Chapter 6
"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman adressed the team, looking on at the holographic map he'd called up, "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neurosteroid, a strength enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report," Batman commanded, "If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. The plan requires two drop zones."
"So who's in charge?" Robin wondered.
Batman and Red Tornado shared a look.
"Work that out between you," Batman said.
★・・・★・・・★
Danny didn't like flying in things that flew him, he didn't like the lack of control. He didn't like flying in planes and he didn't like flying in Miss Martian's bioship.
He did like his new brother though.
Danny looked on at Superboy in pride. He wasn't even doing anything but...he was perfect.
Distracting himself from his uncomfortableness at flying in a contraption, he reflected back on helping his brother pick out his iconic hero look.
"Come on," Danny gushed, "What's with this fashion?" He rose a brow at his brother's black shirt with a red krypton symbol, his large belt, blue cargo pants and black combat boots.
"My clothes don't need to be fashionable," Superboy said, "Just functional."
"Things can be fashionable and functional," Danny said wisely, "After all," He twirled around, cape swinging with him, "Your brother can do it."
Danny softened at the way his brother absolutely lit up at Danny referring to himself as 'your brother.' It was clear to Danny that to the boy, even though Danny had claimed him as his brother he hadn't really believed him.
Danny's first step as his older brother was to convince him they really were brothers. Maybe not by blood but definitely by bond.
He'd been working on it all night, a costume fit for a prince, a costume fit for his brother.
"Ta-da!" Danny presented Superboy with the hero costume he'd created.
Danny had been taught sewing by the Lady Athena herself so he was proud with his work. The suit was a comfortable, breathable fabric with a thin layer of a lightweight indestructable protective coating.
"Superman esque?" He rose a brow.
"You are Superboy," Danny said gently but firmly, "Despite that asshole, that's never gonna change...you are kryptonian. This symbol does not belong to Superman. This is the kryptonian symbol for 'hope' it is the crest of the House of El. It doesn't matter that you're a clone, it doesn't matter that he sucks," Danny reached out, hand gingerly resting on the side of Superboy's face, "Never let him take that away from you."
"...Did you just italicize a whole sentence?" Superboy rose a brow, trying to ignore the bashful blush on his face and the pride at such a cool brother beaming within him.
"Why yes, yes I did," Danny smiled proudly, "Here," He pushed the suit into his brother's arms, "Get changed!"
Superboy rolled his eyes goodnaturedly but entered his room. He was gone for a few minutes before stepping out, awkwardly twirling for his brother to take in his new uniform (visual representation <33). The boots were black with yellow stripes around the top that were connected to red pants that shifted up into a blue top. Prominently residing on his chest was the crest of the House of El. It was in red with the spaces between thick red lines colored a bright contrasting yellow. The top of his uniform stopped about where his old black shirt stopped.
"You look awesome!" Danny gushed, "How do you feel?"
"Pretty awesome," Superboy admitted, "I like the boots a lot, I like that they're built into the uniform but they feel like my usual ones."
"I'm glad!" Danny beamed, "Now for some personalization!"
"Personalization?" Superboy repeated.
Danny giggled and hummed to himself as he flew around his brother. Utility belts were really useful and as such Danny worked hard on making one, it couldn't hold as many things as the Bats but it could hold snacks and smoke bombs and stuff like that. They weren't really meant to be worn around the waist but Danny was all for pushing fashion forward and being unique from the bats so he clasped the belt around Superboy's thigh, it fit perfectly! Danny wrapped a double belt around his waist to serve no purpose besides style. He tugged a black leather jacket onto his brother. He finished the look by pulling red gloves onto his hands and delicately placing a pair of black circular shades over his eyes.
"Ta-da!" Danny beamed, turning Superboy around to face a mirror.
"It's...edgy," Superboy commented.
"You're edgy," Danny reminded him with a cheeky grin.
"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Superboy hastily said, "I...I like it," He smiled tenderly, tugging his leather jacket tighter around him, "I really like it."
Danny blinked away this memory, smiling to himself, very pleased.
"Hey, I haven't said yet," Kid Flash piped up, "But...I like the look Supey."
"Thanks," Superboy hummed, "Phantom helped."
"We're approaching Santa Prisca," Miss Martian declared suddenly.
Everyone fell silent, preparing themselves.
"Drop zone A in 30," She called out.
Aqualad rose and turned his clothes to stealth mode, the red of his uniform bleeding black.
"Ready," He declared.
"Putting bioship in camouflage mode," Miss Martian said.
They lowered a little more to the ocean, a hole in the bottom of the bioship appearing. Aqualad dove out and a few moments later they received a message from him.
"Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."
"Drop zone B."
The five remaining heroes rose to their feet switching to their stealth tech. Wally's yellow bled black, Miss Martian's uniform turned black, Superboy's uniform turned to varying shades, ranging from medium gray to black and even Danny darkened the greens in his attire.
They all slipped out of the bioship, Miss Martian reaching out to Aqualad.
"Head to the factory," He instructed, "I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."
"Roger that!" Robin hissed.
And so...the team sped off into the night.
★・・・★・・・★
Danny knew about the enemies up agead but as he figured everyone else knew, he didn't say anything, he often forgot Livings didn't have as keen of senses as he and his.
"Did you hear that?" Superboy hissed as one of the people following them stepped on a twig.
"Uh, no," Kid Flash said in a 'duh' tone, "Wait, is this a super hearing thing?"
"You do have great ears," Miss Martian cooed, Danny sending her a weirded out expression.
"Okay, Rob, now what?" Kid Flash turned forward only to find no sign of Robin, "Man, I hate it when he does that," He hissed.
"Two armed squadrons up ahead," Danny said, "One has four. The other six."
"They'll meet each other before they find us," Superboy squinted, following Danny's line of sight and watching the two groups.
Suddenly gunfire rang out.
"No super hearing required now," Kid Flash remarked.
"Swing wide," Aqualad commanded, "Steer clear."
"Yeah, yeah, just as soon as I find Rob," Kid Flash sped off.
Naturally he slipped in the mud and went skidding down the slope of the path. Luckily for him Phantom was on the team!
Danny shot through the air, grabbing Wally and grabbing him off the path, keeping him hidden before the squads saw him.
Unfortunately, Danny's movements spurred Miss Martian and Superboy into action, the duo leaping into combat with the squads.
Superboy tackled a large man who got the uperhand, pinning Superboy's face into the mud, gripping his arm tightly. Superboy growled as he twisted his arm, smacking the man into a tree.
"What is wrong with you guys?!" Robin questioned as he descended from the trees, kicking one of the gunmen, immediately dsarming and knocking out the next, "Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead and vanish into the jungle?"
"That's what you were doing?" Kid Flash demanded, pushing Danny away from him and rapidly punching one of the gunmen, "Way to fill us in! We're not mind readers, you know?"
Miss Martian telekinetically flung a pair of men into a tree.
"Er, I'm not anyways."
"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds," Miss Martian pointed out.
A final man was making a break for it but Danny stopped him by smashing him into the ground, not lethally, with a hammer made of hard ectoplasm.
Aqualad arrived after that, destroying the final man's communicator under his foot.
Kid Flash quickly tied up all the men.
"I recognize those uniforms," Robin said, "They belong to the Cult of The Kobra."
"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's venom operation," Aqualad commented.
"Agreed," Robin nodded, "And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."
"We get it," Kid Flash cut in, "Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio bats, and we'll be home in time-"
"These cultists aren't on venom," Robin cut him off, "Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why."
"Until you know why?" Kid Flash glared.
"This team needs a leader!"
"And it's you? Dude, you're a 13-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word."
"Ha ha," Robin laughed in his face, "And you're a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got."
"Do you wanna lead?" Superboy asked Phantom.
"Not particularily," Danny pulled his cape tighter around him.
"You cold?" Superboy asked worriedly.
"I don't get cold," Danny said with a wry smile, "What about you? Do you wanna lead?"
Superboy scoffed and shook his head.
Simultaneously the duo overheard some of the tied up prisoners speaking in hushed whispers to each other in spanish.
"Look at them argue! Free yourself and take them while they're distracted!"
"Quiet!" Presumably their leaded snapped, "For now I play along. They'll give me what I need."
"Should we...do something about that?" Danny pursed his lips.
"You can hear them?" Superboy asked, surprised.
"Mmm? 'Course I can," He hummed.
"I think it'd be smart to let him think they're playing us," Superboy murmured.
"Yeah," Danny nodded in agreement.
"-You don't even have superpowers!" Kid Flash spat.
"Neither does Batman!"
"Duh, you're not Batman!"
"Closest thing we've got!" Robin snapped back.
Their prisoner rumbled with laughter.
"Such clever niños," He cooed, as the rest of the team surrounded him, "But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest, get you into the factory via my secret entrance."
"There is a secret entrance," Miss Martian ascertained, "But he's also hiding something," Her eyes flashed white.
"Ah, ah, ah, chica," The man tutted, "Bane is not that easy."
"Ugh," She grunted in frustration, "He's mentally reciting football scores en Español. This could take a while."
"Allow me," Danny stepped forward, he crouched before the man, peering into his eyes with the pupilless eyes of his mask, "Tell me, boy," Danny spoke, adults always hated it when you called them that, sure enough Bane bristled in rage, "Do you fear death?" Danny's voice was soft and airy with a hint of coldness, "I would assume so," He pretended to study the man, "With all your modifications to make you stronger, to make you last longer. What...don't want to waste your father's sentence?" Danny cooed.
It was probably rude to use the knowledge from the shade whispering in his ear but, oh well.
"That's how it went, right? Your father got a life sentence and he escaped so it was decided his son would carry it out. This was your prison, wasn't it? Before it was your factory?"
"You!" Bane struggled against the ropes.
"Open your mind to Miss Martian, or I can keep bringing up the ghosts of your past," Danny hummed casually.
"..." Bane growled but met eyes with Miss Martian, opening his mind to her.
"That was really impressive!" Superboy gushed with his brother.
"...That was hot," Robin whispered to Wally, luckily Danny didn't hear this, to busy blushing and stammering out a thanks at his brother's compliment.
"Got the info!" Miss Martian cheered as Wally snickered at the blush that engulfed Robin's face.
★・・・★・・・★
They followed Bane's memories to a cliff overlooking the factory.
"Look at all that product," Robin gasped, "A buy is going down. But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-
"We need to identify the buyer," Aqualad surmised.
"Just what I was thinking," Kid Flash adjusted his goggles.
Superboy and Danny shared a withering stare before simultaneously rolling their eyes, grinning softly at their exchange.
"Yeah," Robin straightened, "You're the thinker."
"Sarcasm? Dude, a real leader would focus on getting answers," Kid Flash said.
Danny trotted over to the opening of the mine shaft, easily lifting the bolder and placing it to the side out of the way.
"Super strength too," Robin filed that information away.
"I could've done that," Superboy huffed goodnaturedly.
"Yeah but I beat you to it," Danny grinned teasingly.
The team walked silently through the long mine shaft. Kid Flash and Aqualad were in the lead, then Superboy and Miss Martian with Danny and Robin taking up the rear.
"How'd you do that earlier?" Robin asked curiously.
"Do what?" Danny wondered.
"That thing with 'Bane.'"
"Oh," Danny blinked.
"You psychic too?" Robin joked.
"No, nothing like that," Danny smiled sheepishly, "I kinda did some individual research about the history of this place," He lied with a wince, "Did you know Bane killed his first person at eight."
"I did not," Robin blinked.
"Yeah, and he used to have nightmares about a batlike creature," Danny said, "Wouldn't want him meeting your dad then, huh?"
"We would not," Robin agreed with a soft cackle, "Wait," He faltered, "Dad?"
"...That's what you are to each other right? He's your dad?"
"N-no, he's not my dad," Robin denied it, yeah he saw B as a father but he was just his ward he...he wasn't his son.
"Adoptive father then," Danny nodded in understanding, "Y'know...that doesn't have to make him any less of a dad to you. Plus that coincides with what else I know about him."
A wolfish grin split Robin's face, "What that he's a vampire?"
"Will you be alright having told me that?" Danny frowned worriedly, "Vampires can be quite tempermental. It's one thing for me to have suspicions but it's another thing for a vampire's secret to be revealed."
"He's not a vampire," Robin cackled.
"...Sure," Danny didn't seem impressed.
Robin threw his head back as they continued walking, throwing an arm around Danny's shoulder.
"You, are incredible," He continued to laugh.
Danny faltered before a small smile graced his face.
Robin stilled at the smile on his face, he felt floored as he looked up into such a sweet, innocent, angelic smile. So beautiful. So perfect.
★・・・★・・・★
Eventually they reached a door at the end of the shaft, Robin quickly unlocking it, the team stepping into the factory.
"All clear," Robin hissed, zipping into the room.
"And he's gone again," Miss Martian sighed.
"Stay put," Kid Flash urged, "I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder."
"Wait, Kid," Aqualad hissed.
Danny merely heaved a heavy sigh as he, Miss Martian, Superboy and Aqualad crouched behind some crates, watching the cultists move.
"That's a massive shipment," Aqualad murmured.
"Yeah," Superboy agreed, "But they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this venom."
"Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian suggested.
"Helicopter," Superboy and Danny identified together.
They shared a brief grin at their simultaneous declaration.
"The buyer," Aqualad realized.
Quickly the team came up with a plan and assumed their positions. Miss Martian didn't go completely invisible it was something she called 'camouflage' mode and she ventured outside, watching the helicopter intently as it landed. Danny, Aqualad and Superboy were on a boardwalk over a main area of the now empty factory.
★・・・★・・・★
Sending a telepathic image of the buyer to you now, Miss Martian's voice rang in Danny's, and he assumed Aqualad's head.
"Well I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me," Danny muttered to himself as he saw an image of two attractive men.
One had a large frame with fair skin, blond hair and a hockey mask that hid his features. Somehow though, Danny knew he was hot. The other man was tall with a slimmer but still large frame. He had sickly pale skin and shining orange eyes. He wore a red cloak that covered his features with something akin to fangs on the edge of the hood of his cloak .
"Sportsmaster," Aqualad recognized, thankfully not hearing Danny who shied away from Superboy's judging look, "He is the buyer? Aqualad to Red Tornado," He tried to reach out to their den mother, "Do you read? Ugh," He grit his teeth, "Can't reach the League, Robin or Kid, comm's jammed, we need a plan, now."
Suddenly Bane, who must've escaped his bonds charged at some of the cultists, knocking them out with ease but not without unecessary shouting.
"Oh, this can't be good," Danny sighed heavily as a guttural roar rang from outside and a creature crashed through the window, landing and breaking the catwalk the trio had been situated.
The trio landed gracefully on the ground, the creature was immediately backed by that same guy with the fanged cloak.
"Destroy them!" The man commanded.
Superboy and the creature charged forward, meeting each other in the middle. Those two fought while Aqualad and Danny handled the gunmen. Danny could idly make out Miss Martian as she flew back into the building, throwing the cultists around. It seemed Danny wasn't the only one who could see her though because in the next moment the other hot guy, the one with the hockey mask, was throwing a spear at Miss Martian.
Danny shot through the air, grabbing the spear and twisting, throwing it back toward the man who threw it but before it was even out of his hand the spear beeped rapidly and exploded, throwing Danny to the ground.
The Ghost King lay there for more than a little while, dazed. It had been...so long since he'd gotten hurt, and this wasn't just any kind of hurt, this was fire hurt, this was explosion hurt. He liked those kinds of injuries only slightly less than electricity induced injuries.
Everyone online? Miss Martian's voice rang out.
Yeah, Superboy growled.
You know it, beautiful~ Kid Flash sang.
Good, we need to regroup, Aqualad called out.
Busy now! Robin shot back.
Phantom? Superboy called out, Phantom are you there?
Ouch, Came Danny's dramatic whimper.
Are you hurt? Superboy questioned worriedly.
Only a little, Danny sighed, I'll be good in a sec.
Sure enough a second later Danny was all good.
Robin, now! Aqualad snapped.
They all got the feeling Robin was listening and Aqualad continued.
Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path.
Kid Flash knocked out the cultists in the way of their exit, the team running or flying in Miss Martian and Danny's case, after him. Once they were all in the mine Danny slid the door shut, watching it lock before catching up to the others. He tutted in annoyance as he heard the door smashing into the opposite wall behind him.
"Superboy! Phantom, the support beams!" Aqualad called out.
They each took out one side of the support beams each, watching the tunnel cave in behind them. The boys avoiding it themselves and catching up to the others.
They were engulfed in darkness so Danny conjured a ball of glowing ectoplasm, casting everyone in a beautiful green hue.
"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin murmured more to himself than anything.
"You do have the most experience," Aqualad spoke, "But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan."
"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?!" Robin demanded before he softened, "Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can," He smiled.
"Please!" Kid Flash scoffed, "I can run circles-"
"Wally, come on," Robin cut him off, "You know he's the one. We all do."
"Hello, Megan, it's so obvious!"
"Could've told ya," Superboy remarked.
"Well you were already bossing everyone around," Danny yawned.
Kid Flash softened and put his hands on his hips, "Okay."
"Then I accept the burdon," Aqualad rested a hand on Robin's shoulder, "Until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now, but soon."
Robin nodded with a small grin.
"Do we...clap?" Danny's voice cut through the silence that followed.
"It is unecessary," Aqualad smiled softly at Danny, "Now then, our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving the island."
"Funny," Robin grinned, "I had the same thought."
★・・・★・・・★
The team ran down the tunnel, Danny and Miss Martian flying above them.
"Sportsmaster's the supplier/buyer but it still doesn't track," Robin remarked, studying his hologram, "He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."
"And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with venom. That took some major nerdage," Kid Flash said.
"I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg,'" Aqualad hummed as they slowed to a stop at the mouth of the mine where Bane stood with a detonator.
"Halt, niños," He sneered, "I'm feeling explosive."
"What's your plan here?" Aqualad narrowed his gaze.
"I want my factory back," Bane said.
Kid, you'll need a running start, Aqualad said over their link.
"So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside," He rose the detonator, "Should have the same effect."
Kid Flash shot forward and took the detonator from him, just in time too as Bane brought his thumb down on the button, or, he tried to.
"With what?" Kid Flash scoffed, "This trigger thingy?"
Bane shot forward with a roar, aiming a punch at Kid Flash but Danny controlled his ectoplasm to yank Bane off the ground.
"Finally," Superboy grinned, standing by Danny's side, "Drop 'im."
Danny recalled his ectoplasm and Bane fell with an alarmed cry, Superboy surging forward, punching him in the face, hard, knocking Bane out in an instant.
★・・・★・・・★
"The helicopter is operational," One of the cultists bowed to their leader "Exalted one."
Sportsmaster headed for the helicopter but faltered as Kid Flash took out a couple cultists as he ran through the clearing. Immediately gunfire lit up the area.
"Take the shipment!" Kobra commanded.
Superboy crashed into the ground, cracks appearing under his feet.
"Go again?" He grinned sharply at the creature.
In response the creature shot toward him but they were knocked to the side by a funnel of water Aqualad was controlling.
"Sorry!" Superboy called after the creature, "Not the plan!"
"Souvenir!" Kid Flash beamed as he took one of the masks from one of the cultists.
Robin meanwhile just finished taking out Shimmer.
"I know you hate getting your hands dirty," Robin stared challengingly at Kobra.
"True," He admitted, pulling off his hood, letting his cloak fall away from him, "But even a god must stoop to conquer."
Robin surged forward, aiming a powerful kick at the man's head. Kobra's only movement was that of his hand, flying up and casually catching Robin's leg.
The man threw the boy's leg down with such force he was thrown to the ground. Robin grit his teeth, glowering up at the cult leader.
"What's the matter, boy?" Kobra taunted, "You look disconscerted."
Kobra tensed as he felt a presence behind him. He turned and was met with the sight of a child cloaked in dark greens, floating ominously amidst the darkness.
"So," Danny said thoughtfully, "I hear you think yourself a god," Danny commanded gods and this mortal certainly wasn't one of his, "Tell me...if you're a god...how can you bleed?"
Immediately Danny shot forward, movements a blur as he swung a fist forward. His knuckles connected with Kobra's face, his face snapped to the side, nose crunching with a wet noise. Danny grinned ferally at the blood gushing out of the mortal's broken nose.
★・・・★・・・★
Dick's eyes were glued on Phantom's grin.
It was a smile he hadn't seen before.
It wasn't the shy smiles he mostly sent the team's way, it wasn't the mischevious smile they'd see sometimes, it wasn't the adoring smile reserved only for Superboy.
This smile was sharp and dangerous. It was feral and slightly animalistic. It was...intimidating.
Dick should've been frightened, or at least unnerved. Instead he was only thinking about how attractive Phantom looked.
Fuck, Dick was down bad.
★・・・★・・・★
"You are no god," Danny declared with a feral growl, still grinning.
"You will pay for your transgressions against me," Kobra growled, straightening and glaring at the boy.
"I doubt it," Danny's eyes flashed behind his mask.
"Together?" Robin got a hold of his, ew, emotions and stepped next to Phantom, duo holding their heads up high.
Danny met the eyes behind Robin's domino mask. His smile turned a little less sharp and a little more genuine and his voice grew from dangerous to something softer.
"Together," He repeated.
The duo leaped forward together, they moved as a cohesive unit.
They started with Danny gently grabbing Robin's arm and flinging him forward, boy's legs extanded, smashing into Kobra's face before he could react, using him like a horizontal springboard, flipping back toward Danny. Danny then conjured an ectoplasm spring board in the air, Robin using it to bounce back toward Kobra, coming down on him with a powerful kick. While Kobra was focused on the boy falling toward him Danny surged forward, swiping his legs out from under him, Robin's leg coming down hard on the 'gods' chest.
The boys leapt back a safe distance as Kobra roared in pain and rage, duo sharing mirroring grins, dapping fists. They made a great team. And then they were surging forward again, working hard together to beat on Kobra.
★・・・★・・・★
Danny who was helping Robin fight Kobra tensed suddenly, core flooding with rage and terror as Superboy's pained cries reached his ears. His gaze immediately landed on Sportsmaster who was shooting Superboy in the back with some kind of weapon.
"Go!" Robin urged with a reassuring smile, "I can handle this!"
Danny hesitated but his core was screaming. He nodded and turned away from Robin and Kobra.
Miss Martian had the same idea to help but she wound up getting herself caught in a chokehold by Sportsmaster who continued his onslaught against Superboy.
Sportsmaster moved backwards, continuing to hold Miss Martian and fire on Superboy. Danny followed where he was going and moved there first, entering the helicopter, waiting for the man.
"Thanks for the workout," Sportsmaster threw Miss Martian at Superboy, "But I've gotta fly."
He was so distracted in his escape he ran to the pilots seat, unaware of the king sitting in the seat beside him, he was also unaware of the explosives Miss Martian had planted in the helicopter.
★・・・★・・・★
Lawrence "Crusher" Crock was grinning behind his mask as he rose his helicopter into the air. Stupid, meddling kids, they'd bested the Blockbuster creature and the tornado android but not him, it made him feel superior to other members of the light.
"You didn't think you'd gotten away, did you?" A bored drawl reached his ears.
The man's eyes darted to the side, landing on the teen draped in greens. He'd caught his spear, the man recalled, he...could fly and was strong and a good fighter.
"You sure you wanna be stuck in here with me, kid?" He sneered.
"Me?" The kid cocked his head to the side, toxic green visible from behind his mask, "Stuck with you? No, no, you're stuck in here with me."
"If we crash," Crusher grinned, "We die together."
"I doubt either of us would die," The kid stressed dramatically, "You'd probably make use of that parachute you're reaching for and I just can't die so..." He shrugged.
"What are you gonna do, kid?" Crusher snorted.
Crusher unintentionally tensed, chill running down his spine at the hardness behind the eyes he could not even see.
"Teach you a lesson," The kid said simply, voice cold.
Despite the fear he hated himself for feeling, Crusher barked out a laugh.
"And what lesson would that be?" He sneered.
"Nobody," The kid growled, leaning closer to the man, exuding suffocating power and rage, "Gets away with hurting my brother."
★・・・★・・・★
"Nobody gets away with hurting my brother," Danny glowered.
Phantom, get out of there! Miss Martian cried out.
Blow it, Danny encouraged firmly, I'll be just fine.
What? Aqualad exclaimed, Phantom get out of there right now! That's an order!
Danny filled their mental link with static, Oh, krngdhjs, no network, I-krr-krrr-no hear you.
There's no static on a telepathic link! Miss Martian exclaimed.
We will not blow the explosives, Kaldur said firmly.
Fine, I'll do it myself.
Danny grinned at Sportsmaster as he held up one of the explosives. He then showed off his sharp nails and stabbed them into the explosive. Instantly it began to spark and Danny tossed it in the back of the helicopter towards the rest of the explosives.
Danny continued to peer into Sportsmaster's horrified eyes, hidden behind his mask as the explosive detonated. The helicopter lurched and shrieked as it began to fall.
"Alright well," Danny hummed, rising to his feet and moving toward the back of the flaming helicopter, "I'll be going now," He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "But know," He growled, "Touch my brother again...and I will kill you."
And then Danny was giving him a peace sign, leaping out the flaming back of the helicopter, hovering in the air.
Phantom! Superboy snarled through their link, Never do something like that again.
No promises, Danny hummed cheerily.
He returned to the others and they watched together as the helicopter crashed into the factory, everything going up in smoke.
"You scared me," Superboy huffed, pulling Danny into a hug, fire raging behind them.
"Sorry," Danny sighed in content, squeezing Superboy closer.
The brothers released each other and turned their attention back to the fight still continuing, Kobra standing over Robin, foot on his chest.
"I am plagued by mosquitoes," Kobra snarled.
"Good!" Robin grit out, "'Cause this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain."
"Off of him!" Danny snarled as he shot through the air, tackling Kobra off of Robin.
They rolled across the ground, Danny pinning the man down, conjuring a blade of ectoplasm, pressing the blade to his throat.
"Phantom, to us," Aqualad called out.
"..." Danny was silent, glaring into Kobra's rather pretty orange eyes.
"Phantom," His tone was warning.
Growling lowly Danny flipped away from Kobra, landing with the rest of the team by Superboy's side.
The team stood together, tall and proud and intimidating, glaring at the man before them.
"Another time, then," Kobra stepped backward into the darkness of the jungle, promptly disappearing.
Robin hurried after him, squinting into the dark, finding no sign of him. He let him go and turned back to the team.
"We picked the right guy to lead," Robin declared, "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman," He cackled as he slung an arm around Danny, everyone leaving Aqualad alone ot stew in his newfound horror.
★・・・★・・・★
"The factory's destroyed so what should we do with them?" Miss Martian wondered, peering at the tied up figures.
"Simple recon," Danny snickered as he looked on at the bound men and destruction still raging in the distance.
Robin cackled softly besides him and Danny beamed.
"I guess...leave them here for the Justice League to decide what to do?" Kid Flash suggested.
"Sounds good with me," Robin shrugged.
With a flick of her wrist Miss Martian unbound them.
"You will pay for what you've done," Bane growled.
"False," Danny chirped.
He moved forward and opened a pocket dimension in the shadows of his cape, reaching into it and accepting the item Clockwork instinctively had prepared. Danny smiled and presented it to the man with a beaming smile.
"Here."
He pushed Osito, Bane's childhood teddy bear and self proclaimed 'only friend' into the man's arms.
"You...what?" Bane gasped.
"Osito can keep you company on the burning island," Danny smiled...and then they were gone.
★・・・★・・・★
"A simple recon mission, observe and report. You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes. Until then...good job."
The six heroes all looked to him in surprise.
"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," He continued, "How you adjust to the unforseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character."
Everyone stood tall and proud, revelling in Batman's praise.
★・・・★・・・★
★・・・★
★・・・★・・・★
In an undisclosed location Spotsmaster was having an audience with the Light.
"All I recovered is a single ampoule of Kobra venom," Sportsmaster adressed the Light.
"Peut-etre, the drug can be reverse engineered. Mais what of our young heroes?" A voice, containing a heavy french accent rang out, "First, Cadmus, then Mr. Twister. Now, Santa Prisca."
"Once is happenstance," A new voice spoke coolly, "Twice is coincidence. But three times is enemy action and enemies of the Light must not stand."
Sportsmaster nodded in understanding and agreement, hiding a shudder as his thoughts drifted to the terrifying green kid.
"What of the Superboy?" A cool voice questioned.
"His...look is different," Sportsmaster spoke, "He looks more like Superman now. Blue, red, he's even got the same symbol on his chest."
"Hmm? Superman's accepted his clone?" The voice seemed surprised.
"I don't know, sir, there was this kid, Phantom I think he was called," Sportsmaster said, "He referred to the Superboy as his brother."
"Found Family, perhaps?" A childish voice giggled.
"Perhaps," The smooth voice that asked about the clone hummed thoughtfully, "Perhaps."
★・・・★・・・★
★・・・★
★・・・★・・・★
At the same time at Wayne Manor Dick was sighing dreamily as he spun around in a chair in the living room.
"Master Dick," Alfred blinked in surprise at the behavior, "Is everything alright?"
"Phantom's just so..." Dick sighed dreamily, "Perfect."
"Oh?"
"He's clever and selfless and he's a great fighter! Did you know that?"
"Yes, Young Phantom beat Superman into submission," Alfred recalled, "He's...not allowed to spar with others now."
"No way!" Dick gasped, "He's so awesome!"
Bruce smiled fondly as he sat in the batcomputer, watching the boy over the security cameras he had. He was happy to see Dick so close with his team. He was proud of him.