Ben 10: Justice Incarnate

The Day is Saved... Kinda

Northwest Courtyard

The sun had long ago set on the city. A tense silence filled the air as the heroes and villains approached the agreed location, which was filled with shadow and minimal light. Both sides faced each other, apprehensive of the other breaking their verbal deal.

"We have your hero," the lead villain growled, holding a bound and gagged figure in front of him. "You hand over the doctor, and we'll release him unharmed."

The good doctor grimaced at the people in front of her.

Black Spider nudged a bound and gagged speedster forward.

KF hopped forward. 'What the hell, Rob? You can't be okay with this!'

"That's it. Just a quick trade, and we can all go our separate ways."

"Not gonna lie, I didn't expect you to agree with us as soon as you did," commented Ziggy.

"Goes to show that these 'sidekicks' break easily," snarked Hook.

Kid Flash struggled through his restraints to no avail, glaring at his so-called team. 'What the hell are you guys thinking?! Where the hell is Ark?!'

Aqualad grit his teeth. "We care for our own."

"Unlike some of us here," glowered Robin at Black Spider. He turned back to KF. "We know what we're doing."

The villains shrugged. "Survival of the fittest. Seems like Chesire isn't cut out for the business if she's gonna get caught that easily."

Robin growled. "Let's just get this over with!"

Black Spider crossed his arms. "Fine by me."

Slowly, Kid Flash hopped toward his friends as Doctor Selena Gonzales took slow steps to her would-be killers, her eyes down to the ground. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Kid. I won't have you dead because of me."

After hearing that, it was more and more laborious with each hop.

"That's it nice and easy," gestured Ziggy.

They were grabbed and moved to the back when they reached their respective destinations.

Aqualad quickly ripped the gag off of Kid Flash. "Are you okay?"

Kid Flash fumed at the Atlantean. "Am I okay?! Am I okay?! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" He looked at Robin. "You signed her death warrant!"

Robin looked away. "This was for you. We did what we had to do."

"Listen to your friend," called out Hook. "You were lucky we had nothing to gain by killing you."

The doctor took a step into the darkness and closed her eyes. "Please. Just make it quick..."

Black Spider raised his gauntlet to her head. A single gunshot echoed through the facility. Red liquid splattered into the shadows and spilled from the wound as the woman fell face-forward to the ground.

"No!" Kid Flash struggled to charge at the killers, but Robin and Aqualad held him back. They cried out in horror. Both of them grit their teeth away from the scene. "How could you! All of you!" Tears escaped from his mask.

Black Spider dusted his hands. "Well, that concludes our contract." The trio started walking away. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Minutes passed before Kid Flash stopped struggling. When Robin and Aqualad let him go, he hobbled to the doctor's body and fell to his knees. "Why?!... Why?!"

"Are they gone yet?" whispered the corpse.

"Holy shit!" Kid Flash's instincts kicked in, and he ran away from the possible zombie.