A/N: howdy folks. It has been a hot minute since the last update. This was not the plan, but as I'm sure you're all aware, the past year has been a hell of a whirlwind. It is with great pleasure that we finally get this out here, and we finally get the ball rolling.

OC's created by us, all characters belong to Marvel and DC respectively

. Cowriting done by Batmarcus, editing performed by Ghost Fire 6 and Lord Zeppelin.

September 21, Happy Harbor, 02:16 EST

Kaldur leapt out of the water and onto the beach, hearing the waves crash behind him. After everything that had happened that day, one would have thought that Kaldur was more than ready to embrace a blissful slumber. However, sleep eluded the Atlantean, as there were still things eating at him.

First was Nolan's new girlfriend (a unique phrase in and of itself), who had apparently been acting as some sort of Guardian Angel for the Team ever since Cadmus. When Nolan had told him that she had been a sort of stowaway for their missions, Kaldur had thought that perhaps Sportsmaster was telling the truth, but after talking with Rhianna, he felt that she was nothing to worry about. After all, if she was some sort of spy, the Cave would have been attacked by more than Red Tornado's long lost siblings.

Then there were the Hydra-Venom experiments. Before the Reds attacked, he told Red Tornado that he believed there was a sizable criminal conspiracy afoot, and the presence of Hydra-Venom in India confirmed that. Who could be behind this…?

"Can't sleep?" A new voice spoke, rousing the Atlantean from his thoughts, and Kaldur spun around. There was a figure in the shadows of the beach, one who Kaldur didn't recognize. He tensed for a fight, his tattoos beginning to glow… "Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."

"Step into the light where I can see you." Kaldur ordered, and the figure sighed.

"If you insist…"

What stepped out of the shadows was an african-american man in his late 50's, with a goatee and a bald head, wearing a long black coat over a dark blue jumpsuit. However, what caused Kaldur to narrow his eyes was not his appearance, but rather the eyepatch over his left eye.

"Nick Fury."

"In the flesh. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Aqualad." SHIELD Director Nicholas J. Fury greeted, his coat flapping in the cool ocean breeze.

"What are you doing here?" Kaldur asked, and Fury narrowed his eye.

"It's past time you and I had a conversation." This, in turn, earned the tensing up of the Atlantean. Though he had never met the man himself, he had heard plenty from his mentor. Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD, charged with overseeing the extra-governmental spy agency designed to monitor all extraordinary and unorthodox threats that could threaten the world. Though the League and SHIELD enjoyed a working relationship, often working together to counter the unusual threats that plagued their world, Kaldur knew that this relationship was delicate, as the members of the League often opposed the organization's methods and actions.

"What kind of conversation?" The Atlantean asked, his voice low and steady in anticipation as his mind raced.

"Come on, kid, I know you're not stupid. You know why I'm here." The Director stated curtly, which did little to put Kaldur at ease.

"You know about us."

"I'd be pretty bad at my job if I didn't notice a bunch of teenagers putting an end to a bunch of small problems before they became big problems."

"How long have you known?"

"Well, it was pretty hard not to notice Cadmus collapsing in the middle of DC. That kind of thing tends to draw attention." The eye-patched director stated, his lone eye examining Kaldur like a microscope. "Things went quiet for a while. Then I noticed a lot of little things starting to add up. Hydra's Venom plant going up in flames. The STAR Labs transports attacked by Ivo. A bunch of assassins in Rhode Island, the League of Shadows going after the big data archives Stark thinks I don't know about, Coast City, Bialya… I could go on, but I think you get the idea. The League's little after school club isn't as big a secret as you think it is."

This was… unexpected. After his fight with Sportsmaster in Taipei, Kaldur had figured that rumors about them were starting to spread, but the Team's leader hadn't expected the Director of SHIELD himself to come to the Cave in the middle of the night and confront him about it. What should he do? Should he call the League? No, his communicator was in the Cave, left behind so he could relax in his swim, and Fury's position between him and his home was no coincidence. To get to the Cave, Aqualad would have to get past Fury, which would be no easy task. Perhaps if he used his tattoos now, made the first move…

"Calm down, kid. I can see your mind racing a mile a minute." The bald man cut in, rousing Kaldur from his planning. "Whatever this little after school club is, I'm not here to shut it down." Kaldur's stance softened, if only from confusion as he processed what Fury said.

"You're… not?" He asked, earning a shake of Fury's head.

"Nope. Matter of fact, I'm impressed. The Justice League has only ever reacted to threats after they become a problem, something me and your bosses have had no shortage of disagreements about over the years. So to see them actually take some initiative, get a little proactive… well, let's just say I'm impressed," The Director of SHIELD stated. "SHIELD can't be everywhere, so I'm not exactly about to turn down some help. As far as I'm concerned, you and your team are doing good work that needs doing."

"I… thank you, but-"

"That being said…" And there it was. What Fury had been working toward their entire conversation, something Kaldur suspected was coming. "... just because it's good work, doesn't mean it's legal. I'm not going to act like SHIELD doesn't push boundaries, but doing that is our job. The UN passed all sorts of legislation and regulations that empowers what we do, whereas the Justice League, an extrajudicial organization, decided one day to just send a bunch of teenagers to do their dirty work around the world, including places where the League's not welcome. Word gets out, we could be looking at one of the worst international incidents of the 21st century."

"If your organization did it's job, we would have no need to act." Kaldur spoke up, breaking his silence and causing Fury to raise an eyebrow.

"Had we not intervened, Hydra would have produced an army of Venom-enhanced monsters. Ivo would have reassembled his android, the League of Shadows would possess the technology for weapons of mass destruction, and more. Had your organization acted as it should have, there would be no need for my team."

Kaldur and Fury stood there for a moment, staring each other down as the waves crashed against the shore. Though he appeared stoic, the young Atlantean's heart was hammering in his ears, certain he had said the wrong thing… until Fury laughed.

"Not bad, kid. Not a lotta folks willing to tell me off like that. Thing is, I don't want to shut down your operation. Way the world is right now, we need little gray areas like this to keep the world turning." Fury explained, setting Kaldur a little at ease… but not totally.

"Then… why are you here?" At this, the smile left Fury's face, as the director once again turned serious.

"I mean what I said. I don't want to shut this down, but I will if I have to. Even I've got people I answer to, and if you keep going the way you have been, eventually they'll find out about this. Thing is, I can keep that from happening. Make sure the wrong people don't see things they're not supposed to." And all of a sudden, Kaldur figured out what it was that Fury was here for.

"You want something from us."

"Had a feeling you'd figure it out. I didn't want to come out and just say it." Nick stated, tucking his hands into his coat pockets. "I've had a mission come up, something SHIELD can't be involved in, even in an off the books capacity. Thing is, if I'm right, this isn't something I can just let slide. And as much as I respect the hell out of them, I can't afford for Rogers or Batman to sit on this until they can't ignore it."

"So you thought you would come and blackmail us into helping you."

"Not how I would've put it, but yeah." The Director confirmed, confirming Kaldur's suspicion. "I don't need an answer right now." As Fury turned to leave the Beach, he looked back at Kaldur.

"Take a day or two to think it over, but keep in mind that this offer isn't going to stay open forever. When you make up your mind, come to Hoffman's Dry Cleaning in Brooklyn." And with that, the Director of SHIELD vanished into the shadows, leaving Kaldur alone to ponder his offer.

Manhattan, 16:16 EST

"Thought that would never end…" Francis mumbled to himself as he exited Roosevelt High School, slinging his bag over his shoulder. After receiving a few… undesirable grades in trigonometry, his parents had signed up for tutoring once a week. It was a chore, but it was something that needed to be done if he was to be allowed to continue acting as Trickshot.

He was about to pull out his headphones and start his music… when he noticed someone in a blue jacket waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. "What the… Kaldur? What are you doing here?" The archer asked as he approached his friend.

"M'gann told me that you got out of tutoring around this time. There is… a matter I would like to discuss with you," The Team Leader stated, causing Francis to raise an eyebrow.

"I was going to head to the Cave right after this. You couldn't have waited until then?" This question earned a shake of the Atlantean's head.

"No. The less people that are around to hear this, the better. Is there somewhere we can sit?"

"Uh, yeah. There's a diner a few blocks over that I swing by sometimes. Not too crowded." Francis explained, earning a nod.

Soon, the two were seated in Mick's Diner, the Atlantean having just finished explaining the details of his conversation with Fury the night before. Francis just listened intently the entire time, occasionally eating a fry as Kaldur explained the ultimatum Fury had given him. "And that's the situation."

"Nick Fury comes all the way down from his floating fortress just to personally blackmail us… I'm kinda honored," Francis joked, before he let out a sigh. "So why come to me with this? Why not go straight to Aquaman, Cap, or Batman?"

"Because the League is spread thin as is. They are already searching around the clock for Red Tornado, in addition to the regular amount of vigilance required to protect the world. Should Fury's words be true, then we cannot afford to wait around for them to handle it," Kaldur explained.

"As for why you, specifically? Well… in the time since we've begun this, I've come to think of you as my second in command. I know how you stepped up during Bialya, and again during the Reds' recent invasion of the Cave. If anyone were to fill that spot, it would be you, with Carter being a close second," Kaldur explained. "In addition, you and your family have experience with SHIELD. I was wondering if you had any insights or perceptions that could be useful."

"Well, flattered as I am, I don't have a whole lot of experience with Fury himself. My parents left SHIELD after I was born, and they haven't exactly been forthcoming with what happened back then. I don't know the full story, all I know is that my dad was one of Fury's top guys, and he didn't exactly leave on the best of terms," Francis explained somewhat grimly, his brow furrowing as he said this.

"Though… I did meet Fury once. About a year ago, during that whole mess in DC with the Red Skull. Were you there for that?"

"Aquaman was there, but I spent most of that time assisting the fire and rescue crews."

"Well, after the Skull died and his forces surrendered, my folks and I were watching SHIELD load the Hydra guys into the prison transport. Y'know, making sure no one tried anything. Fury came over to us, and I noticed my dad get all tense. They exchanged a few pleasantries, commented on what a mess everything was, and Fury looked at me. Said something about me 'doing good work out there', and to 'give him a call one day,'" Francis recounted, his face turning deadly serious.

"After he walked away to go talk to Cap, my dad turned and looked at me, more angry than I'd ever seen him before. And he said 'Francis, watch yourself around that guy. Do not trust him for a second. He will not hesitate to sacrifice you or anyone else to accomplish his goals.'" He recounted, earning a frown from Kaldur.

"So Fury believes the end justifies the means."

"It's what I gathered. If Fury wants us to do something for him, it's not going to be pretty. We need to know exactly what we're agreeing to." Francis stated. "That place he gave you in Brooklyn? I say we go and check it out."

Brooklyn. 17:16 EST

Soon, after using the Zeta Tubes to circumvent the subway system, the two were standing outside what appeared to be a dry cleaner under a sign that read 'Hoffman's'.

"This is the place. According to the web, this is the only place called Hoffman's in the entire borough. Closed about three years ago." Francis explained, frowning as he looked around. "Hm…"

"What?"

"The businesses next to it are empty, but I don't see any signs advertising where to call to rent. That's a good sign to tell if a business is a front for something. We store our equipment and Zeta Tubes in a similar place by our apartment," The archer explained, and Aqualad frowned.

"Shall we?" And with that, the two entered the dry cleaner, the bell above the door ringing as it was opened. The two scanned the business, looking for anything out of the ordinary, but by all appearances, it was a regular New York dry cleaner. Full rack of clothes, bench to sit, mirror, old TV set playing a hazy image… nothing that stood out to either of them. They were about to leave and strategize, when the attendant emerged from the rack of clothes.

"Anything I can help you gentlemen with?"

"No, we were just-"

"Actually-" Francis spoke up, cutting Kaldur off. "We were here to pick something up for my dad."

"Of course. Do you have the ticket?"

"Ah, I lost the ticket itself, but I think I remember the number. I think it was… Dum Dum's Bowler Hat?" Before Kaldur could ask what Francis was saying, the Atlantean noticed that there was the most minute flinch in the attendant's face.

"Of course, sir. Just one moment," He went to the rack, and hit a button that Kaldur believed was going to start moving the rack… up until the mirror began to slide into the wall, revealing an elevator. "Your order, gentlemen," The two exchanged a look, before entering the elevator. As the door shut, Kaldur looked at Francis, asking an unspoken question.

"That was an old SHIELD code phrase I've noticed my dad use with spy stuff before. Figured I might as well give it a shot. Way I saw it, we had a 50/50 chance of either him opening the door, or shooting us both on the spot."

"That was… quite the gamble."

"Eh, I've seen worse odds." Before too much longer, the door opened, and the two entered a small hallway that led to a well lit room with a table, maps on cork boards, and a computer. The man at the computer turned to them, the eye of Nick Fury looking at Francis.

"Helluva risk you just took. Anyone older tried using a 20-year old phrase, and he was trained to kill both of you on the spot," Fury remarked, and Francis just shrugged.

"Felt lucky," He stated, earning a scoff from the bald director.

"Given that I don't know if you're bold or stupid, and that you're the spitting image of him, that means you must be Clint's boy," The director remarked, looking at Kaldur. "I didn't say you could bring a friend."

"You also did not say to come alone. I thought it best to bring someone with some knowledge of how you operate," Aqualad justified, and Fury sighed in irritation.

"Damn teenagers, always seeing what they can get away with…" The spy muttered. "So, I'm guessing that you've thought about my offer?"

"I have, and before I accept, I need to know more." Kaldur stated. "If SHIELD cannot become involved in this situation, then I would very much like to know why. I will not risk the lives of my Team for a matter we know nothing about." Fury was silent for a moment, before sighing once more.

"Fair enough. I come to you like I did, the least I can do is treat you like an adult." Fury yielded, beckoning over to the boards, one of which had a large Hydra logo on it.

"As I'm sure you're aware, after the Red Skull's attack on DC ended in his death, Hydra splintered. Everyone of his lieutenants started vying for control of Hydra, and eventually, the organization split. We cut off the head, and two more got their own bodies." Fury explained, gesturing to a collection of photographs of individuals that the two recognized.

"We still don't know exactly how many factions there are, but according to SHIELD intel, we've confirmed that several of the Skull's lieutenants are trying to reorganize the organization, each one looking for an edge over the others that will put them at the top of the food chain."

"We know. We have already taken down Sin's Hydra-Venom factory in Santa Prisca," Kaldur commented.

"She's the one who's come the closest, but that doesn't mean she's the only one. You stopped Zemo's attempts to destabilize the Rhelasias in Taipei, but he's still in the wind. Baron Strucker and the Fenris Twins have been spotted in Australia, but they're keeping their heads down. Viper's rumored to have gone back to reorganizing the Serpent Society, and word is that a man named Gorgon has taken control of a faction in Japan. All of them are their own separate thing for now, but it's only a matter of time before someone tries to bring them all together again," Fury explained, gesturing to a series of blurry photographs featuring some recognizable uniforms.

"We know that Strucker's contacted AIM, and Gorgon has some sort of connection to The Hand in Japan. In addition to Zemo working with Ra's Al Ghul, it's easy to see that they've resorted to taking assistance from outside forces."

"A tall task. None of these organizations would cooperate unless there was a mutual gain. The only reason Zemo and Ra's Al Ghul collaborated was to ensure the League of Shadows would be able to operate in the Rhelasias," The Atlantean noted, earning a nod from Fury.

"Right. So far, we know that the negotiations with AIM fell apart after a disagreement over payment, Sin's gone back underground, only a small group in the Hand have pledged loyalty to Gorgon, and Zemo's practically dropped off the face of the planet after what happened in Taipei. So far, nothing to worry about…"

"Until now, I'm guessing?" Francis asked, and Fury nodded.

"Recently, SHIELD intercepted a communication between members of one faction, not sure which one, that indicated an arms deal would take place soon. Something that would give the faction access to highly advanced weaponry, in exchange for their services."

"And I assume this is the delicate matter you were referring to."

"Exactly."

"So you need us to… break up an arms deal? Doesn't exactly seem like the stuff SHIELD seems squeamish over. Unless… it's a bunch of rogue agents?" Francis spitballed, and the director shook his head.

"Nothing that easy, I assure you. Intel indicates that the arms deal is happening in one of the most inhospitable, impenetrable places on the planet," Fury began to explain as he gestured to the last board, with a highlighted map.

"The area has had quite a tumultuous history, going from regime to regime. No one's been allowed inside for years, be they Justice League or SHIELD, by decree of their current ruler." As Fury explained this, Francis and Kaldur's eyes both widened as they examined the board, recognizing the shape of the map.

"Their leader is one of the smartest, cruelest men on the planet. A man of pure ego, he travelled the world amassing knowledge about science and the arcane arts. Using this knowledge, he massacred the previous regime, installing himself as the sole ruler, a role he's occupied for the past fifteen years. In that time, he's had a fair amount of encounters with the outside world that have been… less than kind. If I had to make a list, he'd definitely be in the top five of the most dangerous men on the planet."

"No freakin' way…" Francis mumbled, his eyes fixated on the picture of the man in the green cloak and the menacing metal mask.

"That's right. All intelligence indicates that Hydra is preparing an alliance… with none other than Victor Von Doom," Nick revealed. "This is what I need your Team for. SHIELD will not sanction an operation on Latverian soil, and like Bialya, Latveria does not recognize the League's UN charter. But I cannot, in good conscience, let these groups come together. If Hydra were to have the backing of Doctor Doom, we could be looking at something worse than anything Johann Schmidt ever dreamed up."

"By the seas…" Aqualad muttered, and looked at Francis. He made a gesture, and the two stepped off to the side and huddled together.

"Kaldur, this isn't good. Doctor Doom has fought the entire Justice League to a standstill, can go toe to toe with Superman if he wants to, and Nick Fury wants us to break into his house. I do not see any way this does not end terribly for us," Francis whispered, and Kaldur frowned.

"I… agree, but what choice do we have? Risk our activities coming into the light? Think of the situation this would put the League in…"

"I say we go to them. The League can more than handle Fury and SHIELD, and then we keep an eye on Hydra and Doom. I don't like asking the League to handle our business either, but that beats letting the pirate version of James Bond take us on a suicide mission."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Fury cut in, but they ignored him.

"Beyond the threat to us, I cannot let the possibility of a Hydra/Doom alliance slide. It is best to address this before it becomes a problem we will regret later on," Kaldur said, and judging from the look on Francis's face, he agreed with the leader, even if he didn't like it.

"Alright, but we need to be careful here. We need to negotiate."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Kaldur said, as they broke their huddle to face the director. "We will accept this task. However, we will do this on our terms, not yours. I will not risk my team on a half-cocked plan."

"Ye of little faith. I've been doing this since Aquaman was in floaties, I know better than to not have a plan," Fury stated. "I've already planned out infiltration and exfiltration sites, as well as a means to get to the capital undetected. However, for this plan to work, I can't bring your full group. A stealth group bigger than ten will end up getting detected in an instant, and obviously some members of your group are better suited to join me than the others."

"If you think you're going to just pick and choose whoever you want to join you, you've got another thing coming," Francis spoke up, doing his best to hide that Fury's glare intimidated him. "You tell us who you want, and then we decide who you get."

"Oh for… this isn't gym class. You don't get to just pick and choose who comes."

"From what you've said, this entire operation hinges on our cooperation. You meet our demands, or we walk out of here and leave everything to fate," Kaldur was making the biggest bluff of his life, but after a moment of intense silence, it paid off.

"Fine. Let's not waste anymore time, shall we?"

Mount Justice, 21:32 EST

"And that's the situation. In four days, we will meet Fury at his coordinates, where he will then brief us on the extent of his plan." Kaldur finished explaining to the gathered Team members. Gathered with him in their locker room, one of the few non-living quarter areas without cameras, were Artemis, Wally, Carter, T'zari, Cass, and M'gann, all of them seated around him. The Cave's 'den mother' for the evening, Captain Marvel, had been called to help aid the Coast Guard in evacuating a malfunctioning cruise liner, leaving the Cave unsupervised.

"So, let me see if I've got this right: Nick Fury, super spy extraordinaire, comes to you, and basically tries to blackmail you. So you and Francis go all by yourselves- no backup or anything- and find out he wants us to break about a hundred laws by sneaking into the home of one of the world's most wanted. Does this sound about right?" Carter asked, and the Atlantean nodded.

"That… is the gist of it, yes." He stated, his face deathly serious.

"I will not lie to you, my friends, the situation is grim. Were there any other way out of this situation, know that I would take it. However, I hope you take comfort in the fact that none of you are beholden to this situation, beyond myself. This mission is unsanctioned in every sense of the word. No backup, no League support. Should we fail, and our presence in Latveria be discovered, the consequences will be grim. At best, imprisonment, with our mentors completely disavowing us and turning their backs on us. At worst, our deaths could set off a war unlike any other." Kaldur explained, looking at each and every one of them.

"Should any of you wish to have no part of this, I promise you from the bottom of my soul that I will bear no ill will towards any of you."

"Dude, you don't even need to say that. None of us are gonna make you do this alone," Wally spoke up. "Count me in."

"Well, someone's gotta make sure Kid Doofus over here doesn't run his mouth and get you caught. I'm in too," Artemis stated, earning a small glare from the redhead.

"Me too. After being taken out by the Reds, I need to start pulling my weight around here again," M'gann joked.

"Same here. Plus, I still feel bad about not having your back during the whole mole debate." The arachnid remarked, and the newest member just nodded, her face stern and serious. As Kaldur understood it, that was Cass's way of saying yes.

Finally, Kaldur turned to T'zari, the Wakandan Prince's face even more stern and serious than usual. "My friend, do not feel pressured. I did not ask you here without consideration of your position, nor of Wakanda's own history with Latveria and Doom. Your priority is not just to this team, but to your nation as well. I-"

"No," The Prince cut off, stepping forward, "If Fury's intel is true, then not even Wakanda will be safe from this unholy union. I will not stand idly by while my nation is endangered," Kaldur smiled, looking at his friends.

"Thank you. All of you," He thanked, before his smile fell. "We have four days to prepare. Prepare your cover stories, and steel yourselves. This will be our most dangerous mission yet."

The group nodded, and dispersed. However, after being certain he was alone after returning to his room, T'zari's facade broke. He slammed his fist against the wall, letting out a shaky breath.

"This cannot be true… not now..." He muttered, looking at the photograph on his dresser. The one no one knew he possessed. The one he went to great lengths to hide whenever anyone entered his room. He picked up the photograph, seeing Victoria Von Doom's stunning eyes looking back at him. "My love… I'm sorry…"

Symkaria, September 25, 04:16 GMT+2

"Entering Symkarian airspace now," M'gann asked, the cloaked bioship descending from it's suborbital position to fly over the Field of Lotho.

"These are the coordinates Fury gave us?" Scarlet Spider asked, earning a nod from Aqualad.

"Yes. He told me to look for an abandoned farm house 50 miles from the border," The Leader explained, and Carter looked uncomfortable.

"As long as we don't spend too much time here. Screw Doom, I'm more terrified of what'll happen to us if Silver Sable finds out we're here."

"Well, hopefully we'll be able to be in and out before the scary Nazi hunter even finds out we're here," Kid Flash remarked, as the Bioship pulled up over a dilapidated farmhouse that looked like it hadn't been occupied in years.

"Think this is it?" Artemis asked, and Miss Martian nodded.

"It's the only thing for miles that matches what Fury told us to look for. But the Bioship isn't picking up any heat signatures inside," The Martian reported, and White Wolf turned to Aqualad.

"I do not like this. We cannot linger around this close to the border."

"I know," The leader reassured, turning to Batgirl. "I need you to perform recon. Be careful." The silent Bat nodded, the bottom of the bioship opening up. She dropped onto the ground outside with little effort, swiftly surveying her surroundings. Not seeing any visible threats, the Bat moved on to the house. By all appearances, it had been abandoned for years. Moving through the warped door frame of rotting wood, Batgirl saw no visible signs of habitation. Even as she moved from the den to the dining room, there was little sign that anyone had ever lived there…

Until she heard the creak of wood behind her. In one fluid motion, she spun around and performed a spin kick to whoever was behind her… only for her foot to be caught by none other than Nick Fury.

"You're late." The Director stated, and Batgirl jumped back, eyes narrowing under her eyeless mask. "Get them in here. We need to get to work."

A short while later, the away Team was gathered in the farmhouse with Fury, the young heroes on one side and Fury sitting in a worn out chair. "So glad you all could finally make it." He greeted, his eye going over the heroes. "No X-23?" They all tensed up at the mention of their friend, most notably Artemis, but Aqualad remained calm.

"X-23 is preoccupied with a prior engagement. Something that takes priority over an unsanctioned operation on your behalf."

"Hm. Shame. Her skills alone would get us through this, no problem."

"Rest assured, each person in this room is here because they are more than enough." The Atlantean reassured, and Fury's lone eye went over to White Wolf in the corner.

"Are you sure him being here is a good idea?"

"'He' is right here, and can speak for himself." The Wakandan prince spoke up, Fury's eye remaining trained on him.

"Wakanda and Latveria have a tumultuous history as is. Situation's already complicated enough without adding Wakandan royalty in the mix. Wouldn't want to… destabilize that relationship anymore than we already have." Kaldur noticed White Wolf noticeably tense up at this, but he didn't think much of it. After all, the Director would be intimidating even to their mentors.

"White Wolf understands what's at stake. He would not be here if I thought he would let his judgment be clouded." Aqualad reassured.

"I'm sure." Fury dryly stated, before his eye left the Wakandan. "Time's running short, so let's get down to business." He reached into his pocket, taking a disc out of his pocket and placing it on the table between them. Instantly, the disk lit up, projecting a holographic topographical map of Latveria. He highlighted a part of the map, one that bordered Latveria. "We'll enter here, twenty miles from our current location."

"Uh, are you serious?" Kid Flash spoke up, doing his best to keep the fact that Fury was unnerving him. "I mean, social studies has never been my strongest subject, but I know for a fact that Doom's made Latveria almost impenetrable. It's why no one's ever been able to arrest him."

"As much as I hate to say it, Kid Flash is right. Everyone knows that Doom's one of the smartest guys on the planet. Even with the bioship, I don't see how we don't get shot out of the sky at the border." Artemis spoke up, hiding the wince as she agreed with Wally.

"If we were going in the main way, you'd be right. Doom doesn't skimp out on border security. All the roads leading into the neighboring countries are all monitored starting at files, staffed with Doombots, soldiers, and anti-aircraft guns that could blow Superman out of the sky. Place makes Fort Knox look like a summer camp. However, that doesn't mean there aren't holes. Doom's only been in power a little over fifteen years. It would take decades, as well as unlimited resources and attention, to make a place like Latveria completely impenetrable, something the good doctor hasn't been able to do thanks to all his little dustups with your mentors." Fury explained, before gesturing to the highlighted area on the map, zooming in to reveal a large body of water.

"See this lake? Feeds into rivers in both Symkaria and Latveria, supplying freshwater to villages on both sides. The two countries have had a treaty on it for almost a hundred years, something that Doom, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, decided it would be easier to uphold than try to take it for himself. Any attempt to provide the level of border security the rest of the border has would violate the treaties, triggering war with Symkaria."

"So this is the only place the door's open?" Scarlet Spider asked.

"Now, I didn't say that it was wide open. There are guards, yes, but nothing like the rest of the border. Think of this as more a hole in the fence."

"If cutting yourself on this fence could set off World War 3…" Artemis muttered as Kaldur folded his arms.

"What kind of security?"

"Compared to the rest of the place? Minimal. Handful of guards on twelve hour shifts, low Doombot presence. Once there, it's only a little over fifty miles to Doomstadt, which we'll be able to cross no problem in the Bioship." The Director explained, and M'gann frowned as the hologram shifted to the base, displaying the men, Doombots, and anti-aircraft gun, something that didn't go unnoticed by the squad leader.

"Can the Bioship get us through?" Kaldur asked, and she shook her head.

"Using the bioship's going to be risky. It can cloak, but it's more like camouflage. It can't completely mask it's heat signature, and the faster we move, the less likely the bioship can't conceal itself properly. And if we don't go fast enough…"

"We risk Doom's scanners picking us up." White Wolf finished, and Fury pursed his lips.

"If I may, I've got an idea." The director spoke up. "See, this isn't the first time that I've had to get past a tight defense. Thing is, I didn't always have a fancy Martian bioship to sneak me in." He explained, his eye glinting as the idea struck him. "I say we handle this the old fashioned way."

Camp Lotho, Latverian Border, 04:42 GMT+2

To the Latverian soldiers currently on patrol, it was a night like any other. Bright lights illuminated the main parts of the camp. Not that they were needed, some of the guards thought. Between the guards on around the clock patrols, and the four heavily-armed green and silver Doombots constructed in the visage of their ruler, no one would be foolhardy enough to attempt an assault on this camp. After all, with their clear look of the lake, they would have no problem spotting anyone who tried coming over the water.

Which is why they weren't looking closely enough to notice the distortion of the bioship flying low over the lake, slow enough to stay camouflaged against the water. Miss Martian piloted the bioship close to the base, but not close enough to set off the Doombot's enhanced sensors. It hovered briefly over the shore, the bottom opening just briefly enough to allow Scarlet Spider, White Wolf, Batgirl, Artemis, Kid Flash, and Fury to drop down, crouching low as their vessel ducked back away from the shoreline. They saw the searchlights sweeping the lake, with anti-aircraft guns perched not too far away.

"Mental link established. Connecting Fury now." Miss Martian's voice chimed in their head, as the Director momentarily winced.

"I hate telepaths…"

"Well, it beats just whispering, doesn't it?" Scarlet Spider teased. "So, super spy, what's our first move?" He asked, and Fury's eye went to the base.

"That light, those guns, those 'Bots… take your pick. We can't take down one without alerting the others, so we need to move fast."

"Hey, you need fast, I'm your guy." Kid Flash piped up, earning an eye roll from Artemis.

"Yeah, but not alone, not this time. Artemis should take out the lights, since she has the best aim and range. When she is ready, I need you and Scarlet Spider to be ready to take out the Doom Bots. These models are expecting Symkarians, not superpowered opponents. Meanwhile, White Wolf and Batgirl can attack the human guards from the shadows. I'll take out the guns. We do this right and they shouldn't even know anything's happened until it's already over," Fury relayed.

"What about Aqualad and I?" Miss Martian asked.

"We'll hang back, if anything comes at us from the sky we'll be able to warn them before it gets too close and evacuate if needed," Kaldur explained, causing Fury to give a slight nod for those on the ground.

"Exactly. Now, everyone, get into position. When we are all ready, Artemis will take the shot, and we'll move in. Do it fast, do it quiet," They all nodded, moving carefully and quietly. Within seven minutes, all teams were in position. Artemis was positioned near the camp's main generator, powering the lights that illuminated the base, while Scarlet Spider and Kid Flash were waiting in the bushes, ready to leap at the Doombots at a moment's notice. White Wolf and Batgirl had each isolated the series of guards they were going to take down, while Fury pulled out a sidearm as he stood outside the door to the anti-aircraft gun controls. "Everyone in position?"

"Ready whenever you are."

"On your word, Artemis."

"Ready."

At Batgirl's simple response, Artemis pulled an arrow out of her quiver, a trick arrow that she'd decided to start carrying around after the Red Invasion of the cave, just in case the need arose. She nocked the arrow, aiming at the generator through the chain link fence that surrounded it. Not a lot of room for her to work with, but compared to the Cave, it was a piece of cake. The arrow flew through the air, impacting the wall outside and activating the EMP pulse. The lights shut down, and before any of the guards could react, White Wolf and Batgirl went to work.

Batgirl dropped down like a wraith in the darkness. Before any of the guards could react she had taken one out with a swift punch to the temple before spinning in place and taking four others out with the weighted edge of her cape, and hurling a Batarang so it bounced off the guard's head, knocking him out.

White Wolf pounced from the trees, slamming two men's heads together. He slammed them to the ground, the outline of a Gorilla briefly appearing around him. He leapt up off their backs and kicked the other two hard in the heads. Landing on his feet, he called upon a cheetah's speed, ran, and slammed a fist into one man's gut and his knee into the other's, dropping them both.

The Doombots, their silver faces modeled after the visage of their lord and creator, turned to the sound of the noise, only for one to get a faceful of webbing in its optics. A black blur dashed out of the bushes to slam into one, Kid Flash's momentum denting the steel. Super speed-enhanced punches hammered into the green chassis as Scarlet Spider leapt out of the bushes, a flying side-kick incapacitating the unwebbed Doombot. As Kid Flash's assault deactivated the one he was attacking, the two proteges turned to the remaining two. Scarlet Spider fired out a webline that hit the webbed up one, swinging it around and slamming into the remaining Doombot, deactivating them.

This noise did not go unnoticed by the four attendants of the two AA guns. "Vas is-?"

*Ting*

A thud hit one of the AA guns, startling the men as they readied their weapons. Before any of them could even turn off the safeties, Fury made his move. He pulled out a sidearm, a modified Beretta with a silencer, and fired at one of the men, the sidearm giving a small *pfft* as one of the men slumped to the ground. Three more *pffts* were made as the men fell one by one, and Fury hurried over to the AA guns. A few strokes on each keyboard were enough to deactivate the weapons, the guns giving a low whine as they powered down. "AA guns disabled. Bioship, you are clear to proceed." Fury 'said', and the others all exchanged a silent glance.

"And the guards?"

"Don't get your tights in a bunch, Aqualad. Tranquilizer rounds, nothing lethal. This isn't my first rodeo," Fury thought, earning a sigh from Aqualad. The very fact that Fury felt the need to justify that did little to assure Kaldur…

Ten minutes later, after tying up the guards and making sure the communications equipment was disabled, the Team was sailing over the Latverian countryside in the Bioship, heading towards the capital city. "Maintain this heading. At this altitude, we shouldn't set off any alarms," Fury instructed, M'gann giving a nod.

"ETA to Doomstadt, 15 minutes," Miss Martian announced, as Kid Flash looked out the window. They flew over a moderate-sized village, and the red-haired speedster couldn't help but drop his jaw as he saw the Latverian flags draped across every street, with a statue of Doom in the center.

"Whoa…" He remarked, and White Wolf narrowed his eyes behind Kid Flash as he looked at the same sight, his fist clenching on the armrest of his chair.

"Not surprising. Doom is the only one these people depend on, so it makes sense they'd worship him like that." Fury stated, earning a glare from T'zari.

"They do not 'depend' on him. Doom is a tyrant, one who rules his people with an iron fist that keeps them in darkness." He responded, and Fury looked at the Wakandan.

"That's your perspective. From their perspective, Doom's the best thing around here in a long time."

"So you're saying that living under the boot of a tyrant is good?" Aqualad interjected.

"Tell me, what do you kids know about Latverian history? About what happened here before Doom marched in here and took over?" The Director asked, being met with silence. "Didn't think so. After all, why would you?" He remarked, feeling their eyes on him.

"You don't know about the Fortunovs, about how they brutalized this country. About how the last king burned entire villages to the ground, just because someone there did something he didn't like. And that's not even getting into what they did to the Zefiro tribe. The ethnic cleansings, the camps..."

"So you're saying Doom… saved them?" Scarlet Spider asked, earning a nod.

"Doom was Zefiro, so he experienced firsthand what the Fortunov dynasty was capable of. The whole reason he became who he is was to help his people, free them from a dynasty that would slaughter them without a second thought. And under Doom, no one goes hungry. People here don't have much, but they have enough, and they're not watching their friends and neighbors being dragged away in the night."

"You make Doom sound benevolent, but you fail to mention the harsh grip Doom keeps. The critics who disappear for raising objections. The people kept trapped, unable to leave and explore the world around them. Kept dependent, reliant on a tyrant who seeks to bring the rest of the world under his rule." White Wolf protested, earning a sigh from Fury.

"Look, I'm just trying to get you kids to think. You've been raised to think of the world in black and white, that everything can be described as either 'good' or 'evil'. While there are some things that fit into those distinctions more easily than others, most things fall into shades of gray, something that I'm sure your mentors would agree with, and that you as a crown prince of a nation should learn sooner than later." Fury said, turning his head to directly address T'zari.

The young Wakandan glared at the man, but let out a slow breath and fell silent, staring out the window as Castle Doom drew closer. A looming fortress situated in the center of the city, it seemed to give off an aura of intimidation, the green and black flags of their ruler's visage seeming to glare at them. The Team felt a cold knot forming in each of their stomachs, one they'd never felt before on any of their missions, even to Bialya.

"So, I'm guessing we're not crazy enough to try flying right up to the city?" Scarlet Spider asked.

"Fortunately, this isn't a suicide mission. Set the bioship down right here." Fury instructed, Miss Martian setting the Bioship down at the edge of the forest, still cloaked against the forest. Fury exited the vessel, looking around. "Should be right around here…" He muttered, the others exchanging a glance as they exited behind him.

"Uh, are we foraging for pine cones now?" Kid Flash asked, as Fury looked around the foliage, seeming to stomp around.

"That Castle's been standing for a long time, and the people in charge haven't always been popular. Towards the end, the Fortunov's had a secret escape route built to get them out of the city, just in case the resistance ever got lucky. The resistance never found out about it, and Doom hit them too fast for them to even use. If memory serves, it should be right… around…" The ruffling of leaves was interrupted by the sound of boots on wood, and Fury moved the foliage around to reveal a set of wooden doors in the ground. "And there's our way in. This goes straight to Castle Doom." The Director stated, pulling the doors open. They stared into the dark tunnel, before Aqualad turned to Fury.

"And you're sure Doom doesn't know about it?"

"It was privileged information, known only to the royal family. When Doom rolled in, he wasn't exactly asking questions. I am fairly certain he has no idea this even exists." The Director of SHIELD answered, and White Wolf folded his arms.

"And if Doom does not know of this, how do you?" The prince asked, but Fury was unfazed by his glare.

"SHIELD does their homework. It helps to have a plan in case Doom one day decides to get really serious about world domination." He stated. "As much as I'd love to stand around and debate, we're on a tight schedule. Let's move."

Without another word, the heroes followed the Director of SHIELD into the tunnel, shutting the door behind them. Fury pulled out a lighter and ignited it, using the torch to illuminate their way as they walked down the tunnel. It was cramped, and the air was stale, empty for even the banter they usually shared before battle. At least, not out loud.

"Miss Martian?"

"Mindlink established. Just like we discussed, Fury's not in on it." The Martian stated.

"Alright, so I'll be the one who says it: I've got a real bad feeling about this. And I'm not talking about the one that buzzes in my head." Scarlet Spider spoke up.

"Spider's not the only one. The hairs on the back of my neck have been standing up ever since we crossed the border." Artemis agreed.

"That probably has to do with the fact that we're breaking into the house of a guy who once backhanded Superman halfway across New York. I'd be more worried if no one was nervous."

"This is not simply what you call 'the jitters', Wally. The more time we spend with Fury, the more I worry he is marching us to our deaths." White Wolf commented.

"Can't read the body. Too… cautious. Untrustworthy." Batgirl spoke up, Scarlet Spider biting back a chuckle.

"That's the most she's said the entire time she's been here…" He muttered aloud, getting Fury's attention.

"Y'all always talk behind people's backs? Guess teenagers never change…" Fury remarked. He didn't press the issue, but that didn't stop Artemis from turning around to glare at Scarlet Spider behind her.

"Smooth." She whispered, and Scarlet Spider sighed as Kid Flash patted him on the back.

"Hey, at least it's not me for once."

06:30 GMT+2, Castle Doom

The Grand Library in Castle Doom was grandiose in every sense of the word. During his reign, King Vladimir Fortunov had considered himself a scholar, and so the entire library was filled wall to wall with tomes from around the world that covered a variety of subjects. From ancient history to classics such as War and Peace, Vladimir had spared no expense, spending whatever free time he had in the library. After his death, the successor had left the library mostly untouched, preferring to keep his research material in his own labs.

As such, the Grand Library had gone mostly untouched, which is why there were no servants or guards to notice that a shelf on a far wall began to swing back, allowing Fury to enter the library. He looked around, before gesturing. Aqualad exited the tunnel, followed by Miss Martian, Batgirl, Artemis, Scarlet Spider, Kid Flash, and then White Wolf. Fury looked at Miss Martian, tapping the side of his head.

"Already included you back in the link, Director Fury."

"Nice to see someone planning ahead." Fury stated, motioning them to gather around him. He pulled out a small tablet, turning it on and showing a map of the castle, pointing to a red dot on the eastern side of the castle. "We're right here, in the Grand Library. Intel indicates that Doom doesn't come here a whole lot, and so it's lightly guarded."

"At least we didn't end up walking out in his bedroom." The young arachnid remarked. "But that does beg the question: how do we know we won't walk right into his Doominess before we find Hydra?"

"This is a pretty big castle. All intelligence indicates that Doom stays on the West side, and he rarely comes down here. And Doom, egoist that he is, is so confident no one would be stupid enough to break in and assassinate him that the Castle interior isn't as guarded as the rest of the country."

"Well, that certainly works out for the idiots who just broke in." Artemis remarked. "What about the staff? You know, janitors, technicians, assistants, maids, stuff like that."

"All automated. Doombots handle all that stuff, and none of Doom's advisors live in the castle."

"Wait, so he just lives in this gigantic castle all by himself? That must be incredibly lonely…" Miss Martian remarked, and Batgirl noticed White Wolf tense up so slightly that, to anyone else, would have been unnoticable.

"We get to the servants' route, we'll have a clear shot to the main ballroom, where the deal's going down. We'll head out this door, and-"

*Clang* The sound of something falling on the ground a few shelves over cut the director off, and Aqualad's order was immediate.

"Go." By the time he had finished the thought, Central City's teenaged speedster took off in the direction, followed by Scarlet Spider and White Wolf leaping after him. The two met up with Wally, who was at a chair and table with a lamp knocked over.

"Still warm. Whoever knocked this over is still in here." Kid Flash stated.

"You… don't think it's Doom, do you?" Scarlet Spider asked, and Kid Flash's eyes widened as White Wolf examined the table.

"No way we're that unlucky. We-" Before the redhead said anything else, White Wolf saw a shadow dart around the corner. Channeling the power of his namesake, he leapt after them. He sprang around the corner and off a wall, tackling the shadows owner to the ground… and found himself staring into a pair of very familiar deep-blue eyes glaring back at him.

"T'zari!?" She gasped even as he gasped out;

"Victoria!?"

"What are you doing here!?" They asked at the same time, him sheathing his claws and her lowering a hand that had a blue aura surrounding it.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? I live here, what are you doing in my home!? Do you know what my father will do if he finds you here!?" She asked, sounding nervous, happy and confused to see him as she raised her hand to stroke the side of his masked face.

"I feel like I'm missing something." Kid Flash said, shaking them both as he rounded the corner and stared at them. "Uh, who's your friend?"

"I feel as if I should be the one asking the questions here, considering you're in my home." Victoria asked, as the other members of the Team closed in on their position, including an irate Fury.

"Well, shit. I was afraid this would happen."

"Uh, care to explain what we're missing here?" Scarlet Spider said from atop a bookcase, and Fury looked right at White Wolf.

"Go ahead and tell them. Because you sure as hell don't want them to hear it from me." The Director stated, earning a glare from White Wolf.

"Tell us what?" Artemis asked, Kaldur frowning as he noticed a very visible shift in T'zari's body language. White Wolf looked away from his friends, looked at Victoria, and let out a sigh.

"This… is Victoria Von Doom, Crown Princess of Latveria and first in line for the throne. And… and my girlfriend." A stunned silence filled the air, the mindlink dead silent, until Kid Flash broke the silence.

"What the f-" An elbow in the gut courtesy of Artemis cut him off, as Scarlet Spider dismounted the bookshelf with a flip.

"Ok, so lemme see if I've got this straight. Doctor Doom, the big scary man whose house we just broke into, is like the world's greatest supervillain. And… you're dating his daughter. And you did not mention this to any of us, before we went on this mission, or at any point since we got here?" He asked, and White Wolf looked away.

"It is… complicated."

"Clearly. So help us understand." Aqualad ordered, and the Wakandan let out a sigh.

"We met last December, in Markovia. The Royal Family had invited my father for an economic summit, but he was occupied with League business. So I was sent in his place."

Victoria took over, in a smooth yet regal tone of voice, "My father had also been invited. Markovia really wants to make its way up in the world, and so that means making allies all over the world. Dignitaries from all over the world had been invited, and I had convinced my father to allow me to accompany our diplomats."

"Which is more than a little surprising when you know how much security he usually has around her." T'zari muttered somewhat bitterly as she patted his arm and actually gave a soft smile. "Anyways, while at the gala, we met, and… well… to put it bluntly, it was like a scene from one of those terrible romance movies my mother loves. There was… a spark between us; something special. We just get each other."

"However, my father is a bit, uhh…" Victoria paused trying to find the right word.

"Psychopathic?"

"Egotistical?"

"Megalomaniacal?"

"Scary?"

"He is still my father! The word I was looking for was, 'overprotective!'" She declared glaring at each person who had spoken up.

"That meant that things for us would be more than a bit difficult. We've kept to the shadows, coordinating and sneaking around behind our parents' back."

"So when you say you're going to meet your parents somewhere, you've really been sneaking out to meet up with her?" Miss Martian asked, earning a bashful nod from the prince.

"... Yes. Well at least some of those times. I… apologize for hiding this from you. It was never my intention to deceive or mislead, especially with our recent issues. But with the history between our families, our countries… The fewer people who knew, the better."

"You don't need to apologize for keeping your cards close to your chest. Believe me, I get it." Artemis spoke up, crossing her arms and looking at Fury. "What I don't get is why the Director of an international spy organization cares about the love life of two teenagers."

"He said it himself, it's a complicated situation. It's my job to keep an eye on any potential threats to the world. Last thing I want is either of their fathers triggering World War III on account of a bad break up." Fury stated, earning a look of disapproval from both of them. "This is why I didn't want him on this mission."

"This is also why I had to be on this mission! Trust me when I say Victoria's magical abilities alone are no joke, and she's less likely to attack me than she would the rest of you and vice versa!" T'zari added.

"In his defense, he's not wrong on either account. I was honestly planning an attack before he tackled me. Though, happy as I am to see my beloved, I need to ask what are you all doing here? It's an international crime for you to cross into our airspace, much less set foot in here without approval." Aqualad looked at White Wolf, who gave a nod.

"Our intel indicates your father plans to form an alliance with Hydra, providing them with enhanced weaponry in exchange for their services and loyalty." Aqualad stated, much to Fury's visible chagrin, only for the Daughter of Doom to scoff.

"Oh, please. Typical American shortsightedness. Do you honestly believe my father would stoop to allying himself with a group as disorganized and inefficient as Hydra?" She asked, Scarlet Spider and Artemis exchanging a glance.

"Well…"

"Whatever so-called 'intelligence' gives you that idea, I would verify. My father may not be a saint, but he is no devil."

"You can think that all you want, but I wouldn't be here if there was any doubt. My people intercepted communications out of Latveria on an old Hydra channel. This castle is the only place in the country with the capabilities for that, and nothing happens here without your father's approval."

"The fact that you intercepted the intelligence on an old Hydra channel, disproves my father's hand in this completely. Do you really think if he wanted something kept private like that, he would use anything you could so easily get ahold of? Have you considered that maybe there's something else going on here, Director Fury?" She flatly stated, crossing her arms.

"My father has no shortage of enemies, even beyond the Justice League and the Fantastic Four. Did you not think that perhaps one of them wishes to put you against one another, to provoke SHIELD?"

"She does have a point. This whole thing has smelled fishy from the start…" Scarlet Spider muttered.

"I mean, yeah it really has. To be fair here, Fury, Doom's willing to work with people to achieve his goals, but I can't see Hydra having more advanced weaponry than the man whose armor gives the Stark family a run for their money at times." Kid Flash added, as Victoria nodded at both their statements, biting her lip in a way that T'Zari knew meant her brain was moving a mile a minute before she clapped her hands and nodded.

"I've made up my mind. I shall not stand for this slandering of my father any longer. I'm going to help you, if only to prove you wrong." She stated. "I believe that your information is correct that something is happening today, and that it would take place before my father wakes. And fortunately for you, I just so happen to know this castle like the back of my hand. Including where someone would want to hide from my father's eyes."

"And how would we know that you won't just hand us to Daddy on a silver platter?" Fury asked, and Batgirl cleared her throat.

"Not intending to hurt us. Telling the truth about what she wants. More trustworthy than you." She stated.

"Hey, if Batgirl says she's good, that's fine by me." The teenage webslinger remarked, earning a nod from Aqualad.

"I agree. Lead the way."

Castle Doomstadt, Dungeons

Sure enough, with Victoria's guidance, they had made it through Castle Doomstadt without any difficulties, avoiding the occasional Doombot. Turns out, having the crown princess of Latveria as a tour guide made it quite easy to traverse the castle.

"I can't tell if it's scary or obvious that your dad has a dungeon." Artemis said to their guides back.

"Depends on what side of the cells you're on." Victoria admitted with a small shrug of her shoulders as she held up her hand as it lit up a soft blue to help lead them through the dark corridors they were entering.

"Still, not sure this isn't a trap." Kid Flash muttered.

"No trap, not trying to hurt us." Batgirl said offhandedly.

"Yeah, my Spider-Sense is perfectly quiet. Well, as quiet as it has been ever since we entered Latveria." Scarlet Spider added. "So, of all the places, why are we down here?"

"Of all the places in the Castle, this is where one would go for secret meetings. It's where the Resistance double agents would meet to share intel on the Fortunov dynasty, and has been unused since my father's rule began. Largely because, well… let's just say none are foolish enough to cross him."

"This is just making me feel better and better about this whole endeavor…" Artemis muttered, before Aqualad held up a hand. They could see a torchlight down the hallway, where the guard area would have been when the dungeon was still in use.

Victoria closed her hand plunging them all into darkness again as those with built in Nightvision scouted ahead, including White Wolf, whose ears were already catching snatches of conversation from ahead;

"You sure doing this in Doom's Castle right under his nose is smart?" One voice, a female's, asked, sounding skeptical.

"Your concerns are misplaced. He's so arrogant, he doesn't dare suspect that someone would plan this directly under his nose." The other voice, a woman with a strong Latverian accent, stated. "Our window is short. Are your people in place?"

"Of course they are. As soon as you provide us with what we need, we can move in, if you do the rest of what you promised we'll be at his door before dawn." The first voice said confidently.

"Sounds like our deal's already going down." Scarlet Spider thought over the mindlink, and White Wolf narrowed his eyes.

"This sounds less like an arms deal and more like a coup." He thought. "Miss Martian?"

"Moving in for visual now." The martian thought, pulling her hood up as she activated her camouflage and she moved in closer. She peered around the corner, seeing a room full of Hydra guards in green and yellow uniforms. They flanked two women: one wore a sleeveless green bodysuit and long green gloves, completing her color coordinated ensemble with green hair framed over her left eye. The other was a cyborg, purple irises situated in black eyes with a black and silver bodysuit. "Transmitting image… now." Miss Martian stated, mentally transmitting the image of the two to the team.

"I recognize the woman in green. That's Viper, one of the Skull's lieutenants. Not sure about the other one." Fury stated over the link, as Victoria scowled.

"I recognize her. Lucia Von Bardas, one of my father's advisors. She's always been a bit off, but I can't deny her effectiveness. Still I suppose I know why she was so odd at times. She must be a Fortunov loyalist."

"So this isn't an arms deal, it's a Hydra-backed coup attempt. I'm probably crazy just for thinking this, but are we… I'm sorry, but are we about to fight for Doom!?" Scarlet Spider asked, and Fury narrowed his eyes.

"No. We did what we came here for. It's time to leave." Everyone's eyes widened at the Director's blunt statement, Kaldur whirling around to face him.

"At its peak, Hydra represented a global threat to the world. You said it yourself, they are trying to regain their standing. If we allow them to gain control of Doom's technology, they could become worse than they were before!" Aqualad protested, but Fury was unmoved.

"The purpose of this mission was to verify an alliance between Doom and Hydra. That evidence would provide SHIELD with more than enough justification to put Doom at the top of our most wanted list. Latveria would have officially become a rogue state, allowing us to impose sanctions on them, and allow us to depose Doom and allow a democratically elected government. The end goal was, and still is, to prepare to take Doom off the board." Fury explained, earning a set of narrowed eyes from Victoria. "If Hydra is about to back a coup attempt, then that'll mean war between Doom and Hydra. If they want to take each other out…well, that just means less work for us."

"If Doom and Hydra face each other, Latveria will be engulfed in war." White Wolf spoke up, marching up to Fury. "The collateral damage would be catastrophic, the death toll inexcusable."

"And you do not know what the Fortunov's are capable of." Victoria spoke up. "Under their rule, my people suffered. Thousands dead, families torn apart, entire lineages wiped out… I know you are not big fans of my father, and I know he is not a saint, but at least he cares for our people!"

"I know he does, in his own way. But he's also too big a threat to leave alone. Someone's gotta focus on the big picture."

"It's always funny how the bigger picture always leaves a lot of people either dead or hurt." Scarlet Spider retorted. "I don't know how you do things over at SHIELD, but we don't pick and choose who we save and protect. We help everyone who needs it, and right now, and I can't believe I'm thinking this, that includes Doom."

"Gotta agree with Scarlet. Doom's not the nicest, but I'll take him over the people who used to follow a literal Nazi." Kid Flash spoke up, earning a nod from Artemis.

"Seconded." Batgirl didn't speak, but she nodded in agreement. Fury's eye looked at all of them united against him, before he sighed.

"Fine. If I let you kids get killed here, your mentors will have my head. But we move in smart."

Viper and Von Bardas were hunched over a map of Doomstadt, with Viper gesturing to various points on the map. "Once your people smuggle my men into the country, we can start moving in through the north gate. Once we're in the city, we'll-" Before Viper could speak any more, the wall exploded, sending bricks and dust flying everywhere. Two batarangs flew out and knocked the guns out of two soldier's hands, while water whips and web lines disarmed the other two. A black blur courtesy of Kid Flash knocked the soldiers out, while blue rings appeared to bind Viper and Von Bardas. The dust cleared to reveal Fury, the Team, and Victoria, a blue glow around her hands, earning narrowed eyes from Viper.

"Well, Nicholas, I can't say I expected to run into you here. Then again, you and your lackeys always did have a knack for sticking your nose where it didn't belong. Though I must say, these are certainly a bit younger than your usual cronies."

"They get the job done. Which is more than I can say for your hired help, Ophelia. What, is the Serpent Society not returning your calls anymore?" Fury responded, earning a scoff from Viper. Victoria walked up to Von Bardas, displeasure clear on her face.

"My father counts you among his most trusted allies, Lucia. He personally handpicked you to be his right hand, rebuilt you to better protect our people. How can you betray his trust?!" She asked, and Lucia's face twisted into a sneer.

"I was not chosen to be his right hand, I was chosen to be his figurehead, someone to tend to the country while he indulges in his foolish vendetta against Richards and his ilk. Better to return this country back to the hands of those who were destined to rule it, not to a piece of Zefiro trash who dreams of godhood." The cyborg rationalized.

"So… now what? Do we just let her drop these two at her dad's feet?" Scarlet Spider asked, and Von Bardas actually chuckled.

"Do you think that it will be that simple? Foolish children. The brat said it herself: I was personally rebuilt by her father. Did you not stop and think about what he rebuilt me for?" Everyone's eyes widened as they realized that the bright purple 'V' on her chest was starting to glow, and T'zari just barely tackled Victoria out of the way before a purple beam of energy shot out, blasting a hole right behind where Artemis had been standing a second before.

The disruption in Victoria's concentration caused the bindings to disappear, freeing the two supervillains. Von Bardas looked over the gathered fighters, purple eyes scanning the entire group and assessing their threats. Wasting no time, she aimed her arm at them, which parted to reveal a dish like weapon. Before anyone could react, a high pitched sonic burst began to emanate from the weapon, driving everyone to their knees as they clutched their ears. White Wolf, who had avoided the blast when he tackled Victoria out of the way, saw his friends (and Fury) in danger, and bared his claws.

However, before he could attack Lucia, he had to duck a swing from viper, her green gloves sharpened into claws. "Mind your business. Care to see whose claws are sharper?" Viper taunted, and the Wakandan prince narrowed his eyes, baring both sets of claws as he dropped into a battle stance. He and Viper sized each other up, all the while plotting a way to take down the Latverian cyborg..

Only for Lucia's sonic cannon to abruptly shut off. "What is…?" She started to ask, before her whole body began to seize. She spasmed and shook, dropping down to one knee. A cold chill went down T'zari's spine as he heard what sounded like heavy footsteps on cobblestones, a feeling of dread wrapping his soul like a cold hand. It only grew as the footsteps grew closer, and his dread was only proven justified as Viper's confident expression melted into one of pure terror.

"W-wait! This wasn't my idea, it was all hers! I didn't-" Before anything else could be said, a green burst of energy impacted Viper in the chest, knocking her back against the wall and knocking her out cold. As everyone got to their feet, similar expressions of fear spread across the Team, and T'zari slowly turned around to see the source of it.

In his armor, which covered him from head to toe, he was over six and a half feet tall. The green tunic he wore covered his elaborate silver armor, adorned with a hooded cloak complete with two golden medals connected by a golden cord. But that all paled in comparison to the emotionless, unmoving iron mask that was currently looking right at T'zari, the brown eyes of the man within looking directly at the Wakandan Prince.

"Tell me.." Victor Von Doom growled, his right arm still glowing with the energy that had incapacitated Viper a moment ago. "... who dares trespass in the domain of Doom?!"

"Father, wait! They just helped us!" Victoria pleaded as she got to her feet, stepping between her father and her boyfriend. "Hydra… the woman named Viper had infiltrated our home! She was conspiring with Lucia, plotting to overthrow you!" Doom's eyes betrayed no emotion, instead turning their gaze to the kneeling cyborg.

"Speak, Lucia. Does my daughter speak the truth? Do you dare bite the hand that feeds you?" Doctor Doom asked, the purple eyes of the cyborg glaring right at him.

"I bite the same hand that usurped the throne from the rightful rulers, the same that murdered the rightful king in the very throneroom his mongrel blood taints. You think I serve the throne regardless of who sits on it? No, I serve the Fortunovs, the rightful rulers of Latveria! Like my father, and his father before him, I-"

"Serve mad kings who would fill mass graves out of boredom. Spoiled children who would fill their bellies while their people starved." Doom countered. "I had hoped you saw the folly of your family's loyalty, but I can see now that I am mistaken. However…" As Doom turned his attention to the Team, Artemis felt the urge to shirk away, but Kid Flash put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "...that fails to explain the trespassers. Tell me, has the Justice League grown so lazy, so negligent, that they now send children to do their dirty work?"

"We… uh…" Scarlet Spider stammered out, only for Doom to turn his attention to T'zari.

"Speak, boy. Why are you here?" The Doctor ordered, but if T'zari was intimidated, he didn't show it. His body language didn't waiver, he stood straight, and he looked Doctor Doom right in the eye.

"We received intelligence that you had aligned with Hydra; that you would supply them with your considerable resources in exchange for their loyalty. We sought to gain evidence of this, only to stumble upon this attempted coup."

"Hm. And you meddled in my country's affairs out of the goodness of your heart?" Doom asked, but T'zari didn't waiver.

"Only to spare your people any more needless bloodshed. They have endured enough, and do not deserve to suffer in your name." The White Wolf stated, and Doom was silent as he mulled the answer over.

"On that much, we agree." Doom stated, casting his glare to Fury, who shot it right back. "I can only assume that this whole endeavor was your idea. Searching for more reasons to get rid of me, Nicholas?"

"Only doing my job, making sure you're playing nice."

"I'm sure." The Doctor dryly remarked, before looking between Victoria and White Wolf. He was silent for a moment, before he motioned with his hand. Six Doombots emerged from the shadows, and the Team tensed up for a fight… only for them to go to the downed Hydra agents, gathering them and Von Bardas and taking them away. "Go. Now." He ordered, shocking the Team, and even Fury.

"Uh, excuse me?" Scarlet Spider asked, as Doom turned to face them.

"As insolent as he is, your Wakandan friend is correct. Any conflict between myself and Hydra would only create more strife for my people. Your intervention, as unwarranted as it is, has saved lives. Not only that, but you protected my daughter, and helped rout the foxes from my hen house. For that, you have my thanks, and so I am willing to overlook this… incursion. Leave my borders within the hour, and it shall be as if you were never here." The Doctor explained, and Kid Flash actually smiled.

"That's great! We'll, uh, we'll get right on that and-"

"However…" Doom cut off. "Do not mistake my gratitude for mercy. Should any of you return here…" He turned to look right at T'zari. "For any reason, I shall personally consider it an act of war." The two maintained their staring contest for what felt like an eternity, before Doom turned to leave. "Your hour begins now. Victoria, return to your room until I call for you." And with that, the Doctor had left the dungeon, allowing Kaldur to let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he'd been holding in, before he turned to Fury.

"I trust you are satisfied?" Aqualad asked, and Fury gave a nod.

"For now. Miss Martian?"

"I've already signaled for the Bioship. She's on her way." Miss Martian stated, and Scarlet Spider cast a look at White Wolf and Victoria.

"Hey, so we should, uh, probably start making our way to the exit."

"Uh, right. White Wolf, why don't you follow behind us? Y'know, make sure Doom doesn't pull anything." Artemis suggested, and White Wolf nodded.

"Let's get moving." Fury instructed, and the group left T'zari and Victoria alone. They were silent for a moment, before T'zari sighed. He reached up and removed his helmet, allowing Victoria to see his face.

"So…" Victoria spoke after a moment, breaking the silence. "These are the friends you told me about."

"Most of them, yes."

"They seem nice. Though I can't say I cared much for the pirate." She joked, earning a small laugh from the Wakandan.

"I don't expect he'll be with us much longer." He responded, before the smile fell from his face. "I… did not truly believe your father had allied with Hydra." This earned a raised eyebrow.

"Assuming my father's innocence? As much as I appreciate the faith, it's rather… unlike you."

"Well, if I have to be honest… it's because of you. Because I know you." T'zari explained, squeezing Victoria's hand. "I know your heart, and I knew that anyone who raised you could not stoop so low to that."

"Well, I'll be sure to pass on the compliment." She reassured, her own smile wavering. "He… knows about us. I'm sure he always did, but now… it will be much harder for us to be together."

"We always knew it would be. But my feelings for you are unchanged. For you, intliziyo yam, I would fight through a thousand Dooms." T'zari stated, strengthening Victoria's smile. The two pressed their foreheads together, before pressing their lips together for a kiss. They stayed like that for a while, not saying anything, just enjoying each other's presence.

"You… should go. Before my father changes his mind. Just… be safe… my Wolf."

Symkarian Border, 08:16 GMT

The bioship hovered above the farmhouse they'd met Fury at earlier that day, the Team remaining behind while Kaldur walked Fury back to the house. "And you're sure that you don't want us to take you back to America with us?" Aqualad asked, earning a shake of the head from Fury.

"No, I've got my own ways in and out. Besides, I'm starting to feel like I've overstayed my welcome." Fury stated, earning a frown from Kaldur.

"I will not act as if it is unwarranted. You withheld vital details from us, every step of the way."

"I've got no idea what you're talking about."

"Then allow me to elaborate: Victoria was right. Doom would never be so sloppy as to allow you to know what he is planning. You knew from the start that it wasn't him meeting with Hydra, didn't you?" He asked, and Fury nodded.

"We've come this far, no sense in lying. Yeah, I knew it wasn't Victor. All I knew was that it was someone in Castle Doom, but that was it. As far as I knew, it could have been one of his representatives. Never would've guessed that we'd stumble on a coup." The Director explained.

"So why lie? Why mislead us that it was the Doctor himself?"

"Because I know how you hero-types work. I knew that if you thought Doom was going to be an even bigger threat, you'd move heaven and earth to try and stop him."

"And that T'zari would wish to protect Victoria."

"When I was planning this out, I didn't think you'd bring him. Of all your team members, his presence there was the biggest wild card. I was afraid he'd blow the mission to take care of his girlfriend. Fortunately, his presence there ended up being a boon. Not only did Victoria end up helping us, but her vouching for us meant that Doom was just that less likely to kill us all on the spot." The secret agent explained, and Kaldur crossed his arms.

"She vouched for us because we laid our lives on the line to protect her people, something you were notably unwilling to do. Until we convinced you, perhaps a little too easily. You weren't really willing to leave the Latverians at the mercy of Hydra, were you?"

"Am I really that obvious?" The Director asked, looking back in the direction of Latveria. "This wasn't really about Doom, or even Hydra. This was all a test, so I could see what you kids were all about in person. This is a hard life, and living it means you have to be able to make tough calls. Putting my neck on the line for Doom isn't what I would've done, but I was… impressed with how you stuck to your guns, without even hesitating."

"Like Scarlet Spider said, we do not pick and choose who we protect. Our mentors did not teach us to compromise our values for the sake of an easy solution." Aqualad explained, and Fury actually chuckled.

"You know, Kaldur, you remind me a lot of myself when I first started this. I believed that if I stayed true to my beliefs, lived my life according to the morals that I'd been instilled with, nothing would shake me. I'd never compromise, never take the easy way out." Fury recalled, his smile falling.

"Then there came a day when I was forced with an impossible solution. The hard way would've only caused more suffering, more death. And so I compromised, and it ate me up inside. I didn't eat or sleep for a week, absolutely convinced that, because I compromised, the whole world would fall apart. Only… it didn't. The crisis passed, and the world kept on turning. It didn't care at all that I had taken the easy way out. And so… the next time a hard choice came up, I compromised. Let ten people die so a hundred could live, let the arms dealer go so the mass murderer could be captured… so on and so forth. And the more time went by, the more those compromises didn't seem so bad."

"This is a hard life, Kaldur. You're going to face those tough choices, and you're going to have to decide if your values are going to be enough to get you through them. I just hope that, when that day comes, you'll make the right choice."

"And when that day comes, I will stay true to myself." Kaldur boldly stated, earning a smirk from Fury.

"We'll see. You kids had best get back, before your mentors start noticing you're gone." Fury stated, extending his hand. Kaldur looked at the hand, before he shook it. However, when Fury broke the handshake, Kaldur noticed that there was a silver flash drive in his hand.

"What is…?"

"A token of my thanks." Fury stated as he walked away. "T.O. Morrow's not exactly an easy man to keep track of, but SHIELD's made sure to keep tabs on him. That's a list of all the hideouts he's had over the years, including a few the Justice League might not know about. You never know what might turn up if you start sniffing around." He explained, turning to look at Kaldur with his eye one more time. "Be seeing you, Aqualad."

Castle Doomstadt, 09:00 GMT+2

"Send her in." Doctor Doom stated from his throne, as Victoria entered the throne room.

"Yes, Father? I take it you wish to discuss this morning?" The young girl asked, not even slightly unnerved at the metal mask she had known as her father's face her entire life.

"I take it you have been examined by our doctor?"

"No need. The White Wolf saw to my protection personally. I was not caught up in Von Bardas' sonic attack." She explained. "Tell me, when you augmented her, did you know she was a Fortunov loyalist?"

"I had my suspicions. As she said, her family had served the throne for generations. When I augmented her, it was so that I could easily dispose of her, should she dare turn on us." The Doctor explained.

"What…what will happen to her? And that woman, Viper?" Doom was silent at this question, evaluating his response.

"Lucia would not have acted as she did were she alone, nor would she have done so without a cause. I shall find her co-conspirators, and after that, I shall do what I should have done years ago and finally eliminate the last of the Fortunov bloodline, wherever they lurk."

"I… see." Victoria was under no illusions about who her father was. While she knew him as a kind, loving father, she knew full well what he was capable of, as well as what occurred to those who crossed him. Still, it always slightly unnerved her to be reminded of exactly what he was capable of.

"As for Viper… I am still indecisive as to what should be done with her. She is a mere mercenary, a soldier of fortune who's only involvement was to strengthen her own organization. Perhaps you can help me, Victoria. Tell me, what should become of this woman and her soldiers, who would have moved against us?" Doom asked, and Victoria considered this for a moment.

"I… I think you should extradite her to the Americans. Extend an olive branch; show them you are not the monster they think you are." She suggested, and Doom folded his hands in front of him.

"Interesting. I shall consider it." Doom stated, and Victoria swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Is… there anything else, father?"

"No, I merely wished to see you were unharmed. Return to your chambers until your tutors call for you." He stated, and Victoria let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, father." She bade, and went to leave…

"Oh, and Victoria?" Her father called, stopping her in her tracks. "Until further notice, your little 'excursions' out of the country are on hold unless I give my explicit permission, and you will be strictly monitored whenever you leave the castle. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, Father."

"Good. Now, run along." As Doom watched his daughter leave the throne room, he wondered if he had been too harsh, too overprotective. His rationale was that, until he could be fully sure that the traitors were eliminated, the only way to keep Victoria safe was to keep a close eye on her, as the girl had a knack for eluding her guards' supervision. But a part of himself couldn't help but wonder if the doctor was merely trying to keep Victoria away from her paramour. Victor did, indeed, know all about his daughter's relationship with the son of one of his sworn enemies, but Victor was content to let it blossom, as despite their differences, Victor had nothing but respect for T'challa, and knew that his son would treat his daughter right. But if the young man was following in his father's footsteps, he could very well turn Victoria against her father…

A chiming on his throne pulled him from his thoughts, and he pressed it. The doors to the throne room shut and locked as the lights dimmed, and seven screens descended from the ceiling. Once they were all in place in front of the screen, they powered on… and Doctor Doom was greeted with the silhouettes of the Light. "Your request for a meeting has been granted. Tell us, Doctor, why do you wish to speak with us?"

"Some of us are trying to sleep! Do you have any idea what time it is over here?!" The petulant voice of L-7 asked, only for Doom to hear a *meow* from the other end. "What? Who cares if I don't actually sleep, it's the principle of the thing!"

"As loath as I am to agree, it is rather early. I suspect the matter is rather important." L-8's arrogant voice agreed.

"I have called this meeting to discuss the uninvited guests I found in my castle." Doom stated. "As we predicted, Viper responded to the bait. Through the paltry guards she brought with her, we can confirm that her attempts to reorganize the Serpent Society have failed."

"As I predicted it would. Viper's prior alignment with the Red Skull has left a rather bad taste in the mouth of many, one that even she couldn't overcome." L-2 stated. "I trust this endeavor proved sufficient to lead you to the would-be usurpers lurking in your court?"

"Indeed, my suspicions were proven true. Though there is more work to be done, Von Bardas and her co-conspirators will be a sufficient example to discourage any more would-be traitors, once I find them." The Doctor explained.

"So, everything went according to plan. But as much as I enjoy hearing of your accomplishments, I fail to see the purpose of calling a meeting for that." The sultry, feminine voice of L-6 mused, Victor subtly gripping his armrest as he heard her voice.

"Because it was not my accomplishment. Rather, it was that of the children." Doom stated, noticing the vague silhouettes of his co-conspirators change their stance ever so slightly, becoming more interested.

"Interesting. Even with the considerable resources of the Justice League, I did not expect them to even be aware of Hydra's scrambling, let alone be bold enough to sanction an incursion into your home." The dignified voice of L-5 stated.

"Because this was not the League. Rather, it was SHIELD, particularly their Director, who sanctioned and accompanied their intrusion."

"Fury was there, personally?" L-1 asked, earning a nod from the Doctor.

"Could it be that SHIELD is beginning to suspect our plans, and is working with the League?"

"No, not us. Rather, I suspect that after Sin's exploits in Santa Prisca, and my own involvement in the Rhelasia incident, SHIELD is beginning to keep a closer eye on scattered movements of Hydra." L-3's accented voice reassured L-8. "And I do not believe we should be concerned with any potential alliance between SHIELD and the League. Fury's approach to things would simply clash with the League's black and white mentality, rendering any potential alliance unlikely."

"Nevertheless, we must tread carefully. Our plans are at too crucial a juncture to risk being accidentally uncovered."

"I concur. We must move up our timetable for phase 2."

"Are the preparations complete?"

"Yes, all test results fall within acceptable margin. It should perform to expectations."

"Then send the word out to the necessary players. It is time we send a reminder to all who stand in our way."

A/N: thank you all for your support. Please understand that we are people with lives, and that we would rather get out a good product out than rush something out to pad the chapter count, so there is no need to leave reviews asking for where the next update is. Until next time, folks. Excelsior.