I own nothing.
Jinx's eyes turned neon pink as pink balls of chi formed on her hands. "Get ready! Here I come!"
Raven vanished.
Jinx let her guard down. "Where did she-"
Her vision shook as something hard hit her head.
Jinx turned around, seeing no one there. "Behind you," the announcer said, seconds too late.
Another powerful attack sent her tumbling toward the edge of the ring. Jinx hopped to her feet, seeing Raven charge toward her with amazing speed. She threw a pink ball of energy at the Titan.
Raven deflected it. "Your attacks can't hurt me," Raven said, firing a black wave of energy at the criminal.
Jinx dodged and raised both her hands, putting a wall of energy between herself and Raven. "Maybe I'll just get lucky."
Raven punched through it. "Not likely."
Jinx threw all her might at the half-demon, throwing a volley of energy enhanced punches. Raven blocked her attacks while closing in. Raven sent a knee strike to Jinx's stomach and sent a kick into her chin. Jinx's head hung over the edge of the ring. "Due to a powerful kick from Raven of the Teen Titans, I have to start counting! One! Two! Three-"
Jinx climbed to her feet, wiping a trail of blood from her lips.
Raven kicks her in the face again, sending Jinx spiraling into the grass. "Don't come back to Jump City," Raven said, "unless you want this to happen again."
"We have a victor!" the announcer exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Beast Boy shouted. "Good going, Raven!"
"I'll get y'all for what you did to Jinx," Billy said.
"You're fighting me," Gohan said. "No, you won't."
"Next, we have two tournament veterans colliding!" the announcer said. "On one side, we have the beautiful Latina model turned master of mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiujitsu, the heart breaker of Latin America inside the ring and out, Pantha!"
A tall, curvy, tan woman with long, wavy, dark brown hair walked onto the stage receiving cheers and catcalls in a variety of languages. She wore a black, one-piece outfit covering her entire midsection and exposing her long legs and toned arms. Matching her cat theme, she wore a yellow, cat-shaped mask with black stripes on the cheeks and forehead. Around her waist was a golden championship belt earned from many bouts in the ring.
"And her opponent," the announcer said, "the champion of the 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi and master of the Crane martial arts and meditation school, the frequent finalist: Tien Shinhan!"
Tien walked out in a green and yellow Han-style robe with baggy sleeves and loose, green pants and yellow boots with black soles. He wore a black hat with a small, red ball on top of it. New fans and old started chanting his name as banners depicting his signature attacks were raised.
"You looked bigger on the television," Pantha said in a thick, Hispanic accent.
"So you've seen me," Tien said.
"While I trained for real fights, I would watch you and the other martial artists here dance," Pantha said.
"Then why are you here?" Tien asked.
"When I win, The Master will grant my wish of battling an opponent capable of defeating me," Pantha said. "The top is a lonely place to be."
"What happens if I win?" Tien asked.
"You imply that there is a chance that you'll win," Pantha said. "If you win, you get my phone number. You were going to ask me that anyway, si?"
A couple of males in the crowd jumped up to fight Pantha for themselves.
Tien smirked. "Alright," he said. "I must warn you: I do not discriminate toward males nor females. I treat my opponents equally."
"Come to center," the announcer said.
Tien and Pantha fell into fighting stances. "You are smirking," Pantha said. "Do you know who I am?"
"You are my opponent," Tien said. "I don't intend to lose."
"Begin!" the announcer shouted.
Pantha immediately went on the offensive, throwing a multitude of named attacks. "Tiger's claw!" she shouted, throwing a roundhouse punch surrounded in an orange glow.
Tien ducked and jabbed her in the stomach. He flipped back, sending her into the air with dual kicks to the chin. He landed on one foot in a Crane stance.
Pantha flipped back as well, landing on her feet. "Golpe de suerte," she said, charging again.
Tien hopped into the air, jabbing her forehead with a series of quick, powerful punches. He disappeared, knocking her to the ground with a sweep kick. "If you knew my life, you would know that I am not lucky."
The announcer counted to six before Pantha rose again. "I will not lose! I can't afford to lose; my fans need me!" Pantha shouted, frantically swiping toward Tien for attacks. One landed on Tien's cheek.
Tien rolled to his feet after the staggering blow. "You're strong," he said.
Pantha landed a hit into Tien's stomach. "I know." Pantha prepared to throw a kick powerful enough to send Tien sailing out of the ring. "I'm probably stronger than you."
"Maybe so." Tien disappeared. "But speed counts too," he said, kicking her in the side.
Pantha fell to the ground. The announcer counted to eight this time. Pantha stood up, licking her lips in excitement. "I like you," she said hungrily, charging toward him again.
Tien blocked a volley of earth-shattering punches and spun out of the way of her attacks, forcing her to tire herself out. However, Pantha's strikes made Tien's arms sore, and he could not keep it up much longer. He leaned out of the way of a punch and returned his own into her stomach, blowing her half way across the stage. She hopped to her feet and let out a battle cry, running toward Tien as he approached her. Tien hopped into the air, spinning around and slamming his heel into Pantha's arm. Despite Pantha blocking the blow, the force sent her flying out of the ring.
"What a powerful kick!" the announcer said. "When Master Shen told the staff here that Crane students focus on legwork, they weren't kidding! Tien Shinhan wins!"
The crowd was mixed; hurt fan boys of the woman getting them through puberty, or adulthood, cursed him out and called him awful names. Others, more loyal and unbiased fans to the tournament, praised Tien for his quickness and striking power. Tien and Pantha returned to their block together. "I'll be at the beach later on today," Pantha said. "I know I'll see you there." She walked out of the block and out of the arena, heading toward the hotel.
The announcer realized he was staring and snapped himself out of it. "On to our next match: Captain Marvel Junior versus Atlas!"
A yellow and red robot with glowing, blue eyes standing at nine feet tall and as wide as two refrigerators hopped onto the stage, shaking the ground as he landed. "Hello, puny Earthlings! I am Atlas!"
The crowd booed and hissed.
"My opponent got through the preliminaries only because his enemies pitied him!" Atlas shouted. "I will not be the same! He is crippled from the waist down and I intend to finish what natural selection has started! He will die today! Bring him out!"
A fair-skinned teen with blue eyes and black hair a red jumpsuit with gold boots, cape, belt, and gloves slowly rolled his way out of the block in a black wheelchair. A fat, yellow lightning bolt emblem was on the back of the wheelchair and in the middle of his chest. He waved to the fans as he hit the edge of the ring. "This is embarrassing," he said. "Could someone help me up here?"
Superboy rushed out of his block and carried his fellow superhero onto the stage. "Give him heck, Junior."
Junior nodded. "I'm ready."
"Are you sure?" the announcer asked. "Unless you have some way to move your legs, you can't-"
"Just let the boy fight," Superboy said. "He's good enough to be in Young Justice."
"Alright," the announcer said reluctantly. "Come to center."
Junior rolled to center. Atlas cocked his fist back, prepared to floor the seemingly helpless superhero in front of him.
"Begin!" the announcer exclaimed.
"Shazam!" Junior shouted, blowing Atlas back in an explosion of golden chi. The wheelchair flew off the stage and into Superboy's arms.
"Dear God!" Billy said, feeling overwhelmed by Junior's power.
Junior floated above ground as a tall, musclebound young man with glowing, golden eyes. "I have invoked the powers of Olympus," Junior said in a surprisingly loud, majestic voice. "The power of the Olympians are mine to use at my whim!" Junior slammed his fist into Atlas's chest, denting the metal.
Atlas threw a punch back, landing a direct hit into Junior's face. The super was not fazed.
Junior smashed his fist into Atlas's chin, sending him flying out of the ring.
The crowds erupted in applause.
"That was completely unexpected!" the announcer said. "In an amazing reenactment of David versus Goliath, Junior sent a two-ton machine barreling out of the ring! I'm starting to worry for the other fighters if they have to deal with this guy."
Superboy tossed Junior his wheelchair. Junior's aura died as his legs gave out on him, forcing him back into his regular state. Junior wheelied off the stage and back to his block.
"I'm not sure what will top that performance," the announcer said, pulling out the next cue card. "Jump City rivals collide! Batman's boy wonder gone solo, Robin, will face off against the silent beacon of evil, Kyd Wykkyd!"
Robin and Kyd Wykkyd walked on stage to a band playing the Batman theme and the crowd familiar with Robin's heroism cheered for him. Robin wished he could turn the music off.
"Come to center!" the announcer said.
"I'll make this quick," Robin said, hopping on his toes like a boxer.
"Begin!"
A black portal opened under Robin's feet moments after Robin landed the first strike. Robin fell through the portal and found himself feet above the grass. "Whoa!" Robin fazed out, reappearing above Kyd Wykkyd throwing a kick.
Kyd Wykkyd disappeared using teleportation, countering Robin's kick with his own.
Robin disappeared as well, continuing a chain of lightning fast counter attacks.
"Are the cameras catching this?" the announcer said, watching Robin and Kyd Wykkyd vanish again and again. "Kyd Wykkyd might have teleportation on his side, but Robin will not give him a break!"
Robin and Kyd Wykkyd appeared in the air, clashing in a furious exchange of blows.
"The Boy Wonder can fly now?!" the announcer exclaimed. "Or is it one of his many gadgets he co-patented during his time with the Dark Knight?"
Robin landed a blow in Kyd Wykkyd's stomach, sending him sailing into the air. He whipped a chi blast at Kyd Wykkyd.
The mute villain opened a portal in front of him, swallowing the white chi blast and spitting it toward Robin's back.
"I'm smarter than that, Kyd." Robin disappeared.
Kyd's eyes widened as an elbow strike slammed the back of his head. He fell on the grass outside of the ring and the crowd cheered as the Batman theme started playing. Robin grimaced. He landed on his feet in the center of the ring.
The announcer ran up to him. "The Boy Wonder, with a new arsenal of techniques, moves on! Tell me: how did you become so powerful?" He put the microphone toward Robin's face.
"I got new teachers," Robin said, nodding to Yamcha and Krillin in their blocks. "Could you tell the band to stop playing that theme? I always found it annoying."
The announcer turned to the band and waved his hands. "Robin has requested that you stop playing, please."
The band stopped playing.
Robin left the stage and returned to his block.
"This next match features two newcomers to the battle between good and evil," the announcer said. "On the side of evil, we have the Texan multiplier recently accepted into the US News ranked H.I.V.E Academy and the newest member of the H.I.V.E Five, Billy Numerous!"
Eight Billies ran onto the stage. "The official galoot of the southwest has arrived to give the competitors a conniption! There ain't no way a dumb ol' Titan's gonna get past this Lone Star cowboy!"
A few fans from the Southern United States cheered in support of their brother, despite his moral affiliation.
"On the side of good," the announcer said, "we have the newest Teen Titan making headlines across America with his feats of strength and speed, son of the 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi champion ready to make a mark of his own, Son Gohan!"
The crowd cheered as Gohan walked onto the stage. "How does it feel to be in the same preliminary block your father was?"
"It feels good," Gohan said, looking into the sky. "Real good."
"Let's get it started!" the announcer said, backing away from the stage. "Come to center!"
The Billies fused into the original and came to the center of the ring.
Gohan didn't bother falling into stance.
"Begin!" the announcer shouted.
Billy created eight clones and started to attack. Gohan hit them all so fast it appeared as if he hit only one. The Billies blew back, several disappearing as they fused with the original.
"What a hit!" the announcer said. "Gohan halved the amount of Billies on the field with one punch! Amazing!"
"How many hits was that?" Raven asked on her communicator.
"Nine," Tien said on a communicator of his own. "Maybe ten."
Blackfire yawned. "When is it going to be my turn?"
"Probably not too long," Piccolo said, "if you're next, anyway."
The four Billies surrounded Gohan. "Alpha formation-"
Gohan spiked his aura, blasting the Billies out of the ring.
The announcer's glasses cracked. "W-what power!" he stammered. "Gohan is the winner!"
Gohan put his fist up as he walked off stage.
"He didn't even touch him the second time," Beast Boy said. "He's powerful!"
"You're saying this like you didn't know before," Raven said.
"The dude is tough," Beast Boy said, "but before we left for Kami's Lookout, Billy would have been a problem for all of us."
"All of us have changed," Robin said. "I still wonder what training Gohan had."
"Next up, we have the Green Arrow's sidekick, Speedy, taking on another Jump City villain, Doctor Light!" the announcer said.
A doppelganger of Robin with short, red hair and a red tank top and pants with yellow shoes and belt walked on stage. Copper pads covered the tips of his fingers. He simulated notching an arrow, shocking the crowd as a blue bow made entirely of energy materialized in his hands. He fired an energy arrow into the air, exciting the crowd as it exploded like a firework. "Hello, Papaya! Speedy is here!"
A tall, lanky man in a black and white jumpsuit with a yellow orb protected by glass in the center of his chest walked out behind him, manipulating yellow orbs of chi in his hands. "It may be bright, but when I'm done with you, none will be able to handle Doctor Light!"
"Come to center!" the announcer said. "Begin!"
Before the doctor or the crowd could react, a blue energy arrow pierced the glass orb, snuffing out the light on his hands. Speedy kicked Doctor Light in the chin, driving him to the edge of the ring. Speedy summoned his energy bow and slammed it into the doctor's cheek, making the doctor fall out of the ring.
"That was fast!" the announcer said. "I guess they don't call you Speedy for nothing, am I right?"
Speedy laughed briefly. "That's not funny." He briskly returned to his block.
"Alright," the announcer said. He pulled the next cue cards and read the names. He started to shake slightly, as the temperature inside his suit skyrocketed. "This next fight will be interesting," he said confidently, backing further away from the stage. "One of the most terrible super villains the earth has come to know is here with us today. Please welcome Slade!"
Gohan approached the edge of his block, prepared to intervene if things got out of line.
Slade walked out with the same "M" on Overload and Cinderblock carved into the orange half of his mask. He stepped into the ring and stopped at the center, waiting for his opponent.
The crowd started murmuring as those in the front rows moved back.
"And his opponent," the announcer said, "the independent superhero hailing from Harvard University at only seventeen, Hotspot!"
An African American boy with short, curly hair wearing a crimson jumpsuit and a white and black hood walked on the stage. A fiery aura burst around him as his head became engulfed in flames. Fire surrounded his entire body and his flame retardant costume.
"Stand by," Starfire said. "Slade may strike."
"We're on it," the other five Titans said simultaneously.
Hotspot walked to the center, making Slade step back. "What's wrong?" Hotspot said. "Can't handle the heat?"
"No," Slade said. "I just can't stand the smell of defeat."
"I'll make you eat those words," Hotspot said.
"I doubt that," Slade said.
"Begin," the announcer said reluctantly.
Slade ducked a fiery fist and returned his own, knocking the young hero back while burning his hand. He hopped back and thrust his hand forward, firing a yellow chi blast.
Hotspot hopped over it and returned with a fireball. Slade dodged and fazed out, reappearing above him. He slammed his heel into Hotspot's head but recoiled as he burned his foot. Hotspot smirked. He sent a volley of fireballs at the villain, but missed every time. Slade tried to hit him again but was met with intense flames. "You can't touch me," Hotspot said, "but I can touch you."
"Really?" Slade said, stomping and raising his hands, manipulating the ground around the ring. "I see the situation reversed."
"Since when could he do that?" Beast Boy asked.
"Terra must have taught him," Raven said.
A large chunk of rock flew toward Hotspot, slamming into his stomach and knocking him down. Slade raised his hands again, turning the ground below Hotspot into a number of fists, battering Hotspot's back. Hotspot hopped to his feet with his vision shaken. He let out a battle cry, spitting out a stream of fire.
Slade fell into stance and pushed his arms upward, creating a wall of earth to protect him. He vanished, reappearing behind the young man levitating a rock above his head. He slammed the rock on Hotspot's head, dropping the teen instantly.
The announcer counted to ten and ran on stage, turning Hotspot on his back. A trail of blood started trickling from the unconscious boy's nose. "Medic! Quickly! Get out here!" the announcer shouted in the microphone.
Slade tossed him aside and formed a spear out of the ground. He aimed it at Hotspot's head and cocked his arm back.
"Go!" Robin shouted.
"Now!" Superboy shouted.
The Teen Titans, Young Justice, and Z-Fighters rushed toward the stage, prepared to intercept the maniacal tyrant.
Before they set foot on stage, a second, female Slade appeared between Hotspot and Slade. She wore a more form-fitting replica of Slade's costume; she was a young woman with an athletic, curvy build of average height with long, straight, white hair sticking out from under her mask. She carried dual katana and pointed them at Slade's throat. "Step away from him, bastard," she snarled.
"I told you if we ever crossed paths again," Slade said, "I would kill you."
"Here's a reality check," she said, "you can't. I'm stronger, faster, smarter, and backed by the Teen Titans, Young Justice, and the Z-Fighters. If you start something, we will end you."
"When did we enter the conversation?" Blue Beetle said to his short, lean friend with spiky red hair wearing a yellow and red suit with Flash's emblem on the front of his outfit. "I did not receive any invite; did you, Kid Flash?"
"Yes, actually," Kid Flash said. "I did."
"Who are you?" Cyborg asked the female Slade.
"I'm his daughter," she said. "Ravager."
The Titan' jaws dropped. Cyborg felt especially confused; he would never look at Slade the same way again.
Slade left the stage in frustration and returned to his block.
The superheroes returned to their blocks as well. Ravager and Trunks nodded to one another before Trunks started walking back to his block. "I saw that," Gohan said. "What was that? How do you know her?"
"I can't tell you," Trunks said, looking over his shoulder, "or else you might-"
"Why?!" Gohan exclaimed. "What happens in the future?!"
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect," Trunks said, "but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff." He looked at Gohan like he had three heads. "You helped me build the machine that let me warn you about the androids," he said. "You should know that."
"Has anyone ever told you how annoying time can be?" Gohan asked.
"Yes, actually," Trunks said. "Ravager said-"
"How do you know-"
"Next round is starting, bye." Trunks went to his block.
"Damn it, Trunks," Gohan said under his breath, returning to his block.
"Ravager versus Killer Moth!" the announcer exclaimed, looking on his cue cards for any more information. "These two fighters are definitely underground; I have no information on either of them."
Killer Moth emerged from his block as a seven foot tall humanoid with the features of a moth, including the large eyes, antennae, and wings. He flew onto the stage. "Stand down, human! Announce your defeat and-"
Ravager threw her swords into the air and leaned so that her sheathes were vertical. The swords fell into the sheathes perfectly. Killer Moth stopped talking.
"Trunks," Cyborg said over his communicator. "The only person I know who can do that is you. Is there something you're not telling us?"
"Oh no," Trunks said. "I have dropped my communicator and have broken it." He dropped the communicator and crushed it under his foot.
"After this is over, I'm teaching him how to lie," Blackfire said, "because that really sucked."
"Come to center," the announcer said.
Ravager walked to the center with her arms folded. She looked up at Killer moth.
"Begin," the announcer said.
Ravager caught a hairy fist from the moth and squeezed, crushing his palm. Killer Moth screeched in pain as he tried to break free of her iron grip. "Here," Ravager said. "Let me put you out of your misery." She punched Killer Moth in the face, knocking the bug-man to the ground.
Killer Moth scrambled to his feet and dodged a kick. "I will not go down so easily!"
Ravager fazed out, reappearing behind him in the air. She sent a karate chop in between his neck and shoulder, dropping him with a thud.
"Knockout!" the announcer said. "The Slade look-a-like took the behemoth out with a sharp blow!"
Ravager left the stage and returned to her block.
"Guess what, folks?" the announcer said. "We are half-way through the final preliminary bouts! We'll be back in ten minutes, four forty on the dot, so go to the bathroom, grab some food, check the oven, be back in time because you won't want to miss the next battle: the short veteran of this tournament's history, Krillin of the Orin Temple, faces off against the messy monster made out of nuclear waste and all things gross, Plasmus!"
"Plasmus is here?!" all of the heroes said at the same time.
"Yes," the announcer said, "and he is also armed with the strange 'M' marking on his chest! What could that mean?"
Trunks grimaced. "It means that you might end up dying for your job."
"We'll be right here," the announcer said, watching the crowds leave. "Contestants, you may wait in the dining hall."
They left their blocks and spilled into the dining hall, where a few of the Titan's allies waited for them. "Hey, Hotspot!" Robin said, engaging in a personal handshake. "They work fast!"
Hotspot felt the bandages around the top of his head. "Yeah; it took them fifteen minutes to wake me and bandage me. I told them I wanted to watch the fights anyway so they let me come back."
"Shouldn't you be in a wheelchair?" Robin asked.
"I should," Hotspot said, "but I'd rather walk."
Raven and Jericho disappeared to a corner, communicating about psychic-related topics.
Beast Boy approached Herald. "Nice singing, dude!"
Herald grinned at him. "What's up, Beast Boy?"
"Oh, y'know, saving the city," Beast Boy said nonchalantly. "Boring stuff."
"At least something happens in Jump," Herald said. "Besides for the occasional robbery, nothing really happens in my hood."
"Man, how I wish we could switch sometimes," Beast Boy said. "One of the times not being when you fought Supergirl."
"Oh, shut up," Herald said.
"Is anyone else noticing the divide?" Gohan said. Four groups were forming. One group consisted of the Teen Titans and Z-Fighters, the second of Young Justice, the third of adversaries of the first two groups, and the fourth of the independent allies of the groups including Ravager. The villains kept to themselves because the heroes outnumbered them about four to one. The Titans faced their new rivals, Young Justice, on opposing sides.
Superboy stared at Gohan with intent. Gohan smirked. "You'll get your chance, Superboy," Gohan said. "I must warn you; it will be short lived."
"Yeah, for you," Superboy said.
The leaders of each group, pupils of Batman, stared each other down. "Robin," Batgirl said, "I hope you remember a conversation that we had a year ago about the network."
"It was the best idea we had ever come up with," Robin said. "I'm thinking what you're thinking."
"Loser of the tournament has to assimilate?" Batgirl said.
Robin nodded.
"Wait, what?" Beast Boy said.
"It's obvious that a member of either the Titans or Young Justice will defeat the other team sooner or later," Robin said. "When the last member of any team is defeated by the other team, the losing team must join the winning team. I think you'll like the Titan communicators, Batgirl."
"What about us?" Hotspot said. "I think those without a team deserve one."
"And I don't think we really count," Krillin said.
"How about it, Robin?" Batgirl said. "A Young Justice team of all the heroes here."
"When Batman stops brooding," Robin said. "They're future Titans for sure."
"What if one of the villains win?" Slade asked.
"What do you mean, what if?" Gohan and Superboy shouted simultaneously. "You'll have to get past me first!"
The two boys with alien heritage glared at each other. "I'm going to beat him!" they said. "No! I am!"
"Then it's settled," Batgirl said. "Loser joins the winning team."
The door to the dining hall opened. "We're on now; Krillin and Plasmus: get out there."
Krillin walked out in his Kame uniform followed by a nine-foot tall man of sludge.
"You know how to beat him, right?" Gohan asked his small friend.
"I have a technique that will put him to sleep in one shot," Krillin said.
We are half way through the preliminaries! What do you guys think of Batgirl and Robin's challenge? Do you guys think Krillin stands a chance?