Young Meets Young

Chapter Six

"It feels weird, being out and celebrating Halloween without Billy." Teddy whispered to Tommy as they trailed behind everyone else walking towards Happy Harbor High. "I think I should go back and be with him."

"Dude, he is in coma. We need to not let our lives revolve around him so much. Come on, let's have some fun." Tommy smirked, pulling Teddy along to the rest of the group who were waiting for them at the entrance of the school.

Once everyone was gathered around, M'gann began speaking. "Now, the story is you lot that don't go here are visiting friends from Gotham, got it?" Everyone nodded and M'gann smiled. "Good, now who is ready to party?"

"Whoop whoop!" Everyone hollered, following the Martian into the building and down to the gymnasium where the dance was being held.

Upon entering the gymnasium the group was immediately bombarded by noise. Wally smirked, dashing off towards the dance floor before anyone could say anything. M'gann followed suit, pulling Artemis and Kate, who grabbed Cassie's hand, along with her. The rest of the gang decided to grab a table and observe their friends for the time being, chatting about the differences and similarities between the two worlds.

"Wait, so you're telling me you have a cool super spy assassin turned hero on this Avengers team of yours?" Dick looked on in awe as Tommy nodded vigorously. "That's beyond awesome."

"Well, I mean you have a whole race of badass warrior women who could easily take Thor in a fight, so there's that going for you." Eli grinned, taking a sip from his punch. "So these metahumans are like your version of mutants?"

"I'm assuming, yes." Kaldur answered. "Are these mutants received the same way as metahumans are on our world?"

"Worse, from what you've told us." Teddy sighed, eyeing Tommy to make sure he was keeping his cool. This subject was a bit touchy for him. "On our home world, mutants are ostracized, assaulted, tortured, experimented on, you name it. The government even created a whole program just for taking out mutants, whether they were a threat to society or not."

"I've been refused medical attention despite being severely injured once they found out I was a 'mutie' ." Tommy spat with such venom and hatred in his voice it gave Conner chills.

"Are all of you mutants?" Dick asked carefully, smiling at Wally when the speedster tripped over his on feet on the dance floor and fell on his face.

"Only Tommy and Billy are. Cassie got her powers through exposure to Pym Particles, the invention that allows her to shrink and grow. Teddy is an alien hybrid, Kate is just a badass, and I got my powers through a blood transfusion with Captain America." Eli explained, practically making heart eyes at Kate from across the gymnasium. "What about you guys? Are any of you metahumans?"

"Wally is, technically. Conner is half-Kryptonian, Kaldur is Atlantean - which I love that it exists in both worlds, that's so cool - M'gann is a Martian, and Artemis and I are just a couple of skilled cookies." Dick smirked smugly, high fiving Conner.

"Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we have a dance off? Young Avengers versus Young Justice? What do you say?" Tommy stuck his hand out challengingly as the girls and Wally approached from the dance floor.

"Oh who let Tommy make a challenge?" Kate groaned half seriously, taking a seat on Eli's lap.

"Don't worry, you'll like this one." Tommy winked at Kate, ignoring the look from Eli as he turned his attention back to the Young Justice squad. "Well? Winner gets first dibs on training tomorrow?"

"Hey, it's our base." Artemis grumbled as, surprisingly, Kaldur shook Tommy's hand.

"Deal, but let me warn you my friends. You have not seen an Atlantean in a dance battle before." Kaldur chuckled, leading the charge towards the dance floor.

The two teams formed a dance circle, going in one at a time to dance in the middle. The rules were stated that whoever got the loudest cheers and applause would be the winner. And so far Kaldur and Cassie were neck and neck.

"Go Cassie! Woo! You got this girl!" Kate cheered her best friend on as the young blonde faced off one on one against Kaldur.

"Come on, Kaldur! Show her what you got!" Wally cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, nudging Dick and Conner to cheer as well.

M'gann was laughing next to Artemis and Kate when she got the telepathic message from her uncle.

M'gann, your team and the Young Avengers must return to the Mountain at once. Something is happening to the young Wiccan.

She turned to her friends after confirming with her uncle that they would head back immediately.

Guys, we have to go. Something is happening with Billy.

Teddy and Tommy were the first ones to the door, not even waiting for the others to catch up as they sprinted for the bioship that was parked behind the football stadium. Once everyone was onboard, M'gann flew them in silence to the Mountain, nobody sure of whether it would be good news or bad news they would be receiving.

As soon as they were in the hangar, Teddy and Tommy were rushing towards the medical bay with the others hot on their heels. They burst in to find Batman and Superman restraining Billy to the bed as he let out guttural screeches, his eyes rolled back in his head as he thrashed around on the bed.

"J'ohn! I told you not to alert the teams!" Batman yelled, sounding angrier than Dick had heard him in awhile.

"I'm sorry, Batman, but we all know what must be done." J'ohn casually stepped aside as lightning went shooting out of Billy's eyes. He turned to the petrified teens, looking directly at Tommy. "He is your brother, so as his closest of kin the decision is yours."

"We are not killing Billy!" Tommy growled, at J'ohn's throat in a second. "And don't you dare ever suggest that again."

"I was not suggesting that. What I am suggesting is that we shut him down, mentally, until we find a cure." J'ohn sighed, placing a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "This is a difficult decision, as he may not recover fully from the effects. However, he is causing damage not only to our world and this reality, but to himself as well as long as his powers are destabilized. So, the decision is yours."

Tommy looked horrified, looking between his friends and his still thrashing brother. He gulped, looking up to the ceiling as he spoke. "Shut him down."

Teddy looked angry. "What? How can you-"

"Do it, for his sake, please help him."

J'ohn nodded, eyes glowing as he entered the young sorcerer's mind. Billy thrashed harsher for a few seconds, tears streaming out of his eyes as one coherent word left his lips. "Please..."

Billy screeched one last agonized scream before he fell still, allowing Superman and Batman to back up a few feet. Tommy cautiously walked up to his brother's bedside, hands trembling as he saw the completely blank expression on his face. "Billy? Can you...can you hear me?" Billy turned his head, his unseeing gaze landing on his brother. Tommy sniffled back tears, turning to the adults in the room. "What happens to him now?"

"Now? Now he will remain catatonic until we can get to the bottom of this."

* * * * *

Beep beep beep!

Lex Luthor smirked, stepping away from his desk to enter the hidden room in his office. He pressed a few buttons and the screens lit up, revealing the faces of the other members of The Light.

Lex's smirk turned to a frown when he saw a blank screen. He looked over at Klarion the Witch Boy, raising an eyebrow and without needing to utter his question, Klarion answered it. "Loki will not be joining us any longer. He says his part of our agreement has been fulfilled, so he has no further need for us."

Queen Bee scoffed at that. "He delivered a broken boy, not the powerful sorcerer we were promised."

Lex chuckled, all eyes turning to him. "The boy will be fixed soon enough, don't you worry."

"He's a hero! A magical hero, at that. How are we expected to control him?"

Someone cleared their throat and all eyes turned to Deathstroke, who was sharpening one of his swords. The assassin sheathed the blade when he felt it was sharp enough, turning to the others. "Leave that to me."