Chapter 7: Ideals

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"Failure comes only when we forget our ideals and objectives and principles." Jawaharlal Nehru

Chapter: 7: "Ideals"

(Friday-February 19, 2016)

Atlantis looked every bit like the fantasy city it was portrayed as in the stories. Deep at the bottom of the ocean, the sprawling architecture was lit up by magic lights spread throughout the city. Most of the citizens were human beings which had evolved to grow gills and webbed hands. Some of them were covered in scales, while other could easily pass as normal humans. Other than the natural citizens of the underwater kingdom, dozens of yeti ghosts covered in white fur moved throughout the city as guards which helped the city soldiers.

One yeti ghost stood out from the others. He was a larger beast with horns of ice. Both his arms were missing and were replaced by ice with bones on the inside. A large grin covered his friendly snout, "Plasmius! It's been too long!"

Plasmius floated up to hug his old friend, "It's good to see you as well, Frostbite. How have you been?"

"Fantastic all things considering," Frostbite released the halfa. "I've heard that things on the surface are not great, though."

Plasmius nodded, "That's part of the reason that I'm here to speak with you and Aquaman."

"I figured," Frostbite glanced around as if to look for someone else. "No Vision?"

"She didn't think that a six month pregnant woman should risk intense underwater pressure," Plasmius explained. "We have no idea if it would affect the baby, but we thought it would be better to try to be as safe as possible."

"Fair point," Frostbite nodded in understanding. "Come. I will show you to the king."

The yeti ghost led Plasmius through the halls of the Atlantian palace. While they moved, Plasmius observed the swimming soldiers. Despite most of them knowing of him, they seemed tense at having a stranger getting so close to the heart of the kingdom. He couldn't blame them. The last time outsiders were in their city, their king had been murdered.

"Your people seemed to have acclimated well," Plasmius mentioned.

"Indeed," Frostbite grinned. "It was a rough start, but the locals grew accustomed to us after all our work to fix and protect their city."

"I see," Plasmius glanced out a window. He didn't remember much during the Blackest Night. He had been ambushed during his honeymoon without his pants. The only part of the crisis that he had fought in was the final battle. When Nekron was finally vanquished, he learned of the great losses which happened during the fight. One of the worst events happened in this very city.

When they reached some large doors, they floated into a large throne room. While mostly bare, the chamber had large pillars leading up to the single chair despite the space provided suggesting that there should be two thrones. Kaldur sat on the seat while a light skinned man floated next to him. Aquaman's seemingly personal guard wore a tight blue and black swimsuit. His hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Despite their leaders being calm, the soldiers which lined the room remained tense until Kaldur waved at them to calm them down.

Plasmius knelt down in front of the throne, "Thank you for accepting my meeting request, your Majesty."

Kaldur moved up from his throne. He swum over to the halfa. Placing his hand on the elder man's shoulder, he spoke, "You need not kneel, my friend. Every member of the Phantom Family is considered an equal to me."

"I still wish to respect your customs. Best not to insult the locals," Plasmius stood up now that he had permission.

"Ever the politician," Kaldur smiled. "I see where Phantom got if from."

Plasmius chuckled, "It took a while for me to completely ingrain it into him. You remember what he was like when he was fifteen."

Kaldur's lips twitched, "Five years ago. It seems like a lifetime."

"That it does," Plasmius nodded. "Would it be too rude to ask for a private meeting?"

"Not at all," Kaldur waved at his soldiers to leave. "I ask that Garth remains. He is my most trusted advisor. There is nothing that happens within Atlantis that is secret to him."

"Of course," Plasmius smiled to Garth. "It's good to see you as well, Tempest."

"I am glad to see you in good health, Plasmius," Tempest watched as the soldiers closed the doors behind them. "Now what do you want?"

"It's about the aliens."

"Yes," Kaldur sighed. "That has been a mess for us as well. We might very well be the last to know if a full invasion occurred. It is especially strenuous with my extra duties to the League, but I do not think that you are here for League matters, are you?"

"No," Plasmius shook his head. "I need the king of Atlantis, not the hero of the Justice League."

Kaldur's facial expression grew hard, "Then speak, and I will listen."

Plasmius did just that. He went over every detail which happened since the turn of the New Year and their plans of how to deal with it, "…we need an unexpected force. The Light has proven that they won't be beaten by conventional means. We have to use every trick possible if we wish to save the Earth from whatever they're planning."

"And you want full access to my country for that?" Kaldur was frowning.

"You are completely isolated. What happens here will be secret from even them," Plasmius explained. "Plus, we will need Frostbite's people to build a proper fighting force."

"You are asking a lot from me," Kaldur stated. "I will be risking my position as a member of the League to build a fighting force without their knowledge. Not to mention the danger it would put my people in."

"Perhaps, but there's so much more to lose," Plasmius argued. "My wife will have our child soon. I want to create a world where they will both be safe. Aren't you tired of losing people by playing by the rules? Haven't you thought about how much better things could be?"

Aquaman shared a look with Tempest. They both nodded, "Let me show you something before I make any decision."

"What do you want to show me?"

"The consequences of everything that Atlantis has lost."

Spirit sat in the Bioship. The interior of the Martian space ship was wide in order to be able to carry dozens of people. Despite the girth of the interior, the halfa was only accompanied by three other people. Bumblebee and Wonder Girl sat on either side of her. Miss Martian was at the core of the ship in order to navigate the vessel.

"Investigating the origin of the alien bomb that destroyed the Krolotean invasion force is still a high priority," Nightwing's image appeared on the front screen of the ship. "We suspect the bomb may have been smuggled to Earth via boom tube. Watchtower sensor scans in Bialya have recorded an uptick in boom tube activity. Alpha squad, your mission is—"

Wonder Girl interrupted him, "Sneak behind enemy lines, recon known boom tube hotspots, and find alien tech matching the bomb. Oh, and don't get caught or create an international incident. Right?"

Nightwing smiled, "That about covers it."

M'gann frowned, "Psimon?"

An image of the pale telepath with his massive brain exposed inside his clear head popped up on the front of the window, "We have confirmation that Bialya's telepathic enforcer's still catatonic in a Quraci hospital. After his last encounter with you. But Bialya's dictator, Queen Bee, is another story. Her ability to control the minds of men is why Alpha is an all-female squad for this mission."

"Would you need to justify an all-male squad?" Oracle's voice sounded from beside Nightwing.

Nightwing's eyes were wide, "I…erm…"

Spirit decided to have pity on the poor man, "Hey, don't put the blame on him. I know for a fact that this was your idea, Oracle."

"Oh. Why did you have to ruin my fun?" Oracle giggled.

"I'd rather not create an environment where the guys pussyfoot around talking to us," Spirit noted.

"And on that note, I'm out. Good luck," Nightwing cut the connection before anything could be blamed on him. The girls in the Bioship giggled as they finished their trip. Eventually, they made their way into the Bialyan desert. After searching a few compounds, they spotted a much busier hideout. Hidden behind one of the hundreds of dunes, they spied on a large hanger compound filled with armed men. The light of the moon glowed down upon everything to give it an eerie glow.

Spirit spied on the enemy from a distance. She spoke to the others using their mental connection, 'This place is buzzing. If anything involving boom tubes is in this stupid desert, it would be here.'

Miss Martian hardened her features, 'Our job is to find out. Spirit, take the north hangar. I'll take the south. Bee, the middle. Wonder Girl, hold position.'

Wonder Girl's expression fell, 'What? Wait, why can't I go in?'

'Cause you're Wonder Girl, honey,' Bumblebee noted. 'Not Stealth-err Girl.'

Wonder Girl flinched, 'I can do this.'

'This isn't a fist fight, Cass,' Spirit shook her head in annoyance. 'This is recon. One slip up, and this place goes on high alert. Stay on lookout.'

'Why won't you ever give me a chance?' Wonder Girl pleaded. 'How can I prove myself if you won't let me try?'

'This is not the time to act like a little girl,' Spirit hissed. 'One stray bullet, and someone is dead. I will not watch another of my friends die because you got over enthusiastic.'

'Geeze, girl,' Bumblebee glared at the ghost. 'She's just trying to help.'

'And so am I,' Spirit clenched her fist.

'It's okay,' Wonder Girl was looking down. Her voice was filled with the pain at being rejected by her hero. 'I'll keep watch.'

Miss Martian's face remained impassive, 'Keep radios silent. Use psychic link only. The Bialyans have the tech to intercept our radios. Anything goes wrong, we scatter and meet at the rendezvous point. Clear?'

'Clear!'

With the mission settled, Spirit turned invisible and rushed to her hanger. Taking a glance back, she saw Wonder Girl hugging her knees to her chest. Regret surged through Spirit, but she quickly buried it away like everything else she felt. Even if Cassandra grew to hate her, the daughter of Zeus would still be alive. That's what was most important.

Shaking her head, Spirit rushed to her target. As she flew, she never noticed the disembodied crimson eyes staring. A low mad giggle lightly sounded over the desert sand before the orbs disappeared with a blink.

Dusk held binoculars over his eyes to examine the large hanger compound carved into the side of a cliff. Hundreds of armed Bilayan soldiers were spread out across the sandy landscape. Each of the men were completely covered in their dark uniforms. From his spot, he spotted a few meta-humans guarding the building as well. The stolen Red X armor was speaking with a large, buff woman with dreadlocks and thorn tattoos covering her left side.

"If he's anywhere, it would definitely be here," Dusk lowered his spy glasses. "This place is protected like Fort Knox. The Light definitely has some heavy investments in there."

Starfire tilted her head to the side, "What is this…Fort Knot?"

"Knox," Gear spoke automatically without thinking. "It is a saying originating over a heavily protected military base in the state of Kentucky."

"Kentucky?" Starfire blinked.

Black Bat flicked the alien upside the head, "No time to explain what the southern states are. We're on a mission."

"Yes, we are," Ravager giggled. "And it's a stealth one too. I'm so excited."

Red Hood grunted. He swung his sniper rifle over his shoulder, "You're not the one stuck outside."

"I think that it would be best to avoid having the most heavily armed one of us under Queen Bee's control," Herald noted. He closed the portal behind them with a wave of his hand.

"This Queen Bee can control people, correct?" Starfire questioned.

"Most men and some women," Dusk explained. "It's based completely on attraction."

"And boy, is she attractive," Red Hood purred. "Ow!"

Troia moved her hand back from pinching him, "How sweet of thee, love. Talking about how good looking another woman is in front of me."

"To be fair, she is a bombshell," Black Bat noted. "Wars were fought over women half as beautiful."

All eyes turned to her. Starfire was the one to speak, "How many women can the Bee seduce?"

"No idea," Dusk rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, before we head in…Is there anything you girls want to share? I mean…I'd rather not have to fight any of you."

"Don't look at me," Troia huffed. "Despite what thou might think, the Amazons are not an island of secret lesbians. Almost all of them are attracted to men exclusively. I actually have a working theory that the lack of proper sexual release is the reason that they are so aggressive. It would explain why my temper hasn't been as bad since my return to Man's World."

"Woah. That is more than I needed to know," Ravager snorted. "Well, I'll be fine unless she suddenly starts slaughtering people and bathing in their blood."

Everyone responded to that statement by stepping away from the white haired girl. Starfire leaned next to Dusk, "You were not kidding when you said that I would look normal compared to them."

Dusk nodded, "So I assume that you'll be good?"

Starfire blushed up realizing how close she was to him, "Y-Yes. I will be fine."

"And I'm good too," Black Bat placed her fists on her hips. "What about you?"

"I'm a ghost with training from the Shadows," Dusk mentioned. "I think that I'll be fine. And Gear's integration with his tech and helmet should keep him safe too."

Gear shifted uncomfortably, "Right. Yeah."

"So we're the only ones stuck outside," Red Hood side. "First bit of real action since I came back, and I'm sidelined."

Herald placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, "We will be here if you need to make a quick escape."

"Divide up into your teams," Dusk ordered. "Follow your stealth expert closely, and try to hunt down the captives. If the info is right, then there should be a lot of hostages, not just Virgil. Normally, I would order radio silence, but Backpack's signal jams will keep our message from getting intercepted. When you find our targets, radio in. Then we can meet back here to plan out the rescue."

Nodding, the three groups of duos moved out. While Troia moved with Ravager and Gear used a camouflage armor to keep up with Black Bat, Dusk took Starfire's hand to turn her invisible with him. Now hidden, they flew towards the base. They easily slipped into the compound. Despite their best attempts, though, Dusk was noticed by a young woman who looked a lot like him.

Kaldur floated next to a bed in a massage bedroom. All the furniture, decorations, and pictures were of obvious high quality. None of it appeared to have been used in years. A beautiful woman with crimson hair lie on the bed. She was unhealthily thin. Her soulless blue eyes stared up to the ceiling uncaringly.

Sighing, the second Aquaman called out to the woman, "Queen Mera. You have a visitor."

Mera did not respond.

"He is from the surface," Kaldur noted. "Perhaps you would want to greet him."

Mera remained still.

Shaking his head, Kaldur turned to Plasmius, "She was once my teacher, you know? The greatest sorceress Atlantis has ever known, and she has fallen to this."

Plasmius moved next to the woman to examine her, "Why won't she respond?"

"She's lost the will to live," Frostbite noted from the entrance. "We've tried to bring her out of it by using every means that we had available to us, but she won't respond to anything. Even telepaths can't help her. You can't fix someone who doesn't want to be fixed."

Tempest looked down in frustration, "Losing King Orin was what broke her. She was already at the edge after her son was…Well as you can see, she has yet to get better even after years have passed."

Plasmius swallowed roughly as he imagined Vision in a similar position, "This is exactly what I want to keep from happening again. I have my own wife and children to protect. I refuse to let anything close to this happen to them. That's why I need to take the initiative."

Kaldur stared at Plasmius, "Garth. Frostbite. Please give us a few moments."

While obviously surprised at being dismissed, the duo nodded and obeyed. When they were gone, Plasmius spoke again, "I thought there wasn't anything that happened in this city that Garth didn't know about."

"Nothing is happening. I have yet to decide about what to do," Kaldur moved to a chair by the bed. He collapsed into the seat in exhaustion. The young man finally showed the great burden which had weighed down on him for so long. "Right now, I just wish to talk to someone as a person instead of as a representation of all of Atlantis."

Plasmius eyed the new adult in pity, "I'm sorry that I have to place even more trouble on you."

"You are trying to do what is best for your family," Kaldur rubbed his temples. "I respect that, but you have to understand my position. I am a first generation of a new line of rules. Even if the queen could function again, I doubt that she would be able to retake her place. Plus, there is the problem of an heir. How cruel would it be to make her remarry and conceive after what she has experienced?"

"So you are stuck in this position," Plasmius noted. "Why not get rid of the concept of royalty all together? Transition into a democracy."

"One of King Orin's last acts was to make me king," Kaldur muttered. "If I were to spit upon that by trying to change the system now, there will be unrest. Perhaps in a few generations, it would be possible. Right now, Atlantis is not ready."

"I see," Plasmius nodded in understanding. "Are you being pressured about the heir issue?"

"Yes," Kaldur's face twisted with despair. "Even though I am young, the Black Hand's attack on us remains in the mind of the populace. They wish for things to return to as normal as possible. Starting the new line is a key to stabilizing the country."

"Personally, I find the role of husband and father to be fulfilling," Plasmius mentioned.

"I have no doubt that they are, but I have only ever had eyes for one woman. A woman which has long since rejected me for my best friend," Kaldur took a shuddered breath. "A woman who is long since dead."

Plasmius turned to glance at the door, "I see. No wonder you didn't want Tempest to hear this."

Kaldur gave a humorless chuckle, "Some friend I am huh? He lost the love of his life, yet I still pin for her."

"We do not get to control who we fall in love with. You never knew me before I met Vision, but I spent most of my life in love with another man's wife," Plasmius took a deep breath. "It was only after they both died was I able to move on and find the woman that I was truly meant to be with."

Kaldur frowned, "So you think that something similar will happen to me?"

"Perhaps. I don't know. All I know is that dwelling over what can never be isn't even healthy for a ghost," Plasmius suggested. "In my experience, if we truly try to improve ourselves and help people, things generally work out."

"In some ways maybe," Kaldur placed his hands onto his face. "But realize that I never wanted this kind of position. There was a reason that I let Danny lead Young Justice without complaint. I was always fine as the second-in-command. Yet here I am. King of Atlantis and one of the League's defacto top three with the founders out in space."

"You might not like it, but it seems like you were born to lead," Plasmius stated. "You've handled this situation extremely well. Not letting your followers see you in such a moment of weakness was a good call."

Kaldur groaned, "Perhaps, but I am so tired. Things keep getting harder. Black Manta…my father…has joined the Light."

"Then make them easier," Plasmius suggested. "Work with me to fight off the Light. That will lessen your weight as a superhero and show your people that you are competent enough to deal with any threat. That might lessen their anxiety and give you time to find a woman who can truly help you."

Kaldur burst out laughing, "Ever the politician! You would make a terrifying enemy."

Plasmius grinned, "And an amazing ally."

"Fair point," Aquaman extended a hand. "I am convinced. Let us save the world."

Plasmius shook the hand, "And this time, there will be no casualties."

She didn't know what was happening. One moment, the halfa was sneaking through the hanger. Then in an instant, she was teleported back into the desert. A light wind rushed the sand below her. Before she could begin to fathom what was happening, the weight of life and death seemed to crash down on her.

Spirit felt warm nervous sweat roll down her body. Her Premonition was screaming at her from dozens of intentions intentions all at once. She had never experienced such a strange mix of intentions from a voice that were all so similar. While her mental power was being assaulted, her body was trapped by different knives pointing at her all across her body and a long thorned whip that was wrapped around her.

"Why hello there~"

A mature adult woman's body draped itself across Spirit's back, ignoring the blades and whips. Spirit felt a lump grow in her throat as hot breath hit her ear. The intentions dancing off the woman behind her were too wild to understand.

"How rude…You're supposed to say hello back, sweetie~"

Spirit flinched as manicured hands began to grope her body. A wet tongue moved across her jaw and left a trail of saliva in its wake.

"How rude, but I'll forgive you," Thorn worked her way around to make eye contact with Spirit, "After all…you are the woman my son loved enough to give his life up for, right?"

"Kitty," Spirit gasped.

"No!" Thorn grabbed her by her cheeks. "Kitty is gone! There is only me now, dear."

Spirit took a deep breath, "Thorn."

"Yes~" Thorn floated around the other ghost before backing up to show her scandalous appearance. Her crimson mane flowed around her like a river of blood. While Kitty had worn flattering clothing, Thorn chose an attire which revealed almost every inch of her pale, flawless skin. Only a thin, green bikini top held back the swell of her chest. The tightest miniskirt that Spirit had ever seen covered her bottom. The seductress would catch the eye of even those which were not attracted to the fairer sex. "I'm so glad that you know who I am, sweetheart! That makes this so much easier!"

"Do…Do you want to kill me?" Spirit questioned. "I know that Youngblood died because of me. I wouldn't blame you…"

"Oh, poor dear, why would I want to kill you?" with a wave of her hand, Thorn dismissed the ectoplasmic weapons holding the younger woman in place. "You're practically my daughter-in-law!"

Spirit collapsed to the ground, "W-What? But I thought you'd hate me from taking him from you."

"Silly Billy, it's only natural for the son to grow up and fall in love," Thorn giggled. "I must admit that I was a tinsy bit upset at first, but how could I forsake my child's feelings? He loved you in the most genuine way possible. Just think about it. The sensual ways of the flesh were lost to him because of his seal on Jonathan and me. There was no corruption of lust in his devotion to you. Although, I must admit…"

Thorn reached out to tilt Spirit's head up with a finger on her chin. Spirit's beauty was only emphasized by the moon shining its blessing down upon her. The mad ghost's crimson eyes shined with want, "He had amazing tastes. An untouchable beauty. Your strength is only topped by your burning willpower. Everything about you screams attractive, yet you hide the skin that our other halves desperately want to see. You must leave men melting in puddles of desire, and you're not even fully grown yet!"

"Untouchable, huh?" Spirit looked down. Part of her fake ankle was exposed.

Thorn snorted, "Many men would be into that. Unless they're super into feet."

"I really don't want to be hearing about people's fetishes," Spirit smacked the finger away before standing up on her own.

"Why? They're as natural as the food we eat?" Thorn noted. "Tell me, what do you and your tin man do which make your toes curl? Is that part of him enhanced too? Does it vibrate?"

"Shut up!" Spirit's face was flushed in embarrassment. "What we do is no one's business!"

"True," Thorn licked her fingers. "But you must admit, my precious little one, people must be curious."

"That doesn't matter."

"Perhaps," Thorn floated sideways as if she was sensually lying on a bed. "You know, I never expected you to be so cold. Charles' diaries described you as a sun which pushed away the darkness. Yet you push away your lovely mother-in-law. Not to mention how you treated your blonde friend. The poor girl oh so desperately wants you to acknowledge her."

"Wonder Girl is…" Spirit looked away in shame.

"I get it," understanding laced Thorn's voice. "You're trying to make her understand. This world is messed up, and letting your passion get the better of you often leads to long lasting consequences. After all, most children are made out of that passion. You know. After several glorious minutes of—"

"I told you to stop," Spirit hissed. Her emotions rushed out in the form of her Haunting Aura. Most people cowered before an S-ranked ghost's raw emotions. Thorn just rolled her eyes. "I know what you're trying to do. You're using sexual talk to make me uncomfortable and throw me off my game."

"Of course. It's a power that women have seemed to forget," Thorn smiled. "Do you know what it's like for men? There's a reason they're compared to dogs. Their sex drive is just like the canine's own desire for flesh. Yet women squander control over this. Look at what I did to you. Look at what Queen Bee does to an entire country. Power over sex is absolute. If a woman controls her sexuality to the fullest, then she controls everyone around her."

Spirit huffed, "Whatever."

"Oh dear, you're not willing to listen yet," Thorn shook her head. "And here I thought that we could bond. I see so much potential in you. My precious daughter, you could control this whole world. You've been gifted with everything. Power. Beauty. Sex appeal. Charisma. Respect. Influence. Just reach out and grasp what is in front of you. Imagine it. You at the top of the world, no! The universe! You make the rules! You decide what morality is! You get to keep everyone safe! No one you care about will die under your careful watch!"

Those words finally got to her. Spirit froze. Desire bubbled in her stomach.

Thorn smiled in glee, "Oh, my lovely! You see it don't you! Isn't it beautiful! Doesn't it just get your insides burning! A universe full of peace. Where children don't have to suffer because of their parents. Where the people we love don't die. Where everything is the way we want it to be. Isn't it the most wonderful thing that you can imagine?!"

"No," Spirit whispered. "That's wrong."

"How? How is making a utopia wrong? Sure, a few hundred…thousand…million people might have to die, but wouldn't it be worth it for eternal peace afterwards?" Thorn moved in for a gentle hug. "My precious daughter. The only woman who could have ever stolen my beloved son's heart. Don't you want to make the universe a place where Charles didn't have to suffer? Where you don't have to watch people die?"

"That…does sound nice…"

"Of course it does, sweetie," Thorn purred. "Let's start your training to build that world. I won't ask you to make someone kiss your feet…yet. Instead, start with something simple. You've crushed Wonder Girl's spirit. That's good. She needed to know her place, but you can't let her grow to hate you. One day, she would strike back at you. Instead, go to her with the sweetest words imaginable. Apologize. Praise her. Compare her to yourself. Make her adore and crave your affection. She'll be under your thumb in an instant. Everything she does from now on will be for your judgment. There will be no decision she does not come to you for advice for."

An alarm behind them made Spirit jump. She whipped her head around to look back where the hangers were, "My team!"

"Go," Thorn released the halfa. "Try my advice. It will work. Don't worry, my precious thing. I'll contact you again."

Dusk paused in his flight. After several minutes of searching the compound, he had followed a strange ringing noise to find a lone woman sitting on the floor in an empty room. He floated behind her for a few seconds before moving to get in front of her. Once he was on the ground, he turned visible with Starfire. Said alien looked to him in alarm, "What are you doing? I thought we were supposed to stay unseen."

"She already knew that we were here," Dusk argued. "How did you know that I would be here, Nyssa?"

The woman on the floor opened her eyes to show her piercing blue orbs. She was extremely beautiful with nearly flawless skin. Her dark hair was cut short. Long, pointed earrings hung from her ear lobes. Her black coat had thick, metal shoulder pads. A purple top stopped just below her stomach to show off her defined midsection, "I studied your moving patterns. You tend to step in more when the situation involves human trafficking, brother. If there was any compound controlled by the Light that you would infiltrate, it would be this one."

"Brother?" Starfire blinked. "Is this the sister which tried to punch the cat down the tree?"

"No. That was Spirit. We're technically not birth siblings. Nyssa is at least related by blood. Well, half at least," Dusk noted. "My birth father really gets around."

"That's an understatement. Father is a horn dog," Nyssa stood from her seated position on the ground. She eyed how Dusk was holding Starfire's hand. "It seems to have been passed on. Is that the alien you went out of your way to save?"

Dusk hurriedly pulled his hand away, "Yes, and you know that it's not like that."

Nyssa giggled, "Of course. You're just so fun to tease, little Joel."

"I do not understand," Starfire spoke up again. "I thought that you were estranged from your birth family."

"I am, but Nyssa's never picked a fight. She wants my help to take down Ra's," Dusk explained. "This isn't the first time that she tracked me down. Sorry, Nyssa, but I'm in the middle of something. Are you here to stop me?"

Nyssa snorted, "Why would I do that? I have no desire to support Father's strange decision to capture innocent civilians. Children who have done nothing besides try to flee from terrible situations. It's sickening."

"Then I shall be going," Dusk stated.

"Don't worry," Nyssa examined her fingernails. "Your teammates and the hostages will be fine for a few minutes. Especially with Young Justice here to help."

Dusk's eyebrows shot up, "Young Justice is here?"

"Indeed," Nyssa smirked. "And the sister that you actually acknowledge is here as well."

"Oh," Starfire smiled. "I would like to meet her."

"Don't let your guard down," Dusk frowned. "We're in enemy territory. Why tell us this? Why not sound the alarm."

"Despite the fact that I work for Father, I do not support him or the Light," Nyssa cracked her knuckles. "The League of Shadows used to be noble. We only killed tyrants, abusers, and the worst scum imaginable. There used to be a code. Now, it's just whatever Father feels like doing. I want to reform the Light, but to do that, I need you to take Father's place."

"Why not do it yourself?" Dusk questioned.

"While Father's ideas about gender roles are a bit outdated, I know that neither Talia nor I could fill his role. We lack the combat strength or sense of conviction to be the Demon's Head," Nyssa sighed. "Talia delights in shifting into a submissive bunny before the powerful men in her life, and I lack the combat prowess to prevent a coup from the top assassins. We would be taken down too quickly. You, though, would make people cower before you."

"I have no interest in killing people," Dusk argued.

"You don't need to. You don't even need to order people's death," Nyssa explained. "All I need from you is to be a figurehead. Be the unbreakable idol of the Shadows, and everything can be fixed. The Shadows can be redeemed."

"Joel," Starfire whispered. "I don't know much about your world, but I do understand lineage and undertaking responsibility. From what I've heard, this is your birthright. Why not take the offer and deal with a formidable foe?"

"You don't understand," Dusk hissed. "My mom sacrificed everything to keep me from that life. To give me a choice. To keep me from being a killer. Even if I was just some figurehead, I would be responsible for the lives taken by those under me."

"Then reform the Shadows how you see it," Starfire encouraged. "No more killing unless completely necessary. It would be difficult, but I think that you could do it."

"Listen to your paramour, brother," Nyssa held out her hand. "She's smart. We might differ in ideals, but I'd be willing to compromise. It would be better than dealing with Father's corrupted mind and soul."

"I…" Dusk looked away. "I don't know if I can do it. I've seen what I'm like when I get the bloodlust. If I kill Ra's, then I could lose control. It's in my genes to murder."

"Very well," Nyssa shrugged. "I've made more progress today than I expected anyway. Alien, keep trying to convince him. It will make my work easier. Before I let you go, though, think on this. If you don't take Ra's place, you will be condemning you nephew to become just like him."

"Nephew?" Dusk eyed her exposed midriff to see no swelling or stretch marks. "You had a child?"

"No," Nyssa smiled. "Talia did."

"Who's the—" Dusk paused when alarms went off through the compound. He and Star looked away for only a moment. When they looked back to Nyssa, they found that the woman had disappeared.

Plasmius shook Aquaman's hand one final time, "Thank you again. I'll make sure to keep you up to date on our plan."

"Thank you," after releasing the shake, Kaldur took a communication devise from the halfa. "Stay safe on your journey home."

Nodding, Plasmius waved and flew through the water to head back to his home. Unfortunately, he could not use the Zeta Tubes without alerting the League, so he had to take the long journey home physically. As the ghost left the city, the king spoke to his most trusted confidants, "Do you think that I made the right decision?"

Garth shrugged, "There is no way to tell. It was a difficult choice. As a warrior, I support the idea of Atlantis taking the initiative instead of simply waiting. At the same time, this is a great risk. If we fail, then our entire city will be shamed. War might even be started with the surface world."

Kaldur scowled at the through. Frostbite tried to calm him by placing a calming hand on his shoulder, "Do not worry. Vlad and Vision are at the front of this. They are investing everything in this as well. Their record in these events speaks for itself."

"True," Kaldur nodded. "And the only other option would be continuing to try to defeat the Light with the same methods. Now is the time for risks."

Garth hummed, "It did make me feel better that Plasmius already brought Danny into the plan."

"Indeed," Frostbite grinned. "It will be good to work the Great One again. He has yet to fail me."

Kaldur felt somewhat more relieved, "You are right. Atlantis will be in good hands if he's handling our defenses."

Dusk landed with Starfire in a hidden underground bunker which reminded him of temples from Hollywood movies. All the soldiers were knocked out at the numerous computer consoles. A large plane pointed to the secret exit in the Cliffside. Gear stood at one of the consoles typing while the ladies were working on moving what appeared to be kidnapped teenagers.

"This isn't very subtle, Gear," Dusk moved next to the technopath.

"Sorry," Gear did not look away from the screen. "They were getting ready to move the prisoners. We didn't have time to rendezvous. I sent the message over the radio, but you didn't answer. After hacking into their radio system, I sent the reinforcements to the north. Red Hood should have set up explosives which will buy us time."

Dusk sighed, "Fine. Nothing we can do about it now. Let's get out of here quickly."

"Sorry, but Psimon cannot let you do that."

Everyone in Dusk's group gasped as their minds were assaulted. They all collapsed to the ground in pain. Only Dusk managed to keep himself up on his knees. Clutching at his aching head, he eyed Psimon and Red X leading a group of supervillains. Next to Devastation was a red haired man name Mammoth. His muscles were unbelievably large and covered in a natural armor. They were also joined by a thinner young man covered in ice. Behind Icicle Jr. was Shimmer. The red haired, tattoo covered woman with half her head shaved was the only powerless person in the group.

"Gah," Dusk couldn't force himself to his feet.

"Interesting," Red X leaned in close to Dusk. "This is the group from Tokyo."

Devastation glared at the downed Troia, "Plus one. When did the little girl get back from the island?"

"Why not ask?" Psimon suggested. "Psimon cannot read the inner thoughts of a ghost, but he can keep them at bay."

"That's good enough for me," Red X pulled out an ecto-pistol and pressed it against Dusk's forehead. "Why are you here, Dusk?"

Dusk hissed, "Like I'd tell you."

"Oh, I think that you will," Red X moved the gun to Starfire's head.

"Okay!" Dusk grunted. "Just leave my friends alone. We were tracking some missing kids. Some of them seemed to just be runaways, but others were happy with their family lives, so we thought something was up."

Psimon frowned, "We should tell the others to be more careful about who they pick up."

"Don't worry so much," Red X giggled. "This is a great haul. Ra's heir. An alien princess. An Amazon. A technopath. And two traitors. What more could we ask for?"

"What about me?"

Spirit suddenly appeared at the center of the villains by fazing through the floor. She immediately unleashed a blast of ectoplasm which sent the enemy flying. As Psimon's concentration was ruined, the members of Dusk's group recovered. Now that they had the advantage, Spirit yelled out to her teammates, "Now!"

The remaining members of Alphas rushed in from different directions. Miss Martian immediately moved to deal with Psimon. Bumblebee flew over to help up Black Bat and Ravager. Wonder Girl decided to pick a fight with Devastation. While that happened, Spirit pulled Dusk up, "What are you doing here?"

"Saving kidnapped kids," Dusk pointed to the pods. "You?"

"Recon on weapons being sent through boom tubes," Spirit noted. "We were supposed to avoid an international incident, but I think that using the kids as leverage will keep Queen Bee quiet."

"Then we can—" Dusk paused in his sentence to unsheathe Soul Shredder. He immediately batted away ecto blasts from Red X's guns.

Spirit's rage filled eyes turned to Red X, "That armor doesn't belong to you, thief."

"Does now," Red X sheathed her guns. The x's on the back of her gloves jumped out to make spinning blades.

"Catch up later?" Dusk questioned.

Spirit activated her Spectral Claws, "Of course."

Before the duo of ghosts could move in to attack Red X, Mammoth came rushing in behind them. Right before the giant could crush them, Starfire rammed into him. The alien easily knocked the enforcer away before chasing after him while screaming a battle cry. She unleashed several star bolts at him which exploded uselessly against his armored chest. Growling, Mammoth recovered to punch Starfire back as well to continue the clash of super strength.

While the two powerhouses traded blows which would shatter concrete, Gear recovered enough to throw a steel ball at Shimmer. The orb exploded into metal strands upon impact with the redhead girl. With her limbs subdued, Shimmer tumbled to the floor. Having dealt with the least significant threat, Gear began to stumble to the airplane.

He stepped by Devastation. While the more experienced and powerful woman could handle Wonder Girl on her own, she had no chance against two young women empowered by the Greek gods. Troia helped her successor beat down the infamous foe of Wonder Woman. Despite never having met, their training under the same Leaguer shined through. Troia smiled as she punched Devastation back, "Thou art pretty good!"

"Really?" Wonder Girl caught her enemy with her lasso so that she could slam the woman into the wall. "Thanks! I heard a lot of nice things about you!"

"All lies, I assure thee!" Troia moved into to keep Devastation down.

The remaining two fights were far more subdued. Bumblebee had Icicle Jr. jumping around wildly as she stung him. Psimon and Miss Martian's mental struggle was completely still. It was only the strenuous sweat rolling down the man's face which showed who was winning the telepathic fight. Clear from any fights of their own, the remaining members of the two groups finished helping the captives into the airplane.

"We're ready!" Black Bat called out to everyone.

"One second!" Dusk held Soul Shredder to Red X's throat. The combination of two halfas was far too much for even the ghost hunting suit. After only a few minutes, they had subdued the thief while obtaining only a few scratches. "Let us get the suit back! I know the owner will want that returned to him!"

"Oh. So sorry, but I can't let you do that~" Thorn's voice called out throughout the temple. Both Spirit and Dusk were forced to jump back as dozens of knives stabbed where they just standing. The seductress appeared next to Red X and helped the mercenary up. "You okay, big red?"

"I'm fine," Red X grunted. "Two on one is a bit much."

"That's why I'm here," Thorn summed her spiked whip. "Would you two be willing to scream for me?"

"Time to go," Spirit noted.

Dusk nodded. He pulled out his radio, "You ready, Herald?"

"Ready. Opening portal."

The blow of a horn created a large portal in front of the plane. Everyone rushed to the vessel. Those with super strength pushed the airplane through the portal to disappear away from the temple. While the other villains tried to stop them, Thorn just watched with a smile, "Perhaps, next time, we should bring more members of the Suicide Squad to help."

"Well, it seemed like conflict was unavoidable at that point," Oracle's holographic image sighed. "Luckily, I doubt that there will be any complaints considering that it would bring Queen Bee's human trafficking to light."

Nightwing nodded next to her, "The civilians' safety is a top priority. Good job."

"Not a good enough job!" Gear protested. "Virgil wasn't in any of the pods, but I was sure that he was in the trafficking ring. My calculations should not be wrong. He's still in their hands."

Spirit clutched at the communication devise in her hands, "I'm sorry, but we can't go back. That place is a boom tube hot spot. That cave is probably swarming with meta-humans at this point. We wouldn't be able to sneak around or fight properly."

"So I should just abandon him?" Gear hissed.

Dusk calmed him by placing a hand on his shoulder, "We'll track him down. I promise. We just can't do it today. If we try, we'll get killed or captured ourselves."

The technopath grumbled unhappily but nodded in understanding. He turned to stop away to his group of allies in another section of the desert. Herald had transported them to a place in Bialya where no one would interrupt them. In the middle of the vast wasteland, the two groups discussed their info on the situation. Red Hood and Ravager were waiting with the now seething Gear because their ride was busy arguing with his significant other. The remaining heroes were gathered for the meeting.

"I understand how he feels," Starfire noted. "It must be terrible to know that you were either just too later or that he jumped the sword."

"Jumped the gun," Dusk corrected.

"Nothing we can do now. We'll look into it to try to find other abductees later," Miss Martian frowned. "It would help if you shared info, though."

Dusk shrugged, "Talk to Gear. He's the info guy. This trafficking stuff really gets to him. He's been tracking it for a while."

"Maybe we could help?" Nightwing suggested. "You know that you have an open invitation to return. All three of you."

"Not interested," Black Bat crossed her arms. "I still have stuff to do."

"I'm sorry, but I must refuse as well," Troia noted more respectfully. "Maybe one day, but I have the desire to…investigate Man's World outside of the League's influence for a while. But I would like to visit with thee, Cassie. I would like to see what my sister's newest protégée can do."

While Wonder Girl smiled, Dusk shook his head, "Sorry, but I need to be on my own for a bit longer."

"On your own?" Spirit snorted. "You have a bigger group than I do right now."

The younger halfa shifted uncomfortably, "I just…need more distance."

"What about you…Starfire?" Miss Martian smiled at the other alien. "I know how strange it can be in the new world. I might be able to help."

"Thank you, but no," Starfire glanced back to her group. "I like where I am right now. With my friends."

"Well, then I guess that we'll have to go in separate ways for now," Oracle mentioned. "Try to stay in touch, Dusk. The world's going nuts right now. Even if we're not always together, we can help each other."

Dusk smiled, "I'll keep that in mind."

With their last goodbyes, Spirit disconnected the transmission to the Cave. The older members of the Team shared hugs before their departure. Off in the distance, Red Hood eyed his old friends wistfully but decided against approaching them. When Spirit gave one last hug to Dusk, she whispered in his ear, "Get in contact with Dad more often. He's working in the background. Maybe he can help with Virgil."

Nodding, he pulled back, "I should probably visit home some time anyway. I haven't seen the family in forever. It's just that…I still need to find whatever it is I'm looking for, and they would definitely try to convince me to stay."

"I know the feeling," Spirit nodded. "Love you, Joel."

"Love you too, Dani," Dusk glanced to Herald and Bumblebee arguing. "So much in fact that I'll deal with that for you."

Spirit giggled, "Thanks."

As he approached the couple, Dusk began to hear their conversation. Bumblebee stomped her foot angrily, "Look, I get that you have friends outside our group, but couldn't you tell me if you were going on a dangerous mission like this? At least in Tokyo, you weren't planning to get shot at. What if you get hurt and I didn't know?"

"I tried to tell you yesterday," Herald noted. "You were busy working."

"What about the day before?" Bumblebee questioned. "I was free then."

"I was in the middle of deep meditation helping guide lost souls in the life force," Herald explained.

Bumblebee sighed, "I don't even know what that means."

"Now you know how I feel when you talk about your work with the Atom," Herald interjected.

"I…fine. Whatever," Bumblebee noticed that the others were waiting for them. "Call me when you get back. We really need to work on our communication. I get tired of this."

"I do too. I'm sorry, babe," Mal rubbed the back of his neck. "Love you."

Karin strained a smile, "Love you too. Call me. Seriously."

When Bumblebee stepped away, Dusk addressed Herald, "You okay?"

Herald watched the love of his life leave his side once again, "The flow of the universe can be cruel. Keeping me away from the thing I care about most in order to bring about the best case scenario. I wish that I could see how this all ends."

Dusk turned to examine the various individuals in both groups. He noticed all the pain which they all felt do to circumstances that they couldn't control, "I know the feeling."

Spirit took a deep breath as she stepped into the cargo hold of the Bioship. Miss Martian was busy flying the vessel, while Bumblebee had a hushed conversation with Mal. She was left on her own with her target. Wonder Girl had moved to the cargo hold to get some rest. Before the Greek demigod could slip into her slumber, the halfa moved next to her, "Can I sit?"

Cassie sat up on her cot. Blinking, she shrunk into herself a bit, "Y-Yeah. Sure."

Sitting down next to the blonde, Spirit looked to the far metal wall, "M'gann told me about what happened. That you noticed that Psimon was there and told Miss M before he could find the mental link and create a backlash. Good job."

Wonder Girl blinked, "I…I don't think that you ever complimented me before."

"I know," Spirit sighed. "Sorry about that. I've been a bit of a jerk. Not much of a hero."

"No! You do great things. You were like one of my biggest inspirations growing up," Wonder Girl noted. "I just…didn't expect you to be so harsh."

Spirit's face twisted in pain, "I know. It's not a good excuse, but you have to understand how hard this lifestyle is. The first time I saw a friend die was less than a year after my debut. His name was Klemper. No one talks about him. No one remembers him, except for my family. He was the first of many. The Ghost Writer, Solomon Grundy, Wulf, and so many more. Even…even my puppy. And then I failed to save an innocent soul…someone who could have been a friend…just a few days ago."

Wonder Girl lowered her head, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't take it out on you," Spirit sucked in a sharp breath. "You remind me so much of myself. I used to be bubbly all the time too. It just gets beaten out of you after a while. I was thinking that I was doing you a favor by speeding along the process, but that was wrong. I don't want you to change, Cass. I want to regain the part of myself that was happy."

"I can help!" Wonder Girl exclaimed.

Spirit looked to her, "Even if I hurt you?"

"That's fine!" Wonder Girl beamed. "I mean, I would probably be grouchy too if I had to go through so much."

"You're so nice," Spirit smiled. "So can we start over and be friends?"

"Of course!" Cassie moved in for a hug. "That's all I wanted to begin with!"

"Thank you. Let's be the best of friends," Spirit returned the hug. Without anyone to see it, her face twisted in a strange combination of glee and regret. Thorn's words echoed in her head. The seductress did not lie to her. "We'll keep each other safe so no one gets hurt."

Johnny 13 pushed the kickstand of his Harley Davidson out with his foot. The motorcycle sat on the still sand with the engine rapidly cooling in the desert night. Knowing that his bike would be safe on its own, Johnny stepped up a few sand dunes to see the hangers which held the chaos from hours ago. Soldiers were buzzing everywhere. Dozens of supervillains filled in any gap opened by the regular guards.

"Shadow," he whispered. His shadow from the light of the moon jumped up to form a massive blob with glowing red eyes. "Check it out."

It grunted before disappearing into the ground. Johnny crossed his arms to begin the waiting process. After a few minutes, Shadow returned. It made incoherent noises which only its owner could understand. When the explanation was done, Shadow waited for its master to react.

"She's here," Johnny clenched his fists. "Yet I can't get to her. You sure that there's too many to even sneak in to get a glimpse?"

Shadow slid its finger across its neck.

"Damn," Johnny sighed. "I finally caught up with you, Kitty, but there's always something between us."

In a rare show of compassion, Shadow reached out to pat his shoulder.

Johnny cracked a smile, "At least my shadow sticks by me. You're right. We'll get her. It's just a matter of time."

Jaime Reyes kicked a pebble in frustration as he trudged down the sidewalk to his home. His day had not gone well. He had spent every minute trying to find his friend Tye Longshadow. The Native American teen had disappeared. At first, he thought it might have been Tye's mother's stupid boyfriend that caused the problem. He knew that Maurice often…clashed with his friend. Every attempt he tried to put a stop to it just ended up in more problems for Tye. Despite being a complete bastardo, all Maurice did was pirate some DVDS. While he would get busted, he probably wouldn't get too bad of a punishment.

Now the big problem was that there were no leads on Tye, 'Incorrect. Tye Longshadow stated that he was running away. Voice analysis and his disappearance confirms that he meant it.'

'Right,' Jaime nodded at his scarab's assessment. 'So he's gone. Maybe he'll get in contact if he needs help…or he could end up dead in a ditch. Now I sound like mom. What do you think about getting the Team to help?'

'I would not recommend sharing emotional weaknesses with the ghost,' the scarab noted. 'Her ability to sense me is dangerous. Not to mention that body language, voice analysis, and sideways eye contact all show extreme amounts of distrust directed at us.'

'Well, she is kind of harsh to newbies,' Jaime defended her. 'She gives Wonder Girl a hard time too.'

'Incorrect. The ghost known as Spirit demonstrates frustration with the meta-human Wonder Girl. Her reaction to you is that of a potential enemy.'

'Maybe she's not comfortable around—'

'Enough. Your subconscious desire to mate with her is clouding your judgement.'

'M-Mate?! You make me sound like a pervert.'

'Incorrect. The 'pervert' label only applies to those who are overly obsessed with sexual intercourse. Your body's reaction to the humanoid appearing females of your Team meets all the standards of a healthy desire to procreate and continue your species.'

'Dios mío! Would you stop?!'

'Fine. My point is nevertheless valid. Your hero worship and attraction to her clouds your mind. Be careful around not only her, but the other ghosts. The energy they emit is cause for caution.'

'Come on. This is Spirit we're talking about. I've seen her in the news since I was a niño. We're both on the same side.'

'Perhaps. She would make a valuable asset, but tread carefully. I calculate that a battle between you two at full power would result in mutually assured destruction.'

Danny threw his head back in laughter, "It's not like you to fail!"

Red X's helmet was opened to show off her scarred face, "Sorry, boss. It won't happen again."

"Don't worry about it," Danny waved her off. "Two members of the leftover Phantom Family at once? It's unreasonable to ask more from you. But Thorn, I'm shocked that you didn't kill one of them."

Thorn seductively floated through the air, "One of them caught my interest, and the other belongs to Ra's."

"Fair point," Danny waved in the guards to bring in the next round of kidnapped runaways. "Luckily, I already caught us some more product for our partner."

"Thank you, Daniel," Queen Bee glared at the disheartened people under her command. She was a stunningly beautiful woman with sun kissed skin. Her rather impressive chest was held back by her sleeveless dress. A golden crown pushed her dark hair back to keep it away from your face. "If not for you, then our credibility would be up in question."

"I think it might be," Danny glanced to the underlings who failed. "Red X had a very good excuse. I would say the same for Devastation and Psimon. Maybe even Mammoth considering the strangeness of his opponent. But Icicle Jr…your foe was the size of a fly."

"I…" Junior grew pale. "Those blasts stung!"

"I'm sure they did," Danny stepped up to the ice man to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But just so that we're clear. If the Light decided that we needed to make some kind of example, it would be you. Please step up your game. I would hate to have to shove a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger. You were childhood friends with Artemis, right?"

The joyful smile on Danny's face make Icicle Jr. feel colder for than he had felt in years. He began to tremble in fear, "U-Understood!"

"Since when are you going around disciplining people?" Jinx's voice made Danny remove his hand from Icicle's shoulder.

Danny smiled at the approaching pinkette, "Since I have taken a more active role in the Light's activities. Should I leave it to you?"

"You looked like you were doing just fine," Jinx noted. "But I can take them for some emergency training as punishment."

"That sounds good, Jennifer," Queen Bee nodded. "Thank you."

As the other moved to follow her, Jinx stared at Danny. Her pink eyes shined in judgement. He continued to smile. Everything in his features suggested that he would very well kill Icicle Jr. like he suggested. Jinx slowly nodded as if she was seeing him for the first time. There was still heavy doubt in her eyes as she turned away, though.

"She doesn't seem to trust you," Queen Bee mentioned.

Danny shrugged, "I think that she might be a bit sour that she never managed to seduce me when you first ordered her to get me to work for you. Remember back then?"

Queen Bee chuckled, "You were such a child back then. I barely had to try to enthrall you."

"Luckily people change," Danny laughed again. "I was so naïve back then. Wish I could go back and avoid resisting the Light. Or remember when you used your pheromones on me. I bet I was a goof."

"She could try it again~" Thorn purred. "I would love to see that. Maybe be a part of it. That would be a yummy sandwich."

"I wouldn't suggest that," Danny noted. "Ember can be a bit possessive. She would probably end up ripping out your tongues. Maybe mine too. Or she would be into it. Who knows?"

Queen Bee shook her head, "I must say, this banter is nice. It's a breath of fresh air. While the others are great to work with, they are a bit too formal at times."

"I do take pride in my ability to mix business in pleasure," Danny reached into his jacket to pull out a piece of writing. "Speaking of which, I do have some good news for you. My information network recently grew, so I have a lead on finding your sister."

Queen Bee's eyes grew wide, "You found Andromeda?"

"Indeed," Danny sighed. "The poor girl. She could die any day now. I truly think that a quick death would be a mercy to her."

(Monday-February 19, 2046)

Box Lunch frowned as she watched Wally work on the time machine, "I still don't understand all this. You disappeared thirty years ago."

From beneath the lifted up machine, Kid Flash held out a hand, "Flathead screwdriver, please."

Luna handed him the tool, "Here you go."

"Thanks," now that he had his tool, Wally addressed the leader of the last Remnants of humanity. "That's the complicated thing about my ability to travel through time. I use the Speed Force. It's a special energy that can only be tapped into by moving at near inconceivable speeds."

"Do you think that I can do it then?" Bart asked excitedly while peeking under the time machine.

"Possibly," Wally grunted. "Don't know what would happen if two people could do it, though. The force would be divided in that case."

"Well, how do you get to the point that you can use it?" Luna questioned.

Wally slid out from beneath the device. He lowered his shirt to show a burning CW symbol inside a gear, "Clockwork gave me his blessing to travel through time. I haven't used it a lot because it's dangerous. I don't have Clockwork's foresight, so I have no idea what my actions will do. For example, if I change the past, then it could cause a rippling effect which would create a paradox where tons of things change. For example, Superman might have crashed into Mars instead of Earth."

Box Lunch narrowed her eyes, "Theoretically, right?"

"Yeah…" Wally coughed. "Theoretically."

"Is that why you didn't save Artemis?" Luna inquired.

Wally hid his expression by moving back under the machine, "Yeah…That's it…"

"If it's so dangerous, then why did you do it?" Bart tilted his head to the side.

"Look around," Wally referred to the destroyed Mount Justice. "I'm well aware of how badly things go. That's why I'm here. I found the safest point to intervene and went for it. Luna is a big key to saving things."

Bart frowned, "Not me?"

"You're going to help, but trust me when I say that the problems need a halfa's touch," Wally sighed. "Things got really bad after the Blackest Night. The half-ghosts lost their fighting spirit. Re-inspiring them might be the catalyst that we need to help prevent a ton of deaths."

"What about the paradox thing?" Box Lunch frowned.

"I'm interfering with my current time, so there shouldn't be too much of a rippling effect," Wally explained. "Hopefully. Look, I'm not Clockwork. I can make calculated guesses, but I don't know for sure."

"It's good enough for me," Luna noted. "So the plan is still to go back to the day that the Flash died."

"Yes," Wally stated. "We'll save him and then have you work with Young Justice. That will let you work on keeping Blue Beetle off mode while bringing out the old Spirit. Then…the biggest thing. We have to save Danny."

Luna took a deep breath, "My father? He died at the end of March, right?"

Wally closed his eyes, "Yeah. That's when everything went wrong. Spirit quit. Dusk went mad. Vlad got reckless. The Light became unstable. And then…God. So many enemies. We need to keep him alive no matter what. That's going to be way harder than with Uncle Barry, though. There's never been a casual free Doomsday attack after all."

Extra: "Get a Room"

Joel grunted as he moved to the broom closet to get some extra trash bags for the kitchen. Ace and Gizmo had been kind enough to let them stay for a while, so he tried to help up as much as he could. When he pulled open the door, he instantly regretted it.

"By the gods!"

"Yeah. You like that?"

"Woah!" Joel turned away from the naked forms of Donna and Jason.

Alerted, the duo pulled away from each other. Donna used her hands to cover her private areas. One hand went high, while the other went low. Jason quickly reached down to pull his shirt over his groin, "You could knock first, dude!"

"This is the broom closet, jackass!" Joel slammed the door shut. "I'm not supposed to have to knock to open it!"

"M-My apologies, Joel," Donna's voice was accompanied by the sound of her hurriedly put her underwear back on. "I was weak to Jason's advances."

"Lies!" Jason seemed to be taking his time in covering himself. "You're the one that came up behind and grabbed me by the crotch! Going on about how you needed a post workout massage!"

"I-I was intending to go to our room."

"Then why did you rip my pants in half?"

Joel had heard enough. He stomped away while trying to forget the images burned into his brain. This was too much. It was time to put an end to this.

(One day later…)

"Um," Jason blinked up at the intervention banner. "What is this about?"

"You know what this is about, snotburgers!" Gizmo pointed to the undead man and immortal woman. "You two have been bumping uglies in every place other than your room! We're sick of it!"

Donna's face flushed, "Thou must be exaggerating. Sure, there was the closet incident from yesterday, but we haven't been caught that many times."

"Really?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "What about two days ago when I found you bent over that couch?"

"What?" Richard blinked. "That's where I sit! Why didn't you tell me?"

Cassandra shrugged.

"Also what about when you were doing your bull rider impression on the kitchen table," Mal mentioned.

Starfire paused in her raising of her sandwich. She stared at the food that she had crafted on that very same table.

"Don't forget the shower incident," Rose mentioned.

"Hey!" Jason frowned. "That's pretty normal! You're supposed to knock before entering the bathroom anyway."

"I agree…" Rose gave a sickenly sweet smile. "If it weren't in the one in my room!"

"Look…" Joel clapped his hands together. "We get that both of you are just enjoying the benefits of your relationship after being separated by Death. All the power to you, but we don't want to see it. I have seen my friend's erect penis too many times. Stay. In. Your. Room."

The couple nodded, "Understood."

(Three days later…)

"Disney, huh?" Starfire sat on the couch. "And this movie is Frost and the Beards?"

Joel snorted as he inserted the movie into the DVD player, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. You said that you wanted to learn the basics of mythology. Disney movies are a good intro."

"Okay," Starfire leaned into him when he sat down next to him. "I-Is this okay?"

Joel's faced gained a light blush, "Yeah. In fact, I—For the love of God! Jason! Donna! What the hell is this?!"

Jason rushed into the room to see the video of him and Donna playing on the television, "You weren't supposed to find that!"

Starfire tilted her head in curiosity, "This is strange. Why are they wearing those weird clothes?"

Joel groaned, "It's called roleplaying, but the real question is…WHY WAS IT IN A FAMILY MOVIE CASE?!"

"I had to organize which video was which some way," Jason noted. "Look on the bright side, though. At least we stayed in our room."