Chapter 18

The Watchtower

The tower was a hive of activity as Zatanna stepped off the transporter platform. She'd come as soon as she heard about Dinah, just as many heroes did. Batman and Jonn were organizing heroes to deal with the aftermath in Star City and new outbreaks around the globe. Her first priority was to find out how Dinah was doing. When Zee was assured she was going to be okay, she went to see what needed to be done.

"What can I do to help," she asked, making her way to the control center.

"Nothing," Batman immediately said, but then looked up at her, "nothing at the moment, but prepare yourself."

"I could use her in Star City," Green Lantern said as he made his way through the crowd towards the transporter.

"Let me see if there's anyone else," Batman replied, starting to scan the database.

"There is no time, Zatanna go with Green Lantern," Jonn said before Zee could reply to Batman. With a nod, she turned and headed out. As they dematerialized, Batman turned on Jonn with a scowl.

"I didn't want her there, Jonn," he gruffly.

"She needs to prove herself, Batman," Jonn countered, "its important to both her and the League."

"She could have gone on another mission," Batman grumbled.

"I know you're concerned, but this is about her and what she needs, not you," Jonn said calmly, yet forcefully, before turning back to the console.

"What if something happens down there, Jonn? Have you considered that? Black Canary is a seasoned crime fighter, but she was no match for the man that attacked her. She's in critical condition, as we speak. What if Zatanna finds herself in a similar position?"

"Then she will have to deal with it," Jonn evenly said to Batman. "Would you prefer if another hero were attacked instead of Zatanna? How would that benefit Zatanna or others trust in her, Batman? She's a powerful member that may prove to be invaluable in this current crisis. She needs a show of support from us that we can count on her. In the long run, it will help both her and the League. I know this is difficult for you, but you can't protect her forever."

"I hope you're right."

"As do I," Jonn admitted, before turning to summon another group of heroes for another mission.

LexCorp

Lex Luthor sat at his desk in the glittering high-rise that bore his name. It had been months since his last plan had been foiled and he was restless with failure. The Secret Society of Grodd was a joke as far as Lex was concerned, along with all the other affiliations that the so-called supervillians had. As he sat there, Lex realized he'd gotten away from who and what he really was. He wasn't one of those costume clowns with some minor power or a weapon attacking some hero. He was Lex Luthor, an unrivaled genius, yet he'd let himself forget that. His greatest strength wasn't his fighting skills or some advanced weapon, it was his mind. If he was ever going to rid the world of those cretinous heroes, it was going to be with his genius. As he mulled over ideas along those lines, the wall in his office began to shimmer. Pressing the silent alarm for his security, Lex turned his full attention to the opening that suddenly appeared. Through it stepped a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a utilitarian outfit, but he looked drawn and haggard. The woman appeared in all gold, including a mask and flowing robes. There was an aura coming off her, that Lex knew instantly had to be magic related.

"The door, please, Morgaine, he will undoubtedly have notified security," Zod said as he moved over and sat down across from Lex. With a wave of her hand, a glimmering shield went up over the door and surrounded the office completely.

"It's done, we can talk without interruption now," she said with amusement and walked back over to where Zod sat.

"If you were trying to get my attention, you've succeeded," Lex casually said, opening a desk drawer and silently taking out a weapon. "I should warn you, I don't react well to threats."

"No one has threatened you, Luthor," Zod said.

"You'll forgive me," Lex sarcastically said, "Usually when a magical portal opens in my office I tend to jump to that conclusion."

"We've come to help you, Lex," Morgaine said, moving over to the windows.

"No thank you," Lex immediately replied.

"You haven't heard what we have to offer," Zod answered.

"Let me guess, you have some brilliant plan that's foolproof for defeating some hero or robbing a bank, but; you just need my financial assistance for the start up. Like I said, not interested. Now if you'll excuse me, I have real work to do. I'm sure you can find your way back out the way you came."

"What small minds you mistake us for," Morgaine laughed.

Raising the gun and pointing it at Zod, Lex continued," I've asked you once, nicely, now I must insisted. Don't even think about trying your magic on me, Miss le Fey, this is a special gun immune to magic. Oh, yes, I know who you are, Morgaine, although your friend here isn't familiar to me."

"Allow me to introduce myself," the general said, "my name is Zod, Dru-Zod or General Zod in another life."

Lex was surprised by this, but didn't lower the gun. "Zod, the Kryptonian?"

"Yes."

"I thought you were dead, defeated by Superman," Lex asked.

"As you can see, both are true," Zod replied; "now if you wish us to leave, we will, but you will miss out on a rather special job we have for you."

"I'm finished worked for others, Zod, human or Kryptonian," Lex sneered.

"You misunderstand, we don't wish to hire you," Zod said, shaking his head.

"I told you he's used to small minds and petty plans," Morgaine added.

"Suppose you tell me what is you want from me, Zod," Lex said, ignoring Morgaine's jab, but lowering the gun.

"We want nothing from you, Luthor. We wish to present you with an opportunity,' Zod said with a rare smile, "one that seems perfect for a man of your talents."

"And that would be?"

'Turning the tide of public opinion against the so-called heroes, specially the Justice League." Zod offered.

"I would have never pictured you two as comedians, but you have made me laugh," Lex chuckled. "What would be the point of further alienating the public from the Justice League?"

"Haven't you been trying to warn the people against these superpower heroes for years, Lex? Even after Superman invades, they don't completely abandon him. As time has past, they've forgotten and actually celebrate him and the others. It's it time someone reminded them of all that," Morgaine seductively said to him.

"The public are fools that think Superman and the Justice League can protect them," Lex countered.

'What if it turns out they can't, Luthor?" Zod asked. "They would listen to the voice that's been warning them in that case, wouldn't they? He would seem like a prophet of the truth."

"A savior, even," Morgaine added.

"I suppose," Lex nodded, his mind already playing over the idea. "No, the flaw in your plan is that the League is protecting the public, for the moment."

"Are they?" Zod asked, "There was an attack in Star City today. Heroes were there, but they couldn't stop it from happening."

"An isolated incident," Lex said dismissively.

"What if it wasn't?" Morgaine asked.

"What are you saying," Lex asked with interest.

"More attacks are coming, Luthor," Zod said, leaning forward. "The heroes will struggle to deal with them just like today. The public will be nervous, fearful, afraid and looking for answers. The man that provides answers would be that prophet we spoke of."

"You are behind the attacks?"

"No, but we know who is," Zod said, shaking his head. "You can be assured he will continue."

"With that sort of knowledge, a man could make himself very important, Lex," Morgaine said and then added, "or point the spotlight on others failures."

"The beauty, Luthor, is there is nothing those said heroes could do to that man," Zod smiled, "it would all be perfectly legal."

"Yes, it would," Lex agreed, warming to the idea by the moment.

"Failures today, could lead that man to bring up failures in the past. Trusts betrayed in the past, as well," Morgaine temptingly added.

"I assume, you'd want to be in charge of how it's done," Lex jadedly said.

"Nothing could be further from the truth, Luthor," Zod replied. "What you do with this information is your business. We are only messengers and now our part is done."

Zod stood as Morgaine opened the portal again. Without another word they stepped through and vanished from Lex's office. The magical barrier disappeared and his security guards came rushing in.

"Are you all right, Mr. Luthor," they asked, scanning the office for trouble.

"Never been better," Lex smiled, "Oh, by the way, you're fired. On your way out have my secretary get public relations up here immediately."

The Watchtower

Superman beamed in, having just heard about Black Canary. He'd been at the hospital all day in Smallville. He was still worried, but wanted to check on Dinah to see if she was okay. As he made his way along the corridor, he could hear everyone talking about the new attacks and their worry over Dinah. As he entered the infirmary he instinctively put on a lighter expression as if nothing were wrong. Ollie was hovering over Dinah and the concern was plain to see.

"So how's she doing," Clark asked.

"What? Oh, Superman, hi, she's better, better," Ollie managed to say.

"I feel like hell," Dinah groaned from the bed. Clark smiled at this and reaches over to give her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Just get better, that's the most important thing."

"Thanks," she managed a smile. "I feel like such a rookie, letting that guy get to me like this."

"I should have been more aware of what was going on," Ollie grimly said, "I should have seen him before…"

"Stop it!" she groaned, "It wasn't your fault!"

"Still," he started to say, but she cut him off.

"Ollie, I'm going to be okay, don't beat yourself up over this! It was an ambush, neither one of us saw it coming."

"I know, it's just the thought…" Ollie trailed off.

"She's right, Ollie, the person responsible is the man that did this," Clark said to him. "Don't forget that. You were there to get Dinah to medical attention, that's the important thing. Look at it this way, you probably saved her life, now she owes you one."

"Oh, thanks, Clark, now there going to be no living with him," Dinah smiled, understanding what Clark was trying to do.

"Well, it's not like I keep score or anything, but he is right," Ollie reluctantly smiled, "you owe me one, Dinah."

"And I know you'll collect as soon as I'm out of here," she said, smiling at him. "I sure there's some way I can thank you."

"I have a few ideas," he chuckled.

"All right, you two, there's someone else in the room, remember," Clark interjected. "You both look like you could use some rest. Why don't we get a cup of coffee, Ollie, and let her get some sleep? Rest is what she needs right now and I don't think I can listen to you two discussing how you're going to thank each other."

"No, I should probably stay," Ollie said, even as his voice seemed lighter.

"Go, he's right, I am a little tired," Dinah said, running her hand down Ollie's arm.

"Maybe for a minute," Ollie reluctantly agreed. He leaned over and kissed her, whispering, "I'll be here, if you need anything, for as long as it takes."

"Thank you," she whispered back.

As they started for the door, Clark looked back and winked, "get better."

Dinah mouthed thank you to Clark and then slowly closed her eyes. As they stepped out of her room, Ollie immediately went over to Atom and said, "If she needs anything, call me. I don't care what it is, call me, or if there's a change, call me."

"I will," Atom promised.

"Come on, Ollie, I've got super hearing, remember? I'll know if anything happens."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Ollie admitted, "that must come in handy when someone you love is ill."

Clark didn't answer, knowing the truth wouldn't be any comfort for Ollie. All his powers were useless when it came to Martha Kent, he just had to watch and pray. So he put on a small fake smile and nodded, leading the other man out of the infirmary.

Star City

The damage was worse than they had first thought. Green Lantern and Zatanna assisted the police and fire fighters in rescuing the injured and those still trapped in the rumble. She pushed her magical skills further than usual, restoring buildings, water lines, streets and the power grid, that had been destroyed during the attack. Zatanna could feel uneasiness among the people at the sight of her magical powers. Some of this was due to the nature of the attack they'd been through, but she knew another part was just the natural distrust of magic that people had. She tried not to let it affect her work, but the looks in some of the survivors' eyes bothered her. Zee found herself getting angry at whoever had done this. These were innocents, yet there was callousness about the attacks. Whoever did this, had no concern for who or how many might be injured. As she moved through the rumble, again she was struck by a familiarity about the magic used. The mystical signature of it brushed against her mind, like a long forgotten tune. The music was there, but she couldn't remember the words. It was as if she knew who this was, but just couldn't place them. Perhaps when this was over she would talk to someone, maybe Dr. Occult and Rose Psychic. They were friends and something of magical detectives.

Her thoughts were pulled back to the scene as something stirred in the magical plane. Glancing around, she saw some fire fighters lift a large chunk of rubble off what they assumed was a victim. A warning went through her, as the survivor stood and turned towards Green Lantern. The fire fighters backed away as they saw those eerie white eyes. It was a believer, probably one of the ones Black Canary had subdued earlier. He began to vibrate and move towards John. There was no time to shout a warning, as the believer picked up speed. John was busy, lifting a mother and her child out of the rumble and didn't see the approaching danger.

"Lantern!" Zatanna cried, but saw he had his arms full and was defenseless.

"POTS!" she called out, sending a magical bolt out towards the believer. His progress immediately halted, but he continued to vibrate. Calling up another spell, she knew if he exploded, more innocents would be injured. A bubble formed out of thin air around the believer. As his body began to explode, the bubble collapsed in on him turning the force of the blast back. John hovered watching in astonishment as the bubble shrank until there was nothing left of the believer or the explosion. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, including Zatanna, who felt drained by the effort. Sweat ran down her cheek, as she stumbled a little. There was more work to be done, she knew, but a moment's break was needed. As she sat down, catching her breath, John came over to her.

"How you doing," he asked.

"Tired, but I'll be okay," she said with a small smile.

"I think I owe you a thank you. You really saved my hide back there," he said, sitting down next to her.

"You'd have done the same," she said, dismissing it.

"Still, thanks, Zatanna."

"You're welcome," she said.

"Ah, just one question, I got to ask," John smiled. "Pots? What the hell was that?"

"It's stop backwards and no, I didn't make up the rules, okay," Zatanna said in exasperation.

"Hey, I'm not complaining, it just caught me off guard is all. I wasn't sure if the guy stopped because of your magic or if he couldn't figure out why you were yelling pots at him." John teased.

"I think you're hanging out with Shayera too much, John," she fired back.

"Yeah, I have had a warped sense of humor lately," he chuckled, "take five, things are pretty much under control, besides, you earned it."

"Thanks."

The Watchtower

Clark had sat with Ollie in the cafeteria just letting him vent. He was feeling guilty over not being able to protect Dinah and probably just needed someone to listen. They all knew that helpless feeling and Clark tried to let Ollie know it wasn't his fault. It wasn't much, but it got him out of the infirmary for a little while. Clark walked back with him to check on Dinah. The Atom told them she was sleeping and her vitals were improving. Ollie thanked Clark for listening to him rant, but Clark dismissed it. They shook hands and Clark headed out. They had never been close and many times there had been friction between them, but Clark knew Ollie was a good man and hated to see him beat himself up over things he couldn't control. Now if Clark could only resist that urge himself. As he stepped into the command center a voice called out to him.

"We could have used you earlier, Superman."

"Something came up, Batman," Clark replied to his friend. Batman seemed to consider this for a moment, waiting until they were the only ones in the room before replying.

"How is your mother?"

"Not great," Clark admitted.

"If there's anything I can do," Bruce offered, his voice softer.

"Thank you, Bruce, but it's all just wait and see now."

"Well, the offer stands and if you need extra time off, I'm sure Jonn and I can work something out," Bruce said.

"Thanks," Clark nodded, and moved over to one of the consoles. Batman didn't say anything for a moment, but then walked over to where Clark was sitting.

"Have you seen much of Zatanna while she's been in Metropolis, Clark," Bruce quietly asked.

"How's that," Clark replied, a little caught off guard by the question.

"Well, I know you did a review and an article on her, I was just curious if you've seen her around town," Bruce said, glancing around to make sure no one heard them talking.

"Ah, yeah, I've seen her," Clark answered, wondering if Bruce already knew about the two of them dating. He really didn't feel like having the man-to-man talk right now.

"Let me ask you," Bruce started, moving closer, "have you seen her out with anybody?"

"Out with anybody," Clark asked.

"A date, Clark, do I have to spell it out for you," Bruce said with a little annoyance, "She's being awfully mysterious about this new guy she's seeing, like it's some big secret."

Clark almost laughed out loud at this and for the first time today his mood lightened.

"Well, she is an adult, Bruce," Clark offered, trying to keep a straight face.

"I know that, Clark, don't be funny. Can't a friend look out for her? I mean her track record in this department isn't exactly stellar. She's a magnet for losers and I'm afraid she's being so secretive because this new guy's probably the King of the Losers. I don't want to see her hurt, again."

"You know I did see her having coffee with someone last week," Clark said.

"Really? So what was the guy like? Please don't tell me he had sandals on," Bruce groaned. "If he's one of those guys that speaks about himself in the third person, I'm definitely going to have to pay him a visit."

"No sandals, Bruce," Clark chuckled, "I think he was wearing a suit. A big handsome guy, I'm sure you'd like him."

"I doubt it, but a suit is a step up," Bruce admitted, "I hate sandals, I don't know what it is. They conjure up this image of beatniks or hippies to me. I think she goes out of her way to find guys she knows I'm going to dislike."

"What are you her dad all of a sudden, Bruce?" Clark asked with interest.

"No, but I've known her since she was a kid, Clark," Bruce said defensively. "She's still young and with her father gone, someone has to look out for her."

"I think she's perfectly capable of doing that herself, Bruce," Clark laughed, "Is Diana aware of this side of you, Bruce? She might be a little concerned if she did."

"Nice try, Clark but you're not switching the subject on me. There's nothing going on between Diana and I, you know that. We're colleagues and have a mutual respect," Bruce justified a little too quickly. "Of course, I've noticed how incredibly attractive and smart she is, but that's all beside the point."

Bruce noticed that Clark was beaming now.

"From the look on your face, she's standing right behind me, isn't she?"

"Yes, Bruce, but don't let me stop you, continue," Diana said with a big smile. Bruce gave Clark a whithering look, but he only smiled wider.

"So you think I'm beautiful and smart, anything else, Bruce," Diana teased.

"You're also apparently very good at entering a room silently," Bruce replied.

"It's a good thing I am, think of all the interesting things I'd miss," she laughed.

"You're taking this out of context, Diana," Bruce said, turning to face her. "We were discussing something else, and Clark thought he'd be funny bringing you up."

"I was just pointing out that you might find it interesting how protective Bruce can be."

"You must have been talking about Zatanna," Diana said, moving closer. "I think I was blessed coming from an island of women if all men act like you do, Bruce. She's not even your daughter, I can only imagine what you'd be like with the real thing."

"I'm just watching out for a friend," Bruce defended himself.

"He was pumping me for information about the new guy Zatanna is dating," Clark quickly added, enjoying watching Bruce squirm.

"As one friend concerned about another," Bruce justified.

"Uh-huh," Clark said with a big smile.

"You seem to be enjoying this a little too much, Kal," Diana observed with a smile, "I noticed you haven't offered any information about the woman you went out on a date with? Would you care to share any information on how it's going?"

"Yes, Clark, please do," Bruce said with a smile of his own. "Tell us, how's that going?"

"Great," Clark replied, enjoying watching the smile on Diana's face turn to a frown.

"Hera help me, I swear you're doing that just to irritate me, Kal," Diana grumbled. "Just because I pointed out you never say great, now everything's great. You're doing it deliberately, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Clark smiled, for which he received a punch in the arm.

"I'm lost here," Bruce cut in. "You never say the word great?"

"Apparently not, according to Diana," Clark replied, "Ow, by the way."

"I should hit you harder for making fun of me," Diana grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her.

"You better be taking notes on this, Bruce," Clark said with a straight face, "Once you two start dating, you're going to have to watch out for that temper. Amazons are apparently thin skinned."

"We also dislike most men, which I'm starting to understand more and more," Diana warned, her eyes burning a hole into Clark's.

"We're not dating, Clark," Bruce added, "I wish you'd stop saying that!"

'Yes, although everyone else seems to be, but someone has issues,' Diana snidely commented.

"We've discussed this, Diana, and they're perfectly legitimate concerns," Bruce replied.

"According to you."

"Do you two want to be alone?" Clark asked, barely containing his amusement. He received two extremely irritated looks from them, but before they could answer the transporter activated and John and Zatanna appeared. They stepped down and noticed the looks on everyone's faces.

"Did we interrupt something," John asked.

"No!" Bruce quickly said, "How was the mission?"

"Great," Zatanna said with a smile. Diana looked over at Clark and saw him smiling. She punched him again.

"What? I didn't even say anything?!"