CHAPTER NINETEEN

            By the shocked expressions on their faces, Rancor knew he had their attention.

            He set himself down on the rooftop, Batman standing motionlessly to his left and Lois Lane kneeling before him, hands tied behind her back. She stared to the ground trembling. Rancor's crimson coat whipped about in the gentle breeze. His dark eyes gazed calmly about, seeing everything before him.

            He took note of the Boy Wonder producing his staff. The kid darted forward. Superman reached out to grab him, but missed. "Robin, no!"

            In his leap toward Rancor, he easily cleared Lois and lashed out with his foot. The kick was well timed and perfectly aimed. He would have easily connected with his enemy, but he never got that far. Without realizing what had happened, Robin felt himself being torn from his path and away from his objective. The world around him spun violently. An instant later, he found himself staring up into the blue sky, clashing against a black cape. Batman stood over him, a boot pressed against his chest to hold him down.

            "Let go of me, Bats!" he shouted, squirming under his mentor's efficient hold. "You don't want to do this!"

            "Your pleas fall on deaf ears, Boy Wonder," Rancor said. "Your precious 'Bats' belongs to me now."

            "Let my friends go!" The Tamaranian's cry shattered the air like a banshee's wail, and she raced toward Rancor with pure fury in her eyes. The Dreamwalker shook his head with a chuckle. His hand rose and invisible energy, like burning fuel, radiated from his fingertips. The blast knocked Starfire backward. She fell into the arms of Superman.

            The Kryptonian set her down gently and turned to Rancor.

            "I've had enough this! You came here for me, and I'm here. Let them go."

            Rancor stared darkly at the Man of Steel, and then smirked. "Oh, you are such a big boy scout, aren't you?" He took a step toward Lois and lay a hand on her shoulder. "I regret, however, I must decline. I find this way so much more fun."

            Superman grit his teeth. "I want no part of your twisted game. Now let my friends go. Batman won't be able to hold me back, and you know it."

            "Typically I would agree, but not this day." He lay a hand on Batman's shoulder and stared at the side of his head. Batman's hand came out from the shadows of his cape. A black metal tube glinted in the sunlight. "I knew how you would respond to empty threats, Superman. I knew that in order to force you to do my bidding, I would require insurance. Hence…"

            The Dreamwalker gestured to Lois.

            Batman's arm turned, and he pointed the tube at the reporter's head. For the first time, they noticed exactly what the Dark Knight held in his hand. It was a gun, a revolver. A collective gasp came from the group of heroes. He placed the end of the barrel against Lois' temple and held it there. His eyes stared blindly into her dark hair.

            "No!" Starfire's shrill scream was even louder than the one before. "Leave her be! This woman has nothing to do–"

            "On the contrary, Tamaranian. The poor dear has everything to do with this." Starfire rose ever so slightly, levitating her slender form until she was as tall as Superman. She had to force herself to keep from throwing all her force toward the Dreamwalker. Rancor knew what was on her mind even without the ability to invade her thoughts. "Don't even ask," he hissed. Starfire winced. As he spoke, he drew a wicked-looking broadsword with a black, serrated blade, nearly as long as Robin was tall, from beneath his coat. "Now, as I was saying, I knew that I would require insurance." He rested the cold metal on Lois' shoulder, the sharp blade touching the side of her neck. "You might be able to stop one of us, but not both. Are you satisfied now? You have no choice."

            Superman stared in shock, and then lowered his head. "Fine. You win."

            Another voice, a powerful, female voice, boomed out. "No, he does not!"

            Rancor spun, wide-eyed, to find the Nasserian staring down at her from atop a disk of red light. "You!"

            The warrior leapt off the disk, spinning in midair, and whipped her silver blade cleanly through the air, slicing open Rancor's cheek. The Nasserian spun away from him and leapt up, into the air, dropping next to Otho and watched the others go to work.

            Superman cried out, his eyes switching to Batman, fully expecting the Caped Crusader to pull the trigger. He took a step forward in an attempt to save Lois, but his friend did not pull the trigger.

            Superhuman speed allowed the Man of Steel to seize the reporter and pull her from harm's way, but Batman had no intention of firing on her. Instead, he turned to face Rancor, who held his cheek as black fluid sprayed from between his fingers, screaming in fury. He placed the gun against Rancor's forehead and squeezed the trigger three times. Each shot echoed above the streets of Metropolis; pieces of the black exoskeleton went flying, but the precisely placed projectiles were not enough to penetrate Rancor's skull. The Dreamwalker stumbled back until he stood at the edge of the building.

            Starfire took to the sky like a rocket, a single, large starbolt collecting around both fists. She unleashed it into his chest. The blow knocked Rancor into midair, and he tumbled off the side of the building.

            Instead of falling, Rancor spun in midair and thrust his arms outward. He shot away with a furious bellow, defeated.

            Superman was primed to follow, but Batman snatched his arm.

            "No, don't follow him."

            The Kryptonian shook away from him. "I have to. We can't let that bastard continue to get away with this."

            "No, but chasing him now won't help our cause."         

            "What do you mean?"

            "The Channel Eight building." Batman jerked his head northward.

            Superman frowned and looked north. Squinting, he stretched out with his superhuman vision and found what he was looking for.

            His frown deepened.

            "Flash."

            J'Onn knelt by Lois, who lay unconscious, and adjusted a fresh neural inhibitor to her neck. "Rancor has him."

            "Another woman, too," Superman said.

            "Kara Evans," Batman added. "She's a novelist from Kansas who makes her home in Gotham City."

            Starfire sat on her knees next to Robin, brushing the dirt from his cape. He was rubbing the back of his head where he had smacked it against the concrete in his short-lived tumble with Batman. "How did he get the Flash?" she asked, touching the bump on his head. Her fingertips came away smeared with blood. "Oh..." She closed her eyes with sympathy when Robin flinched, and looked up to Batman. "The neural inhibitors–"

            "He got Flash the same way I let him think he got me. He surprised the hell out of him." He glanced to J'Onn with a knowing grin. "But I had a trick up my sleeve, too."

            "He is wearing a neural inhibitor inside his mask," the Martian said. "We wanted Rancor to think he had gotten Batman."

            Superman turned angrily to J'Onn. "You knew about this, and you didn't tell me?! I could have hurt him! I thought Miss Lane's life was in danger!"

            Batman put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Let it go. The fewer that knew, the better chance we had of succeeding."

            "Numara, I–" Robin stopped, speechless as he realized the Nasserian who had attacked Rancor was not who he thought it was. It was a girl, approximately Numara's age, maybe younger, but every bit as tone and powerful as the warrior he knew. His jaw dropped as his eyes went from her to the dwarf-mage. "What the hell? Numara didn't say anything about bringing allies."

            "That's because I didn't bring them." Behind him, Numara appeared, standing on a disk similar to the one with which he had levitated his sister. The wind had picked up, and it lifted his long, black bangs up and out of his eyes. The disk lowered and he stepped off onto the rooftop next to the Boy Wonder. "They are here to hunt me."

            "They will not harm my friend!" Starfire sneered, her eyes beginning to glow.

            Numara stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Star, it's okay. They are only here to hunt a criminal."

            Her eyes dimmed slightly. "Criminal?" she murmured, uncertain. "For what crime are you accused?"

            Numara closed his eyes and turned away. He approached Shani and Otho with his head bowed. With a soft sigh, he turned his attention to the dwarf-mage. "I was unaware of my crime. I was deceived. I thought the Elders had sent the Gem of Ages to me out of necessity. I thought it was a weapon for which to battle my enemy, but I was mistaken." He wet his lips, took the sacred stone in both hands, and lifted the chain from his neck. "I return the Gem of Ages to you, Keeper Otho."

            The dwarf-mage took the sacred stone from him, concern in his eyes. "And how did the Gem of Ages come to you, my friend?"

            "A man I thought was my father sent it to me through a break in the Void. But it could not have been my father, for he is dead, as my sister tells me."

            Shani approached and took his arm. "Brother…"

            He looked at her, placed a hand on his shoulder, and then gently pushed her away.

            "What will you do now?" she whispered, laying her trembling hand against her pounding heart.

            "What I set out to do. My life is no longer my own, Shani. It belongs to the swift hand of justice. I came here to destroy Rancor. I will see my business done, and then my reason to exist will cease." She wanted to argue, he could see it in her eyes, but she could not find the right words. Numara's eyes narrowed. "Please go home, Shani, while you still have a home to return to."

            A tear rolled down her cheek. "That isn't fair. You are my brother. Please don't shut me away. I thought you were a traitor, but now I can see the truth, clear as the night sky. Please, Numara, show me that you care."

            "Maybe the truth is I simply don't care."

            He turned and walked away.

            Shani nearly followed, but a hand snatched her arm. She glanced to Otho, who slowly shook his head. He then glanced to J'Onn and his friends. They seemed to collectively look the other way, as though embarrassed to have witnessed the encounter. Only J'Onn seemed comfortable in Otho's presence.

            "It has been a long time, Keeper Otho."

            "Too long, and I fear it will be longer still before we see each other again." He glanced to Numara behind him. "The boy suffers greatly. It is a shame his road must end here. He has such honor in his heart. He would have made a great leader one day. Ah well. Rancor's meddling saw the end to that dream."

            "No!" Shani wrenched away from Otho violently and rushed over to her brother. "If I must leave you, first I must say goodbye."

            He didn't even look at her. "I'm afraid I said my good-byes a long time ago." Behind her, a black doorway, leading into the Void, appeared on the rooftop. Numara watched it over his sister's shoulder and sighed. "Go home and let me die in peace."

            Her eyes shimmering with tears, she fell into him and kissed his cheek.

            "I am dead inside. Do not grieve for me."

            Shani shook her head. "But I do grieve. Now and always."

            "You have a world to rebuild. No time for the convicted."

            "Perhaps, but all the time in the world for a brother falsely accused."

            "Just, go away," he said, and started to turn away again. "Leave me…" Shani caught his arm, and he glared at her. "Now what?"

            "My sword." She unhooked the black sheath from her belt and held the blade out to her brother. Numara eyed it, though he did not take it. "Take it. Please. It is all I can offer you."

            He stared at the black sheath and the grip wrapped in silver linen, so much like his own sword, Black Rain. As he remembered, Shani had named hers Silverwing, an homage to an ancient, reptilian beasts that once ruled over Nassera.

            "I don't require gifts."

            "Numara, please. I was wrong. I eagerly admit that fact." Tears poured from her eyes, but her voice remained steady. "Take the sword. It will help protect you."

            "Damn you, Shani, you don't understand."

            "This is not a gift from the Nassera, Numara, you big oaf. It is a parting gift from your sister!" She shoved the sword into his hands. "Please! Don't argue."

            With that she turned and joined Otho's side, long before Numara could find a suitable argument. She was quick to enter the Void and fade from view. Otho stared for a moment at Numara before the Nasserian turned and headed for the edge of the building. With a heavy sigh, Otho stepped through the portal and into the Void.

            Finally free of his past, Numara sat and stared to the streets far below.

            What right did anyone have to tell him how to live his own life, especially now, after all his suffering? He would rather die than be subjected to the hatred of his people, and suffer banishment. He could not take anything that might remind him of home and would eventually cause him to regret his newfound life. Yet, the Silverwing beckoned to him. The whisper of the blade gliding against the inside of the sheath was music to his ears. Fully bared, the sword's blue-green blade gleamed in the light of the afternoon sun.

            The Justice League, Robin, and Starfire watched the Nasserian long after the portal that had guided his sister and the dwarf-mage back to the realm of his home.

            The Boy Wonder drew a deep breath and approached.

            "We want to help you stop Rancor."

            Numara glanced up to his friend and nodded his appreciation.

            "Then let's move." He rose to his feet and caught sight of J'Onn staring at him. The realization the Martian had known Otho caught his intrigue. "How do you know of the dwarf-mages?"

            Before J'Onn could answer, Starfire's communicator beeped, signaling an incoming transmission. She gasped and grabbed it from her belt, beaming. The cover slid open and Raven's face filled the tiny viewscreen. Starfire gasped in delight. The others gathered about to see what new disasters had transpired over the course of the afternoon.

            "Raven, friend! You are awake! Such grace and rapture!"

            "Uh, yeah." Raven looked fatigued. "Look, I need an update. I haven't quite been myself for the last half a day or so."

            "Robin has rejoined us!"

            Raven closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Best news I've heard all day."

            "How is your leg?"

            "Super. I think I'm going to be making good friends with a pair of crutches."

            Starfire, too naïve to sense the sarcasm in her voice, laughed gleefully. "You can join us in the fight, then?"

            Batman snatched up Starfire's communicator. "Raven, I need to speak to Green Lantern. Is he there yet?"

            "I'm here, Bats."

            "I put a tracker on Rancor. I need you to monitor it."

            "Good thinking, Bats." There was a momentary silence. "I've got a signal making a beeline toward the Colorado Rockies."

            Superman narrowed his eyes. "Hawkgirl, J'Onn, Robin, stay here and try to help Flash and Kara. Batman, Numara and I are heading west." He looked to Batman. "Take the jet. I'll get there ahead of you and find out where that bastard's hiding."

            Starfire frowned. "What must I do to help?"

            "Help Miss Lane back inside," Batman replied. "Then see what you can do to help Flash and the woman."

            Numara grabbed Superman's arm. "If we can destroy him, your friends will be freed. If he passes through into the Void, he will loose his grip on them. Either way, they will be okay, so long as Rancor doesn't decide to take revenge against them."

            The Man of Steel considered Numara's words, and nodded his understanding. "See you on the other side," he said, and shot up into the sky.

            Batman looked to Robin. "Good luck."

            "Same to you, Bats." He reached out and the two shook hands. Numara slid Silverwing back into its sheath, watching the two, mentor and pupil. Robin turned to settle his gaze on the Nasserian. Without a word, Robin reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a brisk shake. His intense gaze was more powerful than words.

            Starfire leapt into him, tears dribbling down her face. "Thank you, dear new friend," she murmured. "We will see one another again, I hope?"

            "I don't know Starfire."

            She smiled. "Then I pray."

            From his belt, Numara pulled a small, silver tube, a tool they had not seen him use before. He turned and ran full speed toward the edge of the Daily Planet and leapt into air. He went headfirst, arms widespread, into a free fall toward the streets below, until he fell out of sight.

            "Brave young man," Batman mused, and pulled free his grappling gun.