A Dragon's Love (Young Justice)

CCC: Creepy Clown & Crew

"Shouldn't we be out there?" Robin asks. Batman turns to face us. "No. The league will soon have the situation under control. That's not why I'm here." He tells us. "According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus' Blockbuster formula to Kobra." "Who combined it with Bane's venom to create Kobra venom." Wally continues for Batman. "Which the Brain used to create his animal army." Robin comments. "And upgrade Wolf." Connor adds, scratching the giant wolf under the chin.

"The Brain also used inhibitor collars, like the ones at Belle Reve Penitentiary." M'gann proceeds. "Batman, is it possible that plant thingy's on Kobra venom, too?" Artemis asks. "I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis." Batman answers, "Divine cellulose does contain trace amounts of a Kobra venom variant."

"These cannot be coincidences." Kaldur states, standing next to me once more, his hand holding mine, away from everyone's view. "Unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide." "Exactly." Batman says, "It's now clear our enemies have formed some kind of Society of Super-Villains. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning." "You got that right." Robin tells us. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Taipei..." He lists off, bringing up screen after screen, before they all turn to static. Batman turns to see what's going on.

"Dude." "It's not me." Robin tells Wally, "Someone's cutting onto the satellite signal. All satellite signals." Suddenly, an image of a man comes on the screen. The man has green hair, a milky white face, and a purple jacket. His lips are crimson red, and his green eyes scream cruelty, insanity. I feel my skin prickle, and I move behind Kaldur ever so slightly, placing one hand on his shoulder, and the other on his arm. Kaldur looks at me, concerned, but my gaze stays fixed on the man tapping on the glass. Ice crawls up my back at his first words.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement..." He flips out a knife, and reaches to turn the camera to the side. "... from the Injustice League." His laugh is enough to make me whimper. A group of six stand where he turns the camera to, and the man in the middle, wearing a green cape and looks like he's from a higher society, begins to speak.

"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But, the longer your governments wait..." He trails off, and the creepy man with the white face comes back on. "The more we get to have our... jollies." He cackles just before the screen turns back to static. My grip on Kaldur's arm lessens as I turn my head from the screen. Those eyes. They're going to haunt my dreams tonight.

"Roger that, Aquaman. The UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won't come to that." Batman states, speaking into his comm. Robin starts typing on the holo-keyboard once again, rewinding the video and stopping on the six people, thankfully, skipping over the creepy clown. "Count Vertigo, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam, Wotan." Robin lists off, identifying them all, "Seven heavy hitters. Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced."

"There's your secret society." Wally comments. "Not so secret any more." Artemis mutters. "Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer." Kaldur states, before looking back at me. "Yeah. That was their mistake. Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt." Wally exclaims, before being shot down by Batman. "The Justice League will handle the plants. I have a different job for this team.

"Oh, man. Uh!" Wally whines in pain as Artemis slugs his arm. "With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it." He informs us. "You realize what you're really asking them to do." Zatarra questions. "They're ready." Batman answers.

"Ready? Ready for what?" Wally asks. Artemis slugs him again, scowling. "Ow! Will you cut that-" "Hello, Wally. If the big guns are fighting plants, who do you think we'll be fighting?" She asks. "I don't know. I guess we'll..." He trails off as Artemis points to the holo-screen. "Ohhh."

"Well, Batman, I trust you're correct." Zatarra states. "I trust you can locate the enemy." He replies. "Indeed. Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you would provide the holo-map..." Zatarra trails off. Robin begins typing once more, and a map of the Earth appears. "...I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity." He holds his hands out to the map and begins muttering, "Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros."

A red dot appears upon the map. "There." He says, "That is where you will find the Injustice League's central control system." "Coordinates locked in. The Louisiana Bayou." Robin says. "We are on our way." Kaldur says and we all run to the Bioship.