Rating: T

Where else can I find this story? All five parts are on the first page of Part 5 of the original Young Justice Anon Meme on LiveJournal.

Summary: Superboy decides to prove himself to Superman by tackling Lex Luthor himself, and it all goes downhill from there. Or, the third and fourth times Superboy was caught wearing another mentor's costume. From the Anon Meme.

Author's Notes: This is the end of Masks. The next part, Present, shall be up soon.

Red and Green
~Chapter Three~

Masks, Part III

He wakes up in the Watchtower infirmary again, but this time he's in a bed wearing a white robe. A man wearing bandages all over his body (some sort of Egyptian-themed hero?) stands up and walks to the bed. "How're you feeling," he asks, and it's only by voice that he recognizes the man as Batman. He's got bandages all over his head and chest, foam around his neck; his leg is in a cast, and his arm is in a sling.

"Like crap."

"Language," Batman chides.

"Sorry."

Then he remembers everything. "Oh God, I'm sorry, so sorry. God, I acted like a complete creep." He buries his face in his hands.

"Yes," Batman acknowledges. "But, it wasn't your fault." Batman shows him a picture of some red crystals. "I took these out of your body. Luthor put them in there—my guess is he used the green Kryptonite to breach the skin and lodge these in your body. I should have thought of it, but I was too busy trying to bring you back from the brink of death and it took me a few days to think of it."

"What are these?" he asks.

"Red Kryptonite. It's substantially rarer than Green Kryptonite, and so, not as well understood. As far as we know, it only impacts the mental capacities of Kryptonians. You were under its influence, and so was Superman when he got near you.

"That's why he said and did all those things."

"No, he said and did all those things because he meant them. Red Kryptonite doesn't create bad feelings. It just makes them worse. Everything I did under its influence, I felt it, it was me.

"Superman did want me to go to Luthor. He did want to get rid of me."

"I don't think so. Superman wouldn't wish what Luthor did to you on his worst enemy."

"He didn't come to rescue me—

"He didn't know you were there. I only knew to go to rescue you because Robin realized you and Kid Flash were missing and was smart enough to put two and two together. And, by the way, when you're better, we're going to have a serious talk about stupidly going into things, especially when you don't have the full team for backup, and especially when you know I don't want to send the team in.

"But for now, there are people who want to see you."

Batman almost smiles. He gets up and limps to the door and opens it. M'gann, Wally, Robin, Kaldur, Artemis, all flood in. They jump on his bed—each looks so happy to see him, it makes him want to cry. Even Black Canary is there, even though he acted like a jerk. He starts to try and apologize to each one of them, but they won't let him. They understand, it wasn't his fault. All they want to do is hug him and be glad that he's finally going to be ok.

Superman isn't there. But really, that's alright.

To be continued in

MASKS, PART IV:

PRESENT