14 Chapter 14: The Team part 2

[Third Person Point of View]

"It's a first step."

Aquaman comments.

"You've been granted access few others get."

He adds further on thinking that would calm the young hero but that only serves to infuriate Speedy even more.

"Oh really?"

Speedy sarcastically asks as he gestures toward the windows above head height, allowing visitors to peer inside at the superheroes. A few of them take pictures.

"Who cares which side of the glass we're on!"

He continued making his point.

"Roy, you just need to be patient."

Green Arrow calmly says as he steps forward trying to calm his partner. That however did nothing.

"What I need is respect!"

The young archer exclaims his rage seething, turning to his peers.

"They're treating us like kids. Worse, like sidekicks! We deserve better than this."

The other boys exchange looks, but remain silent while Triton and Supergirl sit down.

"You're kidding, right? You're playing their game? Why?! Today was supposed to be the day!"

Speedy yells as he brings his right hand up before bringing it down at the last word emphasizing his point.

"Step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League!"

He adds hoping that the others understand his point while Supergirl and Triton's eyes widen, the former starting to smile while the latter starting to frown.

"Well, sure. But I thought step one was a tour of the HQ."

Kid Flash said as he exchanged a confused look with the Boy Wonder while Aqualad looked at him.

"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ!"

Speedy retorts.

Everyone looks at him with varying levels of surprise: some in genuine shock at this bit of news, others stunned that Speedy was aware of this closely guarded secret. Supergirl turns to Triton with a cheeky smile while as he squeezes his trident so hard that it bends.

"I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporter tubes to the real thing; an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower."

Speedy sneers as he points toward the ceiling. Green Arrow turns guiltily and catches a dirty look from the Dark Knight.

"I know. I know, but I thought maybe we could make an exception?"

He says trying to defend his action.

'Exception! Bitch, have you lost your mind cuz I will help you find it!'

Batman's glare intensifies at the excuse. Green Arrow could almost hear Batman's voice in his head through the glare. He decided to give up.

"Or not."

"I won the bet!"

Supergirl says while Triton scoffs. This causes them to gather everyone's attention.

"We made a bet on who would tell their sidekicks about the Watch Tower first. Batman was obviously out of the question and I knew Orin would keep his mouth shut so we took both out of the contest, my money was on the Flash while hers was on Green Arrow."

Triton explains not caring about the look of betrayal that the sidekicks had.

"You knew and you didn't tell us!!"

Kid Flash admonishes causing Supergirl to realize that this might have been more of a touchy subject than she thought.

"I promised to not reveal the existence of the Watch Tower under no situation with the exception of urgent ones or if one of the League members told someone they should have not told."

Triton explains.

"And telling your friends isn't an-"

Robin says but he is interrupted by Triton.

"Let's be real, all you guys want is some recognition from your mentors and others as proper heroes. I'm not a hero, I just fight the bad guys for fun and to test myself but even I know that a hero is someone who does it not because he gets something like fame, riches, or the girls but because it's the right thing to do regardless of what people think of them.

Even if I am not a hero, I take every mission as seriously as I can. If the bad guys view me as a Sidekick then I will allow them to view me as a Sidekick, the goal, unless I am mistaken which isn't even a possibility to be considered, is to save people not to stroke one's ego. If you guys are mad about us keeping a secret that held no danger to you all then it just proves that you guys are not ready... being emotional for the wrong reasons..."

"...Can lead one to their early graves. Atlantean Military School's fourth rule of conduct. I'm sorry for doubting you, my friend."

[AN: I just made this up, if in the future I mix up the numbers, this is why.]

Aqualad's finishes Triton's sentence now being more calm. He had been taught that sometimes during a mission, one must keep secrets from his colleagues to ensure the mission's success. Robin and Kid Flash seemed to be reflecting on Triton's words.

"Of course, the Justice League's favorite defends them since he got to live there for a while."

Speedy yells as Batman gives a 'What didn't you blab to him' look at Green Arrow.

Aquaman steps towards the young archer as he spoke.

"You're not helping your cause here son. Stand down, or-"

"Or what?! You'll send me to my room?!"

he retorts angrily. Speedy turns to Green Arrow, a flame of anger burning in his eyes behind the mask as he suddenly drops his voice into a hiss.

"And I'm not your son! I'm not even his! I thought I was his partner. But…"

He pauses to take off his yellow cap before throwing it on the floor with as much force as he can muster.

"…not anymore."

The other sidekicks look on with shock.

"Guess he is right about you three. You're not ready."

As Speedy, now Green Arrow's former sidekick stalks to the exit, he belittles the three sidekicks over his shoulder and ignores Supergirl and Triton. Before anyone can react to his abrupt departure, the alarms blare, and Superman appears on the giant computer monitor in a video call.

"Superman to Justice League, there's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

The League members gather in front of the ridiculously large screen which had Superman on it. 

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus. This may present the perfect opportunity to-"

"Zatara to Justice League!"

Batman adds before being interrupted as a new video screen pops up in the bottom corner of Superman's video call, revealing the male magician.

"The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Aten to blot out the sun. Requesting full League response."

Zatara informs them.

"Superman?"

Batman inquires as he glances up at the man of steel, having known each other for quite some time, the latter knew what the Dark Knight was asking.

"It's a small fire, local authorities have it under control."

Superman reassures him.

"Then Cadmus can wait."

 Batman decided as he presses the transmission key.

"All Leaguers, rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out."

As the other heroes prepare to leave via zeta tube, the young sidekicks approach the world's greatest detective expecting to be part of the incoming fight. Batman gives them one look before he utters two commending words.

"Stay put."

"What? Why?"

Robin asks confused as to the reason for them not coming along.

"This is a League mission."

 Aquaman speaks right after he and Flash stop beside the Dark Knight.

"You're not trained-"

The fastest man alive adds.

"Since when?!"

Only for his young counterpart to interrupt, the latter's voice cracking slightly due to agitation rising.

"I meant you're not trained to work as part of this team."

The mentor corrected himself.

"There will be other missions…"

Aquaman said.

"….when you're ready."

He adds trying to calm the remaining sidekicks.

"But for now…"

Batman said trailing off, narrowing his eyes behind the mask.

"Stay. Put."

The Dark Knight did not try to calm the young heroes like his colleague, he simply ordered them. The three sidekicks watch their mentors leave not pleased with what is happening and how they are being treated.

"Glad you didn't bring You-Know-Who?"

Green Arrow mumbled quietly to the Martian as they followed the three mentors.

"Indeed."

Manhunter agrees as they enter the transport area, leaving three disgruntled youngsters behind. Alone. In the center room of League Headquarters, with a computer that still had information about the fire at Cadmus and a teenage hero that could hack most systems. This could go in many way but none were good ones.

"When we're ready?"

Kid Flash scoffs.

"How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like, like sidekicks?"

he adds mockingly as he paces the floor and swings his arms angrily, spitting out the last word like poison.

"Yeah, this is quite a contradiction."

Triton agrees with Kid Flash which makes them look at him.

"Don't be mistaken, I meant what I said though I can not envision you guys being ready if all they ever give you is non-dangerous tasks."

"My mentor, my King…"

With sorrow in his voice, Aqualad adds.

"….I… thought he trusted me."

"Trust? They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got a secret HQ, in space!"

Kid Flash retorts even more angrily.

"What else aren't they telling us?"

They face Triton and Supergirl at Aqualad's question.

"I swear, the Watch Tower was the only secret we kept from you guys. We don't know anything else."

Supergirl answers while waving her hands. The young Atlantean, Aqualad, asks facing Robin, who has yet to speak.

"I have a better question. Why didn't we leave with Speedy?"

Fueled by indignation, Robin asks the question all were thinking but none had spoken. The two other young heroes, excluding Supergirl and Triton, bow their heads with him in thought.

"What is… Project Cadmus?"

Aqualad asks slowly trying to change the subject.

"Don't know…"

Robin answers with a frown which slowly morphs into a smile.

"But I can find out."

He adds as he leads the others to the computer and begins typing.

[Access: denied.]

The computer tells them.

"HA! Wanna bet?"

Robin laughs. He starts hacking, delving deeper and deeper into the coding.

"Whoa, how are you doing that?"

Kid Flash asks in amazement as this new development has calmed his anger, but he receives no answer from the Boy Wonder as the latter is focused on infiltrating the computer security.

"Same system as the Batcave."

Robin smiles with a final keystroke and the red script turns green.

[Access: granted.]

Robin quickly pulls up a file and an attached image.

"All right, Project Cadmus. 'Genetics lab here in DC.' That's all there is. But if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate."

Robin says as he reads the file.

"Solve their case before they do."

Aqualad smiled slightly.

"It would be poetic justice."

He adds.

"Hey, they're all about justice."

Robin jokes as he smiles.

"*Sigh* But they said stay put."

The Atlantean sighs before shaking his head.

"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this."

Robin clarifies and this got Kid Flash excited he can not help but add his opinion on the matter.

"Wait, a-are you going to Cadmus? 'Cuz if you're going, I'm going."

The two best friends then look at Aqualad with huge smiles splitting their faces.

With a blank expression, he sighs before exclaims.

"Just like that, we're a team… on a mission!"

"We didn't come for a play date."

Robin tells him, his smile still on his face.

Aqualad smiles as he nods in agreement while Kid Flash smirks. They look at Supergirl and Triton who are on the side.

"You guys are coming?"

Kid Flash asks.

"Sure why not, consider this our apology for keeping a secret from you guys."

Supergirl says.

"Pass, going there would be overkill for a simple fire."

Triton says but he is stopped by Supergirl.

"Remember you lost the bet so you have do to one thing I ask you to do and this is that one thing."

"Seriously?"

He asks.

"Yeah."

She replies before the five young heroes head towards Cadmus.

-An Island Off Corto Maltese-

Inside a tomb, a cave can be seen being closed by a large door made of rock with ancient writings on it. This door had been closed for almost four thousand years. Very few even knew what this door was for and most people that stumble upon it thought it was an unfinished sculpture that only showed a door.

*Boom**Boom**Boom**Boom*

Suddenly, the earth began to tremble, this could be attributed to a regular earthquake if it was not for the fact that the same door was being prie opened from the inside after being slightly open from the outside. At the start, only a few red-skinned fingers with sharp black nails managed to escape the opening door but soon, a red-skinned man with horns walked out of the now-opened cave.

He had dark sclera, red irises, the face of a demon, and long white hair. He wore a spiked shoulder plate made of metal on his left shoulder while his right one was covered in tattoos, a bead necklace, wrist plates, and pants made of animal hinds. Upon tasting the air of freedom, his face only showed joy for a brief instant before rage took over.

"No opposition? I rotted away in this cell for almost four thousand years and there is no opposition to face upon my freedom. How... how could the world have gotten so... so... SO WEAK!"

He growled before flying towards the sky and out of the Island not noticing that a group of robbed individuals were watching him from afar.

"Excellent, he has been free."

A white-haired and green-eyed woman who looked no older than fifty smiled as she headed the group back into the darkness from which they had shortly emerged from.

[AN: At first I was planning on following the Young Justice Series before deviating a bit after a certain point but I decided to change that. Some things or events will go like in the Young Justice but maybe not in the same order or way. I will also be adding things from other DC source material, shows and comics]