The Cave

Chapter 13: Aqualad

Yes, yes, I know this is two days early, but I accidentally lost count and (from this chapter) there isn't two chapters left... There's only one, don't kill me! I'm posting early to make up for the mistake. Any ways here it is!

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Burning was the first thing Kaldur felt, an intense burn that was lighting up his body and making his muscles scream.

Slowly cracking open his eyes he found himself bound and surrounded in flames.

"Good, you're awake finally." Kaldur shifted his glare to a hulking shadow in front of him.

"Who are you?" He asked weakly, it smiled,

"Your reaper. You and your freak friends invaded our caves and attempted to take us away." Kaldur grimaced at the raw stench that came from its mouth,

"You attacked innocents on the surface. You had to be brought to justice." The creature slammed his fist into Aqualad,

"Justice?! How is THIS for justice! We were exiled to this hell hole because you people could not stand to look at us! Where do you think Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, and Werewolves come from, huh? We go to the surface to hunt, to EAT, but these last few times you humans got in the way. This is not justice, this is nature." Aqualad heaved at the heavy blow, but managed to squeeze out a comeback,

"Nature does not harm civilians." He received another blow.

"Silence!... As for who we are, we are the Groundlings. Called such by our peculiar environment." Aqualad looked up,

"We?" Suddenly the cave around them began to tremble, and from the sides of the walls giant balls of rock fell.

Aqualad braced himself for the cave in but the trembling stopped, and when he looked up, he was surrounded by dozens more of the Groundlings.

"A few of our brethren are out retrieving your comrades. And then you will all die. So don't worry, they will soon join us..."

"You got that right!" A flash of yellow and red flew about them and just like that, Aqualad was gone from his bonds.

"What is this? Trickery!" A signature laugh echoed around the cave, but where it originated was unclear.

The rock soldiers spun this way and that, trying to see the attackers but to no luck.

"Nrut siht kcor otni stengam!" As Zatanna yelled the spell, many of the Groundlings slammed into each other, their earthly bodies becoming magnetic.

"Cowards!" He yelled, picking up boulders, and throwing them in random directions. All of which missed completely.

"Gah! Cowardly humans!"

"Do you know any other comebacks beside 'Cowards'?" Artemis asked, still unseen in the shadows, she took out more soldiers with polyurethane foam arrows.

"Yeah seriously. I've heard better comebacks from rocks- Oh wait." Robin snickered as he froze his own victims with ice bird-a-rangs.

Soon enough, the leader was all that was left. Luckily enough, he was the biggest of all the Groundlings. Luckily.

"I'll rip you to shreds for what you have done to my brothers!"

"Cry me a river!" Super Boy yelled as he slammed into him.

Robin are the explosives ready?

Oh yeah, let's try not to get trapped under the cave in this time, alright?

Super Boy got in a few solid punches before the Groundling leader caught his fist, then launched him into the air. Landing back on the ground, he picked up his limp body,

"Did you really think you could defeat me with a few simple punches?" Super Boy grinned,

"I wasn't trying to beat you, I was trying to stall you." The leader's eyes widened as Miss Martian yanked Super Boy from his grip, the cave lighting up with the red lights of bombs.

The team rushed for the cave's entrance.

As the Rock Leader realized what was happening he rushed after them, cursing their names.

With an angry leap he grabbed Aqualads leg as the floor began to give way beneath them.

As they were shook off their feet, the Rock Leader began to drag Aqualad towards him.

The rock ground started to crack, water seeping through the seems. Aqualad yelled in pain as he dug his crusty fingers into his calf.

The team tried to grab Aqualad but the floor was sinking and they couldn't reach him, or stay on their feet for that matter.

Aqualad was beginning to doubt that he would survive when the Rock Leader gasped in surprise.

Whipping his head around, Aqualad saw the Siren digging her fangs into the Rock Leader's wrist. In moments the entire arm crumbled and Aqualad was free.

Robin threw him a line and pulled him to safety. Looking back, he saw the ceiling fall onto the two squirming creatures.

The last thing they saw was the Rock Leader wrapping his hands around the Sirens as she attempted to scratch his face off.

Then they were gone, and a bright light filled the cave to the point where they had to cover their eyes.

As the dust cleared, they looked up to see the former opponent and last minute savior, only to find that the cave had been filled with hard glass.

"How did you...?" Aqualad began to ask,

"There's a nice sandy desert above us, remember? Some proper placed explosives at just the right temperature will keep these guys see-through for a while." Robin answered triumphantly. Aqualad smiled,

"Well done, all of you... Now let's go home."

Everyone else couldn't agree more.