So I know I said I was going to wait about a month to start posting chapters again, but...I finished the last chapter of this sequel today! Wtf. So I decided to put out this chapter to celebrate. I'll also be back on the regular weekly posting schedule so stay tuned because we're about to finally reach the end of A Siren's Echo.
This chapter is quite on the short side. I think this is the shortest chapter yet? But there's so much back and forth in the corresponding episode that it just didn't have much of a chance to be longer. Which is another reason why I wanted to go ahead and get it out so it can be a quick chapter to get back into it. It is supposed to feel a little chaotic fyi so hopefully you'll enjoy it though!
~/~/~/~
Star City
May 23, 21:20 EDT
Things had begun to look up, if only for a moment. After Miss Martian was kidnapped, Siren decided to take a brief step back. At that point, she was literally within arm's reach of obtaining her bachelor's degree and she didn't want to come so far just to fail because she was trying to take on too much at once.
So she avoided going to mission briefings, on any mission at all, for a few weeks. 'Just until she graduated,' she promised herself and Nightwing.
Which she did. Finally. But there was another thing to worry about.
The first time Siren saw Nightwing after their conversation—more like her scolding—in the hospital, she told him that she wasn't going to let what happened to cause a rift in their co-leadership. As for their friendship…she said it would depend on the terms of her promise.
But she had a desire to remain professional, knowing the fact that running the team the longest out of any leader—current or previous—meant she was put on a pedestal. So she willingly walked alongside Nightwing when they were transported to the Watchtower.
"What's going on, Captain?" she called out as they walked down the stairs to join the Black Canary, Aquaman, and Superboy.
"Good, you're here," he answered before turning to the computer screen in front of them. "We've been tracking something on long-range scanners. It's on a direct course for Earth."
Whatever it was, it resembled a planet in appearance with its gray surface and something glowing just underneath the crust. But looks could be deceiving.
"It's about to pass in front of Rhea, one of the moons of Saturn." As Captain Atom spoke, Siren felt a chill go through her body while she watched the satellite footage.
"Not in front of Rhea, behind it," Nightwing corrected when they all watched the exact thing he was describing. "That thing…whatever it is…is huge!"
Siren's eyes grew even wider. "What are we going to do?" she mumbled. "How are we supposed to stop this thing that's probably on its way to destroy Earth when we don't know the first thing about it?"
Captain Atom was seeming to mull something over. "What do we have that could have a vast knowledge of the universe…"
Oh. Duh. "Maybe our new friend could help," Siren suggested.
She made eye contact with Nightwing, then Captain Atom. The League's leader frowned in thought before turning around to make a call.
One short Zeta trip later and the three of them stood inside STAR Labs with Adam Strange and Green Beetle.
"Thank you for meeting us on such short notice."
"Thank you for coming," Green Beetle answered Captain Atom. "My scarab has accessed the Reach's database for intelligence on the approaching threat."
His armor created a projection, allowing the three leaders and Strange to see the very thing that was making a beeline for Earth. "It is called 'the Warworld," Beetle continued. "A massive artificial satellite slightly smaller than Earth's moon."
"Slightly?" Siren echoed, face twisted in worry. "That makes me feel so much better."
And the description didn't reassure her. "It is a mobile doomsday weapon. Created millennia ago by a now understandably extinct alien race. It is self-powering and self-sustaining, thanks to an endless supply of worker drones providing repair and battle drones providing security."
Jesus fucking Christ. Siren crossed her arms tightly, trying to stave off the ever-growing discomfort rising inside her.
"The Warworld was reactivated by a crystal key, long thought lost, yet somehow the Warworld's current commander found it."
"So this…commander…what can they do with it?" Siren questioned.
Green Beetle looked at her. "That commander, Mongul, now sits at the Warworld's helm, which receives and transmits his every thought, allowing him to control all of the Warworld's functions. Trajectory, weapons, and drones, without moving a muscle."
Great.
"Who is this Mongul?" Captain Atom questioned.
"Long ago, he was the sole dictator of his home planet," Beetle explained, showing a projection of the very being. "But he was ousted by another tyrant and is determined to reclaim his throne."
"So…what does that have to do with us?" Nightwing wondered the same thing that Siren couldn't understand. Of all places, why Earth?
"Mongul has determined that the surest way to take back his world is to first conquer the entire galaxy. One can only assume he now views Earth as a threat to that plan. And so, he comes, with literally enough firepower to destroy your world."
Siren swallowed tightly. "So what now?" she asked Captain Atom.
~/~/~/~
The Watchtower
May 26, 06:59 EDT
Now…it was slowly becoming hell on Earth. It didn't take long for the rest of the world to get an idea of what was going on. Then in an instant, it was on every single news channel and every bit of social media. NASA was calling it an 'encroaching planetary body' since no one that wasn't part of the team or League knew the truth.
And it was causing a lot of problems.
Other than creating sheer panic, it was affecting the Earth's tides. So much so that citizens, who hadn't already been rescued by various Leaguers, were being told to keep off the water.
And it seemed that it was only going to get worse.
The Reach was trying to sink their nails in during all of the chaos. They took the 'unprovoked and aggressive threat very seriously' and, unfortunately, their ship 'designed for peaceful exploration and diplomacy' was 'unequipped with any weapons.'
Siren trusted the Reach and their claims of solidarity with Earth as far as she could throw them.
But she had bigger things to worry about as the Warworld had finally reached Earth's atmosphere. The only thing really standing in its way was the Watchtower. Where Captain Atom was about to confront Mongul.
Siren kept a sizable distance between Nightwing and herself seeing as the two team leaders had yet to speak to one another about personal matters. Admittedly, even if the threat of their world wasn't looming in front of their faces, she wasn't sure if she would have wanted to anyway.
"Attention Warworld," the League's leader spoke, tone loud and clear. "This is Captain Atom of the Justice League, representing the planet Earth. We wish to open negotiations."
"But I am uninterested in negotiation."
Siren's jaw tightened at the sound of the Warworld's commander. His voice alone sent a chill down her spine.
"The Earth under the Reach's thumb is too dangerous for my long-term plans," Mongul continued. "It must be destroyed. And frankly, if you understood what you were in for with the Reach, you'd thank me for putting you out of your collective misery, now…"
A spike of fear shot through while Siren watched as the Warworld began to open, a massive canon being revealed underneath and preparing to fire.
"Oh, god…" she murmured. "Are they ready?"
"They have to be," Nightwing said softly.
Siren kept her eyes trained on the satellite imagery while Captain Atom hurried away, ready to join his fellow Leaguers. As expected, Doctor Fate was waiting with a portal, throwing up a shield before the Warworld could meet its target. And Rocket was right alongside him, keeping the Lord of Order safe while the other capable League members set out to retaliate.
"Not sure we're doing much damage in the grand scheme," Captain Atom informed the team's leaders, keeping in contact with them through the Watchtower's communication systems. "But Rocket's protecting Doctor Fate, allowing him to maintain focus on safeguarding Earth. And Captain Marvel, Green Beetle, and I seem to have Mongul's attention."
"Good," Nightwing said, voice tense. "Because the team's already inside."
Siren began to pace, nervous about what was next.
~/~/~/~
Banshee easily kept pace with Impulse, Beast Boy, and Blue Beetle as their squad raced down a corridor, but he was nervous. They had a lot that needed to be accomplished to save their world.
No pressure or anything.
"Beta Squad, report."
"Beta Squad is en route to the key chamber," Blue Beetle answered Siren. "We snag the crystal key and the threat ends."
If only it was going to be that easy.
Banshee scowled when he picked up on something rapidly approaching. "Head's up," he called out.
"Nowhere to hide," Impulse sighed, pausing with the other boys when a mobile container approached from above them.
It slowed to a stop just past the squad, making them all exchange glances. Nowhere to go then. Banshee curled his hands into fists.
Miniature crystals poured out of the compartments, immediately raining hell down on the four young heroes. Banshee fired his grappling hook into the ceiling, launching himself high above the assailants to instead drop down behind all of them. In the small window he now had, he let out a harsh scream.
"We have to keep moving!" he called out when he paused to take a breath, instead kicking out to defend himself physically.
His bracers were coming in handy, if only for the moment as he was able to shield himself from the lasers. But the sound of the fabric ripping wasn't a good sign, proving that his tactic wasn't going to work for long.
I just hope it's working out for the other squads.
~/~/~/~
Meanwhile, Siren had turned on a broadcast to keep up to date with the Earth's reaction to the chaos. They were scared. How could they not be when their world and their lives were at stake? There was nowhere to go. All anyone could do was cross their fingers and hope for the best.
"Delta to Watchtower. Bioships estimates that Fate, the League, and Delta are neutralizing sixty-four percent of the Warworld saturation attack at the source. But that's not going to cut it."
"Watchtower estimates that Earth's military forces will neutralize a further thirteen percent," Aquaman mentioned.
Siren frowned as she read the readings from the Watchtower's scans. "But it'll only take the remaining twenty-three percent to cause irreversible damage. We can't allow that to happen."
But how?
~/~/~/~
"A little help?!" Banshee cried out, slowly backing into the corner he was being forced into by the drones.
A quick blur dashed out in front of him, jumping on top of their attackers to destroy them. And in an instant, the immediate area around Banshee was clear and Impulse stopped beside him.
"Good?" Impulse asked to check on him, likely noticing the tears in his clothing that exposed cuts caused by the lasers.
Banshee nodded, having hunched over with his hands propped on his knees to catch his breath. "Good. Let's go."
He took off, sprinting further down the hall where more drones were at. With the help of his grappling hook, he swung straight up into an unsuspecting drone and landed on it in a straddle. Using the throwing knives Siren made him take with him 'just in case,' he drove one down through the drone's shell. Sparks flew, and the drone instantly dropped, forcing Banshee to jump and grab onto another drone with one arm, repeating the process.
He dropped to the ground, rolling until he was back on his feet where he let out a scream that took out four drones in one go to give Blue Beetle space to use his own sonic cannon.
"Beta to Watchtower, we're in," the latter called out. "And there it is…"
Banshee skidded to a stop beside Impulse, gaping at the singular item resting in the middle of the room. "Well, that's whelming," he admitted, glancing around the otherwise empty room. "Is this it? This can't be it."
As if in response, more and more drones began to rain down on them.
"That answer your question?" Impulse muttered.
"Uh, this might take a while," Blue admitted, still speaking to those in the Watchtower.
Banshee took a deep breath, glaring at the assailants that were on their way. Then he let out a scream.
~/~/~/~
It almost felt like it never would end. Siren could do nothing but helplessly watch as the constant barrage of missiles tried to find their way to Earth. She hadn't felt so scared for her life and her family's life in a while. What if this is it? What if this is goodbye? And I wouldn't even get to see-
"All surface weapons have been silenced," Captain Atom suddenly reported. "Is it over?"
Siren's head shot up and she waited with bated breath. Please…please be over.
"Mongul is down and contained," Superboy's confident voice answered.
Siren covered her mouth with her hands, relief washing over her. Her two companions aboard the Watchtower began to quietly celebrate, clasping each of her shoulders.
"Nice work, Alpha!" Batgirl congratulated.
"I'd love to take the credit, but we didn't do it," Superboy denied. "His whole machine stunned him. I'm guessing with a little help."
"And we've got the crystal key," Banshee piped up, sounding tired, but happy.
"Good job," Siren spoke up. "All of you. This couldn't have been accomplished without your hard work."
"Agreed," Nightwing said. "Now, rendezvous ASAP so we can bring you home."
Siren couldn't help but smile.
~/~/~/~
Banshee stretched his arms high above his head, unable to contain his mirthful grin as his squad returned to the hangar where they had been dropped off at the start. He was honestly scared that they would fail, but he was more than happy to let the universe say otherwise.
"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" he cheered, laughing when a loud whoop came from behind him.
"Do we rock?!" Batgirl cried out.
"Girl, we rock!" Bumblebee agreed.
"Was there ever any doubt?" Blue teased.
"Not over here," Mal- well, Guardian, said confidently.
"Speak for yourself," Banshee snickered. "But I'll gladly be wrong about this."
"Hey, where's Alpha?"
"Trudging along with the big bad," Arsenal spoke up in the comms, "who must weigh like a metric ton! We're just a couple minutes out."
"Take your time," Banshee joked as he propped an elbow on Impulse's shoulder. "Not like I'd like to be back on my own planet or anything."
Even Sphere seemed excited to be done, changing back to her round shape with her usual series of beeps. Nothing could bring down the mood in the room. Not when there was so much to celebrate.
"I know we all did our part, but, really, you saved the day," Guardian pointed out to Bee. "You and that big, beautiful brain of yours."
Bumblebee smiled softly, patting Sphere as she rolled by. "Thanks. But it was your idea."
Guardian shrugged. "I wouldn't call it an idea. More like a desperate cry for help."
"Mal, you know I couldn't have done it without you," Bee said with a laugh.
Guardian took her hand in both of his, smiling fondly at his girlfriend. "No, that's not true. You would have found a way," he assured. "Karen, you are destined for great things. And I haven't wanted to admit it, to admit you've just outgrown me. But we can't hold on to high school forever."
He then sighed. "And I really am so proud of you."
Bumblebee stepped closer. "You know something? You are an idiot," she said, grinning at his shocked expression before she pulled him down to her height. "And I'm an idiot too. I've been taking you for granted. When the thing is, knowing you're there for me, makes all the difference."
The couple shared a sweet kiss, making Banshee roll his eyes with a grin. Wow. It's like we don't even exist anymore.
"Wow."
He glanced over one of the tunnel entrances to find Alpha Squad returning with Mongul in tow. How Arsenal knew how much Mongul weighed was beyond Banshee considering how he wasn't even one of the heroes carrying the guy.
"How do I get that reward?" Arsenal continued with a smirk.
As if to answer, Wonder Girl quickly pecked his cheek as she walked past, making him pause in surprise. "It's a start," he acquiesced, raising a brow.
Banshee let out a dramatic sigh. "Never have I felt more single."
"Well!" Blue Beetle declared. "The gang's all here…"
A sudden, heavy blow struck Impulse across the head, sending the speedster crumpling into Banshee and making both of them hit the ground. What the-
Banshee groaned, shoving Impulse off of him just in time to see a blue armored foot swing into his jaw, knocking him out in an instant.
~/~/~/~
Next week is going to be an...interesting chapter. Since Complications almost solely focuses on M'gann, Artemis, and Kaldur, there was no way it could have been a chapter all on its own. The word count was fine for that section, but the storyline would have fallen kind of flat. It just made more sense to go ahead and let it flow into the section for The Hunt so it'll be a 2-for-1 special next week. Just as a heads up.
I'll also probably start talking about the end of the fic and what the process before the third fic starts will look like so see you then!
