The Acolytes of Zeus

by sinisteruto

Born of both Royal houses of Atlantis and Xebel, blessed by both Zeus and Posseidon, and raised by Queen Hypollyta of the Amazons but forced to leave Themiscyra at the age of sixteen, Kaldur forms his own organisation of warriors of Justice. But will the Justice League approve of not only their methods but their existence as a whole? How will the Light respond to this new threat?

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not know Young Justice or any other series I might use for inspiration.

The New Old God

"You called for me, my Queen." Kaldur'ahm asked as he kneeled in front of the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.

He is a very handsome, ebony skinned young man, about sixteen years of age. His physique is that of which one would expect from a Greek God, chiselled and sculptured like a fine piece of art. He is wearing black pants along with a red sleeveless shirt with black stripes on it, and has symbolic black tattoos on his arms. He is bare footed, wearing no armour on his person, and carries no weapons on himself, in complete contradiction to what one would expect from an amazon trained warrior.

Of course perhaps he didn't really need armour given that over the course of the last two years he had developed completely invulnerable skin, super speed, and super strength much much greater than what he already had, and also that his water and electricity manipulation had become exponentially more powerful than before.

"Young Kaldur, my beloved son. There is no need to be so formal with me, you know that." Hippolyta said with a kind smile.

"I know, mother. However, you must not show favouritism to me, even if I am your son." Kaldur said honourably, causing Hippolyta to smile sadly at her son.

"Is something the matter, my Queen?" Kaldur asked with concern.

"Yes, my son. I am afraid, afraid that all the love and respect you have for me is about to become twisted and morphed into something else, into hate and into disgust, and it is all my fault for lying to you for all these years." Queen Hippolyta said with a pained expression, struggling to contain the tears that threatened to spill uncontrollably from her eyes.

"With all due respect, my Queen, but I do not believe there is anything that you can do or say short of personally removing my genitals that could induce such a reaction from me." Kaldur replied, causing Hippolyta and her elite guard of Antiope, Menalippe, Artemis, and Philippus to look away in shame.

"My Queen, mother, you need to trust me when I say, there is nothing that will induce such a reaction from me, my love for you is unconditional." Kaldur said, urging his mother to unburden herself.

"Okay then, if you say so my son, then I will tell you everything. First and foremost, I….I am not your biological mother, and Zeus….Zeus and Posseidon did not give you life at my behest. It is true that you are a miracle child in that you were miraculously shipwrecked on Themyscira as a baby. You somehow didn't drown and didn't die when your body washed over and into the hard rocks at our shores. Based on your powers, well, your water manipulation and underwater abilities at least, you appear to be of Xebelian and/or Antlantian origin, although your powers have always been more potent than expected, even for an Atlantian, especially over the last two years." Hippolyta said, taking a small pause to allow Kaldur to digest the information before carrying on from where she left off.

"When you were found and brought to me, we honestly did not know what to do with you, we even considered terminating you. However, for me, it was love at first sight. I knew from the moment I saw you that I could never terminate you. I fell in love with you and raised you as my very own son, and I couldn't be any more proud of you than I am now. You have been a blessing to me. Most of the Amazons were against taking you in, but they have all taken a liking to you because of your strong and honourable character and your love and dedication to our people. They also respect your skill and prowess in battle. They truly love and believe in you, a man. Who would have thought that could ever happen?" Hippolyta said with a kind and loving smile.

"In any case, I…."

"It is okay, my beloved mother, her highness, my great and honourable queen. You need not explain yourself any further, and you need not be concerned about me. I have known already, for the past two years, the whole truth. I also know who my biological parents are. My mother passed away a long time ago, killed in a skirmish started by my own father because he tried to take me by force when she refused to hand me over to be raised by him. The skirmishes that ensured afterwards lead to me falling into the seas, and the tide carried me here. I also know that my biological mother was half Atlantian and half Xebelian, and she was born of both Royal houses of Xebel and Antlantis. In other words, I am a potential heir to the throne of Atlantis, the potential ruler of the Seven Seas." Kaldur explained much to the shock of both Hippolyta and her Royal Guard.

"Finally, as for my father. His name is Black Manta, real name David Hyde. He is a human who is the leader of by far the most powerful army of sea pirates ever seen, a unit known as the Manta Core. He wields advanced submarine technology for himself and his army, technology based on Atlantian technology. His goal is to kill the Aquaman, Athur Curry, also known as King of the Seven Seas and King of Atlantis, Atlantian name King Orin. The King is half human and half Atlantian, hence the two names. My human name is Jackson Hyde, and my Atlantian name, ironically, is Kaldur'ahm, quite a coincidence huh, that you would give me the same name out of all the names in our Atlantian language books, the same name that my biological mother gave me." Kaldur said with a small smile.

"K-Kaldur, I don't understand. You were just a baby when I found you. How do you know all of this? Where did you get this information from?" Queen Hippolyta asked warily, afraid that Kaldur might not be anywhere near as mentally stable as they thought he was if he was able to conjure up such a wild and imaginative hallucination.

"You probably won't believe me, or you'll think I'm crazy, which is of course precisely why I haven't told you until now. However, even you must have wondered how I could have become so much stronger in the last two years. The truth is, mother, that I got all of this information from Zeus and Posseidon, that is of course, they passed it onto me when they passed away."

"What! Kaldur! How dare you! To Blaspheme like that in front of the Queen?" Antiope bellowed at the teen warrior.

"Wait, Antiope! Let us hear him out. At the very least I want to see this through." Hippolyta said sternly.

"….."

"Please, carry on, Kaldur." Hippolyta ordered.

"Two years ago Zeus and Posseidon began paying me visits. They were not well, in fact, they were dying. Ares managed to rally the children of Zeus, Artemis, Apollo, Hercules, Demeter, Athena, Ares himself, Hermes, and Aphrodite against the elder Gods. They had the element of surprise, so they were able to kill a lot of the Gods in one swell swoop. Ares also gains power from War, and the greater the beings at war with him, the greater the power. They were able to defeat the other Gods and usurp Zeus. Posseidon and Zeus were the only ones able to escape, and they came and hid here, in Themyscira, protected from Ares by the same barrier that protects us from Ares and the rest of the world" Kaldur said with a far off look, however quickly bringing himself back to reality before his story could be interrupted.

"They had hoped to recover their strength and launch a counter attack, and that was around the time that I washed onto the Amazonian shores. The barrier was briefly weakened by their arrival, and that allowed me to pass through. It was fate you see, imagine, a child with the power to create and manipulate water and electricity arriving here at the same time that the God of Water and the God of Lightning came to seek refuge here." Kaldur said with wonder, taking a small breathe before continuing with his story.

"In any case, they kept an eye on me, naturally, while they sought to recover their strength. Sometime after that, they realised that their strength wasn't returning and that they were in fact weakening. Ares and his siblings had dealt a fatal blow it appeared, so they made a decision, to pass on the remainder of their life force onto a worthy vessel, someone who had the potential to leave a lasting and glorious legacy for them, or so they said. They approached me two years ago and told me everything about who I was and where I came from, about the war with Ares, about everything. They then transferred the last of their living essence onto me, turning me into, well, an Old God with each of their respective special abilities and of course improving the abilities I already had."

"That is the reason for my monumental growth in strength over the last two years. I will grow stronger still of course, as I am still growing. Experience and training will also play a part. That, mother, is my secret that I have been keeping from you." Kaldur concluded his explanation.

"…"

"….."

"….."

"….."

"….."

"Oh, and uuh….of course, it goes without saying, I am not mad at you at all, mother. How could I be, when I too have been keeping such a big secret from you?" Kaldur said with a kind and loving smile that wasn't returned, causing him to realise that the feeling might not in fact be mutual, a cold and unreadable expression permeable on his mother the Queen and her elite guard. However, Kaldur knew for a fact he hadn't imagined everything, he knew because he had memories of everything, each and every one of Zeus and Posseidon's memories.

He knew things about the Amazons and the rest of humanity that even they didn't know about themselves. His knowledge of the Universe was also vast and unending. His ultimate proof was his power, as he had initially matched but later broken all the records that his sister Diana, also known as Wonder Woman, had set before she left Themyscira. They couldn't deny his strength, power, and speed were that of a God.

"There is great resolve and certainty in his eyes, those are not the eyes of a mad or delusional man, my Queen. He is definitely telling the truth, at the very least he believes wholeheartedly in his story. There is also the matter of fact that he has broken each and every one of Princess Diana's records from before she left Themyscira, in fact, he has out right obliterated them. His growth in strength and the timeline of it is consistent with his story." Menalippe explained, ever the rational and logical one, much to Kaldur's joy.

"It's true. Princess Diana has grown considerably stronger over the years, she would also shatter her previous records, however, she set those records after her Godly power had manifested. The fact that Kaldur broke such records lends credibility to his story." Artemis added.

"My Queen…." Antiope trailed off, wondering now what it is that her sister was thinking, and especially what she was going to do now in light of this information.

"Kaldur, my son. Before I address this information that you have just disclosed, I first want to finish disclosing to you the real reason why I called you here. Understand that the information that you have just disclosed has had no bearing on this decision, this decision was actually made a long time ago." Queen Hippolyta said, Kaldur nodding his head in the affirmative.

"The council agreed with my decision to keep you and raise you as my son only on the condition that you could only stay until you had come of age, in other words, you could only stay in Themyscira until you turned sixteen. I have been able to delay your departure for the last three months since you turned sixteen, but the council is coming down on me, and a promise is a promise as you know from all of my teachings to you…." Hippolyta trailed off, unable to bring herself to say the exact words to her beloved son, unable to bring herself to tell him that she was basically chasing him out of his home forever.

"Do not be sad mother, and do not be concerned about me. I already suspected something like this would happen. For me to continue to stay here would fundamentally change Themyscira as we know it. I am the symbol of that which the amazons fear and abore, but in that same breathe I am also the symbol of that which my sisters desire and adore deep down within their lustful and carnal urges. As I have come of age, the behaviour of some of the sisters around me has begun to change."

"Desire, lust, and love threatens to corrupt them and take away with it their innocence, chastity, and purity. Shameful as I am to admit it, I too have found myself briefly entertaining such thoughts and desires. If I continue to stay here, the collapse of Themysciran society will become inevitable. Yours and the council's decision is both wise and just, painful and heart breaking as it may be." Kaldur replied with both humility and sincerity, causing tears to finally be shed by not only Hippolyta but also by her Royal Guard, even the hard ass Antiope and Menalippe.

'He is so strong, so wise, so noble, so intelligent, and humble. I can't believe I ever doubted his story even for one second. He has been such a blessing to us, and he will be such a blessing to mankind. Mankind does not deserve him, but I have no choice but to give him away to those undeserving beasts. Life is so harsh and so cruel, so unfair.' Hippolyta thought with a bleeding heart.

"Thank you, my beloved son. I couldn't be any more proud than I am to have raised such a strong and wise young man. "Hippolyta said with a kind smile.

"Nor could we be any more proud than we are to be your sisters in arms." Artemis said also with a loving smile.

"You do me great honor, mother, my aunt Antiope, and my sisters. As I am about to depart I want to leave you all with some good news. I have re-applied and strengthened the barrier that Lord Zeus created around Themyscira, and as I have Lord Zeus's essence himself, I will forever be linked to Themyscira. If you pray to me, I will be able to hear your prayers through the barrier, I will even be able to reply to you. The barrier will continue to hide you from Ares and the rest of the world, and if anything bad should ever happen, simply pray to me or send me a signal and I will arrive in no time at all. Basically, what I am saying is, I will always be with you, all of you, my beloved mother, aunt, and sisters." Kaldur said much to both the surprise and joy of his mother and Amazonian sisters.

Two Months Later: Undisclosed Location in a Dark Cave

"Billy Batson, I choose you! Say my name so that my power may flow through you…" The Wizard Shazam trailed off in surprise as an inter-dimensional doorway made entirely of electricity/lightning appeared to the side of both he and the fourteen year old Billy Batson.

"W-what is the meaning of this? How did you find this place? Who are you?" Shazam asked in quick succession, his brain going haywire as he tried to figure out the answers to his questions, unfortunately unable to come up with any answers.

"Great Wizard Shazam, you have aged greatly despite still wielding the power of the six. You are severely weakened, perhaps because you already passed on your power some thousands of years ago to a champion that turned to the dark side. Nevertheless it Is an honor to finally meet you." Kaldur said with a respectful bow of the head.

"Y-you…? I sense great magical powers within you, similar to mine but even greater. Could it be that you are another champion? Have you also been blessed by the Gods?" Shazam asked curiously, a little less wary than before but still cautious and ready to fight should the need arise.

"I am known by many names. Kaldur'ahm, Jackson Hyde, Stormbreaker, Dark Manta, you may refer to me by any of these names." Kaldur replied.

"As for being a champion, I suppose one could say that I am Zeus and Posseidon's champion. The Old Gods have perished, Ares has usurped Zeus, with the help of his siblings Hercules, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Demeter, Athena, and Hermes. However before they died, Zeus and Posseidon transferred and bonded their living essence onto me, turning me into an Old God. By birth I was already of Xebelian and Atlantian origin, of both royal houses, so I was already quite a strong and a gifted magic user, I was in particular already gifted in both lightning and water creation and manipulation. So it would seem it was fate that Zeus and Posseidon found me." Kaldur explained in detail.

"I…I believe you. And if what you say is true, then it is even more important that I have found a new champion. It is only a matter of time before Ares thrusts the world into a state of unending war and chaos." Shazam replied.

"Indeed. I used the all sight to find you and to monitor you until you had chosen a champion. In your current state you will not be able to survive another power transfer, and consequently will not be around to guide young Billy Batson. I am here to offer training and guidance, as I myself was trained by the great Amazon warriors Queen Hippolyta and General Antiope. I am also here seeking alies. I have formed a peace keeping and peace seeking organization known as The Acolytes of Zeus. I would be honoured if Billy Batson would become one of my comrades." Kaldur proposed.

"You were trained by the Amazons? I would love to know how an Atlantian came to be trained by the Amazons, but I suspect it would be a long albeit interesting tale. If you have the approval of the Amazons, who harbour a deep resentment for all of man, and that of Posseidon and Zeus, then you must be very special. Perhaps you should be my champion. If you combined yours and my power, no one would be able to stop you, not Ares, not Hercules, not Apollo or Hermes, or all of them put together. All your dreams and hopes for yourself and for the world would be attainable." Shazam offered, seemingly willing to discard Billy Batson just like that.

Of course, that wasn't entirely the truth. The great wizard Shazam did not live for thousands of years for nothing. This was nothing but a test, a test of greed, envy, and lust. If Kaldur accepted the offer to take Shazam's power in place of Billy, then Shazam would do everything in his power to ensure that Kaldur never tasted even a minute fraction of that power. However if Kaldur declined, then perhaps there was hope for him yet.

"H-Hey! I thought you said I was your champion?" Billy wined indignantly, spotting a childlike pout as he waved his hands up and down petulantly.

"I thank you for your kind words, great Wizard. However, I came here to seek an ally, not power. Besides, I too happen to believe in Billy Batson. I believe he will make a great champion, perhaps even greater than I." Kaldur said with both sincerity and humility.

"And what happens if Billy refuses to become your ally? What will you do then?" Shazam asked curiously, and warily.

"I would be greatly disappointed of course to lose such an important ally and potential friend. However, even within the hand of destiny we all have the free will to make our own choices. I cannot force Billy Batson to join the Acolytes of Zeus no matter how much I wish for him to join." Kaldur replied sincerely.

"You are both wise and honourable, young Kaldur. Lord Zeus and Lord Posseidon chose very well, in fact, I envy them for having such a worthy champion." Shazam said with a small smile.

"Thank you, Great Wizard." Kaldur said humbly.

"Billy, I too cannot force you to accept my power, and I cannot tell you what to do afterwards. However, should you accept this power, know that a great burden and responsibility will be placed upon you. You will have to protect the earth realm from both terrestrial and extra terrestrial threats, and both dimensional and extra dimensional threats. Being a hero is not like in the pictures that you watch on television or the ones you read on comic books. It requires great work ethic and determination, and it requires great sacrifice. Most of your childhood will be lost, you will not be able to enjoy the liberties that your peers will enjoy. Are you willing to endure what is to come, Billy Batson? Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices that will be required of you?" Shazam asked gravely.

"….."

"…."

"…."

"Y-yes. Yes I am, and I'm also willing to give the Acolytes of Zeus a chance." Billy said after thinking long and hard about the decision.

"Good. I only wish I could see the kind of world that you two great champions will create, that is my only regret. Nevertheless, Billy Batson, I offer to you one more time my power. Say my name and all of my power shall pass onto you." Shazam said whilst holding up magic staff, Billy grabbing the staff with both his hands and doing as instructed.

"SHAZAM!"

The Grimoire: Main Base of The Acolytes of Zeus

"Raven, Welcome back. And I see you have brought with our new brother in arms. Welcome, Damian, to the Acolytes of Zeus." Kaldur greeted as he arrived with Billy Batson in tow, the two of them walking out of an inter-dimensional door made entirely of lightning, Billy still star struck by Kaldur's teleportation ability and wondering if he too will be able to do something like that once his training is complete.

"Who are these two? I thought you said that Dark Manta was the leader of this organization, but all I see are just a bunch snot nosed kids." Damian, the fifteen year old, dressed in assassins clothes and carrying a very dangerous looking sword, said with a deep scowl on his facial features.

"This is the Dark Manta. He doesn't walk around in his suit all day and every day. Besides, Dark Manta is just a cover identity. His real name is Kaldur'ahm, and his real alias is Stormbreaker. This Damian, is our great leader. Don't be fooled by his age, he possesses both the knowledge and wisdom of Zeus and Posseidon, and their power. This man, actually, this God, is strong enough to take on even Superman and Wonder Woman, and win." Raven explained.

"How on earth did a demon like you end up working side by side with a God? Do you realise how ridiculous that is?" Damian asked incredulously.

"I'm only half demon Damian, and Kaldur doesn't care about any of that stuff. He is more interested in who you are rather than what you are." Raven retorted.

"So he's basically Jesus Christ?" Damian asked condescendingly, Raven deciding right then and there not to dignify any of Damian's disrespectful and negative remarks with a response as she focussed her attention on Kaldur and Billy.

"So, this is Billy Batson huh? The Wizard's new champion? He doesn't look like much, but then again, looks can be deceiving." Raven said as she gave Billy a once over.

"I'm Raven, it's nice to meet you Billy. I'm looking forward to working with you, unlike a certain someone I just inexplicably recruited." Raven said emotionlessly, causing Billy to chuckle at Damian's expense, Damian meanwhile spotting an irritated scowl on his facial features.

"I think I'm going to get along just fine with her, I like her. I don't know about the other guy though." Billy said, eliciting a death glare from the aforementioned person.

"I think I will get along just fine with all of you." Kaldur said with a genuine smile, already seeing the inner workings of a great friendship between himself and his comrades, including Damian.

"So when are you all going to stop wasting my time and give me a proper briefing. Where are we exactly? Why is a God working alongside a demon? What is the purpose of this organization? How are any of you of use to me exactly? What's that ordinary looking kid doing here?" Damian asked consecutively.

"I believe that Raven has already told you that I care not for what a person is, at least, not as much as who they are. Demon or no demon, over the last four months, Raven has proven to be an invaluable and most trustworthy ally, and most importantly, she has been a great friend. I have no reason to doubt her, I trust her completely with my life and all of my secrets." Kaldur replied with certainty.

"The purpose of this organization is to seek, pursue, create, and maintain world peace and prosperity. Our goal is to eradicate pollution, poverty, slavery, oppression, famine, corruption, and crime. Our goal is basically similar to the Justice league but our methods are different. We operate more in the shadows as opposed to in the limelight, in other words, we are more of a covert organization. We do not seek or want the spotlight, not unless absolutely necessary." Kaldur explained.

"How are any of Dark Manta's actions contributing to world peace exactly? And what is your relation to Black Manta?" Damian asked suspiciously.

"Black Manta is my biological father, my other name consequently is Jackson Hyde, son of David Hyde. As you know, Black Manta was defeated by Aquaman and he is now a prisoner in Belle Reve serving multiple life sentences. He has left a terrible legacy of crime. As his son, it is my job to restore the honor of my family name, to redeem the name of Hyde and the name of Black Manta. I have thus taken the mantle of Dark Manta." Kaldur replied.

"How are you exactly redeeming the name of Black Manta by committing the same crimes that he did?" Damian asked incredulously.

"It's not exactly the same. Kaldur has not killed a single innocent life, and no Atlantians have been killed either in his recent clashes with Aquaman. Furthermore, all the companies that Kaldur has blown up have been guilty of causing massive amounts of water pollution. Left unchecked, the ramifications of these actions could be earth shattering, literally." Raven retorted.

"What about the many people you have left unemployed because of your actions? I thought that ending poverty was one of your goals." Damian asked with an accusatory tone.

"First you must understand the procedure. We did not just destroy the machinery and infrastructure of these businesses, We initially contacted their board of directors and CEOs and gave them an ultimatum. They refused to heed our warnings of course. We then hacked their files and their financial accounts and stole all of their financial resources, and then only destroyed their premises and machinery."

"Following that, we used the money we stole to start up clean energy companies with a similar function, and hired not only all of the unemployed personnel from the previously destroyed companies, but also other previously unemployed staff from all sorts of backgrounds. So as you can see, we have not only protected the sea and by extension, the earth itself, but we have also protected the people from poverty and unemployment." Kaldur replied.

"….."

"…."

"Okay, fine, but what does Aquaman have to say about this?" Damian asked curiously.

"Aquaman is too naïve. He is succumbing to pressure from the surface world to stop the Dark Manta. He doesn't even realise the favour that the Dark Manta is doing for him. If the pollution of the water were to be allowed to continue as is, it would reach a point where Aquaman himself would be put under pressure by his own people to go to war with the surface world. He would attempt a peaceful resolution of course, but that wouldn't work. The greed of man, especially business tycoons has no limits. They would never agree to stop what is making profits for them, war between the surface and the deep would break out, and millions, maybe even billions of lives would be lost." Raven explained in detail.

"Okay, say no more. I'm convinced. You guys are somewhat competent after all." Damian said dismissively, eliciting an irritated frown from Raven and an amused smile from Kaldur.

"So, Raven, why don't you tell me everything that happened from the time you left to recruit Damian to this exact point in time, and I will tell you everything about my journey to find and recruit Billy." Kaldur suggested, even though it was in fact an order.

"Well, there's nothing much to tell really. I found Damian as ordered, and kept an eye on him to see if he really was worthy of recruiting. I do not sense any evil inside of him, darkness yes, but not evil. Also, the light inside of him outshines the darkness that is no doubt present. I believe he can become a great hero and do great things for mankind and all sentient kind as a result." Raven began as if Damian was not even there, Damian looking like a dear caught in headlights, not knowing whether to smile, frown, or snarl at Raven as she gave her mixed but overall positive evaluation of him.

"In terms of combat skill, he was quite frankly amazing. He managed to hold off for an hour and a half Ra's Al Ghul's elite squad, consisting of Black Spider, Hook, Chesire, Professor Ojo, and Sportsmaster, AND Talia Al Ghul's special forces of The Heretic, The Electrocutioner, Onyx, Firefly, Killer Moth, and Hellhound. For someone without powers to hold off so many of the elite warriors of the shadows on his own is quite simply amazing, and he's still just a teenager." Raven said with gushing praise, causing a joyful smirk to appear on Damian's facial features.

"Still, he would have undoubtedly died or been captured if I hadn't intervened when I did.." Raven added as an after thought, eliciting another snarl from Damian, although he didn't dare say anything, knowing that what Raven said was without a shadow of doubt the truth as she did in fact save his life.

"That you only intervened after an hour and a half of direct battle is more than enough proof of Damian's capabilities. Plus, the fact that he had escaped in the first place from The Shadows and eluded them for two months before direct confrontation also speaks for itself about just how capable an operative he will become for the Acolytes of Zeus. You've done well, Raven, and you too, Damian." Kaldur said with aplomb, causing this time a genuine smile to appear on Damian's facial features as he hadn't received such positive reviews since...well...ever.

"Thank you, Kal...ummm...boss." Damian replied a bit self consciously.

"No, thank you, for joining our brotherhood. Now Damian, I have ummm….plans for you, and a new alias that I believe you will appreciate. Your new alias is Batwing, and I have already designed, based on your background and fighting style, your technologically advanced combat suit and all of your equipment and gadgets. And of course, the costume and the gadgets are somewhat of a call out to Batman aka Bruce Wayne, your biological father." Kaldur dropped a bomb right in the middle of his secret base.

"Batman is my father!/Batman is Bruce Wayne!" Damian and Billy exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yes on both accounts. It was a plan concocted by your mother and your grandfather. Ra's Al Ghul wanted a younger and stronger body, a perfect body. They had your mother sire you with Batman in order to produce the ultimate human body and mind, with Ra's Al Ghul and Batman's blood running through said body's veins. Then, through an ancient mystic ritual, they were planning to have Ra's take over your body when you came of age, and Damian Wayne Al Ghul would cease to exist." Kaldur explained, taking a pause to allow Damian and especially Billy to digest this information.

"When we learned of this information, Raven, with her control over the ravens, and I, with my all sight, had been keeping track of the activities of the League of Shadows, as we do with all potentially dangerous organizations,. Subsequently, Raven and I lead you towards this information so that you would learn the truth yourself, and then we recruited you. Those are the circumstances that have lead us to this fated encounter, this fated union of ours as brothers, as The Acolytes of Zeus." Kaldur concluded his explanation.

"And also why you have already prepared for his arrival by designing and creating a combat suit and mission gadgets for him. So cool! It's like I'm in a real life spy movie!" Billy said excitedly.

"It is isn't it? Nevetheless, Damian, I understand that you are quite the technological genius yourself. Feel free to make any modifications you deem necessary to the equipment and the suit." Kaldur said with a genuine smile.

"This is a lot to process. I had no idea Batman was my biological father, the information I found only confirmed that my mother and grandfather were collaborating to have my grandfather take over my body. Still, I've been taught to compartmentalize my emotions. I'll have time to deliberate on my...on Bruce Wayne, later on. For now, tell me more. What do you have planned for me, and are the Acolytes going to help me take revenge on Ra's Al Ghul and the Shadows?" Damian asked with both curiosity and hope.

"We will not be helping you get revenge, we do not believe that revenge is the righteous path. However, we do intend to help you to usurp your mother and grandfather and become the new leader of the shadows. With you as leader, we could use the shadows as an extension of the Acolytes of Zeus. With you in charge of them, the shadows can remain in the shadows, but instead of serving the agendas of darkness, they can serve the agenda of world peace and prosperity, serve the agenda of the Acolytes or Zeus, the agenda….of Justice." Kaldur said passionately.

"W-wow! Man, you really are a super genius God aren't you?" Billy said in awe.

"Impressive. Very, very impressive. I'm in, oh, I'm totally in." Damian said it twice in order to re-affirm just how "in" he was.

"Good. First on the agenda is that you have to recruit members that will be one hundred percent loyal to you and your ideals, and by extension, to the ideals of the Acolytes of Zeus. I have some interesting ideas that I will talk to you about later." Kaldur said, Damian nodding his head in the affirmative.

"So what about you, leader, how did it go with Billy?" Raven asked curiously.

"There isn't much to tell. The Wizard was blessed by the Gods with his power, as I too am blessed by the King of the Gods himself and the God of the waters and the seas, we were able to easily bond and come to understand one another. Besides, the Wizard had run out of time, he wasn't going to be around to groom Billy for his role as the new champion…"

"But you, a champion yourself, trained by the Amazons and possessing the power, knowledge and wisdom of both Zeus and Posseidon, were the perfect candidate to train and mentor Billy, right?" Raven asked rhetorically.

"Intelligent and insightful as always I see." Kaldur said with a smile, a small blush appearing on Raven's cheeks, something that didn't go unnoticed by Damian, who suddenly felt an inexplicable discomfort in his chest, a feeling that confused him completely as he had never really experienced any form of jealousy before, having grown up as the super talented prized Prince of the shadows.

"Indeed, it does seem like the stars have been aligning for the Gods. There is an invisible hand at work, fate, or destiny if one may call it." Kaldur said sagely.

"And what about you, Billy? What do you think so far, about us? About becoming a member of the Acolytes of Zeus? Do you believe this is where you belong? You still have the opportunity to change your mind you know." Raven said cautiously.

"I'm in, all the way. I'll see everything through to the end." Billy said with determination.

"And you don't mind, as someone blessed by the Gods, working with a demon such as myself?" Raven asked.

"No, I don't think so. I agree with the boss in that we mustn't judge people by what they are but by who they are." Billy said with conviction, causing a small smile to appear on Raven's facial features.

"I think I like him. You're an excellent mentor, Kaldur. He is already beginning to sound like you." Raven said with a small smirk.

"I'm flattered, Raven, but I'm afraid it is too soon to make that conclusion just yet. Billy and I still have a long way to go." Kaldur replied humbly.

"So when do I get to see my suit and my gadgets?" Damian asked impatiently.

"Very soon. Raven will give you a tour, but first I want to brief you about how things are going to be for the next six months." Kaldur retorted.

"What do you mean?" Damian asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Damian, you're already well trained, so for you it will just be a matter of getting accustomed to your new suit, weapons, and gadjets. I reckon after one month you'll be ready to take the field. Still, I will personally take responsibility for both yours and Billy's training, and Raven will be your main sparring partner, although I too will spar with you occasionally."

"I don't need training! I'm probably better trained than all of you combined!" Damian protested.

"That's very debatable. Kaldur was trained by the Amazons, a warrior species of super humans with a long and rich history when it comes to war tactics and the combat arts. Not to mention he has the fighting knowledge, experiences, and techniques of both Zeus and Posseidon. If I had to bet my life on it, I'd bet on Kaldur, easily." Raven countered.

"..."

"This is not about who is better and who isn't. There are no exceptions to this rule, training is mandatory for everyone, myself included." Kaldur said with authority.

"Fine. Carry on." Damian reluctantly agreed.

"As I was saying, I think after just one month we'll be ready to let you into the field. For Billy however it will be an entirely different story. Billy, for the first four months I will not allow you to transform into your alta ego. You will train for all of that time in your current human form." Kaldur deadpanned.

"What! But why?" Billy wined petulantly.

"Because Billy, if someone found out your true identity without you knowing that they had found out, they could easily wait for you to be in your human form and attack you, capturing you at best, killing you at worst." Kaldur said with a grave undertone.

"I...I see. So, this is so that I can defend myself and others even without using my champion form." Billy said with realization.

"Exactly. Damian, I will expect you to help me with Billy's training." Kaldur ordered.

"I understand." Damian said without protest, completely understanding why Kaldur would make such an order, seeing as he was the only other 'ordinary' human that Billy could spar with in his human form, and also because as he himself argued earlier, Damian was arguably the most trained and most skilled combatant in the Acolytes of Zeus.

"Good. After four months, I will allow you to use your champion form Billy. I have the power of Zeus and Posseidon within me as we have already established, and I am also a master of the mystic arts, in other words, magic. I'm the perfect choice to train you and spar with you. Raven will also spar and train with you in your champion form and teach you more about magic. After six months, we'll let you go into the field. Bare in mind that this doesn't mean that your training, both in your human form and your champion form, will be completed in six months, you will continue to train hard when you are not on missions in order to further develop your skill." Kaldur explained in great detail.

"I understand, Stormbreaker sir." Billy said with a military salute.

"Good, now, let us get started." Kaldur ordered as he lead Billy to his new quarters whilst Raven did the same for Damian.

Seven Months Later

"What are we looking at exactly?" Damian aka Batwing asked with a raised eyebrow.

He was wearing his Batwing suit, one of thee most technologically advanced combat armors ever created. It had techno-magical properties because it was made of a hybrid element created by Kaldur by fusing Olympium and Atlantium, Olympium being the alloy that the armor of the Old Gods were made of and Atlantium being a technologically advanced and versatile alloy used to create weapons from Atlantis.

As as a result of the Olympium properties, the suit had a high resistance to magic and was near invulnerable. Together with the Atlantium properties, the suit gave Damian a considerable strength boost, allowing him to perform speed and strength feats that completely defy human capabilities. The suit was also fitted into its design with something Kaldur refered to as transformation technology, in other words, it was a shape shifting suit, able to grow wings for gliding and form thrusters and boosters on Damian's legs, arms, back, and anywhere really that he required for use in the air or in combat.

It could also shoot powerful techno-magical sound blasts and sound waves from his chest, the palms of his hands, and even from under his feet and had a whole lot of arsenal that Damian could use in combat. The suit was form fitting and flexible, but also so light that Damian had initially felt completely naked the first time he wore it, like he wasn't wearing anything at all.

It was pitch black in colour and had a blue bat sign across the chest. The transformation technology in his suit was a result of nano technological research that Kaldur had done, meaning that Damian didn't need to put on and remove his cowl. When he wanted it off, as he had it right at this moment, the cowl would dissolve into his neckline, and it would grow back on at his command, covering his entire face up including the lower half of his face, unlike the one that the Batman wore.

His suit also did not have a cape like other super heroes, or like the Batman. Raven had imbued a powerful anti psychic spell on the suit thanks to the Olympium properties on the suit in order ward off against anyone with psionic powers, meaning that Damian was extremely resistant, if not invulnerable to telepathic attacks, for as long as he was wearing the suit at least.

"The Justice League have formed a covert missions unit it appears. Two weeks ago, a team consisting of Kid Flash aka Wally West, Robin aka Richard Grayson, and Blue Beetle aka Jaime Reyes infiltrated a Cadmus lab facility and discovered a conspiracy of illegal experimentation...with Superman's DNA." Kaldur dropped a c4 bomb right in the middle of their secret base, showing his team pictures of the atrocities on the 3D transparent screen that was projecting off the base's super computer.

Of the pictures were images of Kid Flash in both his suit and without his suit, and the same for Blue Beetle and Robin. There were also images of the Cadmus facility and of the horrible, deformed experiments found in the base.

"A covert ops unit huh? So it's just the three of them, no one else?" Billy, aka Shazam aka Captain Marvel asked curiously.

"No, they have since added two new members to their team. The members are Martian Manhunter's niece, Ms Martian aka Megan Mores, and more significantly, a young man codenamed 'The Superboy'". Stormbreaker deadpanned.

"The Superboy?" Batwing asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A genetically engineered clone of Superman, formed from the DNA material of Superman and Lex Luthor. He was intended to be a weapon to be used to kill and replace Superman should he prove to be too much of a nuisance for Lex Luthor's plans. The Justice League's covert team liberated him and convinced him to join their side. He is now a member of their team." Kaldur concluded the first part of his briefing.

"Okay, so, this is a good thing right?" Captain Marvel asked rhetorically, not seeing anything wrong with the formation of a Justice League covert team consisting of their proteges.

"If you're talking about the liberation of The Superboy and the formation of a Justice League covert unit, then yes, I would be inclined to believe that it is indeed a good thing. However, that a clone of Superman was being made in the first place is a great matter of concern. So Raven and I investigated, me, using my all sight and the Manta Core to mount an investigation, and Raven with the aid of her Ravens. We have found out some disturbing information. I will hand over to Raven to brief you on this information. Raven, if you will." Kaldur handed over the reigns to his right hand.

"Okay, disturbing news number one. Lex Luthor is not working alone, and doctor Desmond aka Blockbuster did not go rogue and do his own illegal experiments as reported by Cadmus…"

"Obviously." Batwing said, rolling his eyes at Raven.

"..."

"He was acting under the orders of an organisation known as The Light, an organisation of which Lex Luthor is a part of. We do not know the identities of the other members of the Light...yet, but we are certain that The Light is comprised of other Super Villains, think of them as the Anti Justice League if you will." Raven explained.

"So basically, you're saying that the Villains have also formed a team?" Captain Marvel asked warily.

"That is exactly what I am saying, and they are working covertly in the shadows, which makes them even more dangerous." Raven replied.

"There's more to this story isn't there?" Batwing asked warily.

"Yes there is. I've made contact with an...inmate at the Cadmus facility, his name is Dubbilex. This is an approximate image of him." Raven showed the team a 3D model that she made of Dubbilex from the images she got from her ravens, ravens through which she had been psychically communicating with Dubbilex.

"Your contact looks like an alien." Batwing deadpanned.

"He is a genomorph, a new hybrid species created by Cadmus. Their DNA was also used as a bonding agent to merge human dna with Kryptonian DNA, or to fast grow human clones of individuals that the light wants to replace with their clones." Raven retorted.

"You're saying that there are humans that have already been replaced?" Batwing asked with narrowed eyes.

"Only one thus far, Speedy, well, he goes by a new name now, he calls himself Red Arrow. We have Intel that he was offered a place in the Justice League covert team and refused. I've been keeping tabs on him, and my preliminary analysis is that he thinks the covert team is a joke and is determed to join the main Justice League team."

"A mental program then? It has to be. The clone has been programmed to infiltrate the Justice League, probably to keep tabs on them and pass on information to the light in order to stay a step or more ahead of the League." Damian concluded with conviction, unable to help but to internally praise the Light for their genius, even if he disagreed with their methods.

"That's a possibility, and worst case scenario is that the Light could use that information or even use Red Arrow himself to kidnap actual members of the Justice League and replace them, eventually replacing the entire League." Stormbreaker said analytically.

"That's...horrible! Please tell me we're going to do something about this?" Captain Marvel asked anxiously.

"We won't do anything until we have more information. The clone is not in the Justice League yet, and it is unlikely he will join anytime soon. He still has his work cut out for him. For now we will save the real Roy Harper. According to Dubbilex, he is being held in a hidden part of the Cadmus facility where he and others are awaiting shipment to a new location. We will liberate them before they come for the shipment, well, we as in you, Batwing. This is your mission." Raven deadpanned.

"My mission? Why me? And did you just say Roy Harper and others? I thought you said that only Roy Harper had been cloned and replaced?" Damian asked confusedly.

"We believe this presents a good opportunity for you to recruit more members for your team. Roy Harper is being kept alongside four other humans, or more precisely, meta humans. They were all runaways who were experimented on in order to activate the meta gene. Apparently dozens of kids died in that facility in the attempt to activate and isolate the human meta gene. There were four survivors, Vigril Hawkins, who has awakened the ability to create, manipulate, and control electromagnetic electricity, Thai Longshadow, who has awakened the ability to manifest an astaral form around his body,ranging in sizes from around two metres tall to around fifty stories tall. There's also Raquel Ervin, who has awakened the ability to manipulate kinetic energy, and Eduardo Dorado jnr, who has awakened the ability to instantaneously teleport to other locations." Raven explained.

"You're giving all of these talented people to me? Why?" Batwing asked incredulously.

"To be honest, we are not giving anything to anyone. They are not ours to give. After you rescue them, you will have to win them over to your side. It was a difficult decision to decide if they should be inducted directly into the Acolytes of Zeus or be inducted into your future League of Shadows. But Kaldur concluded that they could always be later inducted into the mainstream team if the need arises, or if you deem then worthy. For now, you need them more than us as you have yet to form a proper team to help you to usurp Ra's Al Ghul and become the new demon head." Raven retorted.

"I...I have infiltrated the Court of Owls you know, and I've already become a high ranking member. Also, I have won over Jason Redmond aka Talon, the leader of the Talons. Well, I guess I am the leader of the Talons now since Talon reports to me. The entire army of the Court of Owls belongs to me. I've also recruited the former Red Hood and now Owlman, aka Jason Todd. He, along with Talon, are my generals. I could take over the League of Shadows any time that I want." Damian protested.

"So you are saying you are not interested in any of these people?" Raven asked retorically.

"Well, I mean, maybe I'll take Roy Harper and that teleportation kid. You guys take the others." Batwing replied.

'This is a strategic decision made as a result of a self preservation instinct. He doesn't want to recruit someone who can potentially become more powerful than he is. A metahuman with electrical powers, a person who manipulates kinetic energy, and a person who can manifest powerful astaral bodies could be too dangerous for him if they turned against him. I suppose he still has a ways to go. Well, it would have been a giant step to take anyway, perhaps it is wise not to put too much on his shoulders all at once.' Kaldur thought as he pondered over the situation of the fifteen year old Batwing.

"Fair enough. You can have Roy Harper and Eduardo Dorado. I will groom Virgil Hawkins for the team, Raven, you take care of Thai Longshadow and Raquel Ervin." Kaldur ordered.

"Hey! What about me?" Captain Marvel asked indignantly.

"Virgil Hawkins has powers similar to ours, so I figured maybe you could help me to train him..."

"On second thoughts, I'll take Virgil Hawkins too..." Damian said after thinking about it for a while.

"Are you sure?" Kaldur asked with concern.

"Positive." Damian added.

"Okay, then I guess it is decided. With that said, while you focus on rescuing those guys, Billy and Raven will evacuate the Genomorphs while I hack the Cadmus files and extract all the information I can get to expose the corperation, The Light, and Lex Luthor. Damian, you will take your recruits to your base of operations in Gotham, Raven, Captain Marvel, you will bring the Genomorphs here." Kaldur ordered.

"Alright, sounds good to me." Captain Marvel said, everyone nodding their heads in approval of the plan.

"Let us go then. All the best to all of you " Kaldur said as he opened an inter-dimensional doorway made entirely of electricity, Raven teleporting herself and Captain Marvel whilst Damian entered the doorway with Kaldur.

Thirty Minutes Later: Cadmus Base

"Confirmed, no tracking device or tracking system on these pods, and they have already been modified and prepped for travelling. Hn, how nice of Cadmus to go to such lengths to make it easy for us to transport these guys." Damian aka Batwing thought out loud as he prepared to open a shock tube so that he can teleport the pods to his secret base in Gotham.

The shock tube is a space time technique that was imbued into his suit by none other than Stormbreaker himself, and it was basically a technique that would open a circular portal made entirely of lightning with which one can travel through dimensions, in other words, teleport to different locations. It was a technique that Stormbreaker/Kaldur created and then taught it to Captain Marvel aka Shazam, and also imbued into Batwing's techno-magical suit.

Raven was therefore the only one who didn't have access to this technique, but she didn't need it at all seeing as she already had her own magical abilities that of course allowed her to manipulate space and time in order to travel through dimensions. Teleportation was also the only way to travel to the main base of the Acolytes of Zeus as it existed in a pocket dimension that Stormbreaker created.

Speaking of travelling through dimensions, it appeared as though the Acolytes of Zeus were not the only ones with the ability to teleport as a boom tube opened up some fifteen metres behind Damian, three Interlopers appearing, much to Damian's surprise and intrigue. The Interlopers naturally were also surprised as they hadn't expected any company, least of all Batman.

"Batman! W-what are you doing here?" The only lady in the group asked in surprise, although she did not look like a lady at all given her height and the sheer size of her muscles, muscles that made female body builders look like beauty pageant models compared to her.

"It's Batman, not Batwing, although the confusion is not entirely unwarranted. Now that I have introduced myself, would it be too much to ask that you too introduce yourselves, I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." Batwing asked calmly.

"I am the leader of this team, the name of the team is onslaught, and my name is Psimon." The bold headed man, and shortest of the team, with a brain that was visible through his skull, introduced himself.

"Simon huh? So you don't have an alias or something? You use your real name?" Batwing asked with a raised eyebrow, or cowl brow, depending on how one wanted to look at it.

"It's Psimon with a "P" in front of the "S". Psimon is my alias." The man replied.

"Oh I see. Given your name and your obviously visible and big brain, that must mean you have psychic powers. Telepathy for sure, maybe, possibly even telekinesis. Impressive. And what about the woman and the other big guy, what are their names?" Batwing asked curiously.

"The big man is Mammoth and the beautiful lady here is Devastation." Psimon replied.

"Mammoth and Devastation huh, a psychic warrior and two power houses. Quite an interesting team you are. Well, I guess now you want to ask me who I am and what I am doing here, right?" Batwing asked rhetorically.

"Haha! You idiot! There is no need for that, because while you were busy chit chatting my love was busy reading your mind, dufus! Babe, tell us, who is this guy really? And what is he doing here? Is he an enemy?" Devastation asked confidently.

"Ummm….actually, babe, I...I couldn't read his mind, his mind is warded by multiple super powered protective barriers. I couldn't get anything, not even a whisp!" Psimon said in shock and disbelief, a feeling that was shared by both of his comrades.

"What! But that's! That's impossible! You're the best telepath in the world! No one can defend completely against your telepathy! Not even the Martian Manhunter!" Devastation exclaimed in disbelief.

"Apparently he is not the best telepath in the world. You should stay back Psimon! Without your telepathy you'll be utterly useless in battle!" Mammoth said sternly.

"Battle? But we haven't even ascertained whether he is friend or foe." Psimon protested.

"Obviously he is an enemy, if someone was supposed to greet us here, we would have been notified. The fact that we didn't means that this person is not supposed to be here. Besides, the batsuit alone should tell you that he is not on our side, whoever idolizes the Batman to this extent cannot possibly be on the side of The Light." Mammoth replied.

"The Light huh? Speaking of which, who are the leadership of the Light? Obviously Lex Luthor is one of the big players, but who is the leader of Onslaught? Who sent you here?" Batwing asked curiously.

"Heh! What do you take us for fools? Like hell we would tell you that!" Devastation snorted arrogantly.

"Are you a new member of the Justice League covert unit perhaps?" Mammoth asked curiously.

"Oh no! If he's a member of that team then the others are bound to be close by. We need to end this quickly and get the hell out of here before his back-up arrives!" Psimon exclaimed.

"Don't worry so much my friend. I am not member of the Justice League, covert unit or otherwise. I am a founding member of the Acolytes of Zeus. My comrades are here in this base but you need not worry about them coming over to help. They each have their own missions. Mine is to secure the pods. There will be no interference. However a battle is not entirely necessary, I'm mainly after the big fish, concede the name of your leader and leave the pods to me, and this won't have to end badly, for you…" Batwing said arrogantly.

"You piece of shit second rate Batman wanna be!" Devastation exclaimed as she charges at Batwing, at a much faster speed than Batwing could have ever expected from someone so huge, Devastation throwing a monstrous right hook that was clearly meant to literally send Batwing's head flying off of his shoulders, a massive shockwave washing over the area from the sheer speed and power of the punch, although thankfully the punch didn't connect as Batwing ducked under the punch in the last possible moment, blue highlights appearing all over his suit as his suit powered up to the maximum, increasing his strength tenfold as a result, strength which was already several times more than normal without powering up the suit to that extent as Batwing launched a full powered punch to the solar plexus of the female warrior.

The punch was so powerful that it sent Devastation flying away rapidly, all the way to the other side of the room as she crashed into the reinforced walls of the Cadmus facility, causing a hug dent to appear on the wall. To say Devastation was in pain was an understatement as she felt like her liver was shriveling up from all the pain, never before having been hit by a more precise and efficient punching technique before in her life.

"You have great power no doubt, Devastation, but you are far too inferior in terms of skill. You'll never be able to defeat me. Now, I'll ask you guys one more time, who is the leader and benefactor of Team Onslaught?" Batwing asked again, more ominously this time around.

'If Mammoth is as strong as Devastation, then I cannot afford to allow him to go on the offense. Another shockwave like that could damage the pods." Batwing thought analytically.

"W-we have to get out of here. This guy is not like the Batman, he actually has super strength on top of his skill, and he is even immune to my telepathy. Mammoth, I'm calling for a retreat, let's get out here!" Psimon ordered.

"What nonsense is this! What the hell kind of leader are you? We have a mission remember! Are you going to be the one to tell Queen Bee that not only did we fail our mission but we also failed without even trying?" Mammoth asked incredulously.

"Queen Bee huh? Now that is someone that I know of very well, she is often all over the news after all. So she is part of the leadership of The Light? How interesting." Batwing said with a mock thinking pose.

"Look what you've done you imbecile!" Psimon exclaimed, hands on his head in fear and frustration, terrified of the horrors that awaited them for this monumental blunder.

"Oh shit! Okay I screwed up, but all the more reason to stay and see this through. If we manage to kill him, then..!

"Enough! I'm the leader, and I'm calling for a retreat! If we lose and get captured, they'll be able to extract a lot more information from us, they obviously have a telepath too if they can block out my telepathy. Secondly, you're assuming he was telling the truth when he said that his friends wouldn't interfere in our battle, but what if he was lying? That is even assuming you can beat him on your own, Devastation is still out of it as you can see." Psimon chastised his comrade in detail.

"I don't like this Psimon! I don't like it at all!" Mammoth excalimed in anger and frustration.

"Don't be stupid! What makes you think I like this any more than you do? But we have to survive in order to preserve the secrets of The Light, and in order to report on this Batwing and the Acolytes of Zeus!" Psimon explained frantically.

"Assuming of course that I'll just stand here and watch you escape." Batwing chimed in, causing both Mammoth and Psimon to freeze in fear and concern, the two of them backing off slowly as they tried to get close to Devastation so that they can all Boom Tube away, Batwing slowly and deliberately walking towards them, matching them step by step, exerting a monumental mental and emotional pressure on his foes, who both couldn't take it anymore as they both turned and ran for their lives, Psimon quickly taking out his mother box and opening up a Boom Tube near where Devastation was, Mammoth, who was physically superior, running ahead and grabbing Devastation before jumping into the portal, followed soon by Psimon.

'Heh, I can't believe they actually ran with their tails between their legs like that. Well, I suppose they weren't part of my mission. The mission comes first, secure the pods and save the abductees. A battle could have compromised the pods, and therefore the objective. I'll just capture them when I run into them again.' Batwing thought as he turned and went back to work trying to teleport the pods away.

'They might come back with back-up, I'll have to hurry.' Batwing thought warily.

Two Hours Later:

"This is most incredible, Lord Stormbreaker. We Genomorphs may not have been on the outside world before, but even we have access to television, and never have we seen a more beautiful place on planet earth." Dubbilex said in surprise.

"The only other place as beautiful as this is Themiscyra of the Amazons, and of course, this place is heavily inspired by Themiscyra whilst also being specially designed to support the lifestyle of the Genomorphs. I also took into account the potential increase in genomorph population and potential technological advancements into consideration. This place should hold your people for at least a two million years." Kaldur explained.

"Incredible. So much thought and so much effort, you really do care, and I mean really care. I can tell from just looking at this island how much thought and effort you put into it, and how much love and devotion you had when you built it. Lord Stormbreaker, you truly are a benovelent God. Our people will sing praises for you for the rest of eternity, and it goes without saying, we will have an army ready as soon as possible." Dubbilex replied with both gratitude and elation.

"That will not be necessary, Dubbilex. This island is protected by an invisible barrier that hides you from the rest of the world, it not only hides you but it prevents people from venturing this way. I understand that you will and must build an army irrespective of that, it is always wiser to develop your own strength and your own means of defense in case of emergencies after all, but you need not do so with so much haste. Take as much time as you need." Stormbreaker aka Kaldur replied.

"I believe you misunderstand me, Lord Stormbreaker. The army that we want to build is not only for our protection, but it is for the service of our God. This is an army dedicated to serve Kaldur'ahm, The God of Thunder and Lightning, The God of the Seas and all forms of Water, the God of Storms. It will be the greatest army in all of creation, and we will fight for you whenever you need it, for you are the God that we serve and worship." Dubbilex said passionately, Kaldur giving him an intense and scrutinising stare down in response before eventually breaking into a small smile.

"I can see that you've clearly set your mind on this. There is nothing I can do or say to change your mind is there?" Kaldur asked ruefully.

"No, there is nothing you can do or say to stop us short of vanquishing us from existence or annihilating us. The other Genomorphs are already discussing plans to set up temples dedicated to the God of Storms. They have already chosen their religion. You cannot change their minds, nor can you change mine." Dubbilex responded.

"I see. Well, in any case, the barrier around this place is such that I can easily hear all of your prayers. You only need to pray to me should there be any trouble or anything you wish to discuss with me, and I will come as soon as I can depending on the gravity and urgency of the situation." Kaldur replied.

"That is good news to hear. It is wonderful to know with certainty that our prayers will always be heard by our God." Dubbilex replied.

"As it is reassuring to me to be able to know that I can immediately come to the aid of my dear and wonderful friends. I look forward to seeing you and the Genomorphs thrive and live up to your full potential. By the way, have you decided on a name for the island?" Kaldur asked curiously.

"Geranium Island is the name we have decided upon." The horned, purple skinned telepath replied proudly.

"Geranium Island huh? What a wonderful name." Kaldur said with a sincere smile.

"In any case, until we meet again, my friend." Kaldur said with his right hand extended for a hand shake, simultaneously opening a shock tube behind himself as he prepared to teleport away from the island.

"Until we meet again, oh great God of Storms." Dubbilex replied as, instead of shaking Kaldur's hand, he went down on both knees, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together as if to pray, much to Kaldur's bewilderment.

'I suppose I will have to get used to the fact that I am truly a God now. Still, I must never lose sight of my Atlantian and Human origins, so that I may be able to keep my mind and my heart grounded.' Kaldur thought as he vanished into the shock tube.

That: Secret Location in Gotham City

"I know you're there, Roy Harper. You may come out and face us. Worry not, you will not be harmed. If you really think about it, if we wanted to harm you, we could have done it at any moment during your slumber." Batwing said casually.

He was standing behind a desk in his study, in his complete combat suit and armor, with Olwman aka Jason Todd standing on his right hand side and Talon aka Jason Redmond standing on his left hand side. They had been waiting patiently for Roy Harper to make his way down there, and of course had left subtle hints and signs to guide him there. They knew he would be the first to wake up, as they used different doses of sedatives on the former Cadmus captives so that they could wake up in a specific order, at specific intervals, Roy being the first one that they wanted to speak to.

"I suppose you have a point, you could have just killed me….instead of just taking my arm!" Roy exclaimed angrily, still refusing to show himself from behind the wall with which he was hiding.

"On the contrary, Roy, I saved you. You, along with a few others, were captured by Cadmus and experimented on. Cadmus created a living clone of you and sent Green Arrow hints and leads to lead him to your rescue. Of course, he was being lead to your clone as opposed to the real you. Your clone has now consequently taken your place, and he goes by the name Red Arrow now. We suspect he doesn't know that he is a clone, and is operating under a mental command to infiltrate the Justice League." Batwing explained.

"W-what! You can't seriously expect me to believe that! That's preposterous!" Roy argued.

"What other reason would Cadmus have had to take your arm other than DNA experimentation? Besides, we know for a fact there was a Speedy who later took on the name Red Arrow, we've seen him, and he looks exactly like you, albeit two years older." Owlman retorted.

"S-so what do you want from me? Why did you rescue me?" Roy asked with a slight stutter, feeling like he was going to hurl and empty the contents of his stomach, unable to quite believe what he was hearing but at the same time realising that there was absolutely no reason for them to lie to him, at least not about this.

"Besides the fact that it was the right thing to do, we would also like you to join our organization. If you could come out so that we can discuss things face to face it would be much appreciated." Batwing retorted.

"F-fine…" Roy replied, dropping the metal bar that he had taken from near the fire place as he walked out and confronted the trio, only to freeze in place as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"B-batman...and Bat...what..?" Roy stuttered when he finally laid eyes to his alleged rescuers.

"I am Batwing. The man on my right is Owlman, and the one on the left is Talon. Our organization doesn't currently have a name, because we intend to forcefully take the name of another organization once we take over it. Talon here belongs to the Court of Owls, and has an army of two hundred talons at his command. Owlman is a solo act, and I belong to an organization known as the Acolytes of Zeus." Batwing tried to summarize everything for Roy Harper.

"Okay wait a minute. What is the court of Owls, what is this Acolytes of Zeus nonsense?" Roy asked incredulously.

"The Acolytes of Zeus you could say are the parent organization. It has only four members, of which I am one of them. This organization we are forming would then be a subsidiary to the Acolytes of Zeus. The Court of Owls are a sinister organisation that I have infiltrated in my alta ego, and have subsequently taken control of their military resources without their knowledge. This is an organization that secrets runs Gotham in the shadows. I'm currently monitoring them and gathering evidence so that I can act decisively should they become an emminent threat to innocent lives. So, basically, the army that they think they have, is the army that will destroy them when they inevitably try to put to action their villanous agenda." Batwing explained, taking a small pause in order to allow Roy to digest the information before carrying on with his explanation.

"The organisation I want to take over is the League of Shadows. You see, I am the grandson of Ra's Al Ghul, son of Talia Al Ghul and the Batman…" Batwing trailed off controversially.

"W-what…!" Roy Harper stuttered, unable to believe he was actually speaking to someone that was biologically related to both Batman and Ra's Al Ghul.

"It is a long story, so buckle up as I tell you my history and also explain my reasons and my goals. When I am done, I wish to here your answer, Roy Harper." Batwing said as he went on to explain everything from the beginning to the end.

"And that, is my story, Roy Harper. I have now told you everything about me. So what do you say? Will you join my cause? Will you join our organization?" Batwing asked.

"The Legion of Shadows…" Roy whispered in response.

"What?" Talon asked confusedly, a sentiment shared by both Batwing and Owlman.

"The Legion of Shadows is the name of your organization. I will not join an organisation that doesn't even have a name. Plus it's also lame for your goal to be that you want to assimilate yourself into the League of Shadows. Rather, the goal must be to assimilate the League of Shadows into the Legion of Shadows, and if they cannot be assimilated, they must be dismantled. If they cannot be dismantled, they must then be destroyed. So if you agree to let me name the organisation, and you're willing to adjust your plans slightly, then I will join the organisation." Roy said with a cocky smirk, Batwing sharing a look with both Talon and Owlman as the three seemingly had an entire conversation with their eyes alone before all three subsequently nodded to each other before removing their cowls, well, Olwman and Talon did, whereas Batwing's cowl just disappeared into his neck.

"We agree to your terms Roy Harper, and as a sign of trust and friendship, we reveal to you our true faces and our true identities. I am Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne aka Batman..."

"Bruce Wayne is the Batman? That irresponsible billionaire Playboy?" Roy exclaimed in shock, before suddenly realising that he shouldn't really be that surprised considering the fact that his mentor Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow fit that very same description too.

"Talon's real name is Jason Redmond and Owlman is Jason Todd. Jason Todd is also my adopted brother, and is the former Robin and also formerly went by the name Red Hood." Damian explained.

"W-what? So you guys are like both Batman's sons? This is crazy." Roy thought in surprise.

"But also awesome right?" Jason Redmond said with a small smirk.

"Yeah...yeah totally." A star struck Roy Harper stuttered, causing all three of Jason, Damian, and Jason to smirk with both satisfaction and amusement.

"Anyway, I know I said I would join, and I will, I'm definitely in, but there is something I have to do first. I need to pay Lex Luthor back for this arm. As they say, an eye for an eye, but in this case, an arm for an arm." Roy said with a veangeful tone.

"I figured you would say that. Personally I think the best revenge would be to help us take down Lex Luthor and the Light, but somehow I doubt that will be satisfactory to you. But if you're going to go after Lex, you'll need all the help you can get, like a new arm for example, a new suit, a new name, and new toys…" Damian said as the desk in front of him split into two halves, the two halves shifting away from each other as a staircase appeared in the middle leading down to what appeared to be a secret lair.

End Chapter

That's it for now. As you might have surmised already, if not from the summary then from this first chapter, the main characters for this story are Kaldur'ahm, Damian Wayne, Captain Marvel, and Raven.

In other words, the main members of the Acolytes.

However the story will flesh out the other characters in the organisation too and I really don't know for sure how to deal with Kaldur and Wonder Woman, whether they will be a pairing, or if they will be enemies or rivals, or if they will just have a normal brother-sister relationship.

Age is obviously not an issue, Wonder Woman is immortal so pretty much anyone she dates is bound to be much younger than she is, but that is if they become a pairing.

Anyway Kaldur and Damian are my favorite characters from the new generation, so is Raven and Shazam even though Shazam, despite his age, is not exactly from the new generation. So I decided to make a story where they all are together as a team and as trusted allies.

This story will be dark so don't expect a campy boy scout attitude from any of the members, although they will be fighting for the good side, even though the good side might not see it that way at times.

Kaldur is the main protagonist, just want to emphasize that.

As for Damian, he's young but he is a very rational and logical person, so it might seem as if he is letting others tell him what to do too easily but that is not the case. He's the type that will analyze both himself and his situation, and takes the best course of action in the long run. If he feels your input resonates with his goals more than his initial view point, he is not afraid to quickly discard his previous view point or incorporate the new idea into his original plan. He's just that kind of guy.

In this case he is different from Batman who comes off as if he thinks he is always right whereas Damian is willing to assess himself and acknowledge that he may possibly be wrong. He wants to be the very best and he knows to do that he needs to be open to learn new things. His interactions with Kaldur may have also had something to do with that.

Anyway the story is to be read not to be told, so everything else will be revealed in the next chapter and the chapters after.

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Take care.