Meanwhile, Artemis and the others tracked faint signals across Gotham. Megan hovered above, scanning telepathically.
Finally, they found him—in a run-down warehouse. Roy was already stringing his bow when they entered, sweat glistening on his forehead.
"Stay back!" he barked.
"Roy, it's us!" Artemis raised her hands. "We're not here to fight."
"You don't get it," Roy snarled, his voice cracking. "I'm not me! I was never me! I've been their puppet since the beginning!"
Kid Flash tried to joke, though his voice wavered. "Well, at least you're not secretly a robot. That spot's taken."
But Roy's eyes only darkened. "You don't understand. They had been controlled. I gave them the League. This whole mess… is on me."
Superboy stepped forward, fists clenched but voice softer. "You didn't know. That doesn't make it your fault."
Megan placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Roy… please. Let us help you."
For a moment, silence. Then Roy lowered his bow. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground.
"…I didn't even know who I was anymore."
Aqualad crouched beside him. "Then let's figure it out together. Now what do you mean about begin controlled."
The two squads regrouped in a hidden safehouse far from the Watchtower's reach. Black Canary lay unconscious but stable. Red Tornado, now transfered back his conscious from human android body.
Robin plugged in the encrypted USB drive Batman had left behind. The holo-screen lit up, displaying schematics of the Starro spores.
"It's all here," Robin muttered, eyes scanning lines of alien code. "Weak points, neural signatures… Batman must've figured out what they are trying to do."
"You can undo it?" Aqualad asked.
"No. We might need some help and time."
The Team exchanged glances. Broken trust. Heavy hearts. But resolve hardened in their eyes.
The League was lost. Batman was enslaved. The Earth was in peril.
And they were the only ones left to fight back.
"You wanted me as bait," Black Canary told the Team, "now make it count."
Red Tornado extended his arms, cyclones spinning in his palms. Beside him, Red Arrow pulled a full quiver into position. The three of them were the frontline distraction—a beacon for the League's rage.
"Now, kids," Canary barked. "Move!"
With that Black Canary, Red Tornado and Red Arrow walk towards the Boomtube and disappear.The Team also go to the Watchtower from other ways.
~~~~~~~~~
Black Canary, Red Tornado and Red Arrow walked out of the Boomtube, Vandal Savage is watching them with a confidence smile and said.
"You guys don't need to act like being controlled by us. It is not static control device but remote control one."
Klarion the Witch Boy, perched atop Teekl, chaos magic sparking around his hands and controlled Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Icon surround Black Canary and two others.
Canary slid into stance, her feet light, her voice sharp. "You wanted a fight, Savage? You got one."
Savage smirked. "No, my dear. I wanted a demonstration. And you, as always, will provide."
Red Tornado spun his arms, hurling compressed cyclones that forced Klarion back. The witch cackled, spinning his hands in counter-motion—purple flame-winds colliding with Tornado's air blasts in a shrieking storm.
"Bad robot!" Klarion howled. "Teekl, eat him! "
The demon-cat leapt, claws extending into a nightmare's length. Tornado caught it midair, but its sheer ferocity drove him back, his metal fingers screeching against Teekl's claws.
Meanwhile, Hal Jordan's ring blazed emerald. A giant hammer of will slammed into the floor, cracking it like a meteor strike. Red Arrow rolled aside, loosing three explosive shafts in rapid fire.
The arrows detonated against Hal's shield construct, forcing the Lantern to step back. Roy's teeth clenched. "Guess I need more fire powers, huh?" He loosed another shaft—this one tipped with an EMP. The construct flickered.
Icon appeared at his side instantly, his fist a comet. The punch tore through Roy's quiver, scattering shafts across the floor. Roy hit the wall hard, groaning, but dragged himself back up, blood at his lip.
Black Canary's scream cut through the chaos. A focused cone of sonic power staggered both Hal and Icon, their ears ringing, their movements faltering. She dashed in, her fists a blur, striking Savage himself.
Savage didn't even block. He let her fists hammer his jaw, his chest, his ribs—then caught her arm in a steel grip.
"You think you can defeat me with your pathetic strength," Savage said, voice like a boulder grinding. "Your strength means nothing before eternity. Klarion now call back other heroes."
Hidden in the shadows, Robin's hand clenched around the vaccine patch applicator. His eyes darted from mentor to friend.
"They're holding," he whispered into comms. "Now. Move."
The Team split like shadows in water.
Controlled Green Arrow drew back his bow. The snap of his bowstring was like a gunshot, explosive arrows screaming through the air. Artemis counter-fired mid-flight—shaft striking shaft, detonating in sparks between them.
"Now!" Artemis muttered, teeth clenche. While the two archers traded fire, Robin darted behind Ollie as he drew another shot. In one fluid motion, he slapped the vaccine patch against the side of his neck.
His bow clattered from his hands as his body convulsed once and fell still.
Artemis stood over him, shaking. "Sorry, Ollie."
"One down," Robin whispered in the comms.
The chamber floor exploded as Aquaman surged forward, trident raised. He was faster, stronger, deadlier in his rage. Aqualad stepped into his king's path, twin water-bearers sparking with bioelectricity. The two clashed, weapon against weapon, son against mentor.
"You taught me to fight for Atlantis," Kaldur said as he parried a thrust, "now I fight for your freedom!"
He jammed his weapon across the trident shaft, twisting it away long enough for Ryotaro who transformed into Kamen Rider Invisible form slam the patch to Aquaman's neck. Arthur stiffened, groaned—and collapsed unconscious into Kaldur's arms.
Kaldur lowered him gently. "Rest, my king."
Kid Flash blurred across the chamber, zig-zagging through smoke. He slapped a patch onto Barry's back mid-run. The Flash tumbled, unconscious in a slide.
Rocket trapped Atom in a cube of shimmering energy long enough for Zatanna to recite a binding spell. Artemis dove inside and jabbed the patch against Ray Palmer's neck. He dropped like a stone. Shazam shooting the electric like a javelin but Ryotaro transform into Kamen Rider Faiz uses Axel form and quickly stick the patches against Hawkman, Shazam and Zatara.
One by one, the League fell—subdued not by violence, but by cure.
*********
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