The city was quiet, and Slash knew that it meant something bad was about to happen. Living in the city of Blüdhaven meant you either learned to read the world around you, or you could end up dead. The Team moved through the night, silently towards the Jokers hideout. Above Slash and helping watch the Front was the Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, who had quickly become a good friend in Slash's eyes. Behind them followed a few of Nightwing's new recruits, all ready to put their lives on the line for another hero. Slash thought to himself as they pressed on. "It's my job to make sure they don't do anything foolish. Don't let it happen again..." The had reached an old building near the center of Blüdhaven, when a noise alerted Fang, A member of the group whose powers were derived from animals.
"Someone is here, and from the sounds of it they are ready for war." The group hid as Poison Ivy used her plants to try and discover who they were up against. A small flower bud appeared on the rooftop of the building and swayed in the wind, almost like it was looking for something. Near the bud a group of villains had stopped and began discussing strategy. Unlike the team below them, they had been disposing of Joker's men to make sure no alarm would be sounded. A young woman, who seemed to be leading them, seemed agitated at the largest member of the group.
"I told you to only kill when you needed to we don't want anyone investigating why half the city is gone and tracking us back to the Light. Now if you don't stop and show a little digression, I will be forced to take you off this mission the hard way. Understand?"
"Yeah I guess, but this is just so much more fun. C'mon Duplicate, why don't you try it? I'd bet with your powers you could cause heart attacks in the elderly." The man laughed at his own comment as Tigress looked away in disgust. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something that seemed out of place on the rooftops. A small weed seemed to be growing through the cracks in the building, and a bright pink flower bud on top of it. As she walked over to the plant it seemed to sway away from her, trying to get back into the wall.
"Shit, looks like they found my little bud. I have to go save him, it's a matter of principle!" Ivy moved to follow the vine up the wall but was stopped by Slash and Spore.
"Getting yourself caught won't help at all, and We are going to need you when we get to the Joker's hideout. Beetle, you take Ivy, and the new recruits and keep heading to the Chemical plant, Spore and I'll will make sure they are not following then double back to meet up with you." Spore joked around with the other hero, before letting his aunt go.
"What happened to not being a hero, huh?" He laughed as he and Slash readied to go stall their visitors.
"This isn't being a hero, this is being a pest. We'll make them follow us then run away when you guys are in the clear, should be an easy job for you right Poison Oak?"
"Not my name, and try to keep up." With that the two of them were out the window and quickly made their way up the building. They leaped towards the center of the roof and took notice of the group around them. Both could recognize Icicle Jr. and the Terror Twins in the mix, but the rest of them were new faces to them. A slender girl in a cat mask finally spoke up, and the two of them took her for the leader of the group.
"You've made a big mistake coming here right now, but maybe if you decide to be good little boys I'll help you out, and by that I mean I won't let Gaia here crush you." The two eyed the biggest member of the unknown villains, who happily crushed some stone in his arms to prove a point. "Now, where is the Joker and what do you know about his little friend. The two of them looked at each other for a moment before answering, almost in Unison.
"Yeah... no." Slash spoke up while Spore watched as the others escaped with the opening they were given.
"Sorry Kitty girl, but you don't scare me." Spore stepped in front of Slash as a signal that the others had made it out and began to taunt the other team.
"Yeah, I mean look at your team here. You have the human snowman, Rockboy, the Steroid siblings, and I don't know what his powers are, but he is actually shaking. If this is what you have to go against the Joker you're really going to be in for a beating. I fought him with four other quality trained individuals and he still got away, he'll eat you alive. Just give it up and go home, we can beat you another day." The two of them stalled until their friends were out of sight before moving, and began in the opposite direction. "So fearless leader, do you think they will follow us? Or perhaps this was a waste of time and they are still heading for our friends."
"Either way it doesn't matter, we've done our job. The others should have enough of a head start, we'll run them around for a bit if they are and then get back to the others. Back on the building the opposing group watched as the two got farther away her decision and split the group.
"I'll head off those two, I want to show them who they are dealing with. Terrors, you two take the rest of our little group to the chemical plant. One last order, I want Joker alive but besides him anyone at the plant is free game." Artemis felt sick and dirty saying those words. She knew that these people all had the ability to kill anyone they wanted, and that was an open invitation to them. She also knew that if she didn't play the part perfectly things could go south fast. She followed after the two other heroes as the rest of them headed once again towards the Joker.
The Clown Prince of Crime stumbled into his hideout, being supported by his Girlfriend and partner Harley Quinn. The two made their way over to where Jinx was being watched by a young girl with grey ashy skin and sat down. They seemed to continue a pervious conversation as the young hero listened in.
"I don't care if he fits into the world better I think he was way to calculated for the role. I mean where's the funny? Where is the random acts of violence and murder? Not every action needs to have a purpose you know, it just needs to be an act! Though I did like his magic trick, I'll have to try that the next time one of the henchmen decide to get out of line."
"Oh Hun, you really should stop thinking about it so much, you'll go crazy! But I agree that as a villain he was kinda unapproachable. I mean I was rooting for the hero, and you know how much I hate to do that!" The two laughed at the comment as the Joker leaned back in his chair.
"Even so it was a fun night! It's not that often you and I go out without one of us covered in some kind of body fluid.. but the night is still young and I'm sure this little lady here has some friends just aching to come get us! The only real question is which one is going to go down first. Batboy light, or Bug-in-a-can..." As the two laughed Jinx watched as the other girl there began to slink back into the darkness. "huh.. Demona where do you think you're going? You know what, I don't care! GO, have fun, just make sure you don't bug me or any of our guest if the come. I want you to be a big surprise." The two laughed some more as a shadow blocked out the moonlight, making the plant eerily dark to all. " Looks like mother nature decide to help us with the mood, fantastic."
Slash and Spore were getting farther away from their friends and were not starting to worry about they situation. They were being tailed by the opposite
groups leader, and any mistake she was quick to jump on. Apart from that, the rest of the group was nowhere to be seen. "So, was this part of your plan? Or are you making this up as you go?"
"No... well not all of it. Go left after I move, try to get back to the others. If we're lucky she will give up the chase and we can beat her back." They both nodded as Slash turned around to watch his peruser. Tigress was hot on their tails and gaining quickly. She readied to attack again, to make sure that these kids didn't get in her way or get hurt. As soon as she looked up she could see a smile creep across Slash's face, and quickly realized her mistake.
"Oh Shi-" But it was already to late. He laughed slightly as two small metal balls left his hands.
"Feeling the Aster." On cue the two balls burst, releasing a large amount of black smoke. The two heroes turned, Slash going right and Spore to the left, in a effort to loose their peruser and get back to the others. They scanned the area, but Tigress was nowhere to be seen. The two made their was back to the others as quick as the could, hoping to get there before an all out battle began. Tigress watched from a nearby building as the smoke cleared before taking off for the plant as well. She smiled to herself as she silently trailed them.
"'Feeling the Aster'? Looks like this one picked up more than a few moves from Nightwing... Better make sure he doesn't decide to use them against the new guys."
Jinx looked around and for the first time in this entire experience she realized that she was afraid. Before she thought that the others would be right behind her, ready to save her and defeat the man holding her. After that she had been preoccupied with trying to get away from the trio that she never stopped to notice how much time had passed, and a lot had passed. It was already night again, and the Joker had left and come back in the time that she had been bound. The idea that nobody was coming for her slowly crept into her head. No matter how much she tried to fight it the same thought came back again and again.
"You're no use to them, why would they risk themselves for you." She tried to shake the idea away once more before noticing something. The shadows above seemed to be moving past the windows at an alarming rate, almost to fast. She looked up in time to see what looked like a figure move past one of the windows before moving away again. She watched the window for a few minutes but nothing else crossed the small source of light. "Great, now you're so desperate you are going crazy." She looked down at her feet again and tried to move herself, free a hand, anything that could give her some hope of escaping. "If I could get one hand on him, I'd be free and he'd be dead..."
The group was gathered above the chemical plant, and everyone was in place for their attack. Blue Beetle was anxious, ready to get in there but was also worried about Spore and Slash, who had stayed behind. He knew at this point that going back for them would do nothing but waste time, but he didn't want to leave them if they needed help. He thought long about the choice he was facing, before finally decided that the mission came first and the others would be able to take care of themselves. "Okay, let's get insi-." Blue was cut off before he could finish his sentence by a large chunk of ice. The group turned to see the large group of villains behind them. "No..." Blue didn't think anything good could come from this, and worse if they were here his friends could be hurt or worse. It was the young hero Fang who stepped forward as the others tried to think of a plan.
"I don't know what you did with the others, but we have a mission and dealing with you isn't part of it." He seemed to glow slightly as he continued. "Leave or I may be forced to hurt you, severely." Ivy stood next to him as vines sprouted below her feet.
"If you hurt that young man, I will make you food for my children. For your sake I hope he's okay. It was the largest of The Light's team that stepped forward, a man who called himself Gaia, ready to fight. He was quickly joined by Icicle Jr. who was less eager to tangle with the heroes.
"My rocks will crush your bones into dust, the only question now is how, fast and painless or slow and fun?" He held an arm out as some of the others attempted to join him. "No, Two against two. What did Tigress say, the mission comes first. And besides, It wouldn't be fun if I didn't get to really test myself against someone who is close to my level." The others jumped away, seemingly agreeing with him, as Fang motioned for his team to do the same.
"Don't worry, this guy will be easy. Go save her, she needs you guys." The group jumped away as the Fang and Ivy stared down their opponents. It was Icicle Jr. who made the first move, creating and sending a large chunk of ice towards the heroes hoping to pierce them. They dodged in time, letting the chunk fly between them as Ivy countered by sending her plants after the ice-themed villain's feet, wrapping around them tightly. Icicle was dragged down to the ground as the plants tightened and pulled his feet out from under him. The plants couldn't keep a hold on him much longer though, as his cold body temperature began to freeze the vines. Gaia, seeing the position he partner was in, crushed the now frozen vines with a large chunk of the building before sending it towards Fang. The young hero smiled smugly before letting out a deep roar and punching the rock, shattering it into harmless people. As the dust cleared a shining aura could be seen around him, a large, angry looking gorilla which he was currently drawing his strength from. The two larger fighters charged at each other, each ready to send their opponent flying away with brute force. They were stopped by a rain of small seeds that began pelting them, and turned to see who was responsible. Ivy, just as confused as the others, realized who it was and began looking around when Spore finally reached them, tossing Icicle away from his aunt and joining her side.
"Did you miss me? I know you guys wouldn't start a party without me, where's the fun in that?" Spore got into a fighting stance, ready for who was coming next. "We didn't lose the leader, she should be around soon, and that's someone who might give us some trouble." As if on cue, three arrows whizzed through the air, separating Fang from Gaia, almost hitting them in the process. The two watched as Tigress joined them before addressing her two teammates.
"I hope the others are off continuing the mission, it would be a shame if the heroes got to the Joker first. Either way, I don't think these three will be joining them, finish them off and we'll go finish the others."
"Listen Hun, let's talk girl to girl." It was Ivy, trying to extend the olive branch to the opposing side. "Our goals may be closer than you think, I just want to see the clown get what's coming to him, and the goodie-goodies want their little friend back, is that so wrong? Why don't you just give up and go, and when we get who we're after you can come and get the clown?" Before Tigress could reply, Gaia sent another slab of stone at the older villain who easily pushed it away.
"Like we would team up or even accept help from the likes of you, why don't you guys leave, and you can get whatever is left when we're done with them in there?" This time he sent a larger stone, and sent it towards and unprepared Spore, hoping to crush the young man. As Ivy tried to react in time the stone was bisected and crashed to the ground, leaving a stunned Spore. Standing next to him, with his blade drawn and aimed at the group was Slash, ready to fight them off once and for all.
"It seems we're at an impasse, and I won't let you continue to hurt my friends." He walked up to Tigress, standing across from her before speaking again. "I know what you did to Artemis, and I am going to send a message to the Light right now. You may have taken her from us, but I'll make sure you don't go back to them." There was a stunned silence as the opposing leaders stared each other down. After a minute Slash walked up to Tigress, offering her the sword as his waist. "One on one, no powers, no tricks, your blade against mine." As she took the blade he returned to his side of the roof, as the others looked on. It was Icicle Jr. who finally found the power to speak.
"Ninja fight... Awesome."
And the fighting begins. Tried to get the start of a large scale fight in here, and I hope you do like it. Really I was going to do the whole thing in one chapter, but I thought it was getting long(compared to the others) so I cut it off here. With so many OC characters around, it's tiring to write the chapter. I hope I am doing the characters justice, and don't worry, the others will get in on the action in part 2. It's also a little more linear than other chapters, so expect less switching from one locale to another, just between characters. Once we get done with this night, (Which will hopefully end within the next chapter, maybe two if it gets to long again) the two teams will come out in full force, and an all out war will start (So yeah, here's where it starts to get different from the show). before I leave you I have some special news. I've realized that I actually enjoy this story more than I thought I would. I did this by effectively deciding on the premise of the sequel story. It's also bittersweet because that means this one is getting closer to ending. I would add the sequel to this one, but it would be two different, so I decided to just conclude this one and start a new one when I'm done. I probably will be accepting OCs for that one as well, so start thinking of good ones, and will put out the guidelines for them as soon as I can think of a way to word it without giving away any real story events. So I leave you with this, some dialogue I thought up for the (tentatively named) Young Justice: A New War 2:
"Why do you continue to fight? This world isn't even yours, these people don't owe you anything... But you still stand tall to defend them, instead of trying to find your way back to your friends, you oppose giants for people you would never see again. Why?"
"Because I am something that they aren't, and I can't let this happen to anyone."
"You are different, you are human. What do you hope to accomplish by doing this to yourself, what can one human do against a god... Against Superman? What do you have that they don't"
It's not what I have, it's what I am. Unlike them, I never lost my way. I am still a Hero, and I will stand against anyone that threatens the innocence. Let Judgment come to me Pastor, but I will not shy away from it."
"... Then you are a stronger man than any hero here. Goodbye my son, and good luck. You will need it."
