Chapter 7: Rescue Attempt

Word Count : 9782

The Iceberg Lounge held a certain degree of class and sophistication to it that stood with such a stark contrast to the dark and brooding city it called home. But like any precious gem, its history was soaked in crime and decadence. Krieg knew this even before he entered the building. Walking inside with the four heroes trailing behind him, Krieg found the décor to be a perfect example of why he despised people like the Penguin. It was extravagant and embellished, a way to show how prestigious its owner and guests were. Speaking of guests, those high class snobs who were currently dining here looked upon Krieg and his companion as if they were the dregs of society, unworthy to be in their presence. Funny, it would appear as if they were trying and failing to imitate the same look of loathing Krieg was giving them from behind his gasmask.

"Can I help you, sir?" a finely dressed butler asked in forced politeness, trying to keep his displeasure out of his tone. Obviously he had taken one look at their clothes and assumed they were not members of the high society, but as a servant he still had to be polite. Krieg on the other hand was not blocked by etiquette.

"Where is Mr. Cobblepot?" he demanded. The butler frowned at him in displeasure, clearly not liking his demanding tone.

"I'm afraid that he's busy at the moment. If there is nothing else, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the butler responded calmly, managing to sneak in a slight tone of condescendence. Krieg was on the man in an instant, grasping the front of his black suit and hoisting him up in the air.

"If you don't tell me where he is, I will break your legs," he said emotionlessly. He was truly neither mad nor irritated by this man. He held contempt for him, sure, but that was all. He only resorted to such threats because he was never one for subtlety, and he was in a bit of a hurry. Yet still he received no answer, though this time it was because the butler was too terrified to even speak properly. Krieg was about to carry out his threat when a firm and restraining hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Krieg," Aqualad said in a warning tone. A tense standoff ensued, as they both waited to see who would fold first. Robin and Speedy tensed up as they feared an imminent confrontation. To their surprise, Krieg actually backed off and released the butler, though he did push the man away from him, making the butler stumble and fall flat on his backside. While not appreciating Krieg's unnecessarily forceful ways, Robin at least knew to use his actions for their benefit.

"I don't know how long we can keep him restrained, so why don't you go and fetch your boss while he's still in a good mood," he stated while jerking a thumb at Krieg. The butler was shaking like a leaf as he scrambled back up on his feet, eyes nervously darting between Robin and Krieg. Obviously he was a cowardly man who had never been threatened before.

"Of course, right away, sir," well, he at least deserved some credit for being able to speak without stuttering. Still, that credibility was lost a mere second later as he all but fled from Krieg in his haste to find the Penguin. With him out of the way, Aqualad gave Krieg a reproachful look, clearly not pleased by his action.

"That was completely uncalled for. We are here to see if Penguin knows anything of value, not threaten every man who gets in our way," he said. Krieg, not appreciating that this xeno was reprimanding him, turned fully to face him while glaring straight into his eyes. Not that Aqualad could tell that.

"Violence is only a last resort for the foolish, xeno. The wise resort to it much sooner," he retorted coldly. Aqualad furrowed his eyebrows as he stared right back at Krieg.

"If you will not change your mind, will you at least stop referring me as a xeno? I am an Atlantean, a proud people who have lived on Earth for just as long as the rest of humanity," he stated. Krieg took a moment to contemplate his words, before shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly.

"Very well then, abhuman," he said, still speaking with contempt to Aqualad. To Krieg, it did not matter whether Aqualad was xeno, mutant or abhuman, he was still not human and therefore beneath him. Before any more words could be exchanged, the butler returned.

"Mr. Cobblepot has agreed to meet you, sir. But has requested that only one of you come," he relayed what his master had said. Before any of the sidekicks could volunteer, Krieg had already stepped forward and gave the butler a rough shove, silently ordering him to lead the way. Happy to oblige, for fear of otherwise invoking his ire, the butler led him. Leaving the main dining hall behind and walking through a corridor, Krieg arrived at Penguin's office, at which point the butler excused himself and left. Not even bothering to knock or wait to be invited in, Krieg opened the door and stepped in. While the office of the Penguin was extravagantly furnished, he ignored those fancy and useless pieces and focused on those already occupying the room. Apparently Penguin had taken the precaution of bringing in two bodyguards in case things turned sour. One glance at the pair of overly muscled brutes told Krieg all that he needed; minimal threat.

But while the Penguin's guards were less than impressive in Krieg's eyes, the man himself was downright laughable. Looking at the plump and grotesque little man, Krieg could understand where he got his namesake from, especially when dressed up in that ridiculous tuxedo of his. A long and crooked nose, almost reminiscent to a bird's beak, twitched slightly in barely suppressed annoyance over Krieg's disrespectful entry. Two meaty hands where folded together over his desk as his eyes clinically observed Krieg from underneath a brim hat. Absentmindedly, Krieg wondered if what he was looking at was some manner of uncharted aberration, a manner of deformed mutant or abhuman.

"Please, have a seat," Penguin said while gesturing towards a simple wooden chair placed in front of his desk. Krieg gave the chair a quick once-over before striding over and seated himself. The two guards were quick to place themselves on either side of Krieg, looming threateningly above him. If these oafs were trying to intimidate him, they were doing a horrible job at it.

"One of my butlers told me you were quite persistent in seeing me," Penguin commented with a sneer, "I'm a very busy man, but I've learned that when a hero wants something, it's best to listen them out. But I ask you to be quick about it," the sour tone he used spoke clearly that he was not pleased to be in Krieg's presence, much less having a conversation with him. Well, the feeling was abundantly mutual.

"I'm looking for information regarding the location of Kid Flash, and have reason to suspect you harbor that knowledge," Krieg said monotonously. He was never one to beat around the bush, easier to just get to the point directly. Penguin raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, his interest having been peaked.

"And why would I know something? Isn't it the Flash's responsibility to look after his own sidekick?" he asked in curiosity, though there was no mistaking that small mocking tone in his voice. Already Krieg was annoyed by this man. Despite claiming to be a busy man, he still seemed content to play these useless mind games. Well, Krieg sure as hell could not play, but he could cheat.

"Do you know his whereabouts or not?" Krieg asked, putting a bit more force behind his words. At this, a smug grin split the disgusting little man's face as he leaned back in his seat.

"Maybe I do, maybe I do not. The real question here is how much such information might be worth," he commented as he idly drummed his fingers against his desk, clearly feeling very confident about his position. Krieg was about to prove otherwise. For Penguin had made one fatal mistake; he assumed Krieg was like any other hero. Krieg had quickly deciphered Penguin's vague answer as an affirmative. He did possess the information he required, and that was all the motivation Krieg needed. Faster than anyone could react, Krieg had drawn a combat knife and stabbed it through Penguin's hand, pinning it to the desk. Even as the fat little man began screaming in pain, Krieg had already risen from his seat, drawn his sidearm and placed a tranquil dart in each of the guards' throats. A few seconds of swaying around like drunkards followed before they collapsed to the floor unconscious.

With those two minor nuisances dealt with, Krieg slowly stepped around the desk, constantly eying the whimpering man clutching his hand still nailed to the desk. Penguin's wide and fearful eyes followed every movement Krieg made as he came closer and closer. He crouched low until he was at the same height as the seated Penguin, drawing another knife and slowly waving it in front of his face. The sheer terror that the Penguin felt even caused him to wet himself.

"Now, Mr. Cobblepot, you'll tell me everything I want to know, and you will do it for free. If you don't, then I will torture the information out of you," Krieg calmly explained, as if he was speaking to a student who had been struggling with the same assignment for hours. While still in the grips of terror, the Penguin still had enough bravado to squeak out a retort.

"You can't do this to me! You're supposed to be part of the Justice League, and they don't…" unfortunately, Krieg was growing tired of his endless blabbering, and so silenced him by pressing his knife against his throat, putting just enough pressure to draw blood.

"I'm not a member of the Justice League. I don't have any obligations to play by their rules. Now, start talking, or I'll start cutting," Krieg threatened. Sweat soaked every skin on his body as his eyes fearfully tried to follow the knife poised at his throat before they darting back up to stare at Krieg's blank mask. Finally, his resolve crumbled.

"Manhattan! He's on Manhattan! Il Piccolo Oceano restaurant in Little Italy!" he all but screamed out in terror. At first, Krieg did nothing but observe him, gauging whether he was truthful or not. But eventually he decided that the man was too terrified to have lied, and so sheathed his knife and straightened up to his full height again.

"Thank you. You cooperation is most appreciated," he said dully as he stepped around the desk until he was standing in front of it again. Here, he stopped and tuned around, his hand grasping the knife still embedded in the Penguin's hand.

"I would have greatly appreciated the chance to kill you," Krieg commented as he yanked the knife out of the Penguin's hand, eliciting a cry of pain from the sniveling man, "So mark my words," he continued as he turned around and walked towards the door while wiping off the blood from his knife, "If you warn anyone that I'm coming…" here, he paused at the threshold to throw a last warning at the quivering mass of meat nurturing his wounded hand, "… then I will find you," with that, he closed the door behind him and made his way towards the lobby. He found the three sidekicks waiting for him, but no sign of the machine.

"Where's Red Tornado?" Krieg asked. That mechanical abomination had better not gotten lost, because Krieg was not waiting for it.

"He got a call from the Justice League. Said they needed his help with something, and he told us to stay put and wait for him," Speedy answered, the last part coming out more as a growl. Well, that was one less nuisance Krieg would have to endure during this mission. Without saying another word, he strode past the trio and exited the Iceberg Lounge, the sidekicks scrambling after him.

"Hey wait! Where are you going?" Robin asked in curiosity as he slowed his pace once he was walking next to Krieg.

"Manhattan," he answered without even glancing in his direction. His mission was already mapped out in his head; get to a zeta tube, teleport to Manhattan, find this Il Piccolo Oceano, rescue Kid Flash and beat down anyone who gets in his way. Simple, yet effective.

"Manhattan? Is that where KF is held?" Robin asked again, having put the pieces together in his head. Krieg only gave a small nod of affirmation, but that was all the sidekicks needed.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go already!" Speedy exclaimed as he suddenly speeded up, being swiftly overtaken by Robin who was even more eager to save his friend. Krieg calmly followed them, actually hoping that they would run ahead and ditch him. That way he could complete the mission without these sidekicks ruining everything.

"Wait," Aqualad suddenly spoke up, "We can't just head out on our own. Remember, Red Tornado told us to wait for him," well, the abhuman at least deserved some credit for being a loyal soldier. But that order was a real annoyance. He just wanted to complete this mission as fast as possible so he could go back to carrying out useful tasks.

"He told you three to wait for him. He said no such thing to me," Krieg suddenly blurted out. A second of shock washed over him. Had he just deliberately misinterpreted a superior's order? Dear Emperor, what was becoming of him? Had this been in the Death Korps, he would have been shot for insubordination. That was when he remembered that this was not the Death Korps, this was the Justice League. He only obeyed their commands out of necessity. Surely, the Emperor would overlook this small slight he was committing in service to humanity?

"And the Justice League told us to help Krieg in his search, so if he goes, we have to just tag along," Speedy added, obviously using Krieg as an excuse to disobey a direct order. For some reason, Krieg found that he did not give a damn about it. And apparently, neither did Aqualad, as he was quick to fall in line with his friends, obviously having an equally strong desire to save their comrade. 'So much for getting rid of these pests,' Krieg thought as he once again led the way towards the nearest zeta tube.

If there was one person that Samantha despised almost as much as Desmond, it was the big brute assigned as 'extra protection'. Not only had he barely any useful intelligence inside that thick skull of his, he was extremely rude and lacked any sense of tact. And to top it all off, the bastard was late by at least an hour. She let out another irritated grumble as she glanced at her wristwatch for the umpteenth time. This was ridiculous, she had important work to go back to. She did not have the luxury of dallying around just to wait for one man to drag his lazy ass inside her lab.

Finally, the elevator doors opened up, and her expected guests arrived. About five League of Shadow operatives were the first to step out. But those were merely foot soldiers, meant to slow down whatever hero that could potentially barge in. The real powerhouse in this group was the sixth man who exited the elevator, and by God did Samantha wish it was someone else.

"You're late, Sportsmaster," she stated coldly. He was however unmoved by her hostility and merely shrugged his shoulders.

"You try sneaking into a crowded restaurant during rush hour while being a wanted man," he retorted. He did actually have a point there. In hindsight, she could have probably chosen a better spot to set up shop than under a restaurant in the middle of Manhattan of all places. It was so aggravatingly difficult to smuggle down the necessary equipment she required without drawing suspicion.

"Anyway, you already know why I'm here, but I'd like to add that I'm taking full command over all the security here," Sportsmaster revealed casually, causing Samantha to start sputtering in outrage.

"Now wait just a minute! This is my facility, and so I'm in charge here!" she furiously protested. But Sportsmaster did not like it when someone tried to speak back to him, as he stepped up right in front of her, forcing her to crane her neck upwards to be able to look the man in the eyes. It was quite disconcerting for her as the man was both broader and taller than her. She would be lying if she said that she was not intimidated by him, but she was determined not to show weakness in front of him.

"Not anymore. You just go back to your little experiments in your cozy lab, while I deal with the rest," Sportsmaster countered with a dismissive tone before he merely walked right past Samantha as if she was not even present, his Shadow operatives following close behind. Oh, how much Samantha wished she could just vaporize that brute. But alas, he was one of the Light's best enforcers, hence he could not be touched without severe repercussions. Well, there was no point wasting time imagining the various ways she could kill Sportsmaster. She had a deadline to keep, and she was determined to provide results by that time.

So, while Sportsmaster went on his little inspection of Samantha's security, she headed straight back towards her lab, determined to crack the mystery behind a speedster's power.

"Incoming!" Green Arrow shouted before he dived behind a car, the other three heroes present following his lead. Just in the nick of time too, because a second later the street was blasted apart by three rockets. A hail of gunfire then rained down from the third floor of the apartment complex they were besieging. Batman gave a barely audible grumble from behind the fire truck he was using as cover. What had first started as a simple rescue mission when a fire broke out had quickly escalated into an armed conflict when over a dozen heavily armed criminals ambushed him and his three colleagues.

Who were these idiots again? Oh right, some minor group of fanatical South States supporters who were struck with the brilliant idea to rekindle the American Civil War. And how did Batman know that? Simple, the morons had been shouting their goals out with a microphone every time there was a cease in gunfire. Sometimes, Batman truly wondered if criminals really got increasingly more stupid with each new batch. Given how this group of barely twenty had essentially declared war on the U.S., Batman had a good reason to believe it.

"Cover me!" he shouted over the smattering of machineguns. Green Arrow gave a small nod before he fired an arrow high into the air. The heroes were smart enough to cover their eyes, the bad guys were not so smart. They paid the price when the arrow went off like a flash bang, blinding all of them and bringing an end to the gunfire. Batman was quick to capitalize on it as he leaped over the cover and fired a grapple gun up on the third floor. As he retracted the line, he was sent flying like a projectile towards his target, an open window where a masked criminal was furiously rubbing his blinded eyes. He was quickly put out of commission as Batman rammed into him boots first.

A sound reminiscent to a banshee wail, followed by an explosion on the ground floor, signaled that Black Canary had entered the building as well. The sound of flapping wings, coupled with concrete getting smashed apart, was the telltale sign that Hawkgirl had finally gotten room to maneuver and attack. What followed was a pretty one sided fight, as the four Leaguers cleaned out the apartment, one floor at a time. Finally, all that remained was three of them up on the roof, and the four heroes were soon blocking off their escape. Problem was, they had a bazooka aimed at a nearby apartment.

"Don't come any closer, or we'll blow it to kingdom come!" the one with the bazooka shouted.

"Do you even know if anyone is in the blast zone?" Batman asked coldly, praying that their stupidity would hold out. It did not.

"Do you know if anyone isn't in the blast zone?" the one with the bazooka countered. He was right of course, Batman had no way of knowing that, and he could not take the risk. Fortunately, he never had to, as the trio of terrorists found themselves airborne inside a red tornado. The bazooka accidentally went off, but it flew harmlessly into the air before detonating. After a few wild spins, the trio was dropped back to the roof to be arrested. They hardly put up a fight at that point, since all their strength was spent on remaining upright. Seconds later, they were joined by the one who made the tornado in the first place.

"I got here as fast as I could. And it seems I arrived just in time too," Red Tornado noted as Batman approached him.

"How are things going with the kids?" he asked, silently worrying for their safety. In hindsight, sending them to Krieg under the pretense of assisting him maybe had not been the best solution. Their mentors had been worried that whoever took Kid Flash would make a grab for the others as well, and so had wished to keep them out of the investigation. But the children had refused, their desire to help their friend being stronger than their loyalty to their mentors. They had thus been sent to Krieg, who had been ordered to assist in the search. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, since many doubted that Krieg was familiar enough with the world to make any significant headway. Of course, they had all forgotten to take Krieg's single-minded determination into consideration. Once he had been given a task, he would not stop until he had completed it. Now that Batman though about it, Krieg may just interrogate any criminal he could get his hands on.

"Krieg believes he may have found a lead on Kid Flash's whereabouts. We were currently in the Iceberg Lounge when I received the distress call," Red Tornado reported. That answer made Batman's worries increase tenfold.

"You left them alone at the Iceberg Lounge, while they were following up a lead that might lead them to their friend?" he asked in disbelief. Was the android asking for trouble to happen?

"I told them to wait for my return," Red Tornado answered. It did nothing to ease Batman's worries. It was during moments like these that it was most obvious that Red Tornado lacked knowledge on human behavior. For had he known better, he should have realized that his order would be as useful as telling a lion it could not eat meat anymore.

"Soooo… this is where K.F. is being held?" Robin asked in confusion from where he was perched on a rooftop alongside his three companions. What they were observing down below, was a quaint little Italian restaurant. Its friendly appearance was hardly what the heroes expected a villain's lair to look like. Not that it bothered Krieg in the slightest. He would tear the place apart no matter what manner of friendly façade it was using to shield its nefarious nature. And if it turned out that this was the wrong place, then the Warp's fury would be nothing compared to what he would do to the Penguin.

"So what's the plan?" Speedy asked, already notching an arrow in preparation.

"Go down there, search the place from top to bottom until Kid Flash is found and neutralize any opposition," Krieg answered as he peered through a pair of binoculars, scanning the building for any signs of defenses. When founding none, it made Krieg suspicious. No one would be so foolish as to leave their front entrance wide open for anyone to enter.

"That doesn't sound like the best way to approach this matter. Perhaps a more subtle way is more suited," Aqualad suggested, trying to be the voice of reason. Krieg meanwhile put aside his binoculars and retrieved a grapple gun from his belt.

"I wasn't asking for your opinions on the matter, abhuman," Krieg retorted without even looking at Aqualad. He then fired his grapple gun and swung down from the roof, landing in front of the restaurant to the great shock of those walking by. Normally, Krieg may have used a bit more finesse in his approach than just barging in during broad daylight while surrounded by civilians. But he was growing tired of this pointless rescue mission, and so wanted to get it over with. That way, he could finally be rid of those annoying sidekicks he was burdened with. The three aforementioned sidekicks meanwhile had still not moved from their position up on the roof, just observing as he entered the restaurant. Speedy gave an irritated growl while both Robin and Aqualad glared after him.

"Could that guy get any crazier?" Robin asked his friends. They could not help but agree on the account. Still, with their cover so blatantly blown, they saw no point in observing and so hurried to catch up with Krieg. What they found once they entered the restaurant was not a reassuring sight. Krieg had pressed up an employee against the wall while the patrons were backing away from him in fright.

"Well?" Krieg asked calmly, a stark contrast to the irritation he was feeling. This buffoon was trying to play the ignorant victim and denying any knowledge concerning having a superhero detained here.

"I told you already, I have no idea what you're talking about!" the employee frantically protested, cowering under Krieg's intense glare. Even though his whole face was covered by his gasmask, his victim was still terrified by it.

"I have a strong dislike towards repeating myself, and an even stronger dislike towards liars," Krieg said, his hold on him tightening. The poor man was shaking like a leaf as sweat drenched his brow.

"I'm not lying! I swear!" he shouted in fear. But Krieg was still not convinced, and he raised his fist in preparation to beat the truth out of him. He never got that far before he was forcefully tackled away from his victim and smashed through a table. Battle instincts kicked in and used the momentum of his fall to roll back up on his feet while drawing his tranquil loaded gun. He expected to face whoever was running this place, he did not expect to find that it had been Aqualad who had knocked him aside. The Atlantean was even now standing in front of him, blocking his path while crouching in a fighting stance.

"I have had enough of your senseless violence, Krieg. And as a hero, I can't allow you to continue like this, so either stop this madness or I will take you down," he ordered sternly. Robin and Speedy were still frozen by the entrance, shocked by these turn of events. And while Krieg was caught off guard by this sudden development, he was not slow on his reaction.

"And I have had enough of your continual interference in my work. So either step aside or I will break your limbs," he countered as his free hand came to rest on his still sheathed combat knife. That action jolted the last two out of their stupor and they came to stand next to Aqualad, facing Krieg.

Sportsmaster was strolling back and forth in the small security room this base had, letting his eyes casually drift over a few random screens displaying various surveillance photos. Sure, he had four men constantly checking each one, but he was bored and had nothing better to do. He was still wondering why the Light would waste his skills on a mere babysitter duty. Honestly, he was best suited to work on the field, not sit around guarding some second-rate scientist and her new experiment.

"Sir, there seems to be a problem up in the restaurant," one of the guards reported, causing Sportsmaster to stop in his tracks, but producing no other reaction out of him.

"Explain," he simply ordered without even looking at the one who reported it in.

"Four strangely dressed kids, heroes if my guess is correct, have entered the restaurant and one of them is interrogating the staff on where Kid Flash is being held," well, it seemed that Sportsmaster might get a chance to see some action after all. He had seriously not expected anyone to find this place, not this quickly at least. It did however leave Sportsmaster wondering if maybe there had been a leak somewhere for these heroes to have found them.

"How far have they made it?" Sportsmaster asked.

"Not far. They're still in the restaurant, and it seems they're close to start fighting each other," he received in answer. A pity, he had almost wished they would come down here. It would at least give him something to do. Still, that they were close to coming to blows with each other sounded like plausible entertainment at the moment. But when Sportsmaster finally looked at the screen depicting the events up above, his whole body went rigid as both eyes widened in surprised recognition. The three sidekicks were not what had caught his attention, it was the fourth person. Dressed in heavy greatcoat, metallic shoulder pads, a gasmask and a helmet, it left no doubts to Sportsmaster on who he was. There, on screen and just a few floors above him, was that soldier who ruined his mission.

Wild anger bubbled up from within him as his eyes narrowed hatefully. His whole body began trembling with rage as his hands were squeezed into fists. That little punk had made him look like a coward back in Gotham with his little stunt, and Sportsmaster had been just itching to settle the score. And here at last was his chance. The little twerp was just within his reach. All it would take was one quick elevator trip. But he had a mission to worry about. He was supposed to guard the laboratory, not go rushing after heroes snooping about. Yet in the end, his pride and anger won out and he stormed out of the room, hell bent on exacting his revenge on the brat.

"Sir? Where are you going?" one of the guards asked, but Sportsmaster ignored them. he had more important matters to attend to. But while his anger had certainly got the better of him, he was not so deprived of common sense as to charge headlong into battle alone. No, he wanted to face that gasmask freak alone, and that meant producing a distraction for his companions. He found his distraction just hanging around in the hallway.

"You five! Come with me!" he barked out to the Shadow operatives he had brought along. Years of brutal training and conditioning kicked in, and they all fell in step behind Sportsmaster, even if they all had no idea whatsoever on where they were going. In no time at all, they were at the elevator and getting inside, to the surprise of the single guard stationed at his post.

"Wait, hold on there! You can't go up this way! This is a restricted entrance, only supposed to be used in cases of emer…" that was as far as the guard got before a blow from Sportsmaster sent him flying into the wall, thoroughly knocked out.

"I deem this an emergency," Sportsmaster grumbled out as the elevator door closed.

Why did these morally inept heroes always interfere when Krieg tried to carry out his duty? One would think that they would be grateful that he was putting so much effort into liberating one of their own, especially when he did not even want to. But no, they always had to complain and lecture him about his methods, which apparently are considered too brutal. Idiots. The enemy would not hold back in a fight, so why should he? And he sure as hell did not buy that bullshit about 'being better than them', he believed in fighting fire with fire.

"Guys, this is stupid. We're supposed to find Kid Flash, not beat each other up," Robin suddenly spoke up, though he still held his eskrima sticks at the ready. A snort came from Speedy, who was still aiming an arrow at Krieg.

"Tell that to Mr. Gasmask over here," he said sarcastically. It was obvious these sidekicks were not planning on backing down, and Krieg's patience had run out. He was about to pull the trigger, aiming for Aqualad's throat, when his instincts suddenly roared at him to dodge. Not one to disregard his instinct, Krieg did just that and thereby avoided getting decapitated by a spinning disc slicing through the air. That broke the tense standoff as the four heroes suddenly found themselves facing Sportsmaster and five Shadow operatives.

"Okay, I think we got the right place after all," Robin commented, being thoroughly ignored by Krieg as he eyed the six new enemies.

"Deal with the sidekicks, the one with the gasmask is mine," Sportsmaster ordered. As one, the Shadow operatives leaped to the attack and forced the sidekicks back, leaving Krieg to face Sportsmaster alone as the patrons fled the restaurant in terror.

"I told you this wasn't over. Now I'm gonna make you wish you'd never crossed paths with me," Sportsmaster snarled out in anger as he brought out a chain ball, the heavy ball actually leaving a dent in the floor as he dropped it. Krieg wasted no time and opened fire on him. Sadly, his tranquil darts had no chance of penetrating Sportsmaster's armor, and the man was not about to sit still and let Krieg aim at a vulnerable spot. He rushed forward, spinning his chain ball before letting it fly at Krieg, who rolled clear of the attacks. A tug of the chain made the ball come flying back at Krieg's exposed back. He leaped aside just in time, but ran straight into Sportsmaster fist that smashed into his stomach and sent him flying back and straight into a wall, making him drop his gun in the process.

A follow up strike from Sportsmaster's chain ball nearly crushed Krieg's head, but he avoided it in time. And before Sportsmaster could pull his weapon free, Krieg grabbed hold of the chain and gave it a hard yank, making Sportsmaster stumble forward as he tried to maintain his grip on his weapon. Krieg pounced then and struck out with a punch to the face, knocking him back, before following up with an uppercut and a muay thai kick. That kick ended up getting caught in Sportsmaster's grip and he threw Krieg like a ragdoll into a table. Sportsmaster cracked his knuckles as he approached Krieg who was still lying amidst the remnants of the table.

Acting quickly, he picked up a table leg and bashed Sportsmaster in the leg. Caught off guard, he too fell to the floor, giving Krieg enough time to get back up. He tried to slam his improvised weapon into Sportsmaster head as he was lying on the floor, but Sportsmaster rolled clear, sprung back up on his feet and lashed out with fist to the chest that sent Krieg reeling back. Sportsmaster charged again, delivering a haymaker that Krieg dodged before sidestepping Krieg's elbow and ramming his fist straight into Krieg's back. Krieg retaliated by swinging his improvised club at Sportsmaster, shattering it against the man's shoulder guard. Krieg tried following it up with a punch to the face, but it ended up getting caught by Sportsmaster, who twisted it to the point of breaking before grabbing his head and slamming it into the counter with enough force to leave a dent in the wood. To his credit, all the sound that Krieg emitted was a small grunt.

A kick backwards forced Sportsmaster to let go and back off, though only to draw an extendable javelin. He attacked again, aiming to skewer Krieg, but he dodged under the first thrust and drew his combat knife and came up with a slash at Sportsmaster torso. No expecting such a move from a hero, Sportsmaster tried avoiding the attack, but was not fast enough. Unfortunately for Krieg, the knife only left a cut on the armor, and failed to go through it. Both combatants backed off from each other, as the noise from the other battle taking place reached them from the other side of the restaurant. But neither of them paid any attention to that, as both were focused solely on each other. Sportsmaster slowly ran a finger over the knife cut in his Kevlar, as a slightly bewildered look entered his eyes.

"Gotta admit, kid, wasn't expecting such killer instincts from a Justice League brat," he commented out loud. But the bewilderment in his eyes was quickly expunged, and replaced with a fiercely predatory look, "Not that I'm complaining, of course. After all, it makes the fight all the better. A shame you won't survive this fight, kids with that kind of spirit are hard to come by these days," and they were off again, Sportsmaster thrusting at Krieg, Krieg sidestepping and moving closer to slash at the man's arms with his knife, Sportsmaster moving aside and trying to sweep the boy's legs off from under him, Krieg jumping above the strike before stabbing forward with his knife. But Sportsmaster was ready and a powerful punch sent the knife flying out of his hands before a kick sent him flying over the counter.

Sportsmaster leaped over the counter himself and aimed to nail Krieg to the floor. He rolled clear in the nick of time and a kick made Sportsmaster stumble back and giving Krieg enough time to get back up and strike back with a fist aimed at the face. But Sportsmaster dodged it and tried to step back, aiming to get enough room to properly use his javelin. Krieg was not about to let him do that and pressed on with a barrage of kicks and punches, none of which scored a direct hit and instead missed or were deflected. In the end, Sportsmaster threw his weapon aside and struck with a fist that Krieg deflected, only to have a second come and strike him in the face and breaking his nose underneath his gasmask. Reeling back from the blow, Krieg managed to sidestep a kick, then sidestepping a punch but then getting grabbed by the front of his uniform and dragged in for a head-butt.

He staggered back, his head spinning from the multiple blows it had been dealt, when a powerful shoving kick to his chest sent Krieg flying through a door and straight into the kitchen. His back impacted against a kitchen counter, keeping him from falling to the floor. Sportsmaster soon came charging through the door, aiming to ram Krieg with his shoulder. Krieg sidestepped the attempt, put a bit of a distance, and then came back at him with a flying knee strike to the chest, forcing the man back as he gasped for air. Krieg tried capitalizing on this by striking again, but Sportsmaster dodged underneath his strike and came up with a double fist blow to the chin before grabbing hold of Krieg's shoulders and dragging the boy's body down as he slammed his knee upward. All of Krieg's willpower was put on the task of keeping the contents of his stomach from erupting up his throat as it felt like his insides were turned to mush.

But not even then was he given a chance to recover as an elbow slammed into his chest and knocked him back. Krieg tried striking back, but Sportsmaster caught the fist and slammed it back in his face. Another punch slammed straight into his chest and sent Krieg crashing into a shelf full of pots and pans, causing them to crash to the floor in a mess. Seeing Sportsmaster closing the distance, Krieg acted quickly and picked up a pan. He swung it at Sportsmaster, scoring a hit that knocked the man back and Krieg pressed on, swinging the pan like a madman. Yet it proved to be in vain as Sportsmaster eventually caught the weapon in mid-swing and tore it out of his grasp.

"You get what you give, kid," Sportsmaster snarled as he delivered a blow of his own with the pan before throwing it aside. That blow hurt like hell, and Krieg was sure a rib or two may have been broken. He staggered back as another punch connected with his face, followed by a kick to the chest that slammed him straight into a stove that was boiling pasta. Sportsmaster went for the finishing move as he drew his own knife and lunged at Krieg. Acting quickly, Krieg grasped the pot filled with pasta and boiling water and splashed its contents all over Sportsmaster's left side, dousing his arm and half his face. The man roared in pain as the water seared his skin red, and he grasped a kitchen counter to his right to keep himself upright.

Krieg knew he did not have much time before his opponent recovered enough to attack again, and his eyes suddenly landed on a row of kitchen knives arrayed along the wall. Not even hesitating in his decision, he grabbed the biggest on he could find, a meat cleaver, and brought it down hard on Sportsmaster's right hand. If the man's roars of pain were bad earlier, they were nothing compared to his screams of agony now. He fell back as blood squirted out of the stump that used to be his right hand. Krieg never once even felt an ounce of regret over the pain he had caused the man. If anything, he was lamenting the fact he would be unable to finish him off for good.

Krieg tried to retrieve the cleaver, but it was lodged deep into the counter and would not budge. So he settled for another knife. He was not going to kill Sportsmaster, Batman's orders prevented him from doing that, but he would make sure that the man would not be going anywhere without a stretcher. And as he approached Sportsmaster, who had fallen to his knees, Krieg could see that there was actual fear in his eyes. It was small and easily suppressed, but it was there nonetheless.

"You wouldn't dare, punk," he stated confidently as Krieg loomed above him. The only answer Krieg gave was to raise the knife, preparing to plunge it down. Realizing that he would indeed dare, Sportsmaster decided that his life was far more valuable than his pride and so threw a flash bang with his only remaining hand straight into the air, covering his eyes just before it went off. When Krieg's vision finally returned, Sportsmaster was gone. An unfortunate setback, seeing as he would escape justice, but he was not the primary objective, and so Krieg did not even bother trying to give chase. As he walked out of the kitchen, or rather limped out, he picked up Sportsmaster's hand, figuring it might come in handy.

Krieg could hear fighting still going on in the restaurant, but he ignored it and went deeper into the building. The three sidekicks were now serving as excellent bait to keep the security's attention, and hopefully leaving the way clear for him. After a few minutes of searching the first floor, the only thing of interest he found was an elevator marked 'Employees only'. Having found no better lead so far, he approached it and pressed the button to open the elevator. In response, a small hole opened up in the wall and a handprint scanner came out. Had he been a more emotionally expressive person, this would have been the point where he smiled in triumph and said "jackpot". In any case, it seemed like he had found the entrance, and he had just so recently procured the right keys to this door.

He brought up Sportsmaster's hand and placed it against the scanner, after a few seconds, a green light blinked on, accompanied by a 'ping' sound, and the elevator opened up. As he stepped in, he found only two buttons, one marked 'up' and the other 'down'. it did not take a genius to figure the system out. What greeted Krieg when the elevator finally reached the underground lab, was a guard lying the floor and in the midst of regaining consciousness.

"Ugh, my head… what the hell… who are y…" and he was promptly sent back to his unconscious state, courtesy of a boot to the head from Krieg. He advanced deeper into the complex, constantly on the lookout for enemies. He found them as he rounded a corner and came face to face with three security guards wearing helmets and Kevlar and armed with batons. While they were caught off guard by the appearance of Krieg, he did not waste time standing and gawking and so charged them like a mad bull. The first one was knocked to the ground as Krieg ploughed right through him. The second one had time to brace himself and receive Krieg's charge, stopping him in his tracks. Though it sure hurt as hell, and an elbow from Krieg broke his nose and caused him to stagger back.

The third one meanwhile had drawn his baton and struck at Krieg. He dodged the first strike and caught the second one. But it gave enough time for the first guard to get back on his feet, draw his baton and attack Krieg from behind. Still battered and weary from his fight with Sportsmaster, Krieg was too slow this time to counter, and received a powerful blow to the spine that forced him down to his knees. But he was still holding on to the third guard's baton, so he gave it a rough yank and sent the guard falling flat on the ground face down, causing him to let go of his baton, before spinning around and sweeping the legs from underneath the first guard. The moment the first guard made contact with the floor, Krieg had risen again and delivered a powerful blow with the baton still in his hand to the guard's face, not knocking him out but leaving him dazed.

The second guard had recovered and was charging Krieg with his own baton. Krieg blocked the attack with his baton, grabbed his opponent's arm with his free hand, brought his baton under his guard and slammed it straight into the guard's side. A blow from the baton to the arm holding his own weapon caused the guard to release his hold on it, and Krieg was quick to pick it up and deliver a simultaneous blow with both batons to the guard's head from both directions. The helmet prevented the skull from caving in, but he was thoroughly knocked out of the fight. That only left two guards still able to fight, and only one was standing, the other one was still recovering from the blow to the head.

Krieg threw aside the batons and strode towards the guard still standing, who gave a pathetic war cry and charged straight at him with an overhead strike. Krieg easily caught the attack, twisted the arm to the point it could go no further and then gave a powerful blow that broke it by the elbow before sending the guard flying into the wall with a judo throw. The last one still standing was just in the midst of getting back up when Krieg gave a forceful kick to the stomach, forcing him back down again. He straddled the guard stomach, tore off his helmet, and with a two-handed grip brought it right back down on the guard's head. With the opposition finally neutralized, he threw the useless helmet aside and continued onward. Eventually he reached a door labeled 'Lab', and so he opened it and stepped in.

Inside he found a woman who had been typing away for all her worth on a computer before his entrance, but who now flew out of her seat like a startled rabbit and eyed him fearfully. But his attention was quickly brought to what lay in the center of the room, or rather what was lying on top of said object. For right there was none other than Kid Flash, secured to a metal table with metal manacles. And he was not moving. Krieg was next to him in an instant, checking his vitals. Breathing was still normal, heartbeat still strong. He was alive. Now he just needed a way to get him loose. Picking locks was not his best skill, and he was in a bit of a hurry, so he strode up to the fearful woman still standing by the computer and grabbed her wrist in a painful grip.

"Open those restraints," he ordered coldly. But while she seemed to be terrified out of her mind, the woman still seemed to have a backbone left as she straightened up and tried to appear confident. Key word being 'tried'.

"I'm not afraid of you, and nothing you do will make me…" had she known just who she was dealing with, she would have realized the folly of her actions then and there. As it was, she was educated in the hard manner, as Krieg spun her around, grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her face straight into the computer screen. He completely ignored her screams of pain as her head went right through the screen and into the circuitry inside. Once he pulled her out again, her face was covered by glass shrapnel and electric burns. She was even crying from the pain, but Krieg was not someone who shoved mercy.

"Say that to me again, and what you just felt will be the least painful experience I will put you through," he commented with such a dull and uncaring voice that it made the woman more afraid of it than what manner of torture he would use next. Not being able to properly speak with her sobbing, she settled for fearfully nodding her head in acceptance. She was then forcefully dragged over to the unconscious speedster and shoved against the table.

"Get to work," that was all Krieg said on the matter as he watched her with arms folded across his chest. Finding enough motivation from just his stare alone, the woman set about opening each manacle. But just as the last restraint was removed, the whole base was plunged into red light as an alarm started blaring for all it was worth.

"Warning. Self-destruct sequence has been activated," a computer voice announced over the loud speakers. 'Well, that is a minor annoyance,' Krieg thought as explosions rocketed the base, causing pieces of the ceiling to collapse down on them. Brushing off a few pieces of rocks and dirt that had fallen on him, Krieg found that the woman had not been as fortunate, as her leg was crushed underneath a piece of metal.

"Help me, please! I can't get loose!" she screamed in panic, her eyes imploring him to aid her. Krieg ignored her altogether and instead picked up Kid Flash's unconscious body and flinging him over his shoulders in a fireman style. The woman looked downright horrified by his actions as he began rushing towards the door.

"What are you doing!? You can't leave me here to die! You're a hero, you're supposed to save lives!" she screeched at him. Here, he paused at the doorway, to give his answer without even turning to face her.

"I only work for heroes. And the only life I'm obligated to save is Kid Flash's, not yours. Your plight, along with whoever else is left in this base, is none of my concern," after saying his parting words, he left, leaving the woman to scream and cry all she wanted as her death slowly approached. Outside in the hallway, it was hell. Smoke, fire an oppressive heat was bearing down from all sides as more explosions continued to rip the base apart. The further Krieg went, the harder it became to see as smoke as black as charcoal filled out the halls like a carpet of death. Krieg of course was unaffected thanks to his gasmask, but Kid Flash was not so fortunate, as he started violently coughing as more smoke filled his lungs.

Krieg gave a mental curse over this whole situation. Kid Flash would most likely be dead before he could even reach he elevator unless he received some fresh air. And there was only one way he could receive it. Krieg suddenly came to a stop right in the hallway and dumped Kid Flash on the ground, who did nothing more than groan in his sleep and keep coughing. 'The mission comes first,' that was what Krieg told himself before he took a deep breath and removed his gasmask. It was quickly placed over Kid Flash head, and after a few moments of coughing, he started breathing normally again. Kid Flash was then hastily flung back over Krieg's shoulders and he was off at a sprint as more explosions echoed down the hallway.

With each step taken, it became harder and harder to keep going. His unprotected eyes stung from the smoke, making it nearly impossible for him to see. His lungs screamed for its precious oxygen, and Krieg had to fight with all his willpower not to take a breath, knowing there was nothing but death to inhale here. But he pressed on, determined to complete this mission at all costs. Finally, salvation appeared in the form of the open elevator doors. He rushed in and slammed a fist into the 'up' button. Thankfully, it seemed like it had been designed to operate even when the base was being obliterated as with a slight jerk, the elevator started moving upwards. As it opened up in the restaurant, Krieg found this place too engulfed in flames. It would not deter Krieg and he charged right through the smoke and fire, and at last did he rush out the front door.

Only now did he slow his pace down, until he came to complete stop. He was about to just dump the sidekick on his shoulders to the floor like a sack of potatoes when a sudden gust of wind whipped his face and he found Flash himself standing next to him, easing his sidekick off Krieg's back.

"Kid!? Are you alright? Can you hear me?" he nearly shouted to his protégé in panic.

"He's unconscious, but he will live to fight another day," Krieg commented as he removed his treasured gasmask from the mutant, mentally reminding himself that he should thoroughly clean it once he got back to base. The running of footsteps alerted Krieg that more people were joining them. There were the three sidekicks, Red Tornado and Batman. Only now did he notice that they were all in fact staring at his face. Krieg guessed he must have been a sight without his gasmask on. Nose crushed beyond the point of recognition, face all swollen up from the abuse it had taken, blood smeared all over. Not appreciating the looks he was receiving, Krieg donned his mask again, feeling much more comfortable with it on.

"Report," Batman suddenly ordered, and Krieg was on his feet in an instant despite the loud and painful protests of his body.

"I engaged Sportsmaster in a battle inside the restaurant, but he escaped and I chose to continue with the mission rather than give chase. I was able to locate an elevator which lead to an underground base where Kid Flash was being held captive. Bu the enemy triggered a self-destruct mechanism just as we were making our escape. I was able to get out just in time," he reported. Batman gave a slight nod of his head as he gazed back at the burning building. Firemen were already in place to put it out, but all the useful evidence would have been destroyed by then.

"With your permission, I would like to return to my base and tend to my equipment," Krieg requested. Batman said nothing, just gave a slight nod to signify his request was granted. Krieg was instantly on his way to the nearest zeta tube, content that he could finally get away from these pests he had been forced to endure.

"Wait!" or maybe not, it seemed. With a mental sigh, Krieg stopped and turned around to find Aqualad, Robin and Speedy hurrying after him.

"I wished to apologize for what happened earlier. While I still feel that your methods are overly brutal, you put yourself in harm's way to save our friend. For that you have our thanks," Aqualad announced. Robin seemed to share his sentiment, if that smile and nod was anything to go by, while Speedy seemed like he could not possibly care less. Well, at least he and Krieg had something in common then. Another gust of wind signaled that Flash had joined them.

"That goes for me as well, kid. You ever need anything, don't hesitate call," he said with an easygoing smile, obviously glad that his nephew was safe.

"I only did my duty," Krieg tried to reason, but they just smiled at him.

"No need to be so modest. You saved a life, that's something you should be proud of," Robin stated. Krieg just gave a small nod as he strode away, this time not being followed. These idiots did not seem to understand what he meant. He only did his duty by obeying the orders he had been given. Had it been up to him, he would have left Kid Flash to die without a second thought. Filthy mutant did not deserve to live either way.