The Hall of Justice loomed over its plaza as midday approached. It was hard to find shadows in the surrounding city, but they had found one.

Situated in the shrinking shadow of a roof access, Batman watched the Hall with a set of binoculars in hand. There was a distinct lack of external patrols, which stood at odds with Mr. Terrific's recent excursion. That was not in line with how the Regime protected its base of power and it was concerning to him.

A presence was at his side then; Batwoman had returned. "I haven't found any snipers or lookouts," she reported, crouching next to him.

That was also cause for worry. What the hell was going on? All of their intel indicated how protective the Regime was of this place. Something about this wasn't right. "How far did you check?" he asked, never once lowering his binoculars.

"Several blocks in all directions," she answered him, not looking at him either. "I climbed the highest skyscraper I could find and surveyed the area. There's no one out here but us."

There was a pause. "You're worried about the lack of security, aren't you?"

Batman nodded, finally lowering his binoculars. "Something doesn't feel right about this, at all."

"It would be nice if we had some intel," she agreed. "When do we storm the Hall?"

"When we know Superman is all alone in there," he answered as he shoved the binoculars back onto his belt. His armor felt strange, mostly due to the fact that he had changed prior to staking out the Hall of Justice. Each piece of armor was its own rather than the sleek version he had been wearing previous. The separation made for an adjustment, but it was one he would have to live with. The aesthetics itself weren't as bothersome, what with the wings of the Bat Symbol longer and the horns of his cowl shorter. Standing up, the costume's parts shifting as he moved, he walked around the roof access, Batwoman following. Pulling out the jewel Dr. Fate had left for them, he held it out. "Fate," he said, "we need to talk."

For a few moments, nothing happened. The jeweled piece just sat in his outstretched hand, gleaming in the sun. Batman was about to command it again when a strange glow began to emanate from it. Soon, it was floating off of his palm, allowing him to draw his hand back.

And then the sign of the ankh enveloped it. "What is it, Batman?" the hollowed voice of Fate answered.

"Batwoman and I have staked out the Hall of Justice," he immediately informed the sorcerer. "What's the status of the others?"

There was a moment before he received the requested report. "Oliver Queen and Michael Holt are just arriving at Cyborg's lab in Motor City. Ra's al Ghul is moving into position as we speak."

Batman nodded even though Fate couldn't see him. Or maybe he could, it didn't really matter. "Once Cyborg is neutralized, we'll move on the Hall, but only once we're sure Superman is the only Regime member left. Can you tell me where the rest of the Regime is and why the security at the Hall is less than reported?"

Fate's answer was immediate. "Superman has begun spreading his forces out," came the reply. "He has sent a unit to Motor City to protect Cyborg. They are currently in transit. Wonder Woman and Shazam are currently in the Hall of Justice while Aquaman is residing in Atlantis. I cannot detect where Enchantress is at the moment." There was a pause. "And Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are in combat in Neo-Central City."

Though he was worried about Wonder Woman and Shazam still being in the Hall, that last statement caught his attention. "Who are Lantern and Hawkgirl fighting?"

"It would seem the Tamaranian, Starfire, has defected. They are currently trying to subdue her."

Interesting. The dark-clad man wasn't sure what led to this defection, but it did provide them with an opportunity. "Element Woman and Jaime are still with you, correct?"

"That is correct."

"Send Element Woman to assist in Neo-Central City. I don't know what this Starfire can do, but Element Woman has the best chance of surviving if all three turn against her."

"Very well. I will also take the liberty of putting Jaime into play as well."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Where," he stated more than asked

"Atlantis."

The vigilante scowled. "No, he's not prepared to take on an underwater armored guard, much less their king."

"I will be assisting," Dr. Fate assured him. "He will not be alone in this venture, that I assure you."

"You better tell me what you're planning, Fate, or I'll—"

"Our time is up," Fate interrupted him. "The time for our attack is at hand. You have your part to play as do the rest of us."

"But what about Wonder Woman and Shazam?" Batwoman questioned. "We can't move with them still here."

"Worry not, Batwoman. Their removal will be occurring shortly. I highly suggest you prepare yourself; we are about to fight for the fate of the world and there will be no second chance."

Dr. Fate closed the magical channel between him and the two Gotham vigilantes. He already knew there were reservations on their side, but not even Fate would bow down before Batman. The eve of destiny was upon them and they had to meet it, or doom the world to perpetual oppression. Even if that meant lying to his allies' faces.

He had allowed this planet to fall into its current state. That had been a mistake and one he would atone for for the rest of his days.

As the golden ankh faded away before him, the sorcerer turned to face his charges. Emily Sung and Jaime Reyes stared at him with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness—anticipation for Sung and nervousness for Reyes. There was a part of him that was hesitant to thrust the two into battle. However, neither was in the position to avoid their impending fate. Neither would be able to live normal lives should the Regime continue its dominance. There was no choice in the matter for them and they must be used to their maximum effectiveness.

"Emily Sung," he spoke to them, earning himself their collective attention. "Jaime Reyes, the time for our counterattack is immanent. Are you prepared?"

"Oh, absolutely, Mr. Dr. Fate!" Emily exclaimed merrily. "I'm ready to go anytime, anywhere! You send me there and I'll give 'em heck! You just watch!"

Her enthusiasm was appreciated, but a trifle overdone. Jaime was looking to her in awe, not something the young boy needed to be at this time. He would need all of his self-confidence in the coming moments.

"Then here are your orders," he spoke. "Currently, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are attempting to apprehend a group calling themselves the Rogues. You are to apprehend these two, understood?"

"Whoa, wait a second!" Jaime interjected. "I thought the plan was to get these guys alone, you know, for one-on-one fights. We're not supposed to fight these guys in pairs."

"And it will be as such," Dr. Fate reassured him. "I have been monitoring the situation since the battle began. I believe such an opportunity still exists. However, we must act quickly if we are to take advantage of the current episode."

Turning to a side, he held out his hand and a much larger ankh appeared before the three. Slowly, a scene appeared through the symbol, that of Neo-Central City. "Seek out the Regime and put a stop to them," he commanded, looking to Emily.

"I don't see them there," Jaime pointed out. "Can't you at least set her down somewhere close by?"

"If I set her closer, that would give away the element of surprise," Dr. Fate explained. "We will need every conceivable advantage that we can get in this fight. It will not be hard to locate Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl will be close enough."

"Oh," the boy murmured, suitably chastised.

Satisfied that he had made his point, the sorcerer returned his attention to Emily. "Go forth," he told her, "and reclaim your world."

Emily saluted him. "Yes, Drill Sergeant!" She then began to stretch her body, her feet staying in place as her head and upper body rose high into the air. Her midsection became see through, indicating that she was changing her form to that of a gas. Soon, only her head and shoulders retained solidity before she cascaded downward while her former-lower body rushed upwards and then followed downwards after the rest of her gaseous form. Her head flew right for the ankh and vanished through it, the rest of her body following until she had completely passed through the gateway. Dr. Fate shut it down the instant the insane woman was gone.

That just left him and Jaime. As he turned his attention to the boy, he could see the young one's resolve dissipating with every passing second. "Dr. Fate...Sir?" he asked hesitantly. "I'm not sure I can go through with this."

Fate frowned beneath his helmet. Now was not the time for second guessing. However, he could not be blunt. If he were to force the matter onto Jaime, he could shatter what was left of his self-confidence and end up sending him to his death. That could not happen.

"Jaime Reyes," he intoned, getting the young man's attention. "You were destined to become the host of the Scarab. Do not doubt your worthiness in this regard. If it were supposed to be another, it would have done so. In the short time that it has bonded to you, you have learned to control it; this is not a small accomplishment. You are the worthy heir to the mantle of the Blue Beetle. Wearing it proudly and do it justice. That is the path laid out before you."

"You...you really think so?"

The sorcerer tilted his head up, eyes glazing over. "It has been foretold."

"Oh...okay...alright." The boy became a nervous ball of energy then. "So what is my...uhh, mission?"

"I have a destination in mind." Again he held his hand out and a large ankh appeared. "Step into the ankh, Jaime, and I will show you your future."

They had ditched the car several blocks away. Thankfully, most people seemed to avoid the Industrial Area of Motor City, otherwise it was going to be a bit tough explaining why one man was dressed as Robin Hood and the other had a T painted on his face. It was an obvious question with an answer that could bring down an entire garrison of storm troopers on their heads.

It was a good thing the garrison had been destroyed last week.

Bow in hand, Ollie kept a lookout as Mr. Terrific hacked into the security server, looking for a way to get them inside the large factory. According to Dr. Fate, this was Cyborg's private playground and he was somewhere in here. Considering he was the main communications hub for the Regime, if they took him down, they could cripple those bastards long enough to take them down.

"Got it," Terrific announced and disengaged his little hand-held computer. Promptly he opened the door and the two men slipped inside.

As it turned out, they had entered right into a break room. A couple of tables with some styrofoam cups of cold coffee were situated in the room. There was even an old-time punch clock hanging on the wall, though there wasn't a single time card in sight. Either they did their times elsewhere, or these soldier guys were very generous with their time. You didn't have to pay a volunteer force, after all.

"Any idea of where we need to go?" Ollie asked as he slowly pulled out an arrow, notching it to his bow.

"The Control Room, center of the complex," his partner informed him. He too had a weapon out, a small, pistol-shaped gun. However, this puppy didn't fire bullets, but a nice electrical pulse, courtesy of the Bat Underground. Holding their weapons low in front of them, the archer taking the lead, they made their way to the break room door, opening it, and entering a long hallway.

A hallway with a guard patrolling it.

Thankfully, the guy had his back to them as he limbered down the hall. Pulling his arrow back, Ollie took aim at the man, and released his bolt. Damn near silently, the arrow shot through the air and stuck the man right between his shoulder blades. A sharp cry came from the man, but he dropped to the floor, the shaft sticking right out of him.

"Did you kill him?" Terrific demanded from behind him, looking over the green-clad archer's shoulder.

"Nah, he's just sleeping hard," the blond man replied, placating his partner. "The armor these guys wear are too thick to get an arrow through them, but I know a couple weak spots where I can make a shallow wound. There's a sedative on the arrowhead, something Bats gave to me. I gotta say, he wasn't kidding when he said it was fast acting."

"Yeah," the T-faced man agreed. Seeing as they were done talking, the two continued with their trek, stepping over the unconscious guard as they passed him.

There were a few more patrols, but they were easily dealt with, each man ending with an arrow sticking out of their body as they lay comatose on the floor. Mr. Terrific didn't even have to zap anyone with his taser considering Ollie was getting at each guard from long distance. In fact, their little infiltration was going along quite swimmingly.

That fact only served to rub Ollie wrong.

This was a known base for the Regime. It currently housed one of the most important members of the Regime. While a lot of manpower had been eliminated during the Red Lantern Attacks, there were still enough to actually put a solid guard here and the Hall of Justice. Yet, the resistance that was being found was, to say the least, lacking. It was almost as if this were a trap.

"Hey, Terrific," he whispered to his comrade. "You wouldn't happen to know just how many guards are stationed here, would you?"

"Actually, I do," the man answered, which made Ollie feel quite a bit better. "When I was hacking in, I looked for how many guards were stationed here. To be honest, there isn't much. Maybe twenty men, tops.

"And we've taken out at least five," the Emerald Archer responded. "Why so few? I mean, Cyborg is here, ain't he?"

"It's because they had to spread their remaining men globally," Terrific explained, which caused Ollie's head to perk up in understanding. "They can't afford to focus all of their troops to a handful of locations; they have to show the world they were unaffected by that alien invasion. Anything less and they risk showing weakness, which gives certain people ideas."

"And by certain people, you mean us."

"If the shoe fits."

Well, that made him feel infinitely better. "So how far away from the Control Room are we?" he asked then.

"One more turn and it should be the double doors."

Reaching the first turn, both men turned into it and came to a stop. A short distance away was a set of double doors, just as Mr. Terrific said. "You ready for this?" Ollie questioned lowly to his comrade, completely serious. "It's now or never."

"Then it's now." Surprisingly, Terrific stepped forward and pushed against the doors. Even more shocking was that the doors opened. Ollie had honestly been expecting some sort of electrical lock, or something to keep people out. Quickly, he went after Terrific, passing through the doorway before the doors swung closed behind them.

The Control Room was a rather boring place. One wall was pretty much entirely a computer console and there wasn't much else. There was a line of what Ollie assumed to be windows, but there were covering on them, practically sealed on so as to block out any of their light. Even more importantly was the distinct lack of Cyborg anywhere.

"So where is he?" the archer asked out loud as he began turning his head to the left and the right, searching in vain for their target. He eyed a couple different doors, but he noticed a couple of keypads next to the door frames.

"Not here, apparently," Terrific replied even as he made a beeline for the computer terminal. As if his fingers were magnetized, they went straight to a keyboard and the hacker began typing. Instantly, the computer screen on the wall began computing whatever commands Mr. Terrific was entering.

"So now what? Do we go somewhere else?" Ollie pressed as he lowered his bow, allowing the drawstring to lose tension and slowly pushed his notched arrow forward.

"This is exactly where we need to be," Terrific answered him. "From here, we can find out what the Regime is cooking up here and shut it down."

"Oh, right. I'll let you get on that."

A few moments passed in silence, which only made Ollie's paranoia come back with a vengeance. It was one thing to sneak around a facility with minimal guards; it was another to get into the heart of the building with minimal difficulty and pretty much be on the cusp of shutting down whatever program was being run here. Nothing in life was this easy.

And yet, so far it was.

"I think I found what Cyborg was working on here," Terrific suddenly announced, which got Ollie's attention. Looking to the computer screen, he saw something called PROJECT TORNADO and some diagram of a person, or a humanoid at least. Robot perhaps?

"What am I looking at?" he asked.

"It's just like we were told, the Regime is trying to make an army of replaceable soldiers," the hacker told him glumly. His face then became bleak. "And according to this, a prototype has been finished."

"Then that means we have to destroy it along with this factory," the archer declared sternly.

Naturally, that was when one of the doors opened, causing both men to pivot around. Strolling into the room was Cyborg, rubbing his hands in a dirty rag. The cyborg immediately came to a stop once he saw them. For a moment, all three of them just started at each other, frozen in astonishment.

And then a smirk appeared on Cyborg's face. "As I live and breath, Oliver Queen."

The ship creaked as it swayed from starboard to port and back. Water splashed as its surface was split by the bow. The wind was picking up, causing the sails to billow outward, assisting in pushing the boat forward.

Ra's stood towards the stern, observing his men at work as they made adjustments to the sails, carried supplies and weapons from one area to another, and one man manned the wheel. His green cloak fluttered in the breeze, but it did little to sate his growing enthusiasm.

It had been quite some time since the Demon's Head had led an expedition of this size. Surrounding his ship was in fact a small armada, all of wooden ships that had been repaired, refurbished, and stocked with a variety of weapons Superman's Regime would never account for. They were concerned with the presence of guns and missiles and atomic bombs. They didn't pay attention to weapons that had long since been retired for more destructive ones.

It would be an oversight they would come to regret.

It was fortunate that this fleet had been prepared ever since the initial planning with the Detective commenced. Even more fortunate was that Dr. Fate had magicked him right to the ships so that they could set sail immediately. The technology of these boats were certainly a couple centuries old, but that kept them off of the living cyborg's radar. The only ships that were allowed to safely transverse the oceans were now cruise ships. Military destroyers and aircraft carriers had been decommissioned and torn apart for scrap metal. It was short-sighted in his opinion, but for now it allowed for him safe passage through the Mediterranean.

A warmth filled his pocket then, alerting Ra's to an incoming message. Pulling out the half-crescent medallion he had received from Dr. Fate, he allowed it to float from his hand and watched as it was replaced with a golden ankh.

"Ra's al Ghul, what is your status?" Fate's voice requested.

"My fleet is almost within range of the target," the Demon's Head informed the sorcerer. "We should be coming up to the coast at any moment."

"You should hurry," came the response, something that caused Ra's to narrow his eyes. He knew they were on a timetable, but to demand 19th Century ships to increase their speed was a rather ridiculous notion considering their dependence on wind.

However, he knew Dr. Fate would not make such a demand if it were not necessary. "What is happening?" he demanded as he loomed over the ankh.

"Our counterattack on the Regime has commenced," he was informed, which concerned Ra's. It was much too early for such confrontation. No one should have caused an early triggering of their plan. If the Regime felt the Hall of Justice was in danger, they would summon their entire roster and fortify their position. This revolution would be for naught in that scenario.

"As I speak, the Regime members Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are engaged in combat," Dr. Fate explained. "I have just sent Element Woman to investigate the scene and attempt to use it to our advantage. Green Arrow and Mr. Terrific had begun their infiltration of Cyborg's factor in Motor City in response."

"And the Detective?" Ra's questioned.

"He and Batwoman have stationed themselves outside of the Hall of Justice."

Which meant the Detective was a few moves short of check on the Kryptonian. It seemed Dr. Fate was about to order his portion of the plan to go forth. Leaving the stern, the Demon's Head made his way across the deck to the bow, the ankh following him from behind. Reaching his destination, he stood to the right of the figurehead, one of a mermaid crafted by a Spaniard long ago.

Looming in front of him was the sheer cliffs of an island. Further down the coast was a beach, their intended location for landing. For centuries, Ra's al Ghul believed Paradise Island was merely a myth, a story for women empowerment that failed to take hold. When Wonder Woman appeared, it had shattered his preconceived notion and caused him to seek out its location—to which he had failed.

It was only by happenstance that he had managed to divine the location. Centuries ago, a Spanish ship had been sailing these very waters and discovered the island. When the crew attempted to land, they had been assailed by the Amazons, going so far as to board the ship and slaughter the remaining crew. Only a priest had survived the massacre and managed to return to Spain, upon which he told his story, only to be ignored and labeled a vagrant. Fortunately, the priest had created a map, one which vanished upon his death.

The map's whereabouts following the priest's death still remain a mystery. Ultimately, it found its way into a collection of Spanish artifacts in what was labeled the New World Exhibit. It was mistakenly apart of a collection in Central America, viewed as a map used by seafarers in the region. When Ra's came upon the map during his time in hiding from the Regime, he realized exactly what it was. He knew the Mediterranean Coast by heart alone and no one could tell him otherwise. Procuring the map was a simple endeavor, but he didn't have the time to take advantage of it.

Until now.

Unlike the Spaniards, Ra's was no fool. He would not underestimate the Amazons like they had. Turning around to face the ankh, he said, "We are almost to Paradise Island. Within the hour, we will launch our invasion and take the island."

The ankh hovered there for a moment. Then, "You will need to launch sooner rather than later. The others are moving into place much sooner than anticipated."

"Then that is what we will do," Ra's intoned. "Worry not, Doctor, for the Demon's Fang will uphold its obligation. That you can count on."

"Very well. You may attack when ready." The ankh began to fade away then, leaving the crescent medallion hovering in midair. Ra's reached out and took possession of the medallion, placing it in his pocket once more.

He then returned to gaze upon Paradise Island. It had grown closer, but the view had not changed very much. Soon, footsteps alerted him to the presence of one of his men. "We are almost at our destination, Sire," the man informed him. "What are your orders?"

"Prepare the long boats," Ra's ordered, never once turning to face the man. He was a mere subject after all, nothing more. "We will land as soon as possible. I want all ships in position in the next ten minutes, and boots on the shore in twenty."

Reaching up, Ra's undid the brooch that held his cloak together. The cloth slid off his shoulders and piled onto the deck. Green body armor shone in the daylight, its design of a bygone era long forgotten, but not by him. His arms bear, he turned around and gaze coolly at his man. "I will be in the first boat to set foot on the Isle of Women."

"Yes, Sire," the man responded before he turned around and went to carry out the order. He knew better than to second guess the Demon's Head.

Holding his hands up, Ra's made adjustments to the forearm guards he wore, the three blades jutting of them. Unlike the curved ones of the Detective and his apprentice, these were more rectangular and flat, much like the ones the Detective had worn when he was apart of the Demon's Fang. The weight of his swords on his back made their presence known as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, their hilts emerging from behind his shoulders and hovering on either side of his head.

It had been quite some time since he had participated in battle and an even longer time since he anticipated it. There was a growing sense of eagerness within him that Ra's found peculiar, but he relished in it. In fact, he hadn't felt this way since his frequent engagements with Napoleon.

"Women of Amazonia," he muttered as he began to make his way towards the port side of the ship, "pray you do not disappointment in this engagement. I look forward to experiencing your combat prowess personally."

As if in answer, the low bass of a horn rang from the island, a warning call to its citizens. It was only a matter of time before the Amazonian Warriors were gathered at the beachhead, awaiting their arrival.

Oh yes, Ra's al Ghul was most exuberant for this.

To Guest: He's about to have his hands full with his own fight. We'll see though.