Chapter 26: The Victory and its Price
General Trevor and his fighter jets continued their flight through the thermal vent of Darkseid's mothership until after traveling twenty-eight miles into the bowels of the titanic vessel, they found their target: the main reactor of the ship. It was a huge globe-like structure that was positioned within two cylindrical slabs of metal which channeled the reactor's power to the rest of the mothership. As the American pilots drew closer to it, the reactor seemed to grow large enough to swallow them, but if they were afraid, they swallowed their emotions and pressed on.
"There it is, gentlemen," Trevor said through his comlink. "All right, Captain Clifton. You go for the energy regulator on the north end. Cut that off and the reactor can't reroute the power. Then one good shot and the whole ship blows."
"Copy that, sir," replied the captain Albert Clifton. With that, he guided his F-40 Phoenix around and opened fire. His aim was true and the energy beams from his jet's cannons blew the regulator out of commission, which was the signal for the other jets to escape before the final blow. However, as General Trevor prepared to launch the finishing blow, one of the Parademons who had gone after his squad spewed fire from its horrible mouth and his right wing was set ablaze.
"I'm hit!" he cried through his comlink. "I can't stay up for long!"
"You won't have to, sir! Look!" Captain Clifton called.
Steve Trevor looked around when he saw a rush of air smother the flames and then felt his jet being lifted up. He saw his rescuer through the visual scanner. Superman was now holding the jet up and had just taken down the pursuing Parademons. With that, the general fired his anti-matter missiles, and all three hit their marks and the power core burst into flame. Not wasting a moment, Superman flew through the vast maze of thermal vents with General Trevor's Phoenix jet safe in his grasp.
At the same time, on the Boom Tube generator deck, Batman had picked up the core's destruction on his Bat-energy monitor and knew it was time to leave. He activated the Father Box and transported himself back onto the streets of Metropolis just as the Mother Box he installed activated.
…
Batman leapt out of the Boom Tube and smashed the Father Box on the ground. In his mind, it was too dangerous to be used again. He returned to his comrades in the Justice League when suddenly, the Boom Tube Spire shot a brilliant beam of energy into the sky. A huge Boom Tube opened up like it was a funnel cloud and all the Parademons that had continued the battle were helplessly vacuumed into the air and through the portal to Apokolips, where they belonged. The Doom Hawks were pulled off course and drawn into the maw of energy, and even the Hell Hounds and Draco-Tanks were vacuumed up into the portal like they were made of paper. The Air Force jets and Navy vessels were able to get away and those that weren't so lucky had help from the Green and Blue Lanterns and the Star Sapphires. Fortunately, Batman's use of the Mother Box had the effect he hoped for, as the automatic command caused every Apokoliptan vessel to form Boom Tubes that vacuumed Darkseid's invasion forces out of Earth's threatened cities.
In the vents of the main ship, Superman was flying at lightning-level speeds with Steve Trevor's Phoenix jet still secured in his hands, and he only increased his speed as the vents were flooded with superheated vapors. Behind him, the remaining Parademons who had been chasing General Trevor's Air Force squad were now trying to catch Superman and the general, but the violently expanding wave of ignited gases caught up with them and scorched them into oblivion. This only encouraged Superman to fly faster and still faster while General Trevor clung to his seat. In moments, the waves of fire filled the vents until they blew from every thermal port on the ship. Still, Superman flew on until he came to the thermal port through which General Trevor's squad had gone and he soared through to freedom with Steve Trevor very much alive.
As Superman landed and rejoined his fellow heroes, he confirmed that Darkseid had been beaten, to which Batman replied that Darkseid's ships were leaving Earth at that moment. Suddenly, before the eyes of the Justice League and the military, the main Apokoliptan ship gave up the ghost. A huge jet of flame shot into the sky as the Boom Tube closed, and a split second later, the enormous vessel exploded into a massive crescendo of fire, energy, and superheated plasma. The blast was so brilliant that it could be seen for more than a thousand miles from Metropolis, and it continued for a full minute before it finally calmed. As the awesome fire cloud dissipated and the shards of metal rained down harmlessly into the sea, the American soldiers cheered long and loud, and Superman and the Justice League and their teen protégés all shared in the triumph, and the result was the same all across the Earth as Darkseid's vessels took to the sky and fled back to Apokolips.
Superman felt his cousin Supergirl throw herself into his strong arms and hug him with all the warmth in her heart. Superboy approached a bit shyly, only for the Man of Steel to draw him into the embrace like an older brother. Superman was just glad to know that his cousin and his younger "brother" were both alive after having fought Darkseid's armies for nearly six hours.
While Batman had made it a point that he was not the warmest among superheroes, even he could not hide his gladness at seeing Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl all in one piece. He embraced Nightwing like a son and let Robin and Batgirl join in the familial affection. Though Robin had been given a minor concussion and Batgirl had a wound in her left hip from a vibro-pike among other scrapes and bruises, they were relieved to have fought long enough to live through the struggle.
Miss Martian hugged her uncle and then flew to hug Superboy, who kissed her lovingly in response. Wonder Girl hugged Robin, and then she practically fangirled out by giving Wonder Woman the biggest hug she could muster. Though surprised at first, Wonder Woman held her apprentice close as though Wonder Girl were a relation by blood. Flash and Kid Flash embraced as the relations they were, and Aqualad and Aquagirl bowed before Aquaman in respect for their king before giving each other a kiss for gladness in the victory over Darkseid.
"Everyone, look up," said Superman. "Look at the sky."
The sight was awe-inspiring as it was beautiful. The ominous thunderclouds that had formed with the arrival of each Apokoliptan vessel were swiftly fading away. The sun was well out of sight in the western sky, but the stars were growing brighter and clearer with each passing moment as the sky became blue and serene once more.
"It's over," Batman confirmed, plain and simple.
…
ARLINGTON
JUNE 13, 7:09 EDT
The members of the Justice League, their protégés, and their allies in the Justice Society and the Doom Patrol met up in Arlington National Cemetery while the rest of the Green Lanterns helped repair the damage in the cities that Darkseid's armies had attacked, and the Star Sapphires and the Blue Lanterns helped them do this as it would be less costly for the Lanterns to handle the job. Nevertheless, the United States government had decided to pay construction workers around the country to aid in the repairs, and the sum was so large it would easily pay off the national debt by a fair margin.
It was fortunate that the Justice League had managed to fight Darkseid's invasion and escape relatively unscathed. However, it was obvious that the militaries of Earth's countries that had fought beside them had suffered casualties, and for America, the Army had a count of over 105,500 dead, the Navy and Navy SEALs had suffered 85,800 total, the National Guard had taken a loss of 98,000, and the Air Force had received a loss of 104,000. Now the Justice League and their allies were waiting for the memorial service.
"We have paid a heavy price," Superman was saying when the report of America's casualties came in. "But I think we've preserved Earth's freedom well enough for one day."
"For once, I'm willing to put aside my concern for tomorrow's trouble and enjoy the moments of peace," Batman said with a solemn nod.
Then Robin pointed to the sky and said, "Hey, guys. We have a helicopter incoming, but it isn't the President's."
The chopper hovered briefly before it came to land. As it did, a small group of uniformed men approached it and brought out another coffin, but this one had a winged helmet set in a carved depression in the lid. Right away, the Justice League and their allies knew who was the first superhero to have died in the battle against Darkseid.
"They've brought Jay Garrick," Hawkman said solemnly.
"The Justice Society was founded by him," said Red Tornado. "And today, he has perished in the line of duty. Our lives will never be the same without him."
Flash hung his head in sorrow, prompting a comforting hug from Kid Flash and from Artemis, who knew how much Wally had wanted to help the Justice League fight Darkseid's invasion, but she had convinced him to stay behind for fear that his slower speed would be more of a hindrance than help in a battle that large.
Sadly, Jay Garrick was not the only casualty among the superheroes. Robotman and Ambush Bug of the Doom Patrol had perished in the defense of Ankara, Hourman had fallen at São Paulo as well, and Gallius Zed was the first Green Lantern counted among the dead. A few Star Sapphires and even a number of Blue Lanterns had also fallen in the line of duty, and the fallen Lanterns would join Gallius as his funeral ship was sent out into space to go wherever the cosmic sea would take him. A few hundred Atlanteans had died protecting Earth as well, and Aquaman gave orders that his fallen warriors would be buried in tombs on Mercy Reef. As for the Amazons, a number of them had died at Ankara as well, and although some of the Amazons who had lived through the battle protested, Hippolyta decreed that she would have her fallen warriors buried in Arlington as a sign of respect for how the men of world had fought beside the women of the world (namely among the Justice League and their teen allies) to ensure the safety of all.
After another few minutes, President Anthony Wilson and his family arrived with the top military commanders of America and the local clergymen, and the service began. Jay Garrick, Hourman, Robotman, and Ambush Bug were buried in a special plot of cemetery land that the President declared would be a designated resting place for the superheroes of America who died in the line of duty. The Amazons and the Atlanteans were buried in that same plot of land and the clergymen said all that they could for the souls of the fallen.
The next few days were spent in continued repair of the damaged cities across Earth as well as dealing with the loss of friends, allies, and good men. However, when the time of mourning was over, the time soon came for the Justice League and their protégés and allies to receive the thanks they deserved for preventing Darkseid from taking Earth.
