From Yesterday (Young Justice/ X-Men Evolution Fiction)

Chapter Nine

What's cool about Sphere in air-mode is that it's like riding through the sky on a monster motorcycle with seats for four. What sucks about Sphere in air-mode is that riding a monster motorcycle through the sky when it's about 30 degrees outside is not fun. Wally and I have on our thermals and overcoats with hoods, but geez this wind on my face is driving me crazy; it's like being bitch-slapped with icicles.

Connor doesn't mind. He's sitting in the driver's seat, staring straight down at our target, not bothered by cold or wind. (Kryptonian genes kick ass.) A caravan of two green jeeps, a gray-green, armored box truck carrying Pietro, and a hummer, wind around a double lane mountain road. Guard rails fence drivers in from a pretty steep drop onto nothing but rock below. The holding facility is about 30 more miles away; I can see it through my binoculars. It looks like a regular prison site with tall iron gates and sentries at all of the entry points. Nothing sinister blips on my radar... and it makes me doubt myself, again.

The place could be fine. For all I know, it could be nicer than regular jail.

God, I don't want to be wrong.

I frown and intensify the focus on the binoculars. A beat-up old jeep with muddy wheels is parked on the side of the road a few miles from the approaching caravan, and a guy—no—three guys are sitting tight on a rocky ledge about 10 feet above the road.

One guy's in a pleather body-suit with a clear, plastic bowl over his head and his buddies are a skinny, little guy with jaundice, and a giant fat guy dressed like Farmer Joe's wayward son Billy Bob. (Eh, you can substitute those names for Jed and Will Earl, or Carl and Eddie Ray, either way, you get the fashion statement.)

"Ambush," Connor grunts. I glance over to see him looking in the direction of the guys, too.

"Set us down, Con," I say. Any guys in costume lying in wait for a military convoy can't be good news. I mean look at us: guys in costume lying in wait for a military convoy—and planning a prison break, and for all I know, those guys are, too.

"In front of the trucks?"

"Go for it."

Sphere jets forward then descends, aiming for a location directly in the path of the military convoy. I hope they have enough time to try to stop before smashing us the hell up. I can bail out with the best of them, but SB might kill somebody if Sphere's damaged and well... I don't have on my belt with the Kryptonite compartment. (I really should. Bruce gets on me about it. But dammit, I trust Connor and Superman.)

"Hope those jeeps don't have shit for brakes!" Wally's unstrapped himself and he's standing on his seat, ready to hit the ground running. I wish he wouldn't do that. Wally's a klutz and I don't want him to fall before he's ready to jump.

"Sit the hell down!" Connor barks and I grin and put away my binoculars as the ground rushes to greet us. Sphere lands with a soft thud and Wally leaps to the ground, followed by me and Connor. I notice that Connor makes sure he's in front and facing the oncoming jeeps, hands out and ready to stop them if their brakes are indeed shit.

The tires of the oncoming vehicles squeal as they try to stop... and that's when the ground starts quaking and the rocks start falling. An earthquake in Virginia?

I stumble but don't lose my balance as the rocky walls of the mountain come crashing down. Soldiers yell and dive out of their jeeps as boulders smash into the cars, barreling them through the guard rail and sending them sailing over the cliff. Explosions from the ground give the earthquake the extra "umph" it needs to knock Connor, Wally and me off our feet.