"This is High father. New Genesis is under attack by Darkseid's forces indirect violation of our treaty. We are requesting aid from the Justice League until we can negotiate a new treaty with him." The message ended.
"Orion, and Mister Miracle, along with Big Barda have already been sent ahead. Every other available member will be sent shortly." J'onn announced. "Volunteers will be sent first. Adam, Kara..."
"No. I'm staying here on earth." I replied, cutting him off. "Something is going on, and I don't want to take the risk of it all going to hell while I'm away."
"I'm staying with him." Kara added. J'onn leveled a glare at them.
"Fine, remain." He snapped, and began to dish out other assignments. Once more we vanished in a flash of light. This time when we appeared in the Fortress of Solitude, we found ourselves face to face with three clones. Zatanna, Fate, and Etrigan.
"I see you finally found it." I smiled, Kara gawked at me. "When I bent reality, I added this to the memories of these three. They've come with one thing in mind, haven't you?" I asked.
"What's going on?" Kara asked.
"Watch." I smiled. All three bowed.
"The memories said you needed us, so here we are." The Zatanna clone snapped.
"You can relax, where you're going, anger will only get you killed." I smiled again. "You are being offered a chance to avoid oblivion. If you'd rather die..." I let it hang. All three shook their heads. I knew they would. "Good. Zatanna, you first of all I will send along. You'll be the only Zatanna there, with the full powers. Keep watch over the city she has sworn, and fame, fortune, and love will come to you." I waved my hand in a complex motion. There was a shimmer of light, and she was gone.
"Adam? What is going on?" Kara asked me.
"I'm repairing three damaged timelines. This is my only chance to do so, and is one of two real reasons I demanded to stay." I replied. "In three timelines, freak accidents, a result of pure chance have killed off these three. I'm using these clones to repair that rift. Etrigan are you ready?" The clone nodded. I gave him the information and sent him along. The Fate clone indicated his readiness. "In a moment, I want to pick your brain on something."
"As you wish." The clone didn't seem to share the original's distaste for me.
"Good. There is a spell I have attempted, but always failed, it is known as the Inferni Incantation. It is supposed to allow transport through flames, but so far I've only been able to produce a massive gout of fire. Do you know why?" I asked.
"Simple, the Inferni Incantation must be performed with the light of the moon at your back." He shrugged. I swore.
"My book said never with the light of the moon at my back. I suppose that would explain a lot." I spoke a few words and sent him on his way.
"There are a lot of things I still don't know about you, aren't there?" Kara asked, draping an arm around my shoulders. I smiled.
"And what fun would life be, without any secrets?" And I swept her off her feet.
---
"All is in place Generals." The dark-haired man nodded. "The launchers are in place, and we are prepared to destroy the stragglers." The two Generals, one of earth, and one of Apocalypse nodded.
"Then it is time to begin. Launch the attack." The earth general nodded.
"Yes sir." A few moments later, pairs of men in twelve bunkers dotted across the great plains launched missiles carrying nuclear payloads up into the atmosphere, creating great streaks of smoke and flame as they reached upwards to destroy the one thing that had time and again kept the earth safe. In the middle of the pacific ocean, two submarines launched missiles as well, these back ups to the main barrage. High above on the watch tower, an alarm buzzed, the second one of the day.
---
"Warning, ICBM launch detected, impact imminent, time to impact twelve minutes." The computer blared over the PA system.
"What's going on?" John asked, sweeping into the control room.
"It appears the US government has decided that we are too dangerous to be left to our own devices, and wants us destroyed. There are twenty four missiles racing towards us at this moment in time." J'onn replied. "All nuclear."
"Damn fools." John swore.
"Not as much as one might think." Shayera replied. "Most of the league is out of the watch tower, attempting to aid New Genesis. This is the perfect time to launch an attack."
"Classic Strategy." John nodded. "A feint. Want to be that Darkseid is getting something out of this?" The other two nodded. "Alright, who is left that can help?"
"Kara, Dr. Light, and Captain Atom. The latter two are up here, and preparing to launch. Kara is with Adam in the Fortress of Solitude, but it's in safe mode, so no contact can go in or out." J'onn replied solemnly. "Some of the Javelins are still functional after Amazo's attack, and they will be able to help somewhat. I'll activate the Watchtower's shields once you are away."
"They'll never hold against the attack." Lantern snapped.
"Then you must succeed." J'onn replied. Lantern nodded, and turned to Shayera.
"Go, and don't get killed." She grinned, and kissed him. "Or I'll kill myself, and come after you." She laughed.
---
Six Javelins, and three heroes floated outside the Watch tower a few minutes later. John had taken time to recharge his ring, so it would be fresh for the fight. As the massive missiles raced upwards, he lanced out with an attack. The energy blade sheared into the missile, and yet it didn't explode. He drew back, and the missile reformed where the hole was.
"Damn fools, they've incorporated the nano-technology into the missiles. Hit them harder!" A massive blast wave disintegrated the missile, but the others began to scatter. "Anyone that lets a missile get through, has to explain to Batman why he has to build another Watchtower!" Energy blasts, both from Light and Atom, as well as the Javelins increased two fold. Farther down in the atmosphere, as the second sweep of missiles raced upwards, the lead missile exploded. Three, sleek black fighter craft, with gracefully forward swept wings exploded through the debris, swinging around and coming back on the new lead missile.
"This Halo leader to flight wing, split and strike, they aren't as tough as we thought." The lead pilot grunted into his communicator. The other two cut off, gattling laser weapons piercing the missiles they targeted with ruthless effectiveness, detonating them rapidly. One of the missiles reconfigured into three, each sweeping after a fighter. The leader slammed a missile off toward the lead ICBM, and then flipped and rolled his fighter around, firing at the incoming missile, guns blazing detonating it inches from his nose. Shrapnel scattered along the crafts hull, and severed both the main power coupling, and the reserves. He punched out as the fighter began to fall. The two wing men on the other hand rolled and dove towards the deck, breaking Hypersonic, and out accelerating the missiles, then pulling hard from the deck, causing the missiles to slam into the ocean, and explode. Both fighters exploded an instant later, when a second ICBM that had separated crashed into them. Two heavily armored cockpits bounced out across the ocean.
"That's the first flight." John reported over the com.
"The second flight is incoming in one minute." J'onn answered. Lantern sighed.
"I see it. I thought you said twenty-four missiles?" He asked.
"I did." J'onn answered. There was no more time for discussion, as the particle cannons on the Javelins fired. The missiles scattered again, this time separating into individual missiles, much smaller and more difficult to destroy. Two cut past the spacecraft, and heroes, heading straight for the tower. The Adamantium decloaked directly in their path.
"Not today." The AI grinned, the massive energy weapons coming to bear and tearing into the missiles. They exploded into debris and pelted the side of the hull.
---
Far away, in low orbit of New Genesis, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Orion lashed out the aircraft of Darkseid's invasion force. Heat vision cut through the wing and severed the engines of one, the explosion momentarily blinding even the Kryptonian. Wonder Woman wrenched the wings off of another sending it plummeting. Cannon blasts from the surface of the planet tore into the massive space armada that was returning fire along the planets surface. Higher up, energy blasts flared back and forth some from the lesser guns of the ships, some from the heroes attacking them. The ground battle raged between the heroes, the warriors of New Genesis, and the tanks and soldiers of Darkseid's armies. The battles raged back and forth, fists and weapons flying, detonating on both sides. A few hours later, the battle had reached a stand-still. Darkseid, and High father stepped onto the battlefield. A ring cleared in the middle of the ground, surrounded by heroes and warriors, both on the ground and in the sky.
"We can continue if you wish Darkseid, as before, you will gain nothing." High Father offered.
"So? I've already achieved my half of the bargain." He gave a flat, evil grin.
"What bargain?" Superman snapped.
"With some representatives of earth. I only had to distract you long enough for them to destroy your watch tower. In a few hours, the clones they've created will take your places." He smiled. "And when I break the bargain not to attack earth, I'll have my own little Justice League at my feet, to use to conquer the rest of the universe." He smiled wider. Superman's fist slammed into his face. Flash, Steel, and Wonder Woman grabbed hold to restrain him.
"Relax." The leader of New Genesis commanded. "So, you didn't wish to destroy us, not yet at least?"
"Correct." Darkseid answered. "If you've no objections, I'd gladly return to the conditions of our former truce." High Father stared a moment.
"As you wish." He nodded. The two shook. Superman gaped, as the remaining troops, and equipment left along with Darkseid.
"I can't believe you just let him go!" He snarled at High Father. The other smiled sadly.
"There was no reason to continue the fight. Now that we know he will be coming for us, we can prepare for him. Thank you for your assistance." He turned and they walked back towards their citadel. Clark watched them go.
"Let's get home then." There was a dangerous urgency in his voice. After all, he'd left his family on the Watchtower. The Javelin's left the planet, and achieved hyper space almost instantly. Orion had already arrived ahead of them. All were pleased to see the Watchtower intact. A shock greeted them a moment later, when a second one materialized in the same orbit, this one painted with military colors, and far more heavily armed. Lantern and Light, and the remaining Javelins were coming to bear as the second tower began to fire. Two buttons keyed his personal link to the fortress of solitude. The sounds that greeted him were very familiar, if not exactly the same. Kara's name clued him into who was there.
"Kara, Adam, get off the floor and get into space, there's a second watch tower attacking the first." He snapped, reaching for his space suit.
"Right, Kara's on her way, I'll be there in..." Adam trailed off. "As soon as I find my pants." He finished. Clark rolled his eyes, and exited the rear of the spacecraft. Particle weapons, both from the Javelin's, and the two watch towers greeted him as he swept out. He crashed into a turret, wrenching it off the hull, and flinging it into space. Heat vision lanced out towards the nearest gun on the second Watchtower. A moment later, Kara wearing an oxygen mask only broke from the atmosphere, and in a move showing a brilliant lack of tact, or tactics, crashed straight into the side of the second Watchtower, creating a hull breech. A Javelin docked a moment later, spilling it's cargo of heroes. Clark crashed through another half-dozen turrets, before he saw Adam rising from the atmosphere. Apparently he'd found his pants. The ship he knew Adam flew, oddly enough named the Adamantium, swept around from behind the second tower, firing it's laser turrets into the side of the tower. A moment later, a number of escape pods, all lead lined, burst from the side of the second tower, a moment before a blade of green light drove into the fusion reactor core. An instant before it all went up, Clark saw Kara and her clone break down towards the atmosphere, neither wearing an oxygen mask. Adam seemed to see it as well, and an energy blast slammed into both, accelerating their descent massively, as well as speeding them towards the life-giving air. Clark spun, and raced for the Watchtower.