CXXXV
Point, Shoot… and Gone
As Bruce finished speaking, General Johnson turned and stared into the acting President's one good eye…
"Bruce, as your friend… Look, I know what you're doing. But doing what you feel is right and doing what is right to defeat this enemy are two very different things. Big Blue already acted alone and took his best shot at Trigon and that did not turn out well. You think that when Big Red leaves your bloody corpse in Shiruta that he'll just up and leave the rest of us alone?! That your sacrifice will save the world? That's not how it works…"
"Tyrexius… old friend, trust me, I'm painfully aware of Trigon's plans and killing everyone on this planet is only the first step. Clark took a shot at Trigon when the bastard was ready for him… I think the key is to hit Trigon when he's not ready. I'm not volunteering myself to become a martyr or a sacrificial lamb…
This is a fight we have to win… Or we all die trying.
So let's face facts… Mrs. Wayne and I are his primary targets. When Trigon appears, Raven will take this fight to Shiruta. When the rest of the world figures out that he's returned, they'll hit him with everything they've got… and we won't be able to stop them this time. The fear that held them in check before will suddenly turn to panic and it won't matter to them where those weapons are aimed… Shiruta or Washington… they will be launched and millions may die if we stay here."
General Johnson sighed and looked at the two of them.
"Would a full-on strike even work? A coordinated attack? We need to let the rest of the world know… that he's still alive at least. If you've got a plan, I need to know! I've already had eleven Senators demand that we end the emergency measures act, saying that I've now launched a coup d'état since the enemy has already been defeated.
Look, if Big Red's coming back, we need to act quickly. At least let them know you're still alive and fighting this war."
The past two days had not been easy on General Johnson either with an enemy like Trigon.
"I can do that, Tyrexius. And I will... But first, there's more bad news. We have a new player in this conflict... It appears Trigon has a brother named Darkseid. His power is on the same scale as Trigon, but he's even more dangerous... And he already has an army. The two brothers have just declared war with one another. And unfortunately, we're caught in the middle of it."
"Dark Side? What the Hell are these things, Bruce? Are they really demons or just aliens? All my life, I thought Big Blue was the most powerful thing that I would ever lay my eyes on…"
"They're Gods, Tyrexius. Honest-to-God Gods. We're up against two of the most powerful and evil deities of a pantheon called the New Gods. But we're not alone. We'll have allies. I just pray they get here in time…"
"Allies, Mr. President?"
"Earth is not alone in the Universe anymore, General. We'll have help but we have to do everything we can to save ourselves in the meantime."
"That's great. We need all the help we can get. Details would be better though…"
Wayne only shrugged while Johnson let out another exasperated sigh.
"Your presidency is going to be remembered as the 'hope-and-a-prayer' term, you realize that don't you? Oh, and I almost forgot, your boy Tim Drake demanded that you call him the moment you return. I informed him there's only one man I take orders from."
"Thanks Tyrexius. Is there a way can I call him?"
"He had this delivered by your security team minutes ago."
General Johnson tossed Bruce a smart-watch, something the acting President hadn't seen in years. Bruce put it on his wrist and turned it on to see only one icon on its small screen… a graphic of Tim's face with the words "Tap It!" printed underneath.
Bruce smiled, realizing that Tim probably didn't get out much…
As he tapped the icon with his index finger, a live video of a frantic Tim Drake suddenly appeared – surrounded by twenty old monitors that he had dug out of storage displaying forums, formula and satellite images.
"Bruce! Thank God you're alive! You're at the Pentagon, right?!... Geez, what happened to your eye?"
"Hi Tim, it's nice to see you too…"
"We need to get the nanite production back online ASAP. Worldwide communications are at a freaking standstill! It's like all of our nanites just suddenly disappeared…"
"Actually, that's exactly what happened, Tim… Look. we'll talk about a new, refined nanite program later. Right now, I'm afraid we have a much bigger issue... Trigon is still alive."
"What?!... Barbara didn't fry him?! Omigod! That satellite video has gone like crazy viral! She's trending number one worldwide! So we've got to get the WI-Screens back online just so people can watch that. And everyone thinks that Wayne Industries has been secretly developing Green Lantern Tech for the past three years! You wouldn't believe the conspiracy theories out there! And no one even saw the Tachyon Cannon deploy… actually, that was the coolest part because it happened out of time and only a few people even know it really happened but still, there's this crazy rumor going around that you're actually a Time Lord because it was like time suddenly stepped backwards in the video and Trigon was suddenly missing an eye and then Barbara was a Green Lantern and then WHAM!... Bright, green death. Freaking Awesome… and Barbara looked totally hot while doing it too, all angry and vengeful…"
"Ahem…" Bruce moved his left wrist with the smart-watch in front of his wife's face.
"Oh! Hey Mrs. Wayne. Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you… You're totally freaking super-hot too! I haven't slept in over three days so I'm sort of rambling but I'm good really, totally fine… sorry… I asked Bruce if you had a sister but he never got back to me…"
Raven smiled at Tim's small image on the screen as she replied.
"I do have a sister, actually. A half-sister from a different mother that I just learned of, Tim."
"Whoa! Really?! Do you think I could… Y'know… like… meet her sometime?"
"I don't believe that would be a good idea… She can be quite… overwhelming..."
"Whoa! She's that hot! I've totally got to meet her! Trust me, I can take it!"
Bruce moved the smart-watch back to his own, stern face once more.
"Tim… as your boss and the acting President of the United States of America, I am ordering you to get some sleep… and go on at least one date as soon as this mess is sorted out. Trigon will re-appear shortly on Earth…"
"I know… That totally sucks… Sorry, I'm still getting used to this new energy drink… But I've been analyzing the attack sequence online with the rest of the techno blogosphere. Some pretty crazy analysis has been going down in the past hour... Do you know Big Blue's attack was several orders of magnitude stronger than the Tachyon Cannon? It was asteroid large, and yet it didn't even faze Trigon!
It looks as though nothing can hurt Trigon… if he can see it coming. Big Blue was the equivalent of a one hundred megaton projectile that Trigon just… absorbed. I believe Big Red has to be caught unaware. That's why you and Barbara were able to blast him like that… she managed to act in the time gap you provided.
Oh yeah, and Fritz told me that we probably have two more shots left in the Cannon before he nodded off an hour ago. I offered him a case of my new energy drink but he didn't want any. He's sleeping right now…"
"What?"
"Well, he was pretty tired. I'm telling you Bruce, this stuff is amazing, I haven't missed a beat in over eighty hours. We should totally buy the patent…"
"No Tim, that part about two more shots…"
"Oh… The Tachyon Cannon… Well, it was originally designed for a much longer trajectory around the Pleiades, remember? We only used a third of its available power by wrapping around the moon… Nice shot by the way. You saved Big Blue, didn't you? The satellite image is grainy, but I'm pretty sure that was him."
"I hope I did, Tim. I'll need it reconfigured though. We may have another target besides Trigon… He has a nasty brother I don't like at all."
"Wow, it's like I'm the M to your James Bond… But actually, how cool is that? OK, that smart-watch I gave you has a laser pointer for distance calculation and GPS. I can upload an App to it so all you have to do is point-and-shoot at the target. And then 3.75 seconds in the past… the Cannon strikes whatever you pointed the little red dot at. I think the effective range of those devices was only about a hundred feet though. You'll have to be close... That is like James Bond!"
"Thanks, Tim. As soon as you upload that App, please lay off the energy drinks and get some sleep. I'll call you if I need you."
"You got it, boss… Ummm, before I go… Just what exactly does Mrs. Wayne's half-sister look like?"
"She doesn't… Goodbye Tim."
Wayne closed the screen on the smart-watch and turned to General Johnson, rolling his eye while grinning…
"Four million dollars in salary alone last year, an IQ of one hundred eighty-seven, and he's even a good-looking kid… but he still hasn't been with a woman."
"Perhaps Fate has true love destined for him, my husband…"
"I hope so... for our sake, Raven. Otherwise you're going to get fifty questions about Abraxas. He's a really good kid, though. And with myself and Barbara out of the picture, he'll probably take over Wayne Industries… granted that we survive. He'll need a good woman."
Johnson placed a hand upon President Wayne's elbow…
"… Sorry to interrupt Mr. President, but before yourself and the First Lady disappear once again, would you mind addressing what little Congress we have left? I would like them apprised of the situation directly from our commander-in-chief. I'll assemble the available brass as well, if that's alright."
"Of course, General. I'll be there in three minutes."
Once General Johnson had left the board room, Raven placed one hand in her husband's hair to straighten it and brushed her other hand along his stubble-filled cheek, staring at him with indigo eyes of concern.
"Are you alright, my love? This has not been an easy time for you."
"Or you… We always knew it wouldn't be easy to stop him… But as long as there's life, there's hope, isn't that what we said?"
"It is, but kiss me so I can remember…"
As Bruce leaned forward to embrace her and seal their promise with a kiss, he felt the weight of the world suddenly lighten and his fatigue disappear. Their kiss reinvigorated him. It was as though morning had broken and he had only just awoken, his wife was in his arms…
"Raven, did you?..."
"Yes, my love. I relieved you of your fatigue."
"But what about you? You'll be exhausted, Raven!"
"I will be fine, my love." Raven suddenly yawned. "If it does become too much, I may revert back to my half-God form. I require very little sleep when I am that way."
"You take too much on yourself."
"I could say the same thing about you."
They smiled at one another, feeling the bond they shared as a physical sensation between them. Bruce thread his fingers into her long, dark hair.
"Touché… Come with me when I address Congress. I want to introduce them to their new First Lady."
"Is that wise, my love? Would people not believe that I was the cause of Trigon's invasion?"
"They may… but we were going to be caught up in this war one way or another. That's what they have to realize. No one was going to be spared Trigon's wrath whether you appeared or not... Besides… you did say that you would always be by my side."
"Touché, my love. If you want me by your side for your address to Congress, then that is where I shall be."
"Thank you, Raven, we should probably…"
Bruce gasped in horror as the beautiful woman he held firmly in his arms suddenly turned into nothing more than curling, crimson smoke wafting through his fingers…
He let out a desperate, agonizing yell as Raven disappeared.
Trigon had returned to Earth.
Author's Note:
Yes, Tim was rambling… But I still want to try some of that energy drink!
And red smoke means Trigon… Boo, Hiss!