6 Justice League the Corps
Galatea flew straight for the UN buildings. Although she was nearly a 1,000 feet above the water, her atmospheric wake parted the ocean seas. She began to slow a mile offshore. When she arrived at the plaza facing the UN, she came to a halt.
Owlwoman spotted her and she and Donna flew over to her. The other Sapphires on perimeter defense formed a cordon around her. Their rings blazed as they held them ready for use.
"Is this what you want, Wenonah? A fight?" Galatea asked.
Owlwoman smiled warmly, "Of course not. What we'd really like is for you to join us."
Galatea looked uncomfortable, "I…uh…I can't."
"You certainly can. He'd understand if he truly loves you," Owlwoman counseled.
"Um…" Galatea fidgeted. This wasn't how she'd envisioned this scenario.
Arven heard the pulse of the ring in her bag. She retrieved it. It was one of the rings that had come back from the recruiting process. Two hadn't so she'd been pleased to reacquire this one even if its mission had been a failure. Evidently the ring had a second target in mind.
She held it in the palm of her hand, "Go. Find your soul mate."
The ring glowed and then flew off. Arven wished it every success.
The ring flew past Talia's forces and out into the daylight. It flew into the center of the cordon and hovered before Galatea. She saw it and recognized it as being the same ring that had approached her before. She bit her lower lip.
"I can't," she whispered.
"You can do anything you set your heart to," Owlwoman promised her, "What does your heart say to do?"
Galatea hesitantly reached out and held forth her hand. The ring slid onto her finger and then sized itself. It glowed brightly and Galatea's white costume became a Star Sapphire uniform. The ring summoned the power battery from subspace and Galatea recited the oath although she'd never heard it before. The ring spoke the words into her mind.
Fully charged, the ring sparkled with violet light. Galatea's smile was dazzling. Her sheer joy radiated. She'd only felt this happy in the presence of Blackhawk.
That remembrance tempered her joy. Owlwoman placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, "I feel the same way. Don't worry. We are missionaries of love and soon the entire universe will share our joy. Isn't being away from our loved ones for a short time a small price to pay?"
"Yes," but Galatea's eyes held doubt in them.
"Trust in the ring," Owlwoman urged, "It will guide you and give you love. What else do you need?"
Actually, Galatea could think of a couple of things but she held her counsel. Owlwoman spoke again.
"You can join our perimeter defense. You'll bolster our more nervous sisters," she said.
Galatea nodded, "Okay, I can do that."
Owlwoman smiled benevolently at her, "I have faith in you."
That little bit of affirmation was enough to melt Galatea's heart.
"John, something's wrong at the penthouse," Shayera mentioned as her sharp eyes picked up the trailing dust from the debris that had been blown free of the dorm.
"We don't have time for this, Shay," John replied.
"But Kyle and Kara…" she began to argue.
"Kyle's a Green Lantern and Kara is Supergirl. I think those facts should stand on their own," John countered.
Mary suddenly flew close, "Do you want me to check out what happened to the dorm?"
"No," John asserted.
"But you don't live there," Mary protested.
"The answer is still 'No'," John insisted.
"But…" she began to say.
"Mary! The priority is the United Nations. Kyle and Kara are grownups. They can take care of themselves," John adamantly declared.
"Okay," Mary sullenly relented.
Less than ten minutes later they were approaching the UN compound. Star Sapphires filled the sky. Owlwoman approached them.
"Owlwoman?" John asked, for he had never seen her without her goggles before.
"Yes, John?" her smile was dazzling. It had the same edge of dementia Carol had when possessed by the star sapphire.
"Look, you shouldn't be doing this. Just disperse or go back to wherever it is you all came from and we'll call it good," John offered.
"I'm afraid we can't do that," Owlwoman said with a tinge of sadness, "This world needs love too and we're the most qualified to give it."
"You are Star Sapphires. You even talk like you're possessed by the stone," Shayera realized.
"The gems on our rings connect us to the same fount that birthed the lifeform within Carol's star sapphire. From its embrace, we take our name. The Star Sapphire Corps has harnessed the violet light of Love and as the Green Lanterns have harness Will and the Sinestro Corps have mastered Fear and choose to confront evil in their own ways, so too have we chosen the enemies," Owlwoman revealed.
"And they would be…?" John prompted her.
"Hate and apathy," Owlwoman happily announced.
"At least you're on the right world," Shayera remarked. John gave her a baleful look and she responded, "What?"
"Owlwoman, you and your fellow Sapphires have got to stand down. You can't make people love. It has to come from within," John argued.
"Spoken like a master of Will," Carol said as she flew up to greet them. She touched Owlwoman on the shoulder, "It's all right, Wenonah. Gather our sisters and form a living wall."
"What's the 'master' crack supposed to mean?" John was growing impatient.
"To summon and control Will, you have to banish fear, and control love. There is no room in your heart for the other to emotions while you wield the ring," she explained.
"Nonsense, I…" John began to retort but she cut him off.
"But you love Shayera. Yes, I know. And a more perfect love couldn't be found. But you banish that love when you harness the energies of the ring," Carol tried to make it clear; "You must summon your will and will cannot stand distractions such as affairs of the heart."
John fell silent and Carol laughed, "You know it's true. How nice."
Shayera hefted her mace, "What's to stop me from bashing you right here and right now?"
"Do you honestly think that would ingratiate you with my sisters?" Carol asked.
"'Sisters'? What are you? Amazon wannabes?" Shayera quipped.
"If we must become Amazons to win the hearts of this world, then we shall do so," Carol smiled.
"What happens now?" John asked.
"Now, I return to the General Assembly and see how much progress my sisters there have made and you will undoubtedly try to breach our perimeter, although I strongly caution you against it," Carol flew off and re-entered the building.
"I'd like to shut that accent of hers up," Shayera growled.
"What now?" Captain Marvel asked.
"Now you lead the charge. You and Junior will distract the outer defense force. Shayera will guide you. Mary, you're with me as I penetrate the building," John instructed.
"Won't they have guards on the inside?" Mary wondered.
"That's why I'm bringing you," John explained in a longsuffering tone.
"Oh. Well you coulda said so," Mary complained.
John gave her a reproachful glare and then turned to Marvel, "Lead us in, Captain."
Captain Marvel dove towards the assembled Sapphires. A streak darted out from amongst them and slammed into Captain Marvel. His head snapped back and he sailed off into the distance. Galatea stood revealed.
"Tea!" Mary used her name as an accusation.
"I don't want to fight any of you but if you try to cross our line, you'll have to deal with me," Galatea warned.
Mary moved forward. Galatea swung her fist. Mary blocked it with her left. Driving her knee into Galatea's abdomen, she knocked the air out of her. Next, Mary pulled back her right fist and delivered a right cross with all of her considerable strength. Galatea smashed into the UN building and there was no sign of her afterwards.
The Star Sapphires, led by Owlwoman and Donna, attacked as one. Violet constructs reached out and assaulted the JLers. Mary broke free of a claw only to be attacked by two hands clapping. She broke free of those and decked the ringbearer. She punched the next closest Sapphire. A kick took another one down.
John flew by, "Follow me!"
Shayera dove at Owlwoman. Owlwoman took off across the plaza. Using her natural flying abilities, she flew an acrobatic evasive course. Shayera was doggedly pursuing her when she suddenly caught an updraft and soared into the sky. Owlwoman, seeing her pursuer had given up, leveled out and fly a straight line back to the fray. At the last second she noted the shadow that was getting larger beside hers.
Shayera smashed Owlwoman into the ground with her mace. The Sapphire's personal field kept her from harm but she was severely rattled. She was slightly dazed as Shayera alighted a few feet away. The Thanagarian rocked the Native American with another blow. This was followed by another and then another until Owlwoman went down.
Shayera had noted how utterly dependent the Star Sapphires seemed to be on Carol and Owlwoman for direction. They weren't leaders. They were a group with a group mentality. With Owlwoman out of the way they'd turn to Wonder Girl…and she was no leader. However, she did have martial training which she could rally the others long enough to overwhelm her and Junior. She was next on Shayera's list.
John and Mary breached the building's entrance. As they flew forward, a burst of emerald flame caught John. Fortunately, he had his personal field up and he was unharmed. He only knew one person with that particular power and he suddenly had a very sick feeling inside.
Fire, still aflame, and Ice stepped out of individual offices.
"Beatriz? Tora?" Mary was almost in shock.
John figured it made sense. Ice literally loved everybody. And Fire, well Fire loved what she could get out of people but she did have a genuine altruistic love for Ice.
"It doesn't have to be this way," John stated, "Think about it. Is this love?"
"Yes!" Fire shouted as she unleashed another flame blast.
John erected a shield and pushed all the way until it reached Fire and then he encapsulated her in an airtight bubble. Her flames quickly died and then she tried to use the ring to break free. Violet energy ricocheted around until it struck her and knocked her out. John released her.
Ice unleashed a cold wave that enveloped Mary as she pushed past John. For a moment, something akin to grief clouded Ice's features. But it vanished as Mary broke free of the mini iceberg she'd been encased in.
Mary surged forward and tapped Ice. The strength of the blow was enough to knock out Tora since she hadn't erected a personal field. Plants then began to grow out of the walls.
Ivy and Talia appeared. Ivy directed her plants' growth. Mary began ripping the plants apart and John created a buzz saw construct to cut the growth down.
Ivy screamed and unleashed a force beam at John. He created a shield that blocked it and then created a secondary construct that slid past her. It was a boxing glove and it connected in aright cross upon Ivy's jaw. She went down.
Talia, however, was shielded. Mary stepped up and drove her fist into Talia's face. The field bent until it struck Talia. Mary repeated this exercise several times until Talia was knocked out of the way. John flew past.
Galatea came to. She was sitting in an office. An office that until recently had been occupied. She remembered seeing people before she passed out. Seeing that the Sapphires were totally overwhelming Shayera and Junior, she used her X-Ray vision to scan the lower levels. Then she spotted Mary. Talia's shield was wavering which meant she wouldn't last much longer under the onslaught.
Galatea flew back into open air and then traced John and Mary's path. Within seconds she was upon Mary and the Marvel never saw her coming.
