AN:

Guys. Guys. GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS. I AM FREAKING OUT AND SPAZZING! WHY? *******************************REALLY BIG SPOILER BELOW, go to the next line of stars if you don't wanna read it:

NIGHTWING IS IN YOUNG JUSTICE INVASION'S FIRST EPISODE! TYPE UP NIGHTWING YOUNG JUSTICE ON GOOGLE IMAGES AND IT'S THERE. HE IS STANDING NEXT TO BATMAN. IT IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT LEGIT. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

I WANT MY BABY ROBIN BACK (even though he is HAWT as Nightwing ;]) I don't want him to be Nightwing yetttttttt. I can't even describe how I reacted when I first saw it. I screamed and my mom thought I was dying. Seriously. Then I told my younger sis (13) and she screamed too (even though she is not as obsessed with Robin as I am. She likes Batman. Which is creepy, since he's, like, 32 or something.

****************************************END SPOILER

So, I decided to update Bird Flu in order to relieve some stressss.

Yeah.

I got a GIGANTIC load of AP bio homework today…seriously, last week we had to do two questions and today, my teacher gave us SIXTY LOOONNGGG questions and two textbook chapters to read. I was like, why? WHYYY? And yet, I'm still updating.

Oh, let me clear something up: I was an idiot and confused some people. Yes, I take AP biology. No, I am not in 12th grade! I skipped my grade's science and math classes, so I take AP courses for those two subjects. 'Kay? Sorry about that. We still call 'em AP classes in my school. Hee hee, I's such a nerd :D

…Ready for this?

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE IS BIRD FLU!
I seriously need to stop rhyming.

Please review!

~Zara

Wally felt his eyes fill with tears as Robin retched again, coughing.

"They'll be here soon, buddy," Wally said, his voice wavering as he held Robin tighter. "They'll be here."

Ten minutes later, Robin stopped vomiting.

His body slumped, exhausted, into Wally's waiting arms. The speedster reached over and grabbed one of his discarded gloves, still holding onto his best friend.

Wally gently wiped Robin's mouth and tossed the glove away again. He stood with Robin in his arms and walked back over to where they were sitting before. Kaldur kicked some dirt over the vomit before joining them.

Wally settled Robin in his lap this time, instead of on the ground. He put Robin's head on his shoulder and he could feel the heat radiating from the boy.

Wally felt Robin's forehead again. The heat was so intense that he knew that, had he had them on, he could have felt it through his gloves.

"It's gotten higher," Wally breathed to Kaldur.

Kaldur'ahm looked at the ebony. Robin was still shivering and seemed barely conscious.

"We have to remove some of his clothing," Kaldur said firmly. "The fever must be brought down."

Wally nodded, motioning for Aqualad to take Robin from his arms. Kaldur did so, gently settling Robin onto his own lap.

Wally got to his knees and swiftly undid the clasps of Robin's tunic. Then, he removed the Kevlar vest.

Underneath, Robin's chest rose and fell haphazardly. It was shining slightly with sweat, outlining the Boy Wonder's strong abs.

Robin moaned as the air hit his body. He coughed and shivered harder, turning to bury his face into Aqualad's chest.

"Sorry, Rob," Wally whispered, taking Robin back into his lap again. "But your fever's getting out of hand."

Robin could only cough in response.

"We are not doing enough," Kaldur said. He took Wally's clean glove and took out his sword again, doing the same water manipulation trick he had earlier. He drenched the glove, cursing himself as to why he didn't do this earlier.

He took the cool, damp glove and ran it across Robin's forehead. Robin moaned again, nuzzling into Wally's chest.

Kaldur continued to wipe at Robin's face and neck, mentally apologizing as Robin trembled.

Robin sneezed again, his face still against Wally's chest. The kid didn't even have the strength to turn away.

Had it been anyone else, Wally would have been slightly disgusted. But this was Robin, his best friend, his little brother. So, Wally rubbed Robin's bare back as the Boy Wonder sneezed again.

Robin sniffled and snuggled deeper into Wally's chest and it was then that Wally fully realized.

Robin was only thirteen. Just a baby.

Yes, he was the Boy Wonder. Yes, he was the first partner to a League member. Yes, he was the protégé of Batman. Yes, he had more experience in crime fighting than anyone on the team. Yes, he had witnessed the death of his own family and dozens of others.

But that did not change the fact that he was only thirteen.

Wally felt a lone tear slide down his face.

"Kaldur," he whispered. "They have to get here soon…"

"I know, Kid," Aqualad replied softly. Worry was beginning to take over his emotions; they had been in the cave for four hours.

And whether it was because he was panicking or because it really was, Wally thought the air seemed heavier, more humid.

They didn't have much oxygen left.

Robin's sniffle lulled him out of those terrifying thoughts. Wally quickly took Robin's discarded cape and used the hem of it to wipe Robin's nose gently.

"Thanks…" Robin whispered hoarsely, sniffling again.

"Don't talk, dude," Wally told him once more.

There was a short silence.

Which was, again, broken by a fit of coughing from Robin. But this fit seemed to be the most painful one of all.

Wally felt Robin's body shake with the force of the coughs and he squeezed him gently, trying to provide some sort of comfort. Kaldur reached over and slid Robin's gloves off, holding one of his hands in both of his own.

When the coughs subsided, Robin put a hand to his chest, wincing.

"Guys…" By now, Robin's voice was so weak and raspy that it was barely audible. "Guys, I…I don't think- "

"Shhh," Wally said quickly, knowing perfectly well what Robin had been about to say. "They're coming."

Wally stroked Robin's slightly damp hair as the younger coughed again.

Robin panted, trying to catch his breath, and Kaldur and Wally watched with fearful eyes as he did so.

Then they heard them.

They were faint, but definitely there.

Voices. More than one of them.

"GUYS!" Wally yelled. He almost shot to his feet, but remembered that he was holding Robin and stopped. "GUYS, WE'RE IN HERE!"

Kaldur quickly got up and got as close to the pile of rocks as he could without touching it.

"Team, are you there?" he called loudly.

He heard a female voice but could not hear it clearly. A few seconds later the same voice sounded in his mind, as well as in Robin's and Wally's.

"Kaldur? Are you all online?" M'gann asked telepathically.

"Yes. You must get us out, now. Our air supply is diminishing quickly. And Robin is very ill," Kaldur informed her.

The Atlantian felt Miss Martian's worry through the mind link.

"Move back, Aqualad," she said. "I'm going to stabilize the rocks."

"Go ahead," Kaldur said after moving backwards.

The rock pile seemed to vibrate a bit, a few of the rocks falling out of it and hitting the ground. Then, a barely-there white glow surrounded the pile.

Wally stood up slowly and joined Kaldur in front of the pile, still holding Robin to his chest.

"Okay, Conner," M'gann said. "It's stable."

A few seconds later, Wally and Kaldur could hear the Kryptonian heaving at the rocks and tossing them away.

Wally nuzzled Robin's hair. "Hang on, Rob. They're almost in."

In a few minutes, Superboy's hand shot through the small gap he had made in the pile. He pushed the other rocks out of the way, and Wally and Kaldur scrambled backwards as they tumbled downward.

Finally, the gap was big enough for the teens to fit through. Wally zoomed up to it.

"Take him," he said breathlessly, holding Robin out to Conner. "He needs medical attention."

The clone nodded, easily holding Robin in his muscular arms. The Boy Wonder was almost unconscious again, still panting.

Wally and Kaldur stepped through the gap too. Wally took in a deep breath, thankful for the fresh air.

M'gann took her hands away from her temple, where she had been holding them, and turned to Kid Flash and Aqualad.

"I'm calling the bioship now," she said, her eyes glowing green.

"What's wrong with Robin?" Artemis gasped. She was kneeling by Robin; Superboy had sat down on the forest floor, still holding the little bird.

Robin's flushed face could be seen clearer in the moonlight. He was still shaking; sweat glimmered like diamonds on his shoulders. His breathing was even more erratic.

"Bird flu," Wally said shortly. Artemis put her hand on Robin's forehead.

"Oh my god-he-he's burning!" she gasped.

"We know," Wally said, closing his eyes.

Then, the bioship appeared in the air above them, the walkway sliding out silently.

Conner immediately ran onto the ship, the others on his heels.

Miss Martian slid into the pilot's chair, raising the ship into the night sky as Conner gently set Robin down on the medical bed in the left corner of the ship. The teens gathered around their baby brother.

M'gann set the ship on autopilot and joined the group.

"Where- where should we take him?" she asked worriedly, feeling Robin's forehead herself and flinching at the heat. "Back to the cave?"

"Won't that take too-?" Wally was cut off by Kaldur.

"Yes, that is the best choice," Kaldur'ahm said. "There is a guaranteed vaccine there."

M'gann nodded, setting the ship on a return route with her mind.

"He needs oxygen," Wally said worriedly, sitting on the medical bed by Robin's head. "And some sort of fever-reducer." M'gann nodded, gathering supplies.

"Why is he shivering?" Artemis whispered, holding Robin's hand; the Boy Wonder was asleep, his breathing labored.

"His body is too overheated," Conner replied. "It's tricking itself into thinking it's cold."

"Here," M'gann said. "It's the strongest fever-reducer we have right now."

She handed Wally a small syringe, full to the brim with a clear medicine. Wally quickly injected it into Robin's arm.

Artemis grabbed a tissue and wiped at Robin's runny nose as M'gann flipped the on switch to the ventilator that stood next to the bed. She gently slipped the mask over Robin's mouth and nose.

Robin rasped as oxygen made its way into his lungs. He moaned a bit, twisting on the bed.

Figuring that the fever medicine would do some good, Wally took a black blanket out of one of the ship's cabinets; he couldn't stand to watch Robin shiver any longer.

Walking back over to the bed, Wally carefully tucked the blanket around Robin. Then, he sat on the bed on Robin's left, Artemis moving to sit on his right.

Artemis gently ran her fingers through Robin's hair as Wally looked anxiously at his best friend's face.

M'gann went back over to the pilot's seat, taking the ship off of auto pilot; she could fly it faster manually.

Conner and Kaldur both kneeled by Robin's bed, worry evident on both of their faces.

"M'gann, what is our ETA?" Kaldur asked, looking over at the auburn haired girl.

"Four hours*, she's flying as fast as possible," Miss Martian replied.

Kaldur nodded and turned back to Robin.

Wally felt Robin's forehead again, whose face was slowly losing its pink flush.

"It's going down," he said, smiling widely. "He's gonna be okay."

The ship flew over Happy Harbor. M'gann contacted the cave.

"Black Canary, Red Tornado," she said clearly. "We're approaching the cave. Robin is sick and needs immediate medical attention."

"Roger that, M'gann." Black Canary's worried voice sounded throughout the ship. "What's wrong with Robin?"

"Bird flu," M'gann said, her voice faltering a bit.

"Oh god," Dinah breathed. "I'll meet you in the landing bay."

Ten minutes later, the ship flew through the open bay doors and came to a halt in the landing bay. Artemis removed Robin's oxygen mask as Conner took the Boy Wonder back into his arms.

Black Canary was at Conner's side the moment he was off of the ship.

"I've readied the infirmary," she said, taking Robin from Superboy's arms and holding him just as easily. "Tell the team to meet me there."

Conner nodded as Dinah ran towards the medical wing.

The rest of the team made its way after her.

In the medical room, Black Canary had laid Robin down on a bed. She was rummaging through the cabinets that lined the walls.

"Batman is in Gotham; Penguin was causing trouble," she said over her shoulder as the team surrounded Robin again. "But he'll be here as soon as he can."

Taking a large case out of the cabinet, Dinah laid it on one of the empty beds. She opened it. It was full of vaccines for every kind of disease imaginable, from yellow fever to malaria.

Quickly grabbing the one labeled "bird flu," Black Canary hurried over to Robin and injected it into his arm.

"He should be okay," she said quietly, setting the empty syringe down. "It'll take a few weeks, but he will recover."

Wally let out a sigh, shooting Kaldur a grin. The Atlantian too looked relieved.

Dinah felt Robin's forehead. His temperature had indeed decreased, but to someone who had not felt it previously, it seemed high.

Extracting a thermometer from another cabinet, she slipped it inside Robin's mouth.

The device beeped and Dinah read the small numbers.

"102˚," she muttered. She turned to the teens.

"Someone get that small case from the bottom cabinet, and take out the syringe labeled F-34," she instructed.

Wally obeyed, handing Black Canary the syringe. She injected it into Robin.

"Fever-reducer," she said, answering the unasked question. "A weak one, seeing as I'm assuming you already gave him one?"

Artemis nodded. "What do we do now?"

"Hook him up to the ventilator," Black Canary replied.

M'gann floated over to the machine that stood beside Robin's bed, turning it on and putting the mask over Robin's mouth again.

After a while, Robin's breathing was steadier than it had been all night. Conner retrieved a small towel and handed it to Wally, who used it to wipe the sweat off of Robin's shoulders and face.

The ebony was still shivering slightly. Artemis looked at Black Canary, silently questioning her.

"Go ahead," Dinah said, nodding.

Artemis quickly scooped up one of the white blankets that were stacked inside of another cabinet. She walked back over to the bed, tucking it snuggly around Robin's lithe body.

Soon enough, Robin stopped trembling. For the first time, the pain faded from his face and he relaxed into peaceful slumber.

Wally and Artemis both seated themselves on either side of Robin on the bed. Conner and M'gann both sat on the bed next to Robin's while Kaldur stood next to it. They all watched their youngest member sleep for a moment. Black Canary spoke then.

"Will you guys be alright here?" she asked softly, looking at the teens. "I have to get going. I was only here because Red Tornado was needed by the League."

"Yes, we shall be fine. Thank you," Kaldur said, his eyes never leaving Robin's face.

Dinah nodded and moved forward to get closer to Robin. She bent down and gently kissed his forehead.

"Let me know when he wakes," she requested. She left, giving a small wave.

Once the infirmary doors closed, there was more silence, which was broken by the beeping of Aqualad's com unit.

"Batman to Aqualad." The Dark Knight's voice sounded in Kaldur's ear.

"I am here, Batman," Kaldur replied, pressing a finger to his com. He could hear sounds of a battle going on on Batman's side, accompanied by the sound of manic laughter and gunshots.

"How is Robin?" Batman asked, his voice urgent yet focused.

"Black Canary has vaccinated him. He still has a fever but it is going down and he is currently asleep," Kaldur said carefully. All eyes were on him as he spoke.

Batman gave a barely audible sigh. "Keep an eye on him. I'm not going to be done here anytime soon. Batman out."

Kaldur took his finger off his com, turning to the team.

"Batman asked us to watch Robin; he has a situation in Gotham."

Wally snorted. "Did he really have to tell us to watch him?"

Kaldur gave a light smile, his eyes already back on Robin.

Robin slept on for about an hour, during which the team dozed, Kaldur moving to sit on another bed.

The older teens jerked awake as they heard a small moan. In a second, they were all gathered around Robin yet again.

The Boy Wonder was stirring, the lenses of his mask slowly opening. After blinking a few times, Robin's azure orbs opened fully behind the black domino mask.

"Hey, Rob. How are you feeling?" Wally asked quietly, still in his position on the bed.

Robin cleared his throat slightly before speaking. "M'fine," he murmured.

He tried to sit up, and Wally quickly helped him to do so.

Robin reached up to pull the oxygen mask off of his face. He coughed a few times, his hand going to his bare chest.

"Are you sure you're alright?" M'gann asked worriedly, putting her hand over Robin's.

Robin smirked good-naturedly. "I'm fine, Miss M. Thanks to you guys."

Wally visibly relaxed. Then, a mixture of relief and irritability flitted across his face.

"Dude, never scare us like that again!" he exclaimed, giving Robin's arm a playful punch.

Robin smiled tiredly, leaning back into his pillows. "No promises," he said, yawning.

"You should rest," Kaldur said, moving forward to squeeze Robin's shoulder. "You need time to recover."

Robin didn't even argue. Instead, he laid back down and Conner pulled the blanket back over him.

The team watched Robin drift off again. Then-

"So…" Artemis said, smirking. "Robin with the bird flu?"

"Shuddup…" came Robin's slurred response.

The older teens laughed, finally at ease.

Their baby brother was safe. He was going to recover.

And that's all that mattered.

DONEEEE! I can focus on Sacrifice again now! I haven't even started chapter 5 :o

For those who don't know, Happy New Year photos and a clip have been released! You can find 'em on Tumblr, I think.

I hope you guys all liked this. Ending was kinda weak and sorry, but no Daddy Bats in this story! That's being saved for Sacrifce ;)

Please review! And if you did read the spoiler, tell me your thoughts about it please!

*I knooowww you can't fly from India to the US in four hours...just bear with me ;)

In reality, humans don't always recover from bird flu. There aren't enough human cases to prove otherwise. So, my ending was unrealistic. BUT, did you want Robin to die? Didn't think so :D

~Zara