Young Justice Season 3 - Life Behind the Mask

Episode/Chapter 17 - Code Red

"So...I guess they really are dating now." Tim whispered to Barbara as they sat at the kitchen island watching the couple behind them. Jaime was sitting on the couch, and Kara was sitting on his lap with her arms around him. Then someone slapped Tim at the back of his head, "ow! What was that?!" Tim asked as he rubbed the back of his head as he looked to his left. It was Cassie. 

"You can't be staring at them! Let them have a moment!" Cassie said as she sat next to him. 

"Have they kissed?" Barbara asked. 

"They shared their first kiss on the ledge of the cave last night when we got back." Cassie answered, "it was so romantic!" 

"How do you know?" Tim asked. 

"I saw." Cassie whispered. 

"You are so bad!" Barbara said. 

"I know." Cassie smiled. Then they turned to Roy as he walked in and opened the fridge. 

"So, Roy. I just realized that you only decided to join the team at the beginning of this year." Barbara said. 

"Who told you?" Roy asked. 

"That's what Batman and Nightwing wanted to talk to me about at the beginning of the school year. Remember? That's the reason you guys came late?" Barbara asked. Roy snickered. 

"You're smarter than you look." 

"Hey! And she looks fine!" Tim protested. 

"So, you were away from the team for a year. Like Nightwing. What did you do?" Cassie asked. 

"Nothing you guys would be interested in." Roy replied as he popped open a soda can. 

"Well, we're already here, and already curious. We're interested." Tim said. Roy scanned the three of them, then he noticed that Kara and Jaime were listening to him now, too. 

"Fine." Roy said, "I went free-lancing. You know. Working solo. I met new people. Worked temporarily with a few new groups. Made new...acquaintances." Roy explained. 

"Cool..." Tim said. 

"Couldn't you just say 'friends' instead of 'acquaintances'?" Barbara asked. 

"Well, they were acquaintances. They were partners, but they were and will never be 'friends'. I only have one best friend." Roy said, "when I call him for back-up, he comes. He works free-lance too. To be honest, I would give my  life for him." 

"That sounds soo cool! Can we meet him?" Cassie asked, "wait...he is a good guy, right?" 

"Well....let's just say it depends on the day." Roy said. The three looked at each other, "but he's cool. With the people here, he might be a good guy. Oh, but he could be a bad guy too. Depending on who's here." 

'Um, what's that supposed to mean?" Tim asked. 

"Uh, nothing. It just means that there are a few people here that he might not...prefer...right now." Roy answered. 

"Wait, do you mean he knows some of us here?" Barbara asked. 

"Yeah. You guys'll get to meet him. Bats, Aqualad, and Nightwing granted me permission to invite him to the cave." Roy said, "he should be coming in about 15 minutes." 

"Really?! I can't wait!" Cassie beamed. 

"Well, I'm going to go to the mission briefing room to wait for Bats and Nightwing, who insisted that they had to be there if there's a visitor at the cave." Roy said as he picked up his soda and walked out of the room. 

"I'll go too!" Cassie called, then she turned to Tim, "are you coming?" 

"I'll catch up with you guys later, thanks." Tim smiled. Cassie gave him a quick kiss then flew off after Roy. Then Tim turned to Barbara. 

"I'm going to go too." Barbara said as she started getting up. 

"Why?" Tim asked. 

"What do you mean 'why'?! Because I want to see this 'friend' that Roy is talking about." Barbara replied. 

"Is he the only person you want to see?" Tim asked. 

"What?! Tim!" Barbara said in shock and shoved him off his stool then followed Cassie and Roy. Tim got up and walked over to Kara and Jaime and sat down next to them. 

"So...you guys are dating now, huh?" Tim asked. Jaime and Kara looked at each other, and Jaime waited for Kara's answer. 

"Yep. Jaime's mine now." Kara smiled. Jaime smiled, because now he knew that she no longer had a crush on Tim. 

"That's great! Congrats!" Tim said and held out his fist, and Jaime fist-bumped him. 

"Thanks." Jaime thanked. 

"I'll just leave you two for a while. We're all in the mission briefing room, if you wanna join us." Tim smirked and walked out of the room. 

"So, no more crushes? On Tim, I mean?" Jaime asked.

"His name is TIM?! Wow, I love the name Tim so much better than Jaime." Kara smiled. 

"What?!" Jaime almost shouted. Then Kara burst into laughter.

"I'm just kidding! I'm kidding you big doof! I may like the name better, but I love you more than him or the names." Kara said as she held her forehead on his. 

"I like the sound of that so much better." Jaime said. Then they heard the Zeta tube in the other room. 

"Recognized. Nightwing, B01. Artemis, B07. Batman, A02." 

_____________________________

"When is he coming?" Dick asked Roy as he, Artemis, and Batman entered the cave. 

"In a few minutes." Roy answered. 

"And who did you say this was again?" Artemis asked. 

"A friend." Roy answered. Then his phone dinged and Roy checked it before Batman could say anything, "he's just arriving at the main front entrance." Roy said as he walked out of the room. Dick, Artemis, Tim, Barbara, Cassie, and Batman followed. 

"Um, if he's on his way and he just texted you, is he texting and driving?" Cassie asked. 

"Oh please. That's not even the worst thing he's done in his life." Roy replied. 

"Wanna go see who it is?" Kara asked Jaime. 

"Of course." Jaime said and they followed the group to the front entrance. 

Roy opened the large garage-like opening at the front of the cave, and they saw someone in a brown leather jacket on a motorcycle about a mile away from the cave.e But even from afar, they could see what he looks like. And for a few of them, they wish they didn't know who he was. 

"Wait a second...is that...?!" Dick asked. 

"My friend? Yes. He's a gunner, so don't be alarmed by the guns." Roy said as they stood at the entrance. 

"No..." Barbara whispered as the motorcycle pulled up about a meter away from them. 

"It's..." Tim muttered. 

"....Roy. You never said what his name was...the name is a very important part of an introduction...." Batman said angrily, almost growling. 

"Oh yeah. I might have skipped that part...this is," Roy introduced as the man walked up to them. Brown leather jacket, guns on both his sides....and a red helmet, "Jason Todd." 

- To be continued XD -