Young Ultimates' Hope

III.

Robin = Shade, Impulse = Void, Blue Beetle = Skydefender, Beast Boy = Wendigo, Spider Man = Sticker, Nova = Comet, Iron Fist = Chevalier

Trigger warning: blood, torture

The group moved during the day on purpose, it was a lot easier to get lost in the crowds of moving people unnoticed. And Joker wasn't so careful during the day, there were a lot fewer guards than during the night. So no one noticed seven men walking around with bags.

Base Number Seven was beneath an old abandoned theatre by the edge of the city, it was still a shock that the villains found this base for it was the best hidden and the most distant from the city centre from all of the bases in this city.

As they walked in they noticed how unkept the building was in the past years. It was completely abandoned two years before the attack, but the group managed to take care of the building so it wouldn't crumble on their heads, but now it all was pointless, Joker would find them right away if he noticed the theatre was taking care of all of a sudden.

Shade walked first towards its large metallic, now rusted, gate. He opened the gate with a loud creak which made everyone cringe. "I guess we'll climb over the fence next time." Shade hissed and walked in, followed by the others. Large fields of overgrown grass, trees and bushes were now between them and the theatre. A path which used to be full of golden sand was now nowhere to be seen and the old fountain they always joked will survive everything, was gone, destroyed by ivy and the weather. It was a sad view.

When they finally managed to get through the growth they got to the building. It was overgrown by ivy so the facade couldn't be seen through it. Not even the windows could be seen.

Shade carefully took off the ivy from the door and was very surprised when he found the door almost untouched. Opening the door wasn't so loud as the gate and the group got in carefully.

The old wooden floor cracked with every step they took. The only light there was provided by windows on the roof. Dust flew everywhere and spider webs were almost impossible to avoid. No one from the group couldn't help but cough from all the dust and the rotten air.

Finally, they reached backstage and found their hidden staircase going to the underground. Shade walked in first followed by Void, Sticker and Skydefender. Chevalier stopped on top of the stairs and just stared down into the dark tunnel. He clenched his fists so tight they started to shake. He shook his head and tried to take the first step down, but his feet wouldn't budge.

Chevalier shook his head and clenched his eyes shut as well as his teeth. He felt like falling apart any second. He was overwhelmed by memories and guilt. He couldn't go down there.

Suddenly his knees gave up on his body's weight and he started to fall. But he never hit the ground, but his head was spinning too much for him to care. "I've got you, buddy." He heard a voice that seemed too distant but very close at the same time, he wanted to react, but he couldn't.

He felt how he was sat down on the floor and his back was supported by a hand so he won't fall backwards. His vision started to stop slowly and soon he managed to see straight. Quickly he noticed that it was Comet who caught him and sat him down. "Are you alright, pal?" Comet asks worriedly. Chevalier thought about his options, he wasn't able to step even one step down, it felt like a wall he wasn't able to cross. But he didn't want to look weak in front of his team. That made up his mind. Nodding at Comet, he stood up and walked to the stairs and looked down.

He saw a single light coming from below the staircase. It was the same light he was used to seeing every time he walked down, but not it felt different. "Danny?" The blond man turned at his friend giving him reassuring smile before taking the first step down. One step became twenty and he finally reached the bottom of the staircase.

Comet smiled at his friend, he wouldn't believe he would made it downstairs just a minute ago, but now he was at the bottom. "Great job, Dan." He patted his friend's back as they walked through a corridor together until they reached the door and Chevalier froze on the spot again. But this time he brushed it away and walked into a large room. He looked around and shivers went through his entire body. Suddenly he was back there, in this place but five years back.

He saw the walls and the floor was literally painted with the blood of his friends and he could hear that sinister laughter of Poison Ivy. He froze again, he felt and saw ivy wrapping itself around his body, cutting through his skin. He could see his own blood covering the green of the leaves. He tried so hard to move, but the ivy wouldn't let him, he was trapped. His breathing became faster and faster with panic, he could hear his heart beating in his ears and he also could smell the iron scent of the red life liquid.