The Fallout

by Guardian Amulet

25 years after the death of Lois and Jimmy in Gotham, Superman's attack on the city in revenge has left the world paralyzed with fear of the Meta human heroes. In this climate, a new threat is beginning to rise COMPLETE Reviews welcome

2. Chapter 2 Mind Games

Olivia awoke and crawled out from the small log cabin the next morning, looking up into the morning sun. A thin layer of fog lay at ankle level over the ground. She squinted in the bright sunrise, not used to such brilliant light, nor being up so early.

"Good morning," her father said. He was sitting on the ground near the campfire, stoking it with a charred branch.

She looked over at him. "I thought you were going to watch half the night, then I was. That was the agreement we made, right?"

Ollie shrugged. "It was a good night, clear. It invigorates the senses."

"You won't be getting any sleep until tomorrow night then, you know."

"It isn't a bad day, and besides, it's refreshing to be out doors again."

"Now I know why I never wanted to go camping," Olivia growled.

"Your mother and I probably should have made you go on more camping trips," Ollie thought aloud.

"I never went on any. Unless you include that one time I snuck out and forgot my key, and you found me in the back yard the next morning. Besides, I really dislike fog."

"It'll burn off by the end of the morning. Speaking of morning, I think it's time we got something to eat." Ollie stood up, brushing himself off with his hand.

"Anywhere that we can find some food quick?"

He gave her an odd look. "If you mean a supermarket, we're in the middle of the woods. No."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I know that," she said. "What I mean is, the food in the supermarkets comes from somewhere. Plants and stuff. Any things that are easy to eat around here, or do we have to go kill something?"

"It's about time you learned how to do some tracking," Ollie said. He looked around, then pointed to a thin deciduous tree nearby. "You see how that tree has no low lying branches?" he asked. Olivia nodded. "You know why?"

Olivia hesitated. "Because…something's been eating it?"

"Right. This," he said, pointing down to the ground, "is a deer trail." Looking down, she thought it looked like any other forest floor she may have seen, but on a closer inspection, she did notice a thin trail of dirt that was cut through the grasses and moss covering the ground. "There should be deer around somewhere."

"But, which way do we go?" she asked, looking down both ways of the trail.

Ollie started walking. This way, Olivia thought to herself, holding her bow over her shoulder. She followed him into the forest, away from the small shelter. It was starting to grow warmer, as the sun crept up towards its zenith. The thin layer of fog started to burn off, just as her father had said it would. They walked for a couple hours, until Ollie stopped again, looking down at the ground. He motioned for her to come forward, and pointed down at the ground. "Deer print," he said.

"How do you know?"

He gave her a look that told her she was trying his patience, then pointed backwards. "That is your footprint, right? This is a deer's print. You just have to know." He straightened up. "There should be deer around somewhere, somewhere pretty close, hopefully."

Olivia hoped, too. She was starting to feel quite hungry. A smell traveled across the forest, and she breathed in deeply, hoping to maybe smell something good. It was burning wood. "I smell a fire."

"Yeah. But there's something else. Something…sour." He motioned for her to follow him. "Stay close."

"Trouble?"

"Maybe," was all he said in reply. The two of them walked quietly through the woods. The closer they got to the fire, the more the smell turned sickly- there was something rotten in it. Olivia tried not to breathe it in, but the smell seemed to be permeating the entire forest. Soon, a column of black smoke could be seen.

As they paused a moment to get a better look through the trees, they both heard a sound behind them. Olivia whirled, aiming her bow and pulling the string in one fluid motion. As she did, she saw a man in jeans and a flannel shirt hit the ground, face first. He did not move. Olivia kept her bow pulled and ready as Ollie went over to examine the man. He winced as he pulled up the face, revealing a large gash across his face. Looking up, they could both see a criss-crossing of the tree branches, many of them broken from his fall through them. Olivia figured they were holding him up, until they had passed.

"That looks like a bear's claw," she said nervously. "You think it's linked to the smoke?"

"We won't find out until we get there," Ollie said, dropping the dead man's face back to the ground and moving forward. She followed close behind, holding her bow ready. Whatever was up ahead, she had a pretty good idea she would need to be ready.

After a few more minutes, they came out into a clearing next to the Creek. There was a large pyre in the center of town, burning; the source of the smoke and the acrid smell. There were small wooden dwellings on both sides, and behind it was a twenty foot tall wooden totem. They spread out, looking through the houses for any survivors. Each and every one was in complete disarray; someone had been looking for something.

As Olivia came out of the last house, she once again looked at the totem pole. Walking up to it, she ran her hand over the carved wood, looking for damage or abuse. Though there was nothing seen besides the normal wear of age, there was one particular point that caught her eye. The very top of the pole had a hawk on it, a hawk which had an open beak. The other animal mouths were all closed, even if they showed fangs.

Climbing up with a certainty not often seen, Olivia made her way to the top of the pole. The beak's insides were hollowed out, as though there were a chamber inside. Reaching in, she could feel the chamber itself, but there was nothing in it.

"Get down from there."

Olivia turned her head to look back, and saw a very old man hobbling into the village. His clothing was torn, and the cane he was walking with was splintered. As he took one more step forward, the wood shattered, and he fell flat into the dirt. Ollie was to him by the time Olivia had managed to climb down the pole, and had him over his right shoulder. "Go get some blankets," he ordered, as he brought the old man into one of the wooden structures.

Olivia went through the buildings, looking for any blankets that were still whole, and returned. She put them around the old man, who was quite unconscious. "I think they were looking for something here," Olivia said.

"I thought the same thing. Whatever it was, the old man might know."

Olivia leaned close to him. "Hey, old man," she said quietly. "Wake up. What the hell happened here?"

It was early morning in Washington, DC. The waiter came over with a large plate of pancakes and a smaller plate of bacon, and set them down in front of Hal. He nodded his thanks, then went back to the newspaper he had in his hands. He was reading an article on the theft that had occurred at the Smithsonian, of an ancient Egyptian timepiece. The article quoted witnesses as saying they saw a woman with raven black hair, a black body suit, and a red cape suddenly appear over the museum.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Hal looked up over his newspaper, slightly annoyed, and saw no one there. As he moved the paper out of the way, he then saw a shock of white hair and a blue forehead just above the table's edge. "No, have a seat," he growled. The Guardian hopped up onto the chair. "I hope no one else is seeing you like this," Hal said.

"Oh, they most certainly are not," he said. "The council has sent me here to speak with you, Hal Jordan."

Hal tried hard not to grind his teeth. He had been wondering if the little blue bastards would find out about his actions. Looks like they wanted to play the 'omnipotent and always aware' card. "About what?"

"There has been a great draw of emerald energy coming from here," he said. "I feel it presence right now. Coming from you, in fact."

"What are you talking about?" Hal asked, trying to bluff him. He should have known better than to try; too much time in the senate gave him some bad habits, it seemed.

"You had given us your ring back, but somehow, there seems to be a Green Lantern running around Earth, even though Earth has specifically requested that we stay out of her affairs. The Green Lantern for this sector has reported that he has not been back here, either."

"And who would the Green Lantern for this sector be?"

"That is Corp business." His voice was suddenly cold. "When last we knew, you had retired from the Corp. So, where is this energy coming from?"

Hal sighed. "Yeah, I returned the ring. But, just before I did…I sort of made a copy. Just in case."

"In case of what?" the Guardian demanded. "The power rings belong to the Corp, not to you. It is not your place to make such decisions."

"Earth needs its heroes right now."

"That is against your people's laws, is it not?" he asked. "The Corp does not countermand any planet's laws. You know that, Jordan. You also know that you are no longer a member of the Corp. You will stop masquerading as one immediately."

Hal winced. "Fine," he said. "What would it take to get me reinstated as a Green Lantern?"

"You would need to come to Oa, where we would convene the council. And then there would be a vote. If the vote is favorable, you would then be assigned a sector."

"And what are the chances of getting assigned to Sector 2814?"

"Very slim."

Just as he thought. "Look, I'm not going anywhere, especially when people need my help. The others may have turned their backs, but I'm not going to. I have a duty."

"Your duty was fulfilled when you resigned from the Corp. You will stop using the ring and end your masquerading as a Green Lantern."

"You could have said that from Oa," Hal said. "You could have taken the ring. But you're here; which means, you want to deal."

"It means that we wanted someone to deliver our message personally, Jordan," he replied. "If you disobey this last order, we will take the ring from you by force, if necessary." With that, he hopped down off the chair, took a few steps forward, and vanished.

Fat chance of that happening, Hal thought, as he looked at his untouched breakfast. After that, he really didn't have very much of an appetite. Looking at his watch, Hal noted that it was nearly time for him to head over to the Capitol Building, anyway. Leaving a tip on the table (the bill would go on his tab), Hal got up, folded the paper under his left arm, and left the restaurant. Outside, it was a chilly morning, even for October; he could see his breath in front of him, and the grass of the mall was white-tipped, even from the distance Hal was at from it. Regardless of (or perhaps in spite of) the cold, Hal walked over to the Capitol, only a couple blocks away. Very few people were around, and those that were, were more concerned with keeping warm than watching the man walk down the street.

Finally, Hal was climbing the steps to the Capitol Building, where a blast of warm air was welcome against his cold cheeks. There were other senators milling around, some being harassed by the lobbyists, some in small groups as they spoke to one another. He weaved through the groups, purposely avoiding the lobbyists who would have been gunning right for him (mostly those who were for stronger laws against Meta-Humans), and made his way to his seat, only three rows back from the floor. The other seats were quickly filling, as well, as the session was about to begin.

The hours passed slowly, as Hal sat through the usual tedium of the senate building. The most important issue that was heard that morning was an increase of funding for Nebraska state highways, complete with an hour-long speech by the senator who managed to take droning to a new level. Thankfully, one O'clock came around, and Hal was quick to get back into the lobby. As he stood outside, trying to make his way to the doorway, he noted three men- obviously lobbyists, and obviously agitated- heading towards him. They were going to reach him before he got to the door. As he resigned himself to having to spend a significant amount of time trying to fight with the lobbyists, he heard a thickly accented voice behind him.

"I say, Senator Jordan!"

Hal managed to barely hide the grimace on his face as he turned. Standing behind him was another man, slightly older than himself, with gray hair, a chiseled face, in a suit not unusual to see in the senate chambers- it was the high cowboy boots that made him seem out of place. "Senator, I'm...I'm Sam Wilcox, from Texas, how are you, Senator?"

"Fine," he said curtly.

"Good, good to hear. Listen, I have heard in the chambers a.. a few rumors, if you will. They say that you, Senator, are working on some sort of bill, what was it?"

"The Meta-human Freedom Act," Hal said, though he had a feeling that Wilcox already knew that.

"Yes, yes, the...the what-you-said. Speaking of it, I was thinking that you, you and I should have lunch, discuss this bill. After all, I do have a lot of important votes in my pocket after all. Well, we should go over to the Yellow Rose, a spittin' image of Texas, it is."

"Well, I need to get back to my office first," Hal said.

"I understand, I understand, of course. Look, I'll meet you there in an hour, Senator." He patted Hal's shoulder heavily- no doubt trying to intimidate him by a show of strength, a show that Hal would have laughed at in his younger days- and headed off. Looking up, Hal noted that he seemed to be ignored again, and he made his way quickly to his office. Claudia, as usual, was sitting at her desk, typing away. She glanced up as he entered, then paused her work.

"Good afternoon, Senator."

"Good afternoon, Claudia," Hal said, no longer masking the weariness in his voice. "I have a meeting with Senator Wilcox this afternoon. For lunch. What do you know about the Yellow Rose?"

Claudia's eyes went wide a little bit, and she shook her head. "My suggestion? Get some antacid tablets ahead of time. It's... well, it's spicy," she told him.

"Great. Any important calls?"

She shook her head. "Nothing that can't wait until this afternoon," she told him.

"Good. Could you have the car brought around, please?"

"Of course, senator."

Forty five minutes later, Hal found himself looking up at the sign for the Yellow Rose. It was made of wood, shaped like the state of Texas, with a large yellow rose blooming in the center, the name of the restaurant written around it. Even from outside, Hal could smell the spices. As he walked in, he felt himself walking through a door from Washington to old time Texas. The floor was made of wooden planks, which in itself wasn't unusual; it was the dirt and sand that was thrown on the floor for effect that was odd. Around were wooden booths and tables, and to the right was a large bar, designed to look like an old west saloon bar, complete with trough. Looks like the Lone Star vomited and this place grew there, Hal thought sourly. Behind the wooden reservation podium was a young girl, not a day over 18, in a yellow shirt and a red and yellow bandana holding her hair back.

"Can I help you?"

"I-" As Hal was about to explain the situation, he heard Wilcox cry his name over the din of bad country music. "I'm meeting someone," he said, walking over to the table. The table seemed to be scorched, and he could see why. Sitting in the middle of the table was a bowl of tortilla chips, some yellow, some green, and a bowl of salsa that was smoking, not because it had been mic'ed for too long, but because the spices in it were so acidic against the tomatoes. He sat down across from Wilcox.

"Good to see you, Senator. Welcome to my favorite restaurant here in Washington, yes sir." Hal nodded, as a waitress came over, putting down a margarita in front of him. "I took the liberty of ordering you a drink," Wilcox said. "You are from California."

"Thank you," Hal said. "You wanted to talk about the bill."

"Yes, yes. Now, I was listening to the rumors that are flying around, you know, about that. Now, as I see it, you bein' from California and all, and the issues that came up from them there folks in San Francisco and all, it might be seen that someone like you's just tryin' to cause a stir. It won't have the punch it needs to get passed, you see. But, if'n it comes from me and my associates, well then." He leaned back, as though the implication was obvious. The only thing obvious about him was his close-minded bigotry and intolerance. Unfortunately, Wilcox had already been elected to the senate seven times; not only was he a deciding factor, being from one of the most powerful states in the House of Reps, but it seemed he either had an excellent spin doctor, or personified the beliefs of an entire demographic. Idly, Hal wondered if he had any connections with the KKK, while he was discriminating specific populations.

"We are violating the constitution by having these laws in place," Hal pointed out. "I don't think you need me to quote the passages directly, Senator Wilcox."

"Of course not, of course not," he said, with a wave of his hand.

"It is up to us, the elected representatives of the people, to protect them. I know that more than one Meta-human was at some point a citizen of California, and I am certain that there were some who called Texas home, as well."

Wilcox smiled. "Couldn't blame 'em, not a bit. Unfortunately, Senator, I think that the wordin' on the bill may be a little too, well, lenient."

"We can't keep throwing every person who demonstrates unusual abilities into Long Gate," Hal pointed out, trying to keep his temper in check. He already knew that his arguments would fall on deaf ears; he had dealt with Wilcox before, the man was stubborn as a mountain, with an ego the size of one (not that he could be one to talk).

"No, no, I agree, I agree Senator. But, eh, I think that just letting' them run free isn't much of a better plan." He leaned in close. "You know what I think?" Hal felt his gut tighten. "You remember that old alien landing at Area 52 in the 1940's?" Hal was about to correct him, but held himself in check. Deaf ears, remember? Don't waste your breathe. "Well, when those aliens came down, they did something to our women. Ever since then, they been givin' birth to these… these abominations, is what I call 'em."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Hal said, unable to hold his words any longer. His control was barely able to restrain his temper at that point.

"Well, that's not what they're called," Wilcox backtracked. "But it's a coincidence, I say, and we have to keep an eye out." He then went on a rambling statement about oil, cattle, and a boy, the gist of which escaped Hal completely. He just nodded; that seemed to satisfy the Texan. "Now, let me get down to the point." Thank God. "If we're goin' to be givin' these peoples there rights back, we need someone to keep an eye on them."

"I see no problem in some kind of governmental ID system."

Wilcox shook his head. "That's not what I mean," he said.

"Right now, our police forces are spread thin, under equipped, and outclassed. If we don't do something, the entire US will become like Metropolis."

"Now, see there is my point I'm makin', son," Wilcox said. "We have no one who can stop any oh these abominations if'n one decided to go off the deep end." Again, there was another allusion that had to do with cattle. Hal made a mental note to suggest that a new law be put in; all Texans would need to take English as a second language, so they could communicate with those from the other 49 states. "What we need, now, is cooperation on this bill oh yers. You working' on the freedoms is all right and good and noble; but I'm about keeping' the people protected in case Gotham happens again."

"So you are suggesting a coalition on the bill?" Hal asked.

"I wouldn't call it that, so much as splittin' it two ways. I'll make certain that these abominations are kept in their right place."

Hal could not believe this bag of hot air was even the same species, let alone in the same political party. "Very well," he said. "We'll work on separate parts of the bill."

Wilcox smiled. "I never did think you weren't sharp, Senator, not a minute," he said, as the waitress came over to take their order.

Now, for the interesting part of the meeting….

A few hours had passed, and Olivia found that staring at the pattern of the wood on the inside of the building was the most engrossing thing to be done. In plainer terms, she was bored out of her skull. Her father was sitting near the window, looking out every once in a while. She heard a slight moan, and she turned to see the old man stirring, opening his dark eyes. Ollie moved over next to him, Olivia standing at the foot of the bed. "Good morning, old man," she said.

He focused on her a moment. "You are here," he said.

"Yeah. Look, someone tore up this town pretty bad. They were looking for something."

"What were you doing at the top of the totem?" he asked, ignoring her implied question.

"Looking for whatever might have been in that little cavity in the bird's mouth," she replied.

The old man sighed, looking dejected. "Then it is gone. I have come too late. But, you are here." His eyes went from Olivia, to Ollie. "Yes, the spirits must have sent you. It is up to you to get back the talisman."

"Talisman?" Ollie asked.

"It is a spirit talisman. This village was built to guard it, to keep it safe, but it has been stolen. It gives the wearer the ability to call upon the spirits of the wild and to use their powers himself."

"Well, that would explain the bear attack we saw on the way in. Look, did you see anyone leaving?"

"No one," the man said, shaking his head weakly.

Olivia started to go over the information in her head. She had been on the totem when he had arrived, though she assumed that he had moved in a straight line into the village, which meant that he had come in from the West; the man who had been killed was to the South. At least his story fit. "Well, I think we know where to start looking for this thief," she said.

"Hurry, please," the man said. "The talisman must be returned. The spirits are depending on you."

Ollie nodded, and motioned for Olivia to follow him as they left him in the building. It was mid-day by then, and the sun was just starting it's descent down to the horizon. She may not have been a rural girl, but Olivia had learned early on the advantage of being able to estimate time based on the sun. "You had an idea?" he asked.

"Yeah. The guy who was killed was to the South, which meant the guy who stole the talisman must have gone that way, and come across that poor guy in the escape," she reasoned aloud. "Either she's running just to get away, or she's heading back to the states with a new toy."

"So, we start by heading south. We'll split up."

Olivia was about to protest, but she thought better of it; her father never liked to be told he was handicapped. Ever. Instead, she nodded. "We'll meet back here tomorrow morning," she said. He nodded an affirmative, and they disappeared into the forest, in two separate directions.

Olivia managed to come across the body again, then continued south. Unfortunately, she was no expert on traversing woods; she didn't know that she was subconsciously circling trees, changing direction as she did. By the time she realized she should have come across the deer path again, she was completely, utterly lost. For a moment, she felt panic starting to rise up in her throat, threatening to choke her, but she swallowed it down and steeled herself again. She had been lost before; hell, she had been lost in Metropolis before, and the woods only had one super powered creep in 'em, that she knew of. She could get out of it. Even if she couldn't, she figured her awkward movements would be easy enough for her father to track. He'd fine her if she got too lost.

Knowing that the trees themselves were her biggest obstacles in the tracking process, she started to climb one; it was easier for her to find her location above the obstacles than within them. Moving quickly up one of the older trees, she perched herself on a high branch and looked out over the leafy ceiling. To her right she saw a hill with a road cutting through it, and running along the road at breakneck speeds was a jeep, painted completely black without the usual splash of color that denoted some sort of license plate. Figuring it couldn't hurt to at least investigate the strange vehicle (and seeing as it was her only lead so far in the search) she pulled her bow and eyed the distance. Quickly calculating the distance and the pull of her bow, the usual weight of her arrows, the wind, anything else that would affect her shot, she focused on the gas tank of the jeep. Her right arm pulled back on the bow as she arced it upwards, towards the sky, for a nice, easy arc that would send the arrow to it's target; her left hand was holding the back of the bow, most of the pressure in the crevasse between thumb and forefinger, as her fingertips flew over the tiny controls on the grip the way a flutist's would confidently tap over the keys. Energy coalesced, with a small drill bit head; she released the pressure, the gyros and weights inside shifting, causing the tip to spin at high speeds. All this was done within the span of heartbeats, and Olivia watched as the arrow arced upwards, then back down, towards the jeep.

Climbing back down, she started to run towards the road, making certain not to get lost this time. Eventually, she caught up to it. The jeep had been abandoned on the side of the road, the door open, keys still inside, the tone that warned occupants of an open door chiming annoyingly. Olivia was about to run up to it, when her eye went to the quarter panel; her arrow had been snapped off, the head still imbedded inside.

Unfortunately, her movement had already been noted, and suddenly leaping out from the tree line was a woman. Her skin was dark, perhaps of Hispanic origin, and she had very close cropped red hair. She looked to be from the area, with the large flannel overcoat and heavy jeans. "You picked the wrong car to hijack, girl," she said.

"Not looking for a car," Olivia said, as she brought up her bow again. Quickly, she glanced down at the woman's neck; she wore a tiny wooden carving identical to the totem pole that had been in the village. "I'm going to have to take that back to town." Pulling the string quickly, she loosed a net at the woman. It landed around her, and Olivia was about to approach, when she raked across the netting the way a cat with claws would, and was freed. Backing up a step, she brought the bow back up, but not before she earned a swipe to the cheek.

"Now that wasn't very nice," she said, reaching back and firing another net. Again, she broke free, and swiped at Olivia with surprising agility. As the possessed woman came forward again, Olivia ducked out of the way. Again, she pulled back on the bow, sighted her target, then turned away, as she unleashed a brilliant white flash in the woman's face.

When she opened her eyes again, she was nearly on top of her, but Olivia managed to roll out of the way. Great, she thought, she can cut through the net, and she can't be blinded. What the hell am I supposed to do? The momentary pause was enough to start up the assault again, and Olivia concentrated on keeping out of the way. Each time, the woman's body seemed to take on a new style when she touched the talisman. It was then that Olivia got a plan.

She purposely maneuvered herself to be facing the woman with the jeep to her back. "C'mon, you really think you can hit me?"

"You are barely a threat, little girl."

"Barely a threat?" Olivia echoed. "I'm only toying with you. Now, hold still." She aimed for the Talisman on her neck, loosing an arrow. Though she hadn't been expecting the thin projectile to actually remove the thing, she had hoped it would work. The woman moved slightly, to avoid the arrow, then touched the talisman again, and charged forward.

At the last moment, Olivia moved out of the way. With that speed, she had hoped that the woman would have crashed into the jeep, knocking herself out; instead, she stopped short, lifting the vehicle up over her head. Quickly, Olivia let loose another specialty arrow, netting the jeep to the woman's hands. That didn't stop her.

Olivia tried to roll out of the way, but the area of a jeep was pretty big. The blow glanced enough to not be deadly, but the bash to her head left Olivia unconscious and bleeding into the pavement.

It wasn't often that Hal was driving his car by himself, but that evening was an exception. He had wanted to clear his mind, and though he couldn't do it behind the joystick of a plane, he could at least do it behind the wheel of a car. The radio was off, and the sounds of the world around him were muted. As he turned the corner, heading down the street towards his home, he heard something fall onto the roof of his car.

A moment later, the horrid sound of stressed metal rang in his ears, as the roof of the car was suddenly gone. Looking up through it, he saw a woman hovering just above the car. Though he had never seen her before, Hal recognized the purple skin and distorted head of a Korugarian. The yellow energy that was holding the roof of his car was also familiar.

Just as quickly as the roof was removed, it came crashing back down onto the hood, destroying the engine. Hal did not bother waiting for the car to stop; he had pushed open the door and was rolling out of the Lincoln before it stopped. Standing up, he turned to face the attacker. She scowled at him, forcing a blast of yellow energy at him. Fortunately, his own ring protected him from most of the damage, but Hal knew that he would have to take the fight someplace private; it wouldn't be long before witnesses started calling authorities, and that would mean more trouble with the MCC. Again, the woman sent a blast of yellow at him, and Hal watched. The moment that the yellow energy enveloped him, he called his own ring to his hand, changing from his suit to his outfit in the span of seconds that it took the yellow to dissipate over him. Nearly doubled over from the pain, though, the entrance of Green Lantern wasn't exactly graceful; he'd get her for that, too.

"You were the one who killed my father, Green Lantern," she said. "Now, I will kill you!"

That was enough for Hal to piece together her identity. He just wondered where, in all his scheming and trouble-making and imprisonments, Sinestro had found the time to have a daughter. It was unimportant, as the woman sent another blast of yellow energy at him. He put up a small shield of green energy, deflecting the blast, then shaped it from a shield to a large tennis racket; he needed to get the fight out of DC, before anyone got hurt. Already, there was a backup from the damaged Lincoln still in the street. However, his attempt to get her out of the city failed, and the attack started to degenerate into a duel between the rings.

It was then that the woman changed her tactics. She grabbed an older woman nearby, holding her hostage. "Surrender, Green Lantern, or she dies."

"I don't think so." He focused his will through his ring, wanting the woman gone from the scene. The ring took his desire and made it reality, and she seemed to glow green for a moment before she disappeared, reappearing on the other side of the street. Turning back to his adversary, Hal held out his hand, calling the yellow ring to his hand.

Her will was strong, and he was certain that her hatred was only making it stronger. Still, Hal Jordan, the greatest of the Green Lanterns, was no stranger to a battle of will. He focused, thinking of nothing more than the ring in his hand. It was only when he felt the ring in his hand that he realized that, though his eyes were open, he was not seeing. The woman slumped down in front of him. He could have left her where she was- without the ring, she was vulnerable again, and he could hear the sirens speeding forward. However, he made certain to knock her out quickly before making his way out of the area. Once in the alley, he looked at the ring he had taken, and put both that one and his green one in his pocket before staggering out of the alley and to his car, then down the street, away from the scene and the police closing in on the area. Quickly, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the police department.

"Yes, this is Senator Jordan, I'd like to report my car stolen…"

The pain was the first thing that woke her up. Her head was throbbing, her entire body aching. Trying to ignore the jackhammer that was trying to pound a hole through her skull with a lit cigarette, Olivia opened her eyes. At first, everything just seemed to be a blurry brown haze. Eventually, her eyes began to focus, and she saw that she was staring at a wooden ceiling. The wood was not the same wood that had been in the village; Olivia was certain of that, which meant that she had been taken someplace else. She moved her arms slightly, and found that the only restraints put on them was her pain threshold.

"Ah, you're awake," she heard a gruff voice say. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to."

Olivia tilted her chin down to look ahead of her, and saw the rest of the very small cabin. It was only one room, and she was lying in the far corner. In front of her was a small icebox, to the left a sink and stovetop, and cabinets that ran back to the door. To her left was a small couch and a TV with metal rabbit ears on top of it. Standing at the sink was a very large, burly man, wearing the rugged outdoor clothing one would usually see a trapper in, hat and all. She had to admit, her face was feeling cold.

He turned and smiled at her through his full beard, and walked over. She watched as he put one massive hand on her forehead. "Hmm. No fever, but you still are in pretty bad shape. You know, you're lucky I found you on the side of the road like that. It must have been a pretty bad accident. Jeep must have rolled a couple times, at least."

Olivia would have sighed, but breathing deeply hurt. So, he thought she had been the driver. All right, she could work with that. "Well, I didn't expect to see something come running out from the forest like that," she said. "Just startled me, I guess. Thanks."

"No problem. I'm Booker. You are?"

"Dinah," she blurted quickly. The fewer people who knew her real name, the better. It seemed she could trust this man, though why he took her back to his cabin instead of back to a hospital was a good question. The answer, it turned out, was just outside the window; it was snowing. Hard.

"Well, Dinah, good thing I found you just as the storm was starting, or else you'd have been buried within a half hour and frozen solid."

Olivia shuddered somewhat, and tried to sit up. She winced as pain shot through her entire body, and the cigarette-jackhammer started on her head again. "How long have I been here?"

"Overnight," he told her.

Her heart leapt up into her throat. "I have to go," she said, trying to sit up again. Again, the same pain, though Booker had his hand on her shoulder to keep her down on the bed. "My father's out in this, I think he might have gone to that Indian town by the river. He may have been hurt in the crash, too."

"Firstly, you're in no shape to go anywhere, especially in this," he said. "Secondly, there is no Indian village by the river. Never has been."

Olivia frowned up at him. "But, the old man, and the totem pole…"

Booker shook his head, checking her forehead again, this time with the back of his fingers. "That hit to the head may have been worse than I thought," he muttered to himself. "You stay here and get some rest, I'll go out and see if I can find your father. I know this area better than anyone else, snow or not." He stood up and reached up over her head, to pull down a gun from the rack. Seeing the weapon, she felt another lump of panic in her throat.

"Oh, no, I think I lost my bow at the car."

"No, it's under the bed. Interesting piece of technology there, but I couldn't find any arrows, so it's not much more than a prop. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Olivia said. "I can do without, especially in this condition, eh?" She winced.

Booker nodded. "There's food in the cupboard, if you get hungry. I'll be back at dusk, if I don't find him." With that, he pulled on a bigger coat overtop the one he already had on, grabbed a flashlight of the kind that had the cranks on the side to keep them powered without batteries, and opened the door. A burst of cold, snow-peppered air flew into the cabin, until he shut the door. Olivia looked at the now-abandoned cabin, and started to work on moving in pain.

After nearly an hour, she had managed to gingerly get to her feet, though her legs were trembling. Between the fight and the loss of blood, and the fact that she had not eaten in two days, she was not surprised to be feeling weak. However, it was no time to be indulging in it; her father was in the woods somewhere alone, the woman with the talisman had run off to God knew where, and she was snowed in with a strange man.

Heading over to the cabinets, Olivia started to root through them. She found them full of nonperishable canned goods, and found salted meats in the icebox. She pulled out two cans of soup and heated them up. The food and the warmth helped her to feel better, though eating too quickly hurt (as did pretty much every other action). Once she had finished, she went to the TV and turned it on.

There were only three channels- hockey, curling, and what a good host can do with cheese. Rolling her eyes, she left the last channel on, mostly because it was a nice droning that broke the silence of the cabin. There was no news on, and while that meant that this Booker would have no way to hear about her and her flight from Seattle, she couldn't find out if the stakes had been raised yet, either.

The hours passed, and it started to get dark. Olivia had fallen asleep once more, but had awoken to find herself still alone. She spent the rest of the time checking her bow for damage. Besides some green paint missing from the back and some mud stains, the weapon seemed to be in perfect working order. She pulled back on the string a few times, making certain that there was no damage to it or to the tips, and found that the energy coalesced obediently. The keys seemed in perfect working order, still, as well.

Finally, the door opened. It was nearly dark when Booker returned, covered in snow. He brushed it off as he hung the overcoat up, and hung his gun back in place. "No luck?"

"I couldn't find any sign of him," he said. "Unfortunately, the snow is getting pretty bad. If it stops, we may be able to go out in the morning. If not…"

"Snowed in?"

"Well, it would make getting to town difficult, I'll tell you that much," he said.

"Hey, I suppose since you live all the way out here, you don't get much in the way of news, huh? Especially from the states."

Booker shook his head. "Never much cared for knowing what's going on south of the border," he said. "Let it stay there. It's none of my business." He looked over at her. "Though this may not be any of my business, I'd like to know what exactly you were doing up on the road over there."

"We were out on a camping trip from the states," she improvised quickly. "We needed some time away from Seattle, it was getting too hectic there, with the shop and all. So, we wanted to come out here and get some peace and quiet."

"You couldn't have found a better place to do that," he said.

"Just what I thought," she said.

"It's getting late, you better get some rest. Use the bed."

Olivia sighed, nodding. It was no use to argue that she wouldn't be able to sleep; besides, she was too weak to fight anyway. If something had happened, she would need her strength to deal with it, and strength was something she had a short supply of. Though she laid down in the darkness, she stared up at the ceiling, thinking. Worrying.

Her father was off in the woods somewhere. Had he run up against the woman with the talisman? Had he returned to the village that Booker insists never existed? Or was he in some other sort of trouble? Or is he running around like a chicken with his head cut off looking for you after he found your blood by the side of the road and a broken energy bolt in the gas tank? she questioned internally, blushing somewhat. Of course, he was all right. He was probably more worried about her safety. Still, her questions did not end there. The agent that had known about her actions- who seemed to know even her family- was she looking for her mother now, as well? How would she be able to warn her, especially since she had no leads as to where she may have gone off to after Atlantis? She had been angry then, angry to hear the words that came from the device on her neck. The anger was purely defensive; she had been more hurt, even afraid. If she wanted nothing to do with her father, then did she want nothing to do with her daughter anymore, either?

Whatever. I don't need her. She's the one that ran off. I shouldn't feel guilty about it. I've got my father, and I've got my bow, and I know what's right and what's wrong. I know that this Todd bitch is going to get it if she tries to intimidate me again. Okay, she forced my hand; good. Now I don't have to hold back to keep up a damn façade. Whatever she can throw at me, I can take. I can take it. I can take anything.

The last sentence was swirling in her mind all night. She used it to try and ignore the tears that were burning her eyes.

Kamal had found a small table in the very back of the small cybercafe in Gotham. He had a large triple espresso sitting almost empty next to him, between him and the two empty cups that were behind the screen of his laptop. It was good to get out of the manor for something other than prowling and public meetings, and it was a perfect place to grab a couple pots of grade B coffee and do some simple research.

He was still slightly on edge after the night before, after the unexpected visit from his maternal grandfather. That itself was disturbing, since he had broken all ties with his 'rogue' grandson after he had left the League of Assassins to follow in his father's footsteps. What he had told him was even more disturbing- that someone was stealing clocks charged with arcane energy. He had been intent on Kamal stopping the thief or thieves before they managed to complete their quest, and for him to recover the clocks.

Whatever had Ra's Al Ghul concerned was definitely worth looking into, and so Kamal was here, at the café, running through every search engine he could. The laptop was no Bat Computer, but in the computer's current state, it was probably the better choice.

According to his research, an Aztec sun dial had been lifted from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC as well as an Egyptian sand clock from the Gotham museum. In both cases, witnesses described a woman with black hair suddenly appearing, dressed in a black skintight suit and a red cape. The arrival and departures reeked of arcane magic, and Kamal knew that it would be beyond his own limited understanding. Before getting ready to leave, however, he brought up another screen, a readout from one of the weather satellites from the National Weather Service. Hal had called him the night before, very concerned; he told him that Ollie and Olivia had gone on the run, something about being chased by the MCC. He revealed that Ollie had called him collect international- which meant Canada- and told him to keep an eye on the government. Hal had come to him to see if he could find the two of them, and so Kamal had been looking in his spare time

He still had the screen focused on a small span of river in Canada. Next to the current image was an old screen that showed a tiny thermal output- some sort of explosion, from a vehicle that would roughly have been a truck or van without much fuel to feed the explosion. The distance of the vehicle from Seattle suggested that it might have come from there. The two small thermal images that he had tracked away from the area more than confirmed Hal's report that not only was the young archer in trouble, but her father was taking the threat quite seriously. Whether he was overreacting because of his daughter's involvement, Kamal couldn't be certain. However, they were alive, and seemed to be well, with the speed at which they had been traveling, and so he turned his attentions back to the issue of the arcane clocks and tried not to wonder why Ra's Al Ghul wanted the plot stopped.

Again, he came to the conclusion that he would need to get someone to help him, as he packed up the laptop in the leather bag he had next to him and downed the rest of the cooled coffee. He knew a few people that he could contact for help, as well. John Constantine, certainly. Or Jason Blood, and if he didn't have the answers, Etrigan might have, though it would have been annoying translating the demon's rhymes. There was one other, a former member of the Justice League, who would be able to give him the information he required. Besides, not only was she much better looking and more interesting than the other two, it would be easier to find her.

Getting into his Maserati, Kamal pressed a button on the dash board as he pulled out of the café. "Minshi, I need you to get me a ticket to Zatanna's show tonight, and have the private jet made ready. I need to continue this line of questioning in Las Vegas."

"Very well, Master Wayne," she replied. "Would you like box seats or front row?"

"Get me as close to her as you can," he said. "And make sure that she has a nice bouquet of roses sent to her dressing room, as well."

Seven hours later, he was sitting in the main concert hall of the Mirage, front and center for the show. Pulling in, he had seen the sign displayed proudly out front, in colorful neon, declaring the casino THE HOME OF THE GREAT ZATANNA.

Now, he watched her as she performed on the stage, he knew that her tricks were nowhere near as complex as she made them seem. She had on a top hat that reflected the lights that were shining down on her, a suit jacket and long gloves, fishnet stockings that terminated in shiny boots. Her movements were sweeping and flamboyant, as she moved the 'magic' wand in her hands to make a tiger appear from it, then disappear into it again. The crowd applauded, unawares that they were cheering for a real magician, who needed no such crutch as the wand to perform her magic.

As Zatanna took her last bows and left the stage, Kamal made his way into the back area as the people cheered and demanded an encore. Heading down the hall, he made his way to the door that had ZATANNA written on it, a large gold star above the door. As he passed underneath it, it looked to be a hologram of some sort, shimmering as he moved. Kamal turned the unlocked door knob and opened the door.

Inside, Zatanna was sitting at her dressing table, her hat sitting nearby with her jacket. She noticed him in the mirror as she was using a damp cloth to remove the makeup and glitter from her face. "Can I help you?" she asked. Though she didn't seem to recognize him, she was unplussed; she knew that she could handle any minor intruders she may have had.

He looked over at the small table, and the large bouquet of roses that sat there. "I see you got my gift," he said.

She looked up at him through the mirror. "So, you're Kamal Wayne," she said. "I knew your father."

"Then you know I've taken over the family business," he told her. There was a slight pause, her eyes going a little wide. "I came here to ask you a few questions."

"Then it's probably better if we talk up in my suite. C'mon."

A few minutes later, they were on one of the top floors of the Mirage, in a very opulent penthouse suite. Kamal was sitting on the couch by the large picture window that showed the rest of the Strip, with it's glowing, blinking neon rainbow. "So, you need my help?" she asked.

Kamal nodded. "Someone's been stealing arcane-charged clocks from museums. I have to admit, I'm not exactly the expert when it comes to the arcane, and I thought you might be able to tell me a little more about these clocks." From his suit jacket, he produced the photos of the two clocks and handed them to Zatanna. She looked at them for a moment. Recognition crossed her face.

"The Pentana of Time," she whispered.

"Oh?"

Zatanna put the photos down in the marble coffee table in front of them. "It was just a rumor. In ancient times, five clocks were made, and charged with the arcane energies of their creators. If one man were to bring all five of these clocks together, they would be able to control time itself."

No wonder Grandfather was interested in stopping this plot, Kamal thought to himself. "Someone has these two pieces. Which means there are three pieces left."

"Yes. There is a Chinese water clock and a Druidic time stone that I know of, but I am not sure what the fifth piece may be. This…how did you find out about these?"

"When something goes missing from a Gotham building, I tend to sit up and take notice," Kamal said. "We have to find out who is taking these clocks."

"There's no way to trace them. Their arcane energies mean that I cannot scry on them. I would not be able to find where the two stolen pieces are, even if they were not protected by some other sort of spell, which any intelligent thief would do."

Kamal frowned. Why did she bring that up? "I wasn't planning on that, actually. I had a better idea."

"Oh?"

"Let's assume that our thief has knowledge of all five pieces," Kamal said. "We know of two others. They would need to go there to get the pieces."

"Well, how long ago was the last heist?"

"Not long ago," Kamal said.

"And is this your first trip to Vegas?" Zatanna asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"Well, it looks like we can spend one night touring the city, huh? Get ready."

The next morning, Olivia surprised herself by waking up from sleep. She could smell bacon cooking, and opened her eyes to see Booker at the stove, cooking breakfast. She sat up before he noted her movement, and turned around. "Good morning," he said. "The snow let up last night, so I can get you to Beaver Basin this afternoon. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," Olivia said. "But I'm not going to town until I find my father."

Booker gave her a plate of bacon, with eggs. "You're a stubborn one, you know that?"

Olivia shrugged. "I get it from him," she said, as she started to eat quickly. The sooner they were out there, the sooner she'd be able to find him. "I'll take you to the village first. We might be able to follow his tracks from there."

"I'm telling you, Dinah, there is no village."

Olivia looked up for a moment, then remembered she had given her mother's name as her own. Why? After what had happened, after storming out the way she did, what made her say that? It was a question she forced to the back of her mind, if not out of it entirely; she was more worried about finding her father, first. "I'd still like to see it myself."

Booker shrugged. "Suit yourself. We'll leave when you're ready."

Olivia finished breakfast quickly, then strapped on the snow shoes that Booker gave her- and felt thoroughly awkward. He grabbed his gun, and gave her a very strange look when she grabbed her bow. She then remembered that he thought it a normal bow, in need to ammunition. She wasn't about to inform him of the truth until it was absolutely necessary, only with a demonstration.

Outside, it was still very cold, even without the snow driving down. It was at least two feet deep on the ground, and she felt unsteady as she walked more or less on top of it with the snowshoes. Booker took the lead, though she was the one who was navigating.

Nearly three hours later, she came up on the spot where the village had been. Where the buildings and the totem pole had been before, now there was nothing but a blanket of undisturbed snow, save for some animal prints. She searched the entire area, unable to come to terms with the truth. Searching almost a foot down, she could find no trace of the village, or of her father.

"You see?" Booker said. "Nothing."

Olivia turned, looking into the woods again. "He went down this way," she said, and began making her way back into the woods. Through the trees she led him for hours, searching for any clue as to where Ollie had gone. She wasn't an outdoorsman; she had no clue what she was looking for. Her eyes kept scanning, though, and as the hours melted away, her concern began to build.

Eventually, they came upon the road, and the jeep. It was overturned now, beaten and battered and covered as well in snow. Even if she had wanted to see if he had come across the wreckage, the snow would have hidden any clue she could have recognized.

"We better start heading back," Booker told her. "It's getting dark soon."

"I can't turn back now!" she said. She looked down to the south, down the hill. The woods were silent, unmoving under the blanket of snow that covered them. Her fingers were starting to hurt as she gripped her bow in a death grip.

"You won't be able to find him in the dark, and there's no point staying out for the night. Especially if you have a choice."

She looked over at Booker, this man who had found her, a complete stranger, probably dying on the road. He had taken her in, made certain she would survive, even attempted to get her into town and to a hospital. He also was making certain that she would not be lost in the woods alone, and had gone looking for her father- a man he had never met- because of her concern. Sometimes, people are just good she thought to herself. She was glad to see something heartening like that; it let her know that her fight was still worth fighting. And she knew that it was time to stop running. She nodded, and made the two hour trudge back to the cabin, where she warmed herself and got something to eat before settling in to relax before she went to sleep.

Once he had finally gotten home after narrowly dodging the bullet of the attack on the road, Hal checked his messages quickly. There was nothing of note, though he had hoped that there would be; after hearing from Ollie about the tossing of the house and the escape across the border, he had contacted Kamal to get the search started. He knew Ollie, knew that he could get along fine by himself in the wilderness, but he had seen how serious Homeland Security had taken Olivia's internet posting. Disturbing was a word rarely used in their language, only trumped by 'dangerous'. If someone had gone through the house, they were looking for something to swoop down on them with, and even if they were aware of an impending arrest, Hal knew that the MCC would bring enough firepower to stop both father and daughter. He would need to be there, if for nothing else than a distraction while they escaped.

He picked up the phone and dialed Kamal's cell phone. After a couple rings, the younger man answered the phone. In the background, he heard sounds of sirens and car horns and music. "Hello, good to hear from you again, Senator Jordan."

"Hello, Kamal! It sounds like you're having a good time!"

"Yes, I am, actually."

Hal tried to hide his annoyance; his niece was in danger, and he was off having a party? "Have you had any news on our mutual friends?" he asked. On the other line, he heard a woman's voice.

"Is that you, Hal?"

It only took him a moment to recognize the voice, and he bristled. "Hello, Zatanna."

"Kamal tells me the line is secured now," she said. "It's been a long time, Hal. I hear that you're going back to your old self again, huh? Looks like it's a regular JLA reunion."

"Put Kamal back on the phone, I have something important to discuss with him."

"Oh? What, are you throwing Ollie a surprise party?"

Hal wanted to say something to her about the trouble, but he decided against it; he didn't trust her to begin with, and he wasn't about to let her know that his friend was in trouble. "Zatanna."

"Fine. But we'll have to talk again soon."

In another moment, he heard Batman's voice again. "Jordan."

"Any luck with the search?"

"Yes, actually. The national weather service reported a thermal reading a couple days ago." He then gave Hal a set of longitudinal coordinates, which he wrote down quickly. "They looked to be all right, heading northeast from there. They're definitely not heading to any town."

"Ollie wouldn't take her to town if he thought she was in danger," Hal said. "I'll see if I can find them. You…go back to being a playboy."

"Thanks." The line went dead and Hal hung up, and called the ring to his hand. He was tempted to put the yellow power ring away, but something told him to keep a hold of it, and he went out to the backyard. Checking to make certain that no one was looking, he quickly made his way into the air, fully costumed, on his way to Canada.

Kamal put his cell phone back in his pocket as the large double-decker bus passed the Bellagio. He and Zatanna were seated in the upper deck, in the open air of night in Las Vegas. There was an open bottle of champagne, as they sat across form each other, talking about the city and what they had been doing.

"I didn't realize that you were trying to get everyone back together," she said. "Is Ollie gonna come pay me a visit or what? Where Hal was…"

"Ollie is in trouble," Kamal said. "More accurately, his daughter is."

"He had a daughter?" Zatanna said, blinking. "Well, good for him and Dinah." She took another sip of her champagne. As she did, Kamal looked back out, as they passed the Sands.

Sands….

"Stop the bus!" Kamal shouted down to the driver. How could he have forgotten? He had put up a flag alert on Dinah's card, and the last purchase she had made was for a room at the Sands. The driver slowed and pulled over, as he hopped down out of the bus, handing the driver a hundred dollar bill on the way out. Behind him, he could hear Zatanna following, until he entered the casino's grand lobby. Inside, he made his was past the lines- having money allowed him to do that. From the concierge, he learned Dinah's room number- 617.

Alone, he went up in the elevator, smoothing his tuxedo and taking a deep breath. He had no reason to be nervous; she didn't know that he would be coming to see her, and he was no threat to her, not yet. The elevator stopped, and he stepped out into the hallway. Walking down it, he stood in front of the door and knocked.

The door opened, and he saw her, looking even younger than he had remembered in Atlantis, in her old costume, as though she were ready to go out somewhere. Kamal frowned as her eyes went wide. From his right, he felt a pressure on his temples, and a soft word

"Peels." His eyes closed.

…

Kamal laughed. Zatanna managed to get her laughing under control, as the bus pulled up in front of the Mirage after it's circuit on the strip. They both made their way up to her penthouse, and sat down. "Thanks for your help, Zatanna, and for the good time," he said.

"It was my pleasure. Where did you say you were off to?"

"I'll be off to China until I find that water clock," he said. "Then, to Jamaica."

"Oh, a vacation?" she asked, as she began to draw a bath.

"No, I'm looking for someone," he replied. No point in letting her know who; she wasn't going to be any help finding Dinah, anyway. He left himself a mental note to try and find out which hotel in Jamaica she had gone to; he would get it from her credit card records.

"Well, good luck with that. You're welcome to stay, I'm going to get washed up a bit."

Kamal nodded as she closed the door to the bathroom, and he went over to the computer on the table, and began to look up anything he could about the Chinese water clock.

The ground sped by quickly, until Hal was finally over the river that Kamal had specified. From there, he started to search for thermal patterns using the ring. It wasn't long before the thermal pattern coalesced, and he followed it, through the woods to a small wooden structure, very hastily built, then to a clearing by a river. Once there, he found signs of someone having dug around, and followed the trail of footprints to an overturned jeep, then to a small log cabin in the woods.

Creating a large green window, he looked inside the small cabin. Inside were two people, and one was definitely Olivia. Flying down to the door, he knocked, and waited. Inside, he heard commotion, and waited. The door opened, just slightly, and he saw a green eye peer out from the crack before it was thrown open.

"GL, good to see you!" With the door open, Hal got a good look at the other occupant. He was a big, burly man with a beard and had a very impressive gun in his large hands. "You can put it down, Booker. He's a friend."

"He should come in, in that getup he's liable to catch cold."

Hal walked in and let Olivia shut the door. "Where's your father at?" he asked.

Olivia's face fell "I don't know," she said. "You probably aren't going to believe me. Booker doesn't believe me, but I know it was true." With that caveat, she sighed. "Pop and I were looking for deer in the woods when we came across this really bad smell, and there was a town that was burning. This old man showed up and told us that this woman stole a talisman that had the power of the animals or something in it, and that we had been chosen to find her and return it to the totem pole it was being held in. So I went after this chick, when she attacks me and hits me over the head with a damn car and I wake up here. We haven't been able to find out anything about where pop went. He was supposed to meet me at the village at dawn a couple days ago, but the village is gone."

Hal nodded, knowing that she would be telling the truth; she didn't usually lie, and he liked to think that she wouldn't lie to her uncle. He also saw that the point was moot, anyways; her face was set and she had her mind made up. Besides, it was the only lead he could give her to find Ollie. "Do you know where this village is?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's in a clearing by the river. Or was."

That would explain the frantic digging he had seen. "Let's go then," he said, encasing her in a bubble of green energy. He thanked Booker, who looked thoroughly confused, and took her back to the clearing he had seen before. As he put her down to start her own search, he hovered above it, scanning for any time of energy or heat signature with his ring. He set loose a few small spectral constructs to wander the area, in case the village had become invisible somehow.

Eventually, he noted a slight blue glow on the ground nearby. He called Olivia forward, where she started to move away the snow. Underneath, she found a few small broken arrowheads. "Looks like something was here," she said. "But, where's the rest of the village?"

"Get to the side," Hal said, as he created a large green bulldozer, moving the earth quickly. It was only a few moments before Olivia had thrown a stone at him. Though it bounced harmlessly off his arm, it got his attention, and he turned. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"You're destroying the damn place!" she shouted. "Get rid of that thing and give me a shovel!"

He complied, and watched as she began to dig furiously, until she unearthed a long, two-foot log with carvings on it. "I….its can't be," she said, her eyes wide. "This is the totem pole. I was just climbing this thing three days ago. What is it doing six feet underground?"

"We might have to ask someone who knows a little bit more about it," Hal said. "Or who could get that information."

"Well, I know an archaeologist in Vancouver who might be able to identify this," she said thoughtfully, though there was still confusion in her voice.

"Why get him involved?" Hal asked. "There's a strange blue light emanating from this spot, and we can't afford to get anyone else involved. Why don't we go talk to Batman. He's in Las Vegas right now, it wouldn't take long to get there."

"I'm not leaving until I find pop."

"You have to leave to find him," he told her. Without another word, he once again put her in a thin green shell and propelled her through the sky, heading south as fast as he could. Last he could tell, he had gone to see Zatanna in Las Vegas. It would be a simple matter of just finding out which hotel room he was in, what with the ring. He could only hope he hadn't left yet.

Only a few minutes later were they in the penthouse apartment that was Zatanna's. She was dressed in a simple black shirt and slacks, Kamal sitting at a small marble table in a tuxedo with the jacket off. Though Hal was again in his suit, there was nothing to be done about Olivia; she looked a complete mess, hair tangled and unwashed, clothes grimy and dirty and grass-stained. To look at her clothes, one would think she was much younger than 19; to look at her face, she was much older.

"Well, I didn't expect a visit from you in person, Hal," Zatanna said, smiling. He smiled back. Whatever issues they may have had in the past, it was still good to see someone who reminded him of the old days. "Is Ollie going to be dropping in to join us?"

"No," Olivia said sourly. Zatanna looked over, frowning somewhat.

"How are you so certain, young lady?"

"This is his daughter, Zatanna," Hal said. "Olivia."

Zatanna nodded, as if a piece of a puzzle had gone into place. "Yes, I should have seen it before," she said. "You look a little beat up, are you all right?"

"Fine," Olivia said. "You're a magician, right? So you'd know about magic and all sorts of shit like that, right?" Hal cringed. Nothing could be done about that mouth, it seemed.

"Yes, you could say that," Zatanna replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I have been sent on some spiritual mission to find a talisman that gives the bearer the ability to use an animal's abilities. Pop and I were looking for the chick who stole it, and she beaned me pretty good with a damn car, and now I can't find pop. I went back to the town, and it's gone, there's just this strange blue glow according to Uncle Hal. And these." She put down one of the Indian arrowheads.

"Uncle Hal?" she asked, looking at Hal with amusement. He glared back.

"Yes. Uncle Hal. Can we get back to the topic?"

Zatanna nodded. "I'm sorry. It looks like your Uncle Hal noted a chronal disturbance."

"Chronal, like, time-related?" she asked. Hal could see the anger beginning to simmer. He wanted to warn Zatanna, but only for a second; it would be more interesting to see her have to face the girl's wrath.

"Yes."

"But, pop was supposed to meet me there. I mean, I was there. I don't know how to travel in time, how the hell did we get there in the first place?"

"It looks like you slipped into a crack," she said, looking at the arrowheads. "Yes, these objects definitely moved forward to this time, then back to their own. I would suspect your father is somewhere in the past."

"The past!" she nearly shouted, her fists balled up. "How the hell am I suppose to get him out of the past?"

"You probably have to finish whatever spiritual quest you were assigned," Zatanna said. "I am sure when you have the talisman, you will be able to pierce time again and get back to the village. Your father must be waiting for you there."

"Then we have to find her." Olivia turned to Kamal. "I need your help. We need to look up animal attacks in the area, anything that isn't explained easily. Like…a lion attack in Nebraska or something."

"I have it," Kamal said, going over to the computer. Hal watched as Olivia curled and uncurled her fists a few times, then turned without a word and went out to the balcony to be alone. He was about to follow, when Zatanna touched his arm.

"I'll talk to her," she said. "You should help Kamal. That's the best thing you can do for her right now."

Hal grudgingly nodded, then went to stand behind Kamal, as Zatanna left and closed the balcony doors behind her. After almost an hour, Hal was starting to grow worried and stopped his pacing to head out to the balcony.

"Don't bother," Kamal said. "They're not there. They probably went off dancing."

"How do you know?" Hal asked.

"I was listening in on the conversation. She asked what colors Olivia liked, then changed their clothing, and they teleported off the balcony about forty minutes ago. I think I also managed to find something interesting."

"A lead?" Hal asked, walking over and looking over his shoulder.

"An attack on a bank in Chicago, but it says here it looks like there was a bear who attacked the guards, and the vault door was torn clean off."

Hal nodded. "Looks like a place to start. I'm going to get some rest, I have to be back in Washington tomorrow and I think I may need to do some fast talking about how my car got stolen from a parking garage by a man who looked like me."

Kamal just gave him a look. "Go ahead. I'm going to keep following this lead," he said. Hal nodded and took off his suit jacket, then tried to stretch out on the couch, which was most definitely not designed for a six foot tall man to stretch out on. Eventually, he managed to fall asleep.

Olivia looked out over the balcony alone, at the colorful neon lights of the strip. She was angry at the colors for being so bright, angry at pretty much everything at that point. Anyone who saw her sulking would have thought that she was just told not to see a boy either too wild or too old for her, or that she was not able to take an overseas semester. She didn't care at that point what people had in their heads; she just wished that she could get the bleak thoughts that were swirling in hers out.

Behind her, she heard footsteps, then the sound of the door closing. She saw Zatanna out of the corner of her eye, mimicking her pose against the balcony's railing. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," Olivia replied.

"You know, you have your mother's beauty, and your father's attitude," Zatanna remarked.

"I'd rather not talk about my family right now, okay?" Olivia said, looking down. "I'm not up for discussing why, either."

"You know, I used to be a friend of your mother's, back when we were…well, when things were different. When you would have been welcomed with open arms. Kamal tells me you're in some sort of trouble."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to make people take notice of certain civil liberties being denied to Meta humans," she explained. "Homeland Security isn't thrilled about that."

"Definitely you father's attitude," she said. "You look like you could relax a bit. Have you ever been to Las Vegas before?"

Olivia shook her head. "No point in indulging in Sin City if you're not old enough to sin."

Zatanna smiled. "No need to worry about that right now. What's your favorite color?"

Olivia straightened up for the first time, giving her a mock glare. "What do you think?"

Zatanna nodded, and said something very strange. In the blink of an eye, Olivia found herself standing in the same place, suddenly dressed in a black and green plaid skirt, a white button-up shirt and a pair of shin-high black boots. After another odd phrase, she found herself standing on the roof of a building, the sign for the Rio blinking behind her. Zatanna was there as well, and she had a deadly serious look on her face. Olivia went to where her pocket would have been; not only was there no pocket, but she did not have her bow, either.

"We need to talk, Olivia," Zatanna said. "Please, hear me out."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"What would you do if you could change things?" she asked. Her tone was starting to frighten Olivia.

"What are you talking about?"

"The world shouldn't be the way it is," she said. "What if you could go back in time, and change one tiny detail, one detail that shouldn't have happened, and make everything better?"

"Are you nuts?" Olivia demanded. "You don't just go screwing with time."

"Time is like a set of interlocking cogs. If you put one wrong one in, it changes the way the other cogs act. But, if you change it out for a correct one, then the rest of the machine will work."

"But if you make just one gear spin backwards, the entire machine will blow up," Olivia pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Time is not so fragile," Zatanna said. "Wouldn't you like to change your life? Your father would never have become an alcoholic."

"He isn't anymore," she said.

"No one ever gets past that," Zatanna said gently. "And your mother's cancer would never have happened. Wouldn't you like that?"

Olivia turned away. "Of course I would!" she exclaimed. "But…if we change the past, if everyone stays as they were, mom and pop may never have gotten together, and I may never have been born."

"That will never change," Zatanna told her. "You may be 18, you may be 20, but I can assure you, you will be born. All we have to do is go back and change one tiny event, just save two people."

Olivia wanted to agree. The thought of what could have been, of changing the future by changing the past. To never have had to suffer the pain and tragedy; that is, until she realized that it was a stupid idea. "You can't just go changing time just because you don't like what the present is like."

"I'm not talking about that," Zatanna said, her voice sounding strained. "I am talking about stopping an event that shouldn't have happened."

"What do you mean by 'shouldn't have happened'?" Olivia demanded. "If someone went back in the time stream and did something to fuck with it, then yes, I'm all for fixing it because someone already broke it. But if you want me to go back in time to change something just because you don't want to handle a rough life? Forget it!"

Zatanna sighed. "It's a shame. Your mother would have wanted your help."

That made Olivia turn around. "My mother?" she demanded, as Zatanna reached forward for her face "Wait!"

…

The dance floor was full. Olivia was soaked with sweat and a spilled white Russian that had been in her hand about an hour before. She smiled at the guy who was dancing in front of her, then turned her head to the one who was behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zatanna smile and move off the dance floor, away from her.

The alarm the next morning went off at 7AM. Hal opened his eyes to see Kamal still at the computer. "They back yet?" he asked quietly. Kamal motioned to the bedroom with his head.

"They went in about forty five minutes ago, after a very interesting night," he said. "Better let them sleep."

Hal nodded. "I have to get back to DC. The senate will be meeting-" it hit him then; the time zone shift. Silently he cursed at himself. "It's already 10 on the east coast."

Kamal couldn't hide his smile. "Looks like you weren't feeling well this morning, Senator," he said.

"You'll let them know I left?"

"Get going."

Hal nodded, looking over at the closed door, then willing the ring to send him back to his home in Washington. In a burst of green energy, Hal was back in his house. Quickly, he changed into a new suit and was heading for the door, when he saw a shadow on the other side of the glass, approaching. He paused, waiting for the knock. When he opened it, he wished he hadn't; standing there, looking beautiful and dangerous, was Todd. She smiled to him and walked inside the entryway.

"Good morning, Senator Jordan," she said. "I trust you're feeling all right? It is a bit late for you to be getting up. Of course, it isn't too late on the west coast, is it?"

Hal frowned. The hell? "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know that you do. You see, as a senator, my colleagues believed that you deserved a fair warning, before we start our probe. We know what you are up to, Senator Jordan. You and your green alter ego. It is in your best interests to cease all criminal activity immediately, or we will be forced to start an inquest. I would inform your rich friend and the magician of the situation as well. The girl…well, I have already made it clear to her, and with her current course, we will have no choice but to show her that we are not playing a child's game."

"I don't know what you're up to, Agent Todd, but I don't like being blackmailed," Hal growled.

"I am trying to serve my country, Senator. Isn't that what you do?" With that, she turned, opened the door, and left, leaving Hal standing there in shock. Her words had given away quite a bit. She already knew about Olivia, and had mentioned doing something about her, which meant she was at least involved in trashing Ollie's place and sending them off into the Canadian woods. In that case, it wouldn't be hard for her to come to him and threaten him, what with the phone call- simple voice recognition could have picked up and positively identified Ollie's voice. From him, the agent could have bugged Hal's phones and office, which would have led her back to Kamal. How she knew about Zatanna, however, had him stumped. He decided to stay home that day; he had a lot on his mind, and he needed to make a few phone calls.

Picking up the phone, he dialed Kamal's cell phone.

"Kamal Wayne."

"Kamal, it's Hal.

"Ah, Senator. Good to hear from you."

"Cut it, Kamal," Hal said. "I just got a visit from Agent Todd again. She knew about me, and about you and Zatanna, and I think she's the one who made Olivia and Ollie flee the country. She's going to be watching you now."

"Looks like it's time to start a war," Kamal growled from the other end. "You keep your head down. Give me a month; you won't have to worry about Homeland Security after that." With that, he hung up, and Hal put the phone down carefully. If his identity had been compromised, he could only hope… He picked up the phone again and dialed his office.

"Senator Jordan's office, can I help you?"

"Claudia, it's me."

"Senator, I was wondering when you would be coming in," she said.

"Listen. Todd just came back. She knows." There was silence on the other end of the line. "You need to be careful. She isn't above getting her hands dirty to find out what she wants to know. I just want you to be ready in case she makes a move."

"I understand. Thank you, Senator."

"Good bye, Claudia." He hung up and sighed, running a hand over his face. It was better that he decided not to go in to the chambers today; he still needed a shower and definitely a shave. Better to be presentable, especially if he was going to start working on the other senators for backing on the bill. Instead, he sat down in the small office in his house and began to write up the first draft of the bill.

An hour after the call from Hal, Kamal watched as Olivia stumbled out of the bedroom. Her hair was a mess, her gait unsteady as she reached out to lean against the wall, holding a hand up to her eyes. "Bright," she moaned, her voice hoarse. "I think someone's trying to beat my ass from the inside out."

"It's a hangover," he told her.

"Well, sorry for not knowing," she snapped, collapsing into the chair.

"Best thing to do is lie down until it passes."

"I was lying down all night."

Kamal looked over at her, one eyebrow raised, Ollie's words about holding him responsible for her running through his mind. Saying nothing, he turned back around. "I think we ran into a dead end on your talisman. There's nothing here on the internet that I can find."

"I told Uncle Hal that we shoulda gone to the archaeologist in Vancouver," she said.

Kamal frowned, turning again. "The one at the college?" He got an affirmative nod. "Hendrickson, right?" Again, an affirmative if somewhat perplexed nod. He reached for his cell phone. "Minshi, have the jet prepared, we're on our way to Vancouver."

"Right now?" Olivia asked, rubbing her temples.

"It's going to be at least a two hour trip. Besides, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can find out about this talisman and the village, and hopefully the sooner we can get it back."

That managed to bring her out of her indulgence in the hangover, and she rubbed her eyes again. "Is that coffee?" she asked, nodding towards the black pot on the table. Kamal poured a mug of it and handed it to her. "Thanks," she said, drinking almost half the mug in one gulp. "All right." Then, she looked down at herself. "Erm…."

"I have something you can wear," Zatanna said, standing now in the doorway.

Ten minutes later, Olivia was out of the ruined outfit and into a pair of blue jeans and a blue t-shirt, her hair pulled back with a black bandana. Kamal would wait until he got back to his jet to change; he had a few changes waiting for him. It was always good to be prepared… Speaking of which, he handed Olivia a small blueberry.

"What's this?" she asked.

"When Hal told me you went missing, I had tried calling your cell phone and found it was disconnected," he said. "You may need to get in touch with me quickly, in which case, you'll need that. I'll just report it stolen and forget to cancel the plan." He got only a half-aware smile in return. That was all he was about to get from her.

As soon as they were ready, they took the limo to the airport, and two and a half hours (and one ruined armrest from Olivia's nails) later, they were in a lecture hall at the University of Vancouver, listening in on a lecture about the Sumerians. At the front of the room was the professor, Dr. Hendrickson. He let the class go, reminding them of a reading assignment. As the students left the hall, he and Olivia made their way up to the front. He tapped Olivia on the arm as she turned her head, reminding her that she was there to find out about the village and the talisman, not to find a boyfriend for the weekend.

"Uh, Dr. Hendrickson?" Olivia said quietly, with a meekness that surprised Kamal. She had always seemed to be headstrong and confident before; why was she suddenly quiet and uncertain? "Hi, I'm Olivia Queen. You may not remember me, but…"

"Yes, yes, the internet course," he said. "Very interesting thesis you had on your term paper." His eyes traveled up. "And Mister Wayne. I have to say, thank you very much for your grant. You allowed us to expand our library faster than we could have hoped."

"It was my pleasure," Kamal said.

"Listen, I wanted to know if you could help us with something," Olivia said, handing him the old arrowheads she had gotten. "I wanted to know if you could identify these."

Hendrickson frowned for a moment, looking them over carefully. "These seem to be of Central Pacific origin. Some tribe around here?"

"I think so. I also wanted to know, if maybe you'd heard anything about maybe some sort of talisman that this type of tribe might have had. It's got a big hawk at the top, open mouth, with animals all over it. It's supposed to convey the wearer with the power of animals or something."

Hendrickson frowned, then turned to a large book on his desk. Flipping through it, he mumbled to himself, until he stopped on a page. Indeed, drawn there was a small wooden object similar to what Olivia had described. "This is known as the Spirit Talisman. It is an old folk legend, more than anything. A tribe of native Americans was supposed to have protected this talisman from evil, but no one was ever able to find the village where it may have been."

"I think I can show you where it is," she said.

"Actually, was there anyone else looking for this information," Kamal interjected. Going to the site would not get them any closer to the thief, he knew. He needed to ask the questions; he was the impartial party.

Hendrickson frowned. "Now that you mention it, yes. A young woman from the Chicago Sun came here about a month ago, asking about the piece for an article she was writing."

"That's odd, the Sun went out of business six years ago."

"It was bought by the Times, is all," Kamal said offhandedly. "You wouldn't happen to have a name for this reporter?"

"Yes…yes, her name was Valerie Swift." Excellent- now, he at least had a name to run through the DMV databases and get an idea of where she may have gone to ground.

"If something's about…I dunno…six feet underground, how long do you think it's been around?" Olivia asked.

"Well, judging from what I know of this area, and from these arrowheads," Hendrickson said, putting the small pieces of stone down, "I'd say it's been about two thousand years."

Kamal watched as the girl lost her breath, her eyes going wide. "T-two thousand?"

"More or less, yes."

"I can show you where the place is," she said quickly.

"Are you certain?" he asked. "It would be a great archaeological find."

Olivia nodded. "It's where got those from. I also found part of a totem pole that is the same as the talisman. It's only a few mi- eh, kilometers away from here. I can guide you."

It was only two hours until they were at the site, and Kamal had figured out why Olivia had been so adamant to find the place; she thought it might have some clue as to what had happened to her father. While she looked worried and tired, Hendrickson looked excited as he went around the area. "This is incredible!" he gushed, looking at the half-unearthed remains. "It looks like a bulldozer ran through here, but I think there is enough to salvage. Yes,indeed, these ruins are rather old."

"Are you going to excavate the site?" she asked.

"As soon as I can, but I have to wait for the province to give us the permits and the grant."

"I can help them move the process along," Kamal said. "If you'll excuse us?" He grabbed Olivia by the arm and led her over to the river, as Hendrickson began to look through the remains of a roof. "Why are you really here?"

"You don't have anything that can take X-Rays of the area, do you?" she asked.

"I might. Why?"

"If pop went back in time to this place, his skeleton would be here, right?"

"Perhaps. But there could be many skeletons here. How would I know his?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Because he's the only one without a left arm. There couldn't have been that many people without an arm in this vilkage, and besides, I think the skeletons of everyone else will be broken and in one pile. Just trust me on this one."

Kamal nodded, looking down at the watch on his right wrist. He pressed in the plate, turning it into a small screen. He whispered a few things into it, and started to walk over the area that Olivia specified as the most likely place he would have been. When he found the skeleton, he removed the watch and handed it to her. "I think we found him."

Her hands shaking, Olivia took the watch. Her face drained of emotion and color, as she stared blankly at the display. Her mouth was open, but she didn't say anything. Shock; he wasn't surprised, not especially from what he had seen from her before. Bow and skills or not, she was just a kid, and it hurt when a kid finds out that her parents aren't immortal.

Gently, he took back his watch, replacing it on his wrist and pressing the faceplate in once more. That jerked her out of her daze, and her jaw set with grim determination, and with almost unbridled anger. "We have to get to Chicago," she said. "We get that talisman from that bitch, and we get back here as soon as we can."

"I'll come with you," Kamal said.

"Don't get in my way," she said in return- probably the closest thing to an acceptance that he was going to get.

It was night in Chicago. On the way, Olivia had found the only thing that could conquer her fear of flying- her anger. She ignored Kamal as he started to look up Valerie Swift, finding her address on the 25th floor of the Chrysler Building, her run as a columnist for the Sun-Times. She just wanted to see her taken down. She was so angry, she barely registered the call from Kamal's attendant, something about a Druid clock having gone missing.

Skimming across the ledge on the 25th floor of the Chrysler Building, Olivia's mind suddenly became sharp again. Her anger disappeared into titanium resolve, her hand holding her bow tightly. With Batman's help (as he was now fully dressed as the Batman, just as she was in the tattered remnants of her cloak), she would be able to disable the woman and get the talisman.

He motioned to a window, and Olivia looked in. It was the apartment that he had said was registered to the name Valerie Swift, but the woman inside was not the one she had seen; she was elderly, with white hair, sitting in front of the TV with a bag of popcorn.

The sound of a shoe on the stone was the only warning they had. Coming down from above them was Swift, knocking the both of them off the edge. Olivia reached over and grabbed the ledge quickly, swinging up and onto it as Batman went plummeting towards the street. Unfortunately, Olivia didn't have time to worry about him; swift was standing right in front of him.

"No cars up here, little girl," she said.

"I'm not looking for a car, I thought I told you that?" she growled, flipping back as the woman swiped like a tiger. She kept moving, quickly, avoiding the blows. "If it wasn;t for you, my father wouldn't be trapped in the past."

"I don't give a damn."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Wrong thing to say," she said, as she saw Batman climbing back up onto the ledge behind swift. He went for a punch to the knee, but she grabbed his arm and snapped it with sickening ease. Olivia didn't pause; she pulled her bow and fired a net at her. Though she tore right out, it gave Batman a chance to set the bone and get back into the fight. Each time he struck at her, she touched the talisman, changing her abilities. It was then that Olivia realized what she had to do.

As she moved her hand sideways to balance herself on the ledge, Olivia pulled back with another one of the drill-tipped arrows, letting it loose into Swift's hand. She screamed as the arrow drilled straight through and out the other side, and she turned again to Olivia. By then, she was ready with another arrow, and she let loose again, pinning the other hand to the brick.

Before her eyes, Swift pulled her hand away, tearing it through the fingers, then made it reform, tendons and muscle and bone knitting back together. She smiled as she ducked another blow from Batman, stretched her arms, and leapt off the edge, gliding easily.

Not that easy! Olivia thought, leaping as well, landing on the woman's back. She tried to get her off by twisting, but Olivia was not letting go. She tried to swipe for the talisman, but she couldn't reach it. Before she realized what had happened, she was rolling off of her back, onto the roof of the Macy's building. There, she saw a burst of dark movement, as Batman flew out from the shadows, knocking her down. Olivia loosed another net, pinning her in place. This time, she struggled against it, but could not break through. Sighing in relief, Olivia lowered her bow, and Batman reached over and pulled the Talisman from her neck.

"Not a good idea to talk about my pop like that," she spat at the woman.

"You got what you wanted," Batman said.

"I don't mean to be anal about this, but since I'm the chosen one or whatever, I should probably have the talisman." She held out her hand, as he dropped the tiny wooden necklace into her hand. Suddenly, she felt something, a power in her, a power waiting to be used.

"I have to get back to Gotham," he said. "I have a war to start." He moved over to the side of the high rise and fell off. By the time Olivia looked over, all trace of him was gone. She looked down at the talisman, and imagined a hawk. Suddenly, she felt as though there were wings on her back, wings that she could move. In moments, she was in the air, making her way back to Canada, to the village.

To get back her father.

Kamal had gotten the call from Hal a half hour into his trip back from Chicago. He had requested that come to DC for a few friendly rounds, and told him that he would be welcome that night if he were in the area. He knew what Jordan was trying to say, and with the urgency in his voice, Kamal couldn't help but oblige. It was only an hour later that he landed at Reagan airport, and was brought to the senator's home by limo.

Inside, Hal rushed him into the kitchen area. He had the microwave running and a blender going. "Look, I think I know of a way that we can cover our asses," Hal said.

Kamal nodded carefully. "Go on."

"Green Lantern and I can't be in the same place at the same time, right?" Hal asked. "It's just not possible if we're the same person. So, we're going to be seen in the same place at the same time."

"What are you-" Kamal stopped, as Hal reached into his pocket, pulling out the small green ring. "You are certain you want to give this to me?" Briefly, his memory flashed back to a small storage locker he had found in the Cave, labeled 'CONTINGENCY'. Inside were lock boxes, each with a hero's name on it. He was suddenly thinking back to the four lock boxes that were labeled Green Lantern.

"I am going to address the press tomorrow on something. I'll figure out what exactly tomorrow morning. I need you to show up as Green Lantern and make certain people see you. That way, there can be no doubt that I am not Green Lantern."

"How do I use this?" Kamal asked, looking at the ring and he put it on. The ring changed shape to fit snugly around his left pinky finger. It felt like any other ring.

"You need to concentrate," Hal told him. "Above all else, you have to keep focused. The moment you lose your focus, you'll lose control of the ring. Now, I need you to imagine yourself looking like me. Just focus on it. Make it happen."

Kamal closed his eyes, struggling to picture the senator as his Green Lantern persona. It seemed like the ring was draining away at his very body, exhausting him. "Good," he heard Hal say. "You have to keep your focus, at all times. That's the most important thing. The ring feeds off of your willpower. You will whatever you want into existence. Use that to get their attention, then disappear."

Kamal nodded, letting the image go. Gingerly, he pulled the ring off and put it in his pocket. "It's exhausting," he said, struggling to keep his eyes open. "That is what it's like to be a Green Lantern?"

Hal nodded. "That's why not many people become Green Lanterns," he said. "These rings were made by little demigods, not designed for mortals like us."

"But you seem to have no trouble wielding it," Kamal said. "In fact, father had some very interesting things about you in the Bat Computer's databanks, though it is fragmented. A lot of the data was lost."

Hal seemed somewhat relieved to hear the last part. An interesting mystery, and one he would have to work on; what was in Hal Jordan's past that he wanted the world to forget about? "Tomorrow morning, 9 AM Eastern time. Be ready."

"You will be without your ring for a whole day," Kamal said. "What will you do if someone decides to cause trouble?"

Hal smiled, then held up his left hand, where a yellow ring sat. It glowed yellow for a moment, then sat back. "I've been practicing with this thing all day, making certain it worked just like my green one. It does. If anyone tries to cause any trouble, I'll be ready for them. You just keep your eyes open." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh if you see any little blue aliens, run."

"Who are they?"

"They're the demigods who want their ring back, and you can't fight them. Trust me." Kamal only nodded. "You better get back to Gotham, before anyone starts asking questions."

"You watch your back," Kamal warned, seeing himself to the door.

The journey back to the village was unlike any Olivia had ever experienced. She had only flown in aircraft or from the emerald energy, and she found that being in control of her movement vanquished the fear that had taken root in her. The landscape was beautiful, especially going over the cities whose lights lit up the night with multi-colored globes. It was nearly four hours to get from Chicago to the village, but she didn't feel tired; part of it may have been the adrenaline running through her veins. Her mind was still filled with questions: What if the village did not reappear as it should? What if it had moved, and she had no way to find it? What if the talisman was damaged, and it wouldn't be accepted as it was? The ultimate point of all the questions was her fear that she could do nothing to reverse her father's death.

Finally, she came to the clearing, and landed in what would have been the center of the village. "Old man! I've got it!" she shouted into the night. Off to her right she heard a rustle in the bushes as something scurried away from the sound of her voice. Olivia stepped forward, and soon the buildings began to appear, forming again right where they should have been. Where the fire had been in the center of town, there was now merely a pile of broken and charred bones, piled up as high as her shoulder. Avoiding the bone pile, she made her way back to the totem pole, which finally finished forming the moment she touched the base. Touching the talisman again, she felt small claws on her fingertips, though she could see nothing, and began to scale the 20 foot pole with ease. As she did, she felt something tugging at the back of her mind.

The village appeared just because you have the talisman. If you keep it, you can come back here anytime you want. The power would certainly be helpful. There would be no more need to keep running.

But, pop….

He's dead. He doesn't care right now. It's not like he's going anywhere. Besides, the talisman allows you to come back here anytime you want. You return it when you're ready, and then he'll come back.

For a moment, Olivia stopped, but then shook her head.

"No," she said aloud, as though the voice in her head was coming from a person nearby. "No, forget it. I'm not going to give in like that. I saw what this thing can do. Besides, it was my duty to return the talisman, not wield it. The Old Man wants me to bring it back so that it can be protected. If something happens to me, the talisman's back in the wrong hands. I don't take advantage of people like that."

It is only using your resources. He wouldn't mind if you just borrowed it, especially if you're attempting to do something good.

"Doing good in and of itself is right, but using the wrong means isn't going to help anyone. I can't lie down at night knowing that I've stolen my father's freedom while struggling to give other people theirs. I fight the good fight in my own way, and I haven't needed the damn talisman before, and I sure as hell don't need it now. I have my bow, I have my instincts, and that's enough. This talisman goes back, the Old Man gets to guard it, and I get pop back. End of story!"

She finished climbing up the totem and pulled the talisman violently from her neck

No!

Quickly, she threw it back into the tiny cavity in the bird's beak, having to regain her grip as the claws disappeared and she was once again left with only her fingers. Olivia slid down the pole, jumping the rest of the way down, and turned to the building that she had last seen the Old Man in. There was no movement, and she started to feel her chest constricting.

"You are definitely the agent of the Spirits," she heard a voice from behind her. "You successfully defeated the thief and yourself, and have returned the talisman to it's rightful place." Turning, she saw the Old Man walking towards her, her father just behind him.

"See? I told you she'd be able to do it."

She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she ran forward, throwing her arms around her father's neck. "hey there, relax. I'm all here. Mostly."

"I was worried," Olivia said. "This is back in time, and I was lost in the woods, and we found your skeleton…"

"Indeed, this village exists outside of time," the Old Man said. "It is a place where we protect the talisman, so that evil may never be able to use it."

"Well, you're going to be on display in two thousand years," Olivia told him, as she leaned away. "Your culture and people will be a great learning experience."

He shook his head "No. No, this village cannot remain here any longer. We must move it, so that evil cannot find it again."

Olivia frowned. "But, it's already being excavated," she argued. "I already showed this place to someone, you can't just move, it'd change what I've done."

"There is no need for you to fear, child," the Old Man said. Olivia ground her teeth together; she hated being called that. "You will return back to your time."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to keep my father as collateral, huh?" she argued.

"It was the will of the spirits that he was not to assist you on this quest. You alone were the chosen one. Now, it is time for you to return. There is great turmoil in your time, and you are strong enough to combat it. Go."

Olivia looked at him, as the buildings began to fade out. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned. "You did good."

They were three words that Olivia had not heard in years, especially from her father. She smiled, feeling her face blush. "Thanks," she said, looking down at the ground. "We need to get going. A lot's happened since you were dead….again….is that right?"

"Doesn't matter," Ollie replied. "It's dark, we gotta find shelter for the night. Let's go."

The television, as usual, was tuned to LNN. It was a rather slow Friday, as most of them were. There was ongoing debate about medicare taxation, and currently the senator from California was on, speaking out against them. The screen was split, the right hand side showing anchor Fox Rusher as he commented on the remarks made by the man on the right side of the screen, identified on the bottom banner as Hal Jordan (R-CA). He was rambling on about how taxing the medicare system was a fault, how there were better ways to generate the revenue needed. He was in the tenth minute of his speech, and it seemed that he had plenty to continue on with.

Suddenly, Rusher stopped talking, holding his ear as he listened to the bud. "This just in," he said. "It seems that the Green Lantern, who has just recently begun to make appearances again despite twenty five years of absence, has been sighted over Los Angeles. We go to Tricia Hernandez who is on location. Tricia?"

The side of the screen with Rusher on it changed to a beautiful latin woman in a brown suit. "This is Tricia Hernandez with LNN local Los Angeles. Just moments ago, a high-speed police chase was the center of attention, as the Green Lantern once again made appearance here. Now, it is known that Green Lantern was active in Coast City over a generation ago, but no one seems to know why he has suddenly appeared now. We have live footage of the chase, and…"

The woman was off the screen again, though Jordan was still talking on the right hand side of it. In the left hand portion, a helicopter was watching the freeway as a car was speeding across it recklessly, over a dozen squad cars behind it. Above it, pacing it, was Green Lantern, swooping back and forth as he slowly descended on the escaping vehicle. Only a minute later, a large green hand appeared from the hero, pushing down on the trunk of the car to stop it. The wheels were smoking in protect, until the hand lifted the car easily and set it upside down. As the police descended don't he car, Green Lantern ascended, headed up through the clouds and into what seemed like space.

Jordan was still talking. A slim, feminine hand reached over and grabbed the remote, touching the power key gently with one long fingernail. The TV obediently went off.

Hal smiled to himself as he sat down in his office. The press conference had gone surprisingly well, especially when the reporter from the Gotham News Network showed up to shake his hand- and hand him his ring back. He would have to congratulate Kamal on such a good disguise. He was starting to remind him more and more of Bruce every day, which was heartening and disturbing at the same time. Hopefully, Kamal would not have the same dark streak the elder Wayne had.

A few minutes later, his intercom buzzed. "Senator? There's…there's someone here to see you," Claudia said, sounding nervous.

Over the comm, he heard a man say, "Just let me in there, damn it!" His first thought was that Ollie had somehow gotten from BC to DC, but the voice was wrong. "Forget it, I'm going in."

"You can't go in there, sir!" Hal took his hand off the intercom and stood up, as the door to his office swung open. He was standing face to face with a man slightly shorter than himself, though a little wider, and not from fat. His recognized the face and the red, bowl-cut hair immediately.

"What are you doing here, Guy?" Hal asked.

"The Guardians want their ring back, Hal old buddy, and I'm here to get it."

"They gave you a ring again?" he asked. "They must be dredging the bottom of the barrel."

"Just give it up, Jordan, and it won't get ugly." He had his fist ready, already glowing with green energy. Hal knew that witnesses would be coming soon; someone was attacking a US Senator.

"Are you nuts, Guy? The MCC will have you split and quartered if you don't put that thing away."

"I'm not afraid of them. Now, the ring, buddy."

Hal shook his head, and willed the door shut behind Guy. "You never could follow orders, could you?"

The fight began with Guy sending a blast of Green energy straight at Hal. He threw him back against the wall, but did little more than that. He stalked forward a pace, his hand glowing green again. "The ring."

"You want it? Fine." Hal pulled off the ring and tossed it up in the air. As he did, he brought up his left hand- and the yellow ring. He had never put it away for safe keeping, and now he was glad that he hadn't. The yellow energy blasted him against the door. Guy picked himself up and shook it off, then glared.

"You're gonna regret that, buddy," he told him, as he unleashed another bolt of pure emerald energy. Hal managed to roll out of the way, as it tore through the wall. He could see outside now, and suddenly he heard gunshots from outside. Guy turned, and used his ring to seal the door. "No one's gonna interrupt me now."

While he was distracted, Hal focused his own will, taking his large desk and hurling it at the man's head. The desk shattered harmlessly, though it did get Guy's attention again. He turned back, grinning. His grin faded, however, when he looked out of the gaping hole he had left. Coming up on the building were six attack helicopters, the kind that had taken him from Gotham to DC. Hal winced; the MCC was already descending. "You can't win, Guy. They'll take you in."

"No one's taking Guy Gardner anywhere," he said, pushing Hal aside physically to stand in the gaping hole. He brought up his arm, leveled the ring, and fired a thin slice of energy at one of the helicopters, tearing the tail assembly off.

Hal narrowed his eyes; whoever this man was now, he wasn't deserving of a power ring. He leveled the yellow ring at the back of Guy's head, pouring all of his willpower into it, and let loose with a ballooning ray of yellow. It hit him square on the back of the skull, knocking him out cold. To keep him safe, Hal reached over and grabbed his ring, then picked up his own ring room the floor. With the three rings on his hand, Hal felt a decidedly uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu. He remembered, and he didn't want to. From there, it was time to make a decision; he wouldn't be able to explain how he, Hal Jordan, a senator, was able to overcome a Meta-human, and even if he did, he knew Todd would tear the story apart, and to leave meant a thousand witnesses. The security outside was already banging on the door, and with Gardner out, they'd be in in moments.

Hal looked down at the yellow ring, and concentrated. He put Guy in an opaque yellow bubble and made himself glow brightly, so that none would be able to recognize him. He couldn't leave Guy at the mercy of the MCC- they had none, and Guy had come through for him in the past. He owed him that much. Flying out of the hole in his wall, Hal made for the only place he knew would be desolate- Antarctica, and the Fortress of Solitude.

It was a half hour later that he approached, and was surprised at what he saw. The walls were being repaired, the damage he had done was disappearing, replaced with new walls of ice. He flew down to the snowy ground, next to the man who was making the repairs, as he used his heat beams to melt the ice into place, then freeze over again. He turned to Hal and the unconscious Guy. "What is this?"

"It looks like the Guardians want their power ring back. He attacked a US Senator in his own office, and I needed someplace safe to keep him."

Clark narrowed his eyes. "Does this look like a place to house rejected heroes?"

Hal cocked one eyebrow. "Look, I just need to keep him here for a couple days until this blows over. If the MCC gets a hold of him, they'll know I'm a Green Lantern."

"That isn't my problem," Clark said, turning away.

"No?" Hal asked. "It won't be your problem when they come for you and demand you be killed? You may be Superman, but even you have weaknesses. Kamal had kryptonite, and so did Ollie. You think the government can't get a hold of it?" Clark paused a moment. "I just need you to let me keep him here a couple days."

"Why did he attack you in the first place?" Clark asked.

"Because he was trying to take my ring back for the Guardians."

"I didn't know the Guardians had yellow rings anymore."

Hal felt something snap into place in his mind. "You're right. Here." He pulled off his own ring. "I need you to destroy this. In front of him. So he knows I'm no longer a threat. He'll leave, the Guardians leave. I use the yellow ring."

"You had three rings?" Clark asked. His voice was tight; he remembered, too. Hal shook his head, taking Guy's ring and putting it in his closed hand.

"That wasn't what I was trying to do," he said, as he woke Guy. His eyes snapped open, and he pulled back for a punch before Clark spoke.

"You need to se this, Guy." He took the ring between his palms and squeezed. Hal shut his eyes, shielding his face as the emerald energy exploded between the Kryptonian's hands. When he truned back around, he saw that he was somewhat disheveled from the blast, but otherwise safe. "He's no longer a Green Lantern. That was Hal's ring, and it's gone. You can leave him alone."

Guy glared at Hal. "All right. Fine. I believe you. No, really, I do. But how can you prove it?"

"Check for yourself," Hal said. "I have no emerald energy on me."

Guy frowned at him. "Yeah. Yeah, all right, fine. Thanks for the party. I mean it, really. But this isn't over between us, Jordan."

"I'm sure it isn't," Hal said. He watched as Gardner glowered at him one more time, then disappeared, off to who knew where. He looked at Clark, who looked back at him, then went back to the repairs. Hal resigned himself to the chore of trying to explain his survival to the MCC. He used the yellow ring to lift himself into the air, on his way to Fairfax. It would be a hike, to be certain, but flying back into DC was a mistake he knew not to make. He needed to smooth things over, and he wasn't going to have much time to do it in.

Back in Gotham, Kamal was starting to mobilize his effort to find the thief of the clocks. He had first planned to stalk out the one in China, but to leave Gotham for an indefinite period was a waste; it would be easier to catch the thief when she was not on her guard, which meant when she was not looking out for security. Given the description, Kamal began to make a list of any black-haired woman he knew that had access to arcane magic. His list currently had Zatanna, Circe, and Morgana on it, and was at it's end. It was time to get more information from a different approach.

He called up the newspaper particles on the Bat Computer, looking for a name, any name, of a witness to either one of the heists. He found one, a Mr. Owen Bellini from Philadelphia. Gathering the components for his disguise- black suit, false Homeland Security badge, sunglasses, notepad, photo- he prepared his car and was soon on his way to the bridge, into Pennsylvania.

He arrived at the man's house just after dinnertime, walking up and knocking on the door authoritatively. A very slight man answered the door, with pale skin and thin glasses that seemed less fragile than he was. "Hello Mr Bellini, I'm Agent Aramin with Homeland Security, would you mind if I came in and asked you a few questions?" he said quickly, forcing his way into the house.

"Oh, no, not at-"

Kamal cut him off; he didn't want him talking before he got to the questions he wanted to know about. "Mr. Bellini, I have a report here saying you witnessed a theft at the Smithsonian Institute last week and I was wondering if I could find out a little bit more about the testimony you gave to the newspaper and the police. Now, you claim that a woman with black hair, a black suit, and a red cape entered the area, seemingly from nowhere, is that correct?"

"Yes, I-"

"And did this woman speak to you or anyone else?"

"Well, no, but she did speak. I just couldn't understand it."

"Was it some sort of foreign language?" Kamal asked.

"I-I think so," the man floundered. "I-I didn't understand."

"Could you possibly recreate any of the words you hear phonetically, Mr. Bellini?"

The man paused a moment. "yeah, sure, sure. I mean, she stood outside the display and put her hand out and said something and the clock just appeared in her hand. It was like…emik...emook…em-something."

Kamal wrote it down phonetically, then began to look at the word. It wasn't Greek- so Circe was off the list. It didn't seem old English or Celtic, either, which only left one option. As soon as he looked at it backwards, he knew.

"Was it 'emoc' by any chance, sir?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think it was," he said.

"Well, we thank you very much for your cooperation in our investigate," Kamal told him quickly, "if we have any other questions, we will call on you again, thank you for your time." With that, he turned and left, his fists clenched tightly. He had been there, in Las Vegas, with her. What else had she lied about? He tried to think back on what else they had discussed. The clocks, and Dinah.

Once back in his car, he called the mansion, and Minshi answered. "Minshi, I need you to tell me the last credit card purchase made on Dinah Queen's card," he said.

"Of course, Master Wayne," she said. "It was a plane ticket and a room at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas."

"Thanks, Minshi," he said sourly, disconnecting the call. He dialed Hal's cell phone, but got nothing but the voice mail. "Hal, Kamal. We need to get back to Las Vegas. I think Zatanna was in my head. Call me back." He hung up again, and dialed his 'stolen' phone.

"Hey." Not exactly the greeting he would have expected, but he reminded himself that he was dealing with Olivia.

"Bitch lied to me," he growled.

"What?"

"She was in my head. I'm going to Las Vegas. Meet me there."

"I can't get there," she said. Not for- pop says it'll be a day before we hit Vancouver, we can get a flight from there."

"See you then," he said, hanging up the phone. He raced back to the manor, as Minshi greeted him at the front door.

"Master Wayne, your jet has been prepared at the airport. You can leave whenever you are ready."

Olivia put the phone back in her pocket, shaking her head.

"What was that all about?" Ollie asked.

"Kamal thinks Zatanna did something to him, was inside his head or something," she said.

"Yeah, well, that wouldn't surprise me," he replied. "I've seen what she can do. She did it to his father, quite a few years ago."

"Zatanna mind wiped Batman?" Olivia asked. "I don't get it. She was part of the JLA, right?"

"Yeah, but we didn't always see eye to eye."

"You didn't see eye to eye with anyone there, pop," Olivia reminded him.

"Well, she and your mother got along pretty well." Suddenly he stopped, eyes going wide for just a moment. "That bitch."

"Okay, that's two out of the three of us voting she's a bitch," Olivia said impatiently. "What's the matter?"

"Give me your phone," he demanded. There was an intensity in his voice and eyes that made her silently obey. After a moment, he got an answer. "What was she hiding from you, Kamal? Damn it. I'll be there as soon as I can. I know. Be careful." He closed the phone violently and handed it back to her. "We're going to Las Vegas to visit Zatanna. I have a feeling she may know something about where your mother's been."