Time Against Time

Chapter Sixteen

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Young Justice, folks! If I do, Wally West should never had ceased and Nightwing should never had leave the Team. Though, I own my OCs in this story.

WARNING: OOC, a lot of that.

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Chapter Sixteen:
Ambushed
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Dick Grayson felt dread washed over him as the scary static sound reached his ears. Oracle was gaping at the holographic screen with shock, but her eyes glistened with worry. Not that he could blame her; they were monitoring the Team and talking to them, then suddenly there was a loud sound and static kicked in.

He should've joined his them when he had the chance, he should've forced Tigress to let him come, then maybe he wouldn't worry about his teammates like this. Only he, Conner, Zatanna and Roy stayed behind while the others joined some members of the future Team on their mission.

A hand suddenly clasped with his own, squeezing it gently. Dick glanced at his hands and at Zatanna, who was holding his hand, then smiled weakly at her. Her eyes reflected the way he was feeling right now. Oh, god. They were so helpless.

"Alpha team, report," Oracle spoke over the static, her voice laced with calmness. Dick would never understand how she was handling this easily. Though, he guessed she was not, as he detected some hidden desperation in her voice.

There was no response.

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"You sure we're supposed to be here? 'Cause I thought Batman forbid capes in his city."

"We're here on Batman's orders, Speedy," Stargirl said, taking initiative when Tigress ignored the red-headed speedster. The Team were told to call Wally 'Speedy' while Bart remained with the alias of 'Kid Flash'. And boy, Wally complained about his, arguing that name was Roy's and not his. "While he's busy with finding your way home, the Team will have to deal with Talon."

Artemis raised an skeptical brow, "You sure you can take them? I heard that they kicked all your asses."

"That's why we brought more reinforcements, Artemis," Tigress growled, turning around to face her. "So, if you're going to whine about this all morning, then find the nearest Zeta-tube and head back to the Watchtower."

"What crawled up her spine and died?" muttered Beast Boy to Speedy and the future Superboy. Speedy merely shrugged and asked him a question—"Was it true?"—but was turned down by the half-ashamed and half-annoyed look that the younger, and greener, man sent him.

"Artemis shouldn't have come," Robin, Tim Drake, said, fixing Wonder Girl with a pointed stare. The blonde demigod smiled sheepishly at him, chuckling nervously. "She and Tigress just butt heads all the time."

"You can't blame them, though," Vixen added, glancing at the two glaring blondes. She lowered her voice so only Robin, Wonder Girl and she could hear, "they're the same person. Which means, they have the same personalities. Having one stubborn Crock is already enough and now we have to deal with two? Not to mention, the younger one's cranky and the older's aggressive."

Robin was about to reply when someone talked over the comm. link. "Alpha team, how's the mission going."

"It's going well, Oracle, no sign of Talon just yet," Tigress replied, sending another heated glare to Artemis, who scowled in return. "We'll be updating with you. And we'll tell you immediately when we see even a glimpse of Talon."

"Understood."

Silence swallowed the Team for a while, but the looks Artemis and Tigress sent to each other was metaphorically screaming. The tension between them was so thick that it would take either Superman or Superboy to break it, or rather it would take both of them to break it.