Alex trudged toward the dealership gate, his footsteps heavy and slow. The rusty metal groaned in protest as he pushed it open, signaling the start of yet another day at work, or at least, what passed for work these days.
The dealership wasn't exactly his dream job. It was something he'd inherited from his dad, and honestly, Alex wasn't much of a salesman. Back when things were better, he had two employees to handle that part, but with the way things had been going lately, he couldn't afford to keep them around.
When his dad was alive, Alex didn't have to worry about the future. He could party all night without a care in the world, knowing the dealership would eventually be his. What he didn't expect was for "eventually" to come so soon or so tragically. His dad had a heart attack while test driving a car for a client, and just like that, the business was dumped in Alex's lap.
The problem? He had no clue how to run it. He'd never bothered to learn, figuring he had all the time in the world. And now, the dealership was circling the drain, thanks to his lack of experience and well, effort.
Today was shaping up to be another disaster. He was supposed to open three hours ago, but a raging hangover from last night's party had other plans. By the time he finally dragged himself out of bed and stumbled into the office, he was already way behind.
Grabbing his keys, Alex unlocked the door and shuffled inside. He plopped down at his desk and started sifting through a mountain of paperwork, mostly for cars he'd somehow managed to sell. He was supposed to deliver the documents to the local government office on Friday, but, of course, he'd forgotten. Now it was Monday, and he still didn't have everything ready.
As he sat there, trying to make sense of the mess, the sound of a bell snapped him out of his daze. Someone had just walked into the dealership.
"Sorry, we're not open yet," Alex called out, not even looking up. "Come back in, like, 30 minutes."
"Oh, that's a shame," a young woman's voice replied. "I need to buy a car ASAP."
The tone of her voice piqued Alex's curiosity, so he glanced up and froze.
Standing in front of him was a girl unlike anyone he'd ever seen. Her skin had a grayish tint, and her eyes were a striking and cat like also they were pink. Her bright pink hair was styled into a horseshoe shape, held in place by metallic black bands that made it look like she had devil horns. She wore a jagged black dress with long sleeves, striped stokings and platform boots.
Definitely not your average customer.
"Well, maybe I can help you," Alex said, trying to sound professional or at least awake.
The girl smirked. "Hello, handsome. I'm looking for something fast. How do I put this? Someone's chasing me."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Who?"
"The police," she said casually, her pink eyes glowing.
Before Alex could respond, the bell rang again, and two more people walked in.
Meanwhile, at the team's base, Batman entered with his usual no nonsense stride. The team Artemis, Kid Flash, Robin, Miss Martian, Superboy and Aqualad, gathered quickly, their attention snapping to the Dark Knight as he powered up the monitor.
Zatanna wasn't there; she was visiting her dad in the hospital.
The screen flickered to life, displaying four images. Batman's voice was as serious as ever. "Last night, three super criminals escaped from Belle Reve, the maximum security prison. They're on the run and considered highly dangerous."
Robin leaned forward. "How'd they manage to break out?"
The screen changed, showing a familiar face.
"They took control of the android Amazo," Batman explained, "and used a virus to disable the prison's defenses."
Artemis groaned. "Great. Because we definitely needed more android problems."
Batman ignored her and kept going. "The scientists have confirmed that while Amazo can still use the powers he previously absorbed from the League, he can't acquire any new ones due to damage from his last battle."
Superboy crossed his arms. "We can take him down. No problem."
"The team's mission is to track and recapture these criminals," Batman said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I've compiled a list of their known hideouts. Start there."
Just as he finished, an alert blared through the room. The screen switched to a live news broadcast.
"This is the scene at a small dealership on the outskirts of Coast City," the reporter said, her voice shaky. "A group of superpowered individuals is wreaking havoc."
Before she could finish, a small sedan came flying into view, crashing down next to the news van. The camera jerked wildly as the crew scrambled for cover. When it finally steadied, a face filled the screen, way too close for comfort.
It was Gizmo.
"Hey, super trash!" he sneered. "Come and get us!"
A second later, he was shoved out of the way, and Jinx appeared, holding the camera.
"If you dare," she taunted, her eyes glowing as a flash of purple light cut the feed.
"Well, that was easy," Wally said, already gearing up.
The team sprang into action, ready to move out. Batman, as always, turned and disappeared into the shadows without another word.
Coast City was going through a seriously rough patch. Once a thriving urban hub under the watchful eye of Green Lantern, the city had recently seen a nasty crime wave that felt like a blast from the past, only worse.
Bank robberies, street muggings, drug deals and all kinds of shady stuff that had been nearly wiped out were now back in full force, like a bad sequel no one asked for.
The reason? Simple. The crooks always tried to take advantage whenever Hal Jordan was off on one of his space missions. But they knew he'd always come back, so they never got too bold. This time, though, things were different. Hal wasn't coming back. The android had taken him out of the picture, and the city's criminals were running wild.
Gang wars erupted as crime bosses fought over territory, leaving chaos and bloodshed in their wake. Even the younger crowd, who used to be too scared to step out of line, had stopped caring. Vandalism and theft skyrocketed and the city was spiraling out of control.
People always complained about the collateral damage from superhero battles, but now they were getting a harsh reminder of what happens when the heroes aren't around. The rot in society grows unchecked.
And while the Justice League was doing its best to keep the big supervillains in check, they couldn't be everywhere at once. They couldn't stop the street level violence or investigate the shady corporations dumping toxic waste into the water.
Coast City was drowning in one of the worst crime waves it had ever seen. And just when things couldn't get any worse, trouble decided to roll into town again.
Mammoth shoved another burger into his mouth, barely chewing before grabbing another. "You know," he said between bites, "you don't really appreciate a good burger until you've been stuck eating prison food."
Gizmo, fiddling with a remote, snorted. "Says the guy who wasted a perfectly good filet mignon."
"That wasn't medium rare," Mammoth shot back.
"It was."
"There was no pink."
"The temperature was perfect."
Jinx rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "You two don't know anything. It's supposed to be pan seared, oven finished and rare."
The two guys exchanged a look before saying in unison, "Let's agree to disagree."
"What's that even supposed to mean?" Jinx snapped.
Before the argument could escalate, Mammoth took another bite of his burger, only to immediately spit it out. "Ugh, veggie burger? I think I'd rather eat prison food."
A voice cut through their bickering. "Don't worry, you're gonna be eating that again real soon."
The Team had arrived, swooping in on their bioship. As they jumped down, Kid Flash wasted no time, sprinting straight at the villains.
Jinx smirked, her hands glowing with purple energy. "Oops, how unlucky," she said with a laugh as she cracked the ground beneath Wally's feet. He tripped, skidding face first into the car dealership window.
Aqualad stepped forward, his stance ready for battle. "Don't underestimate them. If they escaped Belle Reve, they're not your average criminals."
As if to prove his point, Jinx blasted a massive billboard, sending it crashing down onto the bioship. Superboy charged at her, but Mammoth intercepted him, and the two locked hands in a test of brute strength.
Artemis raised her bow, ready to fire, but a wave of Jinx's energy hit her, snapping the bow in half. "What the...?!" she exclaimed, staring at the broken weapon in disbelief.
Robin darted in to help, but a car came hurtling toward him. He barely managed to leap out of the way before it could flatten him.
"Hey, dummies! You better run!" Gizmo cackled, pressing buttons on his remote. Suddenly, a swarm of cars roared to life, speeding toward the team like a chaotic demolition derby.
Miss Martian turned intangible to avoid the onslaught and tried to get closer to the villains. But Jinx spotted her and fired a blast of energy. For some reason, Megan sneezed, turning solid again just in time for Gizmo to zap her with a laser, sending her flying.
Aqualad leapt into action, dodging cars as he caught Miss Martian mid air and gently set her down. Meanwhile, Jinx used her powers to destabilize the ground beneath Superboy, throwing him off balance. Mammoth took the opportunity to hurl Superboy like a human projectile, slamming him into Kid Flash, who was just climbing out of the dealership window.
Artemis, now armed with a backup bow from the bioship, fired a perfectly aimed arrow at Gizmo. But to her shock, the arrow passed right through him.
"Nice try," Gizmo sneered as ten more copies of himself appeared, each one zipping around on jetpacks.
Aqualad, still dodging the swarm of cars, used his water weapons to slice one in half, only to find Mammoth charging at him from behind it. The massive villain landed a brutal punch, sending Aqualad flying. Miss Martian, now recovered, caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.
The three villains laughed as Jinx taunted the team. "We were expecting the Justice League, but instead, we got the B-team."
Robin smirked, tossing a few smoke bombs onto the ground. "The League has better things to do than waste their time on losers like you."
The red smoke filled the area, forcing Jinx and Mammoth to jump back. Several of the Gizmo clones flew through the smoke, but only one emerged covered in red paint.
"What the...?!" the real Gizmo yelped, giving Artemis the perfect opening to fire a net arrow.
"Gotcha!" she said as the net wrapped around him.
"Ahhh, you tool!" Gizmo shouted, struggling against the net.
Mammoth charged to rescue him, but Superboy intercepted with a powerful punch. "Round two," he growled.
Robin and Jinx were locked in a fast paced martial arts duel. As she dodged his attacks, she noticed the other heroes closing in. "Gizmo, I think it's time," she called out.
"Got it!" Gizmo replied, activating a saw from his backpack to cut through the net. He pressed a button on his remote, and the ground shook.
Out of nowhere, Amazo landed in the middle of the battlefield, his red eyes glowing ominously as he fired his lasers.
The fight had just leveled up.
The Justice League's Watchtower was buzzing with activity. Something big was happening.
Down below, the final candidates to join the League were being welcomed in. Flash, however, wasn't thrilled. He crossed his arms and shot a frustrated look at Wonder Woman.
"We should be down there helping," he grumbled.
Wonder Woman mirrored his stance, arms crossed, but her tone was calm. "I agree, but this is important too. We've put this off for way too long, and now more than ever, we need more hands."
She softened, giving him a reassuring smile and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, the young heroes can handle it. They've proven themselves time and time again."
Flash shook his head, clearly not convinced. "It's not that," he admitted, taking a deep breath. "I promised Hal I'd protect Coast City, and right now, I feel like I'm letting him down."
Wonder Woman's expression turned empathetic. "You have your own duties, Barry. Hal wouldn't blame you."
"That's what makes it worse," Flash muttered, his frustration evident.
As they talked, Batman stepped forward to introduce the League's newest members: Atom, Plastic Man, Black Lightning, and Steel. The Justice League was growing, trying to fill the void left by Zatara and Hal Jordan. Though both were technically still members, Zatara was in a coma, and Hal had lost his arm. The League needed all the help it could get.
Soon, the team would head to a press conference to reveal the new roster, hoping to rebuild the public's trust. But deep down, they knew it was all for show. The real way to win back the people? Take down Android 18.
Meanwhile, things were going south fast for the young heroes in Coast City. Mammoth slammed Superboy through several buildings, while Gizmo's laser shooting drones kept Robin and Artemis pinned down. And Amazo? He was tearing through the rest of the team like they were nothing, with Jinx backing him up whenever needed.
Miss Martian tried to phase out of harm's way, but Amazo matched her move, going intangible and grabbing her before unleashing a psychic wave that sent her reeling. "Ahhh!" she cried out in pain.
Kid Flash barely had time to react before Amazo blitzed him, landing a brutal kick to his stomach. Aqualad stepped in, summoning water whips to strike from behind, expecting Amazo to phase again. But the android dodged with unnatural agility, closing the distance in a flash.
This wasn't the same Amazo they'd fought before. He wasn't announcing which hero's powers he was copying anymore. Instead, he switched abilities seamlessly, using them at the perfect moment and even jumping in to help the other villains when they were struggling. It was a total beatdown.
Amazo whipped up a tornado, forcing the team to regroup. Mammoth stomped the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked them off their feet. Gizmo tossed a few bombs, and Jinx finished the job with a purple energy wave that brought the walls crashing down around them.
When the dust settled, the young heroes were out cold, except for Aqualad, who was still standing, holding up a water shield to protect his teammates. Jinx sauntered over to him, smirking.
"See that, B-team? Next time, send the Justice League," she taunted before kicking him in the head, knocking him out cold.
Later, the police combed through the area, searching for the villains, but they came up empty-handed. Meanwhile, a truck with a blue tie logo rolled out of Coast City and pulled into a warehouse. Inside, Floyd Lawton, Deadshot, was waiting, dressed as a security guard.
As the truck doors opened, the three victorious villains stepped out. Deadshot greeted them with a sly grin. "So, did you kids have fun?"
Gizmo burst out laughing. "You should've seen their faces! Priceless."
Deadshot nodded, turning to Amazo, or rather, Android 16. "How did the new body feel?"
Android 16's voice was calm but mechanical. "A little stiff. Complex moves were difficult to execute. I've already sent the data for improvements."
Gizmo checked his computer and smirked. "Got it. I'll tweak it."
Jinx peeked at the screen but quickly lost interest. "Why didn't we just finish them off?" she asked, bored.
Deadshot shrugged. "They're good test subjects. Besides, we don't want them to miss the show."
Boomerang rolled in a TV, and the group gathered around. On the screen, a news report about the Justice League's new members was playing. Deadshot's voice turned cold.
"And the show's about to start."
The crowd was buzzing with excitement, their cheers growing louder as the music hit a dramatic high. One by one, the superheroes made their grand entrances, each more jaw dropping than the last. Green Lantern kicked things off by conjuring glowing figures that looked like balloon animals. Then The Flash zipped across the lake so fast it looked like he was skating on water. The Hawks swooped in with some seriously cool aerial flips, and finally, Superman floated down gently onto the stage.
It felt like a festival, a full on spectacle to remind everyone that the Justice League had everything under control. They wanted the world to know that Earth's defenders were still committed to keeping people safe, no matter what.
Superman stepped up to the mic, his iconic cape fluttering behind him.
"The Justice League was formed because no single person can protect the planet alone," he said, his voice steady and confident. "There are threats out there that require teamwork, unity, and trust."
He glanced at the new heroes standing nearby, a proud smile spreading across his face.
"We've upheld the ideals of peace and justice and now it's time for these heroes to join us and help carry that mission forward."
After a few more speeches and introductions of the newcomers, the floor was opened to the press for questions. At first, it was smooth sailing. Reporters asked the usual softball questions about the new heroes' powers, the League's future plans, and how the fresh faces might shake up team dynamics.
But then things got a little dicey.
One reporter brought up the recent breakout at Belle Reve prison, asking why the League was hosting a flashy event instead of chasing down the escaped criminals. Superman kept his cool, explaining that a capable team was already handling the situation and that the League was ready to step in if things got worse.
Another reporter pressed harder, asking about the times supervillains had held the world hostage and what the League was doing to make sure it didn't happen again. The questions started to shift, less about curiosity and more about doubt. Some reporters were even hinting that maybe, just maybe, the League wasn't as sharp as it used to be.
The heroes handled it like pros, answering with calm, eloquent responses that shut down most of the skeptics. But then Vicki Vale stepped up with a question that hit like a lightning bolt.
"So, what's the plan to stop Android 18?"
The place went dead silent. Superman froze, his confident demeanor cracking for just a moment. Before he could say anything, Wonder Woman smoothly took over.
"Along with expanding the League's roster, we've been developing countermeasures to deal with her," she said, her tone firm but diplomatic. "We're also actively monitoring her movements and searching for her whereabouts."
Before anyone could follow up, chaos erupted. A figure in a hoodie shoved Vicki aside and grabbed the microphone.
"Do you seriously think adding a bunch of weaklings is going to make a difference?" the person sneered.
Wonder Woman didn't flinch. Instead, she calmly addressed the intruder. "Questions from the public will come later. Please follow the proper procedure if you'd like to ask something."
But the hooded figure wasn't backing down. "You know what? Let's settle this right now."
With a dramatic flourish, she pulled back her hood, revealing her face. Gasps rippled through the crowd. It was Android 18, her smirk practically daring the heroes to make a move.
"Time for a rematch," she said, her voice dripping with confidence.
The stage was set, and the Justice League was about to face a challenge they hadn't seen coming.
(chapter Image.)