Diana groaned when she heard the door softly creak, her eyes flitting open a bit to see Bruce striding through holding a lap tray. When she saw the steaming pile of eggs, grits, and pancakes weighing it down, her sleepiness up and vanished. She was sitting up almost instantly, eyes wide and brows raised.
Bruce grinned at her response.
"Well…" she smirked, staring at the food, "remind me to thank Alfred."
He blinked and froze. "Alfred?"
She arched a teasing eyebrow. "Bruce, everyone knows you don't cook."
He huffed. "I can cook."
Her head tilted. "Not well."
"…it's edible."
"That's a low bar, even for you." Diana grinned toothily when he deadpanned and made to leave with the tray. "I'm sorry—no, come back!"
She was still cackling when he laid the tray on his side of the bed and halfway tackled her into the pillows. Then the tickles started—one of the only advantages he had over her, given he either wasn't ticklish in the slightest or just conditioned himself not to show it at all. Diana tapped out a few seconds later, and his arms encircled her waist as she panted up at him. Bruce pressed his lips to her forehead as he held her to his chest.
"Good morning, love," she lilted.
"Morning, princess."
Diana drew back and finally got a closer look at the food. "So, why the breakfast in bed?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I need a reason?"
She chuckled. "No." Diana picked up the tray and moved it to her lap. "But you usually have one."
Bruce laid down next to her and propped his head up on his hand. "Well, for one, you're eating for two now."
Diana grunted around a mouthful of eggs. "True."
"And I just wanted to do something spontaneous for you."
Her lips froze around the next bite, eyes slowly turning to Bruce as she laid her fork down. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"
His eyes rolled.
Diana set the tray down, lips pursed. "Seriously, Bruce. This is unlike you."
He stared off into space for a while. "Di…I remember what it was like, the first time you came to live with me."
"When Jason arrived?"
His head shook.
Diana thought for a second before it clicked. "Oh. That."
Bruce frowned at the bed, picking at a loose thread. "When your powers were taken, and you were forced out of the fight, and your mother…"
Diana's eyes darkened.
Bruce's jaw tightened. "I remember how difficult it was for you to get out of bed. To do…anything, even for yourself. Especially for yourself." He looked up at her. "It took you weeks before you finally managed to establish a healthy routine."
"What are you getting at?"
Bruce sat up and turned to face her properly. "Diana, you're out of the field again, mostly because of something you can't control—and Ares is back."
She sighed hard. "Bruce, we talked about this."
"I know, I know. I just want to make sure you…" a sigh, "I don't know."
Diana put a hand on his arm. "I get it. But we already decided. This had to happen; we both knew it was only a matter of time. And I'm not doing nothing while I'm out of the action. There's still a lot of fallout from the Singapore mission—all those people who need relocation—and on active duty, I was afraid I wouldn't have the time or energy to fix that." She shrugged. "Now I do. More importantly, I am protecting the most vulnerable of us. Doing the job only I can do."
Bruce's eyes flickered to her belly, which was growing larger by the day, it seemed. He smiled and laid his hand over it. "Is it…strange to say that I'm excited to meet him?"
She smiled and laid her hand over his. "A little. Guess that makes two of us." She yawned widely. "Speaking of, where is Jason?"
"Not in his room," Bruce answered, a hint of irritation in his voice, "or the kitchen, or the study."
"He's not in the manor at all, is he?"
"I haven't pinged his watch, but my guess is no."
"…Kara?"
"Probably."
Diana sighed and pushed her food around. "He's been spending a lot of time there the last few weeks."
"Which I would be less worried about if he weren't so smitten with her—and so young."
"You afraid they'll cross a line they shouldn't?"
"Among other things."
"Like?"
Bruce sighed hard and laid back, staring at the ceiling. "Like her turning eighteen soon after he turns sixteen."
"…oh. Lawfully, that shouldn't make a difference considering their existing relationship."
"Of course not. But he's a Wayne, and I doubt the tabloids will see it that way."
Diana grimaced. "Yeah."
Bruce took a deep breath. "You know I wasn't sure about them at first, but…Jason's been happy ever since they got together. And she's been much more focused, more driven. They're good for each other." A frown. "I just don't want to see that ripped away from them by some scandal drummed up for a quick paycheck."
"Considering the way they looked at each other at Christmas, I doubt a tabloid ambush will be anywhere near enough to tear those two apart. But it could have other effects, on her life at least."
"That's what I'm afraid of. And that she'll resent him for it—or won't, and he'll blame himself anyway."
Diana rubbed a thumb over his hand. "They'll be okay, Bruce. Jason's a Wayne, with the unwanted attention yes, but also all the privileges and resources that entails. And he will smash through heaven and earth for the people he cares about." She smiled. "He is our son, after all."
Bruce nodded slowly. "Yeah…" He smiled and pushed the tray closer to her. "Now, no more distractions; eat while it's hot."
Diana chuckled and picked up her fork. "Okay, okay." She leaned over to kiss his temple. "I love you."
"And I love you." He grunted and stood up. "Much as I'd love to stay and watch you eat, I actually have business with Lucius today. Call at lunch?"
She smiled. "Sure. Knock 'em dead, honey."
Bruce smiled and waved goodbye as he left her to eat in peace.
…
"Gentle."
"I know."
"Gentle."
"I know."
Bzzt!
"Sonuva—"
Kara busted out giggling and rubbed Jason's back as he sulked and laid the tweezers down.
Jason arched an eyebrow at her. "You have three days before the semester starts, and this is what you want to do?"
"Operation was my favorite thing to do with Jon back on the farm. It's…nostalgic."
"That's right. You've known him since he was like ten."
"Mhm, something like that. More coffee?"
"Sure." Jason pulled out his phone and read for a bit while she was away. "Some good news from Star City for once," he called out.
"Yeah?"
"Richard Dragon is in federal custody thanks to Green Arrow."
"Finally!"
"Right?"
Jason set his phone down and smiled. That was one less piece on Janus' board. A faint click drew his attention to the hallway. He glanced toward the kitchen, seeing Kara's shadow moving. His eyes slid back to the hall, hand dipping into his nearby jacket to retrieve his sword. Since being kidnapped, he'd been ridiculously high-strung. Mxyzptlk had snatched him as easily as Janus had in Singapore, and the ease with which he'd been subdued…
Well, Mxy played by different rules, but Jason had to wonder what would've happened in Bialya if Janus hadn't been interested in talking.
A faint thump snapped him back and sent fresh cortisol rushing through his bloodstream. He gripped the sword tighter, snapping it to full length.
"Jason?" Kara called in concern.
He rounded the corner to Kara's room, standing in the doorway with his sword at the ready. Only to stop and stare agape at the bleeding woman standing just inside the window—in a frayed Green Lantern uniform.
Jason blinked twice before the pale skin and pointed ears finally registered. "Laira?"
She groaned once before collapsing face-first onto the floor, and the barely-intact suit fizzled out and vanished, leaving her wearing nothing at all. In barely a split-second, he'd hurled a sheet over her body and was carrying her onto Kara's bed.
"Jason, what's—"
Jason snapped his head around. They stared at each other for a good second or two before he found his voice.
"This isn't what it looks—"
"I know," she said dismissively, setting his coffee down on her nightstand. Then she vanished and quickly returned with a first aid kit. "What's a Green Lantern doing here?"
"If I'm guessing right, this is Laira Omoto."
Kara glanced at him. "Alex's girlfriend?"
He nodded.
"He told her where I live?"
Jason shrugged.
Kara rolled her eyes. "Why come here and not Atlanta?"
"Well, GL uniforms don't just vanish when they fall unconscious, I don't think. It's a safety feature in case they're knocked out in space."
"So she ran out of power. But—okay, why is she naked?"
"I don't know." Jason frowned. "She's in pretty bad shape, though."
Kara huffed and started examining her injuries while Jason looked away. "So, what, whoever attacked her did it while she was in the shower or something?"
"Actually, yes."
They both blinked at the new voice. Jason almost turned around.
He couldn't see her, but from how weak her voice sounded, Laira was in rough shape inside and out.
Jason frowned. "Did you recognize your attacker?"
"No," she said, "but I think I know who they were working for."
"I'm gonna have to press down on this one," Kara warned.
Laira didn't even hiss at the new pressure on her injuries. "I've been investigating a rash of kidnappings and thefts at the border of Sector 135—just outside the Xun Empire. Almost invariably, they are accompanied by vicious attacks on the locals, too fast and organized for any witnesses to escape. Save one. A child managed to hide from view during one of the attacks, gave me information that led me to a station at the intersection of several hyperlanes."
"A transport hub?" Kara asked.
"Yes. I went undercover for a while and managed to uncover an alias in connection with the attacks: Zirconan Nebula."
Jason's brows knitted. "Who's that?"
"Not who, what. The locals believe—in a way that seems half superstition—that Zirconan Nebula is a cultic syndicate that deals in flesh and rarities, vanishing like ghosts and leaving nothing behind but corpses. Until recently, they've only been a whisper in certain systems in Sector 131, but with their rising infamy in the underworld, I fear they've finally gone interstellar."
"Let me guess: one of them found out you were sniffing around and attacked you at your most vulnerable."
"She's good now," Kara said, standing up.
Jason turned around, seeing Laira bandaged up and in one of Kara's shirts. It was a poor fit.
Laira grimaced, testing her range of motion. "My ring was nearby but not on me." Her head shook. "Sloppy. Even worse that it had a fraction of charge at the time. By the time I warped to Earth, it was all I could do to make it here."
Jason stepped out. "I'm gonna call Alex."
She sighed. "Thank you."
"In the meantime," Kara said. "Let's uh…find you something that fits a little better."
"Please. I can barely breathe."
Kara groaned and muttered just loud enough for Jason to hear. "Way to rub it in…"
Jason snickered and made the call.
…
Alexander deftly moved around the tables, smiling at each customer and ensuring everything was as it should be. One man didn't meet his eyes, or even acknowledge his presence in the slightest, despite a specific lack of distractions. That was fine. He wasn't causing trouble. Alex grimaced as he took a step with his right leg, looking down to ensure that yes, it was still intact and no, he wasn't limping. Even after his ring fixed the scarred tissue, he still got phantom pains from time to time. His phone went off a second later.
"Kaiser," he answered.
"Hey, Alex."
"Oh, hey kid. What's up?"
"Two things. One: don't give Kara's address out without her permission."
Alex froze. The only person he'd told was—
"Two: your girlfriend just collapsed in her place and she's in a bad way."
He winced. "I'm on my way." He turned to his sous chef. "Cleary, take over. I got a thing."
She nodded to him and caught his apron when he tossed it and headed for the back. He was so rushed, he didn't notice the quiet patron turn his way.
Didn't see the honey-gold eyes that followed him out.
As soon as Alex donned his jacket, his Blue Lantern ring flew from its pocket onto his left hand. A sonic boom cracked the air moments later as he headed north.
Still connected to Jason, he frowned and spoke. "Tell me everything."
Minutes later, he touched down on Kara's balcony, de-suiting. As soon as he saw Jason, he followed him to the room where Kara was helping Laira squeeze into sweatpants that were just a little tight around the hips. Alex froze in the doorway, just staring at Laira for a bit. Then she caught him staring and arched an eyebrow.
He turned to Kara. "Y'know, I could pay to take those sweatpants off your hands—"
"Don't even think about it," Laira interrupted.
Alex cleared his throat and fought back a grin as he lifted his left hand. Laira was immediately bathed in blue light, and she winced briefly before heaving a sigh of relief. Even the purple bruises on her face vanished—and her ring was starting to glow faintly.
As Laira checked her charge, Alex frowned.
"Laira, you know I'm always happy to see you, but if you just needed a recharge and a safehouse, why come here? Sector 131 is much closer to Kad than me."
Her jaw tightened as she sat next to Kara. "Much as I hate to say this, my investigation led me here. This was going to be my next stop regardless of the ambush."
Jason's eyes widened. "You think Zirconan Nebula has agents here?"
She frowned and nodded. "Some of the rarities they deal with have…otherworldly properties. Almost magical—or perhaps not 'almost' at all. Whether Earth is market or source of those materials is unknown, but they are here."
"Do the Guardians know about this?" Alex asked.
Her head shook. "As yet, I'm still working on rumors and hearsay. I don't want to take this to them without hard evidence." She nodded to Alex. "Seeing as you were a detective and you know how humans operate, I figured you would be the person to ask." Laira glanced at the other two. "And whoever else would like to help is certainly welcome."
Jason smirked. "You had me at 'detective.'"
Kara's eyes rolled. "What's the lead, then?"
Laira stood up and clenched her right hand into a fist, reconstructing her uniform. "Here in New York, actually. That's why I came here when I knew I wouldn't make it to you." She nodded to Alex.
Kara turned to him. "Speaking of which—"
Alex held his hands up. "Jason already told me—won't happen again. But I mean, this is my Laira. If I'm gonna break the rules for anyone in case of emergency…" He shrugged.
Kara thought for a second and sighed. "Fair enough." She got up and moved for the bathroom. "I'll get ready."
Jason also left, presumably to suit up.
"Your Laira, hm?"
Alex turned to see her smug face staring over at him. He shrugged nonchalantly, hiding a grin. "What, you don't like it?"
She sauntered up to him and traced her fingers up over his shoulders. "I've just never heard you talk like that before."
His head tilted a bit. "Good or bad?"
Laira smirked and looked up. "I don't know yet." Her green eyes met his violet as that smirk widened a touch. "Give me the day to decide."
Her ring hummed faintly a second before Alex felt a faint pressure around his neck, eyes widening when Laira's smugness gained the faintest hint of aggression. Then he swallowed and felt a bit of extra tightness—he didn't need to look down to know what was around his neck. It vanished as soon as they heard the others returning. Alex's face-filling blush didn't.
"Later?" he choked out.
"Later," she confirmed enthusiastically.
Immediately, his ring flared and suit deployed.
"Where to first?" asked Jason.
"Liberty Island," Laira answered, "or at least I think that's how it translates."
"Why there?" Kara asked. "It's a tourist spot, loads of people. Not exactly the best place for low-profile trafficking."
"Or maybe it is," Alex said, "if your plan is to hide in plain sight." He turned to Laira. "This group, they have cloaking technology?"
"Most likely," she said. "The assassin who attacked me didn't register on the visible spectrum, but I'm not sure if that was due to technological or biological means."
"But our rings should be able to detect them anyway, as long as we can find the right frequency."
"Correct."
"They should also register on sonar," Jason said. "Assuming of course that they aren't using holographic tech to pass themselves off as human."
"You think they're doing business out in the open?" Kara asked.
Jason frowned. "I remember this one case my dad and Tim worked back in the day—black market auction hosted by Black Mask. Completely anonymous, and no one could bust them because the items they were selling were completely legit, if a bit overpriced."
Alex snapped his fingers at Jason. "But the real prizes were what they actually represented."
Jason nodded. "Exactly."
Kara's brows knitted. "So, an old copy machine or computer could sell for thousands as a proxy for a missile or a shipment of guns."
"That's the idea, yeah."
"Laira," Alex said, "what tipped you off to Liberty Island? Was there supposed to be some kind of event here, or was it just a general indication of their presence?"
"The former, in a way," she replied. "Sector 131 had an item stolen from the palace of one of the local regents. Supposedly, it has the capability to bend space, and not for the sake of travel."
"Meaning what?"
"It's a weapon, of sorts. About two of your Earth years ago, it was rumored to have been activated in Sector 131. The aftermath was the annihilation of a sparsely-populated moon." She cupped her hands and slapped them together, then slid them sideways and away. "Cracked open, as if ripped apart from the inside. The Green Lanterns investigated the rumors, but could find no evidence of disturbance, technological or otherwise, nor were there any signs of foul play. Without further evidence, it was ruled a catastrophic planetary event," she glanced at Kara, "not dissimilar from what happened to Krypton."
Kara grimaced.
"But you think it was this artifact?" Jason asked.
She nodded. "Or at least Zirconan Nebula wants everyone to believe it was. Real or not, a prize like that would sell for a fortune."
Alex frowned. "But why sell it here? With the Justice League and like four times the normal quantity of Green Lanterns for a sector, you'd think this'd be the last place they'd want to market something that powerful."
"I agree." Laira shrugged. "But there will be no way to answer that until we find the distribution hub."
Kara checked her watch. "If they're operating out of Liberty Island and trying to hide in plain sight, we should get there soon. They'll want to blend in with the tourist crowd."
Jason sighed hard. "Really wish you'd told me where we were going first. I wouldn't have bothered suiting up."
"Actually," Alex said, raising his hand, "why don't you and Kara stay back for this one? Watch from a distance? It's been a while since I've done any undercover work and I'm uh…" He smirked. "I'm curious to see how Laira does it."
Kara glanced between them dubiously. "Or this is just your idea of a lunch date."
Jason snorted a laugh and muttered, "Like we have any room to talk."
Kara deadpanned at him.
Alex cleared his throat. "So is that a no?"
She sighed and shrugged. "Fine. Didn't really feel like dressing up today." She tapped Jason's arm. "Why don't we post up on the torch?"
"Sure," he said, glancing at the other two. "Meet you guys there?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "Just need to work on our cover quick."
Jason nodded and rifled in a pouch on his belt. "Here, catch." He tossed something their way—two somethings. "New earpieces from WayneTech, modified for anti-jamming and superior range."
"Because of your kidnapping?"
He nodded.
Alex bounced his head and put his in, barely feeling it as he tossed the other to Laira. "Closed system?"
"Of course."
"Sounds good. See you there."
And with that, Jason and Kara took off. The faint pop of a sonic boom reverberated through the walls a moment later.
…
Jason shifted in place, trying to find a more comfortable position while they waited. On the flight in, he'd swiftly planted several multispectral cameras around the island, from the statue itself to the approaching slopes and docks. He was checking over them all while Kara scanned the island and its surroundings with sixty different kinds of vision. Jason had a feeling they'd be looking for behavior, not alterations—the kind of thing no scanner could detect. He sighed and leaned against the railing on the edge of the alcove just inside Lady Liberty's torch, where they'd decided to perch.
Other than the faint din of the bustle below and the occasional thuds of nearby movement in the statue, everything was quiet. Until Kara sighed and opened her mouth.
"So, random question."
"Hm?"
"Who's your biggest celebrity crush?"
Jason froze and slowly looked up from his monitor. "What?"
"Biggest celebrity crush." She smiled. "Spill."
He arched an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like that's a trick question?"
"No trick. Just curious."
He still eyed her dubiously. "Nobody."
Her eyes rolled. "Come on, there has to be someone."
A shrug. "Not really."
Kara kept staring.
Jason chuckled nervously. "Seriously, Kara."
"I am serious. Everyone has that one person."
"Yeah?" He nodded to her. "Who's yours?"
Kara frowned. "I asked you first."
"And I answered—nobody."
Her arms crossed.
Jason laughed. "Kara, I grew up around celebrities. I'm practically a celebrity myself. Trust me, they're not that interesting."
"So, not a single person in this time or yours caught your eye or even registered like, 'Oh, that's just a beautiful person.'"
He shrugged. "Not really." Then he remembered something and shifted uncomfortably.
Kara noticed. "Oh?"
Jason's head tilted a bit. "There was…one, kinda? Maybe? I mean, she is a model."
"Oh really?" she drawled teasingly, leaning into his personal space with a grin. "And who is this…model?"
"Um…" he grimaced and avoided her gaze, "Starfire?"
Kara took a breath and opened her mouth, hesitated, closed it, and bobbed her head around a bit. Then she leaned back and sighed. "Okay, that's fair."
Jason hummed and fixed his eyes on the monitor.
"Man, that had to be awkward growing up."
He stiffened.
"I mean, she's practically like your sister."
"Mhm."
"Probably didn't help that her culture's idea of fashion is basically permanent lingerie."
"Yeah, you can stop talking about this at any point."
Jason chanced a glance her way, catching her grinning ear to ear. He just blushed deeper and returned to the cameras.
Kara giggled and pecked his cheek. "You're adorable when you're flustered."
Jason sighed and shook her off in mock offense. Nevertheless, he smiled. "Why the random question?"
She shrugged. "No reason. Haven't found anything off, and the others haven't gotten here yet, so."
"Hm. So…this doesn't have anything to do with seeing me put a naked Laira in your bed?"
Kara pursed her lips and glanced off to the side. "No? I don't think so. I mean, I-I knew what was happening, so it shouldn't really…you know, bother me."
Jason frowned and looked at her. "There's a big difference between 'shouldn't' and 'doesn't.'"
She blinked and thought for a bit. "It just doesn't make any sense." She huffed and shifted around. "I know…I just know, so why…why am I still…"
"Jealous?"
Kara looked at him and frowned. "Yeah. Yeah, it makes no sense whatsoever, but yeah." She sighed and slumped back. "I'm trying not to be. It's a really unattractive look."
Jason chewed his lip. "Not necessarily. I mean, it all depends on how it manifests. Sometimes it's awkward questions."
Kara vainly hid a grin.
"Sometimes a little more…aggressive affection." Jason smiled ruefully. "I know after Dox left, I uh…" he swallowed, "you know."
She matched his smile. "I think we were both a little overheated that night."
He nodded slowly. "I mean, I don't regret it, at all. I think we both needed to blow off some steam after that shitshow of a day."
"Yeah, definitely. Hey, I never asked—the whole time Mxy had me running around chasing memories, what happened to you?"
Jason hummed. "I…don't exactly remember. I was in that alleyway, then something hit me, and until you and Brainiac entered the warehouse…it was like I was in this weird fugue state, almost like lucid dreaming. Except I didn't have any control, and what I was seeing was from your point of view."
Her eyes widened. "My memories. The ones he made me relive."
He nodded gravely. "I think it was his way of trying to convince me of his point." He huffed. "Not that it worked."
Kara smiled.
"I'm…really sorry about Conner."
Her face fell. "Me too."
He bit his lip. "Also…sorry for…putting the onus on you. You know, when we were—" he motioned between them, "—makin' out."
Kara shook her head. "It's fine. I've been learning control since I landed on Earth." She shrugged. "I'm used to it."
Jason frowned. "You shouldn't have to be, not with me. I just…y'know, it's something I-I've wanted to do for a…long time." His blush returned full force. "Something I've…fantasized about."
Her eyebrows shot skyward. "Oh?"
"Yeah," he said quickly and irritatedly, "and that's all I have to say about that."
Kara leaned back into his space and bumped his shoulder with hers. "For now."
Jason bit his lip hard. His earpiece suddenly crackled to life.
"We're on site," Alex said. "Coming in from the docks now."
Jason blinked and picked up the monitor, thankful for the interruption. "Copy. Getting eyes on."
Oracle had programmed an algorithm to track crowd behavior in public spaces and map any deviations. Jason had been running this program since they'd arrived, and aside from one or two outliers, there was nothing noticeable. While he waited for the others to report something, he ran down those outliers to see where they went. One landed in the gift shop, the other was looking through one of the paid telescopes stationed around. Kara's eyes narrowed as she scanned the crowd.
"Anything weird about those outliers?" Jason asked, showing her the monitor.
She briefly glanced at the highlighted figures, then found them in the crowd. "Nothing I can see. Laira, Alex, anything on your end?"
"Maybe," Alex said. "This chick in the neon pink won't stop staring at me."
Laira's amused voice answered. "And that's strange how?"
"Very funny."
Jason and Kara turned to scope in on her. And she was staring, though glancing away every now and then to try and mask her interest. The weirdest thing was how…out of place her outfit was, like something from twenty or thirty years past. Jason caught Kara's grimace in his peripherals.
"Problem?" he asked.
"Yeah. That jacket's a capital fashion crime. Kinda thing that should've been left in the '70s." Her frown deepened. "Wait. Something's weird about her internals. None of her organs are right, almost like—" Kara tapped her earpiece. "I think we have a hit. Ms. Pink is either a heavily mutated metahuman or not human at all."
"Shapeshifter?"
"Or holographic projection."
"And she's eyeing me why?" Alex asked.
"More than likely, she's a lookout," Laira said. "If she's marked you as a Blue Lantern, this could get tricky."
"What about you?" Jason asked. "The ears and skin aren't exactly helping you blend in."
"Look again," Alex said. "Asked Nightwing for a favor a while back, so we could have a proper date night. Apparently one of his tech friends whipped something up. A holo-ring?"
"Ah. Probably Victor then."
"Victor?"
"Cyborg."
"Oh."
"She's talking to someone," Kara said. "Definitely alien, but I can't make it out. It's not a language I know."
"I'll try to get closer," Laira said. "The ring's universal translator will take care of the rest."
Moments later, the Green Lantern patched them in to what she was hearing.
"The Blüdhaven cop is here. Understood. Setys, Kiln, scope out the rest. I doubt he's alone."
"Blüdhaven cop?" Jason asked. "They think you're still on the force?"
"Or they found out about my new occupation," Alex said. "If Zirconan Nebula knew enough to target Laira at home, there's a good chance they know about me too."
Kara frowned and glanced at Jason. "Didn't you mention Alex had a bounty on his head a while back? Competing nobility or something?"
"Kad arrested most of them after the Gordanian assassin was captured," Laira said. "He was very thorough in cleaning house. I know. I helped."
Alex chimed in. "Didn't hurt that the assassin's Aurem shard connected the conspiracy to the Sinestro Corps, giving the Guardians every excuse to insert themselves into the situation." He was silent a moment. "You think ZN was part of that?"
Kara shrugged. "I don't know. Aside from training, you haven't really been offworld much, have you?"
"No. Can't think of a reason they'd know me aside from investigating Laira or Kad."
Jason scanned the area with his scope. "Anyone have eyes on Setys or Kiln? Don't really know what I'm looking for."
Kara's eyes shut as she focused her hearing on the whole island—and a good ways beyond it.
"There's…something strange off the west coast of the island," Kara said. "The wind's all weird, like it's flowing around rock."
"Think they have an air meta?" Alex asked.
Kara's eyes opened and narrowed, looking west. "Or a cloaked ship. I think I figured out how they're running their market. It's suspended just far enough off the ground that boats won't run into it, but the entrance is a subterranean teleporter. I can see a network of tunnels leading to and from it, but not very far."
Jason frowned. "They must be lining the tunnels with lead."
"Hm. I can't see inside the ship either."
"If we want to destroy this branch," Laira said, "it won't be enough to capture the ship. We need to make continued operations here untenable."
"Any suggestions, love?" Alex asked.
"If they're operating in plain sight, they most likely have a human partner. If we can take them off the board—"
"It'll screw up their network on Earth," Alex said. "I like it."
"Think their liaison will be aboard?" Jason asked.
"More than likely," Laira replied. "ZN will want insurance, and a consultant on standby who knows the locale."
"You might not be able to see through their defenses, Kara, but can you hear through them?" Alex asked. "Pick out a human's heartbeat?"
"I can try," Kara said.
Her eyes shut as Jason finished suiting up. He checked his gauntlets to prepare a new attachment, then reached for his belt. Since acquiring his Nth-metal shield, Jason had noticed an unsettling trend of being disarmed of it far too easily. So he went back to Lucius with a few design ideas, one of which directly integrated his shield into his left gauntlet. Being able to use the shield ambidextrously was useful, sure, but being able to retain the shield on the arm with which he used it most was proving more practical. Besides, disengaging it to switch arms required only a little extra input.
The shield was now part of his bracer and glove, activated on a dime and nearly impossible to remove by accident or force. Additionally, the retractability of his Nth-metal sword was useful but a bit slow for his liking, needing a full second or two to reach full length. In the weeks since Mxy kidnapped him, he'd asked Lucius to consult with Carter Hall, Hawkman. Of the two Leaguers who used Thanagarian Nth-metal tech, Carter understood its technical workings better. Maybe someday he'd take it to Themyscira, see if their forge-mistress could give it a once-over, maybe have some ideas to improve the design.
At any rate, his blade had been improved, with the retracting metal reshaped to be compressed even tighter in the hilt. As a result, when deployed, the crossguard flipped out to make way for a blade that shot forth like a switchblade instead of the slower unfolding he'd been working with. Granted, none of these tools would matter if he couldn't use them effectively, but with Ares and Achilles now on the table, every edge he could get was worth it. Not to mention Cass's report about a sorcerer in Gotham…
"Not picking anything up on the ship—it's completely soundproof," Kara said. "That tunnel's a different story. Good bit of traffic, not all touching the ground."
"Floaters?" Jason asked. "Don't tell me we're dealing with jellyfish."
"Jellyfish adjacent," said Alex. "Hexapi, from Vortuma."
"Six limbs?"
"Six limbs, highly intelligent, and deadly in water. Most civilizations consider them a hostile race."
"How many are inside?" Laira asked.
"From the air disturbances, probably no more than six, at least in the tunnel," Kara said. "Can't speak for the ship."
"You think the Hexapi are in charge of ZN?" Alex asked.
"Maybe," Laira answered. "They have the technical knowledge to maintain the network, but not the connections."
"'Cause they're a blacklisted species."
"Basically. My gut says it's more likely they're working for someone else."
Kara sighed hard. "We're not learning any more out here. One way or another, we're gonna have to bring that ship down. Ideas? It's the middle of the day, and Liberty Island is packed."
Jason took a look at the island's CCTV feeds from his PDA. "The ship's off the west coast of the island, not far from the ferry terminal. Anything we do is gonna be danger close to a lot of civilians. If we create a disturbance—"
Kara froze for a split-second, just long enough for Jason to notice. Then she whipped around and blew hard. A ferocious gust of wind swept through the inside of the torch, followed by a loud clang and grunt of pain. Jason didn't see anything. His cowl's lenses flipped down, switching to infrared spectrum. Still nothing. So he switched to sonar, picking up a faint bipedal outline with four arms.
"Cloaker!" Jason called out.
Kara cocked her hand back and made to sprint straight at them. Jason caught her arm, eyes wide.
"Outside!" he shouted. "Please take this outside!"
Kara nodded as the assassin lunged for Jason. She caught them halfway, wrapping both arms around their torso, then hurling them out the window. Before Kara could even attempt to pursue, the assassin was clamped by a massive blue construct and fastballed straight at the cloaked ship. They slammed into its side hard, disrupting the cloaking field and making it tilt just a little. TK and Supergirl flew from the torch, booking it for the ship before it could run. Apparently they had no intention of doing so.
A moment later, the ship decloaked and opened fire—with the Statue of Liberty as their backstop. Two giant bolts of plasma streaked toward them. Between her invulnerability and his shield, Jason knew they could take it, but—
A green glow intercepted the bolts before they could make it far. Laira's flying form flared brightly, supercharged by Alex's ring. Her shield quickly transformed into a pair of clamps that latched onto either side of the ship. Now that Jason could see it, the whole thing looked about the size of a luxury cruise liner. How they managed to hide something that big somewhere so public—visually and audibly—he didn't understand. The benefits of alien tech, he supposed.
Laira growled faintly and whipped her arm hard. The motion sent the ship hurtling through the air to the far east, out to open sea. It stabilized miles from any sort of land, giving them plenty of room to work. When Jason and Kara reoriented themselves, they zeroed in on the ship. Supergirl didn't make it fifty meters before she was tackled by something Jason couldn't see. Kara grunted as she was steadily dragged toward the ground.
"Go!" she shouted. "I got this!"
Jason nodded and took off toward Laira and the vessel, which was already firing back indiscriminately. The Lantern was forced to constantly put up more shields—apparently ZN was targeting civilian locations, and their weapons were effective even this far out. He went supersonic a moment later, aiming for the section of hull Alex had slammed with the assassin's body. His sword deployed, and he spun like a drill as his speed kept increasing. The ear-piercing screech of shearing metal reached him a moment later.
Before he knew it, Jason came to a stop with his shoulder planted in a cratered wall. As he got his footing, he could hear the thud of footsteps. Nondescript bipeds in thick armor crowded around him, holding alien rifles of some unknown make. Honestly he couldn't tell if they were living beings or robots just by looking. Whatever they were, they didn't wait for him to fully recover before opening fire.
…
Supergirl was busy grappling with something that was proving annoyingly difficult to dislodge—and nearly impossible to see. She'd kept cycling through different vision spectrums and could occasionally pick up faint traces of movement on ultraviolet wavelengths. Overall, she had a better time hearing her attacker than seeing them. If she had to guess from all the swirling and waving around, she was fighting a Hexapus—and they were by no means delicate creatures.
Now, she knew she could break free by force, but that would likely rip a few limbs off and might kill the damn thing. And they needed answers. One of these cloaked bastards had taken a shot at Laira, though probably not one of the three that they knew were in play, given how far away she'd been when she was attacked. Unless they knew she was coming, which would explain why they recognized Alex so quickly…
The moment Kara hit the water, she started to realize what this thing was trying to do. Pointless, really. The Hexapus would tire before she would drown, which was never. Then she felt its writhing stop and a large mass hover next to her head—and realized it wasn't trying to drown her at all. Kara screamed as a massive pulse of vibrational energy drummed into her head, amplified exponentially by the water around her.
So that was what Alex meant by "deadly in water."
Supergirl steeled herself against the fierce migraine pounding the inside of her skull. Slowly, air in her lungs began to freeze the surrounding water, forming a shell of frost around the massive cephalopod constricting her body. It started to shake pretty quickly; no doubt this was a mite colder than their native oceans on Vortuma. Then Kara spun rapidly, shaking it off. With its floating form disrupting the ice crystals, it was easy enough to grab it and fly toward the surface. Despite its condition, the Hexapus' tentacles began vibrating again, causing another sonic disruption.
Never before had she hated having super-hearing so much. Or having to hold back. Though this thing wasn't the only one capable of manipulating vibrations. Every frequency had its counter. If she could match it with her own voice…
No easy task. Thanks to the disruption, she couldn't hear a thing, but she could feel the way the waves thudded through her entire body. A few quick calculations later, Kara retuned her vocal cords and screeched right back. Within moments, she could feel the headache subsiding and the Hexapus start to panic. It panicked enough to decloak and start thrashing the limbs that weren't still trying to split her skull.
Its malevolent, gelatinous eyes widened in panic when she lifted a single finger to its massive head and flicked it out of the water. Kara broke surface as she spotted its limp form crash to the shore of Liberty Island, to the startling horror of nearby tourists. Her ears were still ringing as she took in the situation out at sea. Giant plumes of smoke rose in the distance. Her vision zoomed in, spotting Laira flying circles around the ship while tearing apart its external weaponry. She couldn't see Jason, meaning he was probably inside by now.
Supergirl frowned and briefly looked for Alex before taking off for the ship.
…
As soon as Laira was finished with the external defenses, she made entry through the hole Jason had carved. She landed in a crouch, scanning her surroundings with her ring. Around were nothing but fallen weapons and armored guards who were dented, shredded, or somewhere in between. She didn't recognize their uniforms nor species. There would be plenty of time to investigate when they secured the ship.
Between the trail of bodies and continuous gunfire, Jason wasn't hard to follow.
Laira arched an eyebrow as she flew through the corridors. The boy had some skill—and some anger, she'd wager. The breaking of glass reached her ears a moment later. She whipped her head toward it, seeing Jason's armored form kneeing one of the guards in the face. They groaned to the ground, helmet shattered, as he stood over a pile of bodies. A quick scan with her ring verified they were still alive, if only just. The Knight turned to her, breathing heavy, and gave her a nod.
She floated over to land next to him. "Any luck finding their liaison?"
His head shook. "No humans so far, just a lot of rare metals and packages." He pointed his sword at a nearby stack of slitted crates. "I don't recognize most of these."
Laira pointed her ring at the stack, the green light passing over it. "I do. Most of these are packed with raw ore that can be refined into highly efficient fuel."
"…doesn't ZN usually deal in illegal stuff?"
"It is illegal. This ore is home to a sentient microorganism that feeds off its energy. The Guardians declared its harvesting an act of genocide decades ago."
"But…none of it's been processed yet. So are they…?"
"Still alive, yes. For now."
Jason sighed in relief. "Can you send them home?"
She stepped past him and patted his shoulder. "When we're done here, it'll be my first priority."
They walked together. Laira mentally recalled the angle from which she'd entered. They steadily approached the region that would usually house the bridge.
"Have you seen Alex?" Jason asked. "I don't think I've heard from him since he chucked that four-armed bastard."
Laira frowned. "No, but I'm not worried." She held up her brightly glowing ring. "I know he's fine."
…
Kiln hadn't stayed on the ship's hull long. Having two Lanterns in play, plus a Kryptonian, didn't put their odds very high. Still, they had to disable at least one of those to create an opening for escape. The ship was too big a target; no way they were getting out. Setys and T'iol were a different story. The Fingers of Q'or were unmatched in the ways of stealth and evasion.
Kiln leapt off the vessel as soon as the Green Lantern clamped down on it, diving headfirst toward the bay. Moments after he hit the water, Kiln propelled himself toward the shore. His species wasn't aquatic in the way Setys' was, but tentacles or no, it was hard to compete with the power of six limbs. Unfortunately, Lanterns had no such limits.
A massive blue hand snatched him out of the water, squeezing almost hard enough to break bone. As Kiln's four eyes cast about, he noticed the screaming mass of humans fleeing from the decloaked ship. They streamed from the massive statue's base toward the piers. Fools. If the ship were to have any chance of escape, those docks would be the perfect target for a distraction. He didn't have time to worry about it, tracing the source of the projection to a floating form some twenty meters above him.
He couldn't see the look on the Lantern's face, but his aggression was clear as day when he threw Kiln toward a small park on the east side of the island. The landing wasn't so bad. Rolling and crashing shoulder-first into a tree was the worst of it. One of his four arms was nearly dislocated on impact.
"Do I have your attention?"
Kiln whipped his elongated reptilian head toward the voice. The Blue Lantern floated to the ground, his expression showing little more than annoyance, if he read the facial cues right—he'd been posted on Earth long enough to start picking them up. Kiln scrambled upright, flexing his arms and testing his camo. Everything was still functioning, yet this human could still see him, or so it seemed. Time to test that.
Kiln moved slowly, pacing to the edge of the clearing they'd landed in, then leaping into the brush in a blur. The Lantern made no move to follow or fire or even try to stop him. Kiln broke line of sight with him, not depending on his camo. He moved low through the brush on all sixes, making as little noise as possible to move into his target's blind spot. When he saw the Lantern's back, Kiln leapt into the trees above. He clambered through the branches, nearing the perfect ambush position.
As soon as he reached his perch, Kiln struck. Gravity soundlessly carried him toward his target. His clawed fingers flexed as blades sprang from gauntlets on all four arms. Then Kaiser slowly raised his left hand and clenched it into a fist. Kiln's eyes widened and head snapped back as a beam of energy lanced through the space where his neck had been. He twirled midair, slashing at his target's neck. Alex backhanded him, nevertheless taking a cut across his shoulder. He flinched slightly but seemed unbothered as his suit repaired itself. Kaiser just kept staring at him, like his cloak wasn't on at all.
It wasn't until he looked down and saw an ever-so-faint glow around his midsection that he realized the Lantern had left a little trail of light behind when he first grabbed him—a near-microscopic projection that gave away his location and probably took no effort at all to maintain.
Kiln came at him relentlessly. Alex didn't give him an inch. He just stood there and let Kiln scrape his blades against a hardened forcefield around his body.
"I have some questions," Alex said calmly. "First and foremost, I want the identity of your human liaison."
Kiln came at him from a different angle with similar non-results.
"Second, how many other branches do you have on Earth?"
The assassin struck with one of his digitigrade legs, slamming his shin into the side of Alex's head and feeling something give way—in his leg. Kiln roared as his ankle dislocated, collapsing to his knees.
"Last but not least—"
Kiln looked up, seeing Alex stare at him with the first hints of fury.
"—I want to know who gave the order to kill Laira Omoto."
Kiln's blood ran cold at the look in his glowing eyes, stiffened for a moment, then lunged for the edge of the clearing. All six of his limbs were individually arrested by tight clamps a moment later.
"As much fun as I'd have chasing you all day—or letting you break yourself on me—I do have better things to do." Alex pulled Kiln in close, almost close enough to feel his breath. "So, out with it."
Kiln snarled. "I don't know the answer."
"To which one?"
"Any of them. We are only meant to eliminate, not know. And this Omoto…who is she?"
Kaiser smirked. "The Green Lantern currently tearing your ship apart."
"I wouldn't know. Operational security, you understand."
Alex's smirk faded back to annoyance. "Right. 'Kay."
With a sudden, unexpected violence, Blue Lantern slammed Kiln into a tree repeatedly, shaking clusters of twigs and snow loose as he beat the assassin unconscious.
As soon as Kiln's cloak went inactive, Alex wrapped the bars of a nearby cast iron fence around all his limbs, then flew off to join the others.
…
Alex hadn't been kidding about Laira's martial prowess. To be fair, Jason hadn't had much trouble with ZN's security force before she arrived (and Alex was still supercharging her ring from afar). Still, the way she moved from one motion to the next and used it in concert with her flight and projections was almost hypnotic. He'd only ever seen such a smooth flow of action from his parents or Cass. He might even be willing to say she'd give Diana a run for her money. Add to that the overcharged power ring, and they arrived at the bridge in no time, with alarms for hull ruptures and critical damage ringing at ear-piercing volume.
As soon as Laira smashed through the blast doors, they were immediately struck by the lack of gunfire. The pair strode into the room and saw numerous security units, guns already on the ground. Zirconan Nebula were stubborn, but apparently not stupid. Jason didn't buy it. As Laira extended shackles to each body in the room, he scanned for other threats—and for humans. A sonar ping highlighted a crumpled up form behind a control console. Jason strode over, keeping one eye on the captain as Laira drew closer.
When he rounded the corner, Jason stopped short and cursed.
Laira noticed. "Found them?"
Jason gagged and swallowed his bile. "What's left of them." He cast a glare at the captain, a pudgy alien with three eyestalks. "Probably killed 'em as soon as we boarded so they couldn't talk."
Laira frowned and sighed. "Then we'll have to rely on his intelligence."
The vile alien mimed zipping his lips closed, a gesture he no doubt picked up from his time around humans.
Laira snorted. "We'll see."
…
Half an hour later, the ZN ship had been forcibly landed on a bare stretch of beach in New Jersey. The crew and captain were in physical shackles now, awaiting transport to Oa. They'd spend the foreseeable future in the Guardians' Sciencells pending interrogation and trial. The two assassins were also restrained, both nursing intense headaches. As expected, nobody was talking.
Alex was talking with Laira and someone else over their rings while Jason and Kara watched the prisoners. In the far distance, a crowd of civilians waited behind a police perimeter.
One of the detectives on scene knelt and poked a misshapen chunk of rubble. "Y'know, I miss the days when we didn't have to worry about alien shit falling out of the sky." She glanced up at Supergirl. "No offense."
Kara shrugged.
Jason frowned and bent over the charred corpse of their human collaborator.
"Find anything?" Kara asked.
His head shook. "Body's too degraded for DNA, fingerprints. Might be able to get something off the teeth, if I can reconstruct any of the remaining bits. I'm sending a full 3D scan to the Batcomputer. Hopefully it can make sense of all this." He stood and shrugged. "Gonna take some time, though."
"Yeah."
The Lanterns' holo-call finally ended, prompting them to return.
"What's the word?" Jason asked.
"We got in touch with Hal," Alex said. "He and Laira are going to transport the crew back to Oa while I keep an eye on things here."
"We'll try to do the same," Kara said.
Alex smiled and nodded.
Laira looked them both over and smiled. "It was good to finally meet you. Alex tells me you're quite the power couple." Her smile widened a touch. "Glad to see his judgment is impeccable as ever."
"He had quite the evaluation of you too," Jason chuckled. "I'd love to spar with you next time you're in the sector."
Laira bowed her head slightly. "I'll consider it." She turned to Alex. "I'm meeting Jordan in Coast City. Want to see me off?"
Alex almost pouted. "You sure he can't handle the transport on his own?"
She smiled and pressed her forehead to his. "I'll be back soon enough, love. Or—here's a novel thought—you could come visit me for once."
Alex coughed into his hand. "Considering the probable state of your home at the moment…"
Laira blinked. "Ah. Yes. Good point."
He cast a scowl at the shackled assassins. "We still have no idea who sent them after you."
"It doesn't matter. They caught me off-guard once and failed. They won't get another chance." She frowned and turned to Alex. "Which reminds me—watch your back, love. They'll be targeting you now. If they know your name, they know your home."
Jason glanced between them. "I mean, I'm sure I could convince Dad to help him lay low for a bit. And I know Dick would be happy to have you over."
Alex smiled and shook his head. "I appreciate the thought, but I have a life to live and I'm not gonna let 'em stop me. Besides, I took on intergalactic bounty hunters with no power ring and a bum leg." He grinned ferally. "These guys don't scare me one bit."
"Fair enough."
Kara stiffened suddenly, head snapping toward the prisoners—and the captain in particular. "Guys—something's wrong." She sped to his side and looked him over. "He's…dead."
Alex and Laira immediately scanned the area for cloaked forms, as did Jason. Nobody found a thing. All they saw was a small incision at the back of the captain's neck, where his spinal column was. No one was there that shouldn't be, only the detectives and other prisoners.
Laira sighed hard. "Damn. That complicates things."
Kara's eyes darkened. "We never found the last assassin."
"Pinkie?" Alex asked.
She nodded. "This happened just now. I could hear the faint snap of bone when his vertebrae were severed. I just don't understand where she could've…"
She trailed off, scanning the crowd outside now.
Jason nudged her arm. "It is what it is. Nobody's fault. We're dealing with complete unknowns with access to tech we've never seen. Maybe magic too. Maybe we can glean something from the rest of 'em."
Laira scowled and projected a barrier over the remaining prisoners. "In that light, it's even more imperative that I reach Oa as soon as possible." She leaned in toward Alex and pecked his lips. "Later, my love."
Alex managed a tiny smile. "Later."
The Green Lantern departed in moments, the bright glow of her captured quarry slowly fading into the horizon.
Alex sighed hard. "Long day."
"Yeah," Kara said. "Productive day."
"Hm. Ah, which reminds me. I've got a trip of my own to go on for a bit." He patted a crate of the illegal ore. "Gotta take these little guys back home." He smiled at the pair. "Thank you for today. I know Laira appreciated it a lot."
"Of course, man," Jason said.
"Just warn me next time, please?" Kara asked. "We have way too many enemies for people to be dropping by unannounced."
"Agreed," Alex said. "You take care. Don't be a stranger."
With that, he bubbled the containers and went supersonic, straight up and beyond Earth's atmosphere.
Jason stared at the charred corpse for another minute or so before scrubbing his tired eyes. "I better be getting home. Dad's gonna want to know what happened here."
"Yeah." Kara walked with him toward the shoreline. "I've got some cleanup to do." She smirked. "Jersey's ugly enough without a giant hunk of metal on the beach." Her smile faded a bit. "At some point we should pick up that conversation in the torch."
He smiled a little and nodded. "Sounded like there was a lot to unpack there."
"Yeah…"
Jason grinned. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think I've ever been attracted to a human, so at least you know the field's pretty much clear."
Kara chuckled. "Right."
He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "See you later, K."
"See you, Jace."
…
The detective that had remarked on the ship watched the Tomorrow Knight take off into the sky and kept a weather eye on Supergirl as she took down a few last notes. Then she made for the perimeter and ducked past the tape. Such was her motion that she barely had to push through the crowd, absent any questions from passersby. The reason being that she became, in seconds, indistinguishable from those passersby. Just another plain face in the crowd.
A few blocks out from the crash site, she turned into a narrow alley, deserted by pedestrians, cameras, or other prying eyes. Her nondescript features and clothing rapidly morphed into an amorphous mass of bio-fabric and tentacles.
"The New York branch is no more. Captain Seezklak was terminated upon capture, per protocol. Blue Lantern in play. Inform Sionis and the Psychopomp."
A hiss of psychic static pulsed through her synaptic implants before a thudding voice answered.
"Understood, T'iol. Resume holding pattern. Await our call."
"Acknowledged, brother. Glory to Q'or."
"Glory to Q'or."
AN: Eighteen months. Definitely my longest dry spell to date. Can't promise a more consistent output. I'm still trying to map out this story between sorting out my career and future. I wrote most of the first half of this chapter in 2021, so I hope it read well enough.
Not sure when I'll be able to write more. Like I said, I'm still mapping out the details.
Formatting notes:
– Internal Thoughts/Flashback
– "Super-Hearing/Surveillance"
– Telepathy/Divine Speech
– "{Foreign Language}"
– [Text Message]