Young Justice: Final Exam

Chapter 3

As soon as the Australian loudmouth hurled the explosive boomerang towards the trio, they immediately sprang into action.

The crimson archer released his arrow a split second later before leaping over the railing, Robin vaulted over the top metal bar, and Kid Flash streaked across the runway and down the stairs to face them all head-on.

BOOOM! The two projectiles collided in mid-air and detonated in a sizable aerial explosion that briefly clouded the grounded men's aim while at the same time the deafening sound briefly pounded at their eardrums.

As soon as the smoke cleared, the Gotham City thugs immediately opened fire with their automatic weapons. A tidal wave of lead swept over the catwalk where the heroes had been standing on just seconds earlier, completely demolishing the railing and floor grating.

Robin took flight briefly with his cape turned makeshift glider, allowing him to maneuver around the hailstorm of bullets following him. Diving down behind a mountain of industrial-sized crates towards the back of the warehouse, he quickly slammed his back against one of the metallic containers for cover against the barrage of bullets.

To his right, Speedy crouched down next to a container with another arrow drawn across his bow. Briefly stealing a glance over the top of the container to pinpoint his next target, he turned back to the Boy Wonder and motioned towards the firing gunmen.

Robin nodded back in affirmation and began reaching into his utility belt as Speedy briefly stepped out of cover and drew the arrow back against his cheek, letting go of the plastic feather and then retreating back behind the protective covering.

RATATATATATATATATATAT! Submachine guns and pistols barked violently in their owner's grasp as they directed their metallic ire towards the besieged heroes behind cover. Amongst the crowd of enforcers and thugs systematically reloading and unloading their firearms, the Electrocutioner activated his shock gauntlets, Onyx expertly slid her katana sword out of its sheath and Javelin readied his cylindrical projectile.

Oblivious to all of them, the archer's trick arrow embedded itself into the ground just a few feet away from them. Within seconds of impact, the capsulated arrowhead automatically detonated into a cloud of white that quickly flooded the firing range and disoriented the gunmen, prompting an uneasy ceasefire.

Gagging and shielding their eyes from the thick smoke, the thugs caught directly in the blast radius stumbled and staggered towards each other blindly leaving the ones in the periphery of the detonation to become wary of friendly fire.

One distracted thug was caught off guard by a pair of bolas wrapping around his torso and disarming him of his weapon. Eyes widened in shock, he was met by another surprise as Robin lunged towards him and landed a flying drop kick to the midsection that downed him immediately.

Twirling around on his heel, he reached into his belt and driven by pure instinct flung a birdarang that disarmed a nearby Black Mask thug. Gasping as his automatic gun was ripped away from his grasp, he turned around only to have Robin kick off his slightly bent knee and rattled his teeth with a knee of his own then followed up with a jump spin kick in mid-air that sent him sprawling to the concrete floor.

As the man moaned and groaned into the floor, Robin's honed instincts took control and threw his body backwards into a roll as bullets peppered the ground he was just crouched on.

Retrieving his two escrima sticks from his belt, the Boy Wonder then disappeared further into the smoke to evade the trio of Falcone's enforcers currently gunning after him with military-grade assault rifles.

"End of the line, pipsque-aaaaah!" one of the thug's confident declarations was cut short when he was violently yanked backwards and out of sight, courtesy of a three-pronged arrow with a black cable attached to the nock that quietly clamped onto his jacket before its wielder yanked backwards.