CHAPTER ELEVEN

I

He heard her cry out with such terror that it impacted inside his brain like an explosion.

The force of it sent all his senses into disarray until the only thing he was aware of was the terrible resonance of her fear echoing through his mind. The initial wave was all hers. Fear, terror and revulsion. Wherever she was, she had breached the gulf between them to express that much. The backwash that followed that wave of intense emotions was all his. Guilt, desperation and frustration nipped at the heels of her sending. For a brief moment, the vortex of both threatened to overwhelm him with its powerful currents.

Ted Kord was not aware of that he had dropped to his knees until he heard Guy's voice shouting in his ear.

"Ted!"


When his senses returned to him and the fog had lifted from his mind, Ted looked up and saw his friends surrounding him, their faces marked with concern. He was on all fours, confused and dazed. Although the disorientation of mystical energy was no longer as confusing as it was since he initially recovered the scarab, Ted was still a novice. Zatanna had teaching him something about the mystical arts but as a scientist used to facts and data provided by sound scientific theory, letting go had been difficult. His mind found it difficult to accept things on faith even though there was no science that could explain the scarab that made him superhuman. Logically he had to believe in magic because of the scarab. However, there was a part of him that refused to believe that the scarab was not some form of technology man had yet to explain.

It took a moment for him to realise what had happened. Zatanna had told him once that communication between them was possible. When he had been fighting Guy, he had called for her. Until she appeared, he had not believed it for a second that he was capable of performing what she called 'a sending'. However, she had explained to him that the scarab was in possession of powerful magic. Since he appeared to be the channel for those energies, she saw no reason why he could not manipulate them. Now it appeared that the scarab allowed her to channel him thoughts. Zatanna had no telepathic ability of which he was aware. He knew that she could sense emotions and vague intentions but not anything tangible. Perhaps it was aware of their emotional bond and was able to amplify the thoughts directed at him.

"I heard her." He muttered. "She was calling me."

"Who? Zatanna?" Guy asked. "Do she tell you where she is?" For Guy, there was no question that Ted was telling him the truth. He had seen so many weird things in his life that questioning it was no longer an issue. Kari Limbo, a former lover, had been able to wield psychic energy of her own and she was nowhere as adept with it as Zatanna was.

"No," Ted staggered to his feet and then brushed through them. Suddenly, his throat felt like sandpaper. He made a beeline for the jug of water on the table. The Crusaders had returned to Warriors after the lack of any turning up any other leads at the complex. Although they had searched the place meticulously, it appeared that Maximus was once again, two steps ahead. Anything that could possibly be of any help was removed. All that remained were merely tools left behind to taunt them at their helplessness.

In the end, there was little choice but to contact the Oracle again, hoping she might uncover any new information that might lead them to Leo Enterprises new base of operations. Beatriz and Donovan had searched the skies above the abandon facility, hoping to catch side of any vehicles bearing the company logo. Unfortunately, none were present and the Crusaders were back to square one in their efforts to retrieve Booster and Zatanna.

Filling a glass up with water, he downed the contents quickly. Evan as he drained the glass, it felt as if no amount of water could quench the thirst in his parched throat. "She's in trouble." Ted managed to say when he put the glass down on the table again. "I heard her scream inside my head." The emotion began to seep in to his voice as he spoke. "She was terrified, almost hysterical. I've never heard her so frightened. We've got to find her!" He shouted.

"Steady Ted," Guy grabbed him as Ted was starting to shout and completely lose control. "We'll find her."

"It's not soon enough!" Ted exclaimed, shoving him away. "You didn't hear her!"

"Ted," Sigrid interupted before the situation deteriorated any further. "Focus." She ordered sharply. "She contacted you telepathically. We know her range is not that powerful so she could not have been far away."

At that possibility, Ted started to calm a bit and Guy picked up the thread of what Sigrid was trying to do. "Yeah come on, concentrate on what you heard. Did she sound far away?"

Ted swallowed hard, forcing his mind to concentrate on the question put before him. All he remembered was the overwhelming terror projected by her thoughts and her desperate cry for help. Ted had never felt so helpless in his life but he knew that if was going to help her, he needed to focus as Sigrid had urged him to do.

"I can't really say," he replied honestly after a moment's consideration. "It was loud and intense."

"So she could be close." Beatriz said hopefully.

"No," Ted shook his head. Although he wanted desperately to believe she was nearby and that this call of hers could lead him to her, he had to be realistic. Finding Zatanna would take work not wishful thinking and ignoring the evidence at hand. "She told me once that the scarab's energy source is mystical and specifically in tuned to me. I think the words I say to become Blue Beetle now are more of a voice imprint that it is able to recognise as its programmed user. It may just amplify psychic energy directed at me."

"Damn." Guy cursed. "I thought me might have had something."

"We can't just sit here!" Ronnie exclaimed knowing full well what Maximus had in store for their comrades if they were in his hands. He had made similar threats on members of the Justice League once and although tragedy was averted then, the outlook on this situation did not appear as hopeful. "Christ knows what that bastard is doing to her!"

"Calm down." Guy said with an edge to his voice. Ted did not need to hear this right now. He glared at Ronnie who did not notice the warning.

"Calm down?" Ronnie continued, unaware of the warning being directed at him through Guy's steely eyes. "After what happened to you?"

"That's right," Guy glared at him and straightened up to his full height. He towered over Ronnie easily. "I said take it easy."

Ronnie suddenly realised what Guy was trying to do and winced at his own stupidity. Although Ted was not looking at him, it was obvious his words had disturbed the Blue Beetle greatly.

Great, Raymond, Ronnie cursed at himself, just great. He fell silent immediately and noticed the stern gaze being projected at him from the others. "Hey, what do I know?" He tried to joke but no one was laughing. "I'm sure she's alright."

"Look," Sigrid spoke up, realising that their emotions were starting to make them somewhat agitated and excitable. "We can't do anything until we have somewhere to go, so I suggest that everyone just take it easy. We're no good to either Zatanna or Booster if we in here climbing the walls."

"The lady is right." Donovan added his support. "This Oracle person said she'd get back to us as soon as she found out something." He looked at the others, hoping to diffuse the situation before fists went flying. He noticed Beatriz was at Guy's side, who was still squared off with Ronnie. She was making sure that both men's volatile tempers did not get the better of them. Ted did not need that kind of display at this moment.

However, the Blue Beetle looked up as he said that with an expression that was almost defeat. "I think we're already too late." He said softly. Whatever's happened, has already taken place."

"You don't know that." Guy countered quickly.

However, Ted could not be convinced otherwise because the memory of her scream was in his mind, not in Guy's. "Yes, I do." He nodded with grim certainty. "Yes I do."

**********

Booster examined the angry streak of blood across his shoulder and knew that it was only a flesh wound. So far, he had managed to remain at large within the maze of the Ani-Men secret base. Now that he was free, the familiarity of the place leapt at him with even more intensity. For the moment, he had evaded his captors when he flew into an air duct. With his weapon slung around his back, Booster crawled through the narrow space on all fours, viewing the outside world through the narrow vents on the occasional grating he passed. The innards of the ventilation system were like a giant maze but there was miles of these tunnels throughout the complex so it would take them time to pinpoint his location.

In the meantime, he had to find someway to contact the Crusaders. Although his first impulse was to retrieve Zatanna, there was no way he could do that without endangering them both. While he was free, there was still a chance. If he attempted a one-man assault on Lovecraft's laboratory, it would only end in disaster. With him being free, Maximus was smart enough to know that Zatanna would be his primary target. Maximus did not believe humans were capable of much so Booster was going to beat him at his own game.

He had no idea where he was going or how far he had travelled through the network of air conduits. Sweat was running down his brow as he moved forward, despite the rush of cool air throughout he system. Spandex was never the ideal material for enclosed spaces as this and he felt his suit sticking to the skin. He just hoped there were no wharf rats running loose in this passageway. There had been a couple of close calls when he had heard far away squeaking and Booster was prepared to use his gun, whatever the consequence, if one came in his direction.

The light from a grating above, allowed him some visibility and Booster peered through it to the corridor below. There were no sounds of footsteps or anything else that might indicate a presence. He had to get some bearing as to where he was and made the decision to leave the safety of the vents for the moment.

Removing the vent as silently as possible, he slipped through the opening and replaced the vent as he hovered below it momentarily. The corridor was deserted and Booster wondered if this part of the corridor was restricted. As he touched the steel plate of the floor, he checked either side of the corridor and saw no one was coming.

It felt vulnerable being out in the open but Booster knew their survival meant his contacting the others and bringing them here. He knew that he could not remain at this juncture for long and he had seen cameras throughout the length of the complex. He doubted that this place would be the exception. Running quietly down the corridor, Booster held his gun poised ready to fire. Although most superheroes had a rule about killing, Booster had no hesitation about pulling the trigger to get out this thing alive. If it was the other way around, he had no illusions about his fate.

Suddenly, he heard a soft scraping sound, which made him pause. Booster looked down the corridor once again and could see nothing. However, the sound was becoming louder and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He continued up the corridor but he could not escape the sound. It seemed to be getting closer. Once again, he glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing following the way he came and the way before him was clear.

Just as suddenly as it began, the scraping stopped abruptly. The seconds of silence following made him even more uneasy. A realisation struck him at that point and his eyes flew to the ceiling above his head. No sooner that his eyes had touch the plates of the ceiling, the Ani-Men dropped from its vantage point. It looked at him with reptilian eyes, its red irises contracting as it focussed on him. The creature's widening jaws revealed a razor sharp row of serrated teeth. Obviously derived from a lizard like creature, it scampered towards him on two legs, talons bared.

"I'm going to be killed by overgrown gecko." Booster managed to say as he aimed at the creature. He did not want to shoot it but the savage glint in its eyes did not give him much of a choice. Unfortunately, if he fired at the thing, it was going to alert everyone to his presence as surely as if he had sent out a flare.

With seconds to spare, Booster changed his grip on the weapon and swung his body sideways with as much force as he could muster. The curve of the gun butt smashed into the Ani-Men's jaw. He heard it screech in pain as it fell backwards. Using the same tactic as he had earlier in the arena, Booster leapt towards it. Flying at the Ani-Men at full speed, Booster slammed the Ani-Men into the rear wall. Booster did not wait to find out if the creature had arisen, he just kept going.


Upon reaching the juncture of the corridor, he saw a group of Ani-Men security, round the corner. They arrived with all weapons blazing. Bullets tore through the steel of the walls as if it was paper, causing ricochets as they impacted on seams and bounced of the thick handles of the doors. Booster retreated, leaving the deadly projectiles tearing the space behind him with a very narrow margin for injury. He rounded another corner and saw more Ani-Men arrive. The corridor was quickly becoming a war zone. As smoke from their discharging weapons began to fill the narrow passageway, it was becoming harder to distinguish enemy from ally. He was in the middle of a vicious cross fire.

He straightened up in mid air and started speeding up one end of the corridor, holding his weapon in front of him as he closed the distance between the Ani-Men and himself. Bullets were whizzing past his ears with so much frequency that Booster could feel them racing past his skin. Pulling the trigger on his gun, he returned fire with as much veracity and gave himself a small window of escape through the blockade. Booster held his head down, refusing to believe that he could die from a simple bullet when he had fought much worse in his career. It was almost preposterous that he should die this way.

The speed of his flight through the corridor caused a sonic boom. Speed overtook sound in a vortex of energy that culminated in a loud rumble that echoed through the narrow passageway. The distraction was enough for him to break through the line of Ani-Men defence and get behind them. Being animals, their superior hearing caused the force of the sonic eruption to become amplified. The roar in their ears caused most of them to howl in pain as it tore through the air. Booster looked behind long enough to see them holding their ears in pain but he knew that it would not last. He had minutes at the most. As he turned another corridor, he suddenly realised that he had been in this area recently.

Lovecraft laboratory was here! The discovery gave way to another idea and although more dangerous, would probably be more expedient in the final analysis. Abandoning his previous plan to find some way to contact the Crusaders, he knew it would not take the Ani-Men would not take long to pick up his trail. Booster flew through the corridor searching for one door in particular. It did not take him long to find it at the end of the corridor. Made of steel, the door was the only one of its kind in the corridor. As he headed towards, it, Booster glanced over his shoulder to see if the Ani-Men were behind. While he could not see any of them in pursuit, their disjointed voices and loud footsteps barked indicated they were not far away. With security cameras mounted in strategic locations throughout the passageway, Booster was realistic about his chances of remaining hidden for any period of time.

Without further delay, Booster burst into the room and saw Doctor Lovecraft in sitting behind a computer terminal in the corner of the room. The doctor's head snapped to his direction and his eyes widened upon meeting Booster's gaze. Lovecraft lunged from his desk to make a vain attempt to reach a security button on a nearby wall.

Fortunately for Booster, he reached it first and shoved Lovecraft away. The doctor stumbled backwards and fell down on the hard floor. He began scrambling for the door when Booster raised his weapon.

"I wouldn't." Booster warned aiming the barrel of the gun at a comfortable position right between the man's eyes. Although Booster would never shoot him in cold blood, Lovecraft was unaware of this and froze. He stared at Booster like an animal caught in someone's headlights and Booster saw no reason to let him think any differently. If anything, Booster knew how to bluff. He cocked the trigger just to illustrate the point.

It was not lost on Lovecraft. The doctor made no further attempt to move. In the face of things, he was just another frightened little man, impotent once stripped of the devices that empowered to intimidate others. "What do you want?" He stammered.

For Booster Gold, there was only one question.

"Where is she?" He asked through the teeth of his tightened jaw.

Involuntarily, Lovecraft's eyes darted sideways. Booster followed the man's gaze to a stasis tank on the opposite wall. To be truthful, he had noticed them when he had first entered the room but necessity had kept him from really seeing them. He had wanted to remain focussed on freeing Zatanna and the faces inside those glass coffins were a distraction he could ill afford at the time. No such inhibitions held him back now.

She was trapped as the others were trapped inside their glass cages. Zatanna appeared conscious and seemed aware of everything taking place around her. She was staring directly at him. Even though her hands were still tied behind her back, she nevertheless struggled to make herself understood. He did not require any clairvoyance to know what she was trying to say so desperately.

While Booster's attention was focused on his comrade, Lovecraft took a chance at escape. He did not relish the idea of Booster's reaction once the initial shock of seeing his comrade had dissipated. The doctor made a dash for the door. He did not intend to be present when he released Zatanna from the tanks. With that prospect in mind, Lovecraft would rather take his chances at being shot rather than face Zatanna's wrath for what he had done to her.

Booster saw him escape but saw little reason to stop him. At the moment, he was too pressed for time to be concerned about a prisoner as well. Considering what the man had done to Zatanna, it was probably tempting fate if he was still here when Booster removed her from the tank. Zatanna's behaviour when she was enraged was extreme to say the least. Right now, Booster did not need the complication.

It was hard to believe that duration of time she had spent in the forming tanks spanned only a few hours. Lovecraft's procedure worked quickly because he could see her body in the intermediary state of transition. Even though the changes were slight, the effect on her was overt. She had already begun her transformation into Maximus' creature. Fortunately, Zatanna's mind was still hers. Her eyes looked at him with recognition, intermingled with a plea for help. Still, the mutations were hard to ignore.

Most of the transformation was in her face. Her forehead had become sloped, coming to an abrupt end when it struck the bone of her prominent brow ridges. A thin fuzz of golden fur had begun to sprout under her smooth skin. Her feet seemed elongated as the arch under her toes became more pronounced. They were starting to take on the shape of animal haunches. He could see her toes slowly becoming pointed with sharp claws piercing through the skin.

With Lovecraft gone, Booster had no time to lose. If the Ani-Men were still unaware of where he was hiding, they would soon know when Lovecraft reached them. Surveying the room quickly, he tore his eyes away from Zatanna to deal with a more immediate problem. Scanning the room quickly, he pinpointed the heaviest pieces of machinery and furniture. Booster wasted no time as he proceeded to barricade the steel door with everything that had sufficient bulk to keep it from opening. He tipped heavy equipment off its wheels onto its side, shoved desks and filing cabinets into place within the curious construct of his makeshift fortifications. He was realistic that his efforts could not possibly keep the Ani-Men out if they were determined to enter. However, it was that narrow margin of time upon which Booster was counting.

He stepped in front of the forming tank, forcing himself to ignore the others. He did not want to look and comforted himself with the knowledge that once Zatanna was freed, the chance to free them would also come into existence. He placed the barrel of the gun at the base of the tank, against the smooth glass surface. He made certain that the trajectory of the bullet could in no way cause harm to Zatanna or anyone else in the room. He looked up at Zatanna, conveying to her what he intended to do. Zatanna was no longer struggling and she returned his gaze and gave indication of her readiness with a simple nod of acknowledgment.

Booster pulled the trigger, releasing a short burst of fire. The bullets tore through the glass with a shattering sound. The wall of glass exploded outwards, sending a spray of tiny shards in all directions. He shielded his eyes as the splinters fell around him. Behind explosion of glass followed the inevitable gush of fluid in close pursuit. The wave of oncoming liquid swept Zatanna forward, detaching her abruptly from some of the tubes connecting her to the rest of the tank. She slapped onto the ground like a fish escaping an aquarium, covered with slippery green fluid. Zatanna lay on the floor, choking on the clear tube that was forced down her throat, now that it was ripped from its oxygen supply.

Booster was at her side immediately. She was lying in the expanding puddle of green, like a child just newly emerged from the byre of her birth. Dropping to his knees, he quickly turned her over. She was struggling to breathe as transformation liquid ran into nose, clogging up her already obstructed breathing passages. He could hear her gagging on the plastic. Dispensing with the niceties, Booster took a firm hold of the tube and yanked it from her mouth with one sharp tug. She let out a gurgled scream as the foreign object was torn from her insides. The removal of the tube elicited a sharp series of coughs. On the whole however, she seemed no worse from the experience.

"Are you okay Zee?" He asked while holding her up so she could breathe better. Even as he said it, the question felt stupid. It was obvious she was far from it.

Zatanna did not answer. She was still trying to recover from the ordeal suffered at the hands of her captors. The ordeal that was far from ended. However, at the moment, she was overwhelmed with a sense of relief at being free. Revenge would come later.

"I'm okay." She managed to croak. Her voice sounded strange after so much silence.

Booster never had the chance to answer. Their attention was captured by the sound of heavy battering on the steel door. Both their gazes snapped towards the direction of the door. It was still vibrating from the initial assault by the Ani-Men when the pounding resumed with more ferocity. The barricade began to shudder objects free with each impact. It was not far from collapsing entirely.


"Zee," he turned back to her. "We don't have a lot of time."

She nodded slowly, knowing that their survival was now up to her. Zatanna felt weak. Her body was exhausted by the process she had been forced to endure, not to mention that being tied up for hours before, had left her limbs aching from the experience. She was mentally and physically spent but Booster was right. She was the only chance they had of getting out of here alive. Zatanna had yet to look in the mirror but she knew she was altered. She could feel it. If she was ever going to be herself again, she had to act.

".ereh sredasurC eht gnirB"

It was time to put an end to this, once and for all.

*********

Emergency klaxons began screaming throughout the complex.

Maximus had been aware that one of his prisoners had escaped. To be truthful, he was unhappy at the progress of the search to retrieve the man. Unfortunately, it appeared that one super human was still capable of being more than a match for a dozen of Ani-Men. The process of transformation could be refined to make the merging of two species into a superior animal of physical prowess. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was yet to be any process that could make the specimen any more intelligent.

Booster Gold remained at large even though his security teams were scouring the complex like dogs on a hunt. Despite a minor annoyance at the slow progress of his capture, Maximus had no doubt that they would find the human. It may take time but eventually Booster Gold would be captured. Maximus had faith in that. However, the moment he heard the emergency sirens screaming out danger throughout the building, he came to the awful realisation that perhaps he had not as much time as initially believed.

Reaching for the intercom on his desk, he contacted his security people. "What has happened?" He demanded without introducing himself. Although they were unaware of it, Maximus had instructed Lovecraft to condition every one of his Ani-Men to respond to his voice with total obedience.

"We have a Level 1 security alert." The unfamiliar voice on the other end answered promptly. "Our security camera in Section 22 has picked up multiple intrusions." Maximus wondered momentarily about the whereabouts of the Ani-Men called Fang.

"Section 22?" Maximus thought quickly, trying to remember why that area was familiar to him.

"Doctor Lovecraft's laboratory."

Maximus said nothing and turned to console screen behind his desk. From the terminal, he was able to keep a watchful eye over his domain at all times. Maximus keyed the instructions through the keyboard at the foot of the screen and watched as it came to life with a burst of static. Lovecraft's wing of the complex was one of the least guarded areas in the entire facility. The doctor disliked company when he was conducting his work. Because of his vital part in the organisation, Maximus had allowed him that courtesy. Maximus had never expected this complex to be infiltrated. Particularly since they had moved operations here only a matter of days before. He should have known keeping paranormal prisoners was never as simple as it appeared. Their tenacity was beyond reason.

Accessing the cameras in Section 22, Maximus was offered a view of the corridor outside Lovecraft's lab. At the moment, a trio of his security wolf men was attempting to break down the steel door, with little success. He wondered a what point would these fools decide to focus their attacks on the walls of stone instead of the door made of iron. They had more than enough artillery in their arsenal to take care of the one and gain an instant passageway to the room. There were about a dozen Ani-Men in the narrow corridor, barking orders at one another without actually getting anything done. He reached for the intercom again.

"Fang!" Maximus roared.

Wherever he was, the Ani-Men quickly responded. "Yes master?"

"Proceed immediately to Section 22. The buffoons there have no idea what they are doing. I want Booster Gold's little siege ended immediately or I'll have your head instead. Do I make myself clear?"

Fang remained silent as he contemplated his answer. "Of course master. I will take care of it myself."

"Good," Maximus retorted and turned back to the screen. Fang was one of his better lieutenants and if he succeeded in this particular task, perhaps Maximus would see to it that he was rewarded. A promotion perhaps. The situation in the corridor had not altered since his attention had strayed from the screen. Things were still in pandemonium and Maximus expected no remarkable change until Fang arrived. What did concern him was why security had felt it necessary to upgrade the alert to a full scale emergency. All he could see before him was evidence of blundering. The situation was urgent but hardly warranted the fanfare of putting the entire complex on alert.

"Maximus!" Lovecraft barged into his office.

Maximus swung around in his chair to face the doctor. Lovecraft was dishevelled and breathing hard. He had obviously run all the way here from his office.

"I know, I know," Maximus retorted deciding he had little patience for the doctor's histrionics. "Booster Gold has invaded your bastion." He said sarcastically.

Lovecraft adjusted his glasses and took a moment to catch his breath. "You don't understand! Zatanna is in that room with him!"

If it was possible for him to turn pale, Maximus would have. "You left her alone with him?" He roared, almost jumping out of his seat. For a moment, Maximus contemplated the merit of leaping across the desk and pulling the coward's throat from his neck. However, now was not the time for such action. Lovecraft stepped back in fear, unable to ignore the savage glint in Maximus' eyes. Now Maximus understood the reason for the emergency. In the background, the klaxons seemed to scream louder now as if they were reflecting his understanding of the situation.

Turning around, he accessed the camera inside Lovecraft's laboratory. Maximus knew what he was going to see even before the picture appeared on the screen. It was the same thing that the security division had seen and the reason why they had precipitated a full scale alert throughout the complex.

"How bad is it?" Lovecraft asked as he came along side Maximus.

"Bad enough." Maximus retorted. His voice was little more than a low growl.

As the image flickered into existence, both men saw that 'bad' was an inadequate assessment of the current crisis. "Oh my." Lovecraft managed to say. "Is that all of them?"

Maximus ignored his question and responded with one of his own. "I am assuming you are going to tell me that Project V is ready for initialisation?" The leader of the Ani-Men turned his massive head towards the man and narrowed his eyes in deadly intent. Lovecraft swallowed visibly, knowing that the wrong answer at this time could cost him dearly. Fortunately, he did not have to lie.

"They've been going through their paces in the training compound." Lovecraft answered. "Their performance so far has been encouraging."

"Good." Maximus nodded slowly. "I think its time they made their debut."

*******

Zatanna was the first thing Ted saw when he materialised in the room.

Only seconds before, the Crusaders had been gathered at Warriors, awaiting any news that Oracle might have garnered during her search through every bit of accessible information available online regarding Leo Enterprises. The waiting game had eroded everyone's tempers to flash point. Ted could personally attest to the deterioration of his patience the more time passed. Things had almost reached critical mass within the group, when suddenly the familiar walls of their meeting room dissolved around them and they materialised in these strange new surroundings.

As always, Guy was on top of things. "What the hell is going on?" He demanded on top of his voice. The pounding against the doors had grown louder now but no one seemed to notice as they were still somewhat disorientated by their sudden change of environment.

"What does it look like!" Booster barked. He was still holding Zatanna in his arms. Although she was breathing easier than before, the magician was still weakened from her ordeal. A situation not improved by having to use her powers before she had sufficient time to recover.

Ted crossed the floor in second and upon approach saw the effect of Lovecraft's alteration. She was beautiful to him no matter what but it twisted his insides knowing that she had been subject to such ghastly experiments. He slid to his knees on the wet floor when he reached her.

"I'm sorry." Booster said quietly. "I tried to stop them."

"Don't be stupid." Zatanna declared offering him a quick glimpse before turning back to Ted. "You got me out there." Her voice was still croaky but it there was strength behind it. Her eyes met Ted's and she forced herself to remember that he was not a superficial man. How she looked would not concern him. "I'm afraid I won't be able to fulfil my duties as Miss America this year."

Ted broke out into an involuntary smile. He did notice how she looked but it was unnecessary to point it out at this particular moment. She was alive. Right now, he was more grateful for that than he cared about her appearance. "Well," he said trying to inject some humour into his voice. "I'll just have to return that tanned suit."

She smiled and even though she looked like Catwoman personified, Ted thought she still looked beautiful. On a more serious note however, he simply had to ask. "Are you alright?"

She was not but Zatanna nodded affirmative any way. "I'll live." She answered and suddenly decided she needed a hug. Zatanna reached for him and let him wrap his arms around her. For a few moments, feeling his closeness was a better tonic than any that could be manufactured with the aid of stimulating drugs.

"Somebody wants their way in here, really bad." Ronnie declared walking right up to the door. Dissolving his molecular structure, he leaned through the solid wall for a few seconds and then pulled back hastily. He turned back to the others. "Do we have company behind door number one."

"How many?" Guy asked.

"At least 10 of them. All big and ugly. It looks like pet show out there." Ronnie wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"No kidding?" Booster exclaimed. "I've been dodging those jokers out there for hours. Where the hell have you guys been?"

"Excuse me, Mister!" Beatriz declared haughtily. "We've been worried sick about you. We followed your signal trace to Leo Enterprises and found the place completely empty! We're not psychic you know."

Donovan Wallace watched the group descend into its usual bickering and let out an exasperated sigh. "You got to be kidding," he said in disbelief and then took a deep breath before hollering out loud. "Would you guys knock it off!" He retorted.

"Thanks Junior." Guy said gratefully.

"You call me junior Guy and I'm going to call you Skipper." Donovan said sweetly.

"Skipper?" Ronnie exclaimed.

Ted returned turned to Zatanna. "Aren't you glad, we're all together again?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes in resignation. "Oh yeah, its just peachy."

II

While the rest of her comrades were enjoying the bonding process of being together again, Sigrid Nansen was involved in heavy study of the equipment and data sheets present in the room. Like all good scientists, Lovecraft kept impeccable records that were easily accessible through the computer terminal in the corner of the room. As Guy began to map out their strategy for attack, she was focused on the methodology of his experimentation. Although the genius behind the work he conducted could not be denied, there were certain immutable laws that even Lovecraft was forced to adhere to in his work with genetic manipulation. Fortunately, most of the work on Zatanna was available in hard data present in the room. Lovecraft had documented the process of transformation meticulously and reading his journals allowed Sigrid to understand something of what the man had accomplished.

She looked around the work station housing the terminal and immediately began searching for disks. Rummaging through the drawers, she found a box full of unused Verbatim diskettes and immediately began downloading of every byte of information Lovecraft had stored in cyberspace. If they were to restore any of the Ani-Men back to normal, this information would be vital. Although Lovecraft could probably expedite matters more quickly if they had him in custody, Sigrid did not want to take that gamble. The last thing she wanted was for Lovecraft to slither away into some cushy minimum security prison for what he had done. The man deserved nothing more than cleaning toilets for the rest of his life, preferably in Blackgate or some place equally barbaric.

Meanwhile, the steel door that kept the Ani-Men away from them was beginning to buckle under the pressure. Using his X-ray vision, Ted was able to see what was taking place on the other side of the wall, instead of Ronnie having to stick his head through the solid structure at random intervals.

"Someone's brought the heavily artillery." Ted reported after seeing one of the Ani-Men arriving with a bazooka.

"Okay," Guy spoke up. "We take them down hard." He said looking at all of them. "They need to be completely on ice because we may be able to help them later."

"So what's the plan?" Booster asked.

"You are taking Zee out of here." Guy replied.

"You're not leaving me out of this." He protested. "I owe that bastard some payback."

"Maybe you do." Guy responded. The tone of his voice indicated he was not tolerating any argument on this matter. "Zee's been through the ringer and without your gear, you're going to have a tough time protecting yourself let alone taking those guys on. Its going to get nasty Booster, I don't want you to become a liability."

Booster wanted to refute Guy's argument but he could not. The injuries on him may have been mild but they should not have been there at all. He was about to speak when suddenly, Zatanna made herself heard. "I'm not going anywhere." She said firmly and broke away from Ted's grasp before standing up shakily. Covered in a blanket created by Ronnie's matter transmuting abilities, Zatanna rose to her full height. Without looking at the others, she turned the door behind which the enemy lay in wait.

"raeppasiD" She said simply. Her voice was dripping with venom as that one word escaped her lips.

The pounding behind the door stopped abruptly.

"fles eurt ym ot em erotseR" She spoke again.

The blanket covering her nakedness disappeared before their eyes and Zatanna Zatara stood before them as they had always known her, without a trace of the mutation that had altered her so terribly. Although she was not completely restored, a minor glamour made them see her as she was before Lovecraft had turned her into a genetic freak.

"Zee, where are they?" Ted demanded because he could see through the door and knew that the Ani-Men behind it were gone. All that was left of them, were their weapons clattered across the floor.

She looked down at him and the fire he saw in her eyes made him shudder. A faint smile stole across her lips as she answered. "Gone."

"Where?" Guy asked.

"Just gone." She retorted sharply and walked towards the door. ".nepO" .

The objects barring the door and making up the barricade were flung across the room to the empty places where they had originally occupied. Heavy equipment was thrown aside as if a giant invisible hand had swept it all away. Once the way was clear, the door creaked open. Zatanna walked through without a second thought. The others could merely stare after her as she departed.

"Jesus." Guy managed to say.

"Talk about being upstaged." Beatriz exhaled loudly.

"I think we better go after her." Ronnie suggested. He knew Zatanna longer than anyone else in the room. Most of them had never seen her like this but Ronnie had heard how she had been after the demon Wotan had captured her father's living soul. Zatanna's power stemmed from her ability to wield it. She was a powerful mystic but the purity of her soul kept the full wrath of her power from being unleashed. Considering what had happened to her in the last few hours, Ronnie had no illusion that Maximus was about to get the full treatment.

"No kidding," Ted said running out of the room in close pursuit. Ronnie was not far behind him.

"Wait a minute Booster," Guy turned to Booster as he started out of the room. "Since you're not going to be leaving, I got something for you to do."

"What's the plan?" Booster asked, pleased that Guy had dispensed with the notion of sending him out of the firing range. After what he had put Zatanna through, Booster wanted to play some part in Maximus' defeat.

"I need you to find Kevin for me." Guy replied softly. Despite his own feelings of vengeance towards Maximus, Guy had not lost sight of the boy who had led them to discover the resurgence of the Ani-Men. Guy had made the boy's mother a promise to find him. Dead or alive, Guy intended to fulfil that promise. He hoped when they found Kevin, it would be in the latter condition rather than the former.

It was a request Booster did not intend to refuse. With everything that had happened since the beginning of this entire affair with the Ani-Men, Kevin Sharp had been the forgotten one in all this drama. Booster also had the idea that Guy wanted him away from the heart of the fighting. The Vuldarian was still mindful of Booster's weakness without his 25th technology and giving him this task was a compromise of sorts that Booster could accept.

"General," Guy turned to Donovan. "I want you two to find him. I don't care what shape he is in. If there's even the slightest chance that we can save him, I'd like to try."

"We'll find him Guy." Booster said looking to Donovan. "Right?"

"If we have to tear this place apart." Donovan reaffirmed Booster's determination because he wanted Kevin Sharp to be all right too. Kevin was from the neighbourhood Donovan Wallace had sworn to protect as General Glory. A part of him was still incensed that Maximus was able to snatch so many to become Ani-Men right under his nose. General Glory was the guardian of the slums and ghettos. Allowing Maximus to do what he did made Donovan feel like a failure and he had enough baggage to deal with on that issue.

"Ice." Guy turned his attention to Sigrid who was strangely quite. She had been seated at the console for most of their time here. He had no doubt that what she was doing was important. Guy had a great deal of respect for the young woman, more so now that she had restored him from a stark raving monster back to his old self. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm downloading all of Lovecraft's data." She announced, not looking up from the screen.

"Are you almost done?" Guy inquired. She was a typical science geek when she was in discovery mode, he thought with a begrudging smile. The Crusaders were lucky to have her.

"Pretty much." She replied, still engrossed by the data on screen.

Guy decided to leave her to her work. He understood the importance of it. Instead, Guy turned to Beatriz. "Stay here and keep an eye on her." He ordered. "When she's done, I want the two of you to see if you can find that bastard Lovecraft."

With that, Guy started walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Beatriz called out.

"I'm going to stop Zatanna before she finds Maximus and kills him."