Watchtower
Superheroes aren't generally known to gossip; otherwise, secrets that should have been kept secret get out. Still, after a few months after their first date, the fact that Ben and Kara were dating wasn't so much rumor as it was common knowledge.
Anyone in the Justice League who'd seen the two heroes together could tell that they were already close, and many Leaguers had secretly suspected that they'd been dating long before they actually were.
Most of the older heroes were impressed with how professionally the two acted while on the Watchtower or on a mission. Save for the occasional kiss between them, you'd never be able to tell that they were anything more than friends.
The dates went well between them, both just happy to be in the others' company. Most of the time they either went out to dinner or watched movies at Mr. Murakami's apartment, he doesn't mind when Ben having his girlfriend around (they would have gone to the Kent house for movies too, save for the fact that the elder Kents didn't have any movies that they liked), Ben has been paying for Netflix to watch movies.
Now, though, he was upbeat and happy, so much so that it was palpable.
At the moment, however, Ben wasn't really that happy; mostly because his girlfriend was tossing him around the training room like a rag doll.
Rath: (yelling) Lemme tell ya something, Supergirl! Rath does not appreciate it when you punch Rath and then fly away! Rath can't fly!
Supergirl only laughed; she and Ben had sparred several times, and she'd always beaten him easily. She'd never gone against some of his most powerful aliens, like Way Big, but Ben himself had admitted that Way Big might have a tough time against a Kryptonian.
Supergirl: Come on, Ben! We've got monitor-duty in five minutes!
Rath: Fine, Rath was going easy on you anyway."
Then he transformed back to Ben.
As Supergirl floated down to the ground, she gave a cocky smile.
Supergirl: Were you really going easy on me as Rath?
Ben laughed.
Ben: Nah, Rath just likes to bluster when he loses.
Supergirl shared the laugh as they entered the elevator. As they went up to the monitor section of the Watchtower, she asked.
Supergirl: So, are we still on for dinner tonight?
Ben: Wouldn't miss it.
Gotham, Wayne Manor
A few days later, Ben and some of the Heroes (League members, the Titans, and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) are invited to the Wayne Manor for Alfred's birthday party.
Everybody is waiting for Alfred to come outside, at the pool.
Everybody: Happy Birthday Alfred!
Tim: (while holding the birthday cake) Did we it right... is it your birthday?
Alfred: I'm afraid not. But good try...
Alfred notice there's a "65" birthday candle on the birthday cake
Alfred: Who decided I was 65 years old?
Tim: Dick.
Dick: Did I get that wrong? You're not... wait, are you a hundred already? (saying it in a sarcastic tone).
Alfred: Math never was your strong suit, Master Dick.
Oliver: (joking) I know how to get to the bottom of this birthday debacle. (then he turns his attention to Diana) Diana! Use your lasso to force Alfred to tell the truth!
Diana: (while smiling) Keep me out of it.
Then Clark arrives late to Wayne Manor.
Clark: Happy birthday, Alfred... Whenever it is.
Bruce: Glad you've made it Clark.
Clark: Wouldn't missed it for the world.
Alfred: Thank you Master Kent. Thanks to all of you, but none of this is necessary (while smiling, accepting the birthday surprise).
Clark: I can't think a better reason to celebrate. (then turn his attention to everyone) We all work so hard, and can use some family time before duty comes calling again. So let's enjoy it while it lasts.
At the party, couple of the guests are having a pool party, which are Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Raphael, and Michelangelo are having a pool wrestle, while Ben are cooking Wagyu steaks for the guest. Ben was taught how to cook by Mr. Murakami, whenever he stays with him.
Kara: Well, you've never told me you can cook
Ben: Murakami-san have been teaching me how to cook
Kara: Medium rare please..
Zatanna: Medium rare too
John Stewart: Make it rare for me
Shayera Hol: Rare too
Meanwhile, Bruce and Clark are watching Dick, Tim, and Jason are playing around with Alfred by throwing cake at each other.
Then a video hologram came up at the pool party to send an alert to the Wayne Manor
Mr. Terrific: (from video call alert) Watchtower to Wayne Manor. We've got an Omega level-threat in New York; this is not a drill.
Alfred (turns to Bruce): Duty calls sir...
Bruce: Yeah, I know. (then turns his attention to Zatanna). Zatanna...
Zatanna: I know Bruce; Egnahc sehtolc otni ruo smrofinu!
The guests changes into their hero uniforms.
New York City
A few minutes later in New York, bunch of US armies arrives to try to keep the alien robots from overrunning New York. The army does what it can but their weapons are ineffective against the alien threat.
It happens when a large alien construct lands on a Central Park in New York. Huge spider-like robots emerge from the construct and proceed to spread over the area.
US Army: Containment has failed and we are taking heavy losses, requesting emergency support; I repeat, we cannot contain them!
Superman: Sounds like the commander could use a little reassurance (as he flew towards the conflict).
Batman: Let's hope we can give it to him (while piloting the Batwing).
Wonder Woman: We'll give it to him all right, and then some. (while piloting a Javelin with a dozen other heroes in the back) Strength in numbers and all that.
Next to her Javelin was another Javelin, which is piloted by Ben, who had another team of heroes inside; outside the vessels was every other hero in the League.
Ben: Ah, an invasion, (saying it in nostalgia in his voice) finally, something I'm used to!
Zatanna, who was sitting behind him at the Javelin, looking at him funny
Zatanna: You're used to this?
Ben: (he shrugged) I stopped my first alien invasion when I was fifteen; after a few years, it got to the point when I was doing that every other month."
The other heroes inside of Ben's Javelin laughed a little.
Zatanna, shook her head in amusement
Zatanna: I still can't believe that you've been a superhero since you were that young.
Further conversation ended when they reached the mesa that the aliens had landed on. The Javelin and Ship touched down, and the Leaguers rushed out; Ben activated the Ultimatrix and turned into Diamondhead. When they got outside, the heroes got their first look at the invaders; they appeared to be bulbous mechanical spiders. They were silver, red-eyed things with four, pointed legs. They were only about a foot long and tall, so it would be difficult for the heroes who specialized in hand-to-hand combat to fight them.
The main vessel, a massive, blob-like thing, sat at the top of the mesa, spilling forth hundreds of spiders. It seemed almost organic in nature, and yet Diamondhead could see parts of it that looked like a factory as well.
Batman: It's growing bigger, (while piloting the Batwing) and it's somehow devouring everything around it, then converting it into mass.
Diamondhead (using the Ultimatrix dial as a comm): And those spider-like things?
Batman: The same. And once they're done with the debris from the army's attempt to beat them back, they're going to spread out to the three nearby towns.
Diamondhead and the other Leaguers sadly noticed the wreckage of several helicopters, buildings (including Murakami's restaurant and his apartment) as well as the bodies of several fallen soldiers and civilians
Batman: I've got something onboard that might buy us some time.
The Batwing flew over the main vessel and dropped a large bomb. Instead of an explosion, a thick layer of ice creeped across the blob, keeping most of it locked up.
Wonder Woman: Batman? What was that?
Batman: Thermionic gas, cooled to a few degrees of absolute zero.
Wonder Woman: Why would you have something like that on your plane?
Batman: I needed to freeze the Gotham River once; long story.
When the main vessel froze, the spiders had turned to look at it.
At the wreckage, Diamondhead noticed Mr. Murakami was lying on the ground, with blood and wounds lying on Murakami's restaurant's wreckage. Diamondhead is in the middle of his mourn. Then Supergirl approaches Diamondhead, knowing that one of the person Ben cares, Mr. Murakami dies due to the wreckage caused by the robotic aliens.
Supergirl rush over him and wrap her arms around Diamondhead, understanding his pain of losing the people he cares.
Supergirl: Mourn later, we have a job to do
Diamondhead: Okay...
Superman then approaches Diamondhead
Superman: Ben. If you're not feeling well-
Diamondhead: I'll be fine, I won't let my emotion get the best of me.
After a moment, the aliens robots turned as one and resumed their march towards the towns. The only thing standing in their way was the Justice League.
Superman: (shouted while flying to the sky) Move in!
The heroes charged; energy blasts, missiles, magic, even bare fists were used.
The flying heroes went to the side of the mesa, blasting or smashing the spiders on the wall, to try to cut off reinforcements to the ones already on the ground.
As Diamondhead turned his arm into as large blade and sliced a spider in half, he noted that they were actually pretty weak; the only problem was that there were hundreds, maybe thousands more to go. Promised to himself not letting his emotion gets the best of him.
Alongside him, other ground-based heroes held off swarms of spiders; in order to give his ranged comrades, like Green Arrow, an advantage, Diamondhead made a ramp of diamond emerge from the ground, to give them the high ground.
At first, the battle on the ground looked like a stalemate, until Superman and Supergirl arrived and added some heat-vision-based support. Then the robots began to be pushed back.
Unexpectedly, the Unisquad ships came down from the sky and blast the alien robots along with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) came for backing up the Justice League
Rook (from comm to Ben): Did you miss us?
Diamondhead smiled again after heard his old team back again
Diamondhead: Glad you can make it...
Superman: Hold on a second.
Superman used his x-ray vision to look underneath the main ship. To his shock, he saw sewers leading through the mesa and leading straight to…
Superman: They're right under us!
His words came too late, though, as hundreds of spiders jumped out from the ground. The heroes were surprised, but they'd spent months building up their teamwork, and looked out for each other. The ambush was thwarted, but not before the Javelin was covered in spiders and dragged underground. Diamondhead looked up at Unisquad ship, who'd been hovering over them, firing the weapons.
Diamondhead: (he yelled) Guys! We can handle things on the ground; go to the air team and provide support!
The Unisquad ship left to obey their friend's orders. It turned out that they didn't have to go far, because the air team had fallen back to aid the ground team. As one group, the League's power was devastating, especially against groups of weak enemies like the spiders. Atom Smasher, both having grown hundreds of feet, were especially effective, able to crush a hundred robots with a single step or punch.
Then the Titans arrived to helped out the Leaguers.
However, it still wasn't enough to stop the silver tide. Until the Earth Green Lanterns (Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Jessica Cruz, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and Simon Baz) decided to help out to clear the civilians from New York.
Superman: (while watching the Lanterns evacuating civilians) That should buy us some time until they get the townspeople out, (then turn his attention to the robots) now I want to learn about these things.
Using his x-ray and microscopic vision, he examined the spiders, which were now trapped at the top of the mesa, peering deep into their systems, looking for weak points to attack. At the center of each one was a purple and red core, suspended by black veins.
After looking at the main vessel and finding the same core, he said:
Superman: I think the main spacecraft is replicating; there's some sort of near-microscopic machine at the center of each one, a kind of… dark heart, building around itself.
Above, inside the Batwing, Batman thought about it.
Batman: We need Ray Palmer, in Boston. Superman, you'll get there fastest; get to him, explain the situation, and get his help.
Batman would have preferred to bring Ray Palmer, known to the League as The Atom, to the battle directly. They would have simply called him, but with the Watchtower temporarily down, so were their long-range communications; their communicators only had a 50-mile range without it.
Superman: Good idea. (As he took off, then told the others) Hold the line!
Boston, Somewhere in a local University, Physics department
Minutes later in physics department of a local university, in a petri dish, a tiny Atom is ambushed by a faulty nanobot.
Atom: He's bigger than my car now, Katie. Personally, I blame you.
Katie: How can it possibly be my fault?
Atom: Because otherwise it would be my fault. That can't be right: I'm a professor.
Katie is Atom's science assistant; Atom was in the middle of fight against a nanobot
Katie: Sir. You've got a visitor.
Atom: One sec
Atom quickly destroyed the nanobot after pulling out the wire. After finished disassembled the nanobot, Atom quickly grows back to his regular human-size, where he met Superman
Atom: (while shaking Superman's hand) What brings you to Boston?
Superman: Omega-level threat
Atom: (changes his expression into serious mode) Tell me everything...
New York City
1 hour later, Superman takes the Atom back to New York. By the time they get there, the alien robots have overcome the trench and now number in hundreds of thousands. New robots, in the form of attack dogs, have now joined in the fight, making it even more difficult for the Leaguers to contain the threat.
On the ground, many of the Leaguers were getting tired; Ben had had to pull back for a few minutes to allow the Ultimatrix to recharge. It was actually the first time he'd ever had to do that in a fight before.
Then, then Batwing fired a pair of missiles, destroying a pack of spiders, before backing off.
Batman: (while piloting the Batwing) That was the last of my useful armaments, I can't do anymore.
As he pulled away, several tiger-like robots burst through the ice and landed atop the Batwing; after securing themselves, they began to tear at the plane. Batman opened the cockpit and knocked a tiger off, then threw a pair of explosive batarangs, destroying two more. Only one was left, and it was inches from ripping off his face. In response, Batman pulled the eject-lever, launching himself out of the plane. Before he could get far, the last tiger fired lasers from its mouth, destroying his parachute.
Now, Batman was in free-fall, but didn't panicked; he used his cape as a glider to land on the ground near the heroes, who were still fighting the robots. Then Superman and Atom next to Wonder Woman, Ben, now as Brainstorm, and Supergirl, who were fighting a pack of spiders.
Atom: This is incredible. Every atom of it is filled with a book's worth of information. It's beautifully simple, it—
Batman: Save it for the autopsy.
Atom: Right. (then he observed the robots) These things build copies of themselves, using whatever material is around; they'll only stop when everything is gone.
Brainstorm: It would be a probable implication that these monstrosities will not cease once they devour the whole New York.
Atom: Right; they'll go coast-to-coast, then across the seabed. They'll use rock, metal, plastic, plant life,-
Batman: People.
Atom: Yes, and destroying the spiders, or even damaging the main ship won't be enough; we'll have to shut down the core itself.
Brainstorm: Hmm, I do believe that I have discovered a way to facilitate that option!
Supergirl: How are you going to do that, Ben?
Brainstorm transforms into Heatblast
Heatblast: All I have to do is get close; once I do, I can get inside and take care of the core. Once I'm inside, I'll need Atom to guide me to the core, since I won't know where I'm going.
Atom: Right.
Supergirl: (worried to Ben) Are you sure you can do this?
Heatblast: (while smiling) Nothing I haven't done before, I'll just need to be a lot smaller.
Batman nodded, then reached for his communicator.
Batman: All points, this is Batman; we have a new plan. We have to get Ben and Atom to the main vessel. Half of us back them up. Everyone else: we draw a line here. No one is going to die because of us!"
Then he turned to Heatblast, Wonder Woman and Atom. "
Batman: Go!
Atom shrunk himself into smaller, then Wonder Woman picks him up
Wonder Woman: I need both hands, Professor Palmer!
She slips the Atom into her cleavage.
With the support of other flyers, such as Steel, Booster Gold, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Supergirl, Wonder Woman and Heatblast gets the Atom to the structure where he shrinks down to micro size and goes inside it. Then Heatblast transforms into Nanomech to backing up the Atom
Alien Main Vessel
After a few minutes of sliding down what could only be described as veins, Nanomech spread his wings and carrying the Atom while began their searching for the core. After a few minutes of crawling through more veins, stumbled across the core of the Dark Heart, as the League now referred to it.
Nanomech (from his Ultimatrix dial): We're at the core.
Nanomech not really knowing who was receiving, if anyone was at all.
Batman (from his comm): What's your status?
Atom: We're approaching the core and-
Nanomech & Atom: Whoa!
Nanomech and Atom cried out as they tripped. As their hand slid across the floor, an image popped up next to him, slowly turning into some sort of documentary.
Batman (from his comm): What happened?
Atom: It looks like this thing carries its own history
As the history played out. As they watched, they came to a realization
Nanomech: Batman! This thing is actually a weapon!
Batman (from his comm): (sarcastically) What was your first clue?
Nanomech and Atom explained as the images played out.
(FLASHBACK)
Nanomech: There were two planets at war; the Dark Heart's creators launched it at the other side. It ate an entire planet. And then it kept going; it would reproduce, go to the next planet and reproduce again. It's possible that this war was fought across an entire galaxy.
Atom: But I think the war ended a long time ago; if I'm reading this right, the original ship is over fifty-thousand years old.
Alien Main Vessel, near the Dark Heart
Nanomech and Atom saw a dark heart, Atom punched it first then a little electric spark shock both of them
Nanomech & Atom: ARGH!
Batman (from his comm): BEN!? ATOM!?
Nanomech and Atom stood shakily.
Nanomech: We're fine, just a little stunned by the defenses.
Atom: Wait! If we can't attack the heart, we can gave it a "heart attack"
Nanomech and the Atom disrupts the Dark Heart's blood flow by hugging it super-tightly. After the blood flow was disturbed, the Dark Heart exploded
New York City
Outside, the battle was going badly; there wasn't a single Leaguer who wasn't injured, and some were on the verge of being killed by the overwhelming numbers. While Nanomech had been inside the ship, the spiders had been supported by much larger versions, dubbed mega-spiders, which went after the more powerful members, such as Black Lightining, Atom Smasher, Wonder Woman, Superman and Supergirl. All of those heroes were on the ground, weighed down by sheer numbers.
Wonder Woman in particular was barely keeping a bladed limb from impaling her face; the mega-spider lifted its leg for one more blow, when the Dark Heart erupted. Purple liquid flowed out of every orifice, and the structure itself seemed to sag. When it did so, the spiders, mega-spiders and attack-tigers all stopped; some froze, others flopped onto their sides, but the result was still the same.
The Justice League had won
Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl approached the Dark Heart, searching for Ben. So far, they'd been unsuccessful; other Leaguers had offered to help, but aside from the five who were searching, everyone else was too injured to do much. After a while, the heroes were getting worried, especially Supergirl.
Another small stream of purple liquid began to pour out of the dead husk; Superman paid no attention to it at first, but then he noticed a ripple coming from the pool forming around the leak.
Superman: There, is that…?
Before their eyes, a familiar green light flashed, and they saw Ben Tennyson and Atom, covered in purple slime and looking weak, but very much alive. They glanced up and stared at them; they stared right back.
Atom: That, was disgusting.
Ben: (looking at the Atom) Dude, we're gonna need a shower.
The Leaguers smiled and walked up to them; Supergirl, on the other hand, rushed forward and wrapped Ben up in a tight embrace.
Ben: Kara! Air!
Supergirl: Sorry!
New York Cementry
But the victory comes with a price. A few days later Ben, the Unisquads, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Mutanimals (see TMNT 2012), Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and some of the League members visited Mr. Murakami's funeral. Ben felt guilty for not protecting Mr. Murakami, but Supergirl comforts him and reminded him that it wasn't his fault.