A/N: Hey there, AntiHero here!
Disclaimer – I own nothing
Chapter – Revelation
Tokyo, October 1, Capsule Corp. Gravity Chamber
"Hyah!" Gohan cried as he threw a punch at his sparring partner. Trunks blocked it and countered with an elbow bash attack. Gohan caught the attack with his palm and uppercut the Saiyan Prince in the chin. Trunks backflipped and landed on his feet before dashing at the Saiyan Kid and kicking him in the gut; Gohan winced, which Trunks took advantage of by rearing back his fist and swinging it at Gohan. His punch was suddenly stopped by a brown furry appendage sticking out from Gohan's back: his tail. The Son of Goku smiled as the Son of Vegeta struggled to free his wrist before taking a skull bash to the face. Trunks shook it off and forcefully removed his hand from Gohan's hold and the two Super Saiyan twos started trading blows; it ended with them separating and charging at one another before kicking each other in the cheek. They removed their feet from each other's faces and stepped back. "I think that's enough for now," Gohan suggested.
"Agreed. Computer, shut off 100x gravity simulation!" Trunks commanded the system. The gravity they were training under was immediately reduced to minimum and the Saiyans stepped out of the chamber. It had been eight days since Trunks had encountered the covert team of young heroes and thirteen days since Super Ranger's abduction; the black-haired Saiyan had fully recovered from the battle with the Androids and was ready for action. They each powered down to their base form, took a quick shower, and went on to eat a quick meal. "I think we're really getting the hang of Super Saiyan two. Though, you're still a bit stronger than me since you have a tail," Trunks noted.
"Yeah, but since you're older, your body is better suited to handle the energy that form releases, so you're still pretty tough," Gohan replied. "I should probably get to training my tail so that it's no longer a weakness."
"Good idea. We don't need anyone squeezing it to render you powerless," Trunks agreed before looking up in thought.
"What is it?" Gohan asked.
"It's just… I can't remember ever having a tail," Trunks admitted. "I know my mother told me that I had one when I was younger, but even as a kid I couldn't recall having it around."
"It was probably cut off when you were a baby, and just hasn't grown back since then," Gohan reasoned. "Maybe if you ever have to use the Medical Machine to recuperate, it'll grow your tail back for you, too."
"I doubt it. I'm practically an adult now, so my body's most likely fully matured, which means my tail might not grow back even with the machine," Trunks said.
"Well, it worked for me and my tail hasn't grown back since the last time it was cut off. Maybe it's the human half that's interfering with your tail's regrowth, which is why the machine could regenerate your tail since the liquid is synthesized with Saiyan DNA." Gohan said.
"Speaking of which, how are you feeling? The machine's diagnostics said that your brain waves were a bit different from before you were healed. Do you feel any different from before?" Trunks inquired.
"No, I feel the same as always," Gohan relayed.
"Maybe that data was wrong," Trunks thought.
"Well, I think it's time I patrolled the streets of Tokyo. Can't have the city think that Saiyan Kid is slacking off," Gohan said as he stood up and pressed the button on his watch, changing into his Saiyan Armor, and went Super Saiyan. "You coming?"
"No, you go ahead, I'm sure you can handle it yourself," Trunks replied. "Besides, I've got some things I need to work on in the lab." He then got up and went off into the laboratory, picking up his blueprints and leaving his partner alone.
"Alright then, see ya later!" Gohan said before taking off for the city. The half Saiyan flew over his new home and even waved to a few people, but then he sensed something just as the ground started to crack.
A giant vine sprouted out of the earth, spreading out smaller vines with petals at the end. The flower started grabbing cars and tossing them around, damaging buildings and nearly crushing a few people. Gohan took immediate action by rescuing any person caught in the plant's attack and catching cars. "Ok, my dad taught me a few things about fieldwork, just never thought I'd have to use them like this. Good thing I've got the perfect tool for weed whacking!" he said before raising his hand above his head and shouting, "Destructo Disk!" A razor blade of Ki appeared over his palm and he threw it toward the large plant, cutting most of it off. The severed top of the vine collapsed on the road and Gohan descended to the smaller part of the plant and grabbed it. "If you want to get rid of weeds, you have to get them by the root!" He pulled the plant's roots out of the ground and tossed it into the sky. "Masenko…ha!" He fired his signature attack upward, striking the roots and incinerating them to ash. "Now to finish the job," he muttered as he grabbed the severed plant that was still wiggling and threw it into the heavens before destroying it with an energy blast. "That takes care of that," he said before the ground started quaking and many more giant plants came out of the ground. "Or not."
Mount Justice, October 1, 18:16 EDT
The Team had gathered together at their base of operations, along with Zatarra and Captain Marvel, when the Dark Knight entered via Zeta Tube and said, "Computer, national news!" A holo-screen appeared before everyone with the reporter Cat Grant live. "The initial attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve." As she reported, the Kryptonian and a few other superheroes were doing their best to save endangered bystanders and to stop the rampaging roots. "And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight." Batman paused the news video before facing the Team and his fellow leaguers.
"Should we get out there?" Robin inquired.
"No, the League will soon have the situation under control, that's not why I'm here," Batman revealed before bringing up another screen with Sportsmaster's face on it. "According to your Intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus blockbuster venom to Cobra."
"Who combined it with Bane's venom to create Cobra venom," Wally continued.
"Which the Brain used to create his animal army and Project K.O.," Robin went on from there.
"And upgrade Wolf," Superboy added.
"The Brian also used inhibitor collars like the ones at Belle Reve Penitentiary," Megan stated.
"Batman, is it possible that plant thingy's on Cobra venom, too?" Artemis inquired.
"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The vine's cellular level does contain trace amounts of Cobra venom variant," Batman confirmed as he showed the Team the plant's cellular analysis.
"These cannot be coincidences; unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide," Aqualad stated.
"Exactly. It's now clear that our enemies have formed some kind of… secret society of supervillians. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning," Batman said.
"Got that right," Robin said as he pulled out a holo-keyboard and brought screens of other places with plant attacks. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Star City, Paris, Taipei, Tokyo…" He was cut off when all the holo-screens were filled with nothing but static.
"Dude?" Kid Flash questioned.
"It's not me! Someone's cutting into the satellite signals, all satellite signals!" Robin explained. The screens suddenly changed to a camera shot of the Joker; smiling deviously, the Jester of Genocide tapped on the camera before beginning to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring this important announcement… from the Injustice League." He chuckled before moving the camera to capture seven other villains standing together.
"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of 10 billion American dollars is required," Count Vertigo instructed. "Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit, but the longer your governments wait…"
The Clown Prince of Crime turned the camera back to his face and finished the sentence. "The more we got to have our… jollies," he laughed while moving closer to the camera before the signal was lost.
Batman tapped his radio com and said, "Roger that, Aquaman, the UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won't come to that."
Robin tapped the keyboard and brought back the video just received. "Count Vertigo, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam, Wotan; seven heavy hitters, plus a new guy we've never seen or heard of before now!" he exclaimed while focusing on the Injustice League members, especially on the dark-skinned man with spiky, black hair, 3 bangs hanging to the right of his forehead, 2 bangs hanging to the left, 5 bangs standing up in the front, and 4 bangs in the back. He wore a red scouter over his left eye, and battle armor white with a dark blue chest plate, gauntlets, and boots, and yellow shoulder pads. "Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced!"
"There's your secret society," Kid Flash said.
"Not so secret anymore," Artemis muttered.
"Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth, and saw no point in hiding it any longer," Aqualad speculated.
"Yeah, well that was their mistake! I say we get out there and go kick some plant creature butt!" Wally suggested.
"The Justice League will handle the plants, I have a different job for this team," Batman told them.
"Aw man," Wally groaned, earning him a punch from the Archer.
"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it," Batman instructed.
"You realize what you're really asking them to do?" Zatarra asked the Gotham Hero.
"They're ready," Batman replied.
"Ready? For what?" Kid Flash asked before Artemis slugged him in the arm again. "Ow! Will you cut that—"
"Hello, Wally! If the big guns are gonna be fighting plants, who do you think we'll be fighting?" she asked him.
"I don't know, I guess we'll…" he started to say before Artemis pointed to the screen of the Injustice League. "Oh," he said in realization.
"Well Batman, I trust that you're correct," the magician said.
"I trust that you can locate the enemy," Batman replied.
"Indeed. Wotan's involvement suggests that sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled," Zatarra explained. "Robin, if you would provide a holo-map, I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcery." The Boy Wonder complied and brought up a hologram globe; after chanting some magic words, a spot on the globe was marked with a red dot. "There, that is where you'll find the Injustice League central control system."
"Coordinates locked in, the Louisiana Bayou!" Robin noted.
"We are on our way!" Aqualad said. The Team and Wolf quickly hurried to get suited for their mission, and Captain Marvel was about to follow them before the Dark Knight stopped him.
"Captain Marvel! For this plan to succeed, the entire Justice League must be seen fighting the plant creatures. You, Zatarra, and I are needed elsewhere," Batman instructed. As the Team began to gear up for the battle, Aqualad had made a stop at Kid Flash's shelf of souvenirs and picked up the Helmet of Fate. He was about to leave when he glanced at the scouter he received from the Saiyan Prince after their mission in India; he thought back to the eighth villain from the Injustice League and grabbed the small device before leaving to rejoin his team.
When the young heroes had boarded the Bio Ship, their leader had sat in the first left seat and placed a duffel bag on his right side. "Robin," Aqualad called to the Boy Wonder before tossing the scouter to him. "Can you figure out how to use that?"
"Do you really think we should call him?" Robin asked.
"Yes." Kaldur nodded.
"Hold on, you wanna call for help on our big mission?!" Conner asked in surprise.
"Do you have something to say?" Kaldur responded.
"Yeah, our boss just decided we were ready to take on some of the most dangerous villains known; we should handle it ourselves without outside help, especially his!" Superboy replied. "Besides, what makes you think we need his help anyway?"
"Maybe this?" Robin said as he pulled up the video of the Injustice League and focused on the unknown villain. "Look familiar?"
"The hair and the eyes are a different color, but the physique, hairstyle, and clothing… this guy resembles those heroes in Tokyo," Artemis observed.
"And look, he's got the same monkey tail that Project K.O. had," Kid Flash pointed out. "Could this guy turn into a giant beast at the full moon, too?"
"It's safe to assume that they may be connected, and that the enemies of the Saiyan Prince and our enemies are also working together, so it is sensible that we do the same with him," Aqualad reasoned.
"What if Conner's right? What if we can't trust him?" Miss Martian asked.
"He has assisted us on a few occasions and spends his time protecting Tokyo. Plus, when we tried to apprehend him and his partner, they didn't kill us even though they possessed the power to do so and we started the fight. We should at least give them a chance," Kaldur said.
"Alright, I think I got it," Robin said as he placed the scouter on his face.
"Good, make the call," Kaldur ordered. Batman's sidekick pressed the button on the scouter and waited for a response.
Tokyo
Gohan threw two more Destructo Disks, severing a few more plants but the remaining had somehow learned and evaded the energy razor blades before wrapping around the Saiyan. Gohan powered up, blowing the vines off him, before flying up and destroying them with energy blasts. Four more sprouted from underground and one of them swatted the Demi Saiyan. Gohan was about to attack when he saw one of the plants striking a building and causing it to crumble onto the nearby bystanders, so he quickly flew to the collapsing building and grabbed the people before they were buried alive. He placed them down and resumed his work on stopping the plant creatures. "There's no way I can hold off these plants and rescue all these people alone," Gohan thought before getting an idea. "Maybe I don't have to." He then crossed his arms and started emitting Ki as he exclaimed, "Multi-form!" He split into four parts, each ready to help their city.
"The two of you are on damage control, destroy these plants with minimum destruction to the city," Gohan told two of his two copies and they nodded. "You're on citizen safety, keep the people safe no matter what!" he instructed the third replica.
"What are you going to do?" the third copy asked.
"I'm heading back to inform Trunks about what's happening, maybe he can help find out why," Gohan answered.
"It looks like he already knows," one of Gohan's clones stated as he pointed at something: three Saiyan Princes were coming their way and stopped before the Sons of Goku.
"Trunks is waiting for you back at the lab," they told Gohan.
The original nodded before flying back toward his home and leaving the city's safety to the copies. He landed by the laboratory and rushed in where he saw the original Trunks talking to the scouter. "Don't worry, he'll be right there!" he said before ending the transmission and addressing the Saiyan Kid. "That was the team of sidekicks; apparently these plants are being controlled by a group of supervillians known as the Injustice League."
"Injustice League? How cliché," Gohan remarked.
Trunks pressed a button on his computer and opened up the video that the villains sent to the world. "These are some seriously dangerous villains around the world and they're guarding the central control system for the plants, but what really caught my eye was this particular one." He pressed another button, zooming in on the black spiky-haired villain. "Recognize him?"
Gohan's eyes grew wide as he indeed did recognize the Saiyan standing with the Injustice League. "Is that Turles?! It can't be, he's dead!" Gohan exclaimed.
"This isn't the first time we've encountered someone from the dead," Trunks stated. "Perhaps it's clone created by Dr. Zero."
"No way, we destroyed all of Gero's DNA samples when we blew his basement lab," Gohan assured.
"I don't know, the Project K.O. that I faced must've contained some Saiyan cells or something in order to transform into an Oozaru," Trunks reminded him. "Maybe Zero had some reserve cells."
"Maybe… but whatever the case, if Turles is working with these villains then we have to stop him!" Gohan declared.
"That's why the Team called us, they think they'll need our help, and they're right," Trunks said.
"Then we'd better get going!" Gohan said.
"Not we, you," Trunks corrected. "You're going to assist the Team while the replicas and I will protect the city. Even with a quarter of your strength, you should be able to handle this Turles. Maybe while you're there, you can help destroy the central control system for these plant creatures."
"Ok. After we've stopped these villains, you should get over there so we can question Turles, he could lead us to Zero or Ranger," Gohan said.
"Sure thing," Trunks agreed before taking Gohan's scouter and pressing the button before handing to back to his friend. "Your scouter's set to track the last signal transmitted to mine, that should lead you to the Team and the villains."
"Thanks, I'd better head there now then," Gohan said as he put his scouter back on. "Be careful."
"I was going to tell you that, we don't know anything about this Turles," Trunks replied.
"Don't worry, if he's anything like the Turles my dad fought, then I can handle him easily," Gohan assured. "Take care of the city. Later!" He revved up and dashed out of the lab, flying towards the Team's signal.
Bayou Bartholomew, October 1, 18:52 CDT
The Injustice League was at the central control system, which was an enormous plant observing the chaos their plant creatures were causing all over the world. Joker waved his hands, manipulating the movements of every plant and releasing his signature toxin onto the helpless citizens. "Cobra venom's got nothing on good ol' Joker venom!" he laughed.
"Both work well in concert," Vertigo said.
"Yes, but we're putting considerable strain on my baby," Poison Ivy informed them as she started petting the rotting plant.
"As an environmentalist myself, I can tell that this plant may not be able to handle much more stress before dying out," Turles commented before aiming his hand at the control plant and hitting it with an energy blast to sustain its health.
Ultra Humanite then came over and placed a device on the plant; he pressed a button, sending more energy throughout the plant. Wotan then chanted a few magic words to rejuvenate the plant. "We will keep her healthy and safe, Ivy," he assured her. "But she requires more power, Skull!" Atomic Skull fired a blast into a machine linked to Ivy's plant, sending more power into it from bottom to top; the plant's color turned from brown to green as it sprouted out many leaves.
"Stunning what a little teamwork can accomplish," Count Vertigo basked. An alarm suddenly started ringing, making him frown. "Intruder alert!"
Outside the control system, the Team was closing in with their Bio Ship as they flew over the Bayou forest. Every single one of them was mentally preparing themselves for the fight with the villains; some were even checking their gear. Kid Flash was munching on a banana when he noticed the duffel bag beside his leader. "What's in the duffel?" he questioned.
"Plan B," the Atlantean answered.
Miss Martian moaned and placed her hand on her head. "You alright?" Conner asked her.
"Dizzy," she replied.
"Martians get airsick?" Robin inquired.
"She does look a bit greener than usual," Wally pointed out.
"Not me, her," M'gann corrected.
"I feel fine," Artemis answered.
"Not her. The Bio Ship, she's trying to shield us from something…" M'gann explained. True to her words, the organic aircraft was having a difficult time flying through the air as it was being affected by Count Vertigo's attack. The ship swerved around until it could no longer keep itself in camouflage mode and exposed itself to the villains.
"There it is! Adam, Pirate, go!" the Count ordered. Black Adam and the Space Pirate complied as they jumped and double punched the Bio Ship, sending it hurtling through the air. The Team braced themselves for impact but was surprised when the ship stopped in mid-air.
"What happened?" Kid Flash wondered.
"Whoa, what's up with this ship?! I can actually sense Ki from it, like it's alive or something," Gohan spoke telepathically to the team.
"It's the Saiyan Kid, that's his telepathy!" Miss Martian realized.
"We were expecting the Saiyan Prince to come and aid us," Kaldur said.
"He's a bit busy keeping the city safe. Besides, I know the guy you called us about personally," Gohan replied.
"How are you able to hold up the Bio Ship with us in it?" Artemis asked.
"It's not heavy at all! Pretty light actually," Gohan answered before he spotted Turles flying toward him. "I can sense his power level; it's a bit different than I remember, but it feels just like his alright!" he thought.
"Calamity Blaster!" the pure Saiyan shouted as he placed his hands behind his neck and thrust them forward, releasing a white and purple energy wave at the Demi Saiyan. Gohan couldn't defend himself since his hands were holding up the organic aircraft and so was blown away by the energy attack, which made him drop the ship into the swampy water where many plant vines grabbed it and started dragging it down. The Team recovered from the rough landing when they heard something on top of the ship: Black Adam forcefully tearing a hole in the ship's roof.
Miss Martian shrieked in pain. "He's hurting her!" she shouted.
Superboy acted quickly by jumping up and punching Black Adam in the face, sending him flying. Unfortunately, the hole in the ship allowed water to gush into it, filling the organic aircraft and making it sink faster. "No! No way am I nearly drowning three missions in a row!" Artemis yelled as she and Robin put breathers in their mouths; the Archer handed one to the speedster, who a little surprised but accepted it.
"Wow, uh, thanks," he replied.
"M'gann, we need to get out! Open a hatch!" Superboy told Ms. Martian.
"Hello, Megan! Of course!" M'gann replied while face palming; she formed gills on her neck and dove below the water where she created a hatch at the bottom of the aircraft.
"Out! Everyone out!"Aqualad ordered. The Team quickly swam out of the Bio Ship and resurfaced onto land; they watched as their primary means of transportation was dragged under the water by the roots till they could no longer see it.
"She's in shock, she'll need to recover," M'gann said.
The Team was hit by Vertigo's dizzy ray and collapsed. Kid Flash looked around and spotted the villain responsible coming toward them. "Vertigo!" he exclaimed.
"Count Vertigo to you, peasant!" the Count corrected.
The Kryptonian clone got up to fight but was immediately struck down by Black Adam, so Aqualad reacted by manipulating the water and using it to wash Count Vertigo away. "Robin, Ms. Martian, disappear! We will keep them busy; you two fulfill the mission objective!" Kaldur ordered telepathically. M'gann camouflaged herself and flew off while the Boy Wonder faded into the shadows of the forest. The Atlantean was then socked by Black Adam, getting knocked out. Wolf pounced on the villain before he was thrown off and tossed at Artemis and Wally, knocking them out as well. Black Adam slowly approached them before the Space Pirate was tossed into him. The two got up in time to see Gohan land in front of the unconscious Team and gesture for them to come at him. Adam and Turles charged at the Demi Saiyan, who caught both their punches before slamming them together and kicking them away. The villains flew at Gohan again and threw multiple blows at him but he easily dodged and blocked their strikes; the Saiyan Kid then blew Turles away with a kiai and started pummeling Black Adam repeatedly. When he stopped, Adam was a little disoriented but shook it off and tried to punch the Saiyan, only for his arm to be grabbed right before the boy flipped him over and slammed him into the ground.
"Come on, is that really all you got? I'm barely breaking a sweat here! Aren't you supposed to be a dangerous villain?" Gohan said mockingly. Black Adam rose to his feet again and the Son of Goku rushed to hit him again, but then he suddenly felt woozy and fumbled, allowing Adam to punch him to the ground. Gohan looked up and saw Count Vertigo aiming his vertigo ray right at him, which threw him off balance. Gohan forced himself to his feet and braced himself to resume his fight with Black Adam. The Z Fighter threw a punch at the villain but it was caught and his opponent countered by punching him in the face numerous times. Gohan staggered but stood his ground and held up his fists defensively.
"How are you still standing, boy?!" Vertigo questioned with a glare.
"'Cause a few hits… and a little dizziness… isn't enough to bring me down," Gohan replied as he faced Vertigo and prepared to blast him.
"Then maybe this will be, half-breed," Turles said getting Gohan's attention. The Son of Goku turned and saw the Space Pirate pointing two fingers at the Team while channeling energy through his fingertips. "Surrender, now." Gohan immediately lowered his arms and powered down to his base form while still fighting the Count's vertigo ray. "Good boy," Turles said before Black Adam struck the back of Gohan's head, knocking him out. "And so, the mighty Son of Kakarrot falls."
"This isn't over yet, two are missing!" Vertigo stated.
Somewhere in the forest, Robin and Ms. Martian were trekking along while trying to stay of sight. Batman's protégé was leading the way while looking at his holo-GPS with M'gann close behind him. "I've lost contact with Aqualad and the others. Should we…" she began to ask.
"Sorry, that not the gig. This is," Robin answered as they spotted their target. "The Injustice League central control system. Looks like that plant is acting as an antenna to control the other plants worldwide."
"Well, hello," Poison Ivy greeted the young heroes from behind them, and roots immediately sprouted from the ground and restrained Robin and M'gann. Ultra Humanite came beside her, holding a sniper rifle and pointing it at the Martian. "And goodbye." Ms. Martian quickly used her telekinesis to redirect the gun at the roots at the last second, getting the ape to cut the plants and free her and Robin. "Sorry Boy Wonder, I'm putting an end to your little reconnaissance mission," Ivy declared as Robin ran through the forest. More roots came out of the ground and tried to grab Robin but he evaded them nimbly. Ultra Humanite continued to shoot at M'gann, who flew through the trees and stayed in camouflage mode.
Back with the rest of the Team and Gohan, Wotan had placed the unconscious young heroes in a cage of magic energy with Black Adam carrying it from the bottom and Vertigo standing on top of it while Space Pirate flew next to it. As they were heading back to the central control system, the teens began to stir awake, which the Count noticed and asked, "They awaken. You're certain this will hold them?"
"The cage is impenetrable, even the Superboy or the Saiyan Kid has no chance of escaping," Wotan replied affirmatively.
"You are not the only one trained in the mystic arts, Wotan!" Kaldur stated as he grabbed the bars and tried to use his own sorcery skills to break the cage, but was unable to.
"Please Atlantean, do not pretend you are in my league," the sorcerer said amusingly.
"You really think this parlor trick can hold a Saiyan?! Let's see if you're right!" Gohan exclaimed as he started punching the cage bars while increasing his power, but he then stopped abruptly when he felt an agonizing sensation at his back due to the Space Pirate grabbing his tail and squeezing it. "Damn it."
"As much as it kills me to have a fellow Saiyan in this kind of weakened state, I can't afford to have you cause any more trouble," Turles said. "Looks like someone hasn't been training their tail."
"Dude, I thought your hair was gold, not black, and weren't your eyes teal?" Kid Flash inquired.
"Since when do you have a tail?" Artemis asked.
"Is squeezing your kind of Kryptonite?" Superboy questioned.
"Do you know this villain personally?" Aqualad asked.
"I'll explain it all later, assuming we'll have a later," Gohan answered before facing Turles. "So Turles, what are you doing here anyway? Why are you with these guys?"
"I have my reasons," the full Saiyan answered.
"Oh, you have reasons, just not free will," Gohan said, which made Turles frown. "You're a slave to that Tuffle, a pawn with no control over your actions anymore. You used to be a fierce warrior, but now you're just a mindless puppet who's a disgrace to our race!"
The Space Pirate glared at the Demi Saiyan before pulling his tail to slam him against the cage bars and wrapped his arm around his neck. "How dare you, a half-breed brat, call me a disgrace to the Saiyan race?! I may be a slave, but at least I'm not held prisoner in a cage like some wild monkey! And I'll be sure to show you just how much free will I have when I slaughter you and your friends in the most painful way possible," Turles snarled at the Saiyan Kid, who just glared back at him.
Down below in the forest, Robin was still evading Ivy's plant attacks when he was knocked down and landed in the muddy water; the roots were just about to attack the ex-sidekick again when they were destroyed by Ms. Martian's telekinesis. "Robin, she's made contact!" M'gann alerted her teammate.
"Artemis?" Robin asked.
"No," M'gann replied as she looked up. Just at the Injustice Leaguers had made it back to their base, something struck Wotan in the back—the Bio Ship—breaking his concentration on the impenetrable cage and freeing the young heroes as the sorcerer fell into the water. This surprise gave Gohan the chance to use what little strength he could summon and kicked Turles in the face, forcing him to let go of the Demi Saiyan's tail before he was blown away by another kiai.
Count Vertigo and the Team fell through the air but the Count was caught by Black Adam. "Not me! Stop those delinquents!" he yelled.
The young heroes landed in the water on their feet and Wolf growled as he and Conner were face-to-face with Ultra Humanite. "I hate monkeys," the clone muttered before attacking the villain with his animal partner.
Artemis and Aqualad spotted Poison Ivy and reached for their weapons, but found that they were stripped of them. "I feel naked, and not in a fun way," the archer remarked.
Ivy attacked with her plants and the young heroes dodged. "We will make our own fun, as we have been trained. Maneuver seven!" Kaldur exclaimed. He placed his hands together, offering Artemis a leg up, which she took and was hoisted over the wild plants, allowing her to kick Ivy in the head. Kid Flash saw Vertigo and Black Adam descend to the ground level and sped toward them, but once again, the Count used his dizzy ray to make the speedster slow down and have Black Adam knock him aside.
"Where are Robin and the Martian?!" the Count demanded.
Ultra Humanite had managed to toss both Superboy and Wolf away while Ivy struck Artemis with her plants. "My baby," she gasped before glancing at the antenna plant that now held numerous explosive disks, courtesy of Robin. However, before they could detonate, Turles stretched his hand at the large plant and used his telekinesis to levitate all the bombs off it. Robin and Ms. Martian, who were standing by the antenna plant, gasped when the bombs were moved high above the central control system; M'gann tried to bring them back down but Turles' power far exceeded her own, allowing him to keep control of the bombs. As soon as they were a safe distance from the base, he fired a blast at one, making it explode which caused a chain reaction and detonated all the explosives. Turles smirked before he sensed someone behind him and looked in time to receive a punch to the face from Super Saiyan Gohan. The Demi Saiyan them raised his right arm and shouted, "Destructo Disk!" forming the razor disk of Ki and throwing it at the pure-blooded Saiyan.
Turles swiftly avoided the disk and smirked at the half Saiyan. "Heh, you missed, kid," he taunted.
"Really, 'cause it looks like I gotcha," Gohan smirked back. The Space Pirate's eyes widened before he glanced behind him to see the energy buzz saw flying toward the antenna plant before expanding and severing the top off. "Masenko…ha!" he exclaimed as he fired his attack at the severed plant, incinerating it and setting the top part of the base on fire.
The Team was surprised at first but their expressions changed to good ones as they acknowledged that their mission was complete. "Timber," Robin muttered gladly.
Poison Ivy screamed as she summoned more plants to attack Robin and M'gann, but the Martian's telekinesis blew away the plants. Then she was suddenly struck in the back by Atomic Skull when he and the Joker joined the fight. "Children? Children foiled our plan?" the clown questioned in disbelief. "Inconceivable! Unacceptable! Retributionable! That last one might not be a word… so sue me."
"Kill them, kill them all!" Count Vertigo ordered.
Atomic Skull fired mind beams at Robin and Ms. Martian, Black Adam tackled Superboy into a tree while Wolf attacked Ultra Humanite, Gohan was still exchanging blows with Turles, and Artemis was brought to her knees by Count Vertigo's dizzy ray. "Leave her alone!" Kid Flash demanded as he got up but was struck with a blast from Wotan before he could react.
"Enough!" the Sorcerer exclaimed. Robin threw explosive disks at him but he protected himself with a force field. Wotan then summoned lightning from his hands, using them to strike the Boy Wonder, the Atlantean, the Archer, the Speedster, the Kryptonian clone, the enhanced Alpha, and the female Martian. Gohan had evaded the lightning and punched Turles in the face, but he just shook it off.
"How are you this strong?!" the Saiyan Kid inquired.
"Funny, I was about to ask how are you this weak!" the Space Pirate said back.
"How's this for weak?!" Gohan retorted as he fired an energy blast from his right hand at Turles' gut, blasting him away. He then flew at Wotan to attack him but was hit with a blast from Atomic Skull and then tackled by Black Adam. He was pinned to the ground before kicking the villain away but was restrained by Ivy's plants; he revved up to vaporize the plants only to be brought down by Vertigo's attack, allowing Turles to appear behind him and grab his tail and squeeze it, immobilizing him long enough for Wotan's lightning to strike him as well.
The young heroes cried in agony before their leader approached M'gann and repelled the lightning from himself and her. "Plan B," he muttered. Ms. Martian nodded and telepathically summoned her Bio Ship right above them; the alien aircraft opened a hatch and dropped the duffel bag from earlier into Aqualad's hand. The Atlantean opened the bag and brought out the gold helmet.
Wotan ceased his attack when he saw the magic headgear. "The Helmet of Fate," he said in surprise.
"No Aqualad, don't!" Wally warned his friend before he was punched into a tree, where his left arm broke, by Black Adam who was then punched by Superboy. Kaldur placed the helmet on his head, disappearing in a flash of light and reappearing dressed as the Lord of Order. "Ah dude," Kid Flash groaned.
The newly formed Dr. Fate flew to up the evil sorcerer and announced, "Wotan, you are mine!" Wotan fired a magic blast but Fate countered with his own which overpowered Wotan's, blasting him into the destroyed base before he was bound by magic chains.
Turles stomped on Gohan while still gripping his tail and prepared to finish him with an energy blast. "Any last words, half-breed?" the full Saiyan asked.
"Yeah, have you met the others yet?" Gohan countered as he glanced up; three other Gohans dove toward the Space Pirate and kicked him, making him release the original's tail and sending him flying. "Thanks. Where's Trunks?" Gohan asked as he was helped to his feet by himself. "Oh, he's still cleaning up a few weeds, so he sent us on ahead. He'll be here shortly," the copies replied before merging back with the original. Turles returned in time to see the fully restored Gohan proudly smirking at him before nailing him in the chest with a Skull Bash attack.
Robin had just recovered when the Clown Prince of Crime stepped toward him with his nightmarish grin. "Boy Wonder, you are mine!" he declared, imitating Fate's voice. He pulled out a couple of knives and chuckled as he attempted to stab the ex-sidekick, who evaded him swiftly. "Always wanted to crave this bird," Joker laughed as he rushed at Robin again.
Wotan managed to chant some words and break his restrains, sending them back at Dr. Fate, who blocked them with his shield. "Wotan has prepared for your return, Doctor!" the sorcerer proclaimed before chanting another spell; Fate blocked it again but his shield shattered and he took some damage from the attack.
Ms. Martian was having her own problems as she flew to avoid Ivy's plants while in camouflage mode. "I can't see you, Martian, but perhaps I'll hear you scream!" the plant villain shouted.
"Then perhaps I can be of some assistance," Vertigo offered as he used his dizzy ray to catch M'gann. She became exposed and fell to the ground just before the Speedster dashed past the Count, ripping a piece of his cloak off and distracting him so that Artemis could kick him in the head and into Ivy, which she did.
Kid Flash hid behind a tree with the cloth before the Archer came to him and took it. "Hey, that's my souvenir," he complained.
"Hold still," she said simply as she used the ripped cloth to tie his broken arm. She finished just before she was hit with Wolf and the Ultra Humanite tried to punch Wally, but missed.
Wotan continued to fire attacks at Dr. Fate but none of them managed to hit their target. "Surrender sorcerer, you cannot hope to defeat a Lord of Order!" Fate commanded as he hit Wotan with a magic seal, making him vanish. However, the sorcerer reappeared behind him and struck him in the back.
"I CAN DEFEAT YOU AND I WILL!" Wotan swore as he prepared to strike again but stopped when he heard someone speaking a spell just before it hit him in the chest.
"Not tonight, Wotan!" Zatarra declared as he, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Captain Atom, and Martian Manhunter descended to their base. The sorcerer was blasted to the water which distracted Ultra Humanite, allowing Superboy to sock him in the face. Robin was still dodging Joker's slashes when a Batarang knocked one of the knives from his hand. The clown glanced up to see Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Aquaman being carried by Green Lantern and accompanied by Superman. Pretty soon, the Injustice League aside from Turles was surrounded by the Justice League and the Team.
"It's over," the Dark Knight stated.
The villains looked at each other before raising their hands up to surrender. "There will be another day," Vertigo said.
"Another day? Another day?! There won't be another day, not for any of us!" Joker shouted angrily as he started moving his fingers; numerous roots came out of the water and started releasing the clown's deadly toxin.
"Joker Venom spores! Don't breathe!" Batman instructed before knocking his sworn enemy out with a punch.
The killer laughing gas started to fill the area when Dr. Fate flew above it and shouted, "FEAR NOT!" as he created his symbol barrier and used it to absorb all the gas. "FATE HAS INTERVENED!" The Lord of Order was suddenly struck in the back by Turles, surprising the heroes down below.
"The clown had the right idea, he just couldn't execute it properly!" the Space Pirate said as he raised his hands over his head and formed a giant gold sphere of Ki. "This is the last day any of you will see!" Before he could throw the attack, a sword was hurled at him and struck his hand making him lose his hold on the blast which got it to detonate prematurely. Turles blew away the smoke and saw the Saiyan Prince reclaiming his blade while glaring at him.
"That's where you're wrong, Turles!" Trunks declared before phasing in front of the full Saiyan and kicking him to the earth. He landed on his hands and feet and looked up in time to see the Son of Goku standing over him, slamming his right fist into his left palm.
"This is for squeezing my tail," Gohan said before he kicked Turles in the chin and started pummeling him. The Justice League, the Team, and the Injustice League watched in awe as the young Saiyan mercilessly beat the older Saiyan without hesitation.
"We have to stop him before he kills that guy!" Superboy stated as he and his comrades rushed to intervene, but stopped when Gohan elbow bashed Turles into the ground.
The Saiyan Kid then spread his arms out and concentrated his energy into his palms before putting them together. "Light Grenade!" he shouted, firing a ball of Ki at the Space Pirate that made contact and exploded massively. Everyone aside from the Demi Saiyans shielded their eyes from the blinding light, but they could hear Turles' cries of anguish before the light died down and they saw nothing left of Turles but smoke from the spot where he was last standing.
"He-he killed him," M'gann muttered.
"He's a monster," Robin said.
The Justice League and Injustice League were still in shock when Superboy angrily approached the Son of Kakarrot. "How could you just kill him like that?! He was a person, what right do you have to end his life on a whim?! You call yourself a hero, yet you're just as ruthless as these villains!" he shouted, enraged. Gohan just raised an eyebrow and pointed at the smoke; though confused, the Kryptonian clone looked back and was surprised to see the smoke starting to gather until it took the shape of the Space Pirate. "What the heck?"
"What is that? His soul?" Artemis asked.
"Something like that," Gohan answered. "He's a ghost warrior: a deceased fighter pulled from hell by a machine called the Hatchiyak. The machine feeds off of the grudges of the deceased and allows them to take physical forms, and when the body is damaged severely, they revert back to their gas form. He's not truly alive, and only what killed him the first time will do it again now." The half Saiyan then glared at the ghost warrior who was just floating like a small smoke cloud. "If you're thinking about releasing that gas form of yours to try and kill us, well, you saw how that worked out before now. So unless you wanna cease to exist, you'll run home to your master and give him message from me."
"This isn't over, half-breed!" Turles stated.
"Agreed, now about that message," Gohan said.
"What's your message?" Turles asked furiously.
Gohan's expression turned serious. "Tell your master that it doesn't matter what his plan is or how many mindless slaves he sends our way, I'll find Super Ranger, and when I get him back, I'll find him and Dr. Zero and I'll bring them both down!" he promised to the ghost warrior before it vanished into the wind.
Moments later, most of the Justice League had rounded up the Injustice League and left to take them to prison, leaving Batman, Aquaman, Captain Marvel, Zatarra, the Team, Dr. Fate, and the Saiyans at the destroyed central control system. "What were you thinking?! How could you let him put on the helmet?!" Kid Flash yelled angrily. "Nabu will never release him now; Kaldur will be trapped inside Dr. Fate forever." To his surprise, the Lord of Order grabbed the Helmet of Fate and removed it, turning him back into Aqualad. "Nabu let you go?" Wally questioned incredulously.
"He almost did not, but your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello," Kaldur replied.
"We're done here," Batman stated to the Team. "The Supervillain Secret Society has been neutralized. As for your performance… it was satisfactory." The teen heroes looked at each other, clearly ok with that response from their boss.
The Saiyans were a few feet away listening before talking to each other. "Quite the day, don't you think?" Gohan asked.
"Agreed. What happened to you? The clones sensed your Ki weaken before disappearing then reappearing only to get weaker again," Trunks inquired.
"Let's just say things got a little rough, so I'll need to start training my tail ASAP so that I'm prepared for next time," Gohan replied. The Z Fighters heard an "ahem" and looked to see the Team approaching them.
"We wanna apologize for accusing you of murdering someone willingly, and to thank you for your assistance," Aqualad said. "We might not have succeeded without it."
"I'm sure you guys could've handled it, but we're happy to help," Gohan responded.
"You guys helped us twice even after we tried to capture you, looks like we really owe you, huh?" Robin said.
"No kidding," Kid Flash agreed.
"I hope we can repay you someday," Megan said.
"You can repay us by keeping in touch. Remember, we still need to find our Androids," Trunks reminded them.
"Yeah, we do," Superboy said.
"Guess we'll be teaming up again, huh?" Gohan asked.
"Without a doubt," Kaldur confirmed as he offered his hand. Trunks accepted it and shook it before he and Gohan turned to leave.
"Wait! You guys still need to tell us about these new enemies that you know about and who or what you are?" Kid Flash said.
"Maybe next time. Till then, see ya around," Trunks said before he and his partner took to the skies.
The Justice League watched as the heroes of Tokyo left from the battlefield. "Should we have just let them go?" Zatarra asked.
"Come on, they're alright," Shazam said.
"They helped stop the Injustice League, so we'll let them go… until next time," Batman answered sternly.
In the sky, Gohan and Trunks were flying back home when something occurred to the Saiyan Prince. "Hey Gohan, are you feeling alright? Back when you were beating up Turles, you seemed angry. I mean angrier than you usually are," he asked his friend.
"I was just upset that he grabbed my tail, but I'm fine now," Gohan assured him.
Trunks nodded to the Saiyan Kid but still wondered if he had changed after recovering from the medical machine.
Unknown Location
A giant screen showed multiple videos of the Injustice League's plant catastrophe from all over the world and how the Justice League struggled to handle the situation. "Impressive, the plant creatures have proven their usefulness as potential weapons. More importantly, the so-called heroes now believe our secret society has been revealed and crushed," Vandal Savage observed as the screen changed to the false Supervillians society. "With the Injustice League serving as our proxies, we are once again free to operate with impunity." Standing to his left were his colleagues, Queen Bee, Ocean Master, and Ra's al Ghul; on his right, Lex Luthor, Klarion, and the Brain. "And shadows still conceal our light."
"Now, I believe we all know the other reason why we're here," Ra's said. "To discuss the recruitment of this Raichi and his associates."
"I like them, they have some pretty nice toys," Klarion commented and his cat meowed in agreement.
"They can provide much technology, equipment, and other assets from their world, like Project K.O.," Brain added. "A few more adjustments and King Oozaru will be ready to serve the light."
"Their training and fighting skills are comparable to the shadows, and I believe that learning to use this Ki could prove beneficial," the Demon's Head mused.
"Can we trust them?" Queen Bee asked. "My abilities have no effect on them, so we might not have a way to control them; can we be certain that they won't betray us in the future?"
"Exactly, look at how one of them just tried to end both the Justice and Injustice League. They seem too wild and reckless," Ocean Master remarked. "Right now, they are nothing more than expendable resources. What would happen if we changed that and they try to destroy us or we are forced to destroy them?"
"The more dangerous the Injustice League appeared, the more the heroes believed they were the secret society behind everything till now," Savage said. "And with one of the members gone, the heroes will spend their time trying to locate more potential comrades for the society before they can be reformed, keeping their attention off of us for the time being."
"My friends, it's clear that we are unsure if we wish to add Raichi and his unknown boss to our cause, so it seems best if we speak to them face-to-face," Luthor offered, "which is why I invited them here." Luthor gestured to the shadow and Dr. Raichi entered on his floating orb. "This is Dr. Raichi, the representative for the Red Ribbon Army."
"A pleasure. So you are the true Supervillain society, the Light, I believe," Raichi chuckled. "Quite the anti-climatic title."
"I'm surprised you knew of our existence before now," Brain remarked.
"We've known even before we met Luthor, which is why we sent Space Pirate to assist the Injustice League. We didn't want to lose anyone unexpendable," the Tuffle replied.
"I thought there would be more of you for this encounter," Queen Bee said. "Seems a little arrogant to come here alone with the risk of being attacked or betrayed."
"I am all that is required in terms of intellect for this meeting. If brute force is needed…" Raichi's orb glowed and Turles, along with Lord Slug, Frieza, and Cooler materialized beside the Tuffle. "I have plenty of strong-arms at my disposal."
"Ah, so that is where Space Pirate Turles went when he was defeated. I have to admit, this new kind of life after death your breed does… intrigues me," Savage admitted.
"As it does I, but let's get to the point… what exactly is your goal?" Ra's al Ghul questioned.
"My goal is the same as my partner's: to advance the human race and create the perfect army," Raichi replied. "In our world, humans also fell short to the power of otherworlders."
"Is that so?" Luthor asked.
"Yes. Decades ago, the Red Ribbon Army was composed of the best human soldiers and advanced weapons the earth could produce. Not the Earth's own military forces could oppose them and their company had only one rival. But all that changed when a single alien warrior challenged their might," Raichi explained. "This warrior was a Saiyan, a race of alien warriors who lived for battle, and this child was the last survivor of this now endangered race. He was sent to Earth to destroy all life, but as fate would have it, he suffered a fatal blow to the head as an infant and lost his memory. Though it didn't stop him from wiping out the entire army with his own power, and he wasn't the last alien to come to Earth; more arrived drawn to the power of this single fighter. As he and his alien comrades grew stronger from battle, more dangerous foes came to challenge them. He had human allies who were incredibly strong too, but there was a wide margin between their power and his own. The Chief Scientist of the RRA, Dr. Gero, planned to get revenge by creating an army of cybernetic super soldiers to defeat the Saiyan of Earth, but before that could happen, the alien died of a heart virus. Gero's Androids battled against the Earth Saiyan's comrades and bested them, both alien and human till only one was left, yet the final one somehow acquired the power to surpass them and killed them easily. With Dr. Gero gone, his dream is now in the hands of the AI he created: our boss, Dr. Zero. That is why we came here, to learn how to advance the human race before there are none left and not to rely on some alien hero to defend us."
The Light glanced at one another before Vandal Savage spoke. "We understand your feelings and share you ideals. We believe you and Dr. Zero could make excellent additions to our society," he said to the Tuffle. "However, we still need to see if we can trust you before we make you one of us. You'll need to prove yourself to us, in your own way."
"I can assure you, Dr. Zero will do what he can to enter the Light," Raichi said.
"Now then, I believe you had a deal with Luthor about something you wanted in exchange for your services with the Injustice League," the Demon's Head recalled.
"Three things actually," Raichi corrected.
"Name them," Luthor said.
"Dr. Zero wishes to borrow the geniuses T. O. Morrow, Professor Ivo, and Project Cadmus," Raichi answered.
Vandal Savage held out his hand for the Tuffle, who accepted it, and the immortal villain smirked and replied, "Done."
A/N: Done! Sorry I haven't updated this story in a while, kinda got sidetracked. But I'm back and with some new ideas. Till next time, TTFN AntiHero out!