Chapter 24

"I must say I'm not at all surprised to see you here, although I did expect much more of a certain trickery from the so-called Dark Knight of Gotham. The two of you were remarkably easy to capture."

Amanda Waller, the owner of the mocking voice, stepped visibly into the light, out of the gloom and towards the surprised pair of superheroes. She was clad in uniform khaki coveralls, as if she was an ordinary worker in this mysterious facility. Her sleeve and chest patches identified herself as A.R.G.U.S., otherwise she could have been mistaken for any ordinary warehouse worker. But as if to dispel that illusion, she wore a sidearm at her hip, although, to Bruce's trained eyes, one that looked new and unused.

He and Zatanna had no doubt she would use it if she thought she needed to. Or even if the whim took her.

Batman ignored her jibe. "And I expected better than shady shenanigans from the head of an major government agency. Your thugs murdered an innocent man."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Waller replied coolly, unfazed by his hard stare.

"You know damn well what he's talking about!" Zatanna cried out in her damaged voice. "Why did you bring us here? Where is here, anyway?"

Waller looked at her only then, as if she was something she found on the bottom of her boot, but she answered her in the same maddeningly calm, faux-friendly tone of voice.

"I'll tell you where you are now, although it really isn't that important in the longer scheme of things."

Waller blithely strode past them to stand by the railing overlooking the drop. "We're in Australia or, to be more precise, in the middle of what the locals picturesquely call 'The Great Sandy.' A very primitive place, mostly uninhabited desert. We're about 500 meters below the surface."

Waller looked down at the floor of the cavern beneath them and they followed her gaze. Below them, roughly about four stories down, was all the activity that they had been missing on their journey here. Scurrying about were men and women in similar coveralls to Waller's, in white lab coats, or in heavy body armor, brandishing either scientific instruments, tablets, or machine guns respectively. Bruce estimated that there had to be hundreds of people down there, possibly more, scattered throughout the underground complex. Not only that, but he could see that there was the best and latest technology in this place; it very much resembled one of his company's research labs.

But what really caught his attention was not the presence of all the people but what they were scurrying around. Below them, in the center of the facility, was a large black slab, completely covered and protected by a shell of such transparent material that at first he didn't see it was there. The black slab was approximately the size of a moderate-size helicopter (or the size of his Batmobile), and it wasn't entirely flat, in fact. It was more like a mound, although one with many depressions and gradients in its surface.

Could it be a meteorite? Bruce thought, but somehow, he knew it wasn't. It wasn't pitted and lumpy like a meteorite would typically be. The surface was too smooth, too black, like a piece of obsidian glass, only it wasn't reflective at all. Its contours were flowing, not jagged. But there was something else about it that made him pause.

No matter how intently he observed the dark slab it was as if his gaze…just slid off the object. It wasn't the artificial lights reflecting back at him…there was no reflecting light. The object, the slab or whatever it was, somehow seemed to absorb the harsh fluorescent light that illuminated the spaces around it, or the light generated by the 3D holoscreens that surrounded the transparent barrier around it. Also, the scientists and the technicians that populated the bay below were monitoring the thing for it a bit too closely for it to just be a piece of space rock.

Bruce suddenly found himself possessed by a memory: a memory of when he was on Themyscira, and when the gate, or whatever it had been, had opened. He remembered when had entered the strange alien city of Carcosa. The overwhelming sensation of something alien, beyond all description. He had all but managed to forget that brief and mad hallucinatory experience - he had had to, for his own sanity - but now it came flooding back into his mind. He didn't know why that particular memory had been triggered - other than that things below, nothing else about this facility seemed out of the ordinary. Yet something of that strange sensation he had experienced in that nightmarish place was coming back to him. It was a disturbing and unsettling feeling to say the least; for a moment, he almost didn't know where he was.

"I wouldn't recommend looking at it too hard," Waller said casually, as if guessing at his thoughts. "As you can guess, that thing wasn't made by human hands."

"What exactly have you found, Waller?" Batman demanded sharply. "What is that down there?"

"You already know, or you wouldn't ask," the A.R.G.U.S. chief snapped impatiently, her mood drastically changing. "You know that an integral part of A.R.G.U.S's mission is to secure alien technology and artifacts on Earth. We have a choice opportunity here, right below our feet. An ancient alien artifact, buried deep below the desert, and far away from human populations to allow almost unrestricted scientific study."

Zatanna shot Batman an urgent look, but he wasn't paying attention to her.

"I'm not so sure, Miss Waller. I don't believe your true objective is so scientific as you claim. What you people are really looking for weapons, and you're willing to perform every unethical and immoral act to do that."

"I'm not interested in your bourgeoisie opinions, especially coming from a rich boy. Especially when you have your own arsenal at your personal disposal."

"But why did you kill the old man?" Zatanna demanded, before Bruce could retort. "You had no right to do that!"

"We have every right! We defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic," Waller snapped back with more than a tinge of contempt. "We can't afford any more whistleblowers, no matter how old they are. Dr. Moncke was prepared to talk to a journalist about what he knew. He'd already blabbed to a so-called independent blogger about Project Pnakotous. Fortunately no one takes those things seriously."

"So, that is what this little project of yours is called?" Batman mused, as if he'd never heard the word before. "This little archaeological dig?"

"Oh, it's progressed beyond an archaeological dig," Waller replied smoothly. "We've found something quite incredible, and it's certainly not something for public consumption. This is a national security issue..."

"Whatever it is, you've gone and made a mess of it, as usual," Batman interrupted. "Blowing up a man and his home tends to get noticed by all kinds of people."

Waller shrugged. "It is no matter. The reporter will be taken care of."

"Silenced, you mean," Zatanna stared at the woman hard. "I don't know what you think is down there, but you knew it would have the effect of canceling out my magickal abilities. You know what's down there. Otherwise you wouldn't leave us alive."

"You give me too much credit, Miss Zatara. I had a premise, and you've proven it. Yes, there is a great energy source below our feet. That object down there is a doorway. I wish I could claim the credit for its discovery too, but it was discovered many years ago, by an economics professor, of all things. He literally stumbled onto it. He wrote up his discoveries, but of course they were so fantastic that no one believed him, just as no one believes most journalists today anyway. An outpost of an alien civilization, a Great Race, so powerful that they could manipulate the laws of physics, of the fabric of space and time itself. A few people over the years have tried to re-discover the site, which became called Pnakotous, named after certain indigenous legends of a city below the earth. Again, no one took them seriously, they were just crazy stories by so-called 'savages.'" Waller's lip curled.

"And you believe those stories." Batman glanced back at the object below.

Waller shrugged, but for the first time she looked less like a government operator, and more like the scientist she had once trained to be. "I...don't know. Anything could be down there, but we will only know by exploration."

Batman abruptly returned his attention to her. "You wouldn't have gone to all this trouble without proof. As a 'rich boy' I know how much money you've poured into this hole. Like Zatanna said, you know what's down there."

A shocking thought came to Zatanna then, and she saw that Bruce had already thought of it.

"David Kent," she breathed. "The soldier who came out of the jungle. He's your proof!"

Waller glared at her. "How do you know about that?" She hissed.

Zatanna ignored her. "The legends of the Tcho-Tcho people. You know about them. You know that they're still around. They worship the forces of the Outer Darkness! That's what she wants, Batman!" She stared wildly at him, at Waller. "You believe that there is something still alive down there! You want to open the doorway! That's what you and A.R.G.U.S. really want! You can't do that! You don't know what you're really doing-"

Her voice broke, and she nearly choked for breath, doubling over. Batman caught her before she fell.

Waller stared at her with a mixture of anger and disgust. "I wish I could say I'm shocked to hear such superstitious twaddle from an intelligent woman, but given your line of work I shouldn't be surprised."

She looked at Batman. "Your Justice League will be investigated for breaches of national security. All of you can expect to be brought up on charges. If you continue to interfere with our agency, we will the take steps necessary to ensure our integrity."

"We won't be so easy to murder in cold blood," Batman's eyes bored into hers. "What you're doing with A.R.G.U.S. is illegal."

"Nothing we do is illegal, haven't you figured that out yet, Batman? Maybe you are as dense as your companion here."

She made a gesture and several armed men stepped forward from the shadows. A.R.G.U.S. operatives, armed with the latest model weapons. They surrounded the pair.

"These men will escort you to ground floor," Waller explained. "I hope that you two will behave yourselves in their company. Besides, there's no place to run to. We're hundreds of miles from any inhabited town. Your communicators will not work, I guarantee it."

"Stop what you're doing while there's still time. If you believe anything about this Pnakotous, then you'll realize you're playing with fire!" Zatanna gasped. "Just as with the Black Stars..."

But Waller was clearly no longer listening. "Take them away," she ordered.

The guards did not have to speak, only gestured with their weapons. Batman and Zatanna were escorted to a large cargo elevator, which brought them down several levels. They were led off and placed in a holding cell, this one much more sophisticated than the one they had recently vacated. It did seem that there was no place to escape to. For the moment they were left alone, but neither of them expected that to last.

"I don't get it," Zatanna murmured aside to Bruce. "Why is she keeping us alive?"

"She needs us for something," Batman replied calmly. "Either for our knowledge or as a bargaining chip. The League will realize something is wrong when we fail to appear for the morning briefing. Superman..."

Bruce wondered. Clark had been working on a story involving a whistleblower, something 'monumental' he had called it. He was almost certain it was Mr. Moncke. If that were so, he would soon discover the dead man, and know what had happened. If they actually attacked him, then this entire episode could mushroom into something beyond control.

Zatanna grasped her arms, forcing back a wave of dizziness. She wasn't sure if it was from her wounds, or something else. Bruce noticed it, and held her tightly. The gesture, unusual for him, had the effect of calming her rattled nerves.

"Can they find us?" Zatanna asked quietly.

Batman looked at her. "I...can't say for certain. Superman might, but I would expect that Waller's goons will have screened this place with lead. The power that is suppressing your magickal abilities…is it coming from that hole?"

Zatanna nodded slowly. "There's an energy in there. A power, as you said. It's…potent, that's all I know. I have no idea what could be down there."

"And not from this Earth, that's certain," Batman muttered. "Now we know what we're dealing with, at least. We've dealt with hostile aliens before."

"You know it's more than that, Bruce," Zatanna whispered. "It's just like when the Black Stars appeared in the sky."

"You mentioned David Kent back there," Batman said. "He's a connection, isn't he? To the alien city here."

"Yes," Zatanna slowly replied. "A.R.G.U.S. knew it, I'm sure, almost from the moment they recovered him."

"The aliens, the Great Race, whatever they are, they're using him, somehow," Bruce concluded. "He's under their influence. But for what purpose?"

Zatanna shook her head, leaned against Bruce's massive chest. She was so tired, but she didn't dare let herself drift off into sleep. "I don't know. And, I don't think A.R.G.U.S. and Waller know either. They want to find out. Bruce, we can't let them get through that gateway."

Batman took a deep breath. He'd been in tough, bleak situations before, but this ranked fairly high too. But as long as he could draw breath, and think, then there was hope, a chance of escape.

But would they be in time to stop Waller?

With Batman and Zatanna now secured, Amanda Waller returned to the control center of the Project Pnakotous facility. So far, everything was going quite smoothly. She supposed that an open confrontation with the Justice League was now inevitable, but there was also the possibility that the rest of the team might never learn what had become of their colleagues. Could it be that simple? Just pick them off one by one, and they would be effectively neutralized.

No, she thought, as long as Superman and Wonder Woman were free and at large, they would be a danger. Hopefully, this Project might give them the tools to neutralize that threat also, sooner rather than later.

The only drawback, she thought, was that Sergeant Kent had so far no produced any results. She was beginning to think it had been a mistake to release him back into the community. What she had hoped was that the strain of being back in 'normal' society would be too much, and he would manifest some kind of power or ability that demonstrated what the Great Race had done to him. Djaktu-Klein had emphasized that a human being offered as a sacrifice to the Great Race would manifest incredible powers. But nothing had really happened. Perhaps something had gone wrong with whatever weird rituals the Tcho-Tcho had performed on Kent. Dr. Fenderbrake's own examination of Kent had revealed nothing particular odd, except a type of cell-enhancement that had retarded - but not stopped - his aging. Some of Kent's stem cells had been preserved, and were now the subject of research, a potential longevity cure or genetic enhancement for future soldiers. So it was not all a dud.

Anyway, Waller thought, it was clear to her that this Project was now in its terminal stage. All that remained would be to open the gateway. Preliminary examinations of the ground below the slab revealed that there was a tunnel to a larger cavernous area, although nothing more could be detected. Ordinary mining equipment could not bore through it from the surface, and other instrumentation simply failed to work. Yes, there was something down there. An alien city? An outpost? Even, Waller dared to imagine, something alive?

They would only know by opening the door. That was the one thing they couldn't do safely, without ensuring a minimum of damage.

Perhaps David Kent would know how. It was about time to end this experiment in his re-transitioning to civilian life. She had already ordered operatives out to the Kent residence to bring him back and to disappear the Kents. It was a shame, she acknowledged, such a normal, law-abiding family, but there could no chances. A story was already being prepared for law enforcement to make it look like the Kents had been innocent victims of a drug cartel up from Mexico, seeking vengeance on the prior homeowners. Sergeant Kent would be spirited away, and the home burned down. No evidence would be left to suggest anything had happened otherwise. A fuss would be raised about the crime, but it would be quickly forgotten.

General Lane, of course, had objected, but he was rapidly demonstrating his unreliability as a team player. Something would have to be done about him too.

Waller entered the secure control center, where many of her top scientists and aides were on work on the project. In reality there was not much to monitor. No energy was coming from the site, actually nothing to suggest that there was anything still alive down there. It didn't matter. There would be a wealth of technological materials down there. The Australian government would have its share, but Waller intended for the United States - and her organization especially - to have the most important objects.

"Anything?" Waller asked.

"No, ma'am," one of her aides replied. "All systems functioning at 100% optimum."

She nodded. Reaching for a tablet, she sent immediate instructions on Subject Pym, as David Kent was known. He would be here within a matter of hours.

Waller should have known better than to expect everything to continue running smoothly. One of her aides came to her quickly.

"Ma'am, there's a problem with the Kents?"

"What it it?"

The man looked clearly uncomfortable with his message. "Subject Pym is missing. We cannot find him."

Waller fixed a glare on the man, who shifted even more uneasily. "What?"

"A team went to the Kent residence as you instructed. There's no one there. Not the Kents, nor Subject Pym."

Waller felt blood rushing to her head. She grabbed the man by the lapel and shook him. She shouted.

"You find him! I don't care how many operatives you have to pull from other projects, but he is out primary importance now! Find him, and find the Kents!"

To be continued...

[A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I'm happy I could get even this much done! I love writing evil Waller, I imagine Fish Mooney's voice, I like her in Gotham a lot!

I think they have cast someone for Waller in BvS but not certain. Things are rushing to the conclusion and major confrontations will appear. If you have read this far you may be impatient at finding out what happened to WW and David Kent. That will be revealed next chapter, hopefully soon! Thank you thank you for reading and please review!]