Infinite Justice 51 (completed chapter)

Mount Justice
September 27th, 21:34 EDT

“Please be a good one, please be a good one, please be a good one,” I repeated over and over as I walked with M’gann to the mission room.

I wasn’t alone in the hope. I was glad to have missed out on Bwunda and the gorillas they had to face there. Northern India had also been a drag, and all it netted us was a superdog that belonged to Connor. I wasn’t even into pets to that extent.

Bialya, there was an interesting mission that I hated to miss. Even if my missing it was for the best in the end.

Wally joined in on my chorus, and Robin as well. Megan fell back with Artemis, both giving us unimpressed looks.

“The mission serves a greater purpose,” Kaldur said, “It doesn’t matter if they’re boring. If you do this work in order to be amused, then you should consider other career prospects.”

Wally and Robin stopped, both chastised, while I just folded my arms and glared through my mask. “Spoilsport.”

Batman was there by the holo computer, and he barely waited for all of us to step into the ring of light before he began his report, “An unidentified flying object has been spotted flying through the American countryside, dragging along a fleet of other ships of a different make. Their differing design sensibilities,” he gestured at the grainy and motion-blurred pictures of the ships, "lead me to believe that these are rival alien races or rival factions of the same race, one outnumbering the other heavily. No civilian casualties have been confirmed as of yet, but we have received reports of destruction of property.”

This was looking like it was going to be a fun one, actually.

“Although their stealth technology is advanced,” Batman continued, “your Bio-Ship’s superior sensors and speed capabilities should allow you to locate them effectively. I’ve uploaded the probable flight path and estimated radius of activity to the ship’s system. Use this data to intercept them before further destruction occurs. Time is critical—the longer they remain in the skies, the greater the risk to civilian life. You launch immediately.”

He stepped back, the hard light of the holo-computer dimming. “Good luck. Keep the Justice League informed.”

That was it. Straightforward. Efficient. Classic Batman.

“Titans, to the Bio-Ship!” I grinned, pointing dramatically toward the hall. It wasn’t necessary, but hey, I was feeling it.

We didn’t waste time. Moments later, we were strapped in, the ship thrumming to life as Megan took her place in the pilot’s seat.

“The hangar bay is open,” she said, her voice calm and focused, hands moving seamlessly over the controls. “Engaging full speed. We’ll reach Batman’s projected radius in approximately eight minutes. It spans roughly two hundred kilometers.”

“Good,” Kaldur said from his seat beside me. His tone was measured, but his posture radiated readiness. “Infinity,” he turned to me, “how far can you track these objects with your current abilities?”

I considered the question, tapping my fingers lightly against my knee. “If we’re in the air? A lot farther. Open sky makes it easier to sort out and pinpoint moving objects. No buildings or other clutter to block my focus.”

Kaldur nodded, as composed as ever. “Then we will rely on you as our primary scout once we are within range. Megan, maintain altitude for now—once we have a confirmed visual, we’ll adjust accordingly.”

“Understood,” Megan replied, keeping her eyes on the displays. “The Bio-Ship’s sensors are already scanning for anomalies.”

The ship surged forward, breaking through the last of the hangar’s protective field. The city below blurred as we ascended, racing toward the designated zone.

“This might actually be fun,” I said, grinning as I felt the hum of the ship’s engines beneath us.

Kaldur gave me a sidelong glance, his expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Focus, Infinity.”

I shrugged. “I am focused. Just also looking forward to the part where we save the day.”

He didn’t respond, but the faintest twitch of a smile betrayed his thoughts.

Megan’s voice broke through the quiet. “Five minutes until we reach the outer edge of the search radius. Sensors are beginning to pick up faint irregularities, but nothing conclusive yet.”

“Keep us updated,” Kaldur instructed.

The eight minutes flew by very quickly. I spotted them almost immediately. “Over there,” I pointed slightly to the right of the ship’s bow.

“Initiate communications, Miss Martian,” Kaldur ordered.

She concentrated for a moment before grimacing, “They rejected the call, pretty harshly in fact. Wait, the front-most ship accepted.”

The sound system started playing, and a feminine voice came through, speaking gibberish. “Fema laka uta!” she shouted, “Kashinzo beri nut ami!”

“You wanna take this one, Infinity?” Wally asked.

I laughed, “Screw off!”

“That’s not funny,” Artemis scowled at him.

“Focus, team,” Kaldur barked, “Miss Martian, can you translate?” The ship was pretty far away from her telepathic range, but I guess she could make up for the difference by making the Bio-Ship act as an amplifier.

The words morphed from alien-speak to English, confirming my suspicion, “—am running out of fuel. Please assist me against these enemies! They wish to capture and enslave me!”

“She sounds hot,” Wally said.

“I’ll kill you,” Artemis promised.

“Only meant it to say—we should totally help her not get enslaved,” Wally shrugged, grinning placatingly. Artemis’ smoldering glare put out that feeble defence in moments, and he visibly deflated.

“Your call, captain,” I said to Kaldur, “Do we heed the distress signal, or do we side with the slavers for a fat paycheck?”

“That’s not funny!” Wally accused.

It was a little.

“I am not hot,” The voice returned, “I thank you for your concern over my well-being, but I am experiencing normal temperatures! But I must land because I am out of fuel! Please help me!”

“Hah!” I slapped my thigh.

“Please land,” Kaldur said, “We will not allow any harm to come to you while we clear up the situation.” Another damsel in distress—this would be fun. And it was an alien at that!

Wait. No…

I narrowed my eyes and poured all the focus I could into my Six Eyes Reversal, my gaze piercing through the alien chick’s ship to see— “Nooo-ho-ho-ho fucking way!” I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. “Finally!”

“What, Infinity?” Kaldur turned to me urgently, his tone sharp with concern.

I tore off my mask, flashing the biggest grin I could muster. “Dreams come true, Aqualad—dreams come true! As long as you keep dreaming. Full speed ahead, Green Bean! We’re getting a new teammate!”

Kaldur’s face remained serious, but Wally groaned. “He’s finally lost it,” he muttered.

“No,” Robin breathed, “This is—this is more of your cartoon crud, isn’t it?! You promised you’d stop!”

“I haven’t done anything!” I exclaimed, holding up my hands in mock innocence. “Yet!”

“Guys, she’s still on the line,” Megan interrupted, gesturing at the Bio-Ship’s communication system.

“I am landing right now!” the alien’s voice crackled through the speakers, urgent yet melodic. Outside, we saw her descending toward an empty cornfield. “Though I hope you can assist me in time while fetching this new teammate of yours! Please, time is of the essence!”

I snorted—she was hilarious.

As the Bio-Ship followed her descent, Megan’s face turned serious. “I’m detecting multiple hostiles approaching the area. Their bio-signatures don’t match anything in our database.”

She wasn’t kidding. By the time we landed, a horde of winged, reptilian aliens armed with laser rifles had surrounded her. They were grotesque—sharp-toothed maws, scaly skin in hues of brown and green, and claws that looked sharp enough to rip through steel. The orange-skinned girl, who I immediately recognized as Starfire, was holding her own, but barely. Energy bolts shot from her hands, lighting up the night like tiny green suns, but for every alien she knocked down, another took its place.

The second we stepped off the Bio-Ship, the aliens’ attention snapped to us. They screeched and raised their blasters, firing in unison.

“Infinity, now!” Kaldur barked.

I extended Infinity, creating a shimmering wall in front of our group. Their lasers struck the barrier and dissipated in the infinite distance between them and us.

“Megan, can you talk to them?” Kaldur asked, his eyes fixed on the horde.

Megan’s eyes glowed white as she reached out telepathically. Her face quickly twisted into frustration. “It’s no use! They don’t want to talk. I don’t think they even can talk. They’re completely focused on capturing her.”

Wally turned around dramatically, stared at the alien girl for a few seconds, then back at the alien swarm. “That’s it,” he said flatly, “I’ve made up my mind,” Wally quipped, stretching his arms.

Before anyone could react, he was gone—a blur of yellow and red.

The battlefield erupted into chaos. One alien collapsed as Wally struck it in the gut at lightning speed. Another went flying as he swept its legs out from under it. He dashed from one target to the next, a streak of color weaving through the horde, disarming them and knocking them unconscious in seconds.

Aliens hit the ground left and right, their weapons clattering uselessly as Wally zipped past. Within moments, the once-imposing swarm was reduced to a pile of groaning bodies.

Wally skidded to a stop in front of us, brushing imaginary dust off his gloves. “And that is how you deal with an alien invasion,” he said smugly, flashing a grin. “In a flash.”

“In a Kid Flash,” I chuckled.

“Modesty suits you,” Robin muttered, rolling his eyes.

Kaldur ignored the banter and turned back to the Bio-Ship, already contacting Batman with a report. Artemis was scanning the field with her bow ready, but it seemed Wally had handled everything.

Then I turned to look at her— at Starfire.

She was still standing, her hands glowing faintly green as she surveyed us with curiosity. She was stunning—emerald eyes that shimmered even in the dark, vibrant orange skin, and fiery red hair that fell in waves past her shoulders. Her outfit was straight out of my childhood memories: a purple crop top with matching miniskirt and thigh-high boots, accented by silver armor and an emerald-encrusted belt.

Robin stepped forward cautiously, his hands raised to show he wasn’t a threat. “We’re here to help,” he said.

Starfire tilted her head, her expression unreadable. Then, to everyone’s surprise, she stepped closer to Robin, wrapped her arms around him—and kissed him.

It wasn’t just a peck, either. It was long, intense, and very, very wet.

Kaldur froze mid-sentence, the words dying in his throat. Wally’s jaw dropped so fast I was half-worried it would dislocate. Artemis stared, wide-eyed. Megan looked taken aback. Even Connor was scowling in shock and surprise.

When the kiss finally broke, Robin stumbled back, his face redder than his costume. “Wha—what was that for?!”

Starfire smiled, her voice now perfectly fluent in English. “Thank you for your assistance, friends. I am Koriand’r, though you may call me Starfire. The creatures you fought are the biologically engineered warrior drones of the Psions—scientists of great cruelty. They seek to enslave me again, as they did before.”

“Oh no,” I whispered, barely containing my excitement. “It’s really her!”

Kaldur cleared his throat, regaining his composure. “You are safe now, Starfire. We will ensure the Psions do not harm you further.”

Robin, still flustered, nodded quickly. “Y-yeah! Safe! That’s us. Safe team.”

Starfire tilted her head again, her smile widening. “Your assistance is most appreciated.”

I couldn’t help but grin. This mission had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

“Wait-wait, slow down,” Artemis stomped up to her, “You just kissed Robin. And you speak perfect English! What are you not telling us?”

She smiled innocently, “I speak your language because I kissed Robin. In Tamaran, the planet which I hail from, we learn new languages through oral contact.”

No fucking way. She was a walking anime character come to life. Artemis narrowed her eyes at me, “Is she telling the truth?”

I hadn’t even been on the look-out for any deceit, but I doubted she was lying, “Uh, yeah. Probably. Starfire, are you telling the truth?” This time I did watch as she said Yes very enthusiastically, and very guilelessly. It checked out. “Yep, she’s being honest.”

Well, now that we’re here, what happens next? I clapped my hands together, “New teammate? All for?”

“Yay!” Wally cried.

“Yeh-yeah!” Robin covered his mouth, staring at Starfire dreamily, before shaking his head and looking away.

And why do you want her to join? Megan thought to me—rather angrily at that.

She’s from the Teen Titans cartoon I told you about. She’s awesome, trust me.

You find her attractive.

I gaped at her, That—that’s so unfair. You know I’d never act on that attraction. I’m just excited to see one of my heroes come to life!

She raised an eyebrow at me, You have a rocky relationship with the League—you barely respect any of them. But Starfire’s your hero?

And Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven!

Don’t give me a reason not to trust you, Gojo.

I won’t, I promise. Just… give her a chance!

Megan sighed at that, and gave me a mental shrug. She walked over to Starfire, “Hello, Koriand’r. My name is M’gann, and I come from Mars. Would you mind telling us your story?”

“The rest of you,” Kaldur said, “Tie the Psions up. A Green Lantern is on the way—this is technically their jurisdiction, so we must defer to their judgment.”

I walked away to do exactly that, using Blue to attract all the Psions into a big ball, when Wally zipped over to me and threw his arm around my shoulder. His innocuous aura and lack of ill intent had allowed him to slip past my Infinity—just as intended. My automation was going well so far. “Tell me the truth, Gojo, my best friend in the world—is she really our new teammate?” Wally asked. “And if she is, you mind giving me a tidbit or two? Is she single? What’s her type?”

I snorted, “Why don’t you round all these aliens up and I’ll tell you everything.”

Wally stepped away from me with a huff. “You’re just gonna lie to me.”

“Don’t you have a language you might be able to entice her with?” I chuckled, “Or are you just a completely stereotypical monolingual American?”

“I know high school Spanish,” he muttered, “Would that be enough?”

“Don’t embarrass yourself,” I laughed. I looked over my shoulder to Connor, who was busy stacking aliens up on his shoulder, “What about you? You know like every language, don’t you?”

“They only programmed me with twenty-five of the most spoken languages and dialects,” Connor replied gruffly, “But I have no interest in kissing someone I’ve never met before.”

“Dude!” Wally hissed, “Have you seen her?”

“Looks don’t matter to me,” Connor said.

I looked to Kaldur, intent on making a comment about spreading the Atlantean language and him getting over Tula, when he held a webbed hand up to forestall me, “Do not say a word.”

I snorted, “You’re the captain.”

000

The black Green Lantern was the one to come sweep up the aliens and the alien ship, while also confirming the race and planet of origin of Starfire, or Koriand’r. Rather than babysit her directly, the Leaguer deputized us with that duty, giving us the mission of keeping both an eye on Starfire while keeping her comfortable until he could confirm whether her story checked out or not. I wondered if they’d give her the same Martian interrogation they had given me. Then again, she hadn’t exactly caused many zeros of property damage thus far—most of that destruction had been at the hands of the Psions.

Before we knew it, we were flying through the air in the Bio-Ship, which now had eight seats—three in the front, because I needed my seat to be the front-most middle seat, three in the middle, the middle-seat there containing Megan, and two at the back, one for Robin and the other for Starfire.

“So from the top,” I said with a pensive frown, “You used to be the princess of your planet before your sister betrayed the whole planet and sold its secrets out in order to ensure her own ascendance to the throne. She then enslaved you and your siblings. You got away because a different alien race attacked, capturing both you and your sister. You escaped from those guys and then made your way here.”

“Yes,” she said, “The warriors of the Citadel empire were the first alien race, and the Psions were the second. They performed experiments on me to test out the limits of my solar absorption powers.”

“You absorb solar, too?” Connor asked. 

“Connor knows twenty-five languages,” I blurted out.

Connor grunted, “I knew you were going to mention that at some point if I said anything.”

“So you said something, so I could wingman for you. We make a good team.”

“Boys, stop it,” Artemis hissed, “I swear, you guys don’t take anything seriously. I’m sorry, Koriand’r.”

“Sorry about what?” Starfire asked, blinking innocently. “Thank you… what is your name? You at the front?”

I turned around and grinned, “Infinity, or Gojo.”

“Thank you, Gojo,” she said, “For the recommendation. I should like to sample these twenty-five languages. It may come in use—according to my ship’s scans, this planet does seem to have an unusual number of cultures and unique languages.”

“I’m not gonna kiss you,” Connor growled.

“Why not?”

“Why not?” Connor asked, scandalized, “You’re asking why not?”

Starfire’s expression fell, “Is it… considered rude in this world to give the kiss?”

“Hello, Megan!” Megan grinned, slapping her forehead, “Your planet is different from Earth, so of course you wouldn’t know this. But yes, kissing is a form of contact that is usually only done between loved ones. Of course, as long as someone gives you prior consent, then it’s fine. But if you kiss someone in this world, usually there are expectations of long-term relationships that follow.”

“Oh,” her expression fell and she turned to Robin apologetically, “I’m sorry, Robin, but I don’t wish to have the committed relationship with you. Not yet, at least.”

“Ah? Ye-yeah, of course! That’s perfectly understandable!” Robin said. “Wait, you said ‘not yet’?”

“Stay whelmed, Rob,” I laughed.

“So it is aster, then?” Starfire smiled.

Robin gaped in surprise before schooling his expression and giving her a confident grin, “Totally aster.”

I snorted, “We’ve got another one. Two English language butcherers in one place. I love it.”

Artemis chuckled, “I’m traught.”

“And turbed,” Wally grinned.

“Speaking of English language mangling, I recently got told by some British guy ‘bob’s your uncle’, does anyone know what that means?”

“It means you have a long-lost relation called Bob, guy was telling you he was your uncle,” Wally said.

“Hah, real funny.”

“How should I know?” Wally asked.

“Revolutionary idea: If you don’t know, then you shut up and let someone who does know explain. Robin, Boy Wonder?”

“Huh? It means ‘there you go’,” Robin said.

Huh. Couldn’t he have just said that?

Starfire reached over to touch Connor’s shoulder, “I apologize for causing you the distress.”

Connor ducked his head, “It’s fine. Whatever.”

“What is your name?”

“Superboy,” he said, “Or Connor.”

“Superboy is a powerful name,” she said with a smile, “Thank you for coming to my rescue, Superboy. And all of you. Would you mind telling me your names?”

“I’m Kid Flash, Wally West.”

“Aqualad,” Aqualad gave her a respectful nod, “And you need not thank us. We were just doing our jobs.”

“Artemis.”

“Robin,” Robin said, “Ah, but you already knew that.”

“And together, we’re the Teen Titans,” I grinned. 

“And what do the Teen Titans do?” Starfire asked.

“We’re heroes. Protectors of the weak, defenders of the defenceless, the champions of Earth. The Teen Titans. Everyone’s second favorite hero team. And seeing as you are currently out of a home—or home planet—to return to, why don’t you join us?”

“Truly?” Starfire asked, shocked.

We did not discuss this beforehand, Kaldur thought angrily at me. And we are not at liberty to grant her membership to begin with. That would be the Batman’s job.

The Batman can suck it, I snorted, This is our team! And we want Starfire! We want Starfire! I pumped my fist and Wally joined me on the chorus as well, whirling his fist as well, We Want Starfire! We Want Star—

Shut up! Connor roared in our heads, I hate linking with you, Gojo. I hate it so much, words fail to do my feelings justice.

Right, whatever, I chuckled, All that aside, given that Batman and whoever gives her the go-ahead, who would object to having her on the team?

I’d love another girl on the team, Artemis said, And if she wants to join, I wouldn’t say no. Because I’m not an asshole. Wally.

Screw you! I’ve turned over a new leaf! See? I want Starfire to join us as well.

I wouldn’t mind her joining, Robin said.

Of course you wouldn’t, I snorted.

I don’t care, Connor said, she can join if she wants.

I would love to have another alien on the team, Megan smiled.

It all comes down to you, Kaldur, I said. 

I believe we are moving too fast, Kaldur said, Even if the Batman gives her his approval, what if certain issues end up manifesting down the line, issues that none of us could have predicted?

“Teen Titans?” Starfire asked, “Are you somehow communicating with one another?”

Kaldur cleared his throat and turned around to look at Starfire, “We would like to have you, but I must warn you that this is not an easy line of work. It is one that is fraught with danger and risk. And being a part of this team means that you will not reap the glory of your work. We operate covertly, and as such, we are unknown to the rest of the world—unlike what Infinity would have you believe.”

“Oh,” Starfire nodded, “I understand. I would not presume to be worthy of joining you champions.”

“But do you want to?” I asked.

“I would consider it, if you could answer a question,” she said, her expression slightly concerned, “Were you truly considering returning me to the Psions for a fat paycheck?”

I tried not to burst out laughing.

“Gojo!” Artemis hissed.

“I can assure you,” Kaldur, “We had no such intentions.”

“As long as you weren’t some kind of criminal fugitive, of course,” I chuckled, “But even then, we’d get all the facts sorted before just blindly handing you over to those lizard people. I was just making what we on Earth call a joke. Ever heard of a joke, Starfire?”

“Forgive me for saying this, but it was a cruel joke,” she frowned, but she looked more saddened than anything.

“Uh, sorry,” I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. I knew I wouldn’t get away with saying that. “Didn’t mean to upset you. But we’re good people, Starfire. You don’t have to worry about us.”

Her frown turned into an unsure grin as she gave a nod. Then her smile dimmed once more, “In a perfect universe, I would have a home planet to return to, and I would not have to burden you with my presence. Provided I pass muster, I would be honored to join your ranks.”

“A call is coming through,” Megan said from her pilot’s seat. She accepted the call, and a hologram of the black Green Lantern popped up from her control desk.

“This is Green Lantern,” the Green Lantern said. “Titans Bio-Ship, do you copy?”

What, no internal codenames to differentiate the two? I thought jokingly at Megan.

“The Titans Bio-Ship is reading you loud and clear, Green Lantern.”

“Stop your craft immediately,” Green Lantern said, “We are detecting fluctuating spatial waves in your location, signalling an imminent spatial transfer.”

I poured positive energy into my Six Eyes, using its Reversal form to see the physical world, searching for these spatial waves. I saw them. They were heading directly towards us.

Turn around! I thought urgently, but it was too late. Even as Megan turned to the side and flew the other way, the spatial waves adjusted course and headed towards us, far too fast for us. I calculated that even if I tried to teleport all of us Titans, leaving the Bio-Ship to weather what was obviously a sort of surprise teleport, I wouldn’t have time to remove us before it caught up. I would need a solid second or two at the very least. We barely had half a second left.

The spatial wave billowed forth and swallowed us whole, replacing the night sky with a blue sky, and a sun high up in the air.

And a city surrounding us that looked like nothing I had ever seen—on Earth at least. And ships were in the air, of the same make as the Psions that had chased Starfire down. And now they were chasing us down.