Chapter 23: Plan A

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"Showtime," Oracle announced. "Wonder Woman and Supergirl first."

Supergirl and I nodded and hugged Zatanna. Zatanna called out, "EKAT SU OT NIBOR!"

The closed Catskills resort we had been using as a hideout disappeared in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, we were standing in the middle of a room filled with computers, complex control panels and oversized monitors. One wall looked onto a video recording stage; the other walls were concrete. A beautiful young woman in a suit dress with a very short skirt stood guard near the one door. A serious young man with glasses, suit and tie, and a headset was sitting at an enormous array of controls overlooking the recording studio, a briefcase next to his swivel chair and a laptop open before him. They could be Poli Sci or Law students doing internships at the White House. They looked nothing like Batgirl and Robin.

"What's the situation?" I asked.

Robin shrugged. "Nothing since the five minute warning. Gypsy should be showing up shortly. Until then, we wait."

"Great," snarled Supergirl. "Hurry up and wait. How bureaucratic."

Robin suddenly came to attention in his chair. "You may not have to wait. Gypsy reports they've been attacked by Captain Marvel. Luthor must be controlling him."

"I'll go help out." I was glad to be in my costume this time, with lasso, bracelets and tiara available as weapons; I would need all the advantages I could get against Captain Marvel. "Supergirl, stay here and guard things."

"To hell with that! I'm going with you!"

I sighed in exasperation. I knew she wouldn't follow orders. "Then come. Zatanna…."

"I'll go get the second wave." She gave a semi-salute and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Robin said, "Go right, then left, then right at the fifth cross corridor. That should get you close enough to home in on the noise of battle."

"Got it." Batgirl opened the door and I flew out, with Supergirl right behind me.

We turned right, then left and then, up ahead, we saw Superman standing at the far end of the corridor, looking off to the right.

Except we both knew it wasn't Superman.

"I'll take him," growled Supergirl, "you go on." She sped ahead, accelerating all the way. The Bizarro turned towards her, but not in time. They collided with an impact that must have shaken the entire complex and smashed backwards through the wall and, by the sound of it, at least one wall beyond. I flew down the corridor after her, but turned right at the fifth intersection. I hated to abandon her, but we both knew the mission came first.

There were no sounds of battle ahead of me. I sped up but the only sounds I heard were distant echoes of the titanic battle behind me. At one intersection, I spotted several HDC soldiers down a side corridor. They were in body armor and armed with plasma rifles and, unfortunately, they spotted me as well. I couldn't leave them behind me to cause trouble for Gypsy and her crew, so I turned down their corridor, dodged their fire, and knocked them out. However, the noise attracted others. I could hear them shouting to each other and sped up to reach Gypsy before the troopers could cut off our retreat.

Back on the right corridor, I could still see or hear nothing except the distant shouting of the HDC troopers and the rumble of thunder that was Supergirl's battle with the Bizarro.

Suddenly, I heard, "Diana!" I pulled up and in front of me materialized Gypsy, Lois, the two congressmen and Lana Lang Ross.

"Thank God!" Gypsy breathed. Her arm was still in a cast, but that didn't seem to slow her down.

"Diana, you've got to get these four to safety. Oh, and this." She tossed me the box containing the ring Batman set such store by.

"What about you?" I asked. I would need both hands free, I suspected, so I slipped the ring on my right ring finger and tossed the box aside.

"I have to go back. Batman is facing Captain Marvel all by himself."

My heart lurched at that. I longed to fly to his rescue. The mission comes first, I reminded myself. He wouldn't thank me for endangering the mission just to save him. I took a breath and nodded.

"I'll be back as soon as I have them safe."

Lana turned to Gypsy. "I'm going with you. Pete is still back there."

"You can't," Lois told her firmly. "You would only be in the way. If you get yourself killed, what is that going to do to Pete?"

"I'm going with her," Lana insisted, but with less force.

"The best thing you can do for you husband," I said, "is to come with me. The sooner we get you to safety, the sooner I can come back and help him."

Lana hesitated, then nodded. Gypsy turned back and disappeared.

"All right," I said, "Lana, you and Lois will have to hold around my neck." They did and I grabbed Connelly and Zabrowski, tucking one under each arm. I lifted off and flew down the corridor.

Soldiers burst out of a side corridor ahead of us. I sped up and screamed "Duck!" at the top of my voice. The soldiers ducked and we zoomed over them. They only got off a few poorly aimed plasma blasts before I turned the corner on the home stretch.

There, not more than twenty yards ahead of us, stood Superman.

I jerked to a stop and dropped the congressmen to free my arms for combat. Lois and Lana slid off my back. Supergirl, I thought, where are you?

As if in answer, a distant boom sounded. I realized she was busy in a different part of the complex, which meant this was a different Bizarro.

I thought of the ring on my finger. It seemed a weak bluff, but I could think of nothing else. I raised my right arm in front of me. The stone blazed with green light.

"Do you know what this is, monster? Flee now or I will destroy you."

The Bizarro stood still. I took a step closer, knowing if I got too close, the bluff would be exposed, but that to back down would be just as fatal.

"Your last chance, monster. I had no feud with you, but I will allow nothing to interfere with my mission."

I heard the soldiers approaching from behind. At any moment, they would round the corner and we would be trapped. I took another step forward.

The Bizarro stepped back.

I stepped forward again and, suddenly, the Bizarro was gone, leaving a red and blue blur behind him.

I turned as the first soldier rounded the corner.

"Hurry!" I cried. "The third door on the left."

The soldier was leveling his gun. I flew back, the others scattering out of my way, and caught the end of the barrel, twisting it just as he fired. The gun exploded in our hands. The soldier cried in pain and my heart told me to succor him, but I could not.

I burst around the corner as the rest of the soldiers approached it. The fight was short and fierce but the surprised soldiers had no chance. I flew back around the corner to see Senator Connelly disappear through the doorway.

I flew through just in time to hear Jason Blood intone, "Vultus Impenetrabilis Contego Inter is Cella. Permissum Nusquam Penetro Obviam Meus Mos." The doorway and walls suddenly glowed with power.

"There," said Jason, wiping the sweat from his brow, "nobody but a powerful mage will get through now."

"Diana, the ring," Robin cried, jumping from his chair, relief evident on his face. Then the look turned to concern. "You're hurt."

I looked down. I was bleeding from a dozen minor wounds; shrapnel from the soldier's gun.

I shook my head. "It's nothing." I pulled the ring from my finger and tossed it to him. He caught it and started prying the stone off.

"What is the deal with that ring?" Zabrowski asked. "It's kryptonite, right?"

Robin answered, "No, it's a fake, but inside is the smallest video camera you'll ever see," the stone popped off and he turned the ring over. A tiny disk fell out and he held it up triumphantly, "and the smallest DVD in the world. Good for five minutes of video. Now, as long as Luthor incriminated himself…."

"Thoroughly," Lois replied. "Batman got him to admit to the entire plot, plus some previous crimes. That was incredibly careless, even for Luthor."

"Perfect. Congress is in session and waiting for a broadcast from the President." He grinned. "They'll get one that will knock their socks off."

He pressed a button on the laptop and a miniature disk drive popped out. He inserted the disk and hit a couple more buttons.

"Let's see what we've got."

The screen of the laptop suddenly went blank, then – one by one – the letters "SUCKER" formed across the screen. Then the laptop switched off.

We all looked at the blank screen.

"It was a plant," Robin whispered, "Luthor knew about the ring all along."

"What do we do now?" asked Batgirl plaintively.

"Go to Plan B," Robin replied automatically, "except…."

"Except?" I prompted.

"There is no Plan B."

Author's Note: The closed Catskill resort is, of course, the former headquarters of Young Justice. In my time line, they only disbanded a matter of days ago. Blood's incantation is in Latin. I created it using a free on-line English-to-Latin translator, so I can't vouch for its accuracy.