Among the many advantages of the Invisible Jet, the refracted light technology renders it invisible to both radar and to human eyes, even when standing in close proximity. While visual accuity and recognition are senses that all intelligent species rely upon in one form or another, the jet's designers recognized sound and smell play an equally important role for many of those species as well. Accordingly, the engines relied on repulsor-lift technology as a means of propulsion, fueled by anti-matter. Given the fusion reaction, the Jet emitted no tell-tale exhaust detectable even by the most sensitive olfactory glands. Essentially an anti-gravity chamber, the repulsor technology is also silent, thus allowing the pilot to land the plane next to a field of spectators, all of which are unaware that the jet is even nearby until the occupants emerge from the cockpit.
Given her obvious familiarity with the island terrain, Diana elected to land the jet in silent hover mode on a grassy field 500 meters directly east of the Palace. The field was normally utilized for archery practice under normal circumstances but there was no sign of either Amazons or archers. The field displayed some signs of battle as a number of smoking craters were evident between the jet and the Palace, otherwise there was no sign of the Amazons.
As they exited the jet, the Leagers took advantage of the jets refractal technology, pressing against the hull of the plane in order to disappear from any nearby Dorian soldiers. Batman quickly produced a pair of binoculars from his cape. As he surveyed the positions of the Dorian Army dug in around the Palace, he clicked an infra-red sensor to help him see through the smoke billowing from the temples.
Orin had no such need for the aid of technology as his eyes were accustomed to seeing at great depths. Between the two of them, they were able to determine that there were at least 1,500 Dorians armed with plasma energy rifles, the same type utilized by Intergang in their recent robbery of the Hope Diamond and similar stones from the Smithsonian museum.
"Flash, can you do a quick recon of the island?" Batman commanded. "More importantly, can you do it without giving away that we're here?"
"Done." The red blur whizzed away.
As they surveyed the scene, Batman opened the channel on his communicator, "J'onn, can you read me?"
"The signal is weak but passable." J'onn replied, a hint of static echoing through the line.
"Let's try the teleporter. Locate twenty meters east of my position."
"Understood." The hollow voice replied.
An instant later a simple wooden crate materialized at the location Batman had specified, however the three gasped when it coalesced into its final form. Originally a square wooden crate, the smoking ruin appearing before them in no way resembled the object that stood on the teleporter pad in the Watchtower two seconds before.
"I take it our experiment did not go well." J'onn surmised over the link.
"We're going to have to make other plans." Batman confirmed. "Let's put a second team on ready-alert for an Alpha strike in the launch bay. Five-minute-alert. We can't be too careful here. Flash is doing recon...it's at least a battalion but we may need more air support once he reports in."
"Assembling now." J'onn replied. "Good luck."
As Batman double clicked his communicator to close the channel, Diana whirled to face him, her face a mask of determination. "Why do we not attack? They're right in front of us."
"Easy, Princess." Batman replied, "The troops we can handle. I'm more concerned about who brought them here and why they are here. If it's Circe or Ares, we may need to develop a better plan than a frontal assault against a well-equipped army."
"But my sisters are getting killed in there." Diana argued, the mounting outrage evident in her expression.
"We won't do them any good as goats grazing the hillside if it's Circe who's behind all of this," he replied evenly. "Give Flash one more minute then we'll strike, I promise."
Diana fumed for a moment. Batman could tell by the set of her jaw that she was about to argue the point further and he leaned into her, quietly reiterating the validity of his argument. Orin watched the process unfold, a wry smile cracking his face as he watched his teammates bicker about their strategy. 'I don't see a happy future for the two of them,' he thought with bemusement, 'A woman should know her place in such situations.'
Flash's arrival two seconds later provided a welcome relief from the escalating argument between the Dark Knight and the Amazon Princess. He skidded to a halt at their position behind the Invisible Jet, breathing heavily from the exertion of running at full Speed Force.
"Report." Batman ordered grimly.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Flash retorted. "It took longer than I thought to untie the boats."
"What boats?" Diana asked.
"The boats that weren't here the last time we were here." Flash replied with a grin. "I figured this invasion must be sea-borne so I untied all of their ships moored at the wharf."
"That certainly cuts off their escape route, if they intend to escape at all." Orin observed. "What else?"
"Bats was right about the battalion of bad guys. They're dressed up in those funky helmets with the scrubby-brushes on top of them. Anyway, they've formed a pretty good circle around the Palace, but the Amazons seem to be pretty well barricaded in. Problem is that I think the Dorians are setting up some heavier weapons...artillery or something... to blow the doors down. If we take those out then we'll buy your sisters some time."
"Then that's our order of battle. Let's split up." Batman stated as he outlined the next step of their battle-plan. "Diana, is there a back way into the Palace?"
"Of course." She replied, "Through Athena's Temple. It takes awhile to get through the passageways though."
"Fine. Let's utilize our strengths. You and Flash find your mother and the rest of the Amazons. See how they're holding up and whether they need your help. Orin and I will take out the emplacements on the south side. Once you hear the explosions, bring the Amazons against their rear-guard."
"Rear-guard? The Dorians have them surrounded." Flash retorted.
"We'll make them think the Marines have landed on the beach." Batman grinned. "Let's go!"
"The quickest way for all of us is to make our way to Athena's Temple." Diana stated as they started running towards the structure. "Once Flash and I are inside, you and Orin need to make your way around the Temple until you locate their emplacements."
Thirty seconds later they arrived at the northern entrance into Athena's Temple. The decibel level of the battle sounds had increased dramatically and they practically had to shout to make themselves heard.
"There." Diana pointed to a series of buildings running towards the wharf, waiting for Batman to follow the line of her direction. "Follow that alley down to the wharf, turn south when the alley dead-ends, then you should have a clear vantage point to survey the emplacements."
"Good luck," he replied, then motioned for Orin to join him on the short sprint to the alley. The pair surveyed the scene to determine if there were any Dorians in their path, then stood poised to make the run to the alley.
"Wait a second." Diana yelled, stopping the two of them in their tracks. She walked over to Batman, tilted her head, then moved into him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her mouth hungrily sought his own and she gave him a quick yet passionate kiss that caused Flash and Orin's eyes to bug out.
"What was that for?" he growled as she disengaged her arms around his neck, embarrassed Diana had engaged in a public display of affection in front of their teammates.
"Luck," she replied with a smile, then turned and disappeared into the Temple in a blur.
"Late!" Flash yelled over his shoulder, following her blurred form into the Temple.
Batman and Orin set off immediately down the alley, using whatever cover they could find in the doorways to avoid detection from the soldiers who doubtless would be guarding their army's flank. While Aquaman was a recent addition to the League, Batman found himself admiring the professional way the Atlantean King conducted himself, even during a sabotage mission such as this one. The quick dashes through the alley were strenuous, especially for a man carrying a six-foot tall trident with his free hand.
As he was 'on point' for the next block, Batman sprinted to the nearest doorway, surveying the scene for any Dorians. He was about to motion Orin to join him at his location when a quick movement at the intersection ahead revealed two Dorians lounging with their backs against the wall. They were conducting themselves with an arrogance reflecting their belief the siege of the Amazons was almost over. That was their first (and unfortunately, last) mistake.
One second later, two batarangs whirred through the damp air, impacting on the helmets with sufficient force to leave the two soldiers crumpled on the curb.
Batman felt Orin on his shoulder a half second later. "Any more of them?"
"No, but be careful." Batman replied.
"Always." Orin stated dismissively, then used his meta-strength to leap 40 yards down the alleyway. He landed with a quiet thump, his nimbleness oddly juxtaposed with his 300 pound weight (mostly due to the density of his cell structure), then turned and gave Batman the all-clear sign. Batman ran forward to the position but didn't stop when he neared Orin. Instead, he produced a grapple and fired it onto the top of the roof of a four-story tower dominating the sky-line next to the wharf. Using his momentum, he triggered the reel in his grapple, floating up to the roofline as if flight was second nature to him. Orin shook his head that any mortal man could accomplish such a task with such routine calm then jumped 40 feet into the air, landing next to his teammate with a quiet thud.
Batman raised his fingertips to his lips, then raised two fingers with his right hand as he used his left hand to point to the lookout tower at the opposite end of the building. Orin nodded in understanding as he spied the two soldiers in the tower, then used each arm to make a circling motion, bringing his hands together to signify his intent. Batman nodded in agreement then stealthily crept to the opposite side of the roof, crouching as he swiftly made his way towards the tower. The guards should have been looking their way but, mirroring the actions of their now comatose comrades, were more interested in watching the artillery pieces being moved into position than watching their flank. Two seconds later their heads bounced together as Orin and Batman swooped in from either side, then the soldiers collapsed in a heap.
"What do you see?" Orin asked his colleague as he returned to a standing position after dragging the guards away from their feet.
"Two artillery pieces. Lexcorp design. Plasma energy discharge capable of generating an atomic yield equivalent to a one-kiloton." Batman replied tersely.
"I'm not familiar with that terminology." Orin replied peevishly.
"Once they're in place, they're going to blow the Palace to hell and gone." Batman replied with disdain. "Which one do you want?"
"I'll take the furthest one since I can jump that far," Orin replied. "How do you want it done?"
"In a perfect world, make it look like they blew themselves up but if not, blown up nevertheless. Here." Batman said calmly, producing two calculator-sized, metallic boxes from his belt. "These should do the trick."
"What are they?" Orin replied warily.
"Shaped-charge plastique explosives." Batman stated, showing his teammate the workings of the timer, arming device and magnetic clamp. He set the timer for 20 seconds on each then armed another grapple so that he could repel down the line towards the artillery piece. "Let's rendezvous back at Athena's Temple once they're taken out."
"Which way, Princess?" Flash asked, studying his teammate's face in the low light of the tunnel. He could tell by her expression that she was slightly confused, but he didn't want to sound like he was losing confidence in her navigational abilities.
"Hard to remember, honestly," she admitted. "Haven't been down here in over 1,000 years. My mother showed me the passage once when I was little, so forgive me if I lose my bearings."
"It's difficult to imagine you 'as little'" Flash replied as they set off again, aided this time by the light of Bat-flare she'd borrowed from Bruce.
"I wasn't born this way," Diana said, speeding by a number of doorways before making another left turn.
"Well, your mother made you out of clay, right?" Flash asked dubiously.
"Yes, as a six-year old." She replied. "We all have to grow up sometime."
"Speak for yourself, Princess." Flash replied with a smirk. "I'm going to stay this way forever."
"Which way is that, Flash?" she chided gently, "Irresponsible?"
"No need to get personal, Princess," he chided as they increased their pace through the passage. "Besides, its not like I would have had a chance with you if I was responsible anyway. I'm obviously not your type."
"What type is that?" she replied, making a right turn at the end of the quickly narrowing tunnel.
"Dark and brooding." Flash replied with a laugh. "I know he's good looking and rich, but is there something that I missed besides that?"
Diana's eyes narrowed as she considered the question. "He's got issues, I'll give you that, but he's a warrior at heart. I find that very attractive, among other things."
"Lantern's a Marine. Didn't help him." Flash countered. "What else?"
"We're almost there," she replied uncomfortably, not wanting to further explore the discussion.
"Whatever you say, Princess."
They rounded the last corner and came to a dead halt as the tunnel leading into the Palace entrance had collapsed as a result of the concussions from the battle above them. The two quickly set to work, utilizing Flash's super-speed to remove the pile of brick rubble. Diana doubled-back along the tunnel, borrowing wooden support beams along the way. She returned and set about re-shoring the ceiling while Flash tunneled through the bricks at super-speed. They were both choking from the dust within seconds but it couldn't be avoided unless they slowed their pace, so Flash re-doubled his efforts to get them to cleaner air. Diana shored up another ceiling beam then returned to the floor, amazed to find the blockage already cleared away.
"You really do have your moments, don't you?" she asked with a grin, then led him further down the tunnel. Fifty meters later she stopped at a large metal door and heaved against it, straining to budge the object. For a few seconds nothing happened, then the door gave way with a long groan, swinging open into the Palace.
The scene in front of them was straight out of an ER episode. At least a hundred Amazons lay dead on the floor of the Great Hall of the Palace. The northern wall from which Diana and Flash emerged was obviously serving as a makeshift morgue while the southern side of the Hall seemed to be serving as a triage unit for the injured. Explosions continued to rock the building as the surrounding Dorians threw grenades onto the roof. Dust fell on the Amazons like rain as the ceiling columns shook under the strain. Diana studied the lifeless eyes of her sisters as they strode through the Great Hall, mentally naming each body as they passed. She muttered a prayer to Athena to watch over their souls. Occasionally one of her sisters would scurry by, their faces briefly lighting up in recognition of Diana before the seriousness of their tasks forced them to rush by without uttering even a greeting.
At least four of her sisters had walked by before Diana finally stopped one of them in her tracks. "Menalippe," she started with relief, thanking the Gods that one of her closest friends was uninjured, "Where is Hippolyta? Where is the Queen?"
"Diana, thank the Gods you're here." Menalippe replied, pointing over her shoulder. Diana reached out to her but the Amazon didn't slow down, obviously determined to complete her task. "She's fine... over there...in the corner."
After she managed to weave her way through the rest of her sisters, Diana finally located her Mother, kneeling on the ground next to a soldier. The woman was grimacing in pain caused by an energy burn. The wound looked nasty and ran down the left side of her body. Hippolyta was busy applying the last remaining drops of a salve to treat the wound. Diana crouched next to her mother, making herself useful by applying bandages to the affected areas. Hippolyta nodded a quick grunt of gratuity, applying more bandages to the wound. She had wrapped almost half of the patient's leg before she did a quick double take, realizing Diana was assisting her effort.
"Thank Hera you came!" Hippolyta muttered, exchanging a quick hug with her daughter before returning to the business at hand.
"Mother, who is doing this?" Diana asked. "How have they been able to kill so many of our sisters? I thought we were immortal!"
"One of the Gods...perhaps more...have seen fit to bring the Dorians into our future." Hippolyta stated savagely, ripping shreds of cloth from the hem of her dress as bandages were becoming scarcer by the moment. "They arrived an hour before dawn. According to my lookouts, a fog appeared out of nowhere. Before we could react, there were over two thousand Dorian soliders armed with weapons from Man's World parading down our streets. The situation was bleak, but we managed to organize a line of defense...even managed a counter-attack on their left flank...but those weapons have overwhelmed our shields. There are more than a hundred dead and as many wounded."
"So we've seen," Diana replied tersely. "Mother, I've seen those weapons in Man's World. They are dangerous but they shouldn't be lethal for Amazons. They are more like stun weapons than anything else."
"My thoughts exactly." Hippolyta replied. "A god, perhaps a sorceress, has forsaken us. The weapons have been blessed, or cursed, to kill us. We kept falling back and barricaded ourselves in the Palace as a last line of defense. That's when I called you."
Diana motioned over her shoulder to Flash, who had been standing a respectful distance away from the two of them. "Mother, I brought a team of my friends. You may remember Flash? He fought with us...the last time I was here."
Hippolyta stood up and recognizing a warrior she'd decorated for his gallantry, regally bowed in salute. She returned her gaze to her daughter. Diana started again, "The Dorians have moved some of their heavier weaponry next to the harbor. I'm afraid we're going to have to evacuate the wounded from the south wall before they get a chance to discharge the weapon, lest there be more lives lost."
Hippolyta nodded in understanding, then barked out a quick series of orders to initiate the evacuation process. "You said a team, correct? Where are the others?"
"Introducing themselves to the Dorians." Diana seethed as she helped pick up one her wounded sisters. "The Dorians are going to regret this day."
