Ben 10: Justice Incarnate

Into the Void

Chapter 20: Into the Void

Star City

July 17, 23:16 PDT

Two people were unloading a truck under the cover of the night. As they removed the first crate, an arrow landed between them. The red arrow blinked bright red before releasing smoke, causing the two to stumble and drop the load. The container smashed open, revealing a high-tech gun and sliding to the feet of a large African-American male with a muscular frame and red skin, Brick. He had a short white goatee and wore his hair in cornrows.

With an aimed kick, the gun shot up and landed in the large man's hand. Brick aimed, the barrel illuminating three red streaks. Following the arrow's trajectory, he aimed at the crane above, zeroing in on the interloper.

It was revealed to be a familiar redheaded teen in yellow and red, Speedy.

"You again!" Brick yelled. "I'm starting to get insulted that Green Arrow's not messing up my operation personally." With a smirk, he pulled the trigger.

The red archer dove to the right, grabbing the crane's support beams, barely staying ahead of the shots. As Speedy dropped down to the next level, the shots followed.

As Speedy sprinted along a walkway, he flipped as he nocked an arrow and released it. The arrow shot it right down the gun's barrel, causing it to explode in Brick's hand. While the blast left him physically unharmed, it tore through his suit.

"Do you know what I pay for a suit in my size?!" he yelled, angrier than before. "Scorch the Earth, boys," he ordered.

Four henchmen raised their guns on the side, but a yellow blur came through, leaving two of them disarmed. The other two turned toward the blur, only for their guns to be knocked out of their hands by Birderangs. With a happy cackle, Robin swung over them and out of sight.

In his place, Aqualad dropped down with his Water-Bearers, turning them into whips. Both hit the smugglers in full force, knocking them into a truck and to the ground unconscious.

Brick gripped the ground and lifted a chunk of concrete, throwing it at Speedy.

The running archer ducked under the attack with an already-nocked arrow. He stopped, bracing his foot on one of the shipping containers, and launched an arrow that exploded as it hit Brick's massive shoulder.

However, it didn't stop the metahuman from throwing another piece of concrete at Speedy.

As Speedy jumped out of the way, Aqualad intercepted it with a mace and sword, chopping the concrete in two.

This gave Speedy the opening shot Brick with a smoke arrow.

Speedy walked to the slightly out-of-breath Aqualad, who retracted his water-bearers. "The cave is perfect. It has everything the team will need," the Atlantean told the older hero.

Robin dropped down behind Speedy. "For covert missions. You know, spy stuff."

Kid Flash ran up the crates and landed just shy of the edge. "And wait till you see Superboy and Miss Martian," he said excitedly. "But I saw her first."

Brick emerged from the smoke below and threw another piece of concrete at the four conversing teenagers.

Speedy, Robin, and Kid Flash all dove out of the way while Aqualad stood in place and smashed it with twin maces.

Speedy shot two arrows that stuck to Brick's chest and released three spurts of flame, knocking him back.

On one knee, the villain just chuckled. "Tell Arrow he shouldn't send boys to do a man's job."