10
"I have to warn you," Trevor told the JLU Founders, "Amanda Waller transferred significant ARGUS assets to the DOD's control. All of them earmarked for Gen. Lane's command."
"That is…disappointing," Superman understated it.
"And the United Nations has appointed Lex Luthor to be a special advisor to the UN," Trevor shared.
Superman knew since it early morning on the American East Coast it was early afternoon in Paris. And Clark Kent needed in on this story.
The Question had helped Huntress track down over a dozen "special" women using Starrware's resources. He'd been aware from the beginning Galatea Hamilton was Karen Starr. Now the group was assembled in civilian guise in a Starrware conference room. Karen herself and Mary were in attendance. Helena Bertinelli presided.
"Before Batgirl and Black Canary each retired, we discussed forming an all female team. This assembly is a fulfillment of those bull sessions," Helena announced, "The proposal is to unite a group with veterans like Power Girl, Black Mary, myself, and Crimson Fox and even former enemies like Poison Ivy."
No one outside a select circle could fathom why Ivy was present. But Harley Quinn's pregnancy spawned health and security issues that Ivy couldn't meet directly. So when Power Girl volunteered Karen Starr's resources to meet those needs, Ivy leapt at the opportunity. And Karen would honor the deal even if the others spurned Ivy's offer to help.
"The rest of the team will be composed of Talon, Hawkfire, the new Batwoman, Rhosyn Forrest, Spoiler, Bluebird, Jade, and the relative newcomers including Jonni Thunder, Black Cat, Savant, April Amazing, Cat-Girl, and the literal Queen of Diamonds." Karen completed the thought.
"I have a question," Stephanie Brown declared.
"And it is?" Helena was irked at being interrupted.
"Is this chick entirely stable?" Steph indicated Helena Wayne, "She looks totally psycho."
"Give her a break," Bette Kane demanded, "She lost her dad yesterday. How would you feel?"
"Relieved," Stephanie retorted.
But her assessment was an accurate one. Wayne was a seething kettle of rage already boiling over. It had been Katherine Webb-Kane's idea to include her agents in the mix. Talon had murder on her mind and she wasn't particular regarding the target.
"Look, Talon is a highly regarded Spyral agent. She'll handle herself with professionalism," Helena argued.
Stephanie gave Harper Row an eye roll. Kenesha asked the other obvious question, "What's the purpose of this group other than gender affirmation?"
"We're tackling problems the government sponsored groups won't touch," Helena explained, "Drugs, guns, human trafficking, and the like. That's our jurisdiction."
"Like the Movement in Coral City," Harper piped up.
"Pretty apt comparison," Karen agreed.
"With a penchant for dealing with environmental threats as well," Ivy promised.
"So, we need a leader, a base of operations, and a bad ass name," Katarina Armstrong voiced.
"Rhosyn has volunteered the use of the lair Green Arrow and Black Canary had built beneath Sherwood Florist and the adjacent hideout Cupid built in the vacant shop next door," Helena explained, "As for a leader, I'll stand in until we know each other well enough to actually pick who we feel is best suited."
"And is 'Birds of Prey' bad ass enough for you?" Mary Batson asked.
"It'll do," Brenda Boyle approved.
Gen. Jack Latham held a private meeting with John Raymond, "Your proposal was approved. Your Web Hosts are now officially agents of the Web Agency. But that agency is under the MLJ umbrella."
"Web agents work for me not you," John argued.
"They work for the federal government," Latham warned Raymond, "They signed all the paperwork and are being trained as we speak. You, however, work directly for me within the confines of the Mighty Crusaders."
"And if I refuse and simply quit?" Raymond wanted to know.
"Then the Web will be arrested on sight for charges stemming out of deaths in Chicago and Des Moines," Latham warned him, "Murders we both know you committed."
"You sonuvabitch," Raymond snarled.
"You're not the first to think so, son," Latham advised him, "And the Eraser and the Persian liberated the few Evil Brain Trust operatives we managed to capture. So you've got Brain Emperor and the Syndicate Underground's bullseyes on your back. You want to go it alone, just imagine having ours on your chest to go with the set."
"I'll get back to you on that," Raymond rose to leave, "This meeting is done."
He slammed the door on his way out of Latham's office in Liberty Station. Latham just hoped his rebellious attitude wasn't going to remain a sticking point. And Latham hoped to hell it wasn't infectious.
In La Mesa, New Mexico Carter Hall was dismayed to find Shayera Hall at his door. John Stewart had been wise enough to take a stroll around Carter's ranch house. Carter just flatly stared at Shayera.
"Come in if you must. I hope John brought water," Carter said dully.
"He'll be fine," Shayera promised as she moved past Carter into the house.
"How did you break your wing?" he inquired.
"In combat," Shayera simply said.
"And you're pregnant," Carter observed despite her not being close to showing.
"How?" Shayera was surprised.
"The pheromones you're giving off. It makes me feel protective of you," Carter shared, "For a native Thanagarian you don't know much about your own body. As for the fight, that's your usual. How is it healing?"
Shayera hesitated and Carter snorted, "That's also your usual."
"Dr. Mid-Nite says I should make a full recovery if I avoid further injury and don't attempt to fly until he clears me to."
"That has to irritate you," Caster noted.
"Like you wouldn't believe," Shayera admitted.
"It's happened before. Back in the early days of the Justice Society Hector Hall was the Hawkman and Shiera Hall was Hawkwoman. They'd both broken wings during their reincarnation. That Hawkman wore a cloth face mask rather than a Thanagarian mask helmet. Shiera wore a bandit mask. Before the flashbacks ever began, didn't you wonder why you chose to be Hawkgirl when you cane to Earth?"
"I just thought I was clever," Shayera confessed.
"More than you knew until now," Carter stated.
"Can I ask why you came here of all places?" Shayera asked, "You're an Egyptologist."
"I study Thanagarian relics first and Egyptology second because they're not mutually exclusive," Carter explained, "The government found the wreckage of a space ark. They have me and others examining the relics and skeletons left behind to determine where they were from and how many survived."
"Could it be Kherabim?" Shayera asked.
"It's doubtful. So far we've catalogued over two dozen different species. It seemed to be a prison transport," Carter shared.
"Or a slave ship," Shayera grimaced.
"There's that possibility as well," Carter conceded, "But we did find a survivor stored in cryogenic suspension. She's a Czarnian."
"Lobo killed his entire race," Shayera reminded him.
"She crashed here thousands of years ago. Probably before the Native American migrations," Carter said, "We're having trouble dating the metallurgy."
"If there were survivors free to roam the Earth, it could explain the preponderance of the meta-gene in North America," Shayera theorized.
"It would've spread through the European population during colonization and then disseminated further as the European population multiplied," Carter clarified, "The prisoners seemed destined for a Dominator genetics research base on the far side of the galaxy. The Sol system was just a rest stop to resupply the reactors with water."
"And they ended up crashing," Shayera realized.
"Approximately fifty thousand years ago, just after the emergence of Homo Sapiens," Carter roughly estimated.
"No wonder the Dominators came to Earth," Shayera deduced, "They have long memories."
"And they're in a trinary war with the Khunds and Gordanians thanks to Kalea-El," Carter pointed out, "And Kalea has obvious ties to Earth. So after the conflict ends, the Dominators are going to want revenge against Almerac and Kalea."
"Which is why Kalea restored Maxima to the throne," Shayera reminded him.
"But the Dominators will come here to exact vengeance against Kalea," Carter predicted.
Shayera digested that before changing the subject, "Are you happy here? I hear stories about Hawkman saving the day out here. But it seems pretty quiet."
"I wasn't born a Thanagarian despite being reincarnated from one. Fighting wasn't in my blood until I met you," Carter revealed, "That awoke something inside. Something Donna understood."
Shayera knew why the Amazonian Troia got it, "And she was finally happy with you. But the papers still refer to you as the 'Savage' Hawkman."
"The sheriff's opinion because I was a little enthusiastic my first couple of times out. We've reached an understanding since then," Carter promised.
"I'm glad you're moving on," Shayera stated, "Some people can't."
"Or won't," Carter said pointedly.
Shayera knew the dig was aimed at her and John but she refused to take up that particular gauntlet, "I'd appreciate it if you kept me in the loop about your research."
"You mean keep the Justice League looped in," Carter snorted.
"I'll avoid that," Shayera promised.
"We'll see," Carter derided her.
"You have trust me sometime," Shayera advised him.
"Khufu trusted you and it got him killed," Carter retorted.
"That was ancient history. This is now," Shayera argued.
"But people really don't change no matter how many lifetimes they live through," Carter snapped.
"I'll be going now," Shayera decided.
"Take care of John," Carter requested, "But then again, you always have and always will."
Shayera closed the door behind her and John met up with her, "Did he say why he's way out here?"
"I'll explain on the way home," Shayera scowled at the memory.
John created a seat for her and flew off towards Brooklyn, "He doesn't trust me. I doubt he'll trust anyone."
"Maybe. But you had to try," John consoled her.
Shayera was forced to confront Carter's accusations. And she found most of them to be true.
Nyssa Raatko returned to Nanda Parbat to find her wife, Dinah Lance the Black Canary, naked in their shared bedroom. She was very forceful, "Get out of those clothes."
"Does the Demon's Head expect utter compliance these days?" Nyssa teased her as she shrugged out of her battle gear.
"Tonight I do," Dinah shared her mood.
Later Nyssa and Dinah lay together and Nyssa gave her report of the action in Gotham, "After the Court of Owls was crushed I disbanded the Injusticers. Most of them were abandoning me anyway. But we saved precious gold by their betrayal."
"Tell me who is still loyal," Dinah requested.
Nyssa recited the very short list, "ARGUS recruited a few and Luthor will undoubtedly snare a few more. But four of the most powerful Injusticers vanished. I suspect Max Lord's hand in it."
"Max is up to something," Dinah agreed.
"Lord has always had hidden agendas," Nyssa shared. She neglected to mention that Max had interfered in Nyssa and White Rabbit's plan to install Vandal Savage as dictator over the world.
"The Court of Owls was only the beginning of our surgical procedure. The next cuts will be designed to shift national policies while maintaining the illusion it was an act of free will," Dinah elaborated, "And Luthor stands poised to interfere now that he's imbedded within the United Nations."
"Luthor is still just a man," Nyssa replied, "Men fail and fall all the time."
"But we still need a figurehead to spear point our dictates once we've reshaped the world," Dinah complained.
"White Rabbit and I have a candidate in mind," Nyssa chose to divulge, "One without the idiosyncrasies that have hampered our previous selections."
"Tell me more," Dinah was almost breathless.
Libra convened the first inaugural meeting of the Secret Society post-Saturn Queen inside Noonan's Bar, "We can't give up. I refuse to kowtow to Luthor."
"But losing just about everyone hampers our image," Funky Flashman complained.
"But we still have to do something," Summer Day complained.
"I've contacted several likeminded individuals and they're ready to sign on," Libra shared, "And I recruited a new Crazy Quilt. She'll fit in nicely."
"Then let's do this," Killer Moth demanded.
Gen. Lane reviewed the filer of the newest recruits from the DOD Special Services Division. Minute-Man, the Bulleteer, and Yankee Girl all looked promising. Of course, two of them were women. But Lane could force himself to overlook the fact they were born into the wrong gender. At least if they outperformed their male counterparts.
"My first suggestion is that the Justice League be branded a band of criminals to be tried for war crimes in Corto Maltese," Luthor demanded of the UN Security Council, "And they assassinated a prominent industrialist in Gotham City."
Luthor knew the Outlaws had performed the deed almost as well as the Security Council knew the JLU was innocent just as they'd gone into Corto Maltese at the UN's behest.
But Russia and China led the vote to approve of the declaration. The other permanent members abstained and the assorted other countries went with Russia and China on it. Since it served their national security interests to do so.
"Any resistance is to be met with deadly force," Luthor demanded, "And I have a list of available operatives to replace the Justice League."
And the allied delegates looked defeated as a repeat of the previous vote passed without objection.
Grail's boom tube delivered Per Degaton, Satan Girl, the New Reichsmen, and the Extremists to Earth Prime. All of them were refuges from doomed universes. Degaton and Satan Girl heralded from Earth-9. The New Reichsmen had been native to Earth-10. The Extremists had destroyed Angor and driven the surviving Champions of Angor to Earth Prime. But all of them were refugees.
"Now, Herr Degaton, this Earth is yours to conquer. Do so in my name and it will be yours to have and to hold," Grail promised.
"Why do you care about this Earth?" Overman asked.
"Because my father wishes to possess it and I wish to deny him that," Grail explained, "Obey me and this world can be your National Socialist paradise. Fail me, and this universe will be destroyed along with your native worlds were. You won't even register in existence and no one will ever know or care that you ever existed at all."
Grail opened a boom tube, "Just remember that."
When it closed Degaton turned to Overman and the New Reichsmen, "We need a base of operations. I leave the selection to you."
"Jawhol, Mein Fuhrer," Overman clicked his heels and gave the one armed Nazi salute.
He turned to the others, "Overgirl, you will remain here with the Fuhrer. Everyone else, on me."
"So it begins again," Degaton mused to Satan Girl.
"Doesn't it though?" Satan Girl stared at Overgirl with hatred in her eyes.
The Emerald Empress travelled through time through the power of both Emerald Eyes. Saturn Queen looked pleased, "You always did make an entrance, Sarya."
"You're one to talk, Eve," Emerald Empress replied.
"When did you recover the second Eye?" Saturn Queen asked.
"That fool, Leland McCauley gave it to his pet prostitute. She was exceptionally easy to deal with and McCauley will always wear the scars for his impudence," Emerald Empress shared, "Now, what is this grand scheme of yours?"
Saturn Queen explained it and concluded with, "When we're done I'll rule the matter universe from Earth and you will have the entire antimatter universe to rule from Qward."
Emerald Empress slowly smiled, "I'm in."
Rebellion was brewing on Apokolips. Vreti and Flash were rousing the Lowlies against Darkseid's forces. And the Hunger Dogs ached to throw off their shackles.
During the spirit of unrest, Darkseid introduced Lashina to his newest servant, the Dev Em of the Prime Universe.
"He is now Brutaal. Train him well," Darkseid commanded, "Serve me well, and if he pleases me, he will be your pet."
"Yum," was Lashina could say through her cruel smile.
Afterword: Everything is in place for the final story arc within the series. It will be an 8 part arc starting here with Part 24 of the Justice League: DCAU Series. Be warned, not every plot thread will be resolved at the end of the completed series. My ideas to continue on with a Justice League Beyond series and an anthology collection of separate, smaller DCAU stories will give me room to pursue wrapping up the leftovers should I pursue doing so.
As I continue onward, my beta reader will no longer be joining me. She's been with me since Part 6 and that marks seven years of her life thus far. And we're not even done with this series yet. She stepped down after Chapter 8. But I wish to thank ShiyaHawk for all of her work and dedication. 7 years is a huge stretch of time in the literary game, professionally or not.
