The teleportation was unremarkable. Beast Boy, still caught up in the melancholy of leaving his parents behind, barely had time to process his emotions before the world blurred around him. When his vision cleared, he found himself somewhere completely unfamiliar.
"Welcome to Metropolis, kid." Thea grinned proudly as Beast Boy craned his neck, taking in his new surroundings.
Wait, Metropolis? They'd traveled thousands of miles in the blink of an eye? Beast Boy wanted to question it, but the memory of Thea toying with him earlier kept him quiet. He bit back his doubts and said nothing.
Inside what Thea had named the Hall of Justice, Poison Ivy and Zatanna had already returned with Abby, Swamp Thing's girlfriend. Even though Batman's jet had left before Thea, it was still en route.
Beast Boy's eyes widened as he spotted Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy. A wave of relief washed over him—he wasn't the strangest-looking person here after all!
His attention shifted to Abby. With her striking silver hair, youthful beauty, and trendy outfit, she was hard to miss. What made the scene bizarre was seeing this fashionable woman wrapped in the arms of Swamp Thing—a creature composed entirely of vines and vegetation, barely resembling anything human. The contrast was jarring.
Thea told Beast Boy to stay put and turned to Poison Ivy. "What took you so long? With your abilities and Zatanna's, what kind of monster could possibly hold you up?"
Poison Ivy looked frustrated. "When I arrived, Zatanna was battling some massive thing made of rotting bones and flesh. It called itself Set, the Storm God. My plants were completely unresponsive there—I had to rely on my ring's power to fight our way out."
Set, the Storm God? Thea searched her memory but came up blank. Earth had seen countless deities throughout history. Like the Hawaiian shark god she'd killed before, most were obscure—known only to scholars of local mythology, if at all.
The Set that Poison Ivy mentioned likely fell into the same category—probably some minor tribal deity swept away during Ragnarok, now resurrected by the Rot as a puppet. As a New God herself, Thea didn't consider such weak former gods a threat.
After questioning Zatanna further, Thea learned more. As a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci and an accomplished sorceress with a strong magical lineage, Zatanna shouldn't have struggled against some undead god. The problem was the Rot's unique properties—it granted everything a form of immortality. Zatanna had dismantled Set three times, only for him to regenerate fully each time. If Poison Ivy hadn't manifested a barrage of constructs with her ring, escaping would have been much harder.
As they talked, everyone noticed Beast Boy. After staying still for exactly three minutes, the kid's restless energy kicked in.
He wandered around, poking at equipment he'd never seen before, curiosity written all over his face. When he was absorbed in a computer game, the door opened. His eyes went wide, his voice full of shock and excitement. "Batman?!"
Thea bristled. This kid recognized Batman but not her? Fine. She'd remember that.
But there was no time for petty revenge. Her attention shifted to the family of three behind Batman.
Animal Man stood with his wife and daughter. Unlike the resilient, tenacious life force of the Green, the Red's energy felt more primal—fierce and vibrant. In Thea's vision, the life flames of Animal Man and his daughter burned bright and strong.
Thea and Batman exchanged a glance and nodded.
She called everyone together for a meeting. As a superhero who had protected Gotham for over a decade, Batman's reputation was unmatched. The fact that Beast Boy recognized him but not Thea proved that point.
Naturally, the task of briefing everyone fell to Batman. Thea sat off to the side, sorting through photos she'd just taken. She was selecting the best angles and clearest shots to send to Diana—maybe these adorable animal pictures would help cultivate her softer side.
Earlier, she and Diana had talked on the phone for a while. Diana had asked if she needed to come back and help, but Thea declined. Physical attacks weren't particularly effective against the Rot's corrosive energy. It was better for Diana to continue her search for the Source.
Beast Boy, whose sharp eyes had been watching Thea the whole time, noticed her scrolling through photos. But with Batman commanding the room, the hyperactive kid resisted the urge to snap at her—for now.
Soon, Beast Boy's attention drifted to Animal Man, Buddy Baker. Since Thea hadn't bothered explaining anything about the Red, the kid only felt an inexplicable sense of kinship with this stern-looking man.
But it was Buddy's daughter, eight-year-old Maxine Baker, who really caught his interest. Despite his young age, a protective instinct surged within him—he had to keep this girl, a year younger than him, safe.
*I won't let anyone or anything hurt her,* nine-year-old Gar Logan silently vowed.
Lost in thought, he was jolted back by a loud *BANG*. Buddy Baker, already serious, was now slamming his fist on the table in anger.
"You're spraying that serum all over the planet, and it's suppressing the Red's domain too. They're furious about it."
"The Green is the main force resisting the Rot," Swamp Thing replied slowly, his tone far from polite. "Every plant on this planet is fighting back. You should be grateful, not complaining."
"Then why did you even call me here? I can protect my wife and daughter on my own!" Buddy's temper flared at Swamp Thing's blunt response.
Batman coughed, signaling to Thea to put her phone away. It was her turn to speak.
Since ascending to godhood, Thea's perception had sharpened to an extraordinary degree. She knew when someone said her name, when someone looked at her. She immediately pocketed her phone and put on a serious expression.
"Mr. Baker, I think you misunderstand. We didn't ask you here—*you* need *us*. Maintaining the balance of all life is *your* responsibility. The current crisis stems from the lack of communication and cooperation between the Green and the Red. If there were any other option, superheroes wouldn't want to get involved in this mess."
"We're heroes who ensure human civilization can develop peacefully. We're not here for plants, and we're not here for animals."
Standing on the moral high ground felt good. Animal Man, despite his frustration, couldn't come up with a counterargument. Instead, he shifted his focus to Abby, seated beside Swamp Thing.
"If I'm not mistaken, this woman is the avatar of the Rot, isn't she? Why is she here? She's our *enemy*!" Animal Man pointed accusingly at Abby.
"Shut your mouth! Abby's not a bad person—she's never hurt anyone!" Abby kept her head down, saying nothing, but Swamp Thing erupted in anger, roaring at Animal Man.
The two were locked in a standoff, tension rising visibly.