Some exciting milestones have been reached with this chapter. Trinity Crisis is officially now the longest story of the SMAV series, both in words and chapters, and we still have more to go! This is also the story with the most words I've posted as well. This probably isn't the most exciting news, but hey, I like to point little things like this out.


It had been her request for her friends to remain behind. This was something she needed to do and Starfire did not want to put them into any greater danger.

She knew what a Tamaranean encampment was and what to expect from it. So many tours her parents had taken her on to such places, the beginnings of her education into warfare. Her father was determined to keep his family's rule an unbroken line of succession and so the education started early.

In that time from another life, the Tamaranean recalled how the various soldiers and warriors would stop what they were doing, saluting or greeting the newest member of the fabled royal family. Kind smiles, boasts of impressive feats, and promises that she herself would be performing them herself one day were the norm, and as always she returned those smiles and kindnesses with smiles of her own.

When she entered this encampment, there were different reactions.

She was immediately spotted, which was her intent. The various green-colored eyes of her people stared at her, yet none of them approached. They were uncertain as to how to respond, what they could do. They recognized her and their hesitation is what she had been hoping for.

There were so many plasma rifles. So many containers and crates with Citadel-designed weaponry. Space vessels were parked where they could be and regular maintenance was administered. Even now, one such maintenance concluded, the crew returning to the spacecraft, and lifting off to join the patrols securing the area.

There were whispers, murmurs, but no one knew what to do. They still recognized her as a princess, their princess. Her name was spoken from lips and heard by ears, quickly outpacing her.

Booted feet crashed the small granules of sand, her strides small. Starfire kept her head up, staring straight ahead and allowing her eyes to seek out any familiar faces. There were two she sought and both would stand out even in present company.

Soon enough, one of them appeared. Towering over most of her people, Galfore approached her first. "Koriand'r, what are you doing here?" her knorf'ka questioned. His voice, which would normally thunder, was subdued and quiet, so different from his normal self. It served as a confirmation, one that she had hoped desperately never to gain.

The younger Tamaranean looked up to her beloved elder, took in the scar and discolored right eye, the long growth of facial hair, and the bulk of muscle that was finely honed, and then responded, "I seek out my sister. Where might I find her?"

Sorrow reflected in both of the elder Tamaranean's eyes, obvious even in his discolored eye. "If I may be so bold, my bum—I mean, my princess, may we speak privately? There is…there is much that needs to be discussed—"

"I wish to speak with the Grand Ruler, my sister." Never would she have ever believed she'd have the will to interrupt one she highly regarded as Galfore, but this was not those halcyon days anymore. Too many trials had occurred, too many people entering her life, and so many lessons were shielding her from sentimentality.

Even if at her core she wanted nothing more than to follow her knorf'ka elsewhere.

Galfore looked down on her, for that was the only direction he could ever look from. Sadness was all she could see on his face, hesitation stilled his body, but eventually he answered with a nod of his head. "Remain here," the larger and elder Tamaranean stated, turning from her to head off and accomplish this latest task.

She did remain where she was bade, surrounded by the rest of her race, though they were comfortable in staying away, watching her. It was…different. When last she had been among her kind, they had all been so warm, so happy, eyes watching her and expressing nothing but joy. Now…they were guarded. None dared move close to her. It felt so cold, colder than the climate of this planet.

As if to underscore the coldness, a cool breeze of air blew by and it took all the young Tamaranean had to not shiver.

From the peripheral of her vision, she spied on the enormous ship that hovered over the body of water—the ocean she had come to learn was the proper term on this planet. She had spent far too much time among the Psions; she could recognize their work, and that ship held all the signs that it was of Psion make. This had to be the dreadful World Engine. It was much…well, she was having difficulty determining if it was bigger or smaller that she felt was the right word.

The right…human word.

Nonetheless, its presence disturbed her nervous system. If the stories of its power were correct, then its size was without meaning. That it was here…

The cape gave away Komand'r's arrival. Her stride was like that of a predator and any Tamaranean that stood in her way hard to move quickly. Dark, nearly black eyes were trained on her, and Starfire endured their attention, even though she kept both of her arms behind her, hands clenched into fists.

"This is a surprise," Komand'r greeted, coming to a halt before the younger sibling. "I hadn't expected you to show up, at least not this soon. What is your purpose here, Sister Dear?"

Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the gazes of her fellow Tamaraneans, Starfire squared her shoulders and returned her sister's gaze. "I would know what you are doing. I would know what that machine is doing on this planet. Are you not commencing with an expedition?"

Amusement clouded the black eyes. "Ah, yes, about that. There has been a, shall we say, a change in plans."

Starfire slightly narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that this change of plans is recent…or has it been your intention all along?"

There was no immediate answer, but the silence was answer enough.

It hurt. It…truly hurt. Her friends' suspicions had been correct and her desire for…any kind of reconciliation…had been misplaced. Ko…Blackfire had managed to hone and train her talents for deception in her absence. However, she could not show weakness, not now.

"There is much you do not know," Blackfire stated, hands on her hips. "It need not stay that way. Did I arrive on this planet with an ulterior motive? Yes, I did. There is no other way to say it. I did find myself enjoying the short time we did spend with another. What I said the last time we spoke, I have not rescinded." Hands removed themselves from hips, and one was held out, palm upturned and fingers slightly curled. "Right now, you have a choice. You can stand with me, your people, or you can turn your back and abandon us. No matter what happens, we, I, have little choice."

"So is this the weapon?" Starfire snapped, slightly surprised with the righteous anger that seeped into her voice. Many Tamaraneans tensed up, but they had not yet aimed their plasma rifles at her. "The one you intend to use against the Citadel? The one you told me about? Why have you brought it here? Through this planet's atmosphere if you intend to use it against our enemies?"

So many questions and they would not remain within. No, her fury was too great and needed satisfaction to calm it.

Blackfire sighed as she shook her head. "I have not lied about that part. Once I have proof of its power, then I will turn it on those who seek to enslave us. However, to know how powerful it is, I must first use it. It just so happens I have a very good reason other than merely turning it on and seeing what it can do just because." Backfire lowered her outstretched arm, but still remained standing tall and proud. "Now, will you please give me your answer? My subjects grow more uncertain while you continue with this tantrum. To know that one of their beloved princesses has returned and has joined their side will warm their hearts and strengthen their resolve. It is really not that hard what you should do, Koriand'r. So what will it be?"

Green eyes look around, took in the faces of her race. So many other green eye watched her in return, so many faces with the same hue of orange, and each one so tense. They wanted to know what her answer was just as much as Blackfire did.

It was similar to her experience on Earth. Everyone else possessed knowledge that she herself did not, forcing her to struggle without vision as she explored the path and options available to her. It was frustrating on multiple occasions, and as of this particular moment in time, she felt that frustration once more.

There was a difference, though. Her friends, the ones she had made here on Earth, were willing to help her learn, willing to explain, and so keep that frustration small. Here…with her own people…

"You mention that there is much I do not know. That you have 'little choice.' Will you not explain yourself and why you are taking these actions?" Her arms were now at her sides, though her fists remained clenched.

"That…" Blackfire's words came to a stop, as if the older Tamaranean sibling was struggling to find the correct words to say. Eventually, "That is information that cannot be given to those who are not trustworthy."

"So I am not trustworthy?" Starfire demanded. "What have I done that makes me not trustworthy? Is it the same reasons that led you to strip me of my freedom? Exile me? Now I am here, now I ask for answers, and you will not give them, why?"

"Why do you remain in the company of those humans?" Blackfire raised an eyebrow, her voice somewhat loud. "Have they poisoned your mind? Diminished your love for your own people?"

"My love for my people has never changed." One of her fists was released only for it to rise up and grasp at her chest. "I longed to return, but I did not have the means at my disposal to return. I learned to love others, to love those who has stayed by my side even in times when it was darkest. I have seen them through their struggles as they have seen me through mine.

"You have brought that machine here, and you tell me you plan to use it on my friends' home world, where they have shown me nothing but kindness. You will destroy them, just like the last people who faced it, who were destroyed by it to make way for a spoiled prince's whim. It would reflect badly on me; no, on Tamaran itself, if this same tragedy were not only repeated, but perpetrated by us. Who are you to decide whether the humans live or not?!"

She had begun yelling, she did not know when, but her voice was loud and it had to be heard throughout the encampment. Her sister's eyes were wide, not expecting the verbal barrage against her, and from the younger, exiled sibling. The black eyes slowly lost their shock, becoming blank as they focused solely on her. Starfire did not look away, her demand for answers not allowed to be dismissed.

"Too much you do not know. I thought I had explained before…but clearly you did not understand." Blackfire's voice, normally so strong, proud, with many moments of scorn, was so soft. "You have been on this planet too long, become attached to it. Yes, I accept the responsibility of not retrieving you sooner…but this is one mistake that can be corrected.

"You ask who I am that allows me to decide the fate of this planet? My answer is this: I am the Grand Ruler of Tamaran. My every action is for the people I rule, who serve me, and who I serve in return. They are infinitely more important than a mere human. As the Grand Ruler, and your Grand Ruler, I am placing you under arrest, not only for the future of Tamaran, but for your own well being. When it is finished, and you know everything, you will be free once more, but not before. I do this with a heavy heart and much regret. Take Princess Koriand'r into custody."

In an instant, Starfire was surrounded by enemies.

These enemies looked like her and now they aimed their plasma rifles at her. There were many blank faces, those who hardened their hearts so that they may follow their orders easier. Others gave her expressions of sympathy and sorrow, but would do as commanded. Galfore did not look at her…

Someone else needed to harden their heart this night. Not for the first time did she know that she was the someone in question.

Both of her hands raised up, a symbol of surrender. Already she could see many of people relaxing their guards, reluctant for a fight, and happy that there would be none. It was a lapse that she was quick to take full advantage of, much to her own sorrow.

Both of her hands lit up with her life energy, green enveloping the immediate area. Without hesitation, she brought both of her hands together and allow the flare of light to blind all who gazed at it. There were so many cries of surprise, pain, anger. With her own eyes closed, Starfire ascended upwards as fast as she could, only opening them when she knew her spontaneous flare was behind her and could not affect her vision.

Away, away is where she needed to go. Flight, such a precious part of Tamaranean culture, propelled her away from the immediate area, but the encampment was large. Not everyone had been watching her when she had first acted.

She could hear the hissing first, a sound that had been imprinted into her memory. Immediately, she took evasive action as the first beams of plasma sliced the air around her. First, the blasts came from below, and then from behind as the chase truly began. To make it harder to hit her, she made small alterations in her movements, moving up, down, to her left, right, all the while always moving forward. To remain in one stationary area was to risk being struck.

The plasma burned the air around her, and despite her maneuvers, the beams were drawing too close to her. Her jaw was clenching to keep her concentration and to try to ignore how close the hissing of those beams were to—

There was an intense heat that seemed to graze a shoulder. Her eyes were quick to examine the damage. The uniform she wore was singed black, but there was no indication that her skin had suffered the same fate.

Evasion was not going to work. If she wanted to ensure her escape…

Starfire flipped herself, her back to the planet below and her head raised so she could see where her pursuers were. There were so many, all of them with plasma rifles, most aimed at her. With one arm aimed back, she fired multiple Starbolts, all aimed for the rifles. Some ceased their firing to dodge, but with the rest her aim was true, destroying the weapons, or disarming the wielders.

Now that they were taking some evasive maneuvers of their own, Starfire returned to fleeing, doing what she felt she could to increase her speed as well as angling herself in a different direction. Trees rushed below her, periodically a road would interrupt the foliage, but disappear just as quickly.

Hmm, she was somewhat off course. More to her right, and then she might be able to reach safety. Glancing back, she fired a few diversionary Starbolts to buy time, but those attacks only delayed the returned barrage of plasma by the fraction of an Earth second. Beams continued to burn the air around her, and she noted how none were aimed for her torso. They wanted to capture her, so only minimal amount of damage was being aspired for.

She wasn't going to lose them; they were keeping up. To her right, she noticed movement and identified that a number of her kinsmen had broken off to try and head her off. She was rapidly approaching their intercepting path; a fight was going to be inevitable and it hurt to think that she would have to make battle.

This wasn't a coup where violence was expected, accepted, and no harmed feelings. She was now a fugitive, made an enemy by her sister, and any actions she took would only vilify her further.

But her fellow Tamaraneans were not the only ones who could plan.

A massive green beast, reptilian with wings—a dinosaur she had been told one—broke the ranks from below, catching many of the pursuing Tamaranrans off guard. Their attention was diverted to this new foe and their rifles were now aimed at the Earth beast with no hesitancy as that shown to her. A perfect distraction as Wonder Girl followed up as the second part of an attacking combo. She was much more personal in her attack, stopping one Tamaranean with an outstretched arm, swinging a kick to another, and punching a third in the side of his head, and moving on from there.

Behind her, large pieces of earth, combined with sonic blasts attacked those pursuers. Those hit with the sonic intensity dropped their weapons and covered their ears, screaming as they began a slow descent to the ground. For others, the ground itself rose up to them instead of the opposite. Boulders slammed into them, smaller rocks bombarded and forced them to try and cover and protect their more vital regions. If Starfire focused, she might have been able to see a yellow glow hidden in the trees below.

Starfire ceased her flight, watching the mayhem as her species was attacked and they tried desperately to fight back. Those fighting Wonder Girl had an obvious target, but the assistance from a returning Beast Boy threw them off and gave the armored human more openings to exploit. The others targeted by Cyborg and Terra were fully on the defensive, though some fired plasma in the direction they thought Cyborg to be located.

It was a sight she had never wanted to see. Her friends were fighting her people and this was not a coup. Unsanctioned, an ambush that had been planned before in case she needed to escape. Somewhere down there, she knew Red Robin and Kid Flash were making an effort to catch any Tamaraneans who fell from the skies, because it was recognized that they were not true enemies, just people caught in a difficult situation.

But what could be the situation? What was Blackfire trying to accomplish? What was it that she did not know that required all of these actions tonight?

They were still unanswered and would have to be. The moment to ensure escape was at hand, and it had been planned that what came next would be…theatrical. That was the word Red Robin had used, and despite knowing the word, Starfire did not fully understand its meaning.

Behind the hovering Tamaranean, a column that some would call black-colored energy thundered towards the night sky, the displacement of air pushing around her back and whipping her hair about.

Black wings unfurled and a massive black bird shrieked out horrifically. The Tamraneans who had yet to sustain any damage could only look on in terror, none of them sure what they could do against this latest development.

Starfire, knowing she was safe, closed her eyes.


It was rare for Green Lanterns to battle against one another when it wasn't for training or sparring. The Guardians were somewhat strict about it, permitting any fighting to take place in sanctioned areas and only sanctioned areas.

John Stewart highly doubted they had thought of this situation.

The metal man was firing constructs, many of them in the forms of cars and streetlamps that were damaged throughout the Suicide Slums. The Lantern returned fire with his own constructs, cylindrical weights with chains attached to them intercepting or crashing through the tin man's constructs.

Urban-based constructs were abandoned as the metal man formed two large hands on either side of the Lantern and then attempted to clap them closed. The dark-skinned man formed a spherical shield, clenching his teeth as the barrier rippled from the dual impacts. With force of will alone, he turned his shield into a shockwave-based attack that obliterated the hand constructs. He was high up in the air, so that meant if anything damage on the ground occurred, it was minimal.

The metal man did not look surprised or intimated, and only brought back the hand that was wielding the power of the Lantern's ring behind it. With its other hand, a green inferno was blasted in his direction. Lantern formed an electric fan in front of himself and used the constructed fan blades to blow the flames in any direction away from him.

The fan construct broke apart as a scream slammed into it. A shield was brought up last second to protect him from the worst of it. Glaring, John swung his arm out while summoning another construct, that of a large clamp. He curved its trajectory with his will alone, satisfied when the construct struck the metal man from the side. The clamp wrapped around the metal head, latching around the area where a mouth would normally be.

The metal man reached for the clamp, trying to pull it off, but good luck with that. It was distracted now, and so the Lantern formed new constructs, all of them swords. With a yell, he charged down at the menace, forcing his green-constructed blades at his enemy in a piercing assault that should finish this.

In less than a second, the tin soldier was hidden from view by all the stabbing constructs, but any satisfaction he may have had ended when a flare of nuclear energy wiped the constructs out of existence. The blowback struck John, and he was sent flying back into a building, his flight ending in a crash. Brick and mortar covered him, and it took a moment to pull himself up, a hand pressing against his head.

Green fire—Fire. That scream—possibly Silver Banshee, or maybe even Black Canary. This last attack—Captain Atom all the way. A final insult, Green Lantern constructs being used against him. How did this thing know how to do all of that?

No, no time to think about that. He was going to put an end to this android once and for all, here and now.

As he lowered his hand and glared up, he found a large, green construct in the air, a very large weight, and it was just about to crash into him. There was a boom, but somehow Green Lantern wasn't under it. One second he had been lying rubble and the next he was propped up against a garbage can.

"I don't like your attitude right now, but I'm not about to let you get squished like a pancake." Oh, Flash. Wally was right next to him, pulling away but not looking happy. "You stay right here; it's my turn."

Before the Lantern could try to object, Flash was already on the attack. The metal man's body jerked, its own concentration now broken and the sudden lack of green constructs gave that away. The tin man began looking around, trying to find what hit it, only for Flash to strike in its blind spot and sending it stumbling.

A red blur came from every direction imaginable, hitting once and leaving just as quickly. The metal man jerked back and forth, stumbling a step or two in one direction, only to do so in another. It occurred to John that this was all intentional. Flash must have been watching his fight with this android and had decided not to give it a chance to use any of whatever abilities it had. It wasn't a bad strategy and easy to do when you were the fastest man around.

But this was some kind of machine they were facing, a durable one at that, and it could think. Right after Flash hit it again, and it managed to remain standing, the metal man froze the immediate area around it into a surface of ice. Flash would have to step on it if he wanted to hit the thing, and that's what happened.

The loss of friction sent Flash off course, and John's eyes widened as the speedster ended his forward momentum by running into a car, pushing the vehicle along with him into the side of a still standing building.

The metal man turned, faced where Flash had crashed, and waited. There was a bright light where its eyes were, John noted, and they dimmed as Flash got back onto his feet. Wally was just back up, and already on the move, a blur that was incoming and ready to pick right back up where he had left off.

The metal man, surprisingly, walked over its icy trap and stood there in the middle of the street, waiting for Flash to reach it. It should have been another hit, but Flash missed. The red blur corrected himself, running around the patch of ice and racing right back at the android. Only now did the Lantern see the gray blur as red ran past it once more.

Flash didn't go too far and soon there were two blurs moving around one another, one red, one gray. It only lasted a few seconds, but for speedsters that was a long time, and it stopped with Flash crouching on what was left of the street, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

The metal man stood there, arms crossed cockily and in a way the dark-skinned man felt was familiar. Leaning forward with its torso, the metal man did the last thing the Lantern expected, and voiced a taunt.

"Too slow."

Flash glared up at the android and you didn't have to be Einstein to know what was coming next. Well, John wasn't about to let his friend, Wally, fight this alone. Flash might be on the wrong side, but damn it, never again.

He would not watch his friend die a second time!

The green aura around his body flared, Green Lantern held his arm up straight in front of him, and fired off a massive beam from his ring. Both the speedster and the android raced out of the way, their speed giving them plenty of time to do so. The beam passed by harmlessly until it detonated some distance away.

Giving a yell, the Lantern threw himself into a flying charge, heading towards where he saw the android go. The man-shaped robot hadn't gone far and had spotted his approach almost immediately. A flare from his ring summoned two gun-shaped constructs, and a second later he began firing green bullets from the constructs' barrels.

The android moved out of the way, but Flash had recovered and intercepted, decking the metal man on the side of the head. Two uppercut blows went to the gut, then Flash ran out of the way as Lantern turned the constructs onto the android again. This time, the bullet constructs hit, and he increased the rate of the barrage, the metal man's body jerking with each hit.

A gray blur replaced the tin man, and once again Flash intercepted, tripping this new enemy. However, the metal man recovered and was already back on its feet, moving faster than the human eye could follow. As a blur, the metal man ran into the side of the gun constructs, hitting each hard enough to shatter them.

Grimacing, Green Lantern formed a shield just in time for the metal man to strike it. The green barrier held, but the rapid-fire punches were starting to wear away his concentration. Abruptly, the metal man stopped punching and turned to catch Flash, who was coming in from a side. In the next second, Flash was slammed into the shield, and Green Lantern's eyes widened. While the shield held, his concentration wavered.

It was enough for the metal man's following punch to break through. Lifting the captured speedster up with one arm, Flash was then slammed into the opening in the shield, and the next thing the dark-skinned Lantern knew was that his friend's body was ramming into him.

The construct fell apart and the two men crashed onto the broken pavement, laying their sprawled out. Flash groan and held a hand to his head. Green Lantern peered up through narrowed eyes at the metal man, who loomed over them. This bastard was proving to be tough, but it wasn't over. Not yet.

Then the metal man began to glow, not green but white, similar to…oh no.

It was all he could do to bring up another shield just as the explosion hit.


As the smoke began to dissipate, Batman had retreated out of the used electronics store, grappling up the face of the building until he reached the roof. He had just finished reeling in his grapple claw when the smoke suddenly blew out, spreading out across the street.

The reason for this was Hawkgirl flapping her wings. She must have waited until this moment to clear the area. The vigilante had assumed the Thanagarian would have taken to the sky the moment the smoke covered them, but she must have gotten a lungful of the smoke as she had been coughing when he escaped.

The spreading of the smoke caused the cloud to thin out faster, revealing the winged woman, her wings beating steadily to clear her view. Her head twisted this way and that, not finding the dark-clad man for obvious reasons.

And then she began to rise up into the air. Batman took a couple steps back as he pulled out another bat-shaped shuriken. This one, unlike the others, had a coating of sedative on its edge. The moment Hawkgirl appeared, he'd throw it at her, injecting her with the sedative once skin was broken.

She appeared over the ledge, facing in his direction. Immediately, Batman threw the shuriken, watching it whirl through the air towards its target.

There was a flash of metal and Hawkgirl swung her mace, knocking the shuriken away. Damn, when had she recovered that? It had last been embedded in the wall to the building. She must have used the smoke cloud to her advantage and yanked it out.

That was a miscalculation on his part.

"Out of tricks?" the redhead called out as she began to glide down to the roof, touching down on the ledge. Batman continued to back away, putting some distance between them, but not a lot. "Good, because I'm getting really tired of this."

Yeah, so was he. He just didn't say it out loud. Instead, his cape slid over his shoulders, covering his body.

Hawkgirl took a step towards him, then another, casually strolling. "You can't win; surely you know that."

"So you would prefer I just roll over and die?" he shot back.

"It'd be convenient for everyone if you did. Face it, Bruce, the future is inevitable. You gave it a good shot, a pretty good one actually, but all you did was postpone it at best. We're on a countdown now to when the One Earth Government returns and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Sorry if I choose to fight that. At one time, you would have done the same thing."

"That was before the bad guys of this planet decided it was open season and began picking us off one at a time."

"They've always been doing that. It was only a matter of time until one was successful."

Before Hawkgirl could retort, there was an explosion. While that wasn't too out of the ordinary since there was fighting all over this neighborhood, their natural instincts took over and caused them to look towards it.

Hawkgirl was the first to see it as she was closest to the ledge. "What the hell?" she questioned.

Uneasily, Batman began creeping towards the ledge, making certain to keep the Thanagarian in front of him so that she didn't surprise him. This could all be a trick to lure him closer after all. In the event that it was, he had his electrified brass knuckles on his hands, ready to shock her into oblivion.

As it turned out, there was something that had captured the winged woman's attention. Down on the street was a tall metal man. At his feet were Flash and Green Lantern, the two looking as if they had been through a rough time. Whatever it was, it stood there lording over the two, silent as a statue.

Then it focused its attention on Flash and knelt down, grabbing the young man by the neck and lifting him up into the air, arms and legs dangling. It then drew a fist back, ready to punch him.

"Oh no you don't!" Hawkgirl launched herself off of the roof, spreading her wings out as she soared down towards the metal man. Batman held his position, watching as the Thanagarian closed in on her target.

It wouldn't be difficult for the mysterious man to spot the redhead closing in on him. In fact, he did, looking right at Hawkgirl. With her mace drawn to one side, she then swung it, the weapon colliding with the side of his head. There was a distinctive cling! as metal clashed against metal.

The metal man's head turned to one side. He let go of Flash, the red-clad man dropping to the ground at his feet. In the meantime, Hawkgirl swung her mace from side to side, railing blows on the man, pushing him back a step and then another.

And then he shot a hand up, catching the next swing as his bare hand latched onto the mace's head. Hawkgirl tried to yank the Nth metal weapon out of his grasp, but she had no luck. Giving that up, she then powered up the electrical properties of the Nth metal and zapped her foe.

The metal man flinched back from the voltage initially; however, it recovered quickly. Still hanging onto the mace, he raised his other hand and pointed it point blank at Hawkgirl's chest. The electricity shocking him suddenly ran up his arm, crossed over his chest, and then down his other hand. Before Hawkgirl could react, the metal man blasted her with her own electricity, sending her flying backwards through the air.

Batman's mouth dropped open. That…that had looked like something Black Lightning would have done. While he hadn't seen the man much in action in person, he had seen whatever footage had been available and the former Olympian had been seen channeling electricity through his body much the same way this metal man had.

Suddenly, the metal man was a grey blur, racing past the airborne Hawkgirl and moving behind her. When his features returned, he held a hand up, which the redhead's back collided with, stopping her in midair. With his other hand, he grabbed onto the back of her pants before raising her entire body over his head. For a split second, Batman thought he was going to try and snap the Thanagarian's back over his knee, but that fear proved to be naught as he threw the winged woman right down at the ground at his feet.

Then, oddly enough, he just stared down at Hawkgirl as she laid crumped on the ground. That didn't last long as she began to stir. She rolled away from the metal man so that she could push herself up onto her hands and knees.

Then she lunged at the metal man, who merely used his superspeed to dart away, stopping a short distance away. Whipping her head around, Hawkgirl growled before she leaped towards her foe.

That was when the metal man…changed. Out of his back, two wings formed, sharp and sleek in contrast with Hawkgirl's feathered ones. In his hand, a mace formed, looking exactly like the Thanagarian's.

What the hell is going on? Was this metal man a shapeshifter? Was that what was going on? Was it even a man?

And then the two combatants clashed. Hawkgirl was on the offense as she swung her mace, only to be blocked by the metal man's own mace. It then shrugged off the Thanagarian's weapon and lunged forward, swinging its mace at her head.

In response, Hawkgirl blocked and parried the attack much like she had been, countering oddly enough like the metal man. Back and forth the two went, swinging their mace, only to be blocked, parried, and then countering. It was almost like Hawkgirl was fighting a mirror image of herself, albeit one that was taller, metallic, and had a longer reach.

That all changed when the metal man blocked Hawkgirl's latest strike with its mace, shooting up its free hand—make that fist—and pointing it right at her face.

There was a flash of green and suddenly a blast of green energy erupted from its fist. The beam swallowed up Hawkgirl, who screamed as she was sent hurling backwards through the air. She emerged from the green blast far down the street, dropping down to skip across the broken pavement until she came to a stop. Smoke wafted up from her body from burnt marks on her skin.

Batman couldn't help but gape. Seriously, what was happening here? So far he had seen this…thing use moves and powers from Hawkgirl, Black Lightning, Flash, and now Green Lantern. The mace and wings were clearly the Thanagarian; the ability to redirect and control electricity obviously was Black Lightning; the superspeed was Flash; and now the green energy beam from the metal man's fist was a dead ringer for Green Lantern.

There was another, loud BOOM! that interrupted his thoughts. Turning his head, he saw what looked like a smoking crater in the street not too far away from where this metal thing was.

Now what?


Many of the cameras had been damaged by now, so keeping up to date feeds was proving to be difficult. For once, Luthor found he didn't mind too much.

Amazo was exceeding all expectations. From the minute it had entered the fight, it had dominated and overcome everyone it encountered. The meta-humans found their own powers used against them and were unable to adapt fast enough. Then there was the combining of multiple powers to increase its versatility.

Ivo had produced. All the time, the effort, the resources, all of it was worth it to see this moment. The Justice League, the Legion of Doom, the allies that costumed maniac brought with him, they were all no match, and Amazo was only getting stronger with every new power copied.

"All systems are still functional, no bugs detected," Ivo reported, the scientist's eyes on a monitor that was constantly monitoring the android's functions. "The acquisition process has been operating phenomenally. Storage of copied abilities is maintaining. Interesting, the compartmentalization feature has been decreasing the amount of storage space required."

All of which meant that the android was performing beyond expected parameters. Obtaining the powers and abilities of the fire-based and ice-based metas had been a good start. Gaining the power of Captain Atom was even more impressive. Now, it was going head to head with the founding members of the League. The power of the Green Lantern, the speed of the Flash, and the flight of Hawkgirl was increasing its formidability.

There were only so many left and there was one in particular that Luthor hoped would be next.

His fight with the Martian was coming to an end. Soon, there would be only two. This fight would be the one to really pay close attention to. A shame so many of the cameras and surveillance equipment was already destroyed…but there were other ways.

If memory served…

"What's the status of LexCorp Satellite 3?" the business mogul wondered aloud. From a laptop, he brought up the relevant information, frowning when he learned the satellite in question was nowhere near close to being in place. LexCorp Satellite 4 on the other hand…

Some tapping later and now a new view of the battlefield was present. It was an overhead shot because satellites could only look in one direction: down. However, it would afford another vantage to look at the upcoming fight.

Amazo was able to have the test of its short life. If successful, the rewards would be limitless. Past experience tempered his excitement, though. How many times had he a new creation, be it a weapon or something else that was designed specifically to take down the Boy Scout, only for it to fail? Too many times, and he was perfectly aware that Amazo was only the latest in a long line of developed weapons.

Keep calm and watch. Whatever the outcome was, he would need to pounce on whatever result it was. It was easy to tell what he was hoping for, but hope was only something for small-minded people to protect themselves from a harsh future. He was a realist, and until there were results, he would hold out and wait.

Still, this next encounter should prove entertaining.


J'onn thought he had the drop on Superman. The entire time he could sense the man's temper growing and growing from frustration as he vainly sought him out.

That all changed when the Man of Steel spun around, a hand latching onto the Martian's neck. With one tight squeezed, he gagged, losing control of his invisibility, and returned to a visible form. His own large hands grabbed onto the Kryptonian's arm, trying to pry him off.

"Nice try, J'onn," Superman complimented him. "But there was one thing you forgot to mask."

Then came the blow, a powerful punch that embedded itself into J'onn's abdomen. It forced the air out of his lungs, leaving him breathless and dazed, not the least bit helped by the fact he was being strangled as well.

"I could hear your heartbeat the closer you came."

Super-hearing—of course, he had forgotten that. Superman had a litany of abilities, but only used them when necessary. All of his senses were heightened, always activated, so the man had to make a conscious effort to block out the additional stimuli. His efforts allowed him to live a relatively normal life when out of costume, but he had trained himself to always be listening for several key words and phrases, much like a supercomputer.

Over and over, Superman drove his fist into J'onn's stomach, the Martian flinching and winces from each powerful blow. Raising that same fist up, the dark-haired man floated higher than the Martian before he threw his latest punch, one that hit him in the face.

Superman released his hold on the green-skinned man and the force of his blow took over, plummeting J'onn through the air at the speed of a hypersonic missile. The world was a blur to him before he hit the ground. The ground gave way beneath his body and J'onn was swallowed up by it, forming a crater whose edges rose above him but then curved over until they met. Darkness surrounded him, heat from the friction created by the impact making the underground air pocket he was in almost unbearably hot.

Coughing, J'onn took in as much air as he was afforded. That entire sequence had occurred with him breathless and if he were to recover, he was going to need oxygen.

A moment of shame overcame him as he caught his breath. His previous encounter with the League, taking on not only Superman, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl simultaneously had proven a theory he had, one that had him as one of the strongest members of the team. This led to his hubris in a one-on-one fight and ultimately this outcome.

This…this was enough. Once J'onn regained his strength, he would return to the surface and no longer try to overwhelm Superman. No, it was time to use the full might of his telepathic powers and stop this budding tyrant in his tracks. As long as the psychic-immune heroes were defeated, or restrained, he could keep Superman trapped in a world of his own creation until they figured out how to keep him from terrorizing the world.


Superman lowered himself through the air, looking at the impact crater J'onn had made. It had actually closed in on itself, leaving a heated, smoking shell in its wake.

He rather doubted the heat he was feeling would put an end to the Martian Manhunter. He had proven himself quite adaptable save for when there were open flames. Perhaps if he heated up that shell, he could increase the heat to the point it burst into flames. It was certainly worth trying.

As he landed, his eyes glowed red from his Heat Vision. He was about to do as planned when his hearing picked up on a footstep. Allowing his eyes to cool down and return to normal, he tore his attention away from the impact site and searched for the source of the footstep.

He found it a moment later, where a tall, silver person stood. Behind them was the ruined neighborhood of Suicide Slums, one that was littered with either the defeated forms, or dead bodies of the Justice League and Legion of Doom. Some parts were on fire, thick dark clouds of smoke rising high into the air. The street and surrounding buildings were decorated with cracks and craters, an occasional patch of ice breaking up the monotony. There was even a long trench that followed down the street until it came to an abrupt stop.

What the heck was this now?

"Who are you?" Superman demanded as he fully turned to face this new obstacle. He wasn't certain if he wanted to call it a threat since he wasn't certain if it had been responsible for the destruction behind it, but this was certainly an odd place for it to be.

Instead of answering him, its eyes light up brightly, which caused the Kryptonian to shift into a defensive stance. He was quite familiar with eye-based powers, so he would be ready for whatever this thing was about to do.

However, nothing happened. The light in its eyes dimmed back to its normal. On its chest, a familiar S symbol formed, displayed as proudly as the one on Superman.

"Now we play," it intoned before it suddenly launched itself at him.