Young Justice: Apocalypse
Season 3
Episode 8
Author James the Lesser
I do not own any characters DC does.
Of course a show as awesome as YJ was canceled. We gotta have moar Ben and Ash and other horrible shows instead of some thing awesome.
Watchtower
July 4th
Zatanna studies the amulet given to her by Raven. The power emulating from it gives her chills. "Raven said we can use this amulet to fight Klarion." She moves a hand over it. The blood in her hand starts to freeze and she pulls it away. "It might just be powerful enough."
"Ooo, frosty!" Deadpool waltzes in to the room, literally. "Care to join me?"
Zatanna had grown used to his zaniness. She turns away from the amulet and smiles. "I can't hear the music."
"I'll lead!" Right in to her pants! Now now, that is no way to treat a lady. "I won't even step on your feet." He holds his hand out.
Zatanna, wanting to shake off the amulet's effects, takes his hand and he leads her in a classic waltz. She knew some thing bad was coming and needed to distract herself from it.
On Earth, in America, millions celebrate. Captain Marvel has Ms. Marvel with him at a BBQ Charity event. He lifts sick children up on his shoulders and zooms around the area.
Ms. Marvel shakes hands and does feats of strength and acrobatics for the children's amusement.
One of the directors of the charity event walks over to her after an amazing performance. "Well done young lady! The Children's Wish Foundation is raising thousands to give these children a smile and to help pay for the medical treatment they so desperately need.
She holds up a peace sign and smiles. "I have never been in America for the fourth of July. We do not have a holiday like this in Germany. It is very exciting to participate."
A woman walks up to the two. "We're glad you could join us." She looks up at Captain Marvel who has a child suffering from leukemia laughing and giggling as Captain Marvel zooms around with him. "For such a big man he sure is gentle."
Ms. Marvel gets a knowing look in her eye. "He can be very gentle when the occasion calls for it." She smiles brightly as she gets her English correct.
Some thought it was a little strange how formal she spoke at times but it was what she learned.
While others are celebrating, Power Girl is hunting.
She is in the Amazon jungles catching up to her prey. "I promise I won't kill you. As long as you agree to join me!"
Cheetah leaps through the trees as Power Girl cuts through the branches with eye lasers. "Never! A true warrior does not surrender!"
Power Girl smashes through branches she doesn't cut as she tackles Cheetah to the moist earth below.
The two fight and struggle until Power Girl pins Cheetah. "Don't make me rip your head off!" She grabs Cheetah roughly by the throat before leaning her head close to Cheetah's ear. "Like I did to Mirror Master." She squeezes tighter enjoying the sound of Cheetah gasping for air, fighting for life, before letting go.
"You won't kill me. I call your bluff." Cheetah tries to attack Power Girl who grabs the arm Cheetah swung easily.
"I am making an army. Some thing is coming that will kill every thing on this miserable little rock. You can either join me, or die." She starts to bend Cheetah's arm in an awkward angle. "I have a few smart enough to realize if the planet is destroyed then no amount of riches will do them good." She continues bending the arm.
Cheetah feels the strain on her muscle and bone. "You wouldn't."
"Wouldn't what?" Power Girl breaks Cheetah's arm.
Cheetah screams out in pain but the only ones who can hear her are the animals of the Amazonian jungles.
Power Girl grabs Cheetah by the throat again and takes off in to the air.
When she is above the trees she stops. "I can heal you. I can make you stronger. Or I can kill you."
Cheetah feels the bone sticking out of her arm. "I give. You nut job."
"Ooo, wrong words." Power Girl lets go.
Cheetah falls through the trees, grabs a branch with her good arm, and stops. "I'm still a cat even if one of my,"
Power Girl slams in to Cheetah shattering the shoulder of her good arm.
When Cheetah lands she is in more pain than she could ever remember. "I, I thought you said you wouldn't kill me."
Power Girl flies down, stopping just above Cheetah. "I won't. You'll probably starve to death in a few days if your wounds don't do you in but I won't be the one to kill you."
"I won't die! I'll live and hunt your crazy a-"
Power Girl is lightning quick as she grabs Cheetah by the skull with both hands. "I found the body of my friend Yumi. Her skull had been crushed by some one very strong." She starts to squeeze. "Apologize, join my army, and I'll not only let you live but heal you and make you stronger."
Cheetah can feel the pain radiating from her wounds. "I'm sorry. You, you said some thing is coming. It will destroy the world?"
Power Girl pulls away. "Yes."
Washington D.C.
July 21
The clone of Bruce Wayne meets with Lex Luthor in his limo. "Presidential Limo?" Bruce runs a hand over the seat. "Very nice."
Luthor is all business as he sets a cup of tea down. "What do you want, clone?"
"What do I want? To have never been made. Unfortunately for you, I was."
"I can end you."
Bruce smirks. "No you can't. Not now that I'm soul owner of Lex Wayne." He ignores Luthor's death glare. "Now, what is it that you want?"
"To protect this planet myself. Not with aliens or monsters."
"The monster you were friends with before is the only true threat this planet has."
"Klarion and I were partners, never friends."
"As it was, Klarion is going to destroy the planet. What will you offer me to help you stop him?"
"You will stop him whether I help or not! That's what you do."
"Who?"
Luthor lowers his voice. In the limo, with Mercy driving, there was plenty of privacy but even then Luthore felt the need. "Batman."
The clone smirks again. "I'm not Batman I'm just a clone who plays at Batman. The others don't seem to realize it but Batman always had a plan. Some times he would sacrifice others to achieve his goals." He motions over to Luthor. "I have no friends or family. Nothing on this planet loves me or I it. If every thing were to be destroyed I would lose nothing. So Luthor, I ask again, what will you offer me to stop him?"
Luthor takes a couple breaths to remain calm. He was a master at being calm even with the pressure of being the President ate away at him. "I want my suit and my weapons."
"Give me access to the super serum, the Kryptonite Nanotech, and we have a deal."
Luthor picks up his tea again and sips. "Perturbed I kept those hidden away and off the books? What use of them do you have? Superman is powerful enough as he is."
"Other's aren't. I've seen what those things can do. If you want the Justice League to stop Klarion they need all the help they can get."
"Are you not a member?"
"Batman is, I am not. I know they hate me even if they try and hide it. Wonder Woman, bah, that woman hates me more than even his own adopted children do. Give me the serum and nanotech and I'll not only give you your weapons and suit I will discover some irregularities that prove the Reach messed with our records and accounts. Clearing your name of all wrong doing."
"The threat of legal action has been a nuisance." As he finishes his tea, Luthor sets the cup down and taps on the glass window between him and Mercy. "My dear, give the clone all he needs to recover the super serum and the nanotech. After you drop him off of course."
Mercy is silent as she drives the limo back towards the White House.
Gotham
July 30th
Batgirl sees Power Girl enter the city. "She's here."
Robin hears her and sneaks closer to the warehouse Power Girl had been storing villains in.
They had Poison Ivy, Fire Fly, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Dead Shot, and now Cheetah marked as being recruited. Several other villains... Were missing or dead. If it was because of Power Girl or not, they weren't sure.
Power Girl flies over the city looking for a very smart man. Having those with powers or those with an army was great. But she knew she needed some one who could coordinate them.
She sees her target and flies through the roof of an old abandoned toy shop. "Hello, Riddler."
He looks up at her and smiles. "Finally come for me? Will you kill me like the others?"
"Only if you refuse to be my general."
"General? Of what?"
"An army to help fight Klarion."
"Ah, the Chaos Lord. I wondered when he would make his move." Riddler holds up a green and purple stripped staff with a question mark on the end of it. "Riddle me this, what is,"
Power Girl cuts him off when she uses her eye lasers to cut the staff in half. "Next time it will be you."
"No riddle then? Very well. If you won't amuse me I won't amuse you." He presses a button on the part of the staff he still held.
Several of the toys spring to life and shoot flames at Power Girl.
Power Girl laughs as the flames warm her and little else. "I, am,"
"In my city." Batgirl had finally caught up to Power Girl.
"Just a second Batgirl." Power Girl moves as fast as a Kryptonian can and grabs Riddle by the throat before flying up through the hole in the roof Batgirl stood over.
"I, I'm sorry. I'll join you."
Power Girl taps him on the side of the head knocking him out before throwing him down on the roof and turning to Batgirl. "So?"
"What are you doing? You already have half a dozen villains stashed away and are getting more?"
Power Girl shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know if you know this or not but the world is going to be destroyed."
"I know. We all know. It doesn't answer my questions."
"You super hero types act like this is a black and white issue. What about the grey? There are some very powerful people out there who have just as much to lose," She jabs Batgirl in the chest with a finger. "As you do. Yet you ignore them."
Batgirl knows a bruise will form where she was jabbed but ignores it. "Harley and Riddler have no powers."
"Harley has followers and Riddler has brains." She looks down at the unconscious Riddler. "Well, I didn't hit him that hard. His brain should still be fine."
"And the others?"
"What others?" Power Girl figured this was coming.
As stealthy as the Bat Brats were, they were not stealthier than Kryptonian hearing and xray vision. She knew she was being watched and had her lies planned.
"Two Face, Mirror Master, Royal Flush Gang."
"What happened to them? I went to all of them and they all refused so I left."
Batgirl studies Power Girl's face looking for any sign of a lie. "They're dead."
Power Girl smiles. "Dead? I guess Luthor is having me followed."
"Luthor? You're working for him?"
"Yes. As much as I hate him I realize I live on Earth as much as he does. If he gives the me the tools I need to help save it then I'll take them."
Batgirl and Power Girl ignore the smoke rising up from the building as Riddler's toys and their flames had set the store on fire.
"What tools?"
"Patches, nanotech, the locations of those he wants in his army. A shame I'll be freeing the Terror Twins but what needs to be done needs to be done."
"You'll release Brock's killers?"
"Just two of them. The ones who can be controlled with nanotech."
Batgirl rubs her arm where she had been injected. "We deactivated that, didn't we? Or else he'd still be controlling the World League."
"Oh, you did. But these are new ones for the villains of the world. They do as he says or they will be destroyed from the inside." Power Girl picks the unconscious Riddle up by the right arm. "What are you going to do? Stop me? If I wanted too I could break you in half and leave you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life."
"You wouldn't."
"You accused me of killing. Why would I hold back just because you're who you are?" Batgirl backs away when Power Girl reaches for her with the hand not holding Riddler. "See? You think I would hurt you."
"I don't know what you would do. You admit you're working with Luthor to build some army out of the bad guys."
"Bad guys need this planet as much as the good guys. Hell, I don't need this planet. I'm Kryptonian. I can just fly away to another planet."
"Why don't you then?"
Power Girl flies too fast for Batgirl to step away and grabs her by the shoulder. "Because I made friends here. I've made a life here for myself." She feels Batgirl shake. "Why are you so afraid of me? Aren't we friends? Haven't we been," Batgirl cuts her off.
"I, I've seen, I saw what happened to Mirror Master. Robin saw what happened to Two Face. Some one was strong enough to rip their heads off. You say Luthor is having you followed but I and the others have and we've seen no one else. You think you're a good liar but you aren't."
Power Girl squeezes a little. She feels Batgirl stop shaking. "Fine, I did it. I tell them to join me or die. Those who refuse get their heads ripped off." She lets go of Riddler and moves her other hand to Batgirl's neck. "What will you do to stop me?"
"I can't." Batgirl feels Power Girl's hand on her throat. "If you kill me the League will punish you."
"Won't they for killing Two Face and others?" Power Girl knows it would be easy to snap Batgirl's neck. There was nothing Batgirl could do to stop her.
"Not if I don't tell them."
"What if you're lying?" Power Girl leans in close, her forehead touching Batgirl's. "I let you go and then an hour later I have a Green Lantern or two on my ass? I rip you in half and I have no worries. I continue making my army until Klarion attacks."
"I promise, I won't. Between old friends I promise I won't tell any one. I, I don't agree with killing them but you're right. We have to ignore black and white and look at the grey. We are all going to die if Klarion succeeds."
Power Girl pulls her hand away from Batgirl's throat. "If they come after me, I'll kill them, and then Nightwing and Robin, and then I'll bring their heads to you. Don't make me do that. You are all friends of mine and I'd hate to get your blood on my hands." She smiles as she floats a foot or two back away from Batgirl.
Batgirl feels the terror she had been facing slip away and smiles back. "I won't tell any one, about the killing. I'll tell them what you told me. Luthor has some one following you to kill those who won't join him."
"Even to Dick?"
"Yes. He might not be willing to see the grey as easily as I am. In fact, need any help?"
"Not really. I have Mr. Freeze next and Luthor is offering all the funding he wants to save his old lady so that should be easy. Then the Terror Twins." Power Girl grasps her hand tightly in to a fist. "I hope they refuse or disobey him once they're released. I'd love to pummel them for what they did to Brock."
"I didn't know you liked him that much. He seemed a little too arrogant for me."
"Who cares about arrogance when... Well, let's just say he talked a lot but he could back up his boasts. At least in the bedroom." Power Girl takes off with Riddler in her grip as Batgirl simply watches.
Metropolis
August 5th
Static, Bumblebee, Guardian, and Beast Boy walk away from a Lex Wayne Corp warehouse rubbing their arms. They were wearing civilian clothing so no one would notice who they were.
Beast Boy, wearing a glamour charm from Zatanna to look normal, looks at his hands. "That's it? Now we're bullet proof?"
Guardian shrugs his shoulders.
Bumblebee pulls out her zappers and shoots him in the back. "Hey, that, well, it didn't hurt as much as it usually does."
Beast Boy turns in to a tiger and swipes at Static. The claws bounce off harmlessly before he changes back. "Dude, not a scratch."
"Amazing." Static doesn't feel any different but knew that with the nanotech he'd be even stronger than before. "Now what?"
"Now we," Bumblebee stops when a car zooms by and soon two cop cars follow behind it with sirens blaring. "See how bullet proof we are." She and the others chase after the car.
Beast Boy turns in to a cheetah and runs ahead of the car before turning in to a large snapping turtle.
The car hits him and a wheel comes off wrecking the car.
The driver is getting out of the car when Guardian runs to tackle him. "Stay away from me!" The driver pulls out a gun and shoots him in the chest.
Guardian looks down and sees the bullets drop to the sidewalk. "Whoa, I really am bullet proof. Sweet!" He punches the driver as hard as he can as the police get out and raise their own weapons.
"Freeze!"
Static comes from behind and uses his powers to rip the hand guns from the police. "Sorry guys but we're the good guys. Wouldn't do you much to shoot us." The guns drop to the ground.
Bumblebee walks up to Guardian and smacks him. "What if you weren't completely bullet proof yet? What if these things take time to do that?"
He rubs his cheek where he had been smacked. "I'd be going to the hospital?"
She smiles and kisses him lightly on the lips. "You big goof."
The police aren't sure what to do. These teens and adults could be good guys or bad guys. They clearly had powers. There was little they could do to stop them.
So they wait for the four to leave before arresting the driver of the car.
Watchtower
August 16th
Raven is with Zatanna near the amulet. "Focus. When he attacks I will not be able to help you."
Zatanna has her hands placed over the amulet and tries focusing her magical powers on it. "Are you sure this will amplify my powers? All I feel is cold."
"Make it warm. When it is warm it will be ready." Raven holds her left hand over the amulet. Her powers reach down to it and suddenly Zatanna feels a heat come off of it. "It will give you the power to stop Klarion while I try and keep my father from entering your dimension."
"What will happen to you after this is over? Will you stay here?"
Raven is surprised by the concern in Zatanna's voice. "Why would you care?"
"Because you're my friend. You're helping me stop Klarion. You're clearly putting your life on the line to save an entire planet. I don't know what you feel you are but to me that makes you a hero."
Raven is silent as she floats away from Zatanna and the amulet which feels cold to Zatanna once again.
Zatanna walks to the control room of the Watchtower and sees Aqualad at the controls. "Any thing interesting going on?"
"A jail break that ended before the guards could set off the alarm. Some one broke the Terror Twins out of prison."
"What? Let the World League know. I'm sure they'd love to kick their asses."
"I already have." Aqualad doesn't turn away from the screens as Zatanna sits down next to him. "Any luck with the amulet?"
"No. Raven... Has power. If I had her power I'm sure I could control the amulet. I'm just not strong enough."
"What about Dr. Fate?"
"He refuses to go near it. It is an item of chaos and he does not trust Raven."
"Is he right not too?"
Zatanna watches the monitors for a few seconds before responding. "I don't know. The amulet is a device of great power and if I could control it I'm sure I'd be able to, do, some thing." She shakes her head in frustration. "If I had my father's help I'm sure we'd be able to harness the power."
Aqualad feels her frustration. "I could have some one from Atlantis look it over with you. We have used magic for thousands of years."
"I might take you up on that offer." She leans back in the chair. "They never mention this part when joining the League. Do you miss leading the Team?"
"Yes, and no. I miss it of course being with my friends but the new Team is not the old. I barely know any of them, except Lagoon Boy, and even then..."
"You were never the same after Tula died stopping Tiamat. Sacrificing yourself to save the world is par for the course if you're a hero. Too bad those who survive have to life with your sacrifice."
"It took me months to stop hating every one. I kept looking back at ways we could have stopped Tiamat with out her death."
She reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder. "There wasn't."
"I know that, now." He sighs as he leans forward in his seat. "When Dick and I came up with the plan to use her death as an excuse for me to join the Light... It hurt. Using Tula like that. She was a hero and wouldn't want me mourning her death but celebrating her life. She would want me to keep fighting and get revenge on the monsters who killed her."
"We all need some thing to fuel us." She thinks about her father being trapped as Dr. Fate. "Like one day seeing our father freed."
"Or seeing that bastard Lex Luthor finally get what is coming to him." Aqualad looks up at the screens. Earth seemed peaceful, for now.
Unknown
Unknown
Klarion pets his cat as he watches Earth through an orb.
Behind him, the Joker twists and bends in his seat. Energy sparks around him distorting his body.
Black Beetle steps through a portal with some one slumped over his shoulder. "I have him, Master."
He throws the body on the ground revealing it was Slash Garret, Shadow Dragon.
Klarion leaps and lands next to Slash. "Another Luthor creation!" He kneels down and zaps Slash.
Slash's eyes open but he can't move. "Where am I? Why am I here?"
"Because Slash, you're about to remove an obstacle for me."
"Screw you! Who ever you are!" Slash struggles but his body refuses to move a muscle.
"Ah, ah, ah, I don't like that." Klarion zaps Slash again. "You hate this obstacle. You want him dead too."
"Who?" He tries to look up at the figure clad in black but his head won't move.
"Luthor."
Magic sparks around Slash and he rises in to the air. "What are you doing to, aaaa!" Energy flows in through his screaming mouth suffocating him for a moment.
When his body drops to the ground, he moves slowly before staggering to his feet. "What is your command, Master?"
"Kill Lex Luthor. That's all. Kill him and I will make you immortal."
"Yes Master."
A portal opens and Slash steps through it.
Dr. Fate feels a dark presence fall over Earth. "Klarion is preparing to strike." He touches a communicator. "Watchtower to all heroes, Klarion is preparing his move. I repeat, Klarion is preparing his attack."
A/N This is probably the second to last episode of the series. The next one will be Klarion creating a new Chaos Lord out of Joker. Will he succeed? What will the heroes do to stop him? Will Power Girl's army help or create more chaos? Who will live, who will die, who will see the end of the day as the victor? We must wait to find out!