Young Justice: The Mimic Contingency (A Young Justice Fanfic)

Pilot Fish

THESSALY, GREECE - August 22nd

1:55AM

After what felt like years of flying, Superman finally arrived in Thessaly, where Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash awaited.

Around them, were the large, grandiose ruins of what Superman assumed to be an old temple or theater. The whole area had crumbling, sand yellow stairwells and stone chairs, like a scaled down model of the Coliseum. The age of this place was made apparent by the mossy stones and grass blades slowly creeping from under the flagstones, mere years away from being reclaimed by nature.

"Well," Lantern said with a shrug. "We're all here..."

"Now what?" Wonder Woman asked.

Suddenly, Flash cupped his hand over his mouth.

"Desmond!!" he yelled, looking around the empty ruins. "We're all here!! SHOW YOURSELF!!"

Superman put a finger to his lips and shushed him.

"Be quiet, Barry!" he berated.

Flash glared at him.

"C'mon, Superman!" he snapped. "He called us here! He probably already knows we're here!"

He looked away.

"Or do you want to just sit there and let him pick us off?"

Superman didn't answer him, not wanting to deepen the rift between the team any further. When the Justice League first formed, it wasn't just because all the Meta-Humans needed a team, it was also for moral support, support for those who had been outcasts of society. Now that some of the League's core members were dead, morals were running low and tensions were running high. Any small remark could create a permanent rift between them, when they should be trying to stay united.

"What do you think, Diana?" Flash asked Wonder Woman.

But she was staring into the horizon, looking at the scenery with interest, as if she was solving a mystery.

"This place..." she muttered. "It bears great significance to my people..."

The rest of the team looked at her with confusion.

"Significance?" Lantern asked.

"Yes." Wonder Woman replied. "This was where my father, Zeus, and the Gods of Olympus defeated the Titans and proved the might of the Olympians..."

"Correct, Diana!" a voice laughed. "Well done!"

They all spun around in time to see Desmond standing on the top step of a crumbling stairwell, clapping his hands sarcastically.

"Of course YOU would have gotten that..."

The fragile silence of the night was undone by the team's growls of frustration and clenching fists.

"Why did you call us here, Desmond?!" Superman demanded.

Desmond slammed his cane onto a crumbled rock next to him and smiled.

"The real question is why YOU answered, Superman. After all those friends of yours I've killed, why would you bring even more of them here, right to my doorstep on a silver platter?"

He bent over slightly, as if he were looking a child in the eye.

"Because a small part of you wants to understand WHY..."

He waved his cane across the air.

"ALL of you want to know why...And if you'll listen closely and indulge me for a minute, I'd be more than happy to explain."

But Flash stepped out from behind Superman.

"The only thing I want to know, Desmond, is when I get to TEAR YOU APART!!"

Superman threw his arm out to stop him, but it was too late. By the time he had began to lift his arm, Flash was charging at Desmond with murderous intent.

But suddenly, a loud flash of light went off, temporarily blinding all of them, including Flash.

It took Flash barely two seconds to recover, but within those two seconds, Desmond had punched him across the face and kicked in Flash's left kneecap.

Flash howled in pain, screaming louder than he ever had before as Desmond's hand lashed out and seized him by the collar.

"BARRY!!" Wonder Woman cried out.

Desmond groaned and rolled his eyes, which had become dark and icy.

"What did I just say?" he berated. "Didn't I tell you to wait?"

And then, he threw Flash down the stairs, the sick snapping sound of cracking bone echoing throughout the ruins until he finally hit the grassy flagstones with a loud thud.

He was completely unconscious.

"Don't worry..." Desmond told them. "His rapid healing should kick in soon..."

He twirled his cane as he descended the stairs.

"Now as I was saying...All of you seem to want to know WHY it is what I'm doing..."

The team listened intently.

"...But I'm not going to tell you..."

Wonder Woman grunted in anger.

"Calm down," Desmond told her. "But I'll give you a hint..."

He pointed his cane at each of them with a gaze darker than his costume.

"As long as you're all breathing air into your overpowered, self-righteous lungs, my mission is incomplete..."

They kept a straight, albeit angry, poker face, but for a second, Desmond saw a flicker of fear in their eyes.

"So that's why you stole the Agamemno Contingency plans!" Superman gasped. "Because you want to kill us!!"

Desmond put a hand out with a non-serious face and waved it indecisively.

"You're half right..." he said, folding his arms across his chest pads. "But even with you're strength, you guys are just the 'pilot fish'. Just bait for the bigger target..."

Lantern's eyes went wide.

"Bigger target?!"

"Yeah." Desmond smiled. "Just the pi-"

Suddenly, Superman roared and flew at Desmond, his blue bound hand outstretched into a fist.

Before Desmond could move, Superman's assault had hit him dead centre in the chest and embedded him into the rocky stairs behind him.

"Enough talk..." Superman snarled. "This ends NOW!!"

Completely unfazed, Desmond smirked and began to laugh evilly.

"Now we're talking..."

And then, his cane began to crackle with energy...

The battle you have all been waiting for is here!! :D
The showdown between Desmond and the Justice League's founding members!! :D
Who will win?!
Place your bets people! Place your bets!! :D

Do the League members have the resolve to face an old comrade? 

Can they recover from the emotional blows that Desmond has dealt them? What is up with Desmond's CANE?!

Will Desmond win?
Or do the Justice League have the upper hand..?

Find out in the next chapter! :D
Again, be sure to vote, and COMMENT, COMMENT COMMENT your feedback and thoughts so far!

- Kai-Shiro :D