A fist slammed into the computer terminal, smashing through it. Small bolts of electricity crackles, sparks exploding up into the air.
Hro wished it wasn't true. He could hardly believe it, but he knew Shayera's voice. That had been her announcing to the whole world what they were up to. All this time they had managed to keep it secret, only for it to be…to be…
How could she do this to him?
It was the question that echoed over and over in his head. It wasn't her actions against her people, or how they would hinder the war effort. It was her betrayal of him, her choice of the humans over him.
He had thought she would come to reason once she had time to cool off. They could have avoided all of the unpleasantries that would arise from a court martial for her insubordination. Yet, she had chosen to complete her betrayal in the worst way possible.
How could she have done this to him? Why? He didn't understand! How could she?!
Disbelief and agony soon gave way to rage. He had given her everything! He had given her leniency whenever she had stepped out of line, forgiving her blunt behavior even when it challenged his authority. That had been a mistake. He should have put her in her place the first time it had happened. She would have chaffed, perhaps even rage at him in private, but she would have been the loyal soldier that was demanded of her, out of all of them.
"Commander?" he heard a voice reach out to him. No doubt it was Kragger, but he simply did not care.
"I want her found," he growled out as he slowly pulled his fist out of the terminal. Smoke was wafting up from the hole he had made, but he gave it little attention. "I want her found and detained."
"And if she resists?" Kragger asked.
Hro whipped around. "Then do what needs to be done. If she resists, subdue. If she continues, maim. If that doesn't stop her…"
"If that doesn't stop her?" the lieutenant prodded.
"...then kill her."
Kragger nodded before he turned and went to carry out his orders. Hro tore his eyes away from the lieutenant as he glanced towards the monitors.
Now he had to fix what his promised one had broken.
"Activate the shields," he ordered. "Divert all power to protect the generator. Earth's forces will no doubt come here to destroy it." Immediately, he saw his men go to work.
Yet, he wasn't done. "Once we have our defenses in order, have the Raptor move into orbit. We need to put distance between her and the generator." He had once been told not to underestimate the Earthlings. Though he doubted they would realize the way to deactivate any shields would be aboard the Raptor, he chose not to take the chance that they would figure this out. If the Raptor was in space or on the other side of the planet, it would buy them time for the completion of his next order.
"And finally, activate the Black Hole Generator."
So, was there ever going to be any good news coming in?
Word has just come in that the fighting with the Kalanorians was coming to an end. Yeah, there were holdouts—there always was—but in an hour or two, it would be over and done.
So naturally, another shoe had to drop and that was Hawkgirl telling them that the Defense Shield Generator was not what the Thanagarians promised, but that whatever it was was a threat that needed to be dealt with now.
Was it Tuesday already? Steve wondered.
There was no time to shoot this up the chain of command, and A.R.G.U.S. was prepared for such a contingency. Immediate action would need to be taken without a superior or the brass being told. Sometimes that's what the situation called for.
There was no telling how much time they had. A minute? An hour? Who knew?
The urgency in Hawkgirl's voice must have been infectious because he was issuing orders immediately. "Where's our nearest jets? Scramble them and get them over that damn desert, screw what the Chinese think."
"We have pilots in South Korea already lighting up. We're readying those in Japan for a second wave," a technician called out.
A shame they didn't have anything in Mongolia, or more preferably in China itself, but those two would have neither of it. Russia was next best, but you didn't need to be a genius to know that was dead on arrival. Afghanistan would have been another option, but that was off the board too. They'd have to make do with what they had.
A thought occurred to him. "Do we have a Freedom of Navigation in the area? Get them scrambling if we do."
"Confirmation, we have a Freedom of Navigation. Sending in the order."
Steve fought to keep from blowing air through his lips. This was just the beginning and too early to relax. "Get me a visual on that generator, I don't care what it's really called. I want to know what we're dealing with before our boys get there."
A few seconds later, another technician called out, "Establishing visual."
On the large monitor, the sight of the generator, Defense Shield or Black Hole notwithstanding, appeared. Thanagarian ships were all over the place, including a massive one. Typical, the Thanagarians had defenses set up already. This wasn't much of a surprise; those defenses had to have been set up from the get-go.
"I'm getting some high energy levels from the area," a technician called out.
Steve found his attention drawn to the man who had just spoken, alarm causing adrenaline to flood his veins. "Is it the generator?"
The technician read his monitor, teeth biting at his lip. Then, he gave a shake of his head. "The energy readings don't match a high level of concentration, as you would expect. This is too widespread and there's no fluctuations, at least any that our systems can detect."
Steve had no comment on that. At least, not yet. What he replied with instead, "Any previous precedents where we've seen something like this?"
Several taps on the keyboard followed. "The last time? Anytime with forcefields."
A forcefield then? Of course. Aliens always had to make it so difficult.
"Send in the intel," he called out loud. "Let our boys know they'll be encountering a forcefield and to take the proper actions. See if we can identify anything that can help them out."
His eyes returned to the large monitor. He was getting sick of these crises, and how they seemed to come one after the other. First the Legion of Doom, the Tamaraneans and the World Engine, then the Kalanorians, and now the cherry that was the Thanagarians.
When was this going to end?
Everyone knew where the Thanagarians had built their Black Hole Generator. You could call it public knowledge. This meant everyone knew where to go for a fight.
American jets were taking off, but they would have to avoid North Korean airspace because not even a crisis would stop international pissing contests. Would the Chinese be pissed? Most certainly. Compared to North Korea, China was at a lower risk of declaring war, though.
However, because it was in the Gobi, this meant the Chinese had the advantage in distance. Their jets could arrive first. They did arrive first.
Jet engines roared as Russian-designed aircraft came within their targeting rank. Chinese pilots spoke into their coms, reporting in and confirming the accomplishment of each stage of the operation. Small switches were flipped, missile systems armed and ready for deployment.
Like a monolith, the newly exposed Black Hole Generator stood in defiance. Around its airspace, Thanagarian shipa hovered idly, but there was no doubt they would engage the approaching squadron.
With one last order given, the Chinese fighter jets fired their first barrage of missiles, streams of smoke left in their wakes. There was anticipation in the pilots, their eyes watching their missile strike heading closer and closer to the—
Missiles detonated against the invisible barrier, sending ripples through the shield, but leaving it intact. Exclamations and swears soon followed. The Chinese had just learned of the forcefield.
Orders were issued over the com, and more missiles were fired along with bullets from the aircrafts' turrets. Overwhelming force was chosen in the wake of this frustrating obstacle. The flares of explosions not hitting their target was the only reward they received.
The Thanagarians responded, unwilling to allow any show of aggression to go unanswered. Return fire broke the Chinese's formation, and from there did the one-on-one dogfights commence.
By that point, American jets were already pinged on Chinese radar, and the Americans were not keen on respecting airspace so long as the survival of the planet was at stake. This foreign reinforcement arrived within the midst of an aerial battle, missiles and bullets going against plasma cannons along with the flying foot soldiers the Thanagarians brought with them. Electricity crackled from Nth metal, and once the Americans involved themselves, the aerial battlefield grew in both scope and size.
Despite this, nothing penetrated the forcefield. The Black Hole Generator remained safe and secure.
There were too many unknowns to simply board the Watchtower. There were too many corridors and rooms for enemy patrols to hide. No doubt the main entrance in the hangar would be on lockdown. Other airlocks would be under surveillance.
So when you had a non-traditional means of entering the target destination, you had more options to take advantage of.
As Batman stepped through the blinding light of the ankh symbol, he found himself in J'onn's quarters aboard the Watchtower. It was the one place they had agreed to meet with J'onn's blessing. There were no security measures in place that they knew of, so that was one less thing to worry about.
Yet, the Dark Knight wasn't alone. Through another glowing ankh came his reinforcements. Out stepped Green Arrow and Black Canary, the two blonds immediately looking to him as the portal behind them vanished.
"Just the three of us?" Arrow questioned. "For a moment there, I thought this was going to be a rough mission."
While Batman would have preferred more muscle in this endeavor, there were few choices remaining. Most of the League was either still fighting the Kalanorians, or they were held by the Thanagarians. Of the ones that weren't in either situation, Arrow and Canary were the only ones he knew about.
That wasn't to say they weren't formidable, but they were about to go against an army of people with the same strength and skill of Hawkgirl. She was a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Also, the vigilante had just taken on a security force of Thangarians when he helped break out Waller's Task Force X. It hadn't been easy with non-powered fighters.
Beggars couldn't be choosers though.
"We're at a crucial moment," Fate had told him before sending him here. "The shift in the Universe's balance must be addressed, sacrifices need to be made to correct it."
It went without saying what those sacrifices would be. Batman just preferred not to pay that price in blood.
"Our main objective is to take back the Watchtower," Batman said in response to the archer's remark. "There's an unknown number of Thanagarians positioned here, no doubt entrenched by now."
"Oh," Arrow responded. "I guess I spoke too soon."
"So how are we doing this?" Canary asked. "Considering who's here, I imagine we're going to try stealth?"
Batman shook his head, even as he reached into his belt and pulled out a couple of ear plugs. He handed them over to Green Arrow, who took them and began to place them in his ears. They wouldn't block out the Canary Cry completely, but they would at least ensure the blond man wasn't incapacitated by it either. Batman already had his cowl designed to protect him, so he didn't need them. With a little spell from Fate, these would allow Arrow to at least be able to hear the two Gotham vigilantes while wearing them. "We hit them hard and fast. Hold nothing back. Use your Canary Cry as much as you have to; I want every Thanagarian taken care of, even if you have to burst their eardrums."
The blonde vigilante widened her eyes. "Are…are you sure about this?"
"Yes. I want my space station back."
"We can't let the other children break it after all," Arrow replied, as he pulled out his bow and one of his trick arrows, notching it into place. "May Fortune smile upon the Brave and the Bold."
Hmm, that wasn't half-bad, actually.
Without further waiting, Batman opened the door to J'onn's room, striding into the corridor. Arrow and Canary were right behind him, the door sliding shut moments later. With his palm pilot in hand, he accessed the security feeds, trying to map out where the Thanagarians were positioned.
A grid of the satellite eventually appeared and red dots appeared all over. In fact, they were coming up to two shortly. Looking up, Batman spotted an intersecting hallway, which made for a T-intersection. Walking right up to the juncture, he passed by the mouth of the intersecting hallway, walking right in front of two Thanagarians.
Who promptly spotted him.
"Halt!" one of them shouted. Batman ignored them as he passed by, continuing down the hallway as he fished out his electric brass knuckles. The sound of clashing footsteps grew louder as the two men gave chase.
The moment they entered the corridor, Arrow fired his trick arrow. As the guards had turned to face Batman, they were left wide open for the arrow to strike one of them on the back of the head. The moment contact was made, an explosion rang out. The Thangarians cried out as they were thrown into the air. One instantly crashed into the corner made the intersecting hallways. The other went flying towards Batman, who spun around, brass knuckles in place. Throwing a punch, he rammed his fist into the winged man's face, electricity crackling from the contact. The force of his blow stopped the Thangarian's upper body, but his lower body continued to move due to momentum. This sent him flipping through the air before he crashed down onto the floor.
Meanwhile, Canary had gone after the other guard, not giving him a chance to recover from the explosion. Leaping into the air, she performed a flying kick, her foot striking the back of the man's head and slamming his face against the wall. Immediately, he dropped to the floor, lying in a heap of arms, legs, and wings.
That was two down. A whole lot more to go.
Because of the noise they made, the sound of approaching footsteps rang out. Other patrols were coming to investigate.
"Canary," Batman calmly called out.
Canary immediately went to him, moving around him to stand in front. She braced herself as she sucked in as much air as she could.
The moment the Thanagarians guards appeared, she unleashed her Canary Cry. She didn't hold back either as a rush of wind filled the entire corridor, racing down towards the men. There was nothing they could do as the Canary Cry struck them, flinging them back into the far wall and pinning them there, the ear-piercing scream leaving them frozen in pain.
This was just the beginning, but it was certainly a start.
"So even the Thanagarians had their own agenda; what a surprise."
Starfire did her best to ignore her sister, but the distress she felt at Hawkgirl's declaration made that a difficult effort.
There were always stories. The Citadel had known about Black Hole Generators, and had been particularly angry that the Thanagarians would never share the knowledge of building them. It was a zealously guarded secret, to the point that Thanagar had its own agency of assassins out in the galaxy, killing those who tried to replicate the technology.
They tended to be used for ambush purposes; lead the enemy to the generator, then activate. The results would deal with the enemy.
This did not bode well for Earth.
She did not know the specifics other than what the Citadel's mill rumors gossiped of. There had been grumblings from Trogaar about seizing the means of producing them. All in vain, and that did not change the knowledge that the Thanagarians had built one here.
The arrival of the Kalanorians had allowed for preparation. This did not feel well and needed to be addressed now. As much as she wanted to reach out to her friends, to gain their aid in this latest and unexpected conflict, to ask more of them now…
She felt so much responsibility. Had she not escaped to Earth, her sister would not have come here. The trouble that her people had caused was not the kind easily forgotten. It would be compounded by the Thanagarians.
Her friends would try to protect her. However, they could only do so much against their kin. If there was a way to engender some degree of camaraderie…
Oh. Perhaps this might work.
Looking to her more arrogant sister, Starfire said, "What do you intend to do now, Blackfire?"
Dark eyes returned her facial expression. "What? Do you expect more? My generosity has limits, especially for traitors."
Perhaps she was growing numb to the toxic, sharp projections for this latest verbal strike did not cause her to recoil. "The Thanagarians plan to destroy Earth, do they not? With the Destroyer's forces laid low, they want to ensure he remains that way. Everything you've worked to achieve for our people will be destroyed as well."
Blackfire narrowed her eyes. "Speak plainly. You do not have the skills needed to manipulate me."
Starfire looked away, shaking her head. It was a gesture she had learned from observing her friends in their tower. "Should the Black Hole Generator be used for its intended purpose, there will be no more Earth. That will include New Tamaran. Doing nothing will all but ensure that future. If you wish to put down your weapons and return to your new home, you may, but you may not have long to enjoy it."
Her sister was right, she was not skilled in the art of manipulation. That did not mean she did not know how to explain the truth.
From the peripheral of his vision, she noticed a red streak stretching across the ocean of dihydrogen monoxide. The Flash was running in the direction that the humans termed as west. According to the maps of this planet, this was the same direction the Black Hole Generator was located. One of the members of the Justice League was set to intervene.
Her fists clenched. "So much has already been lost. Our home. Our family. Galfore. How much more will we lose? What remains of our people? Our lives? As Grand Ruler, you are the only one who has the authority to lead our people into further conflict. Do you possess enough strength for one more fight?"
The only sound that was emitted from Blackfire was the rustling of fabric as she shifted uncomfortably in the air. She could not hide herself as she had relinquished her cape at the battle's beginning. Then there was a sigh. "You never could hide the truth, could you? As much as it galls me, you are correct."
Her gaze returned to her darker sister, green eyes remaining blank. No more could she ever expect anything from this particular Tamaranean, and nor would she. After everything that had been lost, innocence could not be lost a second time.
"They'll be expecting an attack on the generator itself, so we will divide and conquer," the Grand Ruler of Tamaran proclaimed. Her head tilted back to the sky above. "That immigration installation, it has come under Thanagarian control. An attack on that will divert their forces and distract their command. We can then strike planet-side."
There was the cunningness that she knew Blackfire for. However, Starfire herself was not ignorant to military matters as some would surmise. "What about the generator's defenses? They would not leave it unguarded until they were sure there would be no stopping it."
"And I am already a play ahead," Blackfire admonished, giving a chuckle. "I have an agent already behind the shield. The Thanagarian agent's little warning means that he has the opportunity to shut down the forcefield before my forces arrive, assuming he isn't already dead."
The younger Tamaranean frowned at this information. Since when had her sister secreted an agent into the Thanagarian forces? Why had there been no word about it from Galfore, or even the Thanagarians…unless this agent had not been apprehended yet?
No, no this was not the time for such questions. When time was of vital excretion, there was only time to act. The choices that reached their conclusions could be inquired into at a further point in time.
Not looking at her sister, Starfire said in a tone of voice much calmer than she felt, "Then let us commence with the attack."