Back on Earth, after the League had been called and told about the six away Leaguers being alive, and they had only just begun processing all of the newly freed metas, only then was Malllory able to sit down, her head buzzing with the events of the night. The original members of the team gathered in an office at the Taos center, all sitting, standing, or leaning in a semicircle, facing the man from the future and waiting for him to explain. He was leaning against the front of the desk, and after taking a long, collected breath, he did just that.
"When the Legionnaires went back to our time, we thought keeping you and the League busy with the Time Trapper would fix everything, but all it did was delay the inevitable. Apokolips, the Meta armies, the Dark Wars, the deaths of the League, everything still happened."
"I don't understand," Megan said. "I thought you came to the past to stop the Time Trapper. That was the only reason you came to the cave, and we did that."
He shook his head. "That's what we told you, but we were always prepared to handle him ourselves."
The team's faces hardened as they remembered exactly how the Legion had planned to accomplish that. "Then why come to us at all?" Kaldur asked. "You did not know when he would come, but you could have stayed out of sight for as long as you needed to, and we would never have known you were here. Why come to the cave?"
Brek's gaze stayed on the floor, the white of his eyelashes reflecting the light from the ceiling fan when he blinked. "Because…the Time Trapper wasn't our only mission. Or, at least, it wasn't Kara's only mission." He finally looked up, meeting their cautious faces. "Kara fought to lead the mission. She handpicked each of us, and she's the one that wanted the League to know we were here. She thought that if they were distracted thinking they were helping us, we would be more free to move around unnoticed."
"But you were always in the cave, the only times you ever left was with one of us," Zatanna argued, but as soon as she said it, as soon as Brek's head tilted knowingly, they started to realize that it wasn't exactly true. Sandy and Brek, they were always in the cave, and Sandy was obnoxious enough to keep the others from noticing that Kara wasn't always around.
"There was a project at Cadmus, at the time," Brek continued, not acknowledging the unspoken understanding that had happened, "called Doomsday. After Project Kr, they found a different way to take down Superman, combining DNA from several of the stronger members of the Justice League, including Kryptonian DNA. According to our history, that project would have been released just a few years later, killing Superman and marking the beginning of the Dark Wars, with Earth vulnerable to attack. She and Brainy took care of it."
A heavy silence followed, and Dick narrowed his eyes slightly, the rest of his face unreadable. "Ok, so why are you back, then?"
The Legionnaire winced, his eyes flicking to Mallory before settling back on the floor. "Because it didn't work," he admitted. "When we got back, everything we'd tried to prevent still happened, almost a decade later." Mallory's heart fluttered as she once again put together what he was saying, what he had said back on the Apokolips ship. Now. It was all pushed back, to now. He took a breath, and this time when he glanced at the pyrokinetic, she met his gaze. "I spent years trying to get the council to send me back," he said, and at that, she looked away, hating herself for the feelings that were stirring in her chest amongst the rest of the muddle of the last few days. He didn't miss a beat, "but every time, they refused. They insisted that history had to unfold the way it was supposed to, but…" he shook his head. "Kara and I, we couldn't let it go. Not after being here, and knowing all of you."
"So, how did you finally get them to send you back?" Zatanna asked.
"And how did you end up on the Apokolips ship?" Conner added.
Brek let out a huff that was not quite a laugh or a sigh. "Well, I didn't. The council was distracted during a siege of the Legion's headquarters, and Kara and I saw an opportunity to steal a time sphere."
"So she's here, too?" Megan asked.
Brek shook his head. "No. This…in order to keep the council from knowing where I landed and sending a squad to retrieve me, she had to stay behind and erase the travel log, and I had to destroy the time sphere when I got here. This was always a one way trip." Mallory kept her face stone, but her chest pulled at the news, and she kept her eyes glued to the baseboard across from her. She could feel him looking at her, knew that he wanted her to look at him, but after a moment, he continued, "I was supposed to land…well, it doesn't matter now, but I was sucked into a vortex, and I landed two months ago. I was captured and put into the cages, but I was lucky. They didn't sell me, or move me, so I just had to wait for you to come."
"What about the invasion?" Mallory asked. She finally raised her eyes to look at him, and the pain, the regret swimming in the blue brought up a different feeling: bitterness. All of the work she'd put into preparing for and getting over the Reach invasion, all the time she lost to fear, all of the lives that had been ruined because of that one point, none of it mattered. There was yet another to get through, and this one, she knew, she would not outlive.
Before he could answer, their comms went off, calling every hero to the Watchtower. "There is a situation," was the only explanation that Red Tornado provided. They all started to walk to the door, but Brek caught Mallory's arm, holding her back. She looked at him, both expectant and apprehensive, but after a long moment of him just searching her face, conflict showing in his eyes, he just said, "No matter what happens, just remember who you are right now."
She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head at his words, but he didn't offer an explanation, and they followed the others to the zeta tube, coming out at the back of a crowd on the Bridge.
It was the first time in months that the Watchtower had felt this small, with the League walkouts and the space squad all back. The walkouts from the team stood a little away, waiting for the invitation to join the others, but at the moment, everyone was more focused on whatever was at the front of the group. Mallory stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see over the others. She could just barely make out the back of a red haired man, and a silver helmet with wings on the sides.
"Who is that?" Artemis asked Flash.
He looked back at the team. "Your friends from New Genesis," he explained, looking at Conner when he said it. "And they brought a friend. He calls himself Orion. They've come to help us."
"Help us what?" Cassie asked, looking just as confused as the others, but Mallory looked at Brek, reading the answer on his face.
"Fight the invasion."
The younger members of the team didn't get time to ask what she was talking about, because just then the red haired man turned towards the new voices, and his face broke into a grin. "Superboy! Greetings!" he called, his voice booming.
Conner's eyes were tight, but he offered his friend a smile. "Hey, Bear." When the crowd of heroes parted to allow Conner to join the others, Mallory and a few of the other team members followed him up, gathering at the front of the crowd, where they could now see the rest of their guests.
Mallory remembered the strange crew from her one and only encounter with them, back when she had first joined the team. The Forever People, they called themselves. She only remembered two or three of their names, but the rest of them were so memorable, it was like she'd seen them just the day before. None of them had changed much, if at all, which made her wonder just how old they actually were, if ten years didn't show on their faces.
Conner's reunion was cut short by their companion in the silver helmet, a growl rumbling from his chest marking the end of the pleasantries. "We are here to offer you assistance with the battle to come," Dreamer explained, glancing at the grouchy man for cues. "Apokolips is moving their forces, and High Father has agreed that the Earth will be under his protection."
"Then won't attacking Earth break the treaty or something?" Conner asked. He didn't know everything about New Genesis politics, but he certainly knew more than anyone else in the room.
"Yes, but Darkseid no longer seems to care," Vykin, the leader, told them.
"Savage," Dick murmured, his voice sounding tired and sweat still beading on his forehead. "He told us to tell them who sent us," he reminded the others. "He knew exactly what we were doing."
"And you let this Savage destroy a peace treaty that came at such a high price!?" the man in the helmet, Flash had called him Orion, yelled, locking onto Nightwing. His voice, the gravelly tone, the pure, unabridged anger and hatred pouring out of him, made some of the heroes almost flinch, but Dick, despite his fever, held firm.
"We saved countless meta teens from a short life of slavery and suffering."
Orion scoffed, shaking his head like it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "Humans never could see the big picture. You think this is a victory, but you have no idea what is coming."
"Then explain it to us." Canary's voice was clear and firm, perfectly balancing the line between escalation and calm.
Orion's hands clenched into fists, but Dreamer saved him from having to answer the demand, stepping in front of the others. "The war between our planets has lasted since the beginning of time. The leaders of our planets entered into an uneasy truce when they swapped their infant sons, and that peace has more or less been kept, with the exception of a few isolated incidents through the years. It was when Apokolips took an interest in Earth some time ago, that High Father began to suspect Darkseid's intent to use it in an attack against New Genesis, but we always assumed that it would be a long time before that happened. Now, with the troops moving into position for attack as we speak, it is clear that he is done waiting."
Silence followed the declaration as the news sank in. This was real, an invasion more direct than the Reach, what could be a final stand, a war. A dark war.
"New Genesis will bring support as soon as our armies are prepared," Orion said, breaking through the shock. "Well, as many as we can spare, at least. We cannot, of course, leave our own planet unprotected or vulnerable to an attack."
"How will you help us with only part of an army?" Batman asked.
Orion sucked in an angry breath. "You dare to question us?" he growled, his eyes literally darkening under his helmet.
Diana put a hand on Bruce's shoulder, keeping him from provoking the alien further. "We are not questioning you," she said, "we are asking a question. How will you help us? How should we prepare to help ourselves?"
Bear, clearly not liking the tension in the air, coughed loudly, clapping Orion on the back so hard his tense frame leaned forward slightly before righting itself. "We have many contributions, do we not, Orion?"
The man grumbled, but he reached into the bag on his shoulder and pulled out a small metal box. "High Father has maintained the peace, but he has also prepared for the inevitability of that peace ending. This was one of the weapons he collected for his armory, and he has graciously agreed that any who can wield it may keep it beyond the fight." He didn't say it, but 'if they survive' seemed to echo off the walls. He opened the box and dumped the contents into his palm, a single white ring. He looked around expectantly, but no one knew what they were looking at. Their blank stares earned another irritated breath, and he shoved the ring at Vykin, who began to explain.
"Apokolips represents Antilife, slavery, and degradation, while New genesis represents life, freedom, and a connection to the source. Malinia ago, High Father commissioned a ring from the Guardians of the universe, one that would hold all the power of their spectrum of rings, and that would represent life."
A few feet away, Mallory noticed Hal and Kyle edge forward, trying to see the ring better. Guy was not so subtle. He flew over the crowd and landed at its edge, marching the rest of the way to stand right in front of the Forever Peoples' leader. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here," he sneered, "but there ain't no White Lantern Corps."
"You are correct," Vykin replied calmly.
Guy stammered a little, the argument he had prepared dying on his tongue, and Dreamer took the opportunity to speak up. "This ring, this color, was never made into a Corps. High Father was very specific when he requested the Guardians' help. He did not want anyone else to know about it, lest Apokolips get word and find a way to cut off its connection to the Source. The Guardians agreed that it was too powerful to duplicate, and so they erased the record of its being made and told no one about its existence."
The other Greens had joined Guy by now, and John Stewart looked at the ring thoughtfully. "I have already contacted Oa to send reinforcements, with any luck they will alert the other Corps and be here soon. I will be speaking to the Guardians about this. I do not know if we can accept it."
Vykin tilted his head. "Why not?"
"The power of the entire spectrum? It could tear the wearer apart. The risk is too great."
"Sacrificing one person is better than leading an entire world to the slaughter."
It was such a shocking thing to hear, but truth rang from its core, and Orion didn't wait for his words to sink in. He snatched the ring and threw it into the air before the heroes could react, and it began to glow so brightly that many of the heroes had to look away. Mallory followed its path as it circled around the room, taking in the best the Earth had to offer, pausing once or twice before abruptly changing course, ultimately finding its way back to the front of the room, where it hovered in front of Kyle, dimming its light a bit as it waited to be accepted.
His eyes widened, and they could see on his face the effort it took to process the fact that a second ring had found him worthey. He looked around, his gaze bouncing between Hal, John, and the people of New Genesis. "I can't…I don't think…I already have a ring!" he protested, shaking his head.
"This one is better," Orion said, and nothing about him suggested that any part of him had meant it as a joke.
They were all quiet for a beat, then John sighed. "I'll wear it," he decided, willing to take the risk on himself rather than put it on anyone else.
"You were not chosen," Dreamer pointed out gently. She put a hand on Kyle's arm. "If it helps, while the ring has never been worn, it was forged by the very people who made the one you wear every day. I do not believe that it will be any different than that, provided you truly are compatible with it."
Mallory had heard better reassurances, but she could see her friend leaning towards a decision. He looked at his fellow Lanterns, silently asking if they thought it was worth it, and though none of them looked happy about it, Hal and John pressed their lips together and gave him tight nods. He took a breath, steeling himself against the possibility of an agonizing death, and he pulled off his green ring, his suit morphing into his street clothes. Once his old ring was off, he held out his hand, his fingers spread wide, and the white ring fitted itself onto his finger. He lifted into the air, a flash of light consuming him, and only a handful of heroes were able to continue watching the transformation as Kyle and the ring tested out their compatibility, and finally the ring allowed him to put on a uniform and land.
No one said anything for a long time, not really knowing what to say after the last few minutes, and Orion got impatient long before they thought of any more questions. "We should go and report the progress to High Father. We will return as soon as we can, you should begin preparations in the meantime." He started to push past some of the heroes, trying to get to a clear spot to open a boom tube. When he got to the team, he looked at Mallory, a disgusted look on his face, and before she could step to the side, he brushed past her, his shoulder hitting her so hard she was thrown into Kaldur.
"Rude," she thought, only partially aware that Megan had set up a link.
"Right? What's his problem?" Raquel asked, rolling her eyes.
"He kind of feels familiar," Artemis mentioned, tilting her head, her eyes following the man as he walked through the portal.
"Yeah, like Brion in the early days, when he tried to barbeque people," Dick decided.
Megan shrugged. "I guess he'll be good on the battlefield."
They started to become aware of a different kind of tension in the room, and they realized that while they knew about Batman Inc and the away Leaguers' return from the grave and the invasion to come, the majority of the other heroes present only knew bits and pieces, and no one was content to leave it that way.
Alex joined them, and Mallory wondered briefly when he had arrived, or if he had been there the whole time. "Hey. I hear the mission was a success," he mentioned, glancing between Mallory and Dick to make sure they were both still reasonably all right after their time in the pit only fourteen hours ago. His eyes caught on her throat, and Mallory resisted the urge to put her hand to the bruise, able to imagine just how bad it must look by now. She shook her head, telling him that it was all right, though the last time she'd tried to talk out loud, her voice had sounded like nails going through a grinder.
"We saved the metas that had been kidnapped, if that's what you mean," Artemis said, rubbing her shoulder where her arm had been popped back into socket earlier. "I guess you heard about what's coming."
He nodded, his eyes going to Brek curiously. "Yes, Peter texted me when you got back, said you might need a doctor." He looked at Mallory. "I brought you a change of clothes, too, if you want to get out of your suit." She nodded, ignoring the discomfort of having Alex, Cameron, and Brek all in one room together. At least Icicle Jr was giving her space, staying with the younger members of the team. Black Canary and Captain Atom walked over to the team, and they looked at her expectantly.
"You put yourselves, the rest of the team, and every person on that ship in unacceptable danger, and you went on this mission from Vandal Savage without consulting us."
"You wouldn't have let us go," Gar pointed out simply.
Canary's glare included every single member of the team, but she grudgingly moved on. "We'll put that to the side because we have more pressing things to deal with at the moment. We have to get back to Taos and help process the meta teens you brought back, sift through their abilities and find better arrangements for the more volatile ones. And on top of that, we have to rally our forces and get the Earth ready for an attack." She rubbed her shoulder, kneading the muscle with her knuckle as if she was already exhausted from all the work. "In the meantime, go home."
It took three full seconds for them to understand what she had said. "What? No!" Jinx argued, and Cassie added, "you just said there's a lot to do. We can help!"
"There is a lot to do," Nate admitted, "but in your condition, you wouldn't be much help. Go get some rest, eat something, and come back when you're stronger. You didn't trust us to help with your mission, but at least let us handle the cleanup."
The dig might have stung more if Mallory hadn't been more or less numb for the last hour, and none of the original members gave them any argument. "I guess we'll have to find you somewhere to stay," the pyrokinetic croaked, looking at Brek.
"Taos is completely full, and we've already made arrangements to fill every other center across the country. You guys brought back more than we can handle. As it is, we have hundreds of teens we're still trying to find housing for," Canary said, overhearing the new discussion. "We've even promised rooms here for the ones that need a little extra protection."
Mallory nodded. She did a quick survey of the people around her, but none of them were in a position to help her out. "Don't worry about me," Brek protested. "I'll find a place on my own."
Mallory stifled a groan. "No, you can stay at my old apartment. Mal and Karen moved out before they had their baby." Alex titled his head, clearly wondering who this guy was, and Mallory felt obligated to introduce them. "This is…one of the metas we rescued from the ship. We've worked with him before, a few years ago. And Brek, this is…Alex." It was painfully awkward, the introduction and the greeting they exchanged, and she felt guilty just looking at Alex, who had nothing but trust in his eyes. "All right, I guess we should get going, then," she said, and after she threw on the sweats over her costume, she led Brek to the zeta tube, not looking back as she punched in her coordinates and let the light pull her back towards Earth.