Joining Young Justice

Chapter Two: The Cave

Having spent the night in Wayne Manor, I felt strangely at ease with Bruce and Dick or Batman or Nightwing. We were gathered around the breakfast table in one of the many rooms in the mansion when Bruce got a call from the Wayne Tech office.

"There has been an incident that I need to go take care of. Dick, would you show Chelsey downstairs and brief her on the Team?"

I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but I waited patiently for my answers while Dick finished a plate of pancakes. Alfred was clearing dishes and offering tea and coffee, but I declined.

"What year are you at GU?" Dick finally asked, grabbing a piece of bacon before Alfred cleared it away from the table.

"I'm in my second year. I'm studying business with an emphasis in economics," I explained. "How about you?"

"I am in my first year. I'm thinking about double majoring. Computer science and criminal justice."

"Sounds like Bruce educated you in both of those things already," I pointed out. "I watch the news."

Dick nodded and stood up. I followed suit and trailed after him, out of the room and down the hall to the library. The room was beautiful filled with floor to ceiling shelves of leather-wrapped books. Dick walked across the room to the grandfather clock that stood beside a stone fireplace.

"Welcome to the Batcave," he said as the clock slid to the side, revealing an ominous opening in the wall.

"Very cliché," I noted, motioning for Dick to go first.

"You are not the first person to say that. I haven't shown you what's hidden behind the bookshelves yet," he joked, ducking through the opening.

Dick led the way down a very narrow and poorly lit metal staircase that curved through solid stone. We emerged in a massive open space that made up several uneven levels. So this was the Batcave, I though, glancing around. We stood beside a bank of computer monitors. Just beyond and down a flight of stairs was a row of cases with suits and weapon displays. A little further down was a makeshift medical bay. The center of the room was dominated by the Batmobile and several bikes and a training space.

"It's not much," Dick said. "You should see the Cave."

I gave him a strange look. We were standing in a cave.

"Oh, sorry. The cave in Mount Justice at Happy Harbor," Dick corrected. He watched as I wandered the Batcave, taking in the technology and weapons on display. "The Team operates out of there while the Justice League uses a more covert base."

"The Team?" Bruce had mentioned them earlier.

"Right. We are a covert group of protegees that operates under the radar. Kid Flash, Aqualad, and I started it four years ago. We rescued Superboy from Project Cadmus and were quickly joined by Miss Martian. Things have changed over the years and we do our best to adapt."

"What happened to Kid Flash? I don't see him much in the news anymore."

"Wally took a break along with his girlfriend Artemis. They're focusing on college and life away from the League."

I took in his words and descended the steps to look at the suits. Up close and hung on generic mannequins, they didn't look like much. I counted five. Batman's, Nightwing's, two Robin suits with varying design differences, and a women's suit. Batgirl.

Dick followed me down the stairs and leaned against the metal railing that ringed the platform.

"How did you become the first Robin?" I asked, resting my arms against the railing and surveying the Batcave, wondering what was lurking in the dark corners.