Justice League Realms: DCAU Series Part 26

by Loki's Son

Embattled on six fronts, the JLU works with allies from across the United States, across the stars, and across interdimensional Earths. Heroes from across the DCAU are called to action to face threats to everyone on Earth Prime and beyond.

7. Chapter 7

47

"Star systems are reporting in," Shadow Lad apprised the Justice League and the Sovereign Seven, "Nearly every occupied planet has thrown off the Dark Circle's shackles. But the loyal systems have put down the rebellions on their worlds. With mutineers backing us, we've secured the four warships assigned to this sector. But the Dark Circle is mobilizing its armadas even now. Make no mistake, we're still in for it even more than before."

"What happens next?" Superman wondered, "Because we aren't soldiers. We'll protect but not kill."

"Don't worry. There are five planets that require your service more than any other in the Dark Circle," Shadow Lad told the assemblage, "Braal and Imsk have populations with metagenic abilities. Rimbor, Winath, and Zuun have humans with latent gen factors. Winath is a vital agricultural world. Rimbor and Zuun are outlaw states."

"Winath is law abiding but totalitarian rule has been enacted to secure the crops they produce," Shadow Lad explained, "Braal and Imsk are under planetary lockdowns because the Circle fears the inhabitants. Rimbor and Zuun are quarantined to prevent the spreading of their criminal elements."

"What do you mean by 'metagenic abilities'?" Power Ring asked.

"Many human populations were liberated by Valor after the Dominators kidnapped millions of humans. Most of them have developed gen factors. Colonies were settled by those with similar gifts," Shadow Lad shared, "Braal's settlers have magnetic abilities. Imsk was settled by those than can shrink to mere inches in height."

"Like the Atom," Supergirl realized, "And Braalians would be like Dr. Polaris."

"Or the Queen of Clubs," Power Girl reminded everyone.

Superman immediately remembered the Joker's protégés formally known as the Royal Flush Club, "And there are other worlds populated by humans with gifts?"

"Dozens," Shadow Lad confirmed, "Many with gen active populations and many more with laten gen factors. The Dominators seek worlds with populations with emerging metagenes. By controlling the outcomes of the gen activation they believe they can harness those genes for their own people, suppress them in others, and control those with them."

"And Valor is the same person as Lar Gand?" Cascade wanted to know.

"Precisely," Barda confirmed it.

Superman knew Kara had known Valor in the future after he was known as M'Onel. He knew she'd found a calling as a White Lantern but he regretted her absence. Hell, he regretted her being absent for extended periods. Her time in the 31st Century had been far too long in his opinion despite her supposed happiness. Because it had ended in regret.

"What type of stars do these worlds orbit?" Superman asked with concern for he and Power Girl.

"Yellow type main sequence stars, according to Mother Box," Barda added after the fact.

"Securing these five worlds and liberating them would propel our revolution to a far greater degree than direct conflict," Shadow Lad reported, "The LEGION affiliation has masterminded every event underway and the instruction has come down to request your aid in helping the planets we've discussed."

"So how many allies do we have?" Killer Frost wanted to know.

"We control a third of the fleet. And the remainder have suffered tremendous personnel losses because of the mutinies that occurred," Shadow Lad answered.

"So we face two to one numbers," Wonder Woman translated, "Will you face the enemy beside us?"

"Talok VIII has the other two Shadow Champions with the LEGION. My place is here to safeguard my world from reprisals," Shadow Lad revealed.

"Then we can only wish you luck with that," Superman said without rancor. But it obvious to everyone that Barda and Artemis weren't as generous.

"So, any suggestions on how we maximize the efficiency of our two groupings?" Cascade asked.

"I've been thinking about that," Superman admitted, "I suggest Karen deals with the situation on Winath. She has the raw power to cope with any given threat and she has the strategic and tactical skill sets to do so."

Power Girl thought she'd faint. But Clark wasn't finished, "Artemis and Louise could compliment one another on Braal. Jessica can handle Imsk on her own as well."

Jessica looked ill. Gratified by the confidence placed in her but ill nonetheless.

Superman concluded with, "Cascade, you and your Sovereigns can choose between Rimbor and Zuun."

"We choose Zuun," Cascade announced, "It's an equitable division of labor."

"Barda, are you ready to face down Rimbor?" Clark asked her.

"You have no idea what a dung heap that world is," Barda complained.

"Then show me," he requested.

"What about Matrix?" Jessica asked.

"She already has a mission," Superman was cryptic.

Everyone was hesitant to ask what it could be. Even Network stayed clear of his mind at that moment. Power Girl had a guess but was afraid it would be true.

---

An ag freighter utilized several jump gates to reach Winath. Inside, Power Girl was ready to deploy and assess the situation. Needing access to the silos on the planet's surface, the freighter landed. The crew disembarked and she slipped away with them. The ground workers would load the ship and alert the captain when the freighter could depart. Power Girl wouldn't be leaving with them.

Her telescopic vision showed two defensive platforms orbiting the planet. There were no warships within her visible range. The freighter captain had remarked to that effect as well. It seemed the greater conflict throughout Dark Circle territory had changed the local security considerations.

As Power Girl circled the equator from a low orbit she discovered there were really four orbital platforms with weapons trained towards the surface rather than space. And each possessed powerful thrusters to change their orbit in order to better support one another with intersecting fields of fire. As she surveyed the lands, her hearing was discovering the power structure below.

Dark Circle Clergy ruled in the name of the Papal Father who in turn worshipped and served Darkseid. The Faithful administered local areas for the Clergy. The Believers were local area assets. Rebels were branded Apostates and publicly tortured to death. And seemed the entire planet was populated by Apostates according to the Clerical Barons. The weakness of the system was apparent even to her.

The Clergy served the Papacy but not one another. Each fiefdom was interconnected in reality but not in practice. Point in fact, she was learning the Clergy used the Faithful as weapons to discredit or disgrace the others. The Believers were the ambitious pawns striving to become the Faithful.

Her various vision powers augmented her hearing and she swiftly scouted the planet. The human and non-human settlers were blatantly unhappy. But they barely had farm implements left to them. A direct strike against a clerical stronghold was required to break a district and distribute weapons to foment a large scale revolution. Detecting which fortress was the nearest to a rebel encampment, she determined to begin her campaign there.

---

A Talokian spice runner landed Wonder Woman and Killer Frost on Braal. The humans colonizing the planet were well equipped for its heavy metals. Their magnetic powers assisted in moving masses of ore around. And they had an innate immunity to the radioactive elements lacing the soil. Of course, these poisonous factors required hydroponic and elevated gardens with imported soil in order to create a sustainable agricultural resource.

Historical records unearthed by colonial archeologists had learned that Braal had once been a lush paradise inhabited by a non-human sentient species. But unrelenting nuclear warfare had irradiated the composition of the planet and killed off the inhabitants in a slow, agonizing self-inflicted genocide. A lesson planet Earth should learn.

Aliens were no stranger to Braal as merchants frequently came to purchase heavy metal ore and isotopes. The duo saw children playing games akin to table tennis but relying on their magnetic gifts to swat steel ball bearings back and forth. Upon questioning one particularly skilled player, they learned from her the game was called magno ball. The players were training for a soon to be implemented Olympic style competition of worlds under the Dark Circle's auspices.

Each of the planets would undertake one solitary game unique to their world. Then, collective sports would place competitors from every occupied system against each other. But there wouldn't be gold, silver, and bronze brackets. There would be only be one winner per event. Everyone else would simply lose. And the winners would collect cash, foodstuffs, and luxuries for a year of respite from toiling from their local Clergy.

The cost of losing would be even greater arduous tasks performed for the benefit of the Clergy so that they could in turn curry favor with Papal Center and the Papal Father and Holy Mother. As Papal Father ruled the stars systems with an iron scepter, so Holy Mother guided the ranks of "nuns" trained as elite assassins. It seemed to be of little concern that Papal Father relied upon the Clergy and the Faithful controlled the military. But Holy Mother possessed a secretive order of warrior nuns that continually struck from the shadows and even then only according to myths and legends.

"Gods, this is depressing," Artemis complained.

"You are aware that the Greek Pantheon has simply vanished, right?" Killer Frost asked, "In fact every pagan deity has gone 'poof' into the wind."

"So I was told," Artemis relented, "Fortunately, the enchantments regarding Themiscyra seem to have held."

"Because absolutely no one is looking for an island of immortal bisexual women," Killer Frost smirked, "You could all decide who wants to commit and move them to Lesbos."

"Are you criticizing my choice to be with Steve Trevor?" Artemis wondered.

"No, I respect you right to choose. Just as I respect your right to identify as bisexual or God forbid, lesbian," Killer Frost shared, "But I have to wonder, since every Amazon leaving your paradise seems to draw toward the male persuasion, do the Amazons really respect those same rights and decisions?"

"I don't want to take your meaning," Artemis confessed.

"Well, the Amazons escaped men and spent a two thousand years with only each other to gratify themselves. Except for the self-helpers of course. And the one basic rule Hippolyta enforced was 'no men allowed'," Killer Frost laid her argument out, "So I have to wonder, is there freedom of choice? Diana escaped to reach the world at large and was exiled for it. You were sent out as her replacement to keep the Amazons on everyone's minds. But no one else gets to leave."

"Hippolyta served as the first Wonder Woman during your Second World War as a member of the Justice Society," Artemis wanted to debunk Killer Frost's theory but was really having difficulty trying to find a persuasive argument.

"Something Zeus mindwiped from everyone until Diana had been Wonder Woman for quite some time," Killer Frost reminded her, "Everyone knew someone had served as the Justice Society's token female until the All Star Squadron formed up to take the fight to the Axis powers. But why the cover up?"

Artemis was one of the few that knew the truth behind the Greek gods' decision to create the generational delusion. When victory had bene achieved and the All Star Squadron become the Justice Society once again, Hippolyta had been photographed exchanging passionate kisses with a military nurse that had served as support staff for the All Star Squadron. America, and to a degree the world. had come to tolerate masked men and women but blatant homosexuality in 1945? Never! Sexual orientations other than heterosexuality were considered deviant mental illnesses.

Wonder Woman hadn't left Man's World by choice. She'd been chased out by villagers with torches and pitchforks in the form of Thompson submachine guns, battleships, and B-17 bombers with full payloads. Hippolyta never forget the disgrace and she never forgave either. And so she beseeched Zeus to alter the enchantments encompassing Themiscyra to override Hera's blanket gift of immortality. Any Amazon leaving the island would lose it. Fortunately for Artemis, she'd been denied that gift already so departing hadn't cost her eternity. Rather than admit what had happened, Hippolyta explained away "Hera's" new mandate as having always been in effect.

After the war, Hippolyta and Hades had conceived a child together. Diana was that child. So she was immortal not by a gift but through her very birthright. Or so Hades thought. In turned out, Hades wasn't the only god Hippolyta courted. The other candidates for Diana's conception were Ares and Zeus himself. Even Hippolyta hadn't known the full truth of it.

Hades was discredited as Diana's potential father when his realm refused to obey her on the multiple occasion when she entered it to fight him. Zeus was eliminated as a candidate for father figure when it became clear Cassia Sandsmark was his child and her power set, while similar to Diana's, included the demigoddess' ability to summon and control thunderbolts. And so Ares was elected through default.

Diana's warrior skills and enjoyment of battle only reinforced Hippolyta's discovery of her daughter's parentage. A fact that Hippolyta still kept from Diana, not only out of a sense of shame although the lie that Hades was her father was bad enough, but because Diana had killed Ares and was offered his place as her inheritance. Zeus had been disappointed when Diana refused to step up and Cassie had rejected his offer to join the pantheon. So Athena, the goddess of both wisdom and war, assumed Ares' responsibilities that he hadn't shared with her in life.

And Artemis had learned the true nature of her "gods" when they were summoned back to Hell by Lucifer Morningstar. And even Satan himself couldn't topple the Trinitarian God. Jehovah, Christ, and the Spirit of God were inexplicably interlinked. One yet three. Lucifer and his cohorts of fallen angels had play acted the role of gods of the Earth yet even they, direct witnesses of the majesty and power of God Himself, couldn't explain Him much less fully grasp His truth.

Yet God had sent special revelation to the biblical writers concerning the inevitably crushing defeat of Lucifer and his armies. All of his power and theirs paled before the merest whisper from God. They could bear witness to Hell's dungeons where some of their brethren were chained and bound until a day coming forth. They could see the Lake of Fire, the eternal torment reserved for the unredeemed yet they absolutely refused to grasp its stark reality. Lucifer, his most potential weapons named the Antichrist and the False Prophet, along with the legions of demons and trillions of human souls would be sentenced to an eternity in that place of final reckoning at the end of time. While God revealed that the crushing and total defeat of evil, depravity, and unrepentance would earmark the last gasp of history and herald in a new age where God creates a new Heaven and a new Earth and He Himself would dwell alongside His redeemed and chosen people.

Artemis also knew that Mary Batson had embraced these truths only to step away from them revealing her faith and cry for redemption hadn't been honest. It had been a crutch to dispose of Darkseid's possession of her. Artemis had visited centers for all forms of worship since entering Man's World. So she understood that Jesus, called the Christ, was the literal Son of God and also God Himself. A facet she couldn't grasp. It was a conundrum equal to that of the balance between divine sovereignty and free will.

Jesus had died as an atoning sacrifice for human evil. An evil inborn in every person that had lived past the first man and woman when they rebelled against God. A fact which greatly disturbed the Amazon. She felt she was basically a good person with a few flaws. And those flaws shouldn't be enough to condemn her. But the teaching Jesus had delivered was that while humanity stood condemned on their own merits, He provided a way out of eternal torture through His death and resurrection. Even the Amazons had learned of these events at the time.

But if God chose who He redeemed how could person be responsible for choosing not to believe? And yet that was the question that plagued mankind. How could one decision rule over the other yet if rejection was the choice, and God didn't override with His selection, why would that person stand condemned before God? And there would not be a satisfactory answer in human reckoning. It was just the facts of the matter. God said He'd sent his Son so that every man, woman, and child could be saved. But they wouldn't all be saved. And He knew that yet His heart's intention would be that a blanket salvation would be permissible but it couldn't be.

Humans were rebellious at heart. Their pride dictated they "be their own man/woman". And the stark reality was, that while God Himself, through His Spirit, would guide and teach through every moment and every decision, that humanity would choose to alienate themselves from their Creator and play at being their own personal god. And not being content, they would attempt to impose their "divine" will upon others because of their own innate sense of superiority. Failing at that, the ultimate expression of what truly happened when they made that first choice, was they would deny God's existence and either serve another deity or simply go straight for the throat and topple God, or so they'd think, and became masters/mistresses of everything in Creation. Or at least in their own minds.

Artemis had met with atheists, agnostics, and all manner of detractors decrying the nature of faith. And yet, their positions required a greater degree of faith in nothing than the faith in something required. And better yet, a someone. Renee Descartes had spent eighteen months holed up during the 30 Years War systematically removing anything he could doubt the existence of from his world view. He ended with the simple yet desperate realization that "I think, therefore I am". And that catapulted him to embracing the notion that something greater, some effective first cause, had devised the thought process he still could not doubt. And everything he had so painfully doubted and removed came surging back into his realm of faith.

That spawned a movement called Cartesian reality. Artemis took great comfort in this conclusion which in turn spawned many other philosophical perspectives and movements stretching into the modern era. Yet it always boiled down to, "what do you believe? What have you faith in?"

Artemis didn't know yet. Everything seemed so clear yet so confusing all at once. And she knew dealing with starting a plant-wide rebellion hardly counted as the best time to dwell on such things. Yet, she couldn't stop wondering what her ultimate choice should be and could be. And whatever her choice, it would impact her future in this life and that beyond.

"Artemis? Hel-looo," Killer Frost waved her hand in front of Artemis' facer.

"Sorry. I have…a lot on my mind," Artemis was loathe to admit.

"Cryptic much?" Killer Frost asked.

"This horror needs to end," Artemis gladly changed the subject.

"It's safe to assume there are rebels here as well," Killer Frost relieved Artemis by not pursuing the previous topic, "It's human nature."

"That's optimistic," Artemis scowled.

"Oppression breeds contempt," Killer Frost replied, "And I suggest we begin by staging a small revolt of our own. That'll provide our bona fides to the locals. After they collect us, we'll earn access to the greater movement."

"You've done this before," Artemis realized.

"Ask me no questions and I won't lie to you…about most things," Killer Frost promised.

"Comforting," Artemis' scowl deepened.

---

Power Ring arrived at Imsk under her own power. Or at least under the power of a Ring of Volthoom. Jessica was surprise that there were no ships patrolling the star system. Her ring informed her there was a mere frigate with five light years.

Unlike Winath, there weren't even orbital defense platforms. As she descended fliers began circling her. The emotively sensitive ring shared that the pilots were apprehensive and fearful of what they believed was a Green Lantern arriving.

If they only knew that something far worse than a ring of Will was upon her finger. The ring had chosen her because of Jessica's great fear of being located by the killers that had murdered her friends right before her eyes. And her trauma from the horrendous fall she'd barely survived during her escape.

What she saw upon landing startled her. There were two classes of cities. Some were large and sprawling. Others were miniatures mounted atop platforms. And the Imskans displayed the ability to alter their size from normal human standards to mere inches not unlike the Atom and Doll Man. Of course, Jessica ruefully recalled, Doll Man was stuck in his diminutive form.

But like Ray Palmer, they could freely size shift. Or at least Ray could before he sat his suit behind and his power derived from the white star material lacing it. Ray had returned to full time teaching and research at the Ivy League university he lived by.

The Board of Regents had been kind enough to allow Ray to take sabbaticals to perform as the Atom. The prestige of having a JLer on the faculty brought millions of dollars of donations from the boosters. Ray wasn't a superhero anymore but his multitude of prestigious academic awards drew as much positive attention as outre heroics could.

Ray's breaking point was his abortive reconciliation with his ex-wife, Jean Loring. Jean desperately loved Ray even in the face of her adultery. An affair that had been an outlet to grasp at Ray to pay more attention to his wife and their marriage. But Ray focused on his research and his time as the Atom.

Jean had reached out to Ray and their relationship blossomed even further and deeper than ever before. But it was all a lie. Jean was collaborating with Lex Luthor to devise an end of the Justice League Unlimited. The desire being that with the end of the JLU accomplished, Ray would retire from being the Atom and he could fully devote his attentions and focus to her.

After her treachery was revealed, Ray did retire. Jean had been victorious. But she was committed to Arkham Asylum and Ray was a broken man back in his academic arena. His sole fray of hope being his assistant, Ryan Choi. The pair were redesigning the Atom suit in order to test the full capacity and capabilities of the white star material.

Ryan theorized that the white star matter could not only manipulate atomic structure to shrink matter, organic and inorganic alike, but also to expand material without losing atomic cohesion. Theoretical applications that even Ray hadn't previously considered. Not unlike Ray, Ryan was a multi-Ph. D holder already but he was studying under Ray to secure his third doctorate.

Jessica pitied Ray for his loss. Jean's commitment was like a death. She was locked away because of her insanity. But she also knew the identities of virtually every JLer. So under special dispensation, Jean had been isolated and the orderlies were instructed to disregard anything that she said. They weren't engage her any more than essential communication to keep her alive. As a lawyer, Jean's career had revolved around audible and persuasive arguments.

Now Jean's only verbal input was her recordings and audible books. Music was freely given to her based upon her own selections. Jessica one the very few JLers to ever visit Jean. They couldn't speak directly but Jessica was allowed to use a notepad and Jean reciprocated. The visitor log showed Karen Starr and Mary Batson were each regular weekly visitors as well.

At the time, Jessica hadn't yet learned that Mary was Black Mary and that Karen was secretly Galatea, or more commonly called, Power Girl. Jessica's own digging to why Karen's name sounded familiar led her to Starrware. Galatea had not only developed a secret identity but she'd also parlayed her money into building a Fortune 500 multinational corporation. Jessica couldn't imagine ever accomplishing anything that bold. Hell, she could barely drag herself out of bed much less through her front door.

But Jessica had learned a vital truth. The Dark Circle didn't fear an uprising on Imsk. What they were deathly afraid is Imskans would leave the planet. And in doing so, become the single most wanted spies in the galaxy in close competition with the Durlans. And the Papal Father so feared them that he'd committed half of the navy to blockading Durla and its imperial holdings. A feat made much easier by the havoc left after the Durlan civil war. It had been rumored the conflict had begun with the assistance of a single Lord of Chaos. Mordru had escaped Fate's medallion.

Zatanna and Madame Xanadu had brought the news to the Justice League. And spoke in confidence that the situation would worsen. Fate was without a host. And without a human to tether Nabu to the earthly plane he would consume over half of his available strength just to operate on Earth. And with interdimensional beings such as Klarion the Witch Boy ascending to Chaos ranks, and his inability to secure his own host, Nabu was abandoning Earth Prime.

And when asked, Zatanna and Xanadu confirmed most of the Justice League Dark, renamed Dark Justice, had either quit or died. Even Etrigan had abandoned his paramour to return to Hell after arranging for Jason Blood, Xanadu's true lover, to join him there entrapped for eternity. They'd appealed to Highfather for assistance but Izaya flatly refused to commit New Gods to the impending conflict. Barda being born on Apokolips and in dishonor after Mr. Miracle's demise was excluded from Highfather's mental calculus. And to add insult, even Granny Goodness and Lashina ignored Barda's continued presence on Earth Prime and in the Justice League. It seemed the Female Furies didn't even consider Barda worthy of vengeance now.

All of these things were disturbing on so many levels Jessica refused to process. Between her PTSD and social anxiety, she was hardly the woman to judge other familial relationships or group dynamics. Other than her sister, her closest relationship was with the Ring of Volthoom. And it was an abuser par none.

But it did strike her as odd that the Fourth World realms were blatantly ignoring the Multiverse. It was hardly in the New Gods' nature. She knew Bekka still served with Sinestro's Corps and Barda of course was in Dark Circle territory but no one else seemed to be afoot. Orion and Lightray had abandoned the Justice League under duress from Highfather. And no citizen of the Prime Universe had seen the New Gods other than the aforementioned since Kalea-El invaded New Genesis.

And what exactly had happened to Kandor and New Krypton after Kalea invaded them? The Kryptonian scouts had come to Earth to escape Almerac. They'd been seasoned soldiers. Why would they flee their own world? And what had Power Girl's precise involvement been in the invasion? And when the hell would Superman pull the rebar from his ass and just adopt Galatea as a sibling/equal?

Jessica physically shook off these concerns and considerations. She used her ring to scan the planet's surfaces and skies. What she learned was disturbing. Attempting a penetration of Imsk's surface, what she found there was equally important.

There were garrisons littered around the planet and floating fortresses in the air. But the tech and designs were distinctive. In contrast, below the crust were drilling machines akin to the Imskan tech and cities. The came in several sizes, as befitted a people that could vary their stature. The largest, humanoid scale machines were strictly automated and the Dark Circle easily tracked them. But the smaller units, housing miniature humans, were undetected. And rapidly positioning themselves under the garrisons. A single unit could hold hundreds of Imskans. And there were literally thousands of these machines/troop carriers.

All Jessica had to do was light the fuse to start the revolution.

---

"I don't see much sign of Dark Circle forces," Superman used his X-Ray Vision to sweep the mega-metropolis.

"Rimbor is a hole," Barda sneered, "They're probably afraid to move about in less than divisional strength."

"They seem clustered in the center of the city," Superman observed "But with so much urban sprawl it's hard to tell."

"This city encompasses an entire continent the size of Europe, Africa, and Asia combined on Earth," Barda told him, "It will have Dark Circle administrators unseen on Talok VIII."

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

"The Dark Circle has a very simplistic power structure. Subjects dominate the populations. Believers are given minor authority over them. The Faithful lord it over the Believers and Subjects. Clerics run cities and even continental districts. Bishops always govern planets. Cardinals oversee multi-star system cantons. Acolytes rule the bureaucracies created by the Papal Father and Holy Mother. Everything revolves around them. And they orbit Darkseid," Barda finally explained.

"And you've known this for how long?" Superman had to ask.

"Since the Dark Circle arose a few years ago," Barda admitted, "New Genesis made it a point to learn about them since the connection to Darkseid was so blatant."

"And why is there such a strong connection?" Superman inquired.

Barda hesitated, which was a rarity in itself; "I…don't know."

Clark could tell she was lying. But she was very, very good at it. There none of the telltale physiological responses to deceiving someone. It made him wonder how often she'd done so to his face before.

"Rimbor is divided into warrens of smugglers, narcotics dealers, and black marketeers. Protection insurance is the most obvious and basic racket," Barda explained.

"Sounds like Gotham on a good day," Superman tried to joke.

Barda was hardly amused. She was in battle mode and was basically an inhuman killing machine. But, she was hardly human to begin with. He was also from another world and was seemingly more human than a great deal of Earth's own populace.

"So what do you suggest we do if we run across one of these gangs?" he asked.

"We will. The certainty is we'll encounter several of them," Barda told him.

"And?" his question hadn't been answered yet.

"Look disreputable. And like my prisoner," Barda wore a cold smile.

He knew he would regret this.

---

Zuun was a diverse world and still largely undeveloped. The mixed population was largely centered in three large cities. Smaller settlements under 1,000 people also existed. Zuun was a planet that appreciated freedom and privacy. And it could afford it thanks to its rarest natural resource.

Zuunium ore only existed on the planet. No other source had been scouted in the known galaxy. Because of energetic and metagenic properties, zuunium was in high demand. Principally by the Dark Circle military. Its healing and enhancement properties were ideal for augmenting soldiers. The energetic properties could triple a beam weapons yield.

It was here that the Sovereign Seven arrived. Talokian navigators had given Network the astrogation coordinates and Cascade and slid everyone to a remote region withing a few hours' distance from a metropolitan area. Now on the surface, Network could telepathically gather local intelligence and deliver a destination closer to their intended targets to Cascade.

"The thought patterns around here are pretty chaotic," Network complained, "It'll take me a few minutes to sort it out."

"Sloppiness will get us killed but we are on a clock," Cascade warned her friend.

"Yah, yah, yah," Network dismissed the notion.

"Taryn," Cascade chided her.

"Rhian," Network's reply dropped an octave.

"Let her be," Indigo counseled hir leader, "Network always pulls through."

"Except for those times she betrayed us to rescue other telepaths," Finale intoned.

"Or avenge them," Cruiser added.

"So, her kind are feared and hated no matter which universe you're from," Rampart reminded them.

"And, no matter what else happens, Taryn always comes back to us," Reflex stated, "And her loyalty is always increased because of our understanding."

"And insubordination doesn't simply equate as treachery," Indigo remained the voice of paramount reason.

"You are wise, my friend," Cascade relented, "As always."

"I am glad to be of service," Indigo confessed, "To all my friends."

Indigo knew hir friends were still having difficulty with nonbinary sexuality and identity. But it also knew Rampart above all others was adapting the quickest. Probably because he was attracted to hir. And s/he reciprocated his feelings. What remained to be seen was whether or not Rampart could accept the fact s/he was a dual genitalia hermaphrodite and not merely androgynous. Time would tell. If they all lived long enough.

"We need to learn why this world is considered so vital yet so dangerous," Cruiser remarked.

"I'm on it!" Network snapped.

Cascade shrugged, "She's on it."

---

"Now, stop me if I'm wrong. This Saturn Queen has liberated Thanagar from the remnants of the Gordanian Empire. She has returned the natives to their world. Out of gratitude, they have pledges themselves to her, including the Shrike Queen. Additionally, Saturn Queen has relocated the Kandorian survivors from New Krypton to Thanagar to form the blunt sword of her armies. They are led in the field by Ultraman and Ultragirl, cousins from Earth-3's vanished universe. And in response to all of this, you pitted eight Lanterns against her vast array of forces," Maxima addressed the White Lanterns, "Have I missed anything?"

"Kyle and I intercepted the Kryptonians," Kara informed the empress, "We challenged the Ultras to single combat."

"A Kryptonian favorite in any universe," Maxima conceded.

"Fatality led Saint Walker and Munk to Daxam to rally forces against the Kandorians," Kyle told her, "Laira Omoto and Arkillo with Bleez went to Thanagar to confront Saturn Queen directly."

"Fatality went where?" Maxima roared the question.

"Daxam, Your Highness," Kyle said stiffly while ignoring Kalea's snickers, "Daxamites hate all Kryptonians and the enemy of my enemy can be an ally at least."

"You do know that star system has been blockaded since Darkseid unleashed that people against the galaxy?" Maxima sneered, "Daxamites do hate Kryptonians. And they're stronger as well. But after they've killed every Kryptonian left alive, including Kal-El and Kara here, they will kill every Almeracian as revenge for us spearheading the blockade. Almerac was one of the few planets to repel the Daxamite invasion. They won't have forgotten that and they certainly will not have forgiven it either."

"Is now a bad time to mention I'm Argoan rather than from Krypton?" Kara asked.

"And is it a bad time to mention it was Kal-El's idiot sentimentality that kept the Daxamites from extermination?" Maxima demanded to know, "And my daughter's foolishness that spared Kandor?"

"We were preparing for war," Kalea reminded Maxima.

"We'd just won that war," Maxima grated.

"This one, not that one," Kalea rebutted her.

"If I actually believed in the gods I would have them strike you down," Maxima snapped.

"You've tried," Kalea retorted.

"The same holds true in reverse," Maxima sneered.

"Should I even break up this little love fest?" Carol asked, "Or should I just simply remind you an army of Kryptonians is on its way led by a brainwashed super criminal?"

"And his slutty cousin," Kara piped in.

"Ultragirl isn't your doppelganger?" Kalea was surprised.

"She's Kara Zor-L," Kara explained, "Of the House of L and Kal-L's presumptive mate. She wants to create a genetic line of L and only L."

"Ew!" Kyle was appalled, "Deformities and stupidity shall abound."

"Over time at least," Bekka agreed.

"Har, har! Looks like an episode of 'Hillbilly Heaven'," Guy chortled, "Lemme see if I can poke me some of that bush `fore Ultraman knocks `er up an' she gets all stretch marky."

"Gardner, you are the most repellent being I've ever met," Miri Raim was aghast.

"Makes ya hot, don' it?" Guy maintained his illusions of sexual godhood.

"That' statement is very impressive considering she knows Sinestro and Arkillo," Race warned him.

"Among other Fear Lantern notables," Miss Bloss added.

"An' they're dead `cause they weren't man enough," Guy grabbed his crotch and waggled his tongue in a licking motion.

"Ew!" Race, Miri, and Miss Bloss exclaimed in unison.

Bekka jammed her sword into his groin, "Shut up or I'll change your religion."

"I ain't got one," Guy was sweating.

"You worship yourself," Bekka ground out. She'd endured more of the same when she'd been married to Orion. The fact the bastard had ever impregnated her made her ill. She'd given the child to Orion before leaving New Genesis forever.

"I'm rather surprised you didn't order an occupation force be sent to Daxam as in the case of New Krypton," Carol admitted.

"Daxam has little in the way of interstellar transport," Maxima dismissed the notion, "Our allied flotilla keeps the locals in check from beyond their solar system."

"We have monitoring stations in place within the system," Kalea told them all, "Just like Earth."

Every human eye turned to Maxima. She groaned, "Really?"

"They deserve to know," Kalea insisted.

"Kalea has found that action need not be authorized so long as its successful," Maxima cast a weary look towards her daughter, "As my chief enforcer, that would be commendable on occasion. As the Princess Royal it isn't so much."

"They restored your titles?" Kara was happy to hear.

"Much to my regret," Kalea said longsufferingly.

"Why override her denouncement?" Carol wondered.

"Kalea wasn't a military asset and answered to no one but me. She had the personal loyalty of the scout and courier services but no real authority. She existed outside of the chain of command. And since I'm transforming the empire to a rule of law society versus its former status as a rule by dictate society, I needed to not only restore her citizenship but her noble titles as well in order to maximize her fullest potential in this brave new environment," Maxima elucidated them, "It sounds personally exploitational, and it is to a degree. She can always abdicate her right to the throne but her status now makes her a more effective agent of the empire."

"So much for meritocracy," Kalea murmured.

"You've earned it now learn to embrace your destiny," Maxima sounded frustrated, "Or do you want to go back to Argo and pretend Marcus never rescued you?"

"I can't believe anyone survived Argo for months," Kara admitted.

"At least some of the hard copy libraries were intact," Kalea shrugged, "I used basic grammar books to learn the language. And the whole 'eat or be eaten' ambience kept things interesting."

"Did my mother keep a hard copy journal?" Kara pleaded.

"I never made it as far as Argo City," Kalea deflected the question.

"Kara, not to interrupt, but we are planning for the end of my world, not yours," Maxima said softly but it still had a harsh impact.

"Your mother knew who destroyed Krypton," Kalea said in Kryptonian.

"Who?" Kara asked desperately.

"Jor-El. It was his idea to tap the uranium core of the planet," Kalea revealed.

"My father says I have a weird accent," Kalea switched to English.

"He's right," Kara diffused the tension created by their speaking a dead language no one else could understand. Save Kyle, through his white power ring and it seemed the star sapphire translated for Carol as well.

"Maybe I should visit you on Earth and practice," Kalea suggested. And by that, Maxima knew Kalea would play a role in the upcoming Crisis of the Prime Universe.

"We need to deploy our countermeasures," Maxima began tapping at a holo screen.

"Countermeasures?" Bekka inquired.

"Green kryptonite bullets and particulate bombs for the Kandorians and lead ones for the Daxamites. As well as sonic cannons, electrical snares, and red fusion bombs for both," Kalea explained. Both White Lanterns and every Star Sapphire were appalled. The Fear Lanterns embraced the idea of the carnage to come.

Kalea added, "And kryptonite and hardened lead bladed weapons as well."

Bekka approved of the precautions. Stories told of the Apokoliptan Female Fury named Precious carrying a brood of Lord Superman's children to term. And she bore permanent injuries from his idea of "lovemaking". To her delight, Brutaal, the Prime Universe Dev-Em, shared Lashina's sexual appetites. But unlike her former Daxamite lover of the same actual name, Brutaal enjoyed rape far more than consensual sex. And he'd plowed his way through Granny Goodness' Orphanage. Boys and Girls alike suffered his attentions.

Finally, he'd been brought to heel when he'd attempted to force himself inside Malice Vundebar. Lashina had dragged the pieces of what Chessure had left behind to Desaad. Desaad agreed to repair Brutaal's body and inhibited the Daxamite's mind in exchange for Lashina stepping down and letting Desaad's sister, Bernedeth, assume tactical control over the Female Furies once again. And Lashina agreed.

When the uprisings began, Lashina left Apokolips with Brutaal. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Lowlies and Hunger Dogs failed to ouster Darkseid. But until then, Granny and Bernedeth would be too busy to send the Female Furies after Lashina and Brutaal. Despite the dangers posed by being in the Prime Universe rather than the Fourth World.

Apokolips, New Genesis, and other realities such as varied pocket universes, Heaven, Hell, Limbo, the Shadow Realms, the Rock of Eternity, and some as yet undiscovered or unrevealed dimensions, stood outside of the Multiverse. As such they would escape the Anti-Monitor's unyielding and merciless attention. For a time. When that time came, Lashina feared only Heaven, defended by the Source Wall and Hosts of Angels led by Michael would stand and survive the assault.

"But, there was a mild chance that Vreti's rebellion could succeed where so many others had failed. Vreti had befriended and bedded Wally West, a Flash. Not just a Flash but Earth's future histories would label him as the Flash. With Barry Allen lost to the Speed Force rather than dead and Jay Garrick past his prime, that left Wally as the Speed Force champion to stand against threats not yet realized. And he stood beside Vreti.

And the Flash was a founding member of the Justice League. And the power of those connections could very well bring the JLU into escalated conflict with Darkseid and his Elite. And Darkseid so greatly feared Superman he'd used Lord Superman as a stud to a mare and Kal-El himself as well through Mala. But Overman and Overgirl had been promised a world to own if they killed Superman.

Overgirl's death had driven Overman to suicide. The JLAxis was broken and scattered across Earth Prime. And Superman had reaffirmed that he, not any other multiversal contender that included Ultraman, was potentially the single most powerful mortal in the Prime Universe or any other. Even Captain Marvel was edged out by Superman's Kryptonian strengths.

But those events were underway even as Maxima's forces prepared for their first war on home soil in centuries. The last such occurrence had established Maxima's familial line as the imperial dynasty. And she had to wonder if she would be the last of that proud heritage. Of course, centuries were relative to an Almeracian. The first emperor of a stellar nation rather than just Almerac alone had been her great-grandfather. And that had been nearly a thousand years ago. And it seemed would end today. Through one means or another.

---

Saturn Queen called a halt to Ultraman's advance. Even the mechanical boosters aiding her telepathy were no strong enough to reach him. But the holographic projectors utilized microcircuitry in his chest emblem to enable further communications. The telepathic plugs, whose design the Legion of Super Villains had stolen from Brainiac 5, allowed the Kandorians to relay messages between themselves without consuming the limited oxygen contained in pressurized cannisters on their belts. With their ability to only draw a breath every ninety minutes, the technology would enable them to reach Almerac in a matter of hours.

With their hyperlane course plotted to avoid red and blue stars, Ultraman's army would retain their powers up to and including reaching Almerac's star system. Eve Aries had ordered that no mercy be shown and no prisoners taken. An order the Kandorians were pleased to obey. They had no desire to let Almerac survive after the brutality shown to them. And Maxima's greater empire would either bend the knee or suffer the same fate.

Saturn Queen dispatched Laira Omoto to join them. The Green Lantern would enable Ultraman's forces to immediately arrive above Almerac. A move that would shatter any defensive preparations being made. Laira was resisting Saturn Queen's hypnotically induced impulses but Eve was confident in her ability to reprogram minds. She'd induced billions to throw their lives down for her. What were a mere Green Lantern compared to planetary populations?

"Mother said you would take us to Almerac so we can kill Maxima and her daughter," Ultraman said maliciously.

Saturn Queen had briefed Laira that she'd hypnotized the orphan Ultraman in to believing she was a mother figure to him. She hadn't done so to Ultragirl. Kara Zor-L was so desperate to get into Kal-L's pants she'd go anywhere with him and do anything he wanted done. It was a relationship custom forged for Eve Aries to exploit.

And so, with as little effort as it took to generate a wormhole, the Kandorian army arrived at Almerac mere seconds later.

---

"Damn it all to the hells," Maxima snarled as she landed in the courtyard from the uppermost tower of the Imperial Palace, "A Green Lantern has delivered the Kandorians to us."

"How are the preparations going?" Kyle asked.

"Horribly," Maxima complained, "But the logistical factors are mine to contend with. For now, I need them slowed down before they can touch down on the soil itself."

"We'll buy you time," Carol pledged.

"I've always wanted to kill Kryptonians," Bekka admitted.

"Ultraboy ain't Supes but he's goin' down anyway," Guy gloated.

"I'm coming with," Kalea announced. Maxima looked terrified but refrained from objecting. It wouldn't faze her daughter anyway.

"May the gods be merciful," Maxima wished.

"I am a god and I'm hardly merciful," Bekka streaked into sky.

"Yo! Babe! Wait fer me!" Guy straggled after her.

"That will be a twisted relationship," Miri Raim predicted.

"Gag me," Miss Bloss protested.

"It does seem inevitable, if only for a night," Race agreed.

"If that long," Carol smirked, "Guy's stamina is just stubbornness. He'll cum quickly and his ego will force him to abandon Bekka where she lay."

"Whether she came or not," Kara was enjoying this.

"Are we finished now? I don't know about any of you but my people face extinction," Kalea interrupted.

"Too true," Carol flew off. The Star Sapphires spread by several miles as they followed.

"Split up." Kara told Kyle. They pushed for the other side of Almerac.

"Hah!" Kalea found who she was looking and launched herself.

---

Ultraman hadn't bothered watching the planet below as he pretended to be in command. So Kalea caught him by surprise as she knocked him out Almerac's orbit and between two of its eight moons. Kryptonians from other universes tended to be weaker the further from the Prime Universe that they derived from. Lord Superman had been her father's equal but then again he'd come from Earth-2. Precious continued to carry his child and was nearing birthing it.

New Gods were physically as robust as Almeracians. So the pairing was equal to Kal-El mating with Princess Diana. Kalea had never met her half-sister, Alexandra, and promised she would if she survived this invasion.

Kal-L was from Earth-3 just as Overman had been from Earth-10. And each grew successively weaker in turn. Kalea wasn't as powerful as her father, especially not her cybernetic arm and legs, but she was stronger than her mother but bereft of an Almeracian noble's psychokinetic powers. But her bionics were at least as mighty as Ultraman. And her organic left arm was nearly equal to Kara In-Ze's. Her organic left eye had her father's gifts.

But Ultraman was a barroom-style brawler like her father, except he avoided bars, and Kalea was trained in seven fighting styles, three of which stressed effective subjugation of a foe. It was efficient because they were invariably dead and couldn't bother anyone afterwards. She'd been trained in all seven forms since early childhood. As soon as she could walk she learned to fight.

And unlike her sainted father, she was merciless enough to employ them. Superman was renowned for his compassion. Kalea was renowned throughout even more star systems and larger territories by her capacity to permanently eliminate threats to Maxima. Her reputation had evolved to that of urban legend. Parents of hundreds of worlds used her name to frighten their children into obedience. And she was barely nine solar cycles old. She'd been toppling governments by the age of seven. Even factoring Almeracians' accelerated growth, it had impressed the wrong people and terrified the right ones.

She'd reached the end of her vastly rapid growth cycle. Now her biology and metabolism would reverse course and slow her aging process to a crawl. Maxima herself was twenty-four years hold and had ruled for twelve of those years. And on Earth she'd look a youngish twentysomething. At nine, Kalea would be mistaken on Earth for a high school graduate.

The trick to Almeracian biology was that the first six years were a nearly unparalleled growth spurt. That had been her age when she met her father for the first time. He'd been confused because he'd believed she was a tween. The revelation that Maxima had been a mere fifteen when she sought Superman's seed had startled him. Of course, a few years later she'd needled him with accusations of committing statutory rape.

She'd given up hating him. Kalea had even begun to admire a few things about him. But she had an enduring desire to crack his skull open. Ultraman would fulfill that role rather nicely. And planetary differences between Earth-Krypton and New Krypton dictated the weakening of the Kryptonian genome in the Kandorians. Just as the Daxamites had mutated so too had the Kandorians. They were even less powerful than the hated Daxamites. And the Daxamites were immune to kryptonite. A factor Kalea envied. It would kill a Kandorian and weaken her but only lead would kill a Daxamite. Of course, blunt force trauma had also worked in the past. But red solar rays were the only thing that collectively stripped them of power. And Kalea would still have advantages owing to her cybernetics and Almeracian heritage.

Ultraman rocketed back towards his assailant but she easily weaved around him, landing repeated blows. By now, he should have X-Rayed her and learned about her metal bits. Which meant he'd be overconfident think her prodigious strength derived from them. But she used her natural arm to break his nose.

As blood gushed, Ultraman looked befuddled. A data tap from Almerac's observation platform in the Sol system mined the Justice League servers. And doing so discovered two AIs were imbedded in the system without the JLU knowing it. And the AIs seemed to be in conflict, one guarding and one trying to delete the entire system. But as unobtrusively as was possible, the sentries posted near Earth provided data on Ultraman and Ultragirl as well as Overman and Overgirl. Kalea had seen Overgirl as a kindred offspring of a Kal-El or Kal-Ell.

Ultraman still looked befuddled as he drew to a halt. JLU files said it was his natural state of being. An excursion on Earth-3 while trying to find Maxima and "rescue" her from Kalea's pursuit revealed the Crime Syndicate had found Ultraman a product of foster care and orphanages. Superwoman and Owlman took upon themselves to join with Sea King in training Kal-L. And a mistreated boy and neglected adult became a powerhouse that toppled a world because of a simple tantrum.

But Owlman had assessed Ultraman has having brain damage deriving from the horrendous landing that had scattered parts of Kal-L's ship strewn across several miles. And not yet having absorbing sufficient yellow sunlight, Ultrababy had been severely wounded. To the point that it had two unexpected consequences. The first was that the internal, rather than external damage took up all of his body's resources so he hadn't manifested his super powers until he was an adult. And the second, more noticeable one, was that he was nearly retarded. An academic failure, he'd been mocked and ridiculed for two decades before he killed his then current accosters. And he had crushed nearly every bone in their bodies at speeds that would rival Johnny Quick's best times.

"Who the hell are you?" Ultraman asked between spitting blood that had trickled into his mouth from his wounded nose.

"Your personal nightmare," Kalea predicted.

---

"Well, you don't look anything like me," Kara wasn't disappointed. She felt rather relieved, actually upon this second encounter.

"I am the Ultragirl and of the House of L," she boasted.

Kara could easily hear the delineating pronunciation that separated the House of L from the House of El, "I'm Kara In-Ze of Argo. I was Supergirl on Earth."

"My mother was an In-Ze. She was Argoan trash like you," Ultragirl sneered.

"You just had to piss me off," Kara grated.

---

Kyle found it ironic that he was teamed with Carol once and disparaging that he would be fighting a fellow Green Lantern, Not just any Lantern but Laira Omoto, considered the best, or ranked alongside Kilowog, fighter in the Corps. Whatever mental witchery Eve Aries had done with Laira, Kyle greatly doubted the upcoming conflict would be messy. And she was nearly on top of him now.

The clash of arms, ring construct style, knocked aerial vehicles off course. Laira used traditional edged, blunt, and archery weapons with equally mundane shields. Kyle relied upon his greatest tactical weapon: his imagination. Constructs reflected the mentality of the ring bearer. Hal Jordan frequently employed aircraft and various aerial weapons. Guy Gardner always utilized blunt force trauma inflictors. John Stewart was a seeming dichotomy in that he varied between militaristic means and architectural masterpieces.

Hal was a former pilot. Guy was a former lawyer but a brute and a bully. John had served in the Marines to gain access to schooling afterwards and took undergrad and graduate degrees in architecture. The amazing part being Hal and Guy had studied and apprenticed before becoming Green Lanterns. John enrolled in his programs afterwards and between stints with the Justice League. His plan was to build housing for the disadvantaged. And with Shayera stepping down she'd be at his side through it all. Kyle imagined they'd raise their kid/s at construction sites.

Laira was so fierce she'd been selected by a red ring and was so terrifying that she'd been selected for a yellow ring as well. But Laira appreciated the value of power projection. And green rings trumped all others, excepting white and black. Willpower conquered rage, fear, and avarice. It also harnessed hope, love, and compassion. But it couldn't manipulate life forces or death. All Lanterns, except Neron's servants and Larfleeze, ultimately served Life. And even the Black Lanterns had recently been crippled by means unknown by beings equally unknown.

So it was, Green Lanterns were a step away from White Lanterns. But a chosen had to display mastery over every emotional spectrum except for death. And rather than subjugate them, embrace the emotions into a stable whole. That's how Kara had gone from a Red Lantern to a White Lantern. Learning to focus her inner rage in a meaningful way had garnered the attention of whatever power constructed and issued white rings whose mastery was life itself.

Kyle suspected Carol had also been approached by a white ring but she'd obviously chosen to keep the star sapphire. But the sapphire was whole again as its five shards had reassembled giving one of the single most conduits for emotional energy in the universe. It was certainly more powerful than the Star Sapphire's central power battery just as it was likely it was even stronger than any Lantern battery.

The Guardians and the Zamarons had succumbed to madness and eventually left this existence. Carol had proven her resolve in the conflict with the Third Army as well as limitless love for innocent beings. She even loved the vilest perpetrator. Something the Zamarons had come to despise her for. Kyle would always love Carol. He was her husband after all. But he didn't in the way she deserved. And Kyle was protective enough to want Hal squished like a bug for hurting her so badly.

Kara understood at long last after Kyle had used Braniac 5 as an example of that type of love. Brainy had been Kara's first true love. But he'd cast her aside down through the millennia to return to the 21st Century. That hurt but she still loved him. Carol had brought out a love in Kyle that was he only found with Kara. It was honest love combined with seduction and Kyle didn't loathe Carol but he was glad the reindeer games were done already.

But he gave himself freely to Kara no matter what she could or would do to him. That type of vulnerability was frightening to the point of terrifying. But Kyle relied on his ability to master fear and embrace purest love to offer himself to her. And God knew it had been rough at times but also purest ecstasy on others. And the only regrets he had were of hurting her not when she'd hurt him. He respected her as a truest equal and treated as though she were himself but with a different mind and body. But that same instinctual selflove he had inspired his outward love reserved for her alone. And that was why he was faithful to Kara alone and not to Carol.

But as Laira tried to take his head off, and came frighteningly close to succeeding, he got back into it. Kyle's strength as a Green and now White Lantern was his imagination. He could, on the fly, devise devices and traps that caught opponents completely unawares. Even foes as aware of his abilities as Laira.

---

The Star Sapphires formed a skirmish line bolstered by Guy and Bekka. They encircled the planetary equator And met the enemy with incredible force. To a degree, the Fear Lanterns had an easy stance. Guy was a force of nature and Bekka's entire life had been defined by the war between New Genesis and Apokolips. Miri, Miss Bloss, and Race sorely missed Fatality. Her childhood training from the Warlords of Okaara and the tragedies defining her life had made her a Fear Lantern and a Red Lantern before blossoming into a Star Sapphire.

Yrra Cyvil's one great failing was her inability to face her love for John Stewart and confess the same to him. Everyone knew John would never abandon Shayera but the confession would allow Fatality to finally move on. But she was nearly as powerful as Carol herself. Fatality had forgiven John despite his destroying her world and all of her people except for a handful scattered abroad. Then she fell in love with the same. Even Star Sapphires wondered how she could.

But the core sisterhood believed in her and rejoiced that she could express such love when they even doubted they could do the same.

The Star Sapphires employed their rings to shove Kandorians further in or out of the system. Inbound towards the sun had proven to so oversaturate Kryptonian cells they became living time bombs. And the primary's gravity well was so intense it had captured every planet orbiting it and held them there. Stars were the life of their systems and would eventually be the deaths of them as well.

Those pushed beyond the solar system found the light of a G9 main sequence star, Earth orbited a G2, that their powers would depleted far more rapidly as they attempted to reach back into the habitable zone. And of course, as a final measure, the oxygen containing cylinders they all wore were crushed as a deterrent as well.

---

Bekka didn't rely on her power ring to instill fear. Her sword did that enough and Genesian steel could cleave through the flesh of New Gods and Kryptonians alike. Bekka had never fought Daxamites yet. She prayed to the Source that she would someday.

Guy attempted to overpower the Kandorians before getting creative when that failed. He would fill Kandorian bodies in regiment strength and then expand his construct until the bodies ruptured. The look of horror on the survivors' faces was priceless.

"Har! Har! Cum and git sum ya pussies!" Guy roared as he came straight at the next wave. The Kandorians believed he was out of his mind.

---

Of the five thousand Kandorians, four thousand were engaged in trying to invade Almerac. One thousand touched down across the planet. Maxima led the defense of the capital while her troops, still trying to correct the logistical problems that belied arming outlying canyons and provinces with the necessary weaponry, worked until they were literally collapsing from exhaustion.

Maxima regretted that her ferrokinesis was limited to the imperial line. But the Kandorians denied infirmities made her forces a physical match for them. But they had their damned vision powers lurking until they learned how to tap into them. And the nobles and common folk barely had enough telekinetic potential to fly. And Maxima had to wonder at long last why her empire had suffered so much since her daughter came of age.

---

"You're insane!" John yelled as he erected numerous defensive fortresses and barriers. Hal just kept bludgeoning his way through them. Yet they alone had achieved what the Guardians of the Universe had labelled "the ultimate will". A feat which angered the Guardians because none of them had ever accomplished the same. But the Guardians were gone now, vanished from existence and the Zamarons with them.

That left the Green Lantern Corps and Star Sapphires adrift. But Carol had managed to rally her Corps and renew their purpose. Hal was supposed to do the same for the Green Lanterns. And it not only seemed he had failed but it had pushed over his own edge. John could assume Hal was suffering from a psychotic break.

Kilowog's role was to keep Shayera from joining the fight. And John was grateful to him. Shayera was a very seven months pregnant and combat should have been the least of her ambitions. But John knew Shayera was not only a fighter but he would bet on her victory over Batman or Diana's.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" John shouted at Hal again.

"You!" Hal screamed, "You think you can have it all. Wife, children, human friends. But all you do is undermine everything a Green Lantern stands for. You've betrayed the Corps!"

Hal locked John into a construct war and it intensified until the seemingly impossible occurred. Both of their power rings shattered in a violent emerald explosion. John was grateful once again as Kilowog shielded Shayera and the Hall of Justice.

"Serves ya right, ya poozer," Kilowog grunted at Hal. He removed his own ring, "Here, ya kin have it, Johnnie Boy."

But the ring darted off into space. "Thanks for the offer but it looks like I'll decline,"

"What have you done?" Hal's meltdown continued unabated.

"Me?" John took umbrage at the question.

"Stow it, ya jerk," Kilowog snapped at Hal, "First, ya git the Corps killed. Then ya come here ta crucify the best damn Green Lantern we ever had an' ya got the gall ta blame everythin' on him. Yer lucky I don't rip yer fraggin' arms off fer starts."

"How dare you?" Hal shook an impotent fist at the massive Kilowog. Shayera wondered what else was impotent.

"How's `bout I just cave yer skull in instead, ya mudder?" Kilowg snarled.

"Gentlemen, can we be of assistance?" General Glory led Owlwoman and Jack O'Lantern down the Hall's front steps. Shayera looked pleased with herself.

Owlwoman and Jack noted, as General Glory already had, that the Green Lanterns weren't wearing uniforms or power rings. But there two piles of green dust.

"Stay out of this!" Hal grated.

Owlwoman extended her talons, "Or?"

"I don't care what kinda willpower ya yobbos have, but yer kinda helpless dicks right now. Or at least onna is," Jack's lantern powers flared to life.

"Easy people," General Glory advised, "We know John and Kilowog are friendlies."

"And him?" Owlwoman was unrelentingly hostile.

"Remains to be seen," General Glory gave Hal the rope to hang himself.

Sentinel and the Flash arrived. Sentinel noted everyone's lack of power rings, "What seemed to be the problem?"

"He's a traitor! He destroyed Kilowog and my power rings!" Hal accused.

"Then where is his ring?" Sentinel asked.

"You're all fools," Hal stormed off down the drive past the parking garage.

"It seems you're Earth's sole Green Lantern," John warned Sentinel.

"I was never comfortable with the 'Sentinel' alias. If I'm to be a Green Lantern than I will be Green Lantern again," Alan Scott decided.

"It seems all of the kids are handing their titles back to us," Flash lamented.

"Wally's coming back," Shayera promised. Jay Garrick had never had children of his own. Young Justice served in the capacity to a degree but his heart had always been with Barry Allen and Wally West. And with Barry dead and Wally beyond space and time, it seemed the world was a very empty place. Shayera and John deeply missed Wally too. They comprised the other Justice League trinity. And like Batman, Superman and Diana's, their's was currently broken.

"Well, John," Shayera broke the lull in conversation, "Are you ready to work for a living?"

"I am if I'm with you," John promised.

"Let's talk to Steve," Shayera took his arm and led up the steps to the front doors.

"Tell John if Col. Trevor won't give him a billet we have vacancies at the Justice Society," Green Lantern urged General Glory.

"I will do that," General Glory promised.

"Race you," Flash grinned at his oldest friend.

He darted off. Green Lantern sighed, "And he wonders why I never take him up on the offer."

"Coming?" General Glory asked Jack and Owlwoman.

"Actually, we were thinking about looking around to see if we're needed," Owlwoman replied.

"It's New York City," General Glory was matter-of-fact, "There's always trouble."

"Then I guess we won't get bored," Jack rose into the air beside Owlwoman.

General Glory wondered if Wenonah Littlebird's attraction towards Liam McHugh was on his behalf or Daniel Cormac's ghost. And the pivotal point was whether or not she even knew herself. And it could be harmful when she figured it out.

---

Courtney Whitmore met up with Mary Batson in the foyer of the Starrware building. Courtney smirked, "How's life at the top?"

Mary was the VP of Development for the corporation. Hand picked as Karen Starr's right hand, Mary had proven to be a natural in acquiring developing technologies and pushing them into production. Courtney had barely graduated high school.

"You focused on being Stargirl," Mary sensed her friend's mood, "I picked this for when I'm not Black Mary."

Courtney was disturbed by Mary's easy acceptance of shifting from the Marvel Family to being a Black Marvel. Black Adam was hardly a role model. Black Mary's aggressive vigilantism had banned her from both the Justice League and the Justice Society. But it seemed Courtney was straddling the fence between both teams. She was on the JLU roster but lived in the JSA Brownstone. And she explained as much to Mary.

"I think you've been ambivalent since leaving Blue Valley to attend prep school with me," Mary remarked, "And you have a love for both groups. I think it's natural for you to be torn between them."

"Hey! I only came to Blue Valley when Pat and my mom left Los Angeles when I was fifteen," Courtney protested, "That was just a few years ago."

"But you and I are turning twenty this year. We won't be teens anymore. So there's no more excuses for avoiding adult decisions from now on," Mary explained, "Despite being legal adults for two years now, we could still use the word 'teen' to use as a crutch when we screwed up. That won't be there anymore."

"Psychology much?" Courtney was rueful.

"It's just been on my mind," Mary admitted.

"So what's it like living with Gala…Karen?" Courtney asked.

"She's awesome," Mary exuded, "Despite appearances she's half my age."

"And she's already a widow," Courtney reminded her.

"Don't remind me," Mary bitterly grumbled.

"You haven't told her yet," Courtney realized.

"How do you say, 'Hi, I found your husband trapped in Hell and I left him there'?" Mary asked.

"Carefully?" Courtney felt horrible that she hadn't told Karen either. At least Mary had confided in her. It made an impossibly heavy burden fractionally lighter.

"Have you thought about moving in with Anna and I?" Courtney desperately changed the subject.

"Anna Fortune would be a cool roommate but Sentinel is an ass who won't let me in the front door," Mary was heated.

"Actually, he's Green Lantern again," Courtney threw out there.

"Why?" Mary wanted to know. So Courtney explained it.

"Hmph! It looks like Hal Jordan is an even bigger ass than Alan Scott," Mary took cold comfort in that, "Anyway, everyone but you and Karen treats me like a criminal. And I haven't done anything yet."

Courtney didn't like the "yet"

---

Jack Latham called in the remaining Shadow Crusaders not already present at Liberty Station. The Mighty Crusaders rarely met with their covert counterparts. Some, like John Raymond the senior Web didn't appreciate the team roster.

"Jane, what the hell are still doing with these people?" John lectured his niece, the younger Web, "And what the hell, Rosie? I thought you were with me on setting an example."

Pow-Girl, John's wife, bristled, "I am setting an example, idiot."

"Neither of you has any powers and you sure as hell don't have my tech advantage," John ranted.

His cybernetic suit shut down, immobilizing him, "What the effin' hell?"

Jane just smirked as she held a credit card sized remote control, "Call it insurance in case you ever reverted to being an asshole."

John ground his teeth. Jane was only fourteen years old but he would still be tempted to knock her on her ass. Pow-Girl seemed to sense this, "You were saying something about tech advantages? You just got dumped on by a teenage girl."

John counted to ten. Four times before replying, "All right, Jane. I'm feeling more rational now."

Jane looked to Rosie since her uncle was practically a stranger. Pow-Girl nodded in the affirmative. Jane tapped a control and John's action suit released him.

"I'd like to know how you rigged that up," he admitted.

"And you can get used to disappointment," Jane sassed him.

John was counting again as the meeting was called to order in the auditorium style briefing center. Life had been simpler when he'd acted like a dick and enjoyed belittling people. Caring and sharing were foreign to him. But he hoped he was starting to get it. The evidence that Jane wasn't on her ass proved he was trying.

"Glad you all could join us," Latham gibed as they were the last to enter and get seated. For all the previous tension, they sat together in their own unique familial unit.

John finally noticed the holes in Jane's suit. They looked like bullet holes. And the surrounding area was stained in blood. He began to open his mouth but Rosie elbowed and shook her head in the negative. He decided then that Rosie knew something and had withheld it from him. And when the meeting concluded he'd find out what and why.

Besides the Crusaders, Carol Ann Strander sat in as the MLJ's law enforcement agencies liaison. Kenny Wisdom and KitCat were tech support. The American Crusaders were briefly out of retirement for the event. Gwen Cormaugh represented ARGUS on a good day. Her band of Task Force Xers were present. The former agents with Sam Lane's Meta-Human Response Division were on the run from their own agency and in Lucy Lane's case from her own father. And finally, the Fighting American and his two confederates were in attendance as well.

Seattle's meta-human detention center was overcrowded after the night's activities. The FBI and Homeland were sending prison trailers to escort the detainees to supermaxes designed to hold metas. Transport would involve the entire West Coast, the Heartland, and prisons across the Eastern seaboard. Basically the entire lower forty-eight.

Other inductees alarming Crusaders were She-Fox and Cat-Girl. Despite expectations, it seemed only Fox and Jaguar were disturbed. And Jaguar seemed faintly aroused. But she wasn't as flustered as with other encounters with the cat goddess. A more malingering resentment was reserved for the American Crusaders.

They'd been undercover with Brain Emperor's Evil Brain Trust during the Mighty Crusaders first large scale operation. To keep their legend enduring, the veteran American Crusaders had fought the fledgling Mighty Crusaders as though their full intention was to kill the rookie MLJ agents.

Mr. Justice, Hangman, and Mr. Midnight stood apart from the seating area. Latham noted the absence of the other Hangman. Robert Dickering should have returned as the Hangman persona receded at dawn. Latham also belatedly realized that the Mighty Crusaders' most powerful member seemed to have tendered his resignation. Or his indifference.

The three powerhouses with the Shadow Crusaders were problematic at best. Mr. Justice was a ghost who severed God as the Spirit of Justice. Mr. Midnight was cosmic in every sense of the word after a freak energy displacement engulfed his spacecraft on his way to Mars. The unrevealed astronaut had been transformed into an entity the best scientific minds on the planet couldn't fathom. His identity was sealed at the Executive level. Only the President had access to that information and the Vice-President would only gain the same by assuming the office of President.

Hangman would've been his first choice to recruit. But Eric Adams, though blinded, was relentless in his law practice representing various tribal governments and Native American individuals. Hangman had already been vocal about his lost time while with the Shadow Crusaders on various assignments. But the shaman who had brought Eric the crow that bonded with him and served as his eyes knew of Eric's passion for universal justice. Which seemed to be why he was chosen at all.

Mr. Justice was the most problematic. The ghost of a murdered Scottish noble, he had a Divine calling. More than Lord of Order and less than the Spirit of Divine Vengeance known as the Specter, Mr. Justice only worked those cases with the Shadow Crusaders that he deemed fit his mission. But at least he just appeared when he felt needed. There was no way of intentionally contacting him.

Mr. Midnight wasn't much better. He'd just returned to Earth after an extended tour of the Milky Way. During which time he'd encountered Valor and had become inspired to protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats. One of which Latham couldn't fathom and the scientists on the payroll couldn't even begin to explain. But the shortest version was that all of existence would soon end. Supposedly the process had already begun and other universes had vanished out of existence.

Latham didn't believe it for a second. Earth had a enough problems without going even more cosmic than it already was. Mr. Midnight was an invaluable asset when fighting aliens but unreliable in regards to anything terrestrial. Latham was mightily relieved Mr. Midnight was distracted most of the time. His rambling could start a full scale hysteria.

"Major, its your show," Latham stepped aside to allow Lucy Lane to brief the assembly.

"Most of you don't know me. I'm Air Force Security Police Special Branch. In other words I'm the Air Force's version of an Army Ranger. In my case, I've been elevated to a role more commonly filled by Army Delta Force," Lucy explained.

"My father is Gen. Samuel Lane. He and Wade Eiling devised the formation of CADMUS and then ARGUS. With Eiling changing his assumptions regarding meta-humans, he'd become a thorn in my father's side. And not surprisingly, Eiling met with a fatal accident," Lucy recited the public history, "Make no mistakes about it being intentional. My father's career is built on the corpses of friend and foe alike."

"My father built the Meta-Human Response Division without the knowledge of President McKay or her predecessor," Lucy revealed, "The Division has one goal: to control and license meta-humans. You either work for the military or you're interned and probably secretly executed."

Lucy got to it, "This objective will launch a new arms race built on genetics. When the world has people who can shake mountains and even sink continents to exploit national agendas, the nuclear deterrent becomes the only option to destroy the opposing metas."

"Licenses to allow the gen active to even survive will be bought with servitude and a literal form of slavery," Lucy warned everyone, "Questions?"

"Before the first question is raised, I'd like to point out Amanda Waller was recently moved from being ARGUS Director to being installed as the Secretary of Meta-Human Affairs barring Congressional confirmation," Gwen pointed out, "As Director, Waller funneled billions of dollars of resources to Lane's project. This came in the forms of funding, personnel, and material support. As Secretary, Waller will have nearly unlimited access to more of the same and bring the Division into the light of day with popular support achieved through rhetoric."

"And people won't care that metas have to buy their right to even live," Lucy dourly predicted. No one doubted the veracity of it

"What do you propose for an action plan, Major?" Shield asked.

"Is there one?" Denise Madigan said from beside Joe Higgins. Flag Bearer's career had only lasted a few short weeks so far. Her father, Dusty, had been the original Shield's sidekick. They'd called him "the Boy Detective". Now he went by Shieldmaster.

"My group are defectors from Gen. Lane's cause. He'll be gunning for us to silence us," Lucy shared.

"The same holds true for the Suicide Squad and my people," Gwen confirmed.

Eve Eden, Nightshade, minimized that point, "But Task Force X is composed of self-serving convicts. Unless their lives are in immediate jeopardy they'll be too busy looking for the means to escape."

"And we cut their numbers by two-thirds today," Phantasm's modulated voice refused to reveal it was Andrea Beaumont under the armor.

"And I have a date with my father later today," Firehawk divulged, "Being Lorraine Reilly will be my full-time occupation from now on."

"And I haven't been able to transform into Silver Swan since the fighting stopped," Valerie Beaudry hated to admit.

"She can come with me. There's a charter flight scheduled for my use at SeaTac Airport," Firehawk offered, "Complete with a protective detail."

"It's odd your power should just happen to disappear now," Mr. Justice commented, "It was obviously planned."

"Well, after the Olympic gods vanished, I don't know if Ares was still supplying my powers," Valerie confessed.

Mr. Justice knew Ares was a flimflam artist who manipulated powers from external sources rather then deliver them from his person. But Valerie had served Ares well and quite devotedly. Which was how she'd ended up in Task Force X. But the godly pantheons of Earth and every other planet were limited con artists.

"Director Cormaugh, Maj. Lane, and I discussed means and methods of drawing Gen. Lane's forces out and containing them as we deem fit," Latham broke his silence, "But that means being unexpected. Surprise and deception are enormous tools in warfare. And the General believes he is fighting a war for survival of the human race. Our victory tonight reveals that Waller and Lane badly underestimated our capacity to unite. And our unification can mean the end of Lane's madness."

"So who is in?" Lucy asked.

Everyone not already standing jumped to their feet. It did her good, "That's what I'd hoped for."

---

Christopher Freeman, Kid Eternity, visited with his younger brother, Freddy, and Billy Batson. Remarkable for someone that had died. An agent of Order, Christopher was delivering a message from the ascendant Shazam. Billy and Freddy had petitioned their benefactor to channel positive energies rather than demonic forces in order to restore Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. back into existence. And to liberate Mary Batson from the same demonic forces that caused Billy and Freddy to lay down their powers.

"Shazam and Nabu support your request. Kismet also embraced the idea. But the other Lords of Order are resistant. It will take a collective effort to provide you with what Shazam originally channeled to endow you with," Kid Eternity reported, "And if you're worried about Mary, have you considered her addiction to the power outweighs any moral consideration regarding its origin?"

"Not Mary," Billy protested.

"Addicts rarely even recognize it in themselves," Kid Eternity advised, "If the Lords of Order grant you this, you'll be sharing the infusion of power. That means you'll be weaker, slower, and more likely to be injured."

"Whatever it takes," Freddy pledged

"Then my work is done," Kid Eternity warned, "They'll send me to let you know the answer. Probably."

"Probably?" Billy and Freddy echoed.

---

Roxy had been tied into the JSA Brownstone's systems. A holographic projector enabled her to conduct her meeting with Anna Fortune and Al Rothstein. Al and Anna had decided on the wedding party and the invitation list. Because of security precautions, Roxy had provided locales for the wedding itself and the reception afterwards. The chief of KooeyKooeyKooey had let them know the living island had agreed to host the ceremony. She was delighted in fact. Anna was aware of a living street named Danny but Al had been blissfully ignorant.

But he wouldn't be for long. Danny the Street was brick deep in preparations for the reception party. Chanteuse Morally Corrupt was the planner. Every gender recognition would be present. Superman had experienced difficulties coping with Claire Connelly's guests during her wedding to Booster Gold. But that was just a LBGTQC crowd. Morally Corrupt was breaking every conceivable imagination. Largely due to stories regarding Superman's bigotry. And she was delighted to do it.

"Well, we've settled on a three-day window but we really do need to pin this down. Kooey and Danny are relying on us," Anna told Al.

"Is this island and street really alive?" Al didn't want to grasp it.

"Yes, and Morally Corrupt is a crossdressing singer. Is there a difficulty I should be made aware of before you mortify me?" Anna was cross.

"No, not all. My mom wants a rabbi to officiate. But she also wants you to convert to Judaism and I don't even practice.

"And my father would have wanted an Episcopal priest but I prefer not to. This is about us not our parents," Anna replied

"We know the islanders will attend en masse because we'll be on the beach," Al reminded her, "And every Dannyzen is invited since that's only right. Morally Corrupt and her cabaret crew are catering and providing entertainment. My mom is the problem."

"How so?" Anna could take a guess but wanted to be charitable.

"My mom is red, white, blue, and matzo ball soup. She makers Supes look open minded. "This is from someone who actively looks for and contacts alien life," Al was glum.

"So don't protect her from them or them from her. A balance will be struck. Or she'll find herself miserable and alone while being steadfastly morally superior," Anna suggested, "She may even embrace the bargain that will inevitably be struck."

"I knew there was something more to you then Antebellum Southern charm and graces," Al teased.

"Why sir, you do mock me," Anna laid into her fading accent, "And that is no way to treat a lady, sirrah."

"It's sexy when you go all Gone with the Wind," Al smirked.

"All lies and fabrication I'll let you know," Anna protested.

"That's why you had to kill your fiancé to protect your black lover," Al drolly pointed out.

"If only the Huntress and the Question had left that past stay buried," Anna sighed.

"Speaking of which," Roxy interrupted, "Vic and Helena sent some reproduction photos as a wedding gift."

"Of what?" Al was curious.

"Probably from surveillance stakeouts," Anna grumped.

"Not quite," the pictures appeared in midair. Each and every one focused on Anna in various guises and years. The oldest was dated 1898 and the most recent before her encountering the Justice League was from 2001.

"Oh. My. God," Al breathed.

"He has been busy," Anna felt violated, "But they say persistence can be a virtue of a sort."

"You never even hinted at this," Al was slightly hurt.

"I never said I wasn't on a walkabout for Nabu. I just avoided the topic altogether. Everyone just assumed I'd been sequestered like a nun," Anna was having memory flashbacks.

"Is there a story here?" Al wondered.

"Hundreds," Anna confessed, "Let me sort them out for you."

---

Alan Scott, Ted Grant, Jay Garrick, Michael Holt, Sandy Hawkins, Pieter Cross and Carter Hall sat around the JSA round table. Rex Tyler was joining them to retake his mantle as Hourman. The Crimson Avenger was present to report his protégé having been arrested and charged with hundreds of murders. Another surprise guest was a young woman named Kendra Saunders. Kendra had contacted Carter when she too began to grow wings out of her back.

Like Carter, Kendra was reincarnated from a Thanagarian from Earth's past, Carter had once been Khufu of Egypt and Shayera Hol his wife, Chay'era. But that cosmic wheel had finally been broken with the death of Carl Sands, the original Shadow Thief. Carter had been finding evidences of Kendra's lives throughout history that he had been blinded to until she recalled clues.

While Crimson Avenger was defending Lee Travis' ability to remain silent regarding in information revolving around the Justice League or Justice Society. Kendra had been nominated for membership in the JSA as the newest Hawkgirl. Her grandmother being Sheira Saunders the Hawkwoman of WWII. And Sheira had married Carter Hall the Hawkman of WWII.

It seemed their paths had crossed then already slipping Chay'era further away from Khufu and Khufu further away from Katar Hol. But just supposing Sheira had become Kendra wasn't an invitation from Kendra for Carter to romance her. In many ways he was her own grandfather. In so many ways on so many days reincarnation was really screwed up.

The JSAers were used to oddity following Carter around back in WWII and his latest incarnation. The strangest person there, in their collected eyes and especially Sandy's was Wesley Dodd, the original Sandman, and former owner of the brownstone the JSA headquartered in. Not to brush off the back from the dead factor, was the fact Wesley was younger than anyone had ever known, and he'd announced his express desire to resume as the Sandman and his intention to operate individually. Exclusively solo.

Sand was on his feet and angrily pointing at Wesley. But he clutched his shaking hand and stormed outside. Pieter went to follow but Alan stopped him, "I believe your skills as a physician are in greater requirement. We need a baseline for Kendra and if Wesley is willing, an examination of his body,"

"Ted, you're with me," Carter suggested.

"I can help Pieter," Michael offered.

"Jay, Rex, we need a contingency in case this all goes south on us," Alan requested.

"Sandy?" Rex asked.

"Wes," Jay answered for Alan.

"He has blood," Crimson Avenger shared, "I can sense it pulsing through him, "And his heartbeat and pulse are phenomenal."

"It still doesn't rule out shapeshifters," Jay replied

"Only if they have Type AB Negative," Crimson Avenger said over his shoulder on the way out.

"We'll have that info on file for Pieter and Michael," Rex realized.

"Cross is good but Charles McNider knew Wes," Alan said, "And that counts for a lot."

---

Young Justice assembled at the K-Star Ranch to undergo some evaluation trials. Donna Troy had returned ot Earth with the collapse of the Darkstars. Garth had been dispatched by Orin Curry to take up the training of a new generation of heroes. So Troia and Tempest were joined by Omen, Lilith Clay, and Bumblebee, Karen Beecher, all former Teen Titans. From the second generation of Titans, Starfire, Koriand'r, and Raven, Rachel Roth, met with a mysterious new and fifteen years older Victor Stone who was also a cyborg.

Cyril Sheldrake had returned to the United Kingdom to take his place as the Knight. Shira Torr revealed her Speed Force powers and renamed her alias to Miss Quick in homage to Jesse Chambers. Bar Torr remained Kid Flash. Arrowette and Secret were the newcomers. Suzanne "Cissie" King-Jones was a legacy hero. Greta Hayes was mystery even to herself.

M'gann M'orzz maintained her guise as Megan Morse when away from the ranch. And she dutifully kept the illusion she was a Green Martian alive. Earth's history with White Martians wasn't as brutal as on her native planet but they were still hated and feared to that day. Cassandra "Cassie" Sandsmark was finally accepting her own shadow and of the leadership of the group.

Superman had finally reached out to Conner and shared his identity as Clark Kent. Going as far as to introduce Conner to Jonathan and Martha Kent. Who promptly demanded that Conner take the family name as well. Superman shared with Superboy that Caitlin Fairchild had reached out and divulged the fact the human and Kryptonian DNA splicing was done to both Kal-El and Lex Luthor. Luthor had funded the experiment.

Finally endowed with family and answers, Conner had a renewed and reinvigorated sense of purpose. Purpose that included training and expressing the true depths of his feelings for Cassie. Who had secretly reciprocated to a level he hadn't been able to even guess at.

A new Red Robin was also present. Everyone blanched when Conner and Cassie demanded "he" drop "his" pants. And they learned Red Robin wasn't Beryl Hutchinson this time around. Offended, Donna took Cassie aside and wanted to know the story. So the Squire's impersonation of Red Robin came to light for the instructors. Cassie also explained how Beryl, Rose Wilson, Jason Todd, and Caitlin Fairchild had also survived the destruction of Titans Compound. With Beast Boy so severely wounded Niles Caulder had taken him back in to facilitate Gar Logan's recuperation. The others hadn't been so lucky.

This Red Robin wore a head concealing cowl. And he wouldn't reveal his name, intentions, or prior whereabouts. But Nightwing had endorsed his application.

---

Donna briefed Steve Trevor at the Hall of Justice and Pat Dugan at the JSA, filling in while the JSAers were preoccupied, "We brought the training team together. They seemed disappointed that we former Titans would be instructing them and leading action teams until they're self-reliant. I'm surprised Alan and Carter aren't in on this."

"They're distracted. In a good way, we hope," Pat replied.

Donna recalled Pat's proclivity for leaps of logic and midsentence course correction. Sometimes it left a very verbal rabbit trail. She had to imagine Barbara Whitmore could get very frustrated. Courtney had used a few choice words herself. But it was good to learn he was in the actual decision making group now. He'd earned through hard years of putting in the effort. Pat had been a Seven Soldier, a JSAer, a JSA All Star, and Infinitor with Skyman as well as a roadie for Jack Knight when he'd been Starman. It seemed Pat's destiny was attached to a Star.

"Lilith is working psych evals. Karen is on tech. The new and recently not-dead Vic is our information guru. Garth is planning and exercising training sessions and I'm oversight," Donna summarized, "It's a good group and they should go far. But we already have a sticking point in the person of Red Robin."

"Isn't he Nightwing's contribution?" Pat tried ot remember details.

"He is. And the Dork Knight is sending others to get them far from Gotham," Donna grated, "There's Spoiler and Bluebird who are already Birds of Prey already but Spoiler has been redesignated 'Robin'. And that's a binding qualifier. There's also a Black Bat from Hong Kong with ties to the League of Assassins. A new Batgirl that Babs Gordon is hitting things and crooks with all over. Barb has word there's even a new Red Hood with Jason redefining himself as the Arkham Knight. Whatever the hell that means."

"Babs also relayed that Beryl Hutchinson is reviving her 'Squire' code mane. It seems she already knew Cyril Sheldrake returned to London before we could get Young Justice running," Donna explained further, "Shira Torr, the sister to Bar Torr our Kid Flash from the future, refused to travel with him and had secretly manifested speed powers. So she has a new name as well. The adults are all thinking of reviving the Outsiders brand now that Jason isn't involved to to kill everyone but Arsenal and Katana."

"We've got a recruit headed your way as well," Pat chose to warn her, "And he might put you in either Rose Wilson's sights or Slade Wilson's crosshairs."

"Who?" Donna sounded pained.

"Joshua 'Joey' Wilson code named 'Jericho'," Pat took no pleasure in telling her.

"Just kill me now," Donna groaned, "It's bad enough Tempest recruited some hottie hanging out in Atlantis. It seems Atlanteans take the phrase 'sit and spin' literally."

"Um...I didn't need to know that," Pat grimaced.

"But Dolphin, that's her friggin' name if you believe it, isn't Atlantean. No one knows where she's from just that she's aquatic and communicate with marine mammals," Pat wondered was curious to know if Donna was aware of how jealous she sounded.

"Well…um…it's been good. Remember the JLU and the JSA want regular reporting and call us in if you need an intervention of pass through town mentoring," Pat fidgeted as he concluded, "Sounds like you've got it under control. Pass on any material requests and I'll see what I can fabricate."

Donna belatedly realized just how embarrassed she'd made him, "Roxy, can you run a search?"

"I could but I'm enjoying working with Anna and Al even more," Roxy image shot Donna down.

"But…?" Donna even physically reached for the holographic avatar, "Shit on a brick."

It sucked to be in command. Whether in the World or on Themiscyra.

---

Gen. Sam Lane, US Army, marched the perimeter of Fort Seigel. Mostly, he plotted Superman's death. Lois' infatuation with Superman, and her doddering engagement to that fop Clark Kent, drove to her death. Eyewitnesses stated that Lois had given her life to save others. Lane said that this was utter tripe.

Lois gave her life because Superman and Doomsday dropped a building on her. The fact that Lane himself had greenlit the Doomsday abomination cloning procedure. And Lane certainly wasn't responsible, in his own mind, that he'd lost control of the freak and Lex Luthor had found the distortion and given it to Darkseid as a pet. Luthor had even breached the Phantom Zone and liberated three criminals.

Dru-Zod had been Kandor's highest ranked military leader before the Almeracian invasion. Ursa-Ul was one of his confederates and loyal officer. Non-Ur was the enforcer. A weapon even more effective than Doomsday.

And Luthor had taken other assets from Lane. Bizarro had left Fort Seigel and made his way to the Legion of Doom. And there, his bride, Bizarro Lois awaited him. Lucy Lane had opposed the creation of a Bizarro clone of her sister. To the point she'd brought the Justice League with her when she invaded the cloning center.

Lucy had been charged with treason for that action. Lane bypassed the code of military justice and decreed her execution would transpire within three days of her five minute "trial". Reactron was eager to carry the termination order out. Cyclotron was reluctant but a "head" bounty would change his mind. He was simply a mercenary after all.

Lucy had stolen her Superwoman suit and its unfathomable energies and technologies. And the word from Destruction Island was that the suit was destroyed beyond repair. To add injury, Guardian and Agent Liberty had aided her escape. Agent Liberty was returned to the President's protective detail. And a cadre of rookie misanthropes left the base with them.

Bulleteer and Yankee Girl weren't even rated as agents when they broke out. With her silver skin, Alix Harrower should've been the obvious giveaway. But somehow she was the most elusive member. Lane tended to forget she'd worked for an international security firm specializing in meta-human agents.

And Lucy's renegade band had grown. The Fighting American and his two sidekicks had joined Lucy' doomed cause. ARGUS had sent an agent to locate and detain them and the bastard was joining them instead. It seemed the Jim Harper clone had a shelf life. And Lane had sacrificed the genetic templates and mental imprints in the name of national security trumping the continuation of a unique life.

Not that Lane had any regard for life. His singular mission was to enslave or destroy every meta. And harness the gen factor in order to activate it or suppress it as deemed fit by the legal authorities. Gen actives would obey or be summarily killed. They wouldn't get licenses to live merely to obey. And licenses would be issued on a case by case requirement. Those proving less effective in the field would be terminated in order to make room in the ranks for more compliant blood.

Lane only suffered from three hindrances to his plans. Waller coveted her new position with the Executive Cabinet. President McKay had put her there. That compromised Waller's loyalty to him. Agent Liberty knew that Lane wanted to secure the safety and responsibility of the Presidency. He just didn't realize Lane would kill McKay and her Vice President and sit in the Oval Office and from there, acting as C-n-C, he would mobilize the nation's armed forces to purge the existence of meta-humans. Agent Liberty would the first to be thrown in a vat of acid.

The third nuisance was Max Lord and his little toy soldier, L-Ron. Max was dangerous enough. He'd run ARGUS and Checkmate Regional Commands. Now the United Nations worshipped at his feet and those of his Justice League Task Force. The JLTF was composed of killers wanting vengeance upon the Justice League and the Justice Society. Lane's kind of people if they hadn't all been metas.

For all of his ostensible allies, Luthor regarded meta-humans and aliens as the single greatest threat posed against humanity. But Luthor wanted command over the world and Lane refused to take orders from him. So while the goals were the same, the methods of achieving them greatly deviated. Lane promised himself he would only direct people and never be commanded again.

---

Blackjack was impressed by the Outlaw's strategy and fortitude. He had also heard from survivors that there were two new members. The strategy of hitting both criminal units owing allegiance to the Syndicate Underground and the local crime lord yet sparing Intergang. They'd already toppled the central figure behind the local organization. He'd fled back to Metropolis and Intergang's embrace.

The remaining bosses that had fallen or been killed were being divided between Intergang and the Syndicate Underground. This was pitching Las Vegas as a testing ground for all out gang war. The casino owners and entertainment moguls had appealed to the last remaining vestiges of authority. The Cosa Nostra was already moving in. And others had appealed to Helena Lincoln March, the Owl Matron, to involve the Court of Owls.

In opposition was a new organization known as the Robins. This was a unit comprised of teens dressing after Batman's Robin. Three of them, two male and one female, led the totality of the Robins. Robin Alpha was secretly Helena Kyle, a fugitive from Earth-4. She was the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle-Wayne. But Blackjack was unaware of these connections.

What he did know was that Jason Todd had stepped down as Red Hood to become something new. No one had ever heard of an Arkham Knight before. But a newcomer had already assumed the role. And like the majority of the Outlaws she was a teen. And she was well trained, as befitted a daughter of the Arsenal and Cheshire of Earth-3. And like the entirety of the moral reversal of that world, they were resistance fighters pitted against the Crime Syndicate. And they'd trained Li Harper to replace them someday and continue the fight against injustice.

Again, Blackjack was completely clueless. The last newbie was a homeless vet calling himself the Street Avenger. But that code-name and situation were all that were known of him. Other than a confrontation between Vigilantes. The MLJ records indicated Adrian Chase was Vigilante once again. Pat Trayce was still Vigilante. And the third Vigilante was now Street Avenger. And this didn't even include the retired Greg Saunders.

As a Shadow Crusader, Blackjack had unrestricted access to Liberty Station's database. He'd even learned there was a woman calling herself Blackjaq. She operated in Reno in an identical fashion as he did in Vegas maintaining the peace between criminal factions. A peace the Outlaws were shattering. And they needed to be stopped.

Which was why he was in Nevada rather than in Seattle attending Latham's Crusader briefing. Special Agent Strander approved Blackjack's absence and would tell Latham to accept it. And she'd forward his request for assistance from the MLJ as well as Homeland, the FBI, and the ATF.

Through her he also learned of the creation of the training unit called Young Justice. And Knave's change of designator back to Squire, where she'd begun. It seemed to be a direct challenge to the Knight upon his returning to the UK. Because there was so little love between Cyril Sheldrake and Beryl Hutchinson that they weren't on speaking terms. But Beryl had made it clear to Cyril she was fully prepared to replace him when he failed as the Knight.

And Luke Fox, the new Batwing, traveled to London to oversee the former Batman, Inc. member as he attempted to take his father and grandfather's place. But without a Squire for the first time in living memory. Since medieval times, the Knight had always assigned his worthy son, eldest or otherwise, until Beryl had been chosen outside of the family because the drunken Knight had found her worthier than Cyril.

And Squire, Ravager, and the newly minted Arkham Knight were the core force behind the Outlaws. Jason has conceived the Outlaws but Beryl was the brains behind the concept and Rose was the muscle that strategized the missions. Green Arrow, Speedy, and Red Arrow went along with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Conner and Mia financed the group between contracted missions to eliminate a criminal rival of a crime lord. Li and Street Avenger would find their places soon enough. And the League of Assassins provided material support in accordance to Dinah Lance and Nyssa Raatko's machinations.

Dinah, as the new Ra's al Ghul, had passed her Black Canary legacy to her dead husband's sisters, Laurel and Sara Lance, had come into the fold as Canary and Songbird. All of them required external sonic weapons. All of them had trained under Ted Grant. But now David Cain and Aresia Lowell were their taskmasters. And Aresia and Lady Shiva served as sparring partners.

Blackjack has, perhaps unwisely, raided the League safehouse the Outlaws had been occupying (Occupy Las Vegas?) but they'd vacated the premises. He'd thought Ravager had spotted him with just her one eye. So now he needed help and Carol had promised the Web Agency was en route from Arizona.

---

Remoni-Notra arrived at the Ferris Estate in Northern England. The staff, unused to Carol as an adult, accepted the alien because of her near identical appearance to Carol Ferris. Word got out to Ferris Air, whose CEO found it odd Carol's British accent was vaguely French instead. "Carol" assured her that there was no further interest in running the family business. It was in good hands as it were. Remoni-Notra just wanted Carol's stock dividends. And the manor. Carol herself wouldn't indulge in the luxuries her wealth could buy. But Remoni-Notra would.

---

The Injustice Society quietly slipped into Gotham City. Goldilocks had a meet with the White Rabbit. Jaina Hudson wanted the E Dial and White Rabbit was happy to help her literal better half.

She whispered into Goldilocks' ear, "I know what you're up to. It'll end badly for you."

"Maybe," Goldilocks shrugged, "But, one never knows, do we?"

"Sir Justin vanished. Merlin simply whisked him away after a torrid ten minute stand stand with the enemy," White Rabbit shared, "I guess he's not so shining after all."

"If you truly knew all and were all, you would know a new Shining Knight as appeared, a cisgender 'woman' named Ystin and 'her' steed, Vanguard," Goldilocks divulged, "And Merlin also provided another knight, Lady Tarna the Silver Knight."

"And how would you know any of this?" White Rabbit was irked.

"Merlin himself told me," Goldilocks said matter-of-factly.

"So, you're an Agent of Avalon and Camelot?" White Rabbit laughed.

"Of Order," Goldilocks was happy to burst White Rabbit's scornful bubble.

White Rabbit quickly recovered, "You know the Auctioneer wants to broker a further sale."

"That's why you're the middlewoman. I can't risk exposing the Injustice Society just yet. We have work to be done," Goldilocks stated, "And it hardly stands for this pittance the dial will fetch us after your commission. Rather, I think it's best to have you pay a higher sum up front and you take the risks at the auction."

"Such a schemer," White Rabbit hate that she was impressed, "I like it!"

Goldilocks began to depart but called out, "Give my love to Selina and Kitrina at the auction."

"I will," White Rabbit whispered, "Thanks for the warning."

---

"Donna we have new recruits," Cyborg told Donna and Starfire where they were looking for training opportunities in emergency situations.

Donna hung her head so Koriand'r asked, "Who?"

"A kid called Windfall. Records show Wendy Jones was a Master of Disaster," Vic answered, "There's a cowgirl named Jinny Hex replete with a trunckload of alien tech in the bed of her pickup. Selina Kyle has enlisted Kitrina Falcone on a part time basis."

"So Catwoman sent her Catgirl," Donna sounded tired, "Great. Next?"

"Some low-level Hollywood hero called Black Cat sent her protégé calling herself Black Kitten. In reality she's Kit Weston. Tefe Holland of all people just showed up on her own. Seems Swamp Thing and Abby Arkane-Holland want Tefe to start taking responsibility for her ecoterrorism," Vic continued his briefing, "In good news, Icon sent Rocket and Static from Dakota City."

"The city that shouldn't exist?" Kori asked.

"Or at least didn't until recently," Donna clarified. With the Darkstars and Starfire off of Earth, Dakota City's sudden existence baffled them both when they returned.

"And the Freedom Fighters have detached themselves from the government," Cyborg told them, "They set a trio of recruits. Victory Girl and the Victory Belles are non-metas in need of training. Victoria Adams is Victory Girl, the group leader. Pixie and Trixie Belle make up the…well, it's obvious."

"Employing alliterative versions of your name is dangerous," Donna complained.

"So says Donna Troy," Starfire snickered.

"My father is Chronos, father of the Titans and the three original Olympians. The Titans weren't as trapped as Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon believed and they favored Troy over Athens and Sparta. Which is why Zeus favored Greece over its colony in Troy," Donna explained.

"I love it when you ramble on about hokum," Kori enthused.

"And Hector, Paris, and Helen?" Vic wanted to know.

"Hector and Paris would've been my cousins. Helen was Aphrodite's daughter just as the Spartans were led by most of Ares' demigod offspring. So they acted out Ares' lust for Aphrodite. Which, when he raped her, spawned Phobos and Deimos," Donna described the history.

"So given that history, Zeus and his brothers would actually be your cousins," Vic realized. Pretty much," Donna confirmed it, "And since Diana is officially Ares' daughter and Cassie is Zeus' daughter, they're all distant cousins to me."

"Why 'officially'?" Kori wondered.

"Zeus, Hades, and Ares all repeatedly had sex with Hippolyta during a three-day orgy. Given Diana's strengths it seems their semen mixed and blended her embryo together. Hades wanted to claim her and was forbidden to. Zeus chose Cassie over Diana when Cassandra was born. That left Ares eager to claim parentage. Even though Ares is her 1st cousin."

"Why all the effort to conceive her?" Victor was curios.

"Hera and Athena endowed the Amazons with great physical power and immortality. Zeus and Hades brought Ares and his skill sets into it because they wanted to conceive a god killer. Or more precisely, a Titan killer," Donna shared.

"So, Diana's role in this reality is to kill you and your family?" Koriand'r was aghast. But her own relationship with her older sister, Komand'r, called Blackfire, was equally murderous.

---

Goldilocks rendezvoused with the Injusticers at the newly reopened Iceberg Lounge. A unknown called Empress Penguin had taken over the establishment. And half of Oswald Cobblepot's criminal enterprise's. The Batman had been unseen during the power grab but Carrie Kelley, Spoiler, Bluebird, and Black Bat had waded through the blood. Carrie became the new Batgirl and the new Batwing made his debut. The Signal had also emerged even as newcomers Gotham and Gotham Girl's powers killed them while trying to help the city.

Carrie had been a full-time college student when she donned the armor and the mask. Batwing had been a Wayne-Powers employee nestled into R&D when his father was arrested for "selling proprietary corporate technology". So Luke built his battle suit and went to war against Derek Powers. The Signal had been a full-time high school student who played football and earned a full ride academic scholarship. That all changed when his entire district was destroyed in the Penguin Wars as Empress Penguin vied with Ignatius Olivgy, the self-proclaimed "Emperor Penguin", Oswald's former apprentice.

In order to care for and feed his family, he passed his GED but lost his scholarships, academic and athletic, doing so. So the Signal decided to shed some light on Emperor Penguin's dealings. And in doing so, met Batman who sent him to upstate New York to join Young Justice. Meanwhile, the Wayne Foundation met the district's general needs as well as specific ones for individuals. At the K-Star Ranch they were discovering exactly why Signal worked at a automotive garage.

But with violence curbed and the sale to the White Rabbit scheduled, Goldilocks chose Gotham as the meeting place to audition new members. Some, like Psycho Pirate, Baby Doll, and the Fiddler, were legacy villains. The Fiddler, Izzy Bowen, was gen active and channeled sonic energy by playing a violin. Virtuoso was jealous beyond reasoning with her.

Psycho Pirate wasn't Roger Hayden. It was Regina Hayden, a younger cousin with a malicious bend and a massively addictive personality. The Medusa Mask both gave an outlet and fed those beasts. As Rival discovered when he mocked her pirate attire.

Baby Doll was Marian Dahl's daughter, Barbara "Barbie" Dahl. And like her mother, Barbie was was disillusioned and vengeful regarding people's unhealthy assumptions regarding her. The bigotry was incredibly malicious and demoralizing. And with her criminal record, access to meaningful work was nonexistent. So that always led her back to criminal actions.

Dollhouse, Mathilda Mathis, was the Dollmaker's enthusiastic student that had so mastered his craft, he never saw it coming when she "immortalized" her teacher. Calendar Girl, Page Monroe, admired the Calendar Man to the point she took up a criminal career to memorialize Julian Day. And Winnie Schott was Winslow Schott's sister. With her brother dead and Jack Nimbell stealing the Toyman identity, Winnie followed her older brother into criminal mischief. But Winslow had lived in a fantasy world. Winnie lived in a malignant one so murder wasn't a side effect it was the primary motive.

---

"Honored Judges and Tribunes, we stand before you on Daxam's fertile soil today in peace," Saint Walker began the presentation.

"Just get too it, scum," a Tribune growled.

"May I approach?" a young man approached from the rear of the great courtroom.

"Is this proper?" Fatality asked.

"Don't pretend to know us and I warn you'll beg for us to kill if you mock our people's customs," another Tribune spoke.

"Ol Vir is our greatest priest in the service of Darkseid. His counsel is always welcome," the High Tribune advised the Lanterns.

Munk's staff mounted power stone began to pulse, "I sense great insanity in this one."

"He leads a worldwide cult that worships Darkseid," Fatality whispered back, "Where would your stone get its impression from?"

"Your Exalted Honors, Darkseid's courier came to me and commanded we take this fight to Almerac," Ol Vir declared.

"You're certain?" the first hostile Tribune was hesitant to ask.

"The enemies are Kryptonians. Nearly the last of their kind and certainly in any numbers," Ol Vir feverishly discoursed, "We all remember the millennial warfare between Daxam and Krypton's other colonies. How we alone knew of the destruction of the birth world and how we, in our infinite wisdom, spurned that handful of survivors that came to us and rightly cast them into the Phantom Zone for all eternity."

"Which colony escaped our wrath?" the other hostile Tribune wanted to know.

"Kandor, my lords," Ol Vir revealed.

"Lanterns!" the Daxamites were galvanized by something they understood: vengeful genocide, "Clear us a route through the blockade."

My Lords and Lady, we don't have the interstellar capability to transit to Almerac to meet our ancient enemies," Ol Vir warned the leaders, "But these Lanterns can provide us with gateways to deliver to that embattled planet. Afterwards Almerac itself can provide our means home."

Saint Walker was encouraged. Munk was compassionate regarding the mutually shared histories. And even the cautious Yrra Cyvil missed that Ol Vir wasn't predicting Almerac would willingly give them transportation. However the Daxamites collectively understood Almerac would supply their needs after they killed every last Almeracian in repayment for organizing the blockade that plagued them. After it dispersed the Daxamites could proselytize their faith and baptize with the sword.

Laurel Gand looked perturbed. Apparently genocide wasn't her first, or even last, choice. So Fatality provided an unexpected exit. She'd sent Laurel to Earth.