Chapter 46:
The five members of the JSA stood in front of the members of the Team of Wakanda. Karen Starr, better known as Power Girl, Helena Wayne, better known as Batwoman, Jesse Wells, better known as Jesse Quick, Thea Queen, better known as Arsenal, and Amaya Jiwe better known as Vixen, laid in wait.
In front of them were Alex, Sara, Gwen, Caitlin, Kara, and Shuri. They spent a good part of the next hour comparing notes. Afterwards, Helena smiled and decided to cut to the chase.
"The Beyonder is the key to all of this," Helena said.
"And Madame Webb, she's the key to finding the Beyonder," Gwen said. "She knows something. Something regarding this great war which is going on."
"And you haven't been able to track where she is yet?"
Gwen shook her head. That was a bit of a problem to be honest. Madame Webb pretty much came and went as she pleased.
"And with AIM and HYDRA making their plans, we have bigger problems," Karen said. "At least, we have HYDRA's leader here. Has she said anything?"
"No, not yet," Alex said. "After her earlier outburst, she barely said two words."
Kara and Karen both exchanged a look. The three of them, Supergirl, Power Girl, and Overgirl, were alternate counterparts to each other. They grew up in different lives. Karen came to Earth as an adult, as opposed to Overgirl and Supergirl who came to Earth as children.
"She's difficult," Sara said. "She knows that world and it's hard to change someone's perspective."
"Deep down, she still has the values she learned back on her Krypton," Kara said quietly. "It's just a matter of reaching them sooner or later. We could really use her help."
"And we could really use Madame Webb," Gwen responded a fraction of a second later. "It's almost like she's always lurking, but I can't reach her."
"Concentrate," Helena said. "Find her. Remember anything you can about your meetings."
"Right," Gwen said.
"The barriers around New Wakanda have been fortified," Shuri said. "Therefore, you will be safe until we plan our next move. Killmonger, AIM, HYDRA, and any other trouble we encounter."
"And our two guests are out of trouble?" Alex asked.
"Ms. Darhk doesn't want any trouble," Karen said. "I'm sure Grace, she's...coming as well as possible with everything."
Alex nodded in response. They had to douse Grace and help her get control of the symbiote. Of course, from what XS told her, she had a lot of rage building inside and there were issues Grace would have needed to work out a long time ago to be a more functional individual.
Today, they planned, and planned to finish this. Find out what the Beyonder's game is.
Grace closed her eyes. Always a fraction of an inch away from slipping. Always very close of being yanked over the edge into some kind of abyss. Grace took in a deep breath and registered her frustration very vocally with herself.
"I've been down the same roads you have been."
Grace's head snapped back and she saw a dark haired young woman in the shadows.
"It's dangerous to sneak up on someone who could rip you in half."
"I've done more reckless. I'm Nora Darhk."
Right, Grace responded with a nod. She overheard the members of the Justice Society speaking with Shuri that they rescued Nora from AIM or HYDRA or one of the other alphabet soup criminal groups which was roaming around.
"I've seen the darkness and it's not pretty," Nora said. "I've seen what happens when you give up in all of the rage. I lost my parents when I was young and then a little while ago, I lost my father when I was young."
"Lost my parents, killed my uncle, when he was only trying to protect me," Grace murmured. "And did you ever get the impression you were just a pawn and only here at the whims of some great power."
"You're speaking of the Beyonder, right?"
Grace's anger flared up. Nora prepared to restrain her but after several deep breaths, Grace managed to restrain herself a little bit.
"I want revenge on the Beyonder for bringing me here. I want answers to why. I got merged with...Carnage, and she's always whispering in my ear. She's trying to get me to stir me up. Stir up my anger, remind me of all of the things that I need to do."
"Then you need to get ahold of the anger."
The new Green Arrow and XS stepped into the room to join Nora and Grace.
"The future isn't very bright," Mia said. "But, this world here, I'm not sure what will happen even if we do stop the Beyonder. Or what his goals are."
"Yeah, but we will fix this," XS said.
"Yeah, I've heard that before," Grace said. "But, what if I can't be fixed? What if we're doomed to be on this world fighting a battle until our dying day? Or will the Beyonder even let us die? Is he that powerful?"
"I don't believe in gods," Mia said. "I believe this Beyonder has a way to be stopped as much as everyone else. And we will find a way to stop him."
Mia had been going back through everything she knew. Everything about this world that did not make sense, including two conflicting sets of memories. Grace Gibbons and Nora West-Allen being wiped out of the timeline before the Beyonder restored them at a certain point. They must have been chosen for a reason, but why?
"Whatever happens, happens," XS said. "My Dad sacrificed himself to save the world, in the future. I'm not sure if we'll still make it to that point."
Mia swallowed and nodded. She had a good idea.
"The Dark Matter in Grace's dagger could give us an edge. If we harness it on a greater level."
Shuri studied the dagger intently for the next several minutes. Gwen, Lena, and Caitlin joined her. Caitlin responded with a heaving sigh.
"It's a longshot though," Caitlin said. "We don't even know what the Beyonder's limits are."
"Longshots are the only thing we have now," Lena said. "And we're just going around in circles until we find him. Your friend did not even reach out for her."
"Wait, you're looking for the Oracle of the Web?"
Nora Darhk stepped into the room behind them so swiftly she made Gwen jump in the air.
"I'm connected to her," Gwen said. "I've been getting visions of her, constantly over the past few weeks. Ever since before we were sent here. She's talking about a great war. She's very cryptic."
Nora cupped a hand underneath her chin and tilted her head back thoughtfully.
"HYDRA wanted her, so did AIM," Nora said. "They had such tunnel vision about my father's books, that they did not figure out I had one other vital piece of information."
The daughter of Damien Darhk paused for long enough to allow her some kind of dramatic license. When she spoke again, it was a bombshell.
"I know where Madame Webb is."
Gwen stared down at Nora, completely gobsmacked to say the very least.
"You serious? You're not pulling my leg?"
"I have no reason to," Nora said. "If we find her right now, we can get in front of this."
Gwen realized everything. They could get in front of this. They could stop the battle before it even started. She realized it was very easy. Gwen moved out to get her webs and then she would be off. Nora moved right next to her.
They were joined by XS, Daisy, Sara, and Laurel on their trip to find Madame Webb. They might be fighting through HYDRA, AIM, Killmonger's forces, and who knows whatever else to get there.
"Alright, no matter what, we stick together, we don't split up," Sara said. "Other than that, Nora leads the way, because she knows where Madame Webb is. Or at least has a good idea where she is."
Nora closed her eyes and sensed the presence of the very powerful oracle getting stronger as they moved out of the palace in Wakanda and towards the latest destination. She knew, knew one hundred percent they were getting close to Madame Webb.
"So, you're my niece?"
Thea and Mia took turns firing arrows to a target.
"Yeah, and it's nice to meet you," Mia said. "Because, I don't really know what happened to you in the future."
"Knowing me, something not good," Thea said. "I've made a lot of bad choices based off of impulse and not logic. And you might want to shift your aim a little bit to the left."
Mia slammed the arrow into the target right now. They noticed Alex lurking out of the corner and Thea excused herself to walk over to her.
"Do we have a chance to stop this?" Thea asked.
"Yeah, we do, especially if Nora's hunch is right," Alex said. "And Shuri, Caitlin, and Lena are hard at work replicating a way to take down the Beyonder based off of Grace's dagger."
The two disappeared up the stairs. Mia stretched out a little bit, overhearing various snatches of conversation, but nothing too particular. Mia picked up the bow and started firing at various targets. She never missed the mark.
Mia would have to be on point when dealing with the Beyonder.
Smiling, Mia knew what Alex and Thea likely went off to do. She would give them some time to enjoy each other before joining them. Mia rocked herself back and forth and fired more arrows at the target.
There's always a chance, Mia speculated. There's always a chance. And they would stop this. They had some brilliant minds and some fierce warriors on this team. They were doing pretty well.
Sara, Laurel, Gwen, Nora, Nora, and Daisy made their way into a secret underground base. In the middle of the base, a red web lined the wall on every corner. A very distorted set of video images flickered in and out and Sara stepped back, mouth widened in shock.
"And Green Arrow and Flash are fighting a racoon and a tree?" Sara asked. "Okay!"
"And the racoon and the tree appear to be giving them a run for their money," Daisy commented. "So, we're here...this looks like a place where someone named Madame Webb will hang out, but nothing."
Nora Darhk cursed her luck. She was so close. The cosmic energy in the air indicated Madame Webb was here. She had to be here. She just had to be. The images on the screen showed various images through different points in this strange world.
"So, what's the deal?" Sara asked. "I thought you knew."
Nora thought she did as well. She tried to keep her wits about herself.
"She was here just five minutes ago, ten at the most," Nora said.
"Yeah, I feel her too and….."
Gwen's spider sense hit in high alert. Something very dangerous was coming around the corner. And it became obvious when the glow in the room changed from red to purple.
"Starro will control us all."
Daisy's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. She came face to face with the trio of Black Widow, Mockingbird, and Scarlet Witch. All three of them, very capable and dangerous women. And all three of them had purple starfish drones covering their face.
Not good. Not good at all.
"You will be become one with the Starro collective!"
They spoke in unison, their voices detached and very deadly. The Scarlet Witch raised a hand and pretty much sealed them inside of the room with no chance of exit. That just complicated their problems a whole lot.
"Oh, shcrap!" XS groaned.
Needless to say, Nora West-Allen spoke for all of them with her assessment of the situation. Black Canary, White Canary, XS, Quake, Spider-Girl, and Nora Darhk turned to fight two of the most skilled agents of SHIELD and a women with great power to warp reality itself.
The Shameless Smut Commences In the Next Chapter