How to Lose a Bird

Chapter 10

    Okay, I have an urge to say this, so as I was re-reading some of the plot line I had set, I came across SUCH A GOOD COINCIDENCE ITS AMAZING. I had unwittingly set up a perfect road for this story to take, and it's going to be SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE. That being said, I also believe that it is a very original idea, as I have seen very few fanfics even poking at one of the major topics, and NONE with the idea I have at where it's going to go.

By the way, this chapter could be a bit...confusing. There's a lot of jumping around, and not a lot of action, sorry. It is also not edited, so excuse some mistakes please.

Well, with that said, enjoy the chapter!

"Um, Sir, are you sure that this is a good idea? We could keep testing with the other patients until we get the boy-"
    "No! This is the closest we've ever been! I don't care about their mental state if they manage to survive, the injection and equipment are actually working! This could be what we've been striving for all along! And, yes, I do realize the patient isn't exactly what we had in mind at first, but who the hell cares!?"
    "But, what if their...record...interferes with the trials if the patient succeeds in traveling over?"
    "Once their over, I could care less whether they live, die, or somehow become a vigilante, all I need to know is that there is nothing wrong with the equipment, and it's simply a matter of waiting for the boy; the perfect patient."
    "Alright, as you wish, Doctor."

oOo

Robin sighed as he looked once more at the screen in front of him, displaying multiple lines of coding as well as video from the nearby security cameras in the building. He idly twirled around a Bat-a-rang in his free hand, whilst also tapping his foot to an invisible beat.
The Bioships seat had become rather uncomfortable by now, so he brought his legs up and sat crisscrossed on the seat. He never once took his eyes off the screen, watching both windows intently.
He saw a brief flash of black and red on one of the video feeds, and mentally scolded the Speedster. If the guards hadn't been previously taken care of, then they would have blatantly seen Kid Flash zip in and out of the hallway. This was a reconissance mission (when weren't they), and they couldn't afford to be caught.
The Boy Wonder then found himself rolling his eyes as he easily spotted Superboy observing the scene from a rooftop next to their mission objective.
He needed to remind both Batman and Black Canary to have more stealth related excersises for training the next week.
At that thought, his mood turned slightly angry and sour. He hadn't missed the looks the team had given him when the plan was being set, or the way they seemed to be sheltering him. It annoyed him to no end, but he would have to bottle up his frustrations at the moment.
    He had a mission to complete, after all, and despite the questionable choices made during the planning phase, it seemed as though it was going to be successful.
   

oOo

Mount Justice: 5 Hours Earlier

    The assembled teens stood in front of the Dark Knight as he fluidly scrolled through the information and images on the screen.
    Kid Flash and Robin were practically bouncing where they stood (vibrating in Wally's case), itching to get the new mission assignment. Robin, maybe, even more than the older teen.
    The brief images he had caught sight of before the rest of his team had assembled were no doubt intriguing. The glowing red substance in particular had caught his eye, along with a small picture of Lex Luthor that accompanied it. It looked a bit like liquefied Red Kryptonite, and knowing Luthor, it wouldn't be a suprise if he somehow managed to get a piece of the rare mineral.
"Team, this mission deals with the company known as LexCorp, and I am sure most of you are aware of the company." Batman began, pausing on a picture of LexCorp Tower in Metropolis, with a paparazzi photo of Lex next to the other image. "Recently, one of the branches of the company, LexCorp Technologies, has been focusing on a particular project, simply named 'X'." The man typed something on the holographic keys, and an image of a cylindrical, red, glowing substance took up the majority of the screen. "We believe they may be experimenting with a highly dangerous and rare chemical called 'Xenothium'."
Wally's mouth seemed to drop to the floor as the chemical was named. "Xenothium!? That stuff is way too unstable to be handled properly!"
A harsh glare was sent his way, and the speedster visibly paled, and Batman took his moment of silence to continue.
"Yes, it is a highly unstable, and also very powerful chemical. We are not entirely sure what Luthor's planning, and that's where you come in. This will be a reconissance mission, and NONE of you are to be seen. Is that clear?" he got varied nods in return, giving his own slight tilt of his head as well. "Good. You will be leaving in fifteen minutes. I have already sent the coordinates of the lab 'Project X' is being held at to Robin's holo-computer. Good Luck."
With those parting words, Batman materialized back into the zeta-tubes in a bright flash of light. The teens immediately all went about their own ways, gathering supplies and carrying weapons they may need.
    Robin and Kid Flash were naturally the first ones prepared, Robin because, well, he's a Bat, and they are prepared for almost any possible scenario, and Wally because of his speed. They now had about ten minutes of free time, in which they decided to spend in the hangar near the Bioship.
    "So, Rob, what's going on in the big, bad city?" Wally asked once they were both sitting on the ground, the speedster nibbling on an energy bar. Robin rolled his eyes.
"Meh, not much. Jokers still underground, probably planning some more 'fun', average thugs, Catwomen, the usual." the ebony stepped with a dismissive wave.
    "Does Catwomen really rob stores that often?" Robin had to think for a moment, before shrugging.
    "Yeah, I guess, but she also stops some common muggers, too. I'm pretty sure she also has some sort of fetish for Batman. All in all, Catwomen can be...confusing."
    Wally hummed in acknowledgement, while finishing off his energy bar. He haphazardly  threw the wrapper over his shoulder, and stretched out his legs, focusing completely in the boy in front of him as he asked about crime in Central City.
    "Everything pretty good there, too. Captain Cold tried to rob a bank about a week ago, but we stopped him easily. Oh, wait, I forgot! That was the first time Flash let me handle a more dangerous villain solo! I was so excited and it was awesome and Barry and Iris was so proud of me and-" Wally continued his rant while Robin idly paid attention, making noises of agreement or disagreement when he seemed it necessary.
    Finally, after Wally finished his speech with 'And then the lady almost punched me, so I'm NEVER trying to buy a hotdog from that side of the city again', the rest of the team walked through the hangar, heading straight for the Bioship with only a small glance at the two on the floor.
They both simultaneously jumped off of the floor in a undeclared race to be the first one to the Bioship. As soon as the ship morphed into a usable and streamlined shape the two were inside, the straps securing them to the seat as the others entered at a much calmer pace.
The Bioship was soon soaring through the air to Suicide Slum, Metropolis. Quite a cliché spot to be doing something illegal in the Man of Steels city, in Robin's opinion. It also seemed a but out of character for Luthor to be so obvious in where his operations were being held, which he promptly shared with the rest of his team about halfway through the trip.
"Maybe he's losing his touch." Artemis supplied, but the Boy Wonder quickly shook his head in denial.
"No way. Luthor's the big leagues, no way he would be so obvious, it's not like him."
"So either it is not him who is behind this, or he is planning something much bigger than a simple lab experiment." Kaldur added, making the team slightly nervous.
   "Let's hope it's not Lex, then. Unless he really is off his game, then I guess we do hope it's him behind it." everyone gave Wally a bit of a confused look, but decided not to comment on the absurdity of the statement.
    "So, what's the plan, Kal?" The team all straighten in their seats when Robin asked, and Aqualad bit back a proud smirk.
    "Seeing as this is simply a mission where we are to gather information, I suggest that only a small group go into the building. The rest will set up a perimeter in case the others run into trouble. Kid Flash, Artemis, and Miss Martian will be going in to gather information from what they can gather from the interior of the building. Superboy and I will be on standby in the nearby area." The mentioned heros nodded, but Robin just gave a confused tilt of his head.
    "What about me? Shouldn't I be going in, as I have the most stealth training?" Robin narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he saw the team collectively send nervous glances at Kaldur. They narrowed even further when it took a moment for the Atlantean to collect his thoughts.
    "Yes, that is true, but we need you to stay here in the Bioship to sift through the information that Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Artemis collect from the lab. I doubt they would be able to figure out what all of it means." The ebony's eyes widened in suprise at being brushed aside on a stealth mission.
    He could understand the leaders decision for letting Artemis and M'gann be the ones going inside. Artemis has the most skills in blending in behind Robin, and the Martian can camophlage her whole body. But what he couldn't understand was why Wally was going in instead of him.
    The speedster might have been his best friend, but Robin could confidently say that his skills in stealth far surpassed those of the annoying, obnoxious, and loud teen.
    "That's why we're getting the information, though. So the League can sift through all of the information and make sense of it. Why would you need me to do it?"
    A brief moment of silence fell over the group as they tried to find another excuse to keep Robin from most of the danger. Surprisingly, M'gann was the one to come up with the next excuse.
    "We also need some eyes from the outside! We need you to keep an eye on the cameras to make sure we don't get caught!" The elder teens all seemed to internally let out a relieved exhale, while the youngest simply got all the more irritated at being excluded from his specialty.
    "But Wally could easily do that too. Why aren't you letting the guy who practically grew up in the shadows use them for the sake of the mission." 
    "Robin, the plan has been out in place, and as leader I will not change it." at Robins slightly crestfallen look, Aqualads tone softened from strict leader to knowing friend. "Do not worry, you still have an important job, and when I step down and you take my place, you can make any decisions you would like."
    Despite the comfort, the bird didn't feel any better about practically being benched. First Batman, and now his Team? Robin was beginning to think there was something he wasn't allowed to know. Which, taking after Batman, wanting to know everything and anything, infuriated him to no end.
    Did they not trust him? Did he need to prove once again that he can hold his own against people bigger than him?
    For once, Robin didn't know how to solve a problem that was set in front of him. Usually, he was faced with a puzzle, and could immediately think of ways to possibly get out of it. Even if he wasn't entirely sure what the problem was. But now, he just felt lost and confused, like a newborn puppy trying to find the warmth of his mother.
    And Robin feared he might not get out of that puppy phase anytime soon, unless he could figure out what the problem was and promptly fix it.
    Whatever it was, he was confident Dick Grayson could handle it. And if he couldn't, then Robin, the Boy Wonder, certainly would.

Well, what do you think? Some parts seem a but rushed, but I had to write this in very short segments throughout the day, so it may be a but choppy.

Hope you liked it anyway!

~BluePinetree