Black Adam
Watchtower

"Okay, we're set for tomorrow night," Shazam said. "Should we run it one more time, for practice?"

"Yes," Adam said, walking toward the door. J'onn stayed close behind him, as he always did. This was his only chance. He had to take it. They exited the tower and faced out into the void of space.

"Alright, on you."

They ramped up the power, following the same pattern they had for days. When it was strong enough, he threw his hands up over his head, taking on the full force. Rather than stop, he continued to let his power increase, making sure he had a sufficient amount to down them both. When he was ready, he threw his hands out to his sides. Shazam was blindsided and knocked back immediately, but Manhunter dodged.

"Stop!" He dodged again, but was hit when Adam threw another bolt at him. Body limp, he tumbled toward the atmosphere, following Shazam down. They wouldn't be out for long, but he'd done enough to lose them temporarily. Facing toward Earth, he gritted his teeth. There was a lot to do, but first things first. It was well past time for the witch to die.

Callum
His Dimension

He wasn't sure what they were hearing. Zatanna stood and turned toward the cracking sounds, seeming to shudder with each one. Thomas was crying.

"Zatanna?"

"What's happening?" Tanna asked.

"He found me. He came for me."

"Who came for you?" He tried to yell over the noise, but she wasn't hearing...or wasn't listening. Turning, he looked to Tanna. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. "I have to do something."

"What? We're not even on the same plane of existence."

Thomas's cry was sharper with every crack and their connection was starting to fade.

"I...I don't know." He could heard Zatanna yelling for someone, who entered the room and took Thomas. Just when he was about to call out to her again, Tanna grabbed his arm and turned him. Her hand went behind his neck and she pulled his lips down to hers. The kiss was desperate and he could feel her whole body trembling. Stepping back, she put her hand on his cheek.

"Save them. But come back to me. You have to." Before he could ask what she meant, she took another step back and flung her arms forward. He had no control over what happened next. He was tumbling through nothingness. It felt like he was being ripped apart and put together over and over. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know if he was anymore. One thing was sure...regardless of what she demanded, he had no idea how he would ever get back.

Zatanna
Wayne Manor

She was terrified and this time it wasn't a drug-induced delusion. Black Adam was methodically wearing down her wards, ready to make her pay for defying him and his power. Ollie was right...this was a mistake from the start.

"Tius pu." She knew the armor wouldn't protect her, but she felt obligated. Reaching into the pocket, she turned the beacon in her hand. No. Not him, too. Thomas needed his father; she couldn't risk it. She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself and put on a brave face. When she stepped outside, the lightning struck again.

"Face me!" Adam yelled, landing another strike. "Face me, witch!"

"Dleihs em." Her wards were almost down. "I am facing you. What gives you the right to come after me?"

"Foolish woman. You think you can defy the will of the gods and walk away?"

"I think I can stop a madman who believes he's a god."

Another bolt came from his hands. "You don't have your friends to help you. Drop your barrier and I'll make your death quick. It's more than you deserve."

Arrogant douche. Alright, Zee. Time to improvise.

"Tell you what...if you leave now and go back to prison, I won't humiliate you in front of the League again."

He scoffed and threw another bolt. "Fine. I'll make this slow and painful."

She didn't get another chance to speak before he summoned a storm of lightning that struck the remainder of her wards on all sides. It only took a few seconds for them to falter, leaving her with only a small shield protecting her. Turning, she ran toward the house, dodging and ducking behind a brick retaining wall.

"Sure we can't talk this over? Have a nice cup of tea?"

"Shut up, fool." His next strike blew the wall out from behind her. She jumped up and started to run again, taking off toward the tree line. "Coward!"

Yep. That's a fitting label at the moment.

Trees were being blown apart behind her when she passed them. She was almost to the creek when a blast hit her shield, taking it down immediately and leaving her unprotected. If I teleport, he'll just follow. Not knowing a better option, she stopped and turned, facing his direction. He hovered over her, power building around him. She'd bought some time. Thomas would be safe by now and she was well clear of anyone else.

"Fine. You want me to face you...here I am." She raised her hands in front of her. "Sdnah fo gninthgil."

"I should have let Dax gut you like a pig in that warehouse."

"Probably so. You fucked up big time."

"Trust me," he said, putting his hands together, "I won't make the same mistake twice."

When he threw his hands toward her, she mimicked him, her power clashing with his between them. It didn't take her long to realize this would be a temporary delay of the inevitable. Her magic wouldn't last against him. When it started to fail, she braced herself. His lightning hit her, flinging her like a rag doll and burning her right side. The pain was worse than anything she'd ever felt before; it felt like her skin was melting – like she was being cooked from the inside. She landed a hundred yards away, screaming and writhing. His laugh rang out over her scream as he moved closer. Rolling onto her back, she looked up at him. He smiled and raised his hands again.

"Just get it over with," she spat out.

"Does it hurt? This is what happens when..."

A bright flash of light and loud popping sound interrupted him, obscuring her vision. She felt someone lift her and take her flying through the air.

"No...no. Not you, too. You can't be here," she said, clutching at his arm. "Leave."

"Batman! You can't save her!"

Batman
Gilded Ground Mining

The team gathered away from the officers on the scene.

"I don't think he was lying," Kate said. "There's a lot of evidence that this place was being used for something other than mining."

"Unless it's an old site and they had already moved before they sent him to trap us," Tim offered.

"Batman?"

"It's possible. I can't tell if he's lying."

"What about the test results?" Barb asked over the communicator.

"He's definitely been exposed. High levels of the toxin."

"Brainwashed to the point that he's calm and rational, but still terrified of Scarecrow."

"It's a pretty brutal way to control someone."

He stifled a yawn and stretched his neck. "Let's rest. We have a lot of evidence to go over."

They all nodded and headed toward their vehicles. He opened the door, but paused when he heard thunder rumble from across town. Looking to the sky, a chill ran down his spine; it was clear and blue without a cloud in sight. Another rumble...another.

"Batman?" Barb yelled in his ear.

He didn't respond, jumping into the car and flooring the accelerator. Zatanna didn't answer her phone. Neither did Alfred.

"Where's my family?" He asked.

"I'm tracking Zatanna. She's outside. I can't find Alfred anywhere."

"Stay in the cave."

"I can help..."

"Stay in the cave, damn it! Find Shazam and J'onn." He pushed the car even harder. Thomas. Where's my son?

"I'm watching the security cameras. She's holding him off, for now."

"How long do I have?"

"I don't know, Bruce. She's running east."

"I'm still a few minutes out. Keep tracking her."

"They've stopped. She's facing off against him."

"She's insane...I'm close." Damn it, Zee, get out.

"Fuck! He hit her. She's down...hurt badly."

He jumped from the car before it had fully stopped and shot into the air, grappling along the side of the manor toward the east. Reaching in his belt, he pulled out a flash bang and threw it between them. It went off, stopping Adam long enough for him to grab Zatanna and grapple back toward the house and behind the garage. She was screaming and trying to speak.

"Not you, too," she mumbled.

He paused and looked at the damage...her entire right side was a gruesome mess of charred skin and bone. They needed to get to safety so she could heal.

"Batman!" Adam called out, getting closer. "You can't save her! You should have stayed away! Now you'll die, too!"

"Just let me go," Zee said through clinched teeth. "Let me go and get out."

"Where's Thomas?"

"Safe." She slipped something into his hand. "Just go. Leave."

Adam came around the side of the house. Zatanna's scream was piercing when he grappled them away again. The wall he had attached to blew apart from another bolt of lightning and sent them tumbling to the ground. Bruce threw his cape over her, bracing himself for the next strike. He heard it, but it never hit them. Looking up, he saw a figure in the sky, taking the full force of the bolt and standing its ground.

Callum
?

There was light ahead of him. He could feel himself slowing and tumbling toward it until he landed with a thud in the middle of someone's driveway. Head spinning, he tried to stand, but fell over. His ears were ringing, but he could hear other sounds. Screaming...thunder...yelling. The world was a blur and he fell over again when he tried once more to stand. Leaning forward, he stared at the ground and focused, waiting until his vision cleared enough that he could see...more or less.

The sky was a clear blue, but lightning was shooting across it. Looking up, he saw a man wearing black, firing the bolts toward the house. The scream again. I know that voice. Fighting his way to his feet, he shook the rest of the fog from his head. The sun was blaring down on him, giving him his strength back. Gritting his teeth, he took to the sky, darting between the next bolt of lightning and its target. It hit his chest, making it harder to see, but deflecting off and into space.

Well, that shirt's ruined.

When the lightning finally stopped, he looked his mystery foe in the eye.

"You," the foe said, furrowing his brow. "But not...she did it. She got you here."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Adam. I've heard a lot about you, Kal."

"Then I guess you have me at a disadvantage." He was confused and still very disoriented, but he didn't want the man to know.

"Yes, I asked her to keep my identity a secret. She's more reliable than I had guessed."

"Who?"

"Tsartitsa, of course. She's the one who brought you here, yes?"

The powerful ally.

"Who are you attacking? And why?"

"No one you need to worry about anymore." He smirked and moved closer. "She served her purpose. Come, let's leave. She won't survive her injuries and we can move forward with our plan."

"No."

"We have much to do, friend..."

"I'm not your friend."

He'd heard enough, including more of Zatanna's screaming from behind the house. Taking off at full speed, he flew into Adam's chest and punched him hard enough to send him flying. He followed, landing another punch that shot him outside of the atmosphere. Ducking the next blow, Adam turned toward him.

"Are you crazy? This isn't the plan!"

"Your plan failed. Don't come back. If you do, I'll be waiting." Moving faster than sound, he landed another shot, firing the man further into space. He spun around when he heard someone else coming toward him, but the oddly-dressed man stopped short and stared at him.

"Superman? When did you grow a beard?"

"Who?"

"What?"

"Shazam?" Another, much different looking man approached.

"J'onn?"

"Clark?"

Kal furrowed his brow and looked at the men. He was beginning to wonder if the interdimensional travel had scrambled his brain more than he realized. "My name is Kal."

"Yeah, we know," the first man said. "You okay?"

"This isn't our Clark, Billy."

More names. Weird outfits. "I don't really care who you are. There was a man here trying to kill a friend. I'm going back to her."

They exchanged a quick look before nodding. "We'll make sure he doesn't get back there."

Deciding to avoid further confusion, Kal headed back toward the house where he had landed and followed the screams. There was a man carrying Zatanna and...dressed up...like a bat? What the hell?

"Get inside," the man growled. Kal squinted and studied him. His voice was being manipulated somehow and he couldn't see through the mask he had over his face. Even his vital signs and scent were being masked. It was like looking at a shadow...a ghost.

What is this place?

Bruce
Wayne Manor

She was still screaming when he laid her down on the couch in the den.

"Heal, Zatanna."

"I'm trying," she said, voice shaking. "I can't. The pain..."

"Hang on a second." He pushed past who he assumed was Callum and ran to the elevator. In the med room, he pulled out a drug kit and supplemental oxygen before returning to the den. The bearded Superman was kneeling next to Zatanna, holding her hand and whispering. Bruce put his hand on his shoulder and moved him away. "I need to take your jacket off."

She screamed again when he lifted her slightly. "Please. Stop."

"Just hold on." He pulled her left arm out of the armor and pushed the needle into her vein. "Morphine. Give it a few minutes to work." He put the oxygen tubing in her nose and opened the valve full blast. Looking at the couch, he caught sight of the beacon that had fallen out of her pocket and picked it up. "Goddamn it, Zatanna. I didn't give this to you so you could carry it around like a piece of jewelry!"

She looked up at him, crying and shaking even harder. "W-w-we don't go together. Y-you would have done same."

He threw the beacon onto the floor. "Damn it! Of all the stubborn..."

"Hey, back off," Callum said behind him.

"Stay out of it!"

Zatanna's breathing became more labored as she cried. "I'm sorry. Fuck...I'm sorry."

He looked in her eyes, the fear in them making him come to his senses. Why am I yelling? Ripping his cowl off, he put his forehead to hers. "I'm not mad. I'm sorry. I'm not mad. Just...please heal. You have to."

She let out a rattling cough. Her lungs were filling with fluid. Grabbing a pillow, he lifted her head and propped her up so she could breathe easier.

"I wanted it, Bruce. I wanted the baby," she said, eyes barely open and voice weak. "Baby girl."

"We'll have it. We'll have all of it," he whispered. "Just heal, Zee." Tears were running down his face. "Don't you dare leave me. Tell me what to do."

"If I could just rest...sleep a little..."

"No, don't fall asleep. Stay awake."

"Let me take her. I can get her to the hospital," Callum said.

Bruce nodded and moved back, but she started screaming again as soon as he tried to lift her.

"Don't, please, please!" She screamed before breaking into another series of rattling coughs.

"Put her back down," Bruce said. "She can't take that much. The ambulance is already on the way."

He knelt down next to her again, propping her up even higher when she coughed. Her eyes started to drift closed. Don't take her from me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"Stop apologizing. Just stay awake. Talk to me. Tell me what to do."

"Thomas. The note."

He pulled the piece of paper she had handed him out of his belt and read it. It had instructions for how to access a secret room at Shadowcrest. "He's here?"

She nodded, eyes closing. "Bring him. Please. So I can say goodbye."

"You're not going to die, Zee. Come on, stay awake."

"Please bring him."

He hesitated, but knew he couldn't break her heart by refusing. He took his cape off and put it over her, covering as much of her injured body as he could. "Keep her awake for me," he said to Callum, who was staring at him with wide eyes. It took him a second to nod.

"I will, Bruce. Go."

Running to the closest Zeta tube, he transported to Shadowcrest and found the picture mentioned in the note. He took his glove off and put his hand underneath. The wall lit up and revealed a door that creaked open. Thomas jumped up and ran to him.

"Dada!"

"Master Bruce, I tried to get her to come. Is she alright?"

"No," he said, kissing Thomas's head when he picked him up. "She wants to tell him goodbye."

Zatanna
Wayne Manor

Her eyes wouldn't stay open. Even when they were, all she could see was a small blur of light at the center of her vision. The pain had faded slightly. She wasn't sure if it was the morphine or just her senses shutting down, but she was grateful. Someone grabbed her hand.

"Bruce?"

"No, he'll be back soon."

"Clark? No...Kal...how?"

His face appeared in her vision, unfocused, but giving her a gentle smile. "I'm afraid I don't really know. You...she sent me."

"She shouldn't have. I shouldn't have." Her brain wasn't getting what she wanted to say across. "I'm sorry you had to."

"I wanted to," he said, brushing her hair back from her forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner."

A wave of dizziness came over her, so she closed her eyes. Breathing was getting too difficult. "Tell Thomas..."

"You'll tell him. Open your eyes and stay with me." He lifted her up and put another pillow under her shoulders.

It felt like she was drowning, only shallow amounts of air making it into her lungs when she gasped. I don't want to die.

"Mama?" Despite her fading consciousness, Thomas's voice brought her back around enough to force her to focus. His eyes were teary. Kal moved aside so Bruce could kneel and set Thomas on the couch next to her.

"Oh, my sweet boy," she said, though she wasn't sure if the sound even came out. She lifted her left hand and brushed it against his cheek. "I love you so much."

"Mama, you're hurt."

"I know, baby. I'm sorry. I..."

He sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Need kiff?"

Bruce slid down the wall to the floor, crying. All she could do was picture that messy-haired boy in the alley watching his parents die. I hurt him. I vowed I'd never hurt him.

"Yeah, baby. I think a kiss would fix everything," she said, gasping for more air. In the distance, she could hear sirens approaching, but she knew she was too far gone for medics to help. Thomas sniffled again before leaning down and kissing her cheek. She closed her eyes, trying to hold onto the last moment with him. A warmth started to surround her. She was sure death was taking her away from her family, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw a soft, blue glow. Her lungs started to clear, so she took in a deep breath. When Thomas came into focus, she saw his glowing eyes. He put his hands over his head and giggled.

"All better!" He smiled and put his hands back down. She looked at her arm – it was perfectly healed. Her side...her leg.

"Whoa," she whispered, taking another deep breath to check her lungs. "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Thomas giggled again and laid down next to her, snuggling into her arms. "I was scared. I saw Cark and two Mamas and then BOOM! Loud!"

Her body was shaking again, but not from pain or fear anymore.

"I was scared too, honey." She kissed his head and looked at Bruce; he was staring at them with his mouth hanging open, eyes still filled with tears.

"You...you're okay?" He asked, clearly not believing what he was seeing.

She nodded and kissed Thomas's head again. "You saved me."

He smiled up at her, the glow fading from his eyes. "Uv you."

"I love you too," she said, trying not to freak out. Bruce moved over and put his arm across them, leaning his head against her shoulder and crying. "I'm sorry."

"Stop. Just let me hold you."

Bruce
Wayne Manor

Should that be possible? Should my kid be able to do that?

Thomas didn't seem remotely fazed by what he had just done. He'd kissed her injuries away just like she did when he scraped his knee or bumped his head. Laying in her arms, he chatted away.

"Can we go play outside?"

Zatanna had a bleary-eyed look. "I think my head is a little too loopy for that."

"Morphine," Bruce said, sitting up and brushing her hair behind her ears. "Ever had it before?"

"Nope. Feel a little drunk."

"Have you ever had any kind of drug?"

"Nope."

"Thomas, maybe you could watch some cartoons while Mommy's head spins." Thomas nodded. He stood and replaced his cape with a blanket. "Alfred?"

"The ambulance has been taken care of. I'll stay with them."

"There were some...people. They said they were making sure Adam stayed away," Kal said. "I got a little confused on their names."

Bruce turned to face him. "Green guy and someone with a lightning bolt on his chest?"

"Yeah."

"Friends."

He walked toward the kitchen, shedding most of his armor. When he turned to face Kal again, he was caught in a rather unexpected bear hug.

What is happening right now?

"Brother...I never thought I'd see you again." The hug was kind of tight.

"Um...nice to meet you." He tried to wiggle free.

Kal finally let him go and stepped back, holding his shoulders. "Sorry. I know you aren't the Bruce I know...I knew."

"Knew?"

He nodded. "It's a long story, but when I saw you..."

The front door opened and Batwoman and Robin entered. "You're missing a few walls, Bruce," Tim said.

"I noticed."

"Zee?" Kate asked.

"In the den."

"She's okay?"

"More or less. Kal, this is Kate, Tim."

He was staring at them like they were crazy. Guess costumes aren't a common thing in his dimension.

"I could use a rest. My head hasn't quite recovered from the trip," he said, probably thinking he was hallucinating.

"I'm assuming you need to be outside? There's a courtyard out back. It might be a little messy right now."

"Yeah, some sun will help. Thanks." He headed off toward the back door.

The front door opened again and Diana rushed in. "What in Hera's name happened?"

"Adam came. We need to talk to J'onn and Billy."

"I saw them outside flying overhead," she said. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, but we almost weren't. It's really not safe for any of you to be here."

"We can take care of ourselves."

"That's not what I meant."

Diana sighed. "How did he get through Zatanna's wards?"

"I haven't asked her yet, but my guess would be brute force." He paused and looked at her. "She almost died, Diana."

"But she didn't. And we'll do everything we can to protect her."

"I thought we already were."

"So did I."

"I need to change. Call an emergency meeting, please. I'll be there in an hour."

"I'm checking on Zatanna first," she said, turning toward the den.

He headed to the shower and cleaned up. When he made it back downstairs, Zee was sitting up and watching Thomas run circles around the couch, spinning while he did. Her eyes were clearer. Kal was standing in the corner, studying them thoughtfully.

"Where's Alfred?"

"Making Thomas a snack. My head's feeling better."

He sat down on the couch and kissed her, lingering before pulling his head back. "I need to go to the Watchtower. Kal, we have a meeting I need you to be at, if you're up to it."

"Okay," he said, now staring at the floor.

"If you think I'm staying here..."

"You are," he interrupted Zatanna before she could finish.

"Do we have to do this dance every single time? I'm going. He almost killed me and I'm going."

He grunted and closed his eyes. "I tried. I'm too tired to argue."

"Good." She slowly stood and managed to catch Thomas when he spun by her. "Come on, Tasmanian devil. Let's put some clean clothes on."

"Need help?"

"No, I'm fine. Drained, but fine."

Once she left the room, Bruce turned to look at Kal. He was still staring at the floor.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yes. I've never been tossed through dimensions before – it was a little stressful."

"Been there," Bruce said, standing. "I'd like to ask you some questions, and I owe you a lot of thanks, but it will have to wait until after the meeting."

He finally looked back up at him. "I don't know how to get home."

"We'll figure it out. We always do. Let's go, we're going to meet some other friends. Be prepared for more costumes."