45

The Justice League was stretched thinly throughout the Five Boroughs. Particularly concentrated on Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Long Island, they hadn't the manpower to check on Nazi activities within Harlem and Manhattan. Fortunately, other brave souls were available to assist, however unwittingly, the JLU's efforts. And it was sheer chance that none of the New Reichsmen or Fourth Reich had gathered the strength to eliminate the population of Stryker's Island with an indiscriminate slaughter.

Other unofficial policies kept them from drifting north in Metropolis or across the river to Gotham City. But Per Degaton eagerly awaited the opportunities to do so once the Justice League was eliminated. The Mighty Crusaders and the Justice Society were also targets when the opportunity arose. But it seemed that an external force had engaged the Mighty Crusaders already so Degaton and Satan Girl watched the news channels with great expectations.

It seemed to the unofficial observers that New York City supported the Nazi initiative. Nearly half of New Yorkers condemned the Justice League's intervention. And even greater number wanted the conflict to stop, remembering past JLU exploits in the city and the damages they had caused. That resentment was particularly focused in Brooklyn where the former Hall of Justice resided. A stark majority of those polled gladly expressed the desire for the Hall to remain in National Socialist hands. Degaton launched his viral campaign to "Make America Great Again" with cunningly expert television, radio, and internet advertising.

Superman delighted Overman by fleeing from him. The Nazi superman laughed at the sight. But Superman returned moments later, having pilfered the safe for the led lined box Lois Lane had left him in her will. Knowing the pain that he would have to endure, Superman opened the box and pulled out Lex Luthor's kryptonite ring and slipped it on.

Judging by Overman's reaction, he'd never encountered kryptonite on Earth-10, "Vas? Nein! I cannot be so weak. What is this treachery?"

Superman knew his greater exposure had built up a tolerance for green kryptonite and he knew exactly how long it would take for him to suffer the same draining effects Overman now experienced. As Overman cowered before him, Superman used the ring to punch Overman with it.

It left burn marks where it contacted Overman's skin. Fortunately, the effect quickly made Overman succumb and he passed out between the radiation and Superman's blows. Superman desperately returned the ring to the lead box and clasped it shut again.

"That's yet another one I owe you, Lois," Superman acknowledged, choosing to ignore that Lois' corpse had been twisted beyond recognition as a Bizarro.

Barda volleyed shots at Overgirl. By her estimation, Overgirl was approximately half as powerful as her father, Overman. Barda clipped the mega wand back to her belt. And she was pleasantly surprised to discover that even harried and staggered, Overgirl remained an expert hand to hand fighter.

The Nazis had undoubtedly reasoned that Overgirl would be forced to defend herself far more readily than Overman thanks to her dual heritage. But Barda was the finest warrior on Apokolips or New Genesis despite whatever claims Steppenwolf or Orion might boast about.

Overgirl began to take serious punishment. She rallied to break free from Barda and fly away at super speed. But unlike her Kryptonian father, her diluted genes cut her speed in half. So Barda witnessed where Overgirl returned to. Barda made good her effort to approach the Hall of former Justice.

Wonder Woman faced a foe as dedicated and ferocious as herself. And Artemis loved every minute if it. But she began to believe her struggle with Brunhilde would only end in death.

At one time Artemis would have given her life to defeat such a foe. But since winning the mantle of Wonder Woman and meeting Steve Trevor, she was no longer eager to trade her life for a victory. But Brunhilde took that choice from her.

A winged horse descended from the heavens above and Brunhilde mounted it and flew away. Artemis wondered just what had happened but she thrilled that she would see Steve, as she now thought of him, again. But Artemis wanted to track Brunhilde down and finish it. So that won the mental and emotional argument. She would fulfill her duty as the Amazon Nation's ambassador to the world. Wonder Woman's winged sandals allowed her to fly, so she picked up Brunhilde's trail and set out for the Hall formerly of Justice.

John Stewart focused all of his tremendous willpower on the Martian's link to his mind. And Green Lantern broke that connection. And he nearly broke the Martian's mind through the psychic backlash. The unnamed Martian shook it off.

"It seems I was mistaken," with that, the Martian turned invisible.

GL scanned the area with his power ring and could not detect the Martian. He knew from experience with J'onn Jonzz that his ring ought to be able to determine where the Martian had gone if he were close by. But the only secure hiding place for the Martian to abscond to was the Hall of broken Justice.

"I'll be damned," John muttered. It seemed he would see Shayera Hol again and witness the birth of their son.

General Glory knew he wasn't outmatched by Leatherwing. But General Glory wouldn't employ potentially lethal moves like the Nazi would. So he determined to let Leatherwing wear himself down. After all, projecting enough power to kill an opponent on a sustained basis quickly wore the practitioner out.

Leatherwing soon realized what General Glory was achieving and he switched to a more conservative mode of fighting. But he was winded. He dropped smoke pellets reminiscent of Batman's and in the confusion got one last blow in. General Glory had at least the sense to expect such attack. So when the final killing stroke came, he rolled with it and it became a glancing blow. When the smoke cleared, Leatherwing was gone from sight. So General Glory assessed where he could have gone and determined that the Hall of National Socialism was the only true refuge in sight.

Underwaterman marveled at the fact Supergirl didn't need to breathe. So she was a perfect choice to pursue him underwater. But she couldn't match his phenomenal speed under the water's surface. So he diverted north towards Metropolis. When his echo location sense informed him Supergirl had been left far behind, he then redirected his path towards the Hall of National Socialism.

Supergirl broke the surface of the water and poured on the speed to reach the Hall first. She wasn't absolutely certain that it was Underwaterman's ultimate destination but Matrix assumed he'd arrive eventually. And when he arrived, Supergirl would settle up with Underwaterman.

"Here she comes," the camouflaged Gypsy warned Vibe.

He felt rather than saw the speedster's approach. And he erected a vibrational wall that Blitzen smashed into. He rattled the Nazi to the point her nose and ears bled. But he dropped the field and Blitzen was determined to finish the fight. Until Gypsy settled matters by first removing Blitzen's helmet and delivering the final blow.

"Where did you get the rolling pin?" Vibe asked the now visible Gypsy.

"A bakery one and half blocks away,": she told him, "They said that if I brought it back they'd display it as a trophy."

"Cool," Vibe was impressed, "Maybe we should sign it."

"We'd have to borrow a pen," Gypsy lamented, "They are so going to believe we're the least prepared heroes on the planet."

"They'll probably eBay it anyway," Vibe shrugged.

"Well, at least some good would come out of this," Gypsy hoped.

Volkssturm electrified every surface for half a block. Choosing to do so one direction at time. Atom, who was a mere three inches tall at that point, succumbed to the barrage. Volkssturm stymied by Atom's lack of reappearance built up a greater charge. But a green anvil the size of a VW Beetle dropped on him.

Green Lantern landed and used his ring to locate Atom," C'mon, Ray Fight this. I don't want to be the one to tell Jean you died."

Jean Loring was the only person beside Shayera that scared John. It made Jean the perfect lawyer but it was intimidating on a personal level. And Jean was almost fanatical in her devotion to people and causes. Her renewed attraction to her ex-husband was even more ardent then when they divorced over Jean's infidelity. Whoever she chose to blame for Ray's death would face an implacable foe. John was just glad Ray had gotten her to defend the JLU at the World Court.

Power Ring finally decided a good offense was just a damn good idea. Jessica Cruz unleashed her Ring of Volthoom's appetite. It struck Captain Murder psychically as well as physically. It plumbed her mind to obtain anything and everything she feared both from fancy and memory.

Knowing memory often served as the ring's primary choice to instill fear to feed off of, Jessica was sickened by the images replaying before Captain Murder. The imagery was so grotesque as insure Power Ring never slept well again.

And the ring misjudged Captain Murder. She didn't respond with fear but rather aggression. A frenetic display of pure wrath the Ring of Volthoom spoke to Jessica and informed her its power reserves were quickly waning. So Power Ring retreated and prayed Captain Murder didn't pursue her. Instead the ring led her to a den of cowering criminals the Nazis had thus far overlooked. And the Ring of Volthoom tormented them for its pleasure and recharging.

Master Race continued to pummel away at Atom Smasher with his force beams, attempting to topple the giant and then be in a position to overcome him. Atom Smasher took a blow underneath his chin and it finally sent him to his back. Knowing Master Race had been attempting to do so all along, he prepared for the worst.

But Master Race didn't capitalize on his minor victory. Atom Smasher shrank to a twenty foot height and stood up only to discover Master Race was nowhere to be found. And there was no explanation as to why.

Hourman made the Hun use his shield for defense as Rick Tyler rained blows down upon it. The Hun smashed the shield into Hourman and threw him down upon his back. And Hun simply walked away.

Hourman's Miraclo dose still had twenty minutes to it but the injuries he'd sustained in Detroit wore at him. So Hourman took several minutes to recoup some strength and then wandered off to find a fellow JLer. Hopefully one that could explain why the Hun didn't finish him off.

Dr. Demon pitted her science against Anna Fortune's sorcery. The magic happened to be winning. Anna could tell Dr. Demon had just received instructions she vehemently disagreed with. Anna cast her hold out spell. Every mechanical part of Dr. Demons body suddenly blew apart. Fortunately for both of them, Dr. Demon's major organs were biological.

"I'm truly sorry but I need you to answer questions," Anna stood over the smoking ruins of her foe.

"You've killed me," Dr. Demon bitterly laughed.

"No, I need you alive so alive you will stay," Anna waved a life support spell, "This is a necessity and not my preference."

Dr. Demon wondered which part of the situation Anna regretted.

Ace of Blades easily disarmed Shining Knight. Then she allowed him to regain his sword. Sir Justin was flummoxed on several counts. He had a broadsword and she had a saber. His sword should be able to break her blade. And she was a woman.

Sir Justin had developed into a women's advocate after his time with Tessa, before she reverted back to being Eve Aries, and with Goldilocks. But Ace of Blades was humiliating him despite his superior strength and experience. That, he found, was intolerable. He'd carve up every training dummy the Justice League could afford to hone his skills to beat this wench.

Ace of Blades saluted him with her sword, "You've been an entertaining distraction. Until we meet again, if you feel like dying."

She promptly stepped off of the field of battle. Which just insulted Shining Knight even more. He strode off to see where it was she was leaving to. And he would have satisfaction when he dueled her again.

The hostages Plastic Man liberated reported to the police they had no idea of what had happened. Laughing Skull had been doing just that when the light's went out and he began screaming. The NYPD had found Laughing Skull inside the warehouse tied up with a fire hose and babbling to himself.

Maggie Sawyer descended on the hub of the conflict. She ordered the various officers and detectives to release those criminals captured by the Justice League and then she issued warrants for the JLU's arrest. The JLers knew of Maggie's quest to capture and try Batman when she was Police Commissioner in Gotham City. But Superman felt he could reason with her in remembrance of her time as captain of the Metropolis SCU.

"Commissioner Sawyer I have to protest this farce," Superman told her.

"The law is the law, even for you," Sawyer replied.

"But we're deputized by the United Nations with universal jurisdiction over member nations," Superman tried to explain.

Sawyer laughed bitterly, "Who do you think these warrants were issued for? The UN wants your heads on a platter and I'm delivering," Sawyer advised him.

"Of course, we'll cooperate," John urged Superman.

"Is this all of you?" Sawyer asked.

Superman and Green Lantern knew it wasn't. John answered, "Yes, it is."

"Now we do the Miranda, but you know the drill don't you? Even though you pretend there isn't one," Sawyer snorted.

"What happened to you, Maggie?" Superman asked.

"You happened," she literally spat at his feet, "And my husband finding out about my girlfriend and getting sole custody of our daughter in the divorce. And then when I moved to Gotham she left me too."

"How is any of that my fault?" Superman asked.

"Until you showed up the revolving door of freaks and world calamities never came to Metropolis," Sawyer told him, "All we had was Intergang and that was bad enough."

But Superman knew the meteoric rise in meta-humans had been underway since the Thirties beginning with the Justice Society and their foes.

The quartet of Power Girl, Black Mary, Stargirl, and STRIPE continued their struggles against the Fourth Reich. In terms of power and training they were near equals. But the foursome lacked the sheer savage nature of the Nazis.

Power Girl tested Captain Nazi's mettle before testing his resolve. She took note of his blinded left eye and pressed her right handed advantage. But when she punched him and a glass eye popped loose it cost her a blow to her own jaw.

She recognized the moment he chose to take a hostage from the streets below. And as he dove, she followed preparing to pull his arm off of his body if need be to liberate said hostage. But he arced away and flew level with streets off to a still unknown location. But she strongly suspected he'd been recalled to the Hall of National Socialism to further Degaton's bidding.

Black Mary continued to face down Madame Libertine. Libertine had been Mary Marvel's first foe. And Madame Libertine, once so young, hadn't aged well. But Black Mary knew festering hatred could consume a mind, body, and soul. Not that that was a necessary component to enter Hell if Mary's trip there proved anything. The seeming inequity of it all drove Mary Batson to keep her demon derived powers because it ultimately seemed futile not to.

But with a look of disgust, Madame Libertine flew at her maximum speed away from Black Mary. So Black Mary decided to discreetly follow and learn what had changed. She also wanted to maximize whatever changes had been wrought.

Baron Blitzkrieg was on one knee coughing up blood after Stargirl's Cosmic Rod barrage. She handed him his metal mask. But she kindly didn't stare at him in horror regarding the disfigurement the burns had caused. Baron Blitzkrieg was infuriated that the gottverdammt Stargirl had so easily bested him. Her compassion would now prove to be her undoing.

He smashed his fists into the concrete and the blow shattered the pavement and unbalanced Stargirl. But even deprived of her accursed Cosmic Rod, her Cosmic Convertor Belt allowed her to continue to plague him with stellar energy bursts. His orders to recall had never been so welcome in his long life.

After Baron Blitzkrieg flew off, Courtney reached out her hand and absentmindedly summoned the Cosmic Rod. So it flew into her hand. She wondered when she'd developed that trick but shrugged it off. Stargirl felt bad for Baron Blitzkrieg. According the JSA the man was over one hundred years old and here he was, dumb enough to keep fighting her.

"Guess I should find STRIPE and try not to blow up Mike's toy this time," Stargirl advised herself.

Mike Dugan was getting annoyed. Of course, Baroness Blood's steel tipped whip wasn't actually striking him but she was chinking of pieces of the STRIPE unit's armor. Mike himself was still located in his command pod located at the K-Star Ranch. And at the moment, he had STRIPE's audio pickup disabled so he could confer with the JSA's AI, Roxy.

"This is stupid at best," Mike told an avatar of Roxy's.

"So explain it to her," Roxy was tapped into the feed being received by the command pod.

"Damn straight I will," Mike's words were laced with frustration.

STRIPE amplified Mike's voice, ":You aren't hurting anything. Stand down before I put you down."

"Coward!" Baroness Blood spat, "Come out of your metal shell if you dare."

"This is a mechanized unit," Mike explained via STRIPE, "All I have aboard are weapons packages."

STRIPE's gun and missile ports opened and several released, "Get my meaning?"

"Mein Gott!" Baroness Blood exclaimed.

"Here's a taste, sweetie," STRIPE's concussion blaster fired several volleys. Baroness Blood was knocked out by the kinetic equivalent of a bowling ball to the head, "Stee-rike!"

Power Girl joined Stargirl in a landing beside STRIPE.

"Good job, Mike," Power Girl congratulated him.

"Not bad for a weenie," Stargirl teased her stepbrother.

Black Mary alighted next to them, "Who's the blonde bimbo?"

"Hey! Take it easy on us blondes," Stargirl protested. Even Power Girl looked mildly annoyed.

"It wasn't aimed at you two," Black Mary defended herself.

"But it should've been," STRIPE stated.

"You want me to blow you up again?" Stargirl asked.

"Um…no," STRIPE said meekly, "But Roxy is chewing my ear off about the cops."

Several squad cars pulled up and officers got out and aimed weapons at them.

"Well, this is fun," Stargirl groused.

"Put you hands in the air and prepare to be arrested," the ranking office told them, "Don't resist."

"You haven't seen us resist yet," Power Girl angrily replied.

"And especially don't look at this," Stargirl's Cosmic Rod strobe flashed their eyes and the foursome flew off.

"What the hell was that all about?" Black Mary asked.

"Roxy says the NYPD has received orders from the police commissioner to arrest everyone. But she also admits the NYPD is releasing the Nazis and detaining anyone remotely connected to the JLU," STRIPE explained

"Great, now we're fugitives even at home," Stargirl grumped.

"So what do we do?" Black Mary asked.

"We get some advice from people that have already gone through this mockery of justice before," Power Girl diverted and set course for the K-Star Ranch, "We need to talk with the Justice Society."

"Cool! I need to talk with Cassie and M'gann anyway," Stargirl enthused.

"Arrowette dropped by too," STRIPE informed her, "Conner and Cassie are putting together a new group to be called Young Justice."

"Their teachers are allowing it?" Power Girl asked.

"It'll be a training unit," STRIPE informed her, "The JSA will monitor and supervise their activities."

And everyone recalled Mike had been in a military academy before running away to be with father and his new family.

The former members of the Justice League Antarctica also fought Nazi adherents and collaborators. Some despite their own pasts. Killer Frost found herself confronting Hachiman and Firebug. And momentarily she couldn't remember why. The petty crooks the two threatened didn't mean anything to her.

Sure the twentysomething pretending to still be a teenager looked rather yummy in a school girl uniform kind of way but as Hachiman's energy sword sliced its way through ice barrier after ice barrier, Killer Frost was tempted to let the thieves take their lumps.

But Godiva had seen through her veneer. Dorcas Leigh had seen Louise Lincoln and fallen in love with her. And frankly, Killer Frost wasn't sure the sex could ever be beaten. That inspired Killer Frost to redouble her efforts.

Instead of focusing on worthless barriers, she froze the sword's handle. Hachiman had to drop it to avoid frostbite. And out of his grip, the blade was no longer energized. A rather Lashina turn of events. So she froze over the sword itself. Killer Frost intensified the cold to hundreds of degrees below zero and the steel making up the blade cracked and shattered.

"Oops," Killer Frost pretended to be sorry.

Hachiman looked as enraged as he felt.

"You're going to stroke out," Killer Friost advised him, "Lemme help you with that."

And she created a cylindrical prison made of ice.

"Now that chump change is out of the way," Firebug ignited his flamethrower. Killer Frost rolled her eyes at the Firefly wannabe.

Firebug turned the flamethrower on Hachiman's prison. Killer Frost wondered just how stupid he was, "You'll fry him."

"He'll live and he'll blame you," Firebug promised.

So that's how stupid he really was. Killer Frost froze the fuel tank on Firebug's back until cracked and leaked gasoline. Sparks hit the fuel and ignited it.

"What the hell?" Firebug furiously put himself out and then glared at her, "You!"

"Me!" Killer Frost riposted.

He shrugged off his ruptured fuel tank and pulled the fire axe out of the harness on his back. She froze his feet in a block of ice and the blade of the axe as well. When he attempted to shatter the ice with the axe, the blade shattered.

"Y'know, this Justice League shit is hard work but being creative keeps it amusing," Killer Frost patted Firebug's rebreather mask.

Baron Blitzkrieg developed super strength, speed, and the ability to fly because of his unlocked psionic powers. His great-granddaughter had only mastered speed. But under his tutelage she was developing enhanced strength. So when Lady Flash confronted her, she wasn't worried about the struggle to come.

Unlike him, Baroness Blitzkrieg couldn't blend the powers together. She was either all speed or she was super strong. But her endurance had doubled since her last defeat at the hands of the Flash and the Justice Society. She'd heard of Lady Flash but she knew Ivanka Christina Borodin Molotova as a Russian agent not a costumed superhero.

The Blitzkrieg estate had hired one of the greatest private intelligence firms in the word. And the Global Concern typically kept the baron updated concerning meta-human developments. Christina had been a member of Blue Trinity under Putin. When term limits forced Putin to step down as president, Medvedev had traded roles with him. Now Medvedev was president and Putin was prime minister. And Col. Molotova had killed the rogue members of Blue Trinity rather than bring them in for experimentation.

Putin wanted Christina's head and he was rarely denied. But Medvedev defied his mentor on this one issue. Christina came to America and eventually became known as Lady Flash. And she'd seemingly been a villain with the Injustice League but seemed to be opposing Degaton's forces here. Which meant she opposed Baroness Blitzkrieg.

The question she had was Putin undoubtedly knew Christina was Lady Flash. So why had he acquiesced to Medvedev's position on this matter? Putin would undoubtedly win the next two terms as president before having to stand down again. But Medvedev seemed chosen to replace him when he grew too infirm to effectively rule Russia.

Was Medvedev's defiance being rewarded? The Duma had reversed political roles and now the prime minister was the more powerful of the two. And when Putin was reelected, the presidency would assume the senior role again.

Baroness Blitzkrieg recalled what basic information the Global Concern had delivered on post-Russia Christina Molotova. She was a Velocity 9 junkie but her electrostatic charge building was red rather than a Velocity 9 derived blue. And Lady Flash was pacing her but a Velocity 9 user could have easily caught Baroness Blitzkrieg. Especially one chemically endowed to tap the Speed Force.

Of course, Lady Flash wasn't as fast as Jessie Quick. Nor the elder Flash. And certainly not the younger Flash. She was barely as fast as Baroness Blitzkrieg herself. So what were her endurance limits? That was the question Baroness Blitzkrieg intended to find out.

They covered every street and highway in and out of New York City. Traversing north to Metropolis and south to Gotham City, they ran until it seemed neither one of them could run any further. But Baroness Blitzkrieg still had a surprise in mind as she channeled all of her remaining mental energy into her muscles.

"Now you die," she advised Lady Flash.

And Lady Flash respond with a high speed phoenix punch to the throat, moving even faster than Baroness Blitzkrieg's enhanced perception could track.

"Urk!" Baroness Blitzkrieg gasped for air and struggled to breathe through her closing throat.

"And I could have caught you at the very beginning but I wanted to wear you out so we could have this precious moment," Lady Flash advised her.

And Baroness Blitzkrieg finally recognized the ruthlessness that allowed Christina to kill her fellow Blue Trinity teammates.

Valentina Vostok was alarmed as Captain Nippon tore through every barrier and obstacle she materialized to fend off the Japanese warrior. Finally she dropped a series of increasingly large and dense anvils on his head. The last one was bigger than a metro line bus. And he finally stopped twitching much less resisting.

Valentina converted everything back to the nitrogen she'd drawn from. Then she applied her physicist brain to devise restraints Captain Nippon couldn't break out of. Afterwards she flew away still reveling in the fact she could fly now.

Despite Red Death's gas obviously affecting mammalian life, Insect Queen betted that it wouldn't harm insects. So first she summoned swarms of ants. Followed by cockroaches. Next came the flies. And finally, an army of spiders assembled itself and crawled all over him liberally applying their venomous bites if they had any.

Red Death screamed as her friends covered him. A few tragically died entering his mouth as he screamed. Insect Queen promised herself to honor their sacrifice later on. Insect Queen briefly wished she had Tefe Holland's powers over fauna. A million rats thrown into the mix would change Red Death's perspective.

Red Death continued screaming as he ran into the NYPD's embrace. She called everyone off and let the police deal with Red Death. But despite his murders, Red Death was escorted back to the Hall of National Socialism. But the officers who took him away ignored Insect Queen's presence and "forgot" to mention her in their official reports later that day.

Tefe could control both plants and animals. So after dodging Iron Fist's metal hand a few times, Tefe decided to call in reinforcements. She was downtown in the Bronx so her plant life options were severely limited. But she got the spring blooms to pollinate like mad causing Iron Fist's eyes to water and nose to run.

Then she called in rats from the sewers. Thousands of rats in a furry and a living wave that swarmed over Iron Fist. And then pigeons came in and pecked at Iron Fist before defecating on him. Iron Fist fled back to the Hall formerly of Justice. He was observed by rats and birds alike. Door mice informed her of his entrance into the hall.

Tefe thanked her newfound friends and protectors. Then she set out to follow Iron Fist's path. Rats flanked her as an escort even as a cloud of birds sheltered her from above. Sea gulls flew in to join the overwatch. And Tefe wondered if her so-called "team" would reunite.

Silver Sorceress quickly realized that Faye Morgana was a barely adequate enchantress. But her telekinesis formed the bulk of her "magic" and it was second to none. So Faye slammed Silver Sorceress around while throwing every conceivable kind of object at her. Once Faye had battered Silver Sorceress into near unconsciousness, she used her primary magical ability and used illusions to escape scrutiny and vanished.

Silver Sorceress managed a healing spell before picking up Faye's trail. But more was damaged than Silver Sorceress' pride. So Faye managed to complete her journey before her opponent could attempt to stop her.

Blue Jay managed to dodge a quarrel fired off by Crossbow. And then he dodged another. And another before resuming his human stature and pulling Crossbow's namesake weapon out of his hands and clubbing the Nazi over the head with it several times.

Then Blue Jay flew over to where Silver Sorceress had been left by Faye Morgana and he stood vigil over her while she healed. When that process concluded they found themselves being detained by the NYPD. A fact which neither of them found amusing.

But they went along with the farce only to discover their fellow JLA teammates were also rounded up along with the JLers. Everyone was crammed into the same cells regardless of affiliation. But the Nazis had been released and it seemed that Barda and Wonder Woman were missing from the party. A development which heartened the JLers but went unnoticed by the JLAers.

The Web Agents dealt with the Neo Nazi Korpsmen. Buster dealt with Scarlet Skull and Rubberman as Rubberman played at being Scarlet Skull's bodyguard. Buster's great-grandfather had served in WWII and helped liberate a Nazi death camp.

He'd described the conditions to her including the health, or utter lack thereof, of the Jews interned there. So Buster had a great deal of antipathy for Nazis or their ilk. Degaton might not be planning to build extermination camps but then again he might. Buster wasn't about to let anyone foster the idea if she could beast it out of them.

Buster ejected the spent clip of rubber bullets. They hadn't worked against Rubberman anyway. Scarlet Skull had been pelted though. He was struggling just to breathe much less function. Buster recalled the information the FBI and the CIA had briefed the Web Agents on Scarlet Skull and his followers. Scarlet Skull was a Nihilist.

He believed that once a social or political system began to fail the only recourse was to collapse and/or destroy the system and began again with a new untested system or structure. So in many ways, Scarlet Skull espoused a form of anarchy. But unlike Anarky, he didn't wish the world to remain locked in an chaotic state but wanted the strongest man available to rule. And Scarlet Skull had apparently chosen Degaton to be that ruler.

Buster began to retreat as Rubberman marched on her. She attached limpet mines to a car door as she passed by it. Remotely detonating the bombs she was rewarded with a scream from Rubberman. Apparently his rubberized skin could be torn, perforated or burnt. And the limpet mines had done all of the above. He began his retreat away from Buster.

"No, you fool! Stand our ground," Scarlet Skull admonished him. The Skull required a van to lean against but he was on his feet again.

Buster attached a round ball to the end of her rifle. Firing it, the muzzle flash ignited the launch sequence. The ball roared to life and it separated into twin halves. A net with weighted bolo balls on it wrapped around Scarlet Skull as he attempted to take aim at Buster. Rubberman fled while Scarlet Skull was knocked to the ground by the weight of the net and its lead balls.

"Y'know, you look like a comic book villain from a series that's been going since World War 2. He was Nazi too," Buster remarked.

"Go to hell," Scarlet Skull growled.

As the NYPD arrived Buster got into an argument about jurisdiction. Since he'd attacked a federal agent, Buster argued that made him a federal prisoner. DA Elizabeth "Betty" Bates agreed but the mayor was looking at opinion polls and Degaton was riding a crest of popularity amongst voters and the mayor was looking at a difficult reelection. So riding Degaton's coattails looked like an easy win.

Buster reported in to Gen. Latham and he vowed to throw everything at the city of New York. Especially since he had the District Attorney on his side. In many more ways then Latham could have predicted. Betty Bates moonlighted as a masked vigilante much in the way Kate Spencer had as Manhunter. But the mayor was blocking her at every turn.

Silver didn't waste any time taking down Sinhart. She was fast, efficient, and decidedly brutal. Sinhart lay face down on the concrete with his arm twisted in an unnatural bend.

"Darlin', can't we talk `bout this?" he asked.

"Sure," she twisted his arm out of socket and he screamed.

"Keep singing sunshine. You have three more ball and socket joints," Silver advised him.

Condor rarely worked alone. Sinhart was his usual partner and Scarlet Skull was the mastermind who planned their moves for them. So confronted by an enraged Wild Bill, he simply surrendered.

"You pussy," Wild Bill snorted as he handcuffed Condor. But the NYPD released him and even drove him back to the Hall of misappropriated National Socialism. Afterwards federal prosecutors handed indictments against the mayor and police commissioner for the NYPD asserting jurisdiction over federal prisoners at gunpoint.

Fritz von Straff may have touted himself as the new Blue Beetle but the scarab wasn't fully manifesting it power in von Straff, Rowdy watched as Blue Beetle bounced all around in an acrobatic procession of maneuvers that actually impressed the Web Agent. He even had to dodge two aerial attacks.

Finally he drew his sidearm and shot Blue Beetle in his bulletproofed chainmail. That knocked Blue Beetle down. He rose again to threaten Rowdy. But a second bullet above the bridge of his nose impacted the chainmail where it came to affix to his goggles. Blue Beetle was still out cold when the NYPD arrived and forcibly removed the prisoner.

Rowdy almost shot them for taking his hard won prisoner. Especially after overhearing two of the uniformed officers discussing the fact every Nazi collected by the city that day was being driven to, and released at , the Justice League's former headquarters at the mayor's insistence. No murder charges were being files.

Rad mentally summarized what he'd learned about Brick Bat thus far. The man wasn't overly skilled, just overly annoying. But he wore body armor everywhere…including his head despite the ridiculously large bat ears protruding from it. But Rad had spotted a deficiency in Brick Bat's armored array.

He simply shot the man's foot. And despite a plate of Kevlar strapped to the tongue of his boot, the bullet punctured it and broke Brick Bat's toes.

"I give up!" he shrieked. Rad clubbed him in the head with his rifle butt anyway. Just in time for the NYPD to arrive to "rescue" him from police brutality.

Panther had developed a cat-like form of Kung Fu. Jump relied on two truncheons. After several engagements, Panther was limping and his forearms and shins were bruising.

"Want more?" Jump asked as he resumed his ready stance.

"You'll never hold me," Panther promised.

"Let's wait and see," Jump retorted.

But the NYPD came and screwed the deal.

Brew rounded Porcupine without nearing the man's quills. And he found Porcupine could throw some of them. So he lobbed a concussion grenade to either side of the spiky foe. The blast knocked most the Porcupine's quills off and rendered him unconscious. The NYPD congratulated him on rendering Porcupine touchable and then hauled him off only to free him.

Red Knight joined Death Mask in facing down Gunny. He put down Death Mask rather quickly but Red Knight's armor made him a tougher opponent. Tough enough that Gunny inserted a rocket grenade into his rifle barrel and shot it at Red Knight's feet. The resultant explosion tore armor off of Red Knight.

Gunny checked the fallen man's vitals to insure he'd live. Gratified that he would he then faced the harsh reality of his prisoner being taken away.

The sergeant accompanying the patrolmen offered some advice, "You didn't have anywhere to hold him anyway besides a standing agreement with Stryker's Island. And we'd pull jurisdiction there anyway."

As the NYPD departed, four hover bike riders approached on Web Agency hover bikes. He had to ask, "Who are you supposed to be anyways?"

"I'm Easy Rider and we're the Posse," the self appointed leader announced.

"Right," Gunny deadpanned rather than laugh or argue.

Vicenhammer was the last member of the Korps and he swung his massive sledge one handed. The other hand was a mechanized vise. Big Daddy was kept off balance and the oldest Web field agent was running on empty. Big Daddy openly stared as Easy Rider, Pinata, Italian Ice, and French Fry circled Vicenhammer.

Using the bikes' ability to flip through the air and be rotated to a cushioned landing, each Posse member did so and targeted Vicenhammer with the on board tasers. He was put down in seconds.

Gunny joined Big Daddy, "You know we have to take the bikes away. They're two to three years away from a Learner's Permit."

"They got it done when we were faltering," Big Daddy argued on the Posse's behalf.

"They're just kids," Gunny retorted.

"And they stole the bikes," Wild Bill joined the discussion.

"Every gang in New York will want them to join," Big Daddy argued.

"More reason to end it now," Silver said as she approached.

"Hell, they'd make the perfect undercover agents," Rad offered to the discussion.

"And judging by the hurried whispers in their camp, they like the idea," Rowdy shared.

"I'm for it," Jump offered.

"I'll run it by Latham," Buster offered, "Meanwhile gather them up and the bikes back at our equipment depot. But whatever Latham decides, we also need to get the parents' permission."

"Add a gratuity and most of their parents in these neighborhoods will agree," Silver stated.

"Noted," Buster watched as Big Daddy explained what would happen next to the Posse.

Shieldmaster and Flag Bearer led Marvel, the younger Web, Captain Flag, and even Yank to their motel rooms. Web was incredulous, "No one notices you in costume?"

"There's a comic con going on," Flag Bearer grinned.

"My neighbors just thought I worked a niche restaurant," Jane Raymond explained.

Shieldmaster sat his shield on the bed and unmasked to be Dusty Madigan again. Denise did the same. Web joined them. Captain Flag and Marvel didn't budge.

"Join the revolution, guys," Jane chided them.

"The Marvel has never been unmasked and Captain Flag undoubtedly has his own reasons," Dusty offered.

"Yeah, they're stink weeds," Denise complained.

"So how did you get to be a Web?" Dusty asked Jane.

"My uncle is the original Web. I stole the moniker `cause my parents were dead and I thought he was too much of a dick to care," Jane explained, "Turns out out he never knew I was alive because of the shit Grams pulled."

Marvel audibly groaned.

"So is he an Asian in disguise?" Denise asked.

"Korean," Jane corrected her, "And no, he and dad were whitebread through and through."

"So why have you tracked us down?" Dusty inquired.

"You were the original Shield's sidekick. Your shield was forged out of the same material as his armor. When he vanished you retired despite coming of age. Now you're back in action and interested parties want to know why," Captain Flag informed him.

Dusty frowned, "You're well informed."

"You also know the current Shield," Marvel added.

Denise blushed, "Um…yeah. So?"

Jane realized the Shield legacy affected both father and daughter. And Denise was undeniably attracted to Joe Higgins.

"How do you know any of this?" Dusty was neutral.

"The government has observed you for two decades waiting to see if the original Shield would contact you," Marvel informed them, "In fact, the new MLJ Initiative agency sent us here today."

"The MLJ runs the Mighty Crusaders the way the DoD ran the American Crusaders," Dusty realized, "That's why you're here. To recruit us to the Mighty Crusaders. Sorry, not interested."

"Dad!" Denise hissed at him.

"Yes and no," Captain Flag corrected Dusty's assumption, "The MLJ sent us to recruit you but to a third branch of the MLJ. A unit tasked with accomplishing necessary outcomes deemed too small to send the Mighty Crusaders to accomplish them. We also act as a reserve unity to assist the Mighty Crusaders should they be overwhelmed by a situation or foe."

"We could help Joe," Denise practically implored her father.

"It's never that simple," Dusty warned her.

Jane surveyed the fact Denise was knee deep in smit over Joe Higgins.

"You know Joe will need our help and we can still tackle bad guys just our size," Denise turned to Marvel, "Otherwise he wouldn't be here."

"Denise has a crush on Joe Higgins," Dusty sighed.

"We hadn't noticed," Jane said dryly, "Really."

"She's the reason you're back in uniform,' Captain Flag finally reasoned it out.

"I'm trying to keep her from getting killed," Dusty admitted.

"Then join. She'll have an entire team watching her back for her," Captain Flag made the pitch again.

Jane found it curious the Marvel was staying largely silent.

"I'll tell you why I joined," Marvel broke that silence, "I get complete access to the MLJ's resources and complete autonomy. I'm only here because I agreed to be here. The MLJ had no power to coerce me into any action I deem unnecessary."

"Ditto," Captain Flag admitted.

"I joined to keep doing this costume thing without my uncle building an island prison somewhere to keep me off the street," Jane confessed.

"Could he really do that?" Denise was surprised.

"He's an effin' billionaire with the bank roll to prove it. He makes his own rules or buys off the rule makers," Jane huffed.

Captain Flag face palmed.

"No, she's right," Marvel counseled him, "John Raymond his been a societal maverick since coming into his inheritance."

"Which I'll remind you stiffed my dad," Jane grated.

"Oh, my effin' God! You're that Raymond family," Denise could hear her father admonishing her language.

"Yup, surprise," Jane replied, "I know I was."

"Dad, we have to do this," Denise pleaded with him, "Remember what it was that made you the 'Boy Detective' and you followed the Shield to hell and back."

"Who was secretly Roger Higgins, Joe's uncle," Marvel added.

"You never told me that!" Denise swatted Dusty's arm.

"I never told anyone," Dusty stared at Marvel. Denise had come to Dusty already wearing a costume and branding a flag pole cut into a bo staff. And she simply told him her plans to travel the country and do good where she could. Which completely sounded like he did when he left home to find the Shield and become his partner.

Denise was far too much like her father to let her run around unaccompanied. But unlike Dusty, Denise wanted to settle down and bed Joe and begin a lifelong romance with him. Something that would be extremely difficult for Joe to do regardless of how strongly he wanted to. If he even wanted to.

Of course, Denise's motives went far beyond merely impressing the Shield. If it were that simple he could quench her desire. He had before when she was in the "bad boy" phase and brought home boys he disapproved of. And his invariably being proven right had earned him her confidence. But Denise wanted to make a difference in people's lives. It wasn't ego but he'd spent her entire life training her to be a superhero in the name of defense.

And he'd reared her on stories of the Shield of America and Dusty the Boy Detective. So in a very real sense he'd created Flag Bearer and now he was trying to stop her from blossoming. Dusty decided then he wouldn't deprive Denise of her dream or her chance to fulfill it. But he would stick around to help her from making mistakes he had and they'd cost him dearly.

"Okay, we'll sign up," Dusty agreed. Denise threw her arms around him, "This group got a name?"

"The Shadow Crusaders," Captain Flag said, "You may want to settle up with the front desk and pack up as well. Afterwards, you'll need to be masked again."

Denise packed while Dusty checked out. He called the car rental agency and reminded them he'd paid extra to leave the car anywhere and they'd pick it up. After locking the keys inside the vehicle and he masked up and retrieved his shield and his suitcase.

"So what happens next?" Shieldmaster inquired.

"Now we try not to puke," Web told him.

Captain Flag reentered carrying Yank on his arm, "Web, do the honors."

"MLJ, lock on and teleport all life signs." Web hoped she sounded poised.

"Teleport?" Flag Bearer asked.

"Also known as the Vomit Comet," Web told her a split second before the teleporter grabbed them.

Domino's "game" continued spread across Manhattan. The Mighty Crusaders had teleported into Times Square but were now spreading across the island. They had no idea Domino was directing the members of the Evil Brain Trust dispatched by the Global Concern on Brain Emperor's behalf.

Local assets had deployed quadcopter drones fitted with cameras and Domino directed the vantage points to enable her to see every conflict no matter where it had spread to. And the sheer number of drones allowed Domino to obtain multiple vantage points.

Bluetooth technology paired with satellite receiver gave Domino the ability to be in each contestant's ear and in their brains in a manner of speaking. Some, like the Eliminators were resistant. Others were far more complaint as Domino waged her game of gladiatorial chess against unwitting pawns. But taking the chess analogy further, she wanted a chance to strike out at Jack Latham, the general who served as MLJ Director.

Shield led Mighty Man to the pump house in Central Park. They'd been candidates for the Shield program together in the CRUCIBLE Project. But like so many, too many really, candidates washed out of the Shield selection, Mighty Man had received experimental treatments to transform him into a potential; super soldier. But like Mann-X, Maxx-13, American Shield and others, Mighty Man had gone rogue.

The only fortunate part of the sad affair was that the exit made by the renegades had crippled CRUCIBLE's operations. The development records of the nanite technology that had transformed Lt. turned Sgt. restored to Lt. and promoted to Capt. Joe Higgins had also been utterly destroyed. Much to Brain Emperor's dismay. And Joe's own father had been the developer building off of Claire Connelly's work before she disappeared beside her husband, Booster Gold.

Joe's dad ended up inside a tesseract dimensional portal and guarded the United States' greatest secrets. Much to the chagrin of Joe's uncle, Gen. Marian Higgins. Gen. Higgins had created the so called massacre Joe had been blamed for and busted back to sergeant. A rank the officer had never held. But Higgins sought to use the episode to control the Shield and the project called for enhancing an enlisted man in order to produce a more compliant soldier.

But Latham inherited the Shield as soon as the CRUCIBLE Project's work succeeded. But Gen. Higgins continually interfered and tried to manipulate Joe against Latham. A move which nearly cost Higgins his career and he was sidelined after the CRUCIBLE fiasco. Higgins subsequently vanished and rumors told a story of Higgins aligning himself with both Gen. Sam Lane and the Global Concern.

But none of that was on the Shield's mind as he faced Mighty Man. Domino had wondered why Shield led Mighty Man across town to a park. Not any park but the park. Her curiosity grew and Shield stripped the electrical conduits bare. She thought Shield meant to trick Mighty Man into the water and use the electrical mains to zap Mighty Man.

And she told him as much. So Mighty Man edged away from the water and prepared to attack Shield safely on dry land. He moved swiftly and held Shield's hand that gripped the electrical mains so that it wouldn't make contact with him. But both Mighty Man and Domino wondered why Shield grinned.

"Gotcha," Shield said as he placed his other hand on Mighty Man's forehead. And then Shield's armor was liberated from containing the charge building in its riot control stunner. Central Park's power grid amplified the usual jolt and Mighty Man screamed but the electrical circuit formed between him and Shield made it so he couldn't break away. Not until he passed out and Shield interrupted the power surge.

Park visitors had gathered to see what the awful commotion was about. But seeing Shield and his patriotic regalia they recognized him as a Mighty Crusader. Cheers met Shield as he laid Mighty Man out and pulled the electrical cables free to wrap Mighty Man in them. Shield estimated there was enough copper in them to insure Mighty Man couldn't break free.

Domino was stunned by Shield's ingenuity. And now realized why Joe Higgins had succeeded where so many other candidates had failed. She appreciated the challenges he would provide.

Black Hood approached a working skyscraper that was occupied while the final five upper floors were nearing completion. But he happily discovered the service elevator rose to the roof itself. Chromium followed and learned the passenger cars were programmed to stop six floors from the roof. So he had to waste further time getting the freight elevator to his location and then explored each floor at a time until he arrived on the roof.

Chromium began to wonder just what was Black Hood's strategy. The five lower floors were primed for ambushes. Yet the masked hero didn't engage him. And judging by the complete lack of footprints in the ever present dust, he'd never been to any of them.

But the roof was completed and except for a helipad and a crane, it was also seemingly deserted. And then the crane came to life and swung its hook at Chromium. Which he easily dodged but was left wondering when he reach the control cab just what Black Hood was playing at.

Looking about, Chromium realized the fire hose had been played out. At that point he had to wonder if Black Hood was reliving some twisted Die Hard fantasy. He thought he'd play along as Domino's quadcopters reached the roof. He looked over the edge to find a loose hose but no body attached to it. And the glass seemed intact beneath him. And then he heard it.

Black Hood chambered his shotgun, "Miss me, Guppy?"

"Was that supposed to be clever?" Chromium asked.

"Nope, just distracting," Black Hood had apparently advanced as far as he was willing to. And he fired. Chromium expected to be annoyed by buckshot pellets when a solid lead core hit him like a freight train. Chromium nearly went backwards over the railing. And then he realized what was going to happen.

Black Hood fired another sabot round before Chromium could react. And then he unleashed another 20 gauge bullet into Chromium's chest. Chromium was barely holding on when the fourth sabot round struck him and he teetered over the edge. It took all six of Black Hood's sabots but he knocked Chromium over the edge and off on what was supposed to be a thirty story drop.

But he heard a clack as the hose went taut and Chromium bounced off the windows six floors down. Black Hood simply primed and lobbed a grenade under the hose spool. The explosion lifted the spool off of its restraining bolts and it sailed over the side, taking Chromium with it as it plunged to the street below.

Black Hood reloaded his shotgun and began picking off quadcopters. Then he rode the freight car to the street level and expected to find a splatter where Chromium had impacted the sidewalk. Instead, Chromium was alive but was unconscious to the point of nearly being comatose. Black Hood decided to watch over him until the NYPD arrived. He could always blast Chromium in the face with buckshot if he had to.

Pow-Girl pulled Magnetic Monster away from the Web. And she pummeled him to the point he could no longer restrain Web and could barely defend himself. Web's action suit rebooted itself and he used a monofilament net to snare Magnetic Monster and used a single line to choke him into unconsciousness. Then Web unloaded on Pow-Girl.

"Rosie, I swear to God if you're following me around…" Web snarled.

"You'll what? Annul our marriage again?" Pow-Girl snorted, "That didn't work so well for you the last time you tried."

"What do you mean 'didn't work'?" Web wanted to know.

"What was my crime anyway?" Pow-Girl asked, "I fell in love with you and everything was beautiful until we went to the courthouse so I could change my last name to 'Raymond'."

Pow-Girl recalled, "The next day, your lawyer served me annulment papers. You didn't even have the balls to do it yourself."

"I didn't want my mother to have a go at you," Web said quietly.

"So? What you did hurt far worse than anything she or any super villain could throw at me," Pow-Girl explained.

"And you still love me?" Web was confused.

"God knows I've tried not to," Pow-Girl huffed.

"So maybe we could try again," Web offered, "I promise I won't be an asshole next time."

"You care to rephrase that?" Pow-Girl asked him.

"An asshole as often next time," Web rephrased, "And I promise the real deal this time if we get married again."

"No Vegas quickie?" Pow-Girl smirked, "And you needn't bother. I won't marry you again."

Web was crestfallen, "Maybe we could decide that later on."

"No, you dope. We're still married," Pow-Girl told him.

"What?" Web yelped.

"In your rush to push your legal team into a fast annulment, they made several mistakes. Mistakes I used in court to get the annulment tossed out," Pow-Girl explained, "In short, we're still legally married."

"So, you never told me," Web was hurt.

"We weren't on speaking terms," Pow-Girl said crossly.

"And you never asked for support of any kind," Web realized something profound.

"Would I have gotten any?" Pow-Girl was exasperated, "I never wanted your money. Just you."

"I have plenty of room. Maybe you could move in with me while we sort this out. Separate rooms I promise," Web offered.

"I'm actually in between living spaces," Pow-Girl mulled it over.

"It'll give us a chance to work things out while we decide how to approach the whole marriage thing," Web decided.

"You sound relieved that we're still married," Pow-Girl was surprised.

"I am actually," Web told her, "But my mother is a piece of work."

"So am I when I'm so inclined," Pow-Girl warned him.

"I remember. It's what first attracted me," Web admitted.

"John, don't infer you're attracted to someone because they're like your hell beast of a mother," Pow-Girl advised him.

"I didn't!" Web protested.

"You'll need my number," Pow-Girl informed him.

He activated a holographic virtual keyboard and screen from his left wrist and went to work, "Got it."

"I hate you," Pow-Girl sighed.

"I know. We can build on that too," Web promised, "Jane will freak out about this."

"Your conquest of the week?" Pow-Girl asked archly.

"My niece," Web clarified, "She's moving in as well."

"Aren't you getting domestic?" Pow-Girl teased, "What happened to Johnny Raymond, playboy without a soul?"

"He's growing up," Web assured her.

"And totally Oh. My. God. David had a daughter?" Pow-Girl exclaimed.

"I know. I felt the same way. Elaine never told me. Gen. Latham had to," Web was angry.

"What's the MLJ's interest?" Pow-Girl asked.

"She's a costume," Web told her, "Goes by 'the Web'. Apparently that was her clue for me to find her."

"So, she's changing it?" Pow-Girl wondered.

"Nope. I think she wants to shine me on with it," Web sighed.

"You could use more of that in your life," Pow-Girl grinned.

"And of course, you have reason to think so," Web deflated.

"What's with all the effin' quadcopters?" Pow-Girl asked.

Web traced their transmissions to the source. Then he started blowing them apart. Pow-Girl looked concerned.

"Personal issues?" she asked him.

"Global Concern issues," Web clarified, "And if they're involved, it means Brain Emperor is likely to have hired them to investigate us."

"And by observation, they'll deduce there might be an us," Pow-Girl understood.

"Might be?" Web asked.

"Might be," Pow-Girl said sternly.

Cat-Girl tagged Invisible Terror's side with her claws as Jaguar reeled from another punch. Then Jaguar's enhanced senses began to work. Her eyes spotted the dripping blood and the naked flesh exposed by Cat-Girl's strike. And the scent of that blood made Jaguar go wild.

Cat-Girl intercepted her and restrained Jaguar while Invisible Terror fled the scene, "You. Have. To. Fight. It," Cat-Girl strained through gritted teeth.

Slowly Jaguar backed down and Cat-Girl eased a sigh of relief, "You're stronger than you look."

"You stopped me from killing that man," Jaguar realized.

"Yeah, where's the fun in that?" Cat-Girl asked, "But the prison sex could be exciting."

"How can I thank you?" Jaguar ignored Cat-Girl's sex comment.

Cat-Girl cupped Jaguar's face with her hands and kissed her. Jaguar hated that she responded with enthusiasm. Her mind waged war with the animal spirit within her and she ended the kiss.

"That's a down payment," Cat-Girl gleefully informed her.

"Um…I won't ever be what you expect me to become," Jaguar warned Cat-Girl.

"Maybe not Maria de Guzman but the Jaguar will be. It always is. Just like I'm a host to an animal spirit that wants to be with the Jaguar. Lydia Fellin and Maria are just along for the ride," Cat-Girl explained in greater detail than ever before, "Having two female hosts means we can impregnate each other and rear the future hosts destined to bear the legacy of the Jaguar spirit and the Cat spirit."

"We'll see," Jaguar said defiantly.

"Yes, we will," Cat-Girl happily replied, "Because it happens every time there's two female hosts."

Cat-Girl looked around, "Now, do you want to help me kill all of the copter thingies?"

Jaguar looked forward to the vertical form of exercise. Not the horizontal kind Cat-Girl desperately craved. The Cat spirit only indwelt human females but the Jaguar wasn't so inclined. It selected hosts of both sexes. And had been doing so from the de Guzman family tree for centuries. Maria's aunt was the previous hostess and had passed on the spirit upon her death.

Unfortunately, Maria had been so frightened by watching her aunt in action she never gave her the opportunity to pass on any advice. Or warn her about a Cat-Girl come a-calling. But if Cat-Girl was right, then Maria's aunt bore the spirit its future host from a sexual encounter with a Cat-Girl. And Lydia would have been an offspring as well not a selected candidate. So why was Maria the host and not her aunt's unknown offspring?

There was so much information lost when Maria's aunt died that Maria needed to know. And she needed to know to deal with a Cat-Girl's amorous advances. And Maria needed to know Lydia's story. So it seemed Maria needed to take up Lydia's offer and spend an afternoon or more with her.

War Eagle flew an evasive pattern to dodge girders and rebar hurled at her by Lodestone. And she scooped up chunks of concrete to throw back at the magnetic villain. Ellis Island had plenty of all of the above. The Eliminator had previously fought Steel Sterling back when Jack Sterling still externally expressed his magnetic powers. Steel Sterling had reported the Eliminator's powers were equal to his own.

War Eagle's rubble based attacks were merely meant for Lodestone to wear himself down. As his reflexes slowed and his magnetically suspended weapons sagged, War Eagle dove at Lodestone and nearly gutted him with her talons.

Lodestone's panic subconsciously directed his next action and he built a cage around War Eagle by impaling girders into the ground. Seeing a way to torture her by denying her the sky and food and water besides, Lodestone left Ellis Island. War Eagle's greater than human strength enabled to eventually push over three girders. Which enabled her to squeeze past without harming her wings. But even her phenomenal eyesight couldn't spot Lodestone.

"Halt!" Queen of Diamonds ordered Radiation Rogue.

"You want a taste? Fine," he leveled his rad blaster at her and fired a dose instantly lethal to humans.

And Queen of Diamonds didn't twitch. Which unnerved him. And then Queen of Diamonds took aim at him and fired cubic zirconium bullets at him. Bullets which penetrated his hazmat suit and him along with it.

Radiation Rogue fled the scene and Queen of Diamonds shifted her attention to the sky above. Rogue Star and Comet had forgone trying to burn one another out. Instead they broke into an old fashioned fist fight with aerial acrobatics included. Rob Conners was in extraordinary shape as befitted a professional baseball player. But he'd never actually been in a fight before so Rogue Star held the advantage.

Until zirconium bullets flew his way. Rogue Star then retreated to join the other Eliminators. Comet landed next to her, "Thanks."

"He's leaking," Queen of Diamonds indicated the stymied Radiation Rogue, "We're immune but the gathering crowd isn't"

"On it," Comet approached him and drained him of radiation. Radiation Rogue fell over and Comet touched his exposed skin which happened to be a bullet wound, "He's cold and clammy. Do you think he's dying?"

"I doubt it," Queen of Diamonds said diffidently, "We'd never be so fortunate."

Comet decided he didn't like Queen of Diamonds after all.

Fly Girl was trying to get a decent shot off with either buzz gun with her arms pinned to her side when She-Fox attacked Spider. While Spider temporarily retreated, She-Fox liberated Fly Girl. Fly Girl was uncustomarily flustered.

"Um…thank you?" she ventured.

"Thank the Fox," She-Fox told her, "I did it for him. He likes you the way he used to be over me. He likes you, you like him, and I like him. So, to make him happy, I saved you. And you need to be alive to appreciate the fact he likes you and you can happily like him as well."

Fly Girl thought she followed that train of logic, "I think I had you wrong before."

"Probably not," She-Fox admitted.

"Now I, the Magnificent Spiderman, will weave my webs of destruction and kill you both," he laughed maniacally.

"Is he always like this?" She-Fox wondered.

"Pretty much," Fly Girl unloaded both buzz guns at Spider. And she zapped until she'd drained the batteries of both electrostatic discharge weapons. She swapped out battery packs while She-Fox nudged Spider's body with her foot.

"Well, he's still breathing anyway," She-Fox reported.

"That's the beauty of electrostatics. They stun without the amperage to kill anyone. I can unload dual power packs on someone and they live to complain about it later," Fly Girl explained, "I'm developing a way to project electrostatic force fields."

"Figures you're all brains," She-Fox sighed, "Paul's job as a fashion photographer puts him in the company of beautiful women every day but what really turns him on is brains."

"He still loves you, y'know," Fly Girl hated to tell her.

"Not in the 'I want to build a castle in the sky and live in it with you' kind of way," She-Fox shared, "And that royally sucks. First his costume got in the way of 'us'. Then he went to Japan without me. And he never looked me up when he returned to the States to find out I went to China to learn how to be She-Fox. And finally now my costume gets in the way. When I was just Delilah Monaco he wanted me but not now that I have an other identity as well. But that isn't a problem he has with you. So you're lucky in ways I can't share. You have to discover them on your own."

"Look, I'm sorry I was bitchy before but Fox was still hung up on you before you showed up in Los Angeles. That's when he finally got past you," Fly Girl told her.

"Well, I did my good deed for the day," She-Fox ignored the last comment, "See ya!"

She bounded off of the roof to land in a fire escape and slid down the rails until she reached the ground and she ran off on the street.

"And there she goes again. I just know this wasn't our last meeting," Fly Girl's wings beat and she flew off to find the Fox himself.

Fox was momentarily dismayed as Claw broke his sword scabbard in half. Finding a decent swordsmith in America was nearly an exercise in futility. But there was shop still open in NYC. It catered to decorative sword shoppers but also had an underground business for those practitioners who practiced and dealt with real edged weapons.

Claw was a frenetic berserker type. He was all high energy, low precision simple hack and slash. Comet had taken Darkling to see a movie about a similar "mutant". Apparently that was the label comic book writers assigned meta-humans. The movie and the surrounding hours had been pivotal in that Darkling opened up to Comet ever so slightly.

Paul Patton Sr. had died in the Fox costume and Paul's world had nearly ended. His mother didn't outlive his father by much but long enough to see Paul graduate high school…and pledge never to wear the Fox costume himself. An oath he'd betrayed.

But Fox knew pain when he saw it. Darkling had traumatic pain etched into her face and eyes. And she'd earned a living in the periphery of super villains. Latham had told the Mighty Crusaders Darkling had an extensive criminal past but the bulk of it was sealed by the juvenile courts. But Latham brought the subject up to dissuade anyone from prying too closely into Darla Lang's past.

But the downside to that was no one was asking Darkling why she suffered emotionally and kept her habitual silence and isolation. A code of silence was good when dealing with criminals but hid exploitable weaknesses from teammates. Fox got his head back into the fight as Claw nearly took it off.

The disadvantage to a frenzied fighting style, besides the fact you rarely connected with your opponent, was it tired the fighter out in a hurry. And as fatigue set in, the fighter typically resorted to squandering his reserves in a last ditch effort to kill the other person. Which Claw had reached that phase. Slower than most so he had the equivalent stamina of a marathon runner.

As Claw wound down, Fox opened up on him with three variations of karate alongside some judo and akido. Afterwards he confiscated Claw's weapons in case he should actually wake up outside a jail cell. He heard a familiar beating buzz of wings.

"Enjoy the show?" he asked Fly Girl.

"I always enjoy watching you get sweaty," Fly Girl grinned.

"I'm in a head to toe costume," Fox deadpanned.

"I have a very vivid imagination," Fly Girl's grin intensified, "And I have an even more explicit memory."

"So you're telling me you want to get sweaty again…with my help, of course," Fox decided to play the game after all.

"A little cardio mixed with some endurance training, blended with some strident articulation exercises for strengthening your tongue," Fly Girl recommended.

"You did tend to get vocal while I exercised last time," Fox humored her.

"Call it lung exercises combined with audible ranging for projection," Fly Girl chided him.

"And what shall we label your shouting X-rated profanity as?" Fox wondered.

"Evidence that you're doing your job and doing it well," Fly Girl suggested.

"Exceptionally well?" Fox asked.

"I can't tell yet. It was only the one night," Fly Girl advised him, "I don't want to prejudice the experiment just yet."

"So it's an experiment," Fox chuckled.

"Into mating rituals," Fly Girl clarified, "And it's an audition to see if I want to partake in such rituals for a long time."

"I hate to tell you this, but I learned things in Japan that you might not be able to handle," Fox warned her.

"Oh, a challenge," Fly Girl was intrigued.

"How about I teach you them one at a time and then we begin combining them and creating our own variations," Fox offered.

"And if I get bored?" Fly Girl was cautious.

"You won't," Fox told her, "I can disable a man with just my thumb. Imagine what I can do with my entire body."

"I'll take you up on that," Fly Girl wrapped her arms around his neck, "Take off that silly mask."

"You drop the fly eye goggles," Fox said as he complied. She did the same, "Paul Patton, meet Kim Brand. Very pleased ot meet you…again. And hopefully again, again, and again"

"No promises," Kim warned him.

"I've learned to live in the now and you're here now. So it's good," Paul told her.

"And when I'm not?" she askd.

"It won't be quite as good but I'll still be fine in the now," Paul stated.

"Shut up and kiss me already," Kim demanded and Paul did so with passion.

"Oh God, I can feel you poking into my hip. We need to get somewhere private. Now!" Kim got anxious. Paul obliged.

Inferno ignited the polymer portions of Tremor's armor. The bulk of the armor was metal but fabrics and a body glove made it mobile. Tremor screamed as his suit began to malfunction as its systems went into a cascading failure. Using its last erg of power, Tremor dropped a building on himself to snuff the flames.

Inferno dug him out and as Tremor stirred, he smashed his metal fist across Tremor's jaw. Inferno ripped chunks of the smoking armor off. NYPD patrolmen arrived and eyed Inferno carefully. The machine called Frank Verrano wondered how he'd explain himself to his fellow Mighty Crusaders.

Steel Sterling continued to avoid Brontosaurus' massive fist as Metal Master impeded Steel Sterling's mobility. He was stiffening up to a greater degree with every passing second. Focusing all of his efforts on a single hand, Steel Sterling warped it into a blade.

Overjoyed, he began dismembering the zombie-like Brontosaurus. And when he'd taken the monsters legs out from underneath and severed both its hands off, Steel Sterling turned his attention to Metal Master. Giving up on trying to manipulate Steel Sterling, Metal Master began warping cars abandoned in the streets.

Steel Sterling transformed both of his hands into mallets and went back smashing his way through the vehicles hoping everyone had proper insurance. He reached Metal Master and raised a malleted hand and the foe fainted. Startled that it could be so easy, Steel Sterling's hands reverted back to normal and his body took on flesh tones once again.

But Lodestone reshaped a car to serve as a scoop and he gathered Brontosaurus' body parts up and began to fly away. He magnetically swatted Steel Sterling and Metal Master aside as he lifted off. Steel Sterling wasn't hurt but Metal Master had taken a pounding. While the sight of Lodestone fending for his fellow Eliminator was heartening, the callous indifference Lodestone demonstrated towards Metal Master showed why he was a villain.

Darkling pushed her way through Dream Demon's phantasms and gripped the sides of her opponent's head. Dream Demon clapped her palm against Darkling's forehead. Darkling pushed Dream Demon's psyche further and further into darkness while Dream Demon forced Darkling to relive the "highlights" of her past.

But while Dream Demon was panicking, Darkling was also reliving those moments that forced her to choose how her life would be shaped. By herself if no one else would help. Dream Demon panicked and used her one tangible connection to push Darkling back by her head.

The pair lost contact with each other and the spells were broken. Dream Demon was shaken but Darkling was just pissed off.

"You should be an Eliminator. We'd be proud to have you as one of our own," Dream Demon offered.

"I'm trying something new here," Darkling retorted.

"It won't last any longer than any other attempt," Dream Demon counseled her, "Your new so-called 'friends' won't stand beside you once they know who you truly are and what your life has been thus far."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Keep the offer open in case of a maybe not," Darkling told her.

"I'm walking away now. Do you really think you want to go a second round with me?" Dream Demon asked.

"Do think you could take it?" Darkling asked.

"Touché," Dream Demon wearily sighed.

"Look, just go. I'll say you overpowered me or something. These guys piss their pants at the mention of your name," Darkling offered in return.

"And they should," Dream Demon proudly replied, "But I think we have an understanding, you and I."

"The offer may be appreciated but until I say 'yes' or a final 'no', we get it on every time we face each other," Darkling warned.

"Or the semblance thereof," Dream Demon winked and strolled away to meet up at a prearranged rendezvous with Rogue Star.

"Yeah, I'll be seeing more of you," Darkling wearily predicted.

The NYPD delivered the captured Evil Brain Trustees to the federal holding cells on Stryker's Island. DA Betty Bates interviewed the Mighty Crusaders in order to assemble a list of local charges to be filed before sundown in addition to the Federal prosecutor's building case. While Shield and Carole Anne Strander worked with Betty, the other Mighty Crusaders gathered around Inferno…and ignored Fox and Fly Girl's arrest on a charge of public indecency for having sex in an alley. Darkling remained aloof.

"So you're really a…?" Comet ventured.

"No one can figure that part out," Inferno told him.

"And you two knew," Fox singled out Web and Steel Sterling.

"We already had this conversation with Frank," Steel Sterling confirmed it.

"Dickering knows as well," Web pointed out, referring to the original Hangman, "The doctor and not the blind lawyer."

"Dim bulb there tried to hack me when he found out," Inferno complained about the Web.

"It didn't work," Web reminded him.

"You could be another Metallo," Fly Girl suggested.

"Or a Red Tornado," War Eagle offered a better choice.

"Or maybe I'm just…me," Inferno suggested.

"Good enough for me," Comet enthused.

"And we know you're not another Amazo or Amazo-Prime," Web declared. The Birds of Prey that had assisted the Mighty Crusaders had departed before Betty arrived for the legal end of things. Pow-Girl had agreed to move in with Web and Web. She also told John to change his code-name because Jane was a teenager and would die before doing so.

John Raymond had never felt as whole as he did now and the two hadn't even moved in to his penthouse in Silicon Valley yet.

Jaguar offered silent moral support to Darkling even as she still struggled to come to grips with her divergent sexuality. Darkling knew the signs and offered a few quiet words of advice, "It doesn't matter what a Jaguar spirit tells you and tries to force you into being. Down deep you're still Maria de Guzman and you have to remain true to Maria."

"Like you're true to Darla Lang?" Jaguar asked.

"That's a work in progress," Darkling demurred.

Shouting came out of the office where Black Hood had been brought to answer questions. Most of them revolved around whether or not Black Hood knew beforehand that Chromium would survive his fall. A charge of attempted murder still loomed over the situation.

Owlwoman and Jack O'Lantern arrived in NYC in time to see the JLU and JLA arrested. Jack was incensed, "Christ, we gotta do somethin' Wenonah."

"They're not all there," Owlwoman told him.

"Say what?" Jack floundered.

"The new Wonder Woman and Barda, Big Barda, whatever the hell you call her, they're both missing. So is Stargirl. Power Girl and Black Mary call New York home and they aren't being taken," Owlwoman informed him.

"So what'ya suggest we do?" Jack asked.

"Daniel would always espouse a course of action and I'd turn it around to something reasonable," Owlwoman reminisced.

"I happen ta know me limitations," Jack replied, "I ain't been doin' this fer ten years like ya have."

Her burgeoning admiration for him grew another notch, "I suggest we find the missing players. My tracking sense can find where Wonder Woman and Barda got off to."

"Yer the boss. I don't know what I'm doin' most of the time anyway," Jack confessed.

"We all started there," Owlwoman reassured him, "Some of us were blessed to find mentors."

"Are ya bein' nice ta me?" Jack wondered.

"Of course not," she smiled.

"Good, `cause I think I'd have a friggin' heart attack if you were," Jack told her.

"Don't die yet. I still need your help," Owlwoman advised him.

"Well ain't that a barrel of monkeys?" Jack chuckled.

Shieldmaster and Flag Bearer handed off their luggage to assistants as they teleported in to Liberty Station. Then Flag Bearer hit the conveniently placed bathroom to unload her stomach.

"Believe me now?" Web was seconds away from doing the same.

"It gets better over time," Captain Flag promised, "Or so they tell me."

Even Yank vomited. Marvel barely dodged, "Bloody bird."

"I'll take one of him over ten of you," Captain Flag decided.

"Clear the deck," the operator told them, "The Mighty Crusaders are wrapping up legal paperwork and then will be returning. And they're bringing the Justice League in with them.

"Did you say the Justice League?" Flag Bearer made room for Web by exiting the bathroom.

"That's right," the operator told her.

"Oh. My. Effin'. God! That's so cool!" Flag Bearer exclaimed.

"What is?" Web asked as she made it out alive.

"We really need to discuss your use of language," Shieldmaster advised his daughter.

"I see they found the pair of you," Latham approached, "Join me in my office and I'll make the official request that you join the Shadow Crusaders."

"Hear that?" Flag Bearer was practically giddy.

"I was wondering what you'd call this little group that," Shieldmaster admitted.

"The Shadow Crusaders outnumber the Mighty Crusaders. But as an ad hoc, voluntary association we'd rarely have need to assemble the entire unit," Latham told them before turning to Captain Flag, "Keep an eye on young Web. I need her to stay on the island until her uncle arrives."

"Will do," Captain Flag agreed, "Web, Yank needs to stretch his wings. How would you like to explore Destruction Island?"

"Sounds better than boring my butt in here," Web agreed.

Latham got the Madigans into his office, "Be prepared. There's bound to be interruptions."

"Duly noted," Shieldmaster accepted that fact.

"Joe told us you were making this agency but I never expected anything to happen so fast," Flag Bearer admitted.

"Capt. Higgins shouldn't have spoken out of school," Latham chuckled, "But you're right. I built the framework for the MLJ when I was still with the DoD. Afterwards, it was simplicity to convince the President to shift the model over to a civilian agency tied to Homeland Security and FEMA."

"That's so effin' cool," Flag Bearer exclaimed.

"Denise!" Shieldmaster chastised her.

"I'm an old soldier,' Latham chuckled, "I've heard far, far worse from young ladies in uniform."

"Don't encourage her," Shieldmaster grumbled.

"So how do the Shadow Crusaders work and why us?" Flag Bearer wondered.

"Excellent questions. The very ones I would ask," Latham admitted,

"Think of the Shadow Crusaders as background operators. The Mighty Crusaders get the publicity and the glory while the Shadow Crusaders handle delicate problems no one wants to handle," Latham put bluntly, "But the MLJ will support your own initiative tasks and provide training if you want it."

"So we could eventually join the Mighty Crusaders," Flag Bearer hoped.

"With greater training and experience, I don't see any difficulties with that goal so long as it's what you really want." Latham answered and advised.

"I'll think about the Mighty Crusaders if I have an opportunity to join them," Flag Bearer told him, "But I want all the training you can provide."

"Half of training is field experience," Latham stated.

"That's what I'm here for," Flag Bearer told him.

"We'll still be working as a unit for the foreseeable future," Shieldmaster clarified, "And I think making the MLJ a civilian operation with ties to the intelligence and defense community is wise. I watched the original Shield struggle with the dual roles of public defender and covert operative that all the American Crusaders had to endure."

"The MLJ is more akin to the FBI because our greatest tie is to the federal law enforcement community that Homeland gives us," Latham assured him, "We strive to liaise with state, local, county, and federal peace officers on the ground where we operate. And the Mighty Crusaders will only operate internationally in Canada and Mexico, whom we have negotiated jurisdiction rights."

"I'm so in," Flag Bearer volunteered.

"I'll never hear the end of it if I don't sign up," Shieldmaster admitted, "But I still have reservations about the comparisons with the American Crusaders."

"That's good to know. And discuss having reservations with the Marvel and Captain Flag," Latham told him.

Natalie Reed came calling on Zinda Blake and Penny O'Brien. Natalie had been a Blackhawk before she lost her eye and transferred to maintenance and became the Squadron's chief mechanic. But the new Lady Blackhawk, who had also lost an eye but remained a covert operative, trumped up charges to dismiss Natalie when Lady Blackhawk plowed her plane into the dirt and cast the blame on Natalie's modifications. Modifications that compensated for Lady Blackhawk's loss of depth perception.

So Natalie had been relieved to hear from the original Lady Blackhawk. Zinda had requested that Natalie modify the fighters and transport plane in the hangar beneath Eagle's Aerie. Natalie shared with Zinda and Penny that she could successfully modify anything within their deadline with help. So both pilots grabbed coveralls and began to assist Natalie.

While Dr. Mid-Nite teleported to Eagle's Aerie to examine the severity of Jesse Quick's wound, Superboy led his fellow students in an uprising against the Justice Society. Power Girl, Black Mary, Stargirl, and STRIPE arrived while it was underway.

"We just can't sit here!" Superboy shouted.

"That's precisely what we're doing. Our UN mandate through the DEO is to recruit and train meta-humans. That doesn't give us legal standing to gain custody of the Justice League.

"Screw legalities!" Superboy raged, "You're the effin' Justice Society. You guys are the original real deal."

"Which means we've been here before," Sentinel reminded him, "In the Thirties and Forties we operated individually and with the JSA after FDR assembled us. In the Fifties, the age of other freelance mystery man and woman came to an abrupt end. By the time Batman and Superman became active, the world was ready for them again but before that every costumed hero or heroine was sponsored by the government and the teams were government agents."

"The world wanted freelancers. Now it don't," Wildcat tersely told the JSA's students, "This'll pass after a while an' then we can get back ta business as usual."

"You faced jail and vanished," Wonder Girl pointed out, "The Justice League stood up and was counted. They let themselves be arrested. What kind of so-called 'justice' can they expect in this climate?"

"Ya'd be surprised," Wildcat grinned.

Betty Bates argued for a prisoner transfer for the Justice League to be accomplished en masse to the custody of the Mighty Crusaders. The judge ruled in favor and the Mighty Crusaders arranged for the JLU and JLA to be teleported to Liberty Station where Col. Steve Trevor and Shayera Hol awaited them beside Latham.

"I'm afraid your Achilles will never withstand the strain of your running at Speed Force velocities. So don't tempt fate," Dr. Mid-Nite told Jesse.

"But I could heal," Jesse protested.

"Maybe. Maybe not. The Speed Force allows for accelerated healing but even at an accelerated pace I don't see you walking on it again for months to come," Dr. Mid-Nite hated telling her.

How's Shayera?" Jesse glumly asked.

"Nearly healed thanks to her Thanagarian physiology," Dr. Mid-Nite tried to soften the blow of comparisons, "And the pregnancy is proceeding nicely. The hybrid factor coming together in combining alien and human DNA puts everything in doubt."

"But she'll have to choose field duty of family," Jesse predicted.

"Shayera has already stated her desire to assume the Intelligence Chief's role starting immediately," Dr. Mid-Nite revealed, "The question now is what will John decide?"

"Or Rick," Jesse fretted over her husband's choice to be made.

"He'll choose you. Every time," Dr. Mid-Nite promised her.

Trevor and Shayera greeted everyone warmly. Shayera was especially warm towards John. Trevor cast a inquisitive eye towards Superman regarding the obvious missing persons. Superman subtly shook his head and Trevor knew to bide his silence.

Latham gathered the JLU, JLA, and Mighty Crusaders in the briefing theater. KitCat and Kenny Wisdom ran down what had been occurring at Liberty Station and beyond while Carol had been in the field. And they ran Latham's proposed action plan for elements of the Shadow Crusaders and the Web Agency by her. They saved the existence of a second, younger Web for the piece de resistance. Carol was relieved to find Web had a heart after all. It made his offer to Pow-Girl seem reasonable.

"I've tasked the Web Agency with running surveillance on the captured Hall of Justice. My field agents assisted you in capturing a corps of Neo Nazis. Unfortunately, the mayor of New York City released them back to Degaton's care," Latham reported, "Degaton's agents have been 'acquiring', code speak for stealing, components and equipment to rebuild what Col. Trevor and his ARGUS associates damaged or destroyed on their exit before Amanda Waller ordered the building secured. Which consisted of a bicycle lock on the doors."

"Degaton is making his grand announcement to the world tomorrow and we're at a public relations standstill," Trevor picked up the briefing, "Over half of New Yorkers approved of Degaton's stormtroopers killing off hundreds of criminals in a wide ranging sweep. Degaton himself hasn't committed any crimes, only endorsed them. And the City of New York will not charge or prosecute the Nazis for the same murderous charges you were supposedly arrested for."

"Which leaves the world choosing Degaton or Luthor as absolute ruler," Shayera concluded, "Something we can't allow no matter the vote."

"We all agree on that," Superman pledged.

"You're international fugitives and the Mighty Crusaders are bound by national laws and jurisdiction. The President is planning a pardon but that will only relieve you all from pursuit within national borders," Latham informed them, "In fact, she should have the documents prepared to sign even now."

"It's something, General," Superman warmed to the idea. It was a start on solving the real issue. That issue being Luthor's manipulating the United Nations and the World Court. And the slaughter of innocent civilians on Corto Maltese.

"What about them," John cast a disparaging look towards the JLA.

"Watch the tone, buddy," Tefe took umbrage.

"You're no better than the Nazis you supposedly fought. Did the NYPD escort them off or did you just send them back home?" Vibe sneered while Gypsy winced.

General Glory physically interposed himself between the two groups, "They assisted us when we couldn't be everywhere at once. Why would they do that? What could they gain?"

"Our trust," Superman was skeptical but trying to keep an open mind.

"Let's settle this," Killer Frost suddenly proclaimed.

Several veteran JLers tensed up in anticipation. But she surprised them as she began explaining things, "We all joined Max Lord's Justice League for an opportunity to help people. But that was built on a lie. Max only wanted to help his own ambitions of replacing Luthor and setting himself up as the god-king over all. Most of our group was killed on our first mission. We're the survivors."

Killer Frost gladly omitted Neo Joker's participation, "We came to New York to assist you and possibly see if you could make a place for us."

"Is this true?" Superman asked.

"Killer Frost gave my two tech wizards an encrypted phone tapped into Luthor's private conversations. It's gold. We're building a case against him to present to the United Nations," Latham answered, "They did good."

"If you don't trust my teammates, trust me," Insect Queen stepped forward, "My mask isn't lead lined on this planet."

Superman took that as an invitation to use his X-Ray Vision and he was staggered by the revelation, "Lana?"

"Of Earth-2. Three of us made it off in time," Insect Queen told him, "And I've been trying to get close enough to make certain the Justice League of this world doesn't become a Justice Lords like on mine."

"We're not the Justice Lords," John protested.

"So you say now yet you're discussing interfering with a worldwide referendum because you don't like any of the outcomes," Insect Queen replied, "The point is, I trust these people with my life. You should too."

"That's unfair," Superman protested the comparison to Lord Superman.

"Really, because Luthor is the Global Advisor running the world rather than being President of the United States? The Flash has been MIA for months now." Insect Queen reminded him, "Without its self proclaimed 'heart and soul' how will the Justice League steer its moral compass?"

"He's alive if you're worried about that," Shayera told her.

"Where is he then?" Insect Queen asked.

"Apokolips. He's helping lead a revolt against Darkseid," John sounded proud of Wally West.

"So he's as good as dead," Insect Queen dryly remarked.

"We all need to wait a minute," Killer Frost interjected, "You have reason to distrust us. We have reasons to distrust you. All of them valid and justified. But we're making a reach here. Throw us a lifeline and you'll never regret it."

Trevor and Latham held their collective breaths. General Glory broke the silence, "I see we take them on."

Power Ring seconded that opinion, "I was a member of the Crime Syndicate before I joined the Justice League."

"I say we turn them away," Atom sniped.

"I'm with him," Vibe shared.

"There's good and bad both ways," Gypsy saw clearly, "But I say we bring them in."

"Once a villain, truly they stay a villain," Sir Justin bitterly voiced recalling both Saturn Queen and Goldilocks.

"We all have moments of pain and reflection," Anna said, "They're reflection brought them to us. How could we turn them away?"

"We can watch them better if they're beside us then halfway across the country," Atom Smasher was pragmatic..

"I say let them join," Shayera spoke, "I betrayed the League and the entire world yet you took me back."

"I still have concerns," John admitted.

"So do I but my greatest concern is why this is even a debate," Superman said, "The Justice League is built on hope and the greater good. They've demonstrated our common hope and desire for a greater good. We have to take them in."

"If that's settled, congratulations. You're in," Trevor told the former JLA.

"Now, back to business," Latham interjected, "We need an action plan for tomorrow morning and we need it before Degaton rallies the world to his cause."

Silence loomed and Trevor spoke, "No idea is too idiotic or too crazy."

"Um…I have an idea," Flag Bearer said from the open doorway, "But it's kinda weird."

"Then no one will be expecting it," Latham grinned.

Shieldmaster caught up with his wayward daughter in time to see her brief the Mighty Crusaders and Justice League.