The air inside the warehouse had grown heavy with anticipation. The Teen Titans stood in the middle of the room, their senses heightened, waiting for whatever was lurking in the shadows to reveal itself. Robin's hand tightened around his staff, his mind racing. What could it be?
The shadows seemed to deepen, as if the very air around them was changing. The ground vibrated faintly beneath their feet, and suddenly, the overhead lights flickered again, casting an eerie glow across the room.
"Stay alert," Robin commanded, his voice steady despite the uncertainty.
But the threat was already there.
The vibrations beneath their feet intensified, a low rumbling that sent a chill down Robin's spine. It wasn't just the sound of shifting crates or machinery—it was something deeper, something unnatural. The dim overhead lights flickered once more before going completely dark, plunging the entire warehouse into pitch blackness.
"Night vision on," Cyborg muttered as his cybernetic eye adjusted instantly. The rest of the team relied on their training, instincts, or powers.
Raven's eyes glowed faintly, her dark energy swirling around her fingers, ready to counter any attack. Starfire let out a soft glow, illuminating the immediate area with a golden hue.
"Whatever's coming… it doesn't want to be seen," Raven murmured, scanning the area.
Robin's mind worked quickly, analyzing the situation. The smuggled technology, the concealed threats, and now this unnatural interference—it wasn't just a simple operation they had stumbled upon. There was something bigger at play.
A metallic scraping sound cut through the silence, followed by a thud—something heavy shifting in the darkness. The team instinctively took defensive stances, bracing for an attack.
Then, the drones activated.
The small, nearly imperceptible machines Alex had provided flickered to life, their silent flight engines adjusting to the low light. Their adaptive night vision kicked in, immediately scanning the surroundings and feeding data back to Alex.
From his distant location, Alex watched the real-time feed with a calculating gaze. He leaned back in his chair, fingers moving over the console, guiding the drones with surgical precision. Whatever was inside that warehouse with the Teen Titans, it was something that needed to be eliminated before it became a problem.
Then he saw it.
The drones locked onto figures moving in the shadows, their forms shifting unnaturally. The thermal signatures weren't normal—whatever they were, they didn't register as fully human.
Inside the Warehouse
Robin's communicator buzzed.
Alex: "Unknown entities detected. You're not alone."
He barely had time to process the warning before something lunged from the darkness.
A blurry shape moved with inhuman speed, launching itself toward Starfire. She barely had time to react before a sharp, metallic limb slashed through the air, narrowly missing her. She twisted mid-air, dodging the attack, before countering with a burst of starbolts. The green energy illuminated the creature for a split second.
What they saw sent a shock through the team.
The creature was humanoid but unnatural, its body composed of dark metal and organic tissue. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and long clawed fingers extended from its hands. Wires and tubes pulsed across its skin, as if it had been experimented on—modified.
"What the hell is that?" Cyborg growled, scanning it.
"Some kind of hybrid," Raven said, narrowing her glowing eyes. "It's infused with something unnatural."
Robin didn't waste time. "Take it down. Fast."
The creature moved like a shadow, dodging Starfire's energy blasts with unnatural reflexes. It twisted its body mid-air, its limbs bending at odd angles as if its bones were no longer fully human.
Beast Boy shifted into a gorilla, charging at the creature. His powerful arms swung forward, aiming to crush it with brute force. The creature dodged again, but this time, it was met with Cyborg's sonic cannon—a blast of concussive energy that sent it skidding backward.
Robin saw his opening. He moved in fast, his staff cracking against the creature's skull with a sharp impact.
But instead of reacting like a normal opponent, the creature simply twisted its head unnaturally, its glowing eyes locking onto Robin.
A metallic tendril shot out from its arm, aimed directly at him.
Robin barely dodged in time, flipping backward as the tendril sliced through the air where his chest had been moments before.
"They're cybernetically enhanced," Cyborg called out. "This tech—it's advanced. Someone's controlling them."
"That means we need to find the source," Robin responded, landing in a crouch.
The drones, still floating above, adjusted their targeting systems. They scanned the creature's internal structure, searching for any weaknesses.
Alex's voice came through the comms.
Alex: "There's an energy signature controlling it. Cutting the link might disable it. Sending coordinates now."
A small holographic map appeared on Robin's wrist display, showing the location deeper inside the warehouse.
"Raven, Starfire—cover me. I'm going in."
While the rest of the team kept the creature occupied, Robin moved toward the coordinates Alex had sent. He sprinted through the darkened corridors of the warehouse, dodging debris and moving past abandoned crates.
Ahead of him, a glowing control panel pulsed faintly, connected to a large containment unit. Wires and tubes snaked out of the console, linking to a massive energy core that hummed with dark energy.
Robin didn't hesitate. He pulled a pair of explosive discs from his belt and launched them at the control panel.
BOOM!
The explosion sent sparks flying as the panel detonated, the energy core flickering violently.
Back in the main chamber, the creature let out an inhuman screech, its body convulsing as the control signal was severed. The wires along its limbs twitched and retracted, its glowing eyes dimming.
Starfire took the chance. With a powerful blast, she unleashed a concentrated energy attack directly into the creature's chest.
The impact sent it crashing into the wall, where it remained still—completely neutralized.
Robin rejoined the team, dusting himself off. "It's done. The control system is offline."
Cyborg was already scanning the remains. "This tech… it's beyond what we've seen before. Whoever built this—they're playing with something dangerous."
Raven folded her arms, her expression unreadable. "This wasn't just a smuggling operation. Someone is experimenting on people—turning them into this."
Robin clenched his jaw. "Then we need to find out who's behind it."
Their mission wasn't over. This was just the beginning.
Far away, watching from his control center, Alex leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
"Whoever's running this… they're not just after power. They're building something."
And that meant one thing—Gotham was about to face something even worse than before.
The warehouse was eerily silent in the aftermath of the battle. The remnants of the cybernetic creature lay in a smoldering heap, its once-glowing eyes now reduced to lifeless husks. Yet, despite their victory, the unease in the air was palpable.
Robin crouched next to the remains, running his gloved fingers over the creature's exposed mechanical components. The mixture of flesh and machine wasn't crude—it was disturbingly advanced, something that even Cyborg found unsettling.
"This isn't just random experimentation," Cyborg muttered, running a deep scan with his cybernetic eye. "The tech in this thing is on par with some of the most advanced cybernetics I've ever seen. Whoever made it… they knew exactly what they were doing."
"And that's what worries me," Raven added, standing with her arms crossed. "Technology this advanced—paired with whatever that energy source was—this isn't something your average crime syndicate gets their hands on."
Robin tapped his communicator. "Alex, you still there?"
The response came almost immediately.
Alex: "I'm here. I ran a diagnostic on the data your drones collected."
Robin turned away from the wreckage, motioning for the team to listen. "What did you find?"
There was a brief pause before Alex spoke again.
Alex: "The cybernetics are laced with a strange form of adaptive nanotechnology—something that allows the modifications to bond seamlessly with the organic tissue. It's way beyond normal biomechanical engineering. Whoever is behind this is playing with tech that could revolutionize—or destroy—the world as we know it."
A heavy silence followed his words.
Starfire, who had been observing the remains from a distance, spoke up. "Could these… experiments be related to a greater force?"
Robin nodded. "It's possible. But we need more than just speculation." He turned back to Alex. "Did you track where this thing was controlled from?"
Alex: "Yeah, and that's where things get interesting. The signal controlling this thing? It wasn't coming from Gotham."
Robin stiffened. "Then where?"
Another pause.
Alex: "Metropolis."
A wave of tension passed through the team. Metropolis was Superman's city. If something this dangerous had roots there, it wasn't just a Gotham problem—it was a global one.
Cyborg frowned, rubbing his chin. "If this tech was being controlled from Metropolis, then we might be dealing with a corporate-level operation. Someone with access to serious funding and resources."
Robin narrowed his eyes. "LexCorp?"
Alex let out a soft chuckle through the comms. "Not this time. The signal isn't originating from LexCorp. It's coming from an unknown research facility—one that doesn't officially exist."
Raven's eyes darkened. "A black site."
Robin clenched his fists. Black sites—secret facilities where illegal and off-the-books experiments took place. If someone was building an army of cybernetic beings, it made sense that they would be using a location that wasn't publicly known.
"This just got a lot more complicated," Robin muttered.
Robin took a deep breath and looked at his team. "We need to figure out who's running this and shut it down before more of these things start appearing."
Cyborg crossed his arms. "We'll need to get into that black site. But breaking into a high-tech facility in Metropolis isn't exactly an easy task."
Starfire looked at Robin. "Would it be wise to inform Superman?"
Robin hesitated for a moment. Superman was his friend, his mentor—but this situation was delicate. If they brought in the Justice League too soon, whoever was behind this could shut down operations and erase evidence before they could uncover the truth.
Robin shook his head. "Not yet. If we go in and gather intel first, we can decide whether we need to escalate it to the League."
Cyborg smirked. "Sounds like we're going on a stealth mission."
Raven let out a sigh. "Because those always go well."
Robin ignored the sarcasm and turned back to his communicator. "Alex, I assume you already have a plan?"
Alex's voice came through, calm and calculated. "Of course. I'll prep a transport route to get you to Metropolis without attracting attention. You'll need to move quietly—whoever's running this isn't going to take kindly to visitors."
Robin nodded. "We'll be ready."
Meanwhile—Elsewhere in Gotham
Far from the warehouse, deep within the confines of a high-rise penthouse, a lone figure sat in front of an array of glowing monitors. The screens displayed surveillance footage, encrypted data streams, and schematics of cybernetic enhancements.
The figure leaned forward, fingers tapping against the desk in contemplation. The Titans had interfered earlier than expected.
A deep voice echoed from the shadows behind him.
"You underestimated them."
The man at the desk didn't turn around. "I accounted for resistance. I just didn't expect them to destroy my prototype this quickly."
A pause. Then, the shadowed figure stepped closer, the dim light catching a glimpse of his metallic features.
"Perhaps it's time to accelerate the project."
The man at the desk smirked. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
He reached over and tapped a command on his keyboard. A new schematic appeared on the screen—one far more advanced than the last.
"The Titans won't be a problem for much longer."
Back at Alex's Lab
Alex leaned back in his chair, watching as the drone recordings played on repeat.
Something about this entire situation felt off.
The cybernetic creature had been sophisticated, but it was too incomplete, almost like a test subject rather than a finished product.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Whoever was behind this wasn't just experimenting. They were refining something.
And that meant one thing.
They weren't just building soldiers.
They were building something far worse.
Alex exhaled sharply, then typed a few commands on his console. If the Titans were heading into Metropolis, they were going to need every advantage possible.
His drones whirred softly as they adjusted their configurations. He wasn't planning to get directly involved, but he'd make sure they had the best intel and support available.
After all, this was his territory now.
And if someone thought they could build cybernetic monsters in his world without his permission—
They were dead wrong.
Alex sat in his lab, watching the surveillance feeds. His drones had traced the cybernetic entity's signal to Metropolis, but the more he analyzed the data, the more uneasy he became.
The nanotechnology inside the cybernetic assassin wasn't just advanced—it was deliberate. The fusion of organic and mechanical components suggested a level of refinement beyond even what LexCorp or WayneTech could accomplish.
Whoever was behind this wasn't just experimenting.
They were perfecting something.
He leaned back, fingers drumming against his desk as multiple screens flickered with code, blueprints, and decrypted logs. The Titans were heading into dangerous territory, and while they were skilled, they weren't dealing with just another mad scientist.
This was someone with vision.
And visionaries were the most dangerous type of enemy.
A soft beeping noise pulled him from his thoughts. He turned his attention to the main monitor as a secure communication request came in. He recognized the encryption immediately.
Batman.
Alex accepted the call, and a deep, familiar voice filled the room.
"I assume you already know what I'm about to ask."
Alex smirked slightly. "You need more drones."
There was a brief pause. "Yes."
Alex had expected this. Batman wouldn't have requested the drones unless he saw their worth firsthand. Gotham's crime rate wasn't something that could be handled solely by human effort, even for someone as resourceful as the Dark Knight.
But Alex had no intention of handing over an unlimited supply.
"You'll get thirty more," he said. "Same deal as before—after that, if you want more, you'll have to purchase them."
Batman was silent for a moment. "Understood."
Alex knew Batman wouldn't argue. The Dark Knight was pragmatic. He valued resources, but he also respected boundaries.
"I assume you're monitoring the situation in Metropolis," Batman said, shifting the conversation.
Alex sighed. "Yeah. The Titans are already moving in, but something about this isn't right. The cybernetic soldier they fought—it wasn't a finished product."
Batman's voice was calm, but there was an edge of concern in it. "Then what was it?"
"A prototype," Alex answered. "A test subject. Meaning whatever they're actually working on… it's still coming."
Another brief silence. Then Batman spoke, his tone heavier.
"Then we don't have much time."
Metropolis - Titans' Safehouse
Robin adjusted his gauntlets as the Titans regrouped in their temporary base—a secure location just outside of Metropolis. The room was dimly lit, filled with maps, holographic displays, and equipment for their upcoming stealth mission.
"This place isn't on any records," Cyborg said, running a security scan. "No signals going in or out unless we allow it. We're completely off the grid."
"Good," Robin muttered. He turned to the others. "We move in tonight."
Raven stood near the back, arms crossed. "And if this is a trap?"
Robin smirked. "Then we spring it."
He looked at the digital blueprint of the black site that Alex had hacked together. The facility was located beneath an abandoned warehouse near the outskirts of Metropolis. On the surface, it was nothing more than a decayed building. But underground, it was something else entirely.
Cyborg zoomed in on the schematics. "I ran an analysis of the security systems. This place is running some serious encryption—way beyond what a normal front should have. They're hiding something big."
Starfire studied the layout. "If they have more of those cybernetic creatures inside, we may not be able to simply sneak in."
"We won't have to," Robin replied. "We're going in silent—but if things go south, we hit hard and fast."
Beast Boy grinned. "Now that's a plan I like."
Robin's communicator buzzed. A secure channel opened, and Alex's voice came through.
"I've sent an additional stealth drone to give you eyes inside the building."
Robin nodded. "Appreciated. What's our window?"
Alex's voice was crisp. "You'll have exactly ten minutes before their system detects the interference. After that, they'll know something is wrong."
Cyborg whistled. "Not a lot of time to work with."
"It's all we need," Robin said.
Raven sighed. "You say that now."
Robin ignored the comment and looked at the team. "Let's move out."
Underground Facility - Metropolis
The Titans moved through the dark corridors of the underground facility, the only sound being the soft hum of their stealth gear. The air was stale, filled with the faint scent of metal and chemicals.
Robin signaled for the team to stop. He pressed a small device against the wall, allowing Alex's drone to interface with the security system.
Alex's voice came through the earpiece. "I've cracked the feed. You're clear for now."
Robin gave the signal, and the team advanced. They passed through the first level without incident, moving deeper into the complex.
Then they saw it.
A row of containment chambers, each one holding an unconscious figure suspended in liquid. Wires and tubes were connected to their bodies, feeding an unknown substance into their veins.
Starfire's eyes widened. "What… are they doing to them?"
Cyborg ran a scan. His face darkened. "They're being altered."
Raven stepped forward, staring at one of the figures inside the chamber. Their skin was pale, their veins pulsing with an unnatural glow.
Robin clenched his fists. "We need to shut this place down."
Cyborg nodded. "On it." He reached for his arm, activating an EMP pulse to disable the facility's systems.
Then the alarms blared.
Red lights flooded the room as mechanical doors slammed shut. A deep, synthetic voice echoed through the speakers.
"Unauthorized access detected. Security measures engaged."
Robin's eyes narrowed. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way."
A hissing noise filled the air. The containment chambers began draining their liquid, and the figures inside stirred.
Then their eyes snapped open—glowing with inhuman energy.
The Titans braced themselves.
The experiment subjects were waking up.
The containment chambers hissed open, releasing thick plumes of white vapor as the experimental subjects stirred. Their once-dormant bodies twitched violently, muscles spasming under the influence of whatever unnatural process had altered them. The red warning lights above cast eerie shadows across the dark facility, making the scene look almost otherworldly.
Robin tensed, gripping his escrima sticks. "Titans, be ready!"
The first subject lurched forward, unsteady at first, but within seconds, their body adjusted. Their veins pulsed with a faint blue glow, a sign of some kind of bio-enhancement. Their pupils were completely gone—replaced by a dim, artificial light.
Cyborg's internal scanners went wild as he quickly analyzed them. "This is bad."
Beast Boy, shifting into a panther, growled. "Define bad."
Cyborg's face darkened. "Their biometrics are completely unstable. They shouldn't even be alive. It's like their bodies were rebuilt from the ground up."
Starfire's hands ignited with bright green flames. "Then we must ensure they do not suffer further."
The first subject let out a distorted, inhuman screech and charged.
Robin barely dodged as the enhanced figure lunged at him with inhuman speed, their movement unnatural and erratic. He sidestepped the attack, countering with a swift strike to the side of the figure's head—only for it to barely flinch.
"They're durable," Robin noted grimly.
The second subject moved next, targeting Raven. It let out a guttural growl before its arm shifted, the bones twisting and reforming into something sharper, jagged—like organic blades.
Raven barely had time to react before it swiped at her, forcing her to throw up a dark energy shield. The impact sent cracks through the shield, forcing her back.
"These aren't just enhanced humans," she muttered, her expression grave. "They're experiments."
Cyborg aimed his Sonic Cannon and fired a blast at the nearest one. The force sent the figure skidding back, but instead of staying down, it twisted its limbs unnaturally and pushed itself up—like a puppet being controlled by an unseen force.
Beast Boy shifted into a rhino and slammed into another, sending it flying into a containment pod. The impact shattered the glass, but the subject simply snapped its joints back into place and rose again.
They weren't stopping.
Robin's eyes flickered to the exit. They couldn't afford a drawn-out fight in an unknown lab filled with potential dangers.
They needed to get out.
"Cyborg, shut this place down—now!"
Cyborg gritted his teeth and rushed toward a nearby control panel, dodging an incoming strike from one of the experiments. His metal arm morphed, releasing a powerful EMP pulse that fried the nearest security systems.
The facility shuddered, warning lights flashing erratically as the lockdown deactivated.
"Got it! Doors are open!"
Robin wasted no time. "Titans, move!"
Starfire blasted a path forward, her energy bolts sending one of the figures crashing into the far wall. Raven's dark tendrils wrapped around two others, pinning them just long enough for the team to push through the exit.
Beast Boy shifted into an eagle, swooping over the chaos as the rest of the Titans rushed toward the exit.
Robin took the rear, his escrima sticks crackling with electricity as he delivered one final stunning blow to the nearest experiment before slipping through the open door.
The team sprinted down the corridor as alarms wailed behind them.
Then the self-destruct sequence activated.
A mechanical voice blared over the intercom:
"Facility purge commencing in sixty seconds."
Robin clenched his fists. "Damn it."
They had found the truth behind this lab—but whoever was behind it wasn't planning to leave any evidence behind.
Cyborg activated his comms. "Alex, you getting this?"
Alex's voice came through immediately. "Yeah. I'm hacking into the system now. I'll delay the detonation, but you need to move."
Robin didn't hesitate. "Titans, full sprint! Let's go!"
The team rushed through the collapsing facility, dodging falling debris and fire bursts as the building's core systems overloaded.
With seconds to spare, they burst out of the underground entrance and into the open air—just as the entire facility erupted into a violent fireball behind them.
The explosion sent shockwaves through the air, forcing them to take cover. Smoke and dust billowed into the night sky, masking the ruins of whatever secrets had been buried beneath Metropolis.
A long silence followed as the Titans stood there, catching their breath.
Robin clenched his fists. Whoever was behind this just erased their trail.
But they had left enough clues behind.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
The smoke still lingered in the air, illuminated by the distant glow of the destroyed facility. The Titans stood at the edge of the blast zone, their expressions grim. Whatever had been going on in that lab, whoever was responsible for those experiments—they had just covered their tracks.
Robin turned to Cyborg, his voice sharp. "Tell me you got something before the place went up in flames."
Cyborg exhaled, shaking his head. "Most of the data was scrubbed the moment we triggered the alarm. I managed to grab fragments, but it's encrypted as hell."
Beast Boy, still in his eagle form, landed and shifted back. "Dude, I don't get it. What's the point of making freaky super-soldiers if you're just gonna blow them up?"
Starfire folded her arms, her green eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "Perhaps they were… failed experiments?"
Raven, standing slightly apart from the rest, spoke in a quiet, tense voice. "No."
The others turned toward her.
She looked at the still-burning remains of the lab, shadows flickering against her cloak. "That wasn't an attempt to destroy failures. It was a cover-up. Someone didn't want us knowing what they were doing here."
Robin's jaw tightened. "Then we find out who."
He turned toward Cyborg. "Can you decrypt the data?"
Cyborg nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "Yeah, but it's gonna take time. The encryption is advanced. This isn't just some underground experiment—whoever's behind it has serious resources."
Robin's eyes narrowed. That meant one of two things—either a major criminal organization or a government-backed operation.
Neither option was good.
Alex's voice suddenly crackled through their communicators. "I delayed the detonation as much as I could, but they had a failsafe. You guys okay?"
Robin responded, "We're fine. But the place is gone. Did you get anything?"
A pause. Then Alex spoke, his voice unreadable.
"Yeah. But we need to talk in person."
Robin exchanged glances with the rest of the team before nodding. "We'll meet at the fallback point."
Metropolis - Aeternum Tower
The Titans arrived at the rendezvous point shortly after. Alex's personal office inside Aeternum Tower was one of the few places where they could talk without prying eyes.
The security here was top-of-the-line, making it practically impossible for outsiders to listen in.
Alex stood near his desk, arms crossed, watching as they entered. His expression was unreadable.
Cyborg wasted no time. "Tell me you got something good."
Alex nodded, tapping a holographic console. A display flickered to life, showing fragmented data pulled from the lab.
Images of subjects in containment pods. Genetic markers. Experiment logs.
But one name stood out among the mess of encrypted files.
Cadmus.
Robin's eyes darkened. "Of course it's them."
Beast Boy frowned. "Cadmus? That name sounds familiar."
Cyborg's expression turned grim. "It should. They're a black-ops genetic research division. The stuff they do makes regular mad scientists look like high school chemistry teachers."
Starfire clenched her fists. "So they were behind this?"
Alex shook his head. "Not entirely."
Robin frowned. "Explain."
Alex zoomed in on the file structure. "This lab wasn't one of their primary facilities. The encryption matches Cadmus protocols, but… this wasn't them alone. Someone else was funding this."
Raven's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Alex's expression darkened. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. Whoever it is, they have resources. Enough to fund this operation off the books and still wipe it clean before we could get a full picture."
Robin exhaled sharply. "Then we follow the trail. We find out who's backing this and shut them down."
Alex nodded. "Agreed. But be careful. This isn't just about some enhanced soldiers. If they were trying to cover it up this hard, it means we stumbled onto something big."
Cyborg crossed his arms. "Bigger than Cadmus?"
Alex didn't answer immediately. He simply tapped the console again, bringing up a final encrypted file. The only thing visible was a logo—one that looked ancient yet strangely familiar.
A single insignia burned onto the corrupted data.
A black sun with jagged, sharp rays curling outward.
Raven's breath hitched slightly.
Robin's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that?"
Alex exhaled slowly. "That's what we need to find out."
The room fell into an uneasy silence. The black sun insignia flickered on the holographic display, its jagged rays casting eerie reflections across the dimly lit office.
Robin was the first to break the silence. "I've never seen that symbol before."
Cyborg, still analyzing the encrypted fragments, muttered, "Neither have I… but hold up."
He tapped on his arm console, running an advanced cross-reference search through the Justice League's encrypted archives. The system churned for a moment before displaying zero matches.
Cyborg frowned. "That's impossible. Every criminal syndicate, every secret organization, every shadow government the League has ever encountered is in here… but this? Nothing."
Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Dude, that's actually kinda creepy."
Raven, standing at the edge of the room, hadn't spoken since she saw the symbol. The others may not have recognized it, but she… she felt something.
Something wrong.
Starfire tilted her head. "Perhaps it is an organization that operates in a way that avoids detection?"
Alex, who had been silent so far, finally spoke. "Or… it's something older."
Everyone turned toward him.
Robin crossed his arms. "Older? What do you mean?"
Alex's gaze was locked on the symbol, his mind racing. He had never seen it before in this world, but something about it felt… familiar.
But it wasn't a memory of his past life.
No, this was something different. A potential threat that had roots deeper than they could imagine.
This wasn't like the typical criminal organizations they had faced before. No.
This was something far more insidious—an organization hidden in the shadows, pulling strings on a global scale.
"Think about it," Alex began, his voice steady but carrying a hint of caution. "Cadmus is already one of the most secretive organizations on the planet, and they still have traces you can track. But this? Nothing. No data, no history, not even whispers in the underground."
Robin's expression tightened. "Which means they're either incredibly new or so old that any mention of them has been wiped from existence."
Raven finally spoke, her voice lower than usual. "It's the second one."
Everyone turned to her.
Her violet eyes were fixed on the insignia, but there was something else in them. Something close to… recognition.
Robin stepped forward. "Raven? You know something."
She hesitated before slowly shaking her head. "Not exactly. But I… I can feel something. That symbol—it's not just a logo. It has… power. A presence."
Cyborg frowned. "Wait, you mean, like, magic?"
Raven nodded. "It's faint, but it's there. And it's old. Whatever this is, it's not just some organization messing with genetic experiments. It's something deeper."
Robin exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Great. So now we're dealing with Cadmus and some ancient secret society? This just keeps getting better."
Starfire, concern in her voice, asked, "Then what is our next course of action?"
Robin looked at Alex. "Can you trace anything back to the original source?"
Alex thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Not with the data we have now. The explosion wiped out most of the lab's infrastructure. I was lucky to pull this much before it was lost."
Cyborg, still working on his console, muttered, "Then we need to find another one of their labs before they wipe it, too."
Robin nodded. "Agreed. But we need to be careful. If they were willing to blow up an entire facility just to cover their tracks, they won't hesitate to do worse."
Beast Boy, attempting to lighten the mood, smirked. "Well, we've taken on world-ending threats before. What's one more creepy secret cult?"
No one laughed.
Because deep down, they all had the same feeling.
This was different.
This wasn't just another villain organization or a criminal syndicate.
This was something bigger. Something hidden. Something ancient.
And for the first time in a long while, even Raven felt uneasy.