Young Justice Fanfic - DEFCON 1 : Below Sea-Level

Chapter 6

"Is that everyone?" 

"Should be." Superman turned to Batman once the entire League had gotten out of the cave, "but what about Weather Wizard?" 

"He'll be taken care of. We have Nightwing, Batgirl, Aqualad, Lagoon Boy, Miss Martian, and Beast Boy down there taking care of him and Ocean Master." 

"What of Black Manta?" 

"He's not attacking...he's....helping." Batman stared at Superman in shock. 

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"That's the last of the League. They're all out." Nightwing turned to Batgirl. 

"Can you tell Weather Wizard to leave?" 

"It may not be possible at this rate..." Black Manta turned to the room which was now destroyed by the twister that began to grow bigger, "he won't stop there--" 

"And neither will I." At the sound of those words, everything went slow-motion from there. There was the sound of blood, pain, and screams pulsating through the water. 

"Father, no!!" Aqualad cried as he swam up to Black Manta, who crouched, crumpling to the ground, the water surrounding him turning red. 

"He's a traitor..." Ocean Master growled, his voice low. 

"And you're a monster..." Aqualad replied as he looked up at him, his eyes staring daggers at him, "eliminate him, now..." The rest of the team complied, and they all fell in, fighting Ocean Master. 

The fight unfolded in the background as Aqualad never left his father's side. 

"My son...go out...live...save the world...." Black Manta groaned. 

"No, Father...not without you..." 

"I admit...I have done...many...wrongs..." Black Manta gasped, "but I will rectify....a fraction....before I..." 

"No, not yet...Father... your wrongs have no value..." 

"Get yourself...and your team...out, at once. You have... one minute..." 

"I'm not leaving you father..." Aqualad whispered, "you may have been a villain all your life, but you're still my father..." 

"Kaldur'ahm..." Black Manta spoke slowly and pallidly, "...don't ever...lose your loyalty...to the team...my son....you have made me...proud..." Silence. Aqualad knew that the saltwater surrounding him made no difference, because he could still feel the tears running down his face as his father left him to rest forever. 

"Kaldur..." Nightwing whispered from behind him, "we have to go. Manta planted a bomb set to blow in less than a minute." 

"I'm staying." 

"We can't just leave you." 

"Take the rest of the team and get out." 

"Look, as leader, I order you to leave with us. We have Ocean Master, and we have to let this bomb go off to get rid of Mardon! It's the only way!" Nightwing peeked behind him. Everyone had left with Ocean Master, and only Batgirl stood there waiting for them, "Kaldur, please. I'm sorry, but you can't stay here...." 

"I'll keep all three of you here..." Nightwing and Batgirl turned abruptly to see Weather Wizard standing before them. He had brought his twister with him, "and bury you all underneath the sand." Nightwing looked at Batgirl, then at Aqualad, then at his holocomputer.

"Aqualad!!!" Nightwing yelled and grabbed him, "get out, NOW!!" With that, Nightwing grabbed Aqualad's arm, swam up to the surface with him and threw him out, until he felt the pull of the twister.

"What are you doing?!" Aqualad shouted over the twister. 

"Sorry, pal. It's what your father would've wanted." Nightwing looked at him sympathetically before diving back down beneath the surface. 

"Babs, you should go too." Nightwing told Batgirl, not even turning to look at her. 

"Too late for that now..." Batgirl muttered as they looked up at the opening, which had started filling with falling debris. They both looked down at Black Manta, who now laid dead on the ocean floor. 

"If we ever end up like that..." Nightwing cleared his throat, checking his holocomputer. 15 seconds, "I just needed to say this for the first time....I love you Barbara Gordon..." Nightwing then got down on one knee, "I know this isn't the ideal setting, but I just want you to know, that if we ever get out of this alive..." Batgirl felt tears stinging her eyes, "will you marry me?" 

"I love you too, Dick." Batgirl cried and wrapped her arms around him, "I don't care if we die under water, or if we die with a villain, or even as a villain...as long as I'm with you, I don't care how I die, or whether I die at all." She held him close as the final second was spent, and the cave went up in flames.