-PLEASE HYDRATE-

The team should have been relieved when the league showed up. They should have, but all they could think of was the brutal lecture they were about to get.

It was embarrassing to be saved by the league. They literally spent all their time trying to prove that they didn't need the league's constant help and protection, now here they were, needing help and protection. The irony was painful.

The league took down their defeaters, and the mentors cut the ropes binding their mentees. And with the conclusions of someone kicking the lighter away from M'gann's face, and Kaldur retrieving the chip of Kryptonite that had been shoved down the back of Conner's shirt, they were ready to be scolded for wasting the league's time.

Except that isn't what happened.

"Are you all alright?" Dinah asked, helping them  off the concrete.

"Swell." Wally said sarcastically, curling his lip against his bloody nose. "Just swell."

"I'm sorry that we had to call you..." Kaldur started, wanting to apologize quickly and not let the league scold them too much.

"There's no need to apologize. We were on our way here when we received your distress call." Black Canary assured, checking Conner's scuffed up arm for injury. 

"Oh, so you just assumed that we were going to need help?" Artemis spat over her still swollen lip.

"You did, didn't you?" Green Arrow asked.

"What's your point?" She snarled. "Why were you coming here then?"

"This mission was a set up. We couldn't warn you because you were out of range." Batman stated, helping his ward stand on his (Likely broken) ankle. Robin shly leaned against his mentor for support. "We realized that you're landing sight was coincidentally the only part of the facility listed as 'unguarded'. It had to be a trap."

"Not to mention, we did a little digging, and it turns out this facility was recently purchessed, under the table, by one Lex Luthor." Superman sounded infuriated, glaring at Conner like he had personally had done this.

"No shocker. We saw him." Wally replied.

"You did?" Batman asked.

"Yeah. He showed up, took a picture, then left ...Asshole..." The redhead muttered.

"Sorry you had to come by." M'gann said quietly, her and Kaldur were currently rehydrating. "We should have been more careful..."

"No, we're sorry." Black Canary reassured, helping M'gann up and towards her ship. "We should have checked before sending you here."

"Yes, the team isn't... experienced enough for Luthor yet." Batman added, adding insult to injury.

"Not experienced  enough to destroy him yet. Just tell me as soon as I am." Conner growled, ready to go full Frankenstein's monster on his dad.

"The team is still in training." Dinah reminded, making the teens glance away in frustration, a hint of shame heating their cheeks. Black Canary noticed the looks of anger and embarrassment across the kid's faces. "Even we struggle against Luthor, we shouldn't have sent you on this mission."

"Let's just go." Artemis said.

"We'll bandage you up when you get back to the mountain." Oliver told his kid. "If you go home looking like that, your mother will kill me."

"Whatever." She mumbled. limping onto the bioship with the team behind her.

"Robin." Batman said firmly. "You can't walk on your own. you're coming back in the batwing." 

Robin couldn't disagree. Looking down, he waved dejectedly to his friends as his father half-lead, half-carried him away.