By the time Hal had gotten to Virginia, it was already dark on the east coast. From his high vantage point, he saw a very disturbing scene in the capitol- there were attack choppers in the sky and fighter jets, lights were shining everywhere. Tanks had even been brought in and were placed, and men in uniforms were swarming the city. He landed just outside of Fairfax, in a small grove of trees, trying to plan his next move. As he was thinking, he heard the tone from his cell phone indicating a voice mail. Looking at the face, it read 20 missed calls and 18 messages. He checked them quickly, using that as an excuse to procrastinate his plan-making. Most of them were from Claudia, trying to find out where he was and if he was all right; the others were also concerned people, trying to get a hold of him. He put the cell phone away, and then looked at himself. If he was going to use an abduction story, he was going to have to make it believable.
He tore up his suit, smudging it with dirt and grass, and used the ring to bruise his face and arms. Once that had been accomplished, he began his long walk into the capitol, searching for one of the main freeways. He was hoping to be picked up by a cop for walking on the road, but when he got there, he was shocked to see the entire road going in to DC packed. The other side, on contrast, was completely empty. Walking up the road, he saw people had gotten out of their cars. Some were standing on the hoods and roofs, trying to get a better look of what was going on up ahead.
After nearly two hours of walking, Hal felt just as bad as he looked. Finally coming up to the cause of the congestion, he paused. In the freeway, across all the lanes, was a military blockade. There were jeeps and a tank sitting in the middle of the road, with barriers placed in front of them. People were angry; shouting at the MP's who stood at the barricades in full riot gear. Snapping out of his daze, Hal walked forward, until an MP put his hand out.
"I'm sorry, sir, you aren't allowed to pass."
"It's illegal to hold a senator from attending congress," Hal said. "Let me through."
"Sir?"
"I'm Senator Hal Jordan, and I need to get through."
The MP shook his head. "I'm sorry, Senator, but General Breckman gave us strict orders to make certain no one breaks the quarantine."
Quarantine? How stupid; a Meta human had attacked the Capitol building and damaged it. He should have expected as much. "I need to speak with your commanding officer, then." He glanced at the man's shoulders, noting the rank. "Lieutenant."
He motioned for Hal to wait, and took out a small walking talkie. He spoke into it for a few minutes, then walked back up again. "The General will see you. He asks if you require any medical assistance." His gaze went over the senator, noting the cuts, scrapes, and bruises.
"I could use an ice pack," Hal said.
The MP motioned for him to follow, causing a maelstrom of shouts and protests. Hal moved through quickly as the gap was filled with three more MP's to calm the crowd. He was taken behind the line of vehicles, to a small chair. "Wait here, sir, and we'll have the medic check you out."
Hal nodded, noting that two more MP's had taken up positions behind him. They could be seen to the untrained eye as guards, but he knew they were guarding the blockade just as much as they were guarding him. He waited, looking around, as the medic approached and inspected his self-inflicted wounds. As expected, he said they were not severe, and gave him a pain reliever and cleaned out the cuts before bandaging them. He was informed that the general would be along shortly, and to please wait exactly where he was. Hal obliged, knowing that it might be his only way to find out what exactly was going on in the city.
Almost an hour later, a jeep rolled up to the blockade. Out of it stepped a man, small but very stout, with a face that belied his military experience. It was mostly in his eyes; Hal had seen it from other commanding officers, and he wasn't surprised to see it in Breckman, especially with the two stars he wore. As he approached, Hal stood up. "General."
"Senator," he said in reply. "This is a very puzzling situation for us. You see, you have been reported dead. I'll need to see your identification."
"Of course." Hal pulled out his wallet and handed him his ID. Breckman looked at it for only a moment before returning it to him.
"Well, Senator, looks like you've had quite a trip."
"I need to get back into the city," he said.
"I'm afraid we can't do that, senator," Breckman told him. "No civilians are permitted into or out of the city while the investigation is under way. No exceptions."
"To keep a senator from attending congress-"
"Right now, congress isn't in session," Breckman corrected him. Hal blinked; usually, a crisis of that magnitude would call for an emergency session. Were they afraid that the Meta humans were targeting congressmen? "We're going to see if we can confirm a clear route to the hospital and get you admitted as soon as we can. I'm sorry about this, senator, but you were… well, we all thought you had been killed. You'll understand if we take certain precautions."
"Of course, General," Hal replied. He didn't like it, but he didn't have much choice. All he could do was wait.
As the siren went off, Kamal was pleased to hear no sound coming from it. He looked at the small device he had built, making certain the test had done nothing to damage it. Once he was satisfied with the results, he took the small thing and put it into the shaft of a small dart he had designed specifically to hold the new weapon. He knew Zatanna; knew that, in order for her to cast her spells, she had to speak them. Backwards, yes, but that was inconsequential at that point; she wouldn't be able to cast if she couldn't speak, hence the need for his newest little toy.
Finished 'packing' for Las Vegas, Kamal now turned his attention to his city. It had been quite a few nights since the Batman had made his presence known; it was time for the criminal element to remember that he owned the city. Just as the last echoes of light were disappearing in the sky, Batman made his way out into Gotham night, to a low-income housing district known as Bricktown. It was built mostly of row homes and churches, and at the moment, he started down form the top of the closed-down Episcopalian church at the corner of Red and Sixth. Things were quiet so far, but he expected trouble; there was always trouble. Unfortunately, trouble hit hard.
Nearly a mile down the road, Batman could see a large smoke cloud billowing black against the nearly purple sky, obscuring his view of the waning moon. Quickly, he hopped from the roof, calling for the Bat mobile as he fell. The roof slid back, and he dropped into the seat with vehicle in mid-motion, settling in behind the controls as he sped down the street, towards the smoke.
Pulling into a small alley, Batman crept along the shadows towards the center of the conflagration. He managed to keep his eyes from going wide, as he saw the entire block facing State Street on the East side consumed by flames. People were screaming, trying to get away from the flames- unless they lived across the street, in which case they watched form their own row homes. As the fire spread, so did the damage.
Moving quickly, Batman entered through the window of the nearest building, going from house to house through the holes in the walls. The oxygen mask on his cowl had swung into place, allowing him to breathe while in the acrid smoke that was filling the building, hindering his sight. As he was about to rush through another wall, he heard a soft scraping sound. Turning, he noted a door moving back and forth, the handle moving as if someone were trying to unstuck it from the other side. Not that it would have done them any good; a flaming support beam had fallen down in front of the door, if anyone had managed to get the door open the beam would have prevented them from leaving the room.
Running over, he pulled back, breaking the beam with a swift blow to the center. The beam itself crumbled in two, straight to the floor, leaving the door open. Grabbing the handle, her twisted and pulled. The door came back obediently, and he was left looking into the face of a frightened black girl, no more than seven, clutching a singed bear and burned blanket. Behind him, Batman heard an ominous creaking; with the support beam gone and the door opened, the structure wasn't going to stand much longer. Grabbing the girl in both hands, bear and all, he ran for the window. It hadn't been opened, not with the heat on the metal frame, but it was the best way out. Lowering his head, Batman went through, rolling onto the pavement outside with the girl tucked away to protect her from the fall. When he finished the tumble, he stood the little girl up and checked to make certain that she was all right. Though she was coughing and still crying, besides a few burns she seemed to be unhurt.
The people outside had seen him come through the window. Some were cheering, some were silent in shock, and more than a few went tearing down the street the other way. Kamal couldn't help but smile to himself. Those were the ones who had the fear of the bat in them.
Leaving the little girl with the woman who had come up to grab her in her arms, presumably a mother or aunt, Batman turned to go back into the buildings to search for other survivors, when he heard an explosion from the other side of the street. A car had gone up in flames and exploded, and just behind it, a building on the other side of the street was suddenly aflame. Coming from the flaming building was a disturbing image, one that Batman had only seen in his archives. Stepping out was a man's figure, only it seemed as though his very body was made of blue flame. Through the flames, one could see the bones, but no organs. He turned, and saw batman, his jaw opening in a grin.
"Dr. Phosphorus. I didn't think you were around anymore." Quickly, Batman reached behind him, touching something on the back of his utility belt. He was suddenly enveloped in a cloud of white, a flame retardant covering the entire suit. Phosphorus said nothing in reply, reaching back with one hand and hurling a blue ball of flame at him. If not for the flame retardant, the ball would have incinerated him; as it was, he was merely burned, though most of the heat was dissipated through the suit. Won't have to shave for a few days, he thought as he felt the burned skin on his face.
Reaching down, he grabbed one of his batarangs, tossing two of them at the villain. They singed, but managed to hit and send him back a step. Again, he tossed a ball of flame, but this time Batman was ready; he rolled out of the way, allowing it to hit the already-aflame buildings behind him. Phosphorus began to run down the street, slinging flame on either side of him as he went. Pulling out a small device, he pushing in a switch and tossed it. It arced straight for Phosphorus, suddenly exploding into a large, heavy rubber stick. The stick hit him in the back of the neck, just below the skull, effectively knocking him unconscious. As he lay unconscious in the street, the pavement underneath him began to sizzle as he burned through it. Going over to the nearby fire hydrant, he opened it up, allowing the water to not only douse the flames of the fires nearby, but also put out the unconscious man.
Now lying in the street was a nude man, face down and unconscious. The sound of fire sirens was growing in the distance. He took a drape that had blown out into the street after one of the explosions and let it fall over the man- there was at least one child who didn't need to see that.
As time ran out, he went through the buildings again, opening stuck doors and moving beams, allowing those who were still trapped inside to get out before he was out and away, on his way back to the cave for the night to update the Bat Computer with the information he had gathered.
On the west coast, there were still a couple hours of daylight left. Still walking through the forest, Olivia was glad to see the outline of Vancouver's high rises in the distance. "Finally, civilization again!" she sighed. She had not seen a city since leaving Seattle, and the states.
Suddenly, a thought hit her. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her wallet. Inside were two credit cards, a bank card, about $20 in cash, and her driver's license. To get back into the states from Canada, she was going to need a passport, as was her father.
"What're you looking for?" Ollie asked.
"Passport," she said. "We're gonna need them to get back into the country. On a plane, anyway." Flipping through her wallet, she found a small piece of plastic that she had not had to use in two years, and smiled. "But I think I have an idea."
"Oh?"
Olivia made certain not to look at him, as she explained. She could feel his disapproving glare, though. "You remember a few years ago, when you found that pack of cigarettes in my room and I told you they had fallen out from the backpack when I lost it for a few hours at the park?"
"Yeah."
"I bought them, actually. I knew a guy who used to make us fake ID's, so we'd be able to pass as eighteen. I remember he moved up here a few years ago, and he might still be in the business."
"You used a fake ID?"
Olivia finally had to look up, wincing. "Yeah…"
Ollie shook his head. "I think there's a lot about you I don't know."
"Probably better that way, pop. Anyway, I just have to try and remember…" She was searching her memory. She knew that Max had holed up in Vancouver, and she was trying to remember what he did now. "I think…maybe he owns a flooring shop? No, not a flooring shop…maybe……maybe a framing shop. Yeah, I think that was it."
"Oh, a framing shop," Ollie said sarcastically. "It won't be difficult to find one in Vancouver."
"I know his name, too, pop. We just put both of them together. There is such thing as a phone book."
"Just as I was about to suggest, let your fingers do the walking. Anything else I should know about while we're at it?" he asked.
Olivia shrugged. "Hey, I'm nineteen now, and all that's in the past."
"You're still my daughter, and you're still not too big for me to put over my knee."
Olivia stopped, looking her father in the face again. Of all the times… "Yeah. Try it."
"Is that a challenge?"
There was silence for a few minutes, as she sized him up. Looking at him, she finally came to the conclusion that he was serious, and shook her head. "It's getting late; we should be getting as far to town as we can. If we hurry, we may be able to hit the shop before it closes." Before Ollie could say anything else, she started to walk forward at a hurried pace. It was going to be interesting when he found out about the night in Vegas, especially since she wouldn't be able to divulge details she couldn't remember…
About an hour after sunset, they walked into town. The street lights had come on in the city, and cars were still going around in the district of North Vancouver- Olivia had recognized the honeycomb-shaped building of Capilano College.
"Over here," Ollie said, leading her to a phone booth nearby. He picked up the thick phone book and started to look through it. After nearly forty five minutes, Olivia finally recognized the name of the shop. It gave the address as 15th and Duchess, in West Vancouver. They had quite a hike ahead of them.
Ollie insisted on taking the lead, though he didn't quite know the city. Olivia had to correct him more than a couple times; she had been to Vancouver a couple times, usually on quick jaunts over the border to drink where the legal age was only 18 (ironically, with the fake ID's Max had made) but even she was unsure when it came to getting there. Still, she noted how jumpy her father was, and how his eyes darted around at every passing person. She would have called it paranoia, but after what had happened in Gotham at the bridge, she wondered if perhaps she had scared him into thinking that his daughter's time was more limited than he at first thought.
Don't worry, pop, she wanted to say. I can take care of myself. I did it while you were in the past. I won't let down my guard.
She was going to open her mouth to say something, when she saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a crumpled soft pack of cigarettes, pulling one out and lighting it. "Damn, that's good."
"You didn't tell me you had a pack," Olivia said. "Let me bum one."
"Forget it," he said. "It's a dirty habit."
"You know, I am over 18. I'm old enough to make my own decisions," Olivia pointed out, folding her arms over her chest, tapping her fingertips on her arm restlessly with annoyance. It's my own damn fault, she reminded herself.
"Can you drink yet?"
"Only if I'm with someone rich." Seeing the look on his face, she couldn't help but continue. "You know, it's surprising how you don't get carded when you're clubbing with a casino's headliner."
"You went clubbing with Zatanna?" he asked, taking another deep drag off the cigarette. "Looks like I have another reason now to kick her ass. You and I are gonna have a nice long talk when all this is over."
Olivia said nothing, just continued walking. It was late by the time they had gotten there, but the store was still listed as being open for another half an hour. "It's a non smoking building," she told her father.
"I'll wait here," he said, lighting another off the one he was smoking, throwing down the half-finished one. Olivia glared at him as he leaned against a post. Bastard, she thought as she entered the shop. Inside was plain, with a linoleum floor and plain white walls. The bland surroundings made the frames stand out brilliantly. Most of them had some sort of picture in them, either photographs or reproduced paintings, depending on the size. There were only a couple people roaming around the store, with one woman standing behind the counter. She had piercings up both ears and in her eyebrows, lips and nose. Her hair was cut short and dyed purple.
Olivia walked up. "Is Max in?"
The woman looked her over. "Who wants to know?"
"A friend from Seattle," she said.
"Hey, Max!" the woman shouted, loud enough to make Olivia cringe. "You got a friend from Seattle here."
Coming out of the back room was Max. Though it had only been three years, he looked ten years old- and heavier. He likewise had tattoos and piercing, and frowned when he saw her. "Olivia?" he said uncertainly. "Well, hell it is you. What brings you up here?"
Olivia smiled. 'Nice to see you too, Max," she said. "You mind if we talk in private?"
"C'mon back," he said, holding the curtain back as she came through to the back room. There were tables, saws, and lots of wood in the back, and some finished frames that hadn't been stained or painted. There was also a very sophisticated computer, with a very complicated looking computer. That was enough proof for her.
"So, you still in the old business?" she asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
"I'm not here to cause any trouble," she said. "In fact, I need your help, Max." He raised one eyebrow, sitting down. "I sorta had to skip the country real quick-like, and I left my passport back in Seattle. Now, I have to catch a plane to Las Vegas, but I can't get back into the States without a valid passport."
"Not a problem."
"Slight problem," Olivia interjected. "Our names might cause some red flags if we try to enter the country, so we need some names made up. Something tied to Colorado would work."
Max smiled. She knew he loved what he did; it looked like he hadn't done it in a while, either. "No problem, Lisa. You mentioned someone else. I'll need to take your photos for the passports."
"Yeah, lemme go get him, he's smoking out front," she said, getting up and heading through the store again, and outside. Ollie was leaning against a lamp post now, looking around. His head snapped around when the door opened, tossing the butt of his cigarette down on the street. "He's gotta take our pictures for the passport, follow me," she said. They both went back into the back room, where Max was setting up a white canvas as backdrop for the photos.
Max looked up, as Olivia introduced her father. He held out his hand, but Ollie just stood there, staring at him. Great, Olivia thought, he's pissed because Max gave me a fake ID when I was 16.
They had their photos taken, and waited the few minutes for the passports to be finished. "I don't mean to bring this up in bad taste, you being a friend and all," Max said, "but I was wondering how the two of you are going to pay for this."
Olivia paused. "Well, I have a bank card. I can give it to you, you can take as much as you want, until the account is frozen or it's dried up."
"Or we could keep our mouths shut about this whole illegal operation you're running," Ollie growled, glaring right at him. Max looked away.
"Fair enough." He handed them both their passports with shaking hands.
"Pop, that's not how you make friends," Olivia said. "Or how you keep them."
"He's your friend," he reminded her coldly as they left. "We have to get to the airport."
Hal had managed to catch a quick nap while he was waiting for clearance to go to the hospital, but he awoke sore and stiff from the uncomfortable chair he had been sleeping in. He checked his watch, saw that it was nearly 4 AM. Standing up to stretch, he found a bottle of water placed next to his chair, and realized just how thirsty he was.
Ashe finished the bottle off, Breckman approached. "Good, you're awake," he said. "We've been given clearance to get you to the hospital. If you'll follow me, Senator?"
"I don't think I need a hospital stay, General," Hal said.
"You need to be at least checked for internal injuries, Senator. The hospital will be safe, I can assure you of that. We're doing this in your best interests."
I'm sure you are, Hal thought. Just checking to see if I've been tainted by a Meta human, I'm sure. Still, he followed Breckman to his jeep and got in the back seat. It was a long, silent drive to the hospital on the outskirts of the city. He was admitted to a private room on the first floor, after having been X-rayed and checked for any other wounds. He was alone, and so he turned on the TV to see what if anything was going on. The heavy military presence worried him; marshal law was never a good answer, and who knew how long it would last?
The TV had basic cable, and he tuned to LNN. The main story was the terrorist attack on the Capitol. He watched as the bottom ticker was listing the damage, and that he was considered a casualty. There was also a debate going on between two people, one stating that Meta humans needed to be ruthlessly hunted until no more were left to cause such damage, the other arguing that it was that very mentality that caused them to rebel the way they were. Their debate was interjected by news that Hal was still alive and at the hospital, then went back to the argument. The screen then had a live feed from a helicopter nearby, just over FDR highway, watching the smoke still billowing from the building. Before his eyes, he watched as an explosion tore through it, destroying nearly a quarter of the building. Hal couldn't help but gaped open-mouthed. That is, until the TV went off.
Turning, he saw a woman putting the remote down on the table: Todd. He glared at her, not only for entering his room uninvited and unbeknownst to him, but also for seeing him in the horrible hospital gown he had been forced to wear.
"It is very fortunate that you managed to survive the attack on your office, Senator," Todd said. "And you seem to have been lucky with your injuries as well. The doctor tells me there is nothing serious to report. Amazing. I'd like to know how you did it."
"I don't remember," Hal told her. "I blacked out."
"Why don't we start with what you remember, from the beginning?" she asked.
Hal sighed. "Right. I was sitting in my office, when a man forced his way in."
"Can you describe him?"
"He was probably about 5'10", muscular, ridiculous red hair in a bowl cut. He barged into the office and started shooting energy from his hand. He didn't make any demands, but I must have blacked out. The next thing I remember, I woke up in Fairfax with a headache. I don't know what he wanted."
"How did you escape from him?" Todd asked.
"I don't know, honestly. I woke up and he was gone. I don't know what he wanted or why, but it seemed that either he got what he wanted or lost interest in me. Like I said, I blacked out, so I can't be too sure on what exactly happened." There was a brief silence, as Hal crossed his arms over his chest. "I think you owe me an apology."
"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows in question.
"You accused me of being a Meta human. Green Lantern, to be specific. I saw a news feed that said he was in LA while I was in DC. Looks like your intelligence was wrong, and I think you owe me an apology."
"So it may seem. For now," she said. "I'll have two guards posted outside your room, Senator, just in case this Meta human decides he has not lost interest in you. Good bye, Senator." Todd turned and walked out, leaving Hal fuming.
Only a few minutes later, as Hal had finished getting dressed, did the door to his room open. He turned to see a doctor on blood-stained scrubs enter and pick up his chart. "Another examination?" he asked wearily.
"Not exactly." The doctor went over and turned on the TV, then turned the volume up.
"Kamal?" He nodded. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"What, you mean how did I get into DC using an old JLA teleported and catch a ride in on the very jeep you were riding in? Or how did I get to the roof, pick the lock to the roof access door, sneak through the hospital to the incinerator, grab myself a pair of scrubs, find your room on the dispatch board at the nurses station, get the name of your attending physician, avoid the woman who was in here, and convince the two thugs outside that I was your AP?"
Hal couldn't help but smile. "It's good to see you, Kamal."
"I would say the same, but you look terrible."
"My own handiwork. I think I would be more worried about civil rights than about my physical well being," Hal said. "This martial law has got to end. I don't like the vague open-ended reason of an 'emergency police action'. We can't let ourselves descend into this kind of barbarism every time there's a problem. It makes us just as bad as the countries we fight wars against and place embargoes on."
"Ever working from the inside out, Jordan," Kamal said.
"It's the right way to do things, Kamal," Hal said sternly. So much for him being any better than Bruce. "Congress needs to convene as soon as possible. We can't-" The ringing of his room phone cut him off. He walked over and answered it.
"Why, Senator Jordan, it is good to hear you are all in one piece, yes sir!"
Hal rolled his eyes. "Senator Wilcox," he said, trying to sound upbeat.
"It is good to hear you are not, in fact, dead!" Wilcox gushed. "I know you must be exhausted and want nothing more than a rest, and I know now is hardly the time for something like this, but I feel compelled to speak to you about your bill. After this latest, I think that we had best be changin' the wordin' on it. Make it stronger. I know that my friends would be much more favorable to the change."
"We will have to meet to discuss it further," Hal said. 'Unfortunately, I am not permitted into the city, which worries me."
"I would not worry about that, Senator," Wilcox said. "I heard straight from President Roberts that the military presence is a temporary inconvenience. Within the next 24 hours, they will be gone and DC will be open for business again. However, business may not be a good idea for someone in your shape. I tell you what, Senator; I am giving you a personal invite to come stay a few days at my ranch in Texas. It'll be a good time for you to relax and work in peace on that bill oh yers."
"Thank you, Senator Wilcox," Hal hissed through his teeth. "I'll think about your offer."
"Oh now, I insist, Senator, there's no need to be shy. You just think on it, and I will be seein' you tomorrow afternoon." He hung up, as did Hal.
"I can make certain he won't give you any trouble," Kamal said. "The fear of the bat is a powerful thing."
"There's no need for that," Hal said. "Frightening a man like Wilcox will only make him more of a bigot. Let me handle this my own way. I don't step into Gotham; don't get involved in DC."
Kamal shrugged. "Very well. Besides, I have to tell you the real reason I came here. I have discovered that Zatanna is the one stealing the clocks that belong to the Pentana of Time."
Hal blinked. "You're certain?"
"My sources are extremely reliable," he said. "And all the evidence supports that conclusion. She was in my head, messing with my memories. She made me think Dinah had gone to Jamaica; she was staying at the Sands. I must have stumbled across her while I was visiting her the other day."
Hal shook his head. He should have known better than to trust her even as far as he did, what with her capabilities. "She's the one stealing the pieces? To what end?"
"I can only guess she wants to change the past."
"She must think she's doing it to make the world better," Hal said. "She always thought that the ends justify the means, regardless of what those means were."
Kamal gave him an odd look. "You worked with her?"
"No more jokes, Wayne."
"Well, Olivia and Ollie are on their way to Las Vegas now, flying in from Vancouver. I have to meet them there; they won't be ready for Zatanna. Have fun getting past your guards."
Hal looked over at the door. "Yeah, well..." When he turned to finish his sentence, he found that Kamal had disappeared.
Sighing, he opened the door to the hall. The two men jumped up as he opened it fully. "I'm sorry, Senator, but you need to stay in your room."
"I don't recall being required to stay, with my wounds," he said. "I have every right to walk out of here if I wish."
The one man looked to the other, both of them pulling their guns. "Senator, get down."
"What happened?"
"Where is your doctor?"
Hal cursed to himself; Kamal had disappeared. Time to think fast. "I don't know, I thought he came out already," he lied. "I was asleep, and I just woke up, feeling better."
The one grabbed a radio. "This is Hutchinson. We have possible meta human activity at Mercy Hospital, requesting a containment team immediately." He then turned back to Hal. "It's not safe for you here, Senator. We'll escort you back to your home immediately, and make certain that the premises stay secure."
"That won't be necessary," Hal said. "I don't think they will find me there. It's well known that senators work in the Capitol Building, and the news networks told every American with a TV or radio that I was staying here. My home is not listed publicly."
"Very well," Hutchinson said reluctantly. "But we had best get you there, quickly."
They had to go all the way across Vancouver to get to the airport, which was located on its own island between Vancouver and the city of Richmond. Olivia and Ollie stood in line for only a half hour to purchase their tickets; there were very few people at the airport at that time of the morning. Finally, Olivia approached the counter. "Two tickets to Las Vegas, one way please."
The woman behind the counter nodded, clacking the keyboard with nails that were too long to be practical. "Your payment method?"
"American Express," Olivia said, her throat suddenly dry. Her heart was pounding; she knew it was a risk to use the credit card, since the transaction could be traced, but they had little choice in the matter; they needed to get to Las Vegas, and there was no other way they could afford it. It was going to cost an arm and a leg to get there, as it was. She handed over the card, forcing her hand to stay still. Fortunately, with her practice keeping a steady hand, her nerves weren't showing. She felt it, though.
The woman swiped the card, and was about to type something else into the computer when she paused, and frowned. She swiped the card again, and Olivia felt sweat beading on her forehead. "I'm sorry, there seems to be some trouble with your card."
Olivia turned to her father, who stood motionless a few paces behind her. Oh, shit. "Th-there must be some mistake. I have enough credit on that card."
"I'll try it again."
"Lisa. Lisa!" It took Olivia a moment to recognize Max's voice, and another before he realized that Lisa was her assumed identity. She turned to see him running up to her. "I'm sorry, I just realized you grabbed that wrong card off the table by mistake. That's the one I found on the street, remember?"
"Oh, yes!" Olivia covered, hoping her performance was convincing enough.
He turned to the woman at the counter. "Here, use this card."
She swiped the card and finished up purchasing the tickets. Max had disappeared off to the side, and was waiting for her near the security checkpoint line. She handed him back his card, and he took it, still staring at her. "What the hell kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time, Olivia?"
"You sure you want to know?"
"You've got me linked to you with that transaction, so I think I should know what I'm in for," he said.
"Well, there's this black ops group in Homeland Security in the states that's getting really pissy..."
Max held up his hand. "Okay, okay, I take it back, I don't want to know. Just, tell me what kind of company I might be expecting."
"The dangerous kind," Olivia told him. "When they question you, tell them I made you help me. Tell them I threatened your girlfriend or something. But don't lie to cover my ass, Max. This is serious. It's more than just buying cigarettes underage. I've gotten into something big, and I'm sorry to have dragged you in. Just, watch yourself."
"Be careful out there," he said. He looked at Ollie, then turned and left. They got into line for the security checkpoint, and an hour later they were seated in the terminal, waiting the rest of the hour and a half it would take before boarding started. Olivia yawned; it had been over thirty hours since she had last slept.
"What I wouldn't do for a double mocha latte with whipped cream and a shot of caramel flavor," she said.
Ollie looked over at her. "Spoiled," he said. "Speaking of spoiled, what the hell were you doing in Las Vegas?"
Olivia sighed. "You remember that whole Talisman problem?" she asked. He nodded, not taking his eyes off her for a second. Great; an inquisition. She had always hated when he had done that when she was just becoming a teenager. Of course, she knew why; he had wanted to make sure she didn't so anything he had done at her age. "Well, the chick knocked me out cold. This trapper found me by the side of the road and took me in until I could get on my feet again, which fortunately was only a couple days, but anyway, Uncle Hal found me and took me to Vegas to find Kamal, who was visiting with Zatanna at the time."
"Yeah. Zatanna." His voice was ice cold. "What'd she do to you?"
"Nothing, pop," she insisted. "I showed up, she learned who I was, we talked out on the balcony then went out to have a good time. I can't remember most of it, granted, but I don't think you have any reason to be this angry."
By the time he had finished his story, she understood why he was. She shook her head. "No. Zatanna didn't do anything like that. You don't think she would have given me a perfect memory of the night if I hadn't. Trust me; I even remember the hangover."
"Hangover?" His fist clenched tighter.
Olivia was about to reply when the TV screen above her caught her eye. She gasped slightly as she saw the image of the Capitol Building in DC on fire. "Pop?"
He turned to regard the screen. "Looks like there's trouble."
"Uncle Hal…'
"He'll be fine." Just then, the ticker at the bottom reported to his death. "He's been dead before. Hal can take care of himself. We've gotta keep our priorities straight."
"And our priorities are?" Olivia asked.
"Find Zatanna. Kick her ass. Then we can find out what happened to Hal, if he hasn't resurfaced yet." Olivia nodded, though she couldn't keep her eyes off the screen. She watched it until it was time to board the plane. She was again nervous, especially when they hit turbulence over Oregon, but the plane managed to land at the airport safely a few hours later. Walking through, she saw various gift shops, fast food joints, and slots. She frowned.
"Okay, now where's the cab port?"
Olivia shrugged. "How should I know? I never came in by the airport before."
"You were never at the airport?" he asked, sounding surprised. At least he's got some emotion in his voice this time, she thought.
"There are other ways to get to Las Vegas, you know, pop."
He shook his head, as they managed to find their way out to the main drive, and hail a cab. They made their way to the Mirage by dusk, the lights only just starting to show their flamboyant prime. "So, what's the plan?"
"Well, we find out when Zatanna has any of her performances."
Olivia looked up at the Marquis. "Looks like 7:00, 8:45, and 10:30."
Ollie nodded. "Now, we need to know how long each show is."
"Well, we can figure it out by the times," Olivia said. "They're an hour and forty five minutes apart. Say, maybe a half hour for downtime and reset, so I'd say an hour and fifteen minutes."
"I'd make it an hour," he said. "What time is it?"
"Six."
Ollie nodded, looking around. "Then I think we ought to get something to eat."
"Sounds good. I could go for a nice loaf of bread and a huge salad."
"How about 'Steaks for 3 bucks'?"
Olivia sighed; she knew there was no talking her father out of it. She shouldn't have said anything. "You have cash?"
"I have enough," he said. They crossed the street to the small restaurant and sat down. Their order was taken, and they sat waiting.
"So, you said Zatanna was a friend of mom's?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah, back in the good old days," he said.
"So, why are we looking in Zatanna's suite?"
"Because I think there might be a clue there as to where your mother has gone off to," he said. "You always have to ask so many questions?"
"When it comes to mom, yeah," Olivia growled back. "Besides, I saw her, while I was in Atlantis. She…well, she told me she doesn't want you coming around."
Ollie just waved his hand in dismissal. "She's upset right now," he said. "We'll settle this whole thing when we find her."
It was then that Olivia realized something, making her whole body twitch for a moment; how stupid could she have been not to see it before. "Of course, Zatanna will lead us to mom," she said. "I think mom's the one who wants the Pentana of Time."
Ollie raised one eyebrow. "What makes you think that, miss detective?" he asked.
Olivia glared. "I'm serious, pop," she said. "Mom went to Atlantis before going to see Zatanna. To get the ability to speak again. Now, I know Zatanna has to speak her spells which are arcane, just like the Pentana. Now, she didn't have to; I'm sure Zatanna could just use telepathy of some shit like that. She is a magician, after all. No, I think Zatanna is helping mom get the pieces, and that mom's the one who's gonna go back in time."
"That's shaky logic, Olivia," he said. "Not all arcanists have to speak to cast spells."
Olivia shrugged. "I guess we'll find out in forty five minutes, huh?"
"I guess we will."
The rest of the meal passed in silence, more or less, though Olivia enjoyed the feeling of being in the city again. It wasn't only because she only grew up in the city; she just enjoyed it. The lights, the movement, the many, many people all seemed to be more natural than nature, if such a thing could be. They paid the bill, then went back over to the Mirage, entering through the giant front doors. Immediately greeting them was a bright set of flashing lights, with a mechanical voice shouting "WINNER!" throughout the casino.
"What floor is she on?" Ollie asked.
"Floor 75," Olivia said. "But you need a keycard and a code to get there."
"No, we don't," he said, going up to the elevators. It was 7:15. They waited for the elevator to open, then stepped in. Someone tried to get on, but Ollie pushed them away violently. "This one's full," he growled, as the doors shut. Olivia glared at him, but said nothing. She knew it was the way it had to be; that didn't mean she had to like it. He hit the button for floor 75, then went down the row until it accepted his selection. Fortunately, floor 73 was the highest one they could get to.
"Move," he said. Olivia moved to the side of the car, as he reached up and popped open the top hatch for the elevator. "Give me a boost."
Olivia steepled her fingers together, as he stepped up into her palms and pulled himself up into the top. Getting situated, he reached down and lifted her easily up through the hatch. "Grab the cable and start climbing," he ordered.
"I think I just got demoted to Speedy status," she said to her father with a smile.
He tried to keep the grin off his face. It almost worked too; she could only see the corner of his lip twitch. "Just get moving."
Obediently, she began to climb the cabling as the elevator car began to move downwards. The reality that she could fall 73 floors to her death didn't quite kick in; she was too worried about finding her mother, finally. She wouldn't run out this time, Olivia promised herself. Even if she got angry, she wouldn't leave. Turning her back on her family was an egregious error, one never to be repeated again.
They managed to get up to the door for the 75th floor, where Olivia swung out to the small ledge and forced the doors open. They both moved into the hall, and down to the penthouse. It was exactly as Olivia had remembered. Ollie examined the door lock. "Give me a hair pin," he said.
Olivia gave him a look. "You can't be serious," she said. "Do I look like I have a hair pin?" He turned to glare at her. "Here," she said, lifting up her shirt just over her waist, pulling a small safety pin from the dozens that were circling her waist like a metal belt. "I have a safety pin."
"Why the hell do you have a safety pin?" he asked, then saw the collection. "Never mind," he said, taking it from her and working on the lock. It popped obediently after a few moments, and they both went inside. "Start looking for anything useful," he said. Olivia nodded, combing through the apartment. After a half hour, she had found little more than a few trinkets from her years as a member of the JLA, though she made certain to leave no evidence of her intrusion.
"Zatanna's show is wrapping up," she said, coming out from the bathroom. Ollie was leaning over the nearby table, rubbing over a paper pad with a pencil. "What's that?"
He tore the page off the pad and showed it to her. In negative, she read 'Room 1011 Sands'. "This is our next stop. Better clean things up."
"I was doing that all along," she said. "I'm not stupid, you know."
"Good, less time we have to waste," he said, heading out of the room and locking it again from the inside. Olivia followed, her heart pounding. Was that where her mother was staying? She had overheard something about the Sands when her father had called Kamal the day before. Trying hard not to think about the upcoming room invasion, she followed her father through the stairwell and out of the building, heading down the strip so quickly she almost had to run to keep up with him.
The private jet came into the Las Vegas airport just past sunset. Waiting out on the tarmac was a limo, the driver standing nearby. He opened to door as Kamal stepped in. "Good evening, sir," he said once he had taken the driver's seat. "Your reservation at the Luxor has been confirmed."
"Thank you, I'll need to check in as soon as possible."
"As you wish, sir."
The limo ride was short and pleasant, and he checked in to the hotel. Making certain he had his 'luggage', Kamal donned the cape and cowl and made his way across the rooftops to the Mirage. He rappelled down to Zatanna's balcony, placing a small bug on the window before making his way to the rooftop across the street. Lying down on his stomach, binoculars over his eyes, Batman waited.
His wait was not long; only twenty minutes later was Zatanna entering the room. She took off her hat and coat, tossing them onto the couch before picking up the phone. After a brief pause, he could hear her through the bug. "Dinah, it's Zatanna. Yes. Yes, it's almost ready. The last piece will be delivered tonight. I understand. Once this is done, though, the favor's over. I know. Good bye, Dinah." She hung up the phone and disappeared into the bathroom. Batman took the moment to spring up and make his way back to the balcony, landing silently. As he did, Zatanna had come out from her bathroom. Her hair had been pulled back tightly, and she wore the black jumpsuit and red cape of the thief.
Using the element of surprise, he grabbed a small gas pellet from his utility belt and rolled it into the room through a crack between the doors. The smoke quickly filled the room as he threw open the doors. Zatanna was coughing on the smoke, unable to speak; good. Still, she swung out, making him back up a step. Tipping over the table to block him from following, she threw open the door. Though he tied to lasso the door and close it again, he missed, and she ran out into the clear hall. Following after her, she turned and opened her mouth to speak.
It was then that he shot the small dark, hitting her in the chest. When she tried to speak, no words would come. She tried again, but the same result. "Now, you and I are going to have a little chat," Batman said. "Or, I am going to chat and you are going to listen."
Zatanna was not ready to concede defeat yet; she grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and swung. Dodging out of the way, he tripped her, slamming his fist into her solar plexus on her way down. By the time she hit the floor, she was unconscious. He dragged her back into the room, using a towel to gag her, then bound her with Bat line.
With the magician neutralized, he pulled out his phone.
"What?"
Still not the response he expected. He wasn't used to that. "I know where your mother is," he said.
"So do we, Sands room 1011. We're on our way there right now."
Good to know that they're together, Kamal thought. "I'll meet you there." He hung up, and went out to the balcony, again climbing up to the roof. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he made his way over to the Sands, once again rappelling down a Bat line to the tenth floor. He landed silently on the balcony, and was getting into position to strike, when he heard the door inside crash open.
"Mom, look out!" he heard Olivia say. There was movement, and suddenly, the girl was in the air, through the window and out over the balcony. Kamal would have been stunned, had he been any other man; however, his honed reflexes had the batarang around the balcony and him on the other end hurtling down towards the falling archer before he would even register the thought of a mother throwing her daughter from the tenth floor of a building. She was trying to reach out for the building, but she was a good six feet from it; her only hope now was to wait for him, and from her vantage point, she couldn't see him.
He grabbed her as she passed the second floor, swinging her down safely onto the ground. Just over him, he heard a horrid screech, and the sound of broken glass. Five floors had lost their windows, and the balcony that he was still attached to was terribly mangled. He could see the horror in Olivia's face, and knew what was going through her mind.
"Up! Now!" she shouted, pushing him aside as she grabbed the batline She was climbing up it with more speed than he had seen any normal human possess, even himself or his father; she was on a mission. He could have sworn that he could see her chest rising and falling haggardly, but that could have been from the effort she was putting into climbing. Through the skintight black suit, he could see her muscles straining to lift her.
Looking up past her, he saw Black Canary, in full costume, looking down at that. Olivia paused. "Mom, don't! Please!" Her pleads were ignored, as another horrid screech came from the device around her neck. The line disintegrated, though they were only two floors up. Olivia ran inside, though the screaming throngs of people trying to escape whatever was happening. He continued up the side of the building.
Once on the balcony, he looked inside. The entire floor had been devastated; the walls and doors peeled open as if from an explosion. He looked at the ground, searching for footprints, and found only one set. They were slight, most like Canary's, and he began to follow them, through the wreckage, to the stairwell.
As he threw the door open, he found Olivia on the other side. She paused in mid-stride, eyes going wide. "Where's my father?" she demanded.
"I don't know," Batman said, running past her, up the stairwell, following the footsteps. She was right behind him; then, right next to him, as she climbed through the center of the bars. Eventually, they both came to the rooftop access door, which had been blown open in the same fashion as the rest of the tenth floor. Coming out onto the rooftop, he saw Black Canary, standing with a chest covered in arcane runes under her left arm. In her right hand, hanging over the edge of the building, was the unconscious form of her husband, bleeding profusely.
"You're faced with a choice," she said through the metal box. "You can stop me, or you can stop Oliver Queen from falling to his death." She moved her arm downwards a fraction of an inch; it was in response to Olivia moving forward. The girl stopped immediately.
"Mom, please don't do this," she begged. Any bravado or bluster she had possessed was gone, just as it had disappeared when she had been in Atlantis. "Just stop this, it's crazy, you don't want to kill him, do you?"
"Olivia, don't try to stop me," she replied, though her voice was not nearly as compassionate. "I have to make things right. Do you really want an alcoholic father?"
"I don't want to ruin the fact that I have two loving parents," she said. "You can't promise me that I'll even be born if you change the time stream."
Canary didn't respond to that. "You have a choice."
Batman stepped forward, just one step. "Superman had a choice, too," he said, locking eyes with her. "He made the wrong one. Don't make the wrong choice, Canary. Put him down."
For a moment, her resolve seemed to waiver. She looked at him, then at Olivia, who was valiantly trying to hold back tears. Then, she took a step forward, dropping Ollie onto the rooftop and the chest next to her. Olivia ran forward, and was nearly to them when suddenly the air was filled with a horrid-smelling smoke. Sensing the danger, the suit reacted automatically, covering his mouth and nose with the oxygen mask. The two women were out cold. Batman turned to see where the smoke was coming from, and felt his mouth go dry.
Coming out from the fog was a tall, thin figure, dressed in green and black. "Grandfather," he said, backing up a step.
"I am very proud of you, Kamal," he said. "You have managed to secure for me the first four pieces of the Pentana of Time. For that, you have my thanks." Following him out of the fog was a large man, easily three times even his own size, and six others dressed as ninjas. The League of Assassins had come to back up their leader. Because of your excellent work, I am once again extending you my offer. Leave this foolish crusade of yours. Hang up the cowl and come with me, back to the League. We will welcome you again."
"I already made my choice, Grandfather", Kamal said.
"Then give me the chest, and we will be gone."
Kamal was about to refuse, but then he looked at the chest, and the three unconscious forms lying next to it. Even if he could wake them, only two were in any shape physically to fight, and he couldn't attest that they'd be mentally capable of it, not in their current emotional states. No, it was best not to risk their lives. He walked over to the chest, kneeling down. As he did, the chest blocking view of his left hand, he palmed a small tracer, attaching it underneath one of the hinges on the back. He walked forward, holding it out.
"Ubu," was all Ra's said. The large man came forward and picked up the chest as though it weighed nothing.
"What are you going to do once you get the entire Pentana of Time?" Kamal asked.
"I am going to use it to further my own plans," he said. With that, he turned and walked back into the smoke, which disappeared behind him. Once he was certain that the threat had passed, he went to Olivia and woke her gently.
She grabbed her head, squeezing her eyes closed. "I think I have another hangover," she said. "What happened?"
"Ra's Al Ghul was here," he said.
"Who the ghoul?"
"He took the clocks."
Olivia's eyes snapped open. "Oh, shit."
"Help me," Kamal said, going over and lifting Ollie. Olivia went to her mother, lifting her as well.
"Pop needs a hospital," she said. "He's hurt really bad."
"I have something better," Kamal said. Making their way across to the Mirage via the back alleys, avoiding the crowd that had gathered outside the Sands, the four of them were in Zatanna's suite again. She was still tied and gagged on her bed. Dinah had woken up, and was sitting in one of the chairs, staring at the ground in shame. Olivia had tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't reply, or even look up. Therefore, she went over to Zatanna. When the magician woke up, she started to struggle.
"Zatanna, I'm really sorry all of this happened, but we need your help," she said. "Someone named Ra's Al Ghul has the four clocks of the Pentana, and pop might die if you don't help him. Please." With that, she removed the gag. Zatanna looked at her for a moment.
"Flesym eerf," she said, and the lines disappeared. She got up, glaring once at Kamal as she went over to look at Ollie." She looked at him for a moment, before saying something else, too softly for Kamal to hear. "He's badly injured, but I think he'll be all right," she said. Kamal could see the relief flood over the girl. "You said someone has the other four pieces?"
"Yes, a very dangerous and cunning man," Kamal said. "My grandfather."
"Why didn't you stand up to him?" Zatanna demanded.
"Because the Queen family was unconscious. I could not risk all their lives. Instead, I put a tracer on the chest." he pulled from his utility belt a small screen, and turned it on. "Right now, it looks like he's taking it to the airport."
"I'll provide a distraction," Olivia volunteered immediately. "You sneak in and get the chest."
"Actually, I had a better idea. Ra's needs the last piece in order to complete the Pentana. I suggest we figure out what the last piece is and get there before he does."
"I already know the last piece," Zatanna said. "It's an aborigines dream clock."
"We could use some help," Kamal said, pulling out his cell phone.
"Uncle Hal?"
Hal picked up the phone almost immediately. "Kamal?"
"Yes. We have some bad news."
"Not as bad as house arrest. You left me in-"
"Hal, Ra's Al Ghul has four of the five pieces of the Pentana of Time," Kamal cut in. There was silence on the other end of the line. "How fast can you get over here?"
"I'll be there in an hour," he said. Kamal hung up.
"An hour," he relayed.
The hour was one of the most uncomfortable hours he had ever spent; Zatanna was angry at him, Olivia was afraid for her father's life still despite the magician's efforts, and Dinah refused to look at or speak to anyone. The hour passed in silence, until a man entered the room. He was dressed in yellow, with a helmet that hid most of his face, a large pointed star on his chest. His gloves and boots were also golden. "Who are you?" Olivia asked, pulling her bow and aiming. Her arm wasn't shaking, and she had him sighted dead on; she would fire if she needed to. Odd, Kamal thought, maternal instinct even for her parents.
"I am Polaris," he said.
Kamal recognized the voice. Hal. "Good, you're here," he said.
"Then, we don't have much time." Zatanna lifted her hand.