Young Justice Season 3 - Life Behind the Mask

Episode/Chapter 12 - Welcome to the Darkseid

Nightwing heard voices around him. He tried to move his hands, but he couldn't even move his arms or his legs. He opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. He looked down at himself first. He was tied up to a metal table standing upward as if he were standing. He looked around and he recognized the tech. He was on the War World. Then at the center of the room, he saw Klarion, Black manta, and a large man with a squarish head. They turned to him.

"Oh look! The brat's awake!" Klarion said.

"Good. I wanted to interrogate him." The large man said and walked up to him, his hands held behind his back like some sort of general.

"Wh-what do you want with me..." Nightwing tried to yell, but his energy was drained.

"Oh little hero. I just want answers. Then Psimon will take care of the rest." The man said, "do you know who I am?"

"...D-Darkseid." Nightwing answered.

"Very good. Rids me of the effort to explain myself. Now. I want you to tell me where your little league headquarters is. And while you're at it, how about the Justice League's as well. You're not fooling me with that pathetic Hall of Justice." Darkseid said.

"And why didn't Klarion just tell you that himself? He knows." Nightwing said glancing back at Klarion.

"Because he said if you don't talk, he'll show us how he uses his Omega beams on you! Fun!" Klarion clapped.

"It's true. I will." Darkseid said to Nightwing, "so you might want to start talking, pretty boy." Darkseid said.

"That's not the reason why you have to kidnap me, is it?" Nightwing asked.

"Your kidnapping isn't my main plan, but I'll let Klarion take care of that later." Darkseid replied. Then he just realized what Nightwing was doing and he slammed the metal table, "You're stalling!"

"Maybe I am. But it doesn't matter, because either way, I'm not talking." Nightwing said, causing Darkseid to break out into laughter. Then he shot one of his giant Omega Beams at the wall. The wall burned up and also singed the other wall behind it.

"Hey! That costs money and work you know!" Klarion said.

"That wall could be you if you don't talk now, super-powerless boy!" Darkseid said as he held his fist in front of Nightwing's face. Then Psimon came in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the War World senses the other twerps on board. If you don't mind, you can finish your business with him after I'm done with the process." Psimon said. Darkseid growled and looked to Nightwing. He gave him a quick blow to the stomach before walking out with Klarion and Black Manta. Darkseid went to go meet the team and fight them as Manta and Klarion kept watch outside the room while Psimon was doing the "process".

"Wait...Ps-Psimon?!" Nightwing muttered.

"Aw, has the hero lost his confidence? Has he been reduced to a coward? Well don't be scared. I won't feel a thing. This might take a while, so get comfy." Psimon said as he put his hands on Nightwing's forehead.

"No! I can't let you--" but it was too late. Psimon had already brain-blasted him and started working on Nightwing's mind.

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"Okay. We're here. His signal's strong." Aqualad said as the team got to the War World.

"Huh. No attacker drones?" Impulse asked as they walked through the halls.

"Well, there's me." A deep sinister voice said as Darkseid walked up to the team, making the teens slowly back away.

"D-Darkseid?! No one said anything about HIM being here!" Beast Boy said.

"Wait, you know him?!" Miss Martian asked.

"I'm pretty popular these days. Even your leader knew who I was. Key word: knew. But after today, he won't know me, or any of you." Darkseid chuckled.

"What did you do to Nightwing?!" Batgirl demanded.

"He's alive. For now." Darkseid answered.

"And it'll stay like that for as long as we all live!" Robin said as he got out his bow staff.

"Oh, then I guess he doesn't have long then." Darkseid said and pointed both his fists at the team as they glowed red.

"Move!" Batgirl ordered and the entire team parted in half as the Omega beams flew past them. They all stuck to the walls until the beams dissipated.

"Okay...what just happened?!" Bumblebee asked Batgirl in disbelief.

"They're called Omega Beams." Batgirl replied.

"I knew he could shoot Omega Beams out of his eyes, but since when can he shoot them out of his fists?!" Superboy asked.

"They were a gift. From Klarion. That witch kid with the cat. Made me gloves with his black magic and in return, I got him your friend." Darkseid smiled evilly.

"Well, we'll be getting him back!" Batgirl yelled and she threw a handful of smoke bombs at the ground.

"Smoke? You think smoke will stop Darkseid?!" Darkseid asked.

"Wow, he's talking in the third person....weirdo." Darkseid heard Superboy say from his left. He shot Omega beams in that direction.

"I know, right?!" Darkseid heard Blue Beetle laugh to his right. He shot beams in that direction.

"He's got really bad aim, too." He heard Lagoon Boy say from behind him.

"Enough playtime children!!" Darkseid yelled and shot Omega beams all around him in a giant circle. But when the smoke cleared and he looked around him, he expected to see Superboy, Blue Beetle, and Lagoon Boy burnt and dead on the ground. But instead, he saw three of Robin's disks singed in the heroes' places. Darkseid growled in anger.

"....They were recordings?! Darkseid does NOT like being played!!!" Darkseid yelled, "Cowards!! You can't just run and hope I don't find you!" Darkseid yelled once he spotted Superboy and Supergirl running down the hall. Darkseid ran after them, and as soon as he was gone, the rest of the team emerged from the hall opposite the one that Darkseid ran through.

"It was very brave of Superboy and Supergirl to divert attention so that we could go get Nightwing." Aqualad said.

"I mean, Kryptonians are invulnerable." Impulse said.

"I told them not to go too far so that they could still be in my telepathic range." M'gann said.

"Good. Let's go get Nightwing." Batgirl said and she motioned the the rest of the team to go, and they all headed down the hall to where Nightwing's signal was coming from.

- To be continued -