DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO DC COMICS. INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US AND INJUSTICE 2 BELONG TO DC ENTERTAINMENT, WB ENTERTAINMENT, NETHERREALM STUDIOS AND ED BOONE. BATMAN BELONGS TO DC COMICS, BOB KANE AND BILL FINGER. SUPERMAN BELONGS TO DC COMICS, JERRY SIEGEL AND JOE SHUSTER. THE TEEN TITANS BELONG TO DC COMICS, BOB HANEY AND BRUNO PREMIANI. NIGHTWING AND THE NEW TEEN TITANS BELONG TO DC COMICS, MARV WOLFMAN AND GEORGE PEREZ.
Chapter 1: Resurrection
Following the defeat of Superman and his accomplices in the Regime, the world became a better place, similar to how it was before the destruction of Metropolis. Yet the Joker's dark legacy still lingered. A year after his defeat, Superman was still imprisoned at Strykers' Island, alongside Damian Wayne, the former Robin-turned Nightwing, and Victor Stone, AKA Cyborg. Only Gorilla Grodd's new Society served as a real threat, as they were intent on disturbing the order that Batman tried so hard to reestablish.
However far away, another organization was on the move. The League of Assassins, who were now led by Talia Al-Ghul after Ra's' death, were gaining speed. She's completely disowned Damian after how he nearly tried to kill his own father. The League made itself an enemy of the Regime, as they saw Superman as the very thing they always swore to destroy: a tyrant. Following the Regime's defeat, Talia took control from Ra's, and relocated the League from Egypt back to the mountains of Syria, and their old sanctum of Masyaf Castle. Masyaf had been Home to the League of Assassins for almost 800 years now, and they forever claimed it as their home.
"Lady Talia, we have them," said an Assassin, kneeling towards her. She'd sent her own honor guard on a special mission, one in which she hoped would make amends between her and Bruce.
"Good. You have served me well," she replied, turning to her loyal servant, "Inform the others: the Pit must be prepared."
"Are you certain?" The man asked, "With respect, they have been dead for 9 years, milady. What if the process fails?" It was evident the man had his doubts of if they'd actually pull this off. However Talia glared at him, pointing a sword to his throat.
"My father has been dead since the 7th century, and time and again he's risen from beyond the grave," she justified, "If it can work on him, then it will work on them as well. They are needed, now more than ever. Now go!" She then turned away as he left, and looked out the window to her garden, "I am sorry, beloved...I should have sent him to you when he was born," she muttered, "At the very least, allow me to make it right."
Later that evening, the ceremony began. Beneath the castle, in the crypt of previous assassin champions, Talia led her followers towards the Lazarus Pit, the very one her father rejuvenated himself within. Now however it would serve another purpose. Embalmed in linen and hung above the pit by chains lay the corpses of two men. With Earth facing imminent doom, the time came to see that they were revived.
"All is ready, Lady Talia," said a female assassin, bowing her head towards Talia.
"Excellent," she replied, "Lower them into the pit!" At her order, the chains lowered the corpses down into the green waters of the pit. They sunk deep like a sack of hammers, but not for long. After an hour of immersion, the first body rose from the pit with a gasp as the revived man tore the bandages that covered his face, revealing a cascade of long black hair in a mullet, and when he removed the facial embalming wraps, Talia immediately recognized him. He was 21 years old, 5'10" and incredibly muscular. Yet he was also incredibly handsome and sexually attractive. The female assassins had a hard time trying not to resist his god-like face.
As he came to his senses, Dick Grayson, AKA Nightwing, realized the inevitable. He knew all about the Lazarus Pits every time he and the Batman Family faced Ra's Al-Ghul, and now much to his horror, he was in it for one reason only. He looked around him, seeing the League's warriors surrounding him, but Talia only grinned.
"Relax, you won't go insane," she said as she stepped down from her throne, "The pit's mind-altering properties have no effect on the dead, only those close to death." She then stood mere paces away from the pit, looking at him. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Richard Grayson." Talia knew Dick ever since he was Robin, since her father uncovered Batman's secret identity ages ago. So she knew his secrets as well.
"You need to get outta here," he warned her, knowing how much she meant to Bruce, "If the Regime finds you here, you're dead." Dick didn't know what happened since he died, but he remembered clearly that Superman and most of the Justice League had started killing criminals, and his own brother, Damian was among the Regime's ranks. He didn't want the same fate to befall Talia, for Bruce's sake.
"You needn't worry about that," she told him, "The Regime is no more. Bruce and Luthor finally brought it down." At this, Dick's eyes widened completely. Initially, he was shocked. Though after processing it all, he smiled in relief. Then he turned to see Beast Boy, now naked and with longer hair, brought out of the pit. His bandages were tattered and his body pale green, but his eyes still were emerald and cat-like.
"Beast Boy, it's me!" He called out, grinning at his fellow teammate, but also conflicted. He knew that at some point he had to tell his fellow Titan about Cyborg. That would be a hard pill to swallow, considering the two of them were tight, almost like brothers. Though he didn't want to lose another loved one again, like how he lost Damian. However Beast Boy did not respond, despite the fact that he was breathing and his heart was still beating. Nightwing rushed over to his friend's side, concerned. He was able to check his friend's pulse and found it, relieved that he wasn't dead. "What happened? Is he in a coma?" Dick asked.
"Unfortunately the Lazarus Pit does not always revive those long deceased the way they were in life," Talia explained, "But you must not lose hope, Grayson. Support and care for him as best as you can. My father once spent a year in a similar state before he finally regained his wits, because I never gave up on him." Since Dick was Deadman for the past 5 years, he was able to avoid such a fate because he was able to be drawn back into his body. Talia then smiled at the former Robin, "You boys may stay the night," she offered, "There are some rooms you may use for the night. I'll provide you both with suitable clothes in the meantime while you may freshen up." Dick nodded as he led an unresponsive Gar out of the cavern, guided by one of Talia's honor guard up into the corridors of the castle's study. Beast Boy had been to Syria before when he was a little boy travelling with his parents on wildlife expeditions, but he was only familiar with the deserts of the south, rather than here in the more fertile mountains of the north.
Dick had been here once before, when he was still Robin, he'd been kidnapped alongside Talia as part of a test Ra's created for Batman to see if he was a worthy successor. It had been years since that day, but he still knew the place like the back of his hand. The first stop he decided would be the baths to get both of them nice and cleaned up. Dick even helped the handmaidens scrub down Beast Boy's body once they were finished with him. It was evident that he could tell that the women were all enthralled at his thin yet muscular appearance. Yet Dick's mind was only set on one woman, the one he loved with all his heart since he was a teenage boy.
After undergoing a personal living hell of women trying to constantly grope his ass, Dick picked Garfield up and noticed a wheelchair that had been brought out for him. Nearby was a young 15-year-old girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and bright green eyes. At first glance she seemed almost like a mirror image of Talia, given that she had her similar curvaceous and attractive body. Yet Dick knew better, as he'd seen more attractive women throughout his life.
"Don't worry, I'm not like the others," she said in fluent English, assuring him that she had no intention of sexual harassment. She made her way towards him as she looked over the former Robin's body. "Hmm, but I can see why they fell for you though," she remarked with a smug grin.
"Anathasia, is that any way to speak to your brother?" Talia asked as she approached the trio, clad in her signature black catsuit, but this time augmented with pieces of mirror armor, chain mail and carrying a mamluke sword on her left hip. "Apologies Grayson, I forgot to introduce you sooner. This is Anathasia Al-Ghul, your surrogate sister." Dick was shocked at this, but he also was smart enough to know how Talia had a thing for his surrogate father.
"You and Bruce had another kid!?" He asked in disbelief. He knew that Damian alone was enough to handle, but the fact that Talia had a daughter as well was just mind boggling. Yet despite his shock, Anathasia had none of Bruce's hotheaded temper that Damian obviously inherited, but rather she definitely seemed to inherit other traits that Bruce had both as a civilian and as Batman, such as his desire to seek out fun, willingness to do good and from the lack of any weapons on her person, she also seemed to inherit Bruce's no-killing rule.
"It's a long story," said Anathasia, hoping she could talk some sense into her surrogate brother, "But for the short version, mother did her best to raise me so that I wouldn't end up like my brother. And I'm not in any way planning to succeed my grandfather. My grandfather died long ago." Dick was surprised that Talia, the new leader of the League of Assassins, would go so far as to train her own daughter not to kill. Though since Dick had kept tabs on Damian when he was Deadman, he saw this as no surprise considering that the boy usurped his mantle and outright killed members of the League of Assassins. He was relieved as well at the thought that she had no intentions to be groomed as Ra's' heir. Talia had evidently learned that lesson with Damian.
"Grayson, I want you to take care of Anathasia," said Talia, "There are some things she needs to learn that I cannot teach her. I have not informed Bruce of the fact that he has another child. Damian spoke highly of you, so that is why I ask you to train his sister. So that she will not end like he did." Dick knew that having been trained by Batman, this would be a cakewalk compared to when he and Damian first started working together. He remembered having to constantly train his surrogate brother and show him humility, but with Anathasia, she seemed the opposite, more level-headed and not as obsessed like her parents.
"Okay, I'll look after her, for Damian's sake," he said, placing Beast Boy down in the wheelchair, "And...thank you for this second chance." With Anathasia accompanying him, the former Robin decided that it was best to relax and rest up. In Beast Boy's living quarters, there was a hot meal and fresh set of clothes placed out. Dick dressed Gar and then fed him, as if he were still a child. For three long months, Dick and Anathasia cared for Garfield, never relinquishing hope that he wouldn't be able to come back to his senses. Sometimes as the other Titan slept, Dick told Anathasia about his time as Batman's first Robin, and especially about the Teen Titans. Those stories enthralled the young girl, that her surrogate brother led his own team and they took down professional criminals, terrorists, an inter-dimensional demon and alien warlords. More impressive still, he'd been in action since he was 9 years old.
Then one day, as both Dick and Anathasia went to check on him, Beast Boy awoke from his vegetative state, gasping for air, as if he'd just had a nightmare. The restorative properties of the Lazarus Pit rejuvenated him to the point that his muscles were restored from having been atrophied for 6 years as a corpse, and restored any burnt skin and muscles from the explosion. When the Joker's bomb nuked Metropolis, Beast Boy's body was pretty badly scarred from the explosion. In the long 3 months he spent recovering, his hair grew out longer like when he was 17. His fingernails and toenails curled into claws while his incisors and canines filed into fangs.
"What the hell happened?" He asked himself, "Last thing I remember, I was with Connor in Metropolis getting some meatball subs for the team, and I was about to race Bart when..." He gasped as he instantly remembered those final moments. "Oh God...the blast...but how did I?"
"You're up," said a familiar voice. Gar turned and saw Dick Grayson and a young teenage girl standing by his bedside, smiling at him. "Welcome back, Gar." Beast Boy couldn't believe this at all. When Dick left for the Justice League, he was furious, even telling Connor just before dying that Dick was dead to him. That was something he was now beginning to regret now that his fellow Titan was there at his bedside. Likewise, Dick was now beginning to regret leaving for the League as well as not heading back to the tower after the explosion.
"Dick, did you..." he began, "How did I..."
"You were in a vegetative state for 3 months," said Anathasia, "You and Dick were revived after being dead for 6 years." Gar was a bit confused about who this kid was, but Anathasia knew about him from her surrogate brother's stories about his time with the Titans.
"I'm sorry I left for the Justice League, Gar," said Dick, placing his hand on his teammate's shoulder, "But I promise, I won't sit by while my team is in danger anymore." Those words were all Beast Boy needed to know: Nightwing was back on board with the Titans. He tried his best to hold back tears as he smiled that idiotic grin he always did, sniffling as he was just overwhelmed with joy. After he calmed down for a while, he then looked at Anathasia, still confused about who she was.
"Uh, Nightwing, who's the kid? You babysitting her or something?" He asked, much to Anathasia's irritation about being called a kid when she was clearly a teenage girl.
"This is Anathasia Al-Ghul: Bruce's daughter," replied Nightwing, smiling as he patted Anathasia's head. Beast Boy widened his eyes as his jaw dropped in shock. He knew about Damian from when Dick would call in from Gotham or Bludhaven, so he was also aware of the fact that Batman was drugged into having him. "I know, right? I was pretty shocked when I found out too."
"So, she's Damian's little sister?" Beast Boy asked. Anathasia nodded, accepting the fact that her brother was a former vigilante-turned war criminal who she wanted nothing to do with at all.
"Yeah, my brother and I are Batman's children," she said, sighing in annoyance that she was compared to her brother, "To be honest, that creep doesn't even have the right to call me his sister, after what he's done." Anathasia obviously saw Damian in the same light Beast Boy did: an entitled, self-righteous asshole who has the tendency to piss off everybody he tries to get close to.
"I hear you, kid," said Beast Boy sympathetically offering her his condolences for having such a jackass as her brother. "But dude, how am I even alive? What did they use to get me back from the dead?"
"It was a Lazarus Pit," said Nightwing, grimacing at the thought, "They're spread across the globe, no one knows their origins, but their power is legendary. They have medicinal properties in small doses, rejuvenate the elderly, and...it brought us back to life." Dick hung his head as he clenched his fist, "But there's also a catch. Some individuals constantly rely on the pit as a way to cheat death for centuries...in those circumstances, they gradually go insane."
"So it's kinda like the Fountain of Youth, except it makes its addicts go crazy?" Beast Boy asked. Nightwing only nodded, since he knew that Ra's and Jason Todd both went insane from exposure to the pit. Jason's immersion was even worse given his abuse he went through when the Joker killed him. "Wait, what do you mean brought us back to life?" Gar then asked, "What happened after I died? The last thing I remember is that Connor, Bart and I were in Metropolis getting food for the other Titans when an explosion went off and..."
"I think it best we start from the beginning," said Dick, knowing he'd have to tell the truth. Dick told Gar everything, about how the Joker drugged Superman; tricked him into killing his pregnant wife Lois, which set off a bomb that nuked Metropolis, about how Superman killed Joker in grief, and that the Justice League was now a death squad, killing criminals. Worst of all, was that Cyborg was now a part of the Regime. Anathasia sat nearby, obviously sensing how saddened and shocked her surrogate brother's teammate was when he heard the news.
"No...I can't believe Vic did that," said the green shape shifter, horrified that his best friend was a killer, "And he did that because of us? We gotta snap him out of it!"
"I'm sorry Beast Boy," Nightwing replied, "I didn't wanna tell you. The last time I saw him was in Arkham, before Damian...he killed me." Dick recalled that he'd spent time as Deadman before now being revived. He knew what happened now. "He took my costume, mantle and weapons too."
"Wait, what about Raven?" Beast Boy asked, "Where are the rest of the Titans?" He was concerned about what happened to the rest of their teammates, their family.
"Raven's completely lost herself to..." he began but then was shocked. He remembered why she joined the Regime in the first place, "...Oh God! I think she's gonna summon Trigon." Beast Boy and Anathasia were also shocked at this. Dick and Gar remembered the last time that happened, and how Earth suffered for it.
Trigon the Terrible was an inter-dimensional demon who craves power and conquest by any means necessary. In his quest for power he raped countless women across different universes and worlds to side his children; one of them was Raven. Upon learning of Earth, he made plans to conquer and rule it. When Dick was still Robin, Raven tried to stop him, initially going to the Justice League for help, but they turned her down. Yet she met Robin and Beast Boy along with Cyborg and 3 other superhuman teenage heroes, and formed the original Teen Titans. Together, they foiled Trigon's first invasion of Earth, but he managed to escape, causing Raven to succumb to his dark influences and act as the herald for his arrival, unleashing a literal hell on Earth. It was a difficult battle, but the Titans finally destroyed him, or so they thought.
"But he was destroyed, wasn't he?" Anathasia asked, shocked at the thought. When Dick told her about the time they fought and defeated Trigon, she assumed that he was destroyed, "That's impossible then, because Trigon was destroyed, right?" Yet Nightwing and Beast Boy looked at one another, knowing the truth.
"No, Anathasia," said Nightwing, "Trigon's physical body was destroyed, but his spirit endured. He fled back to Hell, biding his time so he could return to conquer Earth. Joker's attack on Metropolis was what he needed to gain the influence over Raven he needed."
"We've gotta find Raven before she does that," said Beast Boy, unsure of what could happen. "What did Talia mean though when she told you Batman and Luthor took down the Regime?" He then asked, "Does that mean it's over?"
"I've got a feeling that it's only just begun," said Nightwing, "There's only one way we can stop Trigon if he comes back. We reassemble the Titans." Nightwing grinned as he said those words, and Beast Boy smiled back. Dark times were coming and the Teen Titans were needed once again.
A/N: And so we have the first chapter of the Injustice fanfic! Like with Nightwing: Arkham Knight, I gave Dick and Gar mullets, because they had them in The New Titans comics during the 90's, and Dick was also portrayed with one in Batman: The Animated Series and episode 14 of Teen Titans. This is why, when they will encounter Damian, his hairstyle will be completely different than in the game or the tie-in comics.
Now, I decided to have Talia support Bruce because in the tie-in comics, Damian and Superman nearly destroyed the League, so I figured Talia would be pretty mad at her son for nearly trying to kill her, hence why she asks Dick to help train and raise Anathasia in ways she can't. Of course, we will be seeing some characters that weren't in the Injustice series, but were definitely in the mainstream comics. Anyway, please leave a review, follow and favorite! :)