Disclaimer: Property of DC.
Rating: T for Trigon, I mean violence and language.
Edited: 04/22/22
Gotham Holiday: A White Door
Chapter Three: Fractured
Thousands of armored monsters churned above the Capital City of Tamaran in a slow-moving circle. Low on useful gadgets and separated from his allies, Batman wasn't sure how long he'd survive if the creatures decided to resume their attack. Whatever force had called them to the skies, he was grateful—if wary.
At nightfall, Batman took comfort in the city's growing shadows. As he picked his way through the desolated streets, he considered hiding until J'onn and Herald returned with the rest of the League's nearby members. He couldn't afford to get picked off. Batman's gaze lifted to the stars. As long as Robin and Alfred were out there, dying on Tamaran wasn't an option.
The Titans and Kid Flash are probably dead, the logical part of his mind whispered. But hopefully, they're just laying low.
Batman continued amongst the rubble, briefly considering each Tamaranean body he passed. He steeled himself for the moment he might find one of the younger heroes critically injured or dead. He paused, coming across a winged invader half-buried under a toppled wall. Certain it was dead, Batman moved in for a closer look. His lip curled at the creature's misshapen face and glassy, pale eyes. Its armor was dark green with gold accented pieces. Batman noted with morbid fascination that the armor protruded right out of the creature's shriveled flesh as if the metal had burst forth from inside the invader's body.
The temperature around Batman plummeted.
Looking for danger, he found Raven instead. She emerged from a dark, swirling portal.
Raven threw her hands up, casting a black shield above herself and Batman just as Superman rocketed down from the sky; his fist smashing against the barrier. Raven grunted, but the shield held.
Moving partially on instinct, Batman retrieved Luthor's Kryptonite ring from his utility belt. Wearing the ring, he fisted his hands and rounded Raven to put himself between her and Superman. "Let him come, Raven!"
The barrier vanished. Superman surged forward; his fist pulled back to knock Batman out with one brutal punch. Instead, Superman reeled back as if doused in acid. He fell with a cry to the ground and staggered backwards, holding out a hand as if it could block the deadly radiation.
Batman stalked after him. "Snap out of it, Clark. You've been brainwashed. Whatever they've done to you, deep down you know something about this feels wrong. You know we're on the same team. I'm your friend."
Superman sank to his knees. His palms stopped him from toppling face-first into the street. "If I don't kill you for this, my father will!"
Batman loomed over him.
Raven hurried to Batman's side. She glanced from him to the hero suffering at their feet. "It's... killing him."
"As terrible as it sounds, we might not get another chance," Batman told her. "Is there anything you can do?"
Raven began to levitate. "I can try to reach him."
On the ground, Superman groaned and rolled to his back. His breathing became strained. He glared up at his tormentors. "You'll regret this."
"Hurry," Batman urged Raven.
Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos…"
She slipped with remarkable ease into Superman's thoughts.
They were open skies.
Raven soared through a hellish terrain of burning skyscrapers. Screams and gunfire came from the streets far below. The air tasted metallic. Metropolis was on fire. Sensing Superman, she flew east through the city until she found him hovering high above its center.
He faced her with glowing red eyes and a sharp frown.
"What a rude and invasive child you are," he accused, but the voice wasn't his.
It belonged to an old woman. Lightning flashed, and Raven caught a glimpse of her in Superman's place. She was broad-shouldered with long, tangled white hair and black eyes. Her armor was dark green with a gold belt that matched her flowing cape. The black and red aura surrounding her undulated with danger.
Raven asked, "Who are you?"
The hag spoke again through Superman's mouth.
"Leave this mind, brat! Or I'll tear yours apart!"
The word 'apart' struck Raven's forehead like a bullet.
She screamed and grabbed her head with both hands as fire seemed to shoot throughout her skull. Her body fell backwards, plummeting towards the ruined city. Her brain felt ready to explode from the pain sizzling through its tissues. Tears flooded her eyes. She couldn't see! Raven screamed as she fell.
Then the pain stopped.
Darkness swallowed Metropolis, and Raven found herself falling through a bottomless void. She felt her father's terrible presence rising to envelop her. Everything in her warned that the sprawling darkness was him, and the further she fell into its depths, the more he held her in his grasp. Still screaming, her hands reached upwards.
A blinding white figure caught her by the forearm. Raven realized she dangled on the edge of a crumbling rockface. Her father's darkness remained below as a whirling pool of rising shadows. She squinted up at the figure who had saved her. Its glow diminished.
Raven gasped. It was Robin! He was halfway over the cliff's edge—somehow keeping them both from falling. His grip on her arm tightened.
Robin smiled in relief at the recognition in her eyes. "Need a lift?"
Raven's eyes flew open. She dropped out of levitation, landing on her backside with a grunt. Superman lay unmoving before her; his chest gently rising and falling. She sighed, getting to her feet.
"I'm sorry," she told Batman as she turned to face him. "Whoever's brainwashed Superman, they're rooted firmly in his head. I couldn't get through. Maybe J'onn can."
"I would like to meet J'onn."
Kanto held the Kryptonite ring between two fingers, regarding it as an object of curiosity before hiding the ring with a wave of his hand.
Raven's shocked gaze found Batman unconscious near Kanto's feet. Angrily, she lifted her arms, dark powers swirling around her fingers.
"Azarath. Metrion. Zinth—!"
Kanto held up a hand before his face. The moment he formed a fist, Raven felt her lips press together and seal shut. Her incantation ended in muffled surprise. She sucked in a startled breath through her nose. Her fingers flew to her face, scrabbling over the smooth surface that had taken the place of her mouth.
Smiling, Kanto tightened his fist.
Raven fell to her knees, grasping at her neck. She couldn't breathe! Her heart thundered in her chest. Muffled cries were all she could manage as she looked wildly around for anything—anyone—who could possibly help.
Kanto's smile widened at her suffering. He stepped closer. He didn't have to close his eyes or chant a silly spell to dive into her mind. With ease, he peeled away her mental shields.
Raven sensed his enjoyment over her own frantic attempts to stop him.
Her face began to burn with the stress of struggling for air. The tightness spread across her cheeks to her ears.
Skimming through her surface thoughts, Kanto's eyebrows rose with surprise. He released her with a flick of his wrist.
Still on her knees, Raven sucked in painful gasps of air as her fingers brushed over her lips. Her mouth was there! Or maybe it was never gone. Maybe he just made me think—!
"Greetings, daughter of Trigon." Kanto gave a respectful tilt of his chin. "Your father's power is not unknown to us. Which is why, now that I know who and what you are, you cannot begin to imagine my further disappointment. You don't seem to have inherited even a fraction of Trigon's power."
Kanto twirled a hand towards the creatures flying overhead. "You wouldn't even make for a decent parademon."
Raven suppressed her shame at how easily he'd invaded her mind, allowing anger instead to swell in her chest. Her eyes, all four of them, glowed bright red as she rose from the ground.
"Stay out of my head," she growled.
"Your head is empty," Kanto mocked. "There's nothing of interest there. You're just a husk, Raven. A useless shadow in the making. Soon you'll fade, and all your potential will be lost to eternity. A pity. You could have been so much more."
Kanto seized her in his invisible grasp once again, slamming her first to the ground and then lifting her a few feet above it.
Raven's mouth wasn't sealed, but the wind had been knocked from her lungs. Her body went rigid with pain as Kanto's telepathic fingers drove harshly through her mind again. They drilled painfully down past her surface thoughts, bringing tears to her eyes. Raven shook her head violently. White and black flashes erupted in her vision. Panic made concentration impossible. She couldn't say the words she needed. She couldn't even think them!
Raven collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. She was no longer in Kanto's grasp.
Familiar shops and restaurants lined the street to either side of her. The sky above Jump City was bathed in an eerie red light that cast its strange glow over every surface.
Raven realized she wasn't alone. Other people sat on their knees here and there along the sidewalks. The citizens of Jump were statue-still with bowed heads. Raven recognized Beast Boy and Starfire amongst a group of people. She hurried to them. Like the others, her friends were on their knees staring at the concrete with half-lidded eyes.
She sensed nothing from them. No pain. No fear.
Something close to sadness.
Or perhaps emptiness.
Raven looked them over for injuries. Finding none, she knelt by Beast Boy and took him by the shoulders. He didn't react to her presence. "Beast Boy, what's wrong?"
She glanced between him and Starfire. "What's happened here? Who did this to you?"
They didn't seem to hear.
Looking beyond them, Raven noticed Cyborg on his knees in an intersection full of abandoned cars.
"Cyborg!"
She flew over and dropped beside him.
His eyes flicked to meet her, but any relief Raven felt was dashed as horror overtook Cyborg's expression. The emotion quickly vanished, and his head sank, his gaze returning to the pavement.
Raven gripped one of his shoulders with both hands, desperate to regain his attention. Fear made her voice crack. "Please, Cyborg, you have to tell me what's happening!"
Chills fell over Raven's body. She shivered under the weight of a terrible presence—her father's presence—but more—as it descended from the red, overcast sky.
Her Other Self, clothed in a red version of her costume, smiled down at her as it lowered to the street. Its spiteful, glowing eyes focused on Raven. The moment their gazes met, Raven felt all care for herself, for Jump City, and her friends, subside into numb apathy.
Her gaze fell to the ground.
She understood that her friends no longer mattered and neither did she.
Nothing mattered.
And nothing ever would.
"Good. I'm glad you understand how worthless you are," her Other Self sneered.
Raven felt a freezing palm on her forehead. In her mind, she saw flashes of the Justice League, especially of J'onn. She realized her Other Self was searching for information about their weaknesses.
Raven didn't care. What did it matter? Besides, she possessed only cursory knowledge of the League.
But Robin would know.
Her Other Self seized upon the thought—dragging up Raven's last memories of 'Robin'.
A glowing figure caught her by the forearm…
Harley Quinn dropped the Kryptonite into his waiting palms…
Far below, she saw him running across the rooftops, chasing after Scarecrow alone.
Raven saw next a blinding rope of light winding through space. She raced along it with her Other Self. It flew so fast the stars blurred. Together, they followed the light down through a planet's atmosphere. A hellscape spread out below, but they chased the thread of light down, down into a dark forest that somehow existed amongst the lava and ash fields covering the planet's surface. An Azarathian temple rose from the trees, and plunging inside, they spiraled through torchlit hallways until they found Robin and Alfred asleep in a tiny room.
Alarm spiked past the numb indifference saturating Raven's brain.
She tried to halt whatever was happening, but she couldn't stop her Other Self from driving its claw-like hands straight into Robin's head.
He grimaced, and Raven saw flashes of the Batcave's supercomputer intermixed with images of the Justice League. Methods of injuring and killing them were stolen from Robin's memories.
"Robin, wake up!" Raven cried. "Wake up!"
As he gasped awake, both she and her Other Self were violently pulled upwards through the temple's ceiling.
Kanto released Raven from his grasp, leaving her to twitch on the ground as his attention turned to Tamaran's sky. He gave the stars a small frown before settling his gaze back on Raven.
"You're very entertaining," he told her, "but our time together is running short… at least for now."
Dazed, Raven rolled onto her back.
"Robin, wake up..." she murmured.
Kanto concentrated on the parademons flying overhead. He sent them a simple order: Capture and return. The massive swarm broke from its slow circle and descended upon the city.
Four parademons came straight to Kanto. He gestured at Raven and Batman. "Take them to Apokolips."
Superman groaned, pushing himself upright.
Two of the parademons latched onto Batman. The other two grabbed Raven.
"What happened?" Superman asked, standing with a hand pressed to his head.
"They possessed a mighty weapon that gravely injured you," Kanto explained, "but have no fear. I have secured it and will personally deliver the weapon to your father. Are you well enough to continue, Kal-El?"
"Of course," Superman insisted. He cast an angry look at Batman and Raven. "They surprised me. It won't happen again. I'll get the others."
Kanto nodded his approval and Superman took off, shooting towards the other side of the city.
Beast Boy shapeshifted from an elephant to a donkey, kicking and thrashing to fend off the monsters that grabbed at his clothes and limbs. Raven's shield had failed, and Beast Boy had ended up separated from his allies. Panicked, he searched for them amongst the blur of green and gold armor swarming through the city.
I have to find Raven! She must be really hurt!
Beast Boy shifted into a horse and galloped through the sea of monsters. He managed to evade them at every turn, but no matter what form or size he became, they were always on the verge of overwhelming him. The horde tackled him to the ground. As a rat, he escaped their sharp claws and teeth. He scurried to safety.
A building close to him exploded, blasted apart by red bolts of energy. Beast Boy lost his concentration and shifted back to human form. The creatures zeroed in on him. With a panicked cry, Beast Boy turned and fled.
"Raven! Anybody! Where are you guys!?" He frantically looked up and down the debris-filled streets. Blasts were flying everywhere. Some he could tell were his friends, others not. Before Beast Boy could decide what to do, the swarm was upon him again. He transformed into a peregrine falcon and took off fast, climbing to the sky before any invaders could snatch him with their clawed hands. He wove through a clot of monsters circling above the city.
Raven's cloak caught his eye. She'd been captured! Two monsters were flying her towards a portal.
Oh no you don't! Beast Boy dove towards Raven and her captors, transforming into a gorilla just before crashing into them. He smashed the monsters away from her. This sent one hurtling straight into Kanto.
Beast Boy caught Raven and landed safely. He shifted back to himself, lying her on the ground, but keeping her in his arms as he knelt alongside her. "Raven, are you okay? Where does it hurt? What happened? Did you find Batman?"
An unseen force ripped Beast Boy and Raven away from each other, sending Beast Boy across the street and slamming him into a pile of debris. Beast Boy tumbled to the ground, landing on his side.
He moaned and gripped his ribs. "Oh man, I need a vacation from this vacation…"
Looking up, he dizzily watched Kanto stride towards him. Beyond, he saw Raven on the ground. She still wasn't moving.
Invisible fingers wrapped around Beast Boy's neck. Choking, he kicked as he was pulled up into the air, his toes searching for leverage. He pawed at his neck. He felt the sensation of fingertips digging into his head. They forced their way in, seeming to crack through his skull and into the soft tissue of his brain. Beast Boy screamed, tears streaming down his face. Between the pain and his racing thoughts, he was sure he'd black out. But his mind came alive with images of Earth's animals and his own past transformations. These familiar visions were intermixed with an increasingly vast menagerie of horrifying creatures he'd never seen before.
All the while, Kanto studied him.
Abruptly, the images stopped flooding Beast Boy's head, and so did the piercing agony.
Kanto broke into a smile of conquest. "I'm a fellow shapeshifter, you know, though not nearly so limited as you are, Garfield. Or perhaps you prefer being called 'beast'?"
Beast Boy squirmed in midair. He could breathe and think clearly at last, but he couldn't transform. He must be suppressing my powers! "Stupid jerk! I prefer you put me down!"
"I know just the place for an orphan like you, little beastie," Kanto told him, "but first, I can't help but indulge myself. I know you'll forgive me."
Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah. Then a jellyfish. An alligator. A mongoose. A dog. Without any control over himself, he shapeshifted into dozens of Earth's animals, one after another. A finch. A wolf. A spider. A squid. A zebra. A stegosaurus. A monkey. A fly. A snake.
Stop it! he snapped, but the words came out as an angry hiss.
Strange images began popping into his head. Beast Boy saw animals mixed together, and just as soon as he'd recognized their component parts, his body was forced to shift into whatever strange hybrid Kanto wanted. A black bear with the head of a great white shark and skin covered with porcupine needles. A giant wasp with hairy spider legs and a scorpion tail. His mouth grew impossibly wide and full of teeth, overtaking most of his face. His eyes turned into dark slits. Dozens of root-like appendages began sprouting from his torso, some ending with clawed hands, others splitting into razor-sharp spikes. He grew as tall as Cinderblock. A hunger for flesh and blood filled him, making Beast Boy want to reach with all his writhing limbs and snatch up every living thing to eat, but his own horror at what he'd become overrode the urge to grab Raven or even Kanto.
In his mind, he screamed for help instead.
Kanto laughed at his distress. He looked to Raven, who appeared unconscious. "Oh, my dear Raven, how unfortunate for you. It appears to be feeding time for my new pet." He looked up at Beast Boy. "A pity she won't be awake as you crunch her bones."
Kanto snapped his fingers and one of Beast Boy's tentacled arms raced towards Raven. It wrapped around her feet and began dragging closer.
Beast Boy tried to let her go, but he could only watch in panicked horror as she was lifted to dangle over his enormous, drooling maw. He struggled to close his mouth, to change into anything else—nothing worked. His grip on her legs loosened.
Please! he inwardly begged. Please stop! I'll do anything else you want! Just don't make me hurt her!
Kanto scoffed, and with a flick of his wrist, Raven was tossed aside. "I suppose I prefer to keep her around. She's quite fun. Besides, there are plenty of other interlopers here on Tamaran that you can feast upon. Here comes a volunteer now!"
Kid Flash ran into their midst. He paused by Raven to untangle her from the folds of her cloak and assess her injuries. He looked up at Kanto and the green monster in anger, then confusion.
"Whoa, Beast Boy? Is that you?"
Several green tentacles shot towards Kid Flash.
"Yikes!" Kid Flash hefted Raven over his shoulder and moved to flee, but an invisible hand grabbed him by the hair, slamming him face first into the ground. Raven was torn from his grasp and tentacled arms cocooned his body. Kid Flash yelped as he was suddenly yanked towards Beast Boy's oversized mouth. Kid Flash used his powers to vibrate straight through the tentacles. Dropping free of them, he hit the ground running and sped towards Raven. He had to get her to safety! But as he ran, a terrible chill began to meet each footfall. The sharp cold shot higher up his legs with each step. Looking down, Kid Flash gasped. His legs were encased in ice! Distracted, he tripped. Stumbling gave the ice time to spread further up his body. Kid Flash made himself vibrate, but the ice didn't shatter. He couldn't pass through it either.
"What's going on!?" Kid Flash tried to run, but his feet were stuck. "What the—!? This can't be happening!"
He tugged at his knees with both hands. He spun his arms to suck or melt the ice away. Nothing worked! The ice crept over his shoulders and stilled his arms.
"Help!" The ice encased his head. Kid Flash struggled to breathe. Pain blossomed in his chest. His thoughts raced. With a strangled gasp, he passed out and hit the ground like a broken doll.
Kanto nudged him with his boot. Addressing Beast Boy, he said, "Look here, little beast, I slowed him down for you. Eat this one, and I'll allow you and the girl to return home."
Beast Boy shook his grotesque head. Kanto could make him hurt his friends, sure, but he'd never do it willingly.
Kanto sighed with melodramatic boredom. He snapped his fingers.
Beast Boy transformed back into a human and fell to his knees. He curled in on himself, both shaking hands gripping his hair as he tried to overcome how violated he felt. Two invaders grabbed his arms and lifted him up to hang between them. He felt something sharp press into his neck.
Kanto nudged Kid Flash again. He frowned with distaste. "I suppose this one's interesting enough to keep."
Hearing him, a burst of anger swept through Beast Boy. "Leave him alone!"
Beast Boy struggled to break loose from the two hulking monsters that squeezed his arms. "Why are you even doing this? You have all this power, and the only thing you can think to do with it is bully people? What is wrong with you!?"
One of the invaders picked up Kid Flash and attached the same little device to his neck.
Kanto frowned at Beast Boy. "What a churlish whelp you are. I take the time to show you the greater heights of your potential, and all you do is whine. You have a lot to learn, my little monster."
"The only monsters here are you and those poor creatures you command," J'onn said. Using his powers, he picked Kanto up and threw him into the nearest building. Its crumbling walls buried Kanto, sending up a huge plume of smoke.
A pulse of air knocked the debris aside and Kanto emerged. His armored costume wasn't scratched or the least bit dirty. He laughed. His sharp, blue eyes locked on J'onn. "Monster? I am a god, J'onn J'onzz. Though I suppose to an intelligent insect like you, gods are indeed monsters."
In the seconds that followed, J'onn could feel Kanto's invisible claws prying at his mental shields. J'onn returned the favor—seeking to overwhelm this so-called god and put an end to his threat swiftly, but a sudden rush of heat distracted him. Fire erupted from the street. It spread fast up J'onn's legs and torso, and within moments, transformed him into a living torch.
Beast Boy watched as J'onn screamed in terror, even though Kanto wasn't touching him. "J'onn!"
Beast Boy glared at Kanto. "What are you doing to him!?"
"I've recently learned that Green Martians have a deep-rooted fear of fire," Kanto told him, watching J'onn writhe with a smile. "It appears to be quite debilitating. I wonder which organ will shut down first. You couldn't possibly see it, but his heart is racing towards explosion."
J'onn grew still. Beast Boy could only hope he'd fallen unconscious.
A nearby roof exploded from a green blast of energy. Looking up, Kanto and Beast Boy saw Superman engaged in battle with three other heroes.
Kanto's stolen memories named the other beings: Green Lantern. Wonder Woman. Starfire.
They'd killed most of the parademons left on the planet. Using his mental link, Kanto summoned several to his side.
"Take these to Apokolips. Do not return. Our business on Tamaran is ending."
The invaders opened a portal.
Its thunderous sound filled Beast Boy with dread.
Cyborg jumped from roof to roof, taking shots at invaders whenever he could. The remaining swarm had zeroed in on him as the easiest to pick off, and now all twenty or so were on his tail.
A red streak of energy cut off his path. Cyborg twisted around to see Superman hovering above him with red, glowing eyes ready to strike again. His cape snapped in the breeze. The horde of monsters scattered, but Cyborg felt nothing close to relief. He raised his arm canon, knowing it wouldn't save him.
Starfire flew between them, her eyes and fists burning green. She hurled starbolts at Superman. He dodged them with ease, diving to punch her only to be knocked back by a giant green hammer. Green Lantern chased after him, ready to bash him with the hammer construct again.
"No!"
Cyborg recognized Beast Boy's voice. He ran towards the sound, speeding up when it was followed by a desperate cry of pain. Rounding a building, Cyborg arrived just in time to see Raven, J'onn, and Beast Boy carried by invaders through an open portal.
"No!" Cyborg cried as he ran forward, shooting at the pair that carried Kid Flash. His targets dropped their prisoner and collapsed. Quickly, Cyborg blasted his way to Kid Flash's side. He noticed Kanto watching them.
Aiming his arm cannon, Cyborg yelled, "You bring them back!"
Cyborg was suddenly off his feet. The city's rubble blurred past, and seconds later, he was standing with Flash and Kid Flash in the middle of a desert.
Cyborg's stomach lurched. "What was that?"
"Me," Flash said. He held an arm around Kid Flash, who was dazed but awake. "You're welcome."
Cyborg steadied himself. "That guy, he took them! He's got Raven and—"
Flash nodded, cutting Cyborg off. "I know. I saw. I'm sorry I didn't get there in time. Look, I need you to take care of Kid Flash. When Herald gets back, if he finds you first, get out of here, okay? This isn't a fight for kids."
"You expect me to leave? Didn't you hear what I said? They took my friends!" Cyborg looked around for something to punch, but they were surrounded by endless sand dunes. Irritated, he growled and added, "You know what? I got a better plan. We go through one of those portals, we find our friends, and we bring them back!"
Flash shook his head, holding up his free hand to placate the angry teen. "I understand how you feel, Cyborg. They took my friends, too. But right now, all that matters is surviving. I promise we're not abandoning anybody, but we need to regroup on Earth before this gets worse. And trust me, it can get a lot worse for Earth if all of us end up like Superman."
The sobering thought cooled Cyborg.
Seeing he was on board with the plan, Flash handed over his nephew, letting Cyborg support Kid Flash. "Tell Herald to take you guys home first, then come back and get the rest of us the heck out of here, okay?"
Cyborg nodded.
Kid Flash gripped the older hero's arm, stopping him from leaving. "Flash, that Kanto guy—He gets in your head. He even got in J'onn's."
Flash's blue eyes widened. "Gotcha. I'll warn the others. You two lay low and stay safe."
Flash raced back to the battle. In the sky, he saw Green Lantern swatting the last few invaders aside with a giant hammer construct. The construct was formed by Green Lantern's power ring, which could create anything Green Lantern imagined, and was as strong as the hero's will.
Wonder Woman and Starfire were also fighting. They seemed determined to beat the Man of Steel into submission.
"This could take forever," Flash muttered. I could speed blitz him. Might tear him up pretty bad. Or me. Guess we'll find out!
Just as the Flash prepared to attack, he noticed Kanto standing on a high structure's remains, observing the battle. He was hard to see because night had fallen fully over Tamaran, and Kanto was barely lit by the surrounding fires burning here and there throughout the city.
Suddenly, Green Lantern cried out and faltered in the air. His construct vanished and he plummeted towards the ground, screaming.
Uh oh! Flash raced to help.
Hearing her ally's cry, Starfire dove through the air and caught him. She landed safely on a stable section of street. She looked over him with concern. "Friend, what is wrong? Where are you injured?"
Panicked, Green Lantern rubbed his eyes. He blinked several times. "I—I can't see!"
Flash came to a halt beside them. "Yes, you can, John. It's a trick! That Kanto guy's messing with you. He took out J'onn the same way. Concentrate on protecting your mind."
Green Lantern closed his eyes. Seconds later he huffed in frustration. "It's not working!"
Flash said, "Then create a construct around your head. Make a helmet! Do something to block whatever it is!"
Squeezing his eyes shut again, Green Lantern concentrated. His ring glowed brilliantly green, and a mask formed around his face of the same shimmering energy. He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly at Starfire and Flash with relief.
Green Lantern took a calming breath. "It was just an illusion."
"Powered by belief," Flash agreed. "Come on, Diana's alone up there."
"Wait. This gives me an idea." Green Lantern held up his palm, creating a green, rough stone. It grew into a sword.
"Is that Kryptonite?" Flash asked.
"It is if I say it is," Green Lantern replied. "If I got it right, it should carry the same radiation that's toxic to our friend. If anything, maybe it'll slow him down. Let's hope it works."
A green helmet and face shield shimmered into existence around Starfire's and Flash's heads.
"That should help with Kanto. Diana's covered, too. I just got to keep my concentration, and we should be safe from his mind tricks. I already tried blocking whatever's messing with Superman's head. Whatever it is—I'm pretty sure it's inside him. I don't think it's Mr. Wizard over there."
Flash frowned in Kanto's direction. "Still, I'd feel a lot better if he wasn't standing there. You know. Conscious."
"Herald should be back any minute," Green Lantern said. "Keep your focus on Superman. We still have a shot at knocking him out. At the Watchtower, we can safely figure out what's wrong."
"I will distract Kanto," Starfire volunteered, her eyes already on the shadowy figure.
Flash considered the blood trickling down her chin and the bruises on her face. Her armor, little that she wore, looked ready to fall apart. "Are you sure? You're really strong, which is why I didn't bench you with the other kids, but everyone has their limits."
"He is the one who has destroyed my world." Starfire's eyes burned bright as her fists. "To destroy him, I will surpass any such limit. Even if it means we both perish!"
Screaming a battle cry, Starfire took off, flying fast towards Kanto's position.
Flash exchanged a frown with Green Lantern. "Should we have stopped her?"
Wonder Woman crashed into the ground before them, creating a small crater. With a growl, she heaved herself out of the pit.
"Diana! You okay?" Flash asked.
"I'm fine," she assured, drawing her sword. Frowning up at the sky, she added, "He's like a mindless machine. There's no reasoning with him. Not even through violence."
"Are you ready to surrender?" Superman called as he floated down to his former allies. He was cast in the green glow of Green Lantern's sword, but far enough removed that the sword did not affect him.
Or maybe it won't have any effect, Flash worried.
Superman crossed his arms as he paused in his descent to remain twenty or so feet above them. "I haven't even broken a sweat."
Green Lantern stepped before Wonder Woman and Flash. He raised the Kryptonite sword construct in warning. "Oh yeah? Neither have we, but we're through going easy on you. Know what this is?"
It pleased him to see a flicker of alarm pass through Superman's eyes.
"Sure you don't want to surrender to us?" Green Lantern asked. "I could lop your arms right off with this thing. You'd never beat me in arm wrestling again."
"Another illusion from your magic ring?" Superman sneered.
"Nope." Green Lantern shot upwards with the sword raised.
Its effect was immediate. Superman cried out. Shocked and horrified, he raced to put distance between himself and the blade.
Green Lantern and Wonder Woman followed.
Turning in the air, Superman fired his heat vision at them, only for his blasts to be deflected by the Kryptonite sword.
Superman wanted to pummel them, but the moment the sword grew too close, he felt his powers wane. He had to get them from a distance. Flying down to the city, he grabbed a giant hunk of rubble. Spinning, Superman built up momentum before letting it go, aiming for his enemies.
Using the sword, Green Lantern cut through, creating showers of debris as he continued his pursuit.
"Damn you," Superman breathed. His chest was heaving. He glanced in Kanto's direction. He wouldn't be embarrassed by these savages again. Superman clenched his fists, taking a deep breath before shooting up to meet Green Lantern head on.
"You think I'm afraid of it? I fear nothing but failure!" Superman grabbed the sword with both hands and shattered it like glass. He punched Green Lantern in the face but didn't let him fall. He caught Green Lantern by the wrist and squeezed until the bones crunched, eliciting a painful shriek.
Wonder Woman tried to intervene, but Superman blasted her back with his heat vision. He punched Green Lantern so fast his strikes became impossible to see. Green Lantern coughed, spitting up blood, and Superman tossed him aside.
Wonder Woman rushed to save Green Lantern from the deadly fall, but Superman caught up to her first, smashing his fist into the side of her head. Growling, she recovered and threw herself at him. They traded punches and blows until she slipped free to save her friend.
"John!" she cried.
The ground was going to catch him first.
Starfire raced past Wonder Woman. She caught Green Lantern and flew with him to safety, setting him down quite a distance away from the battle. The green shield protecting his mind and the others from Kanto flickered back into place.
Groaning, Green Lantern smiled at her. "That's the second time you've saved me from a nasty fall. I'm starting to think you're a guardian angel."
Starfire returned his smile, but her worry for his grievous injuries was obvious. "You must do less falling in the future. Do all Green Lanterns fall as much as you?"
Green Lantern scoffed painfully. "What happened to Kanto?"
Starfire's smile dropped. "He vanished before I could reach him. Apparently, he is too much of a coward to face me."
"Or just not interested. Starfire, Tamaraneans can breathe in space, right? Maybe it's time you got out of here." Green Lantern coughed. It caused a sharp pain in his lungs. "I don't know why Herald hasn't come back, but things aren't looking good. Maybe Kanto's doing something to stop him."
"I will not leave a friend, old or new, behind," Starfire told Green Lantern. "Do not fear. I will make sure you survive until Herald returns."
Not far away, Wonder Woman's punch sent Superman straight into the ground. He flew out of the crater but rested a moment on the street. He instantly regretted it.
"Hey Supes!" Flash began running around him so fast Superman found himself spinning helplessly like a top. "Maybe you should sit down. Cool off a bit!"
Flash snatched Superman by his cape and swung him around hard, sending Superman to crash through several buildings before speeding after him.
"Cooling off sounds like a good idea," Superman snarled as he smashed his way back out of the rubble. He exhaled—his icy breath capturing everything in the vicinity. It left Flash frozen mid-run.
Vibrating, he burst free.
"Nice try, Big Guy!" Flash raced to confront him again.
Growling, Superman fired his heat vision, each strike missing Flash only by the thinnest of margins.
"When I catch you, I'm going to break your legs!" Superman swore.
Wonder Woman tried to rope Superman with her Lasso of Truth, but he sensed her approach and dodged, snatching the golden rope and using it to yank her face first into a building. Superman left her in the rubble and chased after the Flash.
Wonder Woman flew after them. While in pursuit, she clanged her silver bracelets together, the noise sending shockwaves of pain through Superman's sensitive ears. He held his head and screamed.
"Enough, Kal-El!" Kanto called irritably, making his presence known. He appeared behind Wonder Woman, grabbing her by the head with both hands. Instantly, the green helmet protecting her mind shattered. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell to the ground.
"Diana!" Flash cried. He ran to help her, but an invisible force wrapped around him and lifted him into the air. His arms and legs became so rigid he couldn't move. Terrified, Flash, glanced from Kanto to Superman, who had descended to join them on the ground.
Kanto's hand massaged his left ear. "I, myself have seen and heard quite enough. It's time to return home."
Superman glowered at Flash. "Next time, I will do better. You won't have to step in."
Kanto smiled. "Don't be embarrassed, Kal-El. You fought well. Your father will be proud and most pleased to see these new additions to our cause. Let's go. I sense no other life on this planet."
"You sense wrong," Herald said, stepping partway through his worm hole. With him was Starfire and Cyborg, both of whom unleashed their powers upon Kanto and Superman, blasting them backwards with all their might.
Frustrated, Superman recovered quickly. He whirled around in search of them. "Where are you, cowards!?"
He saw no sight of them.
Flash and Wonder Woman were gone, too.
Kanto dusted off his sleeves. "Calm yourself, Kal-El. Remember, we know exactly where they are."
"Then—"
"No," Kanto said firmly. "Patience. Your father will decide when the Earth is to fall under his rule. For now, there are many other worlds to conquer, and with each victory, you will become stronger. Someday, Lord Darkseid may call upon you to lead his forces in conquering Earth. By then, he will expect you to be able to defeat Earth's guardians. Focus on getting stronger, Kal-El."
Superman listened and, after a calming breath, nodded. "You're right. Thank you for your wisdom."
Kanto smiled as he activated a boom tube. The portal of light opened with the sound of thunder. Approaching it, he paused and turned, gesturing for Superman to go first. "Today was a victory, Kal-El. Hold your head up with pride as you return to your father's halls."
Superman did so. Although his pride was a little hurt, he couldn't deny he was relieved to be going home.
AN: The New Gods in this story are reimagined from Superman: TAS. The Justice League members are reimagined from the animated Justice League/JL Unlimited series. Thank you, Naveena, for beta reading. Sorry about the previous upload issue and the long gap between updates. The next chapter picks up with Robin, Slade, and Alfred. Thank you for the favs, follows, and reviews.