Cadmus 1

"Help! Get us out!" one of the two trapped scientists on the second story calls out.

"Stay calm. We will get you out," the firefighter calls back, using a megaphone.

An explosion goes off behind them, and the force of it pushes the two scientists out of the window. Kid Flash zooms onto the scene, running up the wall and quickly reaching the roof to catch one of the scientists. However, he's not fast enough to save himself from falling and manages to catch himself on the second-story window ledge, while a dark tendril saves the second scientist and helps Kid Flash from the darkness.

"It's what's-his-name, Flashboy!" the same firefighter yells, relieved to see him and proud of himself for seemingly getting it right.

"Kid Flash!" the speedster yells down. "Why is that so hard?" he wonders to himself. "Focus, you fool," a dark voice said.

Robin and Aqualad finally arrive. "So smooth," the Boy Wonder says smugly.

"Does he always have to run ahead?" Aqualad murmurs, partially to himself and partially to Robin. "We need a plan. We—" He stops, looking around everywhere. "Robin?" he calls out. Rose comes behind him and says, "Don't worry about the bird-brain; we are not a proper team. Just do your thing. Bye."

Robin's laugh echoes through the area as he flips onto the back of the fire truck, secures his grappling hook to the Tower Ladder, and swings onto the window ledge. Landing with perfect balance, he meets Kid Flash up and enters the building.

Aqualad looks around and sighs, then runs up behind the truck, coming to the two men working the hose. "I need to borrow that," he tells them before they notice him. Pulling out his Water-Bearers, causing his tattoos to glow, he redirects the flow of water, creating a platform underneath his feet. He reaches the roof. "Step aboard. Now," he tells the two scientists sternly.

They do so without hesitation but stumble until they both sit down. Aqualad steps onto the window ledge that the other two entered through and directs the water the rest of the way down, ensuring that both scientists are safe.

As Kid Flash jumps in, he starts going through file cabinets, while Robin begins hacking into the computer.

"Appreciate the help," Kid Flash says sarcastically.

"You handled it. I will thank Rose for you," Robin says, still looking rather smug. "Besides, we're here to investigate." Aqualad steps beyond the two, heading further into the building. "Poetic justice, remember?" As Aqualad moves beyond the desks, he asks, "Where is Rose?" and Robin answers, "She will be around in darkness. She likes to be sneaky." There is a long hallway with the elevator door closing. The only thing visible is the blue skin and ivory horn protruding from its head.

Rose, using her vampiric eyes, sees this clearly and slips into the shadows to go after it. The clang of the closing doors draws the attention of the other two, bringing them right behind Aqualad. "There was something in the—" Aqualad cuts himself off, still not entirely sure of what he's seen.

"Elevators should be locked down," Kid Flash says, standing up straight.

Robin grabs Kid Flash's elbow and shoulder, then moves past him without a word, slipping to the right of Aqualad. He arrives at the area of the elevator, looking at it with scrutiny. "This is wrong." He pulls up a HoloScreen on his gauntlet, giving him the specifications of a Silver Slip Express Elevator, which is exactly what's in front of them. "This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building."

"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad states gravely before forcing the elevator doors open. As his strength is no longer needed at full capacity, he looks down the elevator shaft, which seems to go on forever.

Robin ducks under Aqualad's arm, kneeling down to try and get a better look. "And that's why they need an express elevator." Then he stands and asks, "Hey, Rose, are you around?" He gets no answer, so he sighs and shoots his grappling hook into the top of the column. Once it sticks, he jumps, letting himself fall. Aqualad and Kid Flash follow with almost no hesitation.

Robin watches as the level numbers run past him, their eyes widening as he passes SL22, SL23, SL24, and begins to slow at SL25. Then he comes to a stop at SL26. "I'm at the end of my rope," he tells the two above him. They stop sliding down and let Robin jump to the narrow platform with this level's elevator doors. He makes it with ease, then moves left so Aqualad can make it. Aqualad remains where he is and offers his hand to Kid Flash, who takes it and stands on the larger segment of the platform with Aqualad. The Boy Wonder pulls up the system security. "Bypassing security." He waits as his five little robin heads go from red to green. "There. Go."

Aqualad pries the door open, and all three of them walk out.

"Welcome to Project Cadmus," Robin announces. Kid Flash smiles before bolting.

"Kid, wait!" Aqualad tries, but the speedster doesn't stop. The sounds of heavy footsteps in the hallway that intersects the one he's running in force him to skid. However, he can't stop in time and falls into the hallway as massive creatures, walking on all fours but standing nearly as tall as the hallway, approach in two rows. He barely dodges the hand of the leader, breathing a sigh of relief before standing and running back across where Robin and Aqualad now stand shocked.

One growls at them, but there is also a smaller one on top of its massive trunked head. The smaller one hisses and its horns glow red as the larger one continues to walk away.

"No. Nothing odd going on here." Aqualad says sarcastically.