"Recognized:" "Batman." "Zero Two." "How are they?" "I am still shaken by what you and I wrought." "One can only imagine how these youths fare." "I know our virtual reality training simulation went badly, but I'd hoped the team would have rallied by now." "Trauma tends to linger, as I know you know, my friend." "Black Canary?" "She has her work cut out for her." "I can only imagine how devastating it was." "Losing your friends, in essence your family, convinced all the time it was completely real." "I'm sure it must have been horrible for you." "I understand." "You're Superboy." "You're not supposed to have feelings of sadness or vulnerability." "You don't know what I feel!" "Conner!" "Just leave me alone!" "When can we see some cowboys?" "Your obsession with the barbarians must wait, Serifan." "Mother Box, please camouflage all extraterrestrial energy signatures and scan the planet, and advise." "What we seek is on world." "Let us..." "The new Genisphere is on Earth!" "Then we shall take her back!" "The Forever People will not be denied!" "And woe to any who stand in our way." "Red Tornado, hangar door." "Sphere, out of the way!" "Whoa!" "Superboy, return to cave." "rboy, return to cave." "Look, me dying during the exercise might have started things going south." "But I was coma girl." "Missed out on all the fun." "Forgetting it wasn't real, so, no trauma." "No need for the shrink wrap." "You're too tough to need help." "Whatever." "Maybe." "Or maybe too tough to admit you need help." "Artemis, it's not a sign of weakness to open up to your friends." "I know that." "But you still keep secrets from them." "And you won't tell them." "You can't!" "I won't." "But you should." "You could start by admitting you're not really Green Arrow's niece." "Great." "Can you imagine what Wally would do with that?" "Interesting." "So, the person you're most worried about is Wally." "Let's see what our boy can do." "Oh, yeah!" "Whoa!" "Return the new Genisphere, and the rest of the technology you have stolen from New Genesis, human." "Who are you?" "!" "What do you..." "Let's keep this simple." "That belongs to us." "Give." "It." "Back." "Forever People, stand down." "This one did not steal the new Genisphere." "He saved it from the real thieves." "Apologies!" "The Forever People embrace you as a friend, ally, and worthy warrior." "You're kidding, right?" "I was the general, but behaved like a soldier and sacrificed myself." "I am not fit for command and must resign as team leader." "Who do you recommend to take your place?" "Artemis is too raw and untrusting." "Kid Flash too rash and impulsive." "Miss Martian remains too eager to please." "Superboy carries too much anger." "Making Robin the logical choice." "But he is so young." "Kaldur, you're all young." "I cannot shift this burden to him." "Not yet." "Heh." "It appears I must withdraw my resignation." "Forever People?" "We're young gods." "New gods." "Right." "They call me Serifan." "I'm Dreamer." "This is Moonrider." "And our leader Vykin." "Hmm." "And I am named for an animal that does not exist on this world." "But you may call me..." "Wolf." "This is Wolf." "Ah." "Bear, then." "Yeah, Bear is even better." "I'm Con-..." "Superboy." "This is Mother Box, the living computer." "She has tracked technology stolen from our home world, New Genesis." "And she has found our rescue drill... there." "It is beneath us... 18 meters underground." "That's a construction site." "Perfect cover for drilling." "Especially with the Federal Reserve conveniently located across the street." "The government keeps money there?" "It's a heist." "Come on, pardners, let's ride in there guns a-blazin' and round up them outlaws." "He's watched a lot of Earth Westerns." "Yeah, well, there's a time to go in strong and a time to go in smart." "It is your world, Superboy." "We shall follow your lead." "Norman!" "I brought you a jacket." "Mom?" "!" "What are you doing here?" "Mom, get down!" "It's not... safe." "A billion in bullion, Ugly." "The old creep's gear performed as advertised." "Yeah, Whisper, gave me a score tops any my old man ever delivered to Intergang." "Wait!" "Guess we decided on the direct approach after all." "That drill and these carts are the property of New Genesis." "You will return them now." "Gold goes back too." "Interfere, and things get ugly." "I'm Ugly." "These weapons aren't from New Genesis." "They are of... the enemy." "What enemy?" "They are of... the enemy." "What enemy?" "The enemy." "The gods of anti-life." "These weapons are of Apokolips." "So, you want me to believe that after everything you went through, including your own death from fiery explosion, you're peachy?" "I'm, uh, fairly certain I never used the word peachy." "But, I think you got the gist." "So you really have no interest in confronting your extreme reaction to Artemis' death?" "I'd rather talk about you, babe." "Wally, you're in denial." "I'm comfortable with that." "The confines of this tunnel favor their weapons." "Let's bring this battle into the open." "More room at the top!" "They're getting away!" "Move!" "I have no wish to prolong this battle." "Finish him." "Fear not." "She will protect us." "Who, Dreamer?" "The new Genisphere." "Cool." "Wait." "Sphere's a she?" "It is time." "Time for what?" "All:" "Taruu!" "Okay." "That's... new." "Ugly, wait!" "Wait!" "What... was that?" "Infinity-Man." "We merged to become part of the Source, and greater than the sum of our parts." "Glad my team's not that close." "Lower beings tend to fear intimacy." "None of this makes any sense." "How are these humans acquiring technology from both New Genesis and Apokolips?" "I'm not talking." "You were not asked." "Desaad." "Look, I've been remarkably patient." "You know, for me?" "What is going on?" "The New gods come from two worlds at war." "Those of us from New Genesis are gods of life, freedom, and the Source." "Our enemies from Apokolips are gods of anti-life, slavery, and degradation." "This is Desaad, god-scientist and chief torturer of Apokolips." "His experiments are pure evil; his works, abominations." "His master..." "Unspeakable." "He is seriously creepy." "Hurting?" "Try traumatized." "I finally become leader, and wind up sending all of my friends to their deaths." "I-I know I did what I had to." "But I hated it." "When we started this team, I was desperate to be in charge." "Not anymore." "A-And that's not even the worst of it." "You can't tell Batman." "Nothing leaves this room." "I always wanted, expected... t-to grow up a-a nd become him." "A-And the hero bit?" "I'm still all in." "But that thing inside of him?" "The thing t-that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission." "That's not me." "I-I don't want to be the Batman anymore." "Mother Box says there's a large cache of Apokoliptian technology inside." "Infrared vision shows no heat signatures." "Even so..." "Still no heat signatures." "The place is definitely deserted." "Though I could be wrong." "This tech masks heat signatures." "Visor filters out illusions." "We got ya." "These weapons resist my magnetic power." "We'll soon be overrun." "It is time." "This won't take long!" "Go!" "All:" "Taruu!" "Now, mortal." "Deliver the Father Box." "That can't be good." "Kill the boy... and his little dog too." "Wait!" "Good... uh, girl," "We'll take him down together." "Yeah, can't really blame you." "It was all my fault." "Hello, Megan." "Who else could take a simple exercise and turn it into a nightmare that terrorizes everyone she cares about?" "You've turned white." "No!" "Oh." "You meant Caucasian." "Yeah, I'm fine with being Megan." "But I can't be trusted to use my other powers." "M'gann, you're a Martian." "Not using your natural abilities is like me refusing to speak." "Which, by the way, I tried for a while." "After my very first canary cry nearly deafened my entire first-grade class." "So I get how you feel." "But not being yourself is never the answer and won't make your feelings of guilt go away." "Learn from what happened." "Your uncle would be happy to train you." "Practice until you gain control and regain your confidence." "Infinity-Man is now my  My master's weapon." "Why doesn't he get it over with?" "I am not one for getting it over with." "Father Box knows my... proclivities, and programmed Infinity-Man accordingly." "Attack!" "Attack while you still can!" "Sphere, you're beautiful!" "Open fire!" "All weapons!" "Our turn." "Think I'm getting the hang of this." "Pull!" "Now, that's ugly." "Desaad!" "All will suffer." "All will suffer!" "She's... hurt!" "The damage may be beyond repair, but Mother Box will try." "The healing process has begun and will be completed on New Genesis." "Sorry, what?" "We thank you for your help, Superboy, but we must take the new Genisphere home now." "No." "No way!" "Why should we leave her with you?" "To us, she lives." "To you, she's merely technology." "No, it's not like that." "Then what is it like?" "We bonded, ok?" "In fact, it is." "You may keep her." "What exactly do you expect to find, Batman?" "According to Conner, Sphere has proven quite useful." "Wally has already rechristened her the "SuperCycle."" "By any name, the Sphere merits further investigation." "As does everything in Superboy's report." "Speaking of, where is he now?" "Here's the ugly truth." "I wasn't devastated." "Even with Superman, Tornado, you, the whole League dead." "Even though I didn't save Wolf." "Watched Artemis and Kaldur die, and abandoned M'gann..." "I felt... at peace." "See, from the moment I first opened my eyes in that Cadmus pod, there's been one thing I've wanted and feared." "To know what it is to be Superman." "And I know." "So I was... happy." "Everyone I care about dead or traumatized, and I'm happy." "How do I get past the guilt of that?" "How do I live with myself?" "I don't have any easy answers, Conner." "But one thing's clear." "Admitting it is the first step."