The sunlight pouring through the library's skylights did little to ease the intensity of the last-minute cramming sessions. But Eve and I were locked in, both of us hunched over textbooks, digital schematics in our tablets, and highlighted notes.
She stretched across the table, brushing my arm as she tapped her notepad. "If I don't ace this final, it won't be because I wasn't prepared." I chuckled, flipping the page in my binder. "Same. Between architecture, structural design, and dimensional calculus, I'm either passing everything… or combusting."
Eve smiled, brushing her ponytail back. "We've got this." I nodded. "We're going to ace these finals." Then both our communicators pinged with a quiet beep. The Titans logo glowed across the screen.
"All active Titans, mission briefing. Meet at the Tower, 1700 hours." I leaned back. "Time to put training to the test." Eve nodded, already closing her laptop. "Let's suit up—well, you more than me."
By nightfall, we were gathered in the Tower briefing room. Everyone had their suits on—everyone except me and Conner. Conner wore his black t-shirt and jeans combo, while I showed up in my old black tactical gear—the one I'd worn the night I failed to sneak into the Bell Tower.
Nightwing stood at the front, gesturing to a large holoscreen. "Intel reports that a black-market tech ring has acquired a live Amazo unit. Yes, that Amazo—the one capable of replicating superpowers on contact and adapting as it fights."
He paused, letting the weight settle. "We need our heavy hitters on standby in case the unit activates. We do not want a fully powered Amazo running loose."
Bumblebee stepped forward, bringing up a live feed of a convoy. "Here's the plan. Our objective is to intercept this convoy—confirm the cargo, ID the buyer, and gather intel. Conner, M'gann, Kara and Cain will fly in on the Bio-Ship under stealth protocol. If things go south, provide support."
Robin, Aqualad, and Eve looked up as she continued. "You three will tail the convoy and attempt to disable the unit before activation." My job is to plant a tracker on the convoy in case we lose visual."
"Any questions?"
Kara raised a hand. "Yeah. Why don't we just swoop in, crush the robot, and interrogate the driver?"
Before Nightwing or Karen could answer, I stepped forward.
"Too many unknowns," I said calmly. "We don't know who else is in the truck or guarding it. The driver could be an innocent under mind control or coercion. If we engage too early and activate Amazo, we give it more time to copy our powers. The longer it's active, the more unstoppable it becomes."
Kara frowned but nodded. "Fair point. What's my assignment?" "You're on overwatch in the Bio-Ship," Karen said. "If I'm compromised, Conner has command." "Roger," she said.
Elsewhere…
Deep within a hidden underground compound, a man pulled a dark gray bodysuit over his lean sculpted frame. Its segmented armor shimmered with green circuit lines that pulsed faintly with power. The helmet he lifted was sleek, expressionless—its mirrored visor reflecting everything but the man beneath it.
"Guardian," he said, voice modulated and emotionless. "Ready for deployment." Behind reinforced glass, Amanda Waller stood with arms folded while Cecil Stedman looked on with tense curiosity. "You're sure no one's going to die?" Cecil asked. Waller's expression didn't change. "Nothing lethal."
She tapped a console. A large display lit up with convoy footage, intel, and files on the Titans.
"This is your target. An deactivated Amazo unit being transported through Gotham. Your mission is to retrieve it. If you encounter the Titans—engage non-lethally, but do not hesitate. This is a covert mission. You have authority to act without oversight."
Guardian nodded once. "If you cannot retrieve the unit, destroy it. Then retrieve the black box." Cecil added, "And if the League shows up—any member?" Waller's eyes narrowed. "You vanish. Do not engage. Not even Batman." Guardian stood silently. Then gave a single nod.
"Understood."
The inside of the Bio-Ship hummed softly in stealth mode, barely a sound within its organic hull. We soared silently above the cityscape, invisible to radar, heat tracking, and most forms of detection. Conner, Kara, M'gann, and I sat strapped in and focused, watching the ground teams through the ship's internal monitors.
Down below, Bumblebee's unit was setting up the interception grid—a moving choke point to surround the convoy without triggering any alarms. Atom Eve, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash were already in motion. Kid Flash had taken point, running ahead of the convoy to scout for unknowns.
Fifteen minutes.
M'gann's voice rang clear in our minds through the psychic link.
"All teams, final confirmation. We're synced. Ground team is shadowing the convoy. Choke point is set. No unusual activity detected. Proceeding as planned."
There was a calm in the ship that only came before a storm. The kind of silence where everyone triple-checked their gear and reviewed their mission briefs for the hundredth time.
I sat beside Conner, watching the convoy rumble along through the Gotham shipping corridor. From above, it looked normal. Too normal.
Conner nudged me with his elbow. "So… what's your field name?"
"Huh?" I looked at him.
M'gann smiled. "He means your codename. We need one for the mental link in case it breaks. Something to shout over comms, short and clear." I blinked. "Right…" I hadn't really thought about it. Back in my old life, names mattered. Titles meant everything.
I hesitated, then said, "Call me Invincible." There was a pause. Conner raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what Mark was going to call himself? Before…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
My jaw clenched.
"Yeah," I replied after a beat. "But he never used it. Doesn't need it now."
I felt the weight of the name. Invincible. I had no illusions about it. To me Mark Grayson from the comics and his son are the only true Invincibles but right now I need the name."Focus, team," Bumblebee chimed in through the link. "Let's save the small talk for post-op."
We nodded silently.
Down below, her miniature form buzzed into position near the convoy's lead transport. She was a tiny speck of precision, her tracking device ready, her timing flawless.
Then it hit.
A psychic wave blasted through the mental link like a sonic boom of thought. Everyone on the Bio-Ship jolted, except me.
M'gann clutched her head.
Kara gasped, staggering against the ship's frame. Conner buckled forward, grabbing his temples. And in my mind, the link shattered.
Bumblebee's connection went dead. The ship lurched slightly as M'gann struggled to stabilize herself.
I remained frozen—still upright, still untouched—sensing something ripple in the back of my consciousness. Whatever it was… it hadn't affected me.
But it had gotten to everyone else.
The second the psychic wave slammed through the mental link and the others started collapsing, I acted. Miss Martian's grip faltered.
Kara's vision blurred as she staggered back, her balance gone. Conner was trying to stand, gritting his teeth, but I could see the tension trembling through his jaw. The Bio-Ship trembled from the psychic shock, its stealth coating flickering.
We didn't have time.
I blasted out of the ship, shattering the stealth field as I dove toward the ground. Below, I spotted the ground team. Aqualad was swerving. Eve's bike tilted dangerously. Robin was already losing traction.
They were going to crash.
I hit the ground like a missile, landing in the path of the convoy. The shockwave cracked the asphalt, but I didn't pause. I moved on instinct, catching Eve first and helping guide her bike upright. Robin was next—his body slipping sideways before I grabbed his back wheel and lifted the bike like a toy.
One after another, I steadied them all, keeping them from tumbling into the speeding convoy. Then I tapped my communicator. "Kid Flash, do you copy?"
No answer.
"Wally?"
Static.
Nothing.
A low vibration pulsed at the base of my skull. My head was beginning to ring—not from pain, but from something else. Something… nearby. I looked up at the convoy.
The lead truck.
The vibration grew stronger. I shot forward, faster than sound, slamming through the truck's rear doors in a single blow. The steel crumpled around me, torn like wet paper. Inside, it was dark—illuminated only by a few pulsing red lights. And at the center of it stood a figure.
Bald.
Pale.
And wearing a devil-like crown that pulsed with unnatural red light.
Psimon.
I'd seen him in files. In old Young Justice footage. Psychic manipulator. Dangerous. Manipulative. But this version… he was different. Something about the crown distorted his power. He turned as I landed inside.
Eyes wide.
Then panicked.
He reached out, his mental power trying to latch onto me, probing for weaknesses. But nothing happened. His eyes widened in horror.
"Why… can't I—"
I didn't wait.
One step. Then another. Then I blurred.
But I stopped short.
Inches from his face.
He flinched.
I saw it—the fear. The vulnerability. He was confused. He didn't know why I wasn't affected. Why his power meant nothing.
Good.
I slammed my forehead into his.
The jolt sent a shock through both of us. Visions flared in my mind—fragments of Psimon's thoughts. Whispers of the crown. A project called "Throne." Flashes of Amanda Waller. Something deeper. Darker. The psychic pulse vanished. The mental fog cleared. All around me, I felt the others begin to recover.
I stood over him, breathing heavily.
My fist clenched.
I should kill him.
The thought hit hard.
But we needed answers.
Then something slammed into me from behind like a freight train. I was yanked backwards out of the truck, smashing through metal and pavement before tumbling into the open air. I hit the ground hard, skidding across asphalt until I rolled to a stop.
Standing over me was a figure in a gray body suit, laced with tactical plating and glowing green nodes. His helmet was fully reflective—a mirrored dome that showed only my own shocked expression staring back at me. He said nothing.
But his presence was overwhelming. And something told me… This wasn't Psimon's backup.The moment I hit the pavement, I groaned and rolled to one knee, dust and sparks trailing from my armor. "I really need to figure out how to stop getting clocked from behind," I muttered, spitting a bit of blood from my lip.
The man in gray—Guardian—stood with perfect posture, silent and unmoving, like a statue carved from warfare itself. The mirrored visor reflected only the broken skyline and the orange glow of Gotham's industrial district.
He didn't speak.
Didn't posture.
Just moved.
Fast.
A blur of motion and steel as he came at me.
I barely brought my arms up in time to block the strike, but the force behind it pushed me back a dozen feet, heels digging into the concrete. I grunted and responded with a counter—three quick jabs, then a spinning elbow to the ribs.
We moved fast.
Every strike cracked the air. Every dodge sent debris scattering. The road beneath us fractured like glass under pressure. But this wasn't working.
Too close to the city we needed space.
I leapt back and tried to fly, baiting him to follow me away from Gotham. But before I could create distance, He slammed a boot into my chest and sent me hurtling across the shipping yard. I skidded to a halt just as two sonic booms echoed in the sky.
Conner and Kara landed beside me.
"You good?" Conner asked. "Define good," I muttered.
Kara crossed her arms. "Who's tin can?" "Unknown," I responded through the mental link, which had just reconnected. "Powerful and fast watch yourselves." M'gann's voice chimed in, a bit strained. "Kid Flash is alive. Knocked out from the psychic backlash but stable."
"Thanks," I replied. "Strange that everyone but me and the driver got knocked out. Why was I immune?" "Ask later," Conner said. "Bumblebee's still missing. Check the truck."
"On it." I took off in a streak of black, launching myself back toward the convoy. But just before I reached the truck, I caught a glimpse of Guardian grabbing Kara by the hair and slamming her into a trailer. Conner lunged forward, only to be met with a punch that launched him skyward.
I grimaced—but I trusted them. I slammed through the truck doors and found the shipping case. And inside it—was Amazo, tall, unmoving and still dangerous. But lying across its chest—barely visible—was Bumblebee, still in her miniature form. Aqualad burst in through the side panel, his expression strained from the lingering psychic backlash.
"Everything's shaking," he shouted.
"She's unconscious," I said, holding out my hand. "I need you to give me your pinky—light voltage, enough to shock her awake. Fast." He hesitated for a moment before nodding. A crackle of electricity sparked between us, and the jolt surged through Bumblebee.
She gasped, her body convulsing as she returned to full size. "What… happened?" she mumbled. "You got hit with a psychic blast. Psimon was the source," I said quickly. "We've got bigger problems now." I turned to Aqualad. "Catch her. I need to—" BOOM.
Supergirl and Superboy came crashing through the side of the truck like missiles, slamming into me and the crate. We all landed in a tangled heap. On top of Amazo. A hiss filled the air. Then a synthetic voice echoed in all directions:
"Amazo activated." All three of us froze.
"Oh… shit," we said in unison. We hit the ground hard, metal groaning beneath our weight. Amazo's red eyes blinked to life as it scanned the three of us. In a flash, it grabbed me by the chest, Conner by the arm, and Kara by the throat, lifting us like we were toys. The power surge was immediate.
We struggled and kicked but nothing. Then came the whine of compressed air and sharp clinks.
Robin vaulted in from the truck's roof, launching a spread of modified batarangs that exploded midair. Each one burst with a contained EMP pulse. Amazo's eyes dimmed slightly. Its arms spasmed. We dropped to the ground in a heap, coughing, bruised, but alive.
Robin landed with perfect grace, already coating Amazo's face with a thick, heat-resistant gel. "This'll buy us maybe five minutes," he said. "You three call in backup. We can't handle both Amazo and Mr. Tinhead."
"M'gann," I called through the link. "We need split focus. Robin and Aqualad will hold Amazo. The rest of us will handle the gray suit." "Confirmed," M'gann replied. "Wally's coming to. Give us ten minutes and we'll regroup."
Aqualad stepped into the corridor, face tight with pain and purpose. "You four take on the armored one. Less crowding means fewer powers for Amazo to copy. Go." Bumblebee buzzed overhead. "I'll support from the air. Keep him distracted."
Me, Conner, Kara, and Eve regrouped at the clearing near the burning remnants of the convoy. The gray suit (Guardian)stood in the shadows, calm as ever, visor glowing faintly in the orange firelight. He cracked his knuckles and raised his hands in a ready stance.
We launched together and It was easier this time not easy but easier.
Three of us, synchronized from the field and training room, pressed him from multiple angles—Kara with precision strikes, Conner with brute power, and me blending both. Eve stood behind us, focusing. Her hands glowed, crackling with swirling energy—light and matter spinning between her palms.
"I'm charging a high-pressure concussive blast," she called out. "Never tried one this big." "We'll give you time," I said. "Just aim when I say." Kara flew high, unleashing a double beam of heat vision.
Conner followed suit, his twin beams slicing toward Guardian, forcing him to dodge. That's when I shot forward, slamming into Guardian's side and locking him in place.
His joints buckled his feet dragged but I held on.
"NOW!" I shouted.
The blast Eve unleashed turned the air white. The blast hit me too I didn't move in time. Eve's concussive wave slammed into Guardian and me. I was thrown back, skidding across the concrete, ribs screaming in protest. The pain was sharp, raw, and pulsing.
But (Guardian) took the brunt of it, he staggered. Sparks flew from his suit and his limbs twitched. Then he lunged at me his head smashing into mine with a thunderous crack. I didn't fall back. Didn't even blink. Adrenaline surged through my veins like liquid fire and my skin felt electric. In that moment time slowed, and my senses sharpened.
I in that stillness, Mark appeared in my mind and all I could remember was that feeling from the Tower. His fury, arrogance and strength. But this time I wasn't afraid instead I got angry.
Then I struck it and landed then I hit him again and again. Guardian blocked, countered—but he was on the back foot. My eyes burned, glowing yellow with each furious strike. His helmet cracked under the force. Each punch pushed him further into the ground.
I couldn't feel pain anymore. No fear, no hesitation just the rage and I felt alive. Guardian tried to back away, stumbling from the force of my last hit. I grabbed him mid-step, spun, and slammed him into the earth. The pavement shattered.
I climbed on top, fists raised and I struck over ond over.
Metal warped and sparks burst from his chest unit. One more punch—and his visor cracked, revealing a jagged piece of his helmet. I reached out and ripped it away. Beneath the armor… I saw him. A face I recognized but before I could speak. "Cain!"
Superman's voice. It cut through the fury like a explosion. In that brief distraction, Guardian struck. One sharp uppercut knocked the breath from my lungs. I stumbled back and then he moved like a blur.
Faster than I expected. He darted through the battlefield like a ghost. In one hand, he snatched Psimon from the dirt. In the other, something—black and charred—torn from the back of the Amazo unit. Then he was gone.
Leaving behind a cratered path, a flickering robot, and a stunned silence in us all.