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Legal disclaimer: I tend to liberally "borrow" DC adapted character profiles and art from the Earth-27 wiki created by Roy Westerman with principle art coming from digital artist Phil Cho. Other creators and artists are found there as well and I will specifically list any original creations with creator citations as I utilize them. In short, this is the single most comprehensive retelling of all things DC and beyond I have encountered. It's worth your time to explore.

Goldilockscover art provided by myself utilizing AI at

Free, similar commercial and private use art by myself can be found at at at the following URL: /users/brinmacen:17542437/

That having been said, the properties, and their variations belong to DC Comics through WarnerMedia and its parent, the Discovery empire with notable exceptions. More on that in the footnote. I do not own DC characters or their interpretations and re-imaginings. My own characters are implied Public Domain since I have not included a copyright notice as required by the 1974 revisions of the copyright statutes and regulations. While an intellectual copyright is implied without the due symbols and language, all such considerations are generally voided under CC-BY-SA, which governs this site, unless duly noted otherwise.

Open Source attributions are listed after the story concluded to satisfy legalese requirements. And all "super" characters other than Open Source have been seen in comic books before barring any original characters coming from the Earth-27 Wiki or myself. You can look into Public Domain Superheroes Wiki and the DC Database Wiki's own vaults to verify this.

Although this is primarily set in the DCAU, I incorporate attributes of dozens of interpretations of each character, comic telling era, and medium into the telling.

Justice League Anthology order insertion

Justice League New Beginning: DCAU Series Part 1

Justice League Second Strike: DCAU Series Part 2

Justice League Past Imperfect: DCAU Series Part 3

Justice League Nuptials: DCAU Series Part 4

Justice League Cardinal Sin: DCAU Series Part 5

Justice League Twice Shy: DCAU Series Part 6

Justice League Darkness: DCAU Series Part 7

Justice League Family Affairs: DCAU Series Part 8

Justice League Conflict: DCAU Series Part 9

Justice League Crossroads:DCAU Series Part 10

Justice League the Corps: DCAU Series Part 11

Justice League Family Ties: DCAU Series Part 12

Claire Connelly: a DCAU Series Anthology story

Justice League Eternal War: DCAU Series Part 13

Justice League Shadows: DCAU Series Part 14

Justice League Night Falls: DCAU Series Part 15

Justice League Front Lines: DCAU Series Part 16

Justice League Convergence: DCAU Series Part 17

Justice League Ascension: DCAU Series Part 18

Justice League Courts: DCAU Series Part 19

Justice League Legions: DCAU Series Part 20

Justice League Power Ring Corps: DCAU Series Part 21

Justice League Daemonites: DCAU Series Part 22

Justice League Soldiers: DCAU Series Part 23

Justice League Downfall: DCAU Series Part 24

Justice League Aspirations: DCAU Series Part 25

Justice League Realms: DCAU Series Part 26

the Funtabulous Wedding of Drs Harleen Quinzel & Pamela Isely

Stars Collide: a DCAU Series Anthology tale

Blades Free: a DCAU series Anthology story

Hellequin & the Paragons: a DCAU series Anthology story

Superwoman & the Paragons: a DCAU series Anthology story

Empress Penguin's private little war - a DCAU series Anthology story

Oracle: a DCAU series Anthology story

Injustice Society: a DCAU series Anthology story

Disco Mummy: a DCAU series Anthology story

Enchantress' Peril: a DCAU series Anthology story

Killer Frost - Blades in the Heart: a DCAU series Anthology story

Wicked Witch: A DCAU series Anthology story

The Cult: a DCAU series Anthology story

Family in Crisis: a DCAU series Anthology story

Oracle Sees All: a DCAU series Anthology story

Dark Lord: a DCAU series Anthology story

Genesis Point: a DCAU series Anthology story

Evil Queen: a DCAU series Anthology story

Kalea-El: a DCAU series Anthology story

Glorith: a DCAU series Anthology story

Wickedest Witch: a DCAU series Anthology story

Red Hood: A DCAU series Anthology story

Music Meister: a DCAU series Anthology story

Beryl & Rose - Date Night: a DCAU series Anthology story

Family Bonds: a DCAU series Anthology story

Duet feat Music Meister & Upbeat: a DCAU series Anthology story

Phantasm & the Bat: a DCAU series Anthology story

Injustice Reigns: a DCAU series Anthology story

Marian Drews: a DCAU series Anthology story

The Bat Clan Reborn: a DCAU series Anthology story

Evil Delights: a DCAU series Anthology story

Music Meister of the Opera: a DCAU series Anthology story

Family Tragedies: a DCAU series Anthology story

Something Wicked: a DCAU series Anthology story

Plastic Woman: a DCAU series Anthology story

Repo Men: a DCAU series Anthology story

The Disco Mummy Strikes: a DCAU series Anthology story

Oracle Undercover: a DCAU series Anthology story

Oracle Knows All: a DCAU series Anthology story

Injustice For All: a DCAU series Anthology story

Dazaar the Arch Fiend: a DCAU series Anthology story

Frosted Blades: a DCAU series Anthology story

Fido: a DCAU series Anthology story

Lightning Raider: a DCAU series Anthology story

Family Struggles: a DCAU series Anthology story

Those Wicked Ways: a DCAU series Anthology story

Hella Fun! A DCAU series Anthology story

Domino Lady: a DCAU series Anthology story

Air Wave: a DCAU series Anthology story

Justice League Beyond Prologue: a DCAU Series Part 0

Lana Linda Lang - Superwoman: a DCAU series Anthology story

Oracle sees the Light: a DCAU series Anthology story

Justice League Beyond Lois Lane: DCAU Series Part 2

Red Hood's Calling: a DCAU series Anthology story

London's Calling: a DCAU series Anthology story

Wrath of the Phantasm

Knight's Fall: a DCAU series Anthology Story

Justice League Beyond Down the Rabbit Hole: DCAU Series Part 3

Justice League Beyond Further Down The Rabbit Hole: DCAU Series Part 4

Christmas Horror: a DCAU series Anthology story

Justice League Beyond Disco Mummy's Revenge: DCAU Series Part 5

Justice League Beyond Evil Incarnate: DCAU Series Part 6

Maxima: a DCAU series Anthology story

Injustices: a DCAU series Anthology story

Order of St. Batman: a DCAU series Anthology story

Grudge Match: a DCAU series Anthology story

Vacay: a DCAU series Anthology story

Deep Web: a DCAU series Anthology story

Meet `n Greet: a DCAU series Anthology story


Superior City was a special place by all accounts. A tech mecca outperforming Silicon Valley and a design aesthetic that William Gibson would've dreamed of. It was a cyberpunk urban fantasy for visitors unfamiliar with the area. The city itself was a special tax zone since it sprawled across the Columbia River to engulf its mouth on two separate states with distinctly different tax laws. Residents of Superior City faced a reduced Oregon income tax and a reduced Washington sales tax since both sates relied exclusively on either to generate funds from the citizenry. Superior City's districts were named after the individual cities that the metropolis had absorbed as it stretched from Long Beach, Washington to Tillamook, Oregon. Its depth into the interior of each state was only beginning to be largely felt as the city continued to expand to accommodate its real estate crunching tech sector. The population was decidedly young, urbane, and well educated.

Knightfall's licensing of criminal activity had come after Superior City had hired on the Injustice Society to be a meta-crime deterrent force. The Superior City Police Department had their own tower downtown in the Astoria District at the mouth of the river where it met with the Pacific Ocean. They still handled mundane crime by average criminals. But the capes and cowls breed were met with force by the Injustice Society. Tha protection came at a steep cost and the construction of a sate of the art, beyond anything else in the tech driven urban landscape, headquarters built in a lake separating the Astoria District from what had once been a small enclave known as Warrenton.

The Injusticers worked and lived within its halls. Goldilocks, the latest and most visionary leader the Injustice Society had ever embraced, was constantly on the lookout for new talent to add to the team's roster and skill set. The newest additions were experts at cyber crime. Cowgirl and Cyber Witch haunted and hunted in virtual reality seeking to deflect incoming attacks on the city and its infrastructure. They were elite operatives that had once been the attacking force.

Cowgirl had been partnered with a man named Cowboy. But her skills eclipsed his ego and he cast her aside in favor of a new partner called Wrangler. Cowgirl packed up and relocated, connecting with an old rival, so Cyber Witch joined forces with Cowgirl. Goldilocks tracked down their supposedly untraceable lair and offered them the chance to make real money.

Besides the Injusticers' protection racket, they plagued the west coast with seemingly unsolvable crimes. Police Commissioner Luciana Torres wasn't a fool. She knew the Injusticers were waging a crime spree outside of Superior City's borders. She also knew that not one so-called "super" criminal had been successful in robbing anyone inside of Superior City. So Torres looked the other way regarding the team's outside "extracurricular" activities.

The Injusticers were paid a flat retainer and then a fee for service rate. So the more the Injusticers intimidated rival criminal teams from coming to Superior City, the cheaper it was for City Hall to host them. The mayor had already been financially rewarded by this system since meta-human and costumed crime was at a record low. Word had spread that the Injusticers were serious about enforcing the city's ban on meta-crime. Fewer and fewer opted to challenge that resolve. The last major challenge came from the Injustice Gang and Goldilocks co-opted Signalman and Black Spider into making a similar deal for Portland and Vancouver further up the river. Even ransomware attacks were nearly eradicated by Cowgirl and Cyber Witch's vigilance. But success grabbed attention. In this case elements of Homeland Security had come calling upon the Injustice Society within their own halls.

Cabinet Secretary for Homeland Security Bones himself was present for the meeting as was Under Secretary for Special Operations Gwen Cormaugh. If their presence weren't overwhelming enough, SHADE Director Cameron Chase was there as well, flown in from Colorado Springs and DEO Director Alex Danvers was in from National City. So Goldilocks was hosting a veritable who's who of national security figures. Of course they brought their own security detail. Maj. Lucy Lane of the USAF Security Police Special Branch led the PATRIOTS team as a precautionary security detail within Superior City's borders. The city statutes excluded local, state, and federally deputized actors from being banned by Injusticers. So Lucy Lane and her operatives were immune to Goldilocks' normal preventative measures.

Goldilocks knew an independent Homeland agent was also operating within Superior City. Agent J-3 was an utter mystery to Cowgirl and Cyber Witch even after they'd combed government files to identify her. All they knew for certain was that it was a woman of Korean descent. But Superior City had entire South Korean enclaves along with the more traditional Japanese and Chinese communities that sprang up within the sprawling city limits. So Agent J-3 would blend in unnoticed.

The PATRIOTS, though, stood out in their patriotic regalia. Maj. Lane being an exception wearing USAF issued body armor and uniform while brandishing an assault rifle and Beretta sidearm. The others all seemed to be walking US flags of one kind or another. Alix Harrower, the Bulleteer, was an exception to the rule. But her chrome skin made her obvious wherever she went. Special Agents Rex Swift and Linda Reed of the Secret Service and FBI, respectively, stood vigil within the conference room hosting the meeting between Homeland directors and the Injusticers.

Goldilocks brought two generations of Injusticer with her. Representing the OLd Guard was the Rival. Edward Clariss had given himself Speed Force powers to rival that of Jay Garrick, the original Flash. Rival and the Flash still competed over who was the superior speedster. Killer Wasp represented the grandchild of the original Killer Wasp that had been a costumed nemesis of Wildcat. This Killer Wasp wore bio-synthetic armor that allowed him to fly and project bio-electric stings rather than be a simple boxer with an electric "stinger" gun. Brainwave represented the grandchild of the original Injustice Society founding member. He was one of the few members without larcenous tendencies.

The New Guard was represented by Clock Queen, the Wizard, and the Shadow Thief. Tempest Fugit employed specialized temporal weaponry devised by the Clockmaker and his Clock Crew. Clock Queen wore steampunk attire in a cyberpunk city. She also could slow, freeze, or accelerate moments in time. Natalie Tool had been adopted by the seemingly ageless Wizard. She apprenticed under him and took his name when he unexpectedly died in a confrontation with other sorcerers. The Wizard dressed in a leather coat with black leather robes with an oversized floppy that that rivaled Clock Queen's clock infested hat for sheer width. Aviva Metula was a former Mossad agent sent to capture and retrieve a Daemonite weapon before their collective demise on Earth. Her suit allowed her to become a shadow and to manipulate shadows into tangible shaped weapons and defensive structures.

It was little wonder the Old Guard was made up of men and the New Guard was comprised of women. Most of Goldilocks' recruits to the Injustice Society were otherwise overlooked or underestimated women. Despite her own powers and those of her comrades, Goldilocks insisted that since Bones and his directors had bodyguards, her side of the table would as well. This was how Solomon Grundy gained access to the room. Grundy's devotion to Goldilocks had earned her petition to join a hearing. A test run of her leadership ideas had earned her the top spot amongst the Injusticers. Even Rival, her harshest critic, admitted that the Injustice Society was freer to operate without legal interference than ever before.

Superior City's District Attorney and his office worked together with Commissioner Torres to bury arrest warrants issued for Injusticers who were "persons of interest" in crimes committed across the western seaboard. Cowgirl and Cyber Witch's running interference and evidence tampering in digital records further occluded the Injustice Society's participation in these crimes.

A fact Bones seemed to know all too well. But he was willing to cut a deal with the Injustice Society bordering on that made with Knightfall and her licensing partners in Gotham City, New York City, and Metropolis. He was willing to have his agencies look the other way provided the Injusticers limited their criminal activities to several strikes a year rather than a month. He also wanted the Injustice Society's participation in active investigations within city limits or even elsewhere should he feel their presence was necessary.

The last was proving a deal breaker for Goldilocks. The foremost was rubbing Rival and Killer Wasp the wrong way. Brainwave seemed the most open to all of the proposed changes. While Clock Queen, Shadow Thief, and the Wizard sided with Goldilocks' hesitation to operate legally beyond Superior City's limits.

"I don't know why it's such a harsh transition from what you're already committed to," Bones admitted.

"You would only be called upon when your expertise in certain areas was needed to help clarify issues facing investigators," Gwen Cormaugh elaborated.

"They're not buying into it," Director Chase was growing impatient.

"I'm not even certain why these talks are so high profile to begin with," Director Danvers admitted.

"Because we're serious about the issues at stake and so should the Injustice Society," Bones reiterated.

"I am serious about your proposals. I just find them unreasonable. You walk in here and begin making accusations of crimes we've allegedly committed and offer to wipe the slate clean in exchange for indentured servitude. Does that sum it up?" Goldilocks rebutted his statement.

"Essentially," Cormaugh agreed with the summation.

"Yet, you offer no prosecutable proof of these crimes. So incentivize our reasons to join up with you," Goldilocks replied.

"Because there are still paper trails. The Special Federal Prosecutor in Los Angeles especially wants a go at you," Danvers told her.

"You are referring to Kate Spencer. Who, amazingly, loses cases and the Manhunter suddenly turns up later and terminates the acquitted accused. Yet Manhunter and Spencer, who are probably the same woman, face no charges. Another of your backdoor dealings, I presume?" Goldilocks asked.

"So you understand what I'm offering," Bones was pleased, "I was beginning to think you'd wasted the last twenty years of your life in blind stupidity."

"I may have had a delusional period but I'm well aware of what you're offering and what it will cost us to comply," Goldilocks retorted, "You should be approaching my sister with this rather than me. Dorcas wants to play hero as Godiva, let her go international again."

"Godiva already works for the Justice League Global Guardians. So her time is already committed to the United Nations as well as her local efforts in London," Cormaugh told her, "We're looking for domestic agents."

"Yet you're bloody Welsh and I'm bloody English. How does that make us 'domestic'?" Goldilocks acerbically inquired.

"I'm naturalized so I'm a dual citizen. You, on the other hand, are an undocumented illegal. ICE would be very interested in deporting you back to the United Kingdom," Cormaugh explained the additional stick that counterpointed the carrot.

"I believe that affects others in the room as well," Bones said dryly. Shadow Thief was an Israeli illegally in the US and Clock Queen was an illegal Canadian. Other Injusticers were also illegal aliens residing in the United States, "We tolerate you because you're proving useful. But a limited useful. Now's the time to expand on that usefulness or we begin mass arrests and deportations for those that applies to. I'm certain your native countries would love to prosecute you on outstanding charges there as well."

"What exactly would this 'usefulness' look like?" Goldilocks grated.

"We've learned through the Justice League Outsiders that having criminal associates consulting on cases offers a unique perspective that customary law enforcement officials can't always bridge the gap to," Cormaugh explained for Bones. Bones himself had been a super villain. Minor league but a reformed super villain nonetheless, "This accounts for the success rate of the original Task Force X. The Suicide Squad thought in terms a traditional superhero wouldn't. Perhaps couldn't."

"So basically, if one of our groups runs across a crime so baffling they can't make heads or tails out of it, we call in whoever you feel is most qualified o overlook the case and offer suggestions on who or what is responsible and how it was done," Bones explained further.

"And you needed everyone here to explain that?" Clock Queen asked.

"Director Chase and I are here to show solidarity towards the immunity factor Homeland would grant you despite our own objections," Danvers answered.

"Certain of my teammates would have to be excluded from your consultant list. They don't do well with authority figures," Goldilocks said particularly for Rival and Shiv's sakes. Killer Wasp and Geo-mancer would also have to excluded from any investigations involving federal agents or deputized superheroes. That took care of the most reluctant holdouts.

"As long as I'm not involved I'll take the immunity deal," Rival surprised Goldilocks by agreeing to the terms.

"We could do with more down time," Killer Wasp agreed.

"It seems we have little choice if we want to avoid a protracted battle with law enforcement," Shadow Thief conceded.

"Personally I think it's a great opportunity," Brainwave was the only eager voice so far.

"I can think of worse options," Clock Queen was the last to agree.

"Then it's settled. We'll take your deal," Goldilocks affirmed it over her own misgivings. Godiva was part of a UN squad of JLers. So she wouldn't be interacting with her older sister.

"Good. We'll try and distance you from the Justice Society as often as possible. But you have to be prepared to consult with them as well," Cormaugh warned them.

"This is why I won't be on your list," Rival grated.

"Exactly," Killer Wasp voiced agreement again.

"How long will you be staying in Superior City?" Goldilocks was already ready for them to depart.

"We have a helicopter standing by to return us to Portland," Bones knew PDX was the only international airport in the state. Superior City had a regional hub airport but the helicopter and its escorts could get them all to their private agency planes.

"And your agents?" Goldilocks specified.

"Will be staying on for a few days while I arrange to brief the President on our new relationship," Bones told her, "I wouldn't want your people to decide to run amok with their newfound immunity from prosecution."

"Lovely," Goldilocks' tone made it plain she thought otherwise.

"They'll stay out of your way," Cormaugh promised, "Now, for the paperwork. You'll simply sign this contract and we'll be on our way."

"Contract?" Goldilocks balked.

"Without a paper trail the next Secretary may not feel as obliging towards your group," Bones explained, "You can use your code-name since I know you've buried your real name here and abroad. Even Godiva won't reveal it."

"Good for Dorcas," Goldilocks felt relief at that at least.

"It's more of a sign of rejection," Cormaugh explained, "She doesn't want you associated with the Leigh family name anymore."

"Whatever works for her," Goldilocks said stiffly. Dorcas Leigh had been old enough to avoid their predatory uncle's "affections". Goldilocks had devolved into a fantasy world of knights in armor rescuing her from the sexual abuse. It was she'd been fixated on Sir Justin when he'd been the Shining Knight preceding Sir Ystin. After she found the magic scroll that gave Godiva her magic hair, Goldilocks used the incantation to transform herself, burn the scroll, and murder her parents and her uncle. Her parents had been targeted for pimping her to her uncle in the first place. They needed his money to run their estate.

Goldilocks had been a young teenager then. She made her way to the European continent where she used her newfound prehensile hair to become a cat burglar. Eventually she drew the attention of the Fatal Five and became a member while the team held together. The team had been absorbed by the Legion of Doom. Most of its membership was either dead or incarcerated. Goldilocks had fought the Legion of Super Villains had begrudgingly became accepted by the Justice League Unlimited as a casual member thanks to Sir Justin's cajoling.

But she left them after killing intruders to the Hall of Justice. Goldilocks made her way to the Injustice Society as they experienced a crisis in leadership. The Wizard had just died and Icicle and Tigress had escaped from prison and taken their young daughter to Coryana. Goldilocks offered them direction when they were rudderless. And she swelled the ranks with new recruits. Setting up in Superior City had been her proposal as well as her suggestion that they offer the city protection from like-minded criminal teams. They'd become so successful at it that no less a figure than Vandal Savage had approached Goldilocks with the intent to have her propose and manage Knightfall's licensing system to City Hall. Goldilocks politely but firmly declined.

Goldilocks knew that Commissioner Torres wouldn't back any such legislation. And without the SCPD buying into Knightfall's proposal, City Hall would consider it a dead issue. Besides which, Goldilocks had her own plans for Superior City. But Savage wasn't one to be denied.

His stint as CONTROL over the World Army had birthed the modern Pax Mundi. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, after his impeachment in both houses of Congress removed him from the US Presidency, Luthor had shuttered the World Army and Spyral to install the Pax Mundi under Dagar the Desert Hawk and International Operations under Miles Craven. Both moves had Vandal Savage's stink all over them.

Goldilocks knew Vandal Savage spearheaded an ancient organization he'd founded as history began to be recorded. They called themselves "the Light". Luthor was a member as was his sister, Lena. The Ra's al Ghul of any age seemed to inherit membership. That made the former Black Canary, Dinah Laurel Drake Lance, the current placeholder along with her wife, Nyssa Raatko. Interestingly enough, the rest of the Shadow Seven that ruled the League of Shadows and its enforcement arm, the League of Assassins, seemed unaware of the Light.

Goldilocks had tortured the information out of one of Lena Luthor's Everyman Project dupes sent to kill her in order to force the Injustice Society to bow before Vandal Savage's wishes for Superior City to adopt Knightfall's license program. Why Lena had entrusted the pawn with so much information seemed to be a trap of some kind. Lena had known Goldilocks would prevail and the intelligence seemed to be a lure ot entice her into petitioning to join Savage's Light.

Instead it made Goldilocks even more resistant to Knightfall's overtures to her. Knightfall was obviously involved with Vandal Savage's vision for the future. A vison, that Goldilocks had thus far deduced, regulated meta-human lives into either working for Savage or being sold to interstellar concerns as living weapons. Licensing virtue and vice was the first step into licensing who could live on planet Earth. Goldilocks had already seen Saturn Queen's vision for the future and fought against it. The Light's agenda was no less repellent to her.

Goldilocks had made her own overtures to others that were like-minded. Luthor had been ejected from the United Nations in disgrace for maintaining his ties to the Legion of Doom. He'd taken up the mantle of its daily affairs once again, overshadowing his placeholder. The Immortal Dr. Fu Manchu didn't take kindly to that or Vandal Savage rejecting Fu Manchu's inclusion into the Light while choosing another Legionnaire, Master Terrific, as a member to goad Luthor.

Fu Manchu was planning a hostile takeover of the Legion of Doom and once the coup was complete, and Luthor's loyalists purged from its ranks, Fu Manchu would join Goldilocks' resistance to the Light's agenda. The Injustice Gang's leadership, Signalman and Black Spider, had pledged their support as well. She'd just finished negotiations with the recently humbled Secret Society.

Libra and Major Disaster had been recruiting new members when Dr. Riddle led the team on a disastrous murder-for-hire campaign for rogue members of Intergang's 100 in Chicago against the Outlaws. The Secret Society had been lucky to survive. Only the timely intervention by private security and the police had spared the Societors from death sentences doled out by the Outlaws. Libra and Major Disaster made their team pay a heavy penance for going rogue in their absence. It was Libra and Major Disaster that committed the team to resisting Vandal Savage's ambitions.

Meanwhile, the Justice League Unlimited, Justice Society and all of Homeland Security's related super teams seemed blithely unaware of the brewing war underneath their very noses. Cowgirl had reached out to the hacktivist collective known as the Network and discovered they were well aware of the Light and Savage's ultimate ambitions. Adding to the drama were the ambitions of the Crimson Queen, Disco Mummy, and a returned Saturn Queen. Saturn Queen had at least courted the Light for Vandal Savage's support for her ambitions in her native 31st Century. But he'd chosen her chief rival as a partner. So Saturn Queen smuggled herself back onto Earth to dismantle the Light before it could become a thorn in her side in the future.

As much as it pained Goldilocks, she'd reached out to the three women. They were willing tp put their own rivalries aside in order to thwart Vandal Savage and the Light. The problem for Goldilocks was coordinating everyone's efforts. Fu Manchu wasn't emplaced yet. The Injustice Gang was busy setting up their own protection scheme in Portland and Vancouver. The Secret Society was literally nursing its wounds. The Crimson Queen agreed to assist Goldilocks but not at Disco Mummy's side. Disco Mummy, for her part, desired only to remain an independent operative with a common goal. Saturn Queen still wanted to burn the world down and didn't care about collateral damage. In short, everyone wanted to do their own thing and hope it worked out for a collective goal.

And then Secretary Bones came calling. Goldilocks wondered if it was a windfall or the end of everything. Bones collaborated on many things with the Secretary for Meta-Human Affairs. Amanda Waller was still a dominating puppet master. But together they had access to some of the most powerful beings in the New Universe. Goldilocks preferred the old Multiverse she still remembered but was making due with the New Earth environment. Goldilocks had only met a few people that still remembered the Multiverse of old. They all seemed a bit mental. She wondered what that said about her. No other Injusticer recalled it and their ranks had a number of sociopaths in it. But she was the only recovering psychotic, she supposed.

Roger Hayden, the original Psycho Pirate still remembered it. But his sister, Regina, was the new Psycho Pirate and she hadn't a clue. Regina was a definite sociopath while Roger had been with the Anti Monitor when the last universe and the Antimatter Universe obliterated one another. Roger had only been spared by being whisked away to another Realm of Existence while Glorith prepared to harvest Dr. Manhattan's power and create Rebirth. But even a being as powerful as Dr. Manhattan could only empower her to create a single New Universe.

Glorith was a native of the 31st Century where there had only ever been a New Universe. So discovering a Multiverse in the past had been mind boggling to her. But the Crisis of the Multiverse eradicated her confusion and galvanized her into planning for Rebirth after Final Crisis and Zero Hour completed the destruction of that Realm of Existence. And it was imperative to restore the Realm or twenty-four of the Twenty-Seven Realms of Existence would cease to be. Only Heaven and Hell would remain. Hell would only remain as a punishment from God upon Satan and his cohorts.

The Anti Monitor, the Monitor had known, had to win. Only the mutual destruction of the Prime Universe, the last one remaining, and its counterpart Antimatter Universe would kill the Anti Monitor rather than empower him as absolute monarch of a solely remaining antimatter universe. When that Realm of Existence ceased to be, so did the Anti Monitor. Even now that there was a New Antimatter Universe to juxtapose the New Universe, there were no Monitor or Anti Monitor in either of them. Nor had there ever been. Goldilocks could easily live without a second Crisis.

The crisis concerning the Light was enough to juggle. None of her so-called "allies" wanted to coordinate any efforts, preferring to work at separate and sometimes cross purposes. The teams involved had been spurned by Vandal Savage. So their loyalties weren't guaranteed if the Light should make overtures towards them. But Saturn Queen, the Crimson Queen, and Disco Mummy had each been courted and rejected Savage's offer of subordinate roles. Just as Vandal Savage had rejected their counter offers of the same.

Vandal Savage had been startled by the Crimson Queen and Disco Mummy knowing about his eons old meta-human arms race with Darkseid. Or that Darkseid's fall before Grail's wrath had enabled the Light to slaughter the New Gods. Only a handful still remained alive and free. Granny Goodness, the Female Furies, and the Darkseid worshiping Daxamite, Dev Em, cut deals with the Light, turning to work for them rather than attempt to flee. The others of Darkseid's Elite that remained alive sheltered behind Glorious Godfrey and Amazing Grace's Dark Circle, which controlled one-quarter of the universe.

Fewer still from Supertown on New Genesis were still alive. Only Mr. Miracle, Barda, Orion, Lightray, and Beka were known to have survived. Scott Free and Barda were attempting to live suburban lives as an entertainment couple. Beka was a Fear Lantern and protected by both the Guardians of the Universe and Brainiac on War World. Orion and Lightray were always on the move and harder still to track down. The Light no longer considered any of them threats.

Goldilocks thought about approaching Maxima and Kalea-El. But the former Empress of Almerac was on Earth to raise her youngest daughter and avoiding domestic politics. Kalea was a bounty-killer that worked for the Light and knew first hand what Vandal Savage was up to. But it didn't seem to affect her so she left well alone. Goldilocks knew a dead end when she saw one.

As Goldilocks prepared to brief the Injustice Society on their newest role working with the government rather than against it, she had no idea the Light was convening a council to address the problem the Injustice Society's continued defiance posed.


Vandal Savage stood in the heart of his communications room. His daughter Scandal and her New God lover, Knockout, joined him in the room. Everyone else was represented by a holographic avatar. The only one nearing Savage's own age was Granny Goodness, who oversaw the training camps the LuthorCorp Everyman Project fed meta-humans to. The youngest was the 10-year old Lori Morning, who as the Time Trapper, was Vandal Savage's insurance against a betrayal from Glorith's altering the past again. Those virtually attending were the elite among the elite. Lex Luthor broadcast from the Hall of Doom secreted away in he Vanishing Isles. The Queen Bee broadcast from her palace on Balyia. Lena Luthor appeared from her office atop LuthorCorp in Metropolis. Deathstroke attended from his hunting lodge in Kenya. That left a host of others, though Savage had an errand for a missing member. Iron Knife might be represented but his forces were needed to dispatched from the Iron Country in Africa that the warlord ruled to Superior City. A cadre of his mercenary specialists, the Iron Knives, would supplement what Vandal Savage was about to recommend. Ra's al Ghul and Nyssa Raatko would have been in attendance had they not already been committed to another task in Gotham City.

"Thank you for attending on short notice despite the many time zones involved," Vandal Savage began, "But the Injustice Society has become a threat to the Light."

"I take it you have a recommendation on hos to deal with them?" the Queen Bee asked.

"I do," Savage told her.

"Then stop wasting our time and simply make the demand for services rendered," Luthor was growing increasingly impatient with Vandal Savage's requests since the fall of the New Gods.

"Such a vexing tone. Granny should spank," Granny Goodness chided him.

"If we could return to the business at hand?" Lena Luthor suggested.

"This will require a multi-pronged attack. Superior City must be led to feel they no longer require the Injustice Society's services or that the Injusticers are unreliable. I recommend the latter," Vandal Savage continued, "The Deep Web Collective will remotely attack their infrastructure. Meanwhile Iron Knife will supply a cadre of his mercenary bodyguards to menace the population. As non-gen actives, the Injustice Society should not be called upon to deal with them. However, Deathstroke and his Titans will provide a direct assault upon the Injusticers. I want as many of them as possible terminated before we proceed against them any further. Perhaps a culling of their ranks will persuade Goldilocks to see reason to recommend Knightfall's license proposal to the city government."

"A coordinated attack should be easier to arrange given the proximity of my compound to the Iron Country," Slade Wilson remarked, "We can charter flights to PDX and then regional hops to Superior City itself. But we will require a staging ground."

"The League of Assassins will provide a safe house. That will be the extent of the involvement from them or the Injustice League," Vandal Savage told him.

"LuthorCorp also has a building for housing visiting executives," Lena told Deathstroke, "It's probably best to separate your team from the Iron Knives given the police manhunt that will result from their terrorist action."

"Is it secure?" Slade inquired.

"Zither Security Group maintains external and internal security. As they do corporate wide," Lena answered. She didn't elaborate that Candace Zither, the corporate chairperson, was a member of the Legion of Doom's brain trust.

"Good. The last thing we'll need is an open access environment the police can simply wander into without proper warrants," Deathstroke replied.

"Like all LuthorCorp executive housing, it has an underground tunnel exit that empties into an empty warehouse maintained and secured by the Zither Group," Lena added the bonus enticement, "So you can enter and exit freely. Without your being in the corporate housing. The warehouse is listed under a shell company that traces back to the MARS Corporation. They're unaware of the affiliation. But they signed the necessary contracts and licensing when they co-ventured with us in Bailya."

LuthorCorp had bought themselves the Caspian region nation-state of Bailya after the Crimson Queen abdicated. The tribal leaders each were led ot believe they alone were selling out. In the end LuthorCorp ended up owning the entire country and MARS Corp used it to design and manufacture weapons that would be illegal to build anywhere else. Of course, this was done with the permission of its nearby neighbor, Baliya. Iran, which shared a common border with Bailya had tried ot invade. But like the costly war with Iraq, the toll in human lives proved too great. LuthorCorp field tested some MARS Corp's latest sanctioned weaponry on the Iranians.

The United Nations barely objected since Iran, though a member nation, was considered a rogue state that sponsored world-wide terrorism. Applying sanctions to LuthorCorp and MARS Corp proved difficult since half the world's arms came from them. Cauldwell Arms and Ferris Aircraft were the next largest competitors. Cauldwell had been taken over by Derek Powers while Eliot Cauldwell served a prison term for his contract killing sprees as the Wrath. Ferris Air was in upheaval since Carol Ferris had given her controlling share to a Debi Camille Darnell, in reality the alien Star Sapphire named Remoni-Notra, and sliver of shares to Hal Jordan.

Hal sold his ten percent stake to Powers as a revenge tactic but Debi Darnell still held 55% of the shares, which not only gave her a controlling interest but control over the Board of Directors despite her "neutral" stance regarding the elected Chairman of the Board. Powers sat in on the Board through proxies and made his discontent at Debi's continued presence when she herself didn't employ a proxy. Remoni-Notra had also been given the Ferris Manor in Sussex. Carol kept the flat in London for whenever she and her husband, Kyle Rayner, and their wife, Kara In-Ze, were on Earth. Which since Carol was the Sapphire Queen of Zamaron, Kyle a leading Green Lantern on Oa, and Kara one of the leaders of the Darkstars, didn't happen very often.

Powers had thought himself invincible when he took Wayne Enterprises from Bruce Wayne after Bruce foolishly sold the vital ten percent of his controlling shares to Lucius Fox. Powers killed Lucius for them. Then he ousted Bruce from his own family's company. Wayne-Powers had swallowed Kord Industries, Dagget Industries, Kale Tech, Palmer Tech, Cauldwell Arms, and was currently engaged in hostile bids for Queen Consolidated and Smoak Tech. But three rival companies remained outside his grasp. MARS Corp was too financially insulated to leverage. LuthorCorp's controlling private shares were largely divided between Lex and Lena with the publicly traded shares without controlling value. Finally came the privately held Starrware, which continually expanded its already diversified tech industry base without needing investment capital.

Powers knew that Karen Starr sold vast quantities of platinum, gold, silver, and rare earth minerals but they hadn't been able to locate where she sourced them from. The Luthors saw Karen and Starrware as a threat as well. Her vice president in acquisitions, Mary Bromfield, had an eye for tech startups and newly patented technologies that allowed Starrware to get the legal rights to them first. Karen herself had begun as an investor before consolidating her startups into one corporation. Lena was disgruntled by the fact that Karen was rapidly becoming the second wealthiest and corporately powerful woman in the world second only to Lena herself. Even Felicity Smoak and Emiko Queen couldn't make that boast.

"You'll have the discretion and privacy you desire," Lena promised Slade.

"I'll alert my Titans," Deathstroke told them, "They're all coming off of individual contracts. A group endeavor would be well timed to remind them that they are still a group."

"And what of Patricia Trayce's involvement?" Vandal Savage inquired sharply.

"Vigilante sees the Injustice Society as a band of sheltered criminals. She'll have no qualms or objections to terminating some or all of them," Slade assured him. Pat Trayce had been a GCPD deective when Slade Wilson first met her. Upon learning he was Deathstroke and in town to kill Sal Moronni, Trayce had asked to be a part of the effort rather than hinder it. Afterwards, she turned in her shield and Slade equipped her to travel worldwide while eliminating criminals and cartels wherever she went. His only request was that she join his Titans on assignments that didn't violate her operational code of conduct. She wouldn't kill law enforcement or costumed vigilantes. But any criminal was fair game to her.

"Excellent. Unless we have further business, I will contact Iron Knife and make preparations for his force to join you in Superior City," Vandal Savage was pleased.

"I have one question," Luthor stated, "Where is Lois Lane?"

"This doesn't involve Superman so her presence wasn't required," Vandal Savage said easily.

"I am uneasy with how you've decided to play favorites in this council," Queen Bee admitted, "Even if Lane were omitted, we shouldn't make a plan as bold as this one without input from Ra's al Ghul and Nyssa Raatko."

"They're already committed to a Light project in Gotham City," Savage was forced to admit. He hadn't consulted with anyone regarding that plan either.

"That wasn't the arrangement we all made. We were to kept abreast of the Light's activities in order to further support them," Luthor seized upon that salient fact.

"And without me there was never any Light," Savage snapped back, "So I'm allowed discretionary actions."

"Then you'd best hope that whatever errand they're tasked with doesn't fail," Lena switched her avatar off.

Luthor and the Queen Bee followed suit. Granny Goodness chuckled malevolently as she turned her projector off.

"Bad form, Vandal. You still need them," Deathstroke counseled him, "I know they'll die and be replaced. We all will except for you. But while you need them, you shouldn't abuse their trust in the institution. And as you bluntly reminded them, you are the institution."

"But Saturn Queen and Glorith's overtures have shown me I won't be successful for another thousand years. And even then, only if I partner with one of them," Vandal Savage grated, "I'm growing impatient for my ultimate vicory."

"Darkseid is dead, or as good as. The New Gods dead or in hiding. You've won the first round after fifty thousand years of waiting. What's a mere thousand more?" Deathstroke asked him before signing off.

"And you two?" Savage barked at Scandal and Knockout.

"There's wisdom in what he said," Scandal Savage told her father, "But it's not my turn to wait. I'll be long dead in a thousand years."

Vandal Savage had fathered many children. None of them inherited his immortality. Even Knockout would age somewhat by then. He'd learned early on to kill the male offspring and train up the daughters to serve his interests. Scandal was dutiful but Knockout was a New God. And that posed an ethical dilemma for Scandal. Eventually she'd betray him. All his children did. But he'd make her watch him kill Knockout first.

"You're dismissed," Vandal said irritably. Lori Morning's image was the last to remain.

"You agree with Slade, don't you?" he asked the Time Trapper.

"My predecessor grew impatient and Glorith killed him as a result. I'm only here temporarily as a consultant. You chose Glorith's side in the coming war," Lori reminded him.

"At your suggestion!" Savage snapped at her.

"Glorith is a known variable. Saturn Queen, guided by the Blue Flame of Chaos, isn't," Time Trapper reminded him, "I can anticipate Glorith but Saturn Queen has left the sanity reservation."

"You disagree with my striking out at the Injustice Society," Vandal Savage realized.

"History from the First Age of Heroes is fragmentary at best. But there's no mention of it in any of my research. Either your efforts are a complete success and you wiped them from memory or your efforts are an abysmal failure," Lori shrugged, "Either way, it's your decision to make. You'll live the consequences while I'll be a thousand years in the future where none of it mattered anyway. It's the Justice League Unlimited and the Justice Society that inspired the Legion of Superheroes and the Justice League Infinite to band together. Knightfall's utopian vision comes about and lasts until the 29th Century. The details of how it started are fuzzy though. So in the long run the Injustice Society are hiccups in Knightfall's success rate. I think you're just mad because someone told you 'no' to your face and you weren't in a position to kill them."

"You may have something there," Savage admitted, "But I have several arrangements to make now because I have committed to this course. And I have someone waiting on me."

"Lois Lane left your bedroom an hour ago to return to her apartment and ready herself for her working day at the Daily Star," Time Trapper advised him, "Remember, this is all about the sex, not a commitment."

"I find it strange to receive sexual advice from a ten-year old," Vandal Savage bristled.

"I'm also from the future so I know Lois Lane is immortal like you. And she's still single," Lori warned him.

"Duly noted," Vandal Savage said sullenly.

"Good," Time Trapper signed off and he made ready to contact Iron Knife. Iron Knife was more than willing send a cadre of his Iron Knives to Superior City to pose a threat to the police force and the citizens. In fact, Iron Knife demanded to lead the squad himself.

"That isn't necessary," Vandal Savage grated, "If your gen factor becomes revealed, they'll call in the Injustice Society to deal with you. Leave them to Deathstroke."

"Your plan requires I send my Iron Knives. I will only do so if I personally lead them," Iron Knife warned him, "Get used to that reality."

If the Iron Country didn't provide the Light with an international presence, he would've cast Iron Knife aside long ago. Instead, Savage swallowed his immense pride, "Very well. But no using your powers. Once the Superior City Police Department sniffs that you're gen active, they'll hand you off to their hired muscle."

"Perhaps I'll save Deathstroke the bother of killing them," Iron Knife deactivated his avatar before Savage could reply.

The only good Vandal Savage could see coming out of this was that as a head of state, Iron Knife could claim diplomatic immunity for himself and his staff of killers. Even if the Injusticers captured them, the African warlord and his entourage would be released as soon as the US State Department was contacted. Now Savage looked forward to inevitable confrontation. Goldilocks would have to kill them in order to keep them from leaving Superior City as free individuals. Her arrangement with the police forbade unjustified killings. Iron Knife would play the role of victimized ruler of a nation for the cameras and journalists. If the Injustice Society chose to escalate the conflict at that point, they'd be branded as murderers. Thereby removing two headaches from Vandal Savage's ongoing planning.


The gathered Injusticers were skeptical regarding Bones' declared policy on non-interference in their ongoing operations. Elizabeta Eiling, who'd become the General in her father's place, led the protests, "These are the same bastards that jointly funded the experiments that made me the General. Bones can't be trusted."

"No one said anything about trust," Goldilocks admitted, "But we do Homeland a favor now and then and we stay off of their 'wanted' lists."

"And they'll just turn a blind eye to our other operations," the Dummy snorted.

"To a point," Goldilocks admitted, "We'd have to reduce quantity for quality of the haul."

"Even the Secretary of Homeland Security has to make a major bust now and then to justify his operations," Winnifred "Winnie" Schott, the Toygirl, made mention, "Too many 'unsolved' crimes makes his agencies look bad."

"Bones didn't make this offer to the Injustice Gang or the Secret Society. He came to us," Shadow Thief had checked on both, "I believe he told the truth about wiping our warrants in exchange for consultations and curtailing our outer operations. But like Goldilocks said, we substitute quantity of criminal activities for quality heists. Then all we have to contend with is vigilante teams trying to pin crimes on us."

"That goes double for your operation," Goldilocks warned Matilda Mathis. Dollhouse's illegal organ harvesting operation had a very rich and discreet clientele but only so many homeless people and volunteers for cash could go missing before some agency or the other noticed. The Dollmaker's daughter's own private experiments drew unwanted attention. She'd been warned before but now the investigators were at the door of her private clinic aboard a freighter. She performed her operations in international waters but her "donors" were all US citizens. Marginalized but still citizens.

"Anyone who declines to be a 'consultant' is free to do so. I made it clear that most of you would object and wish to stay out of this new program," Goldilocks assured them.

"Where do we sign up for that?" Psycho Pirate inquired.

"Just log your names in with Cowgirl and Cyber Witch and we can move forward," Goldilocks broke the meeting up while the hackers inputted names into the objections list. As she'd known would happen, most of them objected. Others, who she had expected to protest didn't sign up for the exclusionary list.

"That went better than expected," Brainwave mentioned to Goldilocks as the Injusticers filed out of the briefing theater.

"Reading my thoughts?" Goldilocks only half jested.

"Just your face," Brainwave told her.

The Mist approached Goldilocks, "Does this mean we'd be working with superheroes?"

Goldilocks wondered what motivated Andy Nash's question, "I'm afraid so."

"Cool," Mist wandered off.

"She seems nonchalant about it," Clock Queen observed rather wryly.

"Andy isn't a die hard criminal," Shadow Thief reminded her, "Unlike her grandfather."

"Captain Comet seems enthused by the prospect," Wizard pointed out.

"He seems enthused by every new opportunity," Hazard remarked. Becky Sharpe seemed to be watching Captain Comet closely these days.

"This does present new and rarefied opportunities for us to expand our branding," the Gambler mused. Carde Sharpe claimed to be another descendant of the original Gambler but Hazard denied any familial connection to her.

"Did you notice Toygirl and Prank didn't sign up?" Wizard asked, "Neither did US Evil."

"Winnie and Zoe have ulterior motives," Brainwave replied. Toygirl was the inheritor of Schott's Toys after her brother's death. Winslow Schott had been the Toyman, inspiring Winnie to take his place. Zoe Clark had inherited Clark's Toys, Schott's main competitor. Her obsession with the Trickster driving her to become his sidekick for a time. But James Jesse lost interest in her and Prank wnt her own way until Goldilocks recruited her. She'd found a kindred spirit in Toygirl.

Cowgirl and Cyber Witch inputted the last names into their networked iPads. Cowgirl tipped her cowboy hat back a bit, revealing more of her pink and blue hair, "That's everyone that objected."

"I lost my personal bet when Safari didn't sign up," Cyber Witch joked.

Safari was an African tribal hunter who'd come to the United States to hunt people. She used a variety of high tech version of traditional African hunting tools. Her blonde dreadlocks made her stand out in a crowd even as a civilian.

"She doesn't care who she hunts for as long as she's on the hunt," Cowgirl drawled in her Texan accent. Red lights flashed in every room in the multi-domed HQ as alarms sounded. Cowgirl snarled, "Dammit! Someone just probed our defenses."

She and Cyber Witch bolted for the Ops Center where Cyber Witch sat at a multi screened station linked to the Injusticers' and city's networks while Cowgirl strapped into VR gear. Goldilocks and the others with her followed.

"How bad was it?" Goldilocks asked.

"Pretty damn bad. Thy broke the outer firewall before the secondary took them by surprise. It was an infrastructure attack," Cyber Witch monitored the potential for damage, "They left behind some nasty viruses and trojans."

"Any idea who could've gotten this far?" Gambler asked. As the team's chief strategist, it was her rol to devise defensive and offensive responses.

"Yah, I gotta footprint here," Cowgirl reported, "This was Cowboy and Wrangler's work. That's how they spotted the weak link in the outer firewall. I'd expect more of the same."

"Why?" Hazard asked.

"`Cause Cowboy and Wrangler joined up with the Deep Web Collective," Cowgirl continued searching VR space for clues as to where the attack was initiated from.

"What's a Deep Web Collective?" Shadow Thief inquired.

"There are two premier hacking collectives in the world," Cyber Witch explained, "The Deep Web Collective, which a group of terrorists that are also employed by the Light. The other is the Network which is a hacktivist group that solves crimes and led by the literal ghost in the machine that calls itself Oracle. Cowgirl thinks Oracle is a real person. My wager is on an AI of some kind because Oracle doesn't leave footprints and no one is that good."

"I've narrowed the Network down to four hackers: Oracle, Overwatch, Cypher, and a part-timer called the Commish. The Commish appears to be actual law enforcement," Cowgirl finished the explanation, "My other pet theory is that except for Wrangler, the Deep Web is all male while the Network is made up of women."

"I call bullshit!" Cyber Witch declared, "You can't possibly know that."

"Oracle personally recruited the Network the way Deep Web gathered the Collective," Cowgirl argued, "Like attracts like. I have inferential evidence that Oracle, Overwatch, Cypher and the Commish are all women. I also know some of the Collective personally and they're all angry me. Cowboy and I went our separate ways because I wouldn't join the Collective."

"So that was the job you wouldn't sing on to," Cyber Witch realized.

"Deep Web suddenly had deep pockets and I traced the funding back to what became Oracle Corp. Which Vandal Savage renamed after Oracle infiltrated his business front. It's a perverse honor in his mind. But Oracle Corp is a shell company to disguise the Light," Cowgirl explained, "I refused to work for Savage and was replaced days later by Wrangler."

"You knew?" Clock Queen asked Goldilocks.

"Most of it," Goldilocks affirmed it, "It's why I recruited Cowgirl after Vandal Savage's visit. She'd already partnered with Cyber Witch and we needed both of them in order to protect Superior City from the Light's reprisal."

"What inferential evidence do have about Oracle being a woman?" Cyber Witch asked out of nowhere.

"She contacted my and asked m to join the Network," Cowgirl finally confessed to someone, "The money was good but not enough. So I turned her down. Everything I got off of her through her VR avatar made it seem it was purposefully sexless to hide she's a woman. It was little things that gave her away. Subconscious cues. Anyway, Deep Web's offer followed and I was suddenly partner-less. You'd been on my radar for a while so I asked you to partner up with me."

"I suddenly feel like a consolation prize," Cyber Witch complained.

"You're so much better than Cowboy. He rode on my rep and now rides on Wrangler's skills. But you're better than she is. He couldn't find you to make an offer. I could. Which demonstrates both our skills," Cowgirl told her.

"This is illuminating but what about the attack?" Gambler interrupted, "Did you trace it back to its source?"

"They're actually collected and mobile," Cowgirl reported, "Best guess? They're inside a semi's tractor trailer being hauled around while satellite linked to the internet. Their GPS signature had them on a Highway 26 headed east from Portland, Oregon headed to the coast and Superior City. They must need to establish a hard link into the targeted infrastructures to attempt to bypass our software protections."

"That'll be one avenue of attack," Gambler told them, "Vandal Savage practically invented siege warfare. He'll Trojan horse in other operatives to attack us and the city itself. My bet is on two teams of operatives. One made of norms to overwhelm the SCPD and create a terror environment while sending in a strike team specifically aimed at us."

No one in the room would ever bet against the Gambler except for Hazard. And only then because Hazard could change the probabilities commonly referred to as "luck", "You'd best contact Commissioner Torres and tell her to increase patrols and surveillance of city infrastructure and public transportation hubs to look for suspicious arrivals."

"Who would they be looking for?" Wizard asked.

"The FBI's 'Top Wanted' list," Shadow Thief replied.


In the Vanishing Isles, Queen Alani, known the outer world beyond her independent Indonesian kingdom as the South Seas Girl, allowed the Legion of Doom to base a Hall of Doom there. She'd also chosen a side in the brewing leadership conflict. Alani backed Fu Manchu and had given him one of the island's temple-palaces as his own private alchemist's laboratory. It also served as Fu Manchu's base from which to plot his impending coup attempt. Inside the temple's state of the art interior, next generation technologies monitored the communications coming to and from the Hall of Doom. Including Luthor's entire conference with the Light.

This was made possible by a member of the Light that had been excluded from the conference. Master Terrific had been the Terry Sloane of Earth-3 brought to Earth Prime by the Monitor to be a Paragon. When Glorith shaved of a second of time from the Prime Universe prior to its destruction in Final Crisis, Master Terrific had been copied as well. So Glorith used Dr. Manhattan's power to initiate Rebirth and expand that second into a new timeline, it created the New Universe replete with the Monitor's doppelgangers he'd brought from other universes.

Master Terrific had been chosen to join the Light to irk Lex Luthor rather than on Sloane's own merits. With him joining Fu Manchu and Alani were his frequent collaborators: Dr. Jamie Moriarty, Irene Adler, Ethel Boston, and Lady Fairplay. Moriarty, unknown to Luthor, was the secret Director behind Intergang. Moriarty's reasons for joining the Legion of Doom had nothing to do with Luthor's plans.

Irene Adler was the original Sherlock Holmes' nemesis daring back to Victorian England. The American had been the person to stump Holmes, not once but twice. That alone made Fu Manchu offer her immortality. The fact that she'd also become Holmes' lover and broken his heart also played to Fu Manchu's decision.

Ethel Boston was the woman who murdered Holmes and Dr. James Watson. She'd then "investigated" her own handiwork and framed two innocent men for it. So Holmes and Watson had been undone by two American women. Fu Manchu rewarded Boston for role as well.

Fu Manchu's alchemiac immortality elixir had begun to wear off in recent months. Before he'd stabilized the formula, he'd aged by decades. He was able to provide Adler and Boston with the corrected serum so they wouldn't undergo the same rapid aging process. Dr. Fu's criminal enterprise, the Si-Fan, had infiltrated criminal organizations throughout the world, including the Triads and Intergang. Which was how Dr Manchu learned that Moriarty had become Intergang's secret Director as well as the European Director.

Mary Lee, Lady Fairplay, had been raised alongside Veronica Sinclair at the New Earth's original Mister Terrific's knee. That Terry Sloane had tried to impart the lessons of fair play into the girls. But Mary learned her biological parents had been a Black couple killed in a racially motivated murder. That knowledge twisted Mary's understanding of Terry's lessons. Just as Veronica became Roulette, mistress and manager of the Meta-Human Brawl, so Mary became the criminal, Lady Fairplay.

Lady Fairplay had been easy prey to Master Terrific's seduction and manipulation. He carried with him into the Legion of Doom. As the only other 12th Level intelligence on the New Earth besides the Luthors, his inclusion had been a natural selection. Adler, Boston, and Moriarty were brought in by Fu Manchu while Luthor divested his role to be UN Secretary-General. Now the informal sub-team made up the core nucleus of Fu Manchu's rebellion against Luthor.

"It seems Vandal Savage is sidetracked by Superior City," Fu Manchu noted, "Even to the point of risking alienating the Light's leadership council."

"It's exploitable," Master Terrific agreed.

"But we can't personally exploit it with Legionnaires," Moriarty warned them all, "This is where my Intergang connections prove useful. I've just the agents to exploit this."

"Will your secret headship of Intergang be threatened?" Adler worried.

"My agents won't even know they're serving my interests," Moriarty laughed, "I need a dimensional beacon constructed to broadcast at a very specific wavelength. I'll need it built in Superior City to be effective at gathering my unwitting forces."

"It will be done," Fu Manchu promised.


Two chartered flights landed at Superior City's regional airport. One had left Kenya with connecting stops at JFK and PDX for refueling. The other followed a similar departure plan but came out of the Iron Country and landed in Havana and then Panama rather than New York City or Portland. Both flights were met at their assigned hangars by SCPD officers and Customs officials.

Officers Ginnifer Wang and Robert "Bobby" MacNeil stood by while Customs cleared Slade Wilson's party. The mix of American and British passports didn't raise a red flag. But Carla Morenni's Italian passport had an INTERPOL flag on it. Wang and MacNeil were brought in to detain Cinder while the closest FBI field office was contacted and agents could be sent to collect Carla. Fortunately for the Titans, Horus was arriving under his own power. Aton Tomaz's Kahndaqian passport would highten tensions.

Of course, as a member of Kahndaq's ruling family, Aton could claim diplomatic immunity. The difficulty would be in convincing Aton to be taken into custody at all before he invoked the power of the Lords of Chaos and switched to his Black Marvel form. That was a headache Slade wasn't ready to endure. As things stood now, Cinder and Slade's son, Grant, were twitchy enough. The last thing their plan needed just yet was Jackal going on a bloodbath.

"My associate will be happy to comply to clear up any outstanding legal matters," Slade said for Cinder's benefit as well as Jackal's. Cinder knew Deathstroke wouldn't leave her to be collected by the FBI but the team needed time to gear up to meet the SCPD and Injustice Society on its own terms. So she went willingly.

The LuthorCorp SUVs arrived to collect the team and offload their equipment from the plane. Equipment that would never have been allowed on a commercial flight. They still had business with local suppliers. Ammunition was heavy in bulk and the aircraft had a much smaller weight limit than a cargo plane. Orders had been placed with local dealers before they ever gathered on the plane. Zither Security would handle picking up the deliveries. They'd brought their own personal weapons.

None of them besides Vigilante had worked inside Superior City before. The last time she'd been present had been before the Injustice Society's advent, "I've warned you before, this a dystopian version of Metropolis, New York City, and Gotham all rolled into one. So don't be surprised by the wealth inequality you're about to observe. For some it's like living in the best parts of Metropolis. For others its the ghettos of Gotham. People are just surviving or reaping the benefits of the top ten percent. Gang violence rivals that of South Central Los Angeles."

"Yet the police could be bothered to greet our flight," Deathstroke observed, "I think Goldilocks is expecting us or someone else from Vandal Savage to be contracted to kill the Injusticers."

"You did say this a grudge killing for hire," the Surgeon said in that playfully dismissive way of his.

"Then let's get on with it," his partner, Crossfire, urged, "We need to gear up and get Cinder out of police custody.

"She can get herself out," Jackal snorted, "We need to get intel on the Injusticer's island base."

"We can do both," Ink, the Tattooed Man, demanded.

"Horus will get her out of SCPD custody when he arrives," Deathstroke told them, "The rest of us will be interrogating the architect that designed the headquarters. The city employed a local firm and the chief designer lives in the city."

"How enhanced do we intend to get with this interrogation?" SpecOps asked.

"Does it matter?" Dead End asked.

"It does to some of us," Vigilante could see Ink was in agreement with her.

"Pussies," Jackal snorted

"Vigilante, you'll gear up and take Ink, Hitman, and Natt the Hat with you to set up an observation perimeter around the Injusticers," Deathstroke commanded, "The rest of you will join me in questioning the architect."

The Zither Security Group would be delivering six unmarked SUVs licensed and registered to a shell company. They boarded the LuthorCorp vehicles and were driven to the executive apartment complex. Their gear was off loaded into a separate bunker beneath the building while the Zither Group delivered the SUVs.

"Take up positions surrounding the headquarters but do not move on it until we have the data on the interior that we require," Deathstroke told the spotting team. They geared up and left in a single SUV. Slade turned to the others, "Take two vehicles and proceed to address already coded into the GPS. Don't bother coming back without the plans."

"This is a home address?" the Surgeon inquired.

"He mainly works remotely. So he'll be tied into his office and can pull and print blueprints," Deathstroke informed them, "He has no security to speak of. But we need him silenced before we can move on the Injusticers, Horus and I will liberate Cinder."

"How 'silenced' are we talking about?" Crossfire asked.

"To the point he won't contact the SCPD and report your break-in," Deathstroke informed them, "Be creative."

"My specialty," Jackal chuckled.

The gen factor activation process using mirakuru as a catalyst in Slade had only driven him insane for a few days. With Grant, it turned him into a psychopath. That effect lingered to the present day. Of all the Titans, Deathstroke knew Jackal the best and trusted him the least. He trusted Vigilante the most but her moral constraints limited how far she'd push the architect. And they desperately needed his information. Slade had double checked that it was a 'he' they were going after.

As the two teams deployed in three SUVs, Deathstroke idly wondered if Iron Knife's contingent had arrived yet and he irritably wondered what was holding Horus up.


SCPD Officers N'Kimbo Jones and Loretta Washington awaited Iron Knife's plan as it taxied to a halt and Customs agents prepped to check passports. The sight of armed female mercenaries disembarking had Jones calling in for backup. Iron Knife was the last to exit the plane. He came down the steps and looked around like a monarch declaring the conquest of a new land. The bodyguard specialists, the Knives, were all drawn from South Africa and included Afrikaners and Boer alike. Their captain, the only male of the group, moved forward to discuss matters with the alarmed Customs agents and Jones and Washington.

"Greetings! I am Captain Wantanabe. I present the exalted leader of the Iron Country, Mbeli Ebedende, the Iron Knife. And his faithful retinue of personal security," the captain told them.

"No one filed any paperwork regarding a state level visit," the senior Customs official replied, "And the United States has never formally recognized the Iron Country as a legitimate, sovereign state."

"Mr. Ebedende is here as a private citizen but surely the police can recognize the need for his private security?" Wantanabe asked.

"Security, sure," Jones replied, "But a private army will need to be cleared. I've contacted Commissioner Torres. She'll be the one to negotiate with."

A limousine arrived with Humvees as escorts. Wantanabe smiled, "Your Commissioner has run out of time."

The Captain raised a hand and the Knives responded by aiming their assault rifles at the agents and police officers, "I believe we shall be going now."

"This isn't over," Washington told him, "The entire force will be looking for you."

"You should throw off your shackles and join us. In the Iron Country you could hold positions of real authority. Not just what white colonials will hand you," Wantanabe laughed.

The officers and agents were held at gunpoint while most of the Knives unloaded the plane's cargo hold under their captain's direction. Iron Knife stood by and observed his loyal bodyguards in action. As the limo and its escorts drove away, the plan taxied for an unscheduled take off. Airport officials scrambled to divert traffic while the aircraft simply took off. Jones and Washington called in the license plates of Iron Knife's convoy while they pursued the vehicles. Two Knives leaned out of the rearmost Humvee and opened fire on the police cruiser. That ended Jones and Washington's role as their bullet ridden vehicle came to a halt.

"You okay?" Jones noticed Washington's labored breathing.

"I took one in the vest," she replied, "Hurts like hell."

"Be glad they're not using military ammunition. It'd go through the vest," Jones told his partner, "But I wonder why they aren't?"

"Most of the world sanctions the Iron Country. They're landlocked and their neighbors they stole land from won't let traffic through by land. There aren't many countries that defy the UN backed weapons bans," Washington knew current events too.

"But Iran, North Korea, Russia, China, and Cuba bypass the bans by selling them regular ammo," Jones caught on, "Good work. You'll make detective yet."

"Isn't Iron Knife rumored to be gen active?" Washington asked, "Why's he need a private army with him?"

"It's still just a rumor," Jones reminded her, "Until we can confirm it, he's the SCPD's problem."

"Damn," Washington muttered, "The EMTs better get here quick. I don't want to answer questions to whoever gets assigned this case while I'm getting medically evaluated."

"Hopefully it'll be Wilcox and Johnson. They've got the experience dealing with the unexpected," Jones referred to Detectives Shara Wilcox and Pierce Johnson. They were typically assigned to the cases where meta-human intervention might be needed. They were also the most experienced with plain old weird shit.