MoP
Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue
Chapter 23: Rebellion, Part 9.
Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.
A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.
A/N: Thanks to Dragon97 and 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.
Happy Harbor High School.
October 1, 17:00 EDT.
"Well, that was a great practice everyone!" declared Wendy as the cheerleaders broke their final formation. "Let's end on a high note."
The group of girls chorused agreement, and most of headed for the showers, Conner was walking to meet M'gann, when Wendy stopped her. "Megan…"
"Yes, Wendy?"
"I didn't want to say anything during practice in case it threw you off your game, but Liz's ankle is still bothering her so she's out for tomorrow's game in Ivy Town. I'd like you to step in."
M'gann beamed and bobbed a little in excitement. "Really? I'd love to!"
"Great, the bus leaves from here after breakfast."
"I'll be here!" M'gann declared, but sagged a little once Wendy turned away and moved out of sight. (What if something comes up with the Team? I promised Kaldur that that would have priority…)
(Maybe we'll have a quiet weekend?) suggested her boyfriend. "And if not, we'll figure it out.)
(Thanks, Conner… Meet you out front in five?)
(I'll be there.)
Mount Justice.
18:00 EDT.
When Conner and M'gann entered in the hangar, Wolf approached both of them, his tail wagging furiously.
"Hey Wolf, did you miss me?" Conner asked the pony-sized beast softly, then reached out to gently scratched his head behind the ears.
"I think he did," observed M'gann, as Wolf licked Conner's cheek, then petted him too.
Wolf turned towards M'gann, then lunged knocking M'gann over, making her laugh uncontrollably as he licked her face.
"Down boy, that tickles!" she giggled, eventually pushing him off of her with Conner's help.
"I think he missed both of us," observed Conner.
M'gann nodded as she rose to her feet again and hugged the giant canine. "I missed you to, Wolf."
He barked happily and licked her cheek again but allowed the couple to draw him towards the exit without making any more fuss of them.
M'gann, still smiling from Wolf's over-exuberant greeting, expanded her senses out over the mountain, then turned to her boyfriend. "The rest of the Team are already here, Zatara and Captain Marvel too... do you want to join them and see what's going on or get some food first?"
(See what's going on,) Conner declared. "We can eat later."
M'gann nodded, and the couple headed down the tunnel leading to the Mission Room, with Wolf trailing behind them.
Kaldur and Robin were engaged in a sparring match as they walked into the cavernous room. When the two boys noticed the couple, they separated, and the training ring shut down.
(I think Kaldur and Robin are onto us,) M'gann suggested, seeing their team-mates glance in their direction and then have a quick, whispered conversation.
(They are,) Conner confirmed. He'd heard the two boys' conversation, despite their whispering. (It that a problem?)
(Not for me,) M'gann assured him. (Or them…)
Conner nodded, then spotting the last two members of the Team entering the room from the living quarters, he finished her thought. (… but you're not sure about Wally and Artemis.)
(No, I'm not,) M'gann agreed.
"So, if Zatara is our babysitter of the week… why's he still here?" demanded Wally, jerking his head at Captain Marvel, clearly annoyed. "And why's he eating my snacks?"
The whine and flash of an incoming Zeta-Beam saved either Leaguer from having to reply. "Recognized, Batman Zero-Two."
"Computer, national news," ordered Batman as he strode out of the Zeta Tube and moving onto the training ring at the centre of the room without breaking stride.
A holo-screen flared into life showing a news feed: "The initial attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve…" reported the news anchor, as her own screen showed a massive plant rising from the ground. "… And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League…" The view switched to the top of a building that is crumbling before the plant's onslaught. Superman and Hawkwoman flew into the frame, the Kryptonian dove to rescue two civilians from the collapsed building, while the Thanagarian went on the offensive. "… there seems to be no end in sight."
The camera's view shifted to follow Hawkwoman, who was quickly joined by her husband and one of the Green Lanterns, and all three fought to destroy the threat.
"Should we get out there?" asked Robin, excitedly.
"No, the League will soon have the situation under control," replied the Dark Knight firmly. "That's not why I'm here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus' Blockbuster formula to Kobra…"
A holo-screen with the villain's picture on it popped into view.
"Who combined it with Bane's Venom to create Kobra-Venom…" Wally confirmed.
"Which the Brain used to create his animal army." Robin continued irritably.
"And upgrade Wolf," Conner reminded them with a smile, petting the pony-sized canid under his chin.
"The Brain also used inhibitor collars like the ones at Belle Reve penitentiary," M'gann added.
"Batman, is it possible that plant thingy's on Kobra-Venom, too?" asked Artemis, frowning.
"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis," replied the Dark Knight and summoned a holo-keyboard. A 3-D model of plant molecules popped into view. "Which showed that it does contain trace amounts of a Kobra-Venom variant."
"These cannot be coincidences," asserted Kaldur. "Unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide."
Robin summoned his holo-keyboard and began to type. gestures for his own holographic keyboard, typing away.
"Exactly," agreed Batman. "It is now clear our enemies have formed some kind of secret society of supervillains… the attack on Metropolis is only the beginning."
"You got that right," Robin confirmed, and summoned several smaller holo-screens. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Taipei…"
All the screens cut to static, cutting off the Boy Wonder and causing Batman to turn towards them.
"Dude!" griped Wally.
"It wasn't me!" Robin insisted as he typed furiously on his holo-keyboard. "Someone's cutting in the satellite signal… all satellite signals."
The main screen flares back into life to reveal the Joker. He tapped on the camera lens, as if to get everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement…" He opened a switchblade in one hand, then used the other to turn the camera to his left. "… From the Injustice League."
The Joker laughs off-camera as it zoomed in on one of the other villains.
"Vertigo!" exclaimed Artemis. "He's supposed to be locked up in Star City!"
"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities," announced the villainous noble. "If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But the longer your governments wait…"
He trailed off and the Joker's gloved hand turned the camera away from the other six and back towards his own hideous face. "The more we get to have our… jollies."
Maniacal laughter echoed through the room for a moment as the image returned to static. he laughs maniacally until it cuts back to static.
Batman looked like he was about to continue his briefing, then paused for a moment, listening to his comm-link. "Roger that, Aquaman," he said, once the other hero had finished talking, then he turned back to the Team. "The UN will prepare the ransom as a fall-back, but it won't come to that."
Robin had restored the video, rewound it and then ran a facial recognition program on the best view of the group. "As Artemis said we have Count Vertigo… likely the leader… our recent sparring partner Ultra-Humanite?"
Conner grinned at that.
"Most of us have had dealings with Atomic Skull too…" noted Robin. "And we've also got the Joker, Poison Ivy, Black Adam and Wotan. Sevenheavy hitters. Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced in the last four months."
"There's your secret society," murmured Wally.
"Not so secret anymore," countered Artemis.
"Perhaps after India and Bwunda, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer?" suggested Kaldur.
"Yeah?" said Wally, brightly as he clenched his fists. "Well, that was their mistake. Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt!"
"The Justice League will handle the plants," Batman retorted instantly. "I have a different job for this team."
"Oh, man…" Wally whined, then grunted when as Artemis hit him in the arm.
"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system," Batman continued. "Your mission is to destroy it."
"You realize what you're really asking them to do?" asked Zatara as he moved to the Dark Knight's side.
"They're ready."
"Ready? Ready for what?" Wally asked, only to be hit in the arm again by Artemis. "Ow! Will you cut that…"
"Hello, Wally!" snapped Artemis. "If the big guns are fighting plants… who do you think we'll be fighting?"
"I don't know, I guess we'll…" Wally pondered, then gasped as Artemis' arm jabbed him in the face and she pointed at the screen. "Ohh."
"Well, Batman…" began Zatara, then scanned the Team, sensing that their confidence in themselves. "I trust you're correct."
"I trust you can locate the enemy," said Batman.
"Indeed," confirmed Zatara. !Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled." He turned to the Team. "Robin, if you will provide a holo-map, I will search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity."
Robin tapped a command into his holo-keyboard and a holographic globe appeared in the centre of the training room.
Zatara stepped up to it and raised his hand. "Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros."
A small red dot appears on the southern part of the United States.
"There," he declared. "That is where you will find the Injustice League's central control system."
Robin looks at the readout in front of him. "Coordinates locked in… the Louisiana Bayou."
Kaldur stepped up. "We will be on our way."
The Team and Captain Marvel turned to leave, but a call from Batman stopped the Leaguer. "For this plan to succeed, the entire Justice League must be seen fighting the plant creatures," Batman told him. "You, Zatara, and I are needed elsewhere."
Bayou Bartholomew.
October 1, 18:52 CDT.
M'gann was concentrating on flying Bio-Ship, but her attention was briefly distracted by Wally asking what was in the duffel that Kaldur brought onboard.
"Plan B," replied the Atlantean, enigmatically.
A wave of dizziness swept over her and she released the controls to grip her head, but still noticed Conner and Wolf turning to look at her.
"Are you all right?" Conner asked, concern heavy in his voice.
"Dizzy…" M'gann replied automatically, but almost immediately realised that that wasn't quite right…
"Martians get airsick?" asked Robin.
"She does look a bit greener than usual," mused Wally.
Then M'gann realised what was actually going on. "Not me… her."
"I feel fine," insisted Artemis, quickly.
"Not you, the BioShip," M'gann countered. "She's trying to shield us, but…"
Seconds later, the plane shook as something collided hard with it, and screams filled the cabin as she plummeted from the sky and then vines grabbed her and held her down in the water as a massive hole was torn in her roof by Black Adam.
M'gann clutched her head as a new voice screamed. "He's hurting her!"
Conner stood up and leapt towards the breach, punching Black Adam hard in the face and knocking away.
But this only shifted the danger as the vines began to pull them down again and water began to gush in through the breach within seconds.
"No!" exclaimed Artemis. "No way I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row!" She rummaged in her utitilty belt and removed two rebreathers, putting one to her own mouth and offering Wally the other.
"Wow," he said. "Uh, thanks."
"M'gann, we need to get out!" Conner shouted. "Open a hatch!"
The panic in his tone broke through the pain that she was sharing with Bio-Ship. "Hello, Megan!" she exclaimed, slapping herself on the forehead. "Of course." She quickly grew gills and then dived under the water and opened a hole in the hull.
(Out, everyone out!) ordered Aqualad, and lead the way.
M'gann took a deep breath, then dissolved her gills and broke the surface. Conner, Kaldur and Wolf were already on land, and the rest of the Team surfaced seconds later and followed her to the bank where they watched as Bio-Ship was dragged under.
(She's in shock,) M'gann informed the Team. (She'll need time to recover.)
But before anyone can say anything, they fell to the ground clutching their heads and screaming in pain.
"Vertigo…" declared Wally as he struggled to his hands and knees.
"Count Vertigo to you, peasant."
Conner lunged to his feet, but before he could get to Vertigo, he was intercepted by Black Adam, who laid him out with a brutal punch to the face.
Kaldur drew his water-bearers and channelled a funnel of water from the swamp directly at the Vlatavan noble, knocking him off balance. (Robin, Miss Martian, disappear. We will keep them busy while you two fulfil the mission objective.)
He glanced in her direction as she vanished, but this left him open to an attack from Black Adam.
(I've blocked contact with Aqualad and the others,) M'gann started, then paused, unsettled. (Should we…?)
(Sorry, that's not the gig… this is,) said Robin shortly, when lowered his holo-glove to move a branch out of the way Ahead of them was a round building with a glass roof. (The Injustice League's central control system,) he reported, then pointed at the massive pillar of vines protruding from the roof. (Looks like that plant is acting as an antenna to control the other plants worldwide.)
"Well, hello," said a taunting voice from behind them, but before they could even turn to look who it was, they were ensnared by more vines, which raising them off the ground and turned them to face their captors, Poison Ivy and the gun-toting Ultra-Humanite.
"And good-bye…" continued Ivy lightly as the gorilla aimed his weapon at M'gann.
But M'gann was ready for him, and a psychic nudge knocked off his aim and destroyed the plants instead of hitting her.
Without a word to each other, the two teens dropped to the ground and ran off in separate directions.
M'gann headed into the trees, weaving in and out of them for a moment under fire from Ultra-Humanite, and then evading him by activating her camouflage.
It only took M'gann only a moment to locate the Boy Wonder and flew in just in time to save him by exploding a vine that was about to skewer him.
At the same time, M'gann got a telepathic signal that she'd been waiting for. (Robin, she's made contact.)
(Artemis?) he asked confused.
(No,) replied M'gann and directed her attention upwards to the formation flying above them.
Seconds later, Bio-Ship slammed into Wotan, breaking his concentration and sending him plummeting towards the water.
With Wotan briefly out of the play, the energy cage imprisoning the rest of the Team suddenly disappeared, and they yelled in panic as they dropped.
Black Adam swooped around to grab the count.
"Not me…" he snarled. "Stop those delinquents!"
(Good girl,) said M'gann, then turned to Robin. (Should we?)
Robin shook his head. (We need to get to the antenna while the Injustice League are distracted.)
(But…)
(Miss M, if they survived – which I'm sure they did – then we can meet up with them later,) Robin reminded her. (If they didn't… well then we owe them to make sure their sacrifice wasn't in vain.)
(You're right,) M'gann agreed. (Let's go.)
They made it back to the greenhouse without interruption. Robin moved straight to the vine itself, while M'gann moved to an observation post on the edge of the roof in time to see Conner and Wolf grapple with Ultra-Humanite and Artemis move to strike Poison Ivy with a high roundhouse kick, which the chlorokinetic barely avoided. The villainess pulled up a vine to knock Artemis away, then for some reason glanced towards the greenhouse and gasped, then began running towards them "My baby!"
(Robin, you're almost out of time!)
(Fire in the hole!)
M'gann heard a quiet beeping for a moment then the antenna erupted in flames, screaming in her mind as it died.
Robin appeared at M'gann's side, grinning. "Timber."
Ivy screamed in rage and attacked them with dozens of vines.
M'gann took flight and then attacked the plants psychically, pulling them apart. But before she was able to get to the villain herself, she was struck in the back with a powerful laser blast and crashed to the ground.
Robin joined her as Atomic Skull and Joker revealed themselves.
"Children? Children foiled our plan? Inconceivable, unacceptable… retributionable!" he paused, raising a hand. "That last one might not be a word… so, sue me!"
"Kill them!" snarled the count. "Kill them all!"
Robin dragged M'gann back to her feet, just in time for them to both dodge another one of Atomic Skull's blasts.
Ultra-Humanite moved slowly to engage Conner and Wolf again, but they were interrupted by Black Adam swooping in and grabbing the clone, throwing the clone high into a tree.
Undeterred or perhaps encouraged by his boy's absence, Wolf charges at the gorilla with a snarl.
Artemis was attempting to orient herself when she attacked from behind by Count Vertigo and she fell to her knees.
"Leave her alone!" snarled Wally darkly. But before he could attack the count, he was struck from behind by Wotan.
"Enough!" declared the dark sorcerer as formed a protective bubble and took flight. Almost immediately, the bubble was struck by two birdarangs which exploded in plumes of dark smoke.
Wotan dropped his bubble and then formed multiple streams of lightning, which he fired at the Team.
Robin went down hard, but Kaldur was able to withstand the onslaught.
A second volley knocked Artemis clear of Vertigo's range for a moment and stunned Wally.
Black Adam threw Conner directly into another blast, while a sixth weakened Wolf long enough for Ulta-Humanite to free himself from the beast's jaws.
A fourth volley knocked the camouflaged M'gann out of the sky, but when she landed near Kaldur he was able to take the brunt of the attack.
"Plan "B"," he told her, grunting against the pan.
Seconds later, Kaldur's duffle bag dropped from the hovering bio-ship and landed in his hands. He unzipped the bag and pulled out a golden helmet, then held it over his head.
Wotan's attack stopped his attack immediately, stunned. "The Helmet of Fate!"
Wally turned to Kaldur, stunned. "No, Aqualad… don't!"
But before he could move to stop him, he was struck by Black Adam knocking across the clearing to crash against a tree with a resounding crunch.
Conner lunges at Black Adam back in revenge, but to limited effect.
As the helmet lowered into place, Aqualad's uniform is replaced by that of Doctor Fate and takes flight, bathed in golden light and floating over the marshy grounds.
Wally grunted as he stood, his right arm limp at his side and his left reaching for his elbow to stabilize it when he saw Kaldur. "Oh, dude."
Doctor Fate moved to confront Wotan face to face. "Wotan, you are mine."
Wotan brought his hands together and fired an orange beam of power at Doctor Fate, but the Lord of Order's counter-attack burned straight through the dark sorcerer's defense, hitting him in the chest and knocking him down to chain him against the greenhouse.
"Solvo quod reverto," said Wotan chants, shattering the chains and then sending them back towards Doctor Fate.
The sorcerer appeared nonplussed by the reversal, and conjured his Ankh as a shield, destroying the chains on contact.
"Wotan has prepared for your return, Doctor!" boasted the dark sorcerer, then flew towards his enemy. "Fulmina venite!"
Another orange beam burst from his hands and struck the Ankh. Doctor Fate's defence held for a moment, but then shattered, knocking the Lord of Order backwards for a moment, until he could regain his balance.
M'gann tried to ignore the battle that raged above her as she wound between the trees, desperately trying to avoid Poison Ivy's vine when she was hit by one of Count Vertigo's attacks, which caused her to drop her camouflage and then fall from the sky screaming and her world went black.
She regained consciousness just in time to see reinforcements arrive in the shape of Zatara, the Hawks, Captains Atom and Marvel and M'gann's uncle who quickly encircled the villains.
Most of them quickly surrendered, but Joker had other ideas and took control of the vines, generating several massive red buds which quickly burst, releasing a cloud of noxious, green gas.
"Joker-Venom spores… don't breathe!" ordered the Dark Knight and struck the Clown Prince in the face and knocked him down with a punch.
But this had no effect on the gas, which continued to spread.
"Fear not!" declared Doctor Fate and rose over the cloud. He conjured another Ankh, which quickly sucked away the gas. "Fate has intervened!"
"What were you thinking?!" Wally demanded of M'gann. "How could you let him put on the Helmet? Nabu will never release him now! Kaldur will be trapped inside Doctor Fate forever!"
The Lord of Order stood motionless for a moment, seemingly confirmed the speedster's fears, but then raised his hands and removed the helmet.
Wally moves quickly in front of Kaldur. "Nabu let you go?"
"He almost did not," admitted the Atlantean. "But your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello."
"We're done here," said Batman, drawing the Team's attention to him. "The Injustice League has been neutralized. As for your performance…"
The Team waits through the painful silence.
"… It was satisfactory."
The six teens turned to each other and shared grins at that.