Washington, D.C.
July 4, 2016 - Team Year 6 (Bart's Timeline) 12:32 EDT
The cold pit of fear that had formed in Connor Kent's stomach wasn't going anywhere. It had shown up in the moments after J'onn had sent M'gann a mental image of what the satellites were seeing, which she had promptly shared with the group. Kyle Rayner and Zatanna may not have known what that image represented, but to Connor it was all too familiar.
The Reach were playing for keeps.
The sight of those Reach motherships advancing on the planet had brought back a flood of memories. They were memories that he had worked to suppress for the past five years. Telling M'gann he loved her before heading off to a certain death. The anguish of being disintegrated. Guilt over his happiness of finally feeling like Superman.
Nightwing's voice crackled in their ears. "Superboy, Miss M, coordinate with military leaders in Washington, D.C. Use what we learned in the simulation five years ago. Share that knowledge. We can only assume it's true." The tone of Nightwing's voice left something unsaid. Assume really meant hope. Connor understood. Five years ago, in a mental simulation run by J'onn until M'gann's subconscious had taken over, only Reach weaponry had been able to hurt their ships. Human weapons had proven vastly ineffective against them.
Connor only hoped they worked better in real life than in the simulation.
Standing next to them, Zatanna wrapped an arm through the Green Lantern's as she pressed her other hand to her ear. "What about Rayner and me?"
"Get to New York City, do what you can. Dr. Fate will be meeting you there. You two know the city better than anyone else." It was true. Zatanna and her father had grown up in the Big Apple. While sending only three heroes to protect millions might have seemed like a mistake, their familiarity with the city and the power those three possessed might make it something of a fair fight.
The magician responded with an acknowledgement before turning to M'gann and enveloping her in a hug. The Martian and Zatanna held on to each other for a few long seconds, not speaking. Everyone here knew that some people probably were not going home tonight. Some people were going to die.
Breaking their embrace, Zatanna threw her arms around Connor as well. "Keep her safe," she whispered into his ear. The emotion in her voice caught him off guard. Connor nodded in return. It was all he could do.
Zatanna offered him a sad smile, patting Wolf and Sphere as she moved to stand beside Kyle. Earth's last remaining Green Lantern tossed them each a lazy salute, a hard set to his jaw already. A green bubble of energy formed around Zatanna and both flew off towards the north.
Hopping into a newly formed Super-Cycle, Connor took off towards the Pentagon with Wolf in the back seat and M'gann following behind. Though alien craft might be treated with hostility right now, Connor figured it was a better alternative than leaping towards the Pentagon, causing wanton amounts of property damage and panicking people who were already on edge.
Flying over the security checkpoints probably wasn't the smartest idea, but it got the attention Connor wanted. By the time they landed, a phalanx of troops was already arrayed before them. As soon as they caught a glimpse of the "S" on his chest, a large man with broad shoulders and four starts on each lapel walked forward. Connor instantly recognized him from the simulation five years ago.
"General Wade Eiling, United States Marine Corps." Surprise registered for a moment on the old general's face before it returned to hard indifference. Eiling made no motion to offer either of the two heroes a hand. Connor could hear his heart racing, and didn't need M'gann's Martian mind-reading abilities to tell that the Vietnam War veteran was scared.
"Superman informed us that you'd be stopping by. We were surprised to be getting an "S"." Eiling gestured to Connor's shirt. The clone decided to skip the formalities.
"Look, General, we know how to defeat these aliens. We also know your men and equipment," Connor gestured to the tanks and guns surrounding them, "will be useless against them."
"What do you mean you know how to defeat these things, son?" Suspicion seeped into the General's words. "What is the Justice League not telling us?" Connor opened his mouth to begin what on any other day would seem like a very strange story. Today, it might not even break the top ten. But then he began to hear a new sound: a faint mechanical howl, almost familiar, that was growing louder by the moment.
"I don't have time to explain, General." The persistent howls were growing in volume and number. "You just have to trust that we know how to help you hold these aliens off. You've got to get your planes in the air." Connor gestured to the open field in front of the tanks. "They're going to be coming in with smaller ships, and you're going to need troops to drop in behind them. If we can distract them long enough to down a fighter and take its gun, we might have a chance at winning this.'
"Son, I don't take orders from you. And I'll be damned if I use my pilots as a distraction for some half-baked plan from a hero." The emphasis Eiling put on the last word almost made Connor wonder whose side he was on. But the mechanical howl was growing louder, more distracting. He shook his head.
"General, your weapons are barely going to put a dent in their ships. You have to believe me." As an aide came running out towards the General, Connor finally placed why that howl was so familiar.
He turned to stare out towards the east, the direction the noise was coming from. It was the howl that haunted his nightmares, the ones he tried to ignore. It was the last thing he had heard before he "died" in his mind five years ago.
"General, there are an unknown number of enemy ships incoming."
"Dozens," Connor said, squinting as tiny black dots began appearing over the horizon. He could hear the soldiers around him start to notice the ships as well, pointing to them as more appeared out of the brilliant blue sky. "And they're already here."
Those small dots sharpened into the familiar shapes of his nightmares. The two lower wings to stabilize flight, the rounded cockpit, and the long, curved cannon over the top. Like a scorpion's stinger, it brought death and destruction with it.
"Track those ships. Prepare to fire!" The General's voice brought Connor out of his daze. Already the tanks were turning to get a bead on the incoming Reach fighters. Connor raced over and grabbed Eiling's arm.
"General, what are you doing? Your tanks aren't going to stop them!" With surprising nonchalance, the General pulled his arm from Connor's grasp.
"Son, you haven't given me a reason not to have my boys take them down. I'm not just going to take your word for it that we're doomed. We've got some tricks up our sleeves." The howl was nearly deafening now. Eiling turned, squinted, and chewed the end of his cigar for a moment. Hardheaded as ever, the General continued to portray a steely exterior, although Connor could hear his heart pounding in his chest.
"Fire!" Flames spit from the turrets of the tanks around them. Connor tracked the shells as they raced towards the oncoming Reach fighters. But where explosions were expected, very few appeared. Most of the Reach ships nimbly skirted away from the missiles seeking them. The few shells that did hit seemed to have very little effect. A few scorched hulls, one fighter looked to be smoking, but none were destroyed.
If the tank salvo had been ineffective, the Reach response was exactly the opposite.
Fighters swooped down on the assembled American troops. Laser beams impacted the ground, throwing up huge clouds of dirt and dust. Soldiers scrambled behind whatever cover they could find, a chorus of panicked shouts and curses rising from the field. Those that were hit by the beams were simply engulfed in a bright light that left no trace of them when it faded.
The tanks didn't fare much better. Depending on where they were hit, part of the machine would simply be melted away, leaving a smoking mass behind. Other times the tanks would explode brilliantly.
"Get me air support, now!" Eiling screamed into a radio as a soldier next to him was hit by a beam and vaporized. Beyond the first security checkpoint, one of the ubiquitous Reach ships that had become such a familiar sight over the United Nations building landed, hatches on the side opening. Reach soldiers began pouring out, their staffs with scythe-like ends spitting fire. Soldiers screamed in agony as the bolts hit them and fortifications were decimated. Eiling's troops began retreating towards the Pentagon.
Jet fighters screamed overhead, missiles and machine guns returning fury back at the Reach invaders. A random Reach fighter or two exploded, but the kills seemed to determine on where the ship was hit, not with that it was hit with. Missiles also exploded against the Reach transport ship, still unloading troops. Pieces of hull blackened and smoked under the onslaught, but the ship remained very much intact.
The familiar chatter of machine guns started behind them. Connor ducked as he saw Reach troops begin falling under their combined fire. A hard smile returned to his face. At least they could be killed. Still kneeling behind a concrete barricade, Connor stiffened as a heavy hand grabbed his shoulder. Whirling around, he found himself staring into the face of General Eiling.
"You need to go, son. We'll hold them off here."
"What do they want with the Pentagon, General?"
"My guess? Access to our communications so they can cut us off. And they want our nukes to keep us from using 'em on them."
"We should stay…" Connor never finished his sentence as an explosion nearby cut him off. The General grabbed his shoulders again.
"You need to find something to save us, son. Besides, we know those narrow corridors. The Reach don't. I've seen you fight, you need room to operate. And that cycle-thing of yours wouldn't even fit down some of the hallways." Eiling paused for a moment, then leaned down to Connor's ear, his voice barely audible over the din of battle.
"Cadmus, son. Get to Cadmus." Connor's eyes widened, but as he drew back he could see the understanding in Eiling's face. Clenching his jaw, the clone nodded. It was time to head back home.
M'gann, get to the Super-Cycle. Connor matched words to actions as he rose and leapt across the courtyard, Wolf following behind. We've got to get to Cadmus.
Cadmus? Even through the mind link, her shock was evident. She knew Cadmus was one of the last places in the world he wanted to go. But it might just hold the key to winning this war.
Before Connor could answer, three Reach soldiers rounded a barricade in front of him, staff-blasters aimed in his direction. He threw up his arms instinctively, but knew that wouldn't protect him. As time seemed to slow, he waited for that burning fire, then nothingness.
It didn't come. Panicked shouts in an alien language reached his ears, and he saw Wolf on his attackers. The genetically enhanced animal ripped the throat out of one Reach soldier, before leaping at another. The weight of Wolf's body sent the second soldier flying. But the third soldier leveled his staff, a distinctive overcharged whine emitting from it, and a far brighter beam than ones Connor had seen before shot out from the end. In an instant, the beam struck Wolf. The air around the animal seemed to glow for a moment before he became nearly transparent. Then there was a flash and Connor's friend was gone.
With a tortured yell, Connor grabbed the soldier's staff, snapping it in half over his knee. Before the Reach grunt could run away, he grabbed his cape. Raising half the shattered staff over his head, Connor brought it down on the helmeted alien. His arm began moving on instinct, swinging again and again. He wasn't even conscious about how many times or how hard he was swinging, only feeling grief and rage over the loss of Wolf at the hands of the Reach; again.
CONNOR! M'gann's mental shout pulled him from his rampage. He looked up to see her already inside Sphere, hovering above his head. His hands felt wet and sticky. Connor looked down to see cyan colored blood covering his hands and the front of his shirt. The Reach soldier's head was no longer recognizable, now just a misshapen mash of alien metal and flesh.
Without saying a word, Connor picked up the staff of one of the soldiers Wolf had killed, and deftly leapt up into Sphere.
"Cadmus," he said simply. Sphere turned to head in that direction as Washington D.C. burned around them. Connor stared straight ahead, never meeting M'gann's eyes.
XXXXX
Central City
July 4, 2016 - Team Year 6 (Bart's Timeline) 11:45 CDT
Where age might have slowed him, adrenaline pushed Jay Garrick to run faster. He'd been defending Central City alone until Wally and Artemis had arrived via zeta tube. He chuckled lightly to himself. All this new technology, all these heroes, and they were already fighting for their lives against a much more technologically superior foe.
Iris and her twins were on their way to Gotham City already. The League said they had a safe place near the city for families of heroes that could make it there: Wayne Manor. Another thought that made Jay smile; Bruce Wayne was Batman. It made sense, of course, but he'd never put it together. By Iris' nonplussed reaction when he'd told her where she was going, he guessed she already knew.
Jay finally spotted both Wally and Artemis directing refugees towards a road that was being held open by the military. It was still hard for him to think of the young redhead as Flash. Barry's death had been especially difficult for him. Saying goodbye to him was almost like a parent burying a child. He'd never expected to bury the man he'd given his mantle to.
And now that mantle had been passed to Wally. Even though he was only Barry's nephew, he reminded Jay so much of the sandy-haired man he'd gotten to know so well over the years. And his love for Artemis mirrored Barry's love for Iris. But so too Jay saw the fire that would burn in Barry's eyes. A fire that showed how fiercely protective he was over his home. And when that home was threatened, there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect it. It was one of the things that made the Flash Flash.
As the two continued to help load refugees onto trucks, Jay slowed to a stop next to them. Breath burning in his lungs, his hands gripped bony knees through his pants. Age was definitely catching up with him.
"They're heading this way," Jay said in between deep breaths, chest heaving. "They have the rest of the city surrounded. They'll be cutting off this road any minute." Wally and Artemis exchanged a look, one that was a mixing of worry and knowing. From what Jay had gathered, they'd seen these ships before, seen all this happen before in some type of simulation years ago. The good news was they knew what they were up against. The bad news? He'd gathered they'd all died in that simulation. And with the news about the Watchtower being destroyed and reports of massive invasions in nearly every major city, things weren't looking great.
"Think we can lure them away from everyone else?" Artemis continued motioning people down the road as her grey eyes continued tracking the sky. A mechanical whine started filling the air and the citizens of Central City around them began panicking.
"Only if we manage to get their attention." Wally was trying keep things orderly, but most people were rushing past the Scarlet Speedster like he wasn't even there. "You know, better than I'm getting everyone else's attention."
"I think I've got a plan for that." Artemis pulled an arrow with a rounded tip from her quiver and drew her bow back. She knelt, poised, eyes watching for the source of the whine to show itself.
When the first Reach fighter appeared around the buildings, she released the arrow. It arced into the sky, exploding in front of the leading alien craft in a brilliant shower of sparks. The craft banked hard to the right in surprise, right into the path of a fighter following behind. The whine of their engines was replaced by the scraping scream of metal on metal. Sparks, brighter and more numerous than Artemis' arrow, exploded from both craft, with billowing black smoke following. Almost as if they were locked in an aerial dance, both craft rolled, trailing smoke, and began a long descent towards the ground.
Before their inevitable impact, the third fighter in the group came roaring around the building, already turning to track where the arrow had come from. "Darling husband-to-be," Artemis rose to her feet, collapsing her bow, "I think we should be going." In a maneuver obviously practiced many times before, the man in red scooped up the girl in green, a sidelong smirk thrown in Jay's direction.
"Let's get gone, gramps." Wally took off, his red blurring with Artemis' green. It was like Christmas running at nearly the speed of sound. Jay tilted his helmet down, a smile creasing his weathered face, and took off after them.
He didn't need to turn to hear the whine of the Reach fighter's engines. It was managing to keep pace with them, dancing around and above the buildings of Central City. Every once in a while, its pilot would snap off a laser blast that would vaporize a chunk of road behind them or a part of a building nearby. The blasts, as powerful and deadly as they were, never really came close enough to cause concern for the speedsters.
Another blast caught the top of a building ahead of them, sending debris plummeting down into the street. "Right!" Artemis shouted. Ahead, Wally planted his left foot and expertly turned down a side street. Jay was not as quick around the corner, nearly skidding into a piece of debris and stumbling as he tried to regain his footing. He pressed his hand into the ground as his eyes focused on the street in front of him. Feet underneath him once again, Jay looked up to follow after the younger speedster.
The only thing he saw was a brilliant flash of light streaking in his direction. Muscles tensing, Jay threw himself to his right as the streak exploded into the building he had just been standing in front of. Smoke and debris engulfed him. Something knocked his helmet from his head as the force of the blast sent his body pinwheeling across the street.
His bouncing body finally came to a stop farther up the street. Jay reached around for his helmet but couldn't find it. What had hit him? It was too large for one of the soldiers to have fired it, but it had an arc to its trajectory as well, so it wasn't one of the fighters. Maybe a Reach tank he hadn't seen?
Pain interrupted those analytical thoughts. Pain coursed through his body, radiating from his left leg. A quick glance down revealed the reason why. A piece of rebar, at least a yard in length, protruded from the leg. Jay didn't need to put weight on it to know his leg was broken, that he wouldn't be running anywhere for a while.
A gust of wind blew up as Wally and Artemis appeared in front of him. The archer immediately took shelter behind a nearby car, drawing her bowstring and firing at enemies he couldn't see. Wally knelt beside him. His mouth opened to say something, but Jay saw his eyes trace down to his leg.
"You and Artemis need to get out of here." More pain was creeping into his voice than Jay wanted to.
"Stop that crazy talk, old man. You're coming with us." Jay tried to laugh but the sound degraded into a hacking cough.
"Don't be stupid, Wally. You can't carry the both of us." Whatever hope Wally normally carried in his eyes practically extinguished. He knew Jay was right, he just didn't want admit it.
"We need to make a decision quickly, boys. I can't hold them off forever." As if the universe was agreeing with her, she ducked as a laser blast shot just inches above her head. Wally opened his mouth to say something, probably to try and get Artemis to support his plan, when Jay laid a hand on his arm.
"Wallace son, find me my helmet." The hard line of Wally's mouth softened into understanding. Turning to scan the street, he was gone, and then back before Jay could blink. In his hands, he held the battered, dirty tin helmet. Jay accepted his old friend with a sad smile and then looked back at the rubble that had forced them down this side street in the first place. It was a natural corner now, a place where he could keep all attacks in front of him. Wally followed his gaze, and then nodded.
"Artemis." The golden-haired woman turned to him, staying low behind cover. He saw her like a granddaughter, and knew that she would fight leaving him more vehemently than Wally had. He had to head her off.
"You take care of Wally now, you hear? You two are going to need each other." Jay squeezed her hand as hard as he could, but could already feel strength leaving his body. "The world is going to need you."
"Jay… I…" Her stormy eyes widened in shock at seeing his leg. Artemis' brow furrowed, searching for words, a way out, anything. Jay could nearly see her brain working to find a solution. When she couldn't find a more acceptable one, she nodded, a tear tracing its way out from under her mask and down her cheek.
Pulling her to him, Jay kissed her forehead and then nodded to Wally. "I'll hold them off. You two get to a spot you can make a stand." Another nod from the redhead, and suddenly they were both against the barrier created by the rubble. Wally helped Jay get to standing and placed a hand on the older man's shoulder.
"Thank you for everything, Jay."
"You're more than worthy of that lightning bolt, son. Never forget that." Wally's mouth dropped half open, but then closed as he decided not to say anything. With a firm nod of his head, which Jay thought was more for Wally's own benefit than his, the Scarlet Speedster raced back and scooped up his fiancé.
Jay almost marveled at the scene before him. The Flash, with Artemis in his arms. Between them, smoke and rubble from crumbling buildings. Behind, an advancing army of alien soldiers and a burning city. If not for the excruciating pain in his leg, Jay would have thought it was something out of a movie.
With a final knowing glance from Artemis the two were gone, a swirl of dust the only thing remaining behind. Their disappearance caused the advancing Reach troops to hesitate for the briefest moment before marching towards his again.
Holding his helmet in front of his body with the top pointed towards him, Jay faced down the alien army. The regular laser blasts from their spears he either avoided or deflected back with the concave part of the helmet. Overcharged shots vaporized concrete and steel around him, and he dodged them as best he could. Some of the deflected blasts hit the Reach soldiers, sending them tumbling to pavement.
The result was almost a dance, albeit a staggered one, complete with light show. Deflect, dodge, stumble, repeat. As the rhythm established itself and instinct took over, Jay found his mind wandering. Thoughts of his youth, of the Justice Society of America, of Barry and Iris, Wally and Artemis. Of Joan.
Then another arcing shot flew through the air, and Jay Garrick thought of nothing ever again.
XXXXX
New York City
July 4, 2016 – Team Year 6 (Bart's Timeline) 13:20 EDT
It always amazed Diana of Themyscera how fast the world could change. Even after observing man's world for decades, watching long changes over time, the quickness with which circumstances flipped sometimes still surprised her.
Just an hour ago, they had all been triumphant, exuberant. A secret alien invasion exposed and expelled, the entire Justice League back together again, and the cloud of intergalactic suspicion hanging over the heroes of Earth was gone.
Now everything burned. The buildings, the sky, even the water seemed to burn.
New York City was in ruins. Diana could see the top of the United Nations building in flames. It had been such a short time ago they had gathered there. Now, heroes were spread thin across the country, attempting to hold the line. Fighters, both of man's world and the Reach, swooped through the sky like Apollo's chariot, spitting the fire of Hephaestus.
A mighty shout accompanied by the familiar sound of metal cutting through armor and flesh caught Diana's attention. The girl… no, she was a woman now… woman leapt from one Reach soldier to the next, bounding between bodies and buildings, sword flashing and shield held high. She was clad in black, but did not look of the death she was distributing. Instead it was as if the cosmos had been captured in her outfit, as stars seemed to twinkle with every movement.
Donna Troy, first Wonder Girl, then Troia, then guardian of Themyscera, continued her slicing carnage through a group of Reach soldiers that had appeared from a side street. She finished with a flourish, on one knee, shield decapitating one soldier while her sword ran through another. Quiet in their immediate area descended again, though sounds of battle surrounded them both near and far.
"Your skills have improved, Donna. Maybe that time pretending to be me rubbed off on you a little." The younger Amazon had returned from their secret island to give the impression that Diana had still been present while she had been away at trial. The deception had not been easy on Donna, forcing her to split her time between man's world and Themyscera, but Diana was grateful for her assistance.
"If all it took to gain your skills was wearing your costume, sister," Donna stood, sliding her shield across her back, "then Halloween in this place would be much more interesting." Diana smiled at her sister's quick retort, but their moment of jovial respite was interrupted by the beeping of a communicator.
"Wonder Woman here," Diana pressed a finger to her ear as she turned, continuing to look for threats.
"Diana, the invaders have arrived on our shores." She would have recognized the voice on the other end anywhere, but sounds of battle in the background seemed to make it even more familiar.
"Mother!" Donna turned to her, dark blue eyes laced with concern over Diana's exclamation. "Are you safe? Do you need us to return?"
"Stay, Diana. Man's world will need you more than we will." An explosion could be heard over the communicator behind Hippolyta. There were muffled shouts in the background. "They have breached the outer defenses."
Diana drew in a deep breath. She was torn between helping her friends and those she had sworn to protect here, and her family back home. Almost as if her mother sensed her wavering commitment, she spoke again.
"Have you learned anything in your battles against these invaders, Daughter?" The question brought Diana back to the carnage around her.
"Their own weapons are best used against them. But if you cannot," she glanced around to Donna and the narrow street they had been fighting in, "draw them out of the open. The more confined the space, the greater your advantage will be."
"Then we will fight them in the temples, Daughter." Shouted commands followed her order. Sounds of Amazons battling the Reach got louder over the commlink. "Hera will give us strength, Daughter. Remain there. Help cleanse the world of these usurpers."
"May the gods keep you safe, Mother."
"If they cannot, then we Amazons will guarantee our own safety. Farewell, Daughter." The transmission ended with a short hiss. Donna stood next to her older sister, a wry smile on her face.
"Where is our next killing field, Diana?" The elder Amazon nearly laughed. But before she could answer, another call came over the communicator.
"Batman to all points. Multiple swarms of Reach soldiers are descending on Gotham. Justice League and military positions are in danger of being overrun. We need a hand." Diana could hear the strain in Bruce's voice, even over the communicator. The fact that it was already creeping into his voice meant things were not going well there.
"Wonder Woman, this is Rayner." Diana looked up, seeing Earth's last remaining Green Lantern streak across the sky. "Dr. Fate, Zee, and I have the city covered. We've seen swarms divert towards Gotham also. Something big is going down there. Go help Bats." Diana acknowledged the Green Lantern, offering up a word of thanks before she and Donna lifted into the air.
As they flew, Diana tried to ignore the destruction as much as she could. Trying to help every single person stuck on the roads, or put out every burning house fire, would do no good. The Justice League and Earth's militaries were in full triage mode right now, and they had to be where they could do the most.
"I'm picking up signals for Batman and Nightwing." Donna glanced at the inside of one of her bracelets as they flew. "Looks like they've got the other Bats… and Wonder Girl with them."
"Where are they, Sister?" Donna tapped the small display again and managed to mostly stifle a scoff of laughter.
"Wayne Tower." Of course he is, Diana thought. But as the two of them flew over Gotham, it was obvious why Bruce had called for help. Swarm after swarm of Reach ships were landing on the outskirts of the city. Many city streets were already filled with Reach soldiers, or the burning wreckage of military and police vehicles left behind in their wake.
Outside Wayne Tower, they found another large swarm. They were advancing steadily towards the main entrance of the skyscraper, only being marginally slowed by a torrent of fire being laid down by and semi-circle of police and military. "They look to be in trouble, Sister," Diana drew her sword midflight, aiming for the back line of the Reach soldiers. "Let us remind them what happens when Amazons enter the fight."
With something akin to a war whoop, Donna dove towards the ground with arm extended, picking up speed. She landed on one knee, the force of the blow sending a half dozen Reach soldiers flying through the air. Before their compatriots could react, she was on her feet, a dizzying mix of sword and shield and destruction.
Diana dove toward the ground as well, landing just short of the Reach line with a roll. As she came to her feet, she delivered a long two-handed swipe with her sword, slicing through the nearest soldiers. Kicking another away from her, she pulled the shield from her back and charged into the crowd.
Slashing, kicking, grabbing, blocking, all parts of an intricate dance of battle that Diana knew well. War was her true mistress, a forbidden one that she tried to see as little of as possible. But when they got together, it was obvious that both Diana and War knew each other's moves and relished them.
Through the swarm of soldiers, Diana caught glimpses of Donna, whirlwind that she was. Together they carved a path of pure death through the invading forces. She continued relentlessly forward, moving only on training and instinct. About twenty yards away, she saw a Reach soldier taking aim at one of the police officers near the entrance. With a yell, she swung her arm, shield frisbeeing through the air. It caught the soldier in the midsection before deflecting off a piece of concrete behind him and starting to return.
"Diana!" She heard Bruce's shout through the din of battle, rather than over her communicator. The Dark Knight swung over the horde, releasing two batarangs as he did. They both whizzed past her, and Diana heard two separate impacts. The Amazon turned to see two Reach soldiers keel over backward with those same batarangs embedded in their helmets. Bruce landed on the ground behind her as her shield returned.
"I suppose I should thank you," she mused.
"Consider it your welcoming present." The horde around the two of them began to break up, but it remained thick over around Donna. But there was suddenly a flash of blue, and she recognized the nearly dance-like fighting style of Dick Grayson. His escrima sticks flashed, electricity boiling from the ends. Despite their relative youth compared to Batman and her, Diana stopped for a moment to admire how the two former teammates fought together.
Without a word spoken between them, Dick and Donna seemed to know each other's moves, switching positions and avenues of attack almost effortlessly. Diana watched as Donna braced herself, the first Robin running up onto her shield before being launched into the air. Executing a graceful backflip, Dick brought his escrima sticks down onto the top of one Reach soldier's helmet. The alien crumpled to the ground and did not move. The rest of the horde around the two of them began to disperse as well.
Diana turned to the police and military personnel, raising her sword. "They are defeated! After…" A hand on her shoulder from Bruce stopped her.
"They'll be back. We need to get inside. Now." The Amazon nodded to the Bat as both turned toward the door. Dick and Donna also moved back towards the main doors, arms slung over each other's shoulders in an embrace, laughing smiles adorning their faces. It had been a long time, far too long, since those two had seen each other without having to act like someone else. It was not lost on Diana that the last time they had, they had been pretending to be Bruce and herself.
Bruce led the four of them further into the skyscraper, summoning a private elevator that whisked them to a floor deep below ground. When the doors opened, Diana could see the rest of Bruce's costumed "family," along with Wonder Girl. Cassie ran over and threw her arms around her mentor as she stepped off the elevator.
"That was so badass! We were watching on the monitors. The way you two just swoosh and then wham! Bam!" The girl was so excited she had devolved into using sound effects and hand gestures. Diana smiled.
"Thank you, Little One. But never bask in the glory of war. It is in the serenity of peace where we find true purpose." Cassie sighed, and Donna let out a short laugh. Her raven-haired partner gently patted the golden-haired one on the head.
"Thank you, Cassie. It was pretty badass, wasn't it?" Diana offered the two of them a small smirk before someone else interrupted.
"Oh, that is really not good."
XXXXX
Gotham City
July 4, 2016 – Team Year 6 (Bart's Timeline) 14:06 EDT
There were many things that Cassie Sandsmark liked about Tim Drake. The fact that he had let her in on his secret identity was one. The way his brow would furrow when he was concentrating really hard on something, and she totally wasn't staring at him, was another.
But Cassie sure did hate the way Tim Drake could kill a mood. The latest was only Exhibit 216 in an ongoing series.
"Specifics, Robin." Speaking of mood killers, Batman stepped over to glance over Tim's shoulder. Actually, no. The Dark Knight didn't glance. Ever. He glowered. It was, from all available evidence, his default expression.
The youngest Bat-child continued typing away furiously at the keyboard in front of him, eyes glued to the screen. "It…it looks like our zeta tube network is down. I'm getting no response from any of them. Nothing from Gotham, Metropolis, Star City, anywhere."
Moving so quickly Cassie could have mistaken them for the Flash, both Batman and Batgirl planted themselves at computers on either side of Tim. Different screens sprang to life in front of them as the three caped heroes' fingers continued flying.
"Do they do this often?" Cassie whispered to no one in particular, but when no one answered, she turned to find Nightwing staring at a holographic screen above his wrist computer. Next to him, Donna merely offered an exaggerated nod of affirmation. Something about bats in their natural habitat crossed her mind.
"There's no contact with anyone over communications, either." Batman pulled back from his computer, tapping his cowl. "Superman, come in." There was only silence in the room, which Cassie assumed was a bad thing.
"Connor. M'gann. Status report." Nightwing was trying as well, but his face was much more expressive than Batman's. She could tell just by looking how bad the situation was. "Batman, I'm not even getting pings from their comm units. From anyone's comm units." He gestured to the room. "According to my computer, none of us are still alive."
That's… morbid, Cassie thought before surreptitiously poking herself in the chest. Nope, still here. Nightwing, Tim, and Bats huddled around each other, beginning to speak in technical jargon about what may have happened to their comms and zeta tubes. That was when Cassie noticed that Batgirl was still engrossed by her computer monitor. In fact, apart from her fingers that were still executing a delicate dance over the keyboard, she hadn't moved at all.
"Jamming." Batgirl's single word stopped all conversation in the room. She pushed away from the computer and turned her chair to look at everyone else, her blue eyes wide and holding just the hint of apprehension. "They're jamming our comms. Whatever they're using is messing with the frequency of our zeta tubes as well."
That perked Cassie's ears. If they couldn't travel via zeta tube, then the only heroes able to get coast to coast quickly, or around the planet, would be Flash and Superman. There was Batman, she supposed, with his Batplane. Depending on how many more of those he had laying around, other heroes could use them. Cassie suspected he had more, most likely in different shades of black. The one in dark grey was probably for when he wanted to let his hair down a little. If he had hair under that cowl.
"Can you isolate it?" Batgirl frowned as she turned back to the computer in front of her. Nightwing walked over and leaned down, placing a hand on her shoulder. Cassie inadvertently let out a small sigh as the action also gave her a very nice unobstructed view of his butt.
Donna put a rather sharp elbow into her ribs for the sigh. When Cassie glanced up at her, she received a very clear "I know what you're doing" look from her. Under other circumstances, Cassie would have raised a defense in protest, but this really didn't seem like the time or place for that.
"I might be able to isolate it if I could identify what they're using, but that would take time we don't have. Zeta tube systems aren't showing any kind of infection." She gestured back towards Bats. "Whatever it is, our sensors aren't picking it up."
"What if we flushed them out?" Nightwing was still squinting at the computer screen, a finger tracing over a line of code almost absentmindedly.
"We'd still need to know what we were looking for first, Nightwing." It was good to know that Batman's tone of voice really didn't change whether he was speaking to the Team, the Justice League, or his own proteges. Otherwise, Cassie would have been sure that he was always very, very disappointed in everyone.
"Not necessarily. If we can shut down the zeta tubes, do a clean wipe of the system, and then reboot it, we'd remove whatever the Reach are using, wouldn't we?" The original Boy Wonder turned away from the computer screen. "And when we reboot it, we lock them out using any means necessary."
Batman pressed a hand to his chin. It wasn't often that Cassie had seen him take someone else's advice, but it seems like his first partner had struck a chord. After a moment, his eyes narrowed. "We'd need to take the system offline from the Batcave. And we would have to reboot it physically from the place with the strongest remaining zeta tube signal."
"Where's that?" The words were out of Cassie's mouth before they even crossed her mind. It was like one of those moments on those teen dramas she liked so much where everyone seemed to turn and look at her in unison. Luckily, it happened to her a lot. She was used to it.
"Metropolis," Tim finally responded, saving her from further embarrassment. "It's in the base of the globe on top of the Daily Planet building." Cassie had to work very, very hard to suppress a snort of laughter. She tried not to imagine a hero walking around one of the top newspapers in the country, attempting to look natural, before dashing to the roof to fight crime. It would almost be as silly as changing in a phone booth, especially because there weren't many of those left around.
"Everything would have to be coordinated though. And to do that we're going to need our communications back online." Batman looked around at the group before him. Cassie knew that he wouldn't be looking to her for any technical help. Now, if Bats ever wanted to start a Facegram account, that was something she could do. She already had the perfect filter in mind as well.
"That's basically going to just be going through frequencies until we find one that is still working. Or that can punch through the Reach interference." Batgirl began typing away again. "But where's the best place to try and hack in? The Watchtower is gone. Where's the next most powerful communications set up?"
"Gotham Police Headquarters." Batgirl turned to Batman, shooting him a look that screamed Are you freaking kidding me? even through her cowl. Instead of saying anything, she settled for rolling her eyes and drumming her fingers on the tabletop.
"So we need to find a clear comm channel, take down the zeta tube network, and bring it back up before the Reach know what we're doing. And we need to do all of this before they take over the planet, which at the rate they're going, will be by dinner." Nightwing looked over the assembled group. "No pressure."
Tim chuckled at his older brother's remark. "I'll handle the Daily Planet. I worked on that zeta tube during the last upgrade with Adam Strange." He turned to look at Cassie. "Think you can carry me to Metropolis?"
"Does the Bat Dad scowl?" Her face blossomed into a smile at her joke, but faltered at Tim's horrified expression. Slowly, she turned to look at Batman, catching glimpses of Batgirl biting her lip and Nightwing covering his mouth. Trying to hold in fits of laughter, no doubt. A snort from behind her told her that Donna was having less success. Cassie gulped as she met Batman's scowling gaze.
"Never actually called you that with you in the room before…" She offered a weak smile before clearing her throat and turning to Tim, nearly positive that her face was as red as her pants. "Yes, I can get you there."
"Good. I'll head back to the Batcave to take the zeta tube network offline. Batgirl, Nightwing, you two head to GCPD and get those communications working again." The two older Bats nodded to their mentor, Batgirl already rising from her chair.
"And what would you have us do, Batman?" Diana asked, finally breaking her silence. "Sit around and wait while you save the day?" There was a bite to Diana's voice, but Cassie knew that her mentor was simply frustrated by everything happening now. She wanted to fix it with one strong sweep of her sword, but this was not some mythical creature. That they could handle. This was something different.
In a move that surprised Cassie, Batman walked over to Wonder Woman and put a hand on her shoulder. It was the most physical affection she'd ever seen the Dark Knight dole out. "See if you can draw some of the Reach forces away from Batgirl and Nightwing." Batman's shoulders slumped slightly, his voice getting softer. "Keep my city safe, Diana. Please."
The champion of the Amazons looked to be taken aback by the sudden display of emotion. Diana placed a hand on Batman's shoulder as well, offering a light squeeze and a nod in return. Then she removed herself and looked at Donna. "Let us leave this place, sister. It is time to hunt."
Donna gave a slight bow of acknowledgement before moving over and hugging Nightwing tightly. Cassie had heard stories about their close relationship over the years, never sexual, always more of a brother-sister thing. The rumor was Donna was the one hero around Nightwing's age he hadn't kissed.
Cassie felt herself jump a little as Diana's arm found her shoulder. "Be safe, Little One. Be strong, and may Hera keep you." The blonde opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. Instead, she flung her arms around her mentor's waist, squeezing tightly, part of her not wanting to let go.
Slowly breaking the hug, Diana followed Batman to the elevator, and Donna ruffled Cassie's hair as she walked by. Nightwing tossed all of them a casual salute as the door closed. Batgirl pulled Tim in for a quick hug then came over and did the same with Cassie. Over Batgirl's shoulder, Cassie could see Nightwing mussing the younger Robin's hair.
"Good luck out there, Tim." His voice seemed to catch in his throat, and the Boy Wonder merely nodded. Tim offered him a small smile and nodded back, an understanding look on his face. Nightwing turned to look at the others and clapped his hands.
"Alright team. Let's go save the world."