Mount Justice || January 1, 18:18 EST ||
"Aren't you suppose to be with Ruby by now, Nightwing?" A 14-year-old blonde girl with yellow eyes asked the 20-year-old boy curiously.
"Ahaha..." Nightwing laughs nervously and scratching his neck. "She kicked me out of our apartment because you guys need me, Zara." There are times he's terrified of Ruby's wrath if he disobeyed her orders. He preferred his shy and timid Ruby than furious or cold Ruby
"Her birthday is today and you should be out there to celebrate with her." Zara pointed out bluntly.
Her whole appearance completely changed for the past 5 years. Her once strawberry-blonde hair turned into blonde hair whereas her icy blue eyes turned into yellow. She grew up a lot and lost her Exceed form completely including her wings. Zara couldn't revert back in Exceed form or summoning her wings to fly. Something happened to her 2 years ago and it broke Zara's heart to lose a piece of her. However, she obtained new power and despised it a lot. Zara hated it much but her friends are there to support her. Zara changed her alias from Angel to Luminous due to her power of light.
"Hey, lightbulb!" It irked Luminous angrily and controlling her temper. "I want a rematch!"
Nightwing coughs to cover his laugh whereas Luminous smiles tightly. She's looking at Atlantean with amphibious adaptations. He has green skin, red eyes and webbed ears, claws and feet. He has dark green fins on his head, the ends of which he has tied on a ponytail. He wears black shorts and a black pouch around his ankle.
"You better watch your mouth carefully around me, Lagoon Boy." She retorted back coldly.
Lagoon Boy always teased Luminous a Lightbulb or glowing stick because of her light power. She always glows around her body when using powerful spells. They never get along with each other because Lagoon Boy is jealous of how Luminous managed to get into the Team at a very young age whereas he just joined the latter.
"No powers only combat." Lagoon Boy demanded whereas she remained silent. "What, no comment?"
Luminous scoffs and shook her head. "I don't want to waste my breath on you." She retorted back calmly and it irked him angrily.
"You're going to pay for that, glowing stick!" Lagoon Boy rushed away to swing his fists at her. He made a rookie mistake as Luminous calmly grabs his fists and pull to kneed his stomach hard. "Gah!" She throws him over her shoulder. "Neptune's beard!" Slamming his fists on the platform angrily. "You did it to me again!" Luminous rolled her eyes and offering her hand to pull him up. "I don't care how many years you trained as 'Angel' and then 'Luminous', one of these days, you're mine, chum."
"It sounds like a love confession to me." Nightwing teased them and Luminous glared at him.
"I will believe that if you knock me down." Luminous commented with a smirk.
"Recognized: Superboy A-0-4. Miss Martian B-0-5. Bumblebee, B-1-7, Beast Boy B-1-9, Robin, B-2-0. Blue Beetle, B-2-2." AI announced their arrival.
Lagoon Boy walked towards his girlfriend to welcome Miss Martian whereas Luminous still didn't approve of their relationship. She'd preferred Superboy and Miss Martian together but they broke up as Luminous knew the reason. Luminous approached Superboy and smiles gently.
"I'm glad you and the others are back okay, Superboy." Luminous wrinkled her nose by the foul smell. "I think you, Beast Boy and Blue Bettle need to have a shower."
"I know." Superboy answered calmly before looking at her worriedly. "How are you holding up?"
Luminous understands the real meaning of the question and gulps nervously. "Pushing myself forward and it's still the same." She lets Superboy go and join Nightwing and Robin.
Wally and Artemis retired themselves and need to have a break for being a hero. They wanted to spend time with each other and focusing their education as well. Ruby, on the other hand, retired as well but often visiting them. However, she can't because the scarlet-haired girl is 8 nearly 9 months pregnant and going to give birth soon. Nightwing wanted to stay by her side and making sure they're both safe. Ruby kicked Nightwing out because they need him much of his protests. Her celestial spirits are always by her side to protect them at all costs.
Arthur is on hiatus because he's looking after Aaliyah at the hospital. It's the same day and year when Luminous lost her Exceed form, she's in a coma. Her condition is still the same and never changed. Kaldur is missing in action and no one knows where he is and just disappeared before Aaliyah is in a coma.
Nightwing, Miss Martian and Superboy are looking after Luminous to make sure she won't do anything reckless to bring herself in danger.
"Clayface is safely back in his Arkham cell." The new Robin informed Nightwing.
"Good work!" Nightwing complimented him.
"I didn't do much, I just..." Robin is cut off by someone else.
"Emergency alert!" It revealed Captain Atom. "United Nation's Headquarters is under attack."
Mal observes the hologram screen before looking at Nightwing. "Beta's only two blocks away." He informed him.
"Captain Atom, a Team's beta squad is in the vicinity. ETA, three minutes." Nightwing informed him.
The Watchtower || January 3, 17:08 EST ||
"This guy, Lobo, he's an intergalactic bounty hunter." Green Lantern explained. "Extremely dangerous, but not likely to return. But the little guy's another story. That's a Krolotean, and Kroloteans always travel in packs."
"Meaning, more of them are on Earth." Batman pointed out before looking at Luminous.
"I'm from a different dimension and we don't have ones like these." Luminous commented since they never have aliens only demons on Earthland.
"I believe my friend may have vital information on that point." Martian Manhunter explained and glancing behind the blond man with a lab coat. "Some of you have not met Adam Strange, of STAR Labs Erdel Initiative. He is the scientist responsible for maintaining the Zeta-Beam technology we use for teleportation."
"I was wondering why a stranger was allowed on the top-secret Watchtower." Superboy commented through their telepathy.
Miss Martian links Nightwing, Superboy, Rocket, Zatanna, Luminous and herself to have mental communication without letting anyone hear their thoughts out loud.
"And he has a story to tell." Martian Manhunter explained.
Adam gulps nervously. "Uh... it's a little involved... I wish I had visual aids or something."
"I can assist you." Martian Manhunter offered and linking everyone to him. "We are all linked, Adam. What you remember we will see." Adam looked surprised to hear his voice through his head.
"Uh... great?" He said it out loud before closing his eyes. "Well, I was performing a routine Zeta-Tube upgrade, when something went wrong and I found myself transported halfway across the Galaxy, to a planet called Rann. There was a scientist there, Sardath. He was conducting his own experiments in enhanced, very enhanced, Zeta-Beam technology. It took weeks to establish even basic communication. But Sardath eventually made me understand some of his Zeta tech had been stolen..." Martian Manhunter unliked everyone to regain their senses.
"Fits the Krolotean M.O." Green Lantern pointed out. "Their entire culture revolves around stolen tech."
"Sardath detected transmissions between a single location on Rann and multiple locations on Earth." Adam explained. "He was attempting to trace those when he accidentally transported me to Rann. He gave me this." He showed them a small device in his hand and showed a hologram of Earth. "It detects a trace of Zeta radiation, and can pinpoint all the locations where Kroloteans have beamed to Earth."
"Then I'm ordering a two-prompt attack." Captain Atom declared and approached Adam. "We'll state simultaneous raids on every Krolotean target on Earth, while a contingent of Leaguers travels to Rann, with Strange here, to cut the Kroloteans off the source."
Adam clears his throat nervously. "Uh... we might have a problem with that... second prompt." He turned off the hologram. "Totally unclear on the 'why', but Earthlings are personae non gratae in Rann's corner of the Galaxy." Luminous closes her eyes to know which League he's referring to when he showed them the pictures. "And these six Leaguers are... wanted criminals."
"What!?" Green Lantern asked with a shocked look on his face.
"Batman!" Nightwing cried out and the blonde girl knew it has something to do with their brainwash. "It's the missing sixteen hours!"
"Agreed." Batman answered calmly. "Five years ago, Vandal Savage took complete mental control of the entire Justice League. This exact six Leaguers went missing for sixteen hours."
Green Lantern looked at the hologram closely. "Never been occurred to us that Vandal might have sent us into space. I'll alert Hal. He and Guy are on Oa, with the Green Lantern Corps."
"Meanwhile, we have fifteen other active Leaguers to send Rann to investigate." Captain Atom pointed out.
"You're not getting it." Adam intervened. "There's a planetary watch alert out on Rann for every Leaguer."
"Not all of us are Leaguers." Nightwing answered and Luminous nodded her head silently. "I can send a squad to handle the Rann end of things. And to find out more about those missing sixteen hours. Without causing an intergalactic incident."
"Do it." Captain Atom answered as Nightwing, Miss Martian, Luminous and Superboy starting to head back at Mount Justice.
"You know, that thing about you not being Leaguers..." Zatanna and Rocket stopped them. "You four still have an open invitation." Zatanna suggested.
"We know that, Zatanna."Nightwing answered softly.
"But we're all happy..." Miss Martian answered.
"Where we are." Superboy finished the sentence.
"If we accept the invitation, it's going to be hard to investigate it." Luminous pointed out. "There's no rush to become a League member."
"Aaliyah is going to be proud of you, Zar." Rocket commented and patted her head. "We're going to visit her later."
"Thanks guys." She smiled and the four of them left.
Mount Justice || January 4, 20:00 EST ||
"It's all hands on deck." Nightwing declared once he gathered everyone. "The League and the Team will hit all 14 Krolotean Zeta locations simultaneously. Your priorities are to destroy all Zeta-Tubes or platforms and search for any humans that aliens may have abducted. As always, Mal is ops manager, coordinating com from here."
"Come on, alpha squad." Lagoon Boy muttered under his breath whereas Luminous and Robin ignored him.
"Wonder Girl, you and I are alpha."
"Yes!" Wonder Girl cheered happily whereas Lagoon Boy is grumbling.
"Assignment: Philadelphia."
"Okay, okay... give me beta!" Lagoon Boy whispered in to plead to get into that team.
"Batgirl. Bumblebee! You two and Wolf are beta." Nightwing assigned them for being the beta. "Assignment: Vlatavastok" The others walked away to begin their assignments whereas Nightwing is approaching the remaining members. "Robin, La'gaan, Beetle and Luminous... you're gamma. Prep the Bio-Ship. You're headed to New Orleans."
"Gamma always gets the soft gigs." Lagoon Boy moaned sadly and Luminous slaps his shoulder hard. "Ow!"
"Be grateful you're in the mission or you'll be sitting this one out." Luminous commented bluntly.
"Why you little-" He growled before launching at her but Blue Bettle dragged him away. "I'll get you for this, lightbulb!"
"Come on, there's no need to fight you guys." Blue Bettle grumbled and dragging the Atlantean away from her.
"Tim." Nightwing stops Robin to follow Luminous whereas she's waiting for him to join her. "You'll be running gamma."
"Me?" Robin looks surprised to hear his new role. "Dick, I've never led a squad before and why can't Zara do it?"
"I'm more of a soloist and do things in my own way." Luminous answered and preferred to follow them than being lead. "Besides... I hate being a leader and I have a short temper."
"She's right on that part." Nightwing smirked at her blunt comments. "Making this a good opportunity to get your feet wet as a field leader. Besides, you have Luminous to help you out." Robin blushed slightly to see his smirk before shaking his head.
"Because it's gamma and you're not expecting trouble?" Robin asks sarcastically.
"My goodness gracious!" Luminous slaps her forehead. "Alpha, beta and gamma are just a bunch of names and nothing else!" She exclaimed angrily. "Expect the unexpected, T. I'm here to help you out and making sure no one would do recklessly."
"Like you for instance?" Robin teased the blonde girl and yelps in pain. "How on earth did you get that paper fan, Zar?"
Nightwing smiles in amusement and crossing his arms. "I've been asking for it for a long time and she won't tell any of us."
Luminous simply shrugged her shoulders. "I won't let anyone put themselves in danger especially I wanted to see yours and Ruby's baby. You better catch up or I might end up killing someone." She walked away and Nightwing is giving Robin a look.
"Please look after her, Tim." Nightwing sighs softly. "Luminous will act differently whenever she sees hologram wings or her."
Robin nodded his head in understanding and never forgotten the day Luminous broke completely right in front of them.
New Orleans || January 4, 21:59 CST ||
The boys looked skeptical of their hideout to find out the location is on the toolshed. "Toolshed?" Lagoon Boy asked with a skeptical look on his face. "Really, not enough room for one Zeta-Tube in there. I knew we got the so-"
"Looks can be deceiving." Luminous intervened with a serious look on her while he glares at the blonde girl. "Don't get too relax for this mission." She warned Lagoon Boy and Blue Beetle.
Robin shoots her a thankful look and calling Mal. "Gamma squad to Cave. We're in position."
"Acknowledge, gamma." Mal answered with a serious look on his face. "All Team squads and Justice League units are in place and ready. Go time." He commanded them.
The four of them jump off the bioship and landed quietly on the car. Blue Bettle transforms his hand into a weapon to destroy the toolshed. Lagoon Boy jumps off where he destroyed it and looking at the ground.
The Atlantean kicks the toolbox and scoffs. "Congratulations, budu." He commented sarcastically to Blue Beetle. "You took out an actual toolshed."
Luminous frowned and crossing her arms to find out they're missing something. Robin called Mal through comm to inform their situation. "Gamma to Cave. There's no Zeta-tube here. No Kroloteans, no hidden entrance."
"Watchtower sensors still read trace of Zeta radiation from the site." Mal informed the new Robin.
"Confirmed." He watched the small tracking device. "But the radiation signature is coming from... below the waterline. You're up." He's looking at Lagoon Boy.
Lagoon Boy nodded his head and jumps off the water to find any Zeta-tube. Luminous silently sighs and pursed her lips while Blue Beetle noticed her scowling look. "Hermana, you're okay?"
Luminous nodded her head. "I'm fine. I'm not a fan of being in the water." She commented.
"You don't know how to swim!?" He whispered in shock and the blonde girl glared at him.
"I have reasons and I know how to swim, Blue Beetle." Luminous retorted back coldly and Robin is looking at her worriedly.
Lagoon Boy called them to join him and finally found the Zeta-tube as they jump into the water. Robin silently asked Lagoon Boy to open the door for them as he smirked and opening it for them. Surfacing it up as Robin and Luminous removed their breathing inhaler. Silently hiding out of Krolotean's sight and Robin called the Cave.
"Gamma to Cave. We hit the motherload. Huge base. Alien tech. Multiple Zeta... platforms. And more Kroloteans than I can count." Robin informed Mal of their discovery.
"Acknowledged. We'll send backup. Until then, lay low." Mal answered.
"That may be a 'problema', 'ese'." Blue Beetle commented and pointed at the screen they've been caught.
"I think I know why." Luminous commented and looking at the alien CCTV at them.
"Soft gig, huh?" Blue Beetle asked sarcastically towards Lagoon Boy.
"No time to blame game for this! Hikari bīmu! (Light beam!)" Luminous destroyed the alien CCTV and blasted the Kroloteans away before they could attack them. "Remember our six, Blue Beetle! Form up!" She commanded them and runs off.
"Si, Hermana!" Blue Beetle answered the blonde girl.
Luminous body glowed and flies up into the sky to raise her hand up. "Sen no ken no hikari! (Thousand light of swords!)" Summoning thousands of light swords to point at the Kroloteans.
"Hey! Give some of us, lightbulb!" Lagoon Boy grunted and punches the Krolotean.
Luminous noticed the Krolotean are retreating the moment they lay their eyes on Blue Beetle. "What in the world?" She whispered with a curious look on her face.
"He said what?" Blue Beetle asked with a surprising look on his face.
"I said 'I'm jealous, don't rub it in!" Lagoon Boy yelled and Luminous frowned.
"That's not what Blue Beetle means!" Luminous retorted calmly and watching the screen. "The Kroloteans are plotting something against us and retreating from what?"
"Hermana is right! 'El hefe' over there!" Blue Beetle pointed at the Krolotean.
"Wait, you can understand their screeching? How?" Robin asked and Luminous help him to fight off the Krolotean.
"I-I don't know exactly." He stuttered nervously. "But I can."
"Whatever you do. Capture the Krolotean and demand answer for it." Luminous grunted and throws the Krolotean off her back. "We need to find out what it types on the computer! Woah!" She kneels down as Robin swings his bo-staff at the Krolotean.
"Hefe's ordering all the Kroloteans to zeta off world." Blue Beetle answered and the blonde girl frowned. "He said he set the base to self-destruct in four minutes!"
"Then we're getting out." Robin answered as both he and Luminous steps back. "Anything else we need to know?" He asked Blue Beetle.
"No sé. He said something about... sacrificing the playthings below?" Blue Beetle answered and Luminous begins to stiff.
"The abductees!" Luminous exclaimed with a shocked look on her face.
"Three minutes thirty, 'ese', 'y boom!'" Blue Beetle reminded them.
"And Nightwing said 'no unnecessary risks to the squad.' But this is necessary." Robin muttered under his breath and looking at Luminous. "Lu, how big is your light sphere to protect us."
"Depending on how much I have and I can activate my second origin. If it's too many of us, I can save from the explosion." Luminous answered.
"That's all I can ever ask for, Lu." He smiled before looking at them with a serious look. "Below! We have to get below!"
"There!" Lagoon Boy pointed where the Krolotean are coming from.
"Beetle, on point, go!" Robin yelled.
"Going!" Blue Beetle yelled and creating a shield to push the Krolotean while the others are following him.
"Gotcha!" Luminous yelled and grabs the Krolotean. "Here!" She throws it to Blue Beetle and he catches it.
"Wha-"
"Hello? Is someone there? Please, get us out!" They heard the civilians.
Robin runs off to the huge cage where they abducted the civilians while Luminous followed him.
"It's Robin!"
"The Boy Wonder!"
"It's Luminous!"
"Thank heaven!"
The civilian gasps to see Lagoon Boy, Blue Beetle and the Krolotean.
"More aliens!"
"Oh, no!" They stepped back in fear.
"Hey, we're not aliens!" Blue Bettle defended himself and Lagoon Boy. He's looking at the Krolotean he's holding. "Ok, w-well, he is. But we're not!"
"Get this open!" Robin commanded Lagoon Boy.
Lagoon Boy buffed himself up to break the cafe while the civilians scream in fear by his face.
"Thank you. We didn't mean..."
"It's fine." Lagoon Boy assured them. "I get that a lot 'chum'."
"Ask him the fastest way out." Robin commanded Blue Beetle.
"Dude, I don't speak the..." Blue Beetle paused and looking at the Krolotean. "Wait you can?" He ignored Robin, Luminous and Lagoon Boy bewildered look. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
"Blue's an odd little fish, isn't he?" Lagoon Boy asks with a shocked look.
Blue Beetle speaks the alien language and Krolotean answered back. He's looking at Luminous to answer in alien language but she gives him a look. "I speak Japanese and English but never an alien, Blue Beetle." She answered bluntly.
"Ah, sorry!" Blue Beetle blushed slightly of embarrassment. "I mean, 'this way!' Come on!"
"Lagoon Boy pushed the sphere the moment I activate it." Luminous ordered the Atlantean and he nodded his head. Blue Beetle lead them to the nearest exit. "Come closer everyone and hold on! Karui kyū! (Light sphere!)" She created a huge light sphere.
Lagoon Boy pushed the sphere to lead him to the sea again where they went through inside the Krolotean's base. The base explodes but they manage to get it out alive. Once they're on the surface, Luminous's sphere disappeared and everyone floats.
"That's right! Gamma squad rules!" Lagoon Boy cheered happily and Luminous rolled her eyes.
"Who thinks Gamma is a soft gig in the first place?" Luminous asked sarcastically and huffs angrily. "It's a similar situation to what I've been through with them before."
"What is it?" Robin asked curiously and she smirked.
"We destroyed the building and it didn't explode like this." Luminous answered and Robin chuckled.
"I still find it hard to believe you're the very first young girl who joined the team." Robin whispered.
"Well... they never inform us the age of joining the team." She retorted back gently.
"Uh... Rob and Lu?" Blue Beetle called them and they silently look shocked to see the entire old and new League appeared.
Nightwing, Wolf, Wondergirl and Batgirl joined them as well. Nightwing smirked at the new Robin. "Dude! Way to get your feet wet!" He commented and Robin smiled.
"Haha..." Luminous rolls her eyes. "Aren't you the comedian one." She commented.
They manage to save the civilians despite the Kroloteans escaped from their grasp. Luminous is curious to know the real reason why Kroloteans are here on Earth in the first place.