Young Justice

- Ambassador. - Savage.

As head of security for the Reach,

I must insist no masks be worn at the summit.

Simply because you insist is no guarantee.

Manta, if you wouldn't mind.

After all, we are among friends.

- We are so in over our heads. - Shh.

Satisfied?

Excellent. Then with these formalities out of the way...

...Let us begin.

Season 2: Invasion Episode 19: "Summit"

And the rest of the Light? Won't they be joining us?

Our more public members are occupied,

conducting damage control to mitigate your recent defeats.

And in any case, we are sufficient.

Fine.

I know you called this summit,

but the Reach has come with grievances against the Light.

Please explain how the young Earth champions

were allowed access to the Bialyan scarab temple under your control?

- If I may respond... - No, you may not.

Manta, keep your whelp meat silent.

Beetle, your insolence grows progressively less... Charming.

My friends, I think we can all agree

that in recent days, no one has done more,

sacrificed more, for both the Light and the Reach

than Kaldur'ahm.

That is why he was entrusted with security for this summit.

And why he's entitled to a voice here.

Of course. He may speak.

Thank you, Ambassador.

We acknowledge your concerns over the actions of my former team.

But you must acknowledge that the Light could not have known

the significance of the temple,

or that ancient Earth magic could overcome

Reach technology to free Blue Beetle and Green Beetle from your thrall.

If the Reach had been more forthcoming

about how long ago their scarab was sent to infiltrate Earth with a beetle warrior,

the Light have made the connection to the temple,

and certainly would have provided better security for it.

I told you, I wanted to study how Blue Beetle scarab

had crashed prior to putting it back on mode.

If you had followed my advice, we would have known about the temple, and...

Ohh. Apologies.

- I spoke out of turn. - No, my dear.

You were quite correct to call your master's tactics into question.

The Light has provided everything the Reach required,

and you aliens have let it all slip away.

I don't believe this is a productive direction for our discussion.

No? Your public approval ratings are at a record low.

As our sales of the Reach drink,

which you had hoped would enslave the populace.

You allowed the young heroes you kidnapped

to be rescued by the very teenagers whose meta-genes you enhanced...

After allowing their escape as well.

Worst of all, Blue Beetle and Green Beetle have slipped from your grasp

and fallen into the hands of the enemy, the Justice League.

Rest assured, both Beetles will soon return to the fold.

In fact, Black Beetle has been summoned to Earth from his post

guarding access to the Key Chamber on the Warworld...

To kill Blue and Green.

So that their scarabs may be reset and installed upon new host bodies

that will forever be slaves to the Reach.

So do not question us on that score or any other.

Remember, the Earth is now the property of the Reach.

And per our original agreement,

the Light is merely our favored agents amongst the humans.

Show the proper respect, or suffer the consequences.

No agreement exists that makes a slave of Black Manta.

No agreement exists that guarantees the life of Black Manta.

Manta guarantees that himself.

It seems we have a stand-off.

No, we don't.

Unh!

Aah!

Apologies, Great One.

Not necessary, child. You have my...

Thanks.

Enough! We are allies, not enemies.

Any conflict between us only benefits our true opponents...

The Justice League and their sidekicks.

Kaldur'ahm is quite correct.

Agreed. We must not allow petty disagreements to drive a wedge between us.

Gratitude, Kaldur'ahm.

- Stand down, warrior. - Ambassador!

Stand down.

Should we not be concerned that Superman, Batman,

the Lanterns, and the rest will soon return to Earth

and once again sway public opinion to their side?

Superman and those accused with him will never leave Rimbor.

The attack we forced them to make on that world,

plus a few well placed bribes, has guaranteed their convictions.

And the Green Lanterns are forbidden by Guardian treaty from returning to Earth

now that we've convinced U.N. Secretary Tseng to welcome us here.

As for public opinion, I wouldn't be concerned.

Though the tide has turned to a certain degree,

it will be a simple matter to build on the foundation of half-truths

we have already used to discredit the League in order to...

Discredit them... Again.

Great One?

Artemis.

I don't understand. I thought Artemis was dead.

So did we all, but it seems Tigress is Artemis.

This is a glamour charm, created I'd wager by Zatanna or Doctor Fate

to hide Artemis' true identity.

But Kaldur'ahm killed Artemis.

If she lives, and in disguise as his lieutenant, then that means...

That means Aqualad duped them all, including his own father.

Kill them both.

- No! You will not kill my son! - He's right.

Unh!

Unh!

The Light takes care of its own.

- Kaldur. - It's too late, father.

I have already... Won.

If you are watching this, then your summit is truly over.

The Light and the Reach deserve each other.

Both sides play at being partners.

But the Reach believes the Light to be their naive tools of conquest,

when in fact the Light has manipulated the Reach from day one.

- Shut this off. - How?

It was the Light that brought Earth to the Reach's attention

by sending the Justice League to Rimbor.

The Light set their trap, and the Reach snapped at the bait,

fulfilling the Light's desire to thrust our world into the galactic spotlight.

Part of their perverse survival of the fittest scheme for the planet,

which they believe will transform the Earth and the Light

into the eventual rulers of the Milky Way.

Though the Light made a deal to help the Reach take Earth,

they have also sabotaged the Reach's efforts.

They kept the advanced meta-genes out of the Reach's hands.

They added a neutralizing agent to the Reach's drink

so Earth's population would not become servile.

They turned public opinion against the Reach,

and they intentionally allowed the Team access

to the scarab temple to cleanse Blue and Green Beetle.

So, you see, any agenda either side imagined they shared

was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion.

I trust I have shattered that illusion,

as well as whatever remains of this sorry alliance.

Good night.

Kaldur. Kaldur, what have you done?

He has in death done more to damage my plans

than any living creature has wrought in 50,000 years.

I'd be impressed if I wasn't so...

Aah! You Earthlings are a pestilence and a plague!

You dare sabotage us?! Dare betray us?!

Have you forgotten who controls the Warworld?

The Light is fortunate we do not carve up your planet as we speak!

That would indeed impress, as I have the Warworld's Crystal Key.

That is all I needed to know.

- Kaldur, you're... - Alive. Yes.