Chapter 7 Enemy Action

Santa Prisca 5:00 pm EST

Darkness was settling on the island. Several shipments had been going from the main base to the coast. Beta squad, consisting of Robin, Beast Boy, Portal, Raven, and Cyborg were waiting for the buyer to arrive before attacking. Alpha squad, consisting of Batman, Starfire, Kid Flash, and Nightwing, were surveying the main base, so that they could strike at the right time. Both squads heard a helicopter over head. The buyer. Beta squad got ready. The buyer jumped out as none other than Sportsmaster. Robin shouted, "Beta squad, ATTACK!" and the Team took the setup by surprise. Kobra soldiers and their weapons weren't able to stop the heroes from taking out each member of Kobra, Bane's group, and Shadows. Soon, it was Beta and Sportsmaster. He cackled from behind his hockey mask.

"Well. Well. Well. If it isn't my daughter's 'Team'. Here to stop me? Prepare to be disappointed." He sneered. He swung his flail at the team, but they dodged expertly. Robin pulled out his staff and charged. Swinging, he hit Sportsmaster in the cheek, causing the mercenary swirl around, only to be hit by a metal fist that belonged only to a certain Cyborg.

"Well that was easy." Cyborg said. With that, he was knocked out by a flail.

"With me, it's never easy." Sportsmaster turned to the others. "Now, where were we?"

Batman was still looking through his batnoculars. The shipments had stopped. Now, was the time. Batman jumped from the trees, Nightwing and the others following suit. Kid ran through the base, knocking out Bane's men and Kobra guards, respectively. Starfire blasted away at enemy forces. Nightwing winded several with his escrima sticks, and then kicked them out. Batman threw batarang after batarang to get to Bane. Once Alpha got to the main target, it all went south.

"Batman." Bane said. "I should have realized you'd be trying to stop me again. Your team is taking a defeat near the coast. Sportsmaster always picks up the shipments. And he always deals with your team Bats. Still, if you want to fight me, I may as well juice up." Bane turned the dial. As the venom made him stronger, he became more buff than he already was.

"Oh crab cakes!" Kid Flash shouted as Alpha squad started backing up.

All beefed up, Bane said, "I have been waiting a long time for this!"

CRACK!

An unconscious Portal hit a tree. Robin was the only one left, and he was barely keeping up. Swing after swing he dodged, but he was getting tired. Sportsmaster saw this, and dealt the finishing blow. He swept Robin off of his feet with the flail. As Robin lay on the ground, Sportsmaster walked up to him, raised his boot, and dealt a final blow.

BAM!

Light Assembly 6:00 pm EST

The Light had gathered via computer link.

Vandal Savage spoke. "Our friends, the Apokoliptans, are preparing for their arrival on Earth."

Ra's said. "They will be warmly welcomed."

"Indeed." The Brain replied. "But, we need to think about the Team possibly defeating us again."

"Darkseid is too powerful to be defeated by mere children." Savage said.

"Now, now. Let's not forget what happened last time we underestimated them."

"Well put Luthor," Ra's replied. "Now why do you want Nightwing, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis, and Portal?"

"The original members of the Team need to be disposed of." Vandal said. "Red Arrow is just a slave, but not even slavery is fitting for these seven."

"Understood." Ra's responded with a shadowy tone.

"The Team is too unimportant for us to even consider dealing with them." Queen Bee offered this insight.

"Then, should I drop the bounty?" Ra's asked.

"Not at all!" Vandal responded, slightly annoyed. "Getting rid of them is a precautionary action that must come to fruition. These seven, and all who continue to join them, are shading the world from the Light that needs to be seen."

"I will not allow you to dispose of Kaldur'Ahm. He may be my enemy, but he is still my son."

"Have a better idea, Manta?" Vandal asked.

"Yes." Manta replied. "Let them fight us. No matter what happens, they will not be able to continue hiding the truth. All will soon see the Light."

Apokolips 6:00 pm EST

A whip came down slashing Roy's back. He gritted his teeth, and deepened his glare, as he loaded the last crate aboard the ship.

"Anything else, your highness?" Roy asked Darkseid, heavily sarcastic.

"You continue to defy me archer." Darkseid smirked. "It makes this all the sweeter. For, eventually you will break, and you will submit to me willingly." Darkseid boarded his ship.

"You can't keep me here forever!" Roy shouted. "For your information, I have a wife and daughter back home. So no matter what you say, I will never submit to yo-!" Roy was stopped by a heavy hand smacking him across the face. Darkseid looked at Roy, and he was not pleased.

"You forget your place, archer. On Earth, you may be a top dog, but here, on Apokolips, you are the slave. And I am the master." Darkseid then turned to fully face the archer. "Perhaps you require, discipline." He cracked his knuckles. This was not going to go well.

Santa Prisca 6:00 pm EST

BAM!

Batman hit the wall with a thud. Bane smiled, seeing all the heroes defeated. He had helped score a victory for The Light.

"(Time to go!)" He told his troops in Spanish. "El Bat lives to fight another day."

With that, Bane and his men left.

Darkseid's ship 7:00 pm EST

Roy's face was red. An hour of being smacked by a hand as big as Darkseid's would do that to a guy. He was brought along to be an example to the people of Earth as what would happen if he was defied. Roy wouldn't show it, but he had lost hope.

"Open the boom tube to Earth's outer orbit." Darkseid commanded. Within minutes, the fleet was at Earth's door. As the ships hit the atmosphere, Darkseid was broadcasting to Earth, "Hello! I am Darkseid."

A/N: Enemy action from both sides. Hmm. So what's next for Earth? Who knows. It's still anyone's game. But until next time, Read and Review, True Believers!