The room trembled as Lex Luthor descended, the faint hum of his boots echoing against reinforced metal. A faint ripple of static passed through the air, as though the bunker itself recognized its master. Every pair of eyes turned toward him—heroes, villains, and those that existed somewhere between.
Hovering a few feet above the ground, Lex gave them the faintest smile, a picture of composure and arrogance perfectly balanced.
"I am the one responsible for this ragtag coalition," he declared, his deep voice filling the hall. "Heroes and villains alike, united under one cause—to stop that madwoman Raven before she reshapes the world while I still draw breath."
His words hung heavy in the air. The name alone made several faces tighten; even the hum of machinery seemed to lower in reverence.
"And we are to believe you, of all people, have gathered us for something so noble? Spare us the self-righteous speech, Luthor." From the edge of the crowd, Ra's al Ghul gave a derisive scoff, folding his arms beneath his cloak.
Lex smirked without turning. "I see some things never change, Ra's. Still condescending, still a relic clinging to the past. Though I must admit, I've missed our debates. Even if you don't trust me, you should know that I am not willing to bend over and allow someone else to take over this world that is rightfully mine."
Before Ra's could reply, Terra's voice cut through, sharp and sceptical. "Alright, sarcasm aside, why do you fly? Am I hallucinating, or is Lex Luthor suddenly a mutant or a superpowered being?"
The billionaire merely raised a brow. "You are not hallucinating, my dear. I possess strength and speed greater than even our boy in red and blue—although," he added with a curl of his lip, "our 'boy' has now become a woman and a traitor to humanity, just as I predicted—not the woman part though. No one believed me then, and yet—here we are."
He hovered down until his boots kissed the floor, the impact soft but commanding. "But enough about me. You two—" he gestured toward Beast Boy, and Terra "—owe us introductions."
Beast Boy blinked, ears twitching. "Honestly—Superman as a woman now? I mean, I have known about this, but it's almost jarring to think of, especially when you see her now. She looks like that's who she was always supposed to be, and not Superman. Kinda weird to think she was even Superman. You know what? We're not unpacking that right now." He straightened up, trying to regain composure before he got lost again in his own monologue.
"I'm Beast Boy. Yeah, the green guy. The one who everyone can't help but rely on to save themselves. Humble. Amazing and awesome! Oh, and I can shift into any animal."
'He didn't say tell him what you can do, but I guess there is very little Lex doesn't know anyway.' Robin thought to himself as he let out a sigh.
Terra crossed her arms beside him. "Terra. No fancy titles. I move rocks."
"Hmm." Lex's gaze lingered on her a second longer than necessary, intrigued. "Concise. I appreciate that."
Robin stepped forward, his hood casting a faint shadow over his eyes. "To keep this simple, Beast Boy has crucial inside information for us."
"Yeesh, no pressure," Garfield muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He inhaled, straightening his shoulders. Around him, members of the bunker found their places—some taking seats on metal crates, others leaning casually against the walls, waiting.
Ra's al Ghul's voice broke the silence. "Before we waste our time, tell me—how do we know the babbling of this green fool can be trusted?"
"Babbling?" Beast Boy echoed, a bit of hurt in his voice as Terra hugged his arm and shot a killer glare at the man who couldn't help but smile.
'Always testing me, old man. Always.' Damien exhaled softly, irritation flickering beneath his mask as he steadied his thoughts
He stepped forward, placing himself between Garfield and the crowd. "Because I made him my sleeper agent," he announced, and the room collectively straightened. Even Lex's brow arched.
Talia's lips curved into a faint, approving smile from the shadows.
"I used a technique few living people understand," Damien continued. "I overwrote any previous commands in his mind and made mine the primary. His loyalty is to me—and to our cause."
Ra's' eyes narrowed. Then, after a tense pause, he nodded once. "Ah. That technique." He understood. He had taught it once.
"Still," said Red Star from near the back, "for all we know, this could be another manipulation. How do we—"
He stopped as Talia's gloved hand brushed his bicep. "Relax," she said coolly. "He tells the truth. Let the boy speak."
Garfield swallowed and nodded. "Okay. Here goes nothing."
He stepped forward until the glow from the bunker's console lights painted his green skin in gold. "First thing—you all need to know—the Raven out there, the one wrecking planets, isn't ours."
Aqualad stiffened. Jericho's hands tightened into fists. Their silence said everything.
"And no," Garfield added quickly, "it's not her dad this time. If it were, we'd all be dead by now, especially after what went down last time. This one's worse. Someone hijacked Raven's body—a parasite, maybe, or something cosmic—and has been using her like a puppet. She's been conquering galaxies, spreading her influence. Everywhere she goes, she leaves people… hollow."
The room absorbed his words. Some whispered. Others just stared.
Aqualad spoke first, his tone calm but cold. "Then tell me—how do we fight something like that? A creature that can conquer entire galaxies?"
Garfield hesitated, his jaw tightening. "We don't. Not yet. We wait. Because right now—she's vulnerable."
That earned a few raised brows.
"Recently, Diana—yeah, Wonder Woman—stabbed her," he said bluntly. "Split her soul apart. That hit broke whatever she was using to keep herself invincible. Right now, she's recovering, but not at full strength. Her… harem, or whatever she calls it, is weakened too. They took on parts of her broken soul, her 'emoticlones.'"
A murmur swept through the room. Red Star leaned forward, frowning. "And you're sure of this?"
"Positive," Garfield said. "Kyla-el—the one who used to be Superman—returned to Earth. She gathered what's left of Raven's original allies and blessed them with more power to fight back. She said Victor—Cyborg—will be key to fusing the emoticlones and bringing the imposter down."
When he finished, the bunker dissolved into a low rumble of voices. Some hopeful, some doubtful, some fearful.
Off to the side, Tala closed her eyes, her lips barely moving. 'Oh, my goddess… my dear goddess. May you rise again and scatter us all like seeds in your storm. Let me serve in your chaos.'
But outwardly, she stayed still, serene, betraying nothing.
Lex hovered slightly off the ground, his hand on his chin, absorbing everything. "Interesting," he murmured. "Dangerous, but… fascinating. If Kyla-el has truly ascended beyond Kryptonian limits, and if this imposter is wounded, that opens a window of opportunity."
Red Star crossed his arms. "A window that could still get us all killed."
"Perhaps," Lex admitted, his eyes glinting. "But every empire has a weak heartbeat before its death. We simply need to strike at the right rhythm."
Terra sighed, glancing between them. "Great. So we've got a super-powered ex-billionaire, a demon cult grandpa, a resurrected Amazon stabbing gods, and a green guy with inside info. Totally normal Thursday."
Damien shot her a look, but even he couldn't suppress a small smirk.
"Still… a billionaire. But you are right, billionaire was so yesterday. I am about to cross the threshold." Lex said, adjusting his trenchcoat as if throwing away such an insult as if it were mere dust on his hand-tailored suit.
Lex continued, voice smooth as glass. "We act too soon, and we die. We wait too long, and the universe burns. The balance must be perfect."
Beast Boy raised a hand hesitantly. "Actually, there's one more thing you should know."
The noise died instantly.
"Starfire's sister—Blackfire—she's a White Lantern now. Stronger than all of us combined, and she's on Earth."
At that, the air itself seemed to still. The room's lights flickered.
Then—
Tiny motes of radiance began to appear.
At first, they looked like dust illuminated by a sunbeam. But they multiplied, swirling faster, brighter, until the ceiling of the bunker itself pulsed with living light. The glow reflected in every pair of eyes, soft and awe-struck.
Even Lex lowered slightly, scanning the phenomenon with something close to reverence.
Beast Boy stepped back beside Terra, shielding her instinctively though he didn't know why.
"What… what is that?" Terra whispered, the warmth brushing across her skin like sunlight after winter.
Damien's hand went to his belt, ready to draw his sword—but even he hesitated. "It's… familiar," he murmured, the Latin runes in his armor faintly lighting up in response.
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