Drop-Zone

The bioship soars over the clouds under the cover of the night. The team heading towards their first official mission since becoming a team.

[ Caribbean Sea. June 22, 20:08 ECT]

" We're approaching santa prisca."

Megan said to the team, notifying them of their coming location while robin thought back to the details batman had given them earlier

Earlier at the cave.

" Isla Santa Prisca. This island is the source of a dangerous and illegal steroid. A strength enhancing drug sold under the street name venom."

Batman explained to the team as he pulled up pictures of the island.

" Infared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but inexplicably all shipments of venom have been cut off. That's where this team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report if the justice league needs to intervene, we will. The plan requires two drop zones."

Batman explained to the group the type of mission this really was, hoping to avoid an international disaster.

" Who's in charge?"

Robin stepped forward and asked. Batman and red tornado stared at each other for a moment before coming to a decision.

" Work that out between you."

Batman said with robin agreeing with him.

" Drop zone A in thirty."

Megan spoke up drawing robin back to the present.

Aqualad and Kai both stood up from their chairs and engaged their suits steal modes. Aqualads red and black attire shifted to an all-black stealth force attire. Kai's uniform lost all shades of red and was instead replaced with black as well, his white hood turning black as well with the golden highlights remaining, his silver gauntlets and boots remaining the same.

" Ready?"

Kai asked as he took a glance at aqualad.

" Ready!"

Aqualad responded.

" Entering camouflage mode."

Megan said as she turned the entire ship translucent. Megan flew the ship closer to the water and both aqualad and Kai dropped down into the ocean below them. The two swam through the ocean and arrived at a fence. Aqualad summoned blades of water and cut through them creating a hole big enough for the two to fit through. The two landed on a nearby beach and began running towards the security system to hack them.

" Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in."

Kai said to the group letting them know it was now safe for them to join them on the island.

" Let's go Kaldur."

Kai gestured for aqualad to follow him as the team made their way to drop zone B. While, climbing up the side of a cliff aqualad and kai both hear a distinctive noise in the distance

" I know he did not jump without a line."

Kai said as he slapped himself in the face.

" Aqualad! Rudra! Drop b is go."

Megan said to the two boys through their communicator.

" Copy that! Head towards the factory, we'll track your gps and rendezvous asap."

Kai responded.

" Roger that!"

Robin replied as he and the others moved towards the factory.

' Uh kai we got a problem. Superboy is hearing things and robin is gone.'

Megan said telepathically.

' What!'

" Superboy! Kid! switch to Infared. See if you are being tracked."

Kai said as he and aqualad ran through the forest.

" Tell me what do you see?"

Kai asked the two.

" Got a squad of armed bozos incoming."

Kid flash replied

" Two squads. But they'll meet each other before they find us."

Superboy cut in.

" Damn, that can't be good. You guys keep your head down just in case."

Kai said to the group before a distinct sound of gunfire could be heard through the communicator.

" Steer clear, don't engage!"

Kai said to the group

" Yeah, yeah just as soon as I find rob."

Kid flash said before running off. He ran through the forest trying to find robin but slipped in the mud causing him to skid down and land right in the middle of a gun fight between bane and the cult of cobra.

" We have a problem. Kf crash landed right in front of the two-armed forces."

Superboy said to kai.

" Damn, no choice now. Defend yourselves! Come on Aqualad."

Kai ordered

" Right behind you."

Aqualad responded as they ran through the jungle.

" We're close."

Kai said as the sound of gunshots got closer and closer. The two boys joined the fight taking down two of the cult of cobra members that had tried to retreat. Aqualad shocking one unconscious, while kai simply punched his light out. The group then proceeded to tie up the unconscious killers.

" I recognize these uniforms. They belong to the cult of the cobra."

Robin explained as he examined the garbs the men were wearing.

" Iam certain batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa prisca's venom operation."

Aqualad stated.

" Agreed. And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultist and those goons, I'm betting cobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

Robin theorized.

" It's a solid theory and the one we're going to run with."

Kai spoke up.

" That's great cobra wanted super cultists; mystery solved. Now radio bats."

Kid flash said sarcastically, poking jabs at the excited detective.

" These cultists aren't on venom. Cobra's hoarding this stuff. We don't leave, not until I know why."

Robin said with determination in his eyes.

" Until You know why?"

Kid flash asked.

" This team needs a leader!"

Robin exclaimed

" And It's you? You're a thirteen-year-old kid who ducked out on us word!"

Kid flash explained

" And you're a mature fifteen. Hahaha! You blew our cover the first chance you got."

Robin replied.

" Don't you want to lead?"

Megan asked superboy.

" Do you?"

Superboy asked clearly not on board with being the leader himself.

" After that mister twister situation."

Megan stated

" You did alright."

Superboy said trying to cheer the girl up.

" Superboy is right, you did amazing during that mission Megan. Did you make mistakes? Yes, you did. But you learned from them and grew. That's what a leader does."

Kai explained

" I wouldn't have been able to do it without your support Kai. I feel like you should be the leader."

Megan replied.

" Honestly, I don't know if I'm cut out for it. But if those two can't agree then maybe I will."

Kai said before leaving Superboy and Megan and heading over to robin and Kid flash.

" Okay, listen you two. Enough fighting. Robin you have the most experience when it comes to operations like this. You'll take the lead for this."

Kai explained

" Glad you agree."

Robin responded.

"Hahahaha! Such clever ninos. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. Get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

Bane spoke up and said to the group.

" There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something."

Megan said as she searched bane's mind for his secret.

" Uh uh uh Not that easy."

Bane said to the girl as she tried to read his mind.

" Uh, he's mentally reciting football scores in Espanol. This could take a while"

Megan stated after failing to read bane's mind.

" It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Bane spoke.

The group all turned and looked at each other nodding in agreement before releasing bane from his bindings. Free of his bindings and true to his words, bane began to lead the group towards his old venom factory where the cult of cobra now resided. Robin used his binoculars to scope out the while the others kept watch.

' Kai! Superboy said bane is planning something and that we should keep watch.'

Megan said telepathically.

' I figured. I know of bane, and from what I've heard he's quick to stab you in the back figuratively and very literally. If he makes a move, I got him.'

Kai responded to the woman telepathically before the link cut.

' Bane, one of batman's first big Bads. Hard to forget the night the Gotham royal hotel was destroyed by bane and the joker. It was the same night batman was first seen on camera. Still as intimidating now as he was then.'

Kai thought as he watched bane, closely studying the man and his movements.

" Look at all that product. A buy is going down. But if cobra isn't selling to the usual suspects, then."

Robin spoke.

" We need to identify that buyer."

Kai interrupted.

" Just what I was thinking."

Kid flash responded

" Yeah, you're the thinker."

Robin joked

" Sarcasm? Dude a real leader would focus on getting answers."

Kid flash responded

" He's right robin. Now isn't the time for petty squabbles, focus on the mission at hand."

Kai spoke, interrupting the two heroes' petty argument again.

The group was suddenly alerted to bane, who was in the process of moving a large boulder that had been blocking a secret passage.

" Answers are this way."

Bane said as he pointed further into the tunnel. A tunnel which presumably lead into the factory.

" So, el luchador is our leader."

Kid flash joked, getting an elbow to the gut from kai as he passed by.

The group followed bane through the tunnel eventually reaching a platform. Bane stepped towards it and pushed a button opening a hatch in the floor. The hatch lead straight into the processing room of the factory. Tubes and ammunition stockpiles filled the room. After taking a moment to inspect the surroundings the team and bane moved into the room.

" All clear!"

Robin said before leaping into the room and disappearing. The rest of the others followed shortly after, but robin was no where in sight.

' Why the hell does he keep doing that?'

Kai asked himself.

' Your young friend is not a worthy leader. You should step up and take charge.'

Athena whispered.

' If this keeps up, I'll have to.'

Kai answered back.

" Has that little fool already been caught?"

Bane asked with irritation in his voice.

" No, he does this often. Too often!"

Kai said with irritation in his voice as well.

" Stay put I'll get our intel and be back before the boy wonder."

Kid flash said

" Wait kid."

Kai spoke trying to stop the boy from leaving, however his words fell on death ears as kid flash rushed off without another word.

' Damn, this is not going to end well, is it?'

Kai wondered

' Most likely not, your ranks are now broken, and you have no idea where. Not to mention the snake in your garden young one.'

Athena whispered

' I know.'

Kai responded

" Great chain of command."

Bane spoke up before the rest of the group moved on through the rest of the factory.

" It's a massive shipment."

Kai spoke as he watched the cultists move their supply of venom.

" Yeah, but they're only taking the new product off the line. They're not taking this one."

Superboy responded

" Maybe freshness counts."

Megan spoke up nervously trying to add her own deduction.

" Listen up. You guys hear that?"

Kai asked

" Yeah, helicopters coming."

Superboy responded as the group looked towards the sky for the bird.

' I don't like this. Why would they not take what they already have with them. Why only this new stuff? Unless the new venom is somehow stronger. That is a terrifying thought. And I hope I'm wrong.'

Kai thought as he watched the cultists work.

The group continued to watch as the helicopter landed. A tall man easily standing over six foot got off and walked towards the head of the cult. The man had blonde hair wore an armored hockey mask with one arm guard on his left arm and military combat boots.

' I don't like this one bit.'

Kai thought.

" That man, sportsmaster. He's the buyer! Rudra to red tornado do you read?"

Kai asked as he raised his hand to his communicator however all that came through was static.

" Ugh! I can't reach the league, robin, or kid. Coms are jammed. We need a plan now!"

Kai said

" I have a suggestion."

Bane said and as the group turned to him, he began attacking the cult of cobra.

" What the hell is he doing?!"

Superboy asked.

" Blowing our cover. No choice now take them down hard."

Kai said as he went to join the fight. Before he could however a massive figure launched itself into the building destroying the catwalk the group was standing on. The massive Mammoth stood in front of the group and roared.

" Destroy them."

Cobra ordered as his cultists began attacking the team.

Kai and Superboy both rushed towards the giant mammoth, while Aqualad, Megan and bane had engaged the cultists.

" Rah!"

Superboy yelled as he pushed mammoth back.

" I got this one go help the others."

Superboy stated.

" On it. Wait where's bane?! No time to worry about."

Kai said as he began taking down the cultists, only stopping when sportsmaster stepped in front of him holding a hockey puck.

" A hockey puck? Really?"

Kai asked

" Really."

Sportsmaster responded as a soundwave blasted out of the puck knocking the boy away.

" Argh!"

Kai grunted as he crashed through the vats of venom behind him.

Sportsmaster then pulled out a javelin and threw it at Megan. She had managed to dodge it, or seemingly did, but after she moved it exploded. Blasting her away from the battle as well.

" Okay, Sportsmaster right I forgot."

Kai said as he began to get to his feet. While he was getting up a group of guards rushed him only to be stopped by Kid flash.

" Ki!"

Kai went to speak before another group of guards fired at him.

" Coms are jammed. Miss Martian Link us up!"

Kai yelled as he gestured to the woman to use her powers.

' Everyone online?'

Miss martian asked as she linked everyone up telepathically.

" Urgh! Argh!"

Superboy grunted as he battled mammoth.

' Yeah.'

Superboy groaned as his mind was once again invaded.

' You know it beautiful.'

Kid flash replied.

' I am as well.'

Kaldur replied

' Robin?'

Kai asked

' I'm here too.'

Robin replied.

' Good we need to regroup.'

Kai stated.

' Busy now.'

Robin replied back to the boy.

" Batman must be desperate. He sends his welp to task me."

Cobra says to robin

" What's wrong coby? You look disconcerted."

Robin taunted

" This is beneath me. Shimmer take him."

Cobra commanded his guard to fight with robin.

' Robin NOW!'

Kai spoke ordering the teen to return to the group, much to robin's annoyance. Robin waited until shimmer was close to him before throwing a flash pellet onto the ground. He disappeared in the blinding flash of light.

' We need to retreat for now.'

Kai spoke as he battled with mammoth, launching the brute out of the building with a thunderous blow to his face.

' Let's go!'

Kai ordered as the entire group followed him back into Bane's secret tunnel entrance.

' Go I'll make sure they can't follow us.'

Kao said ordering the group to run ahead of him. He began punching away the support beams that helped hold up the tunnel's foundation, collapsing the tunnel behind.

' That should take care of that problem.'

Kai thought as he ran to catch up with the group.

' Wise choice young man. Though you could have won that battle you realized your comrades were beginning to falter. Remember sometimes retreating is the right answer.'

Athena whispered.

' Thank you, my goddess.'

Kai responded as he rejoined the group.

" We need a light. Robin, do you have anything?"

Kai asked

" Yeah, I do."

Robin said as he pulled out a glow stick. Bending it and lighting the tunnel up around him with a bright red light. Robin sat down for a minute and questioned himself.

" How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?"

Robin asked breaking the silence in the tunnel.

" You do have the most experience robin, but perhaps that is what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside batman your roles defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new, and the leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan."

Kai explained to the boy hoping to make him see his mistakes.

' Well said my young champion.'

Athena whispered.

" I could not have said it better myself."

Aqualad responded to the boy.

" Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands! Ugh! Who am I kidding? You should lead us Kai you're the only one who can."

Robin spoke.

" Please I can run circles."

Wally was trying to argue his point, but dick cut him off again.

" Wally come on, you know he's the one. We all do. He's the one who lead us during the whole twister incident."

" I agree."

Kaldur spoke in agreement.

" You'll get no complaints from me."

Superboy stated with a grin.

" See kai I told you. You are the best choice to lead us."

Megan said with excitement written all over her face.

The group sat silent for a few seconds looking for any objections from Wally.

" Okay!"

Wally finally spoke up breaking the awkward silence

' Congratulations my young champion, it would seem like it is your time to lead.'

Athena whispered

' I don't know if I'll be a good leader though Athena. These guys have been doing thsi a lot longer than me. Am I really the best choice for this?'

Kai asked

' Remember your training with my sisters Diana and donna. What was it young donna said to you when you first met? Do you remember?'

Athena asked

' How could I forget. She was amazing.'

Kai responded before going into a flashback of the first time he had met donna.

Flashback.

" Yaaaaaah!"

Donna yelled as she practiced. Kai couldn't help but watch in awe at the way the woman handled her blade, almost as if it was a part of her body naturally.

" Sister! I have returned and I have a new student for you to practice with."

Diana said as she drew the attention of the young woman. Donna turned to see the young man standing beside her sister, his hand barely gripping onto his sword leaving himself wide open. Donna charged the young man with her blade attacking him like a wild beast. Kai had tried his best to defend himself, but with one thrust of her palm, Donna had planted Kai into the ground. As she loomed over him, she told him why he was defeated.

" You left yourself wide open. As a warrior there are three things you must remember. Always know your enemy, never leave your guard down no matter the situation, and always think your actions through clearly. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement. You assumed because this was training that I wouldn't hurt you. You are wrong!"

Donna said as she glared down at the man beneath her blade.

Flashback end.

' Yes, exactly young man. And now look. You learned your lesson and out of everyone here have kept yourself composed. You admonished your teammate's when they acted out rashly and out the safety of them ahead of your own.'

Athena explained to the young man.

' I guess you're right. Thank you, Athena.'

Kai responded with a smile

' You are always welcome young kai.'

Athena whispered.

" Okay, I accept the burden. Until you are ready to rend it from my shoulders."

Kai said as he grabbed robins shoulders.

" You were born to lead this team. Maybe not now but soon."

Kai said getting a nod of acceptance from the boy wonder

" Alright, our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

Kai said

" Funny, I had the same thought."

Robin joked as he pushed two buttons on his wrist sabotaging the cults helicopter.

" Okay sportsmaster is the supplier/buyer but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to get ahold of the block buster formula or the power to get cobra to do his dirty work."

Robin spoke

" And neither of them have the chops to bond block buster with venom. That's some major nerdage."

Kid flash said

" I believe the expression is tip of the iceberg."

Kaldur replied

" Halt Ninos, I'm feeling explosive."

Bane said as he showed the group the explosives they had walked into.

" You betrayed us. Why am I not surprised."

Kai asked

" Because you are smart unlike your team. I want my factory back and I will get it even if I had to get rid of you all to do so."

Bane explained

' Kid you'll need a running start.'

Kai said to kid telepathically. Kid flash began to back up from the group getting ready to run after the man in front of them as he monologued about his plan.

" 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 when the smoke cleared santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect."

Bane said as he went to press the button triggering the explosion. However, while he was talking Kid flash had managed to steal the device without bane noticing.

" With what? This trigger thingy?"

Kid flash asked as he taunted bane with the device.

" Ahhhh!"

Bane yelled as he lunged at kid flash in an attempt to get his remote back. However, Miss martian had caught him mid-air with her powers. As he dangled in the air superboy and kai approached him.

" Finally!"

Superboy exclaimed

" Together?"

Kai asked superboy with a grin on his face.

" Together!"

Superboy responded with a grin of his own.

" Drop Him!"

The two powerhouses said to Megan. And with a smile on her face, she dropped bane directly down towards the two. They had used enough strength to completely knock bane out cold.

" I have waited a long time to do that."

Superboy spoke up.

" Me too my friend! Me too!"

Kai said in agreement as he walked away with superboy, his arm around the other boy's shoulders.

" Now, let's go do the same thing to the cult and sportsmaster."

Kai said as the group began to make their way back to the factory.

The group had arrived back at the factory in time to see sportsmaster and cobra getting ready to leave. Kid flash ran through the fields taking down the cult members and dodging fire from the others.

" Take the shipment."

Cobra said to sportsmaster who began to make his way towards the helicopter.

Superboy crashed down onto another group of cultists landing right in front of cobra and mammoth.

" Go again?"

Superboy asked challenging the beast in front of him. Mammoth growled at the man and charged him, however before he could land an attack aqualad used his magic to blast the mammoth with a large wave of water sending him flying

" Sorry, not the plan."

Superboy taunted the beast.

Aqualad continued to push the beast back with his water.

Seeing the boy of steel distracted, sportsmaster began shooting superboy ith some kid of red energy blast knocking the boy around.

" That's not very nice."

Kai said as he landed between superboy and sportsmaster.

" Neither am I."

Sportsmaster taunted as he leaped over the invisible Miss martian and wrapped her in a choke hold.

' Damn!'

Kai thought as he watched Sportsmaster slowly back onto the helicopter.

While that was happening Kid flash had taken down the last of the cultists still standing.

" Souvenir!"

Kid flash said as he pulled a mask from one of the members.

Shimmer went to attack kid flash but was captured by robin before she could move a step.

" I know you hate getting your hands dirty."

Robin taunted cobra.

" True but sometimes even a god must stoop to conqueror."

Cobra said as he pulled off his rob showing his impressively built body. Ready to battle Robin rushed cobra throwing a knee at the man which was caught effortlessly, followed up by a jumping round house kick, which had once again been blocked. Cobra responded to the boy's attacks with a kick of his own, launching robin away from him.

" What's wrong boy? You look disconcerted."

Cobra said taunting robin with his own words from earlier.

Everyone was tied up in fights of their own Sportsmaster couldn't really hurt Kai, Aqualad was still pushing mammoth back, Kid flash was taking down the newly arrived cobra cultists, and Robin was fighting with cobra. However, soon things began to change. Aqualad pushed mammoth against a tree and used his magic to shock the beast unconscious.

" Thanks for the work out but I gotta fly."

Sportsmaster said as he chucked Megan into kai and superboy.

" Fly, yeah right!"

Kai taunted as he looked at megan. The girl pulled out the explosive remote bane had earlier.

" Did you place it?"

Kai asked

" Of course!"

Megan responded.

" He is not gonna be happy."

Superboy said as the three teens watched sportsmaster fly away

" Blow it."

Kai ordered and with a nod Megan pushed the button blowing the back end of the helicopter off and destroying almost all of the new venom. The helicopter fell out of the sky as sportsmaster abandoned it, crashing directly onto bane's factory destroying it entirely.

" Well, that worked out better than I expected. Now let's go help robin."

Kai said to the two teens as they made their way to help the losing boy wonder, only to see that cobra had already vanished.

" Robin where's cobra?"

Kai asked

" He's gone! He just vanished into thin air."

Robin explained as he pointed into the jungle.

" Let's get these guys tied up then. We'll worry about cobra later."

Kai said as the group began rounding up all the defeated cultists.

After they were finished the group sat in silence as they watched the factory burn down.

" We picked the right guy to lead, automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to batman. Hahahahaha!"

Robin laughed at the boy's misfortune.

' Hm, well I guess being a leader isn't all bad. We managed to stop the bad guys from getting a powerful new weapon tonight. Though I can only imagine the pain donna is going to bring to me when she finds out about this.'

Kai thought as a giant angry and vicious image of donna appeared in his mind.

" YOU IDIOT!"

The image yelled as she launched Kai away with a punch.

" I'M SOOOOOOORY!"

Kai yelled as he was sent flying into the sky and disappearing like a twinkling star.

' Oh maaaan.'

Kai thought

' Don't worry young kai You overreact. If anything, my sister would be impressed by your actions here tonight. If you would actually try to talk to her, you'd see she's not the blood thirsty beast you make her out to be. Entirely anyway.'

Athena spoke.

' What kind of advice is that, Athena? The quickest way to sign my death certificate that's what that is.'

Kai responded.

" Hm, so young you really don't understand how lucky you are. No man has ever had the chance to learn from an amazon, let alone two of them. Then again you aren't an ordinary young man anymore are you kai? First my champion and now the center of my sister's attention. I can't wait to see what kind of man you'll become."

Athena spoke to herself as she looked down on the boy from mt Olympus.

" This should be entertaining at the very least."

Athena spoke with a slight chuckle.

[ Mount Justice! August 4th, 01:06 EDT]

" A simple recon mission. Observe and report. You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes!"

Batman said as he grilled the teenagers on the way their mission had spiraled out of control.

" Until then. Good job. No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character."

Batman said as he gave the team a compliment.

" Dismissed."

Batman said signaling for the team to head out.

[ Recognized Wonder woman 03, Guest recognized.]

' Diana and a guest. Wait a minute no!'

Kai thought as the color drained from his body, his soul desperately trying to leave his body.

" KAI! COME HERE NOW!"

Donna yelled

" NOOOOOOOO!"

Kai's screamed sounded throughout the mountain.