Author's Note: Okay, I'll admit, this old thing's been gathering dust in my bin of YJ AUs since before Season Two got rolling. But, hey, nothing like a revival of the fandom to have you poking back amongst forgotten shelves, and here we are! Got the first few chapters pre-written, which will be gotten out this week, and then who knows.

Hope you guys enjoy!

-Tri

Prologue

He wasn't quite sure what to expect when he blinked his eyes open, but it certainly wasn't a clear, shimmering dome overhead, with space beyond it. A cavern ceiling would've been much more comfortable to see.

He wasn't sure why.

Carefully, the teen pushed himself up into a sitting position. He blinked upon spotting the other people lying on the ground around him, and wondered who they were. Each seemed familiar, even if he couldn't remember any specifics.

That was when he realized he couldn't remember anything about himself, either.

He did what he could to study his own appearance: plain white socks, no shoes; form-fitting but comfortable workout clothes in dark grey, white and blue; reaching up a pale hand, he fingered short, fine black hair, and distantly wondered what color his eyes were. A nearby groan distracted him from his thoughts.

There were six people, besides him, and all in their teens. To the left was a redheaded boy with freckles, dressed in yellow flannel pajamas with little red lightning bolts on them. Beyond him was a girl with long blonde hair, in a green t-shirt, ripped up jeans, and black combat boots. There was also a dark skinned boy with close-shaved white hair, wearing a long sleeved jacket and jogging pants but no shoes or socks.

To the right was a dark-haired girl closer to his size than any of the others, with pale skin offset by the grey tank top and shorts she had on. Then there was a big, muscular boy with hiking boots, cargo pants, and a black shirt with a red letter S inside a shield outline. Lying beside him was another girl, with auburn hair a shade darker than the male redhead, and dressed in a cutesy pink and white outfit. Oh, and she had green skin.

He blinked, trying to figure that one out, when the first boy he'd seen stirred.

Groaning, the pajama-clad teen opened his eyes to stare at the dome overhead, first in idle curiosity, then confusion. "Uh..."

"Guess you don't recognize this place either, huh?" The redhead yelped, sitting up and turning around in one movement.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"I don't know."

The other one stared at him, his eyebrows drawing together. "Huh. I don't know who I am either."

"Well, there goes my hope that you'd be able to explain all this." He gestured to the other teenagers around them, causing the redhead's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Are they okay?"

"Probably. I mean, it's not like you or I were any different a minute ago."

"Oh." The redhead rubbed at the back of his neck, gaze lingering on the blonde girl. "Do... Do you think we should try to get them up, or something?"

"Maybe. Might as well, since I don't see anything else to do around here." And it was true - they were the only people inside the large dome, with nothing else present on the bare stone floor. So, the two boys set about waking up their companions. The smaller teen cackled when the redhead tried shaking the blonde awake, only for her fist to launch upward before her eyes opened, socking him in the jaw. But then it was his turn to dodge a punch, for nudging the biggest boy triggered a similar response.

Eventually, all seven of them were awake and standing, without a single clue between them as to who or where they were.

"I don't suppose anyone else gets the feeling we all know each other?" The girl with pale skin and ice blue eyes asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I have that sense too," the smallest of them said, walking along the edge of the clear dome, looking for some sort of door. "Kinda like I ought to recognize you guys, but nothing's coming up in the search engine."

"I feel the same," their tallest member, the one with white hair, murmured.

"I don't know what's happening, but part of me just feels happy to be standing here." The green-skinned girl piped up, bouncing a little on her toes. Everyone stiffened in surprise when she actually rose up off the floor a few inches and stayed there.

"Ohh-kaay, then," the blonde with fighting instincts said. "Pretty sure that's not exactly normal."

"You want to talk about not normal?" The male redhead pointed to the tallest boy's hands. "He has webs between his fingers!" The teen in question frowned, studying his odd form. Then, he revealed another surprise by reaching up and unzipping the high collar on his jacket, showing off slits in his neck.

"Gills, huh?" The smallest teen snickered. "Guess we've got a fish-boy among our ranks."

"What, exactly, do you find so amusing?" The blonde snapped in his direction. "I swear, every other sound we've heard out of you is some kind of laugh."

"Maybe I'm just a naturally cheerful person," he replied, sauntering back towards the group. Halfway there, instinct took over, and he found himself flipping over to walk the remaining distance on his hands before dropping into a somersault and popping back to his feet.

The others all gaped at him.

"Fish-boy and flying girl aside, we evidently have an acrobat, too," the redhead boy said weakly.

"How'd you do that?" The muscular teen who'd been silent so far asked him.

"Dunno. I just... Wanted to and did." He sighed. "This is so not fusing."

"Uh... what?"

"Means the same thing as confusing, just without the prefix." A beat passed as he and the others all thought over the odd word choice. "Wonder how I knew that?"

"No idea, but please don't do it again. We're having enough trouble right now, no need to put word games on top of the rest of it." The blonde rolled her eyes.

"I dunno, a bit of humor right now might help relieve the stress." The acrobat beamed at his new ally, the dark-haired, pale-skinned girl.

"What would relieve my stress is knowing what the heck is going on!"

"Then I shall tell you."

All seven of them whipped around as light flared in the middle of the dome, fading away to reveal a tall figure completely covered by a hooded white robe. Without thinking, they all dropped into battle-ready positions. The newcomer merely held up its four hands in a gesture of peace.

"I mean you no harm," it said, in a voice distinguishable as neither male nor female. "In fact, none of you would be alive now without my intervention."

"What are you talking about?" The redhead in pajamas demanded.

"The seven of you, I'm sorry to say, are the sole survivors of a planet-wide catastrophe which has destroyed all life upon your homeworld," the figure explained sadly. "An ancient foe of mine feared the potential of your species, and so arranged to extinguish it."

Despite no memory of the world that the figure spoke of, each of the teens felt a profound loss in their hearts. An entire world, gone? Their world, at that... Everyone and everything which they might remember of home...

"Were you the one to take our memories?" The green-skinned girl suddenly inquired.

"No. That is a side effect of the plague which swept your planet. Had I not removed you from the situation when I did, it would have infiltrated your muscles and nerves, removing all autonomous functions until your bodies shut down on themselves."

"Why did you just save us?"

"Because by the time I arrived, you seven were the only ones left to save. I sensed you within a specialized bunker, one which was able to withstand the initial release of the plague long enough to give you this chance at justice."

They all looked at him curiously over that particular statement. "Justice?" The muscular teen asked.

"Due to his growth of power, I am unable to defeat the one who attacked your world and deliver judgement upon his head. I am, however, the assigned safekeeper of certain weapons, the combined power of which might be able to best him." As it spoke, the figure pulled from the robe's various sleeves seven differently colored spheres. "These are the Great Rings of Power, each of which can only be worn by a host with a strong enough particular quality of character. If you are willing to avenge your homeworld, then I will gladly gift them to you for this purpose."

The teens all exchanged uneasy glances, communicating what they thought of the offer without exchanging any words. Then, almost as one, they looked again to the figure and nodded firmly.

"Excellent." Lifting one hand higher than its others, the robed being held out a sphere and explained the color's significance. "Red increases its host's natural anger, only able to be controlled by one used to channeling rage and taking strength from it." Once released, the ring flew up from its container, hovered for a moment, and then flew straight to the muscular teen. He cautiously held out his hand, allowing the weapon to slide onto one of his fingers. The others had to look away from the burst of red light, which transformed their companion's plain clothes into a jumpsuit of red and black. Instead of an S in the shield symbol on his chest, there was a circular design matching the one on the ring's surface.

"Orange," the figure continued. "Heightens all tendencies of greed within its host, only wearable by one capable of deciding between what is needed and what is wanted." The second ring took a minute to decide, circling the remaining teens, before going to the red haired boy. His pajamas transformed into an orange and black suit, which included a mask and goggles, as well as a different design on his chest.

"The yellow ring will only be controlled by a host who employs fear among their battle tactics, inspiring it within their enemies, yet holding back when it comes to innocents." This time, the little piece of crystal shot straight towards the smallest teen, the first of them to have woken up. His new suit was mostly black, with yellow designs on his torso, gloves, and the interior of the cape he gained, as well as the eye holes for his mask.

"Green is the color only able to be worn by one with indomitable strength of will." The fourth ring hovered uncertainly for a few moments, until it chose the blonde girl. Her clothes became green and black leggings, a mask similar to the redhead's, and a shirt that left her midriff and upper arms bare. A pair of gloves stretched from her elbows to the backs of her hands, leaving the girl's fingers unrestricted, and another unique symbol appeared a little higher up on her chest than the others.

"Blue is one of the rarest powers, going to those who inspire hope within others and heightening their own levels of optimism." This one circled the unchosen teens, finally darting over to the white haired boy's hand. It changed his clothing into a sleeveless shirt and long pants, revealing black tattoos wrapping down from his shoulders to his wrists.

"Whoa." The smallest teen peered closer. "Those aren't part of your suit, are they?"

"I do not believe so," came the thoughtful reply, before the figure in white went on.

"Indigo, the color of compassion, will raise one's selflessness to unprecedented levels unless worn by one who knows their own limits." This ring didn't bother with analyzing the two remaining girls, heading straight for the shorter of the two. It gave her a long staff to hold, in addition to clothing her in a black and purple jumpsuit patterned similarly to the first couple boys to receive their rings.

"And lastly, pink, also called the Star Sapphire, can only be worn with one who fully embraces love, seeing it as a mighty force in its own right." The final ring immediately went to the green-skinned girl, turning her clothing into a black jumpsuit with pink designs and a large, hooded cloak.

"There!" The figure proclaimed proudly. "Great warriors, each of you, and I do not doubt the success of your new mission-"

"Uh, that's great and all," the blonde girl interrupted their benefactor. "But exactly how do these things work?"

"They act in concert with the bearer's mind to create hard-light constructs of whatever it is you need."

The teens again looked amongst themselves, wondering how to interpret that statement. Then their member in pink took a deep breath, concentrating hard. Seconds later, light sprang forth from her ring, coalescing into the three dimensional form of a flower. The others made noises of awe and approval, each moving to try out the trick for themselves. Soon enough, all manner of inanimate objects were made, everything from books to a football to a plate of sandwiches. This last one came from the boy in orange, whose stomach rumbled and set the others off chuckling.

"Don't suppose you've got a fridge or pantry or something around here, do ya?" He asked the robed figure with a sheepish grin.

"No. But I can summon sustenance for you all before beginning your journey." A white arm stretched out, and with another flash of light, there appeared a long table covered over with food: salad greens and hot dogs and bowls of fruit, along with easily a dozen more items.

Faster than any of the other teens could move, their orange-clad member blurred forward, making his way around the table and scarfing down enough food for three meals.

"Huh. Why does it not surprise me that Zippy there's got something weird up with him too?" The smallest teen smirked, before the expression turned into a frown. "Hey, I don't suppose you know what our names are, do you?"

"I am afraid I do not," the white figure apologized. "But, surely it should not be too difficult to choose new designations for yourselves."

"Why don't we just go with the colors of our rings?" The girl with the staff suggested. "Like, I could be Indigo."

"And call me Greenie?" The blonde snorted. "If anything, Miss Floating over there should have that color for a name."

"Hm... Miss Green. It feels, appropriate, if not quite right." The girl in question murmured.

"I'm not going by Red." The muscular boy crossed his arms and glowered.

"What about Shield?"

"...That's okay."

"Good." Indigo nodded, then turned her gaze to the teen in blue. "Any preferences for yourself?"

He remained quiet for a moment, still studying the markings on his arms. "I believe the name Ocean feels somewhat right to myself."

"Ocean it is. And..." She trailed off as their smallest member suddenly darted forward, leapt up to plant his hands on Shield's shoulders, upside down, and flip over the other's head before landing in a crouch.

"Bird," he stated simply. "Another 'not quite right, but close enough', I think."

"It fits," Ocean said with a small smile. "Now, as for him..."

"What about, Kid Stomach?" The blonde girl suggested with a wicked smirk as their other redhead finally sated himself, having cleared two thirds of the table.

"Uh, no. What the kid called me earlier would be better than that."

"You'd seriously go by the name Zippy?"

The redhead rolled his eyes. "No, but maybe... Zip. It's a little short, but I could live with it."

"How about Zipster?" Bird grinned.

"Yeah! Zipster. That'll work. And as for you-" he leveled a finger at the girl in green, "-let's go with Emerald."

She opened her mouth to deliver a scathing comeback, but paused. "Hm. Actually, I kind of like it."

"What?!" The rest of them ignored Zipster's indignant squawk, moving to the food table themselves in order to eat. And in the background, the figure in white looked on with growing delight that the plan had worked - indeed, the children's memories should have been wiped to begin with, rather than go through that initial disastrous attempt at getting them to accept the mission...

Meanwhile, back on Earth

"What. Happened." As one, every superhero listening in to the comm frequency winced at Batman's furious growl. At the same time, they were all exceptionally grateful not to be in the same room as the Gotham crimefighter.

"We've checked every available piece of security footage - one second the Team are there and just fine, and the next, they've vanished with no warning or clues."

"From five separate locations?"

"...Yes. Aqualad was visiting Red Arrow, Artemis had just arrived in Star City, Kid Flash was at his aunt and uncle's house, Superboy, Miss Martian and Zatanna were in Mount Justice, and Robin..." Superman didn't say it, but everyone knew Robin had been home, in the Bat Cave - supposedly one of the most secure locations on the planet.

There was some indistinct grumbling, and then Batman started issuing orders. "I want each place a Team member disappeared from to be thoroughly checked over; search for traces of energy common to teleportation - zeta, magical, or otherwise. Closest League members to each location?"

"I'm on my way home, with a radiation scanner." Flash's tone sounded uncharacteristically grim, not that anyone could blame him.

"I'm still standing on the street where Artemis vanished, if anyone can meet me here with one of those doohickeys," Green Arrow responded.

"Almost to your location, GA," Lantern Jordan informed him. "With said doohickey in hand."

"I'll head over to check Roy's apartment." Black Canary sounded calm, but everyone could pick up on the steel in her voice.

"I am currently scanning the entirety of Mount Justice," Red Tornado added. "Results are currently appearing negative, but I shall run more tests and report in should anything change."

"Good. Everyone follow Tornado's example - call in anything you find, no matter how trivial it may seem." Orders delivered, Batman immediately signed off to conduct his own investigation in the Cave. He hadn't been present when Dick vanished, having still been in bed later than usual that Saturday morning - the woman standing beside him being a big reason for that.

"Bruce, I'm so sorry." Selina swallowed painfully. "If I hadn't made you lie in with me..."

"We don't know that that would have changed anything." He sat back and sighed, pulling the cowl from his head. "Aqualad, Artemis and Kid Flash were all mere feet away from others when they disappeared. Likely, had I been down here, he'd have vanished right in front of me."

"Still..."

"Assigning blame isn't going to help get Dick or any of the Team back." Bruce stood, setting a hand on her shoulder for a moment before moving to retrieve his scanning equipment. "And we will get them back."

"Damn straight we will."