CHAPTER FOUR

I

It took forever for that incessant clapping and cheering to finally die down. For the Crusaders, that moment could not come soon enough. It was harder to pretend that the performance of the evening had been entertaining rather than sickening, then it was to disguise their true identities. In the aftermath of the fight, the strobe light over the ring disappeared and for the moment, the audience was enveloped in darkness. After a moment, the house lights returned. Taking that a cue that the evening's entertainment had come to an end, most of the audience began to rise from the bleachers.

Some filtered back to the gaming floor, while others went to collect or pay their debts at the booking parlour. In any case, it appeared that the main event for the night had come and gone. Ted looked around to see where the MC had gone but like the cheetah that was now, nowhere in sight, he too had become as elusive. The carcass of the fallen sabre tooth had been removed during the darkness between lights. All there remained of the carnage that had been was the still, wet pool of crimson in the centre of the ring.

"Zee," Ted turned to Zatanna's and asked quietly. "Do you think you could get a blood sample of those animals?"

At the request, her eyes shifted from his face to the ring and then back again at the request. Although he had not mentioned it, Ted did notice that something was clearly disturbing her and in fact, had done so most of the evening. He was tempted to question her further but decided it could wait until they were back on more familiar terrain.

"Why?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"I don't know." Ted answered truthfully. "Something about the way the animals behaved before and during the fight just doesn't feel right. Can you do it?"

It require a minor spell but yes, she was more than capable of living up to the task. "Yes I can." Zatanna nodded. Wasting no time, she turned to the ring once more and considered the spell she would use. After a moment, she had decided and closed her eyes briefly to focus her concentration. ".doolb hserf tilps fo noitrop a reh ot gnirb, arataZ fo rethguad eht roF"

They were now one of the last few people on the bleachers and Ted decided they had better get moving before they were noticed. "Come on, let's get off this thing." He motioned to the others and rose to his feet. The group started moving across the bleachers towards the gaming floor with the rest of the audience.

As they proceeded forward, Ted moved along side Booster. "Booster," he said quietly, making certain no one was eavesdropping on them as he spoke. "I need you to get outside and see where they took that cheetah. It's been hurt badly, so they'll need to get it veterinary attention soon. I'm assuming they'll take the animal back to base. We need to know where that is."

"I see your point." Booster agreed.

"Remember, quiet surveillance." Ted reminded even though he was certain Booster was smart enough to know that. "If they see you, all bets are off."

Booster nodded quickly, knowing perfectly well what was at stake here. He was still seething from having to let those two animals tear at each other, helpless to do anything. Somehow watching endangered animals engaged in such a barbaric practice angered his liberal sensibilities. He wanted to put a stop to it badly.

"I'm on it." Booster replied and was about to break away from the group when suddenly Beatriz spoke up.

"Wait a minute, I want to go with him." She said staring at Ted.

"Absolutely not." Ted said firmly without requiring any time to think it over. "I hate to be the one to tell you this Bea, but you're not exactly inconspicuous. I'm pretty sure they're going to notice a woman made of green fire following them, especially at night. I'm sorry Bea, we can't take the chance of blowing our cover."

"I can't sit down and do nothing." She protested.

"I'm not asking you too." He looked at her and gestured to keep her voice down. "However, we need to keep a low profile. We're no good to Guy unless we can do that. We need to find out where he is and right now, Booster's our best chance."

The defiance on her face melted into vulnerability and Ted could see just how fearful she was for Guy. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Beatriz nodded her acquiescence to Ted's words. He was right and she knew it. "What do I do?" She asked after a moment.

Ted released a sigh of relief, glad that the matter was settled. "I want you to go find Sigrid and tell her that we need a blood sample analysed." He instructed. "Zee and I will meet you both at Star Labs in an hour. " He handed her the keys to the Mercedes. "Take the car, don't attract any attention by flaming on."

"Okay," Beatriz nodded, realising that it was a good suggestion. She took the keys and quickly placed them into her handbag.

They needed an answer on the blood sample fast and Sigrid being a part of Star Labs made things considerably simpler now that they did not have to go through channels. Ted made a mental note at the next Crusader meeting to bring up the point of getting access to a fully equipped laboratory. Although Star Labs was quite accommodating to most superheroes, he preferred Crusader business be kept private. Besides the JLA and the Titans had their own

lab facilities.

Having being given something to do went a long way to calming Beatriz down. The Brazilian woman was never very good at biding her time when her friends were in danger. With Guy, her emotional control was even more unreliable. Ted supposed if it was Zee or Booster, he would probably be the same way. Nevertheless, even after so many years of friendship, Ted still had difficulty getting her to cool her heels when her ire was up. Ted glanced at Booster who was still waiting for further instructions.


"Get going Booster." He ordered gently. Seeing there was nothing further more for him to do here, Booster nodded and made his way out fo the building. His departure provoked little attention as many other patrons were also leaving the premises. Some had remained behind to indulge their gambling tastes at the various tables but for most part, the evening was drawing to a close.

Beatriz remained with Ted and Zatanna long enough to become lost into the crowd before she too, made a discreet exit.

Ted and Zatanna watched her go before he turn they wandered over to the blackjack table. As they pretended to observe the games being played, Ted leaned over to Zatanna and whispered in her ear. "Did you get it?" He inquired.

Zatanna nodded quietly. She opened her little black handbag wide enough for him to throw a discreet glance in its direction. Amongst her lipstick and compact, there was a thin vial of red, sealed carefully with an airtight stopper.

"Good." He mused.

"What's on your mind?" She asked quietly.

"There's something about those animals that doesn't seem right." Ted said softly, making certain no one heard him as he said that. "I can't put my finger on it."

Zatanna understood completely and decided it would soon be time to tell him what she had been dreading all night. If this was in some way connected, he needed to know. However, it could wait until they left this place. If she was right about her suspicions, then it was not wise to let the enemy they were aware of his existence.

********

Booster found a dark alley between the warehouses and changed into his uniform. Although he could still hear the voices of guests in the background, the immediate vicinity was deserted enough to ensure his privacy. Booster slipped on his goggles over his blond hair and adjusted it one his face. After a few seconds, the ensemble was completed and Booster went to work. He immediately leapt into the air and soared high above the alley and the warehouse. The moon was hidden beneath the clouds so the night was pitch black. Only the illumination of the buildings below offered any light through which he could see.

Booster studied the people moving out of the warehouse. Apparently, the evening's entertainment was over and those who still remained were there for the gambling. Through the sea of limousines and exotic cars, Booster saw only one vehicle that appeared out of the ordinary. It was a long, black truck, parked at the rear of the building. He adjusted the magnification of his goggles and the truck grew larger before his eyes. Booster was given a close up view of the proceedings taking place around the vehicle.

Men wearing dark ski masks and overalls were moving a large cage into the back of the truck. Inside the cage, he saw the faint silhouette of the cheetah, lying on its side. Although it did not move, Booster did not believe it to be dead. Its handlers were taking to much care to place it in the truck. No such consideration needed to be taken with the dead sabre tooth, however. Booster did not need to see inside the black body bag, to know that its carcass was being disposed.

Thanks to the moonless night, he was almost completely hidden by the darkness and was able to observe the truck without fear of being seen. Nevertheless, Ted's words of caution against discovery were never far from his thoughts. He wondered if Ted had any idea how well he had assume the role of team leader in Guy's absence. Booster had always suspected such depths in his friend were buried under years of insecurity. For all his genius, Ted still had difficulty believing he was anything more than a second rate superhero. Part of the reason that Booster had little trouble leaving Lightspeed in Ted's ministrations was because he knew Ted was capable of running the company.

And Ted had proved him right time and time again.

The truck had started pulling away from the warehouse and Booster began following its exodus from the waterfront district at a suitable distance. The vehicle was moving at a leisurely pace and did not appear to notice his presence. It was a warm night and Booster was able to keep the truck in his sights without having fly to fast. The wind brushed against his skin as he heard the sound of birds flapping in the distance. Sometimes, it was good to be reminded that there were other inhabitants in this lofty realm.

The vehicle moved across the city and continued westward. He had to concentrate, as it travelled through the maze of New York City for it was easy to lose one vehicle in the criss-cross of roads, streets and highways. As they moved across Union City, Booster wondered just how far the journey would take him. Obviously, those in charge of the arena wanted their location well hidden.

The night air was starting to get colder and he no longer noticed the sounds of wings flapping in the distance. As the truck travelled along 53rd Street, he saw the dim lights of a fast moving train in the distance. Although his focus was mostly on the truck, his attention had begun to waver somewhat as he surveyed the landscape below him. In the near distance, he could see the light bouncing of the New Jersey Shoreline. The truck was moving on the outskirts of Miller Park and at another corner of the landscape, he saw Macphelah Cemetery running parallel against another length of track.

Suddenly, without warning, he heard the loud rush of wind against his ears and looked up in time to see a large set of wings come crashing down on him. Booster rolled in mid-air to avoid the brunt of it but the change in air turbulence sent him spiralling towards the ground. As he quickly resumed control of his descent, Booster recovered enough to hear a high pitch shriek coming at him.

All he could see in the darkness was the silhouette of mighty wings, coming towards him. He reacted quickly, throwing a force field up that immediately halted the progress of the enemy. Trapped inside a solid bubble of energy, the creature shriek in outraged as taloned feet stabbed at its confines. Booster flew forwards, intent on getting a better look at the creature. However, he did not progress any more than a few metres forward when he felt another rush of wind followed by the sharp pain against his side. This time the enemy was closer and had managed to sink its inch long talons into his skin. He felt warm blood on his skin as he raised an arm and fired a blast of energy from his gauntlet.

The blast was intense enough to send the creature flying backwards. Feathers were loosened as it plunged downward and Booster was able to see that it and the one in the force field were not alone. Whatever these flying creatures were, they certainly were not birds. Despite their ornithoid appearance, they were human sized. He counted at least six of them in the air. Booster looked down long enough to see the truck disappear beneath a canopy of trees before the rest of the flock swooped in for their attack.

He released his force field on the creature trapped and blasted it with an energy pulse from his gauntlets. The heat of the weapon set some of its feathers on fire and as it disappeared into the darkness, trailing flames. The others were almost upon him now and they were close enough for him to hold them in the force field. Aiming the field for a wide spread, he concentrated as the invisible bubble engulfed them all.

They reacted like fish in a bowl, slapping hard against the invisible barrier. He saw the confusion that the confinement caused and in that they acted very much like caged animals. There was little thought to their actions as they spent a few seconds aimlessly flinging themselves against wall of energy. Since they appeared to be momentarily immobilised, he took the opportunity to get a closer look at them. He wondered if these creatures could be any relation to the former Leaguer Hawkman but somehow he doubted. Most of that hero's accruement's were artificial but the wings on these birdmen did not seem to be fake. Their movements were too fluid and graceful, even when they were panicked.

Booster approached the energy field as closely as possible when suddenly one of the creatures lunged against the barrier. As Booster pulled back quickly, he caught a glimpse of the birdman's face. Calling them birdmen had not been far from incorrect. Although there were distinctively human features on their faces, Booster could see the dark outline of a hooked beak belonging very much to a bird of prey. Their eyes were wide and without eyelids. Although the feathers on the creature's face were nowhere as thick on normal birds, it appeared to resemble the fine coverings on new-born chicks.

Booster was so astonished that he simply stared at them for a few seconds, before he suddenly remembered the truck. Swinging around but carefully maintaining the force field around the birdmen, he surveyed the landscape for any sign of the dark vehicle.


"Damn!" He swore as there appeared to be no sign of it. It suddenly became clear to him that perhaps his surveillance was not as unnoticed as he had originally believed and the timely arrival of these bird creatures was to allow the truck to escape. He looked at his prisoners and let out a sigh. "Well, maybe we'll some news on you guys, huh?"

Booster was suddenly aware that the birdmen had stopped thrashing about and have become somewhat sedate. He had assumed that they had simply tired themselves out and given up realising that there was no way to escape the force field. However, on closer observation, he realised that they were no longer moving. In fact, they were quickly slipping into unconsciousness. Without wasting any time, Booster immediately descended to firmer ground.

He landed in the darkness of Miller Park and was glad that most people were wise enough to stay out of the place at this time of night. For his purposes, he did not wish to be distracted by innocent bystanders if this was a trick. However, as he deactivated the force field once he had brought his prisoners to the ground, they still remained unmoving. Booster approached them carefully and drop to one knee as he kneeled down on the grass to examine them. He noticed then that they had no arms to speak of and that their wings were as he suspected, real. Their abdomen and their legs were humanoid except their feet were the definitely bird like, if the predatory talons on them were any indicator.

He put his hand to one of their necks to search for a pulse. The birdman's skin was already starting to cool and there was no indication of a heartbeat. Booster stood up with a sinking feeling in his chest, that these creatures were programmed to die in the event of capture. Ted was right, he decided. There was more to the arena than simply illegal animal fights and gambling. The possibility of questioning the prisoners now seemed remote. Perhaps Sigrid would be able to learn something when she examined the bodies…

Any further thought regarding interrogation was driven from his mind when a shrill beeping noise started emanating from all the bodies. For an instance, Booster was unsure of how the sound was being transmitted until he saw an electronic device attached the ankles of all the birdmen. As they increased in pulse, a flash of insight made Booster leap into the air.

He had not risen more than ten feet when a flash of light blinded him from below. An expanding wave of heat surged towards him as he increased his acceleration. He could feel the intensity of it against his skin, even through the protection of his suit. The shock wave propelled him upwards uncontrollably. He looked down long enough to see the explosion engulfing the surrounding park. Trees and grass were incinerated in the expanding wave of fire. The blast radius was only less than a hundred feet wide but from the air it seemed worse. Once he was able escape the currents of force of the shock wave, he surveyed the destruction below him.

In the epicentre of the blast was a small crater of blackened earth. There were no signs of bodies, which Booster gathered was what the exercise was meant to achieve in the first place. The terrain looked like a war zone, with trees slight ablaze along with park benches and any substantial sized bush. The fire made the night sky glow with amber light and Booster hoped that no one else was in the park. He remained long enough to hear the siren of fire engines approaching in the distance before deciding there was nothing more to be done here.

The enemy if anything was quite adept at keeping their secrets.

II

After surviving alien invasions, temporal disturbances, the threat of a dying sun and even the age of the Millennium Giants, the personnel at Star Labs could confess to having seen it all. Star Labs was mostly centred in Metropolis. However, in the past decade since its conception, offices had sprung across the country and were quickly reaching a global platform as the leader of paranormal scientific development.

While normal research facilities still wrestled with concepts like cold fusion and finding cures for cancer, Star Labs were busy decoding the DNA sequences of a dozen alien species. From stock standard Khundian to the more exotic and endangered Kryptonian samples, Star Lab had become the leader in paranormal genetics. Research involved genetic mutation of alien cross breeding, the in depth study of the Oan power ring and more recently, the new emerging field of the Worlogog artefact. A most challenging field considering the object itself was no longer on the planet.

In the face of all this, the Blue Beetle's request to analyse a DNA blood sample seemed rather dull in comparison. As one of its rising new talents, Sigrid was on occasion allowed to pursue her own projects and Star Labs was well aware of her paranormal background. While she had begun her career with them as a research assistant, she was fast proving herself to be a competent scientist who could be trusted to behave in the best interests of the organisation.

Sigrid Nansen was already waiting for her fellow Crusaders by the time they arrived at her laboratory. Although it was hardly the most equipped lab in the building, it was nonetheless far more advanced than anything available at conventional research centres. Allowing her the use of this laboratory exclusively was an act of faith on the part of her employers. Perhaps in her conduct here, could she be evaluated for more important research work.

"How long will it take for you to test it?" Ted inquired once he and Zatanna had joined them.

Sigrid studied the crimson fluid inside the vial. Until about forty minutes ago, she was soundly asleep in her bed. The drowsiness still clung to her eyes and she blinked hard at the vial to shake the sleepiness away. Despite the urgency of the situation, she wished she could have had at least a few hours sleep.

"About two hours." She answered.

"Two hours?" Beatriz whined. Impatience seemed to be her most prominent quality since Guy's disappearance. While Sigrid understood the reasons for her concerns, Beatriz could nonetheless be trying at times.

"Yes, two hours." Sigrid retorted as if she were explaining it to a child. "Be lucky that it is two hours. If it was anywhere else but here, it would take a day." It was not far from the truth. Star Labs equipment was some of the most advanced in the world. The company often used experimental alien technologies to enhance their own equipment. Many of their prototypes had made the company a billion dollar corporation because of the patent rights.

Ted Kord who understood research and scientific methodology better than most, had no complaints. He could see the weariness in her eyes and understood better than most what it was like to hold a day job and still be a superhero. Fortunately, unlike Sigrid he had the freedom to push one aside whenever it was necessary. "We'll be at Booster's penthouse." He answered. "Call us as soon as you have any news."

"Don't worry," Sigrid answered, examining the vial carefully and starting to become lost in the secrets within it. "I won't stop until I have an answer."

"Thank you." Beatriz said placing a hand on her shoulder. Although Beatriz was worried out of her mind for Guy, she understood the effort Sigrid was making for them all.

"Now get out of here." Sigrid replied, "I've got work to do."

************

Ted was awake when the phone rang.

It was almost two o'clock in the morning and until Ted had an answer, sleep would not come. Zatanna and Beatriz had turned in shortly after they had returned from Star Labs. Until Sigrid's call, there was little else that could be done. Both women had taken up the guest room in the penthouse and Booster had yet to return. Although Booster's leather sofa was comfortable enough, Ted found he could not sleep. Mysteries tended to make him the worst kind of insomniac. Instead he switched on the TV and found himself watching a news broadcast about an apparent bomb blast in Miller Park. What was the world coming to these days? Fortunately no one had been hurt but authorities had yet to work out what type of explosives was used.


When the telephone rang next to him, it startled Ted enough to almost fall off the sofa. However, he recovered quickly and picked up the handset

"Sigrid?" He asked automatically, knowing it could only be her at this time of night.


"Hi Ted." She answered and he could tell from her voice that she had made a discovery.

"Did you find anything?" Ted questioned.

There was a slight pause. Clearly, Sigrid had found something. Even though he was not in the room with her, he could sense the apprehension in her manner.

"You were right to be suspicious Ted," she volunteered after a moment. "There is definitely something wrong with those animals."

"What?" His voice was almost a held breath. "Are they mutants or something?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said quietly. "Ted, the DNA suggest that they're not animals at all. They're human."

Anything he was going to say caught in his throat as another thought filled his reality.

Jesus. Guy.

*********

Following what Sigrid had learnt from the DNA sample and Booster's account of his encounter with the creatures over Miller Park, Ted decided to convene an emergency meeting of the Crusaders. Suddenly, the search for Guy had taken an unexpected turn. Although Ted did not voice it, a race against time had slid into motion. It was no longer a matter of simply finding Guy alive. It was about finding him human.

Instead of holding the meeting at Warriors, it seemed more expedient to hold the gathering at Booster's penthouse since most of the Crusaders were already present. Donovan Wallace who lived in the same area as most of Guy's students, was the last to arrive. As he entered the luxurious apartment through the balcony windows, with its panoramic view of New York City, he immediately noticed the tension in the air. It had taken a matter of minutes to fly across town in but somehow it did not feel soon enough. The rest of his colleagues seemed unusually grim and Booster appeared injured and was being tended to by Sigrid.

"What's happened?" Donovan asked immediately, forgoing the pleasantries.

"Take a seat," Ted gestured to an unoccupied lounge chair. "We'll get started." He replied quietly. More than ever, Ted wished Guy was here. Although he had been giving the orders during the last few days, Ted Kord was never comfortable with leadership. Such things came naturally to Guy who was super confident in most situations. Ted was comfortable with what he knew and it was now clear that the investigative part of this search was no more. Strategy was now required to map out their next moves and that was Guy's department.


Maybe they did need Batman.

In any case, he did not have time to argue the point right now. The faces staring at him needed reassurance. Beatriz in particular was having great difficulty maintaining her calm. Her fear for Guy was overwhelming her ability to function. Losing Tora had almost unhinged her and Ted dreaded to see what would result if they learnt they same about Guy. She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, biting nervously on her lip and her eyes met no one. Zatanna was similarly distressed but for different reasons. Ted sensed she knew something about the Arena but when he questioned her, she was as elusive as ever. Not until the others were here, she had replied.

"Most of you know that Beatriz, Zatanna, Booster and I went to the Arena tonight." Ted began. "As expected it was a private gambling operation. As Booster said, Vegas on the waterfront."

"Only thing missing was Robert Goulet." Booster remarked, flinching as Sigrid cleaned the bloody wound he had acquired during his battle with the bird creatures. She was wiping away the blood oozing from the laceration with some alcohol that was stinging the hell out of him. "That hurts." He complained.

"It must have been hell." Sigrid mumbled, ignoring his whining. "First those cheapskates couldn't afford Wayne Newton and now I'm killing you with treatment."


"Hey, you muscling in our act?" Ted retorted and offered Booster a glance to desist in the comedy until after the briefing. Although he appreciated Booster and Sigrid's attempt to lighten the mood, it seemed in appropriate at the moment. "There was also a fight between a cheetah and sabre tooth tiger."

"You're joking." Donovan exclaimed.

"I wish I was." Ted sighed. "This was an honest to god sabre tooth and both cats had to fight to the death."

"That's barbaric." Sigrid declared, looking up from Booster's injury.

"I agree." Ted nodded. "Unfortunately, to find Guy, we had to let the fight continue but there was something about their behaviour that was strange. I mean I've seen trained animals but nothing like this. It was like they knew what was expected of them and how they were meant to behave. The guy who was hosting the show, was in the cage with them and neither made a move towards him."

Ted went onto reiterate the events during the evening, including in the debriefing, Booster's encounter with the bird creatures over Miller Park and the results of the DNA test by Sigrid. No one spoke after the discovery that the creatures fighting in the Arena might have been human.

"That makes sense." Booster admitted. "Those things I saw were definitely ornithoid but they had human features. Although their instincts didn't seem calculated like the animals at the arena."

"I may have some answers." Zatanna spoke up finally. She had not wanted to speak of this until she was sure of her facts but it appeared now that speculation had become academic. She offered Ted a look of apology, hoping he understood why she had not spoken earlier. The incident had been one of the worst cases during her League career and she had tried hard to forget the horror what she had seen. To this day, she had never been able to shake the feeling that they had left things undone all those years ago.

Now she knew for certain that they had.

"We're dealing with an old League foe." She said finally.

"How do you know that?" Beatriz demanded rising to her feet. "We've come across no one to be able to make that determination."

Zatanna could sense her mood was fiery. However, Zatanna could not say any thing to make this any easier, on them or her. "Hear me out," she looked at the Brazilian. "Please."

Beatriz said nothing further and returned to her seat. Zatanna scolded herself at not having spoken earlier. Perhaps something could have been achieved out of her knowledge. However, she had not been sure until she reached the arena. After all, it was so long ago and the enemy had not be sighted or heard of in all that time. There was every reason to assume he was dead.

"I was only a League rookie when we came across this case." Zatanna began. "There was series of hi - tech robberies taking place all over the country. Metropolis, Central City, New York, you name it. It brought the attention of all the major players, Superman, Wonder Woman and even the Flash, not Wally but Barry Allen, the original. These half human-half animal creatures were carrying out the crimes. Superman got taken out by a human-whale creature that was the size of the actual animal, may be even larger. This was genetic manipulation on a scale we've never seen before." She replied.

"But that's impossible." Sigrid spoke up. "You can't merge the cells of two different species together. That kind of splicing is theoretical at best."

"Hello," Booster looked at her. "Our fearless leader, wherever he is, is case in point. His human and Vuldarian. I think it is safe to assume that it can be done even if you science guys had worked it out yet."

Sigrid looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I think you need some iodine on this."

"You just stay away from me with that stuff." Booster pulled away from her touch as she reached for the bottle of purple fluid that promised nothing but pain.

"Some superhero." Ted retorted and then gestured for silence to allow Zatanna the chance to continue.

"Thanks," Zatanna replied, still amazed by their ability to joke at the worst of times. "It was Firestorm that brought Reena to us." Zatanna still remembered Reena and wondered whatever became of that poor woman. "Reena was also a mutation, half cat, half human. She told us the whole story about how a company called Repli-Tech was going to be liquidated and its senior heads decided to save the company by conducting a series of burglaries to re-finance them. Repli-Tech was on the verge of fantastic discovery. I think you can guess what. The theory was, they would undergo the procedure, get enough money to save the company and at a later date, be returned to human form."

"A perfect getaway." Donovan remarked.

"Exactly," Zatanna agreed. "However, things did not work out that way."

"Why am I not surprised." Ted mused softly. "So what happened?"

"Once they were altered, most of them liked the new power and the abilities. They liked it so much that they felt that they were the pioneers of a New World order. The group began enlisting others, creating more and more of these, Ani-Men, if you like, until they had a small army. In addition to using burglary to finance their operation, they resorted to kidnapping humans and making them fight in an arena for a lot rich people to watch. The fights were usually to the death so you can imagine which group was the bulk of the casualties."

"Oh my god." Booster whispered, no trace of humour in his voice now. He remembered the carnage they had witnessed earlier that night and imagined how terrible a death that must have been to a defenceless human being.

"I was sent in to infiltrate the group." Zatanna continued. "I impersonated Reena to get to the leaders and the League went in, with Superman and Wonder Woman in assistance. We discovered they were based on an island off the Florida Keys. We destroyed the facility and discovered that the transformation process was flawed. The Ani-Men had believed that procedure was meant to create a hybrid of two species but they were wrong. The mutation was ongoing and that meant it would not stop until the original animal was turned into one or the other."

"So if the original species was human, they would turned into the creatures who DNA they were trying to emulate?" Sigrid inquired, trying to wrap her mind around the science of such a process.

"Exactly." Zatanna nodded grimly. "By the time we were involved, they had reached the tertiary stage of metamorphosis. During our battle with them, they began transforming completely into the animal half of the hybridisation."

"And Reena?" Booster asked. "What happened to her?"

"Reena disappeared." Zatanna said sadly. She had often consoled herself that Reena had returned to the wild and lived still. Except the part of Zatanna that saw the world beyond the mirror reflection of its existence, did not sense Reena's life force. Deep inside, Zatanna knew even if she did not like to admit it, Reena was dead and the other, the one who was so filled with power and hate, she sensed he was alive. "We saw some paw prints disappearing into the shore of the island but we found no sign of them, nor did we ever find the scientist responsible for the procedure. Lovecraft was his name."

"So it is very possible that the leaders may have escaped." Donovan declared.

"For weeks after that, we searched the island but all we ever found were what was left of the Ani-Men after the reversal. With Lovecraft gone, there was no way to change them back to their human form. We felt that it was best to leave them where they were. It's bad enough being a human trapped in an animal body but to locked in a zoo as well? We thought we were being merciful."

"Was Reena ever found?" Ted inquired. "I don't mean as herself but as an animal?"

"No," she shook her head. "Reena's genes were crossed with an ordinary domestic feline. If she had changed she would be a cat and we never found one." She paused a moment to remember Firestorm's face when they had found nothing. Reena had approached the young man first and they had formed a close friendship during the brief time of their acquaintance. "Firestorm was particularly sad about that. He and Reena were close."

"Ronnie?" Ted looked at her. Next to Booster, Ronald Raymond, aka Firestorm was one of his best friends. They had met during their tenure in Extreme Justice and had become close comrades during the group's short-lived existence. Ronnie had always seemed a little flighty and much too arrogant to display such depth. "Ronnie knew her?" He looked at Booster in surprise.

"Yes," Zatanna nodded, unaware that he and Firestorm were so close but then she and Ted had only been seeing each other for a month. "It was Firestorm that Reena first approached about getting help from the League."

"May be we should get him in on this." Booster suggested ."If these guys could take down Superman, then we'll need the extra power."

"What are we going to do about Guy?" Beatriz suddenly spoke up for the first time.

Ted gathered she would at some point. Considering what Zatanna had just told them about their enemy, the possibility that Guy might have been used a guinea pig for the mutation procedure was more than likely. If he were attempting to creature a superior animal, then Guy Gardner would have been the perfect candidate. Despite the alarm this would raise, Ted decided she had a right to know his suspicions.

"Sigrid," Ted turned to the Nordic woman, side stepping Beatriz's question for the moment. "You've had a chance to examine the Vuldarian gene haven't you?" He asked.

"Yes," Sigrid nodded. "Apparently, Guy's genes tend to surprise him with new abilities now and then. A few months ago, he was attacked by Major Force who injured him very severely."

"Major Force put a hole through him." Beatriz retorted. "What this about Ted?" She demanded impatiently.

"In a minute Bea," Ted replied. "So what happened?"


"His organs have the ability to spontaneously regenerate in the even of massive damage. Guy wanted to know what else he was capable of so he came in for some tests." Sigrid answered. "Why?"

"How accessible is it to mutation?" Ted asked softly, waiting for the outburst to come.

"Do you think they turned Guy into one of these animals!" Beatriz almost shouted. "How is that possible, he is Vuldarian!" She was almost hysterical at the possibility.

"Bea," Zatanna said to her after crossing the floor in a second. "You must calm down. If this is what's happened to Guy, you need to be strong for him. You're no good to us the way you are! The Ani-Men were in their hybrid forms for months before they reverted. If we find Guy soon, we have a chance to help him." Zatanna's voice had a measure of calm that most of the Crusaders found hard to ignore. She had more experience than most of them put together and there was a serenity about her that inspired others the same way. "The enemy who has him is dangerous and we must proceed carefully. Guy's life is at stake."

Beatriz took a deep breath and nodded, knowing in her heart that Zatanna was right. She was highly emotional and that was blocking her ability to think clearly. To help Guy, she had to trust in her friends that they knew was they were doing. "I'm sorry," she apologised. "Please continue Ted." She answered, her voice still shaky.

"Are you okay?" Ted inquired warmly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm terrified but I'm okay."

"Good," he offered her a smile and turned back to Sigrid. "Can they manipulate Vuldarian DNA?"

Sigrid considered the question. "I don't know anything about this procedure that Zatanna is talking about." She admitted. "I will have to consult the League computers and dig up whatever scientific information they have, to say for certain. However, for right now, I can tell you that Vuldarian DNA is excessively adaptive. If something foreign is introduced, the DNA accepts it and then adapts it to suit its purposes. It is one of the most densely coded strands of DNA in existence. Its even more complex than Kryptonian."

"So even in the worst case scenario, he'll be tough to mutate." Ted stated.

"Not necessarily," Sigrid interjected. "The Vuldarian gene will do whatever it can to remain dominant but you must remember, it is highly adaptive and that could be a disadvantage. Vuldarian genes are extremely aggressive and while it protects the body, its fault lies in its need to evolve. Foreign genes are not destroyed. They are assimilated. The Vuldarian genes extract anything it considers an improvement and incorporates them into its own DNA sequence." Sigrid had not meant to dampen their hopes for Guy's safety but she had to make them aware of the situation. In the event Ted was right and they were facing a worst case scenario, they had to be aware of the possibilities.

"So we'd better find him soon." Zatanna mused, knowing better on anyone what was at stake. "We'll need him when they come after us."

"Come after us?" Donovan looked at her.

"Yes," she nodded grimly. "The leader of the Ani-Men is no fool. Now that he is aware of our involvement, he'll attack and we better be ready for him."

"Who's him?" Booster inquired.

"Maximus." Zatanna said finally, reluctant to speak it as if the name had some power to harm her by simple utterance. "Rex Maximus."

II

Discovery was inevitable. He had known from the beginning that it was only a matter of time before the super humans became aware of his presence. Although he had hoped to stave off a confrontation for some months at least, it did not trouble him greatly at the current turn of events. The enemy, he believed, was never formidable. Their victory years ago, had come from the betrayal of one of his own and he was not likely to repeat that mistake again. However, he was unwilling to let the situation escalate any further and decided that it was time to take precautions, or at least delay them until he was prepared to face them on his own terms.

He reached across the heavy oak desk and activated the intercom device at the corner of the table. The desk was one of the few things he had managed to salvage from Repli-Tech after the company had fallen into liquidation. It was a reminder of another life, gratefully left behind for his ascension to godhood. Nevertheless, it was always good to remind oneself of the past, in order to avoid similar mistakes.

"Send Doctor Lovecraft in." He said in his low, rumbling voice. Even in this visage, he was weak to trappings of his corporate past. Instead, now he sat before his minions not as the former chairman of the board, but as their master. It was a most satisfying feeling.

Lovecraft entered the room a moment later. Unlike the others, Lovecraft did not cower in fear. The doctor's confidence came from the knowledge that the Master could not do without him. It pleased Maximus to let him believe that for now. The Doctor had been a useful ally in the past years. Despite his ruthless nature, Maximus did not permit himself to forget that loyalty. Therefore, Lovecraft was given liberties he afforded no one else.

"Doctor." He greeted. "Any news on our new acquisition?" He inquired.

Lovecraft had changed little over the years. He still remained human because it served the Master that he should. Lovecraft was their agent in the real world and his loyalty was assured. He was still a funny little man with his thick glasses and nondescript manner but he was rarely offensive and therefore tolerable, in Maximus' opinion.

"None." Lovecraft answered, adjusting his glasses as he stepped forward right up to the desk. "The experiment is rapidly getting out of control. Our strongest containment facility is starting buckle under the strain. The only way we can contain him is to continuously sedate him but the Vuldarian gene is already adapting to it. In a matter of days, it will make him immune to the sedation."

"Is he lucid?" Maximus inquired.

"No." Lovecraft shook his head. "We must have triggered some defensive mechanism inside him because he's almost in a state of berserker frenzy. I've never seen anything like it." Lovecraft did not add that at least five Alphas had been killed in various periods, trying to restrain the Vuldarian but he was certain nothing escaped Maximus. "His testosterone levels are rising well beyond tolerable levels. Eventually, it will kill him but not before he takes us with him."

"I see." Maximus said in silent contemplation. Initially, the idea had been a good one. Lovecraft had been toying with the idea of creating a new kind of Ani-Men, utilising one of the super humans as a test subject. Maximus had given him the opportunity with the Vuldarian Warrior. With his morphing abilities, Maximus had believed his genes would be pliable for what was required. Unfortunately, the experiment had been fraught with problems from the beginning and even Lovecraft's understanding of genetics could not match the intricacy that was Vuldarian gene splicing. His attempts to create a super human Ani-Man had ended in failure as the alien seed inside Guy Gardner would not be seceded by any other. However, the end result of so many conflicting genetic codes had created a time bomb awaiting critical mass.

And time was getting short.

"Turn him loose."

Lovecraft stared at Maximus in a mixture of astonishment and horror. "Rex, he will kill anything in his path. He's half insane by what we've done to him!"

Maximus smiled faintly. "Which is precisely why we will release him to his friends. They have interfered in our business in their attempts to find him. Let us be reasonable with them and return Gardner."

"But he's uncontrollable...." Lovecraft started to say. "He'll barely recognise them let alone keep from killing them."

"Needless to say, they will be far occupied with his recovery than they would by any continued interference of our affairs." Maximus leaned forward and the dim light of the room reflected off his amber coloured eyes. It was difficult to tell when Maximus was smiling, but judging from the gleam of his long white teeth, Lovecraft was confident enough to believe he was grinning widely.

"No questions Doctor," Maximus replied, his voice rumbling low enough to send shivers through Lovecraft's spine. "Release him. I'm sure it will be a memorable homecoming." He paused and then added almost as an afterthought.

"If any of them survive that is."