"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman begins, back facing the team and looking at the holographic map in front of him. "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neosteroid, a strength enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. The plan requires two drop zones."

"So who's in charge?" Robin asks.

Red Tornado and Batman look at each other before Batman answers. "Work that out between you."

Everyone looks at each other before they head off to the bioship. A few hours later, Santa Prisca is in view.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca," Miss M says. "Drop zone A in 30."

Aqualad and Spook stand up. Aqualad turns his suit to stealth.

"Ready," Aqualad says.

"Putting bioship in camouflage mode."

An opening forms from the bottom of the ship and Spook and Aqualad dive into the sea below. They avoid the naval mines and Spook grabs Aqualad, phasing them through the underwater net. Aqualad looks at Spook a little shocked before he recovers and follows behind her to the beach. Aqualad takes out the machine to take out the sensors, and Spook places it on top of a camera without notice.

Aqualad presses his comm. "Heat and motion sensors are patched. Data is now on a continuous loop. Move in." He looks over at Spook. "A little warning next time would be appreciated. You never said you could phase others."

"Why would I?" Spook scoffs. "Sorry, I couldn't really warn you because we need to remain silent."

"Aqualad, drop B is go," Miss M's voice comes over the comm.

"Head for the factory. I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP."

"Roger that," Robin says.

"Warning, I'm picking you up," Spook says, lifting up Aqualad, turning invisible, and flying up the side of a cliff.

"Did you hear that?" Superboy and Phantom ask, voices coming through everyone's comm.

"Uh, no," KF admits. "Wait. Is this a super hearing thing?"

"Ghosts have super hearing," Phantom admits.

"You do have great ears," Miss M sighs.

"Ok, Rob, now what?" KF asks. "Man, I hate it when he does that."

"Does what?" Spook asks. "That disappearing thing? He probably just vanished into the jungle to blend in."

"Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked," Aqualad says.

"Got a squad of armed bozos incoming," KF says.

"Two squads," Superboy corrects. "But they'll meet each other before they find us."

Gun shots begin to go off.

"No super hearing required now," KF says.

"Swing wide, steer clear," Aqualad commands.

"Y-yeah, as soon as I find Rob," KF says. Slipping and grunts can be heard a second later. "So much for the stealthy..." The gunshots become louder as KF shouts. "Whoa! Whoa."

"Hyah! What is wrong with you guys? Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?" Robin fusses.

"That's what you were doing? Way to fill us in," KF huffs.

"I told you so!" Spook laughs.

"We're not mind readers, you know," KF shouts. It's silent for a moment. "Er, I'm not anyway."

"You told me I could only read the bad guys' minds," Miss M says.

Aqualad and Spook appear before an escaping troop member, and Aqualad shocks him, causing the guy to pass out. They tie them all up around some large trees.

"I recognize those uniforms," Robin says. "They belong to the cult of the Kobra."

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Aqualad says.

"Agreed. And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off," Robin says.

"We get it," KF huffs. "Kobra wanted super cultists. Mystery solved. Radio Bats, and we'll be home in time–"

"These cultists aren't on Venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why," Robin says.

"Until you know why?" KF huffs.

"This team needs a leader," Robin retorts.

"And it's you? Dude, you're a 13-year-old kid who ducked out on us without a word," KF fusses.

"Ha ha!" Robin laughs. "And you're a mature 15? You blew our cover first chance you got."

"Don't you want to lead?" Miss M asks Superboy and Phantom.

They both scoff.

"You?" Phantom asks.

"After the Mr. Twister fiasco?"

"You did awesome," Phantom reassures with a smile as Miss M blushes.

"What about you?" Superboy asks Spook.

"I can protect and handle only one teammate," Spook says. "More than that gets out of my control."

Nearby two members of a group begin talking in Spanish. Spook, Phantom, and Superboy listen in.

"/Look at them argue! Free yourself and take them while they're distracted!/"

"/Quiet!/" the leader shouts. "/For now I play along. They'll give me what I need./"

Spook and Superboy smirk.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!" KF shouts.

"Neither does Batman!" Robin counters.

"Duh, you're not Batman."

"Duh, closest thing we've got."

"Such clever ninõs. But you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest. Get you into the factory via my secret entrance," the leader says.

"There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something," Miss M says, reading his mind.

"Ah, ah, ah, chica. Bane is not that easy."

"Uggh. He's mentally reciting futbol scores en Español. This could take a while."

"Heh, I could open up his mind to you," Spook says, cracking her knuckles.

"We won't resort to torture," Robin says.

"Who said anything about torture?" Spook asks. "I was just going to control him."

The team looks at each other, deciding to or not.

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Bane says.

The team once again looks at each other, and Aqualad nods. They release Bane, and he takes them to an area that overlooks the factory. Robin and Kid Flash step up to take a closer look.

"Look at all that product," Robin says. "A buy is going down." Spook notices Bane turn away and walk in a different direction, so she follows. "But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then–"

"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad says.

"Just what I was thinking," KF says.

"Yeah, you're the thinker," Robin scoffs.

"Sarcasm? Dude," KF sighs. "A real leader would focus on getting answers."

Bane picks up a giant rock and throws it aside, revealing a secret passageway. "Answers are this way."

"So, now el luchador is our leader," KF comments, earning a shove from Robin. They all enter the cave and walk up to a mechanical wall. Bane presses a button, and it opens. They continue inside and encounter a door.

Robin looks around. "All clear." He runs out and disappears. The rest of them file out behind.

"Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane asks.

"No," Aqualad sighs. "He just does that."

"Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder," KF says and speeds off.

"Wait, Kid!" Aqualad hisses.

"Great chain of command," Bane scoffs.

The team looks at each other and over head Robin runs across the rail. Spook catches sight of him and follows after, invisible. Spook phases through the floor, appearing beside Robin.

"Could you refrain from doing that?" Robin says. "It catches me way off guard."

"Sorry," Spook apologizes.

KF slides into the room. "Whatcha got?"

"Chemical formulas," Robin replies. "I'm guessing it involves Venom, but..."

KF takes a bite of his chocolate bar and begins talking with his mouth full while pointing at the chemicals. "This one's Venom, and that one's... Whoa. The blockbuster formula from Cadmus. Mixed correctly, Kobra's new juice is more than Venom... and permanent. But how did Kobra get access to project blockbuster?"

"Our mystery buyer must also be Kobra's supplier! Using the cult to create a blockbuster Venom super formula. Robin to Aqualad, we got... static."

The three heroes look at each other before they disappear to their teammates. They come to be greeted by a battlefield.

"Miss Martian, radio is jammed! Link us up!" Aqualad commands.

'Everyone online?' Miss M asks.

'Yeah,' Superboy answers.

'You know it, beautiful.'

'Good. We need to regroup," Aqualad says.

'Busy now,' Robin says.

'Robin, now!' Aqualad shouts. 'Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path.'

They all exit the way KF knocks down Kobra slaves. They escape back into the tunnel they came just to have the Kobra venom beast knock it down.

"Superboy, the support beams!" Spook shouts.

Superboy begins to knock down all the support beams in the tunnel, caving in the tunnel and blocking the foes from getting the team. Spook and Phantom light the area around them with their fists.

"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin huffs once everyone's to safety.

"You and Spook do have the most experience," Aqualad says. "Perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared, Robin. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands?" Robin huffs.

"I don't want to be leader," Spook confesses. "Maybe one day but not now. I'm still only used to being a duo with my brother. I'm still getting used to working with a team. Once I'm able to handle everyone, maybe I will. You should lead us, Kaldur. You have been the one to lead this whole mission so far."

Robin groans. "Fine... Who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one who can."

"Please! I can run circles–" Wally begins.

"Wally, come on," Robin says. "You know he's the one. We all do."

"Hello, Megan. It's so obvious."

"Could have told you," Superboy says.

"As much as I only want to listen to my sister, I'll agree with my sorella."

Wally looks at Superboy then looks at Kaldur. "Okay."

"Then I accept the burden until one of you two are ready to lift it from my shoulders," Aqualad says, placing a hand on Robin and Spook's shoulder. It phases through Spook's shoulder and she gives a sheepish grin. "You were born to lead a team. Maybe not now, but soon." Robin smiles and nods. "All right. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

"Funny," Robin comments. "I had the same thought."

The team groups together to lay out a plan and begins to leave the tunnel.

"Sportsmaster's the supplier/buyer," Phantom says.

"But it still doesn't track," Robin says, looking at his holographic watch. "He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work."

"And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with Venom," KF says. "That took some major nerdage."

They reach the end of the tunnel to find Bane creep out in front.

"I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg,'" Aqualad says.

"Halt, ninõs," Bane says. "I'm feeling explosive."

"You betrayed us. Why?" Aqualad asks.

"I want my factory back."

'Spook, you will need a running start,' Aqualad telepathically says.

Spook gets ready by turning invisible and phasing the trigger right through Bane's hands.

"So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect." Bane presses down his thumb to realize the trigger is gone.

"With what? This trigger thingy?" Spook teases, shaking the trigger back and forth in front of Bane.

Bane roars and jacks a punch straight at Spook, going right through her. His face contorts in confusion and Spook giggles, sticking her tongue out at him. Miss Martian lifts Bane off the ground.

"Finally," Superboy says, moving into a stance for a punch along with Phantom.

"Drop him," Phantom says.

Miss Martian drops him, and they both pummel him. The female martian then goes to collect the bombs for later use. The team ties him to a tree and races off to stop the shipment. KF runs ahead and knocks out a few Kobra agents.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra shouts at Sportsmaster.

Superboy lands in front of Mammoth. "Go again?" Aqualad blasts him with a vessel of water when Mammoth charges toward Superboy. "Sorry. Not the plan."

Phantom goes over to Mammoth and overshadows him, turning him against his own. The team manages to beat down most everyone before Sportsmaster takes off in the helicopter. Miss Martian smirks as she presses the trigger, exploding all the bombs she placed in the helicopter and crashing the chopper onto the factory.

"I am plagued by mosquitoes," Kobra scoffs.

"Good, 'cause this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain," Robin says, twisting out from under his foot and landing in front of the rest of the team.

"Another time, then," Kobra says, disappearing into the jungle.

"We picked the right guy to lead," Robin says then smirks, spreading his arms out towards the exploded factory. "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman." He laughs wickedly.

The team returns to the cave to be greeted by an unhappy Batman. After they change into their civies, they line up left to right in front of him.

"A simple recon mission, observe and report," Batman says, leaning close to Aqualad's face. Batman backs up and walks down the line. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes. Until then... good job." The team all looks up at him in shock. "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character."

After a while, the team gets dismissed and everyone heads home.