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RED ROBIN'S POV
I grin as Blue and KF high-five each other before they both turn to high-five me as well.
We just got done with a mission and it went perfectly, which was a huge accomplishment given the team's history.
"Oh yeah!" Impulse exclaims as we walk into the Watchtower, ready to give Nightwing the report.
He grins as he watches us, "I take it the mission was a success?"
"Better than a success, Hermano," Blue says with a laugh before we tell him all about how we got everyone out safely and managed not to damage property.
"Very impressive," He smiles, shooting me a look because I was team leader.
Pride blooms in my chest at that as he starts to type the mission report into the computer.
'Recognize: Catgirl-B26'
Cat walks into the Watchtower, looking towards us.
I immediately know something is wrong because she usually makes a comment by now or smiles.
Instead, she avoids anyone else's glances and looks to Nightwing.
He must have seen something in the look because he stops typing and follows her out of the room and into one of the hallways.
"Okay," Bart says, drawing out the word as we wait for them to come back, "That seemed weird. Was that weird?"
"Very," I frown, "I hope everything is okay."
"It probably is," Jaime shrugs, "I just don't understand how she didn't even have to say anything. I swear it's like they can sometimes read each other's minds."
I shrug before we start talking about something else to make the time go faster.
Soon enough, they both walk in, their eyes settling on me, making my stomach drop.
"Did something happen to one of us?" I ask, dreading the news.
Jason was murdered, Barbara had her accident with Cass, and a multitude of other situations happened to everyone.
By the look on their faces, I know it's bad.
"All of us are fine," Catgirl answers, but doesn't explain what is happening as she glancing to Nightwing for help.
"Cat is going to go back out," Nightwing says, causing me to draw my eyebrows together, "She got word that a new base for turning metas has popped up in Gotham."
The authority in his tone would have fooled me if it were for the note his tone ended on; it's the kind of tone you use before you break bad news to someone.
"What is going on?" Jaime questions, picking up on the fact that something is very wrong.
Catgirl and Nightwing share a glance before Catgirl takes a step to me, placing a hand on my shoulder that only causes me to feel more nauseous.
"Tim," She mutters, "Hazel called me and said Katie was missing."
I shake my head, "No-"
"Tim, I looked and investigated," She cuts me off, concern on her face as she says, "I followed the evidence to a meta trafficking ring."
"You mean-" Bart starts but Nightwing cuts him off.
"Katie was kidnapped and is being held in a meta testing lab," He says softly, causing me to step back out of Brooklyn's touch as if I had just been punched.
No. Please, no.
I don't know what to do, I realize as I try to make sense of it all, my mind racing so fast that I can barely complete any thoughts.
My senses seem to slip away as I stare at Catgirl, her mouth moving but my ears only ringing.
Katie. I just talked to her last night as Red Robin. How did this happen? How did I let this happen? When did this happen? How long ago was this?
Who took her? Who took Katie? How did they take her?
She might be hurt. She might be in pain, tortured.
The very thought of her eyes, her body being full of pain snaps my senses back into place.
"I'm coming with you," I demand, my heart racing and my stomach feeling like I could throw up at any moment.
"I don't think-" Nightwing says causing me to snap my head to him.
"Nightwing," I warn, hoping he understands.
And I know he does when his eyes move to Brooklyn, her not seeing because she is looking at me. But I know he understand because of how his expression softens.
He knows if this were Brooklyn, he wouldn't let anyone keep him from going to save her. And he knows that I wouldn't be able to stay put.
But that means he also knows me going might not be the best decision.
He sighs, his eyes moving away from Brooklyn and to Bart and Jaime still at my sides, "Can you two go with them?"
"Of course," Jaime nods, his eyes full of sympathy.
"Not even a question," Bart smiles reassuringly as he puts a hand on my shoulder.
I give him a weak smile in return by all I can think about is Katie.
If anything happens to her...
Gosh, the last conversation Tim had with her was when he told her he didn't think her friendship was important.
I can't decide if I want to punch something or punch myself.
"We will find her," Brooklyn says, smiling encouragingly, but we both know what this means.
Katie might have the meta gene, and if she does then she will be used against us until she can't anymore.
And if she doesn't have the meta gene then they will kill her.
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I stare at the warehouse, my hands itching to punching the living daylights out of whoever took her.
A had fallen on my shoulder, causing me to flinch as I look at Brooke.
"I know you want nothing more than to make them pay," She says, and I wonder how she knew that before I realize she and Dick have probably felt that way too. I guess that's what happens when you decide to care about someone, especially in this business. "But Katie is going to need you when we get in there, so I news you to keep a cool head and leave the bad guys to me." I nod, noting that she says when and not if.
She gives me one more reassuring smile before she presses a finger to her communicator.
'Status?'
'All clear, move in, Boss?' Bart asks, as he and Jaime pause from scooting the parameter.
'With caution. Follow my lead and don't put the kids in danger.' She orders before we both stand.
She uses her whip to swing to the stop of me building, and I do the same with my grappling hook before we both look in.
Katie, please be okay.
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KATIE'S POV
Pain erupts in my head before I am even fully awake, causing a groan to escape my lips.
I move to rub my head, but realize I can't move it.
My eyes fly open, and I remember what happened. I start breathing harshly, and then realize why I am in pain when I look up and out of the pod I am in.
"Another round," A man in a lab coat says as he looks at a computer next to several other pods.
More kids I realize, worry filling in my stomach.
I look to both sides, realizing there are a lot of us, making my worry grow even more.
And then I can't think anymore. All of my senses go as white energy fills my body, zapping me to my core.
A straggled scream breaks out of my mouth as my whole body feels like it's being lit on fire and being torn to shreds. Every fiber aches when it finally stops, and I drop my head, not able to hold it up anymore as my chest rises and falls in harsh breathes.
"Interesting," The scientists talk lowly as they look at a few of the pods next to me.
My head slowly rises, my hair stuck to my forehead from the sweat on it.
Fear grips my stomach as I realize there my only be one way out of this, before I scold myself, trying to push the mental image out of my head.
Red. Red can help. Maybe he will know. Somehow.
I realize it's a long shot, but it's the only idea I have of getting out of here, so I cling to the idea. I cling to it even when the scientists whisper something about us transferring to Bialya. Even when multiple villain looking people walk in.
And even when they turn up the power and zap us again, our screams mixing in a choir of pain and pure terror for what's to come.
Red, please hurry.
Tears sting my eyes as my body tingles, feeling unconnected to me as it tries to recover from whatever they are doing to us.
I was behind the Café... how did this happen?
"Turn it up," The main scientist says as he looks at us, "We have to narrow down the metas from one's that are not."
Something tells me that's not a good thing.
I lean my head back onto the metal, my eyes closing as I wish to be anywhere but here. Wishing this wasn't real.
I should have done so many things that I didn't do. I should have talked to my parents, to Tim and cleared the air. I should have told Hazel and my grandparents again how much I love them. I should have told Miss Bailey that she will always be the best teacher I have ever had. I should have-
My thoughts are interrupted by my own scream as the unbearable energy courses through my body once again.
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RED ROBIN'S POV
'Bad news,' Blue Beetle says, causing Catgirl and I to slow down in our sprint to find the captives. 'Queen Bee's group of low-life villains are here to pick up the metas after they are identified'
Great. Meaning, Devastation, Psimon, Mammoth, Shimmer, Icicle Jr., and the Terror Twins.
'Good news though,' Impulse adds, him and Blue stopping next to us, "They don't have Psimon or Devstation with them."
"Or Icicle Jr." Blue cuts in, "They must have another pick up."
Catgirl narrows her eyes at that before she radios the Watchtower, telling Nightwing know they need to keep their eyes peeled for anymore trafficking being done tonight.
"What's the plan?" I ask, my body tense as I realize she could be anywhere in this building.
"Listen before we blow everything to pieces," She says, "We need to know how long this has been going on and if they have identified who out of the people they took are metas. And if they are activated."
How long this has been going on, means how long they have been tortured. And if they are activated, that means they went through so much torture that it caused their body to activate the gene to survive.
I feel like throwing up.
"What about the others?" Impulse asks, meaning the uninvited supervillains.
"Kick their asses," Cat mutters, her claws out as she grabs for her whip.
We all get ready before we start running, and run straight into guards and we easily take down.
Everything goes smoothly until we run into Mammoth and Shimmer.
Catgirl and I easily take down Shimmer together, Impulse and Blue Beetle doing the same with Mammoth, but with a little more struggle.
Cat and I help, until Cat manages to send a pellet straight into his mouth. After a moment, he falls to the ground.
"What was that?" Impulse asks, nudging Mammoth with his foot. The big idiot doesn't even move.
"A tranquilizer, but it's not going to last with his metabolism," She answers back, "We have to hurry."
We don't stop for long, my heart pounding in my chest as we near the door and screams slice through the air.
Cat and I climb to the vents, making sure we have them surrounded as Blue plans on going in one way and Impulse the other.
The screams die out and I can barely realize it over the sound of my heart racing.
Please be okay. If anything happens to her...
I don't even want to think about it.
"This isn't right," A scientist says, breaking through my train of thought. "The energy levels are draining."
"You pushed the machine too far," Another answers him, "It probably has caused a leak."
Cat studies the room, not letting me look until after, and I know it's to spare me the image, which only worries me more.
"You don't have any metas?" Tommy questions, his accent thicker than I remember as he looks annoyed at the scientists. "Did you hear that Sister Tuppy?"
Despite all of this, that but of information does send some relief through my body as I realize she is safe from any other plans they could have for her as a meta.
"I did, Brother Tommy," The girl says, cracking her knuckles, "Which means we have a problem."
'Now!' Cat orders and kicks through the vent, moving quickly to let me out, but of us getting ready for the fight.
"What in tarnation!" Tommy Terror exclaims before Blue Beetle blasts through the other wall.
"Howdy, partner," Impulse grins as he runs in. He rubs straight for Tuppy, only for her to smack him into the wall.
"Get the others," Cat says, stopping me from jumping in.
"You sure?" I ask, even though that's all I want to do.
"Go," She says before running at Tommy.
I set my eyes to the scientists, who try to keep me from the computer.
"No!" One of them shouts and presses a button, and the same screams I heard earlier fill the air again.
"Stop it!" I say grabbing their arm, gritting my teeth before the machine starts dying out, making the scientist's face fall.
"No, it's not working, it's-" I punch him in the face, knocking him out before I turn to the female scientist, who straightens up when I look at her and moves aside.
"Smart," I remark before I start pressing on the keyboard, hacking into the system with ease and releasing the cuffs around the hands of the captives.
Before now I didn't let myself look for her, because I knew if I did, she is all I would be focused on.
And I was right, because as soon as her curly hair caught my eyes, I was running to her.
Impulse zooms past me, taking the rest as he moves them closer to the door and to safety.
"Katie?" I breathe, her face turned down to the ground, her palms rested in front of her.
I'm scared to touch her, to hurt her in the state she is in, so I hold off.
She slowly looks at me, and relieve floods through my body as she smiles weakly.
"You came," She mutters, her voice sounding rough and dry.
"Of course, I-"
"Watch out!" She exclaims, her eyes growing wide before I am slammed into from behind, Catgirl's body colliding with mine.
We both groan before we stand, and I realize why; Mammoth is awake.
Blue and Cat would have the twins under control, but Mammoth waking up this fast was a surprise.
I help Cat up, her holding her side before she runs back in and I follow.
Mammoth sees us coming though, and manages to hit Cat out of the way again after she lands a few hits of her own before punching at me, but I dodge and land a hit with my biostaff.
It's short lived though, as he backhands me, sending me to the ground again.
He lifts his fists, and I move to row away, but am not given the chance as a burst of white energy comes from behind, and enough to cause Mammoth to be slammed back into a wall, knocked out.
I look behind me, Katie's eyes glowing white as she levitates a few feet off of the floor, energy coming off of her in waves, making her hair float a little.
That's not normal.
I manage to get to my feet despite my shock, just as her eyes turn back to their normal green and the roll to the back of her head, the energy disappearing.
I run forward and catch her before he can hit the ground, crouching to my knees as I hold her body to me.
"Katie?" I ask, worry filling me when she doesn't respond. "Katie?!"
Her eyes slowly flutter open, and I feel my heartbeat again as she says, "You found me."
My chest aches at her words, and I try my best to seem more composed than I am, giving I am supposed to be Red Robin right now and not Tim.
"Of course," I mutter as her eyes close and her head falls to my chest, "I will always find you." I say even though I know she can't hear me, her body fully relaxed against me as she losses consciousness.
I rub my thumb across her arm as Impulse and Cat run up to me, Blue tying up the bad guys.
"Is she-" Impulse cuts off, because we all just saw what she did.
"She is okay," I answer his question even though I don't know for sure.
Because despite what the scientists believed, the machine had worked, and it had produced a meta human.
Katie is a meta.
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A/N:
bet you didn't see that coming 😏
this is what i meant when i was like you guys aren't ready. this was the BIG BIG plot twist for this one. brooke's plot twist is still under wraps tho!
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how are y'all feeling?
what do you think will happen now?
do you see this coming at all?
how do you think tim will react?
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thanks for reading, don't forget to vote & comment !!
xoxo, author