The forest was alive with motion. Branches snapped underfoot, leaves shuddered in the wake of speeding bodies, and the distant glow of fire painted the horizon in a sinister orange.
Zane ran near the front, his footfalls unnervingly quiet despite the speed. Artemis was following him closely from behind.
The others were right besides them as well, with with only M'gann flying overhead. Wally and Connor wanted to go ahead without the others, but Aqualad was quick to stop them.
"Wait! You guys shouldn't leave without a plan first!"
While saying that, he motioned for Robin with his eyes.
Comming to his senses, Robin remembered he was supposed to be the Captain of the team.
Clearing his throat, Robins voice cut through the noise, sharp and clear. "Connor. Wally. Youu guys had the right idea, your the fastest here so you should go ahead."
Connor's head tilted just enough in acknowledgment, his brow furrowed. "What's the priority?"
"Civilians. Anyone still trapped in there, you get them out. Fast. Don't waste time picking fights unless you absolutely have to."
Wally grinned mid-stride, unable to help himself. "Oh, saving people? Please, that's my brand. Way better than punching bad guys in the face." He finger-gunned the air at no one in particular before vanishing into a blur, circling back just long enough to wink at Artemis before speeding off again.
Zane "....."
Connor didn't waste words. He surged forward, overtaking even Zane and Artemis with a burst of strength that cracked the ground under his boots.
BOOM!
Soon a sonic boom could be heard in the distance!
Robin's gaze flicked upward. "M'gann. Sky coverage. I want eyes on everything. Relay positions, movement, possible hostiles—use the link, keep everyone updated."
"Got it," she called back, her voice doubling in their heads a moment later as her telepathic link snapped into place.' I'll maintain overwatch. You'll hear from me the second anything shifts'
Robin didn't break stride. His eyes shifted to the red-clad archer at his side. "Speedy, Aqualad. You're with me. Silent infiltration. We stick to shadows, figure out what's going on, and decide how to act when we know the lay of the land. No unnecessary fights. Got it?"
Aqualad noded affirmatively.
Speedy, however, seemed more annoyed.
"Dont get used to ordering me around, Kid." Although he said this, he still nodded in agreement.
The decision about who is captain has not been solved yet. Batman told them that they would have to decide amongst themselves and obviously Speedy was not happy with Robin taking charge here.
In fact the only reason Robin was the one taking charge, was because the only ones that wanted to be Captains were Speedy, Wally and Robin.
Wally was not fit to be in charge of anything to be honest, and the team didnt really like Speedy.....mainly because he always acted like he was better then them all...
So the team decided that on their first mission, they would let Robin take charge and see how it goes first.
Deciding to ignore Speedys comment, Robin's eyes darted to Artemis and Zane, running stride for stride. For the briefest moment, his composure wavered—just enough to show hesitation.
He wondered how would Batman handle a situation like this?
Robin's voice softened, not in tone but in approach. "You two." He hesitated for a fraction of a second before finishing. "I'm not going to waste time pretending you'll follow my orders to the letter. So instead—tell me. What's your play? Hopefully, you're here for the same goal as the rest of us."
Artemis' lips quirked at the corner, the faintest ghost of a smirk, she half expected him to act all self righteous and expect them to listen to him just because he was a hero.
'I guess not all of them are like that...'
Zane's mask caught the glow of firelight filtering between the trees as he answered, his voice unhurried. "We're heading to the ports."
Robin's brows furrowed behind his domino mask. "The ports?"
"In case someone decides to make a run for it," Zane explained, tone steady, matter-of-fact. "Factories like this don't just burn by accident. Someone lit it up, and if they're smart, they won't leave empty-handed. The ports are their best exit. If there's a shipment of the drug, that's where it's going."
Actually, Zane remembers that in the show, sportsmaster arrived via helicopter to retrieve the shipment. But obviously thats not gonna happend, with Deathstroke replacing him, things will go down differently.
Artemis nodded, her voice sharp, confident. "He's right. Whoever attacked the factory, will have to leave the island. And the ports are the best way to go."
Robin gave a single, curt nod. "Fine. Ports are yours. Just don't—" he stopped himself, realizing the futility of what he was about to say. Don't kill anyone. Don't make it messy. Don't escalate. Wasted breath. Instead, he finished differently. "Just don't cause trouble."
Zane tilted his head, the faintest trace of amusement in his posture. "Wasn't planning on it."
Artemis smirked, tossing her ponytail back as the treeline thinned. "Relax, Boy Wonder. We'll do our job. You do yours."
The air shifted as they broke through the last line of trees. The full force of the scene hit them at once.
The factory loomed, engulfed in flames. Metal shrieked as it warped under the heat, windows shattered outward from the pressure, and thick black smoke billowed into the sky. The crackle of fire was a roar now, punctuated by the distant boom of something combusting inside.
Heat washed over them even at this distance, prickling skin, searing lungs with every inhale of smoky air.
They slowed at the tree line, instincts kicking in as they surveyed the battlefield ahead.
Above, M'gann rose higher into the air, her telepathic voice calm but urgent. I see movement—north side, near the main office. Looks like workers, maybe guards, fleeing. And… Figures near the docks.
He gave a sharp nod to Speedy before glancing once more at the pair. "Looks like your hunch is right."
Zane nodded as he glanced at the ports. He then adjusted the strap of his overcoat, glanced at Artemis, and the two of them peeled off from the group, angling toward the distant glow of the ports.
Robin watched them go for only a moment before focusing back on the inferno in front of him.
"Speedy, Aqualad," he said, his voice returning to clipped command. "With me. Silent entry. Eyes sharp. We move."
The team split, each group surging toward their task as the factory burned, smoke swallowing the night sky above them.
And somewhere within that fire, the true danger waited.