Young Justice: Red Beetle

Chapter 37 - Sugar and Lavender

—Nightwing

I feel arms wrap around my torso from behind. I tense for a moment before I smell sugar and lavender. Then I hear her beautiful laugh.

"Hey, Boy Wonder." She says.

"Zatanna," I breathe out. I turn around in her grasp and she hugs me tightly. I run a hand through her black hair. It's beautiful, just like the rest of her.

We look at each other, then I move my hands to her face. We kiss for a long time.

"Geez, can't you two do that, like, anywhere but here?" Batgirl says, walking in with a grin on her face.

"Hey, Barbara." Zatanna says after we part.

"Hey, Zatanna. What's going on, Nightwing?" She asks, stopping in front of the two of us. I pull away from Zatanna, but she grabs my hand. I smile at this.

"I located a huge energy burst up in the South Pole. I sent Red and Blue to investigate but they haven't found anything. Miss Martian and I are going to do another sweep in a moment."

"That's odd." The redhead says, tilting her head in thought. "How could a ship that large just disappear?"

"That's what I want to find out."

Zatanna tightens her grip on my hand. "I'm coming."

We lock eyes for a moment. She's determined, and I know nothing I saw will change her mind. Beside, we're just checking the place out. What could happen?

"Okay, we need M'gann though." I say. Zatanna smiles.

"What about me? And Wonder Girl is here somewhere." Batgirl asks.

"We don't need the whole team for a scouting mission." I say, then add, "But be ready, just in case."

She nods, and disappears into the living room.

After a few minutes, we get Miss Martian. Superboy comes with us too, since he insists he can help. I knew he just wants to spend some time with M'gann outside of the base, but it doesn't matter. We enter through the Zeta Tube, and step out into the frozen terrain. Looking up in the sky, we're all shocked to see the mothership of the Reach. We watch a small Reach ship enter through a loading bay.

"That's a big ship." Superboy says.

"Oh no," Miss Martian's head snaps in a certain direction. Immediately she's flying off.

"Miss Martian, wait!" Superboy yells. He charges after her through the snow.

"Guys, stop, wait! Ugh!" I growl in frustration. How did this mission go from simple to chaotic so quickly?

"We need to follow them." Zatanna says. She begins running and I follow her. We go around a snowdrift and find Blue Beetle lying on the ground. Miss Martian and Superboy are by his side, pushing snow off his body. Miss Martian pulls Blue into her lab just as we get there.

"Blue? What happened?" Zatanna asks.

"Where's Red?" Miss Martian asks, an edge of fear in her voice.

"They took her! We have to get her back, before it's too late." He sits up straight, and he seems surprised that he's able to move.

I immediately know what happen. The Reach got Red. That means it's only a matter of time before they get her on mode.

"Did the Reach take Red?" I ask Blue as he stands up. We all follow suit.

"Yes! We need to get her back before—Screw you, I'm going." The last part of that sentence doesn't seem directed to anyone here. Blue takes a shaky step and begins falling forward. I catch him by the shoulders before he hits the ground.