21 Chapter 20

-[Happy Harbor]-

-[Dante]-

In his opinion, this mission wouldn't be hard to complete at all so he didn't intend to spend too much time on it.

The team plus Dr Roquette were in the Happy Harbor highschool where the scientist was working on the virus for the fog that she created for the league of shadows.

Ignoring the glare that Wally was throwing his way, he formed a mental link, connecting everyone. [Everyone online?]

[This is weird…kinda cool.] Artemis said, slightly weirded out at the fact that she was communicating without moving her mouth.

[Focus.] He reminded her. [Aqualad, you and I will stay here in the lab to protect the doctor. Artemis and Miss Martian, you two will patrol the perimeter.]

He then turned to the glaring speedster. [Kid Flash, you will be responsible for patrolling the hallways. If any of you sees anything even slightly suspicious, report in.] He ordered, getting a light scoff from Wally which he promptly ignored.

[Um…I think you're forgetting a few people.] Robin commented.

[No, I didn't. Miss Martian, reconfigure the bioship for manual flight. Robin and Superboy will pursue the fog. It would hardly be a victory if the list of the shadow's victims continues rising.] Dante said.

[Ready.] M'gann announced, apparently having done it in record time.

[But we don't even know where the fog is. And we also need the virus to stop the fog.] Kaldur said in a slightly confused manner.

[Leave it to the newbie to leave out the obvious problems.] Wally commented, taking a page out of Red Arrow's book.

[Wally…] M'gann said in a warning tone that surprised even Dante. The speedster got a disapproving frown from Kaldur, causing him to look away in indignation.

[Not necessarily. While the fog is the main threat, there has to be someone carrying it around and utilizing it. Robin and Superboy will stall them while Roquette prepares the virus.] Dante explained, answering Kaldur's question.

As 'fun' as it would be to finish his discussion with Wally, there were more important things to deal with at the moment.

If the speedster didn't understand the simple courtesy and logic of time and place then his productivity in the team would be called into question.

He then turned to Roquette who had been silently typing away at the computer. He had excluded her from the link to avoid distracting her and increase the speed at which she worked.

Forming a separate link between just the two of them, he saw her eyes widen slightly behind her glasses as she turned to him.

[The virus won't be of much use if we can't find the fog. Can you track it?] he asked.

[Of course I can track it but I'd have to go online. It's a two way link so you might as well be inviting them to assassinate me.] she said in a complaining manner.

[You have nothing to worry about. We will protect you while you work on the virus.] he reassured her, causing her to gain a contemplative look.

She then pressed a few keys on the keyboard. [Tracking the fog now.] she said as the computer began tracking its location, not taking any time as it showed its coordinates.

Dante switched to the link with the team. [Robin, Superboy, I've got your destination. Philadelphia, get going.] he ordered as the two were already seated in the bioship, leaving as soon as they got the message.

-[Later]-

It didn't take long for everyone to take their given roles and positions. Dante leaned on the table beside Roquette while Kaldur stood at the other side, alert for anything.

He had Roquette constantly track the fog on a different screen for him and Kaldur to monitor while she worked on the virus.

Simply giving Robin and Superboy Philadelphia as a destination meant that they would have to manually search for the fog which was a terrible idea. It would waste time and they would be too late by the time they found the shadow's target.

He tapped the communicator in his ear. "Dante to Robin. The fog is headed towards Star Labs." He informed them.

"Roger that." Robin's voice said before cutting the connection.

Superboy and Robin had already gotten to Philadelphia a short while ago so it shouldn't be too hard to get to the lab before the league of shadows.

'Should I have sent one more person along with them?' He wondered.

Superboy was the shield and tank to block and disrupt enemies while Robin worked but the clone's stubbornness proved challenging sometimes.

[Not to alarm anyone but we have company.] Artemis announced, alerting him and everyone else.

[Then don't just stand there. Do something!] Wally shot back, almost making Dante sigh.

He turned to Aqualad who was already armed, with his water bearers forming twin swords. With their position inside the lab, all they could do was wait.

Dante had arranged their positions in accordance to their skill. The wide area outside would allow M'gann to move freely and Artemis to use her bow. Kid Flash's speed would allow him to quickly roam the school building and report.

The assassin's target was Roquette so they would come to him rather than him looking for them.

[One of them escaped. She's heading into the school.] M'gann announced, causing him to pause for a moment.

Cheshire was supposed to attack alone on her first attempt but in the end, it didn't matter to him. The goal was still the same.

At that moment, the door was pushed open as multiple shuriken sped towards Roquette. The suddenness caught Kaldur a bit off guard, causing him to deflect all the shuriken but one that flew straight to the doctor.

Before it could reach her, it bounced off the air, hitting an invisible barrier. Roquette yelped in shock as Dante casually stood upright.

"Don't worry about her. Just keep working." Dante said as Cheshire dashed into the lab, locking her Sai with Kaldur's water blades.

More shuriken were thrown forward, stopping in their tracks before they reached any of them. Dante's attention turned back the assassin in a green kimono and a Cheshire Cat mask.

"Well that's interesting." Cheshire's voice came through the smiling mask as she leaped into a backflip to dodge a kick from Kaldur.

Seeing that the attacks were unable to reach her, Roquette forcefully calmed herself as she hurriedly turned back to the computer to continue working. A little bit of Dante's telepathy was involved in making her calm down but it wasn't harmful.

As Kaldur engaged Cheshire, Dante contacted M'gann. [How's it going over there?]

[That's kind of complicated.] she responded.

[These guys are too slippery.] Artemis complained as Dante noticed something.

[What about Kid Flash?] he asked, noting the boy's silence while keeping an eye on Kaldur's fight.

[He's kind of tied up at the moment. Literally, this spider guy tied him up.] Artemis answered as Dante decided to end the fight.

As Cheshire leaped into the air above Kaldur, she halted, Dante's telekinesis taking hold of her.

"Well, today's just filled with surprises." Cheshire's teasing tone came.

Before Dante could respond, Roquette spoke up. "I'm done. Uploading it now!"

He could almost feel Cheshire's frown under her mask as the computer showed a progress bar that was quickly filling up.

He felt her struggle against his telekinesis, barely achieving anything as it held her in place. Moments later, there was a ping from the computer, signifying the successful upload.

He allowed a smirk to emerge on his lip at the irritation he felt coming from Cheshire. Unlike the normal timeline where they wasted some time arguing and disrupting Roquette's attention with the constant mental chatter, his approach to the mission allowed her to complete the virus much faster.

"Your mission is a failure." Dante said to the assassin.

"It seems so." She responded. "You're lucky, doc. You get to live another day but know this, the shadows are always watching."

As soon as she finished, a few small orbs fell from her Kimono. Dante's telekinesis stopped it before it hit the floor but he was in for a surprise as the orbs suddenly exploded in a flash of bright light.

The sudden shock of it was enough to disrupt his hold on Cheshire's telekinesis. His eyes were shut in pain from the sudden disorientation. Kaldur and Roquette were in the same state.

He maintained the barrier around them, feeling a smoke bomb impact it and covering the room in smoke. He felt another presence suddenly appear in the lab.

With his eyes still shut, he lashed forward with his telekinesis, a powerful force blowing everything in front of him away. As he forced his eyes open, he just barely saw a shadow floating up.

'Shade!' He thought, remembering the teleporting superpowered criminal as he turned to Kaldur and Roquette. "Are you alright? I apologize for my carelessness."

He didn't expect the high grade flashbangs at all, catching him off guard…something they had rarely happened.

"It is fine. I should be the one to apologize for not acting quicker." Kaldur said, waving off his concerns.

At that moment, the communicator in Dante's ear came to life. "Robin to Dante. There's good news and there's bad news."

"What's the good news?" He asked.

"We stopped the fog as well as the guy who was lugging it around before he could transmit any data to the league of shadows." Robin said with an undeniably victorious tone.

"And the bad news?"

"A few parts of Star Labs got wrecked but the building's still standing." Robin said with a nervous laugh as Dante, Kaldur and Roquette made their way out of the school.

"It counts as a win in my book. Good work." He said as they reached the entrance of the building.

They arrived in time to see M'gann knock out a guy with a hook for a hand with his own hook while Artemis had a guy in a dark spider costume stuck in hardened foam.

He then turned to the last member of the team who was lying on the ground with his limbs and body tied in webbing.

"Really?" He asked dryly.