Santa Prisca
December 30, 17:57 ECT
The Supercycle landed in the middle of the crescent island of Santa Prisca. Tall trees surrounded the empty clearing as Superboy hopped off Sphere, giving her a comforting pat.
"Welcome, Superboy," Lex Luthor greeted, looking always sharp in his clean suit. He reached back and motioned forward a dark skinned woman with a golden headband. "I'd like to introduce you to my associate, Queen Bee."
"My pleasure," the Biaylian dictator smirked in greeting.
"I believe you know everyone else," Lex Luthor motioned to his fellow villains that crawled out of the shadows around him. "Sportsmaster, Mercy, Blockbuster, and our new friend, Bane—who allowed us use of this island in exchange for certain . . . considerations."
Bane and a mini army of his goons walked out from around, trapping Superboy in a tight circle. The Spanish man grinned and Superboy recognized him from their run in with the Cult of the Cobra.
"So, the Injustice League was just a distraction," Superboy realized. "You two have been behind everything from the start."
Luthor chucked, "A flattering notion, son, but we have many friends."
A whirling chop-chop-chop sound large blades cut through the air as a helicopter flew overhead, slowly landing on the soft grass, kicking up leaves and brush before powering down.
"This one of your friends now?" Superboy asked, his clothes flapping against his skin.
"No, my boy, one of yours."
The helicopter door slid open and a feminine gasp left the lips of the green-clad archer.
"Artemis?" Superboy's eyes widened.
Artemis and Cheshire got out of the vehicle together. Just hours before they were fighting each other during an ambush at a fallen plane when Cheshire tackled her out of the way of an avalanche. The blonde kept her head bowed down as they both came to stand besides Sportsmaster.
"The hero thing wasn't workin' out," Artemis said, her voice oddly even. "You get how it is, no trust." Sportsmaster's hand fell upon her shoulder. "This is where I belong."
"It's a fast growing club," Queen Bee said.
Above, a red plane arched overhead, stopping abruptly above. From the belly of the recognizable Bio-ship, the bottom opened up and a hooded Martian descended from the skies.
"Why are they here?" M'gann asked as her feet hit the ground. Her eyes flickering nervously between Superboy and Artemis. She turned on Queen Bee. "You promised!"
"I kept your secret and my promise," Queen Bee scoffed. "Now you keep yours."
M'gann's head fell in a nod.
"Good girl."
"Give me more shields and I'm in too," Superboy said. After his fight against Mammoth at the snowy cliff with the rest of the Team, he had used his last one.
Lex Luthor stalked forward, pausing in front of Superboy. Their eyes locked in a silent battle before Lex Luthor leaned back, grinning charmingly.
"My boy, you're a terrible liar."
Superboy's teeth barred at his bluff being called as he moved forward for a punch but two words paralyzed him in his tracks.
"Red sun."
Superboy's eyes twitched around, his muscles tensing as he his code word shut him down. He fought for a moment before leaning back, lose and eyes vacant.
Artemis stepped forward, her hands on her hips. "What do you want us to do?"
Mount Justice
December 30, 15:45 EST
"There's something I need to do," Conner grunted, turning away from the Team. His foot froze above the ground, his brain thinking about what a certain Green Lantern had said. Cyra hadn't showed up to the Cave or the Hall of Justice to greet their new teammate, Rocket, or congratulate the new Leaguers. So far, she has been dark and the Team worried—some more than others.
They tried to call again once they got an alert of Cheshire taking a plane. There was no response. That left the Team to handle the situation on their own. They had found the carcass of a plane and was ambushed by Cheshire, Shimmer, Mammoth, the Riddler, and a group of mercenaries carrying Apokolypic technology. They managed to defeat them, sending the Riddler to Belle Reve and discovering that Hugo Strange was running a criminal organization in Arkham. Batman said they did a good job.
But now, Lex Luthor was offering more patches and Kaldur had to go.
He looked back over his shoulder, confused faces and narrowed eyes drilling into him. He frowned. He could almost hear what Cyra would say.
"There's something I need to tell you," Kaldur spun back to them. "Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus with Cyra—" the name send frowns flitting across the Team's features. "—and found a few things out. When I was cloned, only half of the DNA was Superman's. The other half was human. That's why I don't have—never have full Kryptonian powers."
"You sure? 'Cause you sure seemed to have them today," Robin pointed out.
"I've been using these." Conner pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a black patch on his skin, all the red since being sucked out of it. "Shields. They suppress my human DNA. I get the flight, the heat vision, but I think I also get angry. Well, angrier," he corrected. His shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry."
"Where did you get those?" Kaldur demanded, his voice low but not hostile.
Conner took out a box that once held the rest of his Shields that were used up. "From my human father—Lex Luthor."
Everyone's eyes grew at once.
"Lex Luthor . . . is your dad?" Robin exclaimed. Looks like the Boy Wonder didn't know as much as he thought he did after all.
"He summoned me to Santa Prisca."
Santa Prisca
December 30, 18:05 ECT
Lex Luthor nodded to Sportsmaster.
"You two, follow me," the man ordered, pointing behind him as he began to move out.
"W-what about Superboy?" M'gann asked.
"He'll be fine," Queen Bee assured. "He simply requires a few . . . adjustments."
"Bring him along," Lex Luthor ordered, following behind Sportsmaster.
Blockbuster growled, moving threateningly towards Superboy. Artemis's eyes narrowed sharply before she ran forward, her arrow sliding into her bow string as she aim and fired.
Mount Justice
December 30, 15:54 EST
"Ahhh, listen," Artemis admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Superboy's not the only one suffering from bad DNA."
Artemis walked over to the keyboard of the monitors, bring up two holographic images of Cheshire AKA Jade Nguyen, Sportsmaster—also known as Lawrence Crook, and finally, the Huntress who now solely went by Paula Nguyen Crook.
"My mother is Huntress, an ex-con," Artemis told. "The 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—"
"Yeah," Artemis interrupted the speedster. "I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out."
Robin's cocky voice spoke up, smirking, "I knew."
Artemis eyed him wildly.
"Hey, I'm a detective," he said chalantly, "but it never mattered. You aren't your family. You're one of us."
Artemis's mouth twitched.
Santa Prisca
December 30, 18:07 ECT
Her arrow hit the beast square in the chest. Foam spread over him. It seems Artemis learned something from Red Arrow in the time they spent not hating each other.
"Sorry, dad, wanted to play you like you tried to play me, but I can't let them mess with Superboy's head" Artemis shouted, leveling an explosive arrow at Sportsmaster.
"M'gann, be a dear and take Artemis down," Queen Bee thought.
Artemis yelped as she floated into the air, M'gann's hand outstretched and her eyes glowing a florescent green.
Mount Justice
December 30, 16:00 EST
"So, uh, who's next?" Wally chuckled, placing his elbow on the blonde's shoulder.
"I am," M'gann said solemnly.
"I swear I was kidding," Wally breathed, putting his hands up in his defense.
M'gann sighed, and showed them her heart. "Queen Bee's been blackmailing me. She wants me in Santa Prisca too."
"Blackmailing? How?" Kaldur questioned.
"She knows my true Martian form."
"Bald M'gann? Who cares if—"
"No," she cut off the Boy Wonder abruptly. With a sigh, M'gann began to hunch over and grow. Her skin turned a pearly white and her skull bulged out. Hands turned into ape-like arms with devillish claws and large fangs stuck out of her mouth. Red veins and cartilage stuck out.
Everyone stepped back.
"Oh," Rocket gasped.
"I realized you'd never except me what I really am," M'gann's voice spoke in their heads. She wrapped her arms around herself as if to shield them from her appearance.
"M'gann," Kaldur chastised, "did we really seem so shallow?"
"I couldn't take the chance. Being a White Martian among the Green on Mars, I endured constant rejection. I couldn't face that from—"
"From me?" Conner blinked. He took M'gann's two-fingered hand in his. "I've known since we mind melded back last September in Bialya."
"But that was before we even became a couple?" M'gann's voice came over confused. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready," Superboy smiled.
Santa Prisca
December 30, 18:08 ECT
M'gann other hand flicked up and Queen Bee was launched into a tree.
Artemis flipped in the air, shooting her arrow at her father. It landed between Sportsmaster and Cheshire, each jumped to the side away from the explosion.
"Queen Bee is down. Superboy, you're safe from her control." M'gann flipped down her hood.
"May not be much of a liar, but I fooled you," Superboy barked to Lex Luthor as he stalked forward.
"And I'm so proud." Mercy stepped in front of her benefactor. "And I take it that Miss Martian cleansed Red Sun from your mind?"
"And confirmed that Robin, Aqualad, Green Lantern, and Kid Flash rescued me from Cadmus before you had time to install any other programming."
"All true. Personally, I blame Dr. Desmond."
The crystal that had grown over the beast from the Team's first fight together roared as it broke apart, releasing Blockbuster from his prison.
The purple monster roared, tackling Superboy and shoving his head into the ground. The couple slid together until Superboy's upper body dangled off the edge of a cliff.
At Lex Luthor's command, Bane's thugs started shooting.
The Supercycle spun on its wheels, a gun popping from the top as it began madly shooting around with a symphony of gunfire and happy beeping. The engine revved as it floated into the air, flying at the Venom junkies. They jumped to aside to avoid the lasers, screaming.
"You have been a very naughty girl." Sportsmaster twirled a weighted ball in his hand on a chain as Cheshire and himself stalked towards the younger Crook.
"Guys, reinforcement time," Artemis said.
A purple streak arched over the trees, picking up one of Bane's goons and dropping them mid flight. A ginger blur sped in, checking goons from side to side like a professional hockey player. Gunfire shot off like fireworks and Bane scowled. His fist clenched around the trigger as fresh Venom traveled up the tubes of his lack and into his veins.
His muscles bulged, eyes popped, and he roared.
"Time to go," Lex Luthor stated, picking up a fallen Queen Bee in his arms, Mercy hot on his tail.
Aqualad jumped down from the trees before them, two wicked water swords in his hands, one of which he pointed threateningly at the bald mastermind. "Neither of you are going anywhere!"
"Young man, if you expect to detain me, contact me attorney."
Mercy stepped forward, the skin of her arm shedding away to reveal a buzzing gun. Aqualad shouted as a blast hit his chest, pushing him to the side like an annoying puppy.
M'gann had her hands full dodging laser blasts in the sky. Robin leaped into the fray, kicking and slicing his round batarangs. Guns turned to snakes in villains hands by Zatanna as Superboy wrestled with Blockbuster.
Superboy was thrusted through the cluff. He clawed at the sides, getting a hold and not tumbling to the ravine below.
Aqualad turned as the helicopter rose into the sky, Mercy and Lex Luthor behind the controls. The Atlantean's face fell.
"I got this!" Rocket volunteered, flying up.
Missiles opened from the bombay doors and Rocket only had time to put up a shield, almost being knocked out of the sky.
The helicopter swooped away before freezing in the air.
The blades still spun and Mercy was banging on the controls in confusion.
Helicopters didn't have rearview mirrors, so they couldn't see the large hand pinching the tail of the Helicopter, holding it back.
A blonde figure descended from the clouds, her arms open as if she was their saving angel, and with a flick of her hand, the helicopter was batted out of the sky.
Mount Justice
December 30, 16:04 EST
They shared a moment, but it was interrupted by loud clapping from the entrance of the Cave. Everyone spun in different fighting stances, only for it to all be washed away by bright smiles.
A obnoxious voice cheered. "Good, I'm just in time for all the big reveals." She cleared her throat. "Hi, my name is Cyra Brion, and I'm five foot, five inches, my grades are a C average, I obviously missed all the fun fights, and I'm the mole."
"Actually?" Robin asked.
Cyra shook her head, grinning.
The Team laughed.
"Cyra, you're okay!" M'gann squealed, flying forward and Cyra's eyes only had a moment to widen before she was flattened against the ground by a white thing straight out of Alien.
"Holy—!"
"Sorry!" M'gann giggled, going back to her green form as she hug Cyra tightly. The blonde patted her on the back.
"Move!" Artemis ordered, tugging M'gann off and grabbing Cyra's arm, practically lifting her off the ground into a bone-crushing arm. The archer pulled away, punching Cyra on the shoulder and causing her to yelp. "Don't almost get killed ever again."
"Don't tell me what to do," Cyra scoffed at her.
They glared at each other a moment before laughing again, embracing tightly.
A heavy hand fell on Cyra's shoulder and she broke away to face a smiling Kaldur. "I too am glad you're alive and finally joined us. Are you okay?"
Cyra's smile faltered. "Fine," she nodded, her grin cementing to her face. "It takes more than a few intergalactic psychopaths to keep me down."
Robin shuffled thought, practically leaping on Cyra as Superboy picked them both up, cracking Cyra's back.
"Ow!" Cyra laughed. Superboy plopped her back down. She rubbed her back. "That felt good."
Superboy rolled his eyes. "I'm almost glad you're back."
"Ha, get it?" Cyra's eyes shined. "Back! You just cracked my back." She snickered.
A sigh left the clone's lips. "I take it back."
Robin cackled.
Zatanna shoved through. "C'mon, can't a girl get a hug from her friend?"
"Not in this economy," Cyra said, drawing in the magician for a hug. "I missed you, Z. You know, when I was being beat up I thought, 'hey, Zatanna would be mildly disappointed if I died, so I better not do that', and then, I didn't die. Thank you."
"Shut up," Zatanna rolled her eyes but her smile stayed on as she pulled away. "Where have you been the last couple of days?"
"Just cleaning a few things up." Cyra's eyes were murky with secretive thoughts. "I had to put the family in witness protection. A lot of League paperwork and I had to go all the way to Oa to get a new ring." Cyra tapped the new jewelry that glowed upon her knuckle.
"Oh, Cyra!" Zatanna exclaimed, grabbing her in for another hug.
"You're Green Lantern! I saw you fighting in Central City on the news a few days ago!" a unknown girl spoke up with mocha skin and choppy hair. "Your identity was revealed to everyone."
Cyra's smile went strained. "Yeah, that kind of sucked. It took people like, an hour, to find out who I saw. I knew I should have deleted my instagram when I had the chance." Cyra let out a sigh. Her eyes scanned the girl. "Wait, who are you?"
"Rocket," she greeted highly. "Icon's sidekick."
Cyra chuckled. "Yeah, you must be new. We don't call ourselves sidekicks here," she winked.
"I like this girl," Rocket said.
"They always do," Cyra flipped her hair over her shoulder. While doing so, her eyes landed on a still Wally West, who stared at her like she was a dirty puddle of water in a hot desert.
"Hey," she croaked.
In a blur, Wally was in front of her and his hands wrapped around her hips, spinning her into a kiss.
Cyra's eyes were wide, but slowly closed as they leaned into each other.
M'gann and Zatanna squealed while Artemis smirked knowingly. Robin hooted mocking and Kaldur shot the younger boy a glad, smiling as if he was waiting for this moment a long time. Rocket looked generally confused, but say the happiness anyway and didn't question it.
"It's about time," Superboy called out.
The two broke apart, gazing into each others eyes as their breathing mixed in the air. The rest of the Team laughed as they smiled, slowly untangling themselves from each other.
"Wow, okay," Cyra said, swiping some loose strands of hair from her braid over her head. Wally was grinning uncontrollably, cockily giving Robin a thumbs up. Cyra rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "So, what's the plan?"
Santa Prisca
December 30, 18:11 ECT
Artemis faced off against her sister and father.
Their archer laid on the ground, her bow in pieces as she gritted her teeth at the approaching Sportsmaster.
"You know I don't tolerate disobedience, Artemis."
"Sure dad, Jade and I learned that the hard way." Artemis's gaze locked onto her sister's through her cat mask.
A green hammer slammed into Cheshire's gut, sending her cartwheeling backwards.
Kid Flash was right behind the Green Lantern, sprinting at Sportmaster.
The villain grabbed the speedster over the shoulder, launching him into the air like a sack of potatoes.
The ginger shouted in pain as he hit a tree, breaking off branches.
A green construct bow appeared in Artemis's hand as the two blondes squares off against the worst father of the month award.
"I got this, you go get Kid Flash."
Cyra's eyes widened at the archer. "Are you sure?"
Artemis narrowed her dark eyes. "Absolutely."
"Rock on," Cyra grinned wolfishly, throwing Sportsmaster a pitiful look before flying off.
She passed an army of Robins that made her do a double take, sincerely hoping they would vanish, and Superboy and Miss Martian facing against Blockbuster together. Aqualad and Rocket got their hands on some Apokolips technology.
Cyra's grin was kicked up a few watts.
Her feet sunk into the soft earth of the swampy landscape, prowling through the trees on search for her prey.
She found him, groaning and writhing on the ground with his foot stuck in a hollow log.
Cyra ripped apart the log, which fell apart in her hands, coating them in dust.
Kid Flash looked up at the glowing blonde and her contagious grin. She offered him a hand, which he took gladly. She yanked him back to her feet. Kid Flash jokingly fell forward into her.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his other hand sneaking up to clasp Cyra's chin. She leaned up to meet his lips as they shared this moment together. The smelly swamp and grunts of criminal psychopaths turned into a gentle nursery rhyme in the background.
They broke away, eyes alight in wicked fire.
"You're making it really hard for me to get back to work," Cyra whispered.
A sly smirk grew on his face. He had the nerve to wink before speeding back to the battle.
"Rude!" Cyra shouted after, bursting into the sky after the laughing speedster.
When they arrived back to the excitement, Blockbuster was neck deep in tar, unconscious. Bane and Sportsmaster suffered similar fates. They came upon Artemis, staring down at her father's lip and caged body with a dark look in her eyes.
Kid Flash held Sportsmaster's fallen mask.
"Souvenir," Artemis said for him, smirking.
The trio joined the rest of the Team besides a river of black tar and and Bio-ship. Aqualad and Rocket had shed their new toys and Superboy and M'gann appeared to be closer than ever. Cyra had went back to the helicopter gravesite. There was no bodies and where ever the abandoned villains went, the Green Lantern could only imagine it was far out of their reach.
"It is always like this," Rocket exclaimed, looking joyfully at the destruction they had caused.
"Told you," Zatanna smirked.
"Well, disaster averted. Feeling the aster," Robin said.
Cyra chuckled, "I have no idea what you're saying."
"I'll draw you up a dictionary one day."
"This has been a good day," Aqualad said, a peaceful smile residing on his features.
Kid Flash looped his arms over both Artemis and Cyra's shoulders, pulling them into him. She smiled at them charmingly. "The bestest."
Artemis and Cyra didn't even have to look at each other as they both elbowed him in the side at the same time.
Kid Flash yelped, jumping away from them as the whole Team laughed.
"Yes, the best," Aqualad agreed.
A/n: There's only at most three chapters left guys! After so much time! I'm totally going to do a Q and A after this and I'm so hyped for the ending. There is still some action left, so hold your toes!
As always, thank you all for the votes and comments! Some of you have been with this story since the beginning years ago and it's finally all coming to an end.
But, if you are ever looking for a quick and fun read to hold yourself over, you can check out my new book, 'The Next Justice League!' based a lot like Young Justice but will grow into its own thing! I am co-writing it with a couple other authors and I am very hyped for it!