The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the parking garage. Luthor strode towards his limousine, Mercy leading him the way.
Things couldn't have been better. The League was effectively split if his intelligence was anything to go by. The A.M.A.Z.O. Project was showing promise with what he had seen of it. A field test was needed and hopefully soon. Public opinion on the League was also trending downwards thanks to that "mysterious" footage that was broadcast the world over.
Hollywood couldn't have written a better script if it tried. Luthor could and had.
However, there were other matters that needed to be attended to. The day-to-day business matters that kept LexCorp functioning and operational, not to mention leagues ahead of the competition, needed its due diligence. He would never shirk on his responsibilities, unlike a certain Gotham businessman.
Mercy reached the limo, opening the back door. The business mogul stepped in, sliding across the seat to sit in the middle. He was in a middle seat mood rather than a window one. Mercy closed the door behind him with a solid slam.
Which was followed by the window splintering into a spider's web of cracks.
"What?!" Luthor yelped as he stared at the window for an instant. Survival instincts kicked in and he immediately leaned over and locked the door. He immediately twisted around to do the same to the opposite door, sealing himself inside. His quick movements caused the limo to rock back and forth before settling down.
Being the head of a multinational corporation, Luthor was not immune to the occasional kidnapping scheme, so he made certain he was prepared. He was sealed inside of his car, protected by whomever was outside of it. He was safe.
That was until the sound of glass shattering rang out and shards of glass rained down on his bald head. A hand suddenly grabbed onto the lapel of his jacket and Luthor was hauled upward.
The next thing he knew, he was staring into the scowling face of a cowl, white eyes glaring into his own.
Apparently he had forgotten about the sunroof. Damn oversight.
Batman crouched on top of the limo, joining his free hand with the other to hold Luthor right where he wanted him. The billionaire dangled through the vehicle's sunroof, making it appear as if half of him was emerging from it.
It was just them. Luthor's bodyguard was lying unconscious next to the car, the result of having her face slammed into the car window. The rest of the parking garage was empty save for them, and Flash was circling the place on lookout duty. They were effectively alone.
"Luthor," the vigilante growled.
"Freak," the businessman grunted back. "To what—"
Batman twisted his wrists slightly, tightening the man's shirt so that it began pressing against his throat, cutting him off. "It's been you this entire time."
Luthor coughed from the light gagging he was experiencing. "What the devil are you talking about?"
"You're the one behind the Legion of Doom. You set up the entire thing, having them ambush the League time and again, all so you could tear it apart."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
When had that line ever worked? With his double-life, Batman knew that was the first line of defense—deny. However, it had become such a cliche, whomever uttered it was no doubt neck deep in the trouble they were denying. He had used it himself a few times and it never had the desired effect.
"Mind telling me then what the Legion is doing with an Omnicron?" he pressed.
Luthor rolled his eyes. "I couldn't begin to fathom how a group of 'super-villains' would have such a thing—except Computron sold several units of it before I bought them out. I would check your local Best Buy if I were you."
The condescension was thick. "They had an Omnicron 2.0, which last I checked, you hadn't even released it. LexCorp still has them listed as 'in development'."
That gave the man pause. There was a slight widening as he realized what the vigilante was implying, not to mention how he would know of such a thing, whether it be the Omnicron 2.0's development status, or its presence with the Legion. Batman continued on. "On top of that, the Legion has been hiding out in a swamp that you quietly purchased several years ago," he pressed. "Now, tell me why a developer like you would allow swampland to sit undeveloped?"
"I'm not the first to attempt to drain that swamp, as you should very well know," Luthor countered, whatever vulnerability he had shown masked by the poker face he now wore. "We're still—"
Again he pulled on the fabric of Luthor's shirt to gag him quiet. "I've been to the swamp and I saw the Legion's headquarters. That isn't some shack in the marsh; it's a highly sophisticated structure designed to go unnoticed by radar and other means of detection."
"I wouldn't know anything about that," the man continued to protest.
"I highly doubt that since I have phone records showing you making and receiving multiple calls from that location."
Luthor went silent. That was his only defense and he knew it. "Tell me what I want to know," he growled lowly.
"Or you'll what?" Luthor questioned. "Rough me up? Drop me from the top of the parking garage? Add assault and battery to your laundry list of crimes?" He leaned forward to look the dark-clad man in the eyes. "You don't scare me like the rift-raft in that squallard city of yours. Whatever evidence you think you have won't stand in court, unlike in Gotham. There's due process in Metropolis and I am innocent until proven guilty."
"And I don't have to be the one to obtain the evidence," Batman countered. "The Justice League can do that and their reputation and standing in the world will lend credence to it."
A smirk appeared on Luthor's face. "After that little broadcast? You haven't been following the trades, my darkly-dressed friend. Public opinion is turning against the League. It won't be long before your little club is a dismantled relic."
"But until that day, the courts have and will accept any evidence it turns over to prosecutors. It'll keep you busy for awhile until I find something that will stick. And considering you just bought Computron, you've opened yourself up to the jurisdiction of Gotham. Count on receiving regular visits from the GCPD."
The smirk disappeared from Luthor's face, replaced by a wry smile. "Very clever, changing venues. I have to hand it to you, they don't call you the World's Greatest Detective for nothing."
The condescension Luthor placed on the title was noticeable, but Batman did detect there was genuineness in the rest of what he had to say. So that was naturally when the other shoe dropped. "But you're not the only one that can find out secrets," he continued, leaning forward so that their faces were practically next to each other. "Bruce."
He didn't flinch. He did feel his whole body go cold at the mention of that name. The smirk was back on Luthor's face. "Didn't see that coming did you? I certainly didn't until I saw a certain tape."
The future footage...again with that damn footage. He never should have brought it back with him. All over it, his real name had been used. Even if he had taken the time to alter it, Luthor was smart enough to detect the alterations and have them corrected.
"You had us all fooled. I admit it, even I was caught off-guard by that revelation," Luthor continued. "But after doing my homework, I saw all of the connections, everything that links you to that bumbling fool you pretend to be. And what's more, if you continue to put your nose into my business, all I have to do is release an unedited form of that footage to the public. Your life...well, will be effectively over."
That should have been checkmate. It was a nuclear bomb that could destroy anything and everything he had built and accomplished. However, Luthor was forgetting something.
With little point in denying the obvious, it was time to advise this business mogul on the world he just stepped into. "If you know what's good for you, that will never happen."
Luthor snorted with derision. "Because you'll do...what? We've been through this already."
"It's not me you need to worry about. Now that you're a part of the Gotham business scene, it would behoove you to familiarize yourself with local politics. I'm certain you heard of the recent war between the Joker and Hugo Strange."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"With a lot, I assure you. Do you know why those two nearly burned down the city? It was all about my identity. Strange wanted to expose me and the Joker didn't."
"Fascinating," Luthor drolled. "But if what you're implying is that the clown will try to stop me, I have my doubts. He died, after all."
"They never found a body," Batman pointed out, "and he's survived many situations that many wouldn't. I didn't think I'd have to remind you that he hid out in one of your factories, using your own facilities to create a weapon that successfully brought down Superman, something you've failed at doing for years."
A scowl appeared on the bald man's face. Batman pressed on. "At the same time, he used Superman to nearly flatten Metropolis. Considering you've built half of the city, how much did it cost you to rebuild?" A smirk appeared on his face. "All I'm saying is that you know there are lines I won't cross; your homework should have revealed that to you. There are no such lines with the Joker and what's worse is that he's out there, somewhere, and if he ever catches wind of what you know, you're going to be in for a very unpleasant time."
"Noted," Luthor said drily. "Is that it?"
As it so happened, that was when Flash interrupted their talk. "Baaats," the speedster said over the comm link, urgency in his voice. "We've got a situation out here. The Legion is calling out the League."
What? Batman let go of Luthor with one hand, reaching up to his cowl. "Where?" he demanded.
"Right here, southside of Metropolis."
Batman scowled at Luthor, who was looking up at him with a questioning look. What was this maniac up to now? "I'll be seeing you," he told him.
Then he unceremoniously let go of the man and Luthor dropped to the floorboard of his limo.
"And that's about the short of it. Any moment now, the fighting between the League and Legion is gonna start up. It's gonna be bad, there's no doubt about any of that." Gunn's summary of the situation was quick and to the point. There was no time to sugarcoat it.
Turning her gaze from the man, Waller directed her attention to Bordeaux. "This fighting has been going on for too long. The League has yet to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion. I think it's far past time that we acted."
The Director frowned at that statement. "It sounds like you want us to directly involve ourselves into the proceedings, Waller."
"When a bunch of metahumans in spandex and capes can't get the job done, then somebody competent needs to step up," Waller stated bluntly. "People are tired of this situation. If not the League, then we should be the ones to put the Legion on ice."
"But that's not part of our charter. " Again, Trevor was putting in his moral objections. "We are not the ones who instigate anything."
"But we clean up, and there's nothing wrong with some proactive clean up," the dark-skinned woman retorted, glaring down the blond-haired man.
"Enough, both of you," Bordeaux interrupted, glaring both of them down. Waller let the hostility subside, but was perfectly willing to go back to it if nothing productive happened. The Director then turned to Trevor and asked, "Any word on Wonder Woman?"
Trevor gave a sigh. "All my attempts to contact her haven't gotten through. She's fallen off the grid, and unless she went back to Themyscira, somehow, and didn't tell anyone about it, she's still missing in action."
"So hoping for some breadcrumbs is a fool's errand," Bordeaux concluded, correctly.
While it was good to hear that the Director wasn't deluding herself, this last minute meeting was taking up too much time in Waller's opinion. Did they not have all the intel they needed? The answer to this problem was obvious, Trevor's objections notwithstanding. At this point, they were just gathered around this table, sitting with their thumbs up their asses when a course of action should have already been chosen.
"I think it's time we show what we're capable of," Gunn spoke up, looking determined, like he had set his mind to something. Those with a bulldog attitude tended to be like that and unwilling to change tactics regardless of failure or new intel. Still, he was thinking along the same lines as she was, so Waller was not about to question his unintentional help. "I'm tired of playing janitor to these freaks. How about we go in and start bashing some heads in? Show what we're made of!"
Before Waller could say anything, Bordeaux was already shooting Gunn down. "With what, exactly? Bullets? Half of the people about to go reenact West Side Story here are either immune, or protected from that kind of weaponry."
"We have the Red Room! And our armory!" Gunn argued, not about to back down.
"The Red Room has the most advanced and experimental technology on the planet. People are going to ask a lot of questions we don't want to answer if we dig into that stockpile," Trevor denied. "And do you really want to use alien technology in a populated area? With people watching? Recording? Uploading to the damn internet?"
"It's too risky and we already have enough heat from the pencil pushers," Bordeaux agreed. "However, we can't afford to sit back either." Ah, now that was an opening she could exploit. "Waller: since we have professionals, how long would it take to have them ready and in Metropolis?"
Well, Bordeaux was really showing why she was the Director here. Someone was rising to the occasion, and because of that, she wouldn't do any undermining for the time being. "I'll have Task Force X ready in twenty minutes. We can have a jet there in less than thirty. However, if we wait too long, the fighting will start before they can get into any position."
"Do it," Bordeaux ordered. Then, "We don't have a lot of options here, Trevor. Task Force X, or we start answering uncomfortable questions. Unless you have a better idea."
Trevor scowled, but said nothing, settling for glaring down at the table in impotence. Rallying quickly, "And what are we going to have them do when they get there? Watch? Kill everyone?"
"It would be an optimal time to do so," Waller remarked, already liking the idea.
"And exposure of the task force to the League will have us in the same position. Maybe we have another option," the Director mused, Bordeaux locking eyes with Waller, and dark-skinned woman sitting straighter under the scrutiny. "Watching is not an option and too obvious a strike is damaging. So…what about recruitment?"
There we go. Her respect for Bordeaux was growing by the second. "Certainly. Capture and removal can only benefit us."
"You want to recruit more of those freaks?" Gunn demanded, seconds away from standing up in fury.
"Control," Waller corrected, sending a sharp look in the man's direction. "Left to their own devices, these people will only cause more problems. Better to put collars and leashes on them, then direct their destructive tendencies in constructive ways." Then to Bordeaux, "By your leave, I'll have the task force on their way."
Bordeaux nodded and gave a wave of her hand. Good enough of a dismissal, so Waller was standing up and leaving the conference room. Trevor and Gunn could make their arguments, but she was confidence that the Director wasn't going to back down now. Time was of the essence and no one had suggested any better ideas.
In the meantime, while she waited for Task Force X to return, she would get some new rooms ready for their new occupants.
Tires squealed to a stop if only because someone got a little high off of their need for speed. The tool bench almost had a make-out session with the bumper of Cyborg's T-car, which the cybernetic teen would have been on the hook for if that had been the case.
They were back from their stakeout and the only thing any of them could agree on was that Kori's sister was up to something and it had to be something big. The only question was what?
There were a lot of Tamaraneans; the orange skin that was too natural to be fake gave them away. There were too many to be part of some kind of expedition. Sure, you had their queen or Grand Ruler with them, so added security and protection for her, but that many? No one had been able to do a headcount, but even at night and with night vision, you could tell there was too great a number there.
Then there was that huge ship that was hovering over the ocean. What the hell was it? Was that part of the expedition, and if so, what was it for? Based on how Kori's sister put it, they were passing through, or that was the implication. So why bring that thing through the atmosphere? Wouldn't it make sense to keep it in orbit? That way you wouldn't have to get it back up there when you left.
Red Robin knew his gut was onto something. This wasn't right.
Still, there was too much unknown and too little information to go about it. All they had were the recordings Beast Boy and Kid Flash were able to get while sneaking around. Contrary to what they had hoped, not a single conversation was in English with one exception. Even then, it was a vague conversation and so much context was missing. So they had to deal with an unknown language…or maybe not so unknown.
Since most of the Tamaraneans were speaking it, Kori herself would be able to translate. It had to be her native tongue unless someone among that race picked up a different language and spread it around.
No, if Tamaraneans had any similarities with humans, then they would be falling back into habit, using their first language instead of their second, or however many languages they knew. At least with humans, they tended to think their thoughts in their first language.
So many thoughts were going through Red Robin's head. So many questions and not enough information to answer any of them. Not correctly, at least, and right now being correct was absolutely needed. This made the ride up the elevator stressful for him, but after all these years, he knew how to keep his head and not let it overwhelm him. He had the rest of the team to do that for him, after all.
As soon as the doors slid open, he was out. The masked teen made his way to the large living room that was the DeFacto rec room. Well, it was more than that when needed. Whoever thought this was a good idea, well, the teen vigilante did not know whether to admire it, or roll his eyes.
The floor in front of the curved sofa dipped, a circle lowering down and then opening up. Rising from it was a cylindrical module, one that came up to his stomach. Recordings of Beast Boy and Kid Flash's reconnaissance had been uploaded onto a flashdrive, and with it in hand, Red Robin inserted it into the nearest port. Fingers tapped onto a keyboard and then a holographic display lit of the air above the module.
It was a neat piece of tech, a computer that could be brought out even during the most relaxing of veg out sessions whenever an emergency occurred. Jump may not be Gotham, but it did have its troubles, some of which they were contracted through the League to help out with. Yeah, there was still a lot of fuss about it, controversy and whatnot, but he was beyond caring. So long as he and Wonder Girl either kept out of sight, or at a far enough distance that camera phones would have difficulty making out their faces, the rest of the team would be the face of the Teen Titans.
The display showed in one window how much of the flashdrive had been uploaded. Another window had images that Kid Flash was able to take. From the looks of them, it looked like some kind of army encampment. Objects that looked like weapons could be spotted being carried by Tamaraneans and some shipment crates had been sneakily opened to show more of them.
The first of the recordings soon became available in another window, an error box displaying that it did not recognize the language being spoken. That was obvious. Again, most of the alien languages in the system were provided by the League. It figures that no one took the time to get Tamaranien, or whatever it was supposed to be called, loaded in. An oversight by him and everyone else.
"I really got a bad feeling about this." Cyborg was beside him now, taking a spot to the teen vigilante's right. Some of the holographic images were facing the cybernetic teen who was grimacing. "Those look like the same guns those Kalanorians brought with them. Plasma rifles—that's what Kori calls them."
"And what's the big thing?" Wonder Girl asked from his left, bringing up the image of that large ship.
"Too many unknowns," Red Robin stated. "We got pictures, but we don't know everything in them. We have voice recordings, but we don't understand anything in them except one. We have Kori's sister involved with it and I know we don't trust her. What is she up to?
On the other side of the module stood Beast Boy, Terra, and Kid Flash, all through somewhat obscured by the holograms. He made out Terra looking to her right, then her left, before she spoke up, suggesting, "It looks like some kind of invasion to me."
"They got the firepower," Kid Flash added, the speedster tapping on another keyboard and bringing up images of multiple spaceships, all smaller that the big ship, but each resembling what might be some kind of fighter ship. No one could be sure, and just because they looked like something Hollywood would invent to play the part of a space version of a fighter jet didn't mean they were. Still, there were a lot of ships and that could be a big problem in and of itself.
"But if it's an invasion, why hasn't she invaded? Or announced her intentions?" Red Robin asked aloud.
Kid Flash gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Secret invasion?"
"Marvelous," Wonder Girl drawled dryly. "Another secret alien invasion? It can't be like the first one, or that one with the skull ship. It's gotta be like Trogaar. I don't think they're looking for an escaped slave this time, folks."
"If we could just figure out what they're saying, we might be able to figure out what they're up to," Cyborg pointed out. "They didn't know anyone was close enough to listen in on them, right? Wouldn't that mean they'd be a bit more relaxed? Loose lips?"
A nice idea, but worthless since, again, no one knew the language.
"Why not ask Kori?" Beast Boy suggested. The green shapeshifter looked to each one of them before continuing, "It's her language, right? She should be able to understand it."
She would. The question was if she would be willing. It wouldn't hurt to ask. Hopefully Raven was able to get the Tamaranean into a better mood. Still, he wondered if she might see this as a betrayal of trust, or just be hurt that her friends had been suspicious of her sister the whole time.
No, she wouldn't be hurt. One of Kori's best traits was that she understood. Okay, culture shock and slang were things beyond her, but emotions she grasped perhaps better than anyone else. Raven could feel them, as far as he understood it, but the cloak-wearing girl saw them with logic and cold detachment. Kori truly did understand the feeling behind the emotions themselves.
Kori knew and would understand why they would be suspicious. There was the conversation the two of them had many nights ago while staking out a biker bar. That she felt the need to right wrongs with her sister then meant there was still something in her that resented the black-haired Tamaranean.
Still, Kori was also very forgiving.
Red Robin still did his best to signal for Raven to bring Kori with her to the living room for a briefing. It was hard to explain it, but he really spiked up his feelings of alertness, and hoped they were loud enough for Raven to get the message.
Minutes later, the full team had assembled.
"You called?" Raven deadpanned.
Red Robin gave a sharp nod. "We got a lot of questions." Then to Kori, no, Starfire, "There's a lot to catch you up on."
Starfire was frowning in concern. "Is there a situation? Has something happened in Jump? I did not hear the alarm klaxon."
"There was no alarm." Time to be frank and honest. "We tailed your sister. She set up some kind of camp north of here. Something's up and we need your help to figure it out."
Green eyes were wide, though whether it was in shock or hurt, it was hard to say. As much as he would like to try and protect the orange-skinned alien, this was not the time. If anyone would have to say the words, then he would be the one to do it.
Gesturing with a hand to the holographic images, all now being angled towards her so she could see what they had found, Red Robin said, "Your sister has been busy. We found a large number of Tamaraneans, a number of spaceships, and one big one that we don't know if it's a mothership, or if it's something else. Please take a look and tell me what you see."
Starfire looked troubled, but she nodded her head as she stood taller, squaring her shoulders. With small steps, she approached the teen vigilante and the module, her green eyes focused on the images they contained.
"I do not understand. They are armored for war," she said eventually, which really got the masked teen's attention. "Plasma rifles, kar'kenshinq, tormarch'yt, u'xal—I…I mean, 'fighting cruiser fighter' is the best translation I can offer. But this…" A hand stretched out, drawing all attention to the large spaceship, "this is of Psion design. Everything else is Citadel, but this one ship is pure Psion."
"What does that mean?" Wonder Girl asked.
Starfire closed her eyes, her face troubled. Without opening them, "The Psions are a race that is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and science, and are very unscrupulous in their methods. They have a treaty with the Citadel and are routinely asked to use their expertise to develop new technologies and weapons for the Citadel. They are the ones that devised the plasma rifles that are standard weaponry for all spacefaring peoples."
"I already don't like these guys," Cyborg muttered, glaring at the nearest image that had a plasma rifle.
"They are also the ones Trogaar commissioned to…to…to experiment on me." Now those green eyes opened and the phantom pain from her past reflected in the green hue. "I cannot describe the pain and torment I experienced under them. They did not take any pleasure from it, only sought what they could learn from it."
Silence was the only answer to that. There was nothing that could be said.
But something did need to be said. Red Robin had to swallow at least twice to wetten up his dry throat before he could. "We also have recordings, but we don't understand anything in them. Would you…listen to them?"
She gave a sharp nod. There was gratitude there because it meant she did not have to focus on memories better left in the dark. Soon enough, voices speaking words that only she understood filled the room, occasionally one of those who knew nothing of what was being said would whisper to one of the others.
It was the pain of not knowing or being able to contribute anything of substance. Only one of them could do this and she was listening in. You could see concentration on her face, and if there was any sign of her unhappy with them spying on her people, Starfire was hiding it well.
"Nothing," she spoke up suddenly. "Are there other audio files I am able to listen to?"
There were, and silently Red Robin gave Cyborg a nod. Giving a nod of his own in reply, Cyborg started the next file, and the process continued. Starfire would claim there was little of substance in this second conversation and so a third file was brought up.
"It sounds like they had intention to come to Earth," the Tamaranean reported at last. "That does not make any sense to me. They would have heard the stories of the planet. Even…confined as I was, I heard about the rout with the Kalanorians. My people would have heard the same stories. They would be cautious about coming here. Avoidant. This is not making sense."
Because their guardian boogeyman was still scaring the pants off of intergalactic invaders. Hmm, hadn't Galfore brought up his concern about it when he first contacted Starfire? Yeah, yeah he had, which is why they sent him to the Watchtower first. The Tamaraneans had heard the stories and were leery.
So what was this about intentionally coming here?
"Next file please," Starfire requested before the masked teen could voice the question.
There were at least two voices, maybe a third, in this latest file. By the way Starfire narrowed her eyes, she recognized one of the voices. Again they waited, fidgeting and doing anything to keep themselves from being bored—
"X'hal!" Starfire swore abruptly, reeling back from the module.
"What is it?" Red Robin demanded, on alert.
"Did you find something?" Beast Boy asked hopefully.
The Tamaranean was quickly shaking her head, eyes wide with fear. She was babbling and in the same language as in the recordings. What was she saying?
"Kori," Raven suddenly commanded at the older woman's side, cupping her hands against the orange-skinned terrified face. Dark eyes pierced into green, a cloak ruffling about the thin, leotard-wearing body. What looked like black energy seemed to slip out of commanding eyes and yet Starfire was calming down from being on the verge of hyperventilating.
They had to give her time to compose herself. She needed it, and eventually Raven pulled away, her body hidden away in her cloak. Glancing at the teen vigilante from the corner of her eye, she stated, "She had a serious spike of emotion—primarily fear. What she just heard genuinely scared her."
That could not be good, but they needed to know. "When you're ready," he told the shaken extraterrestrial.
Several deep breaths were taken as Starfire further calmed herself. "My apologies. I…I had thought it a rumor, but… I will need time to give you an explanation so you may know how dire a situation we are in."
Okay, this had gone from not good territory to straight up bad. It had to be, especially if Starfire needed to give them context first.
"I heard of a story about a Citadelian prince. There was a planet that had been conquered and he happened to like where the planet was positioned in its solar system. I do not know what criteria he was using and it does not matter. He wanted the planet for himself and…there was one aspect that he did not appreciate: the planet's ecosystem.
"It was said that his tantrum of temper was legendary. He wanted the planet to be like his home world, and it was not, and that was a crime. Once…enough reason was given to him, it is said that he turned to the nearest Psion and ordered him to find a way to change the planet to how he wished it to be. It should be said there was nothing the Psion would be able to do to refuse the order, but that is not what happened. The Psion gathered the rest of their brethren and accepted the order as a challenge.
"The machine they devised…the direct translation is difficult, but the closest I am able to manage is World Engine. When it was activated and used, it was successful in granting the prince's wish. The ecosystem was successfully altered and the prince had the planet he wanted."
It had to be said that it was a minor miracle that no one had spoken up, or interrupted Starfire once. It also needed to be pointed out that they were in a situation that literally involved aliens and empires and all sorts of wild not quite science fiction that right now seemed like something so much bigger than they were.
Cyborg raised a hand, a gesture that meant to humans that he had a question to ask. This was one gesture that Starfire did understand. "So, this World Engine can change the ecosystem of the planet it's on? What about the people already on the planet? The wildlife? The plants and everything else? What happens to them?"
Starfire closed her eyes, her breathing even. They remained closed as she began speaking again, her brow furrowing. "The word I am trying to think of, I believe it is called…terraform. The process of terraforming requires both destruction and creation." The Tamaranean's eyes opened, expressing nothing but sadness. "The people, the wildlife, the plants, and everything else, were destroyed and used to create the new ecosystem. The only life was that which the World Engine was able to create."
How did Starfire know the word terraform? Oh right, because her vocabulary came from Raven, so how had she learned that word? Already, he could hear her answer "I read" in his head.
But this was alarming. Very alarming.
"So why did she bring that thing here?" Cyborg's voice raised, and you could hear anger leaking from it.
"Um, you think she's planning on using it?" Beast Boy half-asked, half-suggested.
Why go out of your way to sneak a machine like the World Engine onto Earth if there was no intention of using it? Because there was no other reason other than fully having the intention to use it. Beast Boy pretty much summed it up in a question.
"Anybody feel like they want to throw up?" Wonder Girl asked shakily.
"She can't seriously be planning to terraform Earth!" Terra exclaimed, standing up to her full height while her hands slammed down on the forgotten module that they circled around. "Why would she want to do that?"
"The only one who has that answer is her," Raven pointed out. "If we want to know why, then we're going to have to go back and ask her."
"Go back to a small army of Tamaraneans who look ready for war and have a giant terraforming machine that they could use any time they want?" Cyborg exclaimed, his single human eye widening.
Well, when you put it like that…
"Uh, so, who thinks we should call up the Justice League?" Beast Boy asked shakily, his smile a bit too wide.
A great idea, except they couldn't because—
"Wait. Allow me to speak with her," Starfire interrupted.
Well, he was going to say that the League might still be off limits until Batman gave him the okay, but sure, let's go with this.
"What do you think that's going to accomplish?" Red Robin found himself asking. His stomach felt like it was in knots, but he had to ignore that right now.
"If nothing else, it will be to determine what Komand'r's intentions are. There is the possibility that this stay on Earth is temporary and she has no intention of using the World Engine here. When last I spoke with her, she mentioned obtaining a weapon she planned on using against the Citadel itself. The World Engine could be the weapon she mentioned to me," Starfire told them all. "Earth continues to retain its reputation. It will make it perfect to hide here until she can launch her attack. While the World Engine is powerful enough to change the surface of a planet, it could easily be adopted into a weapon. Its powers of change and creation are something no forcefields would be capable of blocking. My knowledge comes from stories I have overheard, I apologize."
"Don't be," the teen vigilante told her. "It's more than anyone here has. You can have your chance and at the first sign of trouble…"
Even though it might cause a problem now that he hoped to avoid, the situation had changed too much.
"...we'll call in the League and do whatever it takes to stop this."
It was called the Suicide Slums. It was the worst part of Metropolis, the part that everyone wanted to ignore. The buildings were in need of maintenance and repair, but neglect from landlords and government officials ensured that many were borderline condemned. The people here were the poorest of the poor, voices regularly silenced by violence both from criminal forces and law enforcement.
It was here that the Legion of Doom declared it would make its stand. A last stand if Superman had it his way.
The Legion would serve one more use and that would be to guarantee the League's status as the defenders of the world and solidifying its members into one fighting force. The world would watch and see their supremacy, and everything from the last twenty-four hours would be forgotten.
They teleported down into this section of the city, and Superman grimaced at the sight. When this was over and the building for the one true future began, this part of his city would need to be restructured and restored.
"Don't stray apart," he called out as he took the lead, flying above the streets. "The Legion could be anywhere, waiting. This time is the last time."
The rest of the League was fanning out behind him, putting some distance between one another so that they could react quickly if struck, or limit any damage to the minimal number of people. Those who could fly remained in the air, the rest were in a run on the ground, trying to keep up. There was so much promise here and this was the best chance to not just utilize it, but ensure that it remained united.
There was still the question of why the Legion was issuing its challenge, but that detail was meaningless. The plan was always to eliminate it once they had served their purposes, talk of time travel notwithstanding. He himself was dead in the future; there was no need to return. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, on the other hand, would need to be sorted out.
This time, there would be no need to recruit criminals to shore up the ranks, not when they could unify every hero on the planet, and do so before lines could be drawn. Their future, the future, would not be just restored, but also improved.
The Kryptonian's plans had to be put aside, because he could see them now. Up ahead, taking up one side of a four-way intersection stood the Legion, each one waiting for them. At the front stood Ultra Humanite, arms behind his furry back while his cohorts waited behind him, eager for a fight.
Superman slowed down, then came to a stop, the rest of the League following suit. There the two sides stood, facing one another. Everything else seemed to fade away, inconsequential and unnecessary.
With his cape fluttering around him, Superman crossed his arms and looked down on the League's adversaries. He did a swift headcount, comparing them to the League's numbers and noted they had the better numbers. While greater numbers had not been useful before, this was not an ambush, or a trick. It was face to face, out in the open.
"So what's the plan now?" he called out. "Tired of hiding like cowards?"
Humanite gave a shake of his head. "Just the opposite, my friend. We are giving you a boon. It has been very entertaining running circles around you and your lot, but you know what they say: all good things must come to an end, and so why not us be the ones who chose how it ends?"
So, ending things on their own terms. Far be it from him to deny the Legion a very public and very final confrontation. Everyone here wanted this brought to an end as well, though he knew that their definition of end was very different from his own. Still, to act that boldly, right now, and yes, there were civilians keeping their distance and either recording them, or pulling their phones out to record, was not advisable.
That didn't mean his hands, or those of his closest allies were tied either.
"If it's a fight you want, you've got it," Superman declared. Then, to those who followed him, "Don't hold back. Today we take down the Legion and end its threat once and for all. There will be justice for what they have done."
"Justice?" Humanite mocked. "Perhaps we have two different definitions. Regardless, the only agreement I will share with you is that today will be the last time. Though, I fear, you will be the ones at our feet. Broken. Defeated. A cautionary tale for future generations to learn of and learn from. Now, shall we dispense with the banter and get to it? We are just dying for a fight."
Couldn't have said it better himself.
Throwing at an arm, Superman declared, "Take them down!" The roar of the League swallowed up anything else he might have said as his force of hero charged forth.
In answer, the Legion made their own war cry as they too surged forward.
In the middle of the intersection deep in the heart of Metropolis' Suicide Slums, two forces of metahumans collided.
To Guest: Zatanna is always a fun one to write. I really enjoy writing her
