|The Cult of the White Rose HQ
|July 4th, 1:00 EDT
|2010
Located in the sun-blasted state of Arizona, nestled within the Grand Canyon area, laid a fortress of untold magnitude and horror.
Built by conquered slaves and limitless undead thralls, Castle Bracus was home to the accident seat of the Carstein family and their Cult of the White Rose. A secret society of vampires that wholly believe the Earth should be nothing more than a world poised in eternal darkness. From that darkness, the Carsteins and the Cult of the White Rose shall rise as the world's only superpower and sole rulers. Thus, for the past several centuries they hid and slowly grew their numbers in secret. Leagues upon leagues of undead were housed within the very walls that made Castle Bracus. When the New World was discovered, they brought their undead dragons to life and carried their massive fortress toward the Americas.
Now housed within the many canyons in Arizona, they continued their tireless work raiding the graves of the dead and securing willing thralls into their service. It wasn't until the Sorcerer Wotan came to them to offer his services with the Amulet of Aten were their plans finally enacted. After a month of thorough preparation with Wotan, the head of the cult, Lord Fredrick von Carstein, announced his beginning of world-conquering with a bang.
With a chant from Wotan, the Amulet of Aten activated with a bright flash. Arizona soon found the light of the sun being filtered into the amulet. By the ten-minute mark, Arizona was purged into darkness. As predicted by Wotan, the end of the day will bring the whole world into darkness. For now, though, the Cult of the White Rose was content with emerging and conquering the state as a warm-up. The vampires ventured out with their army of millions of skeleton warriors and thralls. It was a daunting sight to behold watching a marching army of undead traveling up the Colorado River. It was quite unfortunate then that no one in the public ever saw the full might of the White Rose. Partly due to the fact it was pitch black but mainly because of the Justice League.
Earth's protectors were quick to intervene and try to put a stop to this dastardly plan. First, it was the magician Zatara who was tracking Wotan, and then it was Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Wonder Woman and the two Green Lanterns arrived soon after. Much later, the entire Justice League was engaged in a grueling battle with the White Rose. Throughout the Grand Canyon, the League fought a repetitive battle with legions of skeletons. Each soldier fell by their hands and was resurrected soon after. Shattered bone reformed in an instant and smashed arms were reformed and sharpened. Only the thralls were taken out for good. Knocked unconscious by the League.
Split into two teams, The League besieged the fortress from the skies and on the ground. The undead dragons would've proved a mighty opponent of those on the ground if weren't for a Kryptonian and a student of Piccolo. Superman and Black Canary zipped through the skies, destroying dragons and aiding those below. The heavy hitters of the League took on undead soldiers and monsters like horrid Ghouls, frenzied Wraiths, and the dreaded Varghulf, a massive beast with a ravaging hunger matching its veracity.
Wonder Woman, the Hawks, Green Arrow, and Aquaman held their ground at the Gatehouse of the fortress. Holding the line for their allies deep within the tallest tower of the fortress. The likes of Batman, Captain Atom, Flash, and Zatara were atop the tower where Wotan was peacefully hovering and chanting with the Amulet of Aten high above him. Neither of the heroes could get to him as he was guarded by Fredrick von Carstein. The elder vampire was a pale, monstrous man. A hulking brute towered over all of them with a massive bulk encased in an elaborate magical armor as pale as snow. A ruby rose embroiled onto his board chest. Try as they might, they could not get past this walking tank. Despite his bulk, the vampire was just as fast as the Flash. Cutting off the speedster before he could grab Wotan or the Amulet of Aten. "Pestering meatbags. How dare you ruin my plans!" Fredrick barked and backhanded Flash.
Flash skidded across the ground and was caught by Captain Atom. Setting him back down, Captain Atom launched a beam right at Fredrick, who just turned into mist. The beam pierced harmlessly past him but struck Wotan. The beam harmlessly past Wotan who simply turned his head to the side to avoid it. The sorcerer signed. "Focus please Fredrick. You're meant to be defending me" Wotan tsked.
"Silence Sorcerer! Focus on capturing the sun!" Fredrick hissed.
Turning into a swarm of bats, Fredrick aimed to swarm Zatara and drain his blood through his numerous claws and fangs. A high-pitched ringing stunned his bats. All of them fell to the floor, shrieking in pain as Batman emerged from the shadows with a sonic device playing a high-pitched ringing on his belt. Batman threw down several compacted canisters that exploded on impact. A thick smog of blue gas caked the ground. It smelt thickly of alcohol and numerous chemicals that Fredrick could not identify. He felt his bats fall one by one. The cur was putting his forms to sleep! In a rush, Fredrick willed his bats to form his original body. Fully formed, Fredrick moved to leapt into the air and out of the cloud but Captain Atom flew down and pinned him into the ground.
Captain Atom twisted his body and pulled him into a pin. Captain Atom was of greater strength than Fredrick so the vampire turned into mist to escape him. That was when Flash came in to zip around and tear Fredrick out of the air with his speed. Fredrick panicked and reformed. Flash timed it well and launched the vampire towards the nearby wall. "Eilg ptni llaw taht nrut!" Zatara yelled just as Fredrick impacted the wall.
Instead of crashing into marble brick, Fredrick splashed deep into the brick-shaped pool of industrial superglue. Fredrick tried to move but was quickly being sealed in the brick. The Leaguers now moved to secure Wotan but were stopped by the arrival of lesser vampires. The offspring of Fredrick, the vampires were no less deadly than their progenitor. They unnaturally bounded towards the Leaguers, swarming them with a flurry of teeth and claws. Batman struggled with fighting them off, throwing a variety of flashbangs and other disorientating gadgets to stun the vampires. Zatara quickly swooped in and threw down a bile of colorful clothes. A quick chant and the clothes came to life. They flew around the vampires and tied themselves around their limbs and eyes. Trying to disable them long enough for the Leaguers to regroup and come up with a plan. "Zatara to everyone! We have disabled the Master Vampire but we are being swarmed by its kin. We need immediate assistance now!" Zatara cried over the coms.
"Negative on the support Zatara! The skies are too thick! The dragons are changing tactics and are leaving the area to try and target civilians" John Steward yelled over the coms.
"Can't! We're being swarmed!" Hawkman replied.
Similar reports were sent back to Zatara, who was now sweating in fear. He heard bubbling noises coming from the brick of glue. The vampires tore away at the brick, trapping themselves but dislodging a chunk of glue with each swipe they made. One managed to cut deep enough to leave a single finger of Fredricks exposed. That was enough for Fredrick to turn into mist and fly through the gap. He reformed outside of the brick and glared furious dagger at the heroes. "Enough of this! You shall feel the full fury and might of the White Rose. Feel my thorns ripping your bones apart! Feel them sucking you dr-"
The vampire lord's ears perked up and his red eyes glanced upwards. His glare intensified into a monstrous snarl at he saw a soft glow in the sky. He snapped to Wotan. "Sorcerer! What did I say?! Keep focus on the sun! You're letting it back into the world!" Fredrick roared.
Wotan lazily flicked his eyes upwards and sighed. "That's not the sun."
At his words, everyone- hero and vampire alike, look up to see a shining light blaring above. Slowly, it grew in strength, along with a low rumble that picked up in volume. A dim light began to fill the world. Flash whistled and leaned towards Zatara. "Ya think the amulet has a leak or something?" he asked.
Zatara shook his head. The heroes noticed he had a look of utter relief on his face. "No, that is our backup" he proudly declared.
Fredrick heard this and snapped at Zatara. "Another blood bag for me to tenderize?! Who is it?!" he roared.
Whatever the heroes said next was lost on him as all his heightened hearing could hear was the deep continuous roar coming from above. There was a sudden bright flash of light. The loud roaring ceased, only for it to be replaced with a massive cry that everyone could hear:
"HELLZONE GRENADE!"
There was a moment of suspense. Only a second yet it left a profound effect soon after. Surrounding the bright light came little lights. Like stars in the night sky, they glowed hot and bright. Growing bigger and bigger. Dread fell upon everyone. "Oh, that ain't good…" Flash managed to say before all hell broke loose.
The Grand Canyon was carpet-bombed. Energy spheres slammed into the army surrounding the fortress. Massive explosions uprooted chunks of rock and earth. The impacts either obliterated the undead outright or led to them being crushed by the mountains of rubble and fire. Thousands of ki-fused energy balls constantly rained down from the heavens by none other than Piccolo. Having spent the better part of five minutes filling the sky above him with as many energy balls as he was willing to muster, he had plenty of ammo to throw at the undead below. Of course, he was careful not to harm the living thralls but he did leave them either too terrified to move or incapacitated from the impacts. The same could not be said for the undead, however.
Both land and sky, Piccolo threw energy spheres at them. All the dragons in the air were wiped out immediately as the ki balls struck them down and reduced them to ash. Not even the most powerful magics could bring their forms back. The undead army, thralls, and vampires outside or away from the Leaguers were too disorganized to fight back or organize themselves. The Leaguers away from the main tower found themselves without anyone to fight. 'All of you! I'll handle the army outside. Take care of Wotan and the vampires' Piccolo ordered mentally.
'A little warning next time would be very much appreciated!' Flash cussed out.
'Watch out' Piccolo warned right before putting his hands on either side of his face. "Solar flare!" he roared.
A blinding light lit up the canyon, blinding everyone who was looking up. This was fortunately Fredrick and his vampire spawn. "GAH!" Fredrick howled.
He stumbled around, eyes closed. He was swinging maddingly at any Leaguer brave enough to confront him in his moment of weakness. All he succeeded in doing was knocking out a few of his spawn left blinded too. Not that swinging his fists around would help much against someone who could shoot at him from a distance. Captain Atom easily scored a devastating hit with a powered-up blast. Fredrick was knocked to the ground and into a tower wall. Captain Atom grunted. 'Thanks for the warning, but for the love of all things holy, stop blowing up the Grand Canyon! It's a national monument!' Captain Atom yelled mentally.
Piccolo simply grunted.
"Wonder Woman to tower team, we are arriving at the top of the tower. Prepare for breach" Wonder Woman yelled over the comms.
The Leaguers in the tower leaped away from the tower door. The vampire spawn near the door were blown away when the Hawks flew in maces swinging. Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow all come out swinging, blasting, and shooting respectively. The Spawns were no match for heavy hitters of the Justice League. Fredrick realised this and sought to handle them but he was outnumbered. The Hawks he could handle but Wonder Woman and Manhunter? He was being pounded to the ground. Each blow they sent knocked him to his feet or sent him flying into a wall. It was more of a beating than a fight. Worse of all, Fredrick would literally feel the tides of battle change. He felt his necromancy magic grow within himself. One would think of this as a good sign but to Fredrick, it was a horrible one.
For one to perform necromancy, a part of their magic must go into the corpse to revive, maintain, and control it. If that corpse were to be fully destroyed, the magic would go back to the necromancer. So to feel all his magic returning to him meant that his army was dying in the droves. Centuries of hard work and secrecy were destroyed into fine dust. All in an instant. Fredrick was so stunned by the events around him that he was easily clocked in the head by Wonder Woman. He skidded across the ground and landed on his back. His eyes glance upwards to that bright light in the sky. The one responsible for his work's destruction. So much light. So much power! He had been a fool to think only the sun could be so bright and disastrous to him. A figure flew into his vision. Red cape bellowing in the chaotic wind. Fredrick climbed to his feet. He was uneasy and felt like Castle Bracus was on his very shoulders. He could only kneel in place. "It's over Fredrick von Carstein. Surrender and order your cult to lay down their arms. If you come peacefully, I can assure you that you and your people will have a lighter sentence" Superman purposed.
Fredrick hissed and grumbled. "What lighter sentence is there for this? Death?!" Fredrick gestured around him.
The bodies of the dead, his thralls, and the fact he tried to conquer the state. What enemy would be foolish enough to grant Fredrick the mercy of imprisonment? "You're sentencing won't be light. Illegal arms distribution and usage, acts of terrorism, the intent to harm the public, and numerous counts of defilement of the deceased that span through several countries. However, surrounding willing will lighten your sentence to a few lifetimes" Batman explained.
Fredrick widened his eyes, disbelief more than apparent on his face. Truly? Would his enemy still offer mercy to a beast like him? "Do you accept?" Wonder Woman pressed.
Swallowing his pride and warrior spirit, Fredrick bowed his head. "Yes. Fredrick von Carstein and the Cult of the White Rose surrenders to your hands" Fredrick's words were filled with grief, shame, and humiliation.
His Spawn howled in anguish but relented. Bowing down submissively. Fredrick took solace that this was not the end of his children or himself. If what Batman said was true, then they could all-
"Pathetic"
A loud thud and crackle shook Fredrick. He felt the wind knock out of him. He fell forward only for him to stop and feel horrid pain course through his body. He looked down to see that a long wooden stake made out of a tree branch was pushed against the floor and onto him. No, it was in him. It had punched through his back and out of his chest. Fredrick heard the Man of Steel cry out "No!" Fredrick turned to see Wotan staring at him with disgust and shame. His arm outstretched towards him with a small tree shooting out towards him. That was all Fredrick could see before his vision crackled into a swirling mass of nothingness.
The League watched on as Fredrick von Carstein dissolved into dust. The vampire Spawn all screamed before they too were gone in a blink of an eye. The skeletons still animated crumbled to pieces and the thralls still conscious were knocked out as their master's power left them. The Leaguers were dumbfounded by Wotan's actions. Backstabbing his only ally and means of protection, even if Fredrick did surrender. Wotan looked at the ash pile with a sneer. "I thought a vampire necromancer would've been more impressive than that. I should've gone with the yetis" Wotan growled.
Wotan flicked the tree off his hands. The tree burst into flames inside the bubble but the parts outside it were left intact to land on the floor. The Leaguers snapped to attention. Zatara rushed forward. "Do you think that bubble will protect you Wotan? Yrotsed taht dl- "
"Stop Zatara!" Batman suddenly shouted.
Everyone froze at his words. It was rare for Batman to shout so given this Zatara almost made a grievous mistake. The point was further proven when Wotan gave them a coy smirk. "What is the matter? Getting cold feet?" he laughed.
Batman wasn't fazed, turning to address everyone. "No one go near him. Zatara, how powerful is that shield?"
Zatara glared at it. "Not that's powerful. It's summoned to defend against elemental-based attacks, not physical ones. Even one blow would knock it down" Zatara explained.
Batman turned back to Wotan, who in turn grinned at him. "Why don't you test Zatara's theory Batman?" he asked.
"Because that's what you expect Wotan. For us to break it and burn us all to a crisp" Batman declared.
The Leaguers were taken aback and prepared themselves for an unforeseen attack. Batman didn't move, eyeing off Wotan as the Sorcerer snickered. Wotan reached down his shirt and revealed a silver and pink pendant that looked to be in the middle of melting. Zatara gasped. "The Heart of Boreas?!"
"As cold as the North Winds and that of the highest peeks of Hel. It's important to cool down when handling something as hot as the Sun" Wotan snickered.
"Another magical trinket? Does every wizard or God just leave their stuff lying around?!" Hal Jordan bemoaned.
"The Heart of Boreas is meant to let the wearer command the cold" Zatara quickly explained.
"He's using it in conjunction with the Amulet to counteract the side effects of containing the sun. It's still not enough so he placed an elemental shield around him to contain the heat" Batman described.
Wotan barked out a laugh. "Well done Detective. Now, can you solve what I am about to do?" he asked.
The League turned to Batman. The Dark Knight was deep in thought, examining what Wotan was actually trying to accomplish. Seeing no response from him, the League took matters into their own hands. "Ok, forget trying to figure out what he's planning, try to think of a way to stop him" John Steward advised.
"Flash or Manhunter, can you try to Density Shift through the shield without breaking it? Or can you use your telekinesis to drag Wotan away" Green Arrow asked.
Flash shook his head. "No way, I'll have to grab that pendant too so I don't burn myself, and if you've handled magic users before, you know they love to bless or ward their trinkets to zap or disintegrate anyone who touches them" Flash explains.
Martian Manhunter nodded along. "Flash is right. We can't do anything without that pendant. If I Density Shift in, I'll burn. If Zatara is right about how weak the shield is, what is stopping Wotan from just destroying it?"
"It's because it will take out most of the Northern Hemisphere" Wotan chimed in.
"Thanks for the tip hotshot," Flash said sarcastically.
Hawkwoman looked to Captain Atom. "Can you try and absorb the heat?" she asked.
Captain Atom clenched his teeth in thought. "Maybe? I don't know if I can absorb it fast enough" he responded.
"We can get Piccolo down to try and help" Black Canary suggested.
"And what's he going to do?" Green Arrow asked with an exacerbated tone.
"It cannot hurt to have someone that powerful close by. Piccolo, if you can hear me, we need your help" Red Tornado called out.
"On my way" Piccolo mentally projected.
They looked up to see Piccolo's bright aura expand as he flew down towards them. Batman picked that moment to look up. It was then that Batman finally spoke, seeing all the pieces fall together. "You weren't here to help Fredrick block out the Sun. He was just bait to lure us in, to overwhelm us, and to make us call in backup. You're here to kill Piccolo with the Sun" Batman finally concluded.
The League paled, looking at Wotan with disbelief on their faces. Wotan smirked at them. "Correct."
He flicked his hands outwards. The amulet glowed hot white before exploding into a blinding heat and rays of whites, oranges, and yellows. The Justice League shielded their eyes with a cry. The Green Lanterns quickly set up a protective bubble around them. They struggled to handle the unsought of heat and power radiating off of the amulet. Captain Atom helped by absorbing as much of the heat as possible but it was beginning to rise faster than he could safely absorb. Through the blinding light, the Leaguers saw a miniature sun ooze out of the Amulet. A size of a golf ball at first, it swelled in size and power. Wotan chuckled loudly, unaffected by the heat and energy discharging out of it. "Such power!" he cheered. He looked upwards towards Piccolo racing toward him.
The Namekian was confused and unsure about the sudden power coming from the top of Castle Bracus.
Wotan smiled. "Too long have you meddled in my affairs. Too long have you lived, Piccolo. No more! If magics, nukes, reality-bending powers, and death rays can't kill you, then the origin of life and power itself will!" Wotan cried and expanded the Sun.
It was now the size of a small building and growing ever more. With its immense size came even more heat. It was now blistering hot. The surrounding marble, metal, and rock uncovered by the Lanterns' shield was melting away. Warped and twisted. Those within the shield didn't fare better. The regular humans were huddled close under Wonder Woman, Black Canary, and the Hawks. The Hawks using their body and wings, Wonder Woman her shield, and Black Canary her aura to ward off the boiling heat. Martian Manhunter and Aquaman were crippled instantly. Both cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Batman and Zatara quickly shielded them and started applying ice spells and ice grenades to them. It was only getting worse and worse. "Wotan! Enough! You can't win! Stop this or you will burn everything" Captain Marvel shouted to him.
Wotan grunted, straining from the power. "If that means ruling over the ashes, so be it!" Wotan cried.
The Sun made a rocketing boom as it shot into an even greater size. The League was left in horror seeing it dwarf the size of Castle Bracus and even the surrounding canyons. Piccolo stopped flying, stunned at the sight and power. "What is this?" he gasped.
In Piccolo's moment of confusion, Wotan stuck.
"ᛋᚢᚾ'ᛋᚹᚱᚨᛏᚺ!"
Screaming in his old tongue, Wotan unleashed the full might of the Sun. An earth-shattering boom shot it into the air. It sailed upwards, making a horrible rumbling noise so deafening it made the Leaguers sick to their stomachs. Like thousands of monsters all roaring at once. Superman and the other strong fighters tried to stop it but it was too much to handle. Their team needed them to protect them. Superman held onto the Tower, preventing it from crumbling below them while the rest shielded those not strong enough to withstand the full concentrated power of the Sun.
The Sun roared into the sky and towards Piccolo. Piccolo bellowed as the Sun burned his eyes. He felt his body cook and his clothes lit aflame. He let out a shocked roar just as the Sun engulfed him. There was a sharp bang then an ear-piercing boom that rocked everyone to the core. Their bones rattled and their vision blurred. High above, they saw the Sun ripple and wave. One side of it explodes outwards from the impact. The thunderous noises that impact made were deafened by Wotan's howling cheers. "Finally! Your tyranny ends this day, Piccolo! Finally, you fall- and by my hands. The Hands of Wotan the-"
A burst of pure white bathed the world. The winds howled and the earth shook to the point the Leaguers thought the Sun had gone supernova. That the world was being destroyed. That couldn't have been further from the case. The power pounding at the Lantern's shields and the heat boiling the air dissipated in an instant. The Lanterns and Captain Atom breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling the air return to normal, they lowered their powers and shieldes. The League got to their feet. Aquaman and Manhunter both groaned and shook off the ice across their bodies. Everyone was slightly singed and sporting a bad sunburn. Everyone was shaken but ready for anything. Looking up, they saw the Sun was intact but surrounded by an orange aura. It flew down to them calmly. Underneath the Sun and holding it with one arm, Piccolo floated down and hovered over them. His clothes were burned and he was missing his turban. His skin was blackened in some areas and bleeding in others. Overall, he did not look that worse for wear. While everyone was amazed by the sight of Piccolo holding the Sun, they were more so worried by the nasty glare he had. A furious glare that made his forehead veins pop out and his fanged teeth clenched and gritted in a vicious snarl. Worryingly, it wasn't directed at Wotan, who was frozen in horror at his failed plan, but at the Justice League. "Hypocrites! All of you!" he screamed.
The Leaguers were taken aback. "You lot keep giving me crap about me not warning you, yet none of you warned me about Wotan's attack!" Piccolo yelled.
"Oh! Sorry buddy. I know, I know. We should've said 'Hey Piccolo! Look out because Wotan is about to haul the literal sun in your face!' I'm sorry but I'm still getting my head around the fact it just happened, let alone trying to put it into words during the fact!" Flash defended.
Superman flew up to Piccolo. "Piccolo! Are you ok?" he asked worryingly.
Piccolo glared at him for moment. His face then softened and he seemingly blew out his irritation with a swift exhale. "I'm breathing, aren't I?" Piccolo grumbled.
Superman gave him a disappointed look. "You know that's not the same. Can you heal all that?" Superman asked, eyeing his burns.
Piccolo scoffed. "You've seen me rip off and regrow my own arms. I can manage a little burn."
Meanwhile, the League recovered from their shock and turned their focus onto Wotan. The Sorcerer blinked out of his mortified state. His eyes bulged out in shock, releasing his ultimate attack and his only defense was gone. "sem- " Wotan began to chant but a red blur shoved a fistful of Zatara's colorful cloth from earlier into his mouth.
The blur spun around him, yanking off his magical items and wrapping him in the same color cloth. By the end of it, Flash stood before his handy work; Wotan wrapped up tightly with a little bow above his head. "Ooo! Slow to the draw there buddy!" Flash snickered, patting Wotan's head.
The League relaxed for a moment before asking the big question. "Any ideas on how to fix this?" Captain Marvel asked, gesturing to both the Sun and the dark sky.
"I could fly to where the Sun should be and drop this off" Piccolo offered.
"That won't be necessary" Zatara spoke up.
He walked up to Flash and took the Amulet out of his hands. "If Wotan can take the Sun and put it in the Amulet, then the reverse should be true. I can use the Amulet to put the Sun back in its rightful place. Since the Heart of Boreas is…" Zatara looked towards the pendant in Flash's hand. Flash grimaced when the pedant melted right off its chain and splat on his foot. "…gone, I will need to take my time with this. Managing the heat and energy. Can you manage to hold the Sun until then?" Zatara asked.
Piccolo sighed and landed on the tower. "Sure. It's not like I'm working up a sweat" he said.
Piccolo ignored Captain Marvel's sly comment, saying "Show off", and took a seat on one of the ruined stone bricks. Batman reigned in everyone's attention. "With the issue taken care of, it's time to focus on rounding up the thralls and making sure this Castle doesn't fall."
The Leaguers let out a collective sigh and groan at the sight around them. A blasted landscape looking like a No Man's Land. They all felt a collective sense of discontent at the worst aspect of their job: Clean up duty.
|The Cult of the White Rose HQ
|July 4th, 10:34 EDT
|2010
Most of the Leaguers would've spent this moment at home with their families, enjoying dinner, watching the fireworks, and celebrating Independence Day. Instead, they were left coordinating the mass evacuation of their prisoners. It was a slow, laborious process which required a lot of logistical work. The Arizona police were the first to arrive. Seeing the massive castle and the amount of captured thralls made them contact the army. Soon the sight was awash with military and civil personnel patrolling the area and arranging transportation for the prisoners. The Leaguers helped manage the transfer, repaired what they could around the castle, and made sure said castle didn't fall. Naturally, the news anchors arrived shortly after the military. Officials said their peace, explained the events that transpired, and gave their thanks to the Justice League. The more photogenic Leaguers were there to answer questions and to prove their support for the hard-working men and women behind them securing the site. Of course, the cameramen were more focused on filming the literal Sun standing above Castle Bracus. Their fervor to capture the sight quadrupled when they caught the hero holding the Sun.
It was rare for the Press to see Piccolo in action or around the Justice League. They tried desperately to capture his image but intervention from the military and the League stopped them. Hours have passed since then. The Sun was now in the palm of Piccolo's hand. Beside him was Zatara, who was continuously chanting ever since he took hold of the Amulet. Overlooking them were Batman, Captain Marvel, and The Flash. "Oh! How cute! Look at it! It's a lil' Sun! Can I hold it? Please Piccolo! Can I hold it please?" Flash begged.
Captain Marvel quickly intervened. "I wouldn't suggest that Flash. Even at this small of a compacted size, that sun has the power of twenty quadrillion watts pulsing through it-"
"Here" Piccolo casually tossed it into Flash's hands.
The Speedster flinched, expecting it to be hot or heavy, but it felt much like a basketball. He tossed it in his hands and chuckled. "Look at it! Haha!" Flash held the sun out and wiggled his fingers at it, "The power of the sun in the palm of my hand! Mahahaha!" he cackled like a villain.
"Gah. Literal child" Piccolo spat.
"Oh come on Pic. It's not every day a guy like me gets to hold a literal celestial body in his hands. Oh! Someone got a camera?! I wanna take a picture for Kid Flash. He won't believe this! Quick, Piccolo! Spawn a camera for m-" The Sun immediately dissipated from his hands.
Zatara's chanting ceased and he floated back onto his feet, amulet in hand. "It is done. The sun is fully restored" he announced.
Flash signed in disappointment, only to bounce right back when Batman begrudgingly said he'd send him his cowl's footage later. Piccolo rolled his shoulders and eyed off Zatara. He could sense the Magician had used a lot of his energy to restore the Sun. Piccolo snagged a large stone slab torn from a nearby wall and placed it beside Zatara. "Sit" he demanded.
"Thank you, my friend," Zatara said, taking the offered seat.
Seeing as Zatara was in good hands, Batman and Flash left the two of them be. Zatara took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "Have you given it much thought on training our young protégés?" he asked.
Piccolo huffed in frustration. "I have. Spent the last several days meditating on it…" Piccolo admitted.
Zatara hummed and looked down at his feet. "The fact that you're so caught up about this is a good sign."
"It really isn't! Have you tried to meditate when you have this… gnawing feeling eating away at you? At the back of your mind, in your stomach, and... everywhere?! Every waking moment of every day? The same worries over and over."
"I am a father Piccolo. Of course I know what you are going through. Whenever I see Zatanna use a new spell, see her go off and explore ruins with me, or do just about anything she does by herself, I get that same feeling. It means that you care for the children"
Piccolo scoffed. "Of course I do. Two have got idiots as mentors and all of them are going head first into the meat grinder when the time comes. How can I not care about that?" he bitterly said.
Zatara looked around at the destruction with a downtrodden expression. "Today was evidence enough that what Batman showed was true; our enemies are evolving in strength and cunning. The fact that all of us struggled with this fight is… telling" he mournfully spoke.
"Can't help but feel I'm partially to blame for that" Piccolo mused.
"It is natural. Every action has an equal or greater reaction. You should rectify that then."
Piccolo sighed, clearly annoyed. "I've been trying to do that but you lot keep dragging me into your battles!"
"Then let's fix that. Let others be the ones in the spotlight and begin to level the playing field" Zatara proposed.
Piccolo's eyes widen in surprise. Of all people, the paranoid parent Zatara was suggesting he go ahead and train the brats. "Zatara? You know what I go through and what I put Dinah through" Piccolo worryingly said.
Zatara nodded but remained firm in his explanation. "You always say how difficult your training is and how it is not for everyone. That it will break a person and could cause great harm to one's self, but if you look at the children. Watch them work, and you'll see they have the potential to learn from you. They will struggle and they will hurt, but I know you are a kind soul. You're tough as nails my friend, but you have a good heart. You would not see the children come to great harm."
Zatara's words moved Piccolo. He was briefly reminded of Pan and her training. Zatara's words rang true. He was more cautious with Pan and what he taught her. Unlike her father, he knew when to hold back on his teaching and the situation he put her in. He learned that through trial, error, and remorse. He strid himself to never put a child in the same position he put Gohan in. No matter the situation. Maybe it was best to follow Zatara's advice. See what these children were capable of and plan adoringly...
"Leaguers! Regroup to me! We have a situation!"
Batman's voice yelling through the comms sent everyone on edge. Piccolo and Zatara leaped into the air and flew upwards. Swiftly, the League converged onto Batman's location, which was unfortunately in the thick of officers and other workers. Piccolo suppressed a grumble and flew down towards the conjoining Leaguers. Piccolo ignored the staring and subtle look the soldiers and officers were giving him. A giant being like himself tended to attract onlookers. Doubly so when said being was rumored to be the most powerful being in the galaxy.
Piccolo and Zatara landed right next to the other Leaguers. Huddled near Batman's Batwing, the Caped Crusader was stuck on a computer side panel, typing commands at a blitzing pace. Piccolo saw Batman's face tense up and his jaw briefly clenched. He turned abruptly towards the League. "The children are at Cadmus" Batman announced.
"Excuse me?!" Aquaman gasped.
"Damnit! We gave them orders to stay put!" Flash yelled.
"This is why they weren't ready yet" Wonder Woman huffed.
"What's the situation? Are they alright?" Captain Atom worryingly asked.
Batman hit a few keystrokes before responding. "The fires at Cadmus were extinguished and all staff are present and accounted for. The children went in but didn't come out. Bio monitors show they had in two high-stress encounters before being rendered unconscious for several hours. They've recovered but it's indicating that they're currently in danger" Batman listed off.
"Rendered uncon- Do we not have an alarm for this?!" Zatara yelled with a hint of anger.
"We do, but Robin managed to disable them just after we left. He didn't want us to know what they were doing. I only caught it because I actively searched for biosignatures to make sure they were alright at the Hall of Justice" Batman explained.
"Well? What on earth are we waiting for?! Let's rescue them!" Captain Marvel declared.
"There's no time for regular transportation. Green Lanterns, pick up the non-flyers. Everyone, push yourself to max speed. There's no time to lose" Superman ordered.
Quickly, the flyers took to the air and the Lanterns summoned a pad for the collective non-flyers. Swiftly, they took to the air and blasted off towards Cadmus. Following shortly behind was Piccolo. Green Arrow saw this and leveled a questioning look at Piccolo. "Why are you tagging along? We've got this under control" he yelled through the rushing winds.
Piccolo barked out a laugh. "Of course, you do because your runts aren't disobeying your orders and off galivanting and getting into danger" Piccolo sarcastically quipped. "Besides, someone told me I care for the brats, so I might tag along and see that they don't die."
Piccolo saw the smiles spread across Zatara and Black Canary. Green Arrow begrudged him for his presence and turned his focus forward. Piccolo turned his attention to Batman. "What is this Cadmus?" he asked.
"Cadmus Labs is a genetics research laboratory in Washington. Supposedly researching gene therapy and other biological research tied with the World Health Organisation" Batman explained
"That wouldn't be an issue if they weren't founded and funded by Lex Luthor" Superman butted in.
"Who?" Piccolo asked.
Everyone gave Piccolo a surprised and disbelieving look till they all remembered that he lived in the middle of nowhere. "Lex Luthor is a multi-billionaire and owner of a mega-conglomerate, Lex Corp. He's one of the lesser-known bad guys but he's the kind to work behind the scenes. A lot of white-collar crime stuff that allowed a lot of our enemies to do what they wanted. He supplies them with weapons, equipment and what else they want in exchange for favors" Superman spoke with bitterness laced throughout each and every word.
"So why haven't you taken him in yet?" Piccolo asked.
"Luthor is a crafty bastard. Hides his tracks, destroys evidence, and… silences witnesses. We've tried multiple times but the courts can never get anything to stick onto him" Green Arrow says with equal bitterness.
Piccolo hummed. "Shame I didn't get to him before" he referenced.
Superman shook his head. "He wisely kept his head down before we managed to stop you," Superman said.
Piccolo chuckled at the slightest hint of relief in Superman's voice. Only he and the others would feel such a way for a horrible person. Their attachment to the lives of their respected villains was on par with the care and safety they held for their protégés. Speaking of…
Piccolo honed his senses over the Washington area. Finetuning his hearing and Ki Sense to trace and pinpoint the kids. He found them underground and surrounded by different beings. Piccolo combed over them and felt they were both similar and different at the same time. They felt like an entirely new species yet they weren't so alien to deme them out of this world. A mixture of human and something else. "What does Luthor want with an army of bio-engineered creatures?" Piccolo asked.
"What?" a majority of the League asked.
"It's what they're surrounded by. Underground. Different power levels. There's a lot of them. The brats are doing well avoiding them" Piccolo mused.
While he couldn't exactly 'see' how they evaded their enemies, he knew they were succeeding using their abilities and skills. Like lights in the dark night, he 'saw' the colourful orbs representing the children, and one other person, duck, pivot, and swerve around several giant orbs. Piccolo found himself impressed as they avoided a squad of enemies with a power level that dwarfed them. Suddenly, he felt their power levels diminish to one. Piccolo saw Batman flinch and open his holographic computer on his wrist. "The children are knocked out!" he yelled.
Panic flashed through the League. "We're out of time! Double it now!" Wonder Woman orders.
Everyone poured more energy into their flying abilities. Superman turned to Piccolo. "Piccolo! Can you teleport us there?" he yelled through the rushing winds.
Piccolo didn't respond. His mind was focused on the brats and their comrade. Their tagalong was still awake. It was intertwining with another similar energy signature. A sign that telepathy was being used. Piccolo felt this tagalong's energy was familiar. Far too familiar. Piccolo gave Superman a suspecting glance and then replied to him. "Wherever they are, it's compact and they're surrounded. I can't Instant Transmission everyone near them. I could accidentally fuse someone to a wall or into an enemy. Plus, I don't know what the environment is. They could be near something flammable or chemically dangerous" Piccolo reasoned.
"Then our best course of action is an attack from above. We shall hold our course. I suggest the fastest flyers run ahead of us and save the children" Red Tornado recommended.
"Good idea Red" Captain Marvel voiced the League's opinion.
With that, the fastest flyers burst forth at their highest speed. All but one of them couldn't keep up with Piccolo, who zipped past them. His aura burned a bright white like a shooting star. Side by side with Superman, the two of them made it to Washinton in minutes. Coming to an abrupt stop, the two super-beings hovered over the cordoned-off Cadmus Laboratories. The skeleton crew of police officers and firefighters stamped out the last of the smoldering damage. "Get the officers out of here. I sense the brats are back up, but there's something else growing in power down there" Piccolo ordered.
Superman nodded. "Right. You head down and get them out of this mess" Superman said.
While Superman flew down to move the officers and firefighters below, Piccolo stayed. He was almost tempted to fly down and end this mess, but a prevailing thought halted him. Zatara's words resurfaced in his mind. Watch them in action and see for yourself if they're capable. Mauling this thought over, Piccolo took a deep breath and relaxed his posture. He then simply floated in the sky, above Cadmus with his arms crossed and his gaze turned downwards. He sensed a few figures flying towards him. Black Canary, Captain Marvel, and Captain Atom have arrived in time for Superman to rejoin him. "Piccolo, what are you doing?! Why aren't you helping the kids?" Superman demanded.
Piccolo didn't break his eye contact with the situation below. "There's a new opponent down there. One they can't avoid. It's stronger than them" Piccolo informed.
The heroes panicked. "Then let's get them out now!" Captain Marvel declared.
The Leaguers stopped mid-flight when Piccolo barked out. "No."
They turned to him; shock written all over their faces. "No?" Black Canary asked.
"They made this mess; I reckon they can fix it themselves" Piccolo bluntly reasoned.
Superman yelled at him. "They're children Piccolo. They didn't know any better and now they're in way over their heads!"
"Forget about him! Focus on rescuing the kids" Captain Atom stressed.
The two Captains flew off to aid the Protégés while Black Canary and Superman stayed back to try and persuade Piccolo to help them. Their words fell flat when a bright flash almost blinded them. Looking down, they saw that Captain Atom and Marvel had flown into a familiar barrier. The pale white barrier encompassed the whole of Cadmus, making it impossible for anyone to go inside and help the Protégés. Black Canary and Superman looked at Piccolo with shock and anger respectively. "What the hell are you doing?!" Superman yelled.
"You said you wanted me to train these brats. If they're bull-headed enough to get themselves into this amount of trouble and can't find their way out of it, then they're next to useless. Not even worth my time. This is a chance for them to prove me otherwise" Piccolo bluntly explained.
"This is no time for a test!" Black Canary yelled.
It was then the rest of the League arrived with Captain Atom quickly informing them of the situation. Piccolo could practically feel the heat radiating off their angered faces. "Deactivate the shield now!" Batman demanded.
Piccolo growled. "Don't worry. As soon as I sense one of them about to die, I'll go in and save them."
"Better yet, we can go down there and prevent that from happening!" Flash shouted.
A boom coming from below tore their eyes away from Piccolo. Through the glass canopy overlooking the building's main foyer, they saw a figure in a white bodysuit being tossed into the air by a monstrous figure. Covered in ripped clothing and, mortifyingly, human skin, the Beast easily outmatched the figure in white. Punching and slamming the figure around like a rag doll before three familiar faces merge from the hole in the foyer. Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash all leaped into action. Piccolo eyed them carefully. Seeing how they will handle this and what tactics they'll play to thwart their opponent.
Despite the monster's bestial look, it had a human-level intelligence. It wasn't tricked so easily with baits or taunted to attacks like some rabid animal. This opponent outscaled them in power and agility but was equal in smarts. At least that's what Piccolo assumed. Much to the League's and Piccolo's own surprise, the Protégés were more than holding their own in this fight. Yes, the creature was intelligent but that did not equal battle smarts. The four teenagers worked in tandem with one another. Little to no words were said to each other. They followed their training and years of experience to perform flawless techniques to disorientate and take down their opponent. It was unfortunate then that none of it worked on the Beast. Piccolo sensed that its power level was too high for the four combined. The Beast quickly caught onto their abilities and used it against them. The Protégés quickly found themselves on the back foot. That made the League put the pressure back on Piccolo. "You've found out their limits Piccolo, now get them out of there!" Black Canary ordered.
Piccolo narrowed his eyes. The Ki Shield still held. His eyes looked to the Beast bashing the white clad figure into the pillar. Repeatedly until the roof and the foundations rocked. Cracks raced around the building's walls and the whole structure let out a deep rumbling groan as its support waned. The League panicked at the state of the building. "Is it going down?!" Green Arrow yelled.
"Structural integrity is still above minimal safety parameters" Red Tornado informed.
Wonder Woman flew beside Piccolo and gave him a heated scowl. "This ends now Piccolo. Turn off the shield or-"
Piccolo's eyes widened when he saw Robin pointing towards the remaining pillars in the foyer. Looking closer, he could see the hologram projected on his wrist. A quick glance showed a theoretical prediction of the structure of the building if the pillars were to be destroyed. A complete building collapse. 'Are they thinking of… of course they are' Piccolo thought.
Seeing the four quickly develop their plan on the fly, Piccolo couldn't help but smirk at their ingenuity. He did have his reservations, as dropping a whole building on themselves had the potential of hurting or downright killing them. It does guarantee their enemy's defeat, though will it be a victory if they die in the process? "Are they- They're taking down the whole building!" Hawkman gasped.
"That's enough! Take down the shield or else!" Wonder Woman threatened.
Piccolo wasn't fazed in the slightest. His entire attention was on the Protégés. Judging them silently. With bits and pieces of buildings raining down on them, they incapacitated their enemy long enough for them to take out the last pillar. Like a house of cards, the building crumbled. Thanks to Robin's swift plans, the Beast was taken out first by the biggest piece of roofing. Several tons of concrete and rebar flattened it into the ground. Piccolo felt its power level drop immediately, signaling its state of unconsciousness. The Protégés succeed with only half of their objective. Now their goal was to escape the falling building. One that they failed at. The rubble was falling too fast and in vast amounts. Realising their fate, Aqualad and the figure in white dived onto Robin and Kid Flash to protect them from the falling debris. The League was about to collectively shout his name but Piccolo was swifter. Dropping the Ki Shield and reapplying it to the Protégés, they were safely shielded from the collapsing building.
As soon as the dust settled and the last of the building fell into ruin, Piccolo summoned the Ki Shield upwards. He and the Leaguers lowered themselves down to the ground. Just in time for the Ki Shield to breach to the surface. The Protégés looked disheveled and confused at the shield. Turning to face the Justice League, their faces paled at their glaring faces. It was Kid Flash who broke the dreaded silence that followed. "Look at that dude; the moon, Superman, and Piccolo! Do we keep our promises or what?" he said to the figure in white.
Piccolo dissipated the shield, allowing everyone to clearly see what was embroidered on the figure's chest. The angered and worried faces of the League turned into surprise and shock as they saw the family crest of Superman's Kryptonian clan. Piccolo knew about it, of course. He did sense something strangely familiar with the teen's Ki and guessed that this person was related to Superman. Although the Ki signature was definitely Superman's, it was mixed with something else. It was almost as if he was a direct descendant of a Kryptonian and a human…
Piccolo looked towards Superman. His face was one of surprise that was quickly melding into disgust and anger. Piccolo could feel the sudden tension formed between Superman and this teen. The teen himself replaced his admiration with that of underlining anger. Piccolo could feel the turmoil bubble violently in his aura, hidden by a thinly veiled glare. "Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked.
Kid Flash quickly stepped up beside the teen and harshly whispered. "He doesn't like being called a thing."
"I'm Superman's clone!"
The teen's words cut through the air and left its mark on everyone present. Everyone was even more surprised by the knowledge- even Piccolo lifted a brow in surprise. Slowly, that surprise gave way to concern and a dash of fear. If Superman was cloned, what about themselves? Sensing the raising worry, Batman stepped up and demanded in a firm authoritative voice, "Start talking."
"If I never knew it wouldn't work, I would slap you upside the head for what you did" Zatara hissed.
Piccolo simply grunted. The two of them found themselves bordering the ruins of Cadmus. Zatara was the only one looking to scold Piccolo for preventing the Protégés' rescue. The rest were busy sorting the mess around them out, preparing the Beast, Blockbuster, for transportation, consoling Superman, or mauling and fretting over the information the Protégés shared about the goings on in Cadmus. Piccolo couldn't help but share a part of that worry. He'd seen what happened when scientists tampered with his DNA. Cell would've had to last twice as long as he did if he didn't have his Namekian abilities. The thought of dealing with another Perfect Cell brought a shiver to Piccolo. One that Zatara picked up. "I would not worry about Cadmus my friend. From what the boys gathered, this Superboy only has half of Superman's powers. I doubt whatever creation they make of us will only be half as good as we are" he explains.
Piccolos scoffed. "That's still more powerful than anyone here can handle," he says gruffly.
Zatara sighed and rubbed his temples. "You are beyond frustrating today. I knew what I said about the children was true but that doesn't give you the right to put them in harm's way" he chided.
"And you lot don't?" Piccolo snapped back.
"We do so out of necessity. We do not leave our protégés in the lion's den without one of us present."
"The whole Justice League was present. I was present."
"Behind a shield of your creation. You sensed it yourself. They couldn't handle Blockbuster! The only way they defeated him was with millions of dollars in collateral damage!"
"Part of their teachers' training, might I add" Piccolo snidely remarked
Zatara opened his mouth to respond. The footsteps of Superman quieted him. Everyone turned to look at an uncomfortable Superman addressing his clone. Piccolo didn't care to hear out of respect for Superman but he did pay attention to the aftermath. How Superman flew away in haste following the Green Lanterns and the Hawks transporting Blockbuster to Belle Reve, leaving a disappointed and angry Superboy behind. Piccolo felt a modicum of concern for the teen. To feel rejected by your progenitor, and by the looks of it his hero/parental figure, was… a difficult thing to handle.
As soon as Superman left, Batman, The Flash, and Aquaman took center stage, addressing their young Protégés. "Cadmus will be investigated. All 52 levels, but let's make one thing clear-"
"You should have called" Flash interrupted.
A quick glare from Batman resumed the conversation. "End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives" Batman sternly spoke. "You will not be doing this again."
Batman's stern tone was meant to put the matter to rest. The Protégés thought otherwise. "I'm sorry, but we will," Aqualad said with an equal tone.
"Aqualad. Stand down" Aquaman ordered.
Aqualad couldn't stop the brief glimpse of worry gracing his face. Regardless, he pushed forward with a firm look. "Apologises my king, but no."
Aquaman flinched at his rejection. Not at all expect that from his students. "We did good work here tonight. The work you trained us to do. Together. On our own, we forged something powerful… important" Aqualad proudly announced.
The Flash butted in. "If this is about your treatment back at the Hall, the three of-"
"The four of us! And it's not" Kid Flash snapped.
Robin stepped forward. "We're ready to use what you have taught us… and we're ready to take it to the next level" he declared.
He and the other Protégés turned towards Piccolo. It suddenly felt like Piccolo was on the back foot. Everyone's attention was on him. "There is the one person who was willing to open his eyes and see our full potential" Aqualad gestured towards Piccolo. "Regardless of how it endangered our lives, he let us be independent and resolve the issue on our own. He didn't have any preconceived notions about what we can or can't do. He let us rescue ourselves. He allowed us to grow."
Piccolo felt himself bristle at his claim. A swelling in his chest made him frustrated and clench his teeth. The level of praise felt alien to him. "That is why I believe- no, why I know that we are worthy of being Piccolo's students" Aqualad boldly claimed.
For the umpteenth time today, everyone was left dumbfounded and in a state of shock. This time Piccolo gasped and stared at them wide-eyed. "How did you brats know about that?" Piccolo bellowed.
Kid Flash was the only one who turned sheepish but it wasn't his reaction that interested Piccolo. The Justice League collectively turned to Green Arrow, who shared Kid Flash's embarrassment. Piccolo couldn't help but let himself smirk a bit. Less so about Green Arrow's predicament, and more so about the brats. "Many of you have your grievances and worries regarding Piccolo, and while I do understand them, we find them to be ill-placed" Aqualad alleged.
"He left us to fend for ourselves and we survived this test. That should be proof enough that we can handle what he'll throw at us" Robin backed him up with his own words.
"Oh? Do you really think you have what it takes to handle my training?" Piccolo said, almost chuckling.
"We know we can. We can handle anything. It's simple for everyone here to understand; get on board or get out of the way" Superboy growled.
There was a dreaded silence that hung thickly in the air. A tension was so palpable that one could choke on it. On one side, the Protégés stared off at their teachers with stern determination. On the other, the teachers looked down at their disobedient students with glares. Shockingly, such a hostile atmosphere was broken by none other than Piccolo. What's more, it was broken in a worryingly way. He was laughing. A large, bellyful laugh came from his open, smiling mouth. His whole face was stretched in a glee expression that felt alien to most who looked upon it. Seeing Piccolo in any good mood was an alarming sight to behold. Letting out a few more "ha's", Piccolos tightened himself up. With a grin still on his face, he addressed the crowd of worried heroes. "I've been a fool. An absolute fool" he chuckled.
Kid Flash opened his mouth to no doubt let off a quippy one-liner but Robin swiftly shut him up with a firm elbow to the side. "I spent days frustrated, angry, and torn up about whether to train you brats, but now I know all that time was wasted. All that fretting about how weak you might be but you lot are made of sterner stuff. Cut from a different cloth. I can now say that I was glad to be wrong" Piccolo explained.
The Protégés shared a smile at his praise. They noticeably stood taller thanks to his words, which made Piccolo's grin widen. "That means I won't have to hold back."
His words struck a chord in everyone. Panic insured with the Leaguers present while dreadful worry filled the young heroes.
"Picco-"
"Don't worry Canary. The same goes for all of you. We'll train the brats under your supervision, but I am going to train them. My way"
The fanged smile made everyone uneasy and extremely worried. It was doubly so for the young heroes. What was once pride and determination for independence became worried unease. "That's… good?" Kid Flash meekly asked.
Piccolo chuckled loudly at that. Turning towards the Leaguers, Piccolo let the oncoming barrage of arguments commence. Amid the Justice's Leagues devolve into loud shouting and yelling, the Protégés stood worried and confused. Amongst the disjointed yelling, they could make out sentences that slowly made them pale. Talks about life-threatening injuries, bodily harm inflicted on them, brutality indescribable, and so many things made them fearful for their wellbeing. All centered around Piccolo and his training. "I think I know why Green Arrow was so mad and worried about Speedy getting trained by Piccolo" Robin muttered.
Facing each other, they shared their fearful looks. Aqualad tried to pull a brave face when addressing Kid Flash. "To answer your question KF… I do not know."
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