The Clocktower

Dick was smashing the entire place up in front of Damian and Helena not long after they arrived at the break of dawn to find Barbara Gordon was no longer at home. All they uncovered to suggest her location was a note written with a question mark saying to "seek her at home". Dick was on one hand upending the place to find other clues but on another more dominant and apparent hand lashing out that she had been taken like this. Alfred was also distressed to see his young charge in such a state. "Master Richard, destroying your and your wife's things is not going to find her!" "I know, Al, but I'm just imagining them as the Riddler's face," Nightwing shouted, kicking a cabinet, "The snake must have broken in during the blackout. Fuck, what am I going to tell Jim? Maybe he's killed her already. I'll break his goddamn neck!" Dick then received a slightly therapeutic but still very sore smack to the face from Damian Wayne. "Grayson, Pennyworth is correct," Robin declared before a stunned Dick and compatriots, "And so are you. Vent your anger on the man who has taken Gordon, not these objects which she owns. Not to mention we have a city to defend which is on the brink as we speak." Dick took a few shallow breaths to remind himself to think.

"You're right, Damian. You're right," he nodded, composing himself, "But we need to find her quickly." "And we will," Helena said as she brought Dick down to the couch and put her arm around his shoulder, "Barbara's tough, I know that more than most and so do you. Wherever or however he's taken her, she's probably already worked out a way to break out and kick Riddler's ass." "Yeah, but how are we going to find her?," Dick pleaded, almost crying, "What does that even mean? 'Seek her at home'. Should we go to Jim's house? Or her old campus? It doesn't make sense, nothing's here." Dick fell on the couch in despair and Alfred sidled over to the young lad. "Miss Gordon will be alright, sir," the faithful butler reassured his boy, "Trust me on this. Miss Bertinelli tells the truth. She is a strong woman, and clearly the Riddler wants us to find her. And knowing Nygma he'd rather we solve a puzzle before he does anything." "Yeah, but he's trapped us in this city, too," Dick grumbled, "No communications. Nothing. So, she must be somewhere here!"

Just then Dick's communicator beeped on his belt. "Nightwing, this is Batgirl," came the voice of Stephanie Brown, "The Narrows has died down for the moment. Have you found out why Oracle's been silent the last few hours?" "They've taken her, Steph," Dick told her, fighting back tears, "The Riddler has Barbara." There was a moment's silence as Steph composed herself, fearing for her mentor. "Christ, Dick, I'm sorry. What can w—" The communicator shorted out before Steph could finish that question. "Steph? Hello? Cass? Anyone?" Suddenly, a voice echoed across the city. A voice which had inspired terror to many of the city's dwellers for nigh on twenty years. The voice of Dr Jonathan Crane. The voice of the Scarecrow.

"Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair! That shall be the call of Bruce Wayne, our city's very own Ozymandias, now that he has abandoned this city, the life's work of many generations of his kin, when he sees what it has become. What we have reduced it to, my children of the night. Our bombings have driven this city to fear as hundreds of you have died, and the Batman and his children have done nothing to save you. The Batman cannot save you from fear. His children will die screaming. The people of Gotham will know and embrace fear as we take this city and tear it limb from limb. Tonight, will be the final battle between Batman's son, the fearless Nightwing, and our forces. Tonight, this city will fall to us. And once Gotham is ours, soon shall be the world entire. Are you scared yet?"

"So, Crane is behind the bombings?" Damian said confused seconds after the villain's speech had concluded, "I assumed them to be merely Nygma's actions with his pretentious question marks at every location." "They're working together," Helena said with apprehension. Dick nodded sadly. "The only two perps we couldn't account for the day Babs and I got married were the Riddler and Zsasz," he thought out loud, stroking his chin in a Holmesian fashion, "I'd be surprised if they're working together though. Not Zsasz' style." "I saw him with Zsasz leading those kids out of town," Helena gruffly pointed out, "I didn't know what they were doing. I think…I think they're selling the kids as slaves." "Who to?" Nightwing insisted in just as quick and gruff a manner. "The government," the Huntress answered, "Did you not see Clark Kent's latest piece in the Daily Planet? It was all about metahuman trafficking in the Suicide Slum. He didn't blame the government but with organised crime down it can't be a coincidence that's happening in Metropolis too. The kids in the photos…they looked exactly like the ones I'd found. All shaved heads and collars. Like they were being sent to some kind of concentration camp." Helena seemed to shiver slightly as she said those last words while Dick developed a stern understanding of the situation. "You might be right, if what Bruce said about these guys behind the President is true. But we can't prove anything yet."

Dick reactivated his communicator. "Steph, you still there?" "Dick, shit man," Batgirl frantically replied in a hoarse voice, "They've got Cass and Cissie. I think I've been hit. Bit of a flesh wound, but I'm gonna' need Al to take it out of me if he's willing to put up with any expletives." "Oh, I was in the Navy, Mistress Stephanie, I've undoubtedly heard worse," Alfred pleaded, "Just get back as safely as you can." "Roger that, Al," Steph said, "Heading to the Clocktower ASAP." "What the heck?!" Dick shouted, regaining himself from a stupor, "Steph, who's taken Black Bat and Arrowette?"

"It looked like Two-Face and Mr Freeze," Batgirl managed over the sound of her motorbike and gunfire, "They just came out of nowhere while we were exhausted after the Mutant fight and Scarecrow was talking. Cass told me to run. Aw Hell, we're losing a lot of people here. We need help." Dick stood up and wiped away some anxious tears, feeling even more lost now he was fighting this without either Bruce or Barbara by his side. "We've still got Batwoman and the Question, Steph," he reassured the young girl, "And we can call Red Robin in if needs be. Just get back here right now, we'll see what Alfred can do for you, and hurry." Reactivating the communicator, Dick radioed Batwoman. "Batwoman? Question? You guys okay?" "We're fine," the sarky, inner city accent of Renee Montoya which stood out from the genteel tone of her ex-girlfriend replied, "Got ambushed by the Mad Hatter and Firefly. Made it out alive and knocked the two creeps out. Shit's getting real, Nightwing." "Come to the Clocktower," he said desperately, "Oracle's been taken by the Riddler. We need to organise fast if we're going to save her and this city tonight."

Placing the communicator back on the table, Dick just let all the tears and frustration he'd been holding inside out at that. Alfred gave his ward a hug from behind, and motioned for Helena and Damian to leave, which they promptly did. "Damn it, Al," Nightwing bitterly spluttered through the tears, "I can't do this...I'm not Batman...I'm not Oracle." "Master Richard," Alfred seriously replied, ending the embrace and turning the tearstained face of the first young man he and Bruce had taken in in the direction of his own, "You have risen to the occasion as Robin, as Nightwing and as the Batman before, and led our family through much. I trust you will not fail now." "I'm not Bruce, Al," his lip trembled. "No, you're not," was the solemn reply, "But he's not here right now. Right now, our family...our city doesn't need Batman...it needs you, Master Richard. And I have every confidence you will save as many people as possible, including our loved ones. Including your wife." Gripping his surrogate son's hands, Alfred looked Dick in the eyes, "Be the hero this city deserves, Richard. Don't be Batman. Be Nightwing."

Central City

Barry Allen had been coming home from work a lot later since he had heard the news of his grandson's apparent death. He was blaming himself for the very obvious reason that he and Bart hadn't been on the best of terms since…well, at all. Barry didn't know him apart from observation from the Speed Force while he was dead. He knew him, in other words, about as well as any grandparent who died before a grandchild's birth observing them from an afterlife. Pretty much exactly like that. Since his return from the grave, Barry and his grandson had had little interaction beyond animosity. He reminded Barry of his father a little and of course, it angered Barry that his son was dead without having ever really known him. If Bart ever came back, Barry assured himself he would make up for what he did. But no one should bank on resurrection, no matter how common it may seem these days. He knew Don and Dawn were the Flash now, and therefore they'd have more dealings with Father Thawne than anyone else he knew. He'd cut off all ties with his friends from the Justice League. Diana and Bruce had been the last of them to be in any way nice to him after he opened up and now, they were gone altogether. What was the point in talking to anyone else with Hal gone too? He hadn't even attended the memorial service to the Teen Titans when Iris had begged him to come along because he hated the thought of celebrating heroism so much. He wasn't a hero. His nephew and now his grandson were dead because they followed his example, and to top it all off reality was out of whack thanks to him.

Of course, Barry was at a bar right now. A cop bar, but all his colleagues had long since left. It was nearly closing time and he was watching news of all the bridges blowing up in Gotham. The news shifted to images of Batgirl and Nightwing fighting titanically sized, grey-skinned gangsters from previous nights. "Gotham being a nightmare city. What else is new?" he said to himself, chuckling ever so slightly while drinking his beer. A large man sitting beside him at the bar turned to him with contempt written all over his face. "Have a bit of respect, asswipe. There's people dead over there." "People die everywhere, why should I care," was Barry's glib reply, beer staining his five o'clock shadow, "I don't know 'em." He was lying with that last part. Of course, he knew Nightwing very well and he had met Batgirl once or twice. He thought. Didn't remember her being blonde. The guy got up and grabbed him by the collar. "Listen, pal. My sister's in Gotham. Her kid's in hospital from a bombing a week ago. How about you shut up?" The bartender deliberately intervened then by physically separating him. "Listen punk, Barry just lost his grandkid." "Grandkid? Is that guy even forty yet?" "He's an old customer and yes his grandson is dead. Not to mention his nephew too couple months back. So, give him a break if he mouths off. I'll getcha' one on the house if you leave him alone?"

"Bribing them so they don't knock my teeth out now?" the former Flash laughed at the barman, "You must really love me," Barry said as he slammed his empty bottle of beer on the table, after withdrawing clumsily five dollars. A well dressed young man with strawberry blonde hair walked in then and said, "This one's on me. I'm not letting Mr Allen pay for this." "Fair enough, Don," the barman replied, "Just tell your dad to have a bit of respect for the rest of the clientele." "I heard that," Barry slurred. "Good!" Don then swiveled his father's stool so he could make eye contact with his son. "Jesus, Dad, how many have you had?" "Not enough," Barry hiccupped, "I was thinking of having some absinthe when I get home." "Dad, just because you have a faster metabolism doesn't mean you should drink like this."

"Yeah, well screw it, Don. Your son is dead. Your only child. You remember him? The kid you smacked in the face."

"I apologised for that."

"Doesn't matter. I'm the only one grieving here."

"Screw you, Dad. You may be drunk but that's out of line. Mom has been inconsolable. And like I told you…Bart's not dead."

"Really? You could have fooled me and your mother. And what, my all-important, elusive nephew who brought you back from the grave is telling you that? Or is it your cousin who's still dead?"

"I…yes, he is. Jesus, Dad, just go with it. Bart might be lost in the Speed Force or…or in another universe. Kon survived, why can't he?"

"Oh yeah, that pal of yours in your new Justice League. You and your sister know what you're getting into? I mean, a government-mandated Justice League. That's almost like a smack in the face to everything we in the old JLA did. Shame, isn't it? Kids are now fascist stooges while I, the old man, am the rebel."

"Don't talk like an idiot, Dad. We're hardly fascists."

"When's the next election, then? Not to mention Eiling is fond of sending in the troops when things go south. That printers strike in Metropolis led to 300 arrests for "breaching the peace" and the Daily Planet were saying some people are reporting fatalities. People who won't come forward."

"Why don't you take that up with Eddie?"

"Like I said, he's elusive."

"Yeah, well, you can quit your grieving. We're working on getting Bart back at the League. I trust my cousin on this one, Dad. You should too."

"Well, tell him to come around and visit the family he claims to love so much."

"I'll…mention it. He sees a lot of me and Dawn anyway."

"I'm sure. How's your love life anyway, son?"

"What the Hell?"

"You've been home for months, and you've not even tried to visit your wife in the future."

"Dad, this conversation is ridiculous. I'm taking you home. When you sober up in the morning, you're apologising to Mom."

"For what? Not taking the word of a madman about my grandson's death. Gimme' a break, Don."

"Eddie is not a madman. He gave us back to you!"

"Yeah, and I've heard his speeches. Either he's mad or a conman. I've seen resurrection, and it's not always God's fault. Or Rao, or whatever the fuck he's talking about. I'm grateful you and your sister are alive, but at what cost? I've lost two people I loved at the same time. And one of them I didn't love enough and couldn't stand the sight of me."

"You haven't lost Bart."

"Shut up with your lies!" Barry bellowed. Don then banged his father on the head into unconsciousness and sped away with him before anyone could notice what he had done. Back at home, he laid Barry to bed beside his mother. Heading downstairs his sister was watching the news concerning Gotham. "Eddie's certain he doesn't want us to go in there." "Not if you want Jenni back," he sighed, sitting on the couch beside her, "or we want things to go smoother." "He can't keep holding this over us, Don," Dawn said, curling up to her brother and holding his arm. Don ruffled his twin's hair in response. "He is…that's all that matters, Dawn," was the sad reply, "If Dad's wailing has shown me anything, it's that we need to put the people we love before the greater good. Fuck being a hero if it means you lose everything." "It's not just us being hurt here though," his sister scoffed, "Those children are suffering, Don!" "I know!" he shouted back, breaking their embrace, then calmed himself before adding, "But what can we do even if he didn't have a hold over us? We're screwed, Dawn. If we want Wally or Bart to come back to us…or you want Jenni to survive the death of the future, then we've got to do what Eddie says. It sucks, but it is how it is." Brother and sister then hugged in fear at the monster they were serving, but Don had a slight sense of self-satisfaction as he had a feeling that despite Eddie's twisted nature, he was building a better world. A world where life and death didn't matter. Only peace. If only his twin shared his optimism.

Citadel of the Seven Seas, Orinopolis, New Atlantis

The summit between Atlantis and Themyscira was called to order with Arthur Curry, the man of two worlds standing as an adjudicator between one side delegated by his half-brother King Orm of Atlantis, another by his adopted father, Tom Curry and the third by his old comrade, Princess Diana of Themyscira, the Wonder Woman. The room they stood in was a magnificent green and displayed the entire city of Orinopolis below them. A vast metropole despite being of a much smaller size than its antecedent, Poseidonis, and marked with gold and green buildings. A statue of Atlan was in the main square with all manner of marine life surrounding it. From dolphin to plankton all came sprawling around for the delegates to see in the beautiful luminescence of the ocean. Mera, Kaldur'ahm and Lorena deliberately sat beside Diana as if to demonstrate they were against Tom Curry and his masters. Garth and Debbie sat with Orm while Tom seemed to sit on his own, quietly confident through his slightly cadaverous appearance. Arthur, his beard now significantly longer than before, along with his hair, stood to attention.

"I call this summit between the sovereign kingdoms of New Atlantis and Themyscira to order. I, Prince Orin of Atlantis, have the privilege of being intimate with both representatives. King Orm is my half-brother, and he has done his utmost to foster my legacy in his reign. Princess Diana has been my comrade on many occasions, and I have come to regard her as one of my dearest friends. However, my father, Tom Curry, claims that the Amazons cannot be trusted. The man who pulled me from the depths and helped me to discover a second world in Amnesty Bay. So, I have decided to be impartial. I love Atlantis and its people but I also love Diana and appreciate her people's ways and motives. But I also love my father and will do my best to...appreciate his beliefs."

"Can I begin speaking?" Diana asked Arthur sincerely as she stood up slightly. "Are you going to start with a comment on my speech?" he joked. "Yes," she answered seriously, startling him, "Just that for the moment, Arthur. I would like to point out that it is a provocative choice of ambassador to choose your resurrected father, Arthur, is it not?" Orm nodded slightly to this. "I have to agree," came the unusual agreement of the former villain, "The American government sent him deliberately. I feel that cannot be ignored." Tom then made his piece known before Arthur could even interject. "I am but a humble fisherman," he said through his missing teeth, "All my life I have dreamed of greater things and Father Thawne has given me that. At last I stand in the halls of Atlantis, my son's birthplace. A quest I died for. Father Thawne only sent me here so I may be reunited with Arthur, and in order to present his government's position in a calm manner. I have no ulterior motive here." Diana rolled her eyes. "Unlike the princess, I might add. She has come here without her mother's consent, because her mother desires to destroy the people of Atlantis."

"By Hera, you will take those words back, old man!" Wonder Woman stood up from her chair, a finger of accusation pointed at the old man. "Calm, Diana. It is not like you to not try and reason with your enemies," Arthur said encouragingly. Diana was flabbergasted that her old friend could be this blind. "Very well, then, Arthur," she acquiesced, sitting down, "If you want this handled diplomatically, I call on Mera, former Queen of Atlantis to speak her piece on the actions of the man your father claims to represent." Mera then rose as Diana sat. The former queen coughed slightly before telling Arthur the truth of her time on the surface. "Arthur, this man came to me before any of this fiasco truly began. He feigned familiarity before saying that Mr Edward Thawne had resurrected him on your behalf. He may claim this, but such an action sounds like the mutterings of a madman. Now I am sure you believe this man to be your father, Arthur, but even if he is, he serves a dark power. This Thawne fellow he represents drove me and Kaldur from the shores of the United States for our connection to Atlantis. He has systematically begun undermining both our nations to promote a malformed agenda which suggests Kryptonians are angels, that their nailed God on the surface is somehow one and the same as the Sun of Krypton, and he is His latest prophet. Somehow, people are foolish enough to follow him. And Diana tells me his powers of resurrection are true, but that he has used them to manipulate others. Even Donna Troy has turned her back on Diana, her own sister, because this man returned her son to her. Do you hear me, Arthur? Diana and Donna have a near unbreakable bond, and Diana is one of the most loving people you or I know…yet his deceptive ways have convinced Donna Troy that Diana is evil. He cannot be trusted, Arthur, and I'm afraid neither can your father if he works for him. He is merely playing the same game with you."

Orm then stood up in a form of protest. "Whilst I am naturally fascinated by events on the surface," the king spoke, a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "They do not detract from the fact that the Amazon and myself have had premonitions of war between our peoples. Regardless of the intentions of an American snake oil salesman, our nations need to reach an accord if we wish to avoid war." "Very well, Orm," Diana said with a sense of compromise, "We will draft a treaty of trade with you as soon as I convince my mother you are a peaceful man. But how can I do that, having known you as a butcher and a villain for many years?" "Touché, Princess," Ocean Master conceded, "If the civilisation I have built and the peace I have finally made with Arthur are not proof enough of that, I do not know what more I can give you other than maybe some mother of pearl gifts to your queen. What evidence of good faith is there from your mother and her government, Amazon?"

"All the evidence you have is right here. I, her only daughter, have come here unofficially, at great personal risk, to ensure that our people do not end one another in a final battle. I want peace between our peoples and, if necessary, a pact to defend one another against any untoward aggression."

"Nothing would please me more than peace, Amazon. But you hit the nail on the head of my doubt when you said that one word. 'Unofficially'. As you admitted three weeks ago, Queen Hippolyta has no idea you are here. You fled America months ago, and when you found your mother…not quite as amenable as you had hoped…you turned here to bring peace of your own accord. That is merely a sign of your good faith. You do not truly represent Hippolyta, so all your claims of her desire for peace are therefore empty."

"But this whole summit is nonsense, Orm. Neither of our peoples have done anything to harm the other. It is only foolish premonition that has brought us here, nothing more. By your own aggression towards me, here and now, do you not realise that you are creating the scenario for war in the first place. I am here based on those premonitions to bring peace. I want the daughters of Paradise Island and the many children of New Atlantis to know peace and friendship as Arthur and I have known it through our own camaraderie. All I ask for, King Orm, is peace. And I throw myself at your mercy in order to obtain that."

"You make excellent points, Princess. Very well. If you will bring Prince Orin to Themyscira as our plenipotentiary equivalent to yourself, I have no doubt you will convince your mother of my good will. It does not do to dwell on dreams, and I have been doing that for far too long. If I am to rule these people, the wind that is words should not guide me as it has. Thank you, Princess, for clearing the fog from my mind on such a simple matter." Surprised by his humility, Diana walked across the room and she and Orm both shook one another's hand in a display of diplomacy. Ocean Master would have liked her as a wife, but he knew someone as willful as Diana would never stand for his current polygamy. Still, he had enjoyed great success up till now. "Thank you, King Orm. I hope that once our treaty is concluded, we can discuss defending ourselves against a real threat. But all that matters is today we have found common ground, and—"

Just before Diana could finish her speech, the doors were opened on all sides of the chamber and the heads of guards tossed before them. A tall woman strode before them in the lead, wearing Diana's colours. "We, the warriors of Queen Hippolyta, have come to liberate our princess!," she announced in a strange accent, almost Levantine, "Stand down, dwellers of the depths or we shall unleash the righteous fury of the Amazons upon ye as we have your guards!" The whole room was stunned. That Princess Diana was now holding them hostage when only a moment ago, she had shaken the hand their king to prove her friendship to the Atlanteans. Wonder Woman would not be cowed by her sisters acting so rashly.

"Sisters, please! These actions are not necessary, and they are not the Amazon way! The gods made us to find a way for mortals to live peacefully, and only use force when no other option was presented. Slaughtering the guards before even speaking with them is a cowardly method, worthy of Hercules when he deceived us all those years ago!" Diana bore her gauntlets before the women. "Do these mean nothing to you? If my mother has truly sent you, which I doubt, then you should grovel before me for forgiveness. Now!" The leader of the Amazon women then walked up to Diana and punched her in the face so hard she slammed into the table. Another then drove a sword straight through Tom Curry, killing him, as he attempted to flee.

"Dad!" Arthur screamed, rushing over to his prostrate form. Garth, Debbie, Lorena, Mera, Orm and Jackson were immediately able to fight off the rest of the Amazons, while Diana wrestled with their leader who had stunned her. The leader was wearing a battle helmet, uncharacteristic of their people, and seemed to use underhanded methods which Hippolyta would have balked at. "Who are you, woman?" Diana managed to raise herself from the ground and kick the woman's mask off. She saw her own face but deduced fairly quickly who she was fighting. "Circe. Who put you up to this?" "Why the man who brought me from the Underworld," the glamorous, purpled haired witch replied, "Eddie Thawne, of course." Before Wonder Woman could react, Circe struck her with spell causing her gauntlets to feel heavier than a ten-ton weight. Before she could kill Wonder Woman, Ocean Master grazed her with a sword and she evaporated into thin air.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Orm said while Diana raised herself instantly, shrugging off the spell which abated without Circe's presence. "I am fine, Orm," she replied, looking him in the eye to reassure him her mettle remained, "It is only my pride as an Amazon that has been wounded. More so by these impostors and their shameful acts than by my own combative abilities." The remaining Amazons were all standing still yet each one of them seemed to be…dead. None of them had any discerning personality or even difference in physical appearance. It was as though Circe had created them out of thin air. No reaction to stimulus or anything. A strange sight to behold, indeed. "I believe you, Princess, in saying that these women do not represent your mother," Orm reassured her, "Such an attack seems blatantly like it was designed to inflame our passions. Whoever is behind it will pay."

Arthur was still weeping over his father's corpse at this point. "The Amazons will pay!" he screamed, "They killed my dad!" "Arthur," Diana said, her impatience apparent, "That man, even if he was your father, was a pawn of the man who gave him life. The man who drove us from the shores of America. We must unite if we are to stop him. And your groveling isn't helping anyone." "Groveling?" Arthur stood up and marched towards his old friend so that their eyes were barely an inch apart, "He was my father, Diana. How would you like it if Orm's men came and killed your mother?" "I would highly doubt they served your brother, if they did," she said without blinking or flinching at Aquaman's overly masculine display of aggression, "I am sorry for your loss, Arthur, but I have a sneaking suspicion that that man was a pawn in a game designed to divide us. We should count ourselves lucky Orm saw sense before any of this happened."

"Saw sense? Saw sense? I'll—" Mera then encased her husband in a bubble of water before he could do anything. "I will hold him, Diana. He will calm down eventually. Hopefully this isolation will take away the influence of the pollen from him." "Thank you, Mera" Wonder Woman sighed, "I know it must pain you to do this." "Pain me?" her old friend laughed, "Try getting him to shut up without doing this." Mera then escorted her husband away from the room as he railed at them from within the bubble. Diana kneeled down and closed Tom Curry's eyes. "Though we were enemies in life, Thomas Curry, I honour you in death," Diana produced a coin and placed it in the mouth of the dead man, "May the ferryman grant you passage across the River Styx, and a place in Elysium with the glorious dead." "You honour a man who spewed bile against you, princess," Ocean Master scoffed, "I honour a man who was unjustly slain as a pawn of my enemy and was a father to a dear friend of mine, King Orm. And if you can't understand that at all, you will make this alliance difficult. Now, let us get down to business. When your brother has recovered, I will see what we can do about working with my mother."

Themyscira

Queen Hippolyta was enjoying a bath with Philippus, her main mistress-at-arms who had trained all of the Amazons in combat and was their greatest warrior bar only Princess Diana. "The Fates do not lie, even if Diana thinks better," Hippolyta dejectedly spoke. "But your daughter is a goddess now," Philippus reminded her, "She is beyond their decisions." "You truly believe that, Philippus?" her queen smirked, "Not even Zeus himself can resist what has been seen by the Three Who Are One. They speak of the Twilight coming soon. And they say the Amazons will be the first to fall. My dreams speak of Atlantis being our destroyers. Diana will not believe me, yet she has the same dreams herself." Philippus swam to be closer to her queen and comfort her in her distress for her daughter. "Do not despair, my queen," she spoke softly, stroking Hippolyta's flawless cheek, "Your daughter is merely seeking peace, even if it may be in vain." "Denying the Fates will cost her dearly, Philippus," Hippolyta answered, lovingly hold Philippus' hand to her cheek, and making eye contact. "Hush, my queen," Philippus silenced her sovereign then with a long, intense kiss. "Your touch always soothes me," Hippolyta said after a moment, "But it will not ease my stress."

A young looking messenger then arrived to interrupt her queen's moment of intimacy. "My queen, there are krakens off the coast!" "Krakens?" "Yes, and their leader is—" A trident flew through the messenger and her body fell in the pool before Hippolyta and Philippus, her blood rising to the surface. "Men of the sea, damn them to Hades!" the queen shrieked, "Philippus, fetch my armour! It seems my daughter's overtures have failed us." Once she had donned her golden battle armour, Hippolyta ran down to the beach and saw that tornadoes of water were entrapping and drowning entire platoons of her sisters. Smacking sword against shield, their mighty queen led her forces with a cry of "For Paradise, my sisters!" The forces facing them were Atlantean in their garb, with scaly armour and tridents, but some of them seemed to control the water. Hippolyta then realised that they must have allied with Xebel in their latest campaign. Regardless of how hopeless the odds may have seemed she would lead her sisters to their deaths before surrendering one inch of their gods given home.

"Why do you attack us, men of the sea?" Hippolyta asked above the din of battle, "Because you attacked us," a male voice shouted from atop a monstrous kraken leering over them. The kraken had an eye missing and appeared as if it had been killed and just revived from the dead. "We Amazons desire nought but peace," Hippolyta told the distant kraken rider, "We would never attack the people of Atlantis in so cowardly an act. Like them, we are outcasts from Man's World. Forced to live apart from those on the surface. Neither of us have any desire to fight one another." "Well, I have a desire to fight you," the same distant voice echoed from the same kraken. Astarte then loosed an arrow at the figure when gaining sight of where he sat atop the beast. He appeared dark and unrecognisable beneath a suit of armour, but carried a trident with the same dignity King Orin had. Hippolyta, Philippus and the others were making sure to fight down these Atlanteans. Except all of them could control water. All of them. It did not make any sense. A few sorcerers from Xebel might have been in these forces, but no Atlantean could do this.

The arrow struck true at the apparent king of the sea and he fell from the beast. The kraken, now no longer controlled, stopped menacing them and began throwing its tentacles in a mad frenzy at the Amazons. Philippus managed to cut off one of its tentacles but not before she collapsed in agony from the venom of that same tentacle. Astarte's next arrow took out the beast's other eye, but it nearly broke her neck when it slammed a tentacle on the platoon beside her, killing both Atlantean and Amazon, then sweeping the archer off her feet and into the air. Hippolyta caught her sister before any more damage could be done. As the next tentacle landed beside her, Hippolyta leapt upon it and mastering her balance as a daughter of the gods should ran up along that same appendage and leapt into the air. Landing on the kraken's head, she drove her sword into it many times and sliced open an access to the creature's brain. "May Athena forgive me, but I do this for my sisters!" she whispered in prayer before delivering a killing blow into the monster's cerebral cortex.

The battle was over with the great Kraken felled and its rider dismounted, so the apparent Atlanteans accordingly surrendered. Astarte dragged the kraken rider from the water. He was wearing a black shell to hide his features, and when Hippolyta took his helmet from him, she found that underneath was a man with dark skin who resembled Aquaman in no way. "Who are you, mortal?," the victorious queen asked her prisoner, "And why do you utilise the sorcerers of Xebel disguised as warriors of Atlantis to attack our home." "My name is David Hyde," came the defiant reply of a cowed man, "Your daughter knows me well as the Black Manta. I am the one who slew Atlantis' Crown Prince many years ago. Now I serve King Orm Marius as the commander in chief of his armies." "If you slew the man's nephew, he is hardly going to be amicable towards you, villain or no," Hippolyta doubted this mercenary was loyal to anything but gold, "That and it is Prince Orin who has ties with the extradimensional people of Xebel, not his half-brother. You will answer truthfully under the spell of the Erinyes." "Oh, Christ, no," Black Manta began screaming in protest as Astarte dragged him to an ancient dungeon below the queen's palace.

"Are many of our sisters wounded?" Queen Hippolyta asked the young Lyta Milton, Ares' daughter they had taken in and had returned to them since her father's death at the hands of Hippolyta's daughter. "My queen, many are dead," the attractive, violet eyed young lady answered, "At least eighty of our sisters wounded, and thanks to the kraken most of their forces." "There will be retribution for this," the queen solemnly acknowledged her report, "Against the Atlanteans or whoever put them up to this. I swear it by all the gods on Olympus."

Palace of Queen Komand'r, New Tamaran, Rann

Vril Dox was always fond of experimenting. It was a Coluan thing which many would not understand. His father had been the ultimate genius and collector of all the cosmos. Brainiac was a scourge to many civilisations, as he had an obsession with bottling samples from the worlds he attacked. The Kryptonian city of Kandor and its restoration as New Krypton on Earth had been one of his great humiliations. Vril knew he himself was not evil, as his son, Lyrl, had always claimed, and he certainly wasn't in comparison to his sire. Vril had set up L.E.G.I.O.N., an intergalactic police force dedicated to fighting the likes of his father in their megalomaniacal antics. Now, he was the consort of the Tamaranean Queen, Komand'r, a beautiful yet very intense woman, and L.E.G.I.O.N. was sponsored by her throne. Of late, she had desired to conceive with him, which unnerved him since their union was not based on consenting love but political advantage. She had told him of a nonsensical prophecy her grandmother had always spoken of. Whilst Vril was not in love with his new partner, copulating with a Tamaranean, particularly one as beautiful as one of the two princesses, was never something a red-blooded, heterosexual male of any species could easily turn down. Not to mention her superstitions had turned her against her sister, which gave Vril the opportunity to experiment on unique prisoners. Prisoners such as her sister's lover, Adam Blake, the human who went by the ridiculous alias of Captain Comet.

In Vril's lab, Blake was trussed up like a pig about to be butchered, connected to electrical wires hanging from the ceiling. Vril was trying to tap into the young man's power. The thing about Blake was not only did his powers derive from a comet which passed over Earth at the time of his birth, but he also had a strange gene which currently remained dormant in most of the human population. Some called those affected by it metahumans, but that also applied to humans who had developed abilities from incidents not involving their genetics. What Mr Blake had was a unique twist in his DNA 100,000 years too early in human evolution. He was a mutant. Or neo-sapiens, as Vril was wont to call them scientifically. His abilities could surpass even that of a Kryptonian or maybe even a New God. At least the gene gave him the potential to do that. Vril theorised that with the newfound spring of metahumans popping up from birth, that the neo-sapiens would soon emerge as a significant minority within the next few centuries on Earth, largely the fault of the invasion force years prior and their Gene Bomb. Now how could he weaponise such a gene? He would need to continue working on Blake. Blake's screams did not deter him as he began manipulating the boy's…well despite being elderly by Earth standards he still seemed to be barely an adult in appearance…genetic structure to suit his needs. Was Vril truly like his father with this disregard for the wellbeing of a sentient entity? He figured it did not matter, as progress comes before emotion, as any Coluan knows. Soon, he would have his own weapon which had potential beyond any other species.

In the throne room of New Tamaran, Queen Komand'r was celebrating having recently slaughtered the government of Rann and seized power. She had allowed the wife and child of Adam Strange to escape with their lives, but only so she could track them to wherever her sister was going. She wondered would she spare the child when all was said and done, and thought it wouldn't be worth it, having a little one grow up with vengeance in her heart. Give Blackfire something to keep her on her toes in later years. Life would be boring with all her enemies dead. Shivering a little, Komand'r clutched her chest and stomach simultaneously. The medics had confirmed it, she and Vril had conceived. She hoped it would be a girl to fulfil the prophecy of the Hybrid Messiah, and thereby make her the greatest queen any Tamaranean had or would ever know. She thought about being in this marriage with Vril Dox, and reasoned that he was actually a good partner, in that he did nothing to impede her ambitions while she fostered his. A true power couple. And their daughter would become a hero to Colu, likely integrating them into a Tamaranean empire of which Rann was the first conquest. Her shock troops were mopping up the locals with the help of a Kryptonian Krona had sent her who he claimed was Superman. Blackfire had met Superman, he was nothing like this spoilt brat.

A Boom Tube then opened and a blonde man with scraggly hair appeared before the Queen of Tamaran. "Your highness, it is an honour. My name is Father Edward Thawne, and I am here to collect Superman and return him to Earth." Blackfire recognised his companion as Cyborg, a former comrade of her sisters on the Teen Titans, evidently now enslaved through the technology of the New Gods. "It is good to see an ally who shows me due respect," the alien queen announced with genuine gratitude, "Your Kryptonian mongrel doesn't listen to a thing I tell him, Father." "Oh, that shall be dealt with, your grace," the scruffy prophet replied, "I trust your new army is prepared for the…grand assault." "Preparations are coming along nicely" she coolly informed him, "Not to mention your friend Krona has provided us with an ample supply of Darkstars for the attack after his negotiations with the Controllers. You promise then that I can have undisputed mastery of the galaxy when all is said and done?"

"Of course, everywhere bar our Solar System. Though I ask for complete independence, we would be forever indebted to the forces of the Tamaranean Empire and their magnificently, beautiful queen."

"All I wish is for my sister to die. For personal reasons, and so I can end her potential to bring the Hybrid Messiah. Then I will be the Hybrid Madonna and the Empress of the Galaxy as you have promised me, Father Thawne."

"Who's to say just the galaxy? When we're done with the grand assault, there won't be much left to defend the universe."

"Quite. There is no possibility I could take that...thing from you? The half-machine man. I know him of old, and X'hal, I would like to torture him. Preferably in front of my sister when I get my hands on her."

"No, I'm afraid not. Victor Stone is a steadfast servant of mine and I would not part with him for love nor money. Besides, I'd be handing over my monopoly on the technology of the New Gods to you. Hardly appropriate terms for myself. Now, how has your charming husband's work on Captain Comet been coming along?"

"My consort is still not able to refine the lad into the weapon we had hoped, but he has isolated a unique gene from the Earthling apes which could prove useful to both you and I."

"Ah, the neo-sapien gene. The X-factor. That's not meant to be discovered for centuries. Good for Vril to be ahead of his time like that. More steps towards a better universe."

"Indeed," Blackfire replied without any great interest. Science was a field best left to her husband while she took on the business of government. 'Superman' flew in through the window, covered in blood and smiling inanely. "These Rannians bleed an awful lot. I wish there were more of them protesting." Thawne looked at him like an owner would look at a cat who'd just dragged a dead bird into the house. "Kal, do not be so vulgar!" came the paternal and disapproving reply to the young man's bloodlust. "But I don't get to enjoy killing back on Earth," Prime screamed, "I have to be like this Earth's 'Superman'. Bull crap! I'm the real Superman!" Thawne then seemed to glow slightly and Kal began choking a bit. "I suggest you shut up, Kal, if you want to keep your job." Thawne then released the idiot from his grip. "Apologies once again, your majesty," Thawne stated with charm and sincerity, "Handling a dog, you sometimes require a tighter leash. I was too shortsighted to bring one this time. Won't happen again." Komand'r grinned with malice at that. "Let the boy have his fun, Father," Blackfire laughed, "After all, they're only a mongrel species." Thawne shuddered internally at the prospect of working with such a bigoted individual with an aristocratic sense of superiority. By his time, Earth had abandoned the aristocracy, not that the businesspeople hadn't become one in their own right. She reminded him of his own mother. He would enjoy watching her grand assault blow up in her face and devastate her precious galactic empire.