Young Justice #3 - Hard Day's Night
by
"Just so you know Bart, just so you know. Now take care little twin I'll be around. Give your chums one last hug..." Impulse stared at the small piece of paper in his hands and the message he'd just gotten. The image fading from the piece and leaving him with nothing but a crumpled ball.
"What was that.." The Boy Wonder's voice came up drowsily. His eyes staring at the thing in Bart's hands. The teen speedster glanced at Robin and just moved his hands to the point that they were beyond blurred and the piece of paper became nothing but flecks of white dust. "Nothing.. nothing." His steps zipped over to the sleeping Kon, "Howishewhathappenedtohimwhyishesobangedupwhatswiththecast?"
"He's fine. Someone who apparently seems to have a great deal of training jumped him. His wrist and part of his hand is broken then there are about five ribs that are cracked. They gave him a couple painkillers and he's been out since." Robin placed his hand on Bart's slim shoulder and repeated a touch forcibly, "What was that?"
Bart tensed up and shot a look at Robin. The Boy wonder was for a moment off put by the look, it was Bart of course... but there seemed to be a hint of the hero he would become under the surface. "It's My problem. No one else is gonna get hurt because of me..." And with those last few words Bart was gone.
Robin stared sullenly at the spot where Bart had been. Speedsters could be infuriating. It was times like this when he had nothing but absolute respect for someone like Max Mercury who had to put up with Bart all the time. He shook his head knowing full well what was on the message... some people sleep like the dead, Tim only does that in his own bed. Anywhere that's less familiar he's completely keyed to changes in the area. He gave a soft whisper, "So Inertia has his plans.. good thing I've got some of my own..."
Cassie leaned up and rubbed her hands across her eyes. "Wha'time is'it?"
"Doesn't Matter.. need you to do something.."
"I don't fraggin' care you can't make me stay here."
"Shut up you hairy little troll. Just Shut up for one %&#* minute. I bailed you out. YOU OWE ME. And since you Can't give me the money back. You are gonna stay here and you are sure as hell gonna guard Kon and Cissie you smelly awful hideous... and I don't want to even know what you did to the back of my jacket when I flew you here..." Cassie didn't care it was a quiet zone. She'd just spent far to long dealing with this jerk and what happens he does something liquid on the back of her jacket.
"You are certainly developing a fraggin mouth on you girl." The Czarnian barked out a laugh and grinned at her, "Awright I'll guard yer little friends... only if you do something nice for the L'il lobo..." He reached out and just patted the Wonder Bottom.
Now to describe the reaction to this little Pat is something that needs to be seen in slow motion. Wonder Girl, powered teen with strength and other abilities, moved quickly for her. Really quickly. Almost Bart Quickly. She whipped around, "DON'T DO THAT!" Then with a balled up fist she slammed it into his stomach while her knee moved into the vicinity of his groin. All with just a portion of Wonder Woman's strength behind it.
"Ouch..." The alien teen doubled over and cursed for a few moments then straightened up, "So babe.. that offer I made about the back of my hog's seat needing warming still stands."
She through up her hands in to the air, "That's IT! I'm Killing him now." With that again she lunged towards the gray alien with a single minded intent of slaughtering him no matter how much Robin claims they need him right now. She knows the Amazons would understand. Hell Diana must have met him. She'd understand for sure.
"Cassie, stand down." The blond girl glared at Robin and again he was thankful he'd never had to tussle with her. That he couldn't face. It was nothing he would want to deal with.
Cassie gave an exasperated noise that was half shriek and half sigh. It was a noise that any parent would recognize as teen girl on the verge. Wonder Girl shot a dirty look at Robin and tossed Lobo against the chairs in the waiting room.
The Alien grunted with a laugh, "Way t' go spitfire.." He slouched back against the chairs he'd been roughly thrown upon shoving a cigar in his mouth as he did. Lobo could be anywhere from 14 to 16 right now, and with the cigar hanging between his lips he looked completely preposterous. "Now someone want to point me towards the out direction?"
"No Lobo you aren't leaving. You have an obligation whether you like it or not . . . Cassie did bail you out of jail. You are going to stay here and protect Cissie and Superboy. Deal with it." Robin laid down the law from where he stood in the shadows of the Keystone* hospital. His arms folded across his chest.
*(Events in YJ take place before events in Flash #1 - FiM)
"Think you can make me stay here? Obligations.. what kind o' fraggin' crap is that? Listen to me I'm the top teen.. I can do what I want.. and who are you to stop me.." There was a soft release of breath as Lobo stared back at Robin as if to dare him to pull something.
Robin didn't speak he just drew himself up as his mentor was want to do, control and just a glare that wasn't glare it was more of a coldness that emanated from him. It was a harshness that didn't need verbalization. It was silent and cold, and anyone who saw him could only see his mentor's influence in him.
Lobo paused as he looked at Robin, he sat there returning stare for stare. Wordless for a moment, then with a deft move he took a match from his pocket and put it between his thumb and forefinger causing it to ignite into life. He touched it to the cigar then looked back at the boy lurking in the shadows and mumbled, "Fine The Top Teen will fraggin' baby-sit."
Robin didn't speak still he just turned back into the shadows and shut his eyes. It was better to be in the costume as he was, it was better than what he was before. He won't let his guard down. He won't let his people get hurt.
"Uh.. Robin.."
He glanced back over his shoulder to look at Cassie who looked distinctly uncomfortable, "Yeah Wonder Girl.."
"Could you stop doing that.."
"Doing what?"
"Uh.. him."
Robin blinked a second then grinned which made Cassie in return grin. With that he stepped back into his shadowy corner of the hospital.
In a corner of Alabama, one of those places that tend to be called all-American, Manchester actually.. where kids get skinned knees and the actual crime is relatively low. Unless of course someone like White Lightning blazes into town and it all goes to hell in a hand basket thanks to the male population. And Bart Allen would have to deal with the results of this. But fortunately it was not one of those days.
Impulse had started from there, his base. It was the central point of everything for him. He ran criss crossing the globe, his steps taking him over ocean, hill, and mountain. He was looking for a sign of him, looking for a sign of Inertia as he stretched his gridwork out further and further.
The doctors blurred by. Each one babbling a number of things. Cassie couldn't wait anymore. She needed to ask someone.."Umm excuse me?"
They continued to move buy each step taking them past her. She called again towards them, "Excuse me!" Still no notice. Each was discussing a number of things over and over and it was sounding like a cacophony.
It wasn't good. It was getting worse and she needed answers. Cassie planted two fingers between her lips and blew hard. An ear splitting whistle emerged from the girl, and it got her what she wanted. Every doctor in the hall was now staring at this particular blond.
"Excuse me! But I'd like to find out the status of a patient here." The girl planted her hands on her hips and stared at each one in her best impression of Diana.. "Could someone please help me find out how Cissie King-Jones is doing.." Then she lost the commanding edge to her voice, "please?"
A man with slightly graying hair had a hard expression but it was lost as he heard the pleading there. He came towards Cassie, "Come with me."
The path was a winding one. She tried to remember it, corner after corner an elevator and further down the hall. Each step took her further away from the others.. till finally they were outside a door marked ICU.
"She.. she can't be in there can she. I mean it was just an arrow wasn't it.. why .. why would she be in there." Course she knew. How could she not? She placed her hand on the door and carefully opened the door peeking in to see her friend.
Cissie was there. Tubes ran in and out of her body. A body that had once looked strong and heroic, but now it looked frail. She breathed shallowly, her eyes closed to the world.
The cough of the doctor behind her nearly made the other teen jump out of her skin. Cassie tilted her head back and just blinked up at him with a look of pure devastation, before she could voice her question he answered.
"She slipped into a coma on the operating table, blood loss and shock probably. It was fortunate she got here so quickly. There was no way she would have survived the operation then. As for whether she'll survive the perils of post-op.. all I can say is its fortunate she was in such good shape. Now I suggest you return to your friends.."
Cassandra Sandsmark nodded numbly and turned away from the doctor whose name she never asked, and whom she never thanked for helping her. Her arms slid about herself and wordlessly she trod back the way she came lost in a haze.
Somewhere.. somewhere else.. not near the hospital not with any of the others. In the dark in the dank in a cave. A group gathered sullenly.
"ITS NOT FAIR!" Echoed from with in, there pacing the floor was a girl with lavender hair falling across her face, "Why Angel? Why can't I go!?"
The boy in red clamped his hands over his ears and muttered, "Y'know Reni, for someone who is supposed to be goth you make a hell of a lot of noise.."
"Shut up, Scott"
"Oh please make me. Even I can stomp your ass.." Scott leaned back against the wall smirking, his bow carefully strung across his back. Eric or Ultran as he was known lounged near by, "Look maybe just maybe Angel got sent cause she follows her orders.. she doesn't screw up her targets.."
"Shut up.. its not like..like you. exactly did your job.." Reni folded her arms across her chest and fell back into the sofa, "I wish."
Another girl strode in, "Y'all need to stop wishing and get with the doin' .." She ran her hand through the short white curls and smirked viciously, "Or things won't be good for the lot o' ya.."
Again Reni opened her mouth about to yell again when a blur in green and black rushed into the room stopping in front of her, "Ah ah ah.. now now Minerva are you about to make more trouble again by opening that rather massive orifice of yours .. what did I say about you speaking."
The girl shivered as she looked at Inertia but she did not speak. Disturbing how with out that expression he looked like any cute kid, but with that personality with in, he looked absolutely vicious.
"That's right.. didn't I do something instead of just saying.. I don't much believe in warning you know.. as for why. Angel.. doesn't need me to discipline her.. as for you.. you always seem to need it. I've learned much from my mentor.. like how I can use the speed force to cause pain."
With that the boy suddenly lunged into the taller girl and energy crackled about them both. All that could be heard however was a scream.
Back in the hospital Kon leaned against a wall. To anyone else he'd look like he was talking to himself. To any member of Young Justice he was talking to their Fearless Leader.
"I'm without powers.. I'm useless and you got fur for brains to baby-sit me and Cissie. And you are hiding in a broom closet. " Kon-El ran his hand through his hair with a huge snort emitting from him.
"And? I'm assuming there's an and since you seem to be going towards something." The voice came quietly just as if it was the most natural thing in the world from out of the darkness. It wasn't hard for Robin to sense that Kon was even more furious about the babysitter and who was the choice of babysitter.
"I am. But I wonder if you'll be around to hear it when I finish it."
"What does that mean?"
"What else.. you'll abandon us.. go to Gotham play baby bat and do whatever else it is you do there..hell I don't even know if you go to school there..you probably just absorb knowledge through osmosis.."
Tim's face screwed up into an image of annoyance his eyes narrowing at the ground, "We don't have time for this.. get over it alright.. " He thought they had hashed this out.. that nice little apology the chummy shoulder slugging. As he remembered the feel of the blood touching him on the skin and the pale expression that over took Cissie's face. Behind his mask his eyes threatened to well up but he blinked the feeling away especially as he heard the next words out of Kon's mouth.
"Get over it?"
He'd been scouring the globe over and over still with little success. Each step retook him over paths he'd trod before. Bart Allen was getting frustrated at how little success he was having and each step was taking him on a chase that seemed never ending.
"Gonna find you Thaddie.. gonna find you. "
Energy flared again to life around Impulse in that fashion of the speedster, the lightning echoing their moves as they charge through anything. His hair caught in the backdraft of his dash, eyes narrowed with fury and hunting.
"Get over it?! I'm sick of this.. when we need you, you hide out in the shadows. It's the same y'know when you showed us your face.. I thought maybe you'd change maybe you'd be here and next to us.. with us for us.. "
Cassie could hear it down the hall as she found her way back. Her bottom lip firmed up and she stalked into the room. "ENOUGH!"
"You're sick of this? You're sick of this.." She snarled out a harsh whisper at the boys, "My best friend could be dying and this macho crap comes up again. Enough! We don't have time for this crap, why don't you get this pissing contest over with already. Kon, get over it.. he's always gonna have secrets from us deal with it. Yeah its sucks and its not right.. but he had Batman before us and he owes him whatever he wants.." She turned to look at Robin with a wounded gaze, "And yeah.. it sucks and its crap. But you ..take the time you need. and Gotham can't come first right now. If you are going to be leading us.. you need to be here. With us." She stared at them both, "Don't you see this attack.. it wasn't about hurting Cissie.. well it was but it wasn't just. It was meant to divide us. To split us. They want to go after each other. If you want to fight with someone fight with Lobo..please. Fight with Lobo. At least that dumb louse deserve it.."
"Hey! I may be hairy but I ain't got fraggin' louses Blondie.." The Top Teen clenched his cigar between his teeth grinning like a maniac. He took a drag on it and released a demon-like churning of foul smelling smoke.
"Um Pardon me.. uh ..sir.. uh you?" A nurse stared down at the alien one moment wondering what he was and the next saying, "This is a no smoking area."
"No smoke this.." With a swiftness that was startling Lobo reached out with a grubby hand dispensing a rather stinging swat on the bottom of the nurse who headed for cover telling her coworkers as she made it back towards the nursing station.
"You want him to quit, you tell him! Or call the police or something."
Superboy and Wonder Girl who stood near Lobo simply looked at him aghast. He smirked and turned, "Shut your fraggin' mouth, Konnie. Yer attracting flies.." At that Lobo turned marching back towards the other nurses who made a noise about calling security.
"I'm gonna kill him!" Kon started to lunge after the brutish teen but Cassie was quicker grabbing on to the back of the superteen's pants.
"Right.. remember that whole powerless thing.. that's the reason you have him as your and Cissie's babysitter." He just struggled against the pull on his pants trying to break free so he could go on and get away. Cassie kept talking, "Now I know you don't mind girls ogling you.. but if you keep pulling like this.. I can guarantee you losing half your pants in the most embarrassing way possible."
"What do you mean." There was another pull against the girl's grip but following his actions the softest sound of material straining against its seams and starting to tear could be heard. "No wait Cassie don't pull don't pull!" There was a softer whisper, "I'm kinda goin' commando."
"EWWWWWWWWW! KON! GROSS!"
And in the midst of all this noise, the leader had slipped away into the shadows.
Robin breathed a sigh of relief and settled down to perch on the roof of the hospital. Night had come. A few stars sparkled in the sky, those few were still way more than what he saw in Gotham so he spent a moment looking up at the Keystone night while his fingers connected him to a person very people knew how to contact. "Hey Oracle?"
"What's up Robin." The voice flooded his ears and he was glad for it, he took a breath but before he could speak, she answered him. "I heard about the former Arrowette.. how's she doing.."
"Comatose.. has been since she got out of surgery.."
"Damn. what do you need.."
"Leads.. this has to do with Bart. Its Inertia. Can you look for something like usual tech signs.. or energy readings.. or something.. I'm sorry Oracle. I can't think straight right now.. I'm I'm I'm.."
"Easy Kiddo. I'll get it for you. Oracle out."
The boy wonder placed his hand to his mask again and stood up looking about again at the sky. He should rejoin the others.
*pff*
The noise caught him so quickly he reacted as he was trained to swinging out with a leg in a wide roundhouse catching who ever it was with the heel of his boot. As he spun he looked at the figure on the ground. She was clad in the purest of whites her hair was auburn and fell about her jaw in soft curls. Normally he'd think she was cute. But the way she was looking at him he felt like nothing more than prey.
"You're one of Inertia's team aren't you."
"Good morning, Starshine."
His hand reached down and grabbed at the small tube on his side one push and he was swinging out at the girl with his bo, "It'll take more than bad song lyrics to take me out.."
She laughed and raised an arm to block the strike. Her moves were good he realized. She could be his equal. Robin had a feeling that Inertia wasn't going to let anyone out under his name with out them being prepared. He had to hope he had some advantages over and the Boy Wonder was quick to vault forward flipping in midair to make it over her swinging out towards her legs with the staff as he narrowly avoided the ledge of the building. The sweep didn't work, she caught the bo between her hands and smiled widely. Before he could even react he felt his own staff press into his chest and force him backwards. He was falling towards the ground with nothing to stop his fall.
"The Earth says hello."