Anjo

24

| Run |

Run. That's all that was screaming in his mind. Just run. Ignore the flaring pain spiking through your body and the dying need to the gulf in a mouthful of air. Ignore it all and protect them. Give them time to be saved, even if it's only a few minutes.

The League is coming. They're close. He knew that.

You may not survive anyway, so make yourself useful for once and give them a chance. He reminded himself, skidding a corner and letting out a strangled gasp as his broken arm bumped the wall, his feet scraping the ground as he pushed himself forward, barely evading Cheetah's clawed hands. The flaring pain from the gash had long since numbed from the rapidly increasing adrenaline.

"Give it up kid!" Banes booming voice howled as their massive fist made contact with his back, sending him toppling to the ground. He swallowed the cries scratching at his throat as he quickly picked himself up, only to be thrown into the hallway wall by Star Sapphire. It cracked around him as he collapsed back to the ground, wheezy breaths trickling from his mouth along with the small amount of blood, as he leaned his head back against the wall.

"What were you hoping to achieve." Cheetah sneered, claws racking over his exposed skin. He was too tired to even acknowledge the pain. "What did you think you would accomplish with such a pitiful effort?"

"The weak can't accomplish anything." Star Sapphire stated. Their words were starting to mix together in a jumbled mess. Anjo couldn't understand anything. He couldn't even hear anything except the increased ringing in his ears.

"Watch over me?"

"Always."

His heart started to hurt with a pained expression covered his face.

"There's no point in keeping him alive any longer," Bane stated, taking in the sight of the fallen hero. "The Heroes will also be here soon, we don't have time for this, we need to grab and relocate the other brats."

"Poor kid." Star Sapphire mumbled, kneeling to Anjo's level. "He looks to be in a lot of pain." An amused smirk tugged at her lips as she stood and started walking away. "Leave him, no way someone with so little motivation to live could hold out until the League arrived. Let him be our parting gift for when they get here."

"You are one sadistic lady." Cheetah pointed out, her and the other villain following after. Quickly disappearing from the acrobat's sight. He couldn't even move his body anymore, there was no way he could go after them. He couldn't save them. He wasn't strong enough. he never was.

But none of that mattered.. this time, he succeeded.

The three villains halted where they were, anger radiating off them as they came in contact with the group of furious and worry stricken mentors and their protégés. Each shot such angered expressions towards the three. One in particular standing out the most as The Dark Knight approached them.

Bane was the first to charge, his fist getting caught in Metropolis Kryptonians grasp. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Superman warned, letting Batman pass them as he headed for the remaining two villains.

"Where's the rest?!" Cheetah growled. "Surely you haven't taken out everyone!"

"We have," Batman stated without missing a beat. "And I suggest you surrender and tell me where Anjo is or you'll be the same as them."

Cheetah willingly backed down, obviously just as frustrated as her comrade next to her. However, Star Sapphire's expression quickly changed into its previous amused one, sass dripping from her words.

"I wouldn't bother looking for that kid. Even if he is still breathing, I doubt he'll survive long enough for you to give him the necessary aid he much needs." She glanced past Batman and at Kid Flash. The ginger struggling to stand without his uncles and Aqualads help. "If I were you, I would focus on the ones you can save-" She was roughly thrown out of the way by the other. His gruff angered voice calling out to the others.

"Go outside and tell Agent A to ready his things. Have Robin help him as well. Everyone else, help the rest of the team outside and hand over the remaining villains to the authorities." He ordered, his pace quickening as he rushed down the hall towards where he guessed Anjo could be.

"How did they get here so quickly?" Cheetah mumbled aloud as Wonder Woman secured her.

"Joker." The Amazonian explained. "He left clues all over Anjo's apartment. We wasted no time assembling the authorities and any Leaguers capable of helping."

"Joker..?" She repeated in disbelief. She let out a small growl. "When I see that Clown-"

"Don't bother. He escaped before we arrived."

------------------------------------------

Light pants of breath slipped past Batman's lips as he ran down the hall, taking note of the small bits of blood smeared on the walls and floor. It was only moments later until he came upon the fallen hero. He immediately knelt down in front of them, hand hovering over their shoulder as he called their name. "Anjo." He called again, pressing his fingers against their throat. The pulse was there, much to his relief, but the other barely seemed conscious as they glanced at him with tired blue eyes. "I need you to hang on a little bit longer." He pleaded, gently scooping the other up in his arms.

Anjo's head leaned tiredly on his chest as he slowly walked, careful of the others injuries. "You're going to be okay, as long as you just stay conscious as long as possible, okay?" Anjo gave a light mumbled of understanding, the timid hero blinking away the heaviness weighing down on their eyelids. "Everyone's fine and we have all the Legion of Doom members in custody." Batman continued, leaving out the part about Joker as he glanced down at the other, receiving another inaudible mumble. "You did great."

Batman emerged from the building moments later with the other in arms, he seemed to be mumbling to them as Anjo continued to give small responses. Each of the heroes watched with worry and fear as he was taken aboard one of Batman's aircrafts, 'Agent A' inside and already prepared to perform emergency aid. The Dark Knight came out moments later, a teary-eyed Robin at his side. "He's going to be okay, right?" Robin asked, a pleadful hope in his voics as Batman and he approached the League and less hurt of the Young Justice team; that only being the half Kryptonian and Atlantian at the moment.

"Alfred won't let him die," Batman promised, giving his protégés shoulder a light squeeze. He turned his attention back to the heroes. "We'll take off once we have Dick stabilized." He stated, the others nodding in agreement.

"We have Wally being looked at right now." Wonder Woman stated, glancing back at the tired speedster and his worrying uncle as a paramedic looked at him. Officers, paramedics, firefighters, many hard working people from Gotham had come to aid the League in rescuing the team. Relief gracing each of their features with the success they had achieved. Except for one officer.

This officer wore a worried expression as they stared down at the phone in their hand, having just hung up a call after being sent to voicemail once again. A few frustrated words slipping past their lips before they were interrupted by an elder officer. "Mendoza! Quit calling Grayson and get back to work. The kids probably resting, you can bother him once this is all dealt with!"

"Yes, sir!" Jay called back, stuffing his phone back in his pocket. His eyes briefly landed on the group of hero's currently conversing with each other in hush whispers. His gaze staying on Robin for a few seconds more before he looked away with a huff. "A kid that young shouldn't be involved in this." He started walking away.

The hero's conversation got cut short as they watched Vandal Savage walk by, heavily secured in restraints as he looked at each of the heroes with an amused expression. Meeting Batman's glare. "Congratulations, you survived the battle." He stated. "Now have fun living with the trauma of the war."

- To Be Continued -