The Evil Long Forgotten

Chapter 9

By Christopher W. Blaine

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DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and situations contained in this story are ©2004 by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for non-profit, fan related entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in any manner, in part or as a whole, without the express permission of the author.

Steven and Wonder Woman had arrived at his office in a large governmental building early in the morning and had been forced to wait several hours until another agent arrived with a folder. Both he and Steven spoke at great length in hushed tones and Wonder Woman busied herself with standing at a large picture window and looking out at the city below.

The urban sprawls of the Patriarch's World still amazed her. Her home was something of a throwback to ancient Greece with marble buildings, all complete with columns and statues of powerful women. Here, as with every other city she had been in since she had chosen to become an ambassador of peace, there was a mixture of the old with the new.

Her mother had often spoken of the horror of World War 2 and the destruction that had been wreaked upon Europe, especially Berlin. To see a city filled with life and light, that gave her hope her mission would eventually succeed. She had come to teach mankind about peace and yet it seemed like every day human beings did everything in their power to eradicate themselves from the world.

Yet here was a city that had been pounded into dust and ash by Allied bombers seeking revenge for a thousand injustices. Buildings that had stood for hundreds of years had been brought down in seconds and turned into so much rubble. Here was a city that had been not only rebuilt, but now thrived. There were smiles on the faces of the people passing by. There was hope in the air, a feeling of anticipation of what was to come next.

There was not so much difference between the people of Germany and the people of the United States she decided. They all wanted the same thing, happiness. The greatest obstacle mankind had to overcome was the disease that plagued every culture since the beginning of time: following those whose personal ambitions made them seem larger than life. That was one reason why Wonder Woman so admired people like Superman; individuals who put society before themselves.

She turned from the window and looked over at Steven and the intent look on his face. She had sensed from the beginning that he was someone in the mold of her friend Kal-El. He had good looks and intelligence, that was apparent, but he was not smug about it. Batman, or at least his alter ego of Bruce Wayne, was an extremely handsome man; but Bruce Wayne knew he was and he used it as a weapon. He had an arrogance that was infuriating. Steven did not have that.

But more than the outward physical characteristics, Wonder Woman admired his inner qualities. He was truly horrified by the death of the Seraph and he genuinely wanted to solve the crime and bring the responsible people to justice. And he was not doing it to put the proverbial feather in his cap. Instead, he was doing it because the people of Germany demanded it.

He had been born in another place, but he loved where he lived. It was obvious in the way he presented himself, the way he would point out the smallest detail about his country to Wonder Woman. Here was the modern German man, she told herself.

Then she shook her head, realizing that her description put up a border of sorts. The way to true peace was by not categorizing people by country, race or anything else of the like. Steven was an example of the modern man, plain and simple.

He saw her looking at her and supposed she wanted to be included in on the conversation. He excused himself from the other agent and moved over to give his attention to the tall Amazon beauty. "There is a problem," he told her in a hushed tone.

The office area they were in was filled with mostly clerical staff and Wonder Woman got the impression that space was shared with other government agencies. That probably meant that at times discretion was required. He reached out and gently grabbed her arm, pulling her away and towards a deeper part of his section.

They did not stop until they reached a sound-proofed interrogation room. As if he had telepathic powers as well, he explained to her why the abrupt change of venue. "In order to be more efficient we share space with the Berlin Police, but we are required by our mandate to maintain absolute secrecy in any investigation." He indicated a chair for her to sit and then took one opposite of her. "We are new; the government and the people for that matter, are still deciding if we are worth the time and money. There are calls within the government for a joint European Union metahuman investigation venture. They also want to recruit super-heroes to be part of it and remove normal civilians whom they feel are not equipped for the job."

Wonder Woman nodded. It was not unexpected. Though the Justice League had an agreement with the United Nations, and had for many years, the fact that it was a "Justice League of America" was always a source of contention among many nations. To poorer countries it was a sign of American Imperialism; to the richer countries it was like having a prettier garden or a faster racehorse. "And your feelings?"

He shrugged. "I'm not scared of super-villains, but it takes more than courage to do this job. I also am of the philosophy that when it comes down to it, it is the normal cop in the street who has to deal with them. The thought that super-heroes will be here forever or that they can protect us from every evil is self-destructive. We 'normal' people will, when or if the time comes, not be able to deal with a Joker or Cheetah because we will be expecting a hero to do it for us." He sighed and pushed back his chair. "The argument can be further expanded. If we have super-heroes, why do we even need police officers? Firemen? Paramedics? Apparently some people think it is the duty, the obligation, of people like you to do those jobs."

Wonder Woman shook her head. "That sort of attitude leads to resentment on the part of law enforcement and other emergency services. They start to believe, and rightly so, that their only task is to perform the functions we do not want to."

Steven slapped the table lightly to accentuate his point. "Exactly! Unfortunately, Princess, it is already happening. Many in law enforcement resent your very presence. That is why it is important to me to see regular police officers in every country working side-by-side with you heroes. That is why I requested that the Justice League be brought in."

"You requested me?" she asked. "I thought it was a joint decision by your government and the Isreali ambassador."

He laughed. "I did not request you specifically," he said, a slight blush coming over his face, "though I cannot say I am disappointed." She felt a little flush herself at the compliment. It was an honest effort to be a gentleman. "I knew from the moment I heard about the murder of the Seraph that it involved a metahuman. Most European villains are normal guys in long underwear trying to make a political statement. This time it was different. We've never had to investigate a murder in this department before."

"Well, I hope I can help," she said.

He nodded and handed her the file. "The dead man was a Russian diplomat. His father, oddly enough, was a former KGB official who had been here in 1945 to get as much Nazi material as he could. Stalin was obsessed with Hitler and wanted anything that had to do with him." He paused as Wonder Woman looked through the crime scene photos. They were particularly grisly, but she was a warrior born. She had seen death before. "He had some burns on him that appeared to have been made with lasers; the cause of death is still being investigated, though."

"What is his connection to the murder of the Seraph?"

"The diplomat's father was part of a unit that had investigated the experiments of Dr. Teufel. Teufel was killed by Soviet soldiers trying to escape Berlin, but they did manage to go through the papers he had on him. They pointed the Soviets towards Dr. Melch, but by that time Melch had been captured by the Allies." Wonder Woman asked how he had gotten so much information on the diplomat. "The Russians were very upfront about the whole matter so long as we allowed one of their investigators to join in. They want justice as well."

"And I suppose this is the problem you were speaking about?"

Steven did not get to answer as there was a knock at the door. She saw him wince and then she turned her attention to door. Outside it was a massive man of bulging muscles and curly auburn hair. He was pale with the thin lips of a Cossack and wearing a green costume with a large red star on it. His face was hidden behind a sort of half cowl with large, polarized red lenses over the eyes. She recognized him immediately.

Steven got up to open the door and let the large man in. "Princess Diana, allow me to introduce Red Star of Russia."

"We have met," the other hero said in a pleasant voice in heavily accented English.

"Leonid," Wonder Woman said, standing up and extending her hand. Red Star took it and gave it a firm grip. She gave him a proper greeting in Russian and he returned it with some details of his trip to Germany.

Minutes later they were all sitting around the table. "My government," Red Star began, "wants me included on every aspect of this mystery. It is the only way to avoid a political and media showdown," he warned.

Leonid Kovar had received his powers accidentally, but had purposely used them to better his country. He loved Russia, but was also a confirmed socialist. He had briefly operated in the United States as the original Starfire, but had found America and its freedoms unsettling. Too much freedom, in his opinion, led to decadence. "I know you do not want me to be here, or at the very least my presence is unsettling," he continued. 'I assure you that my only concern is to root out the culprit and establish a method by which they can eventually be transferred to Moscow for trial."

"But the Israeli's may want him first, or the Germans," Wonder Woman pointed out.

Red Star nodded. "Yes, but neither country has a death penalty at this time. Let them try him or her; we will execute them."

Steven shook his head. "That serves no cause of justice."

The big Russian shrugged his shoulders and gave them a disarming smile. "Da; but the people of Russia also believe in revenge. Justice is merely a byproduct." It was not a small statement as both Steven and Wonder Woman remembered the devastation that the approaching Soviet troops had caused as the moved from their homes to Berlin during the war. They had been like a pack of wolves pursuing a wounded deer, snapping and biting at anything and anyone that got in their way. In fact, Wonder Woman thought, she believed it was a Russian saying that "revenge was a dish best served cold".

It took about another hour to completely share all of the information they had so far with Red Star and he listened intently. Wonder Woman did not need to be telepathic to understand that Steven truly resented having the Russian and his attitude as part of the investigation. Yet, he tolerated it because it was his duty and deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do.

Regardless of his political leanings or his views on mercy and justice, Steven was fully aware that a Russian citizen of some importance had been murdered and the Russian people had a right to be outraged. They also had the right to try the individual under their laws.

When the briefing was over, Red Star leaned back in his chair and rubbed his smooth chin. "Have you heard any word from Donna yet?" he asked. He was friends with Wonder Woman's sister from his days with the Teen Titans.

"No, but they were investigating the former estate of Dr. Melch," Wonder Woman replied.

"Ah, yes," he said, nodding. "I have uncovered some more information regarding the two scientists. They were involved in a project, towards the end of the war, that was originally started by the Japanese." That brought a couple of raised eyebrows.

"I know that we were allied with the Japanese during the war," Steven said, "but it was not like the union of America and Britain. Most of my people held the Japanese in disdain."

"The feeling was mutual, I am sure," Red Star told him with a smile. The Soviets had also been mortal enemies of the Japanese going all the way back to the early 1900's. "We know, from discoveries made in the 1970's by the KGB that during the middle years of the war, the Dragon King…"

"The who?" Steven asked.

"The Dragon King was a powerful Japanese metahuman that was never captured after the war," Wonder Woman replied. "He worked with Hitler in creating the mystic shield that prevented Allied heroes from entering occupied lands in Europe and Asia."

Steven nodded and Red Star continued. "Yes, as I was saying, he was placed in charge of some experiments conducted on Chinese prisoners of war that included radiation treatments. The radiation came from a series of meteorites that had been found on the mainland of Japan during the 1920's."

"Ghastly," Steven said. Red Star gave him a queer look and Wonder Woman could tell he wanted to say something. However, the Soviets had just as bad a reputation for violations of human rights as the Nazis did. It was better to just keep quiet, which is what Red Star did. Instead he focused on the story. "The radioactive material was found to cause plants to grow to incredible size, but they were inedible. In fact, they grew a skin that was so strong that some Japanese military officers considered using it for armor plating. Then the idea of creating a super strong, super man occurred to them."

"They were successful?"

"Nyet. All of their test subjects died, but then during the war they heard about Dr. Teufel and his experiments along the same line. They offered their research and the material to him." He leaned in close. "It was called the Atoman Project."

"I've never heard of it," Steven admitted.

"Not surprising. It appears it was a failure, not that some in the German high command did not think that was unexpected." Red Star tapped a finger on the table. "We interviewed a captured Japanese officer after the war that indicated that Baron Blitzkrieg himself was against the entire project. But not because it would fail, but because it was too late. The Japanese figured that Blitzkrieg wanted to escape Europe with the technology in order to raise a Fourth Reich one day."

"Blitzkrieg," Steven whispered. He stood up suddenly. "Let me check our files on Blitzkrieg, see what I can dig up. Would the two of you mind staying here?" Neither hero minded, Wonder Woman stating she would try to teach her Russian friend about the idea of mercy. Red Star laughed and only asked if they could have some coffee.

"I will see to it," he said, before exiting the room in a hurry.

"They are close to finding out the truth," Baron Blitzkrieg said from behind his golden mask. He stared at the video monitor that held the image of Ra's Al Ghul. "I should act immediately. Kill them."

The immortal man shook his head. "No. That would bring in the likes of Superman and the Detective. "

"I would deal with them," the Baron swore.

Al Ghul laughed at the notion and shook his head. His tone was that of a father scolding a child. "One does not 'deal' with the Detective or his ilk; one must prepare months, perhaps years in advance. Even I have yet to taste the sweetness of ultimate victory over them and I have been at this for a very long time." His tone then changed to one of command. "No; you will let them continue their investigations. Allow them to keep asking their questions. It does no good. Even if they find what we are looking for, it will do them no good. I do not need you to be a weapon of destruction, my dear baron; on the contrary, you will be a thief. Let them unlock the safe, but it will be you who will have the treasure in the end."