Young Liberty

Young Liberty is a mash-up between Young Justice and Liberty's Kids. The episode this is base on is entitled "Postmaster General Franklin." Wally is James and Artemis is Sarah.

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June, 1775

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"In the meantime," continued Ben, "we have to find a way to get this load of mail through to New York. We can't spare another soldier," he mused.

"I'll take it!" cried Wally, reacting instinctively to the promise of a mission.

"That's very brave of you Wally," he replied, expecting the reaction, "but it could be dangerous."

"I'll be careful!" he assured. The excitement of a new mission made the reality of this statement questionable.

Ben narrowed his eyes, calling him out on his overconfident nature, "You'll have to be more than careful."

"You can count on me, sir!" he countered, completely un-phased by the pressure.

Ben turned towards the window and looked out, as if already searching the streets for Red Coats and spies, and with a heavy sigh explained, "I'm going to have to do just that. This load of mail contains several important dispatches to General Washington. They must not fall into British hands."

Before Wally had time to react to this important piece of information, a clunking on the stairs informed him that his teammate planned on entering the conversation.

"I'm going too!" Artemis exclaimed confidently, expanding the tight conversational-circle.

"It's not safe!" Wally shouted immediately.

"But you're carrying a letter to my mother," she reasoned, "I want to see with my own eyes that it gets on the mail boat."

"BE-sides," she added, before he had time to protest, "I'm twice the rider that you are."

"But I wouldn't need to take a horse if I went alone! I could run there in half the time! A quarter even!" Wally protested.

"You're ignoring the issue, Wally," she scolded, "I said I was coming."

"You are not!"

"I am!"

"You're not!"

"Artemis," Ben interjected, "if our colonial army possessed an ounce of your pluck, we'd have nothing to fear."

"And Wally," he added, "You may have incredible speed, but one thing you don't need in a time like this is publicity. Someday your talents may be required, but today is not that day. I'll ask Moses to prepare your horses. I want you both to follow Route One—the postal road connecting Philadelphia to New York—which I established twenty years ago as Royal Postmaster General. I set up a series of milestones, which will lead you to New York. The milestones are placed at regular intervals all the way to Boston. My postal system was a model of efficiency… but that was before our current troubles."

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Within the hour the horses were saddled and they were ready to begin their journey. Because he wasn't allowed to use his speed, combined with the unwelcome intrusion of Artemis, much of Wally's mood had already dissipated and he was not nearly as excited now as he had been when the trip had first been proposed. He still rode in the front, not allowing her the satisfaction out maneuvering him, even on horseback. She allowed him the lead as long as the road was narrow and when it widened again she pulled her horse to a stop beside him, following the direction of his eyes.  

It was a group of men blocking the road, three in common clothes but one whose lavish red uniform quickly gave away their alliance.

"They're the ones who bribe the postmen," Wally whispered, "They're Torries!"

"Maybe they'll let us through," Artemis reasoned. After all, they were only children and unlikely to be of any interest to the men.

"But there's a British soldier with them!" Wally gestured, as though Artemis' sharp eyes might have missed the bright red of his uniform.

"British soldiers are not monsters, you know," she laughed, amused by his "American" definition of himself. She'd grown up in the civilization of London England and his uncouth, "American" lifestyle was as alien to her now in Pennsylvania as it would have been had he grown up on the Western Plains.

"That's because you're BRITISH," he joked; half sneering at her, as though her place of birth made her an enemy to the cause.

"Might I remind you you're also British?" These colonialists, and Wally in particular, seemed to fancy themselves a completely different race from their brethren across the Atlantic. Sometimes Wally seemed to look at her as if she was from another planet entirely. Really. "Americans" draw so many lines between themselves.

"Okay," he replied suddenly, "Have it your way. Why don't you go ahead? I have to go water my horse. I'll meet you in just a minute."

But as soon as she reached the soldiers Artemis found a problem. A girl riding through the countryside was suspicious; a girl riding alone even more so. She informed the officer that her friend would be along shortly—that he was just watering his horse—but the officer kindly requested the precise nature of her ride.

Artemis froze. She was a horrible liar. She had never before had reason to lie at home and even now she had no taste for it. Lies left a horrible flavor in her mouth and the grimace on her face gave her away every time.

"Well you see—" she began, and the to her relief, spotted Wally riding quickly towards them, "Ah, here he comes."

He reigned in his horse with a quick hand and came to a stop in front of the soldier, who requested again the nature of their business. Before she could even blink Wally was off on his tale. Maybe it was just the way his mind worked, but he could invent stories in the blink of an eye and tell them in a way that made you want to believe him, even if you knew they weren't true.

"We're visiting a sick friend. Artemis got a letter that was weeks old saying that a dear friend of ours may perish soon. We only hope we're not too late."

The Red Coat gave a small gasp—as did Artemis—and bade them pass. The two thanked him kindly and rode on until they were out of both sight and earshot of the men. She told him how unhappy she was with his lie but he told her it was neccisary. She was just about to argue again when, Artemis' sharp eyes saw something; or rather, they didn't see something.

"Wally! You haven't got the mail bag!" she cried pulling her horse to a stop.

He turned to her, still smiling, and explained in his most chiding tone, "You think we would have made it through if I did?"

"But where is it?"

"Where they won't find it," he replied, obviously pleased with himself.

"Wally, what have you done with the mail?"

"Don't worry," he soothed, "We'll sneak back for it, when the sun goes down."

The waited the few hours until nightfall and then returned to their spot, crawling through the underbrush on their hands and knees, bickering softly in the darkness. Artemis was under the impression that they lies were shameful and unnecessary but Wally was certain of his own brilliance. The men were gone now. There was no one to catch them.

Of course it would have been faster for Wally to go alone, but Artemis had refused to stay by herself in the middle of the dark, dangerous woods. Additionally, she was sure with his record that something would go wrong and he would be captured and there would be no one to help him, or protect the mail.

The arrived at Wally's hiding spot in no time. He had hidden the mailbag under a rock by the river where it wouldn't be spotted by anyone who didn't already know where to look. With the satchel in hand the two walked back down the main road; warily at first, but then more confidently when they were certain that no one else was around.

Unfortunately they were incorrect.

"Something you forgot to tell us?" asked one of the Tories, stepping into their path.

"Run Artemis!" Wally yelled, dashing for the woods. She sprinted off ahead of him, moving sloppily over branches and rocks in her long skirt and clunky shoes. He followed just behind her, keeping a logical but hurried pace, well aware of the consequences of revealing his powers now.

As they came around a bend a pile or rocks caught Artemis' eye and she leapt swiftly across it. Wally was not so fortunate and his shoe caught and he sprawled across the ground, dropping the bag and illuminating its contents.

"Ah, what have we here?" the Tory asked, stooping to pick up the bag. But before he could close his hand around the strap a flash of light and smoke sounded just feet away and he turned and ran.

"So! You've lead your friends here!" he cried, running away as fast as he could.

"It's not much farther where we left the horses," Wally said, stooping to collect the mailbag, "just keep running!"

They were only a few steps before the two of them pulled up short.

"I told you this would be trouble!" Artemis lamented, as two more men stepped into their path. They turned and ran in the opposite direction, desperate to escape their would be captors but two more ambushed them from the forest and they found themselves trapped and writhing in the grip of their subjugators.

A short time later they found themselves in a small farmhouse surrounded by people at writing desks and others moving easily around the room, carrying things from place to place. They were accused of stealing the mail but when they showed their captor Dr. Franklin's signature and told him of their mission and Franklin's plans for an independent American postal service, the tension was immediately released. The man explained that they were a volunteer organization, dedicated to assisting the war effort through better communication throughout the colonies. They collected information from spies and informants, press reports and intelligence messages and spread them far and wide. They even assisted with the delivery of mail.

"Then you'll let us carry our bag to New York?" Wally asked.

"Let you? We'll help you!" the man replied, "We'll supply an armed escort all the way to New York!"

"You see?" Wally smirked, "I told you my plan was a good one!"

"But you could have gotten us in trouble!" Artemis replied, arching her brows in contempt.

"She's not kidding," the man agreed, "The British would gladly imprison any one of us in this room for what we're doing. You two amaze me with your courage."

"You're too kind," Artemis replied, blushing modestly at the complement.

"He's right, Artemis," Wally said, turning towards her, "You showed some real bravery."

"Why not?" Artemis joked, "I've got you to inspire me," she said, moving closer to him and looking him in the eye, "Even if I don't always approve of your tricks."

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Once they arrived in New York they stopped at a seemingly ordinary tavern and announced proudly, "We've brought the mail all the way from Philadelphia!"

"Why are we stopping off in this tavern to brag about our exploits?" asked Artemis, confused.

"This is the end of the line, Artemis," Wally explained, "The mail is distributed here."

The two watched as the bartender sorted and stacked the letters and divided them into piles. Then men from the tavern came forward to collect their designated mail stack. Wally explained how the letters would be taken all over town and delivered.

"But what about my letter to my mother?" Artemis asked, "It's going to London, not a part of New York."

"One of the volunteers takes the overseas letters to the harbor and puts them on the first ship headed across the Atlantic."

"So we've done it?" she asked ecstatically.

"Yes!"

"My mother will get her letter?"

"She will Artemis," he boasted, "You can count on it!"

"Wally, I'm so happy I could kiss you!" she cried, smiling widely.

"Artemis, please!" he joked, holding up his hand in protest, "I've suffered enough at the hands of the British!"