Capítulo 23: The More Things Change
Siberia
XX Days Earlier
Deep beneath the frozen expanse of northern Siberia, miles of stone and ice were removed in a flash. In its place was a hidden world in the perpetual twilight of the underground caverns. The temperature contrasted the icy surface above, maintained by geothermal heat that filters through the rocky ceiling, casting an eerie, warm glow across the prehistoric landscape.
Lush jungles stretched out beneath an eternal twilight sky, their dense canopies alive. Towering ferns and colossal trees create a labyrinthine forest where dinosaurs roam freely.
A lone Neanderthal, Gnarrk, navigated these ancient woods with caution. He wore a patchwork of furs and skins, moving silently through the underbrush. His keen eyes scanned for both prey and predators.
As Gnarrk pushed aside a thick frond, he emerged into a clearing with a crystal-clear lake. At the water's edge, a group of Hadrosaurs dipped their beaks into the cool water, their large, gentle eyes watching for danger. Gnarrk crouched.
A thunderous roar shattered the peace. From the shadows of the trees, a Tyrannosaurus rex burst forth, its massive jaws agape. The Hadrosaurs scattered, their panicked cries piercing the air. Gnarrk's heart pounded, but his instincts took over. He sprinted to the nearest tree and climbed swiftly, his powerful limbs finding purchase on the rough bark.
Perched high above, Gnarrk watched as the T-rex chased its prey. One of the Hadrosaurs stumbled, and the predator seized its chance. With a ferocious snap, the T-rex claimed its prize, the struggle lasting mere moments.
Hours later, the ethereal crystal light above dimmed, casting long shadows across the jungle. Gnarrk descended from his perch and made his way to his hidden cave. The entrance was concealed by a thick curtain of vines, and within, the cave opened into a surprisingly spacious chamber.
He had learned to find solace in the presence of the dinosaurs and the unchanging landscape.
He settled by the fire pit and sparked a flame, the warmth, and light a small comfort.
Gnarrk's musings were interrupted by a rustling at the cave entrance. He tensed, grabbing his spear. But instead of a predator, a small creature emerged from the shadows. It was a juvenile Triceratops.
The dinosaur sniffed the air, then cautiously approached Gnarrk. He remained still. The Triceratops nuzzled his hand, seeking warmth and safety. Gnarrk gently stroked its rough hide, feeling a connection to the creature.
This proverbial snowglobe of the ancient past would be eventually introduced to the modern world, but its origins remain a mystery to all inhabitants except its celestial creators.
Planet Kwyzz
XX Days Ago
Green Lantern Bulletin:
Anomaly Detected in Sector 1136
The planet Kwyzz glowed softly as it orbited its Static Sun. Unlike any other, this sun did not emit light in the conventional sense. Instead, it pulsated with a steady, unchanging frequency throughout the cosmos, bathing Kwyzz in a constant, soothing hum.
Kwyzz was known as the most beautiful world in all transmission. Its landscapes shifted colors and patterns, a living tapestry woven from the very essence of electromagnetic waves. The White Noise Rapids, Kwyzz's oceans, churned and roared randomly. Even its inhabitants were composed entirely of electromagnetic waves. There was no defined shape to them, their bodies shifting and changing in rhythm with the world around them.
#
Krakkl streaked across the surface of Kwyzz at light speed. He suddenly stopped near the outskirts of Frequentalis, the heart of Kwyzz. There, lying in the radiant fields of shifting electromagnetic patterns, was a being unlike any Krakkl had ever seen. The stranger was an unconscious waveform, his structure foreign to the native inhabitants of Kwyzz. His appearance resembled a bronze scale, his limbs composed entirely of shimmering energy, each arm holding a scale, supporting his head.
Krakkl approached cautiously, his frequencies vibrating with curiosity and concern. He extended a waveform, gently shaking the stranger to wake him. The being stirred, his energy fluctuating erratically before settling into a more coherent pattern.
"Are you alright?" Krakkl asked, his frequencies soothing and steady.
The stranger's form brightened slightly as he awakened, his eyes—two radiant points of energy—opening slowly. He looked around, clearly disoriented and confused. "Where... where am I?"
"You're on Kwyzz," Krakkl replied. "My name is Krakkl. Who are you?"
The stranger blinked, his form flickering as he processed the question. "I... I am Libra." Despite his initial confusion, there was a gentleness to his presence, a passion that flickered within his energy.
"Libra," Krakkl repeated, his waveform resonating with a calming frequency. "You seem lost. How did you end up here?"
Libra took a moment to gather his thoughts, his scales shifting slightly as he stabilized his energy. "I was looking for my king..."
Suddenly, a new shadow had cast itself over the planet. All the planet's inhabitants stared up in shock and confusion. How did they get a new moon?
Brazil
In the dense heart of the rainforest, an ancient temple was hidden beneath a canopy of verdant foliage. Inside, the air was thick with the pungent scent of smoke and the heady aroma of pure, uncut cocaine.
At the head of the main chamber was a single white-haired man. He stood before an altar adorned with gleaming white powder, chanting fervent prayers to his cocaine god. His red eyes stared intently at the mountain of cocaine as if waiting for the answers to spring forth.
He fixated on the swirling patterns in the powder. His devotion was absolute; every inhale filled him with divine power, and every exhale was a prayer of allegiance. But suddenly, he froze. The air shifted, carrying with it a whisper of unease. The man felt a sharp pang in his chest, a disturbance rippling through the metaphysical drug force.
He had learned long ago that there were gods for every concept: Good, Evil, Love, and War. The man who had given up his real name was a believer of the Stoned Ape Theory, that the transition from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens and the cognitive revolution was caused by the consumption of mushrooms around 100,000 years ago.
Drugs transformed Apes into man, which would once more transform man into something greater.
"No," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "Something... something is wrong."
His eyes narrowed, and he reached out with his mind, seeking the source of the disruption.
"WHAT DARES INTERRUPT MY PRAYERS TO THE WILL OF THE COCAINE GOD?!" The voice echoed through the temple, filled with righteous fury.
In his mind eye, he could sense them all: ketamine, MDMA, Adderall, Bromo-Dragonfly, heroin, coke, crack, codeine, oxys, percs, vikes, PCP, LSD, Dilaudid, mescaline, mushrooms, bath salts, cortisone, Toradol, molly, her sister Sandra, big Frank, steroids, birth control, Plan B, morphine, viagra, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Venom, and Flintstone Gummies.
In an instant, he knew: Venom was slowed.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power course through him. He would not allow this insult to stand. He would find the source of the disturbance and crush it beneath his heel.
The man slammed his face into the cocaine mountain. Like a human vacuum cleaner, he snorted at least double his body weight in cocaine. An infidel would argue that he was more cocaine than man.
As soon as the last bit of cocaine disappeared up his nose, the man shuddered a few times, and then he exploded into white and blue flames.
He walked outside the temple, cocaine powder dropping from his body with every step. With a single, powerful leap, he soared into the sky, leaving a trail of shimmering white powder in his wake. Like a shooting star, he rocketed North East, straight toward Santa Prisca. "YOU NOW FACE THE WRATH OF HIS LORDS MOST LOYAL ACOLYTE, SNOWFLAME!"
Caribbean Sea
July 22, 20:38 ECT
It was supposed to be a covert recon mission only. The teens were only meant to observe and report the activity on the island. Unfortunately, disagreements over overleadership had led to a failure on their part.
Kid Flash activated his infrared goggles down over his eyes, immediately picking up on heat signatures further down the trail. "Got a squad of armed bozos incoming."
The three ran forward, ducking behind a rock and fallen tree to avoid being seen.
Superboy looked in the opposite direction of Kid Flash. "Two squads," he corrected. Then, he expanded his focus. "But they'll meet each other before they find us."
Gunfire started. They weren't on the same side.
Miss Martian cringed.
"No Super-Hearing required now." Kid commented.
"Swing wide, steer clear," Aqualad commanded as Kid stepped forward to be next to Superboy.
"Yeah- yeah, just as soon as I find Rob." Instead, Kid Flash vaulted over the tree, running down the trail. Sadly, the trail was wet, causing him to lose his footing, falling down the hill and right into the middle of the firefight.
Kid Flash took off his goggles and looked up, facing down the barrel of a gun wielded by Bane himself. "So much for the stealthy."
Suffice it to say that both criminal groups trained their guns on the hero.
Bane started firing rapidly at Kid Flash, and it was only thanks to his super speed that he didn't get hit. Now, he was running away from both groups of gunfire.
One by one, the teens appeared for support.
Superboy charged ahead, taking Bane's blind spot and tackling him to the ground—or at least attempting to. Bane got himself over the teen and slammed him into the soft ground. He went for a wrist-lock on his captive right arm but found Superboy overpowering him, grabbing his shirt and throwing him into a tree.
Robin dropped over a pair, uppercutting the other and following up with a sidekick.
Kid Flash hit another assailant, backing him up into the clearing. He then hit him with a front kick to the chin and completed a full flip before landing on the ground again.
Miss Martian threw another two assailants into the tree behind him telekinetically.
A Kobra soldier was stopped short by Aqualad dropping right before him. The Atlantean placed his hand on his chest, and his tattoos glowed before he zapped him right in the chest. He crushed the communicator that fell out of his hand under his barefoot.
It was clear that this new team still had kinks to iron out.
#
With the assailants tied to trees, Robin recognized the uniforms. They belonged to the Cult of The Kobra.
Kid Flash groaned. "At least we know who's causing the normal supply lines to be cut off."
Considering the earlier gunfight, it was clear that Kobra came here uninvited.
"So, Kobra wants super cultists," Kid Flash said confidently. Now, we can Radio Bats and complete the recon mission."
"These cultists aren't on Venom." Robin cut him off. "Kobra's hoarding the stuff." The boy was adamant about staying and wanted to know why.
Once more, things dissolved into bickering due to a lack of someone taking charge.
Unfortunately, it would all come to a head when they had to make a temporary truce with Bane to secretly enter his facility under Kobra's nose.
Bane needed to start his shipments. If he didn't, one of his major... sponsors might retaliate.
#
They were still creating Venom in the factory. "Sublime Master, he approaches," one of the soldiers said as Kobra stopped beside him.
"Activate the radio-jamming net. Nothing must interfere." Kobra instructs.
The soldier nods, bows, and leaves.
#
On top of a cliff, the Team and Bane could see the factory. Bane stopped about three feet from the edge, pointing. Both Robin and Kid Flash stepped up to get a closer look—Kid with his goggles, Robin with a pair of binoculars. What he saw was a forklift and containers by a helipad.
"Look at all that product," Robin muttered, shocked. "A buy is going down." Bane walked away, but the team remained. "But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-"
"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad stated with conviction.
All three were observing Bane as he lifted a giant rock away from the entrance to an old mine. The only point of his efforts was a few grunts while Miss M and Superboy exchanged a slight look of confusion.
"Answers are this way," Bane said simply, gesturing down the mine tunnel. All five teens joined him to look down the tunnel. Bane said nothing as he headed towards the tunnel.
#
The Team and Bane walked down the mine until they came to a metal door. Bane used his fingerprint to unlock it, leading them to a door on the factory floor. Bane propped the door slightly, giving Robin enough room to look around the now-confirmed, empty floor.
"All clear," he vocalized before running out of the doorway. The others followed, but Robin was nowhere in sight once they got to another hidden location.
"Has that little fool already been captured?" Bane questioned, annoyance at the possibility of their infiltration being compromised rising.
"No," Aqualad assures, but his voice is giving away his annoyance. "he just does that."
Kid Flash slid his goggles over his eyes with ease. "Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before Boy Wonder." By the time he finished the sentence, he was already running.
Aqualad reached out when he saw Kid Flash move but couldn't stop him. "Wait, Kid!"
Bane watched as the grey and red streak disappeared, looking at Aqualad with a smug smile. "Great chain of command."
#
Inside the command center, a Kobra agent was working on the computers. A Batarang hit the computer console beside him, sparking it. As he turned to look, green gas was released from the Batarang. The agent coughed and then passed out.
Robin held no qualms as he grabbed the back of his cloak and dropped his upper body to the ground with a thud. Then he took the chair and sat down at the computer.
#
Aqualad, Miss Martian, and Superboy were all crouched behind an unused assembly line while Bane hid in the shadows of a crate stack.
"It's a massive shipment," stated Aqualad.
"Yeah, but they're only taking new products off the line." Superboy observed." They're not touching this Venom."
Superboy's focus changed as he looked in the opposite direction they just were. "Helicopter's coming."
Bane's eyes narrowed as all four looked out at the small skylight.
It took a few moments, but then they started to be able to hear the helicopter's blades as it approached.
#
The computer beeped away as Robin ran over the chemical formula for the agent. Listing off HB2Ca4, Cs2Ho4, PH4Mo8, and Ca1Hg6.
Kid Flash zooms in, skidding to a stop, taking a bite out of something, then talking with food in his mouth.
Robin hunched closer to the keyboard as if that would help him work faster.
Ever the science nerd, Kid Flash joins him at the computer. Kid Flash took another loud bite out of the bar in his hand. "This one's Venom," Kid Flash said as if he were talking to a three-year-old and using his bar to point at the screen. As the screen showed another compound, he continued. "this one's-" he cut himself off. "Whoa. The Blockbuster formula from Cadmus." They watched as the two merged on screen. "Mixed correctly, Kobra's new juice is three times stronger than Venom… and permanent." he realizes, horrified. He turns to Robin. "But how did Kobra get access to Project Blockbuster?"
"Our mystery buyer must also be Kobra's supplier!" Robin realized. "Using the cult to create the Blockbuster-Venom superformula," Robin stood up, his hand going to his ear. "Robin to Aqualad, we got—" Kid Flash turns away from the computer as he hears Robin stop. "... static," he mutters angrily.
#
The shadows cleared from the helicopter's opening doors, revealing a buff white man with blonde hair. He wore a black-on-black outfit, and a grey hockey mask covered his facial features. As he walked between two lines of the cult, his matching forearm and shoulder-upper arm guards showed.
"Lord Kobra." he greets.
"Sportsmaster." Kobra returned as the girl from before stepped up. "The shipment is ready." she opens the box to reveal the blue vials.
Sportsmaster took one, holding it up to examine it. "The new Kobra-Venom?" he asked.
Kobra gestures to Blockbuster. "A complete success. Our friends will not be disappointed."
"This is a game-changer." Sportsmaster proudly states, flipping the vial to catch it in his fist. "Finally, we can go mano-a-mano with the Justice League."
Above them, Miss Martian used her camouflage. "Aqualad, sending you a telepathic image of the buyer now." even though she was invisible, her eyes began to glow.
#
In the factory, on a catwalk. Bane and Superboy watched while Aqualad closed his eyes to see Miss M's telepathic image.
"Sportsmaster," he said, opening his eyes. "He is the buyer?" he questioned, looking at Superboy shocked. Then, he brought his hand up to his ear. "Aqualad to Red Tornado. Do you read?" He got the same results as Robin. He huffed in annoyance. "I can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid. Comm's jammed. We need a plan now."
Bane was all too pleased with his opening. "I have a suggestion," he said, then jumped over the rail with a battle cry.
Two Kobra agents looked to the source, shocked to see Bane. He landed just before them, shoving one to the side easily and pushing the other's arm to ensure his aim was only to the ceiling.
#
From outside, they hear the gunshots.
"What is he-" Aqualad began, only to be cut off by Blockbuster's battle cry, and he charged at the window behind them. Shattering it and taking down the catwalk. Both boys landed away from the rubble, but so did Blockbuster, who roared to catch everyone's attention.
"Destroy them," Kobra commanded. In an instant, Blockbuster charges at the three infiltrators.
Superboy met him halfway. Unlike Blockbuster, he's plenty small enough to get under his arms and catch his torso. However, Blockbuster efficiently grabbed Superboy's waist from behind due to the size difference.
Aqualad's tattoos began to glow as he reached behind his shoulders to take out his WaterBearers. The Kobra agents started firing on him but couldn't land a hit as he crouched behind a shield and used his other Water Bearer to fire non-lethal projectiles at their chests and knock them out.
Suddenly, as the two sides clashed, a new presence suddenly tore through the sky, drawing all eyes upward. The stranger descended like a comet, landing amid the fray with a resounding impact. A cloud of white powder erupted around him, and he rose from the ground, his eyes gleaming with vigorous intensity.
The fighting paused, both sides momentarily stunned by the dramatic entrance. The newcomer surveyed the scene, his gaze sweeping across the combatants.
"Oh, fuck, it's Snowflame," Bane growled, his eyes narrowing as he took in the new arrival.
The teen heroes stayed behind cover, each having the same confused look. "Who?"
Snowflame's lips curled into a wicked smile. "I am Snowflame, servant of the cocaine god." He turned to Bane. "My brother in substance, I felt your shipments in Venom stop across the globe. I take it that these snake-headed fools are the reason."
A smile grew on Bane. Maybe this could work out. Right? "Yes. They took over my factory and stopped all exports."
"That simply won't do."
Kobra stepped forward, his serpentine eyes narrowing. "You dare challenge the Kobra? We bow to no one!"
Snowflame reached into his pocket and snorted a handful of coke. His smile widened, his eyes flashing with manic energy. "THROUGH THE POWER OF COCAINE, I GIVE WILL YOU ONLY DEATH!"
From that point onward, this mission had officially gone FUBAR.
#
A/N: Special thanks to Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, and Seana!
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