The matter of the headquarters was trivial. They settled it in passing during casual conversation, which came as a relief to Batman—no more meetings in the Batcave.
"So we can launch the counteroffensive now?" Animal Man and Beast Boy were still playing their chase game, while Thea and Batman discussed serious matters. The contrast created an absurd scene.
"Absolutely. We'll head to the initial outbreak sites. If I'm right, those are where the Rot's tendrils first broke through. We'll eliminate the creatures, locate the mastermind, and then suppress the Green's overgrowth. At the same time, we'll use Abby to find the passage to the Rot and send her soul duplicate through."
Thea counted off the steps on her fingers, explaining them to Batman. All of these had to happen simultaneously, which made their limited manpower a problem. Coordinating everything would be mentally taxing—naturally, she delegated those logistics to Batman.
As a veteran superhero, he was well-suited for the job. Just his presence commanded respect. The moment he stood up with that imposing demeanor, Animal Man and Beast Boy immediately stopped their chase. Batman outlined the battle plan in a few concise sentences.
Superman, who had been flying around spraying the plant serum, returned as well. His cape and suit were stained green after dumping seven or eight barrels of the stuff, but the hero dedicated to protecting humanity had no time to worry about his appearance. He immediately asked for the latest intel.
When he heard they were starting the counteroffensive, Superman volunteered to fight.
"With Superman's power, that's more than enough. Batman, you should stay behind." Thea worried about him getting infected by the Rot. Losing him would be a massive blow to humanity.
"I've studied it. The Rot spreads through mosquitoes and flies, not through the air. I came prepared. Just wait." Batman left them standing there and went to change. Less than three minutes later, he emerged in his black Batsuit—though the material looked oddly familiar to Thea.
Now fully enclosed, with not an inch of skin exposed, Batman's voice sounded even more muffled. "Recognize it? Two years ago, when you, Diana, and that guy who jumped out of the ocean were fighting, one of the enemies you defeated was Black Manta. His suit had unique properties. I reverse-engineered it a while back. This suit is completely sealed—even a nanometer-sized needle couldn't penetrate it. It'll handle those mosquitoes just fine."
Thea could only admire his thoroughness. Of course. This was peak Batman—seeing someone else's cool tech and immediately making his own version. Very on-brand.
Still, his assessment was correct. Black Manta's suit could keep out even the Atom—a few mosquitoes wouldn't be a problem.
Thea had her divine body. The Rot's corruption couldn't touch her. Superman's defenses went without saying—if mosquitoes could hurt him, he might as well retire and go back to farming in Kansas. Now that Batman had his protective suit, all three of them were covered.
Swamp Thing and Animal Man also had their respective immunity systems, so they could tag along. That settled the main strike team—though their roles had shifted from the main fighters to supporting roles.
The others weren't suited for combat. Poison Ivy didn't have full access to the Green's power, which meant the Rot could still affect her. Zatanna's magic was formidable, but her body was still human—her defenses weren't strong enough. As for Beast Boy and the others, there was no way they'd send a nine-year-old to the front lines.
"Kid, listen to me. Protect my daughter. If she loses even a single hair, I'll kill you!" Animal Man, now in his combat suit, growled threateningly at Beast Boy.
Thea watched Beast Boy tremble in exaggerated fear and had to suppress a laugh. She interrupted their dramatic farewell. "Everyone, we're heading to Wyoming first. The mosquitoes and flies there are mutating too fast—the government is barely holding them back."
The team nodded, and Thea teleported all four of them to Wyoming. The situation on the ground was far worse than expected. Military forces, government agencies, and civilian groups were all scrambling to exterminate the swarms, but the mutated insects seemed endless. Despite everyone's best efforts, they couldn't even slow the spread. Worse, the mosquitoes were infecting more people, turning them into the living dead.
Wyoming had been a priority zone for the plant growth serum. Thanks to the massive influx of vegetation, the area was currently locked in a stalemate with the swarms—neither side gaining ground.
The sight of the black clouds of insects made Thea's stomach turn. She wracked her brain but couldn't think of a single spell designed for large-scale mosquito extermination. Neither ancient nor modern mages had ever bothered developing one. Why would they?
"You guys handle this!" Thea decided her role was to come up with strategies and play chauffeur. Dirty work like this? That was a job for the boys.
None of them wasted time. Each deployed their abilities and began the bug hunt.
Batman tossed out a device resembling a bug zapper. It emitted a brilliant blue glow, luring the insects to their deaths.
Superman relied on his super-vision and super-hearing, using heat vision to sweep through the swarms in wide arcs.
Both were amateurs compared to Swamp Thing and Animal Man, who had the backing of cosmic forces.
Swamp Thing seized control of every plant in the area. Plants had their own methods of hunting insects—they'd just lacked coordination until now. Under Swamp Thing's command, the vegetation launched a ferocious counteroffensive.
Pitcher plants sprouted en masse, secreting nectar that insects found irresistible. The moment the bugs landed, the plants snapped shut—gotcha. Slow digestion followed.
Venus flytraps dominated the tally. These natural carnivores had stunningly beautiful, vibrant leaves. Empowered by the Green, their lush, inviting foliage lured swarms of insects to land—only to be snapped up and dissolved into sludge.
Other plants joined the fray: some secreted venom, others released paralyzing or hallucinogenic gases. They were everywhere.
Animal Man was at a relative disadvantage. The Green's overwhelming presence in the area made it hard for him to exert his full strength. Plus, he was just a temp worker for the Red. His impact was far smaller than Swamp Thing's.
Still, he didn't stand idle. Using his ability to communicate with animals, he summoned frogs, geckos, dragonflies, and other insect predators to help.
Under the combined efforts of the four warriors—and Thea occasionally lobbing a fireball—the swarm's perimeter gradually shrank, compressing toward the outbreak's center.
As the insects retreated, the devastation they'd left behind came into full view. Stiff-limbed bodies covered in diseased growths—both human and animal—began stumbling out from blood-soaked towns, desolate wilderness, and abandoned cars.