33
The JSA All stars arrived in Gotham and promptly ignored ARGUS' first instruction. While Matron and Bette Kane packed up Mr. Minos and the caskets containing the bodies of Spyral's fallen, the All Stars allowed Penny O'Brien and Nancy Morgan to stay behind and search for Plastic Man and Dick Grayson. But after searching through the night, Morgan finally made Penny see reason.
"We won't be any good to them if we don't get a few hours rest and some food. We'll just pass out and wake up in a hospital wondering how the hell we got there," Morgan warned Penny.
"Maybe you're right," Penny finally relented, "Ah'll call Blackhawk and let him and Lady Blackhawk know we're knockin' off for a few hours. No reason we need to keep them on standby if we're not goin' to be callin' them anytime soon."
"That's the first sensible thing you've said in an hour," Morgan relented on her tirade, "I'll call around and book us a hotel."
They ended up in a rather run down motel but after Morgan inspected both rooms, and especially the sheets and showers, she agreed to take two adjoining rooms. The manager, totally unnerved by the sight of heavily armed women, offered them the best rates his chain allowed. Penny headed straight to the shower while Morgan shopped around on her phone for pizza and Chinese delivery.
Finding places nearby that seemed like they would serve decent food, Morgan placed a comprehensive order. Katherine Webb-Kane's accountants would want all the receipts but it was all, motel included, going on an agency credit card anyway. Morgan had reserved the rooms for the next two nights as well.
Penny knocked on the door and Morgan let her in and asked her to wait for the food while she showered. Penny was somewhat startled by the mention of food, "Ah confess. It slipped mah mind altogether."
"Eel…I mean Plas, has that effect on women," Morgan chuckled, "Don't pull me out of the shower unless the zombie apocalypse has begun."
"The what?" Penny was confused.
"You really need to get cable," Morgan laughed.
While Morgan bathed, Penny contacted Hula Hula. He had volunteered to continue to handle their case now that it transformed from a combat mission to a search and rescue. Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk had also found lodgings closer to the airport. While the rest of Blackhawk Express returned to their airfield leased from the All Stars at the K-Star Ranch, the pair had received an Oracle-5 fresh off of Ferris Aircraft's assembly line. Its journey to the east coast had been its shakedown flight.
Penny knew the Blackhawks had been somewhat adrift with the loss of their entire flight line. She hoped things would normalize for them now. Penny then heralded the arrival of not one but two deliveries of much needed food. By the time Morgan emerged from the shower, Penny was on her third slice of pizza and had broken into the Genera Tso chicken and some rice.
Morgan dressed and joined Penny. She wolfed down as much food in the same voracious manner. Afterwards, when the culinary destruction was ebbing, Penny had a confession to make.
"Mah goodness, Ah think this was a really smart idea. Ah just couldn't let up on the search to think properly," Penny admitted.
"I was the same way when they reported Eel was dead," Morgan shared, "And then he left that damn note. I spent six weeks looking for him before I had my brainchild to join the FBI and use them to find him."
"If ya'll don't mind mah sayin' it but you sound like ya'll were a bit obsessed," Penny remarked.
"Love makes you do crazy things," Morgan said dryly.
"Point taken," Penny allowed, "But Ah don't think we'll be findin' them until they want to be found."
"Why?" Morgan was curious as to Penny's reasoning.
"`Cause they're probably in the one place no one can find," Penny sighed.
"Okay, I'll bite. Where's that?" Morgan wore a lazy grin, "Because I know rich kid Grayson has a mysterious past no one can look into, but you really think he has a secret hideaway here in town?"
"He'll be in the Bat Cave," Penny stated matter-of-factly, "An' Plas will be there with him."
"Bat Cave? Like in Batman?" Morgan was astonished, "Eel knows the location of the Bat Cave?"
"No, but Dick does," Penny told her.
"Why would Grayson know where Batman lives?" Morgan, it seemed, was clueless regarding her fellow agent.
"`Cause Dick was the very first Robin before he became Nightwing," Penny shared, "He gave that up to join Spyral."
"Holy shit!" Morgan exclaimed, "Grayson is a farckin' superhero?"
"So was Plas but they both gave the life up when the joined Spyral for completely different reasons. Dick signed on `cause after the DEO identifies a meta as friendly or foe, then Spyral's job is to intervene should they get outta control before its escalates to a Justice League matter. ARGUS has the same mandate here domestically. The US just prefers to keep the UN out as much as possible," Penny explained, "Plas, Hula, and Ah joined up `cause, really, who's watchin' the watchers?"
"Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! You really all were frickin' superheroes," Morgan couldn't quite wrap herself around this simple fact.
"Ya'll okay? `Cause you seem to be seriously trippin' here," Penny was worried about her newly made friend.
"I mean, Grayson is cute in a younger puppy dog kinda way but I never thought he'd pour that tight ass into actual tights," Morgan was drooling now.
"Have Ah mentioned his girlfriend yet?" Penny sought to do some damage control.
"That's right, he lives with some Danish chick that works at the UN," Morgan seemed to vaguely recall.
"She's a member of the Justice League International," Penny clarified.
"No shit!" Morgan was bubbling over with curiosity, "Is she a staff member or does she wear actual spandex too?"
"Ulla Paske is called the Little Mermaid and she's also a charter member of the Global Guardians and now the JLI," Penny explained.
"Little Mermaid?" Morgan scoffed, "They actually let her call herself that? Why hasn't Disney sued her ass off yet?"
"`Cause Disney doesn't own the story Hans Christian Andersen wrote," Penny told her, "An' the story is like a national treasure in Denmark."
"Still it's a ridiculous name," Morgan observed, "Why use it at all?"
"Ulla is half-Atlantean," Penny revealed, "Her mother could only live outside of water for thirty hours at a time before havin' to go back to the ocean for the same amount of time. Ulla is the opposite `cause she can only breathe underwater for thirty hours `fore she has to surface for at least thirty more."
"That still doesn't explain the mermaid bit," Morgan said dryly.
"When Ulla immerses herself in water, she can fuse her legs into a tail and become a literal mermaid," Penny finally told her.
"A tail?" Morgan exclaimed, "Now you're making things up."
"Ya'll seem to be takin' this as a joke even though it ain't funny," Penny observed, "And ya'll are morbidly getting' obsessed as well."
"I just never realized a fellow agent was dating a…fish," Morgan stumbled for words.
"Ulla Paske is hardly a 'fish'," Penny grated, "She's a warm, carin', highly intelligent young woman. She also happens to have backed up the Justice League on more than one occasion, provin' herself invaluable every time. The girl's a certifiable hero."
"Then why didn't she ever join the JLU?" Morgan posed the though like it was a weapon.
"They asked. She turned `em down to remain with the Global Guardians. It wasn't until the Global Guardians got bumped up into bein' a Justice League of their own that she ever relented to join' up with a Justice League," Penny shared.
"That was stupid," Morgan said scornfully.
"It's called 'loyalty' and it's one of the things Dick loves most about Ulla," Penny explained.
"I can be loyal," Morgan decided.
"Ah don't think Ah like where this is ultimately goin'," Penny decided.
"Look, Grayson is a trust fund brat. What's this girl's family do?" Morgan asked.
"Her father is a lighthouse keeper and her mother is a handmaiden to an Atlantean queen," Penny easily answered.
"There you have it," Morgan said triumphantly, "She'd a gold digger and once I can establish that, we'll see what happens."
"You're gonna have a hard time provin' that though," Penny warned her.
"Why?" Morgan scoffed.
"Ulla and her mom have done a lot of undersea salvage. And Ah'm talkin' a lot. They've harvested wrecks from every era man went to sea. That's a helluva lot gold, silver, and artifacts to be bringin' out of the grave," Penny stated, "An' no one knows the family's real worth `cause they've hidden assets no one has seen yet."
"But they have revealed some of it, right?" Morgan gloated.
"Just a bit, yeah," Penny was trying really hard to keep a straight face.
"Then what are her visible assets worth?" Morgan inquired.
"The UN personnel records show her personal wealth to be over a billion Euros. `Course one hundred and fifty million of that was from when she worked as one of the Crimson Queen's personal guards. Not bad for two months' worth of work. Then she got another hundred million from Vegas after clearin' out a nest of rogue Legionnaires," Penny couldn't keep from gloating now.
"Well, if it isn't about the money then there's something else at play here," Morgan resolved.
"Have you ever heard about somethin' called 'love'?" Penny wondered, "Why are you so damn curious `bout all of this anyway?"
"Call it in intellectual exercise. If we get in Grayson's head we can predict when and where he'll pop up on the grid again. And he'll have Eel with him," Morgan reasoned it out.
Penny had a strong hunch Morgan wanted to get into more than Dick's head. But she let it go for now hoping Morgan would just drop it as well.
"Look Commish, we're standin' by ya fer whatever ya have planned," Wildcat assured Barbara Gordon," Some of us here knew yer Pops. He was a good man and I hear yer a helluva cop too."
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you talking about my father like he's dead," Barbara teased him, "Because when I call him at his home in Seattle and explain that the JSA All Stars are eulogizing him, he might fly back to Gotham just to stick his foot up your asses."
Barbara turned serious, "And there weren't many candidates for this job left standing after what Maggie Sawyer did to the GCPD. But the entire department appreciates the All Stars' help."
"What happened to your emergency reservists pulled from other police departments and various agencies?" Dr. Mid-Nite asked.
"Those men and women were pulling ninety hour shift weeks between their jobs at home and filling out here in Gotham. And rising troubles in the surrounding areas have curtailed their support," Barbara explained.
"What about Batman?" Vibe popped up.
Wildcat stifled a groan. Vibe didn't know Barbara used to be Batgirl. And maybe more.
"The arrest warrant on Batman stands. He hasn't shown himself for two weeks now, if you discount so-called sightings last night, and the city prefers it that way," Barbara said glacially.
Wildcat could definitely tell where the winds blew on that one. Harvey Bullock popped his head into her office, "Hey Babs! Our warnin' system picked up a huge boom tube in the Narrows at the abandoned rail line."
"Abandoned line?" Dr. Mid-Nite inquired.
"The subway was never finished through that part of town. It was decided it was cheaper to shift to an overhead monorail. But there are still abandoned tunnels with half laid tracks leading to nowhere. The whole area is even more replete with scum and flotsam than the usual gatherings in the Narrows," Barbara warned them, "I can't send men down there because they never return. My father and Sawyer declared the whole section an off limits zone. We let the criminal hierarchy determine what's justice down there."
"Can ya arrange a ride fer us to get there?" Wildcat asked, "`Cause if the Legion's sniffin' around all hell is gonna break loose."
"Lt. Bullock, arrange for transportation for the All Stars to the Narrows. Have the officers with them form a perimeter but they are to hold back. Understood?"
"Ain't nobody goin' down there, Commish," Bullock assured her, "And stop callin' me Lootenant."
"Stop calling me 'Babs'," Barbara countered.
"Deal," Bullock agreed, "Yeesh. Okay anyone wearin' tights, follow me."
As they filed out of her cramped office, Barbara analyzed her first inspection of Ted Grant since his recent rejuvenation. He was even younger than she was yet he was the same person through and through. He carried his veteran authority with ease. Which eased some of Barbara's concerns that she couldn't do the same.
"Please tell me there's a reason why we're here?" Superwoman requested as she surveyed the human detritus and villainy that populated the Narrows.
"I can't spot anyone," Ultraman reported to his 'father', "Just the usual lowlife scum."
"This is the location Brainiac gave," Lightning Lord's voice with filled with quiet menace, "So they're here somewhere."
Mirror Master was poking around the collection of graffiti laden plywood that dominated one side of the street. He found a crack and used a mirror to illuminate the interior behind the wood barricade, "I think I found a subway station."
Ultraman and Blockbuster smashed away the plywood. A large stairwell was revealed, designed to accommodate dozens of commuters all at once. Signalman led the way, throwing out enhanced light sticks.
When they reached the actual station, they found the electricity was still on. And fresh lights had been installed. Signalman pointed that out.
"This line was never completed. Those light fixtures should be thirty years old yet they're modern," Signalman explained.
"So where does this tunnel go to, wise guy?" El Diablo wondered.
"Take a left and you join the regular rail line," Signalman informed the group, "To the right? No one exactly knows."
"Then you shall go right," Lightning Lord commanded.
"And you didn't see anything," Superwoman sneered at Ultraman.
Lightning Lord held him back as the Crime Syndicate, the Chaos Avatars, the Rogues, and the Legionnaires proceeded down the rail tunnel, "Don't let her discourage you. The time is coming when she will obey your very whim. You will do with her whatever you please and she will submit or die."
Ultraman liked the sound of that. Lightning Lord shared some insights, "Brainiac revealed these tunnels to me. We'll let the others go ahead and draw out the Injusticers. You and I, though, have another task to accomplish first."
"I'll do whatever you say," Ultraman assured him.
"I know you will," Lightning Lord smiled.
"It's so…enclosed," Sparrow Hawk winced as the tunnel stretched on further than anyone had expected.
"Rats always prefer a tight den," Condor mused.
"Look, the tunnel widens up ahead," Captain Cold pointed out.
They stepped out of the tunnel to a natural cavern. But the cavern was reinforced with columns and structural supports. And lights were strung everywhere.
"What the hell?" Shrapnel was the first to ask.
"If we follow the supports we'll find the architects that employ this space," Condor predicted.
Several fighting cages and octagons were soon discovered. Various targets and human silhouettes were near them. It was obviously a training facility of some sort. But who trained here and whom did they serve?
Soon, an artificial structure loomed ahead of them. It was massive and built along the lines of the Roman coliseum. One side of the structure sidled up to the cavern wall whereas the other had free space in which to maneuver.
"I'll take a team and circumnavigate this to see if we can affect an entrance," Superwoman declared. She named off her team and then looked around, "Where the hell if that lummox, Ultraman?"
No one had a clue so finally she snorted in disgust, "I'll deal with the coward later."
The remainder of the Crime Syndicate took Legionnaires with them. Captain Cold studied the walls of the structure, "Blockbuster, we need a door."
She simply caved in a wall. Condor and the Avatars took the lead, "It appears to be a maze of some kind. Follow us and our enhanced senses will lead the way."
"Just keep up," Kestrel added to Condor's statement.
It seemed like hours but they eventually reached the center of the maze. The vast library and assorted sarcophaguses disturbed most of them. Swan stopped Mirror Master and Heat Wave from drinking from the fountain.
"It's tainted," Swan warned them, "I can smell the poison in it."
"Who built all of this?" the Top had to ask.
"You don't suppose the subway construction was stopped to hide this?" Pied Piper wondered, "Monorails aren't cheap. So why did one suddenly become a better economic choice?"
"It's a creepy conspiracy theory," Shrapnel complained.
"Want me to torch the place?" Volcana asked. She'd escaped ISA custody in Paris and rejoined the Legion after midnight Parisian time.
"No," Captain Cold objected, "There are myths and legends of a dark underworld group that controls even Gotham's Five Families. This may be one of their 'nests'."
Captain Cold asked Condor, "Which way, in a straight line, is the way out?"
Condor pointed. Captain Cold turned to Blockbuster, "Make us a path."
She smashed through the maze until she led them to a connecting structure which led into a basement. Climbing the stairs their assort group spilled into a high rise lobby. Then they spilled out into the street.
"They have defiled sacred ground," the Talon named Aneesa complained to Nyssa al Ghul.
"Then why don't you go down and get yourself martyred?" Nyssa asked, "Or you could actually serve your lords and ladies and await their command. We shall deal with these interlopers."
"I sense you have a role for me as well," White Rabbit spoke up.
"I have roles for both you and Jaina Hudson," Nyssa told her. She kindly didn't point out Jaina and White Rabbit were ultimately two manifestations of a single person, "I need Jaina to check on Bruce Wayne to find out how he's doing after his…encounter…with bad seafood."
White Rabbit's eyes widened a bit. She knew she shouldn't be surprised an al Ghul knew Batman's secret identity. What did surprise her was Nyssa already knew she and Jaina knew it as well.
"I'll…let her know," White Rabbit agreed, "And for me?"
"I need you to determine who's behind this hunting party," Nyssa informed her.
"You think they're after you and the Injusticers?" White Rabbit asked.
"I don't think they're here after a lone Talon," Nyssa specified, "And we're the only other ones that have utilized the tunnels and training facilities here lately."
"Okay, I'm on it," White Rabbit promised.
Nyssa summoned her Injusticer chieftains and laid out her plan.
"This is one big ass circle," Signalman complained.
"Doesn't this thing ever end?" El Diablo whined.
"Shut up, the pair of you!" Superwoman demanded.
"I'm getting hungry," King Shark grumbled.
"People, we seriously need to keep him hydrated," Psi warned the group, "Or some really bad shit will start to happen."
"Power Ring, do an echo location of this space. Look for any deviation in this structure up ahead," Atomica suggested.
Power Ring sent out a green wave of energy. In seconds the Ring of Volthoom began to flash, "There's a connecting chamber leading to a lower subbasement. It could be a high rise of some sort."
"Then we make for that," Superwoman decided.
The All Stars were fast on the Crime Syndicate's trail. It hadn't been hard to deduce where the Legion and its allies had entered the abandoned subway tunnels. Coming on the ruptured maze, they'd decided to follow the tracks circling the building rather than get bogged down in the maze.
So when the All Stars came upon the Crime Syndicate and Legion members preparing to breach the connecting structure between the high rise basement and the maze, Wildcat had to chuckle, "Well, lookee here."
"You really should have stayed away," Superwoman warned them, "We don't need distractions right now."
"Too bad, `cause ya got `em in spades," Wildcat retorted.
"Take them down!" Superwoman commanded and her allied force mobilized into action.
"Where the hell are we?" Golden Glider asked.
"Holy hell is more like it," Captain Cold observed the rather upscale neighborhood that bordered the Narrows, "You'd never suspect a thing."
An arrow plunged deep into Condor's chest. Everyone looked up in time to see Nyssa put another one in Condor's eye. She drew back a third arrow and shot his crotch.
Condor had the decency to whimper despite his healing factor already kicking in as he pulled arrows out. Nyssa wore a feral grin, "Those were warning shots. I advise you to leave this area while you still can."
"We can't do that until we achieve our goal," Captain Cold warned her.
"And what is your purpose here then?" Nyssa already knew but she wanted it confirmed.
"Our express goal is to eliminate you. Your Injusticers can go free if you just surrender yourself," Captain Cold offered.
"Do I strike you as a lamb that will go meekly to my own death?" Nyssa wondered.
"Er…no," Captain Cold admitted.
"Then there you have it," Nyssa fired another arrow from her fifth story window ledge. And she continued filling Condor up with arrows as the Injusticers emerged and surrounded the Legion and its allies.
"Ah hell," Captain Cold grimaced at seeing combat was inevitable.
Wildcat fought El Diablo again outside the Owls' maze. For this encounter, El Diablo used a combination of his reliable boxing skills and his still as-of-yet unreliable pyrokinetic abilities. Wildcat would gain an advantage and El Diablo would force him back with flames until he rallied again. But Wildcat relentlessly came back at El Diablo time and again. Finally, while El Diablo was being battered senseless, he lit Wildcat on fire. The veteran hero rolled in the dirt and gravel to try and extinguish himself.
At first El Diablo was horrified. But that changed and soon he reveled in what he'd done. And looked forward to doing more of it.
"I hear you're actually blind to visible light and see the world through other spectrums instead," Signalman told Dr. Mid-Nite, "I took an interest because I figured an encounter like this was inevitable. So I prepared. I hope you appreciate my efforts."
"Did you talk this much in prison too?" Dr. Mid-Nite inquired.
"Very droll," Signalman tossed a cylinder with a flashing emitter head off to one side and another to the other side.
Dr. Mid-Nite found himself blinded by a "flare" and he couldn't clear his vision. Signalman chuckled, "I'd relax if I was you. Those ultraviolet and infrared flares should be wreaking havoc with your unique vision."
Dr. Mid-Nite dropped a blackout bomb and Signalman shook his head, "That won't even slow my flares' emissions. All it does is make it harder for me to deal with you. You could make that easier and just surrender."
"Go to hell," Dr. Mid-Nite called out of the inky darkness.
Signalman shrugged, "Suit yourself."
Signalman strapped on acoustic headgear with displays lowered over his eyes. Using a form of sonar, the sound reflected back at the receivers was translated into a visible display. Thereby granting Signalman the vision Dr. Mid-Nite currently lacked. Knowing he only had twenty minutes before his emitters burned out, Signalman went to work subduing Dr. Mid-Nite.
Cyclone was still barely speaking to King Chimera as he blanketed the area with projections of the pair. Multiplex began duplicating himself through his fission powers. Each doppelganger was slightly weaker than the original but they all possessed the same mind and intent. And they also seemed to harbor some primitive form of hive mind where they were all mutually aware of each others' perceptions.
"I can't stir the air down here," Cyclone whispered to King Chimera, "It's too still. If I get it going I might have to push so hard to start anything I could lose control over whatever I create."
"You don't have much of a choice, Maxine," King Chimera warned her, "Multiplex is quickly sorting out what is illusion and what is real."
"Why did you sleep with her?" Cyclone suddenly blurted.
"Who?" King Chimera asked.
"Giganta," Cyclone said with distaste.
"Atom Smasher bedded Volcana. I don't see you getting self righteous with him," King Chimera was getting a little angry now.
"He's Anna's problem," Cyclone was beginning to raise her voice, "You're mine."
"It seemed like an opportunity at the time," King Chimera snapped at her, "You know I was thief back then. Giganta seemed like a means to getting an introduction to the Legion of Doom."
"So you didn't love her," Cyclone realized.
"I loved the idea and not the woman. When she realized that she burned any bridge I could have had with the Legion," King Chimera explained, "Afterwards Sentinel, Flash, and Wildcat recruited me to the Justice Society."
"Ahem," Multiplex cleared his throat. They realized they were surrounded.
"It was considerate of you to give away your position but I really must insist you submit before I have to simply kill you," Multiplex spoke with a hundred voices.
"Hold on to something," Cyclone advised King Chimera.
"To what? Gravel?" he asked.
"Just hit the dirt," Cyclone sighed as dust devils began to form up. And then they intensified into microcosmic tornadoes. Multiplexes were swallowed whole and Cyclone joined King Chimera on the ground.
She gave him a baleful expression, "I warned you this might happen."
"Have you tried shutting them down?" he asked.
"No, I invited them to play shuffleboard," Cyclone smarted off.
"It's a good game for meeting rich old women. You shouldn't knock it," King Chimera advised her.
Cyclone merely rolled her eyes.
Lightning rolled electricity between her palms. Psi heaved a heavy sigh, "So you throw electricity. Have anything interesting to bring to the table?"
"You'll be finding out," Lightning promised.
"Okay, take your best shot and let's see what you've got to offer," Psi urged her.
Lightning threw bolts of electricity at Psi. But to her chagrin, Psi's telekinetic power arced the electricity around her and it streamed off at the structure dominating the cavern.
"Nothing much then," Psi smirked.
"What is it you do, exactly?" Lightning suddenly lifted off the ground and twirled around before being set back down.
"I have my humble talents," Psi grinned.
Lightning barraged Psi with an electrical storm front. Psi was barely able to shrug off the torrent. But she managed to spare an iota of concentration in order to slap a chokehold on Lightning. Lightning, realizing she could break the hold through physical means, amplified her discharge intending to wear Psi down before she passed out.
Lightning managed to break Psi's defense and stun her just seconds before she herself lapsed into unconsciousness from lack of oxygen. The question remained, who would awaken first to finish off the other one.
"Hey chica, it's always nice to meet a Latina in spandex," Vibe tried to be friendly towards Power Ring.
"Stay back, I'm warning you," Power Ring was terrified of him and Vibe couldn't understand it.
"It's the new costume, isn't it?" he wondered, "Mr. Terrific updated my look when I joined the All Stars. But it practically screams 'techno gadget'."
"I'm not telling you again," Power Ring was desperately struggling with some inner demons.
"You never told me the first time," Vibe countered. And then he perceived the constructs the Ring of Volthoom was projecting before Jessica Cruz's eyes. What he could make from them, it was some pretty horrid stuff.
Power Ring unleashed waves of terrifying constructs at Vibe. But Vibe's abilities allowed him to see they were derived from interdimensional sources. Like a bizarre blending of the Emotional Spectrum. The power ring she wore was a nexus of realities, not truly existing in any one dimensional plane.
Vibe experimented by releasing a vibration wave on a counter frequency. It blew the constructs apart. And seemed to liberate Jessica from the ring's control.
"Please! You have to get this ring off of me!" Jessica begged, "It chose me but it torments me all the time. It makes me afraid and uses that to make me do bad things."
"Okay, just calm down…" Vibe requested.
"I am calm!" Jessica screeched, "I just can't get it off. When I'm not hurting people it feeds off of me. If I don't do what it wants it slowly starts killing me. I don't want to die because of this damn ring!"
"Just hang tight and I'll…uh oh," Vibe interrupted himself.
"What?" Jessica was headed for new hysterical heights as she saw the Ring of Volthoom begin to glow, "Get away! While you still can!"
Power Ring blazed away with emotional energy at him. Vibe's vibrational shield destroyed the oncoming wave of constructs. Acknowledging its human bearer couldn't defeat this foe, nor did she even want to, the Ring directed her in other direction. Jessica carved out debris from the maze walls and caved in portions of the cavern ceiling and deposited all of the debris on Vibe.
Vibe was able to shattered most of the larger debris but it was still like getting pelted by a ton of gravel. He remained alive but he was struggling to extricate himself from the rock and concrete piled atop him. Power Ring broke off from engaging him at that point.
Shining Knight stared down King Shark, "Have at thee, hellspawn!"
"You're really trying to offend me, aren't you?" King Shark asked, "Worst. Mistake. Ever."
"I shall dispatch thee back to the pits of hell whence thee came from," Sir Justin pledged.
"One problem with that is I don't feel like going anywhere that doesn't involve ocean depths," King Shark warned him before raking Shining Knight's torso with his claws.
An attack that buffeted Sir Justin but left him unharmed. King Shark was actually impressed, "That chainmail is actually useful, I take it."
"Mine enchanted mail is proof enough against any harm," Sir Justin boasted.
"We'll just see about that," King Shark now had a predatory gleam in his eyes.
He gripped Shining Knight's sword arm and squeezed until his pressure born strength caused Sir Justin to drop his sword. Then, grabbing Shining Knight behind the neck and by the belt, King Shark hefted him into the air, "We'll see if you taste just like tuna."
His iron jaws and their rows of sharp teeth clamped down on Sir Justin's armor and the bite just intensified as King Shark promised himself something was going to give and it wouldn't be him.
Superwoman went straight for Hawk's throat. Their combat was especially savage as Hawk relied on his brute strength and talons and Superwoman used her lifetime of training and inhuman speed to stay in the fight. Hawk didn't realize though, Atomica had ridden Superwoman's cape clasp into the fight. Dove had spotted her too late and now she was within Hawk's body.
While the Lord of Chaos that empowered Hawk utilized Hank Hall's human template, his internal structure was reinforced and his autoimmune system bolstered as efficiently as his hyperactive healing factors. So Atomica plunged out of Hawk creating little more than a headache.
Atomica had never been so aggressively attacked by an immune system before so she was shaken as she returned to her customary stature. Dove struck quickly, before Atomica could respond. Hitting the nerve clusters in Atomica's shoulder sockets, Dove paralyzed both of Atomica's arms so she couldn't use her palm triggers in her suit to alter her size. A simple chokehold was enough the carry the day afterwards.
Dove decided to see about assisting Hawk at that point.
On the streets above, the Injusticers were split into three factions. The Injustice League held the high ground from vantage points within the high rise itself. The Injustice Rogues held the northern end of the block, along the riverside drive along the Hudson River. And the Injustice Titans held the southern end of the block.
Condor used his talons to good effect and was climbing the high rise's outer wall. Nyssa fired for effect. She punctured his nerve pressure points in his arms and shoulders. Finding himself unable to proceed or retreat, he wondered what she intended for him next. Nyssa put an arrow in each eye at that juncture. A move which almost finished off the otherwise rapidly healing Condor.
He kicked away from the building and tore his hands free from their grip. Plummeting onto his backside, he anxiously awaited enduring whatever Nyssa intended for him until he could recover enough to pull the arrow shafts out of his eyes and begin to restore his vision. Nyssa knew with certainty he'd make a full recovery but his confidence was shaken. And that would buy her and her Injusticers the time they required.
David Cain emerged from the high rise and was intercepted by Osprey. Cain appreciated his chosen opponent. Almost as powerful as Kestrel yet twice as dumb. Condor was the real threat and everyone else was a pale imitation next to him. But Nyssa had personally selected Condor too apply a lesson to. Cain had been given random choice of Kestrel or Osprey.
He looked forward to applying his own lesson to the Chaos Avatar. Wielding a pair of nunchucks among other weapons, Cain proceeded to beat Osprey senseless. He knew that Osprey had the same vaunted healing factor as the other Avatars but he struck and broke bones so swiftly Osprey never fully recovered before being crippled again. The lesson to be learned by the exercise was whether or not the Avatar's healing factor could be overwhelmed.
White Canary leapt out of the third story window and hammered Swan in the face with her descending kick. White Canary's landing was as light and gentle as a bird's she spun to face the recuperating Swan. White Canary carried a staff tripped with a knife and a sword strapped across her back.
At range, she began to slice Swan apart. Her application was different than Cain's. Swan had a vocal ability akin to the Black Canary's former might and that was still possessed by Silver Swan. So White Canary's first target was ripping out Swan' throat. And as she cut away and delivered brutal physical attacks with her own body, she always return to cutting out Swan's throat as it began to marginally heal.
But Rachel Phelps had been Condor's disciple before being chosen by the Lords of Chaos to become Swan. And now she was his lover as well as his acolyte. Which meant her penchant for whips and chains served her well.
But like Dawn Granger, before Dawn had become Dove, Rachel had been an underground cage fighter before becoming Swan. So she would rally and challenge White Canary. But White Canary repeatedly beat her down. Only the Avatar's healing factor even kept her alive as her guts were spilled open.
Merlyn was of two minds about facing Giganta. His son Malcolm, also known as Dark Archer, was still recuperating from Starling's brutal "interrogation" and Merlyn wanted revenge. And Nyssa didn't seem inclined to let him get it. So he was interested in shopping around for better offers.
Syonide just wanted to do what she did best. Which was kill people for an ungodly amount of money. Nyssa bought Syonide's loyalty, plain and simple.
Giganta was undoubtedly the girliest opponent Syonide had ever faced. And the first one that was five stories tall. Giganta seemed as reluctant as the two Injusticers.
"We don't have to fight, guys," Giganta promised them, "You could join us. We have two different Justice Leagues on our side and we're seriously taking over the world this time."
"Which Justice Leagues?" Merlyn asked.
"Um…the JLU and the JLI," Giganta answered.
"What about the JLA?" Merlyn's voice sharpened.
"Oh, we're not letting them join up. We're just killing them," Giganta said pleasantly.
"I'm all in," Merlyn decided.
"You can't be serious," Syonide protested, "Nyssa isn't going to just let you walk away."
"Tell that to Cassandra Cain," Merlyn countered.
"Uh…the whole reason we're here to is to kill Nyssa al Ghul," Giganta explained.
"I'm totally fine with that," Merlyn declared.
"Are you insane?" Syonide yelped, "She's an al Ghul."
"I've bled enough for the al Ghul's," Merlyn vowed, "It's time I get some back for myself."
"Nyssa won't stand for it," Syonide's hand drifted towards her whip hanging from her hip.
Merlyn drew, nocked, and drew back an arrow before Syonide could react, "Don't make me kill you to prove a point."
"Have you lost your mind?" Syonide raged.
"No, I think I've finally come to my senses," Merlyn replied.
Giganta just grinned away.
"Drop and worship me," White Lightning commanded Kestrel. The fact Kestrel had chosen a male host was the only reason the Avatar himself was vulnerable to White Lightning's hypnotic powers. Women were immune to her ability.
So while the human male Kestrel rode upon desperately sought to obey White Lightning, Kestrel itself fought the compulsion. The dichotomy between the two impulses finally tore the gestalt apart and Kestrel's essence was reduced to seeking out a new host and Ned Flippenbaker found himself White Lightning's willing servant. She decided she'd been missing out having been deprived of willing sycophants over the last two weeks.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Captain Cold had to wonder.
Lady Flash wore her customary Flash uniform with a leather bomber jacket atop it. Except she'd added a single lens pair of goggles to the eye portion of the costume reminiscent of Jessie Quick's uniform. And like Jessie, Lady Flash let her wild mane of hair flow to her shoulders.
"I am Ivanka Christina Borodin Molotova," she explained, "But you can call me Lady Flash."
"Riiight," Captain Cold took aim with his cryoblaster.
And suddenly Lady Flash was behind him, "We do not need to fight. Even in Russia we have heard of the infamous Captain Cold. It is being my pleasure to finally meet you. I am certain my new leader can make an accommodation between us Injusticers and your Rogues."
"I'm in an accommodation right now. And these people scare me shitless. Which I don't like," Captain Cold admitted, "But I don't see how betraying them brings me any closer to independence."
"You understand, if we are not being friends then I have to fight you," Lady Flash warned him.
"Sister, I've fought the real Flash to a standstill," Captain Cold told her.
"Ah yes, but the Flash respects human life and dignity," Lady Flash said philosophically, "But I don't."
"Damn Russkie," Captain Cold snarled as he spun to face her.
And then Lady Flash attacked him from a dozen different directions almost at once.
"Don't waste my time here, Rory," Wrath warned Heat Wave.
"Do I know you?" Heat Wave asked.
"Highly unlikely but you're Mick Rory, commonly known as Heat Wave. Your chosen enmity is with the Flash. The object of my wrath is Batman and every law enforcement officer on the planet," Wrath introduced himself, "So why are we here today?"
"We're supposed to kill your boss," Heat Wave answered forthrightly.
"And you're copacetic with that?" Wrath asked.
"What's it to you?" Heat Wave wondered.
"The lady just pulled me out of Blackgate where I was going on trial facing four hundred and thirty-five to life," Wrath explained, "My arms company may be bankrupt now but I was able to gather enough equipment for me to finish my life's work. So do you really think, with my feeling so grateful, that I'm going to allow you to simply kill Nyssa al Ghul? You do the math on this one."
Wrath dropped a hockey puck shaped device and a red light blinked several times and then went out, "Now, try using that pop gun of yours."
"Your funeral but you know how it is," Heat Wave aimed his thermal blaster and pulled the trigger. The gun fizzled and then died.
"Do I ever," Wrath detached his rifle from his back and aimed between Heat Wave's eyes, "Care to come to the negotiating table now?"
"What the…?" Heat Wave was astounded.
"It's a localized EMP, Mick. Now, to business. Do you want to discuss healthy alternatives for the Rogues or do you just want to be put out of your misery now?" Wrath asked.
"You've got my undivided attention," Heat Wave admitted.
Blacksmith had transmuted a half dozen passerby's into organic steel and now controlled them. They surrounded Mirror Master. He gave them all a dismal look.
"It's you against my half dozen," Blacksmith boasted, "Care to place a wager on your odds?"
"You were married to Goldface when he ran the logistics operation in Central City," Mirror Master recalled.
"Actually that little operation was my brainchild," Blacksmith shared, "He was the name to get clients interested. Then he died in outer space when Darkseid blew up the Secret Society. I formally took over the business then and we enjoyed rapid expansion. In fact you and the Rogues still owe me a number of favors. Care to settle up?"
"You don't disappoint the guy in charge of this outing," Mirror Master advised her, "How would you like to work with us instead?""
"You weren't saying that a year ago," Blacksmith reminded him.
"Look, all we want is the al Ghul woman. Afterwards, you can set yourself up nicely with our allies," Mirror Master counter offered.
"You sure they're still allies and not masters?" Blacksmith retorted, "Because three people step out of the future and suddenly they're treated like little tin gods. You want to scrape and bow for the rest of your life?"
Mirror Master mulled over the possibilities. And none of them looked good. Blacksmith smiled.
"How would you like to work for the real Rogues from the Gem Cities?" she inquired.
Mirror Master actually began considering it.
"Ain't you a looker?" Girder mocked Blockbuster.
Rachel Sands knew she was unrecognizable now but what did her looks have to do with a fight? She snarled her reply. Girder laughed.
"Was that pillow talk, sugar mouth?" he goaded her on.
Blockbuster charged and rammed him through a building. Girder's unexpected left cross bowled her over. He was first on his feet and kicked her in the face. As she grew more enraged, her chemically altered adrenal glands began pumping even harder. So in effect, the angrier she got the stronger she became. Her responding punch dented Girder's face.
He felt the indentation and wore a cocky grin, "Aw, was it something I said?"
Instead of offering flowers as an apology, Girder uprooted a tree and swatted her into the river with it. Her incredibly dense muscle mass made it virtually impossible for Rachel to float. Girder watched as the last bubbles surface after she sank under the river's surface.
"You know, on my Earth the Golden Glider is a member of our Justice Battalion," Plunder told Lisa Snart, "She and I have danced around for years. I never thought that would happen here."
"Oh really?" Golden Glider sneered.
"Why are you even here?" Plunder asked her, "Because Luthor sees Nyssa as a resource."
"There are three new people…" Golden Glider began to explain.
"From the future here to conquer the world," Plunder finished for her, "Old news, Snart."
"If you have the answers already why are you asking the damn questions?" Golden Glider angrily vented her spleen.
"Because I know Roscoe's power is killing him. You've seen specialists and there's nothing they can do," Plunder explained, "I can."
"Bullshit!" Golden Glider retorted.
"The Top died the same way back on Earth-22. The Justice Battalion's medical specialists developed a cure after he died," Plunder explained, "My Golden Glider was so desperate to try and retrieve the spirit of her lover she became a living ghost. She's a phantom that can't even die. I don't want that to happen to you. Not when I can provide Roscoe with a cure."
"What do you want?" Golden Glider sullenly asked.
"I haven't asked for anything," Plunder replied.
"But you will," Golden Glider fully realized, "And when you do, my answer will be 'yes'."
"Then let's get the Top and get to Central City," Plunder offered, "I have a means home there but only there."
"You call off your dog and I'll collect Roscoe," Golden Glider offered.
"Fair enough," Plunder consented.
Murmur found himself pinned against the wall by the Top's cyclonic spin. But Murmur knew about the Top's condition. As a former surgeon he recognized the strain the Top felt even before he started spinning. So now he was just waiting the man out.
But Golden Glider called the Top off and the strain was so blatantly obvious any layman could see it. Plunder spoke softly into Murmur's mutilated ear. He nodded his approval. Plunder had been planning this trip for weeks now. The benefits it would derive would give Murmur even more ample opportunities to murder innocents. He could hardly wait.
Magenta threw all manner of metal object sat the Trickster. But he evaded them all with his uncanny agility and the liberal use of his airwalker shoes. All the while, he threw practical joke items at her. The damn itching powder alone was driving her into homicidal distraction.
And the sneezing powder was crippling her defensive posture. Between those two alone, Magenta was so beleaguered that Trickster had nearly unlimited access to her. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.
"Enough already!" she yelled at him.
"Just one more little trick," Trickster pleaded, "You'll like it. I swear."
He pulled out a yo-yo and started doing classic tricks with it. And then he attempted the "walk your dog" and the yo-yo detonated. As a shaped unidirectional charge, the entire concussive wave from the grenade blew Magenta off of her feet.
Trickster donned a surgical cap and mask and fished a scalpel out of his bag of tricks, "I always wanted to play doctor with a beautiful patient."
"I'm gonna toast you, sister," Volcana threatened Silver Sorceress, "But you finally ditched that lame-ass headgear so you can die with some kind of dignity at least."
"I don't see how you can dare impugn my dignity when you comport yourself like a prostitute," Silver Sorceress retorted.
"You just called me a whore," Volcana was impressed, "And I always thought you were just a stuck up prissy, goody goody."
"Are you going to bore me to death or actually fight me?" Silver Sorceress asked.
Flames engulfed the Silver Sorceress and Volcana exulted in that fact, "Hah! Don't bring it unless you can back it up."
The flames swirled into Silver Sorceress' hand. Then they froze over. Lifting her hand to her lips, she blew and an Arctic storm blew over Volcana. The pyrokinetic generated flames just to stay warm enough to stay alive.
"Now that we've dispensed with the preliminaries, let's get to it, shall we?" Silver Sorceress wore a triumphant smile.
"Haven't I already killed you once before?" Sparrow Hawk asked Blue Jay.
"A different encounter altogether, Danya," Blue jay assured her, "And you failed as miserably then as you will now."
"Really?" Sparrow Hawk didn't bother to conceal her sarcasm. She threw a backhanded toss and her Nth metal sword impaled Blue Jay's chest, "Because I see things turning out my way once again."
Shrapnel "detonated" the metal fragments that made up his body. Inertial simply dodged them altogether and Sun Girl melted down those hurtling towards her. Afterwards, Inertia gathered pieces struggling to return to a collected whole and Sun Girl slagged them.
Eventually Shrapnel recomposed his head and he protested, "Hey! That's not fair!"
"And who might you be?" Black Spider asked.
"I'm called Joker's Daughter," Duela Dent answered.
"I never knew the Joker had a daughter," Black Spider confessed.
"He didn't," she admitted, "But he should have been my father rather than Two-Face."
"I see," Black Spider thought he did now, "You're the one assembling the Jokerz gang."
"That'd be me," Joker's Daughter boasted.
"Too bad. You just gave me a reason to kill you," Black Spider confessed.
Pied Piper played his flute but the hypnotic tune only seemed to annoy Enigma. He was embarrassed, "This has never happened to me before."
Enigma smirked, "Something every guy says eventually. But I understand I'm not even remotely the right gender to be your type. So maybe it's a lack of motivation. Keep playing. Maybe you'll get lucky."
Pied Piper scowled and played with even greater intensity. Enigma slowly encroached on him as he did so. She thrust the question mark end of her staff into him and he was jolted flat onto his back.
"Just so you understand, I'm partially tone deaf. So I can't even really hear your playing. Better luck next time," Enigma tossed him a jaunty salute.
Darkwing was beating Risk and Kid Crusader hands down. Of course, both Injustice Titans were still recuperating from recent wounds but pairing them together had been seen as a solution to that. No one had considered they'd face a foe as deadly as Darkwing.
Despite growing up as an apprentice demon hunter, Kid Crusader was the first to be killed. Darkwing threw two knives into his throat and Kid Crusader naturally pulled them out and bled to death. Risk proved to be more of a challenge.
But when Kid Crusader died, Risk boldly gambled with a headlong rush at Darkwing. Darkwing trigged the blade hidden up his forearm and it extended forth and Darkwing plunged into Risk's eye and further into the boy's brain.
Plucking both of the hatchets off of his back, Darkwing severed the boy's aorta with one and his carotid artery with the other. There was no coming back from that.
Lightning Lord met with the Court of Owls with Ultraman providing him with added security. Most of the Owls were represented from international nests by video screen. The remaining Court at Gotham was led by the Owl Matron. The Matron bid him welcome.
"Matron, I represent a coalition of forces gathered together to establish a world order. A world order that you can be a part of," Lightning Lord established the basic facts, "The head of this order has been chosen but several fiefdoms remain to be secured. Now is the time to act if you're to secure your place in the world."
"And who is to say we require your permission to do so?" the Matron asked acerbically.
Lacking Talons, the Owls were relying on specially chosen mercenaries. Four of them threatened Lightning Lord. He seared the flesh from their bones with his electrical powers. The he was encroached on all sides. So he discharged in every direction and killed them all the same.
"I'd say our help would be invaluable in securing a lasting position in world affairs," Lightning Lord dryly remarked, "Know this, if you do not come to terms with us, you will be considered a rogue element to be hunted down and exterminated."
Lightning Lord and Ultraman dismissed themselves at that point.
Although sporting mild to severe burns, Wildcat wouldn't relent on the pressure he was applying to El Diablo. He beat El Diablo to the point he couldn't coherently use his newfound powers. So he just blindly lashed out. As Wildcat's body burned, El Diablo sought to escape.
For the first time, El Diablo utterly reveled in the homicidal use of his newly acquired power. And he cheered on inwardly as Wildcat died. But he didn't stay around long enough to witness Wildcat use the fourth life of his Nine Lives' charm.
Signalman plucked Dr. Mid-Nite's mask off while he was still "blinded." Then his emitters burned out and Signalman withdrew. Dr. Mid-Note used his spare specially darkened glasses to see after the infrared and ultraviolet "jamming" finished. He found his discarded mask and traded it for his glasses. It was at that moment he witnessed Ted Grant's death…again.
Multiplex made a thousand copies of himself and overwhelmed the out of control twisters with sheer mass. The he dissolved most of them, leaving a dozen to back him up as he sought an exit. Cyclone and King Chimera were left wondering just what had happened.
As sheer luck would have it, Psi and Lightning awoke at the same time. Psi held up her hands, "Peace. I think you've got bigger problems than me."
Lightning followed her gaze and watched Wildcat get incinerated. Lightning sprinted for his position screaming, "Nooo!"
"Whatdoyaknow?" Psi mused as she rejoined her teammates.
Vibe shattered the debris burying him. Seeing Power Ring was already rejoining the other Crime Syndicate members, he dusted off and took a moment to catch his breath. He knew the day's fight wasn't over quite yet.
King Shark finally relented and tossed Shining Knight aside. Then he sniffed the air. Rushing to a nearby retaining wall, he began digging until water flowed from it. Pushing his way through, he dove out into the underground river where it met the Hudson. Seeing water flow more and more steadily as the embankment reinforcing the cavern wall gave way, Sir Justin scooped up his fallen sword and scrambled to get his teammates out of the cavern before it completely flooded.
Water hit Atomica and she woke and got to her knees, "What the hell?"
She looked around, "Of shit."
Scrambling to meet Superwoman, she saw Artemis had taken considerably more damage than she ever had except against Mary Marvel when she was stabbed in the chest, "We need to leave. Now!"
"Don't nag. Just help," Superwoman grated.
Emerald constructs smashed Hawk and Dove away and Power Ring made her presence known, "We need to get out of here."
Superwoman saw the rising water, "Punch us an access way into that foundation. Then bring everything you can to block it behind us."
"You got it!" Power Ring said easily. Jessica's sense of survival coincided with the Ring of Volthoom so they were cooperating.
The All Stars relied on Vibe to shatter the barricades into small enough pieces to muscle through. But the sub-basement was completely filling up with water before they made it. It took them much longer to eventually reach the street level. And what they found surprised them all.
Nyssa pierced Condor's eyes again to slow him down. Then she penetrated both of hands so he couldn't get a grip to remove the offending shafts. And this time rather than place three arrows in his chest, she surgically hit his heart three separate times. When Condor finally recovered enough to pursue his vengeance against Nyssa again, she was long gone.
Cain had finally broken Osprey to the point he wouldn't heal fast enough to dare threaten the Injusticers again before they withdrew. And Nyssa gave him the prearranged signal, so Cain began spreading the word.
White Canary slid her sword through Swan's heart before the Avatar could recover her voice. Dropping Swan to her knees, White Canary slit Swan's throat one final time as Cain ordered her withdrawal.
"Merlyn, don't do this," Syonide pleaded with him.
He'd fired his arrow into her shoulder, "Now you can tell them you tried to stop me. Cain wants your attention. You'd best be leaving now."
Giganta didn't realize the Injusticers were leaving until they were already gone, "Ooh, I'm gonna get it."
White Lightning arranged for her boy toy to perform a simple task after she left. Then she giddily complied with Cain's summons after getting off. Pushing her willing servant's face out of her crotch, she pulled up her pants and hurried to join the rest of the Injustice League.
Lady Flash broke off and disappeared as rapidly as she'd begin her attack. Captain Cold was still slightly dazed as Heat Wave and Mirror Master approached him, "What's going on guys?"
"Len, we need to talk. Just not here," Heat Wave insisted.
"Have you seen Lisa and Roscoe?" Captain Cold asked.
"They left with an Injusticer called Plunder. He'd from Earth-22 and says the people on his world can cure Roscoe. So of course Lisa jumped at it," Mirror Master told him.
"Why would complete strangers from another Earth cure the Top?" Captain Cold was incredulous.
"Because on that Earth, Lisa and Roscoe were heroes. They were even members of something called the Justice Battalion. Sound familiar?" Mirror Master answered, "Just like our version of Plunder is a Central City cop."
"And that's just the tip of a very large iceberg," Heat Wave said.
Wrath watched this from a distance and took his cue from Cain's summons.
Blacksmith spotted Cain signaling the Injustice League and she began to recall her own unit. She dispatched her six organic steel slaves to pull her Rogues out of harm's way. Girder hadn't spotted Blockbuster rise out of the water and was unprepared for her to shove him into the river where his metal body sank. Two of Blacksmith's slaves distracted Blockbuster while help was sought.
Murmur held a knife to Trickster's throat. A raspy garbled giggle came from his tongueless mouth. The lone slave sent after Magenta pulled Murmur off of the Trickster. Trickster withdrew while the slave tended to Magenta before Murmur could scramble back to kill him.
The slave revived Magenta and brought her to the river before joining in fighting Blockbuster. Magenta could sense Girder's bulk so she magnetically lifted him out of the water. Murmur attacked Blockbuster while Girder got ready to engage her again.
Magenta wrapped a lamppost around Blockbuster and Girder's right cross dazed her momentarily. Blacksmith gathered her force and retreated to the rendezvous site.
One of Blacksmith's slaves knocked out the freezing Volcana. Silver Sorceress was testy, "I was getting to that."
Then she was led to Blue Jay's location. Sparrow Hawk had pulled her sword out of him. Silver Sorceress was irate.
"What is it with you and sharp objects?" she demanded to know.
"If you don't like it, go back to that nuclear cinder of a world of yours," Sparrow Hawk challenged her.
"Ah, ah, no knives," Magenta reached with her power to pluck Sparrow Hawk's sword away.
Nothing happened. Sparrow Hawk couldn't resist the opportunity to comment, "Nth metal is nonmagnetic. Sort of like your personality."
Silver Sorceress didn't know Danya Helstrom very well but she knew enough to realize humor wasn't the Thanagarian's forte. While she healed Blue Jay, Silver Sorceress watched as Girder, Magenta, Murmur, and Blacksmith and Blacksmith's slaves all surrounded Sparrow Hawk. Even a demented personality like hers saw retreat as a better option than fighting.
"Gather around," Silver Sorceress instructed her companions, "I'll be grabbing up three sites so the transition is going to be a rough one."
Black Spider saw that Joker's Daughter actually had promise. If she could be persuaded to join the proper side, she and her Jokerz could prove useful after all. He was about to question her opinions on key matters when the unexpected occurred.
Enigma jolted Black Spider's back. Then she and Joker's Daughter scrambled to gather the rest of the Injustice Titans in time to catch a ride out of Gotham.
Inertia rushed Sun Girl to the desired location to find Kid Crusader and Risk already dead. Enigma and Joker's Daughter were just arriving as well. Darkwing fought well but the enraged teens were out for vengeance. Darkwing rallied to find the Injustice Titans had vanished. Even Risk and Kid Crusader.
Comparing notes before Lightning Lord arrived, they deduced that all of the Injusticers had moved to prearranged areas and been teleported away. Only Merlyn remained behind. Lightning Lord was livid.
"They all escaped?" he shouted at the gathered force. Superwoman and her team's arrival didn't help his mood any.
"Well, the archer joined our side," Giganta put in helpfully.
"We'll see about that," Lightning Lord grated.
"One of Nyssa's followers was missing today," Condor put in, "The Amazon named Aresia was absent. She obviously went ahead to prepare for their arrival. Knowing facts about her could indicate where they went to."
"Fine, you and yours track them and alert us when you have them," Lightning Lord turned on Merlyn, "And you had best be telling me the truth when you say you don't know where they've gone."
"They were headed to Metropolis," Merlyn revealed, "But it was a way station en route to the ultimate destination. Nyssa only shared that with her unit commanders. But I know they were surprised by the revelation."
"Got that?" Lightning Lord snapped at Condor.
"We'll begin our search in Metropolis," Condor wore a predatory smile.
The Hall of Justice wasn't officially being reopened for two more weeks but the staff had already moved in. Waller kept offices there and Maven returned as her aide. Sue Dibney and Hula Hula still served as the Chief and Deputy Chief of Operations. They were joined in the foyer by the Elongated Man as they met with the Injusticers.
"Director Waller, so nice to finally meet you," Nyssa said cordially.
"Despite you're shooting an arrow at me?" Waller still recalled the incident clearly. It had happened just two weeks before this official meeting.
"Time and enemies change," Nyssa shrugged.
"I heard Aresia's canned version of why you want to assist the JLA but let's hear it from the source," Waller suggested.
Nyssa knew it was actually a demand, "My motive is simple. The world is an increasingly small place. It will be made smaller yet should Darkseid gain a foothold. For five thousand years the League of Shadows has sought to keep balance in the world. By extension, the League of Assassins has enforced these plans and actions. Now, my father's digression into trying to restore a beatified version of an idyllic primeval past has only distorted the League's true mission. I'm more of a purist myself. And I see the Legion of Doom's newfound allies as the clearest threat to balance that currently exists in this time or any other."
"Ra's is dead and his plans with him," Waller argued.
"Are his plans dead?" Nyssa chided her, "Has the League of Shadows changed its ambitions at all since Talia came to power or are they more entrenched in his madness than ever before?"
"The rumors go Talia was the one to reconcile you with your father's name," Sue pointed out.
"A fact I'm grateful for. It's a terrible thing to be without a family or a legacy. I have mine now and I will see the honor and dignity of the League of Shadows restored to it as well. I will do this with or without Talia's blessing," Nyssa declared.
"Talia has thrown her support behind Luthor in these matters," Waller informed Nyssa.
"Which would be expected," Nyssa said simply.
"Luthor killed her child," Sue coldly pointed out.
"Luthor had Batman's child executed," Nyssa reminded everyone present, "That changes everything."
Waller looked over to Sue and Hula Hula. They both grimly nodded their assent. Ralph did as well when it was his turn.
"Congratulations," Waller allowed, "You're past the first hurtle. Now we discuss rules of engagement and see if you'll stick around afterwards."
"You never know, Director Waller. Stranger things have been known to change the course of history," Nyssa advised her.
Waller didn't know if that was friendly advice, a warning, or a threat.