OCEAN BLUE
KARA GROANED as she roused – the sounds of explosion drowned by the loud ringing in her ears as she sat up and looked around. Fires rose up in the distance, illuminating the dark skies and blocking out the two suns as screams and clamouring bled into the blaring silence. Her breath hitched as she moved back – her head turning stiffly as she saw a bruised arm underneath her hand.
She screamed and scrambled back, breathing heavily as she saw a man's corpse lay under rubble. She moved past shards of glass – the sharp edges cutting into her hand though she felt no pain. Turning to her right, she bumped into a dead woman and shot up to her feet, looking at her right arm. Blood oozed out of cut wounds – unsightly bruises littered around as she tried and failed to move the injured appendage.
Her breath quickened as he looked around, seeing debris spread out as far as the eye could see, touching the fiery dusk horizon. Buildings and aircraft plummeted in the distance – their sounds echoing as billows of dust rose into the air and drew close to her. Struggling to move her leg, she limped away from the cloud – pain searing through her body as she tripped and was quickly engulfed by it.
KARA'S BROWS stitched as her mind drifted off – her lips twitching and her fingers fidgeting as she held the armrests of her chair tightly. Daisy raised her brow as she crossed her arms– watching the blonde who looked to her left for nearly a minute. Tapping the table, she sent a vibration toward her, jolting her out of her daze.
"Kara! Focus, please."
"Oh, s-sorry." Kara blinked and turned to her.
"As I was saying." Daisy gestured to a computer screen behind her as she addressed the Teammates. "SHIELD'S secured the base and forensics have picked up low level radiation onsite that matches scans on a warehouse in Western Europe we raided a few months ago. We obtained a robot from that warehouse and based on M'gann's findings, it's the exact same kind. We're still unclear on Hydra's plans since they went after Maveth, but we'll have to assume they're preparing for a massive attack. We've studied the radiation and we've found that if it's weaponized, it'd have the strength of a hundred nuclear warheads."
"Oh, God." M'gann's eyes dilated.
"Which is why we have to move in before they do. We're running ops to apprehend the generals M'gann helped us identify, so for the time being, I need you to rest up and prepare for your next mission."
"Understood." Dick nodded and headed out of the room, followed by the others.
"Kara." Daisy halted her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
Kara glanced at the others as they left and walked up to her. "Yes?"
"Didn't wanna bring this up with the others around, but why'd you break down in front of that soldier?"
"I'm sorry; just a little off my game."
"That's not being off your game. You'd probably get spotted, beaten by an opponent that shouldn't have been a threat, but you just bowed over to a guy that got himself killed by a ricocheted bullet. Something's wrong." Daisy folded her arms.
"No, I'm fine; I just need time to get my head straight." Kara frowned.
"Well, take this time you have now to get things in order; we can't have that happen again when you face a more powerful opponent." Daisy sat at the table.
"Yeah, sure." Kara sighed and took her leave.
Mac folded his arms as he sat across from Daisy, having watched the briefing silently. "So, you think they can handle it?"
"I dunno." She shrugged. "They seem to be doing fine for the past couple days except for Kara."
"Yeah, but they just got dumped in a completely different world, cut off forever from their families and friends. There's no way they're all on board with this."
RAVEN SHUT her eyes and took a deep breath, levitating in the lotus position as she shut out her surroundings and began to meditate. Purple aura exuded from her and she sighed, opening her eyes and holding her arms out. She sent the energy out before her and wove it into a circle, sweat beading down her brow as she struggled to maintain it.
A portal formed and she panted, wiping her forehead as she uncrossed her legs and hovered into it. Shielding her face from a bright light, she entered a massive, black void with swords floating about. Swerving away from a large blade, she frowned as she looked around, grabbing hold of one of the weapons.
Studying the sword, she jerked back as she felt radiation exuding from it, that of a kind she couldn't recognize and nearly mistook for magic. It was large and curved like a kitchen knife – white on the bladed half and black on the other – with Ancient Japanese markings on the blunt side. Struggling to read the encrypted writing, she managed to decipher one word:
"Zangetsu?"
Hearing a chiming sound, she quickly turned to her left and saw a green humanoid creature shouldering a satchel open a door shaped portal. The being dove through it, entering a city in the evening and was quickly followed by Constantine and Zatanna who jumped in before the gateway shut. Raven hovered toward the spot they were when the sword flew out of her hand and shot into a portal above her.
Looking up at the gateway, she frowned as she saw a dark cave on the other side with an orange-haired man clad in a black kimono lying unconscious on its floor. A torrent of water washed over her and knocked her into the portal she came from, flinging her onto the wall of her bedroom with a loud thud. Struggling to her feet, she leaned against the door and steadied herself as she walked around, seeing the bookshelf on her left, black and purple sheeted bed set adjacent to her toy–laden dressing table.
"Hey, Raven, are you okay – whoa!" Barbara entered the room, nearly slipping on the water. "What're you doing here?"
"I've been searching the cosmos to find our world and stumbled onto this barren dimension." Raven turned to her. "I saw Zatanna there."
"Zatanna? Isn't she on a witch hunt with Constantine?"
"She was with him and they were chasing this creature who used doors to travel worlds."
"If they're still alive, that means our world's out there somewhere, right?" Barbara grinned. "We can get back to our world again!"
"It won't be that easy." Raven pulled her hood back. "The universe has been heavily altered and it's very difficult for me to pinpoint a location to travel to. I've been meditating since we arrived on this earth and I'm not sure where anything is."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't open a portal back to our earth." Raven frowned. "We're stuck here."
Barbara sifted her mind and sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, at least you've tried, Raven. We know our world's not gone for good, so there's still hope of getting back to it. It's not over yet."
"Yeah." Raven nodded.
Giving her an assuring smile, Barbara left the room and Raven looked around, raising her arms up. Purple energy exuded from them as she swiped her hands over the floor, causing the water to evaporate. She moved over to her bookshelf when something caught her eye.
She lifted her left arm and jerked back in shock, seeing Caucasian skin slowly spreading out and replacing her pale blue tone.
BARBARA'S EYES darted across the screen as she keyboarded hastily – the light of the monitor being the only source of light in her dim room walled with bookshelves and fashioned with grey carpeting, curtains and sheets. Shaking her head, she sat back and sighed as she looked at her laptop, reading documents on the Big Hero 6 when a knock came at the door.
"Barbara, it's me, Dick." His voice came from the hall.
"Come in." She swivelled to him as he entered.
"What're you doing?"
"Just doing some research – wanna know who we're working for." She turned to the laptop.
"Well, it's our day off – we could use a break." He sat next to her. "Why don't we go out and –,"
"Watch TV? Have a drink? Done so much of that, it's amazing I don't smell like a distiller." She sat back. "No way we're getting outta here without raising suspicions – this place is heavily fortified."
"You're hacking into SHIELD?"
"Could only get info on The Door. Read that Daisy was a tech whiz, but this's insane." She folded her arms.
"You shouldn't be doing this Barbara; these people work for the government."
"Not since 2014 when it officially collapsed and their former Director Fury died in the fray." She frowned. "They've told us very little since they enlisted us – kinda feel trapped here."
"What do you expect? We just dropped on their planet unannounced – for all they know, we could be aliens."
"They've already covered that. They have this list of Meta humans and extra-terrestrials called the Index and Connor, Wally, M'gann, Raven and Kara are on it. The people listed are either made agents of SHIELD or put down."
"Look, stuff like this will make them trust us less than they do." He reached for the keyboard and she held his hand.
"I just wanna do something more constructive than …" She frowned.
She let go of his hand and he looked at her, her bloodshot eyes etching a frown on his face as she looked down. Rising from his seat and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he took his leave, shutting the door behind him as he trod down the hall. With a heavy sigh, she looked into her hand and fingered a locket – the picture of her father held in its centre.
DICK ROAMED the halls of the Teammates' dorms, is eyes fixed before him as he headed for the stairwell when whimpering met his ears. Moving up to its source, he stepped back and frowned – Kara's bedroom door standing before him – as the crying continued. Walking down the stairs, he entered the living room where Connor and M'gann watched TV across from him – both barely paying attention as they stared off into space.
"I'm gonna take a walk." Connor groaned, rising to his feet. He glanced at M'gann, seeing her downtrodden expression and headed for the door – shaking his head.
"Connor, we're not allowed to leave the building." Dick stood in his way.
"I need to clear my head – it's too stuffy in this goddamn place." Connor frowned.
"We have our protocols, Connor; we agreed to work with SHIELD and that means staying in this facility unless we're going on a mission."
"Get outta my way." Connor pushed him aside.
"Look, I know you feel restricted, but you're only gonna make things worse." Dick followed him. "The situation with SHIELD –,"
"Hasn't been explained to us!" Connor turned to him. "Sure, worlds have merged and we're outsiders, but that's all they've told us. I've hidden my powers for years now; I know what I'm doing."
"What's going on here?" Daisy moved down the steps.
"I'm going to take a walk; need the fresh air." Connor turned to her.
"I thought we already talked about this – you're SHIELD agents; your identities are secret from now on. You're not allowed to leave this building." Daisy walked up to him.
"So, what? We're stuck here indefinitely?"
"… Until we can find an alternative – yes."
"Look, I had a life outside the Team; we all did. You can't just expect us to throw that all away just because we work for you."
"Wake up, Connor; your lives were all gone the moment you ended up here." Daisy frowned. "We can't risk the public knowing who you are."
"If I take a walk? I've been keeping my identity a secret since the day I was born; I know what I'm doing."
She raised her brow then shook her head. "Look, it's not that you can't keep your identities a secret; it's that it's impossible to do so. Cher recognized all of you the moment we landed – what if someone else spotted you and then threw it online? There'd be no way of keeping that under wraps, but we only do that if you stay here."
"So we stay here permanently? Is that it?" His brow rose. "We're not your personal lap dogs you can just order around –,"
"No, you're not." She moved up to him. "But when you're in SHIELD, you have to make sacrifices. I swore an oath – we all did – to protect the world against the much weirder world and in case you haven't noticed, it just keeps getting weirder. We don't know how big this phenomenon is and cities, countries, continents keep popping up and it's hard to keep up with as it is. Places from other dimensions, the past – maybe the future – are arriving and any interaction between them and us is knocking on the door of a world war. We have people that control elements with their mind in Republic City, people that control the weather in Arendelle – we have aliens that can rip a nuclear warhead in half and shrug off the fallout in West City; we're barely handling it all!" She looked around as the others converged due to the argument then turned back to Connor. "So sure, leave the facility, break through the walls – see whether we can stop you or not – but realize what'd happen if you were spotted, if we were discovered, and be ready to pay the consequences."
Daisy glanced at the others then headed out of the room, moving past Jaime who stepped aside and turned to Connor who groaned in response and took a seat. He looked around the room, seeing Dick's stern face as he scanned everyone else – Kara and Barbara's expressions nearly matching as they both had bloodshot eyes, Artemis showing irritation as she unfastened her fighting gloves, Wally exhibiting curiosity as he watched the others, Raven casting a concerned gaze and M'gann staring off into space, disconnected from everything else.
"Look, guys, I know none of us expected this to happen, but it has and, for the moment, there's nothing we can do to reverse it." Dick stepped forward. "But, let's not give up hope and throw everything away because of what's happened."
"Dick's right." Raven turned to the others. "I've been searching the cosmos and everything's been displaced, but our world's still out there. I saw Zatanna and Constantine and if they're still alive, everyone else is to."
"You did?" M'gann's face lit up and she turned to her, receiving a nod.
"It's not over guys. It only is if we give up." Dick smiled determinedly. "We work and risk our lives to save others and we have the chance to do that here. Let's work together with SHIELD and along the way, we'll find our world and return to our loved ones."
KALDUR'S EYES darted around as he donned a cloak, emerging from a marketplace as he entered a street in the underwater city. Having failed to establish communication with the locals in Atlantean, he resorted to English and managed to purchase some clothing. Roaming the area, he struggled to come to grasp with how everything felt similar, yet so different and alien.
His home and this city, though sharing the same name and similar ethnicity connected to Ancient Greece, differed greatly as he soon learned while encountering the locals. The people didn't live in water, but in a dome that kept water out and their skin had a blue tint to them. Trying to avoid suspicion, he donned some of the more common attire, making his way down the street toward the castle. If there was anyone who could explain to him what was happening, it would be King Atuma.
Manoeuvring through a packed sidewalk, he glanced at the guards – each garbed in yellow and blue armour – that roamed the area on sea horseback and patrolled different street corners. Studying the city, he sensed an atmosphere of fear as people avoided the soldiers, though very subtly, and avoided eye contact. Heeding the unspoken warning, he immersed himself into the crowds when a guard called:
"Hey, you, come over here." He rode toward him.
"You called me?" Kaldur saluted to him – a fist on his forehead. "Is something wrong?"
"You are an outsider, aren't you?"
"My apologies; I was heading to the palace to officially announce my visit to the King. I am from the neighbouring kingdoms."
"Hmm, it is unfortunate that you did not have an escort to show you our ways, traveller." The guard rode on. "Follow me. The king always welcomes guests."
"I am much obliged to meet him." Kaldur followed.
KALDUR STRODE into the large purple foyer of the castle, pillars with Atlantean symbols encircling the expanse and leading up to a massive statue of Atuma which reached up to the ceiling, standing before a large staircase. The guard led him up the steps to a massive throne room, floored in chrome and walled in gold, converging on a large cathedra which Atuma sat upon with servants standing around him.
"Your Highness, my name is Kaldur'ahm, I found myself in your realm and I seek audience with you in order to find where I am because I'm Atlantean and this is nothing like my home."
"I expected your arrival, outsider." Atuma rose from his seat. "Did your fake king send you here to spy on us?"
"Fake King? Your highness, I am no spy –,"
"Is something a spy would say." Atuma frowned. "Seize him!"
Several guards converged on Kaldur and he drew his Water-Bearers form his Water Pack, weaving out hammers. Smacking two assailants, he flipped back and created whips, wrapping it around a guard and slamming him onto another. A soldier came from behind and blasted him in the back with a sonic cannon, knocking him unconscious.
KALDUR GRUNTED as he came to and met the cold steel of the large chair – restraints wrapping around his feet and ankles – with guards standing guard on either side of a door. Breathing heavily, he frowned as he looked around, glancing behind him as he saw the darkness of the water beyond the glass dome peak into the small window in the room.
He turned onward and sighed. "I should've seen this coming."
Atuma entered the room, walking up to him. "Tell us your purpose, Kaldur'ahm?
"I have told you who I am; I'm an Atlantean, like you, your highness."
"Atlantean? Your skin is nothing like ours and you came from the outside." Atuma moved up to him. "Are you a spy sent by King Orin to infiltrate my kingdom?"
"How do you know of King Orin?"
"You are the one being questioned here, outsider."
"No, but I seek to return to my home, my Atlantis."
"Only one Atlantis exists and any other is a gathering of imposters aiming to steal the glory of my people."
"There has been a misunderstanding, your highness." Kaldur fidgeted. "I laid down to rest two days ago and awoke in the middle of the ocean, outside my kingdom. I stumbled into this place, mistaking it for my home and unknowingly intruded. The greatest of apologies, your highness."
"I have no time for apologies, outsider." Atuma paced around him. "You infiltrate my city, hide amongst my people and come under the aegis of King Orin. I cannot let such acts go unpunished." He turned to a guard who handed him his sceptre.
"So much for diplomacy." Kaldur sighed.
Electricity shot out of his eel tattoos, zapping Atuma and the guards and knocking them off their feet. Jumping up, he summoned his Water Bearers and slashed through the restraints, freeing himself. Shooting his arms forward, he pulled water through the glass barrier, shattering it and flooding the room.
Getting his footing in the torrential onslaught, Atuma turned to his men. "Seize him!"
Kaldur swam out of the glass barrier and turned to see the guards tailing him. Slamming the hilts together, he forged a wall around the hole, blocking the dome and swam onward. Reaching a nearby reef, he panted as he sheathed his weapons and looked around, his eyes dilating as he saw large, underwater ships docked outside the city with Lex Corp logos adorning their sides.
WALLY DASHED toward a table, grabbing a marker as he wrote down Quantum calculations on a large board. Traversing the expansive lab fashioned with white walls and cluttered with workstations with several machines atop them, Dr Cello keyboarded on his computer, bringing up a video uplink on a large screen before him.
"Dr Stephen Cello, it's good to finally meet you." A brunette-haired woman's face came onscreen.
"Dr Foster, it's quite an honour." Dr Cello walked up to the screen. "This is Wally West, one of new entries to our crazy universe."
"Hey." Wally ran up to the screen. "What do I call you apart from beautiful?" He leaned on a table, slipping off it as he bumped into a coffee cup.
"Fancies himself as some kinda scientist." Dr Cello turned to him. "But, if you ask me – not all that convinced." He whispered to Jane.
"Hey, look at the board!" Wally gestured the board behind him. "I've done some serious work into String Theory and Dark Matter."
"For what is Dark Matter without milk?!" Dr Cello shot his fist upward, gaining a confused look from Wally.
Jane shook her head. "Anyway, have you had any breakthroughs in your research?"
"None, yet, other than spikes in YEAST energy popping up in several locations on earth." Dr Cello took a seat. "Based on scans, there should be several large portals around, but we've found nothing. Even when the Severed City appeared, there was no trace of a portal opening."
"Well, that's strange given how the whole world saw the portals opening during the Convergence –,"
"Jane! Where are ya?" A woman's voice came in the background.
"Not now, Darcy; I'm busy!" Jane yelled.
"Well, no need to get snappy with me!" Darcy came on screen. "Just wanna keep you from turning to skin and bone with all the work you've been doing." She munched on toast. "Thor wouldn't wanna tap that anymore."
"Okay, bye!" Jane pushed her off screen.
"You're still on that theory?" Dr Cello raised his brow.
"It makes far more sense than a small portal in the middle of a city." Jane frowned. "The data just doesn't add up. There's no way a portal that small could cause something so drastic. During the Convergence, the walls between worlds were non-existent, gravity went outta whack, spacial extrusions; the very fabric of reality was torn apart. There's no way a portal that at most can only suck in a city block could be responsible for it."
"But the Trade Federation on Naboo is very important!" Dr Cello held his fist before him.
"I-I don't know anything about that." Jane's eyes darted around uneasily.
Wally raised his brow then shook his head. "Maybe there's something bigger at play here; like someone's playing a cosmic game of chess with the universe." Wally walked up to them. "I've been reading up your files and all these instances can't be coincidence. Just look at the dates here. November 2013, the Convergence happened, November 2014, the Sparrow Dimension was opened and in 2013, several speedsters all came to the present day – on March 29th, 2015, a black hole opened in Central City. The timing is too perfect and they could all be the cause of the merging of worlds. The use of the Speed Force has greatly increased in those years and with several portals opening up in our world, they were most likely the culminating effects of all these events."
"So, you're saying someone caused all this?" Jane frowned.
"I'm not sure, but it's all packed too neatly if you ask me. All these cosmic level events happen within a short space of time? It's too much for me to call it a coincidence." Wally folded his arms.
"Well, I've gotta go." Jane keyboarded on her computer. "I'll compile the data and see if I can find some proof to your theory, kid." She logged out.
Dr Cello sifted his mind and turned to Wally. "You know what, kid?" He frowned as he walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "With a mind like that, you should be a chef!"
"What?" Wally raised his brow.
"I've been running scans on all of you since your arrival and the residual YEAST energy signatures have all subsided from everyone except you, Wally." Dr Cello stepped back. "Your body has astounding amounts of the energy that I'm amazed a portal doesn't open right now."
"What do you mean?" Wally looked at his hands.
"Wally, I think you could be the key to unlocking the mystery of the merging of worlds."
Wally frowned and thought hard when Nightwing barged into the room. "Wally, we've got a situation."
"WELL, I hope your little break has been useful, cuz it's time to get back to the field." Mac pulled up a map of Amersia as he addressed the Team in the briefing room. "A military base in Aomori Nevada –,"
"Okay, what?" Wally raised his brow.
"Yeah, you'll never get used to it." Mac shook his head. "We got a distress call from Area 52 seeking SHIELD assistance when one of their missile silos launched on its own and sent a nuke toward Russweden. Several missiles systems are activating as we speak and if we don't stop them, we'll have a nuclear event that'd make Nagasaki look like a firework. The nuke's ETA is 2 hours and you need to get there and stop it from landing in Russweden and stop the other missiles from launching. Daisy will accompany you on your mission and help you stop the launches."
"Okay, Team, let's move out." Daisy rose from his seat.
A QUINJET DESCENDED on a military base, soldiers and guards running in a frenzy as sirens blared and red lights flashed. The ship landed and the Teammates disembarked, running onto the base. A general walked up to them, looking at the heroes in confusion then turning to Daisy.
"I'm Agent Johnson, we received your distress call and we're here to help." Daisy walked up to him.
"General Daniel Grievous." The man gestured to the building. " Follow me."
"THE MISSILE launched at eighteen hundred hours on a direct course with Mos Warburton and will hit in 90minutes. It's hard to track as its stealth tech was made to slip under radar and with our systems out of whack; we're unable to disable it." The general led them into a control room, standing before a large screen with a map. "It should be within this radius in the Atlantic Ocean." He pointed at the screen.
"Okay, I'm on it." Supergirl headed for the door.
"Are you sure about this after what happened last time?" Daisy stood in her way.
"Yeah, I've got it under control." She nodded and flew out of the room.
"Okay, we'll take it from here, General." Nightwing moved up to a computer then turned to the others. "Barbara and I will try to get the missile systems back online." He took a seat and began keyboarding. "Try to find ways to stop any that begin to launch and disable them before they leave the base. These're the locations of the missile silos." He pulled up a map of the facility. "Split into groups of two and take them down."
"On it." Kid Flash nodded and dashed off, followed by Blue Beetle, Raven, Artemis, M'gann and Superboy. He turned to Artemis. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to the names in this world."
"I try not to ask questions." Artemis drew an arrow and ran down a hall with Superboy.
Glancing at Batgirl and Daisy who sat on either side of him, Nightwing keyboarded and went on com. "Mac, I'm sending you the projected path of the missile and Supergirl's coordinates. Need you to run tactical and help her find the ballistic in time."
"Got it." Mac's voice came on the other end.
Daisy frowned as she worked, looking at the lines of code streaming down before her. "Whoever's pulling this attack's got some skill."
"Thought you'd be able to handle it." Batgirl glanced at her.
"Hacked into SHIELD several dozen times before I joined and I've dealt with Hydra, but this's way more than I've ever faced."
"This coming from the person that made me look like an IT noob? We're in a lotta trouble."
"I've never seen algorithms like this. It's like its constantly adapting." Daisy's eyes dilated.
"Let's hope the guys can stop the missiles before we crack this thing." Nightwing frowned.
FIRING AN arrow onto the side of the missile, Artemis strapped her bow on and walked along the platform surrounding the silo, raising her head to the ceiling to see the doors closed. Turing to her left, she saw Superboy standing across from her, leaning against the wall and folding his arms as he looked around.
"So, you think those'll work?" He raised his brow. "Don't think those little arrows have enough explosives to destroy that thing."
"Don't underestimate C4." She smirked. "It's more of a last measure if you aren't able to ground this thing when it starts off and Supergirl fails to bring it down as we track it."
"You think they're gonna fail to bring the systems back online?"
"The sirens are still going off." She fired another arrow on the missile and headed for the door. "I'll go put these on the others."
Superboy frowned and looked at the missile, seeing the arrowheads flickering as they littered around its side. A beeping sound blared and the blast door began to open above – the moonlight shining into the once dim structure.
"Oh, crap." He clenched his fists.
M'GANN'S EYES glowed as she spread her arms apart – the metal plates of the missile's rockets detaching from the warhead as it rose vertically toward the blast door. Crossing his fingers, Wally watched as she wove her hands around, moving the warhead onto the floor whilst placing the thrusters to her right on the platform.
Wally sighed. "Phew, good thing you didn't drop that."
"It's a good thing you were right about how this missile was built." She wiped sweat off her brow. "Wasn't planning to comparing my durability to those aliens from West City."
"Hopefully, we could recruit them on our side." He smiled. "If they aren't bad guys that is."
"Yeah." She turned to the thrusters. "At least the missile won't be going anywhere even if the launch sequences happens."
"Yeah." He tapped the thrusters then looked around. "I'll go check on the others." He dashed off.
"OKAY, I'VE arrived over the ocean." Supergirl flew over the ocean in the early morning – looking at the dim skies.
"Good, update us when you see the missile; we only have an hour before it hits the city." Nightwing's voice came.
"I won't let that happen." She frowned, bursting forward with a sonic boom.
"WHAT'RE WE supposed to do now?" Blue Beetle's eyes dilated as the missile thrusters ignited.
"I'll have to stop it." Energy exuded from Raven's eyes.
"But the exerted pressure could damage it! We'd have a leak inside the building!" He held the sides of his head.
"Guess I'll have to be careful." She held her hands before the missile – the light glinting off her hood as the blast doors opened.
Purple energy shot out of her hands and spread around the missile, moving down its sides and over its thrusters, impeding it as it ascended. Wrapping around the exhausts, the fire ceased and the weapon came crashing down – worry dilating her eyes as the warhead grazed against the wall.
She moved it to the right, leaving the thrusters open and allowing it to shoot towards the blast door – banging against the platforms in its ascent. Creating sonic cannons, Blue Beetle blasted the thrusters and destroyed them, letting it crash against a platform and smack onto the floor – sparks shooting out from below.
"What did you do?" She frowned and shot down to the missile.
"I needed to stop it or it'd take off!" He flew up to her.
Kid Flash ran into the room and looked at them as they descended to the missile – smoke rising from its dismantled plating. "Oh, man, what happened?!" He dashed up to them.
"The missile began to launch and we had to stop it." Raven turned to him.
"Well, let's hope you haven't damaged the warhead." Kid Flash sped around the missile then stopped. "Oh, man!"
"What is it?" Blue Beetle landed.
"You armed the warhead and it's gonna detonate!" He ran up to it and began typing on the keypad. "It's pretty damaged." He looked at the depressions around the missile then keyed in faster. "We've got about three minutes."
"Three minutes? We haven't even evacuated the facility yet!" Blue Beetle panicked.
"Can you disarm it?" Raven turned to Wally.
"I could if you'd stop talking!" Kid Flash frowned.
"Sorry, ese." Blue Beetle stepped back.
Clearing everything out of his mind, Kid Flash typed hastily – his hands moving as blurs – as he tried to disarm the warhead. Huffing, he sat back and looked at the others. "Man, that was close."
"You did it?" Raven's eyes dilated and she received a nod, sighing in relief.
"Phew, gracias Dios." Blue Beetle panted. "That was awesome, Raven."
"Me?" She raised her brow. "He disarmed the missile."
"Yeah, cuz you caught it. We'd have a major disaster if you weren't here."
"Thanks." She smiled.
"Guys, a missile just launched!" Artemis's voice came.
"Make that two!" Superboy's voice came, strain evident in it.
"COULD USE some help over here!" He gritted his teeth.
His fingers dug into the sides of the missile – veins pulsating on his arms as he held it down. Fire raged out of the thrusters, spreading across the ground and singeing his boots as his feet slid on the floor. Screaming as the flames grew hotter, he pulled down on the weapon, impeding it.
M'GANN SHOT through the twin doors of a building – her eyes glowing – and stretching her arms before her and holding a missile in place. Artemis ran out and drew an arrow, shooting it onto the side of the weapon. Fire roared and propelled the missile further, drawing a grunt from the Martian as sweat beaded down her brow.
"Can you stop it?" Artemis drew an arrow.
"I don't know." M'gann panted. "The missile's speed's increasing."
"Just lemme fire some arrows onto it." She aimed at the missile.
"I don't think that'd – ah!"
The missile shot onward and she clenched her fists, bending the metal slightly as she halted it and held it back. Artemis fired two arrows and fire exploded out of the thrusters, blasting off in a boom that knocked M'gann back. Catching herself, she panted as she landed, turning to the blonde who strapped the bow over her shoulder.
"Oh God, we're doomed." M'gann panted.
"I –,"
A missile shot out of a silo across from them on the field, Superboy clinging on the side helplessly. Falling off the rocket, the Kryptonian slammed on the ground and groaned in pain – M'gann and Artemis coming to his side. Helping him to his feet, M'gann looked at him worriedly, seeing his trousers burnt from up to his knees.
"We detected three launches – did you ground the missiles?" Nightwing's voice came on M'gann's com.
"Negative, two got away." She went on com.
"What about the third?"
"We don't know." M'gann frowned.
"This's bad for the mission; if you can't stop those missiles in time, Supergirl will be overwhelmed in the air."
"Don't worry; I put bombs on 'em that I'll detonate when they've reached a safe enough altitude." Artemis went on com.
"Well, let's just hope Kara can stop the first missile." Nightwing went off.
SUPERGIRL SHOT through the air, leaving a shockwave behind her as she flew over a street. A missile zoomed ahead of her, its descent deepening her frown as she increased her speed. Seeing it gain distance, she gritted her teeth in anger – her eyes beginning to glow.
"Supergirl, don't!" Daisy's voice came on com. "You shouldn't destroy it until it's out of the city's radius."
"It's over the city already!" She growled. "I wasn't fast enough."
"Well, get it outta there, grab it and fly off if you have to."
Supergirl thrust her arms forward and shot past the missile, swerving around it and held the warhead. She struggled as it pushed her back, her eyes shutting in desperation as she drew closer to the ground. Opening her eyes, she saw civilians behind her – her foot inches away from a woman's head. Screaming, she burst into the sky, creating a sonic boom as glass shattered around her.
Digging her fingers into the metal, she shot through the air – flying over several buildings as she increased her speed. Breaking two sound barriers, she shot over a coast, flying over the ocean. Stopping herself, she panted and hovered, bolting to the skies above as she rose over the city.
"Kara, how much time do you have?" Batgirl's voice came on com.
"I don't know." She strained.
"Rip open a compartment on the left side of the missile and you'll see a timer." Nightwing's voice came.
Supergirl grabbed a plate on the missile's side and pealed it off, seeing a timer nestled underneath in some wiring. "Forty seconds."
"Try to fly higher." Daisy's voice came. "You're almost high enough for the fallout to be nonlethal."
"I'll try."
Folding her knees before her, she straightened up and shot upward – wind spreading out and parting clouds as she ascended into the sky. Seeing the rising sun to her right – its rays illuminating the expanse – she flew further, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth as she exerted herself.
"Okay, Kara, let go!" Daisy's voice came.
Releasing her grip, she fell back and tossed the missile upward – letting herself plummet as she saw the rocket spin in the air. She panted, feeling the wind around her as she descended to the ocean below. The missile exploded, the shockwave knocking her back and spreading out into the sky.
With a drawn out breath, her eyes slowly shut as she fell – her body covered in smoke and burns as she descended. She slammed into the water, sinking like a rock and drowning limply. A dark figure swooped up from underneath her, grabbing her and rising to the surface.
Water splashed around her as she roused, blinking repeatedly as she got her bearings and scoped the scene. Looking up, she smiled warmly as her blue eyes met pale green, realizing who held her.
"Kaldur."
SWIPING CARD through a scanner, he opened the door and entered a dim room – the lights slowly coming on as he strode on. Adjusting his jacket, he moved up to a large screen that descended from the ceiling. Leaning toward it, rays spread down his face, scanning him.
"Access granted: Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor." The computer AI responded.
Stepping forward, adjusted his cufflink and raised his brow. "You summoned me."
"Yes, Luthor; it seems we have a new development." A large, furrowed face appeared onscreen. "The Team has arrived on this world through the Sparrow Dimension."
"Well, that's unfortunate." He pocketed his hands, his expression remaining impassive.
"Make sure they won't interfere."
"Understood."
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