Identity **ON HOLD**

Chapter 6

Kaldur's/Aqualad's POV

"And that is currently everything I have on Red X," Robin said, concluding his debriefing.  

"So you know very little?" I asked.

"He has only been acting for a couple of weeks.  That isn't much time to investigate.  Plus, I have other villains who have proven to be more of a threat than Red X to deal with," Robin replied.

I shared a look with my team.  I made eye contact with Megan and nodded for her to start a mind link.

"Is anyone else slightly weirded out by Robin?"  Wally asked.

"He seems. . . different," Zatanna commented.

"We will have to wait and see how this turns out," I said to my team.

"So, what do you want us to do?" Artemis asked Robin.

In response, Robin turned and typed into the holo keyboard, which brought up another screen.  "I have managed to figure out that Red X plans to hit a lab in Central City.  I don't know what he is after, but it is your job to go and comprehend him."

"What do you mean, our job?  You will be there, won't you?" Zatanna asked.

"I have problems in Gotham that I need to deal with.  This team is made for these kinds of missions, so that is what you will do," Robin replied. 

"When is he supposed to hit?" Megan asked.

"Tonight."

"We are on it.  We will stop this man," I reassured Robin. 

Robin gave me a small frown.  "I will be back tomorrow with Batman to see your progress."

"By tomorrow, Red X will be rotting in a jail cell," Artemis said with confidence.

"I hope so," Robin said.  "I will leave you to it then.  If you are really in trouble, just contact the League and Batman will give me the message and I will come in to help.  I hope it doesn't come to that."

With that, Robin turned and walked to the Zeta tubes.  As the tubes lit up, the rest of us turned to each other.  

"Rude much?" Zatanna said with a slight shiver.  

"Well, he is Batman's protege," Conner said.

"At least he isn't as dark and brooding as the big guy," Wally said.

"Let's not dwell on meeting Robin and focus on the mission," I ordered.

<~>

We were now in Central City, home to the Flash, waiting at the lab Robin had told us about.  We had been waiting for two hours, in fact, in varying areas around the lab.

"Anyone thinking Robin's intel was wrong yet?" Kid Flash asked through the mind link.

"Well, something better happen soon," Artemis said with annoyance.

"Miss M, have you sensed anything?" I asked the Martian.

"Nothing yet, Aqualad," she replied.

"I swear, I have never met a villain who likes to take so long to steal something," Rocket said.

"Patience," I said to my team.

Another hour passed, and still nothing.  It was now one in the morning.

"Do we even think he is going to strike?" Artemis asked.

"I don't think-" I started before Zatanna interrupted me.

"I see someone on the roof!" Zatanna exclaimed loudly through the link, causing me to cringe.

"Zatanna, advance.  But carefully.  We will on converge on your location,"  I ordered.

"Roger that, captain."

<~>

Zatanna's POV

I watched as the slim, dark figure moved swiftly on top of the roof in front of me.  I moved as quietly as possible to stay behind the figure, but keep him in view.  

He, or I think he was, knelt over a graft that led into the vents that spread throughout the lab and its varying rooms.

It was then I decided to make my move.

"Worht eht erugif kcab!" I yelled out.

The figure suddenly flew back towards me.  He landed in front of me on his back, almost immediately flipping so he stood in front of me.

"If you wanted to talk, you could have just asked," the figure said with a robotic voice.  Now that he was close to me, I could confirm that it was in fact Red X.

"We are taking you in, Red X," I said back.

"We?" Red X held out his arms and turned around in a circle.  "I don't see a we."

"They'll be along shortly," I said.  "Until then, I can handle you myself."

"You can try," Red X chuckled, falling into a fighting stance.  I fell into a fighting stance as well, thinking of different spells I could use against the teen.

"Ahhh!"  

Red X and I both looked behind him to see Superboy charing at Red.  He looked to me, said, "We will continue this later," and disappeared.  This allowed Superboy to tackle me instead.  We both landed on the ground with a hard thump.  

"He's gone!"  Kid Flash explained.  

Superboy and I got off of the ground.  I looked to where Red X was before he disappeared.  

"How?" I asked.

"Robin did say he had teleportation abilities.  It seems we have underestimated our opponent," Kaldur said.

"Well, we better catch him before," Rocket started, before her words were interrupted by the lab's alarms blaring into the night.

"Great," Artemis groaned.  "He is probably halfway to China by now!"

"How are we going to explain this to Batman and Robin tomorrow?" I asked.