The team encounters the Kids of Chaos for the first time and are shocked to find similarities between their new adversaries and themselves. How will they fare?
"Let's get this started." Crow said snapping his fingers. Velos jumped down from the roof and moved to the team's left, drawing her bow. Enchantress flew next to her, hovering just above the board walk. Shadow Blast flew above the team hovering about twenty feet above them.
'They are surrounding us.' Artemis said, drawing her bow.
'They're going to attack.' Kid Flash said.
'Everyone stay whelmed.' Robin said.
'Easier said than done, boy wonder. We're facing eight super powered kids who are scarily similar to us.' Rocket said.
'Doesn't matter who the enemy is. We stand together, and we take them down.' Aqualad said.
"Take them." Crow said. The kids of Chaos advanced on the team.
"Let's go." Robin yelled. He ran towards Crow aiming a punch. Crow sidestepped, but Robin turned on his heel and spinning he let go a round-house kick to Crow's head. Crow blocked and sent a power punch straight into Robin's chest. It was so powerful Robin was lifted off the ground and fell to the ground, sliding over the boardwalk.
"Pathetic." Crow said.
"Rob." Kid Flash yelled. He ran for Crow but was stopped but a punch to the face. He hit the ground. He blinked the stars out of his eyes.
"You call that fast?" Blur said grinning down at KF.
"You want to see fast, I'll show you fast." KF said. He got up and ran as fast as he could at Blur. Then it happened. Blur disappeared. Kid Flash didn't even have time to stop before Blur crashed into him from behind. KF flew forward be he couldn't get far before Blur hit him again. This hit pushed him back out over the water.
'How is he so fast?' Kid thought. He hit the water. Blur ran out over the water grabbed him by the hair. Blur threw him so hard he skipped three times on the water. On the third time Blur ran next to him and kicked him. Kid hit the boardwalk. He coughed up blood. 'Dam it. How is he beating me so badly?'
Kid Flash wasn't the only one in trouble. Zatanna and Artemis were facing Enchantress and Velos. They had effectively stopped either of them from attack. Before Zatanna could even utter a spell she had to dodge an arrow from Velos and Artemis couldn't get any of her arrows near them because Enchantress was using her own spells to stop them in the air.
"We can't fight them like this." Zatanna said.
"Then we try another method. Maneuver seven." Artemis said.
She cupped her hands together and Zatanna used that as a spring board to get above Velos and Enchantress. But their plan backfired on them. Velos used the moment when Artemis had unarmed herself to fire two exploding arrows at her. Artemis was blasted backward forty feet. Zatanna under normal circumstances would have managed to perform a perfect mid air kick. Instead she found herself frozen in mid air, her heel five inches away from Enchantress' face. Enchantress had her hand up in front of her. Zatanna could see a pentagram glowing on her palm.
"And to think we actually trained for this encounter." She said. Zatanna tried to break the spell but she could move. "It's sad. I'm not even having fun yet." Enchantress said. She flicked her wrist and Zatanna was sent flying. She landed not far from Artemis.
"Artemis, Zatanna!" Rocket yelled. She tried to fly towards the girls but her way was blocked.
"Sorry hun, you have your own problems." Shadow Blast said. The dark purple glow that surrounded her suddenly seemed to jump to her hands. It was only pure instincts that made Rocket create a force bubble around herself and spilt second before Shadow Blast released a beam of pure energy at her. Despite being surrounded by her bubble she was still forced backwards and downwards. It energy pulse was so powerful it managed to force her under the surface of the water, still inside her bubble. The jolt from hitting the sea caused her lose focus and her force bubble vanished. She didn't even have time to figure out which way was up when Shadow Blast flew into her, causing both of them to disappear under the waves.
Aqualad had seen when Rocket hit the water, but was unable to help her because he was in a fist fight of his own. He and Riptide were clashing swords on top of a water vortex.
"You are trained in Atlantean sorcery." Aqualad said.
"You could say that." Riptide answered. Aqualad couldn't tell if Riptide was smiling because of the ninja mask, but his voiced sounded like he was. Riptide jumped backwards flipping in the air and landing on an second vortex he had just made. He made a third vortex erupt from the waves and slam into Aqualad. He was sent flying off his own vortex. Riptide made two more vortexes and crashed them into Aqualad in mid air, sandwiching him between two walls of water. Aqualad cried out, his water bearer falling from his hand. Riptide lowered his own vortex so he was level with Aqualad.
"You are the sidekick to the king? I expected more." Riptide punched Aqualad in the stomach and released the vortexes holding him. He fell twenty feet to the water.
"Miss M. look out!" Superboy yelled out. Miss Martian screamed as a light pole hit her out of the air. Superboy looked at Kid Destruction who was holding the light pole, grinning.
"I believe that was a home run." He said. Superboy let out a yell and leapt at KD. KD grinned wider and leapt at Superboy. His fist slammed into Superboy's face, and they crashed into the boardwalk. Kid Destruction continued to punch Superboy into the ground. Superboy managed to stop one of his punches by grabbing his fist. He kicked KD off him and turned the tables and got in several hits of his own. Kid Destruction stopped him by pounded the ground making a ten foot deep crater that knock Superboy back.
"You're strong." Kid Destruction said. "Those punches almost hurt." He leapt at Superboy and grabbed him by the arm. He lifted him over his head and swung him into one of the buildings.
Miss Martian was struggling to get up after the hit she received from KD.
"So you're the martian girl that beat Psimon." Said a voice behind her. Miss Martian turned around to find Dark Psyche behind her. "Then that means you should be powerful. Let's find out just how powerful." Dark Psyche said as her eyes glowed red. Miss Martian was suddenly picked up and tossed into the air. DP laughed. She placed two fingers by her left temple and hit Miss M. with a mental strike so powerful she was winded instantly. DP lifted one hand and brought it down quickly. Miss Martian slammed in the ground in front of Dark Psyche. Dark Psyche kicked her. Miss Martian doubled over in pain.
"Not even a challenge." Dark Psyche picked her up with her telekinesis.
"What do want from us?" Miss Martian said.
"If I tell you that so soon it would spoil the fun." She said. She grabbed Miss Martian by the neck. Miss M gagged. "Are you even trying to fight back?" Dark Psyche scoffed at her. Miss M. didn't said anything but picked up a board from behind Dark Psyche using her telekinesis. She held high above her head making sure to keep it out of her line of sight. She brought down quickly but a hand appeared from the top of Dark Psyche's head and stopped it.
"That was shameful." Dark Psyche caused the board to shatter. "Honestly, that was what you tried? I could tell you won't focusing on me and even worst I could see the board above my head in your eyes." She tightened her grip on Miss M neck. Miss M grabbed at her wrist, trying desperately to get her to loosen her grip. Her lungs were screaming for oxygen. The pain of her burning throat was blocking any other coherent thought from her mind. Her vision began to blur. The last thing she saw before she blackout was the evil grin on Dark Psyche's face.
Robin and Crow's fight had moved inside what remained of the candy store. Robin narrowly dodged Crow's bō as it wiped pass his head. Crow jumped twisting in the air and landed a kick to Robin's right temple. He lashed out with his bō again. This time thrusting it lengthways between Robin's defenses and hitting his midsection. Crow aimed another kick but Robin blocked it with his Eskrima sticks. Robin hit back, but Crow dodged and kicked Robin again. He fell against a wall. Crow pinned him by pressing his forearm against his neck.
"I didn't even break a sweat." Crow said. "You're disgraceful." He grabbed Robin by his cape and pulled him roughly outside. "You should know that the only reason I keep you alive was so you could see this." He threw Robin down as his feet and stepped on his back, kneeling down. Crow grabbed Robin by his hair and pulled his head up. "Take a look at your precious team." Crow said. Kid Destruction walked up with Superboy slung over his shoulder. He tossed him down like a sack of potatoes. Dark Psyche levitated Miss Martian next to Superboy. Blur appeared a tossed Kid Flash on top of Superboy. Velos and Enchantress were pulling Artemis and Zatanna back the back of their necks. They dropped them next to Miss Martian. Riptide and Shadow blast came up standing on a water vortex. Riptide flicked his hand and a jet of water tossed Aqualad and Rocket out of the water. None of them was moving. Robin felt a pit of fear form in his stomach. Were they okay?
"We defeated you all without even trying. And you are supposed to be trained by the best."
"So are you going to kill us now?" Robin said.
Crow laughed. "No not yet. We haven't had enough fun yet. You all get to see another day. But we look forward to our next play date." Crow threw down a smoke bomb and Robin felt the weight leave his back. He tried to get up but his feet wouldn't take his weight. He must have injured his foot in the fight. He somehow managed to pull himself over to the others. He checked their vitals and breathe a sigh of relief. They were all alive, but just barely. He knew they need medical help.
"Batman, do you read me?" He said into his radio.
"I know that voice Robin. What happened?"
"It's a long story. Can you come to my location and bring medical help?"
"I'm already on my way."
Batman was there in less had twenty minutes. With Black Canary, Superman, Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow. Superboy and Aqualad had regained consciousness, but the others were still out cold. Canary was examining Robin while Superman and Martian Manhunter were seeing about getting the others back to the cave.
"You going to tell us what happened?" Green Arrow asked looking at the three boys.
Superboy looked away and Robin frowned.
"They were not what we were expecting." Aqualad said.
"What were they?" Canary asked. She was bandaging Robin's leg. None of the boys answered.
"You all made a promise to tell us everything you found out about the Kids of Chaos." Batman said.
"They were us, alright. They had our powers." Superboy said. The older heroes shared a look.
"No it was more than that. They weren't just us, they were better than us...far better." Robin said.
After their first battle the Kids of Chaos take the win and leave the team shaken. How will they pull together after this defeat?
Nardragon~until the next page.