Episode Eight: Duellum

Part One

Lex Luthor was the picture of cool as he sat in the office of the Canadian Director of Intelligence, Isabelle Lewis.

"I am not sure how I can assist, Mr Luthor."

"Are you denying that one of your own citizens has been arrested on charges of treason?" Lex asked.

"I deny nothing. What I do not understand is the reason for your presence here. Or for this meeting."

"I believe Mark Anders has valuable information in regards to some business I am involved in."

The blonde looked at him coolly.

"What sort of business would involve a former journalist such as Mr Anders?"

"That is confidential information," he replied. "What is the basis of the charges against Mr Anders?"

"That, I'm afraid, is confidential."

Touche, Lex thought. It was a pity Moana couldn't have come with him. He was certain the woman would have added some interesting dynamics to the conversation.

"I suppose the men who broke into my hotel room yesterday were acting independently?" Lex said, deciding on another tack.

"Those men will have been dealt with," Lewis answered calmly. "Believe me, Mr Luthor, my agents are not in the habit of arresting American citizens."

"What about threatening visitors to my country?"

"If you are referring to Ms Rangihau, I believe she was questioned by your own federal agents in regards to her involvement with Mr Anders."

"Her detention was illegal, Ms Lewis."

She arched a finely sculpted eyebrow at him.

"I rather thought your business was in military applications and agriculture, Mr Luthor. Last time I checked, you did not have a law degree. I repeat, Ms Rangihau was detained by agents in your own country."

"Be that as it may, I have my attorney filing papers against this agency for not only the illegal detention of Ms Rangihau, but also for illegal search and seizure of property."

He knew it was a longshot. Clearly someone like Isabelle Lewis wasn't fazed by such threats. However, he still had one more ace up his sleeve. Knowing it would only aggravate the precarious truce he had with Superman, Lex had taken the legal approach rather than the path he wanted to take, which was blackmail. He had Otis still working on that, trying to find information about the intelligence director's background. By pursuing the legal option, there was a good chance it would get out and generate negative publicity for the agency; something the Canadian government would not appreciate.

XXXXX

Having made their way across No Man's Land, the Justice Leaguers continued on into Gotham city centre, on the alert for any of Bane's people. Kara pressed the communicator in her ear as she stood atop Gotham Tower, surveying the destruction below. She called for all those about to do battle to check in.

Wonder Woman had told her that prisoners had been released from Blackgate Penitentiary and were now taking up arms to fight alongside Bane. Kara knew in order to get to Bane, they had to get through those prison inmates first.

It wasn't going to be easy. The prison contained some very dangerous criminals. Men who had committed murder, rape, armed robbery. She had no fears for herself, but there were others who were not equipped with the same abilities.

Her blonde hair blew in the soft breeze coming in from over the bay. The sun was just beginning to rise. The city had already been under siege for at least sixteen hours, although it felt longer. The citizens would be frightened and exhausted. Very few would have got any rest that night.

Kara took stock of those Leaguers who had joined in the fight. Impulse, Cyborg, Aquaman, Zatanna, the Wonder Twins, Stargirl, and Black Canary all checked in and gave their positions. The communicators operated on a secure frequency, so she was sure that Bane's people wouldn't know they were coming. Of course, that all depended on whether the man had contacts on the outside.

"Boyscout to Mighty Maiden."

Kara again touched the communicator in her ear. When she had first been summoned by Jor-El to hold back the darkness, the media had called her the Maiden of Might. Clark had come up with the codename.

"Go ahead Boy Scout."

"I have some new friends coming your way. They'll be with you in about five minutes."

"Understood Boy Scout." She didn't need to ask who they were. She was sure she would find out soon enough.

She wanted to ask her cousin how he was feeling, but he had sounded exhausted over the communicator. Exhausted and grieved. She pursed her lips. When she found those responsible for taking her cousin's child, they were going to regret the day they were ever born.

First things first, though, she thought. They had to take back Gotham.

She heard the sound of displaced air and realised someone had used superspeed. A slim figure in a black t-shirt landed beside her. Kara frowned, then gasped as she stared at the teenager.

"Conner?"

One hour earlier

Clark was resting on the bed in the room he shared with Lois, knowing he needed to gather his strength. Normally it would just take sunlight, but his body was still trying to expel the poison from the Kryptonite and it would likely take a couple of days. The last time he'd been hurt that badly had been when Van McNulty had shot him with a bullet made from the radioactive substance.

All he remembered from that horrible experience was being out in the field with his father when he heard the crack of a gun. He put his hand out to catch the bullet, only for it to go through his hand and into his shoulder. His skin had immediately felt like it was on fire and he'd fallen to the ground with the impact. The pain had been like nothing he'd ever felt before.

When he was a kid, Clark hadn't been completely invulnerable. His strength had saved him from a lot of nasty accidents, but he had still had his fair share of bumps and bruises until his skin had become invulnerable. That was why he'd been so shocked when Lex's car had hit him then crashed through the barrier on Loeb Bridge the day Clark had saved his life. No normal teenager would have survived that crash.

"I could have sworn I hit you."

"If you did, I'd be … I'd be dead," Clark had told him, looking up at the bridge wondering how on Earth he'd managed to be hit by a car and lived to tell the tale. The very idea had made him light-headed.

Being shot with a Kryptonite bullet, feeling the poison spreading through his veins, even as his parents had fought to get the bullet out, had been the most painful experienced he'd ever had. Luckily, when he'd finally passed out from the pain, he had only been out for a short time. No more than an hour, he guessed.

This time, however, was completely different. His body ached all over, rather like the flu Lois had suffered from for a couple of days when she was pregnant with Mara. She had complained for two days of feeling hot and achy and Clark had been just about run ragged trying to take care of his wife, file a couple of stories at the Daily Planet and fulfil his duties as Superman as well as lead the Justice League.

He opened his eyes as the bed dipped.

"Hey Smallville."

Clark looked up at his wife, giving her a weak smile. He was much too tired for anything else. She smiled and nodded as if she understood.

She lay beside him and he automatically wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. They didn't talk, just let the closeness of the embrace warm them.

Clark wasn't sure how much later it was when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said.

Lois had dozed off beside him, clearly exhausted from the night of stress and worry about him, as well as their daughter's kidnapping.

His mother opened the door.

"Conner's here," she said softly.

Clark eased himself off the bed, trying not to disturb Lois and quietly left the room, going down the stairs to see to his visitor.

He was surprised to see not only the teenage Superboy, but also Jay Garrick, Megan Morse, Jaime Reyes and Mia Dearden. Conner immediately hugged him.

"Don't ever scare us like that again," he said, trying to look stern and failing.

Jay shook his hand and grinned at him.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"Well, the Wonder Twins called and said there was trouble in Gotham. General Lane said the League was already there, but I figured the more the merrier. Plus it would be good training for the Titans. I mean you're not exactly fit."

Clark nodded. Jay Garrick, a.k.a the Flash, had been a member of the Justice Society, led by Carter Hall. When Carter had decided to come out of retirement, he and Stargirl had tracked down those society members who were still willing to help. They'd found Jay but he hadn't been willing to reunite with the society, especially after Chess had destroyed his reputation. Eventually, Clark had managed to talk him round and he'd moved to San Francisco, opening up a school for gifted children.

Conner had chosen to attend the school and along with the others, was now part of the Teen Titans. They weren't exactly official members of the Justice League, but they had helped them on a couple of occasions.

Conner had originally been enrolled at Smallville High, but with Clark and Lois getting married, he had told Clark he thought it was best if he left them alone to enjoy their new married life. Clark had, of course, protested, telling him it would be fine. Conner still felt guilty for the things he had done to Lois while under the influence of the Red K, and while she seemed to be fine about it, he was not. When Clark had told him of the school Jay had created, Conner had jumped on the opportunity.

Mia, a former street kid and prostitute, had been found by Oliver Queen. Seeing her potential and her hand-to-hand combat skills, he had taken her in as more or less his apprentice. At first, Mia had been suspicious of his motives and frightened of her pimp, who had forced her to take him to Oliver, with the intention of kidnapping him.

Oliver hadn't given up on her, teaching her archery. She had begun working with Dinah Lance until Chloe had convinced her the school would be good for her.

Then there was Jaime Reyes, who reminded Clark so much of himself as a teenager. Jaime, a timid and rather shy boy had been bullied by some of the kids at his high school and lacked the confidence to stand up for himself. Then he'd come across alien technology which transformed him into the Blue Beetle. At first unable to control it, with the help of Booster Gold, a visitor from the future, Jaime had mastered it and now used those skills to help.

Clark had managed to convince Jaime that the school would be beneficial and he was now an official member of the Teen Titans.

Megan, on the other hand, was a different story. She was the only survivor of a race of White Martians, sent to Earth as an infant by her parents, to save her from the war raging between her race and Green Martians. J'onn J'onzz was the only surviving member of his own race.

Megan had been taken in by a doctor who worked for Chess, protected and sheltered by him until the destruction of Chess headquarters. Angered by the death of her protector, Megan had taken it upon herself to hunt down and punish criminals. She'd eventually been tracked down by J'onn and Batman, who had helped her realise her own potential.

The school was still in its infancy, but if Jay had brought them here, then Clark knew he felt they were up to the task.

"Thank you, Jay. I'm sure they can use all the help they can get."

Jay put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Clark. You reminded me of why I joined the Justice Society in the first place. Carter would have been proud of what you've accomplished."

The Teen Titans left and Clark contacted his cousin through the communicator to warn her.

Kara grinned at her … she supposed she could still call him cousin, even if he was what Lois had once called the 'genetic love child of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor'. It was just weird.

"What are you doing here?" she said.

"We figured you could use the help."

She nodded. "Yes. There are at least a hundred men, maybe more. Some of them are inmates at Blackgate Penitentiary."

"Yeah, we heard they let them out. Who's this Bane?"

"I'm not sure. I think he's some kind of escaped convict from South America, but I think he was also once with the League of Shadows. He's very strong, from what Wonder Woman told me. I think it's through a drug they call Venom."

Conner nodded. "Don't worry. We're going to stop him."

"So, who's with you?"

"Jay's leading the team. Jaime, Megan and Mia came with me. They're waiting just below."

"All right. Let's go."

They both flew down to the others. Kara quickly brought the Teen Titans up to speed.

"The others are here and they're ready for battle."

"Good," Jay said. He was wearing his old Flash uniform, his red hair covered with a tight hood. The group stood in a circle as he lifted his arm and the others responded, their right hands formed into fists. Five voices could be heard.

"Titans! Go!"

XXXXX

Cyborg and Impulse stood against the wall of a large brick building, watching as six men, clearly former prison inmates, patrolled in front of an apartment block. Bart could see people huddled inside, looking cold, hungry and terrified.

"Okay, Tin Man, you're up," he whispered.

Victor glared at him. "Say what?"

"I was the bait last time," Bart protested.

"Look, short stuff, there's six of them and two of us."

"Yeah, and I can knock 'em down like bowling pins."

"Like hell."

"Star Labs kind of have this theory. Something about maximum velocity and … I dunno. I forget."

The former Met High football star arched an eyebrow at him.

"Are you kidding? Did you forget I was a wide receiver when I played football?"

"Yeah, well now you're just a Tin Man, Tin Man."

"Why you …" Victor's eyes widened as he realised one of the men had come to investigate. They'd clearly been arguing a little too loudly. "Crap!"

Bart turned and followed Victor's gaze.

"Oh double crap!"

Both looked at each other, then Bart zipped behind the man, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hey dude," he said.

The man whirled, glaring at him. He was at least half a foot taller than Bart and at least half-again wider. It was almost like déjà vu as Bart tried to punch the other man, only to feel the man's big paw on his head, holding him back as he windmilled his arms.

Victor whistled.

"Hey, jerkoff," he said.

The man turned to face Victor and tried to punch him, only to hit Victor's endoskeleton. His fist collided with a clang and he yelped.

"What the …"

He tried to hit the young African-American again. There was a resounding crack. It sounded to Bart like he'd just broken a couple of bones in his hand. Bart shrugged.

The activity had attracted the attention of the five other men, who were now raising their weapons. Leaving his friend to deal with the moron with the broken hand, Bart took a deep breath, gathering as much energy as he could, and ran in circles around the five men, creating enough velocity to knock them down, exactly like bowling pins.

Just when he thought they had managed to get them all, he heard a noise behind him. He whirled, only for a tazer gun to emerge seemingly out of nowhere. Bart barely had time to recall the last time he had been knocked out by an electric shock before he fell.

Victor looked up from the man he'd managed to knock unconscious only to see his friend down for the count. He swore to himself, looking up at the man holding the stun gun.

"Shocking!" the other man grinned.

Victor scowled at the assailant. He looked weird with green hair and his face painted white, almost like a clown. His eyes were bordered with black make-up which looked menacing.

At least four more men surrounded the other man. Victor's cybernetic implants had given him extra strength and stamina, but he knew they wouldn't be enough, not when he was outnumbered five to one. Especially when they were all armed with semi-automatics and rifles.

"Overcompensate much?" he muttered.

He tried to surreptitiously touch his ear to try and contact Kara and let her know he was in trouble, but the green-haired man shoved him against the wall.

"Wanna know how I got these scars?" he said almost gleefully. Victor frowned, not sure what the man meant, until he saw them up close. The man had a large knife in his hand. "My old man, he was a booze-hound. And he was crazy. Like Norman Bates crazy. So one night he's going off his rocker and my mom grabs a knife. He gets it way from her and makes me watch as he cuts her, laughing, then he turns to me and says: 'Why so serious?'. He comes at me with the knife and puts it in my mouth. 'Let's put a smile on that mouth', he says."

Victor held his breath as the psycho swiped the blade over his throat, almost like a loving caress.

"Get off me, man," he said, trying to shove the other man.

The lunatic didn't seem to like that. He turned to the men behind him and jerked his head in Victor's direction. There was nothing for it, he thought. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down fighting.

XXXXX

Bruce rolled over, grunting in pain, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and gripping the sheet as he tried to get to his feet. As soon as he tried to stand, his knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

His butler must have been standing just outside as the door opened and he heard footsteps on the parquet floor.

"Master Bruce, you were given strict instructions that you were to stay flat on your back for at least the next few days or so."

"Gotham is under siege …"

"And Miss Diana and Miss Kara have already gone to take care of it."

Bruce tried to suppress the scream of pain as Alfred grasped his arm at the shoulder and managed to pull him back onto the bed. He grumbled as his former guardian covered him in the blankets and told him not to move.

He heard footsteps leaving the bedside and two male voices out in the hall. Huffing impatiently, Bruce knew he had no other choice.

Alfred closed the bedroom door and looked at Emil.

"Master Wayne has always been rather stubborn."

"Yes, well I'm afraid he is just going to have to be patient for a few days. Otherwise he risks further injuring his back."

The two men heard the sound of running steps and looked around at the woman with long, black hair. She was carrying a fairly large package.

"Miss Kyle," Emil said.

She was followed by John Blake. When the pair had turned up at the manor a few hours earlier, Emil had asked them to go to Gotham General Hospital and find a back brace. The sooner Bruce had the brace, the sooner he could get back on his feet again, although it would still take a few days.

He had no idea who Selina Kyle was and he didn't much care. Right now, all he cared about was the fact that the Justice League needed everyone working together.

"I still don't know why you didn't take him to the hospital," Blake told him.

"Because, idiot, that's the first place Bane'll look for him."

Emil frowned at Selina. "Are you saying that Bane knows Bruce is …"

She looked away briefly. "Uh …"

"Miss Kyle, if you know something about …"

Her face turned red.

"I was told that if I gave Batman to Bane, I could get the slate wiped clean."

"So your freedom is more important than a man's life?" Blake asked her.

"You think I wanted this?" she accused the detective.

"I think you would sell your own mother if the price was right."

"Well you …"

"Enough," Emil said. "Arguing about this is pointless. What's done is done. We can only hope now that the League is able to stop the men."

"There are at least a hundred of them out there," Blake told him. "What good is the Justice League? With Batman and Superman out of action …"

"Have a little faith, detective," Alfred said calmly. "You'd be surprised what men are capable of in the face of such adversity."

"True. And don't count Superman out just yet."

"I don't get why all this is happening," Selina sighed.

"We believe it is the work of an organisation called the Illuminati," Emil told her.

The woman frowned. "What?"

Blake looked equally puzzled. "What the hell is the Illuminati and what does it have to do with what's happening in Gotham?"

"It has everything to do with Gotham, Master Blake," Alfred told him. "Scholars the world over have continued to debate the existence of the Illuminati. They are an organisation shrouded in secrecy yet they have permeated all levels of society."

"To what purpose?"

"I believe some would call it the New World Order."

"But why now?" Selina asked.

Blake looked thoughtful. "The Justice League. Or Superman, maybe. Like he's a threat to their plans."

"Indeed, Master Blake," Alfred replied. "Indeed."

XXXXX

Meanwhile, on Admiral Jean Jacques Island, Yves de Rochefort stood on the balcony of his villa, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He sighed, content, master of all he surveyed.

"Pardonnez l'interruption de votre ... la meditation."

The baron looked around at Ducard, who approached him slowly.

"A propos de quoi?" he asked.

"Des nouvelles de Metropolis. Superman a survécu."

De Rochefort waved his hand.

"Cela ne nous concernent pas .Nous avons l'enfant."

"Et que dire de la bataille dans Gotham? Mes sources me disent la Ligue de la Justice est arrive."

"Je suis certain que votre ami va les tenir occupés."

"Ne pas sous-estimer la Ligue, Baron."

He scowled. "Ils ne sont rien. Le plan est déjà en mouvement. La Ligue ne peut plus nous arrêter maintenant."

Ducard looked as if he wanted to argue, but he let it lie. De Rochefort turned back to look once more at the ocean, satisfied that all was as it should be. The infant was in their hands and there was nothing Superman nor the Justice League could do.

"Pardon the interruption to your … meditation."
"What is it?"
"News from Metropolis. Superman has survived."
"This is not a concern. We have the infant."
"And what of the battle in Gotham? My sources tell me the Justice League has arrived."
"I am certain your friend will keep them occupied."
"Do not under-estimate the League, Baron."
"They are nothing. The plan is already in motion. The League cannot stop it now."