The DEO Chronicles: The Beginning of the Young Justice (Currently On Hold)

Chapter 4

Cassie held up her hands to the door, with tears welling up in her eyes. Mister Bones had Conner, the only person she had come to trust in the short time that she was held captive here. He was the only one who gave her hope that they could get out of here and end this mess. Now he was gone, gone just because he was trying to help. Just because he wanted to live. Just because he wanted to save his friends. And now.. he was stripped of all that. Cassie mustered up all her courage and tredged forward into the darkness, keeping in mind that she would not let all of this go in vain. She would stay strong for Conner.. she could get her memories back and she would figure things out and save all of those who were counting on her. Wiping the tears with the back of her sleeve, she grabbed her flashlight once again and as soon as she did, she realized how immensely huge the whole place was. It was filled with columns and rows of shelves with an assortment of different goods. She felt as if she was walking right into a maze of shelves.. she felt trapped.. like she had no where to go. She felt hopeless too. How was she gonna find the memory serums in such a huge place? It was like finding a needle in a haystack. She knew she could't give up.. she had to start from somewhere. She looked up at the first shelf she could find.. it was filled with nothing but books. If circumstances were different, she would've gone through all of those books and read them because she was always an ardent reader, but her current situation didn't allow her too. Plus the gloomy and dark environment of the strange place was starting to creep her out. She was just going through another shelf when she could hear someone running and out of breath. Dropping the flashlight out of fear, she decided to stay entirely mute so that she could figure out who this person was. Panic shot through Cassie, because she was under the impression that she was the only person in the room.. until now anyways. The stranger kept running.. the footsteps loud and clear now. Cassie kept her pace and ducked behind a random bookshelf she found along the way. Every step the stranger took sent a shiver through her spine. Before she could stop herself.. she ran as fast as she could, addressing the stranger before her. 

"Come out!" Cassie bellowed out to the stranger in mere darkness. She was accumstomed to meeting a lot of strangers lately. 

No answer.

"I'm serious." Cassie said, the anger seeping through her. "I'm not an enemy so there's no reason to hide from me. Please, come out. I'm here for an important reason, but I don't know what to do or where to go. If you know something.. anything.. please help me out. I'm lost.. and I could use a friend."

Silence.

Cassie heaved a sigh.. finally giving up. She had to face the hard truth. She was on her own, lost in the wilderness. 

"Fine then, don't talk. But if you ever.. if you ever find Conner, please tell him that I didn't give up. Tell him that I'm still looking out for the memory serums, that I'll save us all."

Cassie was just about to stop when she heard the footsteps getting closer. Cassie felt a flicker of hope and stopped dead in her tracks. She saw a hooded figure before her.. that was all she could make out before--

"Did.. did you say Conner?" So he finally decided to talk.

"Yes, I did. Do you know him?"

"How do you know him?" Answering questions with questions. Great, just great.

"He sent me here.. to retrieve the.."

"Serums? Oh yeah.. that's what he tells everyone.. to lure them here.."

Cassie suddenly felt nauseatic, as if all the life had been sucked out of her. Cassie hardly knew Conner, but she was pretty sure he wasn't faking everything he told Cassie to do. His expressions made it clear that he was in dire need of help plus Cassie always knew whether someone was lying or not. So why would this person claim that he wasn't who everyone thought he was. She wouldn't bring herself to believe this stranger for a second.

"You're lying." Cassie said, exasperated. "He's not a liar. I could feel it. I knew he wasn't. He really did need my help."

"That's why he sends others to do his dirty work. Trust me, anybody can get through this door.. he just made that shit about not being a part of the DEO to get through the door because he can. He's gotten so good at lying that you just feel as if he's always telling the truth."

"Why are you saying these things? What makes you think I'll ever believe you?"

The stranger stepped forward, and dropped his hood, exposing his face. Now Cassie could finally see him. He had jet black hair, very much like Conner's.. but they were tousled here and there. He was sleek and tall with olive skin. Cassie couldn't make out his eyes because they were hidden behind a black mask, which seemed to be covering nothing but his eyes. He flashed Cassie a smile.

"You don't have to believe me. Once I give you the serum.. you'll see for yourself."

"Wait.. you know where they are?"

"Of course I know where they are. Me and my friend.. we developed them together.. before.. before we were.."

Cassie arched an eyebrow. "Before what?"

The stranger heaved a deep sigh, a look of despair etched on his face. "We knew each other before. All of us. All of the people the DEO kidnapped. We were a team.. a powerful team.. we had powers.. we had everything until the person we trusted the most betrayed us.. and left us all to rot at the hands of the DEO." He suddenly took out a glass vial and handed it to Cassie.

"Drink this, and you'll have the answers. Since we're never going to leave this place for a long while, I suggest you get to know the harsh realities of life." And without another word, the stranger sat back down.

"If we know each other.. than I have the right to know your name, right?"

"I'm Tim Drake. Nice to meet you.. Cassie." The last word felt as if Tim was lost in a haze of memories. Cassie had never felt so comforted.

"So you do remember me." Cassie said, brightening up a bit.

"Indeed, you were our second in command, right before Conner betrayed us. You were good. And Conner's betrayal was too much for you."

Cassie could feel a surge of emotions consuming her. Her memory loss felt as if she had lived another life.. as if she was born for greater things. Tim and well, Conner were a living proof of that. She had to get to the bottom of this. She needed answers and she was finally close to getting them. Opening up the glass vial, she took all of it's contents in one gulp and prepared to be engulfed in her past memories to find out what was going on once and for all.