The zeta-tube flared to life inside Mount Justice.
"Recognized: M'gann M'orzz, B-05."
A girl stepped forward, tall, bright-eyed, green-skinned. She wore a blue cape and a smile so wide it disarmed even Robin.
"Hi!" she said cheerfully, waving. "I'm M'gann. I'm Martian Manhunter's niece. But you can call me Megan."
Robin whispered to Kid Flash, "Okay, so we've gone from brooding clone to perky alien. This team is getting weird."
Kid Flash grinned. "Weird's my thing."
Aqualad, ever steady, gave her a respectful nod. "Welcome to the team."
Superboy only folded his arms, skeptical.
And Ryotaro? He stood in the shadows, Blade Armor gleaming faintly, helm angled just enough to hide his expression.
M'gann looked his way. "And you must be the Rider. I saw the news! You fought those monsters, didn't you?"
Ryotaro's voice came filtered and calm through the helm. "Fighting is easy. Living with them,isn't."
The sudden heaviness made the room fall quiet. Even Superboy looked at him curiously.
But M'gann's smile never wavered. "Then I'll do my best to make living easier—for all of us."
She floated forward, telepathic voice brushing all their minds like a gentle breeze: 'We'll be a real team, I promise.'
Their first mission as a full team wasn't glamorous. It wasn't Cadmus or secret clones—it was Happy Harbor, under the watchful eye of Red Tornado.
"Babysitting duty," Kid Flash groaned, flopping on the couch. "I thought we were heroes, not mall cops."
"Every mission is training," Aqualad reminded.
But the alarms blared before the argument could grow. Red Tornado's voice came, metallic and calm. "Threat detected. Red Torpedo and Red Inferno active in the vicinity."
"Are they your friends?" Robin raised an eyebrow.
"Constructs," Tornado clarified. "Elemental androids like myself."
Outside, the harbor was chaos. Red Inferno strode across the pier, flames erupting at her fists. Red Torpedo advanced from the water, tidal waves following his march.
The team scrambled.
Aqualad's water-bearers clashed against the flood.
Kid Flash dashed to pull civilians to safety.
Robin hurled smoke bombs and explosive discs.
Superboy met fire with brute strength, grappling with Inferno head-on.
M'gann hovered above, struggling to use her telepathy against machines.
And Ryotaro?
He stepped forward, unhurried. The Blade Memory clicked into his Driver.
"BLADE!"
Steel shimmered across his form. The Rider's blade crackled as he met Red Torpedo's watery strike. Sparks burst as steel cut through liquid force.
Robin muttered, "He fights like Batman… if Batman was also Iron Man and a ghost."
But the fight was brutal. Red Torpedo unleashed a geyser that knocked Kid Flash off his feet. Red Inferno's flames forced M'gann back, her psychic shield flickering. Superboy took a hit to the chest, grunting.
Ryotaro switched Memories.
"INVISIBLE!"
His form shimmered translucent. Inferno's flames scorched the ground where he'd stood, but the Rider blurred past, striking with ghostlike precision. His blade sank into the android's joints, severing wires.
Superboy blinked. "He just—phased right through the fire…"
The battle turned as the team rallied. Aqualad bound Torpedo in hard-water chains. Kid Flash delivered a rapid barrage of strikes. Robin jammed a virus chip into Inferno's exposed plating.
And finally, Ryotaro drove his blade through the android's chest, the Driver pulsing with both Blade and Invisible power. The constructs collapsed, sparks raining.
The harbor fell quiet.
The team panted, battered but alive.
M'gann touched down beside them, her cape singed but her smile determined. "We… we did it. Together."
Superboy still looked annoyed, but even he couldn't deny it. They had fought as one.
Robin smirked, hands on his hips. "Guess the babysitting gig wasn't so boring after all."
Kid Flash laughed. "Speak for yourself. My shoes are still smoking."
Aqualad gave a rare smile. "Today, we acted like a team."
And Ryotaro? He stood apart, blade lowering slowly. His visor gleamed in the fading sunlight.
He didn't speak. But inside, behind the armor, he thought:
'Maybe… just maybe… I don't have to fight alone anymore.'
~~~ Inside the Mount Justice ~~~
The cavern echoed with the sound of metal doors sealing. The training hall in Mount Justice was vast, lit by cold white lamps, walls reinforced to withstand metahuman-level combat.
Robin spun his staff in one hand, bouncing lightly on his heels. His mask gleamed under the light, his grin cocky.
"Alright, Rider. Batman said you've got moves. But let's see how you handle someone who trained with the best."
Ryotaro stood calm, his armor stripped down—no Blade, no Invisible. Just the Joker Memory locked into his Driver.
"JOKER!"
The voice echoed as the transformation finished. His armor was sleeker now—black with purple highlights, less bulky than his other forms. Balanced. Centered. Designed for pure combat.
He raised his fists in a calm stance, weight distributed evenly. "Fine. But don't hold back."
Robin smirked. "I never do."
Robin launched forward first, staff striking in a blur. Ryotaro sidestepped smoothly, parrying with his forearm. The crack of wood meeting armored gauntlet rang out.
Robin flipped the staff, striking low. Ryotaro blocked with a sweep of his shin, redirecting the momentum, then countered with a sharp elbow strike.
Robin ducked, rolling out of the way. "Not bad. You move like… water with edges."
Ryotaro didn't answer. He stepped forward, jab-cross-knee combination—each strike sharp, precise, designed to test Robin's reflexes.
Robin spun his staff to deflect, but Ryotaro's last knee nearly clipped his jaw. He grinned wider. "Okay, yeah, you're good."
Robin vaulted high, flipping over Ryotaro's head. The staff came down like a guillotine.
Ryotaro twisted, catching the blow in both palms, then shoved Robin back with raw strength. He advanced, throwing a flurry of punches. Each one was measured, balanced—no wasted motion.
Robin cartwheeled aside, boots skidding against the reinforced floor. "You're a machine."
"Discipline," Ryotaro corrected. He surged forward again, fists blurring. Robin blocked, dodged, spun—acrobatics against brutal precision.
The clash filled the chamber with echoes of thud, crack, smack.
Robin swept low, staff hooking Ryotaro's ankle. The Rider stumbled half a step—but his balance shifted instantly, center of gravity lowered, and he spun with a sweeping kick that nearly sent Robin sprawling.
Robin barely vaulted over it, flipping backwards with a laugh. "Man, Batman would love you. Zero wasted motion. Deadly boring, but effective."
Ryotaro's visor gleamed. "Thanks for the compliment but you are going to lose."
*********
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