Young Justice: Shattered Heroes

Chapter 9

Nightwing pov

All was quiet in the warehouse we had set up as a temporary base of operations. Jump City was the location we had chosen, and so far, it had been promising. Nothing much had happened in our time here, but that was probably for the best as Raven has had to be shielded from Darkseid's ever watching eyes. She had been in the corner with Damian for the past two hours, the two were reading a book together. Meanwhile Artimis and Wally had left to spend sometime with each other, leaving me and Starfire to do our things. After a few minutes, Damian got up and helped Raven up before the two went outside. Smiling, I placed down the piece of equipment I was holding. Starfire spoke as she placed down a power generator. "Nightwing, what do you think of those two, are they much like Artimis and Wally, or are they more like Red Robin and Wonder Girl, I cannot decide" My smile was still on my face when I remembered the feelings I had grown for her. I still wondered if she returned them. "I don't know, I think their afraid to admit that they love each other... much like Artimis and Wally were before, the same follows Red Robin and Wonder Girl, they were afraid to admit their feelings and then Wally "died" and came back" I plugged in a power cable while thinking, does she have feelings for him, or is it all a friendship thing and I'm just imaging things. "Do you know why they will not admit their feelings for each other Nightwing?" Shaking my head, I look over while standing up, "no, I don't know why, or when they will for a matter of fact, but it reminds me of two people who are engaged at this moment, Batman and Wonder Woman, they are much like this, and this has them all over it" I noticed Starfire was nodding her head before she then placed down a table. "So, Nightwing, why did you break up with Batgirl, was it because of what she had done so many years ago?" I knew this was coming, but I was expecting it from someone else. "No, it had nothing to do with the choice she made those years ago, I had decided that we were just not for each other, that she was not the one" Starfire nodded at my comment, I was about to reply when Wally entered with Artimis. "I never knew that Jump City held so many great places to visit, along with so many great things to enjoy eating Artimis" "Oh, shut up Wally" Artimis exclaimed as she punched Wally on the arm before giving a kiss on the check. Why do I even bother to be amazed at this anymore, I always wonder why, and to be honest, I haven't actually found an answer to that yet, perhaps time will tell. I walk over to the power generator where Starfire is and whisper something to her. "We'll continue this talk later" Starfire nodded and Wally yelled across the warehouse, "Dude, what you doing, you've been quiet around us all, is something going on between you two" I walk over to him and pull him aside, I then speak, only loud enough for Wally to hear. "No, not yet, and Wally, keep this quiet please, we need to find a suitably place to setup base, did you or Artimis spot any areas that may be perfect for this" "No, I'm afraid not" Wally expressed as he shook his head. Sighing, I moved back over to one of the corners of the warehouse, This would be a great spot for rooms till we get a better place to set up base. "Starfire, Wally, Artimis, come help me set up a living quarters for us will you" They nodded as they walked over. The hardest part right now was that we don't have a base set up for us, but as soon as the threat of Trigon and Darkseid is over, then a suitably base of operations could be set up.

Bruce Wayne pov

The Batcave was silent, well almost silent, the sound of Diana training on the training platform could be heard from here. I had the files of the now reveled Ultimus, leader of the Crime League, it was time to update them with the information Dick gave me. I heard Diana walking over before I felt her lips on my check. "What's this Bruce?" I sigh before replying, "Ultimus, aka Kevin Edward, leader of the Crime League and childhood friend of Dick, he has been operating here in Gotham with his love Blackfire, aka Kormander, ruler of Tameran and sister to Starfire. She's also the second in command of the Crime League and his most trusted ally" "Mmm, go on" I take a breath and continue, "Circe, proclaimed Goddess and sorceress, Deadshot, aka Floyd Lawton, worlds greatest gunman, never misses a shot, why he's working with Kevin and the others is beyond me, Captain Boomerang, Australian in origin, and uses boomerangs to get the job done, Reverse Flash, aka Professor Zoom, time traveler and one of Flash's enemies, Black Adam, aka Teth Adam, a God in his view, Talia Al Gul, daughter of the demon Ra's Al Gul, my ex-wife and mother of Damian, Mammoth, an ex-elite Hive operative, he also worked for the Light and Gizmo, a tech genius and another ex-elite Hive operative, these ten are the ten that make up the Crime League" "So, they were formed by Kevin and Kormander or was Kevin he one who formed it" That is yet to be figured out, so, I breath and sigh before I reply. "I do believe that the Crime League was formed by Kevin and Kormander, but why is unknown to me, all I know is that they have a hate for Nightwing and Starfire, unless.." No, they can't have been created to act as a counter to Aqualad and the team. "Unless what Bruce?" Diana says as she nudges my arm. Breathing in and out, I speak "They could have been created as a counter to the team led by Aqualad, but it seems they were created with Nightwing leading the team in mind, which means, that puts them at a disadvantage, but also gives us the advantage while also being low in numbers, but I don't know what their next target is" Diana looks over the map of Gotham I had up before I notice her eyes linger around Arkham, "You don't think they would, do you?" "It's possible Bruce, but I would have the guards on alert in case of it" Nodding in agreement, I sigh and stand up, my costume in a display case, waiting for the call. Walking over to it, I look up at the mask before I see Alfred standing at the staircase leading up. "Master Bruce, miss Diana, the bat signal has been lit" Nodding, I open the case and go to grab the costume.

Commissioner Gordon pov

10:00 pm and he's not here yet. I shut off the signal and turn to find Batman and Wonder Woman standing behind me. I let out a sigh of surprise before speaking. "How many times have I told you not to do that" "Too many" "Hey, at least your partner knows how to great" "What's the situation Gordon" Batman, never wastes his time, no wonder people find him... odd. I breath and speak "Armed robbery, 20 dead, 10 of those were police officers, 5 of them were thugs, the rest operated the bank, we know that there were only five thugs at the sight, and only five were seen by a witness, one of them said that the one who robbed them had a silver helmet, silver armour, able to fly, lift up cars and tracks with his hands and fire lasers from his helmets eyes along with wrist mounted guns, any idea who this guy is or where he came from?" As expected, Batman would know, he knows all about Gotham's criminal underworld. "Ultimus, aka Kevin Edward, leader of the Crime League, known to be after Nightwing, he also knows who I am under the mask, but has not revealed it to the criminal underworld for the sake of saving the fun for others to figure it out, but this is not his style, robbing from thugs after they've just robbed a bank" Mmm, not his style then, but then I wonder what he's after then. "So, what's he after then" "Why not ask him yourself Gordon, after all, he's right he" I turn fast to see Kevin Edward, aka Ultimus. "What do you want Ultimus?" I watch as he laughs and then looks at his wrist before back at us. "What time is, I need to know the time in order to tell you what I'm after" 10:20pm, why does he need to know. "10:20 pm, why?"

Ultimus pov

10:20 pm hey, just 10 more minutes and then all the inmates at Arkham will be free, just as ordered by Savage, till I hear from Trigon, I'll be following the orders of Savage. "Oh, I'm here to hand myself in....Only joking, Heard that my Crime League been a problem here in Gotham, I can cause more trouble if you like, or I can do it myself" I smile, even if they can't see my face under the helmet and mask, I know that they know that I'm smiling under here, I had been counting down 10 minutes and so far they was only 8 minutes and 23 seconds. Need to stale a little longer. "At least I'm in sight, why not take me down here and now, and end all the pain that is to come" I notice Batman move but I move up into the air. "Oh no, we can't have that now can we, no, not yet, when I'm done with Gotham, then we can have it, but till then, no" I keep an eye on Wonder Woman, watching her every move, people said I couldn't focus when I was a child, well, this proves them all wrong, I can keep focus, and I can do so on many different things too now. That lasso shall have to be kept away till 10:30 pm, when the break out is to happen. I look over, keeping an eye on Wonder Woman, and see Batman has moved. "No point moving Batman, I'm watching your every move, same as you Wonder Woman and Gordon, not point in attempting to do something different, I can see all three of you, so stay closer together, it'll make things far easier for us" 5 minutes till 10:30, just need to stale a little longer, perhaps, but they don't know what is in for them, time to head to the far side of Gotham, away from Arkham. I fire at Gordon and then take off. Looking behind me, I see them following. It is working, 4 minutes to go.

Blackfire pov

"Ok, here we go, 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Attack" I fly up before I fire two of my purple starbolts at a prison wall, bursting it open and letting the inmates out into the courtyard. The chaos is wonderful and only now will Gotham take us seriously.

Batman pov

Arkham, it was the target, this was just a distraction. "Wonder Woman, let him go, we need to head to Arkham, he was just staling us, how fast can you get us to the other side of Gotham?" "Not fast enough" "We need backup, Batman to watchtower, come in" "This is Aqualad, Batman, what is the problem?" I sigh and then reply. "We need backup at Arkham now, Wonder Woman and I are on the other side of he city in pursuit of Ultimus, I need a team to head to Arkham and contain the prison break, also, make sure some leaguers are with you, some of those in Arkham may prove tough, even for you guys" "We can handle it Batman, we wont'.." "I'm sorry Aqualad, but the Joker is inside Arkham, and I won't risk letting any of you get harmed because of it" "Understood, Aqualad out" Now I only hope their not too late.