fall face-first into the sand. "Take him back to the lab."
The Bialyan soldiers restrained Superboy and loaded him into a military cargo truck. "Let's go!" The Sergeant smacked the side of the truck as he jumped in the back, and they drove off. As the military convoy roared away, a young Atlantean girl peeked from her hiding spot. She sighed and hid behind the rocks, pressing her back against them. She looked down at her friend Kaldur, unconscious and mumbling incoherently. Tula placed her hand against his cheek, frowning. "Kaldur, where are we?"
The day bled into the night, and Robin trekked across the desert. He held up his holo terminal following a signal. "Now, why did I place a GPS tracker here?" He trudged up a dune and caught sight of a device when his vision broke over it. He dove for cover and peeked again, "so that's why." Robin looked over; the coast was clear, or at least so it appeared. He narrowed his eyes, climbed over the dune, and moved to the device. Robin reached for the device when the sand erupted around him. Several Bialyan soldiers pointed their rifles at him.
"Her Majesty wants him alive!" a soldier shouted in Bialyan. They rushed Robin, and he dropped a smoke bomb at his feet. The soldiers coughed, trying to find Robin. One guard went down to a flying knee. Two moved to the sound, and Robin threw two bolas. The bolas wrapped around the soldiers, tripping them up. Robin rushed out of the clearing smoke and threw four batarangs at four soldiers. Three went down smacked in the face. The last ducked, but Robin jumped, grabbed his shoulders, and twisted his whole body, forcing the Soldier to do the same. The Soldier threw his arms and hit two rushing Soldiers. Robin pushed off into a flip and landed on a knee. The Soldiers scrambled to their feet, "Enough of this, open fire!" One of them shouted, and they opened fire on Robin. The Boy Wonder backflipped, avoiding the initial burst of gunfire.
"I'll take those!" A black bur swept through the Soldiers, disarming them. KF stopped behind the Soldiers, dropping the rifles, "thanks," KF dusted his hands off. Kid Flash smirked and rushed forward, punching Soldier and attacking Robin from behind. Robin dodged a soldier's punch, pushing it aside with an open palm before spinning into a roundhouse kick to the Soldier's face. Two soldiers rushed Robin from behind; he ducked shots whizzing by and drew two batarangs. The Soldiers were lifted and smacked against each other by some invisible force. Robin turned to see Miss Martian's decloak hand stretched out.
Kid Flash rushed a Soldier who stopped sidestepping a kick. He grabbed the Soldier's leg and spun him around thrice before throwing him against two of his comrades. KF caught a Soldier running from the corner of his eye. He was about to run after him when an arrow flew straight for the fleeing Soldier. The arrowhead exploded open into a bola, knocking the Soldier onto the ground restrained. The three young heroes turned to Artemis atop a nearby dune.
With the Soldiers unconscious or incapacitated, KF and Robin greeted each other first. "KF, good to see a friendly face out here!"
"Hey Rob," KF clasped hands with his friend, "memory loss?" KF smirked, already knowing the answer.
"Six months!" Robin narrowed his eyes, "Let's hogtie these creeps and compare notes."
They restrained the soldiers and secured them in record time, thanks to Miss Martian. "So, we're a team," Robin summarized.
"The four of us and Superboy, and oh my gosh!" Miss Martian covered her mouth.
"Oh, this must be his," Robin showed Miss Martian the torn T-shirt.
"You've seen him?" Miss Martian took the piece of cloth, holding it close.
"Feral boy?" KF rubbed his chin, "yeah, he attacked us; not much of a teammate."
"He doesn't remember who we are," Artemis pointed out. "I don't know who we are!" Artemis threw her hands out, frustrated.
"I remember Batman telling us to maintain radio silence," Robin's eyes widened in realization. "Our team must work for him!"
"Hey," KF grinned, "how do you know we don't work for my mentor," KF jabbed his chest with his thumb. His black suit shifted to its original yellow. "Whoa!" KF smiled, poking his chest again, shifting back to black. Robin and Artmies tried the same, but nothing happened.
"We look ridiculous!" Artemis groaned, frustrated. "Will you quit touching yourself!" Artemis smacked KF's shoulder. Miss Martian watched the exchange and rubbed the back of her hand nervously. Artemis crossed her rams, "We need our memories back."
For Superboy, M'gann's voice echoed in the team's mind. She reached out with her mind, pulling their consciousness into her own. I've brought you into my mind to show you what I remember. Alone, our memories are fragments. But, together, we can reform the whole. The team stood in a realm where shattered glass reflected events none could attest to. KF saw himself with another presumed hero in a tattered black cape with an X on his chest. Artemis saw a memory of herself and the X on his chest hero. The two were sitting in a hangar, watching the rain, talking.
Wait, you're asking to see through our private thoughts? Artemis scowled at Miss Martian.
I don't mean to intrude, but Miss Martian began.
You have to hack our brains to wrap up what happened to us, go." Robin smirked and shrugged.
My brain is all yours, KF gestured flamboyantly with his hand. Don't let it overwhelm you.
Or underwhelm you, Robin put his fist against his hips. How come nobody is ever just whelmed?
Artemis's brows knitted together, worried. KF approached her and held her hand, threading their fingers together. Just the last six months, and only what you need!
Miss Martian smiled and stretched out her hands. Green apparitions of hands came from her outstretched hands and head, resting against her friend's heads. Miss Martian shared her memories with them and pieced them together with theirs. The shattered glass reformed, and the young heroes were made whole.
"We detected a massive power surge from the Bialyan desert; Watch Tower spectral analysis revealed non-terrestrial elements. Find out what happened there and what landed." Batman turned halfway to the holo display, switching to the next slide of the briefing. "Bialya is a rogue nation ruled by Queen Bee and not a member of the League's UN charter. All communications are subject to intercept. Maintain radio silence the entire time."
"You'll land in Qurac, two clicks from the hot zone," Batman's briefing ended, and in a flash, they were all crossing the Qurac border into Bialya.
"The Bialyans control the site," Artemis proclaimed as she and Robin overlooked a camp in the desert.
Superboy placed down the device, doubling as an armory and scanning equipment. Robin knelt by the device and typed away at the console. "We'll be up and running in no time."
"Jackpot!" Wally said in a sing-song voice overlooking Robin's shoulder. "Site's lousy with Zeta beam radiation."
"I'm detecting non-terrestrial elements from the tent," Robin turned to Aqualad.
"Oh, I'll check it out in camouflage mode," Miss Martian said, donning her hood.
"Good idea, the rest of us will secure the perimeter," Aqualad nodded.
"I'll scout the area around here and watch for patrols," Red X waved at them, going over a nearby dune.
"The rest of us will stay here, Aquagirl; how are you holding up?" Aqualad turned to their newest member.
"My magic helps," Aquagirl smiled, "but it feels odd not being surrounded by water."
"It is an interesting feeling after a while," Aqualad smiled.
"Alright, I'll be going," Miss Martian nodded and flew up cloaking.
"Understood, and maintain telepathic contact," Aqualad said before the memory ended abruptly.
"Aqualad!" KF said
"Aquagirl!" Robin smacked his forehead.
"Red X!" Artemis's brows knitted together in worry. "What happened next?" Artemis stepped up to Miss Martian.
"I don't know, I can't remember past that," Miss Martian raised her hands in self-defense. "None of us can," Miss Martian shook her head apologetically.
"Okay, now that I know how to look for them, I can scan for their communicators." Robin activated his wrist terminal and got three GPS hits. "Got them," Robin nodded, "oh, and you two can stop holding hands by the way," Robin smirked at KF.
"What?" KF looked down and saw him and Artemis were indeed holding hands. "Whoa!" He let her go like she was fire, and Artemis stepped away, crossing her arms. They followed the stationary GPS hits, as the third was moving towards them anyway.
Aquagirl jumped from cover in a defensive stance when they neared the two GPS trackers. She spoke in Atlantean, so none understood her, but her stance made it clear, 'don't come any closer.'
"Whoa, uh, English?" KF raised his hands, taking a step closer to her.
"Yes," Aquagirl answered, "who are you!"
"We're friends, and we're here to help you and Kaldur Tula," Robin stepped up next.
"I," Tula took a step back, unsure. "I don't know any surface dwellers!"
"But Kaldur does," Miss M reached out for Tula. "Please let us help you, I am a telepath, and I can show you my memories."
Aquagril glowered at Miss M, "If what you say is true, tell me, why am I here?"
"Because you chose to follow Kaldur to the surface world," Miss M stepped closer.
"I," Tula lowered her stance, "I don't recall," Tula shook her head. "My studies were too important; I could not go with Kaldur, even if I truly wanted."
"But you chose to come now," Miss M put her hand gently over Tula's. "Please let me show you."
Tula stared at the strangers for a while before nodding. "Okay, show me what I am missing."
Miss M smiled and leaned over, touching her forehead against Tula's. It all rushed back, and her fragmented memory snapped into place. Tula stepped back, gasping; all the gathered faces were now familiar, if still new. "Is this how missions regularly go?" Tula smiled, just relieved to not be aimless in the desert.
"Not typically, no," Robin smirked.
"Well," everyone turned to the voice. Red X stood above them atop a ridge. "Isn't that something," Red X glared down at the heroes. "Tell me, how does it feel selling out your species to the Atlanteans?"
"What?" Miss M's brows shot up.
"Whoa," Red X looked at Miss M bewildered. "Who, what are you?"
"I know you're confused, but you know me, we're friends," Miss M stepped up between the group and Red X.
"Friends?" Red X's voice took on an edge. "My friends aren't here, lady, but it doesn't matter." Red X rotated his neck, cracking it. "You help the Atlanteans; you go down with them." Without warning, Red X threw out three shuriken! They exploded in a bright flash, disorienting the team.
Robin was the first to recover, having covered his eyes at the last second. He saw Red X rush Miss M, flipped over her, and grabbed her head. He twisted his body, twisting Miss M's head to one eighty! Robin felt his stomach drop; Miss M's face was surprised as she fell to her knees, and her body fell limply to the side. Red X didn't spare a glance as he threw a shuriken at Robin. The Boy Wonder backflipped at the last second, barely dodging the shuriken. Robin felt a small trickle, and he wiped his cheek. Blood, that shuriken was meant for his neck. "No time; we need to restrain him."
"But," Aquagirl looked horrified at Miss M's slumped-over body.
"No time!" KF rushed Red X, throwing a punch. Red X stumbled back, caught off guard by the speed.
"I got him!" Artemis fired an arrow! Red X recovered, grabbing the arrow midair, spinning, and launching the arrow at KF. The Speedster ducked the arrow, barely missing him. "Tom, stop!"
"Calling my name won't work!" Tom pressed the X on his belt. He turned and deflated two shurikens with his gauntlets. KF rushed him, but Red X activated his wrist blades and threw a backhand!
"Whoa!" KF leaned back, losing his footing, the blades passing over him as he slid past Red X. "You, really trying to kill us?" KF stood up and grabbed his neck, relieved it wasn't spewing red.
"You picked your side helping them!" Red X barked, tossing a shuriken at KF. The Speedster rolled away as it exploded, the force knocking him against a rock.
Red X ducked as Robin flew past him with a flying kick. Red X swept the leg, and Robin jumped back, tossing bombs at Red X's feet. Red X, with inhuman speed, swatted the bombs back at Robin. Robin crossed his arms as the bombs exploded with concussive blasts, sending him flying back. Something tingled at the back of Red X's neck, and he rolled away. Magical blue energy shots kicked up sand. Aquagril moved in, her tattoos glowing, but her face was set in a grimace. Red X smirked, producing two shurikens, "real fish out of the water, aren't you?"
"Do not underestimate an Atlantean sorcerer!" Aquagirl fired three more energy blasts. Red X threw his shuriken and deflected her blast with his armored wrists. Aquagirl charged her fists, crackling with magical electricity. Aquagirl threw a left hook, and Red X deflected the strike with his wrist and threw an uppercut. Aquagirl leaned back and went for a grapple. Red X ducked and swept her leg. He produced a Taser and fired it at Aquagirl. A shuriken cut the wires before he could pull the trigger. Red X rolled back as Aquagirl kicked out with an electrified foot. Red X righted himself when an arrow flew at him. It exploded into a bola, and he cut it midair with his wrist blades.
"Timber!" KF rushed him, dropping to the ground and kicking Red X's legs out under him. Artemis fired another arrow, and it flew over him. The tip exploded into a net, rushing towards the fallen Red X.
Red X gritted his teeth and pressed on his belt buckle again. He rushed up, grabbing the net midair. The team gasped, watching Red X fly, his face twisted into a snarl. "I really hate using this," Red X dropped the net and punched his open palm. "So hold still, and I'll make it quick!" Red X flew straight for Aquagirl with his fist reared back!
"Aquagirl!" KF was about to run to her when a voice in his mind stopped him.
Aquagirl didn't move as halfway through, Miss M appeared before Red X. He punched straight through her chest. "What?" Red X gasped, confused.
"Remember!" Miss M's eyes glowed green as she grabbed Red X's face.
"aaagh!" Red X screamed as Miss M forced herself into his mind, and everything rushed back. It was over in seconds. Red X's eyes rolled back, and Miss M caught him in her telekinetic grasp. His arm fell out of her, and her body closed up.
"Megan, you're okay!" KF rushed, hugging her.
"Yes, sorry, I had to make it look convincing," Miss M smiled apologetically. "It was the only way I could catch him off guard.
"Mrr," Red X groaned as he regained consciousness. His eyes were unfocused before he finally caught sight of Miss M.
"M'gann!" Red X sat up and looked at his friends. They had all gotten into a combat stance. "Gods," Red X looked at his hands, "what have I done?"
"You tried to kill M'gann!" Aquagirl accused.
"Wait, please!" Miss M tried.
"Dude, you tried to kill us all!" KF threw his hands out.
"I," Red X flinched again. "I'm sorry," Red X stood up and flew off into the desert.
"No!" Miss M watched him go.
"We have to give him space," Robin suddenly spoke up. "Something tells me he thought he was back there."
"Back where?" Tula asked.
"It's complicated; for now, we have to get Kaldur back to Bioship. Miss M, can you call her?" Robin took command before the situation deteriorated further.
"She's," Miss M shook her head, "she's out of my range," Miss M pressed her lips.
"Okay, we're all running on empty here; Miss M float Kaldur up; we'll take him to Bioship."
"Wait, Connor!" Miss M held her head, "he's in pain; I can feel him."
"He's pretty sturdy; right now, we need to help Kaldur," Robin stepped up to her.
"No, Superboy, I'm coming!" Miss M flew off.
"Wait, M'gann! Whoever messed with our mind is still out there!" Miss M cloaked, and Robin quickly lost track of her. "Great, just great," Robin brought up his holo terminal. "Okay team, we're gonna need a makeshift gurney. Grab that net, and I'll lead us to bioship; I got a GPS marker where we parked her."
Tom flew down, landing on a rock formation. He looked at his hands and gritted his teeth. "GGGRRAAAH!" he screamed into the night, uncaring if anybody heard him. He fell to his knees, gritting his teeth. "I used it, and I used it against my friends. I, RRAAH!" he punched the ground, cracking the entire rock formation. "I ruined it, I lost my only friends, my only family." Red X fell back, staring into the sky. Red let out a shutter before curling into a ball, biting his lip, and trying to keep the sorrow back. "I'm really all alone now."
Miss M floated to the main tent at the target site, where she detected Superboy. "RRAAGGH!" Superboy's cries reached her ears, and she rushed into the tent. Inside was full of scientific equipment. There was some kind of Sphere in a cage, and two scientists were shocking Superboy! Miss M flew over, knocking them out with her telepathy. She turned the machine he was attached to, and Superboy slumped in his retrains.
"Well, you're a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" Miss M gasped, turning to the voice.
Simon walked up to her, speaking directly to her despite still being cloaked. "Simon says," Simon pulled down his hood, revealing the extent of his deformed head. "Forget," he attacked Miss M's psyche with his telepathy.
Miss M was forced into her psyche, which reflected her reality with places and things all floating around like an avant-garde painting. That's right, forget; just like before, Simon's voice invaded her psyche, and a bright flash of light started spreading, consuming all the places and things. Like before, Miss M gasped, and it all came back to her. The initial insertion into the tent and Simon catching her telepathic link with the team. Then, the light consumed everything, taking from her and her friends! No, I won't let it happen again! Miss M repelled the psychic attack, dispersing it!
That's not really your call, is it? Simon mocked, manifesting himself in Miss M's as a floating head. He smirked cruelly and fired a black beam of psychic energy, blasting Miss Martian back! For a brief second, everything around her flickered. You won't take anything else from me! Miss M fired back with her own psychic energy! Simon fired again, and their beams met halfway, crackling with intensity.
Outside their minds, both parties stood still, and the scientist inside the tent took notice. One even waved his hand in front of Simon's face. Suddenly, materials around the tent started floating. "Outside, get the guards!" One of the scientists yelled and ran out. Seconds later, several Bialyan soldiers entered, rifles raised. "Simon, what is happening," one of the soldiers moved closer. He struggled to talk without averting his gaze from the cloaked Miss M. "In. front. Infiltrator. Kill her!" Surprisingly, the girl was putting up a fight, but he would wear her down soon enough. Well, not that Simon had to; she was about to be gunned down after all.
One of the Soldiers aimed at the spot where Miss M was floating. But, before he could fire, loud digital bleeping followed by a roaring whirr caught their attention. The trapped Sphere broke from its confinement and rushed the Soldiers, knocking them aside! "It broke free! Take it down!" The soldiers scrambled to their feet, opening fire on the Sphere!
Miss M felt it; outside her mind, something was wrong. So she reached out! Robin, Artemis, Kid Flash! She received no response; they were out of her telepathic range. So, she reached out to her last hope.
Red X…Tom, please answer me.
Red X gasped, still curled up, feeling Miss M's voice in his head. M'gann?
I need your help; WE need your help.
Red X sat up alert, burying his sorrow. His friend, the closest thing he had to a sister, was in danger. Red X pursed his lips, no, the others, I can't be trusted.
Tom, please, I let you think you killed me. We can talk and sort all this out. But if you don't come, I will die, and they'll take Superboy and make him a weapon again.
At that, Red X felt renewed rage. He stood up, hands balled into fists. No, I won't let that happen! Where are you!
Here! Miss M sent him a telepathic image of the tent and where to head. Aaah!
M'gann! Red X pushed off and poured the speed towards the tent. He flew near enough to the desert that he picked up the sand as he flew by! Red flew so fast that he blitzed past the perimeter guard, knocking them into the air. Machinegun fire was the first thing he registered. He flew into the tent, sliding on the ground to a stop.
"Another one!" a Soldier fired on Red X. Red, with inhuman speed, deflected the shots with his armored wrists. He angled his arm in just the right direction, and the last shot ricocheted back onto the Soldier, knocking the gun out of his hand. Red rushed, threw a punch back, and swung! The Soldier closed his eyes, and Red Stopped himself inches from his face. He almost killed him; he nearly used his full strength on a human. Red grabbed the Soldier by his rig and tossed him at his comrades. He pressed on his belt buckle and exhaled, immediately feeling his strength shackled again. The remaining soldiers fighting what appeared to be a rolling metal ball turned to Red. The Sphere skidded on the sand, ramming the distracted Soldiers. Red threw shurikens, burying them in the Soldier's chest rigs. The X shuriken beeped before discharging an electric charge on them, knocking them out for good.
"Kill them all!" a new squad of Bialyan Soldiers entered the tent. They raised their rifles, and suddenly, a tornado powered by pure telekinetic might form around them all. "Aahh!" the Soldiers screamed, swept away.
"Whoa!" Red X fired a grapple line, and M'gann suddenly decloaked while facing Simon. Red reeled the line, getting in the eye of the tornado. Miss M's brow was knitted together, perspiring. Red put his grapple away and grabbed her hand. Instantly, he was pulled into the psychic battle. He appeared floating with M'gann gasped as Red appeared next to her.
You made it! She smiled, relieved. Then she gritted her teeth as she formed a bubble of psychic energy around them. A gigantic version of Simon faced them, discharging psychic might against the shield.
Simon says, forget everything! Simon's black psychic beam engulfed the Sphere, and cracks formed around it.
He's too strong! M'gann's outstretched arms trembled.
No, he's not. He's just a freakshow, you're M'gann M'orzz, Miss Martian, you are more than he'll ever be! Red reached out, grabbing her right hand. You're not alone, either!
Miss Martina's mouth hung open before she smiled and grasped Red's hand firmly, threading their fingers together. Get out of my head! Miss Martian tapped into her true psychic might and unleashed a torrent of psychic energy! It dispelled Simon's attack, dispersing it as the beam hit Simon's head, M'gann shattered his psyche!
Simon's world went black before reality cracked like a mirror. "AAAAAHHH!" Simon screamed as his mind was sundered and swept away into the whirlwind that expanded, tearing the tent and the nearby area apart! The tornado died, and Miss M stumbled forward.
"I got you!" Red caught her midfall and propped her up. "Are you okay?" But, before Miss Maritan could answer, Red felt a tingle on the back of his neck. He pushed Miss M away and tapped his buckle twice. He turned, barely raising his arms as Superboy came from the sky with a hammer blow. "Aaagh!"
"Oh no, Superboy, stop!" Miss Martian recovered, flying up.
"RRAAAHH!" Superboy roared, raining blow after blow on the downed Red X. The vigilante kept his arms up, feeling each blow to his teeth!
"I got him!" Miss Martian raised her arm.
"Wait!" Red shouted, stopping her. Superboy threw one more hammer blow, breaking Red's guard.
"RRAAAHHH!" Superboy pulled himself upright and threw the finishing blow.
"Gotcha!" Red struck out, deflecting the blow, wrapped his arms around Superboy's, and locked his legs around his neck into an arm bar. "M'gann now!"
Miss M rushed in and placed her hands on Superboy's head. His mind was nothing but white noise and nothingness. Miss M threw her arms out, and the world was filled with all the memories they had made as a team…as a family. Superboy's eyes widened, and instantly, he regained control of himself. He blinked and noticed he was trapped in an arm bar by Red. "I'm good, I'm good!" Superboy tapped Red's thigh with his other hand.
Red disengaged and rolled back onto his feet. Red doubled over, panting, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Good, I haven't used that…well, yeah." Red fell back on his rear. Using his power was like flexing a muscle, and when one didn't use that muscle regularly? Well, he'd be easy pickings right about now.
"Superboy, you're okay!" Miss Martian hugged the clone, pressing her forehead against his. "When I heard you screaming, I came as fast as possible!"
"You did?" Superboy's brow shot up. "I could have hurt you," he looked down at his hands.
"It's okay; you'd be worth the pain," Miss Martian reached up, cupping his cheek. They leaned closer, lips inches apart.
The Sphere rolled up to the group, beeping. The two teens suddenly remembered they weren't alone and pulled back. "I remember you," Superboy reached out, touching the Sphere. "They wanted to control us both." Supberboy's voice turned slightly bitter before perking up. "Can we keep it?"
Miss Martian blinked and looked at Red, who smiled before they burst into laughter. Superboy looked at them, frowning, "What?"
"strays attract strays, I guess," Red grinned.
Miss M perked up and put two fingers to her head. "Our friends are here!" Miss M stood up, watched Bioship decloack, and came down for a pickup. The team, minus Aqualad and Aquagirl, ran out to check on everybody. When the initial euphoria of completing the mission wore off, Red's shoulders slacked.
"Hey," Robin walked up to him.
"I," Red started, then looked away, grabbing his arm. "Nothing I can say can make up for what I did."
"Well," Kid Flash walked up next, "how about you try when we get back home?"
"No," Red shook his head, "I don't deserve to return, not after."
"Look, not everyone is proud of their past," Artemis walked up to Red. "Trust me, I speak from experience," Artemis looked away. "So, just come home and talk to us…okay?" Artemis reached out and squeezed Red's hand.
Red felt tears well up behind his domino mask. He pulled it off and rubbed his closed eyes to dispel them. "Okay, let's go home." Red looked away, then looked to Superboy, "First things first."
"Connor, I attacked M'gann; I thought I killed her," Red looked away. "If you don't want me around anymore, I'll go."
"Whoa," KF tried to intervene, but Red X raised his hand, stopping him.
Superboy looked at Red; their eyes locked, and his expression was neutral. Then, Superboy frowned, and Red flinched under the stare. "Don't be stupid," Superboy walked past him, smacking his shoulder. "Let's go home," Superboy looked back, his lips quirking slightly.
"Uh, what's with the ball?" KF looked at the Sphere.
"Oh, that's Sphere, come on," Superboy called. The Sphere beeped energetically and rolled up to the ramp behind him.
"If we weren't heroes, this would probably be weird," KF shrugged, and the team boarded Bioship, beginning their flight home.
Qurac airspace
02:32 | September 5
Qurac
"I see I missed quite a bit," Kaldur looked at his friends. "But, I believe I speak for us all," Kaldur stood up, and Tula moved up next to him. She hovered her hands around him, but Kaldur raised his hand and shook his head. "You owe us an explanation for your actions, Tom."
"But I'm okay!" M'gann spoke up from behind the controls of Bioship.
"No," Tom shook his head, "Kaldur is right, you guys are my friends…my family." Tom raised his hands, and he looked at his gloved hands. "If anyone deserves to know, it's you." Tom sighed and took a deep breath before he began removing his armor. No one said anything as he removed the pieces, zipped down his body glove, and pulled it off. He only took off the top half of his armor and glove, which showed everyone his scarred body.
"Should I maybe cover my ears?" Tula offered.
"No," Tom shook his head, giving her a small smile. "Kaldur trusts you, I know nothing about you, but that's all I need to know."
Tula nodded, "thank you."
Tom sighed and looked at his scarred body. "My world is gone, consumed by a war that killed everyone." Tom took a deep breath, steeling his resolve. "I was a soldier in this war. Well, I'm half Amazon, as you know by now. The other half is human," Tom smiled slightly. "I have…unresolved issues with the Amazons of my world. So, I don't like that half of me, even if it's my mother's side. So my armor suppresses my power, and I can release it in bursts only if I absolutely have to. Like today," Tom pursed his lips, remembering the Biaylan Soldier's terrified eyes.
"What's your beef with Amazons?" KF shrugged, "I mean, come on, man, it's paradise island."
Tom's color drained from his face, the scars on his back stung, and he could feel the nails rake against it. "It wasn't paradise!" Tom shouted and wrapped his arms around himself.
"I," Wally stepped back, "dude, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"No," Tom shook his head and wiped the sweat off his brow. "You didn't know, it's okay, it's okay."
"Okay, let's focus on the war," Robin could feel the tension building inside Tom and steered the conversation away from the Amazons. Clearly, something was there he still needed to come to grips with.
"Yeah, the war," Tom took a calming breath. "The war was between the Amazons and the Atlanteans. It started because Aquaman and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, had an affair with Aquaman."
"That's," Kaldur jumped to defend his king's honor.
"Another Aquaman," Robin cut in, and Kaldur deflated.
"My apologies, please continue," Kaldur nodded.
"Well, Queen Mera wasn't happy, and she confronted Hippolyta…and Hippolyta sent her severed head to Aquaman after their altercation." Tom finished, and everyone was stunned and silent. "I escaped the island two years into the war, and it was going badly."
"For the Amazons?" Tula asked.
"For humanity," Tom cleared and pressed his lips together. "Hippolyta invaded man's world and took over Britain. At first, the occupation was manageable, and though the people chafed under her, she didn't treat them harshly." Tom looked at the sky speeding past them. "That is until an IRA member bombed the parliament building, killing a few dozen of Hippolyta's personal guard. She responded brutally, and well, she began a purge of the island nation. Men and children were slaughtered, and the women and daughters were spared and shipped back to Themyscira. Through whatever means, they came back as Amazons, not remembering their previous lives, and happily killed their husbands and sons by Hippolyta's orders."
"How could she do that?" Artemis whispered, heart clenching. Her father wasn't exactly her favorite person, but killing her father? Artemis shuttered, that wasn't right.
"She was looking for an excuse; the IRA simply gave it to her," Tom gritted his teeth. "Then they invaded northern France, and things went from bad to apocalyptic." Tom closed his eyes, remembering watching the satellite footage with Task Force X. Kara buried her head in his chest and had tears in her eyes. "Aquaman decided to deny the Amazon's further reinforcements and unleashed a super weapon. He flooded Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East to the Persian gulf." Tom gripped the air and looked at his friends. "That's the war I was a soldier on, and when the US government approached me to join a task force to save humanity? I joined, they trained me further, and when they asked me to kill, I did so willingly. To end the madness, to stop the extinction of my father's people, I did whatever they asked me." Tom felt his shoulders slack, "Before I met you all, I was part of Operation Hail Mary; as the name suggested, it was a final stand. The US and the shattered military forces of the rest of the world launched a final assault on Aquaman on the remains of France. My objectives as part of Task Force X were to locate the weapon and disable it, then to find Aquaman and Hippolyta and terminate them."
"You failed," Kaldur whispered.
"In the chaos of battle, Aquaman met Hippolyta in single combat; Hippolyta took him down and as a final act of spite…he triggered the weapon. Full power, it unleashed a nuclear explosion of biblical proportions; it atomized everything it touched. Kara," Tom locked eyes briefly with Artemis. "Kara, my friend…the love of my life. Wounded from battle flew me back to the States to a secret facility under Washington. There, we enacted Olympus Fallen protocol, and I used an experimental time machine to travel back in time and prevent the war from escalating."
"But you ended up here instead," Robin concluded.
"Yes," Tom nodded.
"What about her? Kara," Tula looked at Tom as his expression turned grim.
"The explosion caught up with us, the Gate shutdown was imminent, and she pushed me in." Tom sighed and sat down on his seat. His knees felt weak all of a sudden. "Every scar on my body is of a battle lost or a pyrrhic victory that cost humanity far too much. The only thing on this miserable body of mine worth a damn is this tattoo." Tom traced the skull with a faded smile, "Colonel Flag, the commander of Task Force X, gave it to me and said he wanted to face the end with a fellow Soldier."
M'gann left her seat and wrapped her arms around Tom's shoulders. "Tom, I'm so sorry you had to go through all that." The rest of the team looked on quietly as Tom slowly wrapped his arms around M'gann, and his frame started to shake. "You're not alone; you'll never be alone again because I'm here." M'gann looked at the team, and they all nodded, moving closer to Tom, save for Tula. She respected the moment by stepping back.
"So from now on, you're my brother, okay?" M'gann pulled back, smiling at Tom.
"I'd," Tom wiped his face, his eyes glistening. "I'd like that."
"You've always been mine," Connor shrugged, crossing his arms. "So, you know," he awkwardly looked away.
"Thanks," Tom stood up and touched Superboy's shoulder. "I always felt the same too."
"Well," Robin grinned and patted Tom's shoulder. "Looks like you're really stuck with us now. So, mind putting your clothes back on now?" Robin cackled, and the team laughed.
The rest of the flight was uneventful, with everyone talking. Tom took a moment to look around, and since coming to this reality, he felt he truly belonged.
The inspiration flowed on this one, hope you all like it.
As for concerns, yes, once again I said this was "part retelling," but as you might have noticed with chapter 8, there are things that happen beyond the episodes. Also some episodes have different events leading to different encounters. Also not sure what you mean by "the action isn't focused on." Like do you mean on Red X? Because he's part of the team as a whole, and the story is about the team as a whole. Hence chapters where we get pov's that don't involve Tom at all. This isn't HIS story it's the story of the "The Team." Also what do you mean by they don't know that? They know he's from a parallel world, but they don't know WHAT his world is like and his past. He's slowly but surely revealed to them as he learns to be part of this reality. Like I can't just dump all the info in one chapter and call it a day. It's a story after all.
But I digress, hope this chapter is different enough for you. Next chapter is gonna deal with the Legion of Doom, and well, you're not gonna wanna miss it. Red X's first outing as team leader is coming! Also more time between him and Wonder Woman.