The world was under attack. All across the globe, cities fell into chaos as monstrous plants erupted from the ground. Trees the size of skyscrapers split through asphalt, their roots snapping highways in half, their vines dragging cars and people alike into the air. In Gotham, a tendril coiled around a bridge tower, crushing steel like paper. In Paris, vines lashed across the Seine, toppling boats. In Beijing, spiked petals the size of buses opened, releasing clouds of toxic spores.
The world had seen alien invasions, mad scientists, and metahuman wars. But this was different. This was nature itself turned against humanity.
And it was happening everywhere.
At the Hall of Justice, alarms blared as reports came flooding in. Heroes mobilized at once.Superman launched toward Metropolis, Wonder Woman vanished toward Europe, Flash streaked across continents, and Green Lanterns soared into orbit to contain the largest threats.
Batman's grim voice echoed through the comms:
"Justice League. Priority One. Contain the plant creatures. Protect civilians at all costs. No excuses."
The heroes scattered, leaving the younger generation—the covert team—waiting in the shadows of Mount Justice.
Ryotaro sat with the others in the briefing chamber, the glow of the monitor painting his face. Images of devastation flashed across the screen: buildings smothered in vines, civilians screaming, fires burning.
Kara's words from weeks ago came back to him. "You deserve a break."
He had taken one. He had visited his mother, reconnected with her warmth, faced criminals in the neon nights of Tokyo. He had returned steady, with resolve burning in his chest.
And now? There was no break left. This was war.
Batman's voice cut through the tension, cold and precise. "The League is fully engaged, but we've traced the source. A swamp in Louisiana. Your team will investigate. Locate the cause. Eliminate it."
Robin cracked his knuckles. "So the grown-ups get to wrestle giant vines, and we get sent to the swamp. Figures."
Kid Flash frowned. "Hey, don't knock the swamp. Could be fun."
Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Fun isn't the word I'd use."
Aqualad's voice was calm but firm. "Focus. If the source is not destroyed, the League's battle is meaningless."
Ryotaro's gaze lingered on the map. A swamp… it was fitting. Monsters belonged to swamps.
He whispered under his breath: "Then that's where we cut the root."
The Bio-Ship soared over endless greenery, its cloaking field shimmering against the sky. Below, Louisiana spread out like a patchwork of swamp water and moss-draped trees. The place reeked of humidity and decay, even through the ship's filters.
M'gann's voice filled their minds gently. "We're close. I sense… something unnatural."
Ryotaro's hand drifted to his coat pocket, feeling the familiar shape of the Magma Memory. The heat it carried steadied his nerves.
Robin typed rapidly at the console. "Coordinates locked. We've got a base. Definitely not your average swamp shack."
The ship descended, landing silently in a clearing.
The team disembarked, boots sinking slightly into damp earth. Fog coiled around their legs, heavy with the croak of frogs and the buzz of unseen insects.
And then—laughter.
It echoed from the mist, mocking and theatrical.
"Well, well, the kiddie brigade. I was wondering when you'd show."
From the shadows emerged their foes—the so-called Injustice League.
Count Vertigo, his cape sweeping dramatically. Atomic Skull, glowing green radiation spilling from his chest. Black Adam, a titan of raw power. Wotan, his hands alight with sorcery. Ultra-Humanite, looming like an albino gorilla. And at their center, the Joker, grinning like death itself.
"Welcome to our garden party," Joker said, bowing. "Apologies for the décor. We've been busy landscaping the planet."
The swamp itself seemed to shift at their presence, vines twitching, roots writhing as though answering their masters.
Artemis hissed under her breath. "Six of them. And we're just—"
"Enough," Aqualad cut in, trident at the ready. "Form up. We fight together."
Ryotaro's eyes narrowed behind his calm expression. Joker's grin lingered on him a moment longer than the others, as though recognizing something.
"You…" Joker chuckled. "You've got a familiar scent. Memories, perhaps? Delicious."
Ryotaro's fists clenched. The Joker Memory at his belt pulsed faintly, as if mocking him.
Robin stepped forward, Batarangs ready. "Ignore him. We stick to the mission."
Atomic Skull hurled a blast of searing radiation. Aqualad countered with a surge of water shields, the energy sizzling into steam.
Black Adam blurred forward, a streak of lightning. Superboy met him head-on, fists colliding in a thunderclap that shook the trees.
Wotan's sorcery flared, conjuring twisted roots that lashed at Artemis. She rolled, loosing three arrows in rapid succession—explosives that detonated against his shield.
Kid Flash darted around Ultra-Humanite, striking fast, but the gorilla swatted him away like a bug, sending him tumbling through the mud.
M'gann screamed as vines wrapped around her, but her eyes glowed as she blasted psychic energy outward, shattering the plants.
And in the middle of it all, Joker strolled calmly, whistling, as though the world ending were a comedy act.
Ryotaro's breath came hot. This was no ordinary battle.
He pulled the Magma Memory from his coat.
MAGMA!
"Henshin."
The Driver locked, and fire engulfed him. Lava veins crawled across his armor, glowing with molten fury. The swamp hissed at the sudden heat, steam curling around him.
The Injustice League turned.
"What the—?" Atomic Skull muttered.
"So, you are that Kamen Rider?" Wotan sneered.
Joker's smile stretched wider. "Ahh, there he is. My favorite knockoff Iron Man. I was hoping you'd play dress-up."
Ryotaro ignored him. He sprinted forward, fist blazing, and slammed into Ultra-Humanite's chest. The impact cracked the monster's ribcage, hurling him backward into a cypress tree that shattered on impact.
"Stay down," Ryotaro growled.
But the albino beast roared, rising again.The battlefield dissolved into pockets of war.
Superboy traded brutal blows with Black Adam, each punch splitting the earth beneath them.
Robin and Kid Flash tag-teamed Atomic Skull, dodging blasts while Robin hacked his radiation regulator.
Artemis provided cover fire, her arrows detonating against Wotan's spells, while M'gann wrestled the plant creatures themselves with psychic blasts.
And Ryotaro. He burned through the swamp.
His molten armor lit the darkness, fists igniting as he plowed through the Injustice League. Each punch left scorch marks, every kick erupted like a volcano venting pressure.
Ultra-Humanite swung a massive tree trunk like a club. Ryotaro ducked under, his fist blazing brighter.
"Magma Punch!"
The strike detonated on impact, sending molten shockwaves through the gorilla's chest. He staggered, fur singed, before collapsing with a pained roar.
Atomic Skull turned his attention to Ryotaro, unleashing a torrent of green flame.
Ryotaro crossed his arms, armor glowing. The radiation burned against his shield, but he surged forward anyway, flames colliding with flames. He slammed into Skull, cracking the villain's helmet and sending sparks flying.
Magma__ Maximum__ Drive!
"Rider… Kick."
His foot blazed like an erupting geyser as he launched it into Atomic Skull's chest. The villain screamed as he was hurled across the swamp, crashing into a half-submerged boulder.
The others saw it. Saw Ryotaro stand burning in the mist, defying monsters and men alike.
"Whoa," Kid Flash muttered. "Remind me not to tick him off."
But the fight wasn't won.
Because at the center, Joker simply clapped, utterly unfazed.
"Lovely performance!" he sang. "But here's the punchline—"
From the depths of the swamp, the ground itself split. A massive root surged upward, twisting into a monstrous form. A plant beast taller than buildings, its maw a pit of writhing thorns, its eyes glowing with unnatural life.
The true weapon of the Injustice League.
The air reeked of pollen and poison. The swamp trembled under its weight.
Robin's eyes widened. "Oh no…"
Ryotaro's fist clenched, fire burning hotter.
The Justice League was fighting across the globe. But here—here in this swamp—the world's fate now rested in their hands. And Ryotaro knew. This was no longer about proving themselves. This was about survival.
*********
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