"How are things with the Outlaws?" Bruce asked his son, Jason, and daughter, Cass, during dinner.
The Outlaws was a new superhero team, formed by Redbird and Blackbird- with Redbird as its leader. Jason and Cassandra felt like they did not belong to neither the Titans or the Teen Titans, for one team they were too old and for the other they were young. Not to mention, that the Titans already had years of experience and being the new ones would feel too weird. So, they formed their own superhero team. The members of the Outlaws were Blackbird, Redbird, Arrowette, Red Arrow, Ravager, Red General, Bizzaro, Geo-Force, Terra, and Thunder.
How did that team come to be? Don't ask Bruce.
As soon as Cass and Jason made sure that Damian was good after being in a coma for a month, they took their dad's credit card and traveled all around the world. They saved many people and exploded even more buildings. They even dragged their friends Connor Queen and Emiko Queen. Emiko had chosen the name Red Arrow in honor of her brother, and Connor had gone with Arrowette because of a girl she had met in Star City. Her name was Cissie King-Jones and her mother was forcing her to be a vigilante, after helping her get away from her and live with her aunt, Connor had adopted her alias. He felt some kind of kinship with her, after all she had been the first person Connor had helped on his own.
On their journey they picked Rose Wilson, aka Ravager, up and helped her get away from her fucked up dad. Cass and Jason had never been more glad that they had kept Alec's excistance a secret from Deathstroke. She had not wanted to join them at first, wanting to go on her own and continue her mercenary lifestyle. But the promise of getting in contact with Jericho and her lost brother, was too much not to accept. Alec and Jericho even paid the team a visit in Egypt, the meeting was filled with tears and hugs.
After that they burst an illegal laboratory and Jason finally got his superfriend! Bizzaro was the kryptonian of Jason's team, as Superboy was to Teen Titans, and Superman was for the Justice League. For some reason Clark had a better time getting used to Bizzaro, who he had given the kryptonian name Jor-El and the human name Jordan Kent, than with Kon-El. They were making strides, but finding out that Conner was a half-kryptonian, half-human clone of Superman and Lex Luthor was too much for Clark. It is not like they were fighting, but Clark needed even more time to get used to the idea. Plus having all of that happen around the same time he is getting divorced, it was not easy for the kryptonian. At least, Kon has the Teen Titans, Ma, and Jon. Not to mention, he is too busy getting life in the world outside the lab was too much work for Kon-El, he had barely sensed Clark's lack of presence. For now Bruce and Diana were there for their best friend, something Clark was very grateful for.
After that they found Artemis Bana-Mighdall, who Cass had quickly bonded with. One battle, in which Blackbird had irrefutable won, and Artemis was already calling Cass a shield sister. She had joined them, taking the name of Red General, and enjoyed getting to know the world around them. Jason, Bizz, and Artemis had become known as the Unholy Trinity in the superhero community. Their love for chaos and destruction was like no other, so many explitions... so many...
Unluckily, for Black Lightning, he had already sent his youngest daughter to form part of this new team, by the recommendation of his Justice League teammates, before this Unholy Trinity had been formed. Of course, he had later tried to get her out of it, but Anissa Pierce, aka Thunder, was having the time of her life and she would not budge. Especially, after meeting a certain exiled prince of Markovia. Geo-Force was furious about his uncle's betreyal and was ready to do anything to get his country back. Brion Markov had mellowed down after he had been informed of his half-sister Tara Markov. Yes, the Outlaws had also saved her from Deathstroke and sent her to the Teen Titans to heal. She had ended up finding a nice group of friends in San Francisco, taking the superhero name of Terra and joining them to missions. However, she had never found herself completely accepted into the group. Not because, the Teen Titans did not accept her, they had simply not experienced life the way she did. So, when Terra had gone to Europe to meet her brother, she had decided to join the Outlaws, as they did understand her position. She had rapidly bonded with Rose, over their hate of Deathstroke.
With the two of them back together and the aid of the Outlaws, the Markovs got their uncle out of the throne and recovered their country. Getting involved in a civil war had certainly made the Outlaws known worldwide. Especially, after Brion had proclaimed Markovia a safe heaven for anyone meta or powered. Luckily, with the Outlaws and Tara with him, they aided him into making those changes slolwly and not as ambruptly as to scare the "normal" civilians in his country and worldwide. There were talks about some kind of accord to give meta and powered people protection and rights worldwide based on the changes Markovia was planning on implementing.
Finding out about the civil war his kids had been part of via the news, had almost given Bruce a heartattack. It took Clark, Diana, Alfred, Dick, and Damian to stop Bruce from getting on the batplane and flying to get Blackbird and Redbird back to Gotham. How much more chaos were those two planning on creating. Jason and Cass got a big scolding once they returned home from their destructive summer vacaation. The gift their siblings had planned for them did not aid Bruce's bad mood, but he knew when he was outnumbered. So, he allowed his kids to proceed. They had bought, built, and refurnished a base of operations for the Outlaws in Jump City, where Rose, Artemis, and Jordan were quick to move in there. Thunder returning back to her family in the city of Freeland, Red Arrow and Arrowette went back to Star City, and Geo-Force and Terra had a country to run- though they were one call away if needed.
Cass and Jason were still grounded. A punishment that lasted for three months and it had finished two days ago. So, Bruce knew that they would be meeting with their chaotic team.
"Meeting in Jump City," Jason hummed with a victorious smirk, getting slapped on the back of his head by Alfred as he passed around serving water. "Ouch! Alfie! Ok," he pouted when Alfred gave him a pointed look, and glared at his siblings when these ones laughed at him. "Things had calmed down in Markovia, so we can finally meet all again."
"Missed them," Cass murmured softly with a fond smile.
Bruce could not stop a smile from appearing on his lips, how could he not be happy when his kids were this happy? "What about the Teen Titans?" He turned to Tim.
"We are having a training session with the Titans," Tim informed his dad. "We are meeting in our base in San Fransisco."
The Teen Titans consisted on Timothy Wayne, aka Robinn, Garfield Loga, aka Beast Boy, Jamie Reyes, aka Blue Beetle, Stephanie Brown-Row, aka Spoiler, Harper Brown-Row, aka Bluebird, Cullen Brown-Row, aka Agent C, Conner Kent, aka Superboy, Mia Queen, aka Speedy, and their new member, Cassie Sandsmark, the new Wonder Girl.
As for the Titans, we have the original New York team, Nightwing, Starfire, Troia, Tempest, Arsenal, and Kid Flash. Knows in their civilian lives as Dick Wayne, Kory, Dona Troy, Garth, Roy Harper, and Wally West. We also have the new members Joseph Wilson, aka Jericho, Violet Harper, aka Halo, Karen Breecher, aka Bumblebee, and M'gann M'orz, aka Miss Martian- the newest member brought to them by Martian Manhunter. Cyborg had left the team to join the Justice League, a position well-earned by the impressive hero. Jericho, Bumblebee, Troia, and Halo being the only ones living in New York full-time. With Kid Flash in Keystone City, Tempest saving the nautic life all around the world, Arsenal in Gotham, and Starfire having moved in with Nightwing in Bludhaven.
"We are really looking forward to it!" Dick cheered, while Arsenal smirked challengingly.
"It seems that only the youngest members of the family are staying in Gotham to patrol then," Jade commented. "The Justice League is also holding a meeting."
The Justice League has been constantly expending ever since their creation, but on the last couple of years their core members have grown rapidly until reaching a number of 18 members. Red Lantern (Guy Gardner), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Green Lantern (John Stewart), Wonder Woman (Diana Prince), Superman (Clark Kent), Batman (Bruce Wayne), Batwoman (Kate Kane), Cheshire (Jade Nguyen), Aquaman (Arthur Curry), Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz), Flash (Barry Allen), Hawkgirl (Shiera Sanders Hall), Black Canary (Dinah Lance-Queen), Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), Doctor Fate, Cyborg (Victor Stone), Katana (Tatsu Toro), and Black Lightening (Jefferson Pierce). Capable and trustworthy comrades. Cheshire being the first villain turned hero to join their ranks, showing the world where the Justice League stands on second chances- they even got Cheshire pardoned. They were also considering extending an offer to Cheetah, but as she is Wonder Woman's villain, they left the choice to Diana.
"About that... I just got an invitation to the Justice League Dark meeting," Damian informed his family, gaining everyone's attention.
"Master Damian, I was not aware that you joined those meeting," Alfred said what everyone was thinking, but no one knew how to say it.
"I do not, I mostly fill my report and give it to Constantine," Damian replied. "But this time around is different,"
"Why is that?" Bruce asked suspiciously.
"Because baba," Damian smiked at his father. "Raven is finally coming back to Earth."
Later at the Watch Tower, during the Justice League meeting.
"I believe that the Titans and Teen Titans idea of cooperation is a great idea!" Superman exclaimed with a bright smile. "We should also join them."
"The Outlaws should also join those meetings," Diana added. "The more we learn to cooperate, the smoother it will be for us to work together when we are in need of calling other teams in case of invassions."
"Yeah, I like that idea."
"Awesome!"
"Let's show those kids how it's done!"
Many Justice League members agreed with the idea, before Batman growled at them to shut up and get back to the meeting's real porpuse.
"The Light and the League of Assassins have been acting strange," Batman said during the Justice League meeting. "They've been too quiet, there are no longer assassinations and schemes to control the world. It's not that they do not kill, but only when its... necessary. Well, necessary in their eyes. It's like they are trying to control the underworld, to keep the worse at bay."
"That's weird," Hal commented, confused. "I've not been on Earth a lot in the last couple of years, your son keeping me busy in Akropolis," he joked towards Batman, who simply batglared at him. "But aren't those two the largest and meanest criminal organizations out there?"
"I wouldn't call them mean, that's an understatement," Cheshire replied. "But they are the largest, alongside the Order of St. Duman. They've been around for centuries, in the case of the Light for millenias. It is one of the reasons why taking down the Order of St. Duman took years of work and a lot of blood was shed. The Light... well, we dealt a huge blow to them. One that put them at the same level of the League of Assassins."
"Only that?!" Guy exclaimed shocked. "All that information, bases and labs dismantelled, and they are still as big and well-connected as the League of Assassins?!"
"What did you expect?!" Jade snapped at him, bringing the whole room to an uncomfortable silence. "The Light has been around for millenials! What we did was the most we could have done. The biggest blow the organization has received since... ever!"
"Yet they are still around and kicking," Oliver complained. "It is gratting."
"What else do you want? To kill Savage?" Barry turned to one of his best friends, with a raised eyebrow. "Cap already dealt with Savage's immortality, he will only be around for a couple more of decades."
"And what else will he do in those decades?" Oliver snapped at Barry. "Cap might as well finish the job and save us the bother!"
A pause... then the room exploded.
"Arrow!"
"Green Arrow!"
"Oliver!"
"Enough!" Batman shouted, getting everyone to shut up. He then turned to Green Arrow with a glare, a glare that surprassed his famous batglare. "I have been made conscious of my double standards lately, of how I push my ideals into other and expect them to obey. I do not kill, other do, many of them are in this room. I've learned to live with that and accept it... accept them." He ignored the proud looks given to him by Kal-El, Diana, and Dinah. "If you want to kill Vandal Savage do it yourself, don't drag someone who has made it very clear has no intention of taking a life. I might have my issues with Captain Marvel, but his character is not one of them. Instead of killing his villains he rehabilitates them. Four of them are in the Justice League Dark and are aiding the world now! So, do not blame others for your shortcomings!"
Oliver glared at Bruce but kept his moth shut, knowing that there was nothing he say. Batman's words were the truth.
"Let's get back to business," Diana spoke, getting everyone back on track. Though, from the look Dinah had given Oliver, he was in trouble. "Cheshire, has any of your contacts given you new information?"
"One of them sent me a package right before the meeting..." Jade answered, giving Batman a look of trepidation. "Flamebird, Shrike, and Respawn have disowned themselves from the al Ghul family... but technically only Ra's al Ghul is capable of taking someone's name off the family registry."
"Does that mean that they are still considered al Ghuls?" Clark asked in concern.
"Technically speaking Shrike and Respawn were never considered al Ghul, even though they possess the blood running through their veins," Jade explained. "Respawn is a clone, simply an experiment in Ra's eyes and not a grandson," many Justice League members looked furious, Diana looked ready to take her sword and decapitate Ra's. "Shrike's father was a criple as such his name was taken out of the family registry, that was before Mara was born. Both of them have recently been added, Flamebird's position as heir has never been stripped."
"But why? Were they not named as traitors?" Dinah asked Jade suspiciously.
"That's right!" Barry exclaimed. "They betrayed them!"
"Technically they betrayed the League of Assassins enemies, using the Justice League to take them all out and allow the League of Assassins to grow in power," Jade answered. Everyone looked at her in stunned silence. "Technically they proceeded to do the most successful mission in the history of the League of Assassins without lifting a single finger and are currently being trained by the esteemed Batman, before returning to take over the league."
"They are my children! I will not allow it!" Batman growled.
"Do not worry my friend, if they come for them they will face our wrath!" Diana assured him, eyes dark with promise.
"She is right Batman," Clark put a hand on his shoulder as support. "We have your back and will keep your family safe."
"Fuck technicalities!" Guy growled. "If they so as much lay a finger on our Grey Lantern I will reap them apart!"
"Hear, hear!" Hal cheered. "We will show them that if you mess with a lantern, you mess with us all!"
"He is a bat!" Batman snapped at Hal. "Not a Lantern!"
"He is the guardian of the Grey Lantern Force," John deadpanned. "He was a lantern before he was a bat, we have senority."
"Grrr!" Batman growled angrily, as the Justice League laughed around them, delighted by their banter.
Whatever comes next they will face it together, as a family.