"What's the game plan, Luthor?" Superman asked.
"Call me Lex," Lex replied, moving toward a massive computer.
We all followed. I was still holding the monkey—Harley—and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lex's Justice League staring at me like I was a ghost.
Lex's fingers danced over the keyboard, and soon a hologram flickered to life, showing the Crime Syndicate's core members.
"These are the six, well, now five leaders of the Crime Syndicate. J'edd J'arkus is dead," Lex said flatly.
"How'd he die?" Superman asked.
"Dial killed him… by sacrificing himself."
"Wait, what?" I stepped forward. "The Omnitrix should have a fail-safe to protect its wielder."
"Dial's Omnitrix was destroyed a long time ago," Lex explained. "That device Owlman used on you earlier? That's what destroyed his."
"Okay, I'm getting tired of playing catch-up," Flash cut in. "Someone want to explain what the heck an Omnitrix is?"
"You don't know?" Green Arrow 2 asked, raising a brow.
"Omni isn't part of the Justice League in his world," Lex said.
"Seriously? He's not?" Plastic Man asked in disbelief.
Superman folded his arms. "We have to put it to a vote. And most of the League members don't trust Omni… especially after he hacked the Justice League systems."
"Hey, come on, I only did that because Batman wouldn't stop snooping in my business," I shot back.
"That doesn't matter right now," Lex interrupted. "Omni, would you like to explain, or should I?"
I sighed. "Knew I couldn't keep this thing a secret forever."
I tapped my watch, projecting the fake message. The room was filled with light, and everyone stared at it, faces shifting from curiosity to fascination, as the explanation played out.
When it ended, Superman leaned forward. "Wait… so you've got over a million alien DNA samples from another universe stored in that watch?"
"Yes," I said.
"That's incredible," Lex said. "And very interesting. It seems like your Omnitrix is far more advanced than our version."
"Wait," Hawkgirl tilted her head. "So your world's Omnitrix isn't like Omni's?"
"No," Iron Woman said. "Dial only had ten aliens."
She walked to the console, typed a few commands, and pulled up their files on the Omnitrix. A holographic display showed the aliens in Dial's arsenal:
Ghostfreak
Ripjaws
Stinkfly
Upgrade
Heatblast
XLR8
Four Arms
Wildmutt
Diamondhead
"By the looks of it, and from what I know, this is an old version of the Omnitrix. At least, that's what I learned from mine," I said.
"Old version?" The Jester tilted his head.
"Yeah. Before my completed model, there were other prototypes. This one? This is the oldest. And let me guess, he couldn't stay in alien form for long, could he?" I asked.
Cassandra shook her head. "No. He could only hold it for ten minutes."
"What about yours?" Jester asked. "Do you get more time or something?"
"Nope," I smirked. "I can stay in alien form for as long as I want."
Lex's Justice League went quiet.
"What?" I looked around.
Green Arrow 2's jaw tightened. "If John's Omnitrix could've done that… he'd probably still be alive. And a lot more of those Syndicate bastards would be in the ground."
Her fist clenched tight.
"Whoa, whoa, nobody's putting anyone else in the ground," Green Arrow said quickly. "We lock them away."
"You can't be serious," Plastic Man snapped. "Do you have any idea how many people they've killed? How many friends we lost?"
"So what you want is vengeance, not justice," Wonder Woman said, her voice calm but sharp.
"Killing them would be justice," Cassandra said coldly.
"Okay, okay, everybody, stop," I cut in. "We've got one common enemy here."
They all turned toward me.
"Look… I'm not saying some villains don't deserve to be put down, trust me, I've thought about it, but if we've got the means to lock them up forever, then we save killing as the last resort."
A beat of silence.
"Fine," Green Arrow 2 muttered.
The others grudgingly nodded.
"Good. Now… if you still have the broken Omnitrix, I might be able to fix it," I said.
"That's impossible," Lex said. "Even after we gathered the pieces, we decided to destroy it. We couldn't risk the Crime Syndicate figuring out how it worked."
"I didn't destroy it," Cassandra said quietly.
Everyone turned to her.
"What?!" Lex's tone sharpened. "We all agreed to destroy it for the safety of others. Why didn't you?"
"It was the last thing I had of him," Cassandra said, her voice low. "I couldn't do it. So… I hid it."
"Where?" Green Lantern asked.
"At my home. Secret compartment."
I blinked at her. "So… you've just been keeping one of the most powerful devices in existence sitting in your house?"
She glared at me.
"If you lost someone," she said softly, "could you really throw away the last thing that reminded you of them?"
"…Fair point," I admitted.
"Still could've hidden it somewhere better," Jester muttered.
"I wanted it close. Just in case," Cassandra said.
"Enough," Lex cut in. "We're wasting time. Cassandra, Black Canary, you two go retrieve the broken Omnitrix. The rest of us will deal with the Crime Syndicate."
"Oh, dibs on Superwoman," I said instantly.
They all turned to stare at me.
"What? Our last fight wasn't fair. I want a rematch. And I know just the alien to kick her ass."
"I'd rather you stay here where it's safe," Cassandra said, looking at me in a way that made me think this version of me meant something to her.
"Yeah… no. I'm not sitting on the sidelines while everyone else risks their lives. If I've got the ability to help, I'm helping. And let's not forget—" I tapped my Omnitrix. "That weapon of theirs doesn't work on me."
Cassandra sighed. "Doesn't matter what universe, you never change."
She walked off with Black Canary, leaving me standing there with the others.
A few minutes later
The Justice League split into teams, each one heading after a different branch of the Crime Syndicate. My group was me, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl. We were headed toward one of the Syndicate's warehouses, apparently one of their big drug operations.
I was in my JetRay form, gliding alongside them through the air.
"Okay, I wasn't gonna say anything… but did anyone else notice how the other-world Justice League kept looking at me?" I asked.
"Yes," they all said in unison.
"Yeah, thought so. Makes me wonder what their Dial meant to them," I said.
"He must've meant a lot," Green Lantern said. "Especially to Cassandra."
"Yeah… I kinda wanna ask," I admitted, "but I feel like that'd just be ripping open old wounds."
"That wouldn't be a good idea." Green Lantern said
"Yeah, I thought so, I'm basically a ghost to them," I said. "But did anybody else clock that Green Arrow 2 is the daughter of Black Canary and Green Arrow in this universe?"
"What?!" they all said.
"Seriously? None of you noticed? I mean, just look into her eyes, she's got her dad's eyes," I said.
"Okay, we'll put a pin in that for later, we're here," Hawkgirl cut in.
She was right. Below us was exactly what you'd expect from a Syndicate drug factory, abandoned area, lots of guards, and a suspicious lack of windows.
"Damn. No Superwoman… guess she's not here," I said.
"You really want to fight her that bad?" Green Lantern asked.
"Hey, I gotta run it back. My first fight wasn't fair. I know if I get the chance again, I'll win," I said.
"You shouldn't be too overconfident," Hawkgirl warned.
"Or underestimate your enemy," Wonder Woman added.
"I'm not. I just know the perfect alien to take her down, that's all," I said.
Wonder Woman gave me a curious look. "Superwoman is basically my counterpart. Could one of your aliens beat me?"
"Yes. I've got almost every perfect alien matchup for each Justice League member," I said with a smirk.
"Interesting. I'd like to fight you when this is over," she said.
"I'm cool with that," I replied.
We dropped down and started the assault. Green Lantern and I went inside, blasting our way through the place. I fired lasers at every piece of high-tech equipment I could find, tearing the factory apart.
A loud BOOM rattled the walls outside. We flew out and saw Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl smashed into the side of the building. Standing there was a woman in a warrior's outfit, wielding a spear.
"She's not Superwoman… but I do need a warm-up. Tag me in," I said.
"No. She's mine," Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl said in unison.
They launched at her, Wonder Woman hitting her with a clean right hook that knocked her back. Hawkgirl followed up with a swing of her mace, slamming it into the woman's shoulder and stunning her. Wonder Woman grabbed her spear and yanked hard, flinging her across the yard toward the warehouse.
The woman caught herself mid-air and turned, just in time for Wonder Woman to hurl the spear again. It sliced part of her armor, pinned her against the wall, and stuck fast. Before she could react, Wonder Woman stepped in, twisted the spear, and knocked her out cold.
I raised an imaginary mic to my mouth. "Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl win, flawless victory," I said in my best gamer-announcer voice.
The Flash POV
We were at the docks, one of the Crime Syndicate's main hubs for storing and shipping weapons. My team was Green Arrow, Green Arrow Two, and Martian Manhunter.
We were in position, ready to strike. Martian Manhunter shifted into some kind of massive, snake-like sea monster and slid into the water. I was perched up top on the roof with the Green Arrows.
"Alright, here's the plan," I said. "I'll take out the ones below and smash up a few of their toys. You two just cover me."
"We got it," Green Arrow Two said. Then she added, "But you be careful. My mom and dad are here."
Me and Oliver both turned to her, surprised.
"Wait… your parents are criminals?" I asked.
"Yep," she said without hesitation.
"And you're okay fighting them?" Oliver asked.
"They were never parents to me," she replied flatly. "And they've killed a lot of my friends."
"Mind telling us who they are?" I asked.
"Black Siren and Red Arrow," she said.
That made my eyebrows shoot up, but judging by Oliver's face, it hit him even harder.
"Are you saying I'm your da—" Oliver started.
"Let's not waste time talking about this," she cut in sharply. "Let's start the assault now."
She fired a grappling arrow and swung to another building. I could tell Oliver had a thousand questions bouncing around in his head, but he followed her lead, moving to a better vantage point to take his shot.
I just shook my head and muttered, "Man… I have to say, this Earth is weird."
I sped down to the docks, dropping guards left and right with quick jabs and sweeps. Anything that looked expensive or dangerous? Smashed. In seconds, crates were splintered, weapons were bent in half, and alarms were blaring.
That's when I came face-to-face with Johnny Quick. He looked at me with this perfect mix of surprise and annoyance.
I was about to crack a joke, something about "didn't see that coming," when an arrow whizzed past my head. I dodged on instinct, the shaft slamming into the wall behind me. Spinning around, I saw Red Arrow already nocking another. He kept firing, but I slipped around every shot until another arrow intercepted one mid-flight.
Green Arrow Two had joined the fight. She swung down from her perch with a grappling hook arrow and landed hard, immediately locking into a duel with Red Arrow. The two of them traded blows and shots, their movements almost mirrored, father and daughter, but on opposite sides.
I turned back to Johnny Quick, only to get blasted by a sonic scream from Black Siren. The force dropped me to one knee, my ears ringing. Before she could let loose again, Martian Manhunter erupted from the water in his massive sea-serpent form, coiling tightly around her. Her scream cut off as he squeezed, her face twisting from rage to panic.
I shook off the ringing in my ears and focused on Johnny Quick. He was fast, but not my fast. If he'd trained for six years straight, maybe he could've matched me, but as it was, I had him on the ropes.
Then I heard it, a sharp cry of pain. Martian Manhunter. A fire-powered villain had blindsided him, flames burning into his side. I blitzed across the dock, knocking the pyro out cold with a single punch, then dropped to my knees beside J'onn.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I will live," he said through gritted teeth. "Let's finish this."
He launched into the air, shifting back into his normal form, and smashed straight through a massive cargo ship, sending it sinking into the bay.
I was still watching him when movement caught my eye. Black Siren was getting up, her mouth opening for another scream. Before she could, an arrow slammed into her knee, dropping her again.
I turned to see Oliver lowering his bow, his eyes locked on her.
"I gotta know," he said, voice tight with anger. "How could you do this? Abandon your daughter… choose to be a villain?"
Black Siren glared up at him. "I don't know how things are on your Earth, but that girl's nothing but wasted space. Should've killed her a long time ago."
The disgust on Oliver's face was instant and deep. He didn't say another word—just stepped forward and knocked her out cold.
I walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. "You and Dinah aren't these people. If you ever have a daughter… you'll be better than them."
"You're damn right I will," he said.
A small boom went off nearby, and we looked over to see Green Arrow Two standing over an unconscious Red Arrow. With both parents down, the fight was over.
Martian Manhunter and I carried Oliver and Green Arrow Two out of the docks, leaving the Crime Syndicate's weapons sinking into the bay behind us.
Lex Luthor POV
Me, Superman, and Iron Woman hovered above Ultraman's office, right in his airspace.
"Ultraman! Get your ass out here, I know you can hear me!" I called out.
But instead of the man himself, the sliding door opened to reveal Jimmy Olsen, one of Ultraman's most loyal lapdogs.
"Not looking for the hired help, Olsen," I said. "I want your boss."
"He's not here," Jimmy replied, flat as ever. "If you want an appointment, call his secretary. Now clear our airspace."
"Make me," I said.
Jimmy shot up toward me like a missile.
"You handle him," I told Superman. "We'll take Ultraman."
Jimmy swung at me, but Superman caught his fist like it was nothing.
"I'd rather not fight you, Jimmy," Superman said calmly.
Jimmy didn't listen. He threw another punch, and again Superman caught it, slipping behind him into an arm lock. As Jimmy struggled, I flew in, grabbed his wrist, and twisted his watch. A high-frequency signal burst out.
The Ultraman signal.
Didn't take long, I could hear him cutting through the air toward us.
"You sure you want to do this?" Superman asked. "I can take him."
"If it's going to mean anything after you're gone, it has to be us," Iron Woman said.
Then Ultraman arrived.
"Get your hands off my boy!" he barked.
"You've got bigger problems," I said.
Iron Woman fired repulsor blasts, and I lit my fists with energy fields, swinging at him hard. We barely made him flinch, but we kept pressing.
He caught one of my punches.
"You're getting cocky, Lex," Ultraman growled.
Then he drove his fist into my chest and sent me crashing onto a rooftop. Iron Woman kept firing, but Ultraman blasted her legs with heat vision, frying her flight stabilizers. She spiraled, barely catching herself enough to crash-land on another building.
Ultraman ignored her and descended toward me.
"You think you can come into my place of business and challenge me?" he said, stalking closer.
"There's a reason I'm the boss of bosses," he continued, grabbing my neck and hauling me off my feet. "Because everyone who stands in my way gets put down, just like your Justice League, and just like Dial."
He tried to burn through my chest with heat vision, but my suit's shielding held, barely. That was my cue.
A hidden compartment in my gauntlet popped open, and a chunk of blue kryptonite dropped into my palm.
Ultraman's eyes widened. He cut off his beam, stumbled back, and dropped me.
"Blue kryptonite? I destroyed it all," he spat.
"Yes," I said, smirking. "On this Earth. I've been visiting others."
I clenched the rock in my fist and drove it into his jaw. The hit launched him off the building and down into the street below.
I flew down after him, Superman right beside me with Jimmy still in tow.
"You're gonna pay for this, Luthor," Ultraman growled, still weak from the kryptonite.
"Here's a message for you, big man," I said, leaning over him. "If you do wrong, there are more and more of us to set things right."
The crowd that had gathered erupted into cheers. A squad car screeched to a halt, and both Jimmy and Ultraman were shoved into the back. I made sure to leave that little shard of blue kryptonite behind, just enough to keep Ultraman weak for a while longer.