12
"As you know, the annual G20 gathering of leaders from the top twenty economic powers hides meetings between the most influential Daemonite hosts. What Grifter has discovered is that afterwards, Lord Daemonite visits, seemingly at random, six of those leaders to obtain a personal report of their activities. This report is regarding the master invasion plan and to deliver new orders as determined by Lord Daemonite himself," Weatherman announced, "A secondary concern is whether or not that Daemonite assigned to that host will continue in it or be passed over in lieu of another. We have in our possession the locations of those six meetings but not the names and identities of the host bodies. Our opportunity is simple. We can now neutralize each host and kill Lord Daemonite himself. Without whom, the Daemonites will fall upon one another in a mad scramble for power and be easy prey for those like us."
"The tricky parts being we don't know who the hosts are or Lord Daemonite's schedule for confronting his subordinates," Grifter added.
"But we know the six hosts have cleared their public calendars for a forty-eight hour period following the summit. And they will all depart from their official residences to head to secluded locations. And all of those locations are secret. Our opportunity is that the transits may be scheduling illusions. None of the parties have sent out or dispatched advance security to prep a site. But their personal security details have been augmented with military assets. And each host's defensive parties will respond to a lethal strike with comparable force and intent," Projectionist outlined.
"The G20 summit ends tomorrow evening. That opens the forty-eight hour window in which Lord Daemonite will approach the suspected hosts," Weatherman declared, "Our next agenda is to select teams to interdict the targets if they should change locations or move in to kill them and create an ambush for the Daemonite's master if they remain ensconced in their official residences."
"Since vast and unknown distances are involved, I'll be staying at headquarters to create quantum tunnels between here on the Moon and various Earth-bound locations," Jenny Quantum announced.
"And I'll remain as well to monitor global tracking and security," the technopathic Projectionist added, "And I'll be disrupting government interventions on your behalf."
"I suggest we mix our forces in order to blend less experienced elements with the more seasoned ones," Deathstroke spoke up.
"Excellent suggestion," Weatherman agreed.
"I hate to burst any bubbles but the WildCATS just don't mix with nobody," Lord Emp argued.
"We'll form core elements built around a specific team and then blend from therein," Weatherman amended the proposal in hopes of quieting down discontent before the mission had even begun.
"Then we're golden," Lord Emp backed down.
"The secondary objective of eliminating John Lynch will be made easier by the confusion and destruction surrounding the Daemonite ranks," Weatherman predicted, "Projectionist will be able to track his digital footprint and run him to ground so he, and his Daemonite derived meta-gene manipulative abilities, can be dealt with."
"I applauded your strategy," I-Ching admitted, "But I would recommend we outsource to a third party for a feint against a known Daemonite stronghold to precede our own strikes. I recommend the Spanish Inquisitor and the Dead Bastards for the task. They are capable and will ask only the questions required to complete their task."
"You'll be our contact and supervise them?" Weatherman inquired.
"Of course," I-Ching bowed.
"You can use Halo finances to hire and retain these 'Dead Bastards'," Lord Emp offered, "I just sold the company so my personal fortune is liquidated. Means everyone gets paid in advance before we make our moves. Assume the role of my personal representative. The Daemonites will be expecting that."
"As you say," I-Ching bowed again.
Deathstroke knew the "venerable old man" guise was an illusion. The process I-Ching had utilized to rejuvenate Slade's youth had been first tested on I-Ching himself. And I-Ching had the wisdom to destroy every evidence of the process or how to repeat it save the knowledge in his own head.
The Iranians had hollowed out caves in the Golestan Mountains and mined underground passages to place their centrifuges and weapons assembly centers. West of the Turkmenistan border and south of Bailya, the Iranians had quietly and fervently developed and constructed twenty-nine "suitcase" bombs. Given the size constraints they'd only been able to construct atom bombs for immediate usage against Israel. But the developers planned to have hydrogen bombs of comparable size for the planned strikes against the United States.
The Crimson Queen had learned of the secret of the Golestan installation. She'd even sent her elite Crimson Jihad to scout it out. But rather than risk overt war with a numerically superior nuclear armed state, the Crimson Queen instead handed over concrete evidence of the Iranians' malfeasance to the United Nations. And the UN in turn would deploy the Crimson Queen's frequent foes, the Justice League Unlimited, against her aggressive Persian neighbor. She could only hope the pair would destroy one another.
The JLU had discovered its distinct loss with the absence of the Flash. But Wally West could only follow the dictates of his heart and follow Vreti back to Apokolips to wage her war against Darkseid. At Shayera Hol's behest, the JLU courted Jesse Quick and Hourman. The elder Flash, Jay Garrick, agreed with Jesse that losing one speedster to the JLU left the JSA All Stars equipped with another veteran Fastest Man Alive. So the couple moved out of the K-Star Ranch and found a house in the Metropolis suburbs as they switched teams.
Superman's charisma coupled with Barda's disciplinary ways carried the JLU into the Golestan facility. J'onn Jonzz, the Martian Manhunter, had infiltrated the base ahead of his teammates and deactivated the security system. And then he stayed with it in order to insure so no one could reactivate it.
Most of the JLers were tasked with dealing with security patrols. Jesse, Hourman, Fire, and Ice rounded up the technical staffers. Blue Beetle, the resident technical expert, shut the entire base down. The resident Green Lantern, John Stewart, broke the centrifuges free of their housings and transported them to the surface along with the twenty-nine suitcase bombs. There, Barda opened a boom tube and sent him to the rendezvous point in the French countryside.
Everyone else was herded outside before Superman, Captain Atom, Fire, Black Vulcan, Samurai, and Barda's mega-wand brought the caverns down upon the secret facility. The Republican Guard began arriving in response to the mayday the guards had managed to get out as Barda provided an exit.
Andrew Lincoln, the newly designated leader of Blackhawk Express, grimaced as John delivered the confiscated nuclear material to the Blackhawks, "Couldn't you folks have gotten there before they developed working portable atomic weapons?"
The Blackhawks were the United Nations entity tasked with apprehending illegal technology. The fact the JLU had been assigned this particular mission obviously set off a pissing contest. The original modern Blackhawks looked apologetic. But the eye patch wearing, newly dubbed "Lady Blackhawk" seemed ready to rip John's head off and crap down his open throat.
But the Blackhawks were once again a primarily militant force and the Secretary General had ostensibly wanted to preserve lives in order to diffuse the inevitable outrage. Lincoln was terse with John as the Blackhawks began loading up the captured equipment and weapons of mass destruction, "Some folks argue that ring of yours is illegal tech too. And that members of your organization should be classified as illegal aliens."
John bristled. His wife, Shayera, was Thanagarian but through a legal sleight of hand, she was a citizen of the Justice League Unlimited. A fully fledged, voting member of the United Nations. Max Lord had stepped forward to act as their ambassador once again. Max was involved with the JLU, the JLA, the Conglomerate and God only knew who else.
"It's good to see prejudice hasn't died yet," John stated before lifting off and streaking across the horizon to head towards the Connecticut coastline leaving Lincoln suffering from tech envy.
Nyssa and Black Canary arrived at County Cork, Ireland to take their place at a lodge where a fate deciding conference was about to be held. The heads of the Leagues of Assassins and Shadows had gathered to determine the viability of Talia al Ghul's leadership.
Nyssa herself had previously held the posts of Chieftain of the League of Assassins and as the Demon's Hand at Talia's side. No one else there knew Talia's mind was gone and replaced by their father, Ra's al Ghul. Nyssa was charting a course correction for the ancient orders to return to their time honored practices of meting out justice and condemnation to corrupt civilizations rather than pursue ecological balance.
There were five elders from the League of Shadows. One for every continent but Antarctica and Australia. Australia was governed by the Asian prefect. The prefects, by dominion, were Damian Darhk for North America, Henri Ducard for Europe, Zun Ziyi for Asia, Hidalgo Reyes for South America, and Boris Brezhnev for Africa. Darhk was Ra's Al Ghul's greatest rival and a conjuring mystic. Brezhnev had received the prefecture of Africa for betraying Darhk's confidences to Ra's.
Three of the greatest assassins represented their league. Lady Shiva was considered the very best of them. Ben Turner, or the Bronze Tiger, was second only to her. Whisper A'Daire had earned a form of immortality from Ra's and was the mistress of poison and potions.
Two neutral parties were in attendance. Richard Dragon had been the undisputed master of the martial arts and Ra's al Ghul's conscience until Lady Shiva and Bronze Tiger betrayed him and crippled him. But his students and agents still acted as the conscience of the world abroad.
Odysseus was a meta-human obsessed with expanding his power base and securing immortality. Charles Wilson had served the CIA for decades before he went rogue. In the end, he'd turned to John Lynch to activate his meta-gene the way he had Charles' son, Slade. Odysseus had been Lynch's instrument to kill his former daughter-in-law and his two grandchildren by her. Now he knew about Slade's love-child, Rose, and Odysseus was very anxious to meet his granddaughter. His freedom had been Charles' price for attending this conference.
Several other potential interested parties declined the invitation. I-Ching was foremost among them. Lynch was another. The mysterious Mother was the third and Katherine Webb-Kane, Director of Spyral, rounded out the list.
Nyssa called the meeting to order. Predictably, Darhk was the first to balk, "Why should you chair? You're not even a member of either League anymore."
"But my Injusticers are the purest form of the Leagues' goals. Despite the mercenary motives of most of my agents, we punish corruption and raze its nests," Nyssa explained, "You, all of you, have allowed my father to corrupt the Leagues' sacred purpose to his twisted ambition. Of course, his aberration grew over the last few hundred years before it became his mad obsession. An obsession Talia has taken up for her own."
Black Canary kept her silence despite her being Nyssa's sole confidante on true fate of her half-sister and her father. Or perhaps it was because of it. But Nyssa continued onward.
"Many of you are prescient in the fact of great personal danger if your attendance here is discovered by my sister," Nyssa acknowledged, "But your fears are misguided. Surely you recall the paths of allegiance and absolute obedience you swore to Ra's al Ghul as the Demon's Head? And surely you remember never having sworn a single oath in the same vein to her."
Dawning awareness struck face after face as Nyssa revealed Ra's hubris. He'd been so concerned with establishing Talia as his heir apparent; he'd assumed the oaths of allegiance due him naturally continued even though he wore a new body and new identity.
"I'll be blunt for simplicity sake," Nyssa promised, "Talia must be removed as Demon's Head."
"And who would replace her?" Darhk sneered, "You, perhaps?"
"I have no desire to rule the Leagues. My Injusticers are enough for me," Nyssa promised, "But beside me sits one worthy of the title and the courage to pursue our ancient purpose. I present to you Dinah Laurel Drake Lance better known to most as the Black Canary."
"Of course you'd choose your deviant lover," Darhk tried to insinuate.
"I don't recall you referring to her a deviant when she and Oliver Queen chased you out of Seattle," Nyssa gloated.
"Still, she is an outsider," Brezhnev complained, "I would rather throw my support towards a known quantity like Darhk."
Zun and Reyes quickly echoed the Russian. Henri Ducard held his counsel and the assassins were rather circumspect. But when Brezhnev began to announce Darhk's victory, Lady Shiva intervened, "Nyssa Raatko was the finest Chieftain of the League of Assassins I ever served under. Possibly even better than Ra's al Ghul himself. I know the legends surrounding the Black Canary and Team 7. So do you all. I gladly pledge my support and fealty to her."
"So will I," Bronze Tiger pledged.
"Black Canary's independence is as renowned as her fighting acumen," Whisper added, "So I throw my support at her as well."
"Which leaves us at a veritable tie," Ducard stated.
"I vote for myself," Darhk snapped, "Only you can throw it back into a tie, Ducard."
"And you must abstain when the vote concerns your fate," Brezhnev growled, "Decide, Henri. Who do you choose?"
"Damien just made my choice. I side with Black Canary," Ducard announced.
Darhk's penetrating scowl promised vengeance upon all who failed him and those that embarrassed him. The very traits that lost him the campaign. Two hundred years ago, the League of Shadows had sundered and each faction had taken assassins with it. Ra's persuaded Darhk to reunite the League. If Darhk chose to break the League of Shadows once again, no words of appeasement from Black Canary would ever satisfy him.
"I solemnly pledge that if Talia is unseated, the League of Shadows will once again become the conscience of the world as well as the sharp sword of justice," Black Canary vowed, "But we have to be careful. Talia is a force to herself, more so since Ra's al Ghul died. And those members of Leviathan that came to the League of Assassins after the Heretic's downfall see her as a goddess to worship ad die for."
"So let them," Darhk sneered, "After all, killing dupes is what we do."
"Your role for now is to distance the apparatus that makes up the League of Shadows away from Talia and prepare them for a change in leadership," Black Canary strategized, "Lady Shiva, you and the others carry great weight amongst the assassins. Remind them all of what their role was and could be again."
"Could you really endorse the death of a civilization?" Darhk tried one last barb.
"Before I joined the Justice League I was a soldier. And as a soldier my missions weren't to capture and rehabilitate my enemy. My enemies were targets to be destroyed at any cost to the enemy and the collateral damage surrounding that person or persons. Killing a civilization is remote and painless. Killing face to face takes dedication. And I've proven my dedication on more occasions than you, Darhk. Look the fact up and compare body counts," Black Canary challenged him.
Darhk saw Nyssa's hand in that gambit. Ducard interrupted before Darhk could riposte, "Unlike Talia, you don't seek to kill seven billion people all at once while saving a meager few thousand hand selected 'survivors'."
"Body counts aren't the concern. The effectiveness of the count is," Black Canary qualified, "I've lost friends and lovers because of ineffective half measures. I say no more."
"Restraint is a quality sought in he or she that would lead the League of Shadows," Ducard approved of Dinah's sentiment.
"But not too much," Zun clarified.
Richard Dragon struggled to rise to his feet. Even with two leg braces he still required a cane, "Odysseus and I were obviously to act as outside witnesses and advisors. We all know my own twisted history with the Leagues of Assassins and Ra's al Ghul. This effort to undo Ra's legacy of madness couldn't have come any sooner nor could it have waited any longer. I think you're taking a bold new step into being what this world needs. A surgeon to cut away the dead flesh."
Charles Wilson was sin his nineties but seemed to be thirty years younger. Much like his son thanks to I-Ching, "I'm not one for causes anymore. The young lady seems competent enough and dedicated to her cause. Just make certain all of you share that cause."
"So we are decided," Brezhnev announced, "The League of Shadows will move on without Talia al Ghul."
"She's to be left alive and in permanent exile," Black Canary decided, "Talia's vanity will prevent from trying to retake the throne of an organization that rejected her. She and her Ubus can scratch out a living amongst the very people she wants to destroy."
"A fitting choice," Reyes approved.
"Damian," Ducard murmured.
"I can agree to those terms," Darhk conceded.
"Now that everything has been decided, what's the real reason Odysseus and I are here?" Dragon sharply inquired.
"At least people here can get out of Hell," Black Mary said hopefully.
"What makes you think that?" Pandora scoffed.
"I went to a Catholic girl's school when I was younger. Purgatory is a place of trials to burn away sins and wrongs of the past," Mary recited from rote, "Then they go to Heaven."
"Burn for wrongs of the past, yes," Pandora corrected her, "Go to Heaven? Hardly. Blaze and Satanus led the trapped souls here in rebellion against the master of the realm. They then supposedly 'released' them. But condemned souls are always condemned. During life is the only time redemption can be had. Once you're dead your fate is fixed."
"So…where did all of those people go?" Mary was hesitant to ask.
"Other realms inside Hell itself," Pandora argued, "But Satanus and Blaze would insist they'd kept their word. They had freed the tormented from their realm at least."
"Enough of your lies!" Black Adam roared, "How can you know any of this?"
"Try being blamed for bringing evil into the world, spend the next twelve thousand years learning the nature of that evil and where it leads, and then get back to me," Pandora grated.
"Filthy lies, all of it," Black Adam held Isis close.
"Fine, we're going on a detour then," Pandora set off in a new direction, "Try and keep up."
"Where are we going to?" Isis fretted.
"Don't worry this won't take long. But it's the proof you all need to realize the truth," Pandora replied.
An endless chasm stretched between the realms of Purgatory and Paradise. Mary gaped, "Is that…Heaven?"
"No, the Bible refers to it as Paradise. It's an intermediary heaven where the redeemed are with God but not in the final Heaven," Pandora explained, "Here souls await the resurrection and the final judgment before the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth."
Pandora see there were still questions, "In the Christian Bible in the book of Luke, chapter 16 and verses 19 through 31, Jesus tells a story. Unlike his parables and his allegories, he uses proper names for this one because He is recounting a true tale, not a metaphorical lesson."
"What is this tale?" Black Adam warily asked.
"There was a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. They died around the same time. The rich man was condemned to be here, within eyesight of Paradise. And feeling the flames all around him, he spotted the beggar in Paradise and he cried to him. The Patriarch, Abraham, asked the rich man what the commotion was about. The rich pleaded that Lazarus come to him and dip his finger his mouth to ease the parchedness caused by the flames," Pandora made certain everyone was intently listening, "Abraham replied that the rich man had earned what he deserved just as Lazarus had. The final plea was for Lazarus to go back to Earth and warn the man's brothers what awaited them if they didn't repent and serve God."
"And?" Isis almost desperately asked.
"Abraham had to tell him the brothers had the Law and Moses. What else did they need to point the truth out to them?" Pandora finished the tale but not the lesson, "The condemned rich man was obviously near this spot yet he didn't expect to ever escape Hell. He was resigned to his fate. He only craved a moment's respite from his suffering. No one here actually expects an escape. But the offer of one has to be irresistible. Satanus and Blaze are obviously masterful manipulators to blatantly abuse such a false hope."
"None of these people see or react to us, why?" Mary interrupted.
"They are in abject isolation, alone in their pain and regret. I'd say the regrets outweigh even the flames of the fire's torment," Pandora spoke from experience.
"So they're all suffering?" Mary weakly asked, "Even Blackhawk?"
"Yes, they get to live constantly reviewing their mistakes, the foolish and selfish choices, and all in an utter separation from God. Because a just God cannot abide to be near criminals without unleashing his wrath upon them for being rebellious in the first place. That's the human condition," Pandora shared, "But Christ, the personification of God in the flesh, became the target for God's wrath so that by His grace those chosen for salvation by God could have the crimes atoned for and begin a relationship with God Himself and fulfill mankind's ultimate destiny."
"Which is?" Black Adam was already angry.
"To serve, worship, and glorify God," Pandora happily told him.
"Why would any god choose to die like this Christ supposedly did?" Black Adam seethed.
"To rise from the grave to defeat death, sin, and the evil one known as Satan," Pandora said simply, "Or in other words to glorify His own name for being so benevolent."
"You are wasting our time here," Black Adam railed against her.
"Perhaps it seems so now but in your five thousand year lifespan, have you ever had or heard a better and purer truth?" Pandora quietly inquired.
Black Adam lapsed into a sullen silence for the rest of the trek.
Nyssa's Welsh lair lay in between the Cambrian Mountains and Aberystwyth alongside the Ystwyth River. But it was built nearer the foothills than other manors in the area. It made approaching the eastern lying mountains more difficult. Especially since Nyssa had an air defense missile system installed after she purchased the estate. MARS Industries had donated the equipment and ordnance in exchange for certain…considerations in Nyssa's targeting.
MARS expected the arrangement to continue when the Leagues of Shadows and Assassins were well and truly under heel. MARS was a subsidiary of the Cavalry Group. Other subsidiaries included the Pearl Agency, Corvus Oil, and Axis Chemicals. All of who were major sponsors of the Conglomerate super team.
David Cain had been briefed by Nyssa as to Cavalry's paradigm and bent for treachery. The Cavalry Group essentially held the tenet that nation-states were outdated in lieu of multinational corporations who acted as governments themselves. And competition kept the strong stronger and the weak absorbed by the victor.
Many companies now operated on global scale. Nations were vulnerable to the weight of politics, natural disasters, wars, famine, invasions, and pestilence. Multi-nationals were laws unto themselves only vulnerable to their bottom line. And while nations were assembling superhuman teams so too were corporations assembling groups of meta-humans. How else could the Conglomerate and LexCorp's Everyman Project be explained?
But Cain and the other Injusticers weren't preparing for Cavalry's direct intervention. Instead they were readying themselves for the Suicide Squad's assault. Nyssa had uncovered a physical and electronic document trail directly linking the President of the United States' policies to Cavalry and other multi-nationals. He'd publicly announced his meetings with "publically minded corporate executives" but no transcripts of the meeting were ever made available. Nyssa had them and threatened to give them to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks if POTUS didn't sever ties with certain benefactors.
Checkmate had been shut down and Task Force X had been reorganized along with a new official mandate for the time-lost Freedom Fighters. Given the recent construction of the Justice League of America and independently, the Conglomerate, it seemed Cavalry's reach went beyond the Presidency into covert operations and law enforcement.
The Conglomerate's corporate allegiance was its public image and its usefulness as an independent agency would undoubtedly be tested by their corporate masters. The JLA, the Freedom Fighters, and the Suicide Squad served the American government under ARGUS' super agency banner. And in turn Amanda Waller and ARGUS answered to the sitting President. And that President had been bought, body and soul, by Cavalry and other interested parties…including LexCorp and Wayne-Powers Enterprises.
Nyssa had met the conditions of her agreement with MARS. But her discreet message to the President had alarmed those she threatened to expose. Cavalry and LexCorp alongside Max Lord's Innovative Concepts were pioneering corporate funding of United Nation's agencies in exchange for policy concessions. Everyone knew Max was a player but Mercy Graves was proving to be his counterpart.
The Injusticers set up a circular, concentric defense. It was broken into three zones and forward and rearward areas culminating at the centerpiece which comprised of the manor house. The Injustice Rogues monitored the mountain approach. The Injustice Titans defended the woodlands between the Yswyth and the Rheidol Rivers. The open meadows stretching out before the manor were patrolled by the Injustice League.
The Wrath manned the semi-automated defenses. Cain monitored the area and advised the field commanders over closed circuit radio. Enigma led her Titans with confidence and staggered hr defense like a seasoned veteran. Blacksmith was too busy vying for dominance with Scandal Savage to take much note of how her people were positioned to respond to an incursion. Major Disaster had been chosen to lead the Injustice League in Cain's absence.
Major Disaster wasn't comfortable in his new role but he'd earned the respect of Killer Frost owing to his dedication and humane treatment of Big Sir. Most "super villains" would have preyed upon the man-child and openly exploited him. But Major Disaster generally sacrificed his advantages to tend and care for Big Sir. He guided the naïf in a parental fashion. And that fashion gave Killer Frost hope for the male gender.
The eastern air defenses locked and targeted two helicopters before engaging them with missile fire. Scandal was quick to suggested, "We need to get up there and investigate."
"We need to maintain our post and defend the manor," Blacksmith curtly snapped.
"Why not do both?" Scandal slyly offered, "Send Magenta up with Girder and Blue Jay as their scout. They can conduct reconnaissance and report back to us if help is needed."
Blacksmith had never hated someone so much before. But the idea held merit. And Scandal's Lamentation Blades would skewer her before she could convert the woman to organic steel and enslave her. At which point, the former Female Fury, Knockout, would rip her head off anyway.
Blacksmith issued Scandal's orders but reinterpreted them as her own innovation. Blue Jay warily watched the pissing contest, "Be careful here, Laura."
"I'll watch your back, Jay," Silver Sorceress promised.
Magenta utilized her magnetic powers to lift and carry the iron skinned Girder. Blue Jay shrank to bird's size and flew ahead. Silver Sorceress had a quiet word with Scandal.
"You'd best know what you sent them into," she advised.
"You'd best hope they're competent enough to properly respond to the situation," Scandal countered.
