Cain rose before the rest of the base, the faint sting under his skin reminding him he was still healing. Red patches stood out against his brown skin, but compared to yesterday's agony, the embedded nanotech fibers, the laser carving, the burning heat, this was paradise.
He stretched, wincing only slightly, and made his way to the bathroom. A splash of cold water, mint toothpaste, and a long sigh re-centered him. Today he needed clarity. Today he needed strength.
And today… he was going to feed the Outlaws.
THE KITCHEN
The Outlaws' communal kitchen was shockingly modern: marble counters, glowing touch-screens, high-end appliances Cain had never even seen in the Watchtower. The fridge was stocked like a five-star restaurant, and Cain's stomach growled as he took everything in.
If he was going to live here for a while…
He might as well make an impression.
He got to work.
Eggs cracked.
Veggies chopped.
Bacon sizzled.
Steak grilled.
French toast caramelized in butter and cinnamon.
Coffee brewed strong and dark.
By the time the waffles hit the iron, the whole facility smelled like heaven.
Footsteps padded in.
"Who's cooking…?" Tara's voice came first.
"Yes, what is this delicious smell?" Kori floated in right behind her, eyes sparkling as she inhaled deeply.
Cain grinned. "Good morning, Outlaws. Breakfast is served."
Kori beamed and immediately snatched a piece of bacon, chewing with bliss.
"FRIEND CAIN! This is delicious!"
Tara grabbed an omelet directly from the skillet. "Okay… who the hell taught you to cook like this?"
Jason stumbled in next with Rose beside him, both still in pajamas, hair disheveled. Jason's eyes locked onto Cain's omelets. He took a fork and took a bite of the omelet with Rose.
"No way… Is this?"
I nodded. "Alfred's veggie omelet recipe."
Jason froze. Rose froze. Then Jason muttered:
"…I miss that man."
Rose nudged him. "You can cry into your eggs later."
Tara crossed her arms. "So what, you're the team chef now?"
"No," Cain said, smirking. "I just like feeding people. Now eat my sausage and shut up."
He held a sausage to her lips.
Tara smirked, then opened her mouth and slid the entire thing in slowly, sensually.
Her eyes stayed locked on Cain's the whole time.
"Mmm…" she licked her lips. "Too bad I like my sausages spicy."
Cain choked on air.
Rose rolled her eye and dragged Jason to the table. Artemis entered a minute later, tense, quiet, grabbing cereal instead of Cain's food. She didn't look at him once.
Kori frowned, ready to say something—but Cain shook his head subtly.
Not now.
Robot glided into the room next.
"Good morning, Cain."
"Morning."
"After you finish eating, we should examine your new suit. It is ready."
Cain smirked.
"Let's go now."
---
TITANS TOWER
Alerts blared across the command center.
Cyborg typed rapidly while Batgirl scanned through encrypted messages.
Nightwing, Kid Flash, Superboy, Supergirl, Atom Eve, Robin, and Bumblebee gathered around.
"What's the red alert?" Nightwing asked.
Cyborg enlarged the signal feed.
"We got an encrypted transmission. Couldn't trace the sender… but we got the content."
"Well? What did it say?" Wally leaned forward.
Cyborg hit enter—
SUPERIOR IS ALIVE AND RECOVERING.
EXPECTED TO BE OFF-PLANET FOR A MISSION.
WILL INTERSECT WITH TASK FORCE X.
Supergirl's breath caught; Eve's hands trembled.
"Cain's alive," they whispered in unison.
Superboy grinned, clapping Cyborg's shoulder.
"I knew it. I knew he wasn't dead."
But Nightwing was already analyzing something deeper.
"Why Task Force X? And why send an encrypted message rather than a direct call?"
Before anyone answered, Batgirl spun in her chair.
"Message already forwarded to Batman. He's working on decrypting the sender signature. There's another part too—"
The screen blinked.
MEET ON MARS IN 24 HOURS.
THIS IS THE ONLY WINDOW BEFORE THEY ENTER DEEP SPACE.
Nightwing straightened.
"All right. Titans across the globe and galaxy—we need everyone mobilized. This is rescue priority one."
Batgirl nodded sharply and sent out global alerts.
Nightwing then pointed:
"Superboy. Supergirl. Atom Eve—you're with me. Bumblebee, you stay and run Titan HQ. Static, Cyborg—prep the T-Ship for long-distance travel."
Everyone responded:
"Roger."
Nightwing inhaled, a fire in his eyes.
"We failed Cain once. But not again."
He thrust his fist forward.
"TITANS TOGETHER!"
The room echoed with voices:
"TITANS TOGETHER!"
The clang of metal and the deep grind of reinforced steel filled the Outlaws' gym as Cain pushed the squat rack into another rep—his muscles coiled, veins raised, body trembling under the crushing weight.
25 tons.
The nanotech suit stretched perfectly with him, black and crimson plates shifting with each motion, pulsing faint red at the seams as it supported micro-fractures already healing beneath his skin.
Robot stood near a console, silent but watchful—glowing eyes flicking between Cain and the columns of data dancing across the holographic screen.
"Good job, Cain. Superior—your squatting output is 25 tons with little to no strain." Robot reported calmly.
Cain locked the bar and exhaled, sweat rolling down his neck.
"I can do this all day," he smirked.
THE GRAVITY CHAMBER
Robot led Cain into the chamber, massive, reinforced, humming with energy. The doors sealed shut.
"Gravity increasing. 1.25… 2… 3…"
Cain gritted his teeth as the pressure increased. At 10x gravity, his knees buckled. His chest felt like it was collapsing. His TT field help hom to maintain strength and a little mobility under the strain of the gravity.
Then, two holograms materialized. Invincible and Omni man.Both floated effortlessly.
"Oh, come on…" Cain muttered.
"Combat trial, begin."
What followed was a brutal gauntlet.
Blow after blow.
Bone-cracking punches slowed by gravity.
Holo-Nolan moved like death incarnate.
Holo-Mark hit like a train.
Cain tried to fly, hovering inches off the floor before gravity or a fist knocked him down.
Robot watched while recordingand reading the data.
Eleven rounds. Cain lost ten.
But on the final round, panting, bleeding, out of breath, Cain barely managed to outmaneuvered holo-Mark, breaking his stance and sending him into the wall.
Then holo-Nolan annihilated him.
Again.
But when the simulation powered down, Cain was smiling. "I… accomplished something today. I'm getting stronger even if its just by a little bit."
He staggered out of the chamber, drenched in sweat, but standing tall and proud. His muscles trembling but stronger.
Robot just stared at Cain without saying a word.
Everyone besides Tara gathered in the main operations room.
Kori sat beside Cain, she was practically glowing, leaning into him with a soft smile.
Jason and Rose sat down next to each other. Their face were unreadable but, the gazes were analyzing everything.
Artemis stood against the wall instead of sitting , her arms crossed, her gaze between me and the screen.
Robot's voice filled the room.
"At 0500 hours Earth time, the team will leave for the Moon of Mars. There, we rendezvous with Task Force X and initiate the off-world mission to retrieve Subject Red Sun."
These will be the members who will be going.
The screen flickered, showing profiles:
Deadshot
Harley Quinn
Enchantress
El Diablo
Rick Flag
Cheshire
Killer Croc
Killer Frost
Plastique
Guardian (Mark)
Jason whistled. "Damn. That's a stacked suicide squad. I wonder how many are gonna die this time?"
Rose looked at Artemis, concerned.
"You gonna be okay?"
Artemis' jaw tightened as she stared at Cheshire's photo.
"…Yeah. I guess its time for a family reunion anyway."
Cain swallowed quietly. This was alot . Jason and Quinn. Artemis and Jade ( Cheshire). Me and Mark. This mission will be crazy if not a soap drama with blood, sex and violence. To bad I'm part of the story otherwise it would be entertaining.
Robot turned to him. "Cain. Any comments?"
Cain straightened. "No. We need to get in and out fast. No heroics or drama." Cain then looked to Kori. " Kori your royalty, maybe your presence will gets us some leverage..."
Kori's smile then faded.
"No… Friend Cain, it would not be wise to rely on my people. Only a few support me, and they hide it. The rest follow the Matriarch."
Cain blinked. "Why?"
Kori's emerald green eyes lowered. "Because I refused to marry and ran away. Since then I have been a wanted by the Empire."
The room froze.
"Wow Star, I didn't know you were a runaway bride" Jason said.
Cain looked confused. This wasn't her original original story he knew.
"…Wait who were you supposed to marry?"
Kori looked away.
"The Grand Regent. His name is Thragg!"
Cain's eyes blood ran cold." Thragg. You were meant to be his wife?"
Kori nodded.
"I am the younger princess, but stronger then my sister. I am the only Tamaranean-Kryptonian-Viltrumite hybrid ever born since the Dawnfire Anissa centuries ago. I guess you can call me a type 2 hybrid. My greatest of greats grandfather Zod proposed the idea ,and the Grand Regent agreed that I would be his mate. To produce his successors."
Cain's pulse roared in his ears.
This Kori wasn't the naive, sunny version he knew. Her story is more dark and political then he thought. Kori then explained the story about how she ran and escaped the empire thanks to the help of her people and foreign alien empire. The rest fromxthere is history.
Robot then spoke again
"Regardless,we will adapt. Titans also know you're alive. They may interfere."
Cain nodded slowly.
"Thanks for the warning."
Jason's eyes narrowed in annoyance.
Robot corrected:
"Not thanks. Logical necessity."
Later That Night
Cain slept peacefully. Then... Cain opened his eyes as he felt a presence near him.
A cold metal arrowhead hovered inches above his forehead.
Artemis stood in the shadows, bow drawn, arrow aimed at his skull.
Her expression was ice.
"Move… and I shoot."
Cain blinked once. Then smirked. It was about time she said something. I mean its a little to forward, but its still better then being at odds with me on a life or death mission.
"That won't hurt me," he murmured. "But I am curious why you're doing this if you jusy wanted to talk."
Artemis pulled the bowstring tighter. "These are Nth metal arrowhead."
Cain's eyes narrowed. "Nth metal hurts Viltrumites?"
"Yeah. Its not a well known thing, but enough people know about it." Artemis' voice was sharp and bitter. "Green Arrow said it's one of the only few things that can hurt you guys. And I loaded my whole damn quiver with them."
Cain looked at the glinting arrowheads, recognizing the metal that in the comics had mysterious supernatural properties.
Artemis' voice trembled, not with fear, but anger.
"We need to talk… about what happened at the Tower."
The room fell silent, the arrowhead gleaming between them.