29
Darkness suddenly fell over the Subtle Realms. Which only added to the confusion of whether or not the JSA All Stars were even on a planet or in a solar system. The All Stars gathered around a center point established by Stargirl using the Cosmic Rod as a light source.
"How long have we even been here?" Commander Steel asked, "I know it feels like forever but we left the ranch at noon."
"Time flows differently in different dimensions. Whereas six hours have passed in the Prime Universe over twenty have passed by in the Subtle Realms," Anna warned the group.
"Jesus, no wonder I'm getting tired," Jesse muttered.
"Twenty hours!" Captain Marvel exclaimed.
"And I think we all agree it feels like it too," Aztek ventured, "Except for the Marvels, of course."
"But that means the two weeks Mary's been trapped here have been more like…" Captain Marvel couldn't speak as the Wisdom of Solomon supplied the number.
"Nearly eight for her," Anna stated for the group, "But there is a greater oddity at play here."
"What?" Captain Marvel asked sullenly.
"You and Captain Marvel Jr. are empowered by Shazam through a single aetherial channel apiece. Mary is now empowered by four after our little jaunt to Earth-3," Anna told them all, "But three are of darker origins than the Greco-Roman gods that empower the pair of you. Mary is now receiving a greater portion of her power from the same Egyptian pantheon that empowers the Black Marvels."
"Are you saying Mary has turned into Black Adam?" Junior indignantly asked.
"Not necessarily," Anna cautioned him, "But you have to look at the nature of the Egyptian gods and how they operate within the context of humanity. They entwine the mind body and soul, suffusing them with their power and pushing them towards their own mindset. This pantheon revolves around power and death. Usually simultaneously."
"Is that what drove Black Adam mad?" Sentinel asked.
"Teth-Adam was indeed corrupted by the vision of his gods," Anna confirmed, "But when Shazam differed in his use of his gift, Shazam found the Egyptian gods would not allow him to revoke his grant of power. So he entombed Black Adam. Four thousand years of isolation drove Black Adam into the true depths of madness. A depth he clawed his way back out of."
"And when Billy and Mary Batson's parents found that tomb and liberated Black Adam, they were killed by Theo Adam, a direct descendent of Teth-Adam's ancient line. Theo Adam was under instructions from Dr. Sivana to bring any objects of power to him," Anna elaborated, "Instead; Theo Adam took Black Adam and reintroduced him to the world. And two years later, Shazam chose Billy to be Captain Marvel. He was reunited with Mary, whom he'd thought killed with his parents in Egypt. Freddy Freeman came along later."
"This seems like another case of you holding out information from the team," Jay Garrick accused.
"Please understand the tenuousness of my position here," Anna pleaded, "Shazam is more than a nigh immortal wizard. He is a Lord of Order. I am pledged to the service of Order and the Lords of Order are not questioned lightly. Yet the same journey to Earth-3 revealed Shazam's questionable choices."
"You mean…that version of Mary and Billy she told me about," Stargirl ventured.
"Indeed," Anna confirmed, "Mistress Mary was a sexual predator whose chief victim was her own brother. In that world, Black Adam, Isis, and young Osiris were the champions. Yet Isis and Osiris had been killed by Alex Luthor's allies from Apokolips. So he passed on all of the power he had received upon his wife and son's deaths as well as his own and gave them to our Mary. Three-quarters of Mary's power is now derived from the Egyptian gods."
"Who supplied the...other Mary and Billy?" Stargirl inquired.
"Those very same Egyptian gods," Anna answered, "It seems the pantheon enjoyed the life or death struggle between factions."
"And Mary knows all of this?" Metamorpho asked the question on everyone's mind.
"Not at first," Anna told the group, "But after returning to Earth Prime, she consulted Shazam. You see, there are fifty-two universes still extant after the destruction of an infinite number of parallel universes. We cannot comprehend what destroyed them but even realms such as Apokolips and New Genesis have felt the impact."
"The center piece of these fifty-two universes is the Prime Universe," Anna stated, "For in this universe stands Oa, alone in the Prime Universe and in none other. And centerpieced by its proximity to the Rock of Eternity, also alone in the multiverse. There is one Rock, forged from a union of a slice of heaven and a portion of hell. And there is only one Shazam."
Everyone could tell by the Marvels' reactions that they hadn't known this either. Anna pushed on, "In the cosmic scope of the multiverse there is the Source, the one true God. Male and female gender labels seem superfluous but for the sake of the male ego we shall refer to the Source as a 'he'. Beneath the Source are found the Lords of Order and Chaos. Beneath them are the various deity pantheons and New Gods, beneath those can be found angels, demons, and demigods. Finally we happen upon mortal creatures."
"And where do you fall in that list, I wonder?" Jesse asked archly.
"I am no more and no less than a mere mortal," Anna confided.
"Why would Mary accept all of this power if it can corrupt her?" Hourman wondered.
"Ah, therein lies the rub," Anna approved of the inquiry, "Shazam shared a portion of what is transpiring across the multiverse with Mary. As we saw by embarking on journeys to Earths -2, -3, and -9, Darkseid is actively engaged in an attempt to conquer the multiverse. The bright gem at the center of his ambitions is the Prime Universe and Earth Prime."
"And then there is the destructive force that annihilated untold universes wholesale. Only intervention from the Source prevented the destruction of the entire multiverse," Anna shared, "But even the Lords of Order are clueless as to why fifty-two universes were chosen to survive or why those particular universes in question were selected. But something lurks beyond the multiverse which seeks to destroy us all, regardless if Darkseid reigns or not."
"But Darkseid has tried to conquer our Earth," Aztek pointed out, "He's failed in every attempt."
"But consider what we found on those alternate Earths," Anna implored, "On Earth-2, the Justice Lords served as his proxies leading his forces in battle against their own world. On Earth-3, Alex Luthor did the same in an effort to curb the criminals that dominated his world. What other force could that Luthor bring against the Crime Syndicate to kill half their members and drive the rest out of his universe altogether? Earth-9 saw Hitler replaced by a time traveling scientist named Per Degaton. Degaton was being courted by Darkseid while the Lord of Apokolips waited to see who would emerge victorious in the Great World War that had raged for seventy years. And let us not forget that a doppelganger of our teammate served as Degaton's lover as well as his adopted daughter."
Jesse Quick bristled at the mention of Jenni Quick. Hourman helped unruffled his wife's bruised feelings, "And Shazam and the Lords of Order expect repeat business here?"
"Who else could be labeled a proxy other than our very own Lex Luthor?" Anna posed the question, "Our allies on New Genesis have affirmed that Luthor has pledged to rule our Earth as Darkseid's satrap in exchange for extended life."
"But, a rogue element has revealed itself in all of these schemes," Anna warned, "An element born of Darkseid's own lust. He seduced an Amazon from Earth Prime and she bore him a daughter she named Grail. This daughter has all of her parents' strengths. Including Darkseid's ultimate power, the Omega Effect. Grail has one purpose and that is to kill Darkseid for casting her and her mother aside."
"But I thought Orion was supposed to off his dad," Stargirl reminded everyone.
"But Orion's mother, Tigra, was found to be unfaithful. Darkseid is not his father so the prophecy doesn't pertain to him. Kalibak doesn't possess the might or the intelligence to kill his father but Grail wields the one ability that can truly kill Darkseid once and for all," Anna explained, "So, to finally answer the question that has been posed, Mary is willing to risk her soul to fend off Darkseid's ultimate invasion."
Everyone considered these words until Flash changed the subject, "I understand Uncle Sam was still leading the Freedom Fighters on the Nazi Earth."
"Assuming he survived what Kalea did to him," Atom Smasher brought up the tender point to that story.
Everyone knew the name Kalea-El and everyone repressed a collective shudder at it. Born the Crown Princess of Almerac to Empress Maxima and her consort, Kal-El of Krypton, Kalea had never met her father until Maxima brought her teenage daughter to Earth to stay with Superman. Spoiled, temperamental, and arrogant were the kinder descriptions the JLers had for her later.
But Kalea was kidnapped and turned into a cyborg in a society that loathed and detested cybernetic implants and limbs. Maxima signed a nondiscrimination law into effect but Kalea was despised as she became a young woman. So she took revenge by staging a palace coup and dethroning her mother.
Locking Maxima in the deepest dungeons, Kalea launched an attack on Earth. She had two goals. One was to brutally humiliate and subjugate her own father and the other was to harvest humanity as a source of slave labor. Kalea was ultimately defeated and stripped of rank and title, citizenship, and even her place in the universe as she was banished into exile on frozen Argo.
But Kalea had returned yet again. Her fellow conspirators in the Democratic movement exiled Maxima. Until the day Kalea was sent forth to collect her mother for a show trial. This included a journey through multiple stops across the multiverse before Kalea tracked Maxima down to Earth-9. There she collected her mother and she did deliver her to the court. But she engineered events so Maxima would be restored to her throne.
For Almerac was engaged in a genocidal campaign against the Gordanians. The Gordanians envisioned the same fate for Almeracians that they'd had for Thanagarians. The Almeracians, never one to back down from escalating violence, responded in kind. In a war where no prisoners were taken, every able body counted.
Kalea rejected a reinstatement of her royal status upon Maxima's return. She also bowed out of being handed citizenship. She chose to earn her citizenship the way most Imperial subjects did, through meritorious service. Kalea was to serve Maxima as she'd served the Democratic Triad, as a specially authorized troubleshooter. As Maxima could attest to, from previous experience, Kalea was unstoppable once she set her mind to a task. And she didn't mind harnessing her daughter's single-mindedness towards the common good.
"Anna, can you furnish us with some kind of shelters and some provisions?" Sentinel turned to the not so simple business of survival in this incalculably hostile realm, "We didn't come prepared for a drawn out venture."
"Might I suggest you join me in providing some modicum of protection against the natives first?" Anna asked him, "You will find your ring has already outlasted its original twenty-four charge given to it by the magical lantern which focuses the energies of the Green Flame for you. Your ring will last indefinitely between charges here in this place."
"All right, whatever you have in mind will probably be more effective than merely posting sentries," Sentinel agreed.
"You may want to do that regardless of our success here," Anna advise, "Now suspend a sphere above our heads whilst I infuse it with Order magic. Slowly expand the sphere and allow it to permeate the ground beneath us until I order you to halt the expansion."
So the pair worked in tandem until Anna, slightly breathless asked Sentinel to cease his effort, "The construct will persist until you order its destruction."
"Are you all right?" he asked her.
"Never better," she said jauntily, "Now if you could arrange for everyone to back up against the construct walls?"
The All Stars complied while Sand explained to Sentinel and Flash the reality of demons burrowing in the ground below them. Sand celebrated Anna's foresight in extending their protective field beneath the visible terrain. Sand hadn't actually detected any demonic activity in the area but he admitted that could change without warning.
Sentinel had a sudden insight into Anna Fortune. She seemed madcap and carefree, and to a degree she was, but she was very much a product of the 19th Century. And she clung to the morality and quest for order that she'd had the illusion of until the American Civil War erupted. Anna's service to the Lords of Order was just part of her quest to reclaim the safety she'd felt as a child in the Antebellum South.
Alan Scott knew something of such lifelong searches. When he'd been a much younger man, he'd found a burning green gem that turned itself into a lantern and chose him to battle evil. It created the power ring he wore. Taking his name from the lantern, Alan became Earth's first Green Lantern.
While the Green Flame empowering the lantern and focused through the power ring claimed to be an elemental force of Earth itself, it had begun as the Starheart crafted by the Guardians of the Universe themselves. The Starheart had preceded the Green Lantern Corps and had wandered the universe before transforming into the Green Flame of Earth Prime with Alan as its chosen champion.
But unlike the Green Lantern Corps' power rings harnessing the emotional spectrum of Will, Alan couldn't operate beyond Earth's atmosphere. And the Green Flame suffused his body so that his children, Jennie-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice had powers derived from aspects of the Green Flame. Todd controlled the essence of the Shadow Realms and became the vigilante known as Obsidian. Jennie had a power pulse in her left hand that harnessed the power of the Green Flame as she joined Obsidian as Jade.
Todd was diagnosed as schizophrenic and eventually turned against the Justice League and went rogue. Jennie, despite having green skin, claimed she'd lost her powers and became a costume designer in Hollywood. When Obsidian lashed out at his adoptive father and threaten to consume Detroit in the Shadow Realms, Jennie revealed she'd never lost her power. Together with Alan, they banished Todd to the Shadow Realms.
When Hal Jordan became the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner all followed, Alan forsook the mantle of Green Lantern and forged a new legacy as Sentinel. On Earth, Sentinel had limitless power. The only restraints he had were the limitations of his will and imagination and the physical properties of wood. Sentinel never understood the weakness against affecting wood but he supposed every power ring needed a weakness.
Here additional limitations had been imposed upon Sentinel's ring. Separated from the Green Flame by dimensional walls, Sentinel could little but create constructs. Still his boundless imagination meant he could create constructs that demons had never dreamt of.
Anna had judged their protective sphere capable of repelling most of the demonic hosts in this realm. Sentinel, Flash, and Sand all agreed they didn't want to meet what it couldn't block. Mr. Terrific hastily cobbled together extra T-Spheres and deployed them all around the half dome covering the All Stars.
Anna set out medallions she fished out of her pockets. She set one apart from the others and spread the rest out. Mr. Terrific approached her escorted by Jesse and Hourman.
"We still need shelter, food, and water if we're to survive this godforsaken country," Mr. Terrific reminded her.
"And you shall have it," Anna promised, "God is present, even here. My sainted father taught me to prepare for such contingencies."
"I thought your father was hanged in your place," Jesse retorted.
Atom Smasher had moved in on them in order to defend Anna should the need arise. The rest of the All Stars followed. Anna decided to end this nonsense once and for all.
"Yes, my father died in my place. I was accused of murdering my fiancé after he killed my lover," Anna shared, "My fiancé was white and my beloved was a Negro. A heinous crime violating racial purity laws of the day. When my fiancé gunned down the man I truly loved, he emptied the pistol into him. But I knew he always carried a loaded spare in his saddlebag. So I retrieved that gun and emptied it into my fiancé for murdering my man."
Everyone fell silent as Anna pressed on, "Arranging a crime scene was simplicity itself since forensic science hadn't been created yet. But one of the sharecroppers on our land had been jealous of the relationship. So first she had revealed its existence to my fiancé and next she went to the civic leaders. So a lynch mob formed to apply 'true justice'. My father bought me time to escape but as I later learned the cost was his own life."
"You could have stood trial and pled your case," Hourman accused.
"In the Reconstruction South I was a woman, who had no place in society other than that dictated by her husband or betrothed. I didn't have the right of suffrage to change the racial laws I was accused of violating. The fact that I'd never had sexual relations with any man wasn't proof enough. The implied charges were considered proven without evidence," Anna stated.
"Why are you suddenly confessing now?" Jesse was instantly suspicious.
"Because you will not let these matters drop until you hear the truth you wish to here," Anna said sagely, "So I present you your truth at long last and you can be satisfied in the knowing. In the interim, allow me to finish my task."
"You made that up?" Jesse was outraged.
"A gave you a truth you would accept without giving away the absolute truth of what transpired," Anna confided, "If I had proclaimed my innocence, as I have since the beginning, would you have relented and abandoned hounding me? I think not. It is a far, far better thing to feed your expectations so you can simply continue to assume the worst about me."
"Sonuvabitch!" Jesse snarled.
"I believe you're confusing my gender," Anna quipped.
Atom Smasher had remained stoic despite having pulled his mask off. Anna had told them the truth. But as she also told them, it lacked all of the facts. It just presented her case in the worst possible light. So she hadn't lied and yet she'd made a case regarding Jesse and Hourman's assumptions.
He noticed, with some satisfaction, Sand was actually weighing her words. Sandy Hawkins had been one of Anna's chief critics until now. Or at least, he hadn't considered she had a side until now.
"Everyone really does need to step back now," Anna advised them all.
Anna gestured at the isolated pendent after everyone had cleared the center space. A portal formed from that pendent and a huge tent structure emerged from it. Then she did the same with the other pendants. Cooking apparatuses and gear emerged from another. An old fashioned outhouse and supplies of toilet paper from another. Blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags from another, and a storehouse's worth of food from the last.
Atom Smasher knew Anna's naysayers owed her for this regardless of their personal feelings towards her. Anna approached Mr. Terrific, Sand, Sentinel, and the Flash, "We'll need to dig the appropriate hole for the privy."
"I can handle that," Sentinel promised.
"This is incredible," Jay exclaimed, "How does it work?"
"Each talisman is attuned to a particular tesseract, which is a small, finite pocket dimension. Yet tesseracts appear to be accessible from any point in existence. So I merely stored gear in tesseracts and withdrew that equipment that we needed," Anna explained.
"So you have more of these?" Sand asked.
Anna showed him a collection of talismans, "Quite. And when light breaks again I shall return everything to its storage 'locker'."
"Time for some heavy lifting," Mr. Terrific decided and began to organize everyone.
Sentinel's ring scooped out dirt and placed the outhouse over the hole. Teams were divided between the sleeping gear and the food. The Marvels used the Speed of Mercury and the Wisdom of Solomon to put together the grills and camp stoves.
When the teams had finished, Anna made a final request, "We need to gather stones into a central pile amidst our impromptu camp."
"Why?" Junior asked sullenly.
"Do you see any wood for a fire?" Anna asked, "Because I shall bow before your superior insight."
"But what good are rocks?" Stargirl wondered.
"You are going to superheat those rocks with your Cosmic Rod," Anna informed her.
Courtney pulled Anna aside, "There's no sun or stars to recharge my Cosmic Rod or Cosmic Convertor Belt."
"This realm is permeated with stellar energy," Anna told her, "It's what the demons feed off of. They only eat one another for pleasure's sake."
Stargirl turned a shade of green, "Uh…thanks for sharing."
"As Sand is well aware of, you may be the key to our victory here," Anna revealed.
"Not like the King of Tears again?" Stargirl complained.
"No," Anna laughed.
"Good, `cause it took days to get that creep's innards and ooze outta my hair," Stargirl was indignant.
"Yes, because demonic gods should be more considerate with their gore," Anna chuckled.
"That's what I'm talkin' `bout!" Stargirl proclaimed.
"You are Mary's closest friend, through trial and fire. Closer to her than her own esteemed brother," Anna explained, "You may prove to be the lifeline that brings Mary back from the edge should she be staring down an abyss by now."
"So all I have to do is save her soul?" Stargirl was skeptical.
"Hardly," Anna snorted, "You need to give Mary a reminder of why she needs to save herself."
"Anna, Courtney, we have a pile collected," Sand informed them.
Anna infused the Cosmic Rod's solar energy with magic to perpetually sustain the superheating of the stones. The group milled together in cliques as they began to prepare a meal and broke out water rations. Anna took some water and pulled her mask from her nose and mouth to drink as she went to the furthest part of the enclosed area. Atom Smasher followed her.
"Risky move, Anna," he told her, "You gave them what they wanted."
"Which was precisely the point, Albert," Anna replied before she sighed, "They're off the scent for the moment but the persecution will renew itself on the morrow."
"They may renew the push to kick you out of the All Stars," Atom Smasher warned.
"Perhaps the Justice League of America is hiring?" she asked merrily.
"The Question and Huntress belong to the JLA," he reminded her.
"Drat! The Justice League Dark then?" she asked primly.
"Well, Sir Justin says they've taken in the Enchantress and Goldilocks," he remembered.
"Ah, then I'm in," she teased him, "Or I could simply weather the storm and stay here with you."
"But if Sand decides you didn't make a valid point and he joins Jesse and Rick in going before Michael, Alan, and Jay and push to have you ejected after we get back?" Al fretted.
"The above listed people already know the particulars of my case and they believe it was justifiable homicide," Anna shared
"They know?" Atom Smasher was startled.
"Every gory detail, love," Anna gave him a rueful look.
"How?" Al asked.
"Through a memory charm," Anna confessed.
"Anna!" Atom Smasher scolded her.
"Not that kind of charm. Instead of altering memories or removing them altogether, I employed a charm that shared memories. They, including dear Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite, partook of events through my eyes and memories. They saw that there were three revolvers. One intended for me before I shot him as the murdering bastard took aim at me. The consensus was it was a clear cut case," Anna recalled, "I believe the term 'clean shoot' was employed to describe the particulars. And since Dr. Fate administered the charm and guided them through my memories, they knew they were seeing the unvarnished truth."
"Yet they just let Sand, Jesse, and Rick hound you?" Atom Smasher was outraged.
"They must change their mind of their own accord," Anna tried to persuade him, "If the hammer were to fall, they would still hold the same low opinion of me but it would be covertly in a manner where they would be swayed towards sabotaging the team."
"I still say it was a helluva of a gamble feeding them that story," Atom Smasher protested.
"No more than my falling in love with you, Albert Rothstein," Anna argued, "Every choice we make is tantamount to a gamble. Some are just riskier than others. And losing my place with the All Stars is far secondary a concern than losing my place in your heart."
"I know you're afraid of enduring another major loss in your life, Anna," Atom Smasher confided, "But I'm not going anywhere."
"No one ever expects to," Anna said quietly, "What if this is the very mission you're killed in action?"
"What if it's not me and it's you instead?" Al countered.
"Mmm…I can see this could be belabored until all life ceases," Anna realized, "How about we merely agree to watch one another's backsides instead?"
"I'd like nothing better than to watch your backside," Al confessed.
"My, oh my, Mr. Rothstein. You do make a girl want to blush," Anna felt heat rising to her cheeks, "And your utter sincerity and passion could make me swoon."
"That's why you love me," Atom Smasher decided, "And I love you because despite all the tragedies you're a devil may care free spirit and have the hardest, stubbornest head I've ever encountered."
"Delightful, isn't it?" Anna's eyes twinkled.
"And you're the picture of modesty too," Atom Smasher dryly commented.
"After today's endeavors, I feel I have the right to boast my own praise," Anna revealed.
"Why do you say that?" Al was worried again.
"I utilize Order magic. Do you see evidence of Order in the Subtle Realms? I confess it's there to be had but it's rather like pulling the proverbial camel through the eye of the literal needle," Anna dropped her guard and he could finally tell just how exhausted she truly was, "It requires the sum total of my being to employ any spells outside of the magic contained within a spell casing."
"That's what we've suspected," Flash told her.
Anna normally possessed a preternatural awareness of her surroundings. Yet in her fatigue, Sentinel, Flash, Mr. Terrific, and Sand had listened in on the entire conversation. Sand apologized for eavesdropping.
"Jay, Alan, and Michael decided I should finally know the complete truth. We didn't actually intend to overhear everything," Sand shared after apologizing.
"I suppose I should take my lumps for being too distracted to notice you," Anna sighed.
"I guess I can truly say I'm sorry Dr. Fate didn't apply the charm to me when the others met with him and you together," Sand admitted, "I've wasted so much time being suspicious."
"Your silicone nature belies the organic nature of a memory charm. It wouldn't have worked on you," Anna told him, "Which I informed the others when they desired to include you in the gathering."
"But you knew I'd still be opposed to you," Sand realized.
"Yes, but the entire point was you had to change your mind of your own accord. Even under the influence of the memory charm, everyone had the freedom to decide my case as they saw fit," Anna shared.
"Anna, before we embarked on this quest, you said you wouldn't know if you could teleport us back within range of the T-Spheres we left in place until we were actually here," Mr. Terrific reminded her, "What's your verdict?"
"I shan't be able to move much more than a body or two under these conditions," Anna regretted to inform them.
"Which means fighting across open country the way we have today. If this was even considered a day," Flash determined.
"Fortunately we haven't been mobbed since our first encounter," Sentinel opined, "It's just been protracted skirmishes."
"But they're gathering where Mary is," Sand predicted, "They know what we want and they knew we'd come. There's another hand involved staying hidden for now."
"Johnny Sorrow?" Mr. Terrific asked.
"That would be a reasonable assumption," Anna agreed, "And I won't abandon Mary to this fate. I will soldier on until breath escapes me."
"And I'll be right beside her," Atom Smasher pledged.
"We all will," Sentinel promised, "Hank and Sonia are doing wonderful things with the cooking gear. You should check it out."
"Did I just hear your stomach growl at the merest mention of food, Albert?" Anna gave him an incredulous look.
"C'mon, I'm hungry," he protested.
"Then let us feed you before you're completely famished and grow faint," Anna teased him as they made their way across camp.
"We're going to need a better exit strategy," Mr. Terrific decided, "One that doesn't pertain to endless combat across vast terrain."
"If they let us," Flash heard the screeches in the night begin. Glittering eyes appeared beyond the night.
"The Marvels and I don't require sleep," Sand reminded everyone, "We'll stand watch."
"It looks like you'll need to," Sentinel agreed.
"Let me get this straight, you both broke into Cluemaster's suite. One of you because you were told to and the other because you're a pain in my ass," Selina Kyle addressed Kitrina Falcone and Stephanie Brown. Kitrina was Selina's junior partner and had been tasked with searching the aforementioned room. Stephanie was Cluemaster's own daughter and sent to Monaco without Catwoman and Catgirl's knowledge in order to harass Arthur Brown and keep him distracted while the JLers acquired whatever item it was that the Legion of Doom had sent Cluemaster after.
"And," Selina continued, "because you are a pain in my ass, you ransacked the suite rather than covertly pilfer it so everyone, God and country, knew the suite had been broken into. Especially by, and not limited to, Cluemaster's henchmen, the Monte Carlo Police, and who knows who else that has an interest in Cluemaster's activities. That about sum it up?"
"Except for her leaving me behind as the armed goons came rushing in," Kitrina complained.
"I said I was sorry," Stephanie whined.
"After I dumped you on your ass with a right cross," Kitrina snorted.
"Okay, let's move on," Selina wearily suggested, "Waller, and our beloved Col. Trevor, sent Spoiler here as a distraction."
"As if we needed one," Kitrina was still offended by that piece of news.
"Steve is being…protective," Selina defended him, "I'll have to castrate him later but in his mind it's a sweet gesture."
"But there's more," Selina warned everyone involved, "Tonight in the casino, a woman observed Cluemaster and I to the point she didn't look at anyone else. She was dressed appropriately but didn't wear the evening gown comfortably. And her eyes bulged every time she ordered something off of the menu. To add to her list of crimes, she followed Cluemaster's thug that followed me out of the casino and back to the hotel. I was going to suggest we join in for a group circle jerk but she left when she saw I was safely returned to the hotel."
"Did you get pictures?" Kitrina asked.
"Of course," Selina detached the hidden USB flash drive memory stick plugged into her rather expensive looking brooch. Which turn turned out to be a digital camera.
Stephanie bristled after Kitrina downloaded the pictures to her laptop and the first set was of her father. Kitrina scrolled through until she found a blonde woman in an evening gown intently watched Selina. She wasn't even remotely subtle about it.
"She looks vaguely familiar," Stephanie remarked.
"Can you run her image through the ARGUS database?" Selina asked, "If Waller did send her, she's a player. Someone will have a file on her."
"I'll need to hook up the sat phone too secure the line," Kitrina busied herself. After interfacing with ARGUS and determining it was a secure channel, she set up a facial recognition parameter and began the laborious search.
"We might want to sit back and relax," Kitrina suggested, "God knows how long this will take."
Twenty minutes later, six options had been presented. Selina pointed a particular picture, "Bring her up."
"Dr. Roxanne Ballantine. Goes by 'Rocki'. Invented 'smart metal', whatever the hell that means," Kitrina read off.
"It means she has more money than you," Stephanie commented.
"Do you have any idea of how large my trust fund is?" Kitrina dryly asked.
"Um…no," Stephanie admitted.
"Then shuddup," Kitrina snapped at her.
"Why is she relevant?" Selina wondered.
"There's an attachment to her file labeled 'Inactive'," Kitrina pointed out.
'Click it," Catwoman instructed.
What opened was a "Batwoman Disambiguous" page. One photo bore the underlying script "Sonia Alcona-DECEASED". Selina took a sharp breath.
"I knew her in the other Justice League. Catman killed her. Rumor had it there were three Batwomen to begin with before Sonia took the role as her own," Selina remarked.
"This one, 'Kathy Duquesne' is listed as having joined the JLA," Kitrina pointed out.
"And Rocki Ballantine is the third and that's why she's listed as 'Inactive'," Stephanie realized.
"So what would cause a lab rat to put a cape back on?" Selina mused, "Find her. We're going to have a conversation with Dr. Ballantine."
Across the city, Rocki lounged in a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt wearing tennis shoes rather than the accursed heels she'd bought for tonight's appearance. Her evening gown along cost more than three months' worth of her rent. And by Gotham standards, she lived in an upscale home.
Rocki was going over the files Trevor had given her again. ARGUS had allowed her to personalize the laptop they provided but it still lacked all of her game programs. Then an urgent knock came at the door.
Cautiously opening it, she found a member of the hotel staff with a slip of paper. He departed before she remembered to tip him. Unfolding the paper, she found the message in English, Behind you!
Rocki pulled and snapped open a batarang from her pocket as she spun around to find Catwoman regarding her with an amused expression, "A little slow but your reflexes have promise."
"Why are you here?" Rocki kept the batarang poised and ready.
"I believe the question is why are you here?" Catwoman countered.
"Because Monte Carlo is where everything happens in Monaco," Rocki spouted.
"And the Casino de Montecarlo is the best place for dinner and drinks," Catwoman chuckled, "Tell Waller to write you better material."
Rocki lowered her batarang, "I know this must seem insulting…"
"Seems?" Catwoman derided her, "You don't have a grasp on the word."
"But I'm not here because of you and Catgirl," Rocki informed Catwoman, "I'm here to assist Spoiler."
"Do you even know where Stephanie Brown is right now?" Catwoman wondered.
Rocki consulted her smart phone, "She's across the street. I assume she came with you."
"Hold that thought," Catwoman returned to the window she'd entered through and flashed a Morse code message against a chimney stack next door. Catgirl entered through the same means several minutes later followed by Spoiler.
"Tell her where the tracking device is hidden," Catwoman instructed Rocki.
"Inside the grip where the two halves of your quarterstaff meet," Rocki obeyed.
"They bugged me?" Spoiler exclaimed.
"Just tear the stupid thing apart already," Catgirl growled.
Spoiler pulled her retracted staff out of her leg holster and went to work. Catgirl smirked at the batarang in Rocki's hand, "You even know how to use that thing?"
Rocki snapped into motion and threw it against Catgirl's chest. But the batarang altered shape and became a metal band around Catgirl's chest and arms. Catwoman chuckled.
"I think we've just seen what smart metal is," she pointed out.
"A little help here?" Catgirl was indignant as she struggled.
Rocki began inputting information into her phone. Applying a metal probe, it received electrical data to pass on and change the restrictive band back into a batarang. Catgirl stared at it.
"Can I have one?" she grinned, "We can call it a catarang."
Rocki inputted more information and probed the batarang again, "The true revolution was staging suspended alteration so the shape could be change upon stimuli alterations."
"Say what?" Catgirl asked.
"It hits something and then changes shape," Rocki simplified the jargon, "I had competitors in the smart metal field even though I developed the tech first. But no one else has this capability."
"Have any ideas regarding whips?" Catwoman wondered.
"Well, relative mass would remain constant but, sure, it would provide enough material to create a whole treasure trove of shapes," Rocki assured her.
"Someone want to give me a hand?" Spoiler asked, frustrated.
Rocki reassembled her staff in seconds, "It helps to have PhDs in engineering and metallurgy."
"All right, you're useful. You can stay," Catwoman decided despite the glare she received from Spoiler.
"And if you'd decided I wasn't?" Rocki wondered.
"You'd be flying home tonight," Catwoman promised her.
Gar Logan had arrived at Rachel Roth's hospital room. He asked to be alone with her so Conner and Cassie stepped out and left the hospital. They'd gotten a bite to eat when the Teen Titans' recall alarm sounded. They ate as they flew back to the compound.
Celine Marjorie Patterson, known as Skitter, was enjoying the afternoon with Miguel Jose Barragan, or Bunker, and she delighted in the fact interracial couples were so accepted in San Francisco. Especially when both partners were people of color.
At that moment, things were the exact opposite of the earlier tension of the Brotherhood of Evil's attack. The present was about two people being in love and sharing time together. And then the recall notification came.
"How bad can it be?" Celine asked.
"Don't jinx it," Miguel warned her.
"Hey, we still have tomorrow and the day after and the day after that," Celine assured him.
"Gemini almost killed you," Miguel said sullenly.
"But she didn't," Celine reminded him, "So don't mope around like I'm dead or something. It was a 'maybe'."
"And next time?" Miguel asked.
"There will always be a next time," Celine promised him, "That's why I have you around, you big dope."
"I hate it when you talk sense," Miguel mock cursed.
"You must hate life all the time," she joked.
"You only think so," Miguel retorted.
"Okay, now we're late so we'll have to take a cab," Celine decided.
"And who's paying for this taxi?" Miguel asked warily.
She rolled her eyes, "We'll split it, okay? And they say chivalry is dead."
"Get a receipt, then we can bill Gar's trust fund," Miguel remembered.
"Sure, sure," Celine flippantly waved at him, "Help me flag a cabbie."
Kiran Singh returned to the Teen Titans after being away to India for three months. She'd missed their move from the East Coast to the West. And she'd missed Protector's death, Flamebird's departure, and Red Arrow's defection. She'd also never met the new members. But Cassie had kept her updated. As well as funny updates from Bart Allen.
Bart was the first to greet her as she entered the compound. Her heart skipped a little beat to see him again. And Bette Kane was gone so her chief competition had vanished.
"When did you get back?" Bart asked, all excitement.
"Yesterday," Kiran shared, "I'm staying with an aunt and uncle so I unpacked yesterday and today, here I am."
"You could always move in here like the rest of us," Bart suggested.
That little flutter kicked into overdrive, "My parents want me staying with family so that I can continue my education. It's their stipulation for me staying with the Titans."
"Gar hired tutors and teachers," Bart argued.
"Not like those my family provides," Kiran hated to disappoint him.
"You're just in time. Today we got attacked by the Brotherhood of Evil," he pointed out the wreckage everywhere.
"I saw the mess," she said demurely.
"And Red Robin just called everybody back to the compound because of some brewing crisis," Bart realized something; "You've never met him, have you?"
"No," Kiran said quietly.
"Here's the rules, don't ask him who he is, don't ask him where's he's from, and for God's sake don't ask him why he joined the Titans," Bart warned her.
"You're serious," she realized.
"Completely," Bart promised her, "You'll get to meet all the new faces. Rachel got hurt so Gar's staying with her at her hospital room. Cassie and Conner are coming back though."
"Who's Conner?" Kiran asked.
"You know about Superboy, right?" Bart wondered.
"Cassie has…mentioned him," she wasn't certain how much she should divulge.
"Well, today Cassie gave Superboy a name and it's 'Conner'. Seems the lab boys that mixed his stew never gave him an actual name. So anyway, Cassie named him and now they're inseparable. I think something's going on," Bart confided.
"Kiran!" Cassie called out as she and Conner approached hand in hand.
"Cass!" Kiran hugged her and then turned to Conner, "You must be Superboy. I've heard everything there is to know about you and then some."
He gave Cassie an amused look, "Oh really?"
"Conner, this is Kiran Singh. We call her 'Solstice'," Cassie shared, "She just got back from three months in India."
"Business or pleasure?" Superboy asked.
"Familial obligations, actually," Solstice clarified.
"Ix nay on the family ay," Bart whispered.
"I may not have a family but most people do," Superboy chastised Kid Flash, "So why don't you run along and tell everyone Solstice is back?"
"Later, dudes!" Kid Flash was gone in a blur.
"I'll make certain he doesn't get lost," Superboy offered.
"He still doesn't have an inkling, does he?" Wonder Girl asked Solstice about Kid Flash.
"He seems just as nice as you described," Solstice admitted.
"Not him, Bart," Wonder Girl corrected her.
"I'm not sure," Solstice frowned, "Something's changed. I just don't know how or if it's a good thing."
"Well, Bette's gone so he's not wandering around drooling all the time," Wonder Girl said crossly.
"Literally," Solstice laughed.
"It's funny in a pathetic kind of way," Wonder Girl relented.
"Any news from Cissie?" Solstice asked.
"Just the usual notes saying she's okay at her private academy. She hangs out with someone named Olive Silvermane. She doesn't want to talk 'business'. Not after what happened to make her quit being Arrowette," Wonder Girl said.
"I suppose it didn't help that Red Arrow joined almost as soon as Arrowette 'retired'," Solstice presumed.
"For all the good it did us," Wonder Girl snorted, "Mia quit and started calling herself 'Speedy' as soon as she joined the Justice League."
"Her heart was broken," Solstice sympathized, "I doubt she wanted to face the reminders we represented."
"Coward!" Wonder Girl spat.
"Not all of us had a god for a father, even one that remotely benefited us when we needed help," Solstice chastised Wonder Girl, "Mia lived on the streets until being taken in by Green Arrow. You know the perversions she had to endure just to survive."
"Okay," Wonder Girl said sullenly, "Maybe."
"You have a noble heart, Cassie Sandsmark, but you are prejudiced by you own experiences," Solstice warned her.
"Kiran!" Skitter yelled as she rushed in to embrace Solstice.
"It's good to see you, Celine," Solstice grinned as manically as Skitter, "Still slumming around with Miguel?"
"I still put up with him," Skitter let go of a longsuffering sigh.
"Speak of the dimwitted devil," Solstice greeted Bunker.
"She gets love and I get abuse?" Bunker protested through his smile, "Where's the justice?"
"Is Raven going to be okay?" Solstice changed the subject.
"The prognosis is good and I don't think Gar is leaving her side until she wakes up," Wonder Girl explained.
"I'm just gonna duck inside and see the guys," Bunker crept off.
"Some hero," Skitter snorted, "Brave enough against the Brotherhood of Evil but gather some estrogen, man runs away."
"Did the leadership crisis ever get resolved?" Solstice wondered.
"You did keep informed," Skitter whistled.
"Well, I have names but no faces," Solstice admitted.
"A truce was declared this afternoon," Wonder Girl shared as they started to proceed indoors, "Red Hood is yielding to Red Robin for now so he becomes our de facto leader."
"But is he worth following?" Solstice wondered, "Bart said he's terribly mysterious."
"He won't give any secrets away, that's for sure," Skitter agreed, "And everything is a secret around him."
"I think Conner knows the truth, as well as Caitlin, and probably Jason. The whole group out of NOWHERE has been pretty tight except this whole rivalry between Red Robin and Red Hood," Wonder Girl explained.
"That's a lot of red," Solstice couldn't help but observe.
"And Red Hood is the one that pushed to be team leader," Skitter pointed out, "Red Robin just sort of fell into the role."
"Like Jason did," Solstice reminded them of Protector's part in becoming the group leader.
Solstice suddenly stopped dead in her tracks when they came to rapidly filling conference room, "Um…that girl is green."
"Oh, that's Miss Martian. Her real name is M'gann M'orzz. She goes by Megan Morse when she looks human," Skitter explained, "She's really sweet."
"And equally mysterious," Wonder Girl warned Solstice.
Fairchild introduced herself and Solstice found herself staring up at Caitlin's face, "Um…you're really tall."
"I wasn't until I became gen active," Fairchild assured her.
"Caitlin is Dr. Caitlin Fairchild. She's one of the leading researchers into the meta-gene. Gar installed a whole lab complex into our headquarters so Caitlin could continue her work. Only now she works for the DEO rather than NOWHERE," Wonder Girl explained.
"So this is everyone?" Solstice wondered, "Because my count is off."
"Red Hood is missing," Kid Flash suddenly appeared at her side. Her heart nearly stopped again for entirely different reasons, "Red Robin has him on a conference call and neither of them is very happy."
"Let's listen in, shall we?" Skitter looked diabolical, "Who knows what we may accidentally learn."
"Jason, I told you to fully cooperate," Red Robin grated, "What is your definition of 'fully'?"
"I didn't kiss their asses is what I define it as," Red Hood snapped back, "Show a little backbone."
"Jason, the police already don't like you. They aren't to give any leeway revolving around your customary methods. If they think you've crossed a line, they will detain you first and ask questions sometime later this century," Red Robin warned him.
"They can try," Red Hood threatened.
"Understand me, Red Hood. You will cooperate and you will go through due process or I will personally break every bone in your body. There are no more Lazarus Pits to accommodate you so you'll be in traction for at least six months. And if I don't think you're repentant enough afterwards, I'll break them all again," Red Robin advised him.
"You honestly think you could," Red Hood wanted to scoff.
"And so do you," Red Robin forced him to acknowledge, "Otherwise you would have forced your way into a leadership role."
"You aren't part of Batman, Inc. anymore. I don't have to take anything from you," Red Hood protested
"Try remembering that we have a very interested audience before we start revealing each other's secrets," Red Robin urged, "Because I'm certain yours will be equally well received."
"What's so damn important that we're talking by speaker phone?" Red Hood conceded.
"The mayors of San Fran, Monterey, and Oakland have all received threat notifications from a mechanized voice purporting to represent the Legion of Doom. The nature of the threats was left unknown other than in Monterey where the military college and language institute are being specifically targeted. Having conferenced with the local police commissioner, it was determined that the likeliest target is the water treatment plant because of its vulnerability and ability to inflict harm on the entire population," Red Robin reported, "Oakland is currently engaged in a search for suspicious activity that could be attributed to the Legion of Doom. The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are assessing potential strike packages now."
"Why us?" Superboy asked, "I appreciate the confidence but this isn't our usual shtick."
"The Justice League, as in JLU, JLI, and JLA, are already engaged. No one can find the JLD and the JSA All Stars are off grid for some reason. That pretty much leaves it up to us," Red Robin revealed.
"So we're the fallback?" Bunker was irritated, "Normally they ignore us `cause they think we can't hack it but when their asses are in slings, they suddenly call?"
"I'm not arguing that point," Red Robin told him, "But we should respond because it's the right thing to do."
"I hate having a conscience," Wonder Girl groaned.
"It's good that you do, Cassie. You're taking Superboy and Miss Martian with you to Monterey," Red Robin informed her.
Wonder Girl sighed, "Come on, guys. We get to travel."
"Which is always nice," M'gann replied.
Wonder Girl merely grunted in reply.
"Red Hood you'll lead the Oakland team. You'll have Kid Flash, Fairchild, and Solstice with you," Red Robin told him.
"Who the hell is 'Solstice'?" Red Hood demanded to know.
"She predates you as a Titan and she's been away for several months. But she returned today and is ready for action," Red Robin explained.
"Wonderful, have everyone meet me on the street and I'll pick them up. And have Kid Flash scout ahead. I trust that idiot more than I do local law enforcement," Red Hood proclaimed.
Red Robin hung his head, "You're still on speaker phone."
Red Hood dropped a series of F-bombs before Red Robin terminated the call, "Bunker and Skitter, you're with me at the water plant."
Red Robin approached Solstice, "It's nice to finally meet you, Kiran. Wonder Girl and Skitter can't say enough nice things about you. And Bart practically worships at your feet."
"He does?" that bombshell certainly startled her.
"Maybe you should have this conversation with him when today's excitement is over," Red Robin suggested.
"Thank you, I think I shall," Solstice promised.
"Joining me outside?" Fairchild asked.
They stood the curb and a black SUV screeched to a halt in front of them. Fairchild got in on the passenger side, "Subtle."
"Who's this?" Red Hood asked as Solstice hopped in.
"That is Solstice," Fairchild growled a warning.
"Wonderful," Red Hood muttered as he drove off to cross the bay.
"So, Red Robin was part of Batman, Inc. Why haven't I ever heard of him before?" Solstice asked.
Red Hood groaned. He'd have to pay for his slip eventually. He just knew it.
Skitter changed into her special attire that accommodated her transformation into a human-insect hybrid. She weaved a cocoon and wrestled about in it as she metamorphasized. Cutting her way free, she saw Red Robin and Bunker waiting for her.
Bunker appreciated the fact Red Robin didn't even seem to notice Skitter wasn't entirely human anymore. He took her transformation in stride as though he saw similar things every day. And Skitter appreciated it as well.
"Chk…chk…chk!" she happily chittered.
"She's thanking you," Bunker translated.
"I can tell she's happy but what is there to thank me about?" Red Robin asked.
"Her change doesn't creep you out," Bunker explained.
"I never realized it was supposed to," Red Robin calmly replied.
Bunker decided then that Red Robin was a cool customer…which befitted someone who used to be associated with Batman. He had to wonder just who Red Robin had been because none of the official press releases ever mentioned him.
Red Robin led them to the garage where he slipped on a motorcycle helmet and tossed another at Bunker. Bunker got a little nervous, "Do we gotta take your bike?"
"It's faster than a car," Red Robin replied, "Skitter; I need you to fly behind us and above street lamps and cables. I know you don't like flying at heights but this shouldn't be bad. If you're bothered, you can fly directly on our tail."
"Chk…chk…chk…chk," Skitter readily agreed.
"She'll do it," Bunker mounted the motorcycle behind Red Robin but did the "manly" thing and took hold of the grab bar behind the seat.
The automatic garage door opened while Red Robin revved the bike. When there was enough clearance, Red Robin gunned the engine and raced out to the street while Bunker cried out, "Jee-zus!"
Skitter flew behind them as asked, laughing the entire way.
Kid Flash searched every part of Oakland and didn't find a thing. Not even in the skuzzy parts of town he didn't like going into. He ended up next to the stadium by accident. The Raiders were playing the Chargers on the Sunday afternoon and Kid Flash thought about popping in to catch the score and to grab a bite from the concessions.
That's when he noticed a work crew offloading vending machines. The entire affair just struck him as odd. Wasn't there already vendors selling snacks inside? He got closer but didn't interfere.
And then his entire world exploded with pain. He went rigid and started spasming as he tipped over and landed on the ground. Half-Ape loomed over him and Bart cursed the day when two people got the drop on him in a single six hour window.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't a skulking speedster. Welcome to the game," Half-Ape chuckled.
Red Hood gave up trying to reach Bart through his Kid Flash headgear, "Turn on the tracker."
Fairchild pulled the tablet out of the glove compartment, "He's holding position at the stadium."
"What's he doing there?" Red Hood was livid.
"Do you think he's all right?" Solstice worried.
"I think he's jerking us off," Red Hood snarled.
"Bart wouldn't do that to us!" Solstice vehemently argued.
Red Hood saw her in a new light, "Good to know then. Why don't we just check on him to be sure?"
"Look, I don't know the two of you but I've been through pretty bad times with Bart. He seems like a flake but he's a good guy and he's committed to the Titans' cause," Solstice asserted, "And he's proven it time and again where you two have barely just showed up."
"And where have you been the past few months?" Red Hood queried her.
The parking attendants laughed at the group until Red Hood pulled a pistol on them. Then they pulled up in time to see the last vending machine go inside the stadium. Red Hood paused.
"That isn't right," he mused.
"It's a candy machine, get over it," Fairchild retorted, "I'll buy you a Snickers before we go back."
"The concession venders have exclusive rights to selling snacks, food, and beverages. Why would the owners undercut their licensed vendors?" Red Hood posed the question.
"Maybe we should check it out," Fairchild changed her mind.
Inside the concourse, multiple vendors were arguing with delivery men. Red Hood stopped again, "Those men are all carrying concealed weapons."
"Are you sure?" Fairchild asked. And then she snorted, "Of course you're sure."
"What can you do?" Red Hood asked Solstice.
Suddenly her skin turned pitch black with blue highlights, "I absorb and control light. I can emit it, shape it, bend it, and alter it."
"The absorption results in the black aura effect. I'd say you're processing about ninety percent of the light contacting your skin," Red Hood surmised, "Fairchild and I are going to intervene in this situation. These men are armed and they undoubtedly have friends scattered throughout the concourse. If things go bad, blast our way out of there. Got it?"
"Of course," Solstice assured Red Hood, "And you gave me almost the exact number ratio that I'm actually processing."
Her opinion of him went up as he and Fairchild waded into potential danger. She suddenly felt a gun barrel pressed against the base of her skull and she got angry, "Where's Kid Flash?"
"Ah, ah, don't even twitch or you and your fleet footed friend dies with the crowds," Half-Ape warned her, "My electro stasis gun will paralyze you too and you'll be left for dead. But make a deal with me and you can have your friend back and you all shall live."
"What about the crowds?" Solstice asked.
"What about them?" Half-Ape posed the question right back at her.
"What do you want?" Solstice tried another question.
"I want to go free once I've blown everyone up," Half-Ape answered truthfully, "Is that so much to ask?"
"You're insane," Solstice decided.
"Insanity and genius are often mistaken for one another," Half-Ape replied, "Although I admit I've walked both sides of that line."
"I can't speak for the group," Solstice gambled.
"Then it's time to get their attention," Half-Ape chuckled malevolently.
Miss Martian led Superboy and Wonder Girl to Monterey. It was unfathomable to them how M'gann had a better grasp of local geography despite the fact she'd never been there before. They landed outside of the military school and looked around.
"Seems awfully quiet," Wonder Girl observed.
"It usually is just before disaster strikes," M'gann commented.
"You kinda got a dark side, don't you?" Superboy asked.
"The history of Mars is rife with interspecies bloodshed," M'gann replied, "The White Martians are implacable foes who do not tolerate perceived weakness in themselves or others. That is why they deemed the Green Martians a parasite to be eradicated."
"Yet you and J'onn Jonzz survived," Wonder Girl remarked.
"J'onn survived. I merely escaped," M'gann obviously was shutting down the discussion, "It was foolish to alert the base to the coming attack. Preparedness is the greatest insurance against a successful strike."
"Maybe it's not about the attack per se but the threat of one," Wonder Girl theorized, "Or the perception of a threat."
"Red Robin chose well," M'gann decided, "You have a leader's instinct."
"I wouldn't go that far," Wonder Girl demurred.
"Public approval of the government and the military after the Legion used a nuclear device on Edwards Air Force Base. The subsequent loss of life at Ferris Aircraft and the nearby communities built to support the factories were directly attributed to the weakness and ill preparedness of the United States leadership," M'gann recalled.
"Weren't you in the periphery of that blast?" Superboy wondered.
"No closer than you," M'gann retorted, "I'd moved to Arizona by then."
"Where you got your camper," Superboy finally remembered, "You described it as a loose knit community of vagabonds and self exiled people."
"Yes, one could easily label the area a hermitage," M'gann shared.
"This isn't helping figure out what the actual threat is," Wonder Girl reminded them.
"Or if there actually is one," Superboy added.
Offshore, the Razorclam came to a depth of ninety feet, which was an optimal weapons firing depth. The Clam viewed the video display from the picture the periscope provided. Being an actual genetically modified clam, the Clam's malevolent genius had proven him to be one of the greatest threats upon the high seas. He'd designed his submarine himself.
It still galled the Clam that he'd been defeated by the insufferable Plastic Man on multiple occasions. He'd never deduced why Luthor had taken notice of Plastic Man's Rogue's Gallery but the Clam was more than happy to assist the Legion when called upon and wreak mayhem and profitable havoc in the process.
"Mr. Shmee, are our weapons prepared?" Clam asked his first officer.
"Yo-ho, Captain! Four cruise missiles with a thousand kiloton yield each are programmed and ready for launch," Shmee informed his captain as the Clam rested in his aquarium, "In addition, four modified anti-ship missiles are also ready to launch at a moment's notice. As ordered, sir!"
"Then fire at will," the Clam chuckled malevolently.
"All hands, fire all weapons!" Shmee ordered over the intership speaker system.
The Razorclam shuddered in the water as she spat out her deadly deliveries.
Red Robin arrived at the water treatment plant with Bunker holding on for dear life behind him and Skitter happily trailing them. Bunker hopped off the motorcycle like it was on fire. Calming a tad, he latched his helmet onto the rear bicycle lock. Red Robin pulled his helmet off and looked around.
"It's too quiet," he observed.
"I thought that was a good thing," Bunker opined.
"No, there should be a skeleton crew at bare minimum," Red Robin grew uneasy, "It shouldn't be deserted at midday like this."
Trees fell over, knocked down by a rolling brass monkey that was fifty feet tall. It held two cymbals in its hands. Red Robin palmed ear plugs out of his utility belt and quickly affixed them in his ears. The monkey began clanging it cymbals.
The windows of the water treatment center and its offices shattered. Bunker thought he was going to go deaf. Skitter scrambled to retreat. The monkey ceased clanging and a squad of men dressed in green uniforms, with green paint on their faces, brandished green weapons.
Toyman followed them out of the debris the monkey had created, "Want to see how I play with my little green army men?"