Members of both the Team and League investigate a Krolotean island, but are discovered and a fight ensues, during which the enemy is revealed to be Aqualad, who left the team in anger after they failed to save his sweetheart, Tula. In addition, Aqualad came to the revelation that his biological father is none other than the villainous Black Manta. Aqualad eventually escapes, and a bomb planted by the enemy seemingly obliterates the island and most of the Kroloteans present. Meanwhile, the six Leaguers accused of viciously and violently attacking the distant world Rimbor (Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Batman, Hawkwoman and the Green Lantern John Stewart) leave Earth to try and resolve the dispute peacefully, accompanied by Hawkman and Icon.Blue Beetle tries to intercept his friend, Tye, before he boards a bus, but the boy is abducted before Jaime can reach him. Meanwhile, Batgirl, Wonder Girl, Miss Martian and Bumblebee are en route to Bialya. The girls arrive in Bialya and learn that Psimon is active again. They discover a shipment of runaways who are being transported by plane which is guarded by Psimon, Icicle Jr., Mammoth, Shimmer, and Devastation. Alpha Team rescue the abducted teens, but Queen Bee is content, since a second shipment, which includes Tye, has already been acquired.A stranger appears in Mount Justice claiming to be the future grandson of Barry Allen. The boy, Bart Allen/Impulse, meets with the rest of the Flash family, but is interrupted when a villain called Neutron goes on a rampage. The Flash, Kid Flash, and Impulse defeat Neutron, and Impulse secretly administers a cure to his uncontrollable power. Impulse actually comes from a post-apocalyptic future, and his one-way trip to the past doesn't seem to have changed it. Meanwhile, Red Arrow and Cheshire travel to a League of Shadows base in Tibet and finally find the original Roy Harper.Artemis rejoins the Team while Black Manta sends Aqualad and his men to destroy a communication satellite that's guarded by the heroes. A fight ensues in which the satellite gets destroyed and Artemis seems to be killed by Aqualad's water sword. It later turns out that her "death", as well as Aqualad's defection from the Team, was deliberately fabricated to ensure that the pair could go undercover to learn all about the Light and their "new" unknown partner. Artemis is given a mystic amulet made by Zatanna that will disguise her looks to all but Nightwing, Aqualad and Wally.Nightwing leads the Team on a mission to rescue its members from The Light's Partner: an alien race known as the Reach. Aqualad (now officially affiliated with the Light) learns that teenagers have been abducted to test an ordinary human's ability to develop metahuman abilities naturally. Instinctively, Miss Martian destroys Aqualad's mind and learns that he had never been a traitor and never harbored any genuine ill will towards the Team, but is guilty for being unable to help Kaldur.At the Justice League's trial on Rimbor, Vandal Savage manipulates Mongul into taking action against the Reach. The Justice League and Nightwing learn that something is fast approaching the Earth. As Green Beetle informs them that it is a weaponized, moon-sized satellite known as the Warworld which is captained by the former dictator Mongul, the Reach makes contact with Mongul to persuade him to turn around, only for him to state that he is there because of them.With the help of Green Beetle, Black Beetle is able to defeat Mongul and imprison him again. They discover that the War World key has been stolen, while in Bludhaven, the Team returns to base and realizes that they need to turn their attention to saving Blue Beetle.