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Gohan awoke the next morning from a restless sleep. The Saiyan hopped out of bed and headed into the restroom, startled by what was on the mirror: an "M" in black. "No need to bait me," he said. "I'll find you." He brushed his teeth, glancing in the mirror and seeing a small, pink humanoid figure with black eyes standing the the reflection by the door. Gohan turned around and whipped the toothbrush at it, poking a hole through the wall. "Damn you," he said under his breath. He threw his orange Kame House pants on with the boots and took his shirt off. He went to his suitcase to pull out the matching shirt. A knock at the door startled him, but it wasn't just the knock; it was the person behind it. "Come in," Gohan said, throwing on his blue tee shirt and orange vest. He put on his weighted wristbands and threw a few punches in the air, pumping himself up for today. "Come in," he said again, looking toward the door. He closed his eyes; no one was outside. He opened the door and looked down, seeing a folded piece of paper. He picked it up and read it, feeling all of his confidence leave. He refolded it and stashed it in his pocket. He walked outside and grinned, seeing the other Titans waiting for him. "Hey, guys! I hope you all had a nice sleep."
"After yesterday," Cyborg said, "how could you not? I'm still cleaning my resistors of the gray stuff."
"I still can't wear my cloak because of it," Raven said, squinting due to the increased exposure her eyes had to the sun. "Not even my banishing spells will work on it. Whatever magic it is, it's strong."
"That isn't a bad thing," Beast Boy said, looking at Raven's curvy, athletic figure shown off under the sun.
"Be careful of where you're looking," Raven said venomously.
"Trust me," Beast Boy said, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "I am-"
Raven smacked the back of his head, making everyone laugh.
"Shall we go?" Starfire asked.
"We need to get there soon," Robin said. "Come on."
Gohan glanced at Starfire. "What was up with her last night?" he asked. A red line had marked her forehead. Gohan squinted closer, watching the line take a more complex shape. "Is that-"
"Son of Kakarot!" Vegeta's growling, prideful voice shouted. Gohan turned around, seeing Vegeta and the other Z-Fighters following them to the tournament arena. "The Namekian has something to ask you."
Gohan noticed that Vegeta had the same marking as Starfire on her forehead. He walked up to Piccolo. "Yes, Mister Piccolo?" Gohan said.
"Their auras have changed," Piccolo said telepathically. "It's small right now, but it's darker."
Gohan nodded. "I knew something was up. You don't think the marks are the signs, do you?"
"It could be," Piccolo said, "or it could be something else. I'll be watching Vegeta. You can handle Starfire, right?"
Gohan swallowed. "Yeah."
"Good," Piccolo said out loud. "We're finally here."
The thirty two contestants filed into the tournament arena and into the banquet area. The announcer stood in the middle of the room with a bowl of bingo balls with numbers on them. "Hey, hey! Don't disperse just yet! Get in line and grab a ball. The numbers on them will determine who you'll
battle today. Do not tell or show anyone your number, unless you want to be disqualified." He looked at Miss Martian and Raven. "We'll know."
Robin got in line behind Batgirl. "Are you ready to become part of the Justice League, Robin?" she asked, knowing he was behind her.
"You know," Robin said. "I always thought you were funny." He grabbed his ball, reading "1" on the surface in black.
Everyone else found their places.
The doors from the banquet hall to the stage opened, blinding the contestants. The boxes where each pair of contestants would wait had disappeared and the stage grew in size from last night. Thirty two colored sections, each with a banner of the contestants over the highest stand row in the section, cheered for the fighters as they walked through a glass hallway to a small waiting area just below the stand section under Slade's small fan section. The announcer walked out of the waiting area and across the freshly cut grass, taking his spot in the center of the arena as a heavy metal fanfare welcomed him on. Cheering, even louder than yesterday's, shook the stadium. "Are you ready?!" the announcer wailed, putting his hand up to his ear.
The crowd roared in response.
"I can't hear you!" the announcer said. "I said, are you ready?!"
The crowd roared even louder.
"Alright!" the announcer exclaimed. "I'll take a moment to explain how today is going to go and then we're going to get started. This is still a ladder style tournament; however, the matches have been determined at random using a ball system. I will call two numbers, and the competitors with those numbers will come out! Another thing: the down count has been increased to fifteen!"
"Fifteen?" Gohan said. "That's a pretty long time to be on the ground and awake in a fight like this."
"They want you to knock your opponent out," Vegeta said bluntly. "It makes for a better show."
Gohan nodded. "Yeah, that would make sense here."
"Now be quiet," Vegeta said. "I don't wish to stay in the company of those weaklings longer than I need to."
Young Justice turned to glare at Vegeta.
"The first match will be fought today between number one and number nineteen!" the announcer said.
Robin smirked. "I'll see you guys soon."
"Yeah," Speedy said. "You will."
"You're nineteen?" Robin said, leaving the waiting room with him.
"I'm winning," Speedy said, bouncing on his toes across the grass. He flipped onto the stage, wowing a few fans.
"Show off," Robin muttered under his breath. He stepped on and the announcer ran off.
"Robin and Speedy, the super sidekick doppelgangers battle it out to figure out who is truly the best!" he said in his microphone.
"I am not anybody's sidekick," Robin snarled.
"But you're the Boy Wonder!" the announcer exclaimed. "Jumping Jack-o-Lanterns, Batman!"
The crowd laughed, not knowing Robin's true motives behind Robin leaving his mentor. "Let's get on with this."
"Okay, okay," the announcer said. "Come to center."
Robin and Speedy approached each other, Roy confident and Dick determined.
"Begin!" the announcer exclaimed.
Speedy threw the first punch. Robin sidestepped it and whipped around, slamming his elbow into Roy's stomach and sweeping him off his feet with a kick. Speedy flipped back, looking at his rival in shock. He had gotten better.
Speedy nodded and charged again to test how Robin would move. Robin ducked a jump kick and looked up to return a punch, seeing an energy arrow pointed at his face. Robin spun around and raised his leg, landing a standing heel kick to Speedy's arm. Both young crime fighters hopped back and glared at each other. "That was dirty," Robin said. "Green Arrow was right to choose you."
"At least my mentor and I get along," Roy said, smirking at Robin's scowl. "Now hurry up; I've got a date with Batgirl."
Robin fazed out, reappearing in front of Speedy with a chi enhanced fist. "I have a new mentor now."
Speedy's eyes widened as Robin's hit connected, blowing him toward the edge of the ring. Speedy hopped to his feet, feeling his stomach still twisting from the power. He looked up, feeling a heel connect with the side of his head. He stumbled to the side and fired an arrow, hitting Robin dead in the chest. Speedy grit his teeth and charged before Robin had fully recovered and smashed his foot into Robin's cheek. Robin spun around, kicking Speedy's side. "Where did you learn how to do that?" the archer asked.
Robin flipped in a sideways fashion, slamming the side of his foot into Roy's head. Roy stumbled around as his vision shook. He looked up one more time to take a kick to the face, sending him out of the ring. "Robin is the victor!" the announcer exclaimed.
Roy stood up and painfully bowed to his rival. Robin returned the gesture and hopped off stage, going back to the waiting room slightly annoyed as the Batman theme played him off.
Batgirl met him at the door. "Since when did you learn to move like that?"
Krillin and Yamcha snickered in the background, making Batgirl frown.
"You didn't even invite me?" she smirked. "It makes sense though. I guess the Titans have a chance now."
"Just a chance?" Robin said, letting out a laugh. "No, girl, we're winning this tournament and you're becoming a Titan."
"We have a Kryptonian," Batgirl said, patting Dick on the cheek. "Sorry."
"We have a Gohan," Robin said. "I'm also sorry."
Gohan and Superboy glared at each other, sparking lightning with their chi.
"Seventeen and twenty three!" the announcer said.
"Well," Trunks said. "I'll be back." He stood up and walked out in black jeans and a tank top, and yellow and brown boots. Static followed him out, getting a thumb up from Blue Beetle.
Trunks and Static walked on stage. Static summoned two bolts of lightning from the clear sky, showing off his amazing powers to his fans. They took the bait and jumped for joy, knowing that he had this fight in the bag. They approached the center of the ring and Trunks took a meek fighting stance.
A few members of Young Justice started laughing. The Z-Fighters and Gohan started laughing too.
"Begin!" the announcer said, scurrying off the stage.
Static barely had time to react before Trunks took the initiative. He fired a bolt of lightning at Trunks' face but it was dodged. Time seemed to slow around both heroes as lightning surged around Static's hands. "Get ready to-"
Trunks vanished.
Static returned the electricity to his body. A knee connected with his spine and the electricity shocked its owner. Both fighters fell to the ground. The entire arena gasped. The announcer started counting: "One! Two! Three! Four! Five-"
They vanished again, clashing with such ferocity that the announcer's microphone shocked him. Trunks and Static reappeared in the air in an exchange of lightning-fast attacks. Trunks smashed his fist into Static's face, slamming him into the ground ten feet below. Static rolled to his feet and spiked his aura, surging electricity around him. His eyes turned white and he let out a thick, white lightning bolt that burned a hole through Trunks' shirt. Trunks caught himself in midair and fazed out again, reappearing behind Static and above his head. A powerful downward punch crumpled the super like a piece of paper. Trunks vanished again, returning to his spot in the center of the arena with his arms folded. The announcer started counting, making it to seven before Static was up and gone. Static greeted Trunks with anger in a head-on charge, backing Trunks to the edge of the ring with bolt after bolt. Trunks ducked and spun around, sweeping Static off his feet.
Slade chuckled. "Do you see, Terra?"
"What are you laughing at?" Superboy said sharply.
"I'm afraid your friend just lost," Slade said calmly.
He was right. Static tried to push Trunks back with a lightning bolt but it wasn't enough to stun him. Trunks landed the finishing kick that threw Static out of the ring. Young Justice's jaws dropped. That made two in a row. Trunks walked back to the waiting room with applause by the other Z-Fighters. "Very nice," Blackfire said, "but don't drag it out like that next time."
"I could be fighting you next round," Trunks said, making the Tamaranean grin.
"You can make it quick by not fighting back."
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Like that's going to happen."
The next two numbers were called, silencing the chatter in the room. Vegeta looked at the number on his ball and walked out of the room.
"Shazam!" Captain Marvel Junior exclaimed, standing from his wheelchair as a tall, muscular, very handsome young man. He flew out of the room and to the stage confidently greeting the armored Saiyan prince.
"Come to center!" the announcer said.
"Are you ready to fight a god?" the young fighter asked the prince.
"I've met gods," Vegeta said, "fought gods, and treated them to dinner. I've had them stomp on my head, destroy my race, and get in my way at every turn. You are no god."
"You're going to regret saying that," six voices said behind Captain Marvel's.
"Am I?" Vegeta fell into stance, chuckling to himself.
"Begin!" the announcer said.
Marvel threw a punch. Vegeta caught it and returned his own into the young man's nose. Vegeta fazed out, slamming his knee into his opponent's spine. Vegeta fazed out again, planting an elbow into Captain Marvel's cheek. The Saiyan smirked and hopped back. "Come on, hero!" Vegeta said. "Call upon your gods!"
"Solomon," he said under his breath, "grant me your wisdom."
A green aura surrounded the young hero. "Come at me," he said, falling into a fighting stance. Vegeta's smirk faded as he charged, sending a volley of attacks Captain Marvel's way. Guided by divine strategy, the young hero managed to block most of the attacks. He soon realized that he couldn't take Vegeta out by blocking. He dodged a punch and ducked a spin kick. "Hercules!" he shouted, his aura bursting with energy. He landed a punch in Vegeta's stomach, blowing a trail of spit out of Vegeta's mouth. Vegeta spiraled through the air and out of the ring.
Young Justice started celebrating, giving each other high fives. "Way to go, Junior!"
"Don't count him out yet," Tien said, watching Vegeta catch himself in midair just before he would have hit the stands.
Vegeta chuckled. "That's more like it!" he spiked his white aura and burst through the air, happily greeting Junior in furious battle. They took to the sky, creating small shock waves with every collision. Vegeta dodged a right hook and returned with a punch to the face, blowing Junior away. He chased after the young fighter relentlessly, showing no remorse as he battered Junior faster than Solomon's wisdom and Hercules' strength could help him.
"Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury, help me!" Junior called out. Four bolts of lightning hit him, slamming him into the ground. He felt all of his energy come back to him along a new, revitalized white aura. He stood up with a confident grin on his face. "Now you've done it!" he said, looking up into the sky at Vegeta.
"Then you're ready to get serious?" Vegeta said as he dropped to the middle of the ring, spiking his own aura. "Because I'm done playing-" Vegeta caught Junior's fist. "I see," he said, sounding disappointed. Vegeta punched Junior in the face so hard that the collision echoed throughout the arena. Junior spiraled back, slamming into the metal stands a hundred feet away. The Vegeta fans went crazy, cheering louder than any other section. Vegeta folded his arms. "Puny god."
"Vegeta is the victor!" the announcer exclaimed. Vegeta walked off stage and into the waiting room. Young Justice was speechless. Junior was one of their most powerful members.
The announcer wasted no time in calling up the next two fighters. Piccolo and Offspring went to the stage and approached the center. The announcer rushed off stage. "Begin!" he said quickly.
Offspring flipped back and started throwing elastic punches from twenty feet away. "How are you going to hit me? Huh? Huh?" Offspring said, putting Piccolo on the defensive.
"Like this," Piccolo said, stretching his own arm and punching Offspring in the temple. Offspring dropped like a stone. Fifteen counts passed quickly and the ambulance came to carry him off.
"Ma Junior is the winner!" the announcer said. "That was the quickest match so far! Let's keep it going, folks! Three and five, come on out!"
Terra headed toward the door, glancing at Beast Boy as she passed him. The green hero she used to love gave her no words of encouragement, lame jokes, or even a grin. Beast Boy met her eyes with a cold, empty glare and quickly looked away. She scowled and left the waiting room with Green Lantern close behind. Terra used the anger she felt to defeat Green Lantern by sending him barreling out of the ring with several new techniques taught by her evil master. As soon as she was declared the victor she hurried off stage and back into the room, glancing at her old friend again. He kept his icy gaze. She looked away, not glancing in his direction again. Superboy and Chiaotzu left next, marking Young Justice's first win in the round after Superboy's overwhelming strength proved to be too much for the small psychic. The Kryptonian enjoyed the soured look he put on Gohan's face after his victory. "What did I tell you?" Batgirl said to Robin. "Superboy will beat you and your whole team anytime, anywhere."
"Don't get cocky," Robin said. "Gohan hasn't fought yet, and considering who hasn't gone to fight yet, you'll get a glimpse at what he can really do."
"Stop bluffing," she said. "I can-"
"Twenty nine and four!" the announcer called.
Aqualad strutted out of the room. Beast Boy followed, hearing the snickering of the other Young Justice members. "Looks like our fortune is taking a turn for the better," Blue Beetle whispered to Superboy, thinking that Beast Boy couldn't hear.
The green boy crushed the ball in his hand and dropped it, walking out in anger.