The team is in the living quarters of the Hall of Justice, watching on the big screen live coverage of the five new heroes joining the Justice League.
"I'm glad they didn't kick Billy out," Wally says, taking a bite of his apple. "And I love the fact that there's a 10-year-old on the League."
"There is?" Rocket says.
Robin elbows Wally hard in the stomach.
"Owww!"
"Way to keep a secret, genius," Robin huffs.
"Hey, she's on the team now, right?" Wally claims.
"Superman is now handing out official League membership cards. Starting with Doctor Fate," the lady on the tv announces and Zatanna lowers her head, Robin immediately going to her aid. "The Atom, Plastic Man, and Icon."
"You know, I was the one who convinced Icon to become a hero in the first place. I should be outside, celebrating with him. Not hidden away in here!" Raquel huffs.
"Welcome to our world," Kaldur chuckles.
"Well," she says, looking at Kaldur up and down. "I suppose there's an upside, too!"
"Finally, Green Arrow welcomes his former protégé, Speedy, now known as Red Arrow to this roster of heroes," the woman continues.
"Way to go, Roy!" Wally cheers, throwing a fist into the air.
"At last, he has his wish," Kaldur says.
"The first of us to make it! No one will call him a 'sidekick' anymore," Robin says.
"Wait, since when is being a sidekick a bad thing? You sidekicks were my inspiration," Raquel says.
"Well, see six months ago..." Robin begins but is cut off by a beeping sound from his watch. "We got a mission in the Smokey Mountains. It's Cheshire and Remi."
The twins give each other a look before they all head to the cave to load up the bioship.
"A-are you sure it's her? I mean, are you absolutely positive?" Artemis asks about Cheshire.
"See for yourself. This is the security footage from the Asheville Regional Airport. Facial recognition confirms that's Jade Nguyen. But you've seen her without her mask. What do you think?" Robin asks, showing her the pictures.
"It's Jade. Cheshire," Artemis whispers, looking away.
"Are you sure that's it's Remi with her too?" Spook asks.
"He was with her," Robin says, adjusting the picture to zoom in on Remi. "They were acting as a couple to get passed security quicker. Is that him? You're the one who saw him last."
"Yeah, that's Remi..." Spook says.
"Agreed, but focus on what Cheshire carries," Kaldur says. "Is that the case you saw in New Orleans? The one that got away?"
"Yes," Artemis answers.
"Okay, I'm guessing from the mug shot that this 'Cheshire' and 'Remi' are the bad guys," Rocket says. "But what's so important about that case?"
"Remember the Injustice League?" Robin asks.
"And their giant evil plants? Uh yeah!" Rocket exclaims.
"The Team and the League put them in prison, but their allies still scheme and whatever is in that containment case seems important to their plans," Aqualad concludes.
"We had the chance to grab it in New Orleans, but someone screwed up," Wally scoffs, insinuating someone as Artemis.
"Just kiss already you're so annoying!" Phantom huffs.
The two turn away with blushes dusting their cheeks.
"Approaching their jet," Miss M reports.
They all gasp as they see the wreckage of the jet. The twins turn to look at each other in terror for their brother.
"No..." Spook whispers.
"Looks like there are no survivors," Megan says, scanning the area.
They leave the bioship in the sky as they head down to investigate the wreckage.
"How come Homeland Security and the NTSP aren't all over this?" Wally asks.
"Cheshire's ID was a League alert. Authorities didn't pick it up and her jet didn't follow it's flight plan. Flew under the radar. Literally. But the Watchtower audited the jet and recorded the crash."
"Then why isn't the League here?" Rocket huffs.
"Because our Boy Wonder has some mighty hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first," Zatanna flirts.
"And because Cheshire, Remi, and that case represent our unfinished business," Aqualad says.
"Where are the bodies?" Superboy huffs, throwing a wing of the jet aside.
"Here's two," a chilling voice says, appearing over the hill. "And we are stunning."
Cheshire and Remi appear over the hill, earning a small smile from the twins and Artemis.
"I am flora, not fauna," a voice announces from above them with a snap to release pylons from the ground, powering up and creating a force field around the area. No way in and no way out, unless you can teleport. They look up to see the Riddler along with Mammoth and Shimmer, and about a couple dozen mercenaries. "I am foliage, not trees. What am I? Come on, you can get this! I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I? I..."
"Am-bush," Robin answers.
"Didn't you think we'd be tipped you were on Cheshire's trail? We're tired of your interference, kiddies. This is the end game. Ordered from above and executed by their master strategist. Moi!" Riddler tells them.
'Miss Martian, is everyone linked?' Aqualad asks.
'Yes,' she responds.
'Go!' he orders, causing everyone to engage in action.
Zatanna says something and the area turns into a blizzard.
"Remi is ours," Spook nods to Phantom and they blast off toward him.
'Superboy, the pylons!' Kaldur commands.
'Working on it,' he responds.
Spook gives Remi a warning blast in front of him, causing him to fall back to his butt. Remi begins to laugh.
"Reminds me when we were little when our parents had us fight against each other," Remi admits. "Except you two didn't have powers back then."
"And we still whipped your ass back then and we can do it now," Phantom scoffs, floating with his arms crossed.
"I've had training better than what our dear old parents ever did," Remi says.
"I see you've been with the League of Assassins," Spook says. "But we've had training from Black Canary and other heroes."
'SB, you're you're flying!' Robin suddenly exclaims, causing everyone to look at the Boy of Steel to see him holding Mammoth by the hair and throw him into the force field then pummeling him into the cliff side.
"I knew I saw him flying!" Spook exclaims, watching as the cliff tumbles off and almost lands on Artemis if Cheshire hadn't pushed her out of the way.
"We shall see each other soon in Santa Prisca," Remi says before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
The fight is over and most of the villains escaped, leaving Mammoth, Shimmer, and Riddler behind. Superboy is still pummeling Mammoth.
Spook hurriedly flies over to him and rests a hand on his shoulder. He gives her a furious glare and turns to pummel her before realizing it's Spook and his gaze softens.
"Spook, I..."
"We'll talk later," Spook says, grabbing both his large hands in her slightly smaller ones. "He's down. You won. We won. Let's go home."
They fly up to the ship and everyone looks at Superboy in shock once they all arrive, but all decide to remain silent. All witnessed something they usually wouldn't. They meet with Batman, Red Tornado, Icon, and Black Canary in the mission room after landing.
"Tell me if this sounds familiar. You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol and endangered your lives. And your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons, proving Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity," Batman scolds and pauses for a second. "Well done." Everyone shifts and looks at each other with glee. "And then, there's this." He looks toward the suitcase that Cheshire had. "Bio-technology integrated with some form of nano-circuitry."
"Though I am unfamiliar with the species, the bio-component is clearly not of Earth," Icon says.
"We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study," Batman says, leaving with RT.
Rocket flies over to Icon. "Congratulations on the League thing! Sorry I skipped out."
"Yes, well. We both seem to have found teams that suit us," Icon responds, earning a smile from Raquel.
BC places a hand on Icon's shoulder. "We should go, too. Don't wanna miss the League's induction party."
"Recognized: Black Canary, 13. Icon, 20."
The team is left in their silence.
"You realize we were set up," Robin admits.
"Yes, Cheshire and Riddler were tipped and ready for us," Kaldur says.
"Not the mole thing, again!" Artemis exclaims.
"A mole thing? Again?" Raquel asks curiously.
"We had intel that there was a traitor on the Team," Wally says.
"Namely Artemis, M'gann, the twins, or me," Conner huffs, walking toward Raquel.
"It is more complicated than that," Kaldur says, resting a hand on Conner's shoulder who smacks it off. "But your recent behavior does concern me. Your attack on Mammoth nearly got Artemis killed." Conner walks off and suddenly grips his head. "Superboy?"
"There's... something I need to do," Conner says, turning to the team. "Something... I need to tell you... Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus and found a few things out. When I was cloned, only half the DNA was Superman's. The other half was... human." Everyone shifts with surprise. "That's why I don't have... will never have, full Kryptonian powers."
"You sure? Cause you sure seemed to have 'em today," Robin says.
"I've been using these," Conner says, pulling up his right sleeve. "Shields. They suppress my human DNA. I get the flight, the heat vision, but I think I also get angry. Well, angrier. I'm sorry."
"That's why you–" Spook begins.
"Yes," Conner cuts her off.
"Where did you get those?" Kaldur asks.
"From my human father," he looks down then hesitantly at Spook. "Lex Luthor."
Spook's eyes widen with horror as do everyone else's.
"Lex... Luthor... is your dad?" Robin asks exasperated.
"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want–"
"Me to know," Spook says, floating over to him. "Because of what Lex Luthor did to me."
"Yeah."
Spook smiles, holding both of his hands. "You're not Lex Luthor and I would never blame you for what he did to me. Besides, you got Superman's good looks."
He gives a chuckle after that. "He's summoned me to Santa Prisca," Conner says.
Spook's eyes slightly widen, giving her brother a glance.
Artemis groans. "Listen. Superboy's not the only one suffering from bad DNA." She turns, heading to the side to bring up pictures of people on the computer screen. Huntress, Cheshire, and Sportsmaster appear. "My mother is Huntress, an ex-con. Rest of my family aren't even ex... My Dad's Sportsmaster and he's sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa Prisca, too."
"That's why–" Wally begins but is cut off.
"Yeah. I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out."
"It never mattered. You aren't your family. You're one of us," Robin says.
Artemis gives a gaped look but it turns into a relaxed smile.
"So, who's next?" Wally asks, leaning on Artemis' shoulder.
"I am," Megan admits.
"I swear I was kidding," Wally admits, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Queen Bee's been... blackmailing me..." Megan says. "She wants me in Santa Prisca, too."
"Blackmailing? How?" Kaldur asks.
"She knows my True Martian form," Megan admits.
"Bald M'gann?" Robin chuckles. "Who cares if–?"
"No," Megan cuts him off. After a soft sigh her face becomes determined and she transforms into a large, nightmarish grotesque monster with white skin, long limbs, and a hunchback.
Everyone takes a big step back with loud gasps.
"Oh!" Raquel voices.
"I realized you would never accept me if you saw what I really am," she says, hugging herself after noticing all the gaped mouths and large eyes.
"M'gann, did we truly seem so shallow?" Kaldur asks.
"I couldn't take a chance being a White martian among the Green on Mars, I endured constant rejection. I couldn't face that from–"
"From me?" Phantom interrupts.
She looks up as he walks over, grasping her hand. They have a telepathic conversation and Megan returns to normal shortly after. Phantom looks over at Spook after he's done. Spook gives a sigh and walks over to her brother, gripping his hand.
"We... haven't really been telling the truth either, ever since we got here," Spook sighs, turning to her team.
"You too?" Wally asks.
"Yeah..." Spook sighs.
"We aren't..." He shuffles, looking to the floor. "...really dead," Phantom says.
"What?" Wally voices.
"Dead? Am I missing something?" Raquel asks.
"You never wondered why they were called Phantom and Spook?" Robin asks.
"So, you're actually ghosts?" Raquel asks. "I thought you just had the powers..."
Spook gives Phantom a look and he gives a reassuring nod.
"Not... fully," Spook sighs.
"Elaborate," Kaldur commands.
"We're only half ghost," Phantom says.
"And what's your other half?" Wally asks.
"...Human," the twins answer after a few seconds, earning surprised gasps from everyone.
"It's the reason you can touch them," Greta says, appearing beside the twins.
"Jeezus, Greta..." Raquel huffs, clutching her chest.
"I'm an actual ghost," Greta says. "Just wanted to point that out."
Spook sighs. "Greta, this is our past, not yours."
Greta nods and moves over next to Kaldur.
"I guess we should... transform," Phantom says.
"Transform?" Robin asks.
"How about we just show you," Phantom says.
The infamous purple ring forms at the twins' waist and separates, one going down the body and one going up, revealing their human selves. Their normally white hair turns to brown and their beautiful purple eyes turn into a vivid lime green which is just as beautiful as the purple. Their normal ghostly greenish pale completion becomes a rich, natural flawless tan color.
Gasps go around once again.
"Whenever we went to school we would transform into our human selves," Spook says. "Putting in the contacts given."
"That's why I could hear your heartbeat," Conner says.
"Exactly," Spook says. "We didn't... die at separate times. We only became half dead when the ectoplasm exploded and intertwined with our DNA. It was when we were touring Star Labs for a field trip and only we were hit." She moves over to the side. "Our parents didn't die," Spook continues. "And we both remember perfectly who we are."
"And we don't exactly come from good people either," Phantom sighs.
"Our names are Vanessa and Raimundo... Zeno," Vanessa says, pulling up images of their family. "Our parents are Armando Zeno and Victoria Ponce-Zeno. Our brother is Remi Zeno."
"Whoa," Robin gasps. "Did not see this one coming. Feeling a little overwhelmed now."
"We're sorry we didn't tell you sooner," Rai says.
"We don't trust anyone very well," Vanessa confesses. "Something we learned from our parents. Being raised as the prince and princess of two world famous mafias... isn't the best business to grow trust."
"We've been told to go to Santa Prisca too," Rai says.
"So, you aren't really dead," Megan muses, walking up to Rai.
"I can't believe that," Conner professes, grasping Vanessa's hand. "Is this why we could all lift or feel you?"
"Yes, because we're halfas," Vanessa concurs.
"That's what ghosts call us," Rai adds.
"So, Raimundo," Megan voices, rolling the name off her tongue. "That's so much better than Dominic."
"Vanessa," Conner tries out the word. "That will take some getting used to."
"It made me a little weary when you decided to go by the name Nyssa," Robin admits. "Now I get why you did."
"I call her Nessa all the time," Rai shrugs. "But by the end of her name, not her actual name."
"You two are scientifically not possible," Wally complains. "Even if you were created in an explosion of science."
"We can talk later, we need to go to Santa Prisca," Vanessa declares, transforming back into her ghost half along with her brother.
"Still not used to that," Wally exasperates.
"Then we need to set up a plan," Kaldur states. "You five need to pretend that you have not told any of us your secrets. You need to act like you do not know the other is coming and pretend to be shocked to see each other."
"You got it, bossman," Spook salutes, looking to her brother. "I'm ready when you are."
"Let Superboy go first," Kaldur commands. "He was contacted first. Go."
"I actually have one more thing to say," Conner sighs. "Lex Luthor said two words that shut me down to stop me from attacking him. It was programmed into me."
"I can erase that," Megan says, floating over to him and holding his head to concentrate, eyes glowing green. After a few minutes, she releases her hold. "Red sun."
Conner doesn't do anything. "It's gone. Thank you."
"Alright, if the time comes, you can use that to your advantage," Kaldur says, nodding to Conner. "It would be best if you head out now."
Conner nods and heads to the hangar to get on his Supercycle.
"I'm going to leave to meet up with my sister," Artemis says, looking at her phone. She gets a nod from Kaldur and she exits the zeta-tube.
A vibration comes from Spook's pocket and she pulls out the communicator that her father gave her. The team gives her a look and she puts a finger to her lips. 'Ssh.'
"Papa?" Spook answers.
"Your brother is going to pick you up at the coordinates we're sending you," his voice comes through. "Be there or else." It cuts off and everyone listens as it fizzes out.
"He wants us to meet outside the skirts of our hometown," Spook says, checking the coordinates.
"Go," Kaldur commands. "M'gann, you go as well on the bioship. The rest of us will trail you from a safe distance."
Spook jokingly salutes and heads into the zeta-tubes to Vermont with her brother. The twins fly their way invisibly to the meetup spot. A few minutes later, a jet appears and out comes Remi. He walks up to the two ghosts and gives them a hug.
"It's been a while since I've seen you two," Remi says. "You've grown up so much. Sorry, I hurt you two. I had to keep up an act."
"It's been a good 7 years," Phantom mumbles, smushed against Remi's chest. "And we understand, we did as well."
"Yeah, don't expect us to get any bigger," Spook says.
Remi releases them and looks at her questionably. "Why's that?"
"Being half ghost, we won't visibly age for a very long time," Spook says. "Meaning we'll outlive most everyone on this Earth today."
"That is if we don't die completely by being superheroes," Phantom adds, earning a light punch from Spook.
"We won't die from that," Spook huffs. "Don't talk like that."
"Why are you with papa?" Phantom asks. "Didn't you leave because you didn't want to be a part of our parents' schemes?"
"They're holding my love against me," Remi admits, heading onto the jet and getting into the pilot seat.
"Those..." Spook growls, shaking in anger and following behind him along with Phantom. "Those good... for nothing..."
"If you succeed in taking them over and getting them arrested," Remi begins, pausing for a second. "You two will be the new leaders of the two mafias, so they'll no longer have hold over me."
"Why not you? You're the older sibling," Phantom asks.
"I am no longer considered a part of the family," Remi says. "Also considering that you're twins, one gets one and one gets the other."
"So, who is she?" Spook asks.
"Actually it's a he," Remi casually says, pulling the jet from the ground.
"What?!" the twins shout.
"What I can't be gay?"
"I just thought... but you were such a womanizer..." Spook mumbles.
Remi begins laughing. "No, I'm kidding. I just wanted to see your reactions."
"You can't do that to me!" Spook shouts, smacking him on the head, earning an ouch. "You freaked me out there for a minute. Not that I'd be mad if you were but–"
"She's awesome," Remi fawns. "How would you guys like to meet her after all this is over?"
"I'd love to!" Spook cheers.
"How'd you two like to be an aunt and uncle?"
"Wait, are you messing with us again?" Phantom asks.
"No, she's 5 months."
"Really?!" the ghosts shout.
"Really, really. We got married about a year ago."
"This is so cool!" the twins squeal.
"We'll talk more later," Remi says. "We need to get serious."
"Right, right."
"I have a plan," Remi says.
"Actually, so do we," Spook says. "We told the team the truth."
"I guess that does make it easier," Remi says.
"Did you really get ghost bullets from Flarius' lair?" Spook asks.
"Don't worry, nobody else knows about them," Remi says. "Everyone thinks they're just normal bullets."
"That's good," Spook sighs.
"Your wife isn't Cheshire is it?" Phantom asks. "Or a ghost?"
Remi laughs. "Cheshire is too young for me and no she's not a ghost."
"Thank God for that," Spook sighs. "A ghost baby... That makes me nervous just hearing it."
"Yeah, I met a nice ghost girl in the Ghost Dimension and made a kid with her," Remi sarcastically says.
"Freak," Phantom scoffs.
"Look who's talking," Remi counters.
"Guys, we're here. Time to get our serious faces on," Spook says as the jet is lowered.
Remi lands the jet and moves to open the door for them to get out, but the twins phased right through it instead. Their eyes widen as they spot Superboy and Artemis.
"Spook, Phantom..." Superboy whispers.
"Superboy... Artemis..." the twins gasp.
"Well, it's nice to see you two again," Victoria, mother of the twins, says.
"This is where we belong," Spook claims.
"Where we've always belonged," Phantom finishes.
"It's a fast-growing club," Queen Bee says right as the bioship comes into view.
It stops and a hole forms from the bottom, Miss Martian flying out the bottom. She looks up and gasps after seeing the twins. "Why are they here? You promised!"
"I've kept your secret and my promise. Now, you keep yours," Queen Bee huffs, Miss M looking down in defeat. "Good girl."
"Give me more shields and I'm in, too," Superboy says.
Lex Luthor walks up to him seriously then grins. "My boy. You're a terrible liar." This makes Superboy agitated and about to punch him. "Red sun." Superboy freezes and moves to be frozen.
Artemis walks forward. "What do you want us to do?"
Lex nods toward Sportsmaster.
"You four, follow me," Sportsmaster says.
"What about Superboy?" Spook asks.
"He'll be fine. He simply requires a few... adjustments," Queen Bee says.
The four heroes walk towards Sportsmaster, giving Superboy a sad glance before passing him.
"Bring him along," Lex says to Blockbuster.
Before Blockbuster gets too close though, Artemis springs into action, shooting a foam arrow at him and causing him to growl.
"Sorry, dad, wanted to play you like you tried to play me. But I can't let him mess with Superboy's head," Artemis shouts, aiming her bow at Sportsmaster.
Miss Martian's eyes glow and she lifts Artemis with her telekinesis out of the way from getting swiped by Sportsmaster's sword. Using her other hand, Miss M smashes Queen Bee against a tree, effectively knocking her out. Artemis spins and shoots the explosive arrow at the ground at Sportsmaster and Cheshire's feet.
'Queen Bee is down. Superboy, you're safe from her control,' Miss M says through the telepathic link.
Superboy becomes determined and heads toward Lex Luthor. "May not be much of a liar, but I fooled you."
"And I'm so proud. I take it Miss Martian cleaned 'Red Sun' from your mind?" Lex asks.
"And confirmed that Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash, rescued me from Cadmus, before you had time to install any other programming."
When did she say that? Spook thinks.
"All true, personally, I blame Doctor Desmond," Lex says, causing said man to tackle Superboy to the cliff. He then looks toward Bane. "Un poco de ayuda."
Bane points without saying a word and shots begin going off from his gang members. Supercycle takes to the sky and fires her blasters at the men.
"Spook, Phantom," Armando, their father, says. "Take down the martian and blondie."
"No thanks," Spook says, turning to blast them both back. "You two don't have anything held against us anymore."
"Get them!" Armando shouts to his followers, causing the twins to have to start taking them out.
'Guys, reinforcement time!' Artemis calls.
Rocket is the first to appear and takes one of the mafia members to the skies to drop them once up high enough. KF comes next and knocks out some of Bane's gang members. Bane uses his equipment to grow to his maximum size. Lex Luthor, Mercy, and Queen Bee are in a helicopter, flying away.
"I call dibs," Spook growls, chasing after the helicopter. She phases through the missiles aimed at her then traps them in a force field to explode and continues forward. She phases into the ship, malfunctioning Mercy by phasing through her and effectively knocking her out. The ghost then turns to Lex with a wicked smile, summoning up an ecto-covered fist, she slams it into Lex Luthor's face as hard as she possibly can. "That's for the 8 months of my life I'll never get back." He passes out and she phases out of the copter to watch it crash a little farther. It explodes behind her as she returns to her team.
"It is always like this!" Rocket exclaims.
"Told you!" Zatanna boasts.
"Hey, disaster averted. Feeling the aster," Robin says.
"Agreed. This has been a good day," Kaldur concurs.
"Indeed," Spook agrees, noticing all the knocked out villains. "It seems that, we're now the bosses of mafias."
"Indeed," Phantom says with a laugh. "Do you wanna take over the Italian or the French side?"
"I'll take French, they have good pastries and cheese," Spook says.
"Uh, guys?" Robin calls out.
"What are you talking about?" Zatanna asks.
"If our parents are taken away, it means that we are now in charge of the two crime syndicates," Phantom says.
"Isn't that right, Remi?" Spook asks the shadows.
Remi comes out from behind the tree. "Yes, because I certainly don't want that duty."
The team gets in defensive stances.
"Relax, he's okay," Spook coaxes. "It looks like you're free to be with your girl now."
"Yeah," Remi smiles.
"I'm confused," Rocket says.
"You know, you can't be crime lords if you're a hero," Robin stresses.
"Then we can be the first, but it will be made to our standards," Spook affirms.
"Our parents were threatening me too," Remi admits. "They were holding my wife against me, saying that if I didn't join that they'd take and kill her."
"Now, he doesn't have to worry," Phantom says.
"It's finally over," Spook sighs. "Let's go home."
But that was just the beginning.