Chapter Three
"Is anyone else seeing this?" Shayera Hol asked Sue Dibney and her own husband, John Stewart. Sue was the Justice League's Director of Operations. John was Deputy Director of Ops as well as the Chief of Security and the Training Officer now that he was no longer a Green Lantern thanks to the treacherous Hal Jordan. Hal had betrayed the Green Lanterns first to become a Power Ring and now a Fear Lantern. John understood from Kilowog that the Green Lanterns and the Fear Lanterns had reached an accord after Sinestro departed and Hal destroyed the Fear Lodge on Qward.
The Guardians of the Universe, each a representative of every Lantern Corps besides tne Ultraviolet Corps and the Black Lanterns, gave the Fear Lanterns refuge on Oa. The itinerant Indigo tribe still eschewed formal relations with any Guardian but their own. The Blue Lanterns were still entrenched in Sector 1 and the Star Sapphires continued to reside on Zamaron. Leaving the Red Lanterns the outliers in Sector 666 besides Agent Orange as Larfleeze was referred to by his Guardian.
The last cooperative effort by the Lantern Corps had nearly destroyed them all. But gathering the Green and Fear Lanterns together at separate locations on Oa fostered a greater sense of unified purpose between two rebuilding Corps. In addition, Kara In-Ze, after retiring her Supergirl identity to become a Red Lantern had set the red power ring aside to become a Darkstar. Married to both Kyle Rayner of the GL Corps and Carol Ferris, the Sapphire Queen of the Star Sapphires, Kara quickly rose to a leadership position within the Darkstars. Replacing Donna Troy as the Titan returned to Earth to become a Wonder Woman and lead the Outsiders.
Another individual of concern to the Guardians was Kate Spencer, who had taken up the mantle of the Manhunter on Earth. The Manhunters had seemingly been destroyed but the Guardians had been fooled before. Kate was a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles that used her Manhunter identity to punish those that escaped justice in the courts. So far her only affiliation were with the newly resurrected Batman Incorporated and the Birds of Prey.
This time Batman, Inc was funded and founded by Lena Luthor rather than Bruce Wayne. But Manhunter found Batman, Inc's resources to be invaluable in her quest to punish the otherwise untouchables in the criminal world.
A Green Lantern ring had presented itself to John to replace the ring Hal had destroyed but John refused it. John's duty lay with Shayera and their daughter, Kenra, now. Being a husband and a father was more important to John than traveling through space enforcing what passed for justice. Shayera had also stepped down from field work to become the Justice League's Director of Intelligence. She frequently corroborated with Ralph Dibney since the Elongated Man was now the JLI's Chief Investigator now that Batman and the Question had stepped aside. Shayera and John knew Batman would never be returning.
The Question and the Huntress were still sought after assets. But the Question was now solely devoted to his nearly one-man war on crime in Hub City. The Huntress had founded the Birds of Prey and rarely operated outside their confines in a team setting. She did frequently collaborate with the Question. Which was only natural since Vic Sage and Helena Bertinelli had married. Vic still posed as an investigative journalist and Helena worked as a substitute teacher as Helen Burton. Despite being the sole heir to the Bertinelli fortune.
"What the hell is happening in Gotham?" John wondered.
"Obviously the Pax Mundi isn't doing anything about it," Sue snorted, "Put an army on the streets and they're useless."
"Commissioner Gordon officially put in a request for assistance," Col. (Ret.) Steve Trevor, the JLI's Administrator, announced as he and his assistant, Maven, entered the Ops Center.
"That doesn't do us any good unless both Mayor Grange and President McKay sign off," Sue was still skeptical.
"Both Grange and McKay forwarded their official requests and protests over the Pax Mundi's uselessness to the United Nations. The Security Council kicked it up the ranks and we've been given a green light to intercede," Trevor explained.
"After being forced to sit on our hands for three months while Nazis and Japanese Imperialists ran roughshod over Gotham," John grimaced, "What sort of restrictions had Luthor placed on us now?"
"None so far. It's a simple mission to restore order and apprehend super villains for local authorities to prosecute," Trevor told them.
"I'll gather everyone," Sue got busy.
"I'll get us everything available before we go in," Shayera pledged.
"Use our reserves in Gotham to help gather intel," Trevor instructed, "Meanwhile, send in the rapid response group on duty while we regroup the rest of the team."
Ralph's nose started twitching, "I smell a conspiracy. Why would Luthor suddenly approve of us going in when his pet project Pax Mundi is already on the scene? What are we missing?"
"We won't know until we start asking those questions and gathering answers," Shayera replied.
"I'll alert the team on monitor duty," John volunteered, "And get them ramped up for Shayera's preliminary brief."
"No pressure," Shayera murmured.
"You love it and you know it," John kissed her cheek.
"Go away. I can't afford to get distracted," Shayera told him, "Otherwise we're headed to the nearest closet to start making our next baby."
"Well, we can't let our sex life interfere with saving the world. Or at least Gotham," John chuckled as he strode away.
"I'd rather have the sex," Shayera muttered.
"That's the situation as we know it based on what Homeland Security is telling us," James John Diggle reported to the Justice Society's members. As Guardian, he was the team liaison with Homeland. Dig was a veteran soldier and a former ARGUS agent. His wife, Lyla Michaels, had been transformed by the Monitor into the being known as Harbinger. She'd followed a similar career trajectory. But she'd been Acting ARGUS Director when Waller accepted the role as Sec. for Meta-Human Affairs under Pres. Luthor. ARGUS had subsequently been shut down by Congress in the heat of federal and Congressional investigations.
Investigations that Waller whitewashed and Lyla was proven innocent off since all of the suspected transgressions had occurred under Waller's dominion. But the newly appointed Secretary was pardoned by then-POTUS Luthor just months before he himself was impeached and indicted on a series of federal charges. Which he forestalled prosecution by accepting the role of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The UN was unwilling to demand Luthor's resignation to stand trial once again in the United States. Luthor had formally severed ties with the Legion of Doom but common wisdom knew his loyalists still obeyed his every directive despite overtures made by his nominal replacement, the Immortal Dr. Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu desperately tried to stamp out Luthor's cronyism but it only further entrenched the Legionnaires' loyalties to the founder of the Legion of Doom.
"Multiple super villains have been spotted converging on Gotham City," Lyla picked up where Dig dropped off, "Known associates have been identified as elements of the Injustice Gang, the Secret Society, and everybody's favorite losers, the Legion of Annoyance"
"Those losers managed to pull one over Batman," the Flash reminded them.
"Jay's right. Cluemaster and Nadya Burnett with the Grey Lady's help managed to steal millions of dollars worth of rare diamonds," Green Lantern elaborated. No one disputed Alan Scott. As Earth's original Green Lantern, he'd been fighting for justice since the early Forties. All of the Justice Society's Founders had. Wonder Woman even longer than that.
Hippolyta had first become involved in Man's World during World War I when she'd worried that the descendants of Antiope's exiles would follow the Kaiser, the Austrian Emperor, and the Ottoman Caliph into war. She'd returned when Diana was still a young child to fight against Hitler, Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito's forces. She hadn't been involved when the Justice Society first formed up but she was their first recruit. Followed by the first Black Canary.
Wonder Woman had left Man's World to return to Themiscyra following the war. But the legacy endured when her daughter Diana stole Athena's armor and Hestia's Lasso of Truth, to venture forth to Man's World to curb the excesses of evil found there. Diana had returned to Themiscyra, alone and pregnant with Bruce Wayne's child. Hippolyta agreed to return to the outer world in exchange for her abdicating the throne and Diana becoming Queen of the Amazons. As was Amazon custom, Hippolyta would be banished from Themiscyra forever. But first Artemis won the right to become a Wonder Woman. Diana appointed Nubia as her personal replacement. Hippolyta's last act as Queen was to anoint Donna Troy as the fifth Wonder Woman.
Diana was a demigoddess born of Hippolyta and Hades but Donna was the sister to Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, born of Chronus and Rhea, playing at being mortal. Hippolyta recognized that Donna could be the mightiest Wonder Woman of them all. And unlike the other chosen, would remain immortal even beyond Themiscyra's bnorders.
"Surely the Justice League is being called in," Hippolyta ventured a guess.
"They are," Guardian confirmed it, "But Mayor Grange and Commissioner Gordon would prefer us to be on the scene as well given the number of bad guys."
"I'm good with that," Power Girl admitted. Galatea Hamilton had forged a life for herself beyond the Justice League as both Power Girl and as Karen Starr.
"We really should go," Shazam enthused.
"Yeah, who else can kick as much butt as us?" Stargirl added. Billy Batson and Courtney Whitmore had been dating for a couple of years now and their enthusiasm still largely overrode their caution, a trait they only reinforced in one another.
"It's only right that we go assist the denizens of Gotham," Anna Fortune opined.
"Anna's right about that," her husband, Atom Smasher, agreed.
"It would be criminal to ignore Gotham's increasing peril," Dr. Fate agreed with the fellow Agent of Order. Elizabeth Svanolev was Nabu's latest host in the gestalt known as Dr. Fate. She still couldn't project all of the Lord of Order's power yet but she was enthusiastic in her chosen role.
"They'll need us," the taciturn Hawkman broke his customary silence.
"Hell, even I agree with that," it was rare when Kendra Saunders, the new Hawkgirl, agreed with Carter Hall on anything.
"It has a sense of destiny," the newly restored to life Wesley Dodds spoke. The Sandman had been returned to life for a limited time for a role even he was uncertain of.
"Wes is right," Rex Tyler had returned to being Hourman after his son Rick retired from the role. Rick's wife, Jesse Chambers, had also retired as Jesse Quick in order to have their first baby. Rick replaced Rex as head of TylerChem and Dr. Chambers began a career as a university professor.
"Then what're we waitin' fer?" Wildcat demanded to know. Ted Grant had never been the patient sort.
"We need to select someone to stay behind to gather our newer members that aren't present yet," Green Lantern told him.
"I volunteer," Mr. Terrific offered, "With my T-Spheres I can get everyone there nearly instantly."
Michael Holt was registered as the third smartest man on the planet after Lex Luthor and Master Terrific. Both were recognized as 12th Level Intellects. But then again, so was Michael Holt. Much to Terry Sloane's chagrin. Master Terrific was one of those that remembered being an "8th Wonder" and hidden member of the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3. Of Rebirth's Crime Syndicate replacements, only Kal-L and Kara Zor-L, remembered as Ultraman and Ultragirl that they came from a destroyed universe that others denied ever existing.
Now Earth-3's Superwoman, and Johnny Quick had never existed. Sea King, Owlman, Blackwing, and Atomica had vastly altered memories. Deathstorm had become the result of an accident trying to replicate the process that tapped into the Firestorm Matrix. And now there was an entire Power Ring Corps all armed with Rings of Volthoom. The original Owlman. Thomas Wayne Jr. recast as Lincoln March, was dead at the hands of Ra's al Ghul and her wife, Nyssa Raatko. The Court of Owls had been decimated in Gotham and across the world.
Helena Lincoln March had become the new Matron and vainly attempted to rebuild the Court from their Italian Nest. She'd also elevated a different Talon candidate to being the new Owlman much to Blackwing's eternal wrath. "Charles Bullock' as he was known on the New Earth had originally been the Dick Grayson of Earth-3. Chosen by Thomas Wayne Jr. to be Owlman's Talon and heir apparent. But Helena and Charles had been raised together. They hated one another.
So in a spiteful move, the Matron promoted William Cobb, Dick Grayson's ancestor, to being Owlman. While ordering the deaths of the Talon defectors Calvin Rose and Strix. Jarvis Pennyworth Jr., Alfred's father, had left the Wayne's service to look after young Thomas, adopted as Lincoln March. Jarvis had intended for Alfred to be included in the Court's secrets and shepherd Thomas Wayne Sr. but Thomas rejected the Owls' overtures and Alfred was left out of the family loop. A former SAS man, Alfred protected young Bruce Wayne from various plots and threats until the boy disappeared to return ten years later a skilled young man ready to take on the Wayne mantle and attend Gotham University. Alfred never asked how Bruce had managed on his own and his young charge never confided in Alfred. But he returned with all of the skills required to become Batman at the age of 25.
Thirty years later, Alfred had resigned his post in protest of Bruce attempting to carry on after Deathstroke impaled him through the heart. Only for Bruce to retire from being Batman some months later after having a coronary while attempting to rescue Veronica Vreeland's daughter and relying on a gun to threaten his attackers into fleeing. Having vowed never to take a life or use a gun, Batman disappeared and took Bruce Wayne into self imposed seclusion with him.
In what should have been a happy occasion, Selina Kyle bore Brice a daughter she named Helena Kyle. But Bruce refused to acknowledge her and arranged for her to be denied her inheritance. Alfred and his daughter, Sasha Julia Bordeaux, stepped in to protect Helena and raise her to be Bruce's heir when he finally saw reason. But he never would. Bruce's other children met similar fates.
Damien al Ghul had been born and died without Bruce's knowledge. Talia exacted her revenge by announcing Damien's existence after the Daxamite named Dev Em had already killed him at Luthor's behest. Luthor's Supreme was renamed Brutaal by Darkseid and was one of the surviving Elite from Apokolips that had signed on with the Light at Granny Goodness' behest along with the surviving Female Furies. The Light had done their work well and slaughtered the populations of New Genesis and the leaderless Apokolips after Grail defeated Darkseid and abandoned the darkened world.
Few New Gods survived and most were fugitives seeking to allude the Light and its hired agents such as Kalea-El. Superman's daughter by Maxima had grown into one of the most efficient killers in the New Universe. She'd even killed her own mother to place her infant sister upon Almerac's ceremonial throne in the Multiverse.
Memories Superman no longer had thanks to Kalea's deal with Saturn Queen. In addition, because of Rebirth recasting his life as being spent with Lois Lane, he had no recollection of leaving Earth to start a life with Maxima and their youngest daughter, Thara Kal-El, after she abdicated Almerac's throne to sweep in its first democratically elected government.
Even the Democrats led my Marcus and Kalea had never held actual elections when they briefly seized power. Before Kalea killed her lover to institute Maxima's third reign. Kalea had overthrown her mother twice. But the second time she returned Maxima to throne so that Maxima's reforms would lead Almerac to a democratically instituted Republic. But the Republic's citizens demanded a constitutional monarch and Kalea would have nothing to do with it.
So she approached Maxima on Rann while her father was out gathering supplies and killed her mother when she refused to surrender Thara to be the puppet monarch. Rebirth erased Superman's voyage to Almerac and Kalea's subsequent permanent exile. But she remembered the Multiverse and what had transpired after the Crises and before Rebirth reset history after the Creation of the New Universe.
People blindly accepted the doppelgangers and resurrections because they knew no other histories. But for people like Kalea, Hellequin, Red Alice, the original Psycho Pirate, Master Terrific, and Laura Kent, the discrepancies had been laid bare. Others were now included into those ranks by Saturn Queen. Restoring the Lois Lane and the Kent Family's memories of Lord Superman had been intended to make him a target. But except for Lois, it just drove home how different Clark Kent was from Lord Superman.
It also made Lana Linda Lang fall in love with him all over again. Clark and Linda were trapped by Lois. Neither would acknowledge their restored love for one another so long as Clark was married to Lois and Lois refused to divorce Clark. Clark had finally been persuaded by Lana Lang, rather than Linda, to file on charges of abandonment. Jonathan and Laura attested to the fact that their mother had left them and even attempted to kill them without revealing that their father was Superman and their mother was a Superwoman from a now non-existent parallel Earth.
Even Mia vouched for Jon and Laura's testimony. Mia had finally come to realize three important things. Clark would never be the man her father had been. Lena Luthor, though her mother's doppelganger, would never be her lost mother. And Lois had gone completely insane with her obsession with killing Clark in order to prevent the slightest chance he would ever become the abusive husband she remembered once again.
Lois had died in the Prime Universe and Kal-El had been freed to love Maxima. In the scrambled history of the New Earth, Lois had repeatedly kicked Clark to the curb for reasons she couldn't fathom and he'd had three affairs with Maxima, yielding both Kalea and Thara. Despite what biology told them, everyone involved now knew ten-year old Kalea was the eldest and not the fifteen-year old Mia.
Almeracian biological aging bursts aside, Kalea had been Clark's firstborn in the Prime Universe. Even though she hadn't met him until she was six-years old and outwardly resembled a thirteen-year old. Almeracians aged twice as fast as humans and Kryptonians until their tenth year when the process reversed itself and they aged much slower than even Kryptonians for hundreds of years until their biological imperative reversed again and the aged and died within months not decades.
That fact, and the revelation that Maxima had been a fifteen-year old when she met Kal-El, explained a lot. Despite their rapid physical aging, Almeracians emotionally matured at the same basic speed as humans. So Maxima's infatuations and temper tantrums when Superman first met her made perfect sense afterwards. Imperial privilege hadn't aided Maxima's maturation process.
Kalea, on the other hand, had been kidnapped at age six and made into a cyborg. A death sentence amongst Almeracians. But it forced Maxima to recognize the Techno-Organic Union's right to exist and reform the laws so that Almeracians could legally receive cybernetic replacements for lost organs and limbs. It also paved the way for the one thing Kalea didn't want. She could inherit the throne.
Despite a brief tenure as Empress after her first coup dethroned Maxima, Kalea's exile on frozen Argo taught her that she didn't want to rule. After Kalea returned Maxima to the throne after the second coup, she refused to have her citizenship restored. She served Almerac but as an outsider, more than a slave but less than a subject. As such, she couldn't inherit.
But she became Maxima's personal weapon through four successive wars that nearly drove Almerac to its knees. Fighting existential wars united all levels of Almerac's empire. Maxima's democratic reforms further leveled societal barriers. Kalea became a national hero but still she refused to have her titles of nobility restored to her. She did acquiesce to having her citizenship restored and she was made a part of the freemen yeoman class of subjects.
Still, without titles or rank, Kalea led fleets into battle against Almerac's foes when she wasn't operating independently. Superman had been horrified to discover that his daughter had scourged all life from a dozen worlds over the course of the wars. She'd cracked planets open or burned away their atmosphere in the name of Almerac. The only portion of these events that Kal-El barely supported his daughter in was that she acted unilaterally, never ordering another to do them, but always undertaking the task as her sole responsibility.
It taught him just what extent his own powers could be misused as and why Lois was so terrified of his. Furthermore, it revealed to him why his "eldest" daughter was tortured. Taking the lives of billions of beings, whether in the name of war or not, took a horrendous toll upon one's mind, heart, and soul. Or so he thought.
What it had revealed to Kalea was that she didn't feel a shred of remorse. The only death that she had caused that she ever regretted was Maxima's. But even that remorse quickly died within her. She alone knew her half-sister Laura was made of the same stuff. Clark was in for a terrible shock when Laura finally revealed her true nature to the world. If it survived it, that was.
Lois was so terrified of Clark that she never saw Laura as a threat. And her middle child was one of the greatest threats planet Earth had ever faced. The instructors at Young Justice were coaching Mia and Jon through the use and control of their developing powers. To everyone's best knowledge, Laura hadn't displayed any yet. Unbeknownst to everyone except Kalea, Laura displayed more of her father's powers than any of Kent siblings. Kalea alone also knew Laura had practiced using her powers against common street criminals with invariably lethal results.
The Metropolis SCU had active investigations into these "crimes" but the few witnesses willing to speak told of an eleven-year old girl that threatened their lives if they came forward. Something reinforced by the fact that witnesses had begun disappearing after speaking with the police. Because of the nature of the powers displayed, Commissioner Mara Taggard was leaving Superman out of the process fearing he either knew who the mystery vigilante was and wasn't interfering or knew and was covering her tracks. The police in Albany, in upstate New York and near the K-Star Ranch, was facing a similar wave of mysterious deaths.
Lois Lane's switching newspapers and now writing inflammatory articles against Superman just added to Taggard's suspicions. But even Lois hadn't connected the deaths to Superman yet. Taggard had questioned Lois and Lane had acted strangely under questioning. She'd brought up a previously unknown individual named Bill Dunn. Inquiries showed that Homeland Security and the Department for Meta-Human Affairs had opened files on Dunn.
Homeland had referred the matter off to SHADE and additionally to the DEO and JSA. It was obvious speaking with representatives for SHADE Director Cameron Chase that they knew far more than anyone was letting on about. Meta-Human Affairs stonewalled Taggard and the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. Los Angeles news outlets had reported a Black man in a superman costumer battling the government agent, Majestic, in Los Angeles some months ago. Another sighting had taken place in Gotham during the attack on the Masked Leader and the Dragon King.
Mikado and the Black Dragon Society had confirmed the Dragon King's death. But such reports had been issued before but the Dragon King had always reappeared. Still, having one's head publicly blown apart made for a convincing argument. Scarlet Skull speaking on behalf of the Purple Shirts and the Fourth Reich denied reports that the Masked Leader was dead. Instead their official narrative was that he'd been grievously wounded but was making a full recovery under Dr. Demon's care.
"What's the local situation in Gotham?" Hawkman asked without budging.
"Knightfall emerged from the Occupation has a local hero and her licensing criminal behavior has been adopted again," Guardian explained, "She also licenses outside meta-teams that want to operate in Gotham. Homeland pays a flat rate to operate agents within Gotham's city limits. We're covered by that blanket authority."
"But a rival to Knightfall's authority has arisen in the form of a man called Black Mask. He's openly challenging Knightfall's authority to enforce her licensing scheme," Harbinger added, "To add to the mess Intergang is on the war path after Hellequin, Red Alice, and the Wonderland Gang robbed banks Intergang controlled for over one billion dollars. Most of that cash being laundered and not deposited and therefore uninsured y the FDIC according to GCPD and Crows Security intelligence estimates."
"No wonder Intergang is pissed," Wildcat chuckled.
"Which sets a perfect storm of agents on all sides doing the bidding of Knightfall, Black Mask, and now Intergang," Harbinger agreed.
"There's another issue. The Religion of Crime is trying to set up shop in Gotham and running headlong into some mystery religion called the Church of Blood," Sand broke his silence.
Sandy Hawkins had inherited Sandman's prophetic visions when Wesley Dodds died. Now that the Sandman was back for a time, they each received messages from beyond regarding separate topics. Sandman received instructions from the Endless while Sand saw apocalyptic warnings of the world around and its players in the horrific dramas. Sand's visions came when he slept so it was little wonder he slept as little as possible. Sandman used to have that mixed blessing and curse but now he received direct insights from the Endless, particularly Morpheus, the Sandman of myth and legend.
"Do we know who is behind these religions?' Hawkgirl inquired.
"The Masked Terror herself is here to launch the Religion of Crime's chapter," Sandman added to the explanation, "Brother Blood is mystery even to Sand and I."
"But he's connected to people in power," Sand warned.
"So are we," Green Lantern reminded them.
"We should coordinate with the Justice League," Power Girl suggested, "Then we could assign groups to stop to each opposing team."
"What makes you think Luthor will allow the JLI near Gotham?" Stargirl asked.
"Call it a hunch," Power Girl smirked, "And my super hearing when I flew by the UN on my way here."
"I'll send out the call for the rest of the JSAers and contact the JLers," Mr. Terrific volunteered.
"We can hold off long enough to learn what the JLI knows," Green Lantern decided.
"Good call," Hawkman concurred. Carter and Kendra were the team's loosest cannons. Hawkman wasn't referenced as the "Savage" Hawkman by the police for no apparent reason. Hawkgirl also dealt in absolutes in dealing with opponents. And Kendra's competitive spirit put Shayera to shame. But then, she'd competed with Chay'era's reincarnations since the very beginning.
But the curse had finally been broken. John and Shayera finally received their happy due. But Kendra, who barely recalled her past lives, could only remember the painful ones of being denied Khufu's love throughout the centuries. Now that she could have him, she wondered if she still wanted to. One rogue element of the curse also had survived. Aten Khalis was still out there.
Khufu, Chay'era and John's past life as the queen's lover weren't the only ones Khalis had betrayed. Her past as Khufu's mistress had also been betrayed and she too had been cursed. Kendra could only remember denial and pain. She wondered if she'd ever trust that she and Carter could ever happen. Now that they wouldn't reincarnate, they only this life and this chance at happiness. Kendra refused to waste it.
Roxy's avatar appeared in their midst. The AI used a hologram of a young woman to portray herself, "You'll want to reconvene in the Ops Center. Mr. Terrific has news you'll want to hear."
She vanished again. Roxy was always everywhere. Most of the digital world was at the periphery of her thought processes but she could narrow in in infinite focus on anything that caught her attention.
"Michael, you already have something?" Jay Garrick asked.
"Actually, Roxy flagged this. It's surveillance footage from a Crows camera. Recognize anyone?" Mr. Terrific asked as he alluded to the main screen. On it, a gaggle of teenagers was prominently displayed.
"Are they ours?" Green Lantern's stomach sank.
"Yup," Stargirl knew most of the Young Justice cadets.
"What are they doing in Gotham?" Hawkman tersely inquired, "Now of all times?"
"The only one flagged as returning to Gotham this weekend was Catgirl. Catwoman confirmed that Kitrina didn't make her scheduled rendezvous. She called it in and Roxy located her…and everyone else," Mr. Terrific explained. They watched the footage replay until the group was out of range of any cameras.
"Red Robin," Hawkgirl growled, "He's obviously leading this excursion."
"But why?" the Flash asked.
"Do you honestly think he'd answer that?" Stargirl wondered, "They snuck off for a reason. A reason you all won't like."
"I'm surprised Static went in on this," Shazam admitted, "He's supposed to be back in Dakota City tonight."
"Well, he's gonna miss his deadline,." Stargirl rolled her eyes.
"Ulysses Armstrong is never random," Anna brought to the table, "He has a plan. And you'll note he denied Batgirl, Nightwing, and Black Bat positions on his ersatz team. That implies they wouldn't approve of his intentions."
"Raven Red is angry. Catgirl is as well. Flag Bearer is undergoing an emotional crisis and will be easy to manipulate. Girl Detective will follow anything Flag Bearer does. Blue Streak is the ultimate pragmatist and morally ambivalent. This also means Red Robin knows Arrowette's secret," Sand argued.
"Then we must stop them," Wonder Woman declared.
"No, our secondary team can deal with whatever this is," Green Lantern replied, "And we'll probably still need the reinforcements."
"Us?" Shazam scoffed.
"There are still traumatized citizens to be put in the line of fire, Billy," Jay chided him, "These people have been put through hell over the last five years. They hardly deserve what's coming their way."
"Or you could say they brought it on themselves by endorsing Knightfall," Atom Smasher argued, "It was bound to create a backlash."
"Rumor has it Knightfall negotiated a seat on Intergang's 100," Mr. Terrific reminded them, "So Intergang's only grievance is that she probably licensed the robberies in the first place."
"So we ask Empress Penguin if licenses were issued," Hippolyta remarked, "If not, then Hellequin, Red Alice, and the Wonderland Gang are in defiance of her unofficial law as well."
"Why risk making enemies of absolutely everybody? It's nuts," Wildcat wondered.
"That's probably the point, in the end," Power Girl told them, "I've met Hellequin but not Red Alice. But Red Alice's rep meets or exceeds Hellequin's. Hellequin isn't crazy. But she is a world class sociopath. Placing targets on their backs gives them an excuse to kill everyone that comes to collect their heads."
"They need an excuse?" Stargirl wondered.
"To sell it to Knightfall, perhaps?" Anna ventured.
"This is unworthy of a Lord of Order, after all," Dr. Fate decided and created a portal back to Fate's Tower and stepped through.
"I, on the other hand, feel very needed," Anna assured them.
"Alan, Steve Trevor is waiting in conference link with Sue Dibney and Shayera Hol," Mr. Terrific alerted him.
"Put them through," Green Lantern requested.
Everyone but Terrific took a seta the round table that served as the central holobank for projecting imagery to computer video feeds. Roxy would continue her search for Red Robin's pathway while insuring absolute security around the vid link up. What was said next surprised everyone.