Location: Above New York
Time: 1230 hours
The Javelin zips past the skyline of New York City. In it, Vigilante and Superman are seated in the pilot's and co-pilot seats respectively. Flash and Green Lantern remain in the cockpit. They had located the Mothership earlier, hovering over the Empire State building, hidden with a cloaking device.
In the back, the remaining heroes are trying to lighten the tension between Rose and themselves. Shayera had taken the initiative, asking Rose about her past and current dilemma in hopes of understanding the girl better.
"So, let me get this straight. You ditch the Teen Titans because you chose to come back to your 'daddy' who just happens to be Slade freaking Wilson. Then you meet Kenra a few months later and her presence caused you to want to change?" Huntress recaps, a bit skeptical of Rose's tale.
Rose had delivered an almost heart-wrenching story about how Slade had promised to be the father she never had…about how he started treating her like dirt after their failed hunt for Raven of the Teen Titans when she was resurrected by the Cult of Blood…about how she forcibly gouged out her own eye to show Slade how committed she was. She then explained how she almost wanted to escape under a new name because Slade eventually moved on from her and she wasn't sure, but she felt that Shayera had caught on that Rose was depressed.
Kenra's appearance was virtually a lifeline that had been tossed to her when she was close to ending it. She, however, did not mention what she suspects are feelings for the assassin, not knowing how Shayera would react to it. Instead, she ended it her story with where they are now.
Rose nods, averting her gaze to the window as they pass swiftly over the New York skyline. She pushes back the lump in her throat, hoping that no one asks her anything else. It took a lot for her to tell them all of this. Huntress still appears skeptical, but she picks up on the mood change from Rose and decides to back off. She leans back in her seat, enveloped in her own thoughts.
In the seats to the left of Huntress and Rose are Shayera and Wonder Woman. Shayera rests her head against the window, thinking over everything Rose had said. She could tell the young woman was hiding something but she wouldn't push anything.
"Is something wrong, Shayera? You've been quiet since Rose told her story," Diana observes.
Shayera sighs. "Rose has gone through so much and I guess I'm still amazed that she was able to keep going. When you start doubting your purpose in life…everything becomes bleak and you just don't want to do anything anymore. But Rose managed to keep it together and she had just reached her limits when Kenra appeared." Diana places a supportive hand on Shayera's shoulder and Shayera turns back towards Diana, her eyes appearing to shimmer. "I guess…her situation just hit close to home for me. When I resigned, I lost my purpose in life. I didn't know what I wanted to do anymore. I wasn't Hawkgirl anymore; that was always a lie. And I was no longer Lt. Shayera Hol of the Thanagarian Empire anymore. I was…nothing."
"But you found your purpose again," Diana begins. "And Rose is doing the same. Hopefully, your sister will be able to as well."
"She's gone through so much…and it's because of me. I forgot I even have a sister! It's no wonder she wanted to kill me."
"I'm sure you will be able to repair this rift between the two of you. Your sister had several opportunities to kill you, but she didn't. Shayera, I believe that deep down, she still cares for and loves you."
Shayera's hand lies atop Diana's as she blinks away the tears. "You're right. And first things first, we have to rescue her. Rose said it's going to be a trap for the Founders, so the rest should be fine. But what if they somehow know exactly who's coming?"
"We'll be on guard, Shayera…we've fought worse than the Gordanians. Don't worry," Diana squeezes comfortingly, "We will rescue your sister."
Shayera looks at Diana, her eyes pleading that Diana is telling the truth. Diana can tell that Shayera is suffering immensely from this ordeal and she can't help but feel guilty for having assumed the worst of Shayera when the robbery had occurred. "I know…but I can't help but feel that something bad is going to happen."
"Touchwood," Huntress interrupts, having unintentionally listened on their conversation. "Come on, these are Gordanians. They can't be as bad as Darkseid and his parademons, can they?"
"Parademons are simple-minded monsters who just serve for Darkseid. The Gordanians are far more advanced and intelligent than parademons so they know exactly what they're doing…most of the time. If they collected intel on us, we're screwed…especially if they have a leading officer. They'll have every means to counterattack and ambush us like Rose said," Shayera explains.
"Oh come on. It still shouldn't be that hard," Huntress dismisses. "We'll kick their asses like we always do and rescue your little sister."
Shayera looks at Huntress before making eye contact with Diana, the pleading in her eyes beginning to fade as a familiar fire takes place. She nods, "You're right." She lets out a deep sigh, her hands clutching the seat's handle, and Diana can't help but pity her. Shayera's been through so much in the last few days and she's still here, ready to fight anything for her sister, the last remnant of Thanagar. "We'll bring her back," Shayera promises herself.
Location: Gordanian Mothership
Time: ?
"She is secured?"
"Yes sir. The two watching over her have made sure she won't be moving anytime soon."
A deep-throated chuckle can be heard. "Excellent. Once we reach Karna, we'll finally bring her to justice. Perhaps I should go down there myself to talk to her. I'm sure she would want to know what happened to her precious Thanagar."
"Of course, sir. Would you like me to-?"
"No, I will do it myself. I want to see her resolve destroyed with my own eyes."
Kenra looks up, frowning as her ears pick up light footsteps. She contemplates over the meaning of the light footsteps; a Gordanian normally is not that lithe. It has to be the commander that threatened to kill Rose. The hatch opens and someone drops through.
Kenra twitches uncontrollably as a pulse of electricity rips through her again. The Gordanian steps into view, his sneer more menacing than the guards. Definitely the commander, Kenra muses.
"I'm going to assume you're the big bad leader of this platoon?" He could even be one of the High Commanders of Karna, but she would never back down against a Gordanian.
"That bravery is rather foolhardy isn't it, Kenra Hol?" he fires back. Kenra's eyes trail over his battle scars and he notices, tracing the scar on his sealed eye.
"Ah, yes. This was given to me by your beloved. I had underestimated his stubbornness," he chuckles.
"If you think coming here and taunting me about Fray is going to make me want to kill you more, well you're one hundred percent correct. If you're expecting me to be terrified of what you did to him, you're mistaken. I'll take any torture you have planned for me," Kenra challenges him.
"Ah, but what if I were to tell you that I'm not here to torture you?"
"If you're actually here for small talk, I'd rather choke on my own blood and quite frankly, I'm thinking about it."
He chuckles, "Are you saying you do not want to know the fate of your home planet?" He suppresses the urge to smile as emotions dance across Kenra's face.
Don't fall for the bait. Don't fall for the bait. Don't fall for the bait. "What are you saying?" Her rational side is screaming at her, but her genuine curiosity and fear over the fate of her home surpasses it.
"Oh please, it's not like you didn't anticipate this, Thanagarian," he scoffs. "We both know how the war was going to turn out. Are you telling me, that with all that knowledge in your head, you honestly doubted our ability to defeat your home and enslave countless Thanagarians? You and you sister were lucky; you both managed to escape the destruction."
Kenra's eyes widen, despite having promised herself to not show any emotion to the commander. "We're…the only ones left?"
"Oh no, there have been reports of other Thanagarians in hiding…possibly preparing themselves for a rebellion to rescue the enslaved." He pauses for dramatic effect. "That is, if they all didn't already die."
Pure rage washes over Kenra as she strains against the bonds, the metal beginning to groan. "I'll kill you! And when I'm done with you, I'll rip your damn heart out like you did to Fray!"
The commander steps back unperturbed, pressing a button on his belt. Sparks fly, enveloping Kenra again in the torture. Caught off guard, she screams in earnest as the commander relishes in her pain. "And just how will you do that if you can't even escape?" he taunts her, but she can barely hear him over the electricity crackling.
After a few minutes, he presses the button again to deactivate the electricity. Kenra's head flops down, losing consciousness. "Weak. Just like all the other Thanagarians." As he leaves the room, he orders the guards to "have at her" and returns to the bay.
"Sir, we have detected a plane flying towards us!" He strides towards the radar, smirking.
"Be ready for them. And get the traps ready!" he orders. He looks out to the sky. Soon, he'll capture the two Thanagarians and he'll be hailed as a hero. Soon, he'll get his revenge.
"Get ready, we're about to board the ship," John warns before turning back into the cockpit. The women all check their weapons one last time, mentally prepping themselves for the battle to come. Vigilante veers the Javelin to the side, shooting at the Mothership to gain its attention.
The Javelin flips over as Vigilante dodges past a series of missile blasts. "We're comin' in fast!" he announces, switching on the autopilot once the blasts cease. He follows the group to the hatch as Superman opens it. "This has got to be the craziest shit I've ever done!" Huntress complains, clutching tightly to a railing.
"We're probably gonna have to do some crazier stuff later!" Flash retorts as John wraps the non-flyers in a bubble. The heroes fly towards the Mothership and both Superman and Wonder Woman tear out a hole to allow them entrance. Once they are all in the ship, Superman is hit by a blast of green light. Wonder Woman follows the beam and dispatches the blaster, lobbing the Kryptonite out of the room.
The Gordanians blast Flash with a freezing gun, similar to Captain Cold's. Superman, his strength returning, flies towards them and crushes the gun into bits and pieces.
A small battalion of Gordanians enter the room, their weapons brandished in an attempt to appear menacing to the heroes. Anyone can tell that these Gordanians in the room are fully aware that they stand no chance against the heroes. "Our turn," Huntress declares. She and Rose charge towards the battalion and the Gordanians, insulted by the lack of respect, rise up to the challenge. Rose and Huntress tag-team the battle, using their martial arts alone to take them down. Soon, the two are standing over heaps of unconscious Gordanians.
Doors all around them slide open, allowing a larger army of Gordanians to filter in and the heroes meet them blow for blow.
Huntress continues to bob and weave her way through the Gordanians, delivering near-lethal blows at every opportunity she gets. The Question easily does the same. Vigilante covers their backs with his hyperkinetic bullets from a distance. Superman and Diana easily pummel the Gordanians into unconsciousness and Flash maneuvers his way through the room, dealing a quick jab to any Gordanian that is unlucky to be in his way. Rose parries each strike, delivering her own attack when her opponents leave an opening for her.
John creates a variety of constructs, ranging from a large baseball bat to a fist to clear his path. Shayera, of course, resorts to swinging her mace into each Gordanian. Superman realizes that they'll be stuck in here for a while as the wave of Gordanians seem to be never-ending. He turns to Shayera and John. "Shay! You and Lantern go look for your sister! We'll hold them off here!" Superman commands. The two nod in agreement as the heroes carve a path for them. Soon, the pair are out of the room.
Shayera flies ahead of John, clearing the way with her mace. John follows closely behind her, keeping a close eye on any Gordanian that might be faking it. Shayera suddenly veers to the left, heading for a door at the end of the corridor. "Shay, wait!"
He turns around the corner to see Shayera engaged in a fight. Without hesitation, he wraps the Gordanian up with his ring and smashes him against the wall. The two turn towards the door and combine their efforts to open the door. The sound of grinding metal fills the room. Shayera swings her mace violently at the door and it finally heaves, allowing them to enter. John follows her in, looking everywhere for Kenra.
Shayera notices the grille in the center of the room and sprints towards it. She kneels down, looking through the slits and her heart leaps into her throat as she takes in the sight. "Kenra!" Emotions overwhelm her for a moment. She thought she had lost everything when she had betrayed her people. But seeing Kenra in the flesh after so many years, tears threaten to trickle down her face. Hands shaking, she grabs the grille and rips it away. She descends and stands there frozen, staring at the scene before her.
Kenra is not uttering a single sound, not even a whimper. It's a wonder how she has yet to die. By now, wounds, varying from scratches to gashes, and burns litter her arms and legs. Blood is streaming down her face from the wound on her head dying her hair a darker red than normal. Feathers are scattered before her feet, parts of her wings singed.
John shakes himself from his stupor, noticing how Shayera herself is still rigid. "Shayera, snap out of it." He shakes her softly and she flinches, her eyes refusing to peel away from the scene. "We have to break her out," he quietly reminds her.
That is all she needs. She tightens her grip on her family heirloom, her mace. She grits her teeth and lets out a low snarl as John takes a step back. She lets out her war cry, swinging at the source of the electricity. As the mace absorbs it, Shayera smashes the trap. The electricity dies down immediately.
She steps back as the restraints automatically pull back, allowing Kenra to fall forward. Shayera extends her arms out to catch Kenra as tears start to flow down her face. She carefully and delicately kneels down, allowing Kenra to rest on her legs. As she strokes Kenra's head softly, she feels Kenra stir. She blinks, her heterochromic eyes dazedly staring up at Shayera. Her throat, raw from screaming, struggles to form words. "Sh-"
Shayera shushes her. "Don't speak. Just rest for now," she whispers. Kenra stares at her for a moment before closing them again, her body grateful for its freedom. John looks at the scene with a small smile on his lips. After years of separation, the sisters are finally reunited.
We're nearing the end of the story. Even now, my mind is still running with multiple ways on how to end it but we'll see what happens.
