7

Chapter Fourteen

"Who authorized you to make a statement to the press?" Waller thundered as she waved a newspaper under Supergirl's nose.

Supergirl's eyes narrowed and her fists were firmly planted on her hips, "I didn't know I needed authorization. What're we living in, a dictatorship?"

"You are from now on." Waller declared as she thrust the paper in Supergirl's direction, "Read that headline!"

Supergirl unfurled the rolled newspaper. It was the evening edition of the Daily Planet. Her eyes focused on the glaring headline and it read, Justice League unable to stop Amazo! Underneath came the caption, Can they beat the Legion of Doom? By James Olsen.

"Oh, Jimmy." She breathed, understanding Waller's ire.

"We have protestors in every major city demanding that the League disband." Waller revealed, "Every major city, worldwide!"

"That's pretty impressive since it's the middle of the night for half the world." Supergirl quipped.

"Don't get smart with me, girlie!" Waller snapped, "I can kick you out of this League."

"No, you can't." J'onn said from behind her.

"How long have you been there?" Waller asked.

"Long enough." J'onn said gravely, "You are our liaison with the UN. You do not administer the League nor do we want you to. Neither are we willing to allow you to. Supergirl's actions were innocent enough. Leave her be."

"J'onn…" Waller faltered.

"It is League business, Amanda." J'onn informed her, "I expect your support and your advice, not orders. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly." Waller surprised Supergirl with her sudden acquiescence.

"Let's see what the world has to say." He suggested.

He and Waller went to the communications and monitoring room while Supergirl and Mary decided what to do next.

"It's pretty ugly." Barbara commented from the couch where she was snuggled up next to Bruce. Tim was watching the television while eating popcorn. The antics of the protesters greatly amused him.

"Lookit that clown." He guffawed.

"Just who is 'the Society for the Preservation of the Planet'?" Barbara asked.

"Let's find out." Bruce decided.

"Hey In-Ze," Kyle said as he saw Supergirl and Mary enter the Team Room, "Getting rather ugly isn't it?"

"No thanks to Jimmy." Supergirl complained.

"Give Jim a break." Kyle urged, "He had a hot story and Perry probably sensationalized it a bit."

"There's an understatement." Mary murmured.

Both Kyle and Supergirl stared at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Captain Marvel entered. He rushed to Mary's side, "There you are. Your folks have been calling me nonstop since this morning. They watched the news and were horrified."

"They worry too much." Mary sloughed it off.

"I worry too." He informed her, "I saw the recaps. If I ever get my hands on Black Adam…"

"It isn't his fault." Mary said. Feeling the weight of universal stares she amended her statement, "Well, not entirely. He kept trying to get me to back off. He promised that he'd let everyone go before he dropped the building. I just kept pushing it. After I was knocked out he could've dropped the tower right then and there but he waited `till everyone was clear."

Marvel was too shocked to speak so Supergirl intervened, "Lemme get this straight. The guy beats you silly, drops the Metro Tower, terrorizes half of downtown and you're siding with him?"

No," Mary tone indicated that they were all dullards, "I'm saying that he's not quite as bad as we all thought he was."

"Sorry." Captain Marvel said, "Not buying it."

"Neither am I." Supergirl agreed.

"I wasn't even there and I think the guy's a turd." Kyle opined.

"Maybe I'm wrong but I think there's hope for him." Mary insisted.

"Sis, there's time when you're too optimistic for your own good." Marvel expressed everyone's thoughts.

Mary sighed and went and found a snack and a couch.

Having navigated through the crowd Mr. Miracle and his wife Barda reached the Hall's main entrance. Miracle inputted his passcode, verified a retinal scan, and recited a password for the voice regonition software.

"Darkseid?" Barda repeated, "You chose 'Darkseid' as your password?"

Miracle grinned, "No one will ever guess it."

"Scott Free, you can be exasperating." She told him, "Which is one of the reasons why I love you."

"I feel the same way about you, m'love." His grin grew cockier.

"Get inside before I embarrass you in public." She laughed.

They reached the double doors leading the rec center known as the Team Room. Barda's warrior gaze hunted down an individual, only he wasn't to be found here. Not one to be disparaged, Barda pressed on.

"Where's the Martian." She bellowed.

All eyes turned to her. Mr. Miracle buried his face in his hand.

"Well?" she demanded.

Captain Marvel decided to intervene, "Perhaps you'd like to calm down? Then we could help you."

"Look here," Barda growled, "I don't need your help. I need to see J'onn Jonzz."

Marvel looked on the verge of a heated reply when Supergirl moved between them, "J'onn's in the comm center. I'm sure Scott can show you the way."

"Thank you." Barda said. Then she turned to Marvel. "How hard was that?"

As the couple departed, Captain Marvel looked ready to blow a gasket. Supergirl steered him back to the area that Mary, Kyle, and she were resting in. He took a seat and fumed to himself while the others ignored him.

"Barda," J'onn held out a hand, "this is a pleasant surprise."

"It wasn't so pleasant for Captain Whitebread." Barda confessed.

Puzzled, J'onn looked to Mr. Miracle for an explanation. Miracle shrugged, "She means Captain Marvel."

"I see." J'onn scanned her mind and replayed the incident. Moving passed that he returned his focus to Barda, "How can I help you?"

"I want to enlist." She bluntly explained.

"I thought you didn't approve of the League?" J'onn wondered.

"I don't approve of Scott being in the League without me. Since he's too pig-headed to quit, here I am." She revealed.

"Are you certain you'll be comfortable in a team setting?" J'onn had to ask.

Barda frowned, "I was the first leader of the Female Furies. I've fought alongside the forces of Apokolips and New Genesis. Besides, if Orion can work with you I certainly can."

"I see." J'onn mused, "Very well. Welcome to the Justice League. We'll process you through the security system and issue your signal device in just a moment. I want to see a report I've been waiting for. It should be on any minute now."

"Mind if we watch it with you?" Miracle asked.

"Be my guest." J'onn conceded.

"Hello, this is Jack Ryder and today's expose is on 'the voice behind the shouting'." The TV displayed, "Batman has uncovered a link between the protest groups that have arisen world-wide to call for the removal of the Justice League. The evidence has been supplied both to me for this exclusive and to the Justice Department."

"Go to WBDC-7's website and you can see the evidence for yourself." Ryder continued, "All of these groups have received funding from the same source. That's right folks; one entity controlled by one man has provided the major bankroll for these protest groups. And of course you've guessed it, it's Lex Luthor."

"Luthor's personal foundation, LexFunds, has been supporting each and every one of these organizations. More to the point, they each received millions of dollars' worth of cash infusions two weeks ago. Documents secured from many of these so-called 'spontaneous' movements reveal they are employing professional agitators." Ryder explained.

"Now I have to ask, why would a wanted master criminal want to disband the Justice League? You think about it and call our station with your replies. This has been Jack Ryder reporting to you. Good night." He concluded.

The cameras quit rolling and Ryder grinned, "Beat that, Summer."

Bruce shut off the TV, "Good job Barbara. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

"'Without me?"' she mocked, "Mister, I did it all. I tracked down everyone's websites, hacked their computers, compiled their financial records and traced the bank transfers back to Luthor. What did you do?"

"I watched appreciatively?" Bruce wondered.

"Listen, Mr. Man." Barbara leaned in on him, "We could go upstairs and you could help me with something I can't do on my own."

"Technically you can." Bruce retorted.

"Bruce!" Barbara snapped, "Come to bed now! I want to be pleasured and you're going to do that for me. Understood?"

"You know me; I never shirk my responsibilities when duty calls." Bruce grinned.

"Good." Barbara laughed, "Take me and take me now."

J'onn and L-Ron processed Barda's admission to the League and they were headed for the Team Room when Wonder Woman appeared. Her countenance was grave and J'onn stopped.

"Go on without me." He urged the New Gods.

"I take it the news about Amazo is bad." J'onn surmised, "I think we should brief Amanda at the same time so she can be ready if the worst should happen."

"All right." Wonder Woman followed him to Waller's office. Once there she shared the news with both of them.

"Wonderful." Waller turned to J'onn, "They've called a special session of the General Assembly. They want you to explain what happened today."

"That's awfully fast." J'onn opined.

"They're panicking." Waller explained, "That's why it's best to keep this information under wraps."

"I agree." J'onn said, "We need to brief the entire League but leave this out of the press."

"J'onn," Wonder woman was still grave, "what happens if Amazo-Prime doesn't act and we can't stop his avatar?"

"Then we pray the Specter will intervene." J'onn replied darkly.

To be continued in Justice League Past Imperfect.