Chapter 9: Down Time

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We were heading for Atlantis, the last pick up made.  The opposition had grown stronger at each stop, the HDC having more time to prepare.  Gateway City had been a trap.  Only the arrival of Batman with Mary Marvel, Changeling and Flamebird had swung the battle in our favor.  I shuddered at how close it had been; how close we had come to losing Cassie and Helena Sandsmark.

But now, at least, I could ride in the invisible jet instead of flying, something I was truly grateful for.  There was not much else to be happy about.

I looked at the display, now bereft of blinking red lights, and felt dejected.  "We didn't get all of them.  I doubt if we got half."

In the seat next to me, Batman chuckled.  It was such an incongruous sound that I turned and stared at him.

He was smirking.  "Did you think we were the only pick up team, Princess?"

As always, his use of a title I had forfeited irritated me.  At the moment, however, that seemed the least of his sins.  "You mean there were others?  Why didn't you tell me?  Why did you leave me thinking the worst?"

"Focus, Diana.  We need to keep focused on the critical point.  Right now, that is getting some rest.  We'll need it later."

I stared in astonishment as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.  Shortly, a soft snoring sound emanated from his mouth.

We need him, I reminded myself, you can't try knocking some sense into his thick skull just yet.  You will have to wait until this is over.  But then....

Even at Mach 12, the trip from Gateway City to Atlantis took time.  I had to listen to his snores for forty minutes, unable to sleep myself.  I closed my eyes but it just made his snoring seem louder.  I had wondered if he snored.  Now I knew.

I looked out at the scenery.  We were crossing the Rockies.  Row upon snow-covered row of mountains loomed ahead and then slipped beneath of us in seconds.  I watched as the shadows they cast lengthened.  Going west, we had outraced the sun, but now we were going east, racing into night.  As we crossed the last row of mountains, the plains were already in shadow.  I turned and watched the sun set behind us as if on fast forward.  It was a beautiful country. We could not let Luthor ruin it.

Shortly after crossing the coast into the Atlantic Ocean, the fear that had been my constant companion these last few hours started dissipating.  Within a few minutes it was, not gone, but reduced to a more natural level.

It was not long after that we reached the location of Atlantis.  The invisible plane transformed itself into an invisible submarine and dove into the water.  Batman stirred, blinked twice and sat up straight.

In the daytime, the beauty of the underwater world always filled me with delight; but it was night and there was little to see.  Then, as the invisible sub traveled deeper and deeper, I could make out the glittering lights ahead of us.  Atlantis, as beautiful at night as any surface city.

We were expected.  An opening formed in the dome around Atlantis to let us in.  The invisible plane took us to a towering building.  A pair of huge doors opened in one of the upper floors and the plane took us through it and into a large hangar.  As it set down, the doors closed and the sound of pumps filled the plane.  The water drained out.

We were there.

I ordered the invisible plane to form a ramp down to the floor and we slowly filed out.  Sand could barely stumble down the ramp.

Paul Booker, Major Disaster followed, looking impressed as his trademark overcoat swirled around him.  "Some place, huh, Batman?"

Batman looked down at him.  "You never told me why you weren't at the Watchtower, Disaster.  It was your turn in the Monitor Womb."

Booker wilted.  "I, uh, I must have overslept.  Sorry."  He glanced at Batman and added, "I'm really sorry."

"For not being dead?" I asked to break the tension.

"Hah!"  He liked that.  Then he saw Batman glaring at him.  "I mean, uh, I, uh...."

"This is not the time to discuss it," Batman decreed and Booker hurried down the ramp.

The others followed.  Damage, looking young and scared; Mary Marvel, looking worried; Flamebird looking excited.  Helena helped her daughter Cassie down the ramp.  I watched Wonder Girl hobble along, trying unsuccessfully to hide the pain every move caused and the anger I had kept locked in my heart flared to white heat.

Cassie looked up and tried to grin.  "Hey, Diana, just give me a little time and I'll be copacetic."

"Where did you pick up that word?" Helena asked, amused and anxious at the same time.

Cassie shrugged and then had to bite back the pain.  "Dunno, mom.  Sup'boy prob'ly," she slurred.

Helena looked at me, her worry plain to see.

"Medical facilities are down the hall, first door on your right and down a level," Batman said without ever looking at her.

Helena nodded and they started slowly and painfully on their way.

Changeling flew out in the form of a green bird, then turned into a terrier.  "I don't think we're in Kansas any more," he quipped.

Batman seemed to be wondering why he had bothered to rescue him, then shook his head and strode off.

I followed.  "What now?"

"Now I take stock of our resources and update plans with Oracle.  You," he stopped and turned to me, "rest.  You have about an hour before things start up again."

"Can't I help?"

He hesitated, then shook his head.  "Rest while you can."

Then he turned and strode off.  Impossible man.

The corridor opened up into a huge circular room filled with a scene from bedlam.  There were people and their possessions scattered everywhere, with bedding lining the sides of the room.  Most of the people, I realized, were civilians, presumably potential hostages, but there were plenty of superheroes as well.  All seemed to be talking at the top of their voices.  At the back I saw the two congressmen we had rescued, looking dazed and unsure what to make of it all.  Then I noticed someone walking determinedly towards us.

It was Dawn, Manitou Raven's wife.  She was dressed, as always, in traditional American Indian garb.  She always looked serious but now her grim expression rivaled Batman's.

"Dawn!" I exclaimed.  "I feared you had died when the Watchtower was destroyed.  Thank Hera you did not."

"I escaped by walking between.  It is something my husband taught me."  She frowned, made a strange a strange gesture and then shrugged.  "I walked between to the Earth."

"That far?"  I was amazed.

"All distances are the same between.  It was just a step.  It took me far longer to find you. There is strong magic here that hid you from my poor efforts."

"Dawn!"  Booker ran up and grabbed her by the shoulders.  "You made it!"  He grinned with relief.

Dawn's face turned stony.  Not even a person as insensitive as Paul Booker could miss the change.  His hands dropped and he took a step back, looking confused and suddenly tired.

"Why don't you get settled in," Batman told him evenly.  "You have an hour before the next stage begins.  Get some rest, if you can."

"Uh, yeah, that sounds good."  He turned and stomped away.  "Not like I've got anything better to do."

Dawn looked at Batman.  "I must speak to you about something important."

"Tell it to Wonder Woman."  He turned away and nodded at Nightwing, who had appeared at his shoulder.  I had not, of course, seen him come up.  They walked off together, talking softly.  My help was rejected, but Nightwing's was acceptable, evidently.  Impossible man.

I turned to Dawn and smiled brightly.  "Let's go find someplace where we can talk."

She nodded and I took her arm.  As we walked through the chaos of the room, I realized suddenly just how tired I was.  If this did not take long, I would take that nap.  How annoying, I thought, that Bruce should be right once more.

Author's Note:  Manitou Raven has demonstrated in JLA his ability to mysteriously disappear at one location and reappear at another.  Whether it would stretch to going from the Moon to the Earth is not clear.