Chapter 14

Metropolis; May 5th, 22:54 EST

Flash and Martian Manhunter entered the Kryptonian ship, Barry immediately growing tense with dread. The alien spaceship gave him the creeps no matter how he looked at it. Maybe it was the fact that it had given birth to Doomsday or perhaps it was the fact this was the place where they had also brought the dead back to life.

Either way, it was creepy.

J'onn gave him a sidelong look, sensing his apprehension. "If you wish for me to look around without you, feel free to wait outside," he told him.

"What? Oh, no…I'm okay," Flash replied. "It's just that a lot has happened in this place, some of it not so good."

"Doomsday," J'onn said with a haunting tone.

"So, you've kept up with what's been going on," Flash thoughtfully responded. "I didn't know how much you kept up with world events."

"I have a much closer eye on the world than you might imagine," J'onn informed him. "This might not have been the place of my birth, but it has become my home. I care about this world and the people in it."

"That's so cool that you've been able to start a new life here," Barry commented, awe lacing his voice. "I just started a new life for myself not that long ago. Well, not really a new life but more like a new beginning. It's…complicated."

"How so?"

"I was pretty aimless I guess…no real direction in my life," he revealed. "I was spending my time trying to prove my dad didn't kill my mom but joining the Justice League has given me direction and a new purpose. I was even able to get a great job thanks to Batman."

"I'm sorry for the painful trial you've had to endure."

"Thanks," Barry softly said. "No one would listen to me as a nine-year-old when I tried to tell them that my father was innocent. I'm hoping to get my dad out of jail someday by learning forensic science. In the meantime, I want to help others who are going through what I went through."

"That's very noble of you," J'onn praised him. "I wish more people shared your desire to help."

"It's what I know my mom would've wanted me to do," he confessed.

"I'm sure she's proud of you as well as your father."

"I know they are," Flash replied with a grin. "All right, do you want to head to the right, and I'll head to the left?"

"I will hail you if I find something."

"Okay," Barry agreed, releasing a breath as he stared down the hall that he had suggested he take. What had he been thinking by suggesting they split up? It wasn't so much that he was scared but that this place put him on edge.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," J'onn assured him. "I don't sense anyone else in the ship except for us."

"That's good to know," Barry muttered with overwhelming relief. "I mean…I know. We'll be fine."

J'onn smiled to himself, understanding Flash's apprehension. Barry walked away, pausing to look back over his shoulder at the Martian Manhunter. "Do you think that Darkseid is coming to Earth too?"

"I don't think…I know he will," J'onn confirmed. "It's inevitable."

Barry nodded his head as the full weight of the coming war settled over him. They needed to be prepared in ways they couldn't begin to imagine. The thought was a horrifying one, but he was determined to stand with his friends to the very end.

He'd finally found a purpose and direction for his life, acceptance that he'd been searching his whole life for. He had discovered friends that were becoming a family, replacing the one that he had lost. No one could replace his mom and dad, but these friends were important to him too. He would do whatever he had to in order to protect them.

Metropolis; May 5th, 23:04 EST

Seeing sirens from a distance, Superman pointed at Cyborg to head to the scene. Something was obviously up, capturing their attention and forcing them to divert from their destination. Superman wanted to make sure everything was all right before searching for Luthor.

Landing on the outskirts of the scene, the pair approached a police officer. "What's going on, officer?" Superman asked.

"Superman," he greeted him with an appreciative smile. "I'm afraid you're a little late to help with this one. Got a dead body."

"Do you know their identity?"

"Yeah, it's Professor Ivo," the officer revealed. "Shot right between the eyes."

"Can we see the body?" Cyborg asked.

"Sure," he said. "Come with me."

The officer escorted them past EMT and other police officers. Detectives scoured the area for clues, looking for any signs of who the killer could be. They made their way to the body covered by a tarp. Lifting it up, Cyborg and Superman crouched down to inspect the body.

They had seen the photos of the bodies found on Lex Luthor's yacht. Three of them had been shot right between the eyes just like Professor Ivo had been. Only the woman, who had later been identified as Everly Meeks, had been shot in the abdomen at close range. It had been far more personal in her case, not as cold and calculating as the others meaning she had meant something to him to some extent.

Superman and Cyborg looked up at each other, both thinking the same thing. This had to be the work of Luthor. "We need to tell the others," Cyborg softly said. "I wonder how many more there are."

"There's no telling at this rate," Superman agreed. "He's up to five bodies now."

"And we still don't know who all he's recruited to join him," Cyborg reminded him as he straightened up.

"This could turn into an all-out war," he replied with a grim expression on his face, straightening up as well.

"Have you been able to find any clues yet?" Cyborg asked a nearby detective.

"Nothing," the detective informed them. "We believe that he was killed someplace else and then dumped here, but there's nothing else to indicate who could have done this."

"Let's go," Superman decided. "We need to find him before he can kill again."

Just as they were about to leave, Amazo landed in the grass several feet away from them. The android looked down at the dead body of Professor Ivo before looking back up at the two heroes. He immediately began to attack them, feeling they were the ones behind Ivo's death.

Superman instantly moved into position to protect the police and first responders, making sure they could get to safety as he drew the android's attention to him. Cyborg grabbed a couple of detectives, carrying them away from the scene to a safe distance away before returning to help his teammate.

He flew straight at Amazo, slamming him to the ground. "We did not do this," Cyborg stated.

"I will avenge my father," Amazo hissed in response. "All of you will pay for taking his life."

"We had nothing to do with his death," Cyborg insisted. "It was Lex Luthor."

"I don't believe you!" Amazo seethed, kicking Cyborg off of him. "The Justice League will pay for this!"

Leaping to his feet, Amazo lunged for Superman only to be blasted by his heat vision. Amazo didn't allow the powerful heat to slow him down, stalking straight towards the Man of Steel. He delivered a bone-shattering punch that caused Superman to fly out of sight and out of the town's city limits.

Amazo turned only to be stuck by a tiara to his head. "Remember me?" Diana ground out, capturing her tiara as it ricocheted back to her.

The android's arm turned into Cyborg's weapon, firing blasts of energy at her. Diana deflected each blast with her bracers, digging in her heels to keep from being pushed back by the sheer power of each shot. She could feel her boots beginning to dig up the asphalt with the force of his blasts.

Batman threw a volley of Batbombs that exploded at the android's feet, distracting him from Diana. Amazo fired his weapon at the Dark Knight who leaped out of the way, the asphalt he'd been standing on exploding into pieces.

Amazo was suddenly slammed into from behind by Superman who was determined to finish this once and for all. They careened into a brick wall that collapsed on top of them, leaving Superman's teammates to wonder if the android was finally down for the count.

They knew it would take more than a heap of bricks to slow down the Man of Steel and he didn't disappoint as he burst out of the pile. Unfortunately, he was quickly followed by Amazo who refused to be taken down for long.

Diana took to the air, chasing after the pair in an effort to help Superman. Nothing they did seemed to slow the android down. He seemed to be growing stronger with every confrontation they faced. They were going to have to come up with a plan to stop him and soon.

The problem was that Professor Ivo was now dead, taking all of his secrets about Amazo with him.

Amazo glanced back over his shoulder, spotting Diana hot on his heels. He spun in the air, deciding to finish her off before taking the Kryptonian out. Diana sped up, flying straight at him fists first. Amazo did the same thing, colliding in the air with a loud explosion.

Diana plummeted to Earth, temporarily knocked unconscious from the powerful collision. Cyborg flew up to catch her in mid-air, gently laying her down in the grass. "Go finish him," Diana told him, her hand going for her forehead.

"Are you all right?" Batman asked her.

"Fine," she spat out, taking to the air again without another word. She wasn't about to be stopped by the android, despite the pounding in her head.

It was turning into a stalemate, with no winners, or losers. Something had to give.

Cyborg, Superman, and Wonder Woman surrounded Amazo in the air, all three of them closing in on him. Amazo turned in a tight circle, finding himself in a showdown. No matter what he did, they kept coming back for more, refusing to give up. He began spinning at a blinding rate as he released blasts of freezing breath at his opponents, ice pellets firing at them like bullets.

"What do you think, Bruce? Feeling helpless watching your girlfriend in a battle your team can't win?"

The sound of the all-too-familiar voice caused Batman to turn around to find Deathstroke standing several feet away from him, gun drawn and pointed straight at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," Batman growled, pulling a Batarang.

"Ah, ah, ah," Deathstroke chided him, his finger itching to pull the trigger. "No weapons, please. This is between you and me and now your girlfriend."

"Wonder Woman is not my girlfriend," Batman icily stated, refusing to get roped into the assassin's games.

"Sure, Bruce," Wilson quipped, his eye focused solely on his target despite the sounds of the fierce battle that was taking place overhead. "You want to play it that way it's fine by me. I finally decided to skip all the games and just go for the kill."

"If you want me, then why are you involving Wonder Woman in this?"

"Nothing personal," Wilson replied. "I just love a challenge and she's turning into my biggest one yet. I have to admit I was quite impressed…maybe even a bit turned on…when she caught that rocket that I shot at your house, destroying it without a scratch. She's a tough one. I bet she's an animal in the sack."

Batman kept himself from reacting, denying the assassin the reaction that he knew he wanted. Slade wanted Batman to respond and challenge him, to show that he did have feelings for Diana. He wasn't about to give anything away that proved that he was truly Bruce Wayne.

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about," Batman rasped darkly, fighting the overwhelming urge to pummel the assassin senselessly.

"Well, this conversation is taking far too long," Deathstroke decided, his finger beginning to put pressure on the trigger. "First, I'm going to kill you. Then, I'm going to unmask you, cut your head off, and show the world that Batman is nothing more than a spoiled, billionaire brat in a suit who thinks he can play the hero when he's nothing more than a zero. After that, I'll put your girlfriend out of her misery…might have to cop a feel of course."

"Cop this," Diana hissed as he pulled the trigger, flying directly into the assassin before slamming him to the ground.

Batman managed to barely dodge the bullet as Superman flew past him only to skid along the road, tearing up asphalt along the way. He created a deep trench half a mile long before finally skidding to a stop. Batman couldn't worry about him right now, knowing that he needed to stop Diana from killing Deathstroke.

He needed information out of him before she ripped his head off. Diana had her fist cocked back, ready to deliver a blow that could cave his head in if she didn't temper her strength. "Wait!" Batman yelled.

Diana glanced over her shoulder at Batman, her chest heaving with fury as he approached them. "Wait for what?" she seethed. "He tried to kill you and me. It's time to finish this."

"I love your fierce spirit," Deathstroke said, smirking up at her.

"Shut up," Diana snapped, punching him in the face and rendering him unconscious. She stood to her feet, turning her anger on her boyfriend. "What do you want?"

"I want information from him," Batman stated, looking down to see blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No, but I was prepared to," she retorted.

"I need to know what information Luthor gave him about me," he explained. "I can't do that if he's in a coma or dead."

"Fine," she spat out. "He's all yours."

"He's gone," Cyborg relayed as he abruptly appeared beside Batman, Superman arriving at the same time. "He took off again. He thinks that we killed Professor Ivo."

"Great," Diana groused. "If he didn't want us dead before, he definitely will now."

"He's back!" Superman yelled, everyone ducking as he unleashed a barrage of blasts from his weapon.

Amazo plowed into Batman, taking him to the ground and knocking the wind from his lungs. Diana lassoed the android, jerking him backward and straight into her fist. "Hold on to him, Diana!" Superman yelled, flying at lightning speed at him.

Superman pulled a piece of steel out of the ground, wrapping it around Amazo in hopes of at least slowing him down as Cyborg released a volley of blasts at him. Unfortunately, it didn't last long enough as Amazo easily broke the steel as if it had been nothing but paper keeping his arms strapped to his sides.

Batman rolled onto his side, struggling to catch his breath as he staggered to his feet. He was definitely going to be feeling that collision for some time to come. Bracing his ribs with his arm, he turned to find Deathstroke was gone. Looking about him, he didn't see any sign of him anywhere.

He cursed as Diana landed on the ground beside him, her anger blazing hotter with every counterattack by Amazo. Getting to his feet, he placed a hand on her arm. "We have to come up with something different," he told her. "Nothing we try is working."

"Need a little help?"

Batman and Wonder Woman looked up to see a man dressed in black and green flying towards them, encased in bright green light. He had a ring on his finger that emitted some sort of energy, giving him the power that he needed to fly.

"Who is that?" Superman asked.

"He's a Green Lantern," Cyborg said in awe as the unexpected hero created a massive club that he used as a baseball bat, sending Amazo flying out of sight.

They all watched as the Green Lantern landed in front of them, a smile on his face. "I'm John Stewart," he introduced himself. "I heard you guys could use some help around here."

Morocco; May 6th, 02:40 EST

Sneaking into an impound yard along the shore of Morocco wasn't something that had ever been on high on Arthur's list of things to do and yet here he was with Mera sneaking into an impound yard to check out a yacht. He had volunteered for the task only because he wanted to spend a little alone time with Mera. This pick of the missions seemed to offer the best at the time.

Now, he wasn't so sure as a couple of attack dogs ran straight for them, barking madly. Arthur stood his ground, scowling at the dogs. He growled at them, causing them to take off running back to where they had come from. Mera just shook her head, relieved that he hadn't used his trident on them.

"Do you have that contraption Batman gave us to use?"

"Right here," she assured him, patting the water-proof bag at her hip. "Do you think we're going to find anything?"

"We better hope so or we're screwed," he told her, spotting the yacht they'd been looking for. "We have no other way to stop this Amazo thing."

"I'm sure Bruce and Victor could come up with something."

"In the meantime, we need some help," he replied. "We're taking a beating every time we encounter it."

"We?" she questioned him with an amused smirk. "We haven't encountered it yet."

"You know what I mean," he retorted, pulling himself up onto the ladder on the back of the yacht. He paused offering her a hand to pull her up with him.

Do you think Black Manta is in the States?" she asked him as they began to inspect the boat.

"I have a feeling he's wherever Luthor is right now," Arthur responded. "That means Metropolis."

"I'd love to beat his face in," she groused.

"With any luck, you'll get that chance, but I have a feeling you'll have to get in line with the rest of us."

Taking the device out of the bag, Mera turned it on and began scanning the boat, taking her time to make sure she didn't miss any part of the yacht. Arthur did another sweep as Mera used the device, hoping he might find a hidden compartment that he may have missed before.

Knowing Luthor, he probably had dozens of hidden compartments on this thing.

Entering the upper deck where he'd found the captain's body, he couldn't help but notice the large bloodstain on the floor. He began searching through the various compartments, finding nothing but countless maps and books. The logbooks had already been confiscated by the authorities, leaving them with little to go on.

Arthur grunted in annoyance. He was beginning to think this was a waste of time, but if they could prove Luthor had more Kryptonite, it could save their hides against this Amazo. They would just have to make sure Supes wasn't around when they used it. They couldn't afford to take him out as well.

A signal went off in his ear, taking him off guard. He'd forgotten about the new commlink. Pushing it, he responded. "Hey, who is this?"

"Batman," he responded. "Luthor killed Professor Ivo. Amazo thinks we did it. He attacked us again tonight."

"Great," Arthur grumbled. "That's all we need."

"We have a new ally," he told him. "A Green Lantern showed up to help us."

"What's a Green Lantern?"

"Return to the cave when you're done, and we can update you," he replied. "Having any luck?"

"Not yet," he responded. "Mera is still below deck with that device you gave her to use."

"Keep me posted. Batman out."

"Hello? Bats? Hey!" Arthur yelled, frowning as he tapped his commlink again. "I'll never get the hang of this stupid thing."

Not finding anything significant, Arthur left the upper deck in search of Mera. Hearing a thud, he raced to the main deck. "Mera!" he yelled her name, not receiving a response.

Coming around the corner, Arthur nearly stumbled to a stop, finding Mera lying on the deck with blood trickling from her head and Black Manta standing over her. Arthur's hands curled into fists, rage immediately flooding him and filling every fiber of his being.

Behind Black Manta stood six of his henchmen, eager and waiting for the word to be given. Arthur swore he could see Black Manta smirking beneath his helmet. He wanted nothing more than to crush that helmet of his and the man underneath it.

"What are you going to do now?" Black Manta taunted him. "Your girlfriend is down for the count…and I don't see your speedy little friend anywhere near here. Seems to be that you're severely outnumbered."

"I don't need anyone to help me bash your head in," Arthur uttered with a sneer, taking a step toward his nemesis. Pausing, he tapped his commlink. "Still, it never hurts to have a little backup. Flash, buddy, could use a helping hand."

"On my way," Flash responded.

Black Manta leveled his weapon at Aquaman, tilting his head slightly. "He won't be here in time to save you from me."

"You called?" Flash asked, standing beside Black Manta with his elbow on his shoulder. "Are you causing problems again? I thought you would've learned your lesson the last time."

Black Manta growled furiously, spinning around to push Flash away to find he was no longer there, and neither was Mera. Looking up, he was greeted by Aquaman's fists, throwing him back into his henchmen. They staggered back, barely righting themselves to keep from ending up in a heap on the deck.

Manta lunged towards Aquaman who swiftly met him with his trident, blocking Manta's attack to remove his head from his shoulders. Flash readily began handling the henchmen, delivering a series of punches to each of them in rapid succession that they were unable to stop.

One whipped his trident around, trying to impale the speedster. Flash yelped in surprise, narrowly missing getting stabbed. He yanked it out of the henchman's hand, using the butt-end of it to slam into the man's gut. He doubled over in pain, receiving a second blow to the back of his neck.

Black Manta jammed the retractable steel blade in his left bracer into Aquaman's side, causing the Atlantean to cry out in pain. Blood oozed from his side as he clenched his teeth, refusing to allow the wound to slow him down in the least.

Using his trident, he swiped it at Black Manta, knocking him off his feet. Aquaman attempted to stab him with his trident, Black Manta rolling back and forth in an attempt to keep from being impaled. He lifted his legs, kicking Aquaman away from him only to be stomped back down by Mera.

She glared down at him, her nostrils flaring with fury as she pressed the heel of her boot into Black Manta's chest. "You seem to think you can take me down permanently, but you're wrong," she seethed. "You are no match for me."

Manta shoved her away, scrambling to get to his feet. "This isn't over!"

"I think it is," Aquaman said from her behind her with a smirk. "Flash, take cover!"

Mera's eyes began to glow as she created a ball of water from the ocean that was just a few feet away. A bright light began to shine around her hands as she worked her magical ability, a massive wave erupting from her hands. It slammed into Black Manta and his men, sweeping them far out into the ocean.

"That was freaking awesome!" Flash exclaimed. "I didn't know you could do that."

"She's pretty amazing that way," Arthur told him, giving Barry a fist bump. "Thanks for coming. I didn't know for sure how long it would take Mera to recover."

"No problem," Flash told them. "Are you guys all good now?"

"I'm fine," Mera assured him. "I was just finishing up with Batman's device."

"Did you find anything?" Arthur asked her.

Her lips curled into a grin. "Traces of Kryptonian," she revealed. "Luthor had Kryptonite on this yacht."

"Yes!" Flash cheered. "Now, we just have to find Luthor."

Batcave; May 6th, 04:12 EST

"Stop squirming," Diana scolded him with a frown. "You're worse than a child."

"I don't have time for this," he stated with a disgruntled scowl on his face. "I'm fine. We have too much to do to worry about some bruised ribs."

"Kal said you have a couple of fractured ribs," she replied, continuing to wrap his torso to help ease his pain. "The others are bruised. You should rest for a couple of days."

"I don't have time to take a couple of days off," he insisted, clearly angered by the turn of events. "Amazo has to be stopped and we have to find Luthor before he kills any more people. And there's no telling where Deathstroke went."

"We have more help now with J'onn and the Green Lantern," she pointed out. "That will be a big help, especially when Darkseid decides to attack Earth."

Bruce shook his head, having great difficulty containing his frustration. "It won't be enough, Diana," he told her. "We're going to need more. We have to find more help."

Diana huffed in annoyance, finishing the wrap on his torso. Standing before him, she folded her arms against her chest as she glared at him. "Bruce, we need to take care of one problem at a time," she stated. "Our biggest problem is Luthor and Amazo. Then, there's Deathstroke. The gods only know what hole he slithered back into."

Bruce couldn't help but smirk despite the tumultuous emotions twisting and churning inside of him. "You really clocked him," he praised her. "You know it was pretty sexy."

She snorted softly in amusement. "I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't loosen a few of his teeth."

His expression grew somber once more. "I'm afraid you've really made yourself another enemy," he warned her. "Not only does he want you dead, but he's also attracted to you."

She grimaced as her arms fell to her side. "I'd love for him to try something again," she bit out. "Next time we meet, he won't be able to walk ever again."

Bruce reached out and took her hand in his. "Just be careful," he replied. "I know you're able to take care of yourself, but Deathstroke is the best assassin in the world. When he's done toying with us, he's not going to miss."

Diana gently squeezed his hand, closing the distance between them. "You worry far too much for your own good," she murmured, pressing her lips to his to silence his concerns. "I'd rather you worry about yourself instead. He could've killed you while we were trying to stop Amazo tonight."

Bruce tilted his head, parting his lips. She readily took advantage, her tongue creating a sensual burn deep inside of him. "You know I think I'm suddenly feeling better," he whispered against her lips, kissing her again.

"You are in no condition for that," she reminded him, stealing another kiss.

"All right…break it up you two," Arthur groused with a pained gasp. "We've got injured coming in."

Diana turned around to find Arthur holding his bloody side as Mera escorted him to a nearby medical table. "What happened to you two?" she asked, noticing the gash on Mera's head.

"Black Manta showed up on Luthor's boat," Arthur grumbled, wincing as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Ah, I see I have some new patients," Alfred greeted them as he entered the medical bay with a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water for Bruce. "Each one take a bed and I'll be with you shortly. I have breakfast in the works as well."

"Alfred, you're amazing," Flash said, suddenly appearing at his side. "You're like a jack of all trades. I bet you could whip up an omelet and sew a head shut all at the same time."

"Any mention of food and he just shows up out of thin air," Arthur commented.

"Hey, I just got back from checking the Kryptonian ship with J'onn," he revealed. "It took us all night."

"Did you find anything?" Bruce asked.

"Nada," Barry replied. "No Kryptonite. We checked and rechecked every inch of that ship. If there was a hidden compartment, we found it and checked it."

"I found traces of Kryptonite on Luthor's yacht," Mera revealed with a grin, handing the device to Bruce.

"That's great news," Diana responded. "Now, if we can just get our hands on Luthor and the Kryptonite, we can put an end to this."

"Where's J'onn?" Bruce asked Barry, looking past him for the Martian.

"He had to return home," he replied. "He said he'd return this evening."

"Day job," Arthur decided with a smirk and a nod. "That narrows down his identity."

Mera gave him an incredulous look as Alfred tended to her head wound. "Yes, that narrows it way down," she sarcastically responded. "He works during the day."

"Hey, who is this Green Lantern you were talking about?" Arthur asked Bruce.

"His name is John Stewart," Bruce revealed. "He is going to be a powerful addition to the team."

"What's a Green Lantern?" Barry asked.

"They are a very special group of heroes that fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers," Diana explained. "They are called the Green Lantern Corps. It's an intergalactic law enforcement agency."

"Like space cops," Barry decided. "That's so cool. Can I get a ring?"

"I'm afraid the ring picks you," Diana told him. "It's powered by will and chooses individuals who have the strongest will."

"How do you know so much about them?" Bruce asked her, surprised by her wealth of knowledge.

"Earth's Green Lantern fought with the Old Gods in the first invasion thousands of years ago," Diana revealed. "He fought bravely, but he was eventually slain by Darkseid."

"Wow," Barry murmured. "Let's hope that doesn't happen when Darkseid decides to come around again."

"It could if we don't find more heroes who are willing to fight," Bruce grimly stated as he walked away, leaving them standing there.

"He's exceptionally happy this morning," Arthur noted.

Diana frowned as she watched her lover disappear around the corner. Something more was going on with him than just Luthor and Deathstroke. She needed to find out what that something more was so they could deal with it.

She didn't want any more surprises especially not now.

A/N: Things are getting interesting!

UP NEXT: Bruce reveals to Diana what's been bothering him. Luthor's time could be running out. Will the League find him before it's too late? :)