She is so dead. Zoe thought as she woke up. She blinked her eyes several times before the room came into focus. She was laid out on the couch, various team members keeping an eye on her. "Are you okay?" Zatanna asked her eyes filled with worry as she gave the girl a hug. Zoe nodded hugging her back.
"What happened?" Conner asked his arms crossed over his chest.
"Yeah, we found you in the hangar right after Superman, Lilly and Flash were knocked out." Richard added.
"It was Aurora. She wanted to go after Achilles alone without interference from any of us." Zoe replied.
"I don't understand. Why wouldn't she want us to go with her?" M'gann asked.
"She thinks that it would be best if she went alone." Zoe replied. She tried to get up but found that she had a massive headache. Oh yeah, she was so dead.
"So, what do we do now?" Zatanna asked hovering protectively over the younger magician.
"I thought you guys would have gone after her by now."
Nightwing answered her. "We couldn't. Aurora took out the bioship as well as sphere and Hal's ring conveniently lost all of its power, Nabu is dealing with Klarion and with John dealing with an emergency on the other side of the world, there was no way for us to go after her. Plus we thought that someone attacked you, Lilly, Superman and Flash and Aurora was nowhere to be found so we were on defense mode."
Zoe ran her fingers through her hair trying to calm herself down. She loved the Martian-Kryptonian hybrid but sometimes she just wanted to kick her butt. "That is exactly what she wanted. She took out our means of transportation then she took out those who would be fast enough to catch up to her and finally she made sure I wouldn't be able to teleport you there."
"She's smart I'll give her that but she's letting her emotions cloud her judgment." Batman appeared from the shadows causing her to jump slightly. He wasn't that quiet in her time. "The others are awake."
"How long were we out?" Zoe asked. It was no coincidence that they woke up at exactly the same time.
"About twenty minutes, why?" Zatanna answered.
Zoe was silent for a moment before she stood up and ran towards the hangar the team following close behind her. Sure enough sphere was back online and the bioship was humming ready for departure. "This was her plan."
"What?" Artemis asked.
"That's why she incapacitated us."
"What are you talking about?" Wally asked as confused as the rest.
Before she could answer, Lilly screeched to a halt in front of the team. "I know what she's planning."
"I already know but do you think it will work?" Zoe asked the female speedster.
"Maybe, they thought about doing the same when Achilles was captured."
"Still, there is a risk."
"That is why she wanted us to follow her later on. We're the backup plan."
"Would you two mind telling us what Aurora planned?" Nightwing asked slightly irritated.
"Sorry, I thought that she just wanted to incapacitate Achilles and bring him back with us but that's not her plan. She is going to try to contain Achilles' dark side so that he won't have the urge to kill anymore." Zoe answered. "Kind of like a wall that holds back his darkness."
"The only problem is, she would have to break through his psychic defenses to do it. If those two have a full on psychic battle, they could destroy everything around them." Lilly added.
"That's why she went alone first to defeat him before we arrived." Zoe finished and a sudden thought came to her mind. "Do you think Achilles went there on purpose?"
"To provide their own private battlefield? Yeah the thought had crossed my mind."
"You think that he wants her to fight him." Batman asked.
Zoe nodded deep in thought. "I thought you said he believed in his mission. Why would he want her to stop him?" Superman asked as he and the Flash entered the hangar followed by Canary, Wonder woman, Manhunter and Wolf.
"He knew there was no other way out. The time travelling spell is very complex meaning it had to be reinforced by other spells. One of those spells linked us together so that when the time comes, we all leave whether he likes it or not. He knows that once we return he's going back on ice and he can't risk that." Zoe explained. "Still, there's more to this than him wanting to be free. For now you need to leave and make sure she has back-up."
"Why don't you or Zatanna just open a portal to the island?" Wally asked. "It would be faster."
Zoe shook her head in disagreement. "Rory has a plan. I have to give her a chance to implement it. Besides, my being here will affect Zatanna's powers so she won't be able to transport you there." Wally nodded in understanding and walked onto the bioship.
"You're not coming with us?" Nightwing asked as the team got on the bioship.
"I think you can handle this on your own." Batman replied. "However we will be on standby, should you need assistance." He then turned and left with the rest of the league.
"What about you?" Nightwing turned to Zoe who seemed to be staying behind as well.
"I'll stay here in case the prisoners try to escape." Zoe replied.
Lilly waited until the team went inside the bioship before she turned and studied her friend closely. "That's not the only reason you're staying behind is it?"
"No, I need answers and there is only one person that can give them to me."
"Don't worry she'll win" Lilly said trying to reassure her friend.
"She better." Zoe whispered watching as Lilly boarded and the bioship took off. "Want to help me with interrogations?" She asked turning to Wolf and Sphere. The large canine gave a low growl and she scratched his head affectionately. "I thought so."
To say that Lex's Island was beautiful was an understatement. It was breathtaking. It was actually made up of two islands. A crescent shaped spit of land and in the middle the main island. He must have paid a fortune to customize it but it was worth every penny. In the middle of the main island there was a magnificent two storey mansion. At least it had been but currently, half of it was destroyed by something slamming into it. All this was processed in seconds as Aurora flew towards the damaged section. She entered the building and accelerated as she saw her brother before tackling him from behind and sending the both of them flying.
They came to a stop near the beach as they crashed into the sand. Aurora studied her brother as he wiped sand from his costume. "This end's now."
Achilles turned his attention to Aurora and gave her a smile. "Of course, but do you really think you can beat me?"
"Achilles please, you don't have to do this." She knew what had to be done but she didn't want to fight him.
"Yes, I do." Achilles was silent for a few seconds before he spoke again. "You used to believe that what I'm doing is right, a part of you still does."
Aurora remained silent. It was true, a part of her wanted nothing more than to join her brother and get rid of every villain on the planet. "You're right. There is a darkness in me that tries to break to the surface. You embraced yours while I fought against mine but ever since dad died it's been getting harder and harder for me to fight it. I am hanging on by a thread and if anything else happens I'm not sure I will be able to fight it. I don't think I would want to. But you could help me. Please Achilles, don't make me fight you."
Achilles considered his sister's words. He wanted nothing more than to go with her quietly but there was too much at stake. "You want me to stand down? Then tell me this, where did you go for those three years?"
Aurora was surprised by the question, "I don't know. Our memories were tampered with."
"Okay, then what happened to you? Hector died and then he came back and for some reason you are the only ones who are immune to Apollyon's powers. Something happened to you and it also affected me. In the crystal I saw things, things that didn't make sense and then I felt different. After you came back you had changed and so did I. You are going to tell me what happened."
Aurora thought over his demands before she countered. "Fine, I'll tell you but only on the condition that you stand down."
"I don't think that will happen."
"Please, you could join us. You could help us protect our family."
Achilles looked skeptical, "So you want me to join Alpha Six? We both know the League won't allow me to roam free. We go back and they'll put me back on ice."
"Then let me help you. I can help you suppress your dark side. You can come home." Aurora saw that she wasn't gaining any ground and she tried a different tactic. "Did you know that mom was nearly admitted to a psychiatric facility?"
"Yes. The toll of losing her second unborn child nearly drove her insane."
"You saw how she was after dad died and if it weren't for the triplets she wouldn't be holding on as well as she is. If we do this, you know that there is a risk one or both of us will end up in a catatonic state." She watched as Achilles shifted uncomfortably before she continued. "Do you really want to put mom through something like that? Please, let me help you."
Those words made him think long and hard but in the end Achilles knew that this was the only way. "If what Xander said is true then I have to be free. It is the only way." He morphed his costume tattoos appearing over his right eye and left forearm, his costume turning black with a silver S-shield.
Aurora watched as he morphed his costume to mirror hers, the same costumes they wore as Vengeance and Wrath. "You know I won't hold back."
Achilles gave her a smile and got into a fighting stance, "I didn't expect you to."