Last chapter! Really, I'm dead serious. This is it for Getting Traught. Read the AN at the bottom!
Thanks for all the marvelous reviews!
The answer: a lawsuit. Well, it made me laugh….
Chapter 13!
The ride on the Batplane was full of tension. The mentors spoke in low voices with each other as they tended to the injured teens. Wally had sat in a corner and didn't let anyone touch him. Now, they were all back at the cave, in the infirmary, and most of Young Justice had just woken up. They were in incredible pain, and most couldn't even sit up. However, their weak and tired bodies didn't keep them from being angry beyond what was thought possible. They hadn't said a word to The League, and just sat in their beds staring into space with blank looks, but their eyes were on fire. It was clear that they were all talking with a telepathic link, but J'onn didn't bother to find out. The adults had hurt them enough. After a few hours, Wally exploded.
"How could you! He's the youngest, a little boy, and you think you can just leave him and go back to him later? Is he really not that important to you?"
"Kid-"
"Don't 'kid' me, Barry, I'm not a kid! Let me tell you all something- he's important to me, he's important to all of us, and right now, you have no right to boss us around!"
Barry was silent. Wally had a point- first they chase them, almost kill them, and then leave one behind. The League didn't respond to Wally, especially because he was a sad, hurt teenager who was scared for his best friend. But of course, as The Justice League, they did need to take charge in these situations. For example, they couldn't let Wally get out of his bed and go save his best friend when there was a hole in his stomach.
"Wally, I know you're upset, but you're injured and you can't just get up, run half way across the world, and go up against that psychopath all by yourself." Barry scolded as he tried to get Wally to get back in his bed.
"I agree," Kaldur said. Everyone turned to stare at him. "We will go with you." He tried to get up, but winced and grabbed his arms where the worst of the burns were.
"Absolutely not." Superman said his voice full of authority. "You are all in critical condition, and you are in no shape to get up and walk around, much less fight. No one is leaving this cave until further notice." Superman looked at all the teens sternly, daring them to speak up against him. Unfortunately for him, they did.
"So, what, we just sit around and do nothing?" Artemis asked. Her leg, which was broken, had a large cast on it. She couldn't even lean forward, much less stand. "Who knows what those crazies are doing to that poor kid?"
"The League will handle this situation. Right now, you will all rest." Black Canary said.
"Where've I heard that before?" Conner muttered. Despite his quiet voice, he was really ready to kill someone.
"Oh, come on! How can you think we'll just sit here and let the likes of you all handle it?" Roy shouted. There was a very large cast on his arm, and bandages around his hand. He looked everyone on The League in the eye, but it was hard to be intimidating when you were confined to a bed.
"Could we… have a minute? Alone?" M'gann asked in a less than polite way. She was really done with the whole respect your elders thing. How can you have respect for the people who destroyed your bioship and almost killed you and your friends?
The League turned and left the room without a word. They couldn't fully understand what the children were going through, but they needed some time away from those they used to trust, who had then tried to kill them. They did plan on watching them, of course, but only because they didn't want to let them out of their sight.
"Now what?" Batgirl asked weakly. She was lying flat on her back and had thick bandages wrapped tightly around her head where she had been struck. Her arms were also wrapped up. All of the teens looked sort of like mummies right about then.
"Now, we go find Rob." Wally tried to sit up, but winced and fell back. He had to get stitches in his stomach, and had minor cuts and bruises everywhere which were covered by band aides.
"Oh? And how do you propose we do that? This stupid IV keeps me from leaving the bed, and I can't move my arm." Zatanna had to get stitches in her arm and had bandages wrapped around her torso. She couldn't sit up, much less fight.
"She's right. How are we supposed to go and fight? We don't know where we were." M'gann's cuts had been covered, and there was an IV with a strange fluid hooked up to her hand. They all had IVs and each had a different fluid pertaining to their species.
"M'gann has a point. The League is probably watching us, and there's no way they'll let us leave, not that we could." Conner shifted in his bed. He had bruised ribs and the impact of the ship hitting the ground had actually bruised him a little, but he was fine other than that.
"In case you're forgetting, we also don't have a ship." Artemis added. With each obstacle pointed out, the teens became less and less hopeful. They were helpless. Until they were healed, which could take weeks, months even, they were useless. Not that The League would let them go up against Deathstroke once they were one hundred percent again. But then again, who cared what The League told them to do?
"Great. Just perfect." Wally mumbled. "So, now what? We just leave the mission we started to The League. I really don't want to let them handle this. We're involved in it more than they are!"
"How?" Barbara asked skeptically.
"I…don't know…. Oh! Because we're closer to Robin!" Wally exclaimed.
Kaldur gave a sad sigh of defeat. "Yes, but I don't think that will matter to them. Until they say so, we are out of commission." He frowned in frustration.
"I can't believe after they try to kill us, you still listen to everything they say." Wally said, scowling at Kaldur. He in turn gave Wally a sharp look.
"No. I am merely stating the obvious. It is clear we will take time to recover, but until then, we must hand this over to The League, however hard it will be for us."
"Honestly? As long as get Robin back safely, I don't see the difference. Then, when he's safe, we can all be mad at The Justice League together." Barbara stated.
Artemis chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."
Red Arrow, however, was not amused. "So, just like that, we give up?"
"No. We are not giving up. We never give up. We simply cannot fight at the moment. But I promise all of you, we started this mission, and we will finish it and come out victorious. No one will stand in our way. The minute we are able to get back out in the field, we will go look for Robin, and bring him back ourselves. No one will say otherwise." He turned to glare at the security camera in the infirmary. "Count on it."
The League watched the whole conversation from the monitor in the main part of the cave. No one said a word while the children were talking, but after Kaldur's motivational speech, they didn't say a word. As leader, Kaldur chose what was best for his team, so they would go with his plan. Finally, Superman turned to Batman. "Well?"
"They aren't planning on making any moves for a while, so all we have to do is keep a very close eye on them all."
"And what about when they heal? What then?" Flash asked.
"Then, we let them go." Batman replied.
"What?" Black Canary exclaimed.
"Hopefully, we'll have Robin by then. If not, we'll need all the help we can get. That or you can go tell them we were spying and advice against it."
Superman sighed. "This is not a good idea."
"We aren't exactly in a good position to be telling them what to do, Clark." Superman could tell that Batman was still sour about the whole 'beating him up on his turf and then interrogating him' issue. Batman turned to leave. "I need to start investigating as soon as possible. I'll call when I get something."
"Bruce." Batman turned toward Superman. "I… hope you know what you're doing."
Batman went through the zeta beam and back to Gotham, mumbling, "So do I."
Red X's Tower
Red X sat in a hard, wooden chair overlooking the valleys and mountains from a large window. The sun had just set, and stars came out as the sky turned dark. He had been alone in his large and empty room that was loud with silence. Deathstroke hadn't come to see him since he was put in the tower, and he was sure the door was locked, so he just sat and thought. He didn't have much to think about though. He could only look forward to the things his master had promised to teach him. It all seemed so marvelous, and he felt proud and lucky. But… what was off? Something… didn't feel right. There was that feeling again. Red X grabbed his head and moaned. Why did it keep coming back to haunt him? Was it that important? What did it mean? Red X shook it off like he had done so many times before. He sounded like a young child, asking so many questions. He was supposed to be smart, so how could it be that he knew so much yet understood so little? What was being kept from him? He felt… strong. Like he wanted to fight. But… fight what? Or who? Once again, he remembered that voice from so far away, calling for someone. He didn't know for sure if he had actually heard a voice, or if it was in his head. And who was… Robin? That name struck a nerve. It was important, but… why couldn't he remember?
Suddenly, Red X heard footsteps. By the sound of them, he was sure it was Deathstroke. Red X forgot his thoughts and endless questions and stood up. Would they train now?
Deathstroke opened the door and stepped into the room. "Ah, Red X, how are you adjusting to your new room?" He asked.
"It's… good." Was all the masked man got. "Are we going to train now?"
Deathstroke chuckled darkly. "No. But soon, I promise you, my young apprentice, we will begin soon."
"Oh. Okay." Red X went to sit back in his chair and looked out the window.
"I know that you may feel slightly… out of place here, but I assure you that you belong here with us."
"Us?"
"Yes. Us. And you will learn our ways, and we will become feared and powerful. All will know of The Light."
"The Light."
"Yes. Very good, Red X."
"Thank you, master."
"You're welcome. Now, get some rest. Tomorrow, we begin, and you will feel your adrenaline rushing, the endorphins, and the power and fulfillment that comes with drawing the blood of others."
"Yes master." Red X looked out the window thoughtfully.
"What troubles you?"
"I…" Red X looked at Deathstroke nervously. "I've been feeling strange. Like, I don't belong here, like something's wrong." Deathstroke approached Red X and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"There is nothing wrong. You belong here. You will discover that for yourself soon enough."
"But- yes, master."
"Very good. Good night, Red X."
"Ah, good night?"
And with that, Deathstroke was gone, and Red X was once again alone.
He turned to stare at the night sky, thinking he should follow orders and go to bed before his master found out and he got in trouble. But he found himself thinking of the voice he heard, calling for Robin. Red X closed his eyes. He heard the faint, desperate, pain filled voice calling in the back of his mind. Finally, Red X's eyes flew open, and he said one word:
"Wally."
AN: Well, that's it people. I have officially completed my first fan fic ever. YAAAYYY MEEEEE! Anyway, keep checking in for the sequel. I'll think of a title later.
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