Chapter 71: Preparation
"I don't like to remember the day they came to Mars. It's not a happy memory."
"Are they sure the mansion won't be caught in the crossfire?" Moira murmured to her husband Robert as they watched military personnel guide Starling City's evacuees into their home. They had nestled themselves near the stairs, directing staff and volunteers as they handed out supplies. Near the front door, Thea was greeting every family that passed through, offering them blankets and food.
"For the initial battle, yes." Robert muttered back. "But if the army is beaten back…" He shrugged.
Moira sighed, as Sam walked up to them with a pile of blankets in her arms.
"Oliver and Kara picked quite a time to go to Central City." The businesswoman noted as she set the linens down next to the floor next to them.
"At least they'll be with Laurel, Barry, and Iris when things go down." Robert pointed out.
"How are Kal and Ruby?" Moira asked.
"In the upstairs den with the younger kids," Sam answered, "They're trying to keep their minds off the Invasion. I was surprised at how calm they were being, but I guess this really isn't any different from the hostage situation. Just a lot more widespread." She shrugged, smiling bitterly. "After all, it's only the end of the world."
"What I do like to remember is my family. My wife, my children, my brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces. Before they took them away from me."
Quentin and Dinah Lance parted from their kiss, hands clutched tightly together.
"You be careful, please." Dinah begged her husband. "I'm not ready to be a widow just yet."
Detective Lance just nodded, his grip tightening. With great reluctance, he let his wife go, watching her enter the bus with the other evacuees. He continued to watch as the doors closed and the bus drove her away to one of the city's many evacuation shelters.
His partner, Lucas Hilton, walked up to him, slinging his arm around Quentin's shoulders. "C'mon. They're waiting for us at the precinct."
"Us Martians weren't really any different you humans. We divided ourselves with inconsequential things. Money. Location. Appearance. But when someone threatened our world, we came together in the end."
Sara Lance wiped the sweat off her brow. She leaned against the fence, watching as the dark-skinned civilians were evacuated, while the South African military marched in the opposite direction.
"But despite that, we still fell in the end. Perhaps because it was because we had become too set in our ways, stagnating our society. I think it was because we were too similar. Once you knew how to beat one Martian, you knew how to beat all of them."
Hartley blinked as Cisco handed him a pair of gauntlets. "And these are…?"
"Upgraded. Allows you to modify frequencies and amplify sounds easier."
The Pied Piper hummed, and took something out of his pocket. Cisco frowned when he noticed they were glasses. His glasses, to be exact.
"These make it easier for you to locate sources of vibrational energy and manipulate them."
"This changes nothing, you know that?"
"Why would I ever think otherwise?"
"You're both idiots." Caitlin informed them as she walked past, a backpack full of medical supplies hanging off her shoulder.
"That's where we differ from you humans. When I first came here, I was amazed by how diverse your species was. You may have not have the powerful, innate abilities we had, but your ingenuity made up for it in spades. And eventually, some of you caught up, or surpassed us."
Iris stared at her phone for a long moment, wondering if she should press 'send' or not. Finally, after much deliberation, she did, hoping that the recipient wouldn't take offense to her message.
"Iris?" Joe West peaked around the corner. "It's time."
His daughter took a deep breath, and nodded. "Coming, Dad."
She followed around the corner, falling in line with the other officers. Up ahead, she could already see Ralph being handed his blaster, one of many in the dozens of carts being trucked up to the precinct by the hour.
"It's when I saw, that I realized that they would come for you, too. And that is also when I realized that I didn't want the fate that befell my world, to befall yours as well."
Akio Yamashiro masked himself, before purposely diverting himself away from line leading to the evacuation boats. With uncanny skill, he blended in with the mixture of soldiers and law enforcement marching through the crowded streets of Tokyo.
"We are all individuals, but we are also all residents of Earth. So for today, and for many days afterwards, let us move past our differences, and stand together as one."
As fighter jets flew over the skyscrapers of New York, Nyssa emerged from the shadows of one of the rooftops, one of her hands twisting at an arrow in her quiver. In the rooftops surrounding her, other assassins appeared, each focusing their gazes on the sky above.
"We're not asking you to fight — that is your choice. But if you choose not to, then please, support those that do."
Annisa looked herself in the mirror, making sure her suit was fully-fitted and ready for battle. Behind her, she could see Gambi silently cleaning his gun. Next to him, a computer monitor showing the feed of the local news channel displayed her mother and sister guiding the citizens of Freeland to temporary safety.
"Whether that is by handing out supplies, by helping with the evacuation, or even by just staying out of the way. Every little bit helps, and we need all the help we can get."
In an alleyway in Coast City, a tall, broad-shouldered man with brunette hair silently made his hand into a fist, watching as the ring on his finger glowed an eerie green. He was engulfed in a similarly-colored light, emerging in a spandex suit and a mask on his face, the sigil of his ring on his chest, before taking to the skies.
All around the world, men and women of similar dress were going out into the streets, preparing themselves for battle. Here and now, they could no longer afford to keep hidden. The world was at stake, and they had a duty to protect it, no matter the cost.
Years down the line, this day would mark history. People would call it 'The Dawn'.
For it began the Age of Heroes.
Barry momentarily looked away from the briefing at the short vibration of his phone. Keeping one ear on Amanda's voice, he took out the device to see it was a text from Iris. Considering how rare an event that was these days, he couldn't resist looking at it. The message was very succinct.
'Be careful. Please.'
Using his super speed, he typed out a quick 'Thank you.' and hit the send button before turning his attention back to Amanda, who had called for him and Stein to come up and explain their latest invention. Shoving the phone back into his pocket, he stood up and followed the old professor to the front of the room, which was projecting various members of the Justice League and the Suicide Squad.
"This device was created using data from a dissected body of a deceased Dominator that was collected from the attack in the 50s." Stein held up a small, circular disk, with miniature, clawed attachments on the back.
"Once activated, it will emit a powerful frequency that will ripple through their skins, inducing them in crippling pain." Barry shrugged. "It's crude and cruel, but it's effective, and this is war."
"Well said." Amanda nodded. "Once the fighting starts in full force, the Flash will be traveling across the world, tagging as many Dominators as he can with these devices. As soon as a sufficient number of these devices are concentrated in every population center on the planet, I will activate them — hopefully that will be enough to leave us alone. Supergirl will also be helping him, along with mitigating as much collateral damage as possible from the invading ships."
"As for the bomb, we've managed to derive which ship it's on from our latest intel. Astra will fly Firestorm up there to transmute the bomb into something harmless while she holds off anyone who tries to interfere. As for everyone else, you will be helping lead our forces all around the globe against the Dominators' ground forces."
"Green Arrow and Black Canary are, of course, in Starling City. Vixen, Martian Manhunter, you two will also be in your home cities." The four Leaguers nodded.
"Black Lightning, you're in charge of Metropolis. Deathstroke, Sydney, Australia; Maseo and Katana, Tokyo, and Chien na wei, Hong Kong. Plastique, London. Deadshot, Los Angeles…" Amanda continued the assignments, listing agent after agent, before finally coming to an end.
"This is where we part. I just have this to say: it's judgment day, everyone, and despite how you may all feel about me, I still hope to see you all on the other side. And if you can't make it there — then make sure to give them hell first."
This is just a filler chapter. I apologize for any mistakes, my beta is currently on vacation. Next chapter is when the fighting starts.
I've decided to go with Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, because the Arrowverse has more-or-less confirmed that Dig is their equivalent of John Stewart. Since I'm purposefully not putting Diggle in this story, it makes sense to go with Hal, especially since I hinted at him first.
Constructive criticism is welcome! Flames will be removed!
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